Well first of all, Charlotte is now 7 MONTHS old. And she grew... a lot. In the last week of our trip she had a major growth spurt and chunked up. She sits on her own and tries to crawl now. Still doesn't talk but I caught her saying "da da" just once (of course J wasn't in the room). Crystal clear, too. It was a one-time thing... but I keep trying to get her to say it again. She also said "ma ma" once, but its just her babbling when she gets frustrated.
 |
| Big enough to ride in the cart with big bro! (He doesn't think it's so great, though) |
Over a 2 1/2 week period we went to Idaho and then Utah, then back again. Hours upon hours of driving...let me just say how
Some highlights of our trip:
*driving through a town called Sisters in Oregon. It's probably the cutest little town I've ever seen. It's named after the Sisters Mountains.
*getting closer to some family members on Jonathan's side that we usually don't have a lot of time with.
*riding on the 4wheeler with my hott man :D
*our time in Garden Valley. (GV is the place we went to on our honeymoon. It's a seclusive town in the mountains that J's uncle has part ownership of).
*staying at the Sundance Resort in UT. The mountains were beautiful and so grand! On the last day we rode the chair lift over the resort and it was breathtaking.
*watching a lightning storm through big glass windows at night with Jonathan. The lightning lit up the entire backside of Mt. Timpanogas. We were the only ones in the cabin because we had kids with bedtimes- everyone else was out partyin :) (ps-the cabin was ENORMOUS. The guide told us that Pierce Brosnan himself had stayed there just last week. ha!)
*seeing my BFFE Sarah not just once but THREE times! We had lots of giggles together pouring over our old journals and catching up :) I just love her!
*the wedding of course. I enjoyed seeing my brother so happy! plus I got to help out a little with the photo booth :) yes, Charlotte and I had matching outfits. No, it wasn't planned at first but when I saw that little skirt at Baby Gap I couldn't resist!
*having a whole week with my family. I don't see them often enough and it was wonderful to watch Talmage get closer to his "mimi" and "poppy".
*playing with my dad's photo booth!
It was bittersweet coming home. We came back a few days early on account of Talmage catching a virus. A few days later, Charlotte got another serious UTI (the first time she got one we took her to the ER). Things are calmer now and both tots are recovering.
this is her the day after we took her to the dr.
the meds acted fast! yay!
Talmage is one happy little dude. He has come to love using his potty- who knew? I said I wouldn't force potty training on him until he was good and ready, but I thought he'd be like 3 years old until that happened. I still don't think he's completely ready but every now and then he joyfully goes to that potty and does his business and shouts for joy when the potty sings to him. The other half of the time, he's terrified of it. So we're kind of in the middle...and I'm not sure whether or not to turn this into full-on potty training or not.
Other than that, he's been really talkative these days and tells all kind of funny things. He also says "hi" a lot, to each and every stranger when we go somewhere. It was cute at first but now it's just ridiculous. If the person doesn't say "hi" back, he persists in saying HI- getting louder and more obnoxious- until they acknowledge him. Silly boy :]
This one is harder for me to write about, and although its personal its also something I need to share. Jonathan is still unemployed. It's been the absolute hardest time of our lives. We are living on a prayer every single day. And during this time we've had a great number of other trials come our way. It's difficult to see what Heavenly Father is trying to teach us when I can hardly get my bearings. As soon as we get through one thing, something else happens. So to be totally honest...we are all kinda stressed out. We're trying to stay positive and take advantage of the time we have together, but it's a little hard justifying dates or outings when we have no income.
On another note, it's been a surprisingly humbling experience for us. Our eyes are opened to the other blessings we've been given. Our prayers and conversations with one another are more meaningful. The good moments outshine the bad ones more than ever. Its especially hard going to church because everyone asks us about "the job situation", and I always dread those questions beforehand. But as soon as I open up to someone about it, I feel comforted and feel Heavenly Father's love for me. He knows it's not easy for us right now, but He is helping us every step of the way.
So, to answer that question- The "job situation" right now in one word is *hopeful*. We're hoping to stay in Oregon for a particular job opening, hoping to save money by not moving very far, and hoping that Heavenly Father has the same plan as us :) I would love to live on the other side of the country but can't imagine handling the stress of a big move. However, if we do- then I'll get over it because It the Lord's will.
I was in the car the other day and heard a song on the radio that really struck a chord. It's a song I've always loved, but this time it had more personal meaning.
"If you're going through hell
Keep on going, don't slow down
If you're scared don't show it
You might get out
Before the devil even knows you're there
Yeah, If you're going through hell
Keep on moving, face that fire
Walk right through it
You might get out
Before the devil even knows you're there"
nuff said :)
Jonathan and I started a program to lose weight and feel better about ourselves. We needed some way to get our frustrations out and be proactive, since it feels like all we do is sit on our butts and wait for job postings. (not really...we do more than that.) Something else I've been doing to feel more productive is sewing. So far I've recovered the high chair, made curtains for our living room, two pillows for the couch, and some new pillows for our bed. I've also done a few spray painting projects. Spray paint is so therapeutic. I love the feeling of turning something into a whole new something with the push of a nozzle. I also love the smell, but I'm weird.
It's helped get my mind off things...but I'm still limited as to how many projects I can do on our budget. One rule I've always had with fabric and baby clothes is that I never buy either unless they are on sale or I have a good coupon. But even then it adds up : /
High chair. Doesn't it look great? Biased tape is a BEAST!
Pretty blue curtains and yellow chevron pillows. Yes, I know everyone loves chevron. It's probably the most obvious trend right now. I can't help but like it, too. Such a clean, bold print that adds so much pizazz!
And, in preparation for Fall, I've done...nothing!
No decorations, no new wardrobe outfits from the store, no plans on where we will be for Thanksgiving. I'm just taking it as it comes, and it's actually really nice.
although, I admit that I have been burning a candle that smells wonderfully of spice and I busted out my boots from the closet. I couldn't help it- this is my favorite time of year!
If we ever needed a time to be more grateful and count our blessings, it's now. It seems that way every year around this time. Maybe that's why I love this season, because I need this season. Every year I need it. It rejuvenates my spirits and resets my expectations.
Have a blessed week everyone!
