10 things I love about Oregon.

Today as we were driving around and having a nice lazy Saturday I was thinking about all the things I really love about Oregon….here they are in no particular order.

1. Hewlett-Packard. This one has to be our number 1. They have been such an amazing company to work for. Todd loves his project and co-workers and I love that they make the family feel welcome. I’ve been invited to attend most of the activities. Such an amazing company.
2. Community feel. Everyone is so nice. When Hailee and I got a library card the lady explained everything to me personally, I was feeling bad for holding up the line but not one single person looked annoyed. I have yet to be cut off while driving and I haven’t heard anyone honking their horns except the ambulance (and everyone pulls over for them). As we were getting settled everyone from people in the grocery store to people at work went out of their way to tell us about favorite parks, things to do, and community events.
3. Affordable housing. We have heard from a few people that the only drawback in Corvallis is the housing prices. After looking around today, I seriously don’t know what they are talking about. Home prices are very affordable and there are lots of good options available.
4. Deer. I have never lived in a place where I have just seen deer running around. They are seriously everywhere. We have heard that people get quite annoyed at them eating their gardens, but HP has garden plots right on the property so we can just have our garden there.
5. Farmer’s Market. The fresh produce here is just amazing. I think I can eat salad and fruit every day and not get sick of it. Saturday mornings they have a really fun farmer’s market, but even at the grocery store the selection is amazing and very affordable.
6. The coast. We love that the coast is only 1 hour away. Such a fun weekend camping trip, or even just a day trip.
7. Skiing. There are ski resorts that are only 1 hour away as well. (Of course we can’t try these out this summer, but Todd is very happy to be so close to a ski resort for snowboarding in the winter.)
8. Camping. The mountains and amazing campgrounds are only 45 minutes to an hour away. There are some amazing waterfalls and lakes. (We are going next weekend to check out some of these. )
9. The smell of Oregon. When we leave our apartment in the morning there is just such a lovely “clean” smell in the air. No inversion problems here. Oregon just has a beautiful clean smell all the time.
10. Blackberry bushes are weeds. A few weeks ago in Relief Society we had a lesson on provident living. One comment the teacher made just made me laugh. We were talking about gardens and she said something that was important to do was to “find out what grows in Oregon.” And I was thinking: “What doesn’t grow in Oregon?” Blackberry bushes here are considered weeds, people have all kinds of problems getting rid of them. As we drive around we see that they are just everywhere. I can hardly wait for them to come into season I just keeping thinking of all the things I can make. Salad, pie, and cobbler. Oh, the possibilities are endless.

Happy Birthday Todd continued

We had a great evening when Todd got home. Hailee was so excited she could hardly stand it. She helped Todd open all his presents and had such a great time. The great thing about Hailee is she is just as excited about someone else's presents that it doesn't matter if they are for her or not. "Look Dad a shirt for you...oh it's so cute, try it on."

Happy Birthday Todd

Today is Todd’s “Golden Birthday” (Or so my sister Emily tells me) because he is 29 on the 29th.

Hailee has had so much fun getting things ready for Todd’s birthday. Earlier this week we went shopping and I let Hailee pick something out for him all by herself. She was excited and at first wanted to know if Dad wanted a Princess doll like she had. Hmmmm, probably not. After that was established she went straight to work finding the perfect gift for her dad. She ended up with two things. Then we had to pick out the perfect wrapping paper and come home and wrap them all up. They have been sitting in the chair in the front room just waiting for this day to come. (Next year we’ll go shopping on Todd’s birthday so it won’t be so hard keeping the secret.) She has done a very good job keeping the secret, but she is just so excited to show him what she picked out. The first thing she said this morning was “Where’d my dad go? He needs to open his presents.” She went downstairs and made him open one of his presents. We are waiting to open the rest because he was going to be late for work. We’ll celebrate his birthday tonight when he gets home from work. Now the trick is keeping her busy for the rest of today.

I’ll post tomorrow about Todd’s birthday after we celebrate it tonight. I’ll also have pictures of Todd opening the rest of his presents. (I was too tired this morning to think about taking any.)

The Oregon Coast

Some friends invited us to Newport for the day on Saturday. It was an absolutely wonderful day. We started at the OSU Science center, went to a lighthouse and a beach, then went to downtown Newport for window shopping, and finished back with our friends for dinner. The weather was perfect and it couldn't have been a nicer day.



Ian, Livvy, and Hailee looking at the "Tide Pools" at the OSU Science Center. They let people touch the different sea animals. Next trip to Newport we're going to try and go to the real tide pools.


On our way to the beach. The Oregon Coast is amazing. You walk through pine trees to get to the beach. It was so beautiful.


This was Hailee's second trip to the ocean. (The first one she was just over a year so she doesn't remember it at all.) At first she really did not like getting sand in her glass slippers (that is what she call her pink sandels). Then when we took off her shoes she really didn't like getting sand on her feet. But once we showed her how to dig in the sand that was all forgotten and she had a good time. She was doing great with the water coming in, until one wave came in a little quicker than the previous ones and she got the back of her pants soaked. After that she was ready to go home.

Walking around downtown Newport. Todd is ready to buy a house and save it for retirement. It was such a nice little town. The weather was perfect and we had a great time walking around looking at all the shops. By the end Hailee had a very full day and fell asleep in Todd's arms. So adorable.

New Cousins

Saturday Susan Wollander invited us up for dinner. We discovered that we are only about 1/2 an hour away from her house. It's fun to have some family close. It was fun for Hailee and I to meet them and fun for Todd to get reacquainted. Russell and Michelle were also in town with their two boys Thomas and Nathan, and Aunt Dorothy was visiting from Long Beach. It was fun to meet people I have only known from Christmas cards and talking on the phone. I think I have finally figured out where everyone fits in the family. Hailee had a great time with her new found cousins. Debbie got out the bunnies for her to hold and Nicholas played Legos with her. She had a great time with everyone.

Debbie has two little bunnies and Hailee just fell in love. She was kind enough to let Hailee play with them. Hailee was excited because she got to pet the bunnies just like Curious George.

In the bunny hutch, just like Curious George.

Posing with her new cousins Thomas and Nathan. They had such a good time playing legos together.

Russell, Michelle, and their two boys Thomas and Nicholas. They were up from Eugene.

Hailee and Aunt Dorothy

First Soccer Class

Hailee had her first soccer class today. She has been looking forward to going, but for some reason this morning she was a little hesitant about going. When we got there she said she was a little bit scared. Her hesitation lasted about 2 seconds when we got on the field. They have a really nice indoor field for the kids to play on. As soon I set her down she was off dribbling the ball, scoring goals and having a great time. When it was time to go she didn’t want to leave. We were waiting to see how she did in this class to see if we should sign her up for the class back in Utah. I think after today it is a definite yes!

Hailee Girl

Well I decided to try and post a video. I am posting one from when Hailee was little. When we started Hailee on solid food we started her with rice cereal and then with vegetables one at a time. When it came time to start on fruits I was so excited and so certain she would love them I got the video camera out. I was not prepared for the reaction I got. I am so glad I have it on tape. This video was taken on February 7, 2005.

The Right Place

Yesterday Todd brought home the best surprise. A vanilla Coke! He found it in the cafeteria at work. I couldn’t believe it. He really gets the husband of the year award today. To truly understand the significance of this is we have to go back to my mission…yes I know a weird place to start my vanilla coke addition, but it’s true.

One day after district meeting the elders wanted to go to McDonalds (why I’m not sure, but that is where they always wanted to go). Well it was really busy and we ordered our food to go so we could get out of the crowd and enjoy the nice weather outside. Well once we got outside, crossed the street and were sitting by the waterfront, I realized that they gave me a Coke instead of the Sprite that I ordered. I really didn’t want to go stand in line for another 20 minutes just to switch it so I decided to just make the best of it. When I finally tired it I was shocked. I had never really been a Coke fan, but it tasted so good. Feeling a little guilty I decided I probably shouldn’t get addicted to Coke while I was a missionary. I did however use it for medicinal purposes any time I had a headache. (I figured it was the same as taking an Excedrin. Justification...I know) So for the last few months of my mission I enjoyed a few more coca-colas. When I got home from my mission I was very sad to discover that the Coke here doesn’t not taste the same as the coke in Europe.

A little while after coming home from my mission Coke came out with a new flavor…. vanilla coke. I decided to try to see if it came closer to the coke of Europe. I was so excited when it did. So from them on I enjoyed the occasional vanilla coke. I wouldn’t really call my self “addicted” to coke since I would have one every couple of weeks. (I really loved finals week for Todd because he would keep caffeine in the house to help him study through finals, and of course we always had vanilla coke.) Then when I got pregnant I decided I probably shouldn’t be drinking coke. Then by the time I had Hailee and had finished nursing her I was so excited to have a vanilla coke again. I was so sad to discover that they were no longer making that flavor. They had come out with a cherry vanilla coke. It was just not the same.

So now as I sit here writing, I am enjoying my vanilla coke, loving my husband, and thinking Oregon must be the right place for us.

Rainy Farmers Market

Since we've been in Oregon it’s been rainy about as many days as sunny. I am actually loving the variety and it's hasn't gotten too cold or rained too long. It has just sprinkled here are there and been quite lovely. Saturday we had planned to go to the Farmer’s Market in downtown Corvallis, but we woke up to real rain. We were debating on changing plans when we had the thought. If we are going to live in Corvallis, we need to get used to the rain and not let it stop us from doing things. We had so much fun. We were all soaking wet by the time we were done, Todd especially because when I was concerned for Hailee we stopped and waited inside a store for Todd. I’ve decided the key to living where it rains a lot is to have lots of cute rain accessories. Cute rain hats, boots, jackets, umbrellas, etc… After shopping at the market, we stopped at Great Harvest Bread for a little snack and it was fun sitting in the window watching everyone dressed in cute rain gear. So cute and so practical.

At the farmers market we did find the best fresh fruit and vegetables. We were able to make the best sandwiches and salad afterward. So yummy. It might become a Saturday tradition! Next time we'll have to take the camera, there was just too much rain on Saturday

Happy Birthday Hailee

Well our little girl is three years old and I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. It really seems like just yesterday she was just a tiny baby and not I have this very grown up little girl. We decided to have a little party with her friends in Utah before moving to Oregon. She had a great time and then she got a new bike once we moved to Oregon. She was very excited for the party and the bike. Months before she turned 3 we would talk about what she wanted for her birthday and she wanted candles (blowing out the candles at her 2nd birthday was her favorite part), a Nemo cake, and a bike. She had a great time with her friends before moving and has loved riding her bike here in Oregon. It was fun to celebrate her birthday a couple of times. After all she only turns three once.

Oregon

Well we made it to Oregon in one piece and we are now settled in our apartment. It nice to be in a place to call home for the summer, complete with an internet connection. We were so lucky that things worked out as well as they did. We have met so many nice and wonderful people. Everywhere we have gone people have gone out of their way to make us feel welcome, from the Library to the doctors office. It’s been an amazing experience.

We love the area. It is so green and definitely lives up to everything we heard and then some. As we were driving across eastern Oregon I was really skeptical because it was so dry and desolate, but once we crossed the Cascade Mountains everything became green. I don’t think we’re going to have enough weekends to go exploring. We are one hour from the coast and one hour from camping/fishing/hiking in the mountains.

Todd loves his new job with Hewlett-Packard. He has gotten a good start on his project and is really excited about working for HP. Everyone at work has been really nice. They even have a young HP employee group. We are going bowling with them this Friday. I was a little nervous about finding a babysitter for Hailee, we’ve always had family in the area to baby-sit. But one call to the Relief Society President and it’s all worked out. The church is a blessing in so many ways.

Work has also picked up for me. Now that we have an internet connection I can do everything I need to for work. It's so nice. Hailee and I are getting on a good little schedule. We love going to the Library, Hailee just got her first Library card. She was so excited. We checked out princess books, Charlie and Lola books, and even a Winnie the Pooh movie. She was quite pleased. I am a little worried that she won't want to take them back. The pool at our complex opens next week so we are excited about that. We have her signed up for swimming lessons and soccer lessons, both of which she is very excited about.