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.