So Far in Idaho,

Sawyer has played us some melodious tunes on the piano. 

And checked often to make sure we were listening. 

Was mesmerized by the bright white snow outside. 

Watched Grandma build block towers and then gleefully knocked them all down within seconds.

Learned to slide down the stairs and go back up, slide down and go up, and slide down again and go back up.... (you get the idea) 

 He has also become quite attached to a red tricycle that my parents have at the house for he and his cousin Jett to ride on. I have the best video ever that depicts just HOW much he really likes it, but unfortunately I've given up after three failed attempts of getting it to upload. Thank goodness faster internet at my parents house is coming next week, otherwise I may have pulled all my hair out in frustration.

The Aviator

Sorry to just post another video, but I couldn't pass putting this one up. In fact I think I may have posted it before when it came out around Christmas time in 2007. It's a JCPenney commercial so here's some free advertising for them. The first time I watched it I cried probably because it is so cute and the little girl reminds me so much of my little sister Megan when she was that age: imaginative, creative, and spunky. Megan even had the same haircut and glasses! I made my mom watch this with me a few times tonight. I can't get enough of it! Hopefully you enjoy it as much as I do!

I love my lips

I'm not sure who is getting a kick out of Veggie Tales more, Sawyer or Matt and I. This one in particular is hilarious! Where were silly songs with Larry when I was a kid?!

Look What I Found!

What special item did he find? A little pillow just his size,  is what he thought. 

Onesies

Last night I could have started writing a research paper for Sociology class or even attempted at putting together a speech for my Speech class, but what did I do? I decorated Christmas onesies for Sawyer instead. I'd like to think it was a good usage of time. It was a lot more fun than doing homework that's for sure! 

My favorite saying. 

Inspired by only the best Christmas movie ever! 

For church. And yes, it sparkles.  

A snowcone. 

And here's a little documentary shot by Sawyer. 

Without Further Adieu, Our Big News....

We are moving. 

Yes, we the ones who have long said we would forever be in California are now leaving the Golden State.

 Where are we headed?

 Well, to none other than the Gem State (Or for those who don't know where that is, think potatoes, really good potatoes)

Guess it yet? 

Starts with an I and ends in an O. 

We are packing up and headed to Idaho!

Why the sudden move? Well after a month long deliberation concerning important things like cost of daycare when I start nursing school, cost of housing to stay in California, needing a second vehicle when I start school and the cost of insurance to get one. Basically the numbers were very depressing and we soon realized there was no way for us to make it here if we were going to pursue my nursing career. Even without school in the picture, the reality of how long it will take for us to save to be able to afford a house here in a decent neighborhood started to hit us.  The more we talked about where we wanted to raise our family in terms of the type of daycare and schools we wanted Sawyer to be involved in, the safety of the area, the overall values of the people in the area, the more and more Idaho started to sound like the ideal place for us. 

So we prayed and we prayed and we prayed and we prayed. 

Should we stay? Or should we go? 

Knowing obviously that the answer was not just going to fall into our laps, we continued heading in both directions of plan A and plan B. I had gotten accepted as an alternate for the nursing program at College of the Canyons here so we still had to feel out both options and see what was going to work before making the final decision. Soon it became apparent Idaho was where we were meant to go as things started to fall seamlessly in place. 

What now?

Well we told our families. Mine were beyond shocked since out of all 4 of their kids they never figured we would be the ones to move back to the "homeland" first or if ever for that matter. Telling Matt's family was difficult since we knew it was going to be hard, not because of them missing us, but because we were taking Sawyer far away. We procrastinated in saying anything because basically we are chickens, but when the time came it went over better than expected and we feel so grateful to have the support of Matt's family and most importantly his mom in our decision. 

So now we are going to Boise for Thanksgiving to check things out. I'm going to be there a lot longer than Matt so I can visit all the different school and find out their requirements for nursing. BSU (with the smurf turf), CWI, and one I'm really interested in is NNU which is a Christian university that offers a Bachelors in nursing. We are also meeting with a realtor to look at houses! Yay! Did I forget to mention that one of the crucial parts of our decision making process was that we could actually afford a house in Idaho? As in a 3 or 4 bedroom house with a garage and a yard! We are beyond excited!! 

And last but not least, when is the big move?

Pretty dang soon. I get back from our Thanksgiving trip December 1st, we will spend Christmas here and then are loading up a U-haul trailer and head out December 27th. Pretty crazy. It still seems surreal that we are actually moving. 

Oh yes and how could I forget to answer the most important questions of all. What about Matt's work and where will we live when we get there? Well as I said about things falling into place, the biggest proponent in that is Matt's work is allowing him to keep his job and work from home in Idaho. Pretty amazing, huh? We feel incredibly blessed. 

Also my dad's job is taking him back to Australia for a few months at the beginning of the year, so my parents needed someone to housesit for them from January-ish to April-ish. Pretty perfect, right?! We will be moving onto my parents place when we get up there and that will give us plenty of time to buy a home of our own. 

Boise, Idaho ready or not, here we come. 

What Was I Thinking?

Last week I was out and about with Sawyer and we walked into a pet store in Simi called Unleashed. It's basically a fancy pants version of Petsmart. We walked out almost as soon as we walked in because I was not about to buy our dog Moxie a $10 bag of dog snacks.  Then as we were headed out the lady at the front counter told me about a photo session they were having this weekend for families and their pets and for $9.95 you could walk out with a BUNCH of different sized photos. I was sold! She had convinced me in a matter of minutes that it would be such a fabulous idea to get a family photo taken of us with our dog and send them out as Christmas cards. 

Immediately I had visions of the cutest cards ever with a photo of Matt and I's legs from the knee down (mine wearing cute, furry boots) and then Sawyer and Moxie nestled in between our feet wearing Christmas attire and Santa hats and being as adorable as ever. I had even convinced Matt when I got home that we couldn't pass it up. Then why was I so stressed out last night and this morning about it?! I could barely even sleep last night in anticipation. Then today at around 1 (our session was at 4:30) I realized why I was so on edge was because, what in the world was I thinking?! There was not a chance in you know where that a photo session with a dog who acts like a puppy on speed and a toddler who won't sit still for a split second or let anything be on the top of his head for even half of a split second (a Santa hat? yeah right!) would have even the slightest chance of running, even remotely, smoothly. 

Matt admitted he was thinking that the whole time, but was going along with it since I seemed so excited about it. I guess he figured I would have to experience the mayhem firsthand to realize it was a really really bad idea.  I picked up my phone and called and canceled. I told them Sawyer was sick. It wasn't really a lie because he was being very cranky that day and I thought I saw the slightest bit of a runny nose. Okay, it was a flat out lie, but boy did I feel better after I made that call. I could breathe a sigh of relief that the doggie and baby meltdown of the century wasn't going to take place after all. 

 Well for now I can still dream of that perfect Christmas card photo, and hopefully for those who read this you could envision it as well. Really the people who read my blog would be the only ones I'd be sending a card to anyway, so just pretend that I mailed that lovely little make believe photo to you.   Great, Christmas cards done and I didn't even have to buy stamps.


*By the way that said photo was going to be the one to take the place of the empty header on the top of my blog. Looks like I'll have to go with plan B on that one. 

Halloween Continuation

Originally we had planned on taking Sawyer trick or treating, but then thought who are we kidding? He goes to bed when the sun goes down, gets cranky if he is not put to bed at that time, and who is going to eat all that candy?! Not him, and not us.  So after church we decided to go to the Fall Festival at Pierce College since it was the last day they were open.  Nana Carol came with and took Sawyer on his very first carousel ride.

Then Matt and I took him on a hayride minus the hay since there were actual benches we sat on instead of hay bales. Fine by me, since we weren't itchy by the end of it. 

Sawyer trying to overt my eyes from something very scary I'm sure. He's only 1 and already knows his mom is a wuss when it comes to all things ghouly, gobliney, and ghosty. 

On the hay ride he got to pick out a candy from a bucket and chose a sucker. We figured there was no harm done in letting him suck on it since it was wrapped in plastic. He seemed to really thoroughly be enjoying it after a while and it turned out it was wrapped in paper so he had sucked right through to the candy part!  No wonder he was liking it so much! 

While we waited to go into the petting zoo he pretended to be a sheep.

Sat on my shoulders and styled a nice big bouffant in my hair. 

And started acting pretty silly. He is, as Spongebob would say, a definite goofy goober.

Sawyer, Nana and I went into the petting area to see the goats. He was running around laughing, jabbering to them and patting them on the head. I think he may have thought they were all "doh"s which is first official word and means dog in Sawyerese. He says it every time he sees Moxie and any other dog so we figure it's pretty legit to count as his first word besides Mama and Dada.

 When we first arrived to the festival he had on his costume, but in the 70 degree weather it was just too warm to keep wearing it. Luckily we were able to get a few photos of it so at least it was put to good use for a little while. 

S. wanting to run around like a maniac NOT take a picture.  

Watch out, there's a tiger on the loose! 

 Hope everyone had a HaPpY HaLLoWeEn!!!


Next post will be about our BIG family news. Some already know, but mostly just our immediate families. And no we are not, I repeat not, pregnant :) 

Rawr

I was going to do a complete post about our Halloween festivities while this little tiger was having a snooze, but he just woke up and is roaring in his crib. 

Next nap time perhaps.