Oregon here I come!

It has been nearly 2 years since I last made it home to Oregon. It was for Abby's baptism and Jennifer's wedding which ended up on the same day!!! It to was a wonderful occasion but I could not believe it had been SO long since I made it back! I guess with ALL the trips my family has been making to Utah, the time flew right past me. I have been super excited and with EVERYTHING that is going on in my life, I did not even get a chance to count down the days but this was one of my favorite trips to see my family :) It was special in so many ways! I arrived early Friday morning around 9am to have my Momma, Tucker, Mari, Abby and Hallie waiting at the airport! I had the entire day "catching up" with every member of my family. After we chatted and they showed me around their new place, we went to the pumpkin patch, shopped for Halloween costumes and had "girl time" :0) which included popping some popcorn and watching a cute movie with my mom and sisters!
This ended just in time for me to get away with my brother Stan who took me out with his friends to a local concert which I LOVED! I do not get a chance to have one on one time with Stan so this was a very special treat for me that meant so much!!! My sisters tend to take up all my time and attention and this trip was supper hard trying to divide my time with each sibling and trying to give more of my time to my brothers. Yes, I feel I have much work to do with this since I feel I still need to get together with all my brothers. Chris and I miss dearly the time we had with John when he lived out here in Utah. And we both look back at the moments we get with Tyrel, Stan and John. We would love to have Hyrum and Tucker come out sometime along with a weekend with just my parents!
Saturday was our big day.... we were all able to be together for Hallie's baptism which was tender for man of us! I did not expect it but there was a very special spirit that day. Hallie was so sweet and our whole family had the pleasure in singing the opening number which was "Families Can Be Together Forever" I think this is what did me over as it really hit me that Hallie was the last member of our family to be baptized which also completed us before we branch out into our own little families! I am so lucky to have the opportunity to have been at each one of my siblings baptism day and to be apart of of family. We are all so very special and our family would just not be complete without one of them here. The day continued and it was full of fun having our cousins with us (Ira's family) afterwords for a big lunch :) My mom, Mari and I escaped for 45 min. to a Home Decor shop because my momma has been wanting to get Chris and I a house warming gift :) It turned into several house warming gifts because we could not decide on one thing so I was able to get some really fun cute things for our new home!!! They had to continue to the Youth activity along with the older cousins while I returned to the younger ones to color and cut Hallie and Abby's hair! They both turned out so good! When Mari came home I finished hers and the color did not "turn out as planned" She was quit upset because the color ended up being much lighter and more golden then expected but when she woke up, it seemed darken or maybe not be so dramatic. We all had a wonderful Sunday and I got to see Abby give the opening prayer and scripture while Hallie did the talk about her baptism in Primary. I loved so much being there for my family and seeing old friends in the ward I grew up in! It was also a sad and very emotional day for me and family members as I had to return to Utah :( Each visit gets harder and harder for me to face the leave even though I new that I was coming to Oregon from the family visit last June and knowing of their upcoming visit for Thanksgiving in 3 weeks or so. Each visit with my family, I am reminded more and more of how wonderful each of them are and it has been so fun for me to interact with each of them and see their personalities blossom! I had a very memorable visit that I will treasure forever! I already miss everyone so so much that I had to call home again before I ended the night. I am happy to be back home with my husband but sad he had to hold his crying wife at my return while I shared with him of my experiences with my family.

Our MOVE!!!

After Chris and I closed on our house, we were able to sign off our "last minute touches" and retrieve our house keys Thursday!!! Bless our neighbors hearts or shall I say soon to be neighbors! Stephanie and Derek were so willing to join us in our excitement! Chris and I wanted to take advantage of our time off work to go to the Post Office to sign off for our mailbox keys and the City Hall to set up our delivery of our garbage cans etc... while they picked up their fathers truck so that we could pick up all of our purchases at Furniture Row which included our new king size bed frame, mattress/box frame, 2 night stands and 2 full size couches! If that wasn't enough, they also helped us pick up some of our 'big' things from Chris' parents home where we were staying for the last 2 months. It was so enjoyable and to have our new friends hanging out with us was a treat! Chris and I had work the next day but we could not stop, so I we went back for everything else just leaving a change of cloths which we did not end up using because we wore ourselves out and we fell asleep on our bed after we finished setting it up with no sheets or blankets! It was really not all that fun waking up cold in our cloths and not realizing what we did until we woke up for work with only 4 hours of sleep and not the good sleep!

Well we finished our 8 hours of work Friday to rush home right at 5pm to finish unpacking all the things we had brought over! We remembered that we left everything that was in the closet so we went back to the Whitchurch's with the intent of sleeping over there for one more night since we had no blankets or sheets but we stayed up late with our errands and setting up the wall mount for our TV and fell asleep once again at 2 am freezing!!! I wish I could have been upset for not learning our lesson from the night before but I was sure happy it worked out that way because we woke up to the driver of RC Willey delivery for our front loaders and refrigerator at 7am on the dote! We ended up being their first drop which was super exciting news for me since this meant that I could go with Chris to pick up the rental truck! Well, after we were sent from one U-Haul location to a further U-Haul location, we finally got a rental to meet up with are wonderful friends and family who took the time to help us move out of the storage unit we rented. I think we broke record time because it only took the 12 of us 45min. to load and unload our stuff!!! Chris and I can't say THANK YOU enough to express the gratitude we have for all of those who volunteered to help! It made our move so easy and fast!!! I loved having my brother Tyrel with me during this time and as always, Chris' family was all there with their help and support through this whole thing! We enjoyed having our good friends Dustin and Andrea with little Avery (it was just shy of a year when we were helping them move into their first home) and my good friend Jennifer who was also with us when we moved into our little 1100sqft apartment 2 years ago!

After everyone ate pizza and eventually lingered off, Chris and I had the chance to return the rental truck before 3pm with half of our things unpacked and put away before we decided to take a break on our wonderful new couches! Then a break turned into a "short" nap to us not waking up for 15 hours which lead into Sunday morning!!! Were we exhausted??? I think that two days of 4 hours each night with a move tipped us over the edge into hibernation LOL!!! I think I was in High school the last time I slept that long without waking up! Good news was our couches past the "test" and we were able to wake up refreshed :) Later that afternoon, Chris and I finished unpacking the second half of our stuff! Yep, in 2 days we had everything in place with the pictures hung and with the company of our friends Stephanie and Derek :)

We Closed!

Here we are, the time has finally come! Chris and I closed on our very first home today leaving the office with sore hands from the stack of papers we had to sign! I had no idea it would be an hour and 45 minutes of signing and we both feel so good about our decision to build :) We learned SO much over this experience. There is nothing like it to prepare you for all the choices you have to face and to know what decisions to make over others. None the less, Chris and I feel we did a pretty darn good job!!! We went over to our house afterwords and discovered that all the things we asked to be fixed from our walk through Monday had been taken care of so we will be signing those off and picking up our keys etc. tomorrow at 3pm and ready to move in!!! We have been so blessed during this process and the bumps we ran into ended up being for our good!

The Good, Bad and absolutely Terrifying

Days before Chris and I close on our home due to our home being completed 6 weeks early, we took a nice little vacation for four days to San Francisco with Chris' parents! This is a very memorable spot to vacation for the Whitchurch family due to many trips taken in the past so they have wanted to take me for some time!

James had already been in California due to work so Fran flew with us early Thursday morning while James picked us up at the Oakland Airport which immediately reminded me of good old memories from our flight to Hawaii from our honeymoon 2 years ago! We had a good chuckle when Chris and I could point out the very same chairs that we slept on the night we decided to save money before our flight took off early morning ha ha. It was the worst decision ever made on my part but even then I probably would not have changed a thing because I saved a ton of money and we made up the lost sleep on the plane ;) It really is quit the story and was quit the adventure lol :)

Anyway... James took us over to San Fran to check in our baggage at the Hyatt Hotel. It was fun to see all the barges on the way and seeing them load up all the crates of who knows what from China. Since our hotel was along Union Square, that was where we started! All the art was displayed and they even had a movie being filmed which explained the yellow guys with signs protesting against food storage!?! It was so odd for me to hear since I was taught the total opposite all my life. We continued walking the streets and came across one of my favorites!!! H&M baby :) I discovered this store on our New York trip. I think that was when I fell in love with good shopping! I purchased a new red coat and they had more of my favorite turtlenecks and in more colors so Fran and I stocked up on those again he he! Chris found a very stylish European sweater that I love and a hat...if you know me my fetish is over boots and hats, I LOVE THEM!!! Afterwords we stopped at Lori's for lunch which was very fun and then to the Westgate mall. I loved watching the performers on the streets, they were most entertaining and then off we went on the Cable Cars to Lombard Street which was an adventure in itself! For dinner we went to Fino's and then slept oh so well ha ha!

Day two, we started out at the Warf at Pier 39 and 41 I believe and checked out the seals :) We did a little bit of window shopping until I found a hat store! I found many but limited to one lol. We had fish and chips for lunch and then we went on the Blue and Gold Bay cruise out to Golden Gate Bridge!!! We then went to Coit's Tower, walked down the stairs to the Cathedral. James and Chris went back to the hotel to rest a bit before dinner while Fran and I walked around the corner from our hotel to another favorite....ZARA'S! For dinner, we went to Ton Kiang which had the best vegetables ever tasted yummm!

Day three we finished up any shopping and met up to go back to the Warf. We walked down the other end to Ghirardelli's to purchase some chocolate :) and checked out the pirate ship! By the time we made our way around the crowds we ate lunch at the Boudin Bakery which was much needed! It was the coldest day on the trip so we had clam chowder soup bowls to warm us up! This to was a very fun place! The bakery smelled SO good and it was fun to see them make all the different animals out of the bread! The airshow started at noon before the Blue Angels came out from 3-4pm. The fog did not allow them to stay out long, around 15-20 min. and they were not able to leave formation much due to the weather coming in but flying over head was fun!!! The airshow before them made up for it and Chris got a few good pictures! Now here was the not so fun part! Trying to get a ride back to the hotel....the bitter cold made us hurt. After a couple hours trying to catch a taxi because we did not want to stay in the line for several hours for the cable cars...we finally took up an offer from a limo driver who was yelling out $10 a person to down town! James accepted the offer as another guy also offered the driver $200 to the airport if he picked up his luggage as well! We were then wondering if we were in for a trip to the airport? Seconds later the driver was convincing another couple that we were just humans and we did not bite as he shoved them into the limo. We quickly discovered that he was trying to fit ten different people at once to make quick money! From the moment we got in and discovered what the driver was doing we all did not feel good about the situation we were in. Not to mention that he had his Iranian mother in the passenger seat who spoke little English. The couple in the back with us were very nice and they were just as nervous as we were. The limo driver was not the nicest guy but tried to cover it up by telling us he loved us afterwords!?!? When the gentlemen who was desperately trying to get the driver to pick up his luggage and quickly take him to the airport since he was still trying to find more people on the streets, we panicked thinking we would be taking a trip to the airport. The couple spoke out first and backed out saying they were not going to the airport and wanted out of the deal. When the gentlemen trying to get to the airport heard that he told us he would drop all of us off first he got out. There was all kinds of bickering but nearly forced the couple back in the limo with us so they said they would just get dropped off at our hotel since they were close. When the driver got back in and bickered back in forth with his mother a short while before he got back out and requested that he charge the couple the $200 if they still want the ride since it was their fault that he lost it, ha!!! He was so rude and then kicked her out because he claimed he did not want her business anymore which I think ended up being okay for them since anyone knows that you can get a $10 taxi ride! We were shocked at how rude he was to the couple and here we were back to the four of us! He began to drive and we felt so trapped! The driver continued bickering with his mother (not in English) clearly upset that he lost the potential money he "had" every now and again jumping in to English convincing us that the people are the stupid ones while still honking and yelling out different prices to people for a ride. He was not going under $100 and then continued getting more upset as people denied is ridiculous price. We were now concerned that he would change the price on us...he then turned towards the Warf obviously seeking out for more people to take downtown. James mentioned that we were the opposite direction and then we heard never ending comments of him avoiding traffic etc. He new we were not convinced clearly as he continued honking and throwing out offers to people while going in circles. He then said that if we don't want his business, we could just get out then, we without thinking twice took it as our window out and said "Lets Get Out Of Here!!!! I can't even remember if Chris waited for the limo to stop completely before opening the door for our escape! We were SO relieved to have escaped not knowing when we would have ever made it home and yet it took the entire night to feel safe! We all felt scared and our bodies felt it and then we realized we were back at square one, the Warf! We walked back up to the taxi line in the freezing cold to discover a massive line and only one taxi coming by every 20 min. We decided that we should probably try and change our dinner plans so Fran and I waited inside Hard Rock. Our table was ready for us before a taxi came along so we all ate slow and tried warming up hoping the crowds would disappear a little in the meantime. When we finished, Chris checked the taxi line to discover that there were 20 or so people in line with another 1-2 hour wait!!! I wanted to cry but James called the taxi service to inform them of the need. I wish we thought of that earlier because 5 min. later when everyone was out of the restrooms the line cut in half and then maybe 10 min later four more taxi cabs pulled in and we made the fourth one!!! As we revealed our horrible night he informed us that the limo driver was illegally driving for the City, that there is a limo driver picking up several girls at a time at bars and then harassing the last one he drops off, that our hotel is black listed plus little misc facts that are good to know if you don't want to ever be black listed ha ha! We also learned that the breaks have to be changed out every week in San Fran because of the hills!!! It was a fun and educational ride that I will never forget and we were all so very happy to be back at our hotel even though it was before 8pm lol! We did not care that our night ended so early because it felt like 11pm!

The last day we were in California went a ton better! We were checked out before 10am taking the rental to Cliff House along the beach for brunch :) I loved it! The restaurant had the walls covered with pictures of all the famous people who ever ate there which had been a ton because it was 99 years old! What I loved about San Fran was how old everything was. I forgot about the old wind mills and building because I love in a newly developed area. The coast felt just as cloudy and cold as the Oregon coast which reminded me of my childhood memories. We drove across the Golden Gate Bridge and then spent the remaining time at the San Fransisco Museum of Arts before are flight back home!

Shopping Spree :)

I could not say enough how much I needed this weekend! I was able to stay in my comfy clothes and cuddle with me sweet husband all day while watching a wonderful and much needed Conference for two days!!! I love being with Chris and I have always needed to hear the words spoken each Conference. On top of that if it wasn't enough already, Chris took me out on a shopping spree. If it wasn't intended, it sure ended up as one! I was feeling a need for this moment as I had not purchased anything for myself since our New York trip, well and a couple things in Florida. We had been saving so hard for our home that I needed a little something to put on myself to get excited about! My sweet sweet husband has gone far beyond the title of a wonderful husband and friend to me! He is my best friend and he is irreplaceable which also brings comfort to know that we are sealed for time and all eternity!
While the men all went to the Priesthood session, Fran, Annie, Britt and I all tried to make the first 100 to Deseret Book. Good news, we did and it was so fun! We were given a free plaque and 5x7 picture of our choice :) We enjoyed the time out as girls and stopped at Tai Pan on the way home. We decided to avoid the lines and wrap up dinner before the boys returned. This is my favorite part... I always feel left out because I think they get to hear the best stories during Priesthood but am grateful to have them share the stories/lessons over dinner as a family :) Sunday we celebrated Annie's 18th birthday and we surprised Fran on her birthday last Thursday when James came home a day early for her special day! It was a fabulous weekend full of wonderful moments!

House Update!

Here we are... the days are not only flying by for Chris and I but for Chris' family as well. As they see the progress they to are counting down the days that we will be out of the house which will cause a level of sadness/goodness as well. Chris and I have loved being at the Whitchurch's home for the last month 1/2 developing a closer relationship with the girls and filling Fran's home with more family members :) Maybe it is the knowledge of their need to move to California that makes it hard. Family has always been very important to me so when we found out that James' new position at work has been transferred to California, it was so devastating to me. The thought that the only family I had in Utah was leaving and we just contracted into a home created a feeling of abandonment and sadness. I felt stuck here and my only hope now is that my family moves closer to us and quickly :0) The Whitchurch's have brought me in and have made me feel so at home over the last 3 years that the couple years of being alone here in Utah evaporated but I reflected right back to those empty feeling that I had before I met Chris when James told me they have to move. I am coming to grips with the idea knowing how hard it is for both James living out in Cali and only seeing us on the weekends and for Fran who will be away from us all other then Britt but what has really helped me is knowing that they will be retiring here in Utah so there is hope for their return while we use there place as a vacation spot ha ha ;) I also remembered that Chris is my family and having him in my life has brought me much joy and much strength to endure life lessons we face and will be facing in the future.

On another note, the house has completely skyrocketed towards completion! Since our last update of the tile etc., the cabinets and counter tops have been installed, the concrete has been completed for the driveway, patio and steps including plastering, the shower and garden tubs cultured marble was done in the master bathroom with the shower frame, the granite kitchen was completed with the installation of the appliances that we purchased from them, all the hardware was put in along with the mirrors, the painters came back to touch up and fill in the cracks between the walls and baseboards, the plumbers came back to install the sinks and toilets so we now have running water and light because the electricians came back to install the light fixtures throughout the home so we don't have to walk through the home with our iPhone LOL! Now your thinking what we are thinking.....'what's left?' Well the closing date is 2 weeks away and all that we can think of is installing the garage door and painting the garage door and front door, the weather strip for the front door, installing the carpet and installing the speakers for our audio system which will be done next I believe, they will grind up the dirt around the house, oh and the cleaning crew comes in to make it spic n' span! Anything else I am missing???