The Oregonian Life

On Monday, July 29 we bid farewell to Mark's house in Boise and drove the last leg of the trip to Wilsonville, Oregon (about 20 miles south of Portland). The drive took about eight hours. Surprisingly, eastern Oregon was just like the plains of Wyoming- dry with not much to look at. However once we got to the Columbia River it was beautiful to look down and see Washington state across the water.

My dad ended up driving the whole way and I was so grateful to have him there. Nayeli hates her carseat, is difficult to entertain with movies, and was a little rattled from the move so it was great to get to give her one on one attention.

We pulled into our apartment complex at 3pm, waited for Ben to arrive with the truck, checked into our apartment, then began moving things in.

 Somewhere during the time we were moving in Nayeli face planted off a curb. 

She carried the scabs for a couple days after. It was a rough few days adjusting.

We had already notified the Elder's Quorum of our future ward that we were coming so we crossed our fingers that people would shop up. They did, and even Ben's boss came down to help move boxes. Everything was unpacked within an hour.

I have to mention that I had a huge shock when we first entered the apartment. Everything was nice and in good condition but it was soooooo much smaller than I had anticipated (I'll need to remember that photos online make everything look bigger). The square footage was listed as 881 and for the first time I realized that that actually isn't very big. When I walked into our bedroom I almost cried because I was sure our king sized bed wasn't going to fit.

Luckily, it did fit, and while unpacking I've been purging like crazy. With a kitchen with only 2.5 drawers and a bathroom with none I've had to. I've given a few boxes to Goodwill and it's felt great. I've also invested in about $100 worth of tupperwares, storage containers, and shelves. I've used these as makeshift drawers. In all honesty, I think our house is more organized here than it was in Provo.

And now that everything is unpacked it feels good. It's working. We can't live here forever, but it's a great apartment and we got a great price on it. 

For those who are interested, here's a little tour. Keep in mind that there's still work to be done:

Our front door and entry. On the right is the partition for our porch.

The view from the sliding door. I'm in love with having a porch. We sit out here frequently and Nayeli loves to bring her toys out. It's blocked off on all sides so I don't have to worry about her wandering off.  On the left is a good-sized storage closet that I didn't get a picture of. 

We keep Ben's bike and our camping stuff in there. 

 The dining area. Check out our retro mirrored shelves and gold chandelier. 

If I owned this apartment, the mirrored shelf would be the first thing I would tear out. Then I would spray paint the chandelier silver. Oh well (sigh). There are worse things in life :)

Wood burning fireplace and mantel

The Living Room needs the most work. I'm going to recover a few of my pillows and I still have to figure out what to hang above the couch. I have some ideas but it's a huge wall to deal with.

I'm so glad I sold our entertainment center before we came. There's no way it would have fit (don't mind Ben taking his Sunday nap).

The kitchen is really really small. But it works and I'm grateful to have it. Some things are on display only because there is no room in the cupboards for them (note the platter and pitchers on top of the cabinets).

Another view of the kitchen. It didn't come with a microwave so we had to buy one. Then the problem was that we had no where to put it. So it's home has become the bar. I'm going to make a bulletin board to cover up the back that can be seen in the living room.

Our drawer-less bathroom. On the bright side, we are LOVING having two sinks. Major plus.

Laundry / storage area. We brought the shelf on the left from Provo and it fit perfectly. I keep extra food on the bottom and miscellaneous supplies on top.

Our bedroom with a small walk in closet. We were able to get a dresser to fit along the wall on the left and a bookcase at the end of the bed. It's the tightest room by far but it works.

The nursery / den. I got the desk by the window at my first garage sale here for $10. 

It's in great shape and fit perfectly. A complete tender mercy.

It's a total modge-podge of decor and furniture because anything that doesn't work in other places in the house goes in here. So ignore the color scheme :) It's functional until one day when I can separate the den and nursery.

Well, there you have it. The grand tour. I know I talked a lot about how small the apartment is but there are so many reasons that I'm glad we moved here. But I'll have to cover those in another post. I'll just end by saying it's worth living in a smaller apartment to live in a fantastic neighborhood.

Moving Madness

It's unbelievable to think that just two months ago we were in the thick of the madness of moving. It went something like this:

5 weeks before move: Ben was offered the job! Since I didn't want to pay to fly to Portland and rent a car, I began furiously looking online for places to live. I made a spreadsheet of possible apartments, then prayed my heart out. In the end we threw all logic out the window in order to go where the Lord made it very clear we should go. Wilsonville, Oregon, a town unbeknownst to us only weeks before, would be our new home.

4 weeks before move: We took a trip down to Goblin Valley with David, Laura, Julia and their families. It had some disastrous moments but was also a great time with everyone.

 Playing in the Muddy River

It turned disastrous when we got Laura's 12 passenger van stuck in the Muddy River. It was 111 degrees that day and we were outside for four hours. Eventually we called a tow-truck.
Needless to say, it was a long day.


Goblin Valley

Hiking around in the Goblins

3 weeks before move: We celebrated July 4th in Provo. 

 Ben had to work so we went to the parade with Christina and Stuart and their family.
I love the old lady photo-bombing this picture.

I may have shed a tear when the Provo City float went by. 

Lame, I know, but it's my city and I'll love it forever.

I also had my 10 year high school reunion. It was really great to see old friends. Some of us even stayed at the school until midnight talking. I went to high school with really great people.

                                                 

 Timpview High School Class of 2003

Old Student Government friends

We had a family gathering at a park the next day. So much fun to see everyone's kids.

2 weeks before move:

A new dishwasher arrived and Ben promptly made Nayeli a house out of the box. I'm so glad I married someone who has more imagination than I do. I was about to recycle it.

We also went with Ben's mom's side of the family to Lake Powell. It was great to get to meet Gary's family and spend time all together. We had such a good time. Lake Powell is like heaven on earth.

Falling asleep on the boat

 Tubing with dad

 This picture sums up Nayeli's personality just perfectly. She is such a character. I can't get enough of her.

Family photo shoot that Nayeli was not happy about

 Ben's brother Sammy drove with us to Lake Powell. It's been so fun to hang out with him in Provo since he got home from his mission. This picture describes Ben and his relationship perfectly.

1 week before: Ben went to Coyote Gulch for four days with the Young Men in our ward while I furiously packed. Thank heavens for my sisters and mom who came and helped. 

                                           

As I packed I pulled out crayons and let Nayeli draw on all the boxes. It kept her mildly entertained.

Most of my time was spent meeting up with friends and trying to see as many people as I could before we left. 

My high school girls. We five also lived together for a summer during college. They are awesome.

Lunch with my mom and sisters Laura and Christina. We got lunch together then went to my apartment and packed. They helped me a ton. I love them so much.

My old ER coworkers. I love these girls so much.

I will miss my friend Jessie so much and Nayeli will miss Nathan. Jessie and I started to get together once a week soon after we had our babies. It was just a get-out-of-the-house type of get together but we became such good friends. We later served in the Primary together.

 She was a lifesaver when I needed one. I'm really going to miss her.

Game Day (Saturday, July 27):

Loading the 26 foot Penske truck. It was way too big but it was all they had. We had so many family and friends come help that the truck was loaded in 45 minutes.

 We lived in this apartment three and a half years. It was our first home after we married. Bittersweet.

 

Ben pulled our CR-V behind the Penske while my dad drove with me and Nayeli in the Corolla behind. It was such a blessing to have him come. I don't know if Nayeli and I would have survived the drive by ourselves.

 

We stayed Saturday and Sunday with my brother Mark in Boise. 

It was so nice to take a break from the drive and spend time with Mark, Malinda and the kids.

Hanging out with Opa.

Monday morning we woke up early and headed to Portland. It was a long 8 hours but we made it. Thank heavens. To be continued...

Portland Bound

As a couple, Ben and I have lived in Provo for over three years now. For a long time  we've compared ourselves to a sailboat on a still ocean. Our sail has been set and we've just been waiting for the wind to pick up. Where would it take us and when? Who knew? But we kept the sail open because we knew the wind would come sooner or later.

Then just last week we finally felt the breeze begin to pick up. Ben was offered and accepted a Digital Marketing position with Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT). It's a great opportunity for him professionally and quite frankly, a miracle. How often do people with no marketing schooling get a marketing position at a successful company? Luckily, he had marketing experience in the knife and tool industry, he networked, and he's incredibly talented (no bias here) so those things were his in. Either way, we feel it to be a major blessing that he was offered the job and know we'd be fools not to take it.

The company is located in Tualatin, Oregon, just outside of Portland. Thus, come the end of July, the wind will be pushing us northwest. Since the interview process was rather long (one month, four interviews) I've had time to look at apartments and the area. We finally decided to live in Wilsonville. It's about 25 minutes south of Portland just off the freeway and only 10 miles from Ben's work. I think we're going to like living a little further from the city.


View Larger Map

So here's to the adventure of moving away from both our families and going to a city that, as of last week, neither of us had heard of. We're ready for the thrill. And in the meantime, if the wind seems to stop blowing our boat, I'm going to grab the oars and start rowing. Because it just feels right and... have you seen how beautiful Oregon is?

Visiting my wonderful friend Olivia in Portland in 2007. 

 Who knew six years later I'd be moving there myself?

 Multnomah Falls

 Cannon beach. So excited to go back with Ben and Nayeli! It's like a dream come true.

Picture Overload (2012 Edition)

Recently I had Ben download a bunch of pictures from his phone onto my computer. They made me so happy. I love pictures of my family! Here are a few of my favorites from 2012.

OCTOBER

Nayeli with my dad. She adores him. Whenever we go to their house she wants to be held by him. 

It warms my heart because I think my dad is the greatest.

 Halloween party at my Mom and Dad's

Happy Halloween!

I forget how little she used to be. Ben took this after she rolled herself under the dishwasher.

NOVEMBER

Ben took her hiking when the first snow fell

She liked the hiking part...

but she wasn't a fan of being cold

 

In fact, if you'd like to see 20 second video clip from this hiking trip that Ben used in one of his Blade HQ videos, click here. It makes me laugh every time I watch it.

 

DECEMBER

 

Posing with a card Great-grandma Nyla sent

  I sewed our Christmas stockings this year. It was a really fun project.

She does all kinds of things to my computer that it takes me hours to undo.

 

 With Santa! No stranger danger here. She loved him.

Acting out the Nativity. She was a great baby Jesus.

 Christmas morning! She wore the same pajamas Ben wore when he was a baby.

 Another winter hiking trip (but we bundled her up better this time).

 

We put the tree on a table to avoid her tearing it apart. That didn't stop her from trying. 

At least every day I found her like this.

This picture is of Ben and his brother Sam trying to catch a mouse in our apartment. The mouse was too light to set off the trap we'd set by the fridge so Ben was going to drop a marker on the trap while the mouse nibbled the cheese. Sam stood by with a shoe just in case. One of my favorite moments... ever.

A Detour to the Top

Just this last week, the beliefs that I wrote about in my last post were put to the test. To be specific, I'd like to refer to this paragraph:

Another realization I had was that the indirect route we took is similar to the unanticipated surprises in life that may come in the form of a disappointment, loss or failure. However, if we are doing our best to keep the commandments, these road blocks are only detours to lead us to the top. Our Heavenly Father may take us on these detours to help us draw closer to him or even to avoid other treacherous or dangerous obstacles. He can see the big picture, as I did when we finally reached the top of the canyon.

Many of you didn't know this, but I have been expecting a baby since March. Due to my history of miscarriage (first miscarriage story here) the doctor scheduled an early ultrasound for last week. I went in for the appointment, then watched as the ultrasonographer found the uterus and searched for a heartbeat. Even before she said, " I wish I had better news for you" I knew that there was nothing there. Without a heartbeat, what should have been a baby was just a white bean on the screen.  

She then left me alone while she went to find a doctor to talk to me. I had a good cry and it was nice to be alone. I talked to Heavenly Father in my mind. I told him I was sad and disappointed, that I felt helpless, and that I just wanted to have another baby. He listened, then wrapped his arms around me and told me it was okay. I was easily calmed and by the time the doctor came in, I was alright. I was able to calmly discuss my options. I knew within a matter of minutes that it was meant to be.

Since then I've been a yo-yo, hormonally and physically. I feel great or I can cry at the drop of a hat- it just depends on the moment. And physically, miscarrying is never a pony ride. Those of you who have done it before know what I'm talking about. 

However, I remember that Heavenly Father has a plan for our family. I know we will have other children. My greatest comfort comes from the fact that I've already had a successful pregnancy and I know I can carry a baby full term. And she brings so much joy into our lives that I can't help but smile when I look at her.

My other comfort is that I have no regrets. I followed the Spirit when I felt like we should try to have another baby, even though it was sooner than we expected. As I said in my story, this is just a detour toward the top. I hate miscarrying and I wish I didn't have to, but this experience only helps me feel the intense proximity of my Heavenly Father. He wants me to know he's there and after this experience, and many others, I don't doubt it. I can't doubt it.

A First...

Today I submitted an article to the Ensign. Have I planned this for ages? No. I just had to write a story for our ward Relief Society newsletter and thought, "Why don't I submit this to the Ensign while I'm at it? Why not?" Honestly, I don't care if it doesn't get published but if it does, wouldn't that be super cool?!

Just in case it doesn't get published I'm going to publish it here on the blog. That's sort of like publishing, isn't it? Either way, it's good enough for me.

One summer weekend my husband and I went camping in Southern Utah. While there, we planned a hike down into a large canyon to see some Anasazi ruins. We parked our car at the top, then descended into the canyon. As we hiked, I noted that there were no signs along the trail, but that it was marked only with cairns, or stacks of rocks along the way. I also noticed treacherous areas to the wayside. To avoid these areas, the trail wound far to the south, leading us down a steep and indirect route. By the time we reached the bottom, I realized that coming back up the canyon was not going to be an easy climb.

Once we reached the ruins we spent some time exploring, then packed up and prepared to ascend the canyon to our car. As we began to climb, the air was hot and my feet were sore. The climb became steeper, and I began to doubt our trail. We were moving south with the path, but it seemed like we were going too far south. I kept thinking, “This is way too hard. I bet if we go further north the hike will be easier and we’ll arrive at the car sooner.” However when I suggested this to my husband, who was leading, he pointed out that the original trail had gone south and we should continue to follow the cairns.   The path became even steeper and I continued to question whether we were going the right way.  However I followed the cairns with my husband and after what seemed like hours, the trail doubled back to the north and led us directly to the top. Sure enough, following the cairns and continuing on the indirect route had taken us straight to our car.

After reaching the top, I looked down on the canyon and thought of our climb up. Though I couldn’t see it while hiking, if we had gone to the north as I persistently suggested, we would have run into the treacherous areas that I noticed on the way down. In fact, even though the path to the north looked like an easier and more direct route to the top, it would have been impassible.

As I reflected on this experience, I thought about how life is often like our hike.  For each of us, the path back to our Heavenly Father can sometimes seem difficult and hard to find. The Savior taught, “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:14). However the alternative is only a longer and more difficult path. For example, at times it is hard to go to church weekly, love one another, study the scriptures and pray daily, forgive, admit we’re wrong and repent, etc. But each of these hard things, when accomplished, brings us closer to our Father in Heaven and our goal of eternal life.

Living the gospel requires effort. Both the prophets Amos and Nephi taught; “Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion.” (2 Nephi 28:24, see also Amos 6:1). However, nothing is truly difficult with our Savior’s help, which he is so willing to offer. He himself taught, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30)

Another realization I had was that the indirect route we took is similar to the unanticipated surprises in life that may come in the form of a disappointment, loss or failure. However, if we are doing our best to keep the commandments, these road blocks are only detours to lead us to the top. Our Heavenly Father may take us on these detours to help us draw closer to him or even to avoid other treacherous or dangerous obstacles. He can see the big picture, as I did when we finally reached the top of the canyon.

And our Heavenly Father, in his great mercy, has left us cairns to guide us and let us know the right path. Our prophet and the apostles, the scriptures, and the commandments are all examples of trail markers he’s given us. If we follow them, we need not doubt that we’re going in the right direction. He’s set the trail; now it’s just up to us to exercise the faith and effort to follow it.

Mother's Day

For Mother's Day we went to Music and the Spoken Word with Ben's mom Jane. Ben watched Nayeli while we went to the program. I had never been and I really enjoyed it. It seems like everything the church puts together is so well done. 

We spent the rest of the day with Ben's mom and family in Mountain Green. Soon she will move from the house that Ben grew up in, so we went to his home ward so he could see so many of the people he loves. After church the men made us dinner and, I must say, it turned out delicious. We later went to the park to fly a kite and play Frisbee. The weather was beautiful and it was a really great day. 

 

I love being a mom and feel so blessed to have my sweet daughter. She is such a blessing and has brought so much light into our lives. I'm grateful everyday that she is a part of our family.