Mr Mischeif

Mr. Innocent?

I think not!

 

This little pain in the bum has gotten into EVERYTHING here at Gammie's! We are constantly on our toes grabbing him from pushing things, eating anything he touches, putting his little fingers in things, dumping Senji's water bowl, playing with Senji's kennel, and sometimes taking a tumble down a couple steps. This kid is definitely daring.

 

 

 

Not to mention going into bathrooms, bedrooms, pushing the water faucet things down all the time, pushing over lamps, bugging Senji, grabbing remotes and wires, and grabbing all glass and pans from the kitchen cabinets within his reach. 

 

 

I think next time we're here, I'll bring a new gated area for Gammie to keep.

Merry Christmas 2008

Merry Christmas everyone! We hope you all had a great one! Here's how ours went...

First, we all got up nice and early (6 am is early for me. That's 5 in Oregon). Then we attacked the stockings. Porter really liked his! Gammie made it for him!

Then we attacked the presents! Instead of our usual pajamas from Santa, we got slippers! I love them! Savanna had little bells on hers...

...and I had penguins!

Everyone enjoyed their gifts!

Grumpa got his annual toy ;)

Jo got Rockband 2

Mikki got a Webkins toy (she has quite the collection)

Seth and I got a webcam (thanks Howes!)

And, Porter got his first Penguin...among other things. I think he wasn't very interested in it though...

In fact, most of the morning was spent like this...

I think Porter was a little over-stimulated.

Eric and I took pictures. I'll have to get them from him later.

Seth gave me an envelope with a picture of this in it:

He took the picture before we left for Twin. I'd already known about it. I even picked it up! I LOVE it though! I'm so glad I finally have one! Now I can brush up on my piano and start teaching...hopefully within a year! :) :)

This is Seth's gift from me:

Can you guess what it is? ;)

A 12-string acoustic/electric fender guitar! :) (He knew what he was getting, but he didn't know it was a 12-string...hee hee)

Pretty sweet wrapping job, huh?

Later that day...

Porter decided he liked the penguin,

everyone became a rocker,

and Dad tried on the bow.

Becca, Arika, and Kelly came over later that day as well.

Arika even got her first guitar, too! What a musical Christmas!

Kelly taught her a few things.

It was pretty cute.

That night, we went over to a friend of Mom's from the ward and had our annual Seaman Christmas Program with them...for the second time. We had had one earlier in the week with another family at our house. Those are always fun.

Don't you just love Christmas!?

Porter even got to rock out a bit when we got back :)

To Twin!

Our little fam-damily traveled to Twin Falls for Christmas break on the 19th. We had very snowy roads up until we reached the Idaho border, which was interesting. I found out later that it had snowed in Forest Grove about a foot or so, and all ways out were closed the very next day. We left just in time.

Porter was pretty terrible when he was awake in the car. I think he gets lonely back there and frustrated when he can't see us in the front of the car. I'm thinking I'm going to cheat the system a bit and turn his carseat around early so he wont be so bad. He's almost a year, anyway, right?

We stayed in Boise with Missy and Eric that night and helped them move the next day into their new apartment. I should rephrase that: "Seth helped them move...into their new apartment." I was keeping Porter out of everything at their old house while things were getting moved. After Seth helped them move a lot of the big things, we ate lunch at Primos with the family and Kelly (Becca's boyfriend), Seth helped a bit more, and we left to Twin. Porter was pretty good during that trip. He only started fussing when we got off the freeway.

I just want to say I'm not a fan of traveling.

Christmas Card

My mom started drawing christmas cards to send out when she and my dad first got married and has drawn one every year since. I decided to keep the tradition going!

Because of money issues and travel, I wasn't able to send cards to all whom I wanted to send cards to. To those whom I didn't get to send a card to, this is for you :) If you would like one sent to you next year, you may leave your address as a comment. 

Jenni, Kathryn, and Laura: yours are on the way...soon...I'm just late!

10 Months

3 Years

Seth and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary on the 17th of December. It's hard to believe it's been that long since we were married! I've enjoyed all the time we've spent together and I'm so blessed to have such a great man for a husband. I'm looking forward to spending many more years with him!

Since Seth had finals that day, we didn't do very much. He took his last final and we left to go to the Cheesecake Factory. We had planned on going to the zoo lights that night, too, but we ate later than we'd originally planned. Porter was pretty good while we were out eating. He mostly just played with the little boy sitting in a highchair at the booth next to us. It was really cute.

Happy anniversary, Handsome!

Lack of Posting

I apologize for not posting, but I promise posts on the following subjects when I get the time:

Our third anniversary

Porter turning 10 months

Our first hand-drawn Christmas card by Yours Truly

Travel to Idaho

Christmas

Porter's mischievousness

Haircut (trim)

Seth's back pain

Mikayla's birthday

New Years Resolutions

2 new teeth

Travel to Utah

Utah activities

Back to Twin

Family Engagements

Be prepared!

Eight...

Tagged by Diane :)

8 Shows that I enjoy watching:
1. The Office
2. Pushing Daisies
3. Heroes
4. Chuck
5. Samantha Who
6. Life
7. Ugly Betty
8. Life on Mars

8 Things that happened yesterday:
1. Woke up earlier than Porter (which hardly every happens)
2. Conducted music at a funeral
3. Picked up Porter from the Bjorn's
4. Had Jenny and Lora over to finish watching the old Pride and Predjudice
5. Scott came over with Seth to study upstairs
6. Seth went online on Craigslist and found my Christmas gift
7. I went to Tigard to pick it up while Seth continued studying (so, yes, I know what it is and it's not wrapped, but I'm not telling till after Christmas...ha!)
8. Went to Office Depot to find some paper so I can copy my hand-made Christmas cards so I could send them out, but they were closed.

8 Things I am looking forward to:
1. Our 3rd anniversary tomorrow!!!
2. Christmas in Twin Falls where I'll get to see my WHOLE family!!!
3. Seeing Seth's family in Utah after New Years
4. Having Savanna in Forest Grove with us for a week or so in January
5. Getting to exercise again
6. Wicked coming to Portland in March (hopefully we'll have money for tickets!!!!)
7. Seth finishing his first year of Optometry school
8. Getting to teach music!!

8 Things I love about Winter:
1. Christmas time
2. New Years
3. Getting breaks
4. Hot Chocolate
5. Cider
6. Snow...if it snows
7. Valentines
8. Seth's and Porter's birthdays!

8 Things on my Wish list:
1. Getting the apartment organized and more baby-proof
2. Having a better fitting wardrobe that didn't wear out...
3. Having exercise time in the day
4. A better schedule so I can accomplish more during the day
5. Spending more time with family
6. Low gas prices all the time
7. A HOUSE!!!
8. A healthy and happy family

8 People I tag:
1. Liz
2. Jenny Rudolph
3. Jenni Warner
4. Lindsey Christensen
5. Kaylee
6. Shaylee
7. Sierra
8. Audrey Dye

The Dreaded Finals

Seth started finals week this week. He's been spending almost every hour of the day studying at the library, while I've felt very much like a single mom with Porter at home. Most days, I just hang out in my pajamas because I'm not in the mood to leave the house. When Seth is gone, I become lazy, like since I have no man in the house, there's no real reason to keep things clean or even shower *gasp*. What is wrong with me!?

I've been exhausted, still, even without doing everything. Granted, I've forced myself to accomplish cleaning the apartment because we'll be leaving for break soon, but if we weren't leaving I'm pretty sure it wouldn't look like it does. Porter wears me out!

I've been trying to get Porter on a schedule, finally, but he's not cooperating very well. In fact, he cries his little eyes out every time I force him to go to bed for a nap and it breaks my heart. I admit, I'm not as good as I should be in keeping him in the crib once I put him there, but if you heard his cry, you'd understand. It's like I'm torturing him. I need to be firmer, but I just can't help myself.

Porter is an official walker! Ever since last I wrote, he has become a semi-pro! He takes cute little baby steps with his hands out, and he's so wobbly! I love it. I know in another week or so he'll be running around the house. Maybe then I'll get the exercise I need ;)

Other than that, it snowed here yesterday and froze, so the roads are covered in sheets of ice and everyone in Portland area is driving 10 mph all over the place because no one seems to know how to drive in snow. Pretty pathetic, but I'm glad they're being "safe." I'm also glad I grew up in Idaho and lived in Ice-burg for 3.5 years. Nice to have some snow experience. While I was driving today (passing almost everyone) I imagined everyone saying after looking at my license plate as I drove by, "dang those people from Wyoming." Ha ha!

Being that they hardly ever have snow here, even if there's only an inch on the ground, they close school. I understand why, though. Too much ice. I don't think they even have a plow or any other form of "ice control." Plus, a lot of the teachers commute into Forest Grove. I just wish I lived here all those years in Twin growing up. I would've had a ton more snow days than just three in my lifetime. Problem about having snow days during finals is, Seth will have to take the final the next semester. So...no break for him. School was closed today, and luckily, Seth didn't have a final, but tomorrow he does. We're praying the snow melts and doesn't come back until after finals for his and all the students sakes.

I'm really excited and ready for the break, and I'm positive Seth is, too. I'm ready to have my husband back and I'm sure he's ready to be done studying.

PS: here's some proof of Porter's new walking abilities!

Christmas Carols Being Sung

Last Friday was the ward Christmas Program. I am on the activities committee and was put in charge of the program order and speaking parts. Sounds easy, right? Well, let me tell you, it wasn't. I thought with all my Vocal Union experience of ward Christmas shows would have been more help than it was. And, yes, that experience was helpful, but because of those shows, my expectations were really high. I thought everyone did a great job that night, but if I would have had the time, I would've fixed some of how smoothly it ran. I heard nothing but good comments on the program, so I'm happy to say that it went well. If I am put in charge next year, there are a few things I'll do differently. One being: have an actual rehearsal on stage in the cultural hall so that we can hear how long songs are, time them, and arrange mics accordingly. But, we'd have to be as professional as Vocal Union was to actually have it go as well as I would like it to...and that's not going to happen. All in all, though, I'm very happy with how it turned out. I think I'm even happier that it's over.

I have to say, I'm really missing all my experiences I had a BYU-Idaho at the moment. I have a lot of friends and family up there still who are having or continuing to have all the great experiences I had while I was there, and I feel like I'm just stuck at home missing out on everything. I love being Porter's mother, but I want to be able to do the things I love to do...like perform. I miss ballroom so much it hurts, and the only ballroom classes here are on Sundays, so that's not possible. I miss singing Jazz, but I don't know how to get into groups here that perform in clubs or otherwise. I miss professional choir like Collegiate Singers. I want to try out for Portland Symphonic Choir, but I missed the audition time in August, and they wont be having another audition in January so I have to wait until next August. I'm seriously going crazy here! It doesn't help that I torture myself more by looking at all the said friends and families pictures off facebook and otherwise all the time. Maybe I should stop doing that. I just feel a little jipped on my time at BYU-I, that's all. I know I've made the right decisions as far as Seth and Porter are concerned, but I just can't help feeling that way when I don't even have an opportunity to move on here.

Now that I'm done venting, I want to say that I really enjoyed Tuesday when I went Hip Hop dancing with a bunch of girls here. It was fun and funny to see all of us white girls attempting to be black. Thanks for teaching, Heather!

Also, Porter took at least four steps on his own last night!! He'll be walking on his own permanently in no time!