I know, I am a blogging failure (but at least you all got to see my hair?). However, with only one week left until Hubby returns home from his trip, I think it's time for an update. Oh yes my friends, you heard me correctly; 'tis but a week until my love returns from the exotic East!
And happy day! I've found the power charger for my camera batteries. So after today's update all my pictures should be better quality. (most of this batch are off of my cell phone).
The first Saturday of the October was pretty much where we left off, so I will give little recaps from there and see where this takes up. I've presently given the kids some pots and wooden spoons to bang along with their, "Dog Train" CD, so while I fully embrace the musical stylings of "They Might Be 'Cs'" (get it? probably not, kind of a lame stretch), it's kind of hard to concentrate.
On the first Saturday of the Month, knowing that I would be expecting the kids to sit through General Conference all day Sunday, I decided we needed an adventure. As we are wont to do around here, just any old adventure would never suffice-- this had to be the adventure of adventures. Okay, so maybe it wasn't the adventure of all adventures but I have to say it was pretty darn fun!
That's right my friends; I packed up the crew, drove up to Portland and stole my mother and then headed off to the Tillamook Cheese Factory. Never have I seen a family have such a strange fascination (and by family I really mostly mean me!) with a place that makes cheese.
Giant Ceramic Cows and milking equipment are a perennial favourite at any Cheesing tour.
Frog Prince wants a pet cow now.
It seems a sin almost that having lived in Oregon for 18 years, this was Grandmas first trip to the Tillamook Cheese Factory! Thankfully the kids quickly showed her the ropes!
I am solemnly convinced that Tillamook makes the best ice cream ever! (Sorry all you BYU creamery fans!)
Afterwards, we drove back down the coastline to Lincoln city where we stopped and had dinner at Moe's. The Moe's Restaurants are internationally famous, and have been ranked for some of the best Clam Chowder in the world. We have a family tradition that on birthdays, the day always includes a trip out to the coast for a 'family style' bowl of chowder. No trip to the coast is complete without it! The adventure ended with us not getting back to Corvallis (after having to drive back to Portland to drop off Grandma) until just around midnight. They day was completely worth it, and will forever enjoy the memories of how exciting the magic of such a simply place can make my family!
Sunday was Conference, as you saw from the pictures. And truth be told I can't really tell you anything of major note until a few days ago. The other day in the supermarket, I heard a little girl calling out to her mother in an extremely excited voice that it was her teacher! (she was trying to tell her mother that I was her teacher. For the most part this didn't even register in my brain, because well-- I'm not a teacher. However, the girl was very excited and I didn't want her to think her teacher was ignoring her, so I quickly turned around so that she could see that I wasn't the woman she thought me to be. Surprise, surprise-- I was the girls teacher!
The little girl was a lovely little girl from my nursery class at church. I was extremely touched that she was excited to see me and it was a nice chance to get to talk with her outside of class, and share with her how much I loved getting to be her teacher. It was also special because it gave me a chance to meet her mother. Her parents are not active, and she is brought to church each week by her grandparents. Apparently, this little girl loves coming to nursery and talks about it all week; it was such a treat to in turn get to express my love for this little girl to her mother, and let her know what a blessing I feel it to be, getting to be her teacher!
That day wasn't over yet for allowing me special treats! The boys and I were at the store getting a few things to make up, "Happy Autumn" bundles to deliver to some people in my ward. For some reason I kept buying 5 of everything, even though I only had four people I was dropping stuff to. However, since most things came in bundles of 5, or were cute, I just figured I get them for myself. Well on Monday when I was dropping off all the stuff I just kept feeling like I should take the extra stuff with me, so I did and went to deliver the goodies. While I was driving around an old friend of mine popped into my head, and I was struck that I should make the last bundle up for her. However, she lives clear on the other side of town from where all my other friends live (she was in my old ward) and it would easily have added another 15 minutes to my travels to take one over to her. I figured I could do it later, but as I was dropping the last bundle off, I realised I really needed to take this bundle over to this woman. She was one of the first women I met when I moved into family wards 5 years ago. She was one of the councilors in that wards RS presidency and she did such an amazing job at making me feel loved and welcomed into family ward life; how could I ignore this obvious prompting to take her a bit of love.
How grateful I am that I listened to that sweet prompting to go visit with this sister! She invited me and the boys in for a few minutes to chat, and the conversation turned to some terrible experiences and problems that her daughter has been going through. The upset and pain was clearly evident in this dear woman's voice, and it broke my heart to see a mother so pained for her child. But how grateful I was to have have her so openly share with me because I have gone through almost exactly what her daughter is struggling with. To be able to just sit with her for a minute and let her know that I understood and knew what their family was dealing with was such a special moment for me. I know I certainly didn't do anything to solve their problems, but hopefully gave her just a bit of love and encouragement that things do get better and that the Lord has a plan and a hand in all things. How thankful I am to have heeded that still small voice that kept telling me to drive the extra 15 minutes!
Tuesday the boys and I headed to Costco to pick up groceries. Because it's Costco and you can never leave with just what you go for, we left with several really cool items. I got all the boys their annual Christmas jammies, a secret treat for Hubby when he gets back, and the best find for me. I've been craving a new skirt but haven't seen anything (in my price range) that I have liked. So, instead of buying a skirt, I bought table runners. Yeah, I know that totally ends up being the same right? Actually yeah; I am going to sew the table runners into a skirt, and it will look really fabulous when I am done. Since this probably sounds really strange to most of you, I will chronicle the making of it, photographically, when I do so.
Lastly, we went to the Albany Goodwill where I had some store credit and I found two beautiful tops. One has some lace fronting that needs to be mended, but I can do it easily. I also found a really sweet lace half apron (totally think June Cleaver) that I snatched up, as well as some cute little powder blue dinner napkins that I am going to sew into another half apron.
That's about it. Hubby's dad arrived in India today, to spend the last week of Hub's trip sightseeing and such with him. So be sure to tune into http://travellingfroggie.blogspot.com/, for more adventures.
Right now my tortilla dough for tonight's Salmon tacos is done rising so it's time to go roll them out and bake them up. I have the best Mango Salsa just screaming to be put to good use!
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