Alsea Falls

We had a free Saturday and those are rare so we really wanted to do something together. We wanted it to be free and preferably outdoors, so we decided hiking. Right when we decided this it started to rain. We went back and forth on what we should do but then decided to go hiking anyway. We loaded up and headed out and it was actually partially sunny on the whole drive up there. The drive was beautiful!! We got there and it was sunny and half way through the hike we were taking our coats off because we were too warm. Oak spent most of the time whining and complaining and so we hurried back to the van. And just as we were almost to the parking lot it started to sprinkle and then just as we got to the van it started to down pour. We quickly got in and as we drove off it started to hale. It was crazy but so much fun to just be outdoor together as a family. We sure do live in a beautiful place.

exploring...

 We do a lot of playing in front of our house in the street with all the neighbor kids. Occasionally I get an itch to go on a walk and explore. My kids don't usually like doing this because they are so used to just sticking around home and playing out front with their friends. So I usually have to talk them into it. But once we get going they love it. Most of the time when we do this I go with a few things in mind. First that I need to let them get dirty if the exploring takes it to that level and then I want to teach them to just enjoy so I try not to push them to move onto looking at the next thing. These are both things I struggle with a lot, so I love when I am in the right mood to allow it without it bothering me.

I am pretty sure I have the exact same pic of Mac in the exact same spot around the same age. 

funnies

Mac: "I know it's ridiculous that I am pushing my spider in a stroller." That's a real spider in a jar in a stroller. Oh my, I love him!



We went out trick or treating at about 5:15pm on Halloween, which is really early and some of our neighbors weren't quite ready for us and had no candy to hand out. After leaving one of these houses, Mac says, "Well that was awkward!"

Sometimes when daddy goes in to get Oaklee out of bed in the morning he says, "fe-fi-fo-fum..." And adds something silly to it. She really loves it. But at the dinner table one night she says out if the blue, "dad, I don't want you to say fe-fi-fo-fum anymore because I am too old now." Baby girl please don't ever be too old for daddy's silliness!

I had a really stressful week trying to get our house ready to sell. Obviously I was not being a very nice mommy that week. After talking to the realtor and getting things set up the next morning Oak said, "Mommy, you are nice today." Yikes!

Oak had been yelling from her bed for over an hour that she was ready to get up from her nap (she never fell asleep) and I guess she was tired of me ignoring her and yells, "Mommy, your daughter is calling you!"

Oak didn't eat her dinner and it was still sitting on the table. She must have still been hungry because she walked up to her plate and took a bite and then says, "Yep, still gross."

Oak is sensitive to smells.  I was out of town for a day and a half and right before I came home I had eaten at a mexican restaurant. As I was putting her to bed not long after I got home she was very intrigued by my smell and kept telling me I don't smell "normal". For the days following she then kept telling me, "You smell normal now!"

Big changes...

So we have had some big changes underway in our life! These changes come after A LOT of fasting and prayer, A LOT of discussions and guidance, and A LOT of stress. And after all of that we are confident, as hard as the changes are and will be, that this is what we are supposed to be doing. We have had a few experiences that have confirmed this.

Two weeks ago, my Hubs gave his two week notice to his current employer, where he has been for the last five and a half years. And tomorrow he starts as a partner in a CPA firm in Klamath Falls. YES, we will be moving! 

Tomorrow our house will officially be on the market for sale. And I have worked my tale off the last couple of weeks getting our house ready to sell. It has been really stressful, but I am praying that my hard work pays off with our house selling quickly. 

We are excited and sad and stressed and calm all at the same time!

Excited for the new opportunity and to see what Heavenly Father has in store for us.

Sad to be moving away from family, our amazing neighbors and our Taekwondo family.

Stressed with all that has to be done to make this happen.

And calm that this is right, no matter how absurd it sounds.

Let the journey begin...

Halloween!

Halloween was a bit chaotic but fun. Daddy had to go out of town on business so he missed all of our Halloween fun. But the night before we made and decorated cookies with him. 

The night was pretty warm and it only was a bit misty out. We headed out early at about 5:15 because we wanted to have time to get through our neighborhood before having to head over to the church for their fun.

Can you tell that they are licking frosting off of their hands?

Oak's preschool had a pajama party instead of a Halloween party. They were going to be jumping in a bounce house and their teacher didn't want them ruining any costumes so she opted for pajamas for fun. Oak was so excited!

Oh they are so cute! And looking so grown up! Oak seemed extra grown up this year and she just loved trick or treating.

Love her pose! She had to wear her boots instead of her slippers because it was sprinkling.

Neighbor friends.

More neighbor friends.

Then we rushed to our wards carnival and trunk or treat. I was in charge of one of the games so we had to cut trick or treating in our neighborhood short.

Checking out all of their candy. Mac didn't end up with very much because he had more fun handing out candy at the trunk or treat. And also we had to take away about 1/3 because they contained or could contain tree nuts. Oak got a ton because she went to every trunk at least three times.

Today I bought them a movie that they could trade for half of their candy. I didn't make Mac give me much because he had to give so much away already because of the  nuts. 

Mac ended up wanting to split and give his candy to daddy, mommy and grandma and grandpa who were down having fun with us.

Snugglin with Grandma before going to bed.