Baby Shower Fun in La Grande!

Other expecting mothers may look forward to the cute pregnancy clothes, the ultra sounds, or feeling the baby move inside you. But for me, I looked forwoard most to the baby shower. Okay, I looked foward to the feeling the baby too, but I really loved getting and playing with all the baby clothes and getting together with my friends to celebrate this happy time. I love it!

Well, the weather threatened to ruin my fun last Saturday. During the night it had snowed about eight inches and the streets were terrible. I was so bummed thinking that people would get out to come. But it turned out that I was just so ecstatic when people actually showed up. I was so moved by that fact that they cared so much to brave the weather so they could celebrate having a baby with me. I was so happy.


This is Ginger, Catlin, Brittney, and Jillian. We had some fun!


This is the awesome spread we had.



These are the awesome cookies Brittney and I made. Some thought that they looked more like sumo wrestlers in speedos than baby boys, but really, I'm no artist.

We all had a wonderful time. Thanks, thanks, thanks, for everyone who sacrificed so much to come to my baby shower!

Beautiful La Grande

La Grande may be a lot of things when it is covered in snow, but for me, it's turly beautiful, from the warm and cozy insides of your home.


This is the view from out my mother's dinning room window.

And this is the view from my parent's street. La Grande is really a beautiful place, even though the passes may close and you could get suck.

Getting suck during Christmas

Patxi and I got stuck in the snow twice while we were in La Grande for Christmas. Once was at the bottom of my parent's drive way. That was a lot of fun and only took 45 minutes to get the chains on and into the street.

Then the second time was when we were visiting Aunt Penny. The bad thing was that we had stayed late talking with Ori and Patxi cleaning/fixing his gun. So when we tried to get out, we had to wake up Adam so he could get us out. We tried pushing, putting on chains, and digging around the tires, but nothing seemed to work. So then Adam got in his truck and tried to pull us out. Finally that worked, and we were able to leave at 12:30am. Thanks so much Adam and Ori!

Our New Address

Offically on Wednesday, December 31st, Patxi and I will be moved to...drum roll, please...

2075 Raynor St SE
Salem, OR 97302

The moving process is being drawn out over three days, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I was a little worried with me working all day during these three days, but it turns out that it's a good thing. I really can't lift anything anyway, so I would be just in the way. Patxi is doing a great job, even though it might not be as organized as I would do it. But it'll get done, and that's really what matters.

Oh and for our anniversary (December 29) we decided to buy a bed. The one we have is old and won't fit very well in our aparment. Luckily we were able to get some Christmas money from my Grandpa Lemmond (thanks agian, grandpa!). We're very excited about that and will be getting it tonight. I'm starting to feel the trill of making our new apartment a home, and I can't wait to get started. Life is going to be different, but great!

And since no post is complete without a picture (since I have a new camera and no excuse), I'll share this picture of Patxi wearing a Cabela's hat my parents got for our son. It's a little dark (it was a quick shot) but Patxi's has a great smile. He's so hansome!

Merry Christmas!

On Christmas Eve, mom, Jill, Patxi and I helped serve at the Senior Center. We had fun giving service to them. The elderly were fun to talk to and help them with their needs. I did get scolded for brushing my hair out of the way and serving coffee at the same time. If and inspector were to come in, he could shut the place down, you know. She was right and trying to be helpful, but I just thought that it was funny how picky she was. We had fun anyway.





It turned out that Jen and Nick couldn't make it to La Grande for Christmas. We were all sad about it but we still did our gift exchange with them. Mom gave us all PJs like always and Patxi and I did each other's stockings. It was great fun keeping Patxi's stocking stuffers a secret from him. I think I get more out of it than he does. I can't wait until we have children and live Christmas vicariously through them. It's going to be so fun!







Then we stayed inside all day in our PJs, watching movies and eating. Mom has an elaborite table setting for Christmas dinner, which we of course eat in our PJs. It's kind of ironic but a fun tradition. It was a great Christmas.

Wintery Salem

Here are some pictures of the snow that occupies Salem. I'm told that it hasn't snowed and stayed like this in thrity years. Crazy!








This is the freezing rain that turned Salem into a winter wonderland over night.

For us this is normal so we don't think of it as a novelty. But it's funny to hear how people quarantine themselves in their houses. I guess that's probably a good thing because I would hate to be driving on the road with them. Patxi and I enjoy the snow and are happy to have more of a winter we are used to.

Christmas cookies

I got the festive feeling this year and decided to use my cookies cutters I bought from the after Christmas sales last year. It was the first time I made sugar cookies by myself and I was a little anxious after the first batch. I brought them to work for our little Christmas branch party and they were a hit, so I decided to make more for those I visit teach and our neighbors. I was so proud of what they looked like that I had to take a picture, well two. Enjoy!

Ward Christmas Party with the Waites

Patxi ahd drill December 12-14th so I went with him to Pilot Rock/ Pendleton. That firday was Patxi's parent's and brother's ward Christmas party. I got two camera shots of my neice and nephews: Libby, Elden, and Eli. I don't think their younger brother, Elliot is in them, but enjoy!


Liddy's in red and Elden is on the end not really singing but cute.

32 Weeks!

This is a picture of me at 32 weeks. It's a little late because I'm 34 weeks now, but with moving, packing, and trying to fix our car, time slipped by. Enjoy!

I think that I've gotten a little chubby since this picture was taken. It doesn't help that the weather has been keeping me inside and the holidays seem to produce food that's hard to say no to. I was doing so well too. I've only gained 30 pounds so far, but I think it's seriously changed since my last appointment. Don't even get me started on the fact that I almost weigh more than Patxi. Ugh! All well, I just need to be strong and say no to things that really won't give me or our son nutrition, even if it is a holiday tradition. I guess I just have a fear of being that fat pregnant lady that let yourself go because her stomach was expanding anyway. I just know that once I have him, it'll be even harder to get rid of the fat consequences of my choices now. But what is a girl to do when she's decorating sugar cookies for the neighbors? Make sure that I'm not going to poisoning them by taking samples, of course. Though I'm sure the store bought m&m were fine anyway. But then again I have to remind myself that I gain fat so much easier because my body still has the fat cells from when I was bigger. Yup, the body never really gets rid of them fat cells, they just shrink. I could lose them if I got Lipo, but like I'll waste money on that! But I just have to be extra careful and more active than the average person, which I haven't been lately.

So, take me as I am, a 8 months pregnant lady with a double chin. I guess I really have a hard time with this chubby thing because I've worked so hard before to lose the 60 pounds I did before. It's hard for me because when I lost all that weight, I vowed never to look like that again. I know it's different being pregnant, but I still have control on whether the m&m and 3Musketeers I eat will go to my thins and and add another chin, right? It complicates things being 8 month because it's trickier to be active. But in the end, all of the complications really don't matter, I just need to deal with what I've been given. So sorry for the little venting session. I'll buck up and make better choices that will promote the best and healthiest life style for me and my gr owning son.

Craziness of Black Friday

We needed a camera and I heard that black friday had great sales. So Patxi and I planed on getting to the stores at 5:00 in the morning. We first went to Circut City which was pretty crazy. Then after not finding any deals, we went to the Lancaster Mall and found nothing. By this time, Patxi's patience was gone. His enthusiasm for actually doing the craziness once in his life waned after about fifteen minutes. So he was getting pretty grumpy when we got inside Target. I have to say that I was pretty grumpy too because it was crazy in there! I couldn't even look at he cameras because there was so many people. Then I almost killed Patxi because he wasn't were He said he would met me. I was realy to leave after five minutes but ended up taking the next 20 minutes finding him. I was so frustrated! So finally when we went to Best Buy it was 6:30. I somewhat decided on a which camera to buy but we realized that Black Friday was not a day to "shop around," but a time where i need to grab what i want and wait in line. Luckily is wasn't as crazy in Best Buy was as crazy so I was able to talk with someone. Patxi was at a point were he could careless what I choose, just so long as I would pick it soon.



So I decided on a Canon Power-Shot. It's 10 mega pixels with face detection and all the gagets. We got everything we needed with a great deal. So we found the end of the line which was very long. I told Patxi to go sleep in the car while I waited in line for over an hour. In the end, we got a camera and learned a few things.
Like only participate in Black Friday if I know exactly what I want and that's its on sale, and I wouldn't take Patxi again.

Here are some pictures we've taken, playing around with it.



This is Patxi's "I am Iron Man."




Our Christmas tree that I just put up.


I'm sending this one out to my wonderful mother-in-law.

Our apartment on Fisher RD and some GREAT news!

This January we are turly going to be blessed. We are moving to South Salem then to live in an apartment connected to the house of Brad and Shauna Nelson's Grandparents. They have asked us to care for them inturn for free rent, unilities (including internet!), and $400 a month. This is truly a blessing. A few months ago, I figured out that if we stayed on Fisher Rd once I have our son and stay home with him, we will somehow need to find $400 a month, just to cover basic expenses. This was factoring in if Patxi gets a part time job and we get everything we need for the baby before I quit my job. At the time, it would look like we would use our savings until the 6 weeks were up and I would have to go back to work. We both talked about it, and we (especailly me) didn't want to go back to work, but were willing to do whatever the Lord wanted. We knew that He knew what was best ten-times better then we did, so were prayed that somehow I wouldn't have to work and left it in His hands. I knew that some miracle would have to happen, like living somewhere for free. So when Bradley called me one day to tell me about his grandparents, I cried tears of gratitude. We went through a estimated budget with this new opportunity and we would be about $200 positive even if Patxi didn't get a part-time job. Truly, truly a blessing. And the crazy thing is, I think it was a blessing for Bradley's parents as well. I don't know the full story, but I don't think it was only an answer to our prayers. The Lord really works miracles! We are so blessed!

Anyway, now that we are about to move-out of our first apartment in Salem, I thought that it would be a great time to share the pictures of it, especailly since my parents and Joespeh and Ivy are the only ones who have seen it. Enjoy!


Number 24 is the top one, and this is our tree and balcone.


Our wonderfully spacious livingroom, which will change when we move to the Nelson's. The whole apartment is about 566 sq. feet, but hey-it's free!


Bathroom -way bigger than our last apartment and the Nelson's, all well.


Our bedroom. Hum...I'm seeing a pattern -alot of plaid. I must have been worried that Patxi wouldn't like floral when I picked out our stuff pre-marriage and decided that plaid was something we both could live with. I don't know if I'll stick with that.


And lastly our kicthen and dinning room, which is bigger then Eocene Courts but oddly enough smaller than at the Nelson's. We'll have a great dinning room and kicthen with wonderful cupboard space, it's just that the livingroom and bedroom are one and somewhat small. Oh but we will definately deal, it'll just be an aventure fitting everything in. We will need to be so creative, but I'm ready and willing for the challenge. We are so blessed!

Bloody Glucose!

So, it's the time in the pregnancy where a glucose blood test is required to see if I have genstational diabetes. To prep for the test, I was asked not to eat carbs or high sugar. So yesterday I had cheesy eggs, yogurt, and a banana. For lunch, I was racking my brain for what to eat because I would have to wait until I got off work at 4:30 to take the test. Anyway, I end up eating two apples, peanut butter and half a can of green beans. Weird, I know! So I get to the Labratory and it turns out that I was five minutes too late and couldn't do it that day. I eat like that for nothing! Ugh! Then I talk with my assiant manager and we decide that I take and early "lunch" (even though I can't eat during the hour glucose test) at 10 just so I can be there when the Lab is open.

So today, I ate my cheesy eggs and a banana and left work at 10:00. When I get there, I'm asked all the usual questions, address, emergency contact, were I work, and while I force down the flat sprite syrup stuff, one of the nurses tells me about her fincal problems with MaPs Credit Union. It was a little akward, but I tired to tell her everything will be okay, even though I didn't know anything about the situtation. After that I wait an hour, did some homework. So I get back in for them to take my blood and the nurse can't seem to find my vain. She gives it the "ol' college try" without success. Then the other nurse, the one with a problem with MaPs, comes to her aid. She tires on the other arm and barely gets enough. then she looks at my sheets and see that I need one more sample. Ugh! So she, on the same arm, tries a little more senitive area and luckily gets enough blood, but it hurt! I am totally going to bruise. Then I walk into work looking like a herion adict and stuffing my face with my lunch so I can quickly get back to work. What a crazy day!

Pregnancy Pictures!

Yes, I finally got my roll developed (yup that's now gotteo we are). Enjoy!


This is me at 19 weeks.


25 weeks. I was cleaning and remembered that I needed to take one.


28 weeks. I'm still in my Maps Logo-wear, our uniform for work.

I'm 29 weeks now and feeling it. I'm slower, bulkier, and tired. Don't even get me started on sleeping! But all well. I would rather have all the problems in the word if it means I get our little boy! I'm oh, so very grateful and excited for the next 2 and 1/2 months to go by.

Opps!

So I had an interesting morning. Today I only work from 10-3 so I slept in. Well, I slept in a little bit too much. So I was speeding to get to work on time. Also, what makes it worst is that Patxi drove the car last and I forgot to move the rear-view mirror.

Anyway, so I was going 45 in a 30 when the state policemen clocked me. Well, I didn't see him and continued to go down toward the bridge. The way the traffic lights work is that I would have to go about 40 (or more) so i wouldn't hit the red. This is what I continued to do.

Then as I was driving over the bridge, the person in front of me pulled over. I didn't know why so I was about to pass them, when I looked in the mirror to see lights behind me.

So I pull over and he tells me to take the next exit so we could park and talk about my speeding. He was extrememly nice about it. I was totally in the wrong and told the truth. I did get a $94 ticket, but from what I hear, it was major cheap from what I could have gotten. Now I just need to learn patience, stop speeding, and leave 5 minutes earlier from my house.

Cutiest Nephews and Nieces in the World!

Since you all are already so jealous of me, I thought I would just make it worst by showing you who has the cuties the nieces and nephews...me! Enjoy!


This is Annabelle- Tevya and Sara's.


Adleide -also Tev and Sara's


Jonas and Whishper


This is Elliot, Kres and Shelby's youngest.


And Eli, and Peni's dog, Poppy


Elden


Libby Loo- Kres and Shelbey's oldest.


This is Kelcee, the yougest of Springe and Jason.


Rowen, the yougest of Dieter and Bridget's
Yup they are the cutiest things in the world. I wish we lived closer!

Work stories

At work, we have this wonderful system that can pull up a scan image of the member’s valid ID with their account. Well, since the 13th, that system has been down. But for security reasons we are to ask for ID whenever a member receives cash. So one day this elderly man walks up to my window and asks to ask two checks. I of course ask for his ID, and he was a little miffed about it but got it out anyway. Then I look at the checks and see that it is written out to his wife. Though she signed the back, I couldn’t give the cash to him, because he’s not Kathy. So I had two choices. One, I could deposit the checks into their joint account and then withdraw it under his name. Or I could have him sign the back underneath his wife name and cash it like normal. The second seemed like the easiest and quickest thing to do, but when I asked him to sign the check he got really mad. He told me (very loudly) that all I do is hassled him every time he comes in and after he signs the back of the checks he throws the pen at me or really in my direction. I was on the brink of tears but quickly cashed his checks for him. I just wanted him out. It pretty much ruined the rest of my day until I got home to Patxi. All I need was a long hug, and everything was fine. He probably had a bad day and using a pen might her him, or something, right? Never a dull moment at the West Salem branch of MaPS Credit Union!

These are all I have now. Enjoy!

My interesting experience with public bussing

I realized that I haven't posted in a while. My excuse was the fact taht nothing is happeneding, but then I found out that I was wrong. Nothing huge is happening, I'll just sure the small funny things. So on to my interesting story...

So during the weekend of the 10-12, Patxi decided that he needed to go hunting. The sad thing was that I had to work on the 11th, so I couldn’t go with him. He of course took the car which left me dependant on public transportation for Friday night and Saturday. I really hadn’t been on a public bus since I was ten and visiting Salt Lake, so I really didn’t know what to expect. I prepared myself by looking on the internet, making sure I know the routes and stops.

So Friday came and I left work and walked to the bus stop. There were some scary people so I really stayed to myself. Then I couldn’t guess if I needed to pay once I got off the bus or when I could on, so I think I didn’t pay once when I needed to. Then it took me an hour and half what normally was a fifteen minute drive. But I got home in one piece. Then on Saturday morning, even though I worked at 9:30, I had to be at the bus stop outside my house at 8:15. It of course was the one morning that it froze in Salem. Anyway, I got on the bus and we then stopped for fifteen minutes at the Transit Mall, so I, of course, rush to the bathroom. I walk pass one of the people who rode the bus with me and was heading for the sitting area as well. At first I thought that she/he (I really couldn’t tell) was talking to him/her self. Than as she continued to follow me in, I realized that he was arguing, literally arguing with herself. I heard two different voices, one smooth and natural and the other, harsh and lower pitched. It went something like this (she continued to follow me into the bathroom so I got most of the conversation) “what are we doing?” “I told you, you stupid…” (she continued with hoarse mumbling). “There’s no need to be rude.” The answer to this was very loud grumbling for which made me instantly run out of the bathroom. This scene strangely reminded me of that part in Lord of the Rings with Gollum.


She was really crazy! I was followed by a crazy lady! After that I waited outside in the cold for the bus to leave and luckily got to work on-time.

a depressing morning!

So, I've had an interesting morning! I got up a little late and took a shower, even though I should have been up for a half an hour exercising. Then I get soap in my eye and can't put my contacts in. My hair just didn't want to look good so I feel like I look terrible. Then I went in for my monthly checkup and found out that I've gained 8 pounds since last month. So I get a chastisement from my midwife which adds to my already mounting guilt and frustration. Then she asks what I weighed before I got pregnant. And I felt more guilt. I've gained 30 pounds! Ah!! No More Junk Food For ME!!!! Then to make matters worst, since I was late this morning, all I ate was applesauce. So while we were scheduling my next appointment I had to rush the bathroom. I hate throwing up! Then CJ from works calls to ask why I was late too work, which meant that someone didn't tell her I had a doctor's appointment. Luckily they are really good about that, so everything fine. Now I'm at work feeling nauseous and all I want to do is go home and sleep.

All well. Life will go on. I hope I can be more postive so thing will go better.

Meet the Waites

For the weekend before the Hendrickson Reunion (August 11-13), almost everyone in Patxi's family came up. Peni quickly realized that it was an opportunity for family pictures.


This is a picture of all the Grand-daugthers.


These are the Grand-sons (and Dennis) except for Springe's two sons, Cory and Ethan who weren't able to make it.


All the sisters, sisters-in-law, and Peni posed for this picture.


Then Peni wanted each family to pose for pictures. This is Dieter and Bridget's family with Reigh, Leo, and Rowen.


Springe's husband, Jason, and her sons, Cory and Ethan, weren't able to make the trip. So this is a picture of Springe and her girls, Hanna, Emilee, and Kelcee.

Kesmir and Shelby are next in line, but he was at National Guard Drill so I didn't get a picture (and when I say "I," I really mean Petra because I stole these pictures from her).


This is Dmitri and Nikki with Jonas and Whisper. Nikki is pregnant and is about two weeks behind me.


Tevya and Sara had just become a family of four about four months earlier. Here they are with their daughters Adelaide and Annabell.


Here's Liji and Christina.


And this is of course me and Patxi, and I'm about three month pregnant. We end the pictures of siblings and their families.

It was a great weekend, full of noise, choas, and fun.