The White Stuff

Wow! I haven't seen this much snow since I was a little girl! We aren't even supposed to get snow like this here in the high desert in Oregon. When we do get snow, it certainly doesn't stick around like it is this time. I am loving the beauty of it. Greg hates driving and working in it though and I almost feel guilty for enjoying it so much. Cora and I haven't played in it too much because the temperatures were down in the single digits for a while and I don't care who you are, it just isn't fun to be so cold that your nose hairs freeze when you breathe in! :) Anyway, we have even more now than in the pictures and more on the way. Hopefully we can still go to my family's for Christmas!

(In case you can't tell, the top picture is our BBQ grill and the one on the right is Cora's tricycle.)

Also, I just need to add my little good news moment. We are rid of Cora's binky's! Hooray! I never thought it would happen, and to tell the truth, I didn't have the guts to go through with it and go through the screaming and sleepless nights. So I would like to thank my mom for being the initiator and dealing with the first few nights. Cora believes that Noni can do no wrong and so for her to tell her there were no more binkys, solicited a much different response than if I were to tell her the same thing. Aren't Grandparents wonderful?

I hope this Christmas season finds you all well. God bless you and Merry Christmas.

Overload

So sorry if this comes as an information overload, but obviously I have gone too long without posting and now I don't know where to start or finish.

In October we moved in to the new house (yes the one with closets, and yes I am still loving them!). It's not much to look at from the outside, but the rent is affordable and I will send pictures of the inside as soon as I take them (don't hold your breath).

Also in October Greg changed jobs. As stressful as this always is, we were all cheering because his last job.....well let's just say the working conditions were slightly less than desirable. He is enjoying his new job (still in security), and he is being treated much better!

I guess next comes Halloween. I am the biggest party pooper when it comes to this holiday. I hate trying to come up with a decent and creative costume and usually end up doing something completely generic which goes against every artistic fiber of my being. Okay, so I'm being a little melodramatic, but this year was especially gruesome for me. I had the sorest throat I've ever experienced on top of a mild case of pink eye...gross! Greg had to work so it was up to sick mommy to take little "Elmo" (generic, I know. It's called procrastination) to our Stakes Trunk or Treat. I was feeling a little better by the time we left due to a major dose of antibiotics, and I was able to come up with some last minute costumes for Cora's sake. So here we are. "Elmo" and "Lilli the pirate with pink eye!" Cora had fun, and I loved hearing her say "treat" to everyone. Smart girl to leave out the option of "tricking" completely. : )

Cora has been doing some potty training lately and inconsistent as it is, at least it is a start. I have always dreaded this part of being a mother for fear that I would have the traumatic experience that some have shared instead of that model child who just one day decides they are ready and never has an accident again! Well it seems Cora is somewhere in the middle. I'll take it!

Last but not least, we had a small celebration on Friday for Cora's 2nd birthday. She actually turns two tomorrow and I'm still not sure how in the world I ended up with a two year old?! It was a small party with just mommy and daddy, and Cora wasn't feeling too well, but enjoyable all the same. Cora got to decorate her own cake and it turned out lovely! I hope you enjoy the updates and the pictures. Love to all, or as my mom would say "Smoochies!"

Doin' the Can-can!

So I decided that since I have tomatoes coming out my ears from my garden, that I should probably find a use for them. Well I decided to take on canning homemade salsa. Keep in mind that I have never canned a single thing in my life. So armed with a canning book, salsa recipe, and my friend Betty's canning gear (and a few pointers) I was ready to give it a whirl. Cora was down for a nap and the dogs were in the other room out from under my feet.

I knew this was going to be a bit of a process, but it didn't sound too long or complicated. I was right about it not being complicated, but due to my rookie status, and Jayda barking and waking Cora up too soon, it took a while. In the middle of cooking the salsa, Cora came in the kitchen with a little surprise for me. She had removed her diaper, pooped on the floor and was now bringing me the prize! AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!! YUCK! So pause on the canning to clean up the floor and Cora, put another diaper on and hope it stays that way.

Anyway, I finally got the salsa ready, and a double batch recipe turned out to be only enough to fill 3 quart jars. Okay, I know they are quarts and that is quite a bit, but after all the work I did, to only have 3 jars to look at was a little disheartening. Not to mention that now I still have a ton of tomatoes (maybe I'll make FRESH salsa to give away) and a pretty big mess to clean up so I can make dinner.

Next time I'm definitely using smaller jars!! ;)

I love CLOSETS!

In one month we will be moving a whopping 10 miles into another house (still renting) that is about the same size as the one we're in now. Why, you ask, would we put ourselves through this misery and torture? I have to keep reminding myself of the benefits to stay sane and not change my mind. We will be closer to town, although still in the country, have a bigger yard for the dogs and Cora, and our closest neighbor (actually only about 100 yards away) is one of my best friends! Then there is the bit of money we will be saving on utilities and such, but I still haven't revealed the most exciting part...This new house is LOADED with closets!! I know this is a strange thing to be excited about, but for the past 10 months I have been living in a house with virtually NO CLOSETS! Granted the bathroom does have a "linen closet" in it, and we can't forget the water heater "space" in Cora's room that doubles as Greg's and my closet for the clothes we just can't shove into our dressers. And that's it folks. No joke. That is the closet space I have been living with for the last 10 months. Not sure how we've done it, but no matter, everything is about to change! Our master bedroom to be has two closets (his and hers!), Cora will actually have a closet in her room instead of having to use a shower curtain rod wedged between the wall and the end of her crib to hang her dresses on! There is a linen closet in the hall, a pretty roomy pantry (hurray!), and two coat closets. Wow. I believe now that I can survive the packing and the cleaning that I loathe so much because I will have 7 glorious closets to fill up when we move in to our new house! My bit of advice to all of you who read this and think I have absolutely lost my mind....Don't take your closets for granted! ;)

Catching up!

Wow! We have been back in Oregon for almost a full year now....my how the time flies.

Cora is almost 2 years old now and as hard as it may be for anyone else to believe, trust me, it's even harder for Greg and I. How in the world do we have a 2 year old? As you can imagine, Cora is the center of our universe and thinks she rules the house. (Okay, so she does sometimes!) I have a hard time containing myself when Cora walks up to me (actually, her usual speed is running) and spouts out a half sentence with the most serious look on her little face, of course expecting a serious response. As a good parent I know I'm expected to respond and hold my laughter in until she runs away, on to her next adventure, but oh how easy it is to burst into hysterics and plant kisses all over her grubby little two year old face! What a joy her spirit brings into our home. She loves music, dancing, bossing the dogs, playing with her friends Riley and Kaitlyn, reading books, swinging and getting very, very dirty! She has used the potty successfully a couple of times, but isn't quite ready to commit. She still uses some of her sign language, but is expanding her vocabulary daily. We recently converted her crib to a big girl bed. The first time that she came into our room in the middle of the night, put her face right in front of mine and said "hi" I just about wet the bed!! What would we do without Cora!

Greg is enduring his current job. The conditions fall a bit short of ideal (he would argue that this is a gross understatement), and there is not any room for advancement. The only way he keeps his sanity while keeping his job is by working part time as a reserve for the Stanfield, OR police department. His hopes are to gain experience and training as a reserve and work his way into a permanent position as a police officer either here or even closer to home (Pullman, WA). In the mean time, he is looking for something a little more enjoyable and humane to keep us fed and clothed (and diapered!).

I am loving doing hair more than ever! I'm not sure what it is, but I have found a new appreciation for the talent that God has given me. I have a magnificent boss who lets me set my schedule to work around Greg's schedule. Cora is a blessed little girl to have either her mommy or her daddy with her ALL THE TIME! And we feel blessed for the time we have with her, and also the money we save avoiding daycare (yuck!). I keep busy when I'm not at work keeping up on my chores (teehee), reading, napping (when the munchkin allows), gardening, and the obvious, chasing a two year old! I love being a mommy!!!