Sunny California

We recently returned from a trip to California. We went down for an interview Tommy had in Sacramento. We took advantage of the opportunity to head down to LA where my Aunt and Uncle live. We had a great time hanging out at their house, going to the zoo, and being surrounded by the holiday buzz. Our only regret was (and it was a big one) that we didn't ever eat at an In-n-out Burger. We just kept missing them. I guess now, if not for any other reason, we have an excuse to return. Although it wasn't warm by any means, it was dry with blue sky and by the time we got home we were convinced that we're ready for some sunnier weather. However, I know as soon as summer comes again, I will be reminded of why I don't ever want to leave Oregon.
My mom flew in right before we were leaving so we got to have lunch with her. It only made us wish we'd had more time.
This one is actually no relation to my family (as far as I know), but we had a blast watching her.
The flamingos were beautiful, but the smell was disgusting.
Jessie's favorite part was riding the pony. She is still talking about it.
This is the view of my Aunt's house in LA. This picture certainly doesn't do it justice.
It took Jess a while to figure out that this girl was not real.

My Aunt Vivien with Tegan.

Blue Elmo

The time has arrived when Jessie has found that special something that she just cannot live without. I kept waiting, wondering what it would be; a pacifier, blanket, maybe an old cell phone. Then in a day's time she decided it was like her world was not complete without her blue Elmo. At first Tom and I tried to explain that it was actually cookie monster, but to no avail she is 100% convinced this is Elmo. We have decided to make peace with it. Now instead of catching Jessie in the act of exploring in the cupboards, throwing beads all over the floor or writing on something she shouldn't be, I find her tucking Elmo in, reading him a story, feeding and burping him, and even giving him chocolate chip cookies (he"s got the chocolate around his mouth to prove it). I'd say all in all that blue Elmo has been a positive addition to our family. Now, my daughter shirtless in 2 of the 4 photos, that's a whole seperate blog.

Our Two Little Dalmations

These are the best pictures we got of our two girls dressed as dalmations. Unfortunately we didn't get one of them together. Jessie refused to wear her dog head. I can't say I blame her. Tegan of course slept through dinner, the cake walk, and trick or treating.



Jessie enjoying her winnings from the cupcake walk.

Pumpin Carving

All 3 of them together. I'll admit I broke down this year and used a stencil. My creative well has run dry. At first I felt guilty, but now I really feel ok about it. It's definitely my cutest one yet.

We tried to involve Tegan, but she was more interested in napping.
For some reason after about 5:00 pm it's "no shirt time" for Jessie.

Time is Flying.

Tegan is now 1 month old and I can't believe how quick the time has gone. Life is not as quickly getting back to the regular routine. Of course, it won't ever be quite the same routine. Jessie has transformed from our little baby to our big girl and a great big sister. She even seems physically so much bigger. Besides the occasional tantrum she has been quite the helper. Her favorite jobs are taking Tegan's dirty diapers to the garbage, making sure Tegan's binkie is in her mouth (sometimes forcefully), and I even caught her with my boppy trying to breastfeed Tegan.

Oh How We Love Nana!
We have enjoyed the first couple of weeks with our new little girl Tegan. Tom has been scrambling to get caught up on all of his school work. Jessie is trying to figure out who this new little bundle is that is taking all of her mother's attention, and I'm trying to figure out how to multiply myself so that I can give Jessie all the attention she had before, feed Tegan's bottomless pit, and get the house in order. Just when I was about to throw my arms up in despair Nana came to the rescue. My mom flew in to town with her grandmotherly cape and saved the day. Now Tegan's thirst is quenched while Nana somehow manages everything else. If I didn't know any better I'd think she had eight arms. Within minutes she has washed the dishes, done a couple loads of laundry, played endlessly with Jessie, and cooked amazing meals. Meanwhile I'm just trying to figure out how to perfect the swaddle. So the real question is, "How can I multiply Nana?"

She's Here!!!

After much anticipation our little girl is finally here. We were so excited to finally see this little bundle. She's as precious as we imagined her to be. We were surprised but excited to see a full head of dark hair (mostly because it explained all the heartburn). The whole experience went really well. Thanks for all the phone calls and support. Here are some details that some might be interested in:
Name: Tegan Shea Lenox
Weight: 7lb 10oz.
Height:19 1/2in.
Date and Time: October 3rd at 9:33 pm.

The Move

After almost 2 months of being surrounded by boxes in our apartment the move finally became a reality. Made possible by the helping hands of many. In a matter of a couple days we were able to load up, unload, unpack, organize, and clean our old apartment saying goodbye for the last time. We have contemplated why we did this knowing that it may be less than a year that we will be in our new place, but we feel the pros outweigh the cons. So what do we have to gain from this? Well, we are gaining what seems to be a quiet neighborhood, a yard, and cleaner carpet to name a few. What are we losing? Easy access to the beautiful trails, noisy neighbors, and the roar of the crowd on football game days. Overall we are excited for the change.

Tom and I have moved enough that you'd think we'd have it down pat, but each time we move I think "next time I will remember what a pain this was and we will do things differently." Here are a few tips for anyone who is as forgetful as I am. I know they seem like common sense, but humor me:

Don't move on your wedding anniversary.
As romantic as it was to see my husband flexing his muscles to the max while lifting heavy boxes, I think I'd much prefer a candle light dinner, or even just splitting a blizzard at Dairy Queen.

Label the boxes well.
It actually makes a big difference and saves a lot of time. Something just didn't seem right about putting a frying pan in the bathroom cupboard and a can of pork n beans in Jessie's closet

Perge,Perge,Perge!
We thought we did such a good job of getting rid of lots of junk that has accumulated over the years, but we realized that we have a long way to go. I'd like to think that I'm not a pack rat, but I must be. If we keep going at the rate we our now we will need a semi-truck for our next move. For those of you like me who can't let go of that shirt you bought 4 years ago that you've never worn, just make sure you move to a place with plenty of storage.

Just One of the Reasons I Love Oregon.

I love summer time in Oregon for multiple reasons, but one of them is that with it comes berries galore and tons of things to freeze, can, bake with, and just eat at your leisure. These last couple of years I've really enjoyed the fruits of canning throughout those dreary, rainy months that follow our beautiful summers here. This year we were able to freeze all different fruits and can peaches, jam, and yummy salsa.

The Transition

For a while now Tom and I have been planning to transition Jessie from the crib to either a toddler bed or a twin bed (we couldn't decide which). One night while I was walking someone out there by the dumpster (one of the perks of living in an apartment complex) was a cute little toddler bed so our decision was made. After a quick once over the mattress was left for someone else and with some quick cleaning the frame was all set to go. Jessie was excited about the idea, but scared to sleep her first night in it all by herself. It is still a work in progress, but she seems to be enjoying her new found freedom. Here are a few things we've discovered since the change:

1. She knows how to open her door.
2. She has inherited her fathers ninja skills because she can sneak very quietly into our room and the next thing we know we wake up with her in our bed.
3. All kids our born with this crazy desire to jump on their bed.
4. Our little girl is growing up to fast!!!

A NAME, A NAME, WHAT IS IN A NAME???

Tom and I are trying to figure out what to name our next little bundle of joy. With Jessie it was so easy, we knew half way through the pregnancy and never changed our minds. But this time around we have made liars of ourselves twice by telling others what we plan to name our little girl only to change our minds a few weeks later. So, lesson learned, we just need to stop telling people what name we want to use. I think it's putting a curse on us so that we're unable to figure it out! Tom seems satisfied with the idea of just taking a few names to the hospital. Meanwhile, I'm searching frantically on internet sites and in books to find the perfect name: something unique but not too out there; something known but not too popular. And how much significance do I give to the meaning of the name? Should it bother me that Cameron and Aubrey (both names that I really like) mean "crooked nose" and "elf leader" respectively? I just hope this little lady isn't as concerned with what she will be named as I am. Hopefully, we will take one look at her and just know . . . Be patient little one.

For those of you who don't know Tom started fulfilling one of his life long dreams to be a Ninja this summer. He enrolled in a Kung Fu class and before I knew it he came home with all the ninja gear including a staff. Each week he would come home with some new moves to show me. Being 7-8 months pregnant I wasn't the best partner to practice with so he's challenged others at various family and friend functions. Here's just a few of the pictures we've accumulated over the last couple of months. Unfortunately school has started again and due to his busy schedule his Ninja dreams have been put on the back burner, but I can say that I do feel a little bit safer sleeping at night than before.

Shortly after we got home from Utah we had visits from Aunt Vivien and Uncle Bob and my sister Brandy and her boyfriend Danny which added up to two consecutive trips to the Eugene Saturday Market which makes 3 trips in total. So if anyone else is planning to visit, looks like the next stop will be Alton Baker Park to feed the oh so friendly geese.

Jessie loved every minute and ounce of attention from Nana.
Although you'd never know it from these pictures we did actually leave my mom's cute home in Tremonton to explore the rest of Utah. The camera was right there with us, unfortunately it never got pulled out of my bag to take pictures. What neglect! It was a hot trip so much of our time was spent in pools trying to stay cool along with lots of rest and relaxation.

It was love at first sight for Jessie and Porsha the whippit. Jessie loved the dog following her around patiently waiting for Jessie to throw the bone the few inches that she could.

One Proud Grandpa.

This was the beginning of our trip to Utah. The Hathaways (Tom's Uncle and fam) were gracious enough to let us stay there for a night. As you can see Tom is soooo excited about the 8-9 hours of driving ahead that he broke out into a little dance.
Not long after we got to Utah we spent some time with my dad and my brothers family. Jessie became fast friends with her cousin Noah.


Proof that maybe Jessie's goofiness doesn't only come from the Lenox's.