Uninsurable

It's a little embarrassing, but this is my journal, and it's a funny enough story that it's worth writing down. So, since Jade stopped working for Stampede (technically he's doing the same job, but since he bought his own franchise he is no longer a Stampede employee, he's his own employee), we had to get new insurance. We applied, then waited one month (exactly, to the day) for our application to be reviewed. Imagine my surprise when I get a call Thursday telling me that the insurance company would be happy to insure my husband and daughter, but not me. Apparently since I'm 5'8 (technically 5'7 and 3/4, but hey who's counting?), and a certain weight, they won't insure me. My BMI makes me ineligible for insurance. Ridiculous. I would have been able to laugh about it, had I not been forced to wait thirty days to hear that. No worries, my Prince Charming got the situation under control, and we got insurance the very next day, with a different, (way cooler) insurance company. In better news, Thursday we went to a Pumpkin Patch with Brittney and Peyton. It was so much fun! We rode a ferry in a haunted lake to get to the Pumpkin Patch, and we rode a haunted train to get back. It was totally cheesy, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. It's definitely going to be a tradition as long as we're in Portland.

Apparently she was playing with her bow, because I opened my car door to find this.

25" Tall (76th Percentile), 13 lbs (32nd Percentile)

Best friends

Can't quite sit up

Picking Punkins

Friday we took a quick last minute trip to Utah. It was way too short, Friday afternoon to Sunday morning, and I was sad because I didn't get to see any of my friends. Jade had some work to do, and I was dying to see Jerai and Phil and Boyd, so I tagged along, and it was surprisingly hard to leave. I guess you just get used to a place. It was wonderful to meet my new nephew. He's darling and such a sweet baby. And it was especially fun to see my fellow new-mommy Jerai. It was hard to say goodbye again. I got a little bit emotional when it was time to go.

Cute Cousins

On a brighter note, we took Peyton to her first football game, BYU vs. UNLV. It was a great game (albeit a little embarrassing), and Jade even managed to score us some sideline passes, which made the game so much better!

Go Cougars

Sideline

She's darling

The cutest thing happened at the game. While we were on the sideline, my friend's mom agreed to watch Peyton. There was a little boy who was sitting right behind her (he was 2 and 1/2), and I guess the whole first half he was just enthralled with her. Well, I came up to sit with them, and he started to get a little friendlier. He was playing with her, tickling her cheek and hand, and eventually, he just sat right down in between me and my friend's mom (it was so sweet, he didn't say a word, he just plopped down right in the middle of us). He asked if he could hold her, so we let him. He held her the entire fourth quarter. He didn't even get tired of looking at her and playing with her, and she was hungry, so I thought she would be screaming in seconds, but she was so peaceful and happy. I can't help but believe they knew each other from somewhere. Maybe in 20 years...

This went on for over a half an hour

Saturday night Jade had to work, and I wasn't feeling well, so I went to bed right when we got home, and then we left at 9 Sunday morning. Like I said, the trip was way too short. We're already planning an actual vacation to Utah, so we can visit for real. Tuesday I started my Stroller Strides fitness class. I didn't have high expectations for it (to be honest, I thought it would be lame, so I did a free trial), but I had such a great time. I'm so sore, and I got such a great work out. I feel great, and I've decided to pursue a Stroller Strides fitness career. Today I went to mommy and baby yoga, with high expectations, only to be disappointed. It was basically like a mom's group. We only did 15 minutes of yoga, and the rest of the time everyone was just "sharing" their concerns, questions, problems, suggestions, etc. It would have been great if I was looking for a new mommy group, but I actually wanted to do yoga. Hence my decision to do Stroller Strides instead. I'm going to shoot for 5 days a week. I'll let you know how that goes. Tonight we had one of Jade's high school friends, Andrea, and her baby, Taylor over for dinner. Peyton finally made a friend who wears bows as big as she does. They were instant friends!

girly-girls

(we didn't even make them hold hands- they did that all themselves)

It was really fun, the girls loved each other (as much as 2 and 4 month olds can), and we had a nice dinner. Just my luck, she lives almost 5 hours away. That was sad news. Also, I have to acknowledge another issue. Many of you skeptics said that as soon as I had a baby that I would forget about Tink and she would become just a "dog". Well I would just like to inform you that you were all wrong. Tink is my baby, just the same as always. She is my First baby, Peyton's big sister, and she's not a "dog". Okay, so she is a dog, but not in a bad way. I love her so much and I'm happy to say that I did not lose a baby, I gained a second baby. Or however the saying goes. So there :)

Love this baby

Addendum

I forgot to post the best costume of the night. Jeremy, as a friar (monk). For those of you who have the pleasure of knowing him, this shouldn't surprise you at all. Enjoy!

It's still sunny and in the (low) 70's in Portland

It has been quite a week for our little family! Last Monday, Peyton and I joined Peyton's best friend Peyton (and Brittney) for "Baby Time" again, and we had a great time, per usual. Tuesday, we went to the zoo and spent all day outside, in the gorgeous weather. I hate to admit it, but we had more fun than the girls. In fact, they ended up napping the second half of the day. But hey, who says mommies can't have a great time at the zoo?

Feeding the Birds

Who doesn't wear pink dresses to the zoo?

They couldn't quite make it

Wednesday we did errands, and as you all saw, we made a quick stop to pierce Peyton's ears (by the way, they still look darling, and even though I cried, I'm still so glad I did it). We also had lunch with a new friend I made through a mommy group. She just moved here from Australia! Thursday we had the Janecks over for dinner, then the Thelin men came over to watch BYU get eaten up by TCU. It was a little pathetic and a lot embarrassing. No offense. Friday we went to Sir Justin and Lady Ashley's for a Renaissance party. True to form, Ashley went all-out. The house was incredible, the party was super fun, and Jade and I got to meet a bunch of really fun people. Peyton also dressed up for the occasion, although she slept through the whole party.

Our little lady

The Neffs, Thelins, and Thelins (the other Thelins left before the photog frenzy)

Not to brag, but I did win the "bulls-eye" award for Most Authentic costume

Peyton and Aunt Kris

Remind you of Ren Fair?

Saturday we ran errands and ended up hanging out at Jade's parents' for awhile. So, not to rub it in to those of my friends that aren't as fortunate as me, but I really was blessed with great in-laws. I don't know many other girls who would actually enjoy hanging out with their husband's parents on a Saturday (or any other) night. Sunday Jade taught his first lesson (he's the 16 and 17 year old's Sunday School teacher). He did a great job, of course, and they all loved him. I missed almost the whole lesson because Peyton wanted me to walk her to sleep, so I did cardio around the building. Yesterday Peyton and I went to her first gymnastics class. She was so happy the entire time, smiling and laughing. She's a natural! It was really fun, and great to get to know some other moms around here. I'm adjusting to the whole not knowing anyone thing. It's nice to have (basically) Jade's whole family here, but other than that, my friends are limited to a few. I really miss my Utah friends. I have made some fun freinds here, but it's not the same as all my young friends who are in a similar phase of life as I am. Most of our friends here are a bit older, with many more kids (like 4 or 5), which is fine, but different. It's not the same as just calling up my old friends and going somewhere spur of the moment. It's a lot easier to get out of the house with just one baby than having to take 4 or 5 kids out and about. I really miss all you girls. And I'm sad that I'm not going to be around for you guys when you have your babies in the next couple months! Hopefully I make more friends who are a little younger and more mobile.

They love each other

Guess what we did...

A PREVIEW

Well, I did it. I pierced my baby's ears. Those of you who know me well won't be surprised at all, because I've always wanted to have a beautiful little girl with painted nails and itty-bitty diamond studs in her ears. So, I had the oh-so-beautiful little girl, painted those nails, and the only thing I had left to do was bring myself to take her to get her ears pierced. I didn't get my ears pierced until I was 7, because my mom is old-fashioned (in her own words), but if it would have been up to my dad, I would have had them pierced before leaving the hospital (he served a mission with Latinos, who pierce baby girls' ears before they can lift their little heads up). So as long as I can remember, I've wanted to do just that. It took me a little while to work up the courage to do it, since I knew she was going to be unhappy with me afterwards, but with a little encouragement from a few friends who whole-heartedly believe in early piercing, I decided to "just do it" yesterday while I was running errands. I figured it's best to do it before she's old enough to play with the earrings and infect them, and also before she's old enough to remember the pain. Hey, you never hear grown men talking about how bad circumcision was, and that's got to be a million times worse than a little piercing! Anyway, as the saying goes "it hurt me more than it hurt her". Kind of like shots, or heel pricks. I cried, she gave a little jump when it happened "what was that!", then pouted a little bit, I nursed her right away, and by the time she was full, she had forgotten about the whole thing. Before I knew it, she was asleep in her car seat, and that's the end of it. She doesn't grab at her ears, they're not red anymore, and she doesn't seem to be bothered by them at all. And it looks adorable, if I don't say so myself.

This picture was right after

(She's trying to get her thumb under her binkie to suck it)

Getting Involved

say cheese!

In an effort to make the most out of my Portland experience, and my first-time mom experience, I've decided to involve myself with all things baby in Portland. I've done a ton of research, and found out that Portland is not only eco-friendly, it's baby friendly. So far, we've found a ton of things for Peyton and I to do during the day, when we're not busy with chores. The library that's less than a mile away from my house has a program called "baby time", where mommies and babies go and sing songs, read books, and socialize with other mommies and babies. We went with the Janeck's and we had so much fun that we're making it a weekly tradition. We're also making going to the zoo a bi-weekly tradition (weather permitting). Other exciting things include mommy-and-me swim lessons (starting after the holidays), "Bug" baby gymnastics classes at The Little Gym, Baby Boot Camp (it's a stroller work-out class that I'm going to try out first before I commit), and MamaLates, a Pilates class that you do with your baby. I'm really excited for all my classes, and to get involved with things with Peyton. Last week, I started signing to her. Some of you will think I'm crazy, but I know for sure it works- a good friend of mine started signing to her son when he was 4 months old, and by 6 months, he was signing back- I saw it with my own eyes. Also this weekend we took a really quick trip to Vegas to help my mom with my little sister's silent auction fundraiser for her school. It was a success, and the trip was fun, but like always, too short. We miss Vegas. Ironically, the weather when I got to Portland was better than the weather when I left Las Vegas. Who would've thought? We got back just in time to get to Jade's sister's baby shower. Well, I should say "Babies shower", since she is having triplets. I can't imagine 3 babies, but luckily she has a lot of help, and I am all too excited to offer my services to the new babies. And the best part is Peyton will have 3 cousins just 6 months younger than her (4 if you count Boyd, but he lives in Utah- for now :)

reading a book

tickle time

I still like it here!

Lazy Sunday

Well, I would have posted sooner, but not too much has happened around here that is note-worthy. This week I finally did the things I have been putting off for a month now: completely organized, completely decorated, and did a top to bottom deep clean of my house. So we were mostly moved in, with just a few small things to go, but we finally did it, and our house is 100% done. Also, I officially became an Oregonian. That's right, I changed my license to an Oregon license. This I was all-too eager to do, since I had to give up my Nevada license for Utah residency for school, so for the past 2 years I've been sporting a UT license, and I was more than happy to fork it over and upgrade to Oregon. No hard feelings against Utah (I am surprised to admit, I actually kind of miss it). I'm also a little ashamed to admit that I failed the written test the first time I took it. You know, the test that 15 year olds take to get their permits- yeah, sad, I know. I did get a 76%, but apparently they recently changed it so you had to get an 80% to "pass". Hello, the last time I checked, 60% was a passing grade!! For me, the second time was a charm, and I passed with flying colors (an 86%, to be exact). It was a little humbling having to do seconds at the DMV. The beginning of this week, the weather was gorgeous, and like any true Oregonian, I jumped at the chance to soak up some sunshine. Monday we went to the beach with Kristin and Ashley (Jade's brothers' wives), and Tuesday we went to the Portland zoo with Ashley. First let me elaborate a little bit. The weather wasn't nice by Vegas standards, but for Oregon, 70 degrees and sunny is a rare occurrence in September, so everyone goes outside. Ashley even got her girls out of school early to celebrate the sunshine. Also, the beach wasn't so much a beach, as a sandy strip of land in front of one of the channels that leads to the Columbia River. Nevertheless, we had a great time, and I was glad I got to have some "outside" fun before the rain started on Wednesday. Luckily for me, I actually like the rain, and I've been really enjoying the weather. It's not my first choice (I prefer things about 30 degrees warmer and a sun), but I really like it here, and the rain doesn't bother me at all. So far, Portland has been great, and we've been having fun. Jade's best friend from high school and his wife have a baby Peyton that is 4 months older than our Peyton. We went over to dinner at their house last week, and decided to let the girls have a bath together. The results were darling. Hopefully in 18 years they're good friends and they look back at those pictures and smile. So that about does it for this week. Hopefully more wonderful things happen so that I can write more exciting posts.

Peyton started doing this really cute (albeit messy) thing where she pulls her skirt/dress/shirt up and sucks on it. Here I caught her in action.

We love the zoo! And the sun!

Afore mentioned bath

Also, I feel like I should write about a super funny experience that happened while I was in the hospital, having Peyton. So most of you don't know Orem Community Hospital, but it's a really small hospital, with really amazing ratings, some of the best ratings in the country, in fact. Anyway, the staff was incredible, and they treated me like a princess. I really was getting Royal Treatment, and I felt more than a little spoiled. Well, they have a fridge full of food that they will bring the patients, for when they have munchies. One afternoon, my little sister decided she was hungry, so she was going to check out the fridge. She decided on a frozen burrito, which she put in the microwave. She came back to my room, and said she was microwaving herself a burrito, and we all pretty much went back to whatever we were doing. A few minutes later, we smelled smoke, and a ton of fire alarms started going off. I was really scared for Peyton, and sent Jade to investigate. While he was gone, we all slowly started to realize what had happened. The package said 1 and 1/2 to 2 minutes, which my sister mistakenly read as 11 to 12 minutes, and so the burrito, and the microwave, caught on fire. The kitchen door automatically locked itself (as a precautionary matter for the patients), and no one could get in the kitchen to put the fire out. It was quite an ordeal. I was mortified, because I felt like they had been so good to me, and my little sister blew it. Luckily the staff was supremely gracious, laughed about it, and didn't treat me any worse after the incident. One of the nurses even gave my sister a bag of candy, and told her she was glad it happened, because that microwave wasn't very good anyway, and "thank you" for giving them something to liven up their day. I never blogged that story, but I figured it was definitely blog-worthy, now that I can laugh about it!

Ketchup

Birthday Dinner

Well, it's been quite a month... I haven't yet figured out how I'm going to write this post since I have so much to say. Chronologically seems the most logical, so I'll give it a try. On August 22, I had my "golden" birthday- 22 on the 22(nd). In typical Jade fashion, he made it extra special. We started off with breakfast in bed, Kneaders french toast, my very favorite. Then he had to work, and I had a million things to do (things for the move, the baby, and a doctor's appointment), and to add to it all, I HAD to pack for a surprise weekend adventure (note the facetiousness in my tone). So after a hectic day, we finally got together for dinner at Tucanos, another favorite. It was extra good that night. Then we drove to Park City, to celebrate my birthday and also our 2 year anniversary. The weekend was wonderful. We were able to get away from all our stressors, and just relax for a minute. I got a massage, we hung out by the pool, went to see a movie, ate a whole bunch of food, and basically just enjoyed each other's company and undivided attention. Oh, and on my birthday night, Peyton gave me the best present ever- 8 1/2 hours of uninterrupted sleep! That's right everyone, she started sleeping through the night (since then she's averaging 8 a night, but since we've been in Portland we've digressed a little. Hopefully she gets back to 8 soon!). Jade's gift was a close 2nd- a darling pink bike! I've been wanting a bike since Jade started riding more often, so we could ride together. And we even got a bike trolley so Peyton can ride behind us when we go for bike rides. As usual, the weekend went by too fast, and soon we were back to the madness we called our last week in Utah. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were devoted entirely to packing, cleaning, and moving out of our house. That Wednesday night, we officially moved out. The four of us drove to Vegas, where we were able to relax for one day before Jade flew back to Utah to drive our belongings back to Oregon. My mom's pool was heated to bath water temperature (note: that is not an exaggeration at all. It really was bathwater temperature), and we swam and enjoyed our last little bit of summer. Jade left to Portland, and found us a home! On the 31st, we celebrated our 2 year anniversary. I use the word "celebrated" loosely, since we were 800 miles away from each other. But I did get to spend it with my family, which is almost as good as spending it with Jade. Monday the 1st, Jade started his business. In case you don't know, he basically bought a franchise of the company he used to work for. Since he was going to be working outrageous hours starting this business, I decided to stay in Vegas for a couple weeks, while he got settled in. That first weekend, my mom and I flew up to Portland and moved Jade and I into our new home. The boys moved all the boxes in, then left town to go to Seattle for a boys' weekend. While Jade was at the BYU/UW game (which BYU won, might I add) and 2 Seattle Mariners/Yankees games, my mom and I were crazy busy unpacking and setting up house. It was a ridiculous weekend, but somehow my mom and I managed to get us entirely moved into our home, and with a baby, to boot! So, then we went back to Vegas and left Jade to his work up here. While in Vegas, I devoted myself to my favorite woman in the world: my momma. I became her assistant, and spent 3 weeks running around with her, crossing things off her 4 "to-do" lists. It's incredible how much this lady has to do. I also transferred all 52 hours of her home videos onto DVDs. That was a project I probably should have never started. However, we did manage to squeeze some fun into our jam-packed days. We went to lunch with all our favorite people. Peyton especially took to my soul-sister Suz. She pooped on her pants. Suz was a great sport, and she still loves Peyton (and me). We also went to see The Women. It got horrible reviews, but I absolutely loved it! And we shopped like crazy women. And I got to see all my Stilettos! And Peyton was busy, too. She achieved some great feats: she started laughing, she started grabbing things, she got her first mani/pedi (hot pink, of course), and she got her first haircut. That's right: I shaved her head! At first I regretted it because she looked like an alien, but once the stubble started growing in, the shine factor died down, and now she looks cute again. I miss her hair, but you should have seen it- she looked great from the front, but the back was a mess. She had long stringy hair on her neck, and a ring of no hair in the middle, and a patch of long, stringy hair on her crown. Trust me, I was doing her a favor, and besides, she's ALWAYS wearing a headband with a big old bow anyway, so it's not like the baldness is a big deal. Anyway, I'm excited for her hair to grow again. The coolest thing we did was going to "Time Out For Women". If you haven't ever gone, I definitely recommend it. It's like education week, but not at BYU. It was really great, the speakers were wonderful, and I had a great time with my momma and Cands. Also while we were there, we helped Cheyanne campaign for V.P. of her school, and guess who won... Cheyanne!! We're so proud of her, and so excited for her. Eventually I wore out my welcome, and Jade came to fetch me, Peyton, and Tinky and bring us back to Portland. Sunday we came back in time for family dinner, and Monday came too soon. Although, Monday did bring a nice little surprise... My new car! We signed for it on Monday. It's absolutely darling. It's the same car I've always had (Lexus RX350), but really dark gray (smoky granite), and 2009. I L-O-V-E it. The best part: heated seats! The next best part: Dual climate control. The next best part: Navigation!! All day Monday I drove around, running errands, figuring out my car, and learning my new city. Well, I think that about sums up our last month. So, until next time, Jade will be working like a maniac, I will be trying to get us settled in, and Peyton will be trying to roll over.

Shopping in Park City

(If I look a little stoned, it's because I just had an amazing massage)

Swimming at the resort

I forgot to write about this, but I started a garden in our yard (before I found out I was moving). Believe it or not, I actually grew this cucumber and tomato. I ate both, and let me tell you- they were delicious. Also, I learned I'll never be a gardener. But I was very proud of my accomplishment! If any of my Sleepy Ridge friends want cucumbers or tomatoes, the plants are still there- go grab some!!

This is us, leaving our home. Officially moving away from Utah. It was quite bittersweet.

Okay, so my mom bought Peyton a winter outfit since Portland is a lot colder than Vegas. It looked SO cute, but Peyton was a little annoyed because it was so hot.

Darling

Love it (it's not blue, that's the lighting)

I just love my little family! On Saturday, Peyton turned 2 months old. To celebrate, Jade surprised me with my favorite breakfast in bed... Magleby's french toast. I can hardly believe Peyton is 2 months old already. I'm so sad, but so happy at the same time (any mom can relate). I love to watch her change and grow and start doing new things (smiling, blowing bubbles, holding her head up), but at the same time I think she's growing up too fast. I wish I was pregnant (with her) again. That way, I could do it all over. I keep myself up at night worrying that I'll wake up and she'll be going off to college. Why does time go by so fast when things are fun and exciting, but so slow when you're going through rough patches? (As a side-note... after I wrote this post, I was reading through Parents Magazine and there was an article on preparing your pre-schooler for school for the first time... I started bawling hysterically) On Thursday and Sunday night, Peyton slept 7 hours!! I know that doesn't seem amazing, but for a 2 month old, it's excellent. I'm not getting my hopes up that this will happen regularly, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Monday Peyton had her 2 month checkup. She's 10 pounds now! She's in the 33rd percentile for both weight and length. The doctor said she looks perfect. Things have been crazy (and messy) around here, as we're packing up and moving out. We are going to be out of here on the 28th. It's still surreal to me. It's a little sad, but mostly exciting, and I can't wait to start our new life in Portland. Other than packing, we haven't been up to much. Friday I turn 22, and while I'm excited to celebrate, I'm having anxiety about getting older. This is the first birthday that I've ever dreaded. I know 22 is still super young, but I feel like I'm old now. To me, 21 was young, and cute, and fun, and 22 is old and matronly. I know everyone probably thinks I'm crazy, but I don't want to be seen as just some old, frumpy mom, and 22 makes me feel that way. So, don't be surprised if I still call myself "21", just play along...

We're Back

Because sometimes 3 chins just isn't sufficient

Recently I took a sabbatical from the blog to have some summer fun, and since I'm momentarily back, I decided now is as good a time as any to update. We've been busy, and traveling all over the place. After Peyton's blessing, we were lucky enough to have Jade's parents stay with us for a couple days. Peyton loved all the attention from her grandparents, and we loved spending quality time with them, since we barely ever get to see them (although that's about to change pretty quickly!). I had my 6 week checkup with my doctor, who told me "you're fixed!", and gave me the 2 greatest nuggets of information ever: I'm back down to my pre-pregnancy weight, and I'm clear to exercise! Hooray for nursing (the best weight loss program ever)! After the Thelins left, we drove up to Idaho for Megan and Ryan's wedding! It was awesome, Megan looked beautiful (of course), Peyton was showered with attention in amounts only surpassed by the bride herself, and Jade actually asked me to dance! The day after we got back, we packed up a bunch of stuff for our first trailer load up to Portland. Jade dropped Peyton and me off at the airport, and Peyton and I flew down to Vegas while Jade drove the UHAUL up to Portland. Peyton slept the entire flight, which gave me ample time to get addicted to Stephenie Meyer's latest masterpiece: Breaking Dawn. I read it in 3 sittings. For anyone who hasn't read it... read it. You'll never forgive yourself if you don't! Vegas was wonderful. My mom heated her pool to bath water temperature (literally), and Peyton loved her first (and second, and third) time swimming. Peyton had her first intentiional smiles- 3 times at my grandpa Coy because he was singing to her. After a relaxing week in Vegas, we drove up to Mesquite for a mini-vacation with my family. The boys golfed, the girls went to the spa, Peyton learned to blow bubbles with her spit, and we all did a lot of swimming and relaxing in the sun. To finish off the trip, we went to St. George and watched the second installment of the Saturday's Warrior play. It was just as good as the first, only with (somewhat) better costumes. Even the boys liked it, except for the singing.

At the temple after Megan's sealing

Peyton's first airplane ride!

Loving her first swimI couldn't resist taking this picture pf my 3 favorite people, sharing a nap

Relocating

It's true... After 8 cumulative years, one wedding, two graduations, and a baby, we are officially leaving Utah. So the company Jade works for is changing the way they're run, and instead of having one corporate office in Provo, with lots of smaller offices around the country who report to the corporate office, they're turning it into a franchise-type company, where each area will be wholly self-sufficient. They offered all the upper-management the chance to buy a franchise, and Jade was given first pick, so he chose the area that's been the top-market every year, which coincidentally is Portland! So the company is initiating the change after the summer term is over, which means we'll be packing up and moving to Oregon at the end of August. We're not sure how permanent this move will be, because it all depends on how well the business works out. We're keeping our house here, mostly because we would lose a ton of money if we sold it now, but also "just in case" things don't work out in Portland. This isn't the business Jade wants to be in for the rest of his life, so he hopes to just get it running super well so it can basically run itself, and he can just take a backseat and do what he really wants to do: sell insurance. So we could be in Portland anywhere from 5 months to a couple years. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I'm not exactly the biggest fan of Utah. I don't hate it here, and I'm not unhappy here, but it's just not where I want to live long-term, it was more of my get-the-degree-and-get-out-of-there place, and I did not want to be here any longer than that. Despite those feelings, this move is going to be really bittersweet for me. I actually can't believe I'm saying this, and Jade will probably give me grief about it for years to come, but there's a lot I'm going to miss about Utah. Here's my list: Jerai, Phil, Boyd and Remy (Tink is going to miss her best friend SO much, and Peyton is really disappointed because she and Boyd had been planning on living really close and being best friends). I can't articulate how sad I am that we're not going to be living in the same zip-code as the Moultons anymore. It's been great the past few months, and I wish you guys were moving with us! Stephanie Holt, my resident best friend and best hairdresser. That girl was my sanity while I was in Utah, and I'm so glad her and Jade went on that non-date shooting date and became friends, so that when I met Jade, I became best friends with her. Steph, I'm going to miss you like crazy. This just means you're going to have to visit home more often since Seattle and Portland are so close!! The guys from Stampede and their wives. You all have been such fun friends. I'm glad most of you are staying with Stampede, so we'll always be connected. All my friends from A and F. Thanks for making my pregnancy so much fun. I could not have asked for a better pre-baby job, and I'm so glad I got to know you all. You better stay in touch. Our friends from Sleepy Ridge. Who knew we would actually have some really cool people in our ward! I was so skeptical about Utahns before I moved into this ward (sorry to be so judgmental, but it's the truth. I was a cynic). Living right on the golf course. It's been great playing all the golf and night-golf we wanted, and Tinky had the best backyard ever. We're really going to miss that. Knowing the best place for a wax, a massage, a manicure, a pedicure, a chocolate-banana milkshake, Mexican Food, Italian Food, Brazilian Food, and Steak. Knowing how to navigate my way around. I'm going to be absolutely clueless in Portland, and I'm not going to know where anything is. Utah-only places: Trendy Tots Boutique, Rod Works, Burger Supreme, Tucanos (there's one in Colorado, too, but that doesn't help me), Pita Pit, Prime Steak, Steak Out, the little Italian hole-in-the-wall in Provo, and Joe Vera's. BYU football games. It's been so fun being a BYU groupie, following the team and watching our friends play so well. We'll still be watching every game, but it's not the same! My entourage: Dr. Judd, the best OB/GYN ever, Dr. Wynn, who is the top pediatrician in Utah and we're so glad he accepted us as patients even though he has a closed practice, Dr. Robinson, who was a great dentist and rescued me from a really bad dentist, Jessica and Debbi, the best nurses of all time, and Orem Community Hospital- I couldn't have asked for a better place to deliver my baby, and I might just have to come back to Utah to deliver any and all subsequent children. Coaching cheerleading. The temperature in June, July, and August. Portland isn't as hot in the summer as Utah, and I'm going to miss hot summers. Utah has been pretty good to us the past few years, and thank goodness we both moved here! Thanks to everyone who made it bearable. I'm actually going to miss a lot about Utah, but I'm so excited to move to Portland (I call it a "real city") and I can't wait to live so close to family. This is going to be a big adventure for us. Wish us luck!!