Life in Lewiston

I had hoped to write an exciting blog shedding light on our new life in Lewiston, but the fact of the matter is that it hasn't been too exciting... just normal life. We don't know anyone here to spend time with, which means it's just the three of us, or rather just the two of us most of the time when Daddy is working. I know we will eventually make friends here, but we will most likely find those friends at church, and church hunting can be a long process. So in a world where a seven month old is my bff and my hubby coming home from work is the most adult conversation I get in a day, this is what life is like...

We went to the DMV the other day to get new plates for our vehicles. Turns out we have to take a driver's test... I know this shouldn't worry me since I have been a driver for over a decade, but I am totally the type of person that would fail a driver's test after already being a licensed driver.

I finally hung some pictures up on a wall. It is frustrating to me when I have the perfect display for things in my home and then when I try to display them in a new home, the same set up just doesn't work. This is what I ended up deciding on and I am okay with it. My sister suggested framing our parents' wedding photos as well... I think that project will be in my future...

I was thrilled to see a coupon for Real Deals in the local paper. There is a Real Deals store in Salem and in Corvallis that I have found some decor for my home in the past. Unfortunately this time around nothing really "wowed" me. But it was nice to have a little taste of home.

Does anyone else have this problem? We are all unpacked yet I cannot find a place for all this randomness on my counter top. It has been my goal to clean this counter and find a space for each thing for a week now and it still looks like this.

I attempted to start working out on a regular basis last week. I made it two days... I will attempt the same thing tomorrow, maybe I'll make it three days this time.

I've also been trying to eat healthier, which is tough when I feel like I'm alone in this in my house. Luckily having a little one who needs fruit and veggie purees makes it necessary to have fresh produce in the house to snack on.

She has a new love of watermelon

I actually bought an app for my phone for the first time the other day and I am obssessed. It's called A Beautiful Mess.

Alexis' new independence has been a huge blessing. She sat on the floor playing with toys for an entire hour last night while Greg and I watched some TV together. I have an internal struggle at times, "I should be giving her more attention and interacting with her.... no I should let her be on her own and learn how to play independently without relying on me for everything." I guess there's a balance.

It is so fun to observe her grab certain toys and play with them all on her own now.

Speaking of "toys", we bought a lawn mower yesterday. I have a difficult time spending money on things like that... and when I say difficult time I mean that in my head I am wishing to purchase home decor or clothes instead. Greg asked me yesterday if I took a picture of his "new toy" and I honestly had no idea what he was talking about. Once he said, "the lawnmower" I thought, "Well, glad one of us can find something fun out of the purchase." And hey, as long as he thinks mowing the lawn is fun, that means I don't have to do it. So grateful for him and all he does for our family. And reflecting on it now, I am happy to have purchased the lawn mower. It makes our lawn look nice and we will need it in the future. It's also a part of everyday life and normalcy. As I said at the beginning of this post, it may not be exciting, but it's life, and I am so happy to be doing normal life with my sweet family.

Hello Idaho!

We made our move to Idaho on Saturday morning. We are both incredibly blessed with family who will drop everything and help us when needed. My parents, Greg's parents, Brandon, Eric and Nikki made the road trip with us.

Greg and his boss Josh at his going-away lunch in Springfield

We finally arrived after a LONG trip!

Relaxing for a bit after unpacking

outside our new home

The incredible group who helped us make it here (plus Mona who is taking the picture)

7 Months Old

Alexis at 7 months: Our little girl has been changing a lot over the past month. She can sit up all by herself now. She has been babbling a lot and every so often we hear a "mama" and "dada" in there, completely coincidental obviously ;) Alexis has enjoyed eating butternut squash, carrots, and bananas and opens her mouth in anticipation for the next bite. She plays with her toys and entertains herself for extended periods of time now, but will hold her arms out to us when she wants to be held. These 7 month pictures were taken at our new home in Idaho, a blog on our move is coming tomorrow so stay tuned.

Alexis' 6 Month Photoshoot

We were incredibly blessed by a woman at our church, a photographer building her portfolio, who offered to take pictures of Alexis for us for FREE! I am so happy with how they turned out. I won't share all 70 of them, but here are some of my faves...

Trip to Hawaii

On April 12, Alexis and I flew to Hawaii with my Dad to visit my sister. She knew my Dad was coming to visit, but had no idea Alexis and I were coming with him... SURPRISE! We stayed in her home at the Marine Corps base and had a great time.

Arriving at Britt's house after she picked us up from the airport

Alexis wasn't so sure about the water at first

She took a nap at every beach we went to!

Such fun memories with my little girl

Enjoying the water a bit more

Having fun with Grandpa

The whole gang

Love this face

We had an incredible trip. It was so nice to just hang out and relax in the mornings with Britt, chatting, drinking coffee, and then spend time at a different beach everyday. I could write so much about the trip and post MANY photos, but I just wanted to give everyone a little glimpse. Hawaii has always been one of my favorite vacation spots, but this time around was the best by far. Britt, thanks for hosting us and helping out with Alexis while we visited!

Lewiston, Idaho

At the beginning of April, Greg was offered a job promotion. He was offered the General Manager position at the Holiday Inn Express in Lewiston, Idaho. His work flew us to Idaho for a few days to check out the hotel and look around the area before we made our decision. I don't think Greg or I ever imagined living somewhere other than Oregon, but we have been praying for an opportunity for him in his career and other than having to leave family and friends, the decision was a no brainer.

Alexis did SO well on the plane! I think it was a great age to fly because she has not yet begun crawling and was just fine sitting on our laps

She also took a nap during our layover in Seattle

The town of Lewiston, such a beautiful valley

Greg and Alexis outside of the Holiday Inn Express

We make the big move on Saturday. I still can't believe we are going... but it's going to be a fun adventure for our little family. We continue to trust in God and where He is leading us in this season of our lives. I know I will be praying that He leads us back to Oregon in the next few years, but who knows what He has in store! I am just thankful that our Lord is faithful. Please be praying that we find a church home and a good support group while living there. This is the first move where we won't have any connections with anyone in the area prior to moving.

6 Months Old

Alexis at 6 months: Our little girl is not so little anymore! I can't believe she is half a year old. She seems to be changing so much each day now. This past month she has tried eating rice cereal, which didn't go over to well, but she tried butternut squash the other day and seemed to enjoy it more. She doesn't quite have the hang of this whole eating-from-a-spoon thing yet, but we will keep trying. Alexis can now roll from her back to her tummy, suck on her tasty toes, and she can almost sit up all on her own. She went on her first plane ride last weekend (Greg's work flew us to Idaho... more on that later). She was an excellent passenger and charmed everyone on the plane with her sweet smile.