Cannon Beach

Last Saturday we ventured to the beach and had a wonderful time. Since we moved here are kids have been asking to go to the beach so we were able to fulfill their wishes. The coast is an hour and half away from our house which is perfect for a day trip. The day before we went we went to stores looking for sand toys (I left ours behind in Utah thinking we wouldn't need them) and kites. Gordon and I went to Gold Beach, OR for our honeymoon and did some kite flying on the beach, so kites are now a must when we go to the beach. We went to five stores before we found kites at Walmart; we went to great lengths to get our kites.

We decided to try Cannon beach in Oregon for our first beach adventure and it was fabulous. The sand was so nice and soft, the water was nice and shallow for a long way, we were by a fresh water stream going into the ocean, and we had an amazing view of Haystack Rock. The weather was nice in the mid 60's; I had two jackets on and Audrey was in her bathing suit not affected by the wind at all.

Our Family with Haystack Rock in the background.

The tripod that took our family shot

Talmage took this picture.

Talmage

Audrey

Adalyn

We had fun flying our kites; Gordon and Talmage really got into it. The kids had fun playing in the sand; we managed to find some watering cans and borrowed some buckets from friends. Talmage and Audrey had fun running from the waves with Gordon. Adalyn did not like the water and would scream and run the other way whenever she saw a wave coming. Unfortunately, within our first five minutes of being at the beach Adalyn fell into the water, so she wanted nothing to do with the cold water after that but loved the sand.

Adalyn not amused after getting wet.

Adalyn playing in the sand.
Notice the garden tool as a shovel; I was desperate for sand toys.

Gordon, Talmage, and Audrey waiting for waves.

We needed a break from the wind and ate lunch in the back of the van.
This was the view from the back of our van; incredible!

We look forward to going back to Cannon Beach in April when the Puffins come to nest on the rocks. They also have a sand castle contest in June that we hear is fun, so plan a trip and come and visit and we'll go to the beach.

Colombia River Waterfront Trail

Last weekend while Gordon was away on business I decided to go exploring with the kids. I decided to check out the waterfront trail along the Colombia River. The kids loved it! We took Talmage and Audreys scooters for them to ride and they had a great time zipping along the trail.

The trail of course ran right along the river so we watched many boats go by. We also watched the cars cross the bridge on I-5, two trains go by, and countless planes fly overhead; we had a lot to observe. It was overcast but still beautiful.

The trail also lead us down the the water so the kids had fun gathering shells along the shore and throwing rocks into the river.



After the riverfront trail we noticed a land bridge over to Fort Vancouver so we decided to check it out. We decided to wait to go to Fort Vancouver when Gordon can come but had a nice walk over and back.



Lastly we had a nice lunch on a park bench overlooking the river.

Audrey's Birthday

Audrey has turned four and reveled in her birthday. She had a wonderful day being the birthday girl. Whenever anything was mentioned about her being the birthday girl she would giggle with delight.

In the morning we had German pancakes for breakfast; my Mom would always fix this for me and my siblings on our birthdays. Audrey was so excited to use the special birthday plate and she reminded me to get it out.

Then later that day I took Audrey to Kohl's to do a little birthday shopping with the gift card she got from Grammy and Papa Thomas. First on her list was getting some black leggings we also got purple. She was so cute in the store finding different clothes and wanting to try them on. She wanted to keep the new clothes on as long as possible before we had to check out. She loved shopping just for her; what a girl.

That night we celebrated together as a family with her piggy cake. I don't know where she got it into her head that she wanted a piggy cake but I was happy to make it for her. She picked out a strawberry cake so the piggy could be pink inside and out. She had fun helping me make the cake and eating the candy along the way.

The Birthday Girl and her cake.

The Piggy Cake


Mom and Birthday Girl

The Family

After cake and presents we headed to Orchard Park for some fun on the playgrounds there. All in all she had a fabulous day; kid birthday's are so much fun. She has had so much fun with her new gifts. She doesn't want to take her leggings off, makes fun pretend sandwiches to eat, and loves the Barbies, horse and light stick.

Multnomah Falls

Our first weekend here in the Northwest we decided to go see Multnomah Falls which is about 20 minutes from our house. The kids were so excited to go and see the waterfalls, go for a hike and we also packed a picnic; Audrey had been wanting to do a picnic all week.

We took Historic Highway 30 to get there and saw some other amazing waterfalls as well.

Our first stop Latourell Falls

Adalyn looking at Latourell Falls

Next we headed to Multnomah Falls. Our pictures don't do it justice but they are still fun. Some info on the Multnomah Falls is that it 620 feet tall and is the second highest year round water fall in the United States.

Gordon with the Kids


Cute Talmage

We hiked up to the bridge which was really fun and then we decided to hike the 1 mile up to the top. Well, that didn't end up being such a great idea because Talmage and Audrey needed a lot of motivation. What finally made Audrey go was that we held one end of her umbrella and she held the other as she pretended she was a horse neighing all the way up the trail. I also told her that she could open her umbrella once we got to the top; she loved this idea. Both Talmage and Audrey got a piggyback ride from mom since dad was carrying Adalyn. What ultimately really got them moving and stop complaining was the promise of starbursts once we got to the car; we wished we thought of that at the beginning of the hike. We did have a fun time even if it was like herding cats at times.


View of the Columbia River Gorge from the hike.

Audrey's Reward!


Daddy and cute Adalyn

A little side note we tried to visit this spot on Labor Day since we made such good time; it was a bad idea. Highway 30 is scary to drive in a mini van let alone a 26 ft moving truck pulling a car plus is was crazy busy on Labor Day. So, avoid bringing your moving truck to this destination.

Talmage 1st Day of Kindergarten

Talmage had his first day of Kindergarten on September 8th and he was so excited. I can't believe that my baby has started kindergarten. I was really hopping that Washington would have half day kindergarten but they have all day; I started crying when I found this out. I was really nervous for Talmage to go from three days of preschool for two and half hours to all day every day. He seems to be doing fabulous and adjusting quite well.















The neighborhood we live in buses the kids to school. Much to Talmage's dismay the first week of school I couldn't bring myself to let him ride the bus. I just needed some time to figure things out before I sent my little boy to school each day on the bus. When I would pick Talmage up from school I was impressed with how the school made sure all the Kindergarten children were accounted for. So, the following week after I had figured things out and felt good about it Talmage was able to ride the bus. He was so adorable as he got on the bus and waved goodbye to me; I couldn't help but share in his excitement. Even though Talmage is getting bigger in so many ways I love that he still loves to give me loves and kisses before he gets on the bus or wherever he is going.

One of the most exciting things about Talmage starting kindergarten was that he was able to get a backpack. In preschool he had a little tote bag that was provided so I told him when he started kindergarten I would get him a backpack. So, as he knew that kindergarten was getting closer he was eying backpacks at the store. He of course wanted a character backpack and I wasn't so sure I wanted to do that. In the end I gave into the character backpack and he loves it; it's Star Wars the Clone Wars. We bought it a little early and he wore it everywhere and showed it to everyone; he was so excited. His backpack also has a picture on it that changes when you move and he would tell people he could "control" his backpack;so cute. He has also decided to do cold lunch so we got a little lunch sack for him with a little soccer ball on it; going to school is so exciting.

Talmage is adapting well up here which is really nice. He is loving kindergarten and making new friends; what a relief to his parents.

The Big Move

Well, it is official we have moved to Vancouver, Washington; I never imagined that I would live outside of Utah. We loaded up our 26 ft. U-haul on Saturday the 4th and barely had room to shut the truck door. We started our drive on Sunday and arrived in Vancouver Monday afternoon the 6th. My Dad was able to drive with us, which was really helpful. He and Gordon switched off driving the truck and the mini van. Talmage also had fun riding with Grandpa in the truck. Adalyn did quite well considering we did the same drive just two weeks earlier.



I love having Audrey tell people where we are moving because she says we are moving to "Cougar" Washington. For whatever reason she forgets to add the Van to Vancouver. Then she proceeds to say that it only rains and doesn't snow. She is so cute.



We have worked hard to set up our home. After being in limbo for a year and a half I told Gordon I wanted to make our house a home right away and we have. We were really nervous about downsizing to 1500 square ft. but we are very comfortable and have room to grow. We have used half of the garage as a playroom so that the kids have a little bit more room. We are excited to be starting our life here in Vancouver, WA and all it has to offer.

Talmage

Talmage finished his soccer season and went out with a BANG! His last game he scored four goals. He had a wonderful game and has really learned a lot this season playing soccer. He was excited that his Grandma Jensen was there to see his last game. He also was excited to get another trophy. We are going to miss him playing each week.
Talmage came up with a fun idea the other day. He found a perfect stick like the shape of a bow and found some string to make his bow. We had a morning where he was frustrated because his bow wasn’t working well since the string had no stretch. So, I got out my sewing stuff and found some elastic and tied it to the stick. He had been asking me for a quiver (the case that holds arrows that one puts on his back) earlier in the week and I thought I remembered seeing one in the closet down stairs. To Talmages satisfaction there was a quiver in the closet and it looked like Robin Hoods. Our next step was to make some arrows and we decided that Knex would be just the thing. After we made the arrows we set up some boxes for target practice. One was a bear, a deer, and a cougar. Talmage had so much fun for the next couple of days taking his quiver everywhere and shooting boxes. Talmage is so great at coming up with ideas.

June Update 2010

Talmage graduated from preschool this month. I was a little emotional during his program thinking that my baby is growing up. The program was really wonderful; Talmage had two speaking parts that he did really great on. The children sang all sorts of wonderful songs. My favorite songs were “Peanut Butter and Jelly”, they sing one verse with their mouths shut and checks puffed out because they are pretending to have a mouth full of peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Then I also liked “Wibble, Wabble” the children would move their hips from sided to side as they sang “wibble, wabble, wibble, wabble”; it was so cute.
At the beginning of the graduation Miss Sue, Talmage’s teacher introduced each student it was really fun to hear about everyone in the class. When she talked about Talmage she mentioned that he loved to play legos and could build anything out of legos, which is true. She also said that Talmage is really great to include everyone when they are playing; such information warms a mother’s heart. We have had a wonderful experience with Miss Sue and preschool. Talmage is so excited to start Kindergarten.
Earlier is the month we went to the Zoo with Talmage’s preschool class. I took the girls and we all had a wonderful time together. Some of the highlights were seeing the orangutans; they were swinging all around their cage and then one of the monkey’s put a sheet over his head and looked like a ghost. Talmage and Audrey thought that was really funny. I thought the orangutan looked like E.T. being a ghost and another onlooker agreed with me. We road the train which Adalyn really liked. Oh, and the baby elephant was so cute. We all loved watching her play around; we came back a second time to see her because she was so cute. The kids also had a wonderful playing at the playground; Adalyn is becoming quite the explorer.
Talmage also had a Teddy Bear picnic as a fun activity with his preschool class. We packed lunches and went to a park and had fun playing at the park. Talmage took one of his teddy bears and the kids played some fun games with them. The girls had fun playing at the playground too.
Talmage’s soccer season is going great. He had one game where he scored five goals! That soccer game Talmage said, “My Coach said I’m on FIRE!” During that game Talmage happened to be at the right place at the right time but one of his goals he created on his own. He got the ball and kicked it down the sideline, crossed the ball to the center and then kicked it into the goal; it was awesome. Gordon was so proud of Talmage. He has had so much fun playing soccer.
This month we had our dance recital and it was really fun. Audrey has enjoyed dance class so much; it has been her one thing that she has done this past year. So, the dance recital was a big deal to her. Our focus this year was seasons and energy. To start the recital each child got to dance out on their own. Talmage did a series of cartwheels and Audrey did a run and kicked her legs in front of her; so cute. We did a dance from each season. For spring we planted a flower, summer we were waves and played with beach balls, fall we did the Adam Family Freeze, and winter we danced our favorite snow activities. Then we sang the Energy song and presented our different qualities of energy; sustained, percussive, collapse, swing, vibrate. The Energy song is a favorite for the kids especially when we sing the song in low and high energy. For sustained we danced with hoola hoops, swing with streamers, and then we did all five qualities together one at a time. The kids did a wonderful job the recital was wonderful. Audrey was so excited to get her starbursts at the end of the recital. I have really enjoyed teaching my dance class this year.
Audrey’s friend London came to visit from Tennessee this month which she was so excited about. Audrey loved seeing London at church, playing with her at the park and having play dates where they played dress up. Audrey has also loved creating things as of late. She loves to color pictures, cut pictures up, and she likes to pretend that she is writing her letters. When Talmage works on his word strips Audrey likes me to write the alphabet several times and then she cuts out the letters. Audrey is constantly creating and is getting good at making circles and is starting to be able to draw people.
Each night when I put Audrey to bed she likes me to cuddle with her. Sometimes I get very annoyed by this but when I give in and lay down she is so sweet to me. She loves to wrap her arms around me and rub my back, head, or shoulder. It is a very sweet moment to be loved by my daughter.

Adalyn is officially walking!!! I remember seeing a little girl at the park that was 13 months who was walking all over the place and thinking Adalyn wouldn’t be ready by 13 month (she was a week shy at the time), but she proved me wrong. She is so cute walking and I love to hear the sound of her bare feet walking across the floor. She has also learned to say “bye.” She started to say it when we were putting her to bed. When I would have her say good night to Gordon she would say “bye” or when I was laying her down; she is adorable.
Adalyn is also constantly talking about something even though we don’t know what it is. When I get her out of bed she almost immediately turns from a scream to talking about something. Her favorite place to play is in the drawers in the bathroom. She loves the box of Gordon’s cufflinks and all of my jewelry; she is so busy. We love her so much and her screaming has gotten a lot better.
My month consisted of watching my children and taking them to all of their fun things. I was able to attend my friend Holly Caten’s birthday which was really fun.
Gordon’s parent’s came up for a weekend this month as well because Gordon’s cousin Bill Snider got married. The boys had fun going camping together Friday night up in Millcreek canyon. It was Grant’s wards Fathers and Sons so Talmage, Gordon, and Papa all joined in the fun. It was a rainy night and Talmage, Gordon, and Papa stayed in the car but they still had a fun time. The next morning the Thomas men made breakfast for everyone.
While the boys were out camping the girls got together. Audrey was so excited to play with her big cousin Emma. The highlights of the night were eating ice cream, playing princess go fish, and painting toe and finger nails; so much fun. Then the next day Grammy and Papa went to Talmages soccer game. Talmage was so excited to have them come and scored a goal for them. Later that night we went to the wedding and had fun dancing together and eating wonderful treats. We love having our Papa and Grammy come and visit!
Gordon was busy during the month working. We appreciate so mush how hard he works for our family.

May Update 2010

April was a crazy month for us but really fun. Gordon and I started out the month by going to Hawaii. Gordon surprised me Easter morning with an Easter egg hunt and I found out we were going to Hawaii in two days. I was so excited and grateful I had finished nursing Adalyn the previous weekend so I was set to go. We had a wonderful time.

In Hawaii we went to the Polynesian Cultural Center; I loved watching all of the different ethnic dances and the night show was amazing. We had fun snorkeling at or condo which was on the beach, at Sharks Cove, and at Hanama Bay. Our sister-in-law Michal’s brother Stewart took us surfing at Turtle Bay. Surfing was fun but tough; I had bruises all over my body but I was able to get up once.

We spent time on the North Shore and also in Waikiki in Oahu. We loved eating the local cuisine; one morning for breakfast at Kaya’s we had spam with sushi, eggs, and rice it was really good. Then another morning we went to Hukilau Café and had coconut pancakes and the loco moco (a ground beef patty over rice with gravy). We also enjoyed shaved ice at Matsimodo’s and teriyaki beef at the Diamond Head Café/Market was amazing. Oh, and we stopped at a little shrimp sack and visited Lenard’s (a yummy Portuages donut) a couple times.

We also saw sea turtles on the beach, hiked Diamond Head, hiked to the waterfall at Wiamia Valley, went to Punch Bowl (a cemetery for fallen soilders), went on a drive to Round Top (amazing views), visited the Dole plantation, and watched a sunset on beach on the beach on the west side of Oahu. Another highlight was going to the Pearl Harbor and touring the battleship Missouri and going to the Aviation Museum. Unfortunately the Battleship Arizona memorial was closed but we enjoyed the rest of the area. We also visited the Temple in Laia; the Temple was actually closed but we had fun visiting the grounds.

Wow, we really did a lot as I’m writing it all down. We enjoyed so much though sleeping in every morning and not being woken up in the middle of the night. A big thank you to my parents and Grant and Lindsee for watching our children. Getting to and from Hawaii was an adventure because we flew standby. On the way there we were able to fly first class which was awesome. On the way home it was a little trickier and we actually spent a night in the airport and then in Sacramento before making it home it was a fun adventure. My husband is so good to me and it was wonderful to get away with him for a week.

Gordon continued to have a busy month traveling after we got home. He traveled to Denver, Phoenix, Tucson, and Albuquerque. We missed him terribly but he had a successful month with all of his travels.


Adalyn turned one this month! I can’t believe that my baby is already one. We had a party for her with both sets of Grandparents and Uncle Grant’s family. We decided to have a ladybug birthday since sometimes I call her my “little bug.” Audrey was so excited for her birthday and had fun helping make the birthday cakes. I made a three tier cake with red frosting and then we put little oreo cookies on it for the black spots. Then I made a little cake for Adalyn that was shaped like a lady bug. She was cute when it was time to eat her cake. At first she was a little unsure but at one point she bent her head down and took a big bite out of her cake.

Adayln is a really good cruiser and has started to take a couple steps on her own. Before we left for Hawaii she had taken four steps and later in the month she was up to 7 or 8. She does however prefer crawling over walking still. When she doesn’t want to crawl sometimes she will walk in a kneeling position. She likes to campout on her knees a lot of the time to play and look at things; my other children didn’t do this. She is good at saying mama and dada and is the cutes little babbler. She has a lot to tell you even though you don’t know what she is saying. The other day I asked her if she wanted some noodles and she responded back “oodle.”

Adalyn’s current stats are weight 19.93 lbs. – 30%, length 28.98 inches – 46%, and her head circumference is 17.9 inches – 60%. So a little under in weight but I still turned her around for her birthday; she loves facing forward in her car seat. She is also doing better about not screaming so much, so we are happy about that. Unfortunately, she does have the nickname of “ban chi baby” from her Dad and Talmage.

So, Audrey and Talmage both love Curious George and if they can watch a show they usually both pick Curious George. One afternoon while I was making dinner they were watching an episode about solar energy and George and the Man with the Yellow Hat make a solar oven to bake some lasagna in. Well, after the show Audrey came to me with a box and asked me to cut out the top so she could make an oven. After I cut a square out of the top she put random things and took the box outside so she could cook them. Talmage then clued into what Audrey was doing and wanted to make a solar oven for himself, but he realized that we needed tin foil and saran wrap and we even tilted the flap right so sun could reflect into the inside. After we were done we went and tested them outside and they were so excited. It wasn’t hot enough to cook anything but we could see that they would work. We are looking forward to summer when we can put our solar ovens to use.

April Update 2010

This past month my Grandma passed away. She was 93 and lived a full and happy life. Two weeks after my parents arrived home my Grandma really started to go downhill. So, she really waited for them to get home. I am so grateful for the last couple of months where I have been able to spend every Tuesday with her. My children and I would go over after preschool and spend the afternoon with her and make her dinner. I loved watching my children play with her tell her things and take care of her. Audrey especially loved to rub her arms, sit and cuddle with her while they watched a movie, and sing songs to her. I hope that they will be able to remember this time with her and how much she loved them.

My Grandma means so much to me. She has taught me so many wonderful things like how to sew, garden, be a great help to people, and throw a wonderful party. She came to all of my different performances and Gordon’s too she was an amazing support in my life. I will miss her but I know that she is so happy to be reunited with all of her love ones up in Heaven.

I had an opportunity to speak at her funeral with my cousin Brittany and Lauren. The day before the funeral all of the girl cousins were able to get together and share our thoughts about Grandma. We decided to make a list of things that we associated with her like velveeta cheese, molded rice crispy treats, sewing, and albleskivers to name a few. Then Brittney focused on how she was a wonderful support to us all, Lauren talked about her famous Halloween party, and I talked about how she nurtured us by teaching us how to sew and garden. I was also able to sing “Each Life That Touches Ours For Good” with many of my siblings. It was a wonderful service and I was honored to be able to participate in honoring my Grandma’s wonderful life.

This month we were able to go visit Grammy and Papa in California. It was so nice to get away after the crazyness of my parents coming home, and my Grandma’s passing away. Gordon had a conference in Tahoe so we took the whole family since it is so close to Sacramento.

While visiting Grammy and Papa we did a lot of relaxing that’s what I needed especially. Luckily Grammy and Papa’s is the best place to relax. We had fun going out to dinner with Gordon’s parents, Jared and Michal, and Rohnda one night. Then our big outing was going to the lego store. Talmage had been working hard to at filling his chart so that he could go to the lego store. Well the lego store was awesome. They have a wall of legos that you can fill a container with anything you want. So, we started filling up a container, but we could realize that Talmage wasn’t really into it. So we decided to let him walk around the store and he decided on a Star Wars set. However, Gordon decided that he wanted the container of legos still. So, both Talmage and Gordon left the lego store happy that day.

We also had a fun movie night with cousins. The boys watched Star Wars and the girls watched Enchanted. Then we also had fun with cousins at the park. It was a really fun trip that was nice and relaxing; just what Mom needed.

Jan/Feb Update 2010

Audrey is officially in Primary and loving it. She is thrilled to state that she is big enough to go to primary with Talmage. Several times during the week she will ask, “Mom, am I old enough to go to go to Preschool?” I respond, “No you not old enough yet.” And then she replies “Well, I’m big enough to go to Primary.” She is so cute. I hear her singing more primary songs around the house now, like “Families Can Be Together Forever.”

Audrey is also the Queen of changing in the day. I bet on an average she changes outfits 8 times a day. Most of the day is usually spent in a dress-up or swimsuit. Yes, I know that it is winter, but that doesn’t stop her swimming suit from being put on. Also if she has regular cloths on they most likely not be the same the next time around. My favorite dress-up lately is her superhero. She came up one day with her underwear over her swimsuit and I asked why it wasn’t under her swimsuit and she proceeded to tell me that she was a superhero and that superhero’s wear underwear over their costume. She also put on her white cowgirl boots to complete the outfit; being three is so much fun.

Talmage is learning to read. He’s probably been ready for awhile but we have recently started to focus on it and he is doing well. It is really exciting to see him putting words together.

Talmage is also changing from a little boy to a boy. We have noticed a change in attitude lately and have had to set more boundaries as he tests the waters. I guess it was bound to happen but it doesn’t make it easy on all parties. I can see him being conflicted at times when he wants to be little and be cuddled and when he wants to state his independence. We feel that some of it has to do with changes in our family like Gordon traveling and moving, but we also feel that it is just the stage of life that he is in.

January and the beginning of February has been busy for me in getting ready for my parents to get home. The weekend before they came home we moved into the basement. We will probably be moving to Arizona in May or June but felt that we should take our time getting there. We are grateful to my parents for letting us stay with them. No move is ever easy and we are so grateful the many people who helped us get ready for my parents to get home; weather is was babysitting, cleaning, or moving furniture we couldn’t have done it without you.

To see my parents again was so wonderful. This mission has seemed a lot longer because they didn’t get to come home for a month in-between. My children have grown-up a lot and Adalyn had to be introduced to her Grandma and Grandpa Jensen. We are so excited that they are home and soaking up the time we have with them before we move to Arizona.

The weekend of their arrival home was one big party. They arrived home on Thursday afternoon and my brother Mark’s family came in from Flagstaff that night. We had a full house with 7 Adults and 7 kids. My children had the best weekend ever playing with their cousins. Talmage played endless legos, kenex, with his cousins Spencer and Samuel. Even though Audrey wore dress-ups all weekend with her twin cousins Anna and Lauren. Ann and Lauren actually came to our dance class and it was so fun to have them there. These girls are like three peas in a pod with the way they wear dress-ups and swimming suits; they are so cute together. As adults we were able to go the temple and dinner Friday night and I had fun shopping and going to lunch with my sister-in-law Diane. Then we were also able to see a lot of extended family at the open house after they spoke so it was a lot of fun. By Monday I was exhausted but wouldn’t have changed a thing about the weekend.

Gordon has been busy traveling. His travels in the last month have taken him to of course Arizona, Florida and Porto Rico. We are all adjusting to him being away so much. He really likes what he is doing so that is really great.