Annie Jane

AJ is crawling now! It is so, so fun to watch her go from place to place. I guess I shouldn't say 'crawling' . . . it's more like a dolphin swim. She raises herself up on her hands, pulls her knees underneath her and leaps forward, catching herself on her belly! When she does get on her knees, she rocks back and forth a lot. I've tried several times to upload a video of this little butterfly stroke, but it won't take. Bummer!

Big move coming!

I never thought I would be so excited about moving...and dreading every minute of it. Brian and I have finally found a place where we feel will give our kids the 'adventure' little kids need...picking up rocks, running in grass, watching the fire in the fireplace at Christmas time. We found a home to rent in Fallbrook, CA. It's about 25 miles north of where we live now, and the scenery is much quieter. I've attached some pictures so I can always remember my excitement when I found this listing and just happened to driveby when the Landlord was there wrapping up some cleaning chores. I brought Brian back that same night for a tour and 2 weeks later (although it feels like it's been a month) we were approved. The whole process was like a grueling job interview.
What do we get...
rose bushes
lime trees
garden
3 bedrooms
2-car garage
dead end street
and enough room to grow while we're there.
Now it's time to do some de-junking. 3 years of accumulation must be weeded through. That part...I am NOT looking forward to. I'm also not looking forward to
friends that are now 40 minutes away!
the beach that is now 50 minutes away
a release in my YW calling
It's the first time I have ever put 'family first' that has a result that seems to 'uproot' everything else in my life that is good and constant. It's exhilaratingly depressing. The Lord has answered our prayers, but I look forward to His strength to help me adjust to new surroundings (again)

love the green blinds? . . me too!

fireplace in family room

view of backyard from patio doors

A Sunscreen lesson

I mentioned last week we spent the Saturday with some friends (Lamoreaux family) swimming in their neighborhood pool. Today, Brian Lamoreaux gave a great analogy I wanted to remember. (And since I was at the pool too, it made it personal) While at the pool, Carrie and I probably reapplied Sunscreen 2-3 times. We both would ask our husbands if they wanted to reapply but they both said "No! We're fine." I guess Brian L. got pretty burned and Carrie told him, "I don't want to hear any complaining...you should've reapplied". During Sunday school the class discussion opened up with a question about why we thought those early apostles and witnesses to the Book of Mormon left the church. Brian quipped his experience about the sunscreen and then tied it together with the fact that even though he's read the Book of Mormon before and has gone to the temple before, he needs to constantly 'Reapply' those practices in his own life, lest he rely only on that 'first layer' to protect him from harm and temptation.
As witty as Brian L is sometimes, his analogies certainly hold some weight to them!

Fourth of July Weekend

Wow! What a fun weekend we've had! Brian's plant closes for Maintenance on the 4th of July holiday, so we've been playing since Friday morning! We ventured out to the Del Mar Fairgrounds for the San Diego County Fair. I say 'county' fair because that's what it's called, but it is gynormous. It's the 5th largest fair in the country! I thought it was a silly idea that they sell 'Season Passes', but now I'm thinking that maybe next year we'll go with that because there is so so much to do, see, and eat! The first thing we saw when we arrived was the 'antique car' races. AJ needed to eat, so we parked it in the stands and watched as Grandmas and Grandpas raced against each other in their cars. They'd start at opposite ends of the tracks, standing in front of their car, where they gave the car a start. Then they had to run around the car twice before jumping in and driving to the opposite side of the track. They'd then have to turn the car off, get out and repeat. Whoever made it to their beginning places first, won. It was hilarious! Putt..putt..putt..went the cars! Too fun!

We walked through the animal exhibits, showing Ethan cows, pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, turkeys, and rabbits, etc. He walked through a petting/feeding zoo...not petting/feeding anything until he saw the baby ducklings. Unfortunately, those were the only things they weren't allowed to touch. He was super close to tears with disappointment. He would cup his hands together to make a little place for the ducklings and say, "Hold it" It was cute and tender to see.

By then it was time to eat, and scramble off to the Monster Truck Rally (I had never been before and Brian was totally cool with doing whatever I wanted that day..since the fair is my gig) We watched 2 separate races of probably 5 'mini' trucks each. First, with contestants between the ages of 8-12, and the second were ages 12-16 (?) I think. So fun...so daring! All I have to say is ...I hope they slow down on the real roads when they get their license (s.c.a.r.y!). It was crazy! Throughout those races we had plugged Ethan & AJ's ears pretty tight. But when the real monster trucks came out, I didn't feel we could plug them tight enough. Ethan started crying because Brian was accidentally squeezing a little too hard. And I'm sure AJ's heart was beating way too fast. I couldn't tell though because my own body was thumping. Needless to say, we left after the 2nd truck. I was too worried about our kids' eardrums and heart rates to enjoy it any further. I'm sure people thought we were crazy to have even tried. We probably were.

Lucky for us (although I did feel guilt at the time) and unlucky for Ethan we walked straight through the section with all of the rides. Ethan doesn't know what he missed (that will change in years to come, I know!) But his favorite things of all were the two school buses on display. We got to climb up the stairs, sit on the seats and look out the windows. It was "Ethan heaven"

Moving on, we walked through the grounds and went to the photography exhibit, woodworking exhibit -'take my breath away' amazing- art, gems & rocks, and flowers exhibits.

And don't forget the infamous "Funnel Cake" fair food

It was definitely a day I wished my family was here. We are all fair-lovers, and I thought how much fun they would've had here. I especially thought of Erika (woodworking), and Laura (her green thumb and love for flowers). Next year maybe I can convince them to come for the fair :) We were overwhelmed by the enormity of it all...just thinking about payroll is enough to make you dizzy! We left around 5PM and headed to a park near our home for a picnic dinner. I knew we'd had a successful day when Ethan had his meltdown. :)
Saturday was much more relaxing, but still so much fun! We BBQ'd and swam with friends and their kids. This was Ethan's first time in a pool this summer (I had been nervous to take both him and AJ to the pool by myself). It was a blast. Brian and I especially enjoy this couple and their 'down to earth' approach to life. There have been a couple of comments between Brian and I about how they are 'golden'...so good! That night we walked to Bradley Park and watched fireworks. I emphasize 'walked' because my memories of Firework watching always involved a fight for parking spaces, long waits in the car when it was all over, and trying to get out of gridlock. I was super excited to walk! The fireworks started at 9PM sharp, and we were home by 10:00PM. Ethan plugged his ears for a good portion of it (we tried to prepare him beforehand, but plugged ears were still necessary) and AJ just watched with wide eyes (and plugged ears). The weather was crisp, the marine layer kept its distance for us, and the fireworks burst above our heads. I will always choose fireworks above my head over watching from a distance.

I taught our YW lesson today too (yes, it's part of the weekend fun!) All of the girls were great at participating, and of course, I didn't finish (never do)...but it's okay! Especially when the girls are talking! love to hear what they have to say!
Monday we are heading off to the Wild Animal Park. It is Brian's company summer party. It will be a nice conclusion to a fun 4-day-weekend. Almost like a mini stay-cation like everyone is promoting.
San Marcos next year, anyone?

My Men Make Me Laugh Out Loud!

My cheeks hurt. I think yours will too as you watch Ethan's first encounter with the tricks a webcam can do. Thanks Dad for spending the day with Ethan while Mom and AJ got to go to Education Day! There's no doubt he has so much fun with you!

It takes Courage

It takes a lot of courage to endure some of the trials that come into your life. I cannot seem to express it the right way, but I would like to write about my dear friend Kit.
Back in the summer of 2000 I was engaged (but not to Brian). In the fall, things turned south (and we didn't marry) but now I was attending a single's ward where I hadn't made any friends. Not making friends might have been the stupidest thing I could've done, but the kindest thing that could have resulted from that loneliness was because of a guy named Kit Lindsay. I remember sitting in Sacrament meeting, and hating sitting alone. I questioned if I had just made the biggest mistake of my life (ending the engagement). Not a soul in that chapel knew it had happened. I don't know if that was a relief or made it harder to bear. At any rate, I remember distinctly my vow of finding a new ward to make a fresh start. No sooner had the sacrament meeting ended, than this tall, lanky fellow make his way to my bench, introduce himself as Kit and before I know it he's got me by my elbow and leading me to person after person, introducing me left and right until I'm sure I couldn't remember any more names/faces. His genuine motives that day were the purest form of the love of Christ. 3 years in that singles ward brought about an enormous fold of friends, some of which I became roommates with, the best of which I married! Singles Wards rotate very frequently due to it's very nature (schooling, careers, home-buying, marriage), so there was a time when my core group of friends were moving on, and Kit was one of them. He moved down to Las Vegas to go to Law School. I remember visiting him once. I don't remember how long it was after that that I learned he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. My very life was changing too...Brian and I had married, moved to Logan, UT; Brian received his BA and MS, and we moved to where we are now (San Marcos, CA) and started a family. Life comes at you quick, but it wasn't until this past Christmas when I received an email from Trina that my many 'wonderings' about Kit and his condition were made known. Trina wrote that he doesn't have a lot of time (6 months was the estimate). She was requesting memories to be written down and sent to her to share with Kit. I told myself that it would be okay to respond later; after all we were traveling to SLC for Christmas anyway...we'll hook up with Trina, Brittany & Steve and visit him too. When that didn't happen, and we were traveling home, my heart ached as I thought about him and my lack of commitment to visit. This past month when I went to visit UT, I made certain I went to see him too. It was raining outside (like it had all week) but inside his cozy room, Brian, Angela & I felt rays of sunshine when we asked how he was and his classic "Unbelievable!" answer struggled from his lips. He didn't recognize us at first, but as we started talking about the past, he put us all in the correct memories. At one point he looked at me and said, "I saw you, sitting alone, and I said to myself, 'that ain't right'." Tears of gratitude for sharing 'his side' of the story flowed from my eyes. Does one always remember kind things they do for other people...especially when they're life-changing for that person? I don't think so. I'm glad he remembered this time though. We watched the DVD that Trina and Brittany made for him with the compilations for those that answered her email last Christmas. The DVD has been played so much that it turns that pixelated green at some points. I need to email Julie or Trina to see who has the master copy to make him another one. Julie played Kit's favorite Hymn "Abide with Me". Memories of my own came flooding back. *Every Sunday after church (we were always the last ward to meet) he and Julie would head to the chapel and she would play hymn after hymn for him, but always ending with Abide with Me. *His "So, I almost bought a boat the other day..." conversation starter was the his most commonly used phrase when changing the current conversation. He used it only when the conversation was heading down the wrong path. I think some people were quite surprised at about how many times he almost bought that boat! *He never watched any movie that was rated higher than PG. (I used to argue with him over that one...but he certainly had the more righteous eyesight out of all of us) *Working for Holladay, he used to take me around to the 'eye sores' of the neighborhoods where he would have to approach the owners about 'cleaning up their yard' (whew...that is not fun!) *I had my first taste of lobster when he took me to a holiday black tie formal. He even introduced me to the mayor. *He was affectionately known as 'the gov'na' because he was so politically involved. He recruited many friends to be more involved in their community. *Then, his title 'the gov'na' extended to 'gov'na of Kitland' when he showed me a piece of mail addressed to him (at his city office bldg) as "Kitland Zee" He got such a kick out of that one! *He is still a true inspiration when I think about how to teach a lesson...he was the best teacher of Gospel Doctrine, ever! Brian remembers his lesson about the armor of God. Being the true cowboy that he is, he brought cowboy boots, hat, buckle, etc. I remember he would ask a question and then fold his arms, lean back on the table and wait..and wait (if necessary). He would hit some pretty core doctrine too...I loved it! He is such an example! God bless him for his endurance here on this earth
I will never forget our visit with him. It had been 6 months since the Christmas email, I am so glad we were able to reconnect and have some laughs again.
Because he went to Law school and Brian and I got married, we lost touch, but in his room was a book shelf full (stuffed) of law books and such. I think I asked him, "So, how did that law degree treat you?" He looked at me and said, "I have a nephew that wants to go to law school, and I'm going to give him all of these books. But I've been trying to worn him, it...is...bor-ing!" We all had a good laugh at that answer. He's so politically charged, and was so excited about going to Law School...only to come to this conclusion. Well, perhaps he gained a more eternal perspective on things in this life as his health has declined. He saw the trap of too many hours spent at work and didn't find the practice to be intriguing enough to compensate time lost with the family and friends. Love you Kit! Your mansion awaits you, of that I am sure!

Will & Emilee's wedding

Our purpose for being in UT was for Will & Emilee's wedding. The weather wasn't quite sure about cooperating though, as it rained every day right up to the day of the reception (which was actually the night before the big day). They hadn't really thought about "Plan B" since "Plan A" was to have it at Mountain Dell golf course up Parley's Canyon. Wednesday night all of the girls went to have pedicures. I had never had one before...what a treat! There was quite the pandemonium when it was finally determined to let the rain 'win' and have the reception at the church. Julie solicited a friend to help decorate. Knowing this was last minute for her friend too, I made Brian and I available for whatever help they wanted/needed. Declining our help, our next option was to go to the church house the next morning for any final preparations. Brian called me from the church to say that some of the decorations weren't typical what you would find at a wedding. My mom took the day off work (emergency time) and I left the kids with her. There were lights strung high (loved them!) and shelves for displaying things (cute, too!) but we needed to personalize the decorations toward Emilee & Will. With the reception that night, I think the angels (Dad) helped hold the sun in place (even though it was raining) so we could move quicker, faster, and complete the 'right look' before their night began. Doug & Lieca brought in a gazebo for the cake, I high-tailed it to Michael's and bought what caught my eye and Mom's neighbor friends pulled things together out of thin air like magic. The room was transformed into a perfect blend of elegance and fairytale.
The night was filled with laughter and love. Just as a wedding should be!

The following morning was the sealing. There were so many people in the sealing room that everyone has to squish together on the seats (except for the witnesses -which included Brian- and myself and Grandpa Felt). I happened to be the first in the room with Brian (as he was a witness) and therefore had the first seat next to the wall. Grandpa Felt sat next to me, and then everyone else 'squished' in. They brought in 6 extra benches. It was hot. What a blessing it is to have temples on this earth. The eternal significance of it all seems hard to understand still. But to think of it any other way ('till death do us part') leaves me with nothing more than an empty pit in my stomach. How grateful I am that my faith includes 'eternity'...even if my understanding of it is elementary. Will & Emilee looked radiant, joyful, and euphoric.

We enjoyed the reflection pond while we waited for the happy couple to take their pictures (so many pictures!) The boys splashed their hands in the water, and if it wasn't for Brian holding Ethan's shirttail and pants, he would have gone in headfirst and swam. He was quite upset at Dad for not letting him!

Another highlight of the day was when Brian glanced over to one of the many bride & grooms on the grounds and then turned to me and said, "Natalie, look. Isn't that..." But I didn't hear the rest of the question. I was running toward Becky Homer and Brian Pierce and probably sent her heart skipping a beat because I was filled with such excitement over seeing her (on her wedding day, too!) I'm sure she thought, "She's going to run me over!" There are moments when you have had great, great friends in your life that you think, "I wonder what they're up to...". Well of all the ways to fill in the blank for that question! I admit it took me a minute to place Brian Pierce's association. Only because I couldn't remember if he was from my singles ward life, or high school. I'm including a picture of them (even though they're in the background). I need to get a hold of them because their photographer took a picture of us together...that would be a fun one to have! Congratulations to you both! Now there's another reason to attend your high school reunions AND a singles ward! So many friends to share your life with! Oh, the hours of laughter we have shared together! What a great day!