Five Years....

December 19, 2013

 

FIVE Years

FOUR different kitchen tables (and still waiting to get the perfect one)

THREE different homes (hoping to stop paying rent and buy our own this coming year)

TWO imperfect people who sometimes drive each other crazy, but are still crazy in love,

ONE Marriage for eternity.

Brought to you the thoughts before you fall asleep of yours truly! 

Seriously though... Five Years! 

I can't believe it, and I can.

It has been a wonderful road full of twists and turns, and I feel like quite a few steep slopes.

I am so grateful Justin chose me, because he is my best friend.

 Here is to many more years of laughter,date night movies, pick up rides, disagreements, dinner conversations, buying our first home, babies, and sticking it through because you know that you made the best decision back in 2008. 

Our anniversary celebration consisted of a salmon dinner at home, 

watching a movie because this is our favorite date night activity, 

and attending the temple the following Saturday to perform sealings. 

Justin of course brought me flowers, because he does that every year, and yes

some of them were Red because that is my favorite color.

 

Justin and Ruth Blazzard

9 Months, Yikes!

- Started crawling the day before Thanksgiving. Grandma Corn's kitty cat was the ultimate motivation to getting her moving.

- Has two teeth on the bottom. They came in within about 10 days of each other. She didn't seem to be to bothered by them. There was a lot of drool though.

- LOVES to sit and look at her books. She talks while looking at them and it is adorable.

- Eats more solids now, but still isn't a huge fan of vegetables. She did really enjoy the lasagna I made a couple of weeks ago.

- Loves bath time and Justin does a great job of making it fun

- Got her first real cold after Thanksgiving, and currently has another one. It is no fun for either of us to constantly be whipping snot, but she is still pretty happy.

- The sounds she is making are starting to change

-Claps and waves when she is excited

- Pretty great sleeper at night and with naps, not every day but most of the time and I will take it

- LOVES to pull herself up on things. Prefers it to napping in fact and that would be the story of the picture above. 

- Such a sweet baby who loves to get people's attention. She is such a special and loved addition to our family!

Play Date

Our neighbor and friend was kind enough to watch Natalie while I ran a quick errand on the Monday of Christmas. They are three months apart in age. Such cute girls that really had fun together. 

Christmas 2013

Our Christmas was small and quiet. We spent it here in our home for the first time ever. It was nice to enjoy the tree and not be driving anywhere. Christmas Eve night we had BBQ Beef sandwiches, sweet potatoe fries, and pumpkin roll. We read the Christmas story and Natalie and Justin each unwrapped a present. Justin and I then enjoyed a favorite Christmas movie of mine, "It's A Wonderful Life." To top the night off I got a Christmas kiss from Santa. It was fun and a little bittersweet being home without extended family. It definitely taught me how much work goes into making the holidays special. Natalie

had a ball with the wrapping paper and having Justin home.

Christmas Day began at 8 am. Justin and Natalie actually had to drag me out of bed. We opened presents and then set to work making Waffles with strawberries and whip cream, and sausage. It was then a quick turn around to get Natalie down for a nap and putting together the dishes I needed to take to our friends home. I wanted a nap when all was finished and we were ready to go.... I didn't get one though. One thing I will be sure to include in future Christmas days. 

Our friends the Paul's were so kind to have us over. They had a gift for each of us and we played games and had a lot of conversation. One of their teenage sons brought out his old dump truck for Natalie to sit in. She loved it and curled up with a good book in it. Dinner was a yummy filet minon with chocolate fondue for dessert. It was a long happy day. I feel as though it went faster than it ever has before, maybe I was just busier than ever before? 

The best part of The Christmas season this year for me besides having Justina and Natalie to share it with! was reflecting on our Savior and how my testimony of him has grown this year. He truly is the reason for the season. 

Life Right Now

I realize that I post ALOT about Natalie and maybe not so much about how life is for Justin and I these days. Mostly because Natalie pretty much is ALOT of life right now. Here are a few other updates on us.

1. Justin has been home alot more this fall and early winter compared to last year. I really appreciate this and he is glad the GP is running like it should.

2. He is going to be doing a speech in front of the Oregon Logging Conference in January about this new product. I am really excited for him as they are hoping to sell a lot more next year. Right now there are 10 in production mode. Pretty good for the first year of sales.

3. I now serve as a Gospel Doctrine teacher in our ward. This has been a huge blessing in helping me study my scriptures at a deeper level. I have expanded my understanding a lot of church history as well because we are studying the Doctrine and Covenants this year. Next year will be the Old Testament and while I think it may be a little harder to teach, it will be great to learn about. Sometimes this calling is hard for me because I am the youngest adult in the ward and that can be intimidating. Everyone is very kind and helpful with their comments though and I call on them alot. I mean I only have 25 years experience, many have 40 plus!

4. Justin is serving as the First Counselor in the Elder's Quorom Presidency. He is enjoying it and is learning a lot about leading by example.

5. We are saving, praying and hoping with all our might to buy a home next year! We still live in a little apartment and most days I am grateful for the safe shelter over my head, but getting into a home will be a big needed step for us. I feel like I will be able to do so many more things for my family that I can't right now. Like have a chest freezer, DIY furniture projects, have a garden, be able to host people for parties, and give my children space to play and not worry about being to loud for the neighbors beneath us.

6. This will be our first Christmas with just our little family. I am very excited to not be traveling, but a little nervous about really making the day and the whole vacation special. I have definitely been doing some planning, so here we go! Bring in Christmas Morning and a Happy New Year!

7. One of the best parts of my day each day is to work out. After having Natalie I had obviously acquired some extra pounds. I was excited to get back into my daily routine of working out. It was very difficult at first. However, as I have kept my consistency of just doing anywhere from 10-45 minutes a days, I have been able to fit back into all of my clothes and they are loose now! This has reaffirmed the principle of small and simple things. By doing a workout everyday, even if some days it was not much at all, I have seen great results over the period of 7 months. 

8.  We are glad where life has taken us and are learning just how important each person's role is in the family unit. Justin is an awesome and amazing husband and father. I could not do all that I do without him. We are celebrating our 5 year anniversary on Thursday! So crazy how quick and slow life seems to go. Quick while looking back, and slow in the moments. We never thought we would make it out of college, but some how we did!

We have been richly blessed with wonderful family and dear friends. 2013 has been good to us and we look forward to all 2014 has in store.


Justin and Ruth Blazzard

The Christmas Season

Our ward had their annual Christmas part last weekend. I had the opportunity to be the over seer of it and what a blast it was.The theme was "Christmas at Winter Quarters," and we had a wonderful old fashioned roast beef dinner, sang Christmas Hymns, and Square Danced! For any of you who have never square danced, as hick as it may sound, it is so much fun!

Natalie was very curious about Santa Claus. When Justin went to gather her up from Santa she swatted him away because she was still looking at his beard. We brought the 90's back that evening as she sported an outfit from my youngest sisters closet.

Thanks to my mom for shipping it to us so quickly.

Lastly, her Christmas dress! I was so excited to buy this for her as it was a tradition that I always grew up with. She likes it except for when it is time to crawl in it.

  

The night Justin carried in the Christmas tree she lit up with excitement as if to say, "I always wanted a real tree in my house." She likes to look at it especially when the lights are on, but has been pretty good about leaving it alone. She doesn't know what is coming, but she is going to love the wrapping paper on Christmas morning!

We have the power to....

I got barked at the other day by an older gentleman. I went with the missionaries for our church to visit a lady. It was freezing cold and I was in a hurry. I pulled up to the curb and thought I had pulled past the mailbox stationed on the curb close to me. I didn't check it though and just headed into the house. Forty five minutes later we emerged. I went to my car and began the process of strapping Natalie in to her car seat with her big puffy purple coat. I suddenly hear a very gruff voice asking me to not ever block his mailbox again if I come back. 

I looked out and quickly apologized and said I would be pulling forward. It seemed to fuel his anger. He gave me a few more short sentences with stern looks and a voice dripping with irritation. Again I apologized and quickly left.

I really felt terrible about this. I had not set out today to inconvenience anyone, but it happened because I am human and didn't realize the impact that split decision would have. 

I have also been greatly blessed by the kind actions of strangers the last couple of days. At two different stores I had individuals offer to take my cart back so I could take care of Natalie. While checking out at Joann's today I was taking longer than I should have because of having to search the diaper bag for an item I needed to return. When I glanced behind me to the growing line, an old lady greeted me with a smile and said that I was no problem. I actually made her feel better because she often forgets things as well. We exchanged a laugh and I left. Her patience, humor and warm smile brightened my day immensely and made me feel of worth.

As I pondered my different experiences the over those 48 hours, my reflections brought clarity to many truths I already know but continue to refine with experience.

1. Be kind to strangers! Your words and actions impact others for better or worse whether you know that person or not.

2. Be conscious of your decisions and way you choose to do or say things. They can cause frustration, more work and hurt feelings for others.

3. Realize that very rarely do people intentionally do things to hurt or inconvenience others. Most often they simply don't realize they have wronged you.

We are all imperfect beings with great power. I want to be more conscious of being kind and help leave a person with a better day than they already have.

Favorite Toy

Shoelaces just happen to be Ms. N's favorite toy these days. During the stretching portion of my workout videos she notices the stillness of the shoes. She will bee line it to get to the laces. If I leave them in the living room she is bound to get them. One morning I forgot they were there and came out of the kitchen to find her chewing on the bottom them. Nice right? Your can't accuse me of not exposing her to lots of different biological organisms. 

Utah Trip

 

In October we went on our first plane ride with Nat to Utah! She was her normal social self and did remarkably well. The only fussing was for about 10 minutes on our flight home. Both ways she slept and looked around. Her favorite part was the silver thing that holds the trays up on the seats. She really wished she could have gotten one in her mouth.

 Our main purpose for going was to see Josh and Brandi (Justin's youngest brother and sis-in-law) get sealed. It was a beautiful ceremony and the spirit was definitely there. I love going to sealings. It always brings to the fore front of my mind the importance of eternal marriage.

 We also did several fun things. All of them included visiting with family. One evening we went with Brad and Riata to the Desert Star in Salt Lake City. It is a small theater company that performs parodies. We hadn't been on a date in a while and it was alot of fun. Especially with these two!

 

 Justin's mom with her three granddaughters. She had only boys and now the next generation so far is only girls. It is always interesting to see how families play out.

 

 I thought this picture was darling. Brandi seemed so happy! These are the wives of the Blazzard boys. They are all great individuals and I am blessed to know them.

 Another highlight of the trip was meeting the family of an elder who served in our ward. His family lived in Heber which is only 20 minutes from Justin's hometown. We enjoyed meeting them and seeing exactly why he is the great missionary he is. 

The trip was fun and exhausting. We loved every minute of catching up with family members and even friends. However it is always nice to return to the normal routine of life. Natalie was very happy to be home, she calmed right down when she realized we were back in our apartment. 

Families are definitely the heart of life.

Justin and Ruth Blazzard

Eight Months Old

I strongly dislike having so many accessible pieces of technology that can take pictures. It means that I have pictures spread out on four different devices and when I sit down to compile them, never are all four handy. For this reason, it has been a while since my last blog post. Good thing Natalie's monthly posts get me back in the habbit.

The 'baby' as the three year old boy I tended this morning calls her, is now EIGHT months old! The doctor assured me that she would be entering the stranger danger time and would start having anxiety when she was separate from me. I questioned this, knowing just how social she is. I was right, so far she hasn't shown many signs of being stressed by other people or being away from me. In fact, when others say "Hi!" and talk to her she leans into them and wants them to hold her for a short period of time. It is very nice because alot of people like to talk to her.

She is working on the crawling position and gets closer every day. If you try to read her a book she grabs the book from you and precedes to look at it. If you pick up another one while she is reading she will grab that book from you. It is a vicious cycle, but one that I can support for now.

She started getting a tooth right before the eight month mark. She loves to squeal when she is happy or tired and sounds very similar to a tea kettle. I think her favorite part of the day is bath time. Justin usually does this and she loves playing with him and the water.

She also started a break through of sleeping through the night. The first morning after this transpired I really believe I heard a "Hallelujah" chorus. It is WONDERFUL!

She also had her first time of escaping us in church a couple of Sundays ago. She finally put her rolling skills together and was happy to roll over to those sitting close to us. I feel as though it all goes down from here as far as church is concerned. The days of chasing her up the aisle are quickly approaching.

I just can't believe what a joyful, pretty little red head we have been blessed with.

P.S. She only wore that ponytail for a total of 2 minutes. If you look closely you can see the elastic is not actually tight around the hair. In order to get it tight I would have caused tears from pulling the hair. It was definitely not worth it, but without it being tight it wouldn't last. I have really got to work on my little girl hair doing skills. 


Justin and Ruth Blazzard

Weeks go by...

My mother asked me last week, "So what are the big things you have coming up?" My response, "Oh, not too much just need to finish Natalie's halloween costume and a few things next week, but really not to busy."
 Then I went to church on Sunday and realized that this was not so.

We were asked to lengthen our stride with missionary work and this required some extra effort. Then I realized a friend was having a birthday this week, the ward halloween party was on Friday, Sunday we are supposed to be speaking, play group, lunch with friends, and lastly family pictures. Now I know that may not sound busy to many of you out there, but it has kept me hopping. I just marvel that I can go a couple weeks at a time with a lull, but then one week everything for the month seems to happen in 7 days....

I love this time of life especially when it is busy. Luckily it was a beautiful fall week here in Western Oregon. I am realizing I do need to be a bit more deliberate with my time and homemaking duties to maximize my time. That is my next topic to delve into for study. Happy weekend everyone. Hoping the weather holds for pictures tomorrow.


Justin and Ruth Blazzard

Old Fashioned and Darling

 A lady in my ward who I didn't even know at the time crocheted this darling bonnet and sweater for Natalie.  This lady makes something for anyone who she gets a baby shower invitation from. Even if she doesn't know them. Her kindness touched my heart when I opened the beautiful handcrafted gifts at my baby shower. It finally fits her and had to try it out a couple weekends back. The sun was pouring in through the large window creating an almost angelic look or maybe an old fashioned bouncing baby. I love it!

Justin and Ruth Blazzard

7 Months

- Great at sitting up and moving more and more
- Scoots backwards but get frustrated because she wants to go forward
- Doing better with eating baby food. Favorite is apricots
- Loves to get people's attention and smile at them
- Hugs a pillow while sleeping at night
- No teeth yet
- Likes to get outside and walk or go places
- Went on her first plane ride to Utah and did fabulously. Only whined for five minutes on the way back, then     fell asleep.
- Loves when Daddy comes home
- Takes two naps a day
- Likes to be wherever mom is
- Hates the vacuum

Justin and Ruth Blazzard

High Chair

Look who has a high chair now.

We got is last week at the Gresham Kid's ReSale for a great deal. 

I think she looks like such a big girl sitting in it and her sippy cup looks huge. 

She is doing a lot better at eating baby food now. I guess you just have to be consistent. 

She is also starting to sleep longer at night and I love it. 

Justin and Ruth Blazzard

Seattle Trip

The second to last weekend in September we drove to Seattle for a 24 hour get away. Mostly the draw was because Justin's parents were returning from an Alaskan Cruise and would be there for a short time and they could see Natalie. It was a nice time for our family to get out of town and to have a cultural experience at Pike's Market Place. Word to the wise, when your GPS takes you down the middle of Pike's Market Place, if you are driving a large pickup, don't do it. Just ignore the GPS voice and seek parking another way. Better yet, ride the trax into the heart of Seattle, it will be much easier.

Friday Night we went to see the Seattle temple.

This temple had four different large statues out front. This one related to the time we are at in life, so we took a picture.

The Back of the Temple

We met a nice couple from Texas at this point that we were glad to see so they could take a picture for us. We took a picture for them as well. 

At Panera Bread afterwards. Best sandwich shop ever and I have only eaten at them while traveling in the Eastern U.S. Needless to say I was excited to find one on the Westside.

Saturday driving into Seattle. It was HUGE!

The price of fruit at the market.

Davy Crockett also wearing his cat as he strolls down the street....

Entertaining banjo playing band.

It took us a while to meet up with his parents (communication break down) but we finally got it done.

There were tons of flower bouquets that were gorgeous and only $5 or $10. 

I got one and loved it!

Our fun day in Seattle. We now know a few more tricks for when we go back next time.

Justin and Ruth Blazzard

Life So Far This Fall

Our fall has started off with a full schedule. This week has been nice to catch our breath and prepare for the rest that is to come before Christmas. Justin was traveling for work the first couple weeks of September and I was busy with my first job of being mom and all the others hats I wear. At that time it was namely putting the finishing touches together for our Relief Society activity. Then we took our trip to Seattle to see Justin's parents and some sights.

Last week was full of helping people move, writing up recipes from the Relief Society Activity, preparing my first adult Sunday School lesson, visiting teaching and home teaching, being scared from the neighbors getting robbed and the questionable neighbors in our apartment complex, a cousins adoption shower and lastly the General Relief Society broadcast. The last event I listed was wonderful. It was very uplifting to listen to the Relief Society General Presidency and the Prophet. It was also a nice evening out with some of my friends.

The being scared part because the neighbors were robbed and the questionable apartment we have noticed was not fun. The neighbors who got robbed lived directly below and to the left of us. I kind of had a panic attack for about two days and wanted to leave this place ASAP. We were right at the deadline for needing to sign a new lease and then this happened along with a lot of interesting visitors coming to one apartment at all hours of the day. Needless to say this momma was worried. Since we have moved into these apartments we have never had nor heard of anything like this happening, until now.

The housing market is very expensive here whether you are renting or buying. I don't know that we would have been able to just find another place to rent for a reasonable expense in one week. Also, we are trying to just stay put until we are ready to buy. You can't put a price on safety though and with Justin traveling quite often for work there was no way I wanted to be here alone at night with the craziness going on.

It was a tricky situation and neither Justin nor I really knew what to do. So we hit our knees and prayed very hard and often for several days. Thankfully our prayers and fasts were answered and we feel at peace about staying put for right now. Things seem to be getting a little better around our apartments and we have added some safety hardware to our front door. I sleep so much better at night and am grateful for that. Losing inner peace is a trying experience.

City living has been quite the new experience for this country girl. I really don't ever recall feeling unsafe in the places I have lived. There are far more people in a smaller area here and sometimes others don't live like I think they should. Maybe I have said this all before, but even when I was little I told my mom that I did not want to live in a big city. Where do I find myself and my little family? The big city, ok, maybe it isn't huge, but for me it is quite enough. There are times that I really love it, but last week I really didn't. It was a good lesson to go through and I know that we are where the Lord wants us to be right now and because of that he will watch over us.


Justin and Ruth Blazzard

I love it when Natalie wears something on her head. As silly as that sounds, I can't help but smile at how darling she is. 

 Usually when this is on her head she whips it right off. That is funny to watch as well because she gets so irritated with it. She puts up with so much from her crazy parents.

Justin and Ruth Blazzard

This pictures is a couple months old. We just like to meditate with our feet in the air some times.

Justin and Ruth Blazzard

Rainy Sunday Afternoon

Justin and Ruth Blazzard