Four Months

This is five days before sweet Natalie's four month mark, but I don't have one closer to that date. She is truly the light of our lives. Our love continues to grow for this little red haired brown eyed girl. She loves to talk to us and smile. You can see in her eyes that she wants so badly to be big. She no longer likes being rocked to sleep. She has had a hard time nursing for the last month. Getting very close to rolling over. Can grab things and loves to taste everything she does grab. Has been drooling like crazy. Can get every ones attention around her. Really doesn't have to loud of a cry. Is a fabulous napper and still working on sleeping through the night. We love our Nat girl.
Justin and Ruth Blazzard

Christmas Cactus

Remember how I said this only blooms once a year. Well it made a liar out of me. Four days ago I found nine blooms on it. I guess it is saying thanks for the new pot and the great Oregon weather. It was such a neat surprise to find on our back porch.

Justin and Ruth Blazzard

Playing With Dad

 Just being a 'sack of tatoes'.

 Before Justin left for a three day trip. Natalie really loves her daddy. When Justin is away and calls home for the night her eyes light up when I turn the phone on speaker. She smiles and grins and looks at me as if to say, "That is dad, isn't it? I sure do love him."

Justin and Ruth Blazzard

The 4th of July

I love this holiday. Nothing like celebration in the summer and doing it for the greatest country in the world. I feel so blessed to have been born in this great nation. We haven't had a consistent July 4th celebration since we were married. This year we dressed up in our red, white and blue apparel and headed to the Corbett Parade. Barbecuing came later and that evening we traded fireworks for packing to go to Ontario the next day. The parade was enjoyable, the rest of the day well...exhausting. Next year I will do better to make it seem more like an actual holiday.

 Justin got this bucket the previous week from a special sale at Coastal. I scoffed at it at first, but it worked perfect for the baby to stand in to watch the parade. No, just kidding, weused it for our candy. Those in the parade loved to try and toss their candy into it like a basketball hoop. I highly recommend it for any of you looking for a way to increase your candy loot at the next parade.

Justin and Ruth Blazzard

Financial Homemaking

We have always been pretty good about living frugally. Never having lived on a really strict, visual budget we were able to graduate college with no debt. We also paid off a car loan we took out last year in seven months. While the organized side of me really wanted to be on a strict budget with spreadsheets and goals, my husband didn't see the need for it. We seemed to do great with our method of buying only the necessities, eating at home, and keeping our entertainment to a minimum. This did work really well until having Natalie.

She is the biggest blessing in our lives and we are so grateful to have her. It has always been our plan to have me stay home with our children. However, switching to one income has been a wake up call that we need to tighten up where we are spending our money and carefully plan where it goes. We have this goal of getting into a home next year. To make this possible while living on one income is going to require some work and creativity. We are committed though. I am excited to see how far I can make a dollar stretch. I was really inspired by the Fun, Cheap or Free Queen blog. She has great information on how much you really should be spending on groceries, how much you should be saving of each pay check, and how to do things better.

Many times in our married life and especially now I have worried about being able to contribute more financially. Justin never makes me feel this way, it is always just my thoughts. It has become clear to me that I can. By being a better steward of the home I am in charge of and plan things out with more precision. Look for ways to barter services with others. Be creative! Many thoughts and ideas have come as I have tried to focus on what I can do, rather than what I cannot.  Here is to working on being content, creative and making the most of what we have.

Justin and Ruth Blazzard

Saturday Mornings

Natalie has a habbit of coming into bed with us at about 5 in the morning. 

Well, maybe it is my bad habbit so I don't have to go get her another time to feed her or rock her again.

 Either way she likes it. 

Here's to Saturday mornings with Dad.

Justin and Ruth Blazzard

How to Enjoy a Summer Evening

Since Justin is on the road a lot, Natalie and I spend all day just the two of us. In the evening time she can get a little fussy and wants to be constantly moving. I on the other hand just want to sit down and kick up my feet. We came to a compromise, we go for a walk. It is enjoyable for both parties... well I believe Natalie likes it, she usually falls asleep during it so I would say she is at least relaxed by it.This is what our day looks like at about 7 p.m.

In the beginning....

 This is a big A hill we have to walk up... Well ok,  maybe I choose to walk up it, but it is still hard

A garden that someone has in there front yard, it is sometimes tempting later in the season to pick their cherry tomatoes. Don't worry, I never do.

 We take this road because it is quiet with few cars. That is something we miss about our life in the country. It is always so noisy here. Notice her eyes and we aren't even close to the finish line.

 Beautiful view when we get to the walking park.

 This is the walking park. It is exactly .5 miles around it. We just walk through it because the stroller on the gravel turns poor N into a bobble head.

Exercise stations along the walking path. Justin and I occasionally practice these...lol.

I heart summer evenings and they are even better with a baby.

Justin and Ruth Blazzard