Happy 1st Nola

Picture time

Nola being done with picture time

Cake time

Bath time
We had a great time celebrating Nola's birthday down in Utah with my family last Saturday. This Saturday it's birthday number 2 with the Simpson's.

Has it really been 1 Year

Happy birthday to my baby girl!

Giving Thanks

This is the time of year when one should sit back and be grateful. Thanksgiving after all is about being grateful for the things that we have. It's a god like quality to express gratitude. He wants us to be grateful for the things that he has blessed us with. Most often even through our darkest hours we can look back and remember how he shows himself unto us. It could have been through a friend or a family member calling you or stopping by. It could be through feelings and thoughts he places in our hearts to let us know he is aware of us. I want to be like him so I will express gratitude for the many blessings he has blessed into my life. I am first grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later day Saints. I know what my ancestors went through to be apart of a religion that they knew was true. My great great grandmother left her families fortune and was turned out of her home to join the saints for something greater then herself. Because of numerous courageous family members I have the blessing of the gospel in my life. I am grateful to a husband who is not afraid to speak of his weaknesses and ask for my forgiveness. He is my strength even when he clinging to mine. I am grateful that Devin is willing to work two jobs right now so that we can re build our savings to buy a home. I am grateful that we are done with school and that Devin has started to do what he set out so many years ago to do. I am grateful for Nola who let's me glimpse into heaven through her eyes. She is a miracle to us after we tried unsuccessfully for so long to begin our family. She keeps me laughing when some moments all I want to do is cry. She is healthy, strong and smart. I am grateful for those things. I am grateful to be her mother. I am grateful she gives me a reason every day to not think about just myself. I am grateful for our families. Our parents who raised us both with a knowledge of God and his goodness. Thank you Mom and Dad Simpson for opening your home to us until we figure things out. Thank you Nolan for letting Nola rip your "Ducks Unlimited magazine" just so I can veg on the couch for five minutes. We love you both so much. Thank you Mom and Dad Searle for being there for us. I know you as well would have gladly opened your home to us if needed and we are so lucky to have such a great set of parents to keep us grounded but to also lift us up. I am grateful to Darnell who has so graciously invited us to be a part of so much of his hard work. You are a great brother and we feel your love and concern for not only the business but our family as well. I am thankful for the sweet neighbor girl who made Nola a cupcake and brought it by for her birthday the other day. What a sweet act of service. Nola will not remember your sweet thoughtfulness but her mother will never forget. My Heavenly Father does reveal himself to me through so many of you. Thank you for being you. I love you all. Happy Thanksgiving!

Snow Day

Star Valley got a little snow last week. It wasn't much but it was perfect snow man snow. This Utah mom couldn't help but drag Nola out and make her first Snow man. The really cool part is that Grandpa Simpson has the perfect snow man accessories all over his yard. Including coal for his face. Isn't he cute!

Halloween

Ready, Ready, Ready to Run.....

Devin has finally started working. He took his state test last week and got his license number on Friday. It has been so long coming it doesn't feel real. I was doing laundry the other day putting away all of Devin's old grubby work clothes thinking Hum now it's back to dress clothes and ironing. Oh well it's worth it. It's nice to have him working. Nola and I enjoyed a nice week long visit to Utah last week with my family. I still love that I am so close again. Mom might not think 3 hours is so close since her other grand kids are 3 minutes away but we keep reminding her 3 hours is better than 12. Nola has reached a few mile stones since I wrote a couple weeks ago. She is climbing stairs( which she just figured out on her own) all by herself to my dismay. She has decided that baby food is not her thing anymore and loves to eat cheese. She has figured out a lot of things watching her older cousins do them. She can walk pretty well actually but she is still a little in secure about it and prefers to crawl the long distances. She is getting big and I must admit my baby girl is looking more and more like a little girl. Sniffle, sniffle, TEAR......She keeps me running for sure. We are excited to celebrate her first Halloween and cannot wait to see her in her costume I am putting some finishing touches on. Don't worry I didn't make it. I am not that talented. At least not yet. I bought it I am just adding to it. It has been snowing here and today I took Nola out to play and we built a snowman. I took some pictures but I am too tired to download right now so I will post pics of her and our snowman later. That's our update for now.

How we are spending our days.

We have been in Wyoming for over a month now and we are still not sure what our immediate future holds. Devin has submitted his application to get a license and we are still waiting to hear back from the state on where and when he can take his state licensing test. This process seems to be dragging on, as we were hoping to be practicing by now. However, we are finding many ways to spend our time. Devin has been able to help his dad out with the store at his busiest time of year. He is also earning some money helping Darnell lay carpet. He also as been the "go fer" helping his brother, cousin, and dad get their elks off the mountain. Nola and I have been a bit more lazy. We play outside, have snack time and play with grandma while the boys are getting our meat. I am heading home next week to see my family in Utah. It is still so wonderful to be able to go down when I want. Nola is walking.............Well when she wants to. She can do it, but she forgets sometimes and just crawls. She cracks us all up. If she just knew how much freedom is awaiting her when she can go where she wants. I however am not sure if I am ready to chase her even more than I already do. She loves pulling out all grandpa's newspapers and throwing them about. She has also discovered the cupboards. She especially enjoys the one the garbage is in. I spent most of September canning and cutting. We have mostly enjoyed just being home. I found myself a little home sick for Oregon last night. We miss so many of you, but love having our family all so close. I hope I never take it for granted.

Nola's Eleventh month

One Month until my baby turns 1! I cannot believe it has been a year. CRAZY!!!!!

Country Pumpkin-Nola 11 months

Just Another Day In Wyoming

Our days in Wyoming are much different than our days in Oregon. We were headed up the canyon to roast some hot dogs and came upon this the other night. I took this pic with Devin's camera phone so it's not so great, but a truck had gone over the edge and it was straight down. What's amazing to us is that it didn't roll. CRAZY COWBOYS!

Nola 10 Months

A welcome Home

A welcome home sign just for us at Grandpa's store.

Nola at the fruit stand

Nola and daddy hanging out outside.

We have been home for over three weeks now. Nola has
had a hard time adjusting on top of teething. She is getting used to the idea of all her crazy cousins and her family. Devin is still waiting for his diploma from Western States so he can take his State test and begin practicing already. In the mean time he is laying carpet with Darnell and helping his dad get grain in. It's a busy time of year around here. I have been busy canning, running errands, holding Nola from all her drama, getting settled and just adjusting back to this life. I guess I have needed to do that as well as Nola girl. We love that we are home.

Good Bye Oregon

I remember leaving Salt Lake three years ago and thinking someday it will be hard to leave Oregon. It was hard for me to imagine then, but that bitter sweet moment I thought about three years ago has arrived. Our summary of Oregon would have to begin with what brought us here in the first place. Devin has worked so hard to complete his graduate degree. I often under estimate the sacrifice he has endured to be able to do something he loves and to provide for his family. I am so thankful for him. I am thankful for my Oregon family. Chiropractic families that we have spent holidays with and shared our most precious moments with. My co-workers some of whom have become my friends for life. You have been a great strength to me and I am so grateful to you. I am however through all the sadness of leaving excited to be home and closer to our family. Having Nola only made that desire stronger. It has been the best three years, but also the roughest. I feel refined and a little more experienced. The time has come to start the rest of our lives. Good bye Everyone. Good bye Oregon.

One week and counting

We have packed up just about half the house now and are anxiously awaiting for next Monday to come. Tuesday we officially leave, but Monday we can load up. Devin is so close to being done we can actually smell it. Everyone keeps asking me if I am excited to move and I just keep saying YES! Oregon has been home for three years, but it's time to really go home. Devin has not been home for good in 6 long years. It's time. We have paid our dues. We have stayed our stay. I never thought leaving would feel so right!

Nola's first Oreo

This wasn't my smartest mom moment. I probably should have put her in her high chair so I didn't have to clean the carpet too, but Oh well she loved it.

Hanging out with Scarlet Humphreys

Cheesecake with Nola

I made cheesecake and thought Nola would like some.
I have never seen her lick a spoon clean yet!

New Bike

We sold our car for more then we thought we would so we splurged and got Nola some new toys.

9 Months

CRAM SESSION

Mt. St Helen's is big foot country.

We have lived so close to Mt. St Helen's all this time and have never bothered to go see it. I guess we are now trying to cram everything in. Devin has time and I am not working anymore so cram session begins. We drove up to Johnston's point Observatory with Mike and Julie and had a fun day. It's crazy to think about how the Earth was created ( under Heavenly Father's direction of course) by these Volcano's and the devastation the area experienced in 1980. It changed the landscape and continues to do so. The before 1980 and after pictures don't look like the same place. We had fun learning and exploring.

As we drove along the road it was foggy and we were feeling like a usual Pacific Northwest morning might ruin our plans, but as we drove not seeing our destination all the sudden this is what we saw. It was breath taking. We felt like we were flying above the clouds. This is Mt. St Helen's as we first saw it on Saturday.

A view from Johnston's point

Nola practicing her standing.

The Toutle river no more. Now it's ash from the explosion still 30 years later. You can see the Mt off in the distance.