Moving to CHINA!

“Ni Hoa!”

“Wo hui shuo zhong wen yi dian dian.”

“Ting bu dong. Xie xie!” :D

“Hi!”

(After they speak to me in return)

“I speak a little Chinese…”

(After they speak to me in return)

“I don’t understand, thank you!”

(Big sincere smile).

We’ve arrived safely to the other side of the globe! Dallas has had a bit better access on his phone to Facebook, but mine’s still in the works and we JUST got our internet in the apartment up and running, so here’s our first post from China!

When moving to a new country with small children, I find this to be truth:

Being married to Dallas has lifted my life in so many ways. One of my favorite traits he has is the ability to live without the heaviness of worry. There are certainly circumstances that are more intense, but he has a graceful way of greeting challenges and change that puts all who surround him at ease.  He’s able to cut through the layers, find the joy in the simplicity and then spread that like electricity spreads through a home to light a house when the switch is turned on.

Gratefully, this trait has rubbed off on me enough throughout the last decade together that I really wasn’t super worried about moving to China. We’ve lived here before…just a short stint in 2005 for four months…and it was no coincidence that I had the opportunity to adjust to a different culture, and new everything back then in order to have a sneak preview into life in 2014. I’m entirely grateful for all that adventure taught me about humility, kindness, grace, patience and wonder.

Fast forward. The lack of worry WAS a good thing and I’m not sure how prepared you can really be to “choose which waves [of feelings] to surf.” A long day of travel, two young boys (who did miraculously well on the flight, all things considered), jet lag, the ache of goodbyes, the frustration of not being able to communicate, and living out of a hotel (albeit lovely in every way), realizing our things from home won’t be here for at least six weeks and adjusting to a different country was all a bit much for the first few days.  But knowing from previous experience to “never analyze ANYTHING in a low mood” I attempted to let it all sit and simmer a bit, at least until my jet lag subsided. :) I didn’t have to have my whole new purpose, schedule, and life planned out upon arrival…where’s the adventure and excitement in THAT?!

Fast forward a few more days…the fog has dissipated and joy has returned more intensely than I expected. God is great that way. As we discuss our raw and rough pieces with Him, He listens patiently, knowing that in due time our perspective will lift and broaden to a view closer to His.  And that lifted view is gratitude. I’m grateful for loads of things as we embark on this exciting adventure together. Here are just a few…

• My husband speaks Mandarin FLUENTLY…so many people living in Shenzhen as expats don’t have that luxury. Applying for permanent resident visas, riding in taxis, getting hotel rooms, ordering food, setting up internet, purchasing furniture…all WITH the ability to effectively communicate. BONUS.
• Dallas’ company is taking great care of us and making it possible for our children to experience high quality and cultured education, and for us to live in an expat community with other foreigners who are experiencing the same changes we are.
• Chinese law allows us to meet with other foreigners to worship in ways that are familiar and meaningful to us. Our small congregation here is made up of people from all over the world and affords us every opportunity to learn, serve and love in ways we wouldn’t otherwise have.
• My boys are thriving. Lincoln jumped right in to school and his 8:00-3:00 M-F schedule hasn’t even phased him. He was tired for the first few days, but loves his new environment. Cole and I have gotten to hang out a lot this week, just the two of us, without distraction. I love that.

It’s hard to be grumpy when you’re grateful, right mom? :)

I could go on, but the length of this post is sufficient. Our love to you all! Thanks for your love, support and encouragement all along the way!

It IS a joyful life!

Take a look at the slideshow below to see what we've been up to!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hi again! The Stahle clan has been fabulously busy with life since my last post. My summer and fall updates are above this post, and I have videos of my EPIC relay, The Seattle to Portland, and this summer's Girl's Camp below. Let's be honest, five slideshows AND a lengthy post is sort of a time commitment...so update at your leisure. :) Happy Thanksgiving! We have so much to be grateful for today and every day. 

I've been thinking a lot for the last several months about lots of things, as is the usual case in this brain of mine. I've hit the big 30 this month and although I've actually not thought intensely about graduating into the next decade of life, I have been discovering a lot about the things that are most important to me. There have been a few bumps along life's road this year for the Stahles and just like anyone dealing with road blocks or "opportunities for growth" (Blech), we tend to reevaluate why we do the things we do and how we want things to be. The other day, (which, "the other day" always means about a month or two ago, FYI) we were on a walk with Lincoln to the park. He has been so aware of the Fall and the colors. (My post around this time last year was motivation for me to teach him EARLY about the beauty that surrounds us in all seasons instead of just enduring the discomfort that the lack of sunshine brings to my California roots). Anyway...every time Lincoln makes mention of the colors or notices the things that little kids notice about the seasons changing, my heart smiles a little and I learn a little more about how I want to see the world through the eyes of a child. On this walk, Lincoln noticed that the leaves were falling off of the trees. Dallas began this beautiful explanation about how as the trees prepare for winter time, they need to take care of the parts of themselves that are most important, like the trunk and the roots, which takes away some of the energy that normally gets fed to the leaves. Over time, the leaves start to change color before they fall off the tree as it prepares itself for colder and darker seasons. But, next year, in the Spring time, warmth and more light helps the tree grow again, leaves and blossoms grow back and the process begins yet again. As Dallas simply explained this process to Lincoln, I couldn't help but think about how I've done that very thing so many times in my life. Storms and difficulties rage and the focus turns to my trunk and my roots, to weather the storm and in the process, new life, new perspective and new opinions blossom.

I've determined since I last posted that there are 4 things I feel completely passionate about in this "season" of my life. They are recurring concepts that I keep coming back to, analyzing and seeking to implement and understand.

1. You've all seen a ven diagram, yes?

You all have your own circles. I am i mine. Somewhere, somehow, at a specific time and for a specific reason, we connect with each other. The shaded area represents that part. It's called...wait for it...connection. :) It can be hard to describe, but I feel like it's right up there with being in love, the miracle of childbirth, reuniting with a long lost friend or relative...sometimes it lasts for a few moments, other times it lasts for months and years.

Brene Brown, whom I've come to love and respect, said, "I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen,heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.”

In my life, connection to others and connection to God are essential to happiness. When we seek for it we notice it. When we notice it and acknowledge it, our desire to seek for it increases and the cycle repeats itself. God wants us to feel that connection with people, with our passions, and with Him. As we include Him in our learning, our uncomfortable, frustrating, and sometimes annoying learning, sometimes he will take our hand and lead us, sometimes he will sit or walk beside us, and sometimes he blesses our lives with people that teach us more than we could learn on our own. Connection, true connection, lifting connection, is what adds that dimension to our lives that helps us avoid the trap we can fall into with the routine that can become robotic and inflexible. Routine is good, don't get me wrong. It is actually essential for my personality and lifestyle in several cases, but not at the expense of truly connecting and SEEing my children and those I love.

2. Purpose. We all need purpose. It makes us feel needed, necessary, important, driven and spurs us on to do incredible things! I used to believe that we all just need to find our "purpose" in life and if we keep looking and praying and trying, that it would become clear. I still believe that to an extent, but I think I've been missing the mark. I think purpose can be found everywhere. We can assign a purpose to every experience we have, which changes how we think about family, God, work, school, struggles, friendship, food, exercise, emotions, etc. As we seek to understand the purpose in these smaller things, our perspective becomes more charactered and meaningful, which then creates all sorts of receptors, so that we can recognize opportunities or struggles that come for the purpose they serve, then turn around and use them to create something more grand. If we are made in the image of God, then we are in fact, by nature, creators. We create humans! We create beautiful experiences both from the cards we are dealt and from intentionally making decisions about what purpose we want to have each day. Sometimes my purpose is to make sure my children live through the day. :) Other days my purpose is to lift the sagging spirit of a friend. And still other days my purpose is overcoming the natural tendency I have to be self-critical. By small means, great things come to pass...I'm finding the value of patience in seeking for purpose. I can be quite an overachiever when I determine something is really important to me, but sometimes in the day to day concerns, stresses and reactions, we lose sight of the perspective each and every experience provides.

3. Worthiness. This is huge. I am grateful to parents and to a husband that have contributed greatly to my sense of worthiness. I'm referring to the feeling "worth it" sense of worthiness. I've always felt worth the fight, worth the effort and worth working through the "stuff"...and I want everyone I meet to have that same feeling because I think that's what God wants for us too. Sometimes we arrive at certain stages of our lives by hanging on for dear life to the coat tails of a loved one...completely insecure, unaware and wide eyed, just hoping no one realizes we have no idea what we are doing until we determine how to fake it enough until we make it...enough. I do not say "fake it" in terms of being disingenuous. I think motion creates emotion...I didn't believe it for years when my dad would preach it to me...but it's true. You want to eat healthier after you've already eaten healthy for a few days. You want to exercise more, after you've actually made it through the first week. I am more likely to fold the giant load of laundry on my couch once I get my butt over to said couch and start folding...Sometimes we sincerely and authentically attempt to find our worth in things and identify ourselves by them. I am a stellar mom. I don't feel like it most of the time, but that's because I don't choose to feel like it. My kids know they are loved, cared for and that they can pray for help and get it. I work part time, I spend a million hours trying to keep up with household stuff that is redundant and repetitive, but nice to accomplish. I invest several hours a week into the youth in my congregation. I try to serve the every day people I come in contact with...and sometimes it is all exhausting. But, whatever these things are...they are GOOD. God is good. He wants us to be good. But we are good to Him because we are His, not because of what we are doing. Sure, there is value to serving, stretching, prioritizing and becoming. Of course...of course! I copied a phrase from some success book a decade ago to put on my affirmations I have on my fridge. "I see the value of what I am becoming, while I am achieving." Worthiness comes from within and in my opinion, from understanding Whose we really are.

4. Peace. This part is crucial. I have a crazy active brain. One that really only stops at night (gratefully) when my head hits the pillow. (This is a literal statement. My bed is a dangerous place if you want to have a conversation...or a prayer. I have a delicious pillow and comfy memory foam topper that envelope all my cares when I climb into bed in .2 seconds no less). But...the 18 other hours a day, my brain really is like the internet superhighway Mark Gungor talks about. Synapses are firing RIDICULOUSLY fast on all fronts. So naturally peace is something I seek. I was at a retreat recently where a woman spoke about meditation. It reminded me of the playlist I created of "Soothing Massage" music for when I was in labor with Cole and how amazing and powerful our minds really are. They can create calm amidst the storm. I was able to focus and be calm in my mind, while my body was pushing a blasted HUMAN BEING out of it...that is pretty miraculous. And that is just a small piece of the beauty in "mind over matter". Peace is really an intentional thing for me. The more I seek it, the more I find it. The more I acknowledge it, the more often I recognize it and feel it. For me, peace isn't the absence of hard things. It's the calm assurance that I'll pull through victorious. It's also that feeling I get when Lincoln comes up to me on the couch and snuggles up into my side and says, "I love you, mom." Or when Cole leans into my face with his slobbery mouth gaping open to give me a "kiss". Or, when Dallas and I are doing the dishes together or folding laundry and catch each other's eyes for a few seconds and say, "I love you." Out loud. Those are the peaceful moments that matter. 

Thanks for reading all of my pontifications on life! Enjoy the pics of the last six months! There are lots!

Helloooo!!! 

It has ONLY been six months since my last post!! ;) It would be utterly ridiculous and quite lengthy for me to tromp through and explain all of our activities and excitement during said time frame AND include my pontifications on life, so I’ve posted three slideshows to sum it all up for you in order to allow more space for my opinions (which I know you ALL want to hear). :) Don’t feel any obligation to stick around after the slideshows. Seriously. There’s no way for me to even know, so there’s no accountability on your end. You are free to choose. Ha! 

We live a beautiful life. It is filled with gobs of love, loads of beauty, beautiful friendships, important responsibilities, fantastic messes, occasional heartache, and frequent busyness. But we make a choice each and every day to love God, ourselves and each other, so that allows us to witness the wonder that is alive all around us.

I’ve had a lot on my mind these last several months. I’m a woman, let’s be honest, I always have a lot on my mind. I am a poster child for Dr. John Lund’s explanation of a woman’s brain being like an internet super highway where everything is connected. AND...I must give credit where credit is due...my husband has an uncanny ability to listen, navigate (keyword) and communicate with me in spite of all the words, ideas, and thoughts I drag him through. Props babe. Really. 

Lately, my mind keeps redirecting and readjusting towards the following: 

I have been contemplating what it means to have joy in all areas of my life. Even the UNfun, tedious, lame, and truly difficult parts. I think I’ve spent a lot of my life in a rush, in order to do the most productive thing at any given moment and measure results by how many items I could check off my list. I am quite task oriented and appreciate quantifiable results, so sauntering through life smelling the roses wasn’t of any real interest to me. Not because the roses weren’t beautiful, just because I’d rather have done something else. Which was fine. I think several people live their lives in a similar fashion. 

However...as the days repeat themselves, and I manage the daily routine of being a wife, a mom, an employee, a Young Women’s President, a friend, and making sure to squeeze a workout in, it is easy to get caught up in reacting to what other people think I should be spending my time and energy on. I’m quite capable and confident in my abilities to produce quality results in a lot of good areas, but in so doing, I sometime find my thoughts running away from me and lack the peace that is essential in finding joy in this experience called LIFE. 

The beautiful thing about having a relationship with God is that amidst the craziness, I can successfully be at peace...if I choose. I read once that sometimes “God calms the storm, but sometimes he lets the storm rage and calms you.” I don’t feel that the aforementioned list of roles I play produce a raging storm (except sometimes when there is a simultaneous tantrum and screaming baby...that’s not really a storm...just the presence of rage from all parties involved). Regardless, I love that concept. We can find peace and joy in THE MIDST of every part of our lives. 

Another phrase also keeps popping into my brain, “Look to God and LIVE.” Those words, “look” and “live” are such active words (I’m an active person, so this speaks wonderfully to my soul), and they are the how behind the Principle of the Exponential Return on Investment. Living life...everyone lives life. But, I want to feel ALIVE while living my life! I feel a bit deflated when I look at all the hustle and bustle in this world and how much beauty and LIFE gets passed by due to the urgency everyone feels. Back to the Exponential ROI principle: I have found 100% of the time that when I make an effort to appreciate the blossoms in the spring, the leaves in the fall, the purples, pinks and yellows in a sunset, smile back at the smiles from my children, wrestle with them on the floor, linger in the hugs from a friend, look at my husband directly in the eyes when I say I love you...these things produce exponential results. They are small investments, meaningful ones. That, if we choose to SEE, have dramatic returns, exponential returns. One of the definitions of exponential is “any positive constant raised to a power”. I think that God smiles upon these efforts and so he willingly, happily and lovingly bestows an extra portion of joy on those who intentionally seek it. Then our eyes are opened to see more, then we feel more, smell more, taste more, and hear more. Isn’t that what being alive is all about? Our senses have been dulled over time by all sorts of things, even GREAT things. Maybe our attempt to cram the infinite number of great things into the finite amount of time and energy available. 

I was talking to a woman the other day who rides her bike EVERY WHERE. She has a perfectly suitable vehicle and I had seen her riding her bike in the rain the morning before. I asked her how long it takes her to get to church, and asked her why she rides her bike when she has a van? She responded, “I feel so alive when I’m on my bike. The smells, the feel of the air, the scenery...it’s wonderful.” My whole perspective on her situation changed. What a beautiful concept...to feel alive while living. It’s all about being intentional. Intentional with our families. Intentional with our friendships. Intentional with our finances. Intentional with our health, our love, our forgiveness, our passions and our time. I am finding that I am passionate about this subject. Evidently. :) 

Life experiences are not always joyful. There is a lot of STUFF going on in every relationship, household, job, church, and country. But there is always joy to be found for those who decide it’s worth searching for. And if our small investments of effort are guaranteed to produce an exponential return on investment, that math seems pretty solid to me. 

In the continued process of carving out time to feel and experience joy, I hope that it’s not another six months before I post again, I obviously always have a lot to say. But, if it is...I’ll be happy to share my thoughts again then! 

"Faith will keep you free. Especially from fear and worry."
--Grandma Simmons

If we are free from fear and worry, that leaves LOTS of space for JOY :) 

Until next time! 

Ash

Helloooo November!!

Life has been so exciting in the Stahle household! We work hard, we play hard and most of all we are so blessed! Life with Cole in it seems like it has always been this way. I guess maybe that's how it's supposed to be for me. I felt the same when I married Dallas. And then when Lincoln came along. I think it is so fantastic that God can just increase the size of our hearts to accommodate the amount of love that grows inside of them.

I have to be completely honest that this is the FIRST year of my life that I have loved Autumn. Maybe it's the California girl in me that was just too decided that the REAL excitement was in the beauty of the Spring that led into the sunny, outdoor activities of the Summer: Trips to the lake, to the beach, endless salad recipes and predictable running weather. The on-the-go excitement of outdoor activities and never wearing shoes...like ever. Most of my favorite memories growing up are from the summer months. I always used to get sad about the shortening of the days, the cold, the rain and lack of sunshine. Then I moved to Oregon and just let the lack of non-stop sunshine BUG.  However, people change. Although I still have a special place saved for the Spring/Summer months, this year I have decided to be just as excited about the Fall. It was kind of an accidental decision, not a really deliberate one. Children have a special way of reminding us about the simple things in life that really matter. A friend and I took our kids to go puddle jumping several months ago and ever since, Lincoln jumps in EVERY puddle he sees now. I love it. I always just plan to have an extra set of clothes and a towel or wipes in the car since I never know what kind of adventure (puddle jumping, poopy pants, ya know...whatever) are in store. There is a part of me that USED to react immediately to such childish and impulsive behavior, thinking about the mess, the laundry and potential bad habits developing. But there is a MUCH bigger part of me that LOVES the childish mindset of finding joy in the simple things...it is so much more meaningful. Lincoln is now starting to make up his own songs and pick out his own clothes as well...completely fascinates me and doesn't bother me at all (that is sort of a lie) that he loves to wear his green sock with his bowling sock, shoes on the wrong feet, no coat and his superman shirt and Lightning McQueen pajamas. Occasionally I make strong suggestions. I recently heard someone make the point that we have the privilege of knowing our children as adults for the rest of forever, but for now and a few precious years, we can enjoy THIS time. So I plan to. Thanks. 

That all being said, I think we can enjoy THIS time in a lot of areas of our lives. I started running again a few months ago and decided to not take my Ipod with me for now. I'm sure that idea might change, but for now, it is an hour or less of silence and pondering that helps me think and love and pray. I like to be busy. I actually prefer it. And busy isn't the right word. Productive? Effective? I like effective better. It is a constant question of what is most important and how to adapt to the unexpected events in my life...which happen ALL the time. It is all about perspective. The energy that I have wasted over the years on worry and over things I cannot control is staggering. I still worry sometimes. Usually about people I love that are hurting. But there is so much good to be grateful for, so much beauty to believe in and so many wonderful people to discover, that it seems like an easy decision about where to spend my thoughts...

Which brings me to FALL. We are blessed tremendously with gorgeous views here in the Pacific Northwest. I find myself in awe of the variety in the beauty on a daily basis. The rain will get old when June comes and I still have to wear a coat, but for now...instead of dreading it and feeling lethargic and disappointed that the sun is hiding, I am really set on enjoying this "Precious Present" I have with my boys. All three of them. Life gets busy. Things get hard. My plan always gets interrupted, screwed up or turned upside down. But, it's all part of the process. And I'm grateful for the process...

Here are some pics of our "process" these last few months...

It will probably be another few months before I post more...let's be honest...

 Lincoln and Caleb at the Portland Children's Museum painting their own faces. My favorite is the after Museum Costco Run...Lincoln parades himself through the store with his masterpiece face art like a CHAMP.

 While separating his string cheese snack, he says, "Look mom, bYu!" His daddy would be so proud...

We had a really fun night partying with the Crozier boys this night. Lincoln ate an amazing amount of meatballs...as did Matthew, the one to his right. Hysterical.

Dallas wanted Lincoln to have some BYU paraphernalia to wear to school, so he sent us a package while he was in China to make sure Linc had everything in time for Preschool. :)

This picture took place right after I scolded Lincoln for climbing in the Pack'n'Play...it sounded something like this, "LIIIIINCOOOOOLN...seriously dude, get OUT of the pack n play. That is Cole's space. You will BREAK it! Wait....stay there. I want a picture! Okay GET OUT!!!" I'm just prepping him for any potential emotional indecisiveness of any other women in his life. No big deal.

We love friends. And snack time. Sometimes in the reverse order. But both are essential for true happiness.

The JEEP. This may not be completely age appropriate yet, but since we got it from another awesome family and it ROCKS, there is no way it's just going to sit in our garage...so, we tend to run over our friends, into fences and fall out backwards due to lack of skills and slow response time, but in time, I'm sure we will master it. Uncle Heath, please come visit and teach us your ways of maneuvering the Pink Barbie Car of your childhood...

  

My sweet happy baby. Cole is very mellow and very smiley. We love him. We'd love him if he wasn't. I don't anticipate the "mellow" to last, since it was short-lived with Lincoln, but I am enjoying every second of it for the time being. 

 Cole is starting to scoot, rolls over and laughs all the time. He's pretty tough, since he has Lincoln for a big brother. We are working on maintaining boundaries. I look forward to the day where he can fight back...well...actually I don't, but for his sake, I kind of do.

Izzy (whom I am trying to love) and Cole...Izzy is a relatively well behaved cat. I don't have to feed her or give her water...she does her bathroom thing on her own...pretty low maintenance. She knows she will get thrown across the room if she bites by baby, so I'd say we have good boundaries set. Sorry Selonna, I do not share the Stahle love for felines...but, she is getting to be more cuddly and mellowing out...we've had her for 3 months now...

Dallas and Lincoln caught a fish while camping! 

Dallas' mini moto trip with work buddies up and around Mt. St. Helen's.

Linc at soccer practice. Little Big Kicks...he's pretty good. And I consider myself qualified to determine such things...even if I am his mother. :)

 Showing off his newly learned skill...

 Mom, Dad, Brookie and Grandpa Jay came up for Cole's blessing. Always a treat to have family visit...

 

Dallas on his Moto Mancation...on the Oregon Coast...check out these views!!

 

  

 Dallas and I at the Shins Concert at the Keller Auditorium. So WORTH it!!!

 This was at Imagine Dragons...also loved them. Not crazy about the venue, but their music was AWESOME.

Dallas and I right before we did Race the Reaper. SO FUN. 10k course with 22 obstacles. Worth it as well!

  

 Lincoln decided he wanted to wear a 24 month costume to take this picture...he fits right in...duh.

Documenting a less than stellar day...we have those too...

Halloween with my Captain America and Clifford!!

Until next time...be well!

We=4!

Meet Cole! Bryce Cole Stahle, born June 17th, 2012 @ 6:46pm. Weighed in at 8lbs, 9oz and 19 3/4" long.

Cole was very active like his brother in the womb, so we will see how that manifests itself in a year or so. :) We have been blessed to have had very uneventful births for both of our boys. I had an epidural with Lincoln, which was a very positive experience with no regrets, but we chose to switch it up this time and do a natural childbirth. It was a very intense, but profound experience.

Birth story condensed: My contractions started and were consistently 10 minutes apart at 6am. I labored at home with Dallas while he organized care for Lincoln and I made phone calls to communicate my absence from some church responsibilities. We checked into the hospital at 12:30pm with contractions averaging 5 minutes apart. (Note: Picture above is between contractions and before back labor kicked in, so that is actually a real, painless, smile...). I was dilated to a 4 and 75% effaced. For the next 5 hours, Dallas was AMAZING. We had worked hard beforehand to make sure we knew preferences and what would/wouldn't work (theoretically) and I was pretty much just able to say, "I need you!" when I could feel a contraction coming on. He was there to put counter pressure on my hips (back labor is THE worst) or massaging my back, or just letting me hang on him. I loved being able to walk around, sit, lay, or take a bath throughout the process.

At 5pm, I was dilated 7.5cm, 95% effaced and the Nurse Midwife proposed breaking my water. We waited another hour to see how much progress there was and ultimately decided to go ahead with it. That hour was the most intense and where I am most grateful for Dallas' support. In my ultimate moments of exhaustion, tears and questioning, he was extremely encouraging and just initiated the care I needed so that I didn't have to make any decisions. I felt the urge to push about 15 minutes after they broke my water and pushed for about 30 minutes more. Comparatively I would say that pushing for me was cake compared to everything I experienced beforehand. We were blessed not to have any complications, or challenges (other than the "challenge" of the delivery itself). I got to hold Cole immediately after he was born and had a seriously high adrenaline rush. The whole experience brought Dallas and I together in a way I hadn't expected. Worth. Every Minute.

Cole's first hours.

Meeting Big Brother Lincoln.

Lincoln has been so loving with Cole. Mostly too loving, but we are working on not poking, squeezing, or smushing. He is very proud to be a big brother and is quite helpful with Cole's overall care.

Mom and Brooke's Visit!

My mom and Brookie came to visit 5 days later and the timing was perfect. Dallas had arranged for Lincoln to be taken care of while we were in the hospital and for the first few days after we got out, which was SOOO great. Cole and I snuggled and bonded and Lincoln had a blast with his friends (THANK YOU to all who helped out by bringing meals, gifts and watching Linc).

Lincoln showing off his dance skills. Brookie keeping it low key so as not to out do him. :)

We had our first Family Night with Mom and Brooke and went to the new Visitor's Center at the Portland Temple. I love these pictures! (Thanks Brooke)

Some of our fun times in the first two weeks. Swimming, miniature golfing, fishing with Daddy, relaxing to Dallas playing the piano and Dallas received his long-awaited shipment of Taiwanese peanut butter.

Grandma Simmons would have been proud of this hole in one!!

We love you Cole! Welcome home. We=4!

Surprise Visit!

At Cole's 4 week mark, Brie decided to come visit by herself! It was so fun to have time to spend with just here, since her life is about to get CRAZY busy when she starts College and Track.

We picked 37lbs of cherries and dehydrated about half of them.

We also picked blueberries and marionberries and made Marionberry Jam for the first time!

Pictures above are of several adventures: Jam making, Lincoln's first reward for consistently going #2 in the toilet (Wendy's Waffle Cone Frosty), our trip to the beach in Seaside, park dates and snuggle time.

One night we went bowling at Big Al's and used our Groupon for free pizza and drinks! Lincoln loves his bowling socks. :)

The beach was quite windy, so we didn't stay long, but had Cole been older, we probably would have. Lincoln LOVED EVERY SECOND.

Thanks for making the time to visit before school Brie. We made some awesome and unforgettable memories. Kick Butt at BYU! Go Cougars!

Cole's FUN 2nd Month!

Nana came to visit us when Cole turned 5 weeks. We had so much fun visiting, going on outings, and learning lots of Nana's tricks for cooking, organizing, keeping house and decorating. Talk about creativity!

These were taken at the Portland's Children's Museum. Lincoln loves it here and thoroughly enjoyed running from exhibit to exhibit and showing Nana all the cool things to choose from. 

Nana got Cole's very FIRST smile. Not to mention she got him to smile almost every time she spoke to him. Lincoln enjoyed learning how to make Pistachio Pudding Salad from Nana too!

We took Nana to the Newberg Old Fashioned Festival. After the Children's Parade, we got to go meet Lightning McQueen and Mater! BIG-TIME score for Lincoln!!

  Jay came to complete a week long Pottery course at the Oregon College of Arts & Crafts and so we got to visit with him too! He left us with some awesome treasures and we enjoyed being able to spend one on one time with him and introduce him to his newest nephew. Dallas was able to give Jay the tour of some of his favorite Portland food places on the way to or home from work/class: Grilled Cheese Grill (above), Byways Cafe, VooDoo Doughnuts, Pine State Biscuits, McMenamins, Famous Dave's. There was also a random cat that followed them home from a walk that stayed here for a few days, and he really took to Jay, so we captured the precious moment on camera...:) 

EVERYBODY LOVES GIRLS CAMP!!!

With Cole being so new and so much going on this summer, I wasn't able to go to camp this year, but here are some pics (6 of about 400 to be exact) of what took place. All the preparations paid off and we have some AMAZINGLY talented women that helped make camp a success. However, we all know that it really is the girls and the spirits and enthusiasm they bring to camp that ensures that success!! Without them being willing to come and participate in all the ups and downs, none of the effort put forth would have been as worth it. It is so fun to see things come together and how camp always influences lives and provides learning and growth opportunities for the young women.

2012 Simmons Sibling Retreat

Brie asked if we could have a Sibling Retreat this summer before she took off to college. The last time the 5 of us were all together without kids and spouses was when she was 10. 

I flew out with the boys on August 1st to meet up with my mom and dad and brothers and sisters (and their families). We spent the first two days catching up and visiting with each other and some extended family. It was so fun to see Grandma Geri and Grandpa Jay, Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Fred and Aunt Bev too!! 

On the 3rd, the 5 of us (plus Cole) went up to spend the night in a condo in Park City. We got some groceries for the next day and went to Ruby Tuesdays for dinner....YUMM...

Yay for sibling bonding time. We watched the Olympics, walked around Park City, swam in the pool and just relaxed that night and the next day.  My parents, Sarah and Rachelle (Heath and Dustin's wives) watched the kids overnight and on Saturday morning, then brought everyone up to join us Saturday evening. Then, Mom and Dad watched all six grandkids so the rest of us good party!

We got to go on the huge Zip Line together and Brie and Brooke went on the Alpine Coaster...HILARIOUS video that's a bit lengthy to post. 

Dustin and Rachelle blessed their newest addition Marcus that Sunday, so it was special that everyone could be there. Our family is sure growing!!

Last weekend, we went to an annual BBQ that some of Dallas' friends put on every year. SO fun. They always have the BEST Slip-n-Slide and this year, they roasted an ENTIRE PIG...Yummmm.

Dallas and Linc heading down the Slip-n-Slide

Said Pig. Gross looking, but DELICIOUS.

RELAXING Week. Dallas left for a trip to China the day before I came home from UT and arrived the night before we went to that BBQ. SO....this week we decided that since the previous 8 were so packed full of fun that we'd take it easy and relax. Meet our new kitty. Sadly, Zee never returned. :( About a month ago, we met Izzy and just brought her home from the shelter this week. She is a very friendly cat and well behaved so far. We are glad to have her (yes, even me). :)

Lincoln also started swimming lessons this week. It has been fun to watch him progress. He goes next week again, so I will be better at taking pictures then.

Dallas and I celebrated our 8th Anniversary last night since I was in UT and Dallas was in China on the 6th. I can't believe it's already been 8 years. We created our own little food tour of sorts and enjoyed every bite...which is usually hard for me to do. We visited the Goodrich's food carts @ Cartlandia and the highlights there were Jennie's famous Creme Brulee and Pavlova from her Cake on a Hot Tin Roof. Then we went to Salt & Straw, and tasted some seriously wicked ice cream. SOOO DELISH. (See some of the concoctions on the menu below.) The Strawberry one was the best. However, I loved the Pear and Blue Cheese as well. The Chevre with Marionberry Habanero Jam was good too, but not as much as the Strawberry Honey Balsamic Vinegar and Cracked Black Pepper. :) 

Dallas took Jay to Grilled Cheese Grill while he was here, so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I was STUFFED before we got there, but had to try The Hot Brie. Brie cheese with roasted red pepper, fresh tomatoes, spicy brown mustard on Sourdough. I asked Dallas to stop at the George Fox track on the way to pick up the kids, so we could walk for a half hour. :) 

What a fun past few months!! New baby, travel, family, friends, anniversary, new experiences, animals and food! Life is as fun as you make it!

Love to all.