Counting Blessings and then some.

Have I mentioned how much I'm loving being back in the great northwest? I didn't realize how much I felt like this was 'home' until I got back here! I'm home, people! And can I tell you how much I'm loving being so near to my family!? We've seen my parents almost every weekend for some reason or another. They helped us unpack and build shelves in the garage one weekend, then we saw them for the 4th, and we (and by we I mean Tyler) helped take a tree stump out of their front yard one Saturday, and one weekend Mom stopped after going to visit N. Idaho, and just this last weekend, we took in a Mariner's game and and a temple session. That Mariner's game was my first at Safeco. Raul something-or-other hit a grand slam! Perfect weather and the M's won 8-2 I think. That stadium is gorgeous! We (and by we, I mean me) loved the atmosphere: seagulls flying over head, trains chugging by, great views of the skyline. It was a fun night.

And now for the 'and then some' (read: We're done counting blessings so you might rightly suspect a little complaining coming).

As for the small town life, still charming and quaint. Still mostly loving it. I do have a few concerns that, since I know no one on any town councils or committees, will have to fall to you to hear.

1. Have you heard of the windy city? You think it's Chicago, don't you? I don't think so. Try this little blip on the map. Whoever called Chicago the windy city needed to keep on walking. It was 82 yesterday, but I was COLD- like getting goosebumps cold- because the wind was blowing so hard. And picnics. Not so much fun if you have to hold everything down that weighs less than 16 ounces. Side note: Besides the wind, I'm completely in LOVE with the weather here. Always warm but not too hot. Perfect, in my estimation. Of course, as long as the gale force winds aren't so 'gale force' and all.

2. By a show of hands, how many people got full marks on the portion of their driving test that covers parallel parking? (No, Tyler, you can't answer.) Yeah, I think those are the only points on the driving test I missed. Well, I rue the day I learned how to do that maneuver. I should've paid closer attention because all that lack of attention I gave Sister Gunnell is totally coming back to bite me in the derriere. Everything, or almost everything, that is in this small town is in the downtown area and like any downtown area, is mostly accessed by parking in a parallel fashion on the street in which your intended destination is located. I can't do it. I just really can't parallel park. So although I'm only 5 minutes from my destination, I have to spend another 5 to 10 figuring out where a spot is that I can pull into or I have to find a parking lot that is within reasonable distance to my stop.

3. People, there is only ONE radio station that comes in clearly. It's country. The other two that come in static-y and only occasionally are Hispanic (nothing against Hispanic music, just can't really understand it since it's all in Spanish) and another country station. Now, I don't hate country music and there was a time when I listened to it all the time. That week went by quickly and I realized I didn't like it as much as I wanted to like to please my new boyfriend, Tyler. In Denver, after spending some serious time in the car driving Tyler to and from work, I found out how much I really love music. Regular, popular music that I thought I'd outgrown since having kids and 'growing up', but I was wrong. I still love popular music and I miss it now. And this town is just not cutting it. I might have to figure out how to buy music online and do so occasionally.

Okay, my complaints aren't that huge. If anyone has any secrets to parallel parking, please pass them my way. To end on a lighter note, here are some pictures of my two greatest blessings:

Lainey loves to dress up, doesn't matter in what. She found our bag of winter gear and decided to model it for me.

On Saturday, when we were leaving Grandma's to go to the temple Lainey asked Daddy if he was going to the temple to get married to Mommy... How do you explain 'proxy' to a 4 year old??

They both love to draw like you wouldn't believe. And I love to have them draw. Such simple, easy entertainment! And even when I'm not around, they can get the stuff out and color on their own. If Brady would stop coloring on the floor, that would be good, but whatever fosters creativity is okay, right?

Isn't he the cutest?