Visiting Family in Oregon

Every year we try to attend our annual Whitcomb Family Camp. This year we stayed with my Aunt Cindy at her house in Wilsonville from July 31st until August 5th. We went to see Multnomah Falls, Powell's Bookstore, the Lego Store, the Portland Temple, Cannon Beach, and we played soccer. My aunt Laurie adopted a baby boy nicknamed Binny in late January, and we were excited to finally meet him. He's such a darling! Lizzy and Binny are only about 7 months apart in age. They were definitely the highlight of Camp this year.

Here are some snapshots of our vacation:

Multnomah Falls

Multnomah Falls is located just east of Portland, Oregon, just off of I-84 in the Columbia River Gorge. We've been to Oregon many times before, but this was the first time we've been to see this gorgeous waterfall. It's the second highest year-round waterfall in the United States, and it's absolutely breathtaking to see.







Emma was afraid to hike up to the bridge at first. I asked her why she was afraid. "Because I'm afraid of heights!" she proclaimed dramatically, as if she thought everybody in the world should know already. I rolled my eyes to myself, and refused to buy into that excuse. I told her she was going to hike up to the bridge, and if she truly was afraid when we got up there, she could hold one of our hands. Needless to say, her fear of heights was all in her head while she was on the ground. She wasn't scared at all when we got up there. And it was a spectacular view!

The Highlight of My Day: July 2010

Something good happens each day. Here's what happened in July:

Thu 7/1/10: I had two medical appointments today. Scott babysat Lizzy for me, and did a great job mowing the lawn. He's been earning quite a bit of money so far this summer.

Fri 7/2/10: Tonight Brad and David helped Marian move furniture and organize her basement. I took care of Lizzy. Marian was very grateful for all our help. She's still recovering from her hernia surgery and her badly injured knee.

Sat 7/3/10: Brad and I went to Rachel's baptism today. On the way home we grabbed some sushi for dinner. It seems weird saying "sushi" now. I always think of our cat.

Sun 7/4/10: We had a relaxing 4th of July this year. We went to church in the morning and I made taco salad in the afternoon. The Webb family came to visit us in the evening.

Mon 7/5/10: We helped Marian clean the pool and move furniture this morning. Then we had our summer swimming party & BBQ in the afternoon. Marian's puppy, Rocket, learned how to swim in the pool. It was very cute to watch.

Tue 7/6/10: Brad & I went to the library tonight and picked up the DVD "Cranford." We started watching it tonight. It's a pretty good show! I love BBC dramas.

Wed 7/7/10: I made a very healthy dinner tonight. Maui Maui fish and broccoli. It was surprisingly good for being so healthy. Mmm Mmm good!

Thu 7/8/10: Lizzy said "hi Kitty" first thing this morning when I took her out of bed. She also said, "thank you," and "all gone" at breakfast time. When did my baby get so big?

Fri 7/9/10: Brad & I went on a romantic getaway tonight. We had dinner at "Sweet Tomatoes," then we stayed in a nice hotel in Sandy with a big jetted tub.

Sat 7/10/10: The three of us went to the Days of 47 All Horse Parade. Lizzy loved watching the horses, which she called dogs.

Sun 7/11/10: Brad and I received new callings in our ward. I finished all my YW value experiences today. My goal is to have my last project finished before next week Sunday.

Mon 7/12/10: I washed the floors today, and they look so good! I like it when I'm in a cleaning mood.

Tue 7/13/10: Brad and I have our own storage unit now. We took care of that today, and went to the library, too. We brought home "Return to Cranford." Great show! I got a really short hair cut while Brad stayed home and took care of Lizzy.

Wed 7/14/10: I spent a good part of my day with Kimberly Thoman. We had breakfast at Virg's, then we went to the Jordan River Parkway in Taylorsville. It was an enjoyable day.

Thu 7/15/10: Brad picked up Scott & Emma from their mother's house tonight. We had a wonderful evening with them. The kids were very happy to be home. Lots of cuddles.

Fri 7/16/10: Tonight we drove up to Kamas and went to our Ward Campout. We ate dinner, set up the tent, and had fun watching the campfire. Lizzy thought being in the tent was so funny!

Sat 7/17/10: Sara Pearson's wedding open house was today at the Harman's house. It was neat seeing so many family members from the White/Labrum side of the family, as well as other friends. It was a very enjoyable evening.

Sun 7/18/10: Brad and I got a new calling! We are now the Young Single Adult leaders in our ward. We went to our first Sunday school meeting with them. Interesting experience, to say the least. Brad did a great job improvising the lesson. He's so talented!

Mon 7/19/10: I got buyers for the baby rats! YAY! Some will be leaving this week. I'm crossing my fingers that everything will go well and I'll find homes for all these baby rats.

Tue 7/20/10: The first rat left today. That was a relief!

Wed 7/21/10: I went shopping today, drove to pick up Emma from her cousins' house, then made it home in time for two more rats to leave. Three down, 40 more to go!

Thu 7/22/10: I had quite a laugh today watching Lizzy attempt to blow kisses for the first time. She put her hand over her mouth perfectly, then with all her might she blew giant raspberries into it. Silly baby!

Fri 7/23/10: Brad and I had lots of one-on-one time with Emma today. We took her to her therapy session, then we let her choose what she wanted for lunch: Papa Murphy's. Then Brad bought her a Batman Animated series DVD, which she enjoyed watching, and we made her one of her favorite dinners~ ravioli & corn. We finished off the day by having chocolate mint ice cream. YUM!

Sat 7/24/10: Today was Pioneer Day and we invited family members to come over for a BBQ. My nieces and nephews had a fun time playing with the baby rats. We did fireworks in the evening.

Sun 7/25/10: Michael had his Court of Honor tonight, which we all attended. Hooray for Michael!

Mon 7/26/10: I sold 5 rats this morning. That put me in a good mood!

Tue 7/27/10: Today was a day of appointments! I took Scott to this orthodontist appointment and Emma to her follow-up with her pediatrician. Sushi had her vet appointment, too, and we got eye drops for her. Can't wait to see how pretty she looks with beautiful clear blue eyes!

Wed 7/28/10: Lizzy learned how to climb down the stairs today. She's getting so big. Tonight Brad & I went to Red Lobster for dinner. The crab was delicious!

Thu 7/29/10: Scott & Emma did lots of chores today. I began packing for our trip. The rats all left with Debra. I was able to find homes for 10 of them!

Fri 7/30/10: We headed off to Idaho this morning. We had a surprisingly good trip. Everything went smoothly, and we ended the day eating dessert and swimming in an indoor swimming pool. LOVELY!

Sat 7/31/10: We arrived in Wilsonville this evening right before dinner. It's so nice being with my extended family again. My little cousin, Binny is adorable! It was so fun holding him and seeing his cute expressions.

Rats Update

I found homes for 10 rats! YAY! All the rest went back to my friend's house, except for two, which I plan to give to friends of mine. Now the menfolk in my home will be happy with me again. Geesh, you would think they were the ones taking care of them the whole time!

Lord of the Rings

Brad and I finished watching the entire trilogy of The Lord of the Rings tonight. I've lost count to how many times I've seen the DVDs, but I still found myself crying for Frodo and Sam, laughing at Pippin and Merry, cheering for Aragorn and Legolas, and weeping for the riders of Rohan as if I were experiencing it for the first time. Wonderfully, wonderfully done.

A couple of years ago I found this music video of Annie Lennox singing, "Into the West," with clips from "The Return of the King." It's one of my favorites.

Into the West

Raphael | MySpace Video

Rats... Rats... and More Rats

My love for animals can often lead me into odd circumstances. I find myself drawn to care for random creatures, mainly because animals fascinate me, and I love to nurture them and observe them whenever presented the opportunity.

I now find myself in one of those situations. I am currently responsible for a large menagerie of furry little rodents. Not five, not 10, not 20... but 36 rats in my home, plus a few more coming within the next few hours.

How did I find myself in such a predicament? Well, it wasn't entirely on purpose. It all started out by me helping a neighbor. She called me a couple of weeks ago from Minnesota, letting me know that she was out of town and in desperate need of help. She had bred her three female rats prior to her departure (which produced three litters), and while she was away, the person she hired to pet-sit was unable to care for her pets any longer, so I agreed to take charge. I brought the three mother rats, 1 adult male, and 29 babies into my home. I took care of them for a week. After my friend returned home, she called and told me she was no longer able to care for any of her pets. She didn't know what to do with the rats. I told her to let them stay with me temporarily and I would try to sell them all for her.

So, that is where I am right now. I need to find homes for all of the little critters before my husband and father-in-law lose their patience with me and kick me out of the house. So far I have two homes lined up for four rats. Please spread the word for me if you can! These rats are very cute and very friendly. They deserve to have a chance as pets, not reptile food.

CURRENTLY ON THE MARKET

Five Males (above) and Five Females (below)

Plus one very fertile 1 year-old male rat

Sushi the Cat

I'm really behind on this post, mainly because June was an extremely busy month and I didn't make time to blog much. We got our new little kitten, Sushi, over a month ago on June 3rd. She's an adorable little 3-month-old Lynx point Siamese. She is a very pretty kitty with a great personality. She's a cuddle bug and a people lover. She loves to spend her time sleeping under necks or on shoulders. She's also very playful and curious, as most kittens are. We are crossing our fingers that Brad's allergies will tolerate her as she grows older. So far so good. She's a delightful little addition to our family.

Lizzy Talks!

Oh Lizzy! Could you really be old enough to talk? You are getting to be such a big girl, I can hardly keep up with you.

Lizzy's first word was "ma-ma." She said that for the first time back in October when she was only 4 months old. Now she has a vocabulary of about a dozen words, plus a few short phrases. She can say: bye-bye, hi, dog, Emma, ball, Mama, Papa, kitty, bottle (ba-ba), grandpa (gup-pa), uh-oh, and no. This past week she learned how to say "thank you," "all gone," and "hi kitty."

Here's a super short video of Lizzy saying Emma:

The Highlight of My Day: June 2010

Something good happens each day. Here's what happened in June:

Tue 6/1/10: Tonight was Scott's 6th Grade program. He did a fantastic job, although I wish he would sing louder and smile more. He has such a nice voice but he hates to sing.

Wed 6/2/10: I took Emma to the Primary Children's Medical Center in Riverton for her lab tests. She was very brave. The good news is her blood turned out normal, so whatever she has is probably not too serious.

June 6/3/10: We picked up our new kitten from the Animal Shelter today. She's a little loopy tonight, due to the anesthesia from her operation, but we can already tell she has a good personality. Today was also Brad's birthday. We celebrated with cake and a present-- one of our favorite boardgames, Masterpiece.

Fri 6/4/10: Today was Scott's 6th grade graduation at his school. He won a total of five awards. After the ceremony, we took Scott out to lunch at Chick-fil-A. In the afternoon Marilyn came to visit me, then we went out to dinner with Brad, Twinkle, and David at Francisco's (Chef Tom's).

Sat 6/5/10: Brad and I went to Lagoon to participate in Del Sol's annual Lagoon Day. We took Lizzy on her first merry-go-round, train ride, and ferris wheel. Brad won a $200 gift card to Best Buy. YAY!

Sun 6/6/10: We joined the Bruce-clan on their walk to Loralee's sister's house this evening. We played an LDS card game with Melanie while she made us brownies. We also enjoyed watching the lightening show outside, and saw a beautiful sunset with amazing clouds and rainbows.

Mon 6/7/10: We got the van fixed today. Now it's completely road-trip-proof for our California vacation. YAY!

Tue 6/8/10: Tonight we went to Wheeler Farm to take pictures of Lizzy for her birthday. I was very pleased with the way they turned out.

Wed 6/9/10: My beautiful baby turned a year old today! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. She had her doctor appointment this morning and got three shots. Her doctor says she's growing wonderfully. Tonight we had a small birthday party for her. She loved her birthday cake.

Thu 6/10/10: Laundry from dawn until dusk! Got done some last minute shopping, too.

Fri 6/11/10: Drove to St. George today. The kids enjoyed swimming at our hotel.

Sat 6/12/10: Arrived in Long Beach! We ran some errands tonight and had dinner with the family. I love being back home.

Sun 6/13/10: We had a birthday party tonight for Lizzy. It was nice seeing old friends.

Mon 6/14/10: The four of us went to Disneyland today. Rachel, Craig, Susie, and Krista joined us later.

Tue 6/15/10: Today was our quiet day. We went over to LBCC to feed the bunnies, then we went to Rachel & Craig's condo for dinner and swimming.

Wed 6/16/10: We went to the Aquarium of the Pacific with Scott and Emma today.

Thu 6/17/10: Huntington Beach was our destination point today. We went to the beach then visited our friend Gizella. In the evening, Brad and I went on a date for our wedding anniversary. 4 years today!

Fri 6/18/10: We left Long Beach this morning and stopped in Overton, Nevada for the night. We had a quiet evening swimming and eating at a little diner called "Sugar's Home Plate" restaurant.

Sat 6/19/10: It's great to be home again! We had Magic Wok for dinner tonight and the kids and I went to pick up our kitty.

Sun 6/20/10: Had a great Father's Day. I made Brad breakfast this morning, and the kids and I presented him with gifts. I bought him a U2 video he's been wanting for the longest time. Lizzy gave the best present of all: she took her first steps!

Mon 6/21/10: I went to the storage unit and the library with Brad tonight. I picked up some new DVDs to watch with Brad, which I'm looking forward to seeing.

Tue 6/22/10: I took Lizzy to feed the ducks this morning and walk along the Jordan River Parkway. She loved looking at the ducks and called them "dogs."

Wed 6/23/10: When Scott & Emma arrived home tonight, Lizzy saw them and was so excited she starting screaming and laughing like mad. It was adorable watching her joy at being reunited with her siblings.

Thu 6/24/10: Brad and I are watching the newest production of Jane Austen's "Emma." It's fantastic! I loved watching it with Brad tonight.

Fri 6/25/10: Finished watching "Emma." It was WONDERFUL! I'm going to need to own it on DVD.

Sat 6/26/10: The four of us left Lizzy with a babysitter and went to watch Toy Story 3 in 3D today. The movie was fabulous! Pixar truly knows how to tell a great story and succeed every time.

Sun 6/27/10: Visited with the Bruce-clan tonight. Scott and Emma enjoyed spending time with their cousins.

Mon 6/28/10: Lizzy talks so much now! She's saying dog, bye-bye, hi, Emma, ball, and she's even trying to say thank you.

Tue 6/29/10: Scott has braces on his teeth again! I took him to the orthodontist this morning, and we've officially started the third and final phase of his treatment. In the afternoon I took the kids to Leatherby's.

Wed 6/30/10: We had cousin sleepovers last night. The girls slept over at our house and enjoyed playing with Sushi, who's feeling so much better now. I'm happy that she's acting like a normal kitty.