Countdown to California

Seems like we're leaving Rexburg and our apartment complex just in time. We were just informed by our managers here, that our complex has been sold to a new owner and the rent has been raised. We also keep hearing about ways that the community and campus are being "improved" and feel like it's changing too much to keep up with. We have been going back and forth wondering if it's the right thing to do, and it just seems like someone is trying to tell us something pretty loud when things just keep pointing us in that direction. So the prayers continue as we move forward in faith that this is what we're supposed to do for the time being.


We had a pretty busy week. We finally got a blog put together to sell some of our gently-used or really cheap items, to try and find further financing for car repairs, moving expenses, and get rid of some things. Hopefully we'll be able to get something out of that. We've also started organizing things into boxes and have been trying to foresee which things we can put into storage once we get down there, and which things we will need to have readily accessible. All of the sudden it seems like we have a lot of stuff! But we know we hardly have anything compared to most. Especially if we manage to get rid of the things we're trying to sell. 


Anyway, enough with the boring stuff. Looks like we're too busy to have a get-away anniversary after the babies go to sleep like we planned. Probably pretty typical for a 3rd anniversary right? We really wanted to steal away to go to the midnight showing of Transformers tomorrow, but looks like all our usual babysitters are unavailable. Sheesh, who said they're allowed to have lives? :) Plus, we should probably just focus on all the things we need to be doing anyway. Being a grown-up is a bummer sometimes! Haha.

 (she likes to sleep with her arms up like this lately.)

 (james' boss and his wife got Riley this adorable onesie and cute plaid shorts)

 (being cute for Momma)

(she's big enough for the bouncer now! and notice her cute skort!)

Little miss Riley Mae is growing like a weed, as Dad Keel would say. At her appointment on Thursday we were told that she weighs 13 lbs. 10 oz. and is in the 95% for weight, and 99% for height! She's 25" already! She also discovered her hands this week and they are always in her mouth now. She's doing really well with tummy time and is just the cutest when she's awake. All smiles and coos. Her sleeping through the night is benefiting all of us. We officially packed away all her 0-3 month sleepers and onesies. Thankfully, the pants, skirts, and dresses still fit her pretty well; but we'll probably be packing those away too before we move. We wish we could capture more photos of her smiling and being cute, but it always seems like we're running around doing everything else so when those moments come we just like to enjoy them without worrying about pictures all the time. It's so true how the oldest gets all the picture time. However, we have been really good at keeping her baby book and calendar up to date, since we had practice on Dean first. So you win some, you lose some. 

Speaking of the Dean-ster, he is so good at talking and running and helping now, and we've been enjoying it for the most part. The weather has been really nice lately (in the 80s until about 8 pm) and he has really been loving it. He has finally reached the point where he feels comfortable playing on the playground while we just watch. He loves climbing up and going down the slide over and over, it's fun to see him so excited. Pulling him away from it though afterward is difficult, we feel bad because he's having so much fun. He and Mommy have been having lots of fun playing pretend lately and practicing new words and actions. For example, he'll say "goodnight," after which he'll lay down, pretend snore, and then pop up and say "good morning! I'm awake!" after a few minutes. It's fun watching him try to jump, since he doesn't quite get all the way off the floor, and we can't help trying to get him to say things like "hippopotamus" because his version of the word just makes us giggle. He had a lot of fun visiting the Lane boys next door this week and blowing bubbles. All he said for hours afterward was "bubbles, bubbles!" He also got to give Shayla a few kisses when she visited this week, and ran around with a huge grin and made us chase him at the ward camp-out-feast Friday night. Such adventures! We sure do love our handsome boy. 

(walking around with a hamper on his head. stopped to say "cheese" for the camera.)

Well, back to our countdown to California list for now. Stay posted for our next developments! 


Love, 


The James Anderson Family