"Peerless" Lives Up to Its Name

Well, the estate sale is over, and I must say, I was very impressed by the transformation that took place in two weeks. Watch the slide show above to understand what I mean! Anyone who knew my mother-in-law knows I speak the truth when I say that she was many things, but "organized" and "minimalist" are not two words I would choose to describe her. Peerless Estate Sales did a great job! And now, the big question that remains is, "Just how much money did we make off this?" We probably won't find out for at least a few more days -- but Rusty and I both feel that the point of this sale was just to get rid of stuff, not necessarily to make money.

By the way, I am very proud of the slideshow I created using pics from my digital camera and some basic movie software. Still working on how to get music to go with the slideshow. I tried for that this time, but it just wasn't happening!

What I've Been Up To

Well, since my mommy stopped posting "Month Milestones" on the blog, I figured it was time to let my readers know some of the things I've been up to lately. (By the way, I have my own space on this blog. It's called "Alex' Corner," and it's in the sidebar to the right. You can always check that out to see how I'm growing. My mommy updates it about once every month or so.)

I really enjoy playing the piano with Mommy. We make pretty music together. (Editor's Note: Sadly, the piano, which originally belonged to my great-great grandmother, will be going to its new home at Allen and Kristi's soon. We just didn't see the point in hauling it back to Memphis just for a year or two. We are thankful that we have family who are willing to give it a home for us. Still, I am sad that I will not be able to play it whenever I want.)

My cousins turned fifteen this month. They had their birthday party at a bowling alley, so I got to try bowling for the first time. (Cousin Johnny helped me.) I had fun, but the balls were too heavy for me to pick up, and that was really frustrating.

I really love to read! I bring books for Mommy (or whoever else happens to be around) to read to me several times a day. Sometimes, I even read on my own.

Like my scraped up nose? I am always falling and banging my head on something these days. I guess that's part of what being a little boy is all about. This scratch came from falling down some carpeted stairs and getting a rug burn on my nose. I cried, of course, but I'm looking much better this week!

Future Basketball Player

For the grandparents (and anyone else who is interested), here is a short video of Alex playing with his basketball hoop.

Exodus

Well, the great exodus from Mary's house is now complete! It has been almost a week, and I still feel like I am recovering, so forgive me for not posting sooner. We are now staying with friends in Vancouver, WA (just across the river from Portland). Words cannot express how grateful we are to Tim and Chalon and Baby Lemuel for allowing us to move in with them for the next month and use their garage for storage until we can get our shipment packed. The estate sale is next weekend, and I must admit, I am curious to see how well the estate liquidator handles the mess we left them. I did take some "before" pictures on Sunday night before we left the house, and I will try to take some "after" pictures next Friday when we do our pre-sale walk-through.

Several have asked for more details regarding our upcoming move back to Memphis. So, here is our general plan for the next two months:

• We will leave Portland on July 12th
• We will spend most of July traveling through Canada, visiting some of Rusty's relatives who live there.
• We will spend the first week of August in Detroit with my parents.
• We will arrive in Memphis (Lord willing!) on Tuesday, August 7th.

We are definitely taking the scenic route to Memphis, but I am really looking forward to it! Although I have been to Canada before, I have never driven through it. Also, I will be meeting "cousins-in-law" and their families whom I have never met. We are planning to do some camping along the way as well, which should prove to be an adventure with a 16-month old!

Pictures to follow as soon as I can locate the digital camera!

May Days

May is always a busy month for our family, and May 2007 was hardly the exception! Not only were there several special events to celebrate, but this year we have also been busy sorting, packing, and getting ready to move out of Mary's house. We have to be officially moved out of the house by the evening of June 10th, meaning that we have to leave and take with us everything that we are keeping. After that, an estate liquidation company will have the house for two weeks to prepare everything left behind for an estate sale. With just over a week to go before our move-out date, I am starting to do a slow panic. So much to do, so little time...

But, I digress. Back to the special events of the past month...

First, there was Mother's Day. We went to early service at church with Ronda and the boys, then to brunch at Acapulco's, a local Mexican restaurant. After that, at Ronda's request, we all visited the cemetery and placed some flowers on Mary's headstone. Rusty and Alex both gave me very sweet cards, along with gift cards to Bath and Body Works and Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Me and my precious boy!

Me and my one and only sissy-in-law!

May 19th, we celebrated Rusty's 34th birthday. Ronda kept Alex all afternoon so the two of us could go to lunch and then to see Spiderman 3. Later that evening, we had cheesecake and chai, two of Rusty's favorite things! It was a much more low-key celebration than the party I threw him last year, but it was still a special time.

Rusty, Ronda, and "the nephews"

Rusty blows out his candles

May 25th, we celebrated Ronda's birthday. Officially, she is "29 and holding" for the 8th time. (I'll let you figure out how old she really is!) I baked her a German chocolate cake which we ate outside in the front yard since it was such a gorgeous day. Then, we got a baby-sitter for Alex so we could all go see "Pirates of the Carribean 3" (BIG disappointment, even bigger than the second one, but we will not speak of such things here).

The birthday girl

Alex and Daddy share a piece of cake

On Memorial Day, we visited Willamette National Cemetery, where Rusty's parents and my grandfather are all buried. It is truly an amazing and humbling sight to see the hillsides covered with tiny, fluttering flags, and to think that each one represents an individual (or a spouse) who has served our country in some capacity through the years. After that, we went to a barbeque at some friends' from church. They live out in the country, and Alex just had a ball! He got to see sheep for the first time, and play with several dogs. There were several kids there, all older than him, but he enjoyed trying to keep up with them and being pulled in the wagon.

Rusty's parents headstone

My grandfather's headstone

That evening, we drove up to Seattle to spend a few days with Rusty's cousin Linda and her family. The next day, May 29th, was our 8th anniversary. Linda kept Alex for the night so the two of us could enjoy an overnight getaway. It feels like forever since we have gotten to do something like that! It was my first time to leave Alex for a whole night, but it wasn't as traumatic as I thought it might be. I knew Alex was in great hands and would have a great time. Linda's four kids just dote on Alex, so he certainly didn't lack for attention!

We went to a little bed and breakfast on Whidbey Island in the Puget Sound. It was a truly lovely spot, and we were the only guests that night, so we had the place all to ourselves. There was a hot tub and a great hammock big enough for both of us to read in! We enjoyed a walk through the little town and a delicious dinner at a restaurant called the Edgecliff with a gorgeous view of the sound.

8 years and counting!

I have been doing a lot of reflecting lately on where we were a year ago. May 29th, 2006 -- about one month before we found out Rusty's mom had a terminal brain tumor and our whole world turned upside down. The last year has been, without a doubt, THE most difficult and stressful one we have lived through in our 8 years together. There is a "stress scale" that Rusty remembers studying in one of his counseling classes that rates different life events according to how much stress they bring to your life. Almost every single one of those events has happened to our family in the last 15 months. Birth of a baby... loss of a home... loss of a job... moving (international moves are much more stressful than domestic moves, just for the record)... caring for a loved one through a debliltating illness... death of a parent... financial difficulties.

I say all this, not because I'm feeling sorry for myself or because I want anyone to pity us, but because I want to celebrate that through it all, our marriage has not only survived, but grown stronger. Oh, sure there have been some difficult moments, frustrations, angry words, hurt feelings, a multitude of tears. But I don't think either of us ever questioned our commitment to each other for a minute. I always felt secure, knowing that whatever the future held for us, we would be facing it together.

Rusty said it best the other day when he said, "If our marriage survived this year, I'm pretty sure it could survive anything." Here's to another eight years!

Flying High

The look on his face says it all!

Turning Thirty

Well, I promised more thoughts on this milestone birthday, so here they are.

I have decided that 30 is a very nice age to be. No, really! I always thought that completing the third decade of my life would bother me (maybe because our culture tells me I should be bothered), but when the big day actually came, I found that I wasn't. In fact, I think I did more freaking out (as in, "oh, my goodness, I'm getting old!") on my 26th birthday than I did on my 30th!

Maybe part of it is just being really content with the stage of life that I find myself in. Married for almost 8 years now... one precious little boy to mother... looking toward a future of mission work "somewhere" in Africa. Some people become parents and discover their life's work in their 20's, but Rusty and I certainly don't regret waiting until we were older to start our family. I truly believe that we are better parents because we waited. Certainly, I feel more centered, more able to make the necessary sacrifices, and more secure in our relationship. And as for figuring out what we want to "do" with our lives -- highly overrated! Life isn't any fun without at least a little mystery. (Rusty, can you believe that I am saying this? You should be proud!)

In all seriousness, as I join the ranks of "30-somethings," I just pray that I have gained at least a little wisdom and maturity in my 20's. I mean, with all of the life experiences that have been packed into the last 10 years, I certainly hope I have learned a few things! And I look forward to applying that knowledge and experience to the next decade of my life and beyond. Looking back, I think I can probably say the same thing about my 20's that I have about every other stage of my life -- college, dating, being single, high school -- "It was fun while it lasted, but I don't think I would want to go back and do it over again. I'm enjoying where I am right now too much."

Yes, 30 is definitely a very good age to be!

And Rusty is just glad that we are both finally in the same decade of life again!

Have Wheels, Will Travel

Retro Baby

More pictures of Alex in some of Rusty's old baby clothes. These outfits are already a little too small, so I had to grab some pictures while I still could! For more pictures like these, scroll down and click on the Flickr badge on the right of the screen.

April Recap

Well, hello again. Sorry it has been so long since I've updated. I seem to have lost my enthusiasm for blogging lately; however, I was inspired to post after seeing the Marcum's, the Chan's, the Whaley's, and Roxanna's updated blogs. I'm afraid this post will be long and rather rambling, but I promise there will be several pictures to keep things interesting.

Rusty asked me to share these pictures of Alex ready to hit the slopes. They were taken sometime in January, I think, on the day Rusty took Robbie and Johnny up to the mountain for some snowboarding fun. Alex sure enjoyed getting to try on Cousin Johnny's snowboard boots and goggles!

To recap the events of April:

From March 29 - April 4, we journeyed "down South." The primary purpose of our trip was to attend a conference on Tanzania Missions. The conference was held at HUT, Harding University's "mission training camp." We had heard about HUT for several years, but this was our first time to see it in person. It is a very special and unique facility. Unfortunately, we did not take any pictures while we were there, but you can click here to see some of the pictures and a video on Harding's website.

The conference itself was a wonderful time of reconnecting, networking, dreaming, and praying about the future of missions in Tanzania in general, and our possible role in that specifically. We shared the facility that weekend with a group of 20+ college students, all of whom were planning summer mission trips to various points around the globe. Their youthful enthusiasm and zeal was heart-warming to see -- and so contagious! We both came away feeling refreshed, encouraged, and hopeful about the future. Being around like-minded people, people who have a passion for God and His Word and His mission is always such a blessing.

This picture was taken at HUT right after the intercultural worship service on our last morning there. Thanks to Sam Shewmaker for the picture! Oh, I almost forgot to mention that, since we were the only people there that weekend with a child, the staff graciously allowed us to be the first people to sleep in the newly finished apartment, which they affectionately dubbed "the honeymoon suite!" It has its own bathroom, living area, and a small bedroom. It even had a kitchenette; although we had all our meals with the rest of the group, it sure was nice to have that microwave to warm Alex' bottles! We had come prepared to "rough it," so that was a nice surprise!

The conference ended on Sunday, and since we were really just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Memphis, we headed over there for a few days to visit friends. We made it to Senatobia, Mississippi in time to attend evening services at the Thyatira church of Christ, where Rusty used to work. After church, we went out to dinner with some friends, and since it was my birthday (more on turning the big 3-0 later), I was "honored" with a pie in the face! Yes, that's right -- after dinner, several of the wait staff came over to sing to me, and then out of nowhere, a whipped cream pie covered my face! Everyone had a good laugh, except for Alex, who was very upset by it all. Unfortunately (again), Rusty didn't know what was coming, and so he wasn't ready with the camera. (Oh, darn!)

The two days we spent in Memphis were a real whirlwind. The Whaley's gave us a place to crash at night, even though they were out of town for most of the time we were there. (Thanks, guys!) We reconnected with old friends at the grad school and at Highland Street church of Christ, where I used to work. We drove back down to Mississippi to spend more time with some of our friends there. We enjoyed the 80 degree weather and quenched our thirst with that delicious, Southern "sweet tea." On a more serious note, we also spent several hours talking to Danny and Katie Reese about their dream to do mission work in Angola, and seeing pictures from their survey trip last summer.

Having dinner with Ms. Mary and Ms. Earline

Alex tried fried catfish and hushpuppies for the first time and loved 'em! What can I say? He was, after all, conceived in Mississippi!

And now for the big announcement! Rusty found out that he can graduate next spring if he can go full time in the fall and spring semesters... and, we paid our housing deposit for an on-campus apartment. So, it's official -- we are moving back to Memphis this summer! It feels so good to finally have a plan after months of floundering. There is still much that remains to be done here in Portland before we go, and the next couple of months promise to be extremely busy, but we are seeing "the light at the end of the tunnel," so to speak.

Back in Portland, we enjoyed a very low-key Easter. Alex hunted for Easter eggs on the front lawn, but we waited until Tuesday because Easter Sunday was cold and rainy. We have been trying to enjoy the few days of sunshine that have come our way this month. Alex loves playing in the yard when the weather is nice and cries every time we bring him in. And we are continuing to sort, pack, and get ready for an estate sale, which is scheduled for the end of June. Right now, our plan is to leave Portland after the 4th of July. I have a lot more to say, but I'll save it for another time, and just leave you with a few pictures of Alex enjoying the spring weather.

This is for all our friends in Japan. (Roxanna, do you recognize the shirt?)

Alex loved picking up Easter eggs...

... and putting them in the basket.

Do you think I might be up for parole in, like, 17 more years?

Do you like my outfit? It was my Daddy's!

Beach Trip

Two weekends ago, the three of us went to the Oregon Coast. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday were spent at Camp Magruder with the Metro Church youth group. Rusty was the main speaker for the weekend and he did a great job -- the theme was "burdens -- laying 'em down and taking 'em up." Christ calls us to lay down our burdens at his feet and rest in his love... but as Christians, we are also asked to bear one another's burdens. Good stuff -- even for the "old folks" who were there!

Sunday night, we took advantage of a free night's lodging at the Tolovana Inn in Cannon Beach. This was something Rusty's mom had purchased at a benefit auction for Columbia Christian Schools and never used. It was expired, but we called and they said they would still honor it. So we enjoyed some much needed r&r... playing on the beach... swimming in the pool... soaking in the hot tub... eating Mo's clam chowder... enjoying the gorgeous view from our balcony. And my personal favorite -- since our room was a suite, we put Alex to bed early in the back room and Rusty and I slept on the hide-a-bed in the living room. We stayed up late talking, watching Part 1 of the season finale of Battlestar Galactica (boy, have we missed a lot -- can't wait for it to come out on DVD!), and fell asleep with the window open listening to the sound of the waves. Heavenly!

Enjoying the view from up high

Eating sand... YUM!

Alex was not afraid of the water at all. In fact, when we set him down on the sand, he ran straight towards the waves, yelling the whole way!

Alex and Mommy

Chasing the waves

The rock in the background is called Haystack Rock (for, um, obvious reasons).

This was Alex' first time in the pool. Although you can't tell from the picture, he really loved it!

Alex and Daddy

Fun to be One!

Isn't he just adorable?!

Not that I'm biased or anything!

Photos by JCPenney Portrait Studio

Please email me if you would like to see the entire gallery, and I will send you the link and password so you can access the images online.

More Birthday Fun!

We had several good friends and their families, as well as relatives from my side of the family over to the house for a birthday party on March 3rd. I went with a Sesame Street theme for the table ware, and made "Hokey Pokey Elmo" the centerpiece. We had finger foods, punch, and cupcakes. In lieu of gifts, we asked everyone to bring an item for Alex' baby time capsule which he will open on his 18th birthday. (Thanks to my friend Kari for this wonderful idea!) Some of the contributions were very creative. The Ranums brought a USB drive with headlines from newspapers around the world on March 3rd. I just hope USB drives aren't completely obsolete by 2024! My grandma Nadine brought her and my grandad's expired passports from when they went to Kenya for the first time when I was just a baby. Other cool items were a menu from Baja fresh from the Loffinks, and a pair of baby shoes from my Aunt Dyana in memory of the fact that Alex loved to play with shoes when he was little. Rusty included a couple of 2006 mint coin sets. By the way, we haven't sealed up the time capsule yet, so any family and friends out there who still want to contribute something, please feel free!

Alex got to try a chocolate cupcake this time, and he thought it was just as delicious as the "funfetti" cupcake he had on his actual birthday. Here he is relishing every bite, and all the attention.

The one-handed cupcake smoosh.

Finger-lickin' good.

I LOVE CHOCOLATE!

You're kidding, right? I don't get a cupcake every day?

Trouble Getting Up In the Morning?

Okay, normally, this blog is simply a place for us to keep friends and family updated on the goings-on of our daily lives. If you visit our blog on a regular basis, then you know that, for the most part, you are spared political rantings, preaching, or unsolicited endorsements for the latest cool technological gimmick. In fact, being the doting parents we are, we mostly post pictures of our adorable son. Truth be told, this is probably more "Alex's blog" than "Rusty and Laura's blog." But, I digress...

I was skimming through a catalogue that came in the mail the other day when I saw this ad. Rusty can testify that I have not laughed so hard at something in a really long time. And after I picked myself up off the floor, I thought, I must blog about this! Like Dave Barry, I must preface this by saying I swear I am not making this up! In fact, you can click here to see for yourself.

So this is the ad I saw:

Flying Alarm Clock Makes You Get Out of Bed on Time!

Trouble getting up in the mornings? When the alarm sounds, "time flies" when it launches its propeller that emits a nagging siren noise that will for sure annoy you right out of bed! To turn the alarm off, you have to get up, find the propeller, and return it to its base!

You have got to be kidding me! Would anyone really buy this?! If you are the kind of person who would actually consider owning this alarm clock, (for $24.98, batteries not included) please post a comment because seriously, the only thing I think it might be good for is an episode of Seinfeld (if they were still making them, that is).