Where do I begin

So much has happened since I last posted. We are completely settled into our new home and loving it. We ended the summer with two fun camping trips. The first one was family camp at Eagle Fern Camp with our church on Labor Day weekend. Such a great time hanging out with our church family and getting to know everyone a bit more. Dan and I also were baptised that weekend. It was such an amazing, life changing experience.
The next weekend we drove down to Florence (no, not Italy...I wish). It's on the coast, and my grandpa lives on Woahink Lake. We had beautiful weather the whole time. Although, with both of these trips we found out Selah does not enjoy tent camping. She ended up in my sleeping bag each night after waking up crying histerically. I hope she gets used to camping, because we'll be doing a lot of it as she gets older. She did enjoy playing in the water at the lake, which I am surprised. Lately she has been very adamant about not being cleaned or gotten wet at all. I think it was the sand on her feet that felt nice.
We have both begun our ministries at church again. We both will be teaching the 3-4 graders in Caravan, and I will be teaching 2 and 3 year olds on Sunday. I am so excited to be teaching the children again.
So, there is a short update. We don't have internet at our place, so Selah and I travel to the school to access the computers there. If you need to get a hold of us it is better to call. I will try to update this regularly, though. As well as our picture site. Well toodaloo for now!

Our new home

We are officially moved into our new home now. It is so great! We have so much more room, and Selah has her own room. The first night it was a bit weird for me. I wanted to go in and sleep on the floor by her crib. We found the monitor, so I am able to relax a bit more. It's also great being in a community that is filled with other babies, and we get to see our friends David, Brittanie, and Caleb a lot more. All in all it was a great move. Everything has been a blessing from the Lord. With this move our rent has obviously increased, and God has provided for us through a promotion for Dan. I can't help but smile and praise God when I see the incredible ways He has provided for us through every new turn in our lives.

The not so fun doctor trips

I decided to take Selah's one year pictures by myself, since professional ones are insanely expensive. So we went outside with a few props and these are the masterpieces we created.
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Selah had her 12 month check-up on Tuesday. She is currently 20 lbs. 1 oz. and is 30 1/4 inches long. So, above average for height (85 %) and below average for weight (30 %). When she was first born I placed a lot of importance on those percentages, thinking that if she was 50 % or above then she is doing great. But after finding out she's in the 30 % for weight and that the doctor is not concerned at all I guess they aren't as important as I thought. Dr. Basco said that we have to consider both Dan's and my stature, both tall and thin, and those physical traits have obviously been passed on to Selah. And she's been gaining weight and height at a consistent rate. Being a new mom I often question whether I am doing the right thing, but it is always nice to hear we're doing a good job with our daughter. Dr. Basco said she is a sweet baby.
Our girl also had to get three shots and her blood drawn. I went alone this time and the blood drawing part was especially difficult. I held her in my lap while holding her left arm to her tummy and her head against my chest. One of the lab techs held the right hand straight out and another drew her blood from the vein in her right arm. She cried and huge crocodile tears just fell onto my lap. They gave her a cookie (a big moment for Selah, she can have treats now that she's a toddler), which she proceeded to throw on the floor. She is definitely asserting herself a lot more, letting us know her likes and dislikes.
We were also able to turn her car seat around so she's facing forward, now that she is a year old and 20 pounds (I guess you have to pass both those tests). So it's a lot of fun for us! I feel like she is more apart of the car rides, not just stuck in the back.
I got some unexpected news yesterday when I went to the dentist. I have been having pain in my teeth on one side, so I went in and it turns out I need my wisdom teeth pulled ASAP. They are impacted, which means they are pushing against my other teeth because they can't go straight up and out. September 11 is consult and soon there after is D-day. So not looking forward to that.
In other news, we're moving this weekend. YIPPY!!!!! We're so excited, but not for the actual moving process. It is supposed to be in the high 90's. YIKES!! Well yikes for the boys. Last time we moved I was pregnant so I had a reason not to lift heavy stuff. This time, well Selah and I are pretty much attached at the hip so I guess I won't be doing much heavy lifting for this move either. Oh darn! Well our next update will probably be after the move. So toodaloo for now!

Selah's party

Wow what a day! Today was Selah's birthday party, and we were so blessed by all of the family and friends that joined us in celebrating our daughter turning one. Thank you to everyone who came and have supported us this past year. Your words of encouragement and help in times of need are so appreciated.
We had a great time. There was ping pong, badminton, and food (which I'm told was good, thankfully). My mom and aunt spent several hours decorating Selah's cake, which turned out great. Thanks again mom and Auntie Sonie! Selah hesitated at first when eating her cake, but then grabbed a hold of it and started chowing down. She could care less about opening presents, but I enjoyed it. Until she can open presents herself I get to open double the presents and get double the surprises...not too bad of a job huh. She mainly wanted to hold the two gift cards she got to Ikea and Build a Bear. She's ready to go shoppin'! That's my girl! She also ventured into one of the boxes for a bit and crawled into a big gift bag. So adorable!
Now she is sleeping peacefully, and I am about to do the same. Goodnight all! Sleep tight don't let the bed bugs bite!

Happy 1st Birthday Selah!!!

Today is our daughter's first birthday. So many people have asked me if the year has just zoomed by, and yes it has. I still remember so clearly our time in the hospital, but that will probably be something I always remember like it just happened. Leading up to this day I must admit I have been a bit sad, but also excited for this milestone as well. I am proud of Selah for all that she has accomplished. Dan and I laid in bed last night reflecting over this past year with our daughter. From the day she was born and her cry was the most beautiful sound to us, to her struggles with rolling over all of the way, our excitement when she said her first word (which was mama), and when she sat up all of the way by herself...just to name a few. There have been so many memories of tears and celebrations. Seeing her unique personality develop is and will always be a blessing. She is a child of God with incredible gifts and talents to share with the world and I can't wait to see them unfold. You may ask why I would be sad, well because I realize that this newborn/infant stage is finished. Little by little she is becoming more self sufficient, but I know in the end that is what I want for my daughter, for her to grow up and be a confident young woman able to succeed in this world with the Lord as her guide.
The day began with breakfast, pancakes, eggs, and blueberries. Yumm Yummm!! Then she went down for a nap while I baked her birthday cake. After that we were off to the zoo. It was a perfect day! Selah was more aware and excited to see the animals this time. As I mentioned in a previous post she has learned how to say doggy and just as I suspected every animal at the zoo was a doggy. She even came home with a stuffed wolf from daddy. She was all tuckered out by the end of the day and fell asleep in daddy's arms, which is a rare thing, because she is a mover. While Dan went to get the car I got to hold her for a while too. To me, holding my beautiful sleeping daughter was the best part of the day.
I can only imagine what the years to follow will be like if this past year has been a blast!...sign...I love being a mom! I love you soooo much Selah! Happy Birthday!

Quote of the day

Dan referring to the many unfortunate events taking place in our home lately..."It's like we're in a freakin' episode of National Geographic!"

Our home is being overtaken by mice (thanks to the neighbors for cleaning out their weed patch), and one made eye contact with me as I was trying to catch it. Also, an infestation of spiders outside which have decided to journey inside. Has anyone else noticed the increase in spiders this season? Our bathroom has become the bug hangout spot at night.
Also, we have a leaky pipe under the kitchen sink and the AC broke. I guess it's a little good bye gift before we move out.

Idaho Trip

Uncle Nick reading to Selah. Everyone helped take care of Selah, so I actually got some time to relax. Thanks everyone!

The view from our cabin, the Payette River.

The cabin. Downstairs was an open living room and kitchen. Upstairs was the three bedrooms, a common sleeping area, and a bathroom. Having the rooms so close did cause some problems, though. Selah got up every morning at 6:00 and then woke everyone else up by talking.

View of the hot springs from the top. We had to cross the river, because the hot springs were on the other side.

Selah and I wading in the river.

We've been back from Garden Valley, Idaho for a week now. We had such a great time! Dan and I realized that we hadn't been on a vacation in two years, and that they really are necessary. Although, the drive was 8 hours (which took us 12 hours) it was worth it. The days were spent outside with the Payette River right outside our back door. On Wednesday my mom, dad, aunt, Nick, and Dan went white water rafting. Then when they came back Dan and I went up the river and floated down a few miles. This was the cause of our only injury the whole trip. It's quite a funny story, but I won't go into details. You'll have to ask me in person if you want to know. Anyways, Dan slipped in the water and sliced his ankle on a rock. We had to go to the little town clinic and he got 4 stitches. He's very proud of his wound, though.
The next night 4 of us went to see an amateur play at the Starlight Mountain Theater put on by young adults, so funny. On Friday we drove to a hot springs and spent about an hour soaking in the warm mineral water. There were different pools, and starting at the top was the hottest pool and they got cooler as you got down to the river. There was even a little pool that Selah could go in.
The rest of the time we played extreme badminton tournaments, which we dubbed "The Crooked Racket Tournament" because the wood rackets were a bit warped. Even my parents and aunt played. There was also a ping pong table inside the cabin in the living room, which Dan and Nick took full advantage of.
Unfortunately the town does not have a garbage service, so we had to take the garbage into town to drop it off at the dump. Well one night we forgot and left our garbage outside, stupid us. A stinky skunk got into it and tried busting through the screen door too. We also saw deer that came right through the yard in the mornings and crossed the river.
Now that we're back we are planning for Selah's 1st birthday party on Saturday. I'm so excited! Except we realized that August isn't a good time for birthday parties, because everyone goes on vacation before school starts up again. On Friday her actual birthday, Dan and I are taking Selah to the zoo and we're going to have a picnic. She's been to the zoo once before, but I think she'll be more aware of the animals this time. Selah knows how to say doggy now, and she definitely loves her dogs (Maya and Sadie). Except she refers to every four legged creature she sees as a doggy. So, I imagine we'll hear doggy over and over again at the zoo. So cute though!