A Year (plus) in Big Bear

Disclaimer: This post has no photos because something weird is going on with the computer photo stuff and Kelly is not home to figure it out. Maybe he can fix it tonight and I can update photos then!

I guess I'm not really cut out for this blogging thing. Maybe it would be different if Facebook was not around? It just seems like everyone is instantly updated with everyone else, via Facebook, so there is not much of a need for blogging life-updates.

Who knows...

But I suppose I can keep trying to be more consistent with making blog post updates anyways. 

So it has been just over a year since the last post. Where were we? Oh yes! Kelly just got a job at Pine Summit, in Big Bear, CA. So much for trying to live near family! Hahaha. I guess we got to for a bit, and it was a wonderful bit. We miss them dearly though!!!! And hope that one day we can be closer to family again. 

Let's recap the last year...

We moved to Big Bear. Lived in camp housing for a few weeks. Found a place to rent. Yay.

Mommy and Shawny went on lots of adventures. Normally consisting of going to different parks and the lake. 

Shawna got her face painted for the first time at an airplane show. The airport is right down the road from us.. The show itself was not very impressive. There were just a bunch of old fashion planes and cars parked. But Shawna had fun people watching. 

We celebrated Shawna's first birthday!! She turned one on May 27th last year. That was fun!!!! It was just a little party consisting of mommy, daddy, and Shawny. But it was still nice. :) 

There was a Fourth of July event held at a local church. Shawna got her face painted again! She really loves getting her face painted. 

We started going to the Mom and Dad Project. It is a non-profit organization and is a part of the Bear Valley Health District. They host free classes for parents- parting classes, birthing classes, etc. They also host kid classes! Shawna and I go to Toddler Tumbling, Big Messy Art, and Ooey Gooey Science. Each class is about an hour long. None of them are very structured which is frustrating at times, but it is still nice to get out, have Shawna create things and play, and I get to spend times with other adults.

I have made a few mom friends from going to the classes with Shawna. Which means Shawna has made a few friends too :)

Kelly's mom, Dawn, visited us for awhile. We explored more of the back roads of Big Bear, since I'm too chicken to do that stuff on my own. There were also a massive amount of garage sales going on throughout her stay, so we went to a bunch of those. Big Bear has a few days in the summer where people come up from ... everywhere .... just to go to the garage sales. Labor Day, Memorial day, and Independence Day are the most popular garage sale days. 

Shawna had a blast with her grandma. They did pretty much everything together. Played outside, played at the lake, built stuff, went on walks, and much much more. 

Not much happened once Dawn left. I actually really have no idea what went on during the months following her departure. Thanksgiving happened... I think we just stayed home for that. Haha. 

Kelly bought a car to drive to/from work. Before that, he would either ride his bike or Shawna and I would drive him. Thankfully he was able to find one before the snow came. California has...interesting...laws when it comes to snow driving. Basically, if it's snowing and your car is not 4WD, you have to put chains on your tires. I might be over exaggerating a bit, but it is pretty crazy what a little snow does to people. Haha. I suppose being from the Midwest, and being used to snow, it probably seems more silly to us than it does to California natives. 

Hmmm....

Christmas! Kelly's mom AND dad came to visit us for a few days! That was fun :)

Me and Shawna traveled to Wisconsin in early January. We were able to see many friends and family members who we had not seen in at least a year. Shawna had lots of play dates with her WI friends. And we took lots of pictures! Shawna and my mom really clicked too. It was so fun to watch her and Shawna interact and play. :) 

We flew back to CA in late February. It was a bittersweet time, as we loved being with friends and family again, but it was also good to be back with Kelly, after being gone for so long. 

Since our time back home we have been going about our day-to-day lives again. BUT! A few fun things have happened!! 

My sister and brother-in-law were in the area (LA), so they came to visit us for a few days!!! Unfortunately the weather was cold, windy, and terrible, which did not allow us to do much outdoor stuff at all. Thankfully Shawna kept us occupied by being her fun little self. She really had a blast with her aunt and uncle!!! Oh! And we all celebrated Kelly's birthday together :)

Right after Alissa and Brian left, Kelly had a four day weekend, so we went on a little vacation! 

We went to the Thousand Oaks area. Shawna's favorite part was: all of it!

Some things we did: walked around a botanical garden, went swimming, hiking (and saw a waterfall), geocaching, and shopping. Shawna also met a "friend" at the park. There was a young boy with a handheld bubble machine. He would walk up to Shawna, make the bubbles go, and she would chase the bubbles around the park. 

For Easter Sunday we got to go to Grace Community and hear John MacArthur preach. It was difficult to pay attention to him, because Shawna kept telling me that she had to pee. I kept taking her in and out of the bathroom, but she kept refusing to go. She finally went! But it was near the end of the sermon. Ha. Go figure. But you can ask Kelly about the sermon since he got to listen to it. ;)

"Most recent stuff":

*Kelly prepared for summer at camp. He really enjoys what he does, even though he has very long days that are physically, mentally, and emotionally wearing. His summer staff arrived and his long, 12+ hours days began. Kelly and his two co-workers, Jason and Craig, were busy at camp from before sun-up to way after sun-down, teaching and training their summer staff; preparing them for summer.
Now training is over and campers have arrived. The long days continue though, as Jason and Craig are still fairly new to camp, and most, if not all of this year's summer staff are new as well.

*Dawn (Kelly's mom) is visiting again! She arrived a week before Shawna's second birthday. YEAH! Shawna turned TWO! We had a little party at the park with four of her toddler friends. We ate fruit and chips, the kids fed bread to the ducks, and we all had cake.

*The weather has been hot. I can't remember when it last rained. Maybe February when it was a rain/snow mix. I miss Wisconsin thunderstorms and really green grass. But I love having the lake and hiking trails super duper close by.
*We go to the lake or the park (or both) almost every day. If we don't go out out, we will at least go out for one to two walks around the neighborhood and/or in the forest. No matter what we do, Shawna makes it all exciting and fun.
*We have been re-organizing our house and re-decorating a little bit. It has been fun... but the process also makes everything a mess! Haha.
*I have been making Water Kefir!!! It's a yummy fizzy water beverage with great probiotics.

Things we are looking forward to:

*Kelly's dad is visiting us in about a week!
*The 4th of July is coming up! That means games, face-painting, and fireworks!
*Near the end of July, I get to take Shawna to Wisconsin for just over two weeks. Yay! I am very excited to see family and friends again! Kelly gets to stay in Big Bear and work ;)

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A little about Shawna. Because we love her so much. And because not everyone we know and love gets to spend much time with her because of where we live.

*Shawna is one of the biggest joys in our life! She is growing up so beautifully (although she needs much teaching and training). She is constantly learning new things and surprising us with how fast she picks up on... everything, really!
*Shawna has lots and lots of energy. She loves to run, climb, jump, bounce, be silly, play with tools, have mommy paint her nails, and get ice cream with daddy. She also loves to be outdoors and visit daddy at camp.
*Shawna is all potty trained. I looooove not having to think about diapers. We started at the beginning of March (when she was just over 21 months old) and she picked it up really quickly!
*Shawny-shawn is also talking a LOT. She still does ASL, but she uses her words even more!

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Thanks for reading our update!

 Until next time!

-The Holden Fam

The Last (Almost) Two Years

Last time I wrote a blog post was May 8th, 2013.
What has happened since then? Obviously nothing!!!! Just kidding.

Here I am, ready to update you on the last (almost) two years. Only main points will be noted, as my memory is NOT that great. Plus I don't want to bore you with a bunch of random details. I'll just try and share the fun stuff!

Warning: THIS IS A VERY LONG POST.
I know I just said that only main points will be noted, but it is still very long!
Feel free to skip over the stuff you already know about; I'm just trying to cover all my bases here :) 

Let's see . . .

View from our tent.

     Fall 2013 - Kelly and I went to Outdoor Education training up near the Yosemite area. We were there to learn more about outdoor education and how to teach "outdoor ed" classes.  Elementary school students later came to camp (Pine Valley) for an educational field trip, and we taught the science classes that we learned to teach during the training.
     After training, we were able to take a few days of vacation in Yosemite!!

Our poles bent during a windstorm
We spent our last night in a hotel

View from sitting in a hot spring

     Those few days were spent driving around, seeing the sights, geocaching, hiking, sleeping in a tent, and getting lost. We saw cows walking alongside the road during a scenic drive- that was a LOT of fun!!!
     A few of our favorite parts of the trip were finding secret hot springs and going to Bodie, an old ghost town.

Bodie, the historic ghost town

     I did not feel well much of the time, but blamed it on the common "carsick" sickness I get. Little did we know I was actually pregnant.

Geocaching on Obsidian Dome

Christmas 2013 . . . Christmas in Vail, Colorado!

1 yr. anniversary cake eating

     We were able to take vacation time and visit Kelly's family. Everyone was there- Skyler (brother), Hobie (brother), Katrina (Hobie's wife), and the parents! That was fun! We got to ice skate, snow shoe, walk around Vail in the pretty snow, drive around to look at Christmas lights, play games, eat food, and a bunch of other fun stuff.  Me and Kelly got to celebrate our 1 year anniversary and my birthday too!

Taking a break from snowshoeing

     As Kelly and I left Vail to go back to Pine Valley we got in a car accident. We slid on some ice, could not get the car back under control, hit the side of the road, and the car rolled (3ish) times into the ditch. It was a very exciting event and something we will never forget.      Thankfully we walked away with a few bruises, scratches, and only a couple pieces of glass in my hand. Our car even landed on the wheels! Although the Lord let this rollover happen, he kept us safe. Had we driven a few miles down the road, we would have been driving through mountains with cliffs on either side of the road. That would have made things a bit more interesting!
     An ambulance came to take me to a nearby hospital to check on baby Shawna. I was 21ish weeks pregnant. I think. I don't really remember. We were actually told that many babies in the womb do not survive rollover car accidents! Shawna was checked out and the doctor told me that she looked perfect! That was the hospital where it was revealed to us that our baby was a GIRL.

Abbie, myself, Alissa
at the ocean

Fast forward . . . Spring/Summer 2014

Baby Shawna kept growing...
Kelly was still working as the Recreation Manager at camp...
I was still working in the coffee shop...
We had a mostly normal routine. Sunday's were church days. Monday's were Kelly/Haley hang out days.
Tuesday's through Saturday's were work days for Kelly. I worked in the coffee shop more and hung out with my friends, Jessie and Kiersten.

Alissa, myself, Abbie
at Pine Valley

     Oh! My sisters came to visit! Abbie and Alissa flew out to see me and Kelly for a few days!! It was awesome. We went to the ocean, painted Kelly's new archery shed he built, and just spent good quality time with one another :) It was a blast. THANKS AGAIN FOR COMING!














And then a few weeks later... SHAWNA WAS BORN!

Family of three :)

Little baby Shawna

I could write a whole blog post about this event, but this post is already getting pretty long so I'll make it short and sweet. Shawny was due May 21st and made her arrival May 27th.

Kiersten and Shawna!!!

     We were planning on a home birth, and one of my best friends was going to help deliver Shawna.  However, after my water broke and I was feeling the "need to push", Shawna wasn't doing so well. We decided to go to the hospital to make sure things were going okay. I had been in labor for a couple of days, got no sleep and little rest, so I decided to get an epi. It was a good thing because I was able to catch up on some sleep. A c-section was on the horizon, as Shawna was facing sunny-side-up in my belly. After the two hour mark, when I was "supposed" to get my c-section, I got a NEW nurse! My new nurse said we could just lay me in different positions and wait for Shawna to flip over on her own. SHE DID! C-section averted and Shawna Jane Holden was born!
     Shawna means "God is gracious" and Jane means "Gift from God" or "God's gracious gift". We figured her name was fitting after the Lord had saved her from the car accident that past winter. She was and still is a healthy and beautiful baby girl.  Kelly did an awesome job during the whole labor/delivery process, and didn't seem grossed out at all.  Our friend Kiersten stayed with us the whole time an was a huge help and encouragement to us both.

More summer stuff . . .
     Kelly had a great recreation summer staff team that helped run all of the recreation activities. They also worked on a few cool projects. Some of the bigger ones were making a cool hiking trail in the forest and building a GaGa ball pit (it's a game).

Me and my mommy :)
And Shawna :)

     Kelly's mom was able to visit us and help with life and Shawna for a month. That was great! Dawn liked to take Shawna on morning walks with the stroller - and let me sleep in!

     A few weeks later, my mom was able to visit us and help take care of Shawna for a little while. That was also great! It was the first time my mom met Shawna. It was also the first time my mom and I had seen each other in a year and a half. We had so much fun together. She got to see where we lived and worked, and even finished painting the walls in our house!!

Matt and Shawna were best friends!

     Shawna was a big hit at camp! All of the summer staff and full time staffed loved her so much. It was great to be in such a great community of people who love and support us. There were many families who cooked delicious meals for us when we got home from the hospital; it was such a blessing.    

Shawna visiting her daddy
at work

     Kelly and I actually decided to leave Pine Valley soon after my mom left. Shawna was three months old at the time we moved. It was a difficult decision, but we ultimately decided that we wanted to be closer to family. We moved in with Kelly's parents in Littleton, CO. and started job hunting.
 

Christmas 2014 . . . Wisconsin

Shawna and Uncle Brian

Shawna and Aunt Alyssa

Shawna, Aunt Shelly and Uncle Nathan

Shawna and Aunt Abbie and Uncle Walker

Shawna and Uncle Kyle

Shawna and Grandma Mosurinjohn

      Since Kelly has not been tied down to a job, we spent Christmas with my family in Wisconsin. We stayed for SIX weeks!!! Kelly flew in and out of Milwaukee/South Carolina for a few weeks because he was working for Signature Research at the time. I was able to stay in WI and spend time with my friends and family. It was the first time anybody on the Mosurinjohn side of the family met Shawna, other than my mom. It was faaaaaaantastic!!!!!!!!!! I love spending time with my family.

     The cold kept us in the house much of the time, but we were still able to go out and do a few fun things. Shawna and I went to visit some good friends from the Bible College I went to after high school. We are all married and now all have babies!!! It was SO fun to spend time with my friends and have our babies play together.


Back to Colorado . . . Finishing winter and starting spring . . .

We love going to the park!

     Although Kelly has not been able to land a job here, it has also been a blessing for him to be able to stay home and watch Shawna grow up. Kelly not having a job is obviously not the ideal situation, but I have greatly enjoyed spending these last seven months with my husband, hanging
out with him all day, and taking care of Shawna together. It has also been a blessing that Kelly's parents have been letting us live in their house with them. Plus, they love having Shawna here!
     We have done some pretty fun things together too! Did you know that Chick-fil-A had free coffee for the whole month of February? THAT was yummy! We go to Costco often and eat free samples for fun. Shawna also likes to get out and have people smile at her and wave "Hi". There are a few parks nearby that we go to so Shawna can play on the swings, and where we can go on walks. We have been making some good friends at the church we attend and it has been great getting to know them better and hanging out with them. Our new friends have young children too, which is great because Shawna LOVES to play with other babies.

Shawna loves spending time
with Grandma Holden

      Time for some news updates:

     For those of you who have heard about our van having problems: We got it back a few days ago! We had the transmission fixed, then something else was going wrong when it was on a final test drive (don't ask me- I don't know much about cars), then they fixed that. So it's all better :)

     For those of you who have heard about my cavity filling falling out: We were able to find a place that gave us a lower rate for dental procedures. I got a temporary filling put in so I can get a crown later. However, the temp. filling fell out that night. I got a new permanent filling put in the next morning for no extra cost.

Kelly and Shawny

Now we have some big news.
And because YOU made it to the end of this post, you get to know what it is!

Ready?

Set?

Go!

KELLY GOT A JOB!!!!!!!!! 

Kelly, baby Shawna, and I will be moving out to Big Bear, California.

     Our trip starts Monday, April 13th and we plan to get there Wednesday, April 15th. Ya'll would have known earlier, but it has taken me FOREVER to write this blog! Blog writing takes a lot longer when there is a baby in the house. Shawna normally only takes one nap a day (yes, you can feel bad me) and the naps tend to mostly happen during trips to Costco, which is just a few minutes down the road. When Shawna is awake, she doesn't let me stay on the computer for long because she wants me to play with her. Oh well!

                          ANYWAYS!!!!

     Kelly's position is the Activities Supervisor at Pine Summit Christian Camp. The position will be much like what he did at Pine Valley.

     We will not be living at the camp (like we did at Pine Valley), so we will rent a house near camp in the town of Big Bear. During the first month, we will be staying at the camp in an empty summer staff house so we can have time to figure out where we are going to live.
     Between getting this job and having a place to stay for the month while we look for permanent housing, God has worked out so many of the details perfectly.
When we were first told that we would stay at the camp for a month, we were going to have to go to another building for laundry and to use a kitchen.  The "separate laundry and kitchen" part made me a little stressed out because I was imagining trying to prepare meals for myself and Kelly, and do laundry, all while caring for Shawna.  Obviously it could be done, but it still made me a little worried. Well, Kelly got a call from a staff member at Pine Summit a few days ago, and they told us that they decided to put us in housing WITH laundry and a kitchen! Yay!
We do not yet know much about the camp or the town of Big Bear, but will soon be learning more once we get there. That means I will HAVE to continue writing in our blog. :)
This next chapter in our lives is full of unknowns, but we are still very excited.

     Although we have only been in Colorado for seven months, it was a good seven months. I am very glad that Shawna was able to spend so much time with her grandparents/Kelly's parents. They have loved watching her grow up! Plus, if we didn't come here, then we wouldn't have been able to spend six weeks in Wisconsin visiting my family and friends.

Thank you all so much for praying for us and supporting us through our journey thus far.

We would love your continued prayer:

• We are still packing for the move.
• Traveling such a long distance with Shawna will be interesting!
• Affordable housing (for us) in Big Bear is currently slim, but we are told there will be more options when it gets closer to summer. We are moving there without knowing where we will be living, so please pray that we will be able to find something for our family that we can afford.

   

JUST BORN!

                                                                                                               Last But Not Least . . .

Here are some monthly pictures of Shawna. She has grown up so much! Time sure does fly by when you're having fun! It has been such an awesome experience having this little one in our lives. By no means has it been easy, but God has always been there for us to bring us through each trial - no matter how big or small.

I have been taking little notes of Shawna ever since she was born. Here are *some* notes I took:

The first month of Shawna's life -
Cutest:
Burps, belly button, yawn, involuntary smile, sneezes
Likes:

Day we took Shawna home from the hospital (left)
One month old (right)

Eating, sleeping, looking at the blue Christmas lights in our bedroom, sleeping with mommy and daddy, being outside, being naked, stroller and car rides
Doesn't like:
Getting the hiccups, walking through sprinklers with daddy, mommy eating dairy products because it makes her tummy hurt, when her legs kick uncontrollably, people blowing in her face
Can:
"Talk"- aka. make noise
Grab and hold things in her hands
Push her feet against something stationary and scoot herself forward
Hold her head up for a little bit and turn it from side to side
Track certain things (fan on "baby speed") with her eyes
Firsts:
Bath- 6/25
Pee on mom and dad's bed during diaper change 6/26
   
Second month of Shawna's life -
Cutest: 

Two months

Voluntary smiles and giggles, stretches after naps, little farts
Likes:
Playing airplane on daddy's arm, looking out at the world, sucking her hand, watching ceiling fans spin
Doesn't like:
Being hungry, poopy diapers, pacifiers, needing to burp
Can:
Smile on purpose
Track more moving objects with her eyes
Make more noises
Shed tears while crying
Start to coordinate arms and hands to hit/grab things
Stick out her pointer finger
Firsts:
Pee on couch

Three months

Third month of Shawna's life -
Likes:
To smile, talk, watch her toys go back and forth in front of her face, take baths, and stick out her tongue
Doesn't like:
Missing her naps, car rides

Four months

Fourth month of Shawna's life -
Likes:
To watch mommy yawn, suck her fingers, put everything in her mouth, rub her feet together, kisses on her face, splashing her feet during bath time, mirrors, touching peoples faces, dixie cups
Doesn't like: 
Mommy being out of sight
Firsts:
Real giggles
Roll from back to tummy 10/8
Other:
Learning how to scooch and play peek-a-boo, sucks bottom lip, better at grabbing things, can roll from back to side,  rubs eyes when tired

Five months

Fifth month of Shawna's life -
Likes:
To stand against furniture
Firsts:
Snow 11/10
Diaper rash 11/11
Thanksgiving 11/27
Other:
Learning how to make spit bubbles with her mouth, can now sit up better

Six months

Sixth month of Shawna's life -
Likes:
To help brush mommy and daddy's teeth
Can:
Army crawl
Firsts:
Christmas tree cutting 11/29
First time meeting mommy's family!!
Tooth! 12/25 Bottom middle
Christmas 12/25

Seventh month of Shawna's life -

Seven months

Likes to:
Shake sprinkle container, suck thumb while sticking out tongue, fake cough to get attention, give kisses, sing, and take baths
Doesn't like:
Car rides
Can:
Pull herself up from sitting to standing
Go from her belly to sitting up when pushing on mommy's leg
Firsts:
New Year's Party (and sparkling grape juice!)
Taste of mint chip ice cream 1/25
Other:
Another tooth! 12/27 Bo
Laughs when daddy blows his nose

Eight months

Eighth month of Shawna's life -
Likes to:
Dance, talk, watch ducks and geese outside, kneel, open up the kitchen cabinets
Doesn't like:
Diaper changes
Can:
Say, "uh oh"
Stand alone for a few seconds
Firsts:
Trip to Aldi
Bath in real bathtub

Ninth month of Shawna's life - 
Likes:

Nine months

Dogs and birds
To laugh randomly
Can:
Crawl up stairs (not down!)
Wave "hi" and "bye"
Point to stuff - especially when it has to do with "outside"
CLAP!!!
Firsts:
Bowling 3/01
Steps 3/24
Other:
Third tooth cut 3/15 upper middle right
Fourth tooth cut 3/22 upper right canine

Tenth month of Shawna's life - 
Likes:

Ten months

Being outside at all times
Doesn't like:
Stuffed animals
Can:
Turn light switches of
Firsts:
Picture with the Easter Bunny (and got scared)
Other:
Fifth tooth cut 3/30 upper middle left
Sixth tooth cut 3/31 upper left canine
Naps less than mommy would like ;)

   


The end :)

Many Vintages Later...

Too bad I'm not getting better at posting once a week, eh? HAPPY MAY!

I hope everyone had a wonderful, joy-filled Easter weekend, as we celebrated Jesus' death, burial and resurrection. Kel and I were blessed to spend our Easter here with a camp family. Dan and his wife Kelli, and their four children, invited us to spend the day with them. We ate lunch with their family and a few other staff members, played Apples to Apples, and Kel played on the trampoline with the kids. We ended our day by watching a musical and had a small "leftover-meal" dinner. Kel and I didn't get home until about 10pm. We had so much fun!

     *Kelly and Dan just completed their first go at training some of the full time staff to be lifeguard/cpr/aed/first aid certified! They said he did a great job teaching/training them. :) In a few weeks his summer staff team will come and Kelly will be doing his second round of training people.
     *I was able to Skype with Alissa and Brian awhile ago. Maya is the cutest puppy in the whole world.
     *Kelly had his high ropes and zip line inspection. There was a guy here inspecting the course and all of the equipment, making sure everything is up to the codes and safety standards.
     *We had a pull down ladder installed in our ceiling so we can now access our attic. This is very exciting!

Ladder being installed.

All done!

 *I was recently trained to be a barista at the coffee shop here at camp. Last Sunday I was scheduled to work at the coffee shop ALL BY MYSELF! Sunday mornings are typically slower... but this one was not. I had to call for a helper because there were so many people that came to order coffee drinks. Too many people for one barista!

*Kelly and Dan had to seal all of the high ropes poles with some kind of sealant/stain to keep them protected from the sun so they won't crack. At the end of the day, all of the poles were sealed, and the majority of their clothes needed to be thrown away.

Kel and Dan staining the poles.

25 hours old.

*All of us staff ladies had a baby shower a few weeks ago for our dear friend Kiersten. Her baby arrived two days later! Sarah Isabella is her name. Look at all that hair! Just three hours after Kiersten delivered, she had me and Kelly come over to see their newest addition. They even let me hold her! It was fantastic.
*Due to the fact that Sarah was born at home and obviously had to get a birth certificate, Kiersten needed hand-written proof that she was pregnant and that she did indeed deliver Sarah in her home. Kiersten asked me, along with two other people at camp, to each write a letter proving those specific things (along with a few other important points). We then met with a lady who notarized the letters, signed some papers and stamped our fingerprints in a book.

April was a very exciting month, but the most FANTASTIC part was getting to see my brother NATHAN!!!!!!! We went to the La Brea Tar Pits... I had never heard of them before, but they were suuuuuuuuper cool!  We also went inside the museum and saw fossils that the paleontologists had already found in some of the tar pits. The three of us went to the ocean for a while. That was super fun! There were starfish!!! We found quite a few geocaches while we were out, which was quite exciting. Some were easy ... some were not so easy. I'm sad to say that I do not have any pictures of us climbing up the side of a steep hill on half of an old metal ladder.

Starfish!!!

Kelly and Nathan Geocaching.

First ever In-N-Out burger!

Other news...

     *The camp cat, Chaos, likes to visit us. It is probably because we fed him once. He now occasionally meows at our door in the mornings until we let him in and then he comes and goes during the day. He watched a movie once!
     *Our new neighbors have officially moved in next door, so that's been fun! Jesse and Daniel are 27 & 29 and their son Leif is two and a half. He's so cute! He loves to play with Caleb, too. Laef calls Caleb his "best buddy". The two of them are also learning how to take turns and share. It's a good thing!
     *Kelly and I hosted a paintball birthday party. A lady from a church in the area wanted to play paintball for her birthday this year, so her and 12 of her friends came out and played for two hours! A typical game is twenty minutes long, and we'll let a group play two 20-minute games. But because this was a special occasion, they played for a very long time. It was fun though :) Kelly was the ref. and I was the scorekeeper. He got marked with paint about four or five times. I won because I didn't get marked at all!
     *Have I mentioned how the weather is almost always wonderful here? We LOVE going to the beach!
     *Kelly and I just bought a couch! It is our first official piece of furniture. Almost everything else that is in our house was either already here when we moved in, or was given to us from staff families.


Get excited for our VIDEO blog post... COMING SOON!