Where have we been???

It has been 3 months since our last post. That's ridiculous. I guess if we weren't so busy, I'd have time to update our blog more often... but then again, I wouldn't have anything to tell you about because there'd be nothing going on! It's kind of a Catch 22, isn't it? :)

Over the next few blogs posts, you'll see a bit of a recap for the past few months. In the meantime, here are some answers to a few questions you might have.

1. How is Samantha doing?

Samantha is doing so well! Yep, we're still convinced we are the luckiest parents in the world, but you may beg to differ if you have your own gems in your family.

Samantha turns 15 months old on September, 10th. Physically, she is growing leaps and bounds. We weighed her a few days ago and she was about 20.5 lbs (which is pretty small for her age, but definitely getting bigger!). She started walking about a month ago (see video in one of the posts below) and she sprouted her 8th tooth on Saturday, September 6th (Finally!!! It had been 4 MONTHS since her last tooth came in... we were starting to wonder if her bottom one existed!).

Beyond physically, Samantha is also sprouting mentally and we are in amazement each and every day. She has a few words in her repertoire (like dog, dada, mama and woof, quack, etc. if you can count those as words!). But what we find even more impressive than her speech is just how much of OUR speech she understands. We've been talking to her in full sentences since the day she was born and we were very used to not getting any response. But now, when we tell her that it's time for a snack, she heads to her high chair. Or when we tell her to turn around to crawl down the stairs backwards, she turns around. If we ask if she wants to get on her horse, she walks over to her horse and climbs on. We still aren't past the shock of realizing that she's actually soaking in everything we are saying. Of course, Sam doesn't do exactly what we tell her to do all the time, but even so, it is extremely fun to watch her personality blossom!


2. How is Las Vegas treating you?

Pretty well! We can't believe we have been here over 10 months! We are past the two hottest months of Summer (although September is still very hot, of course). It's been a huge adjustment for us to stay inside in the Summer (when in Oregon, you hide inside in the Winter and blossom in full glory in the Summer). When it's as hot as it is in July and August, there just really isn't a great time of day to walk the dogs, go to the park, etc. That being said, the heat has not been as unbearable as we expected. For example, we don't spontaneously combust when walking from the grocery store to our car. We're definitely ready for the heat to subside so we can have more freedom for our activities, but with that said, the hibernation in the Las Vegas Summer is not quite as difficult or as long as the hibernation in the Portland Winter, so we are counting our blessings.

Besides the weather, we are definitely getting to know more about Las Vegas in general and are trying to make it our home. This has been a little difficult due to the fact that we have to schedule around work schedules and our dear daughters nap/bedtime schedules, but we are working on it. Fun activities like an occasional bike ride at Lake Mead, a hike at Mt. Charleston, or a picnic dinner at an outdoor theatre at the base of Red Rock Canyon bring us hope that maybe, just maybe, our Northwest roots can thrive in this desert! :)


3. Have you done anything exciting this summer?

Although we haven't ventured anywhere exotic this summer, we have managed to make a couple trips to Portland and one trip to Boise. We've also had a couple people visit us here in Las Vegas. You'll see a few extra details about these trips in subsequent posts.


4. How is Sean's work going?

Sean is staying very busy at work. It's a very challenging environment given that the gaming industry is definitely tightening their belts due to the economy, but he's hanging in there.

5. What is keeping Lisa so busy that she can't update the blog (for crying out loud)?

The travels to Portland and Boise and the visits from friends have definitely made the summer a very busy one. But like I mentioned earlier, we wouldn't avoid those events just so I had more time to work on the blog!! :)

I have also been working as a contractor for WebMD for a little over 2 months. I'm currently working about 30 hours per week for WebMD (from here in Las Vegas). I work 10 hours a day two days a week (while Nana takes care of Samantha) and then I get as many hours in as I can on the other days (before Samantha wakes up and during her afternoon nap). In a nutshell, this means that from M-F, my schedule is pretty packed and there aren't a whole lot of spare moments left over for writing in blogs, reading books, calling friends, etc.

6. Wait... I thought one of the reasons you guys moved down to Las Vegas was so Lisa could stay at home with Samantha?

You're right... but that just goes to show that if you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans! :) If there is anything we have learned over the past couple of years, it's that we are not necessarily in control, and God sometimes has other plans for you than what you made for yourself. When WebMD approached me with this opportunity in May, we thought long and hard about it. I didn't want to give up the opportunity to be a Stay-At-Home mom (especially after moving all the way to Las Vegas to make that happen) but at the same time, we could certainly use the extra money to help with the Oregon house that hasn't sold yet, pay off an IRS debt due to a ridiculous Federal mess up in 2006, etc. So we decided as a family to go for it. As it stands, I get to spend 5 days a week with my lovely little girl, she's watched the other 2 days by one of the most loving care providers I could ever hope for (her Nana) and I get to work at a company I know extremely well and make some extra money for the family. Oddly enough, I still consider myself a Stay-At-Home mom, so I think I have a slight problem with denial or split personalities.

7. What else can you tell us?
Well... check out the next few blogs to see pictures and video of some highlights from the past couple of months.