Can that be right? This month definitely flew by. Though I have a feeling October will fly even faster!

So, I started school last week and that is keeping me very busy. For the first time if my life and I not procrastinating and am actually about a week ahead anywhere I can be. Know that we’re going to be out-of-town to weekends in October has really lit a fire under me. But I am enjoying it so much! I haven’t taken math since high school and, while sometimes tedious and difficult to see as applicable to "real" life, I love being able to just solve a problem and be done with it. It’s so different that the social science classes I tend to find myself in.

I’m also taking a Computer Scince course which, thus far, is very, very, interesting and enlightening. It’s just stuff I take so for granted and I think Tony is getting a kick out of the class too. He never took one but have extensive knowledge from the field so…yeah. I don’t know, he’ll have to add how he feels about it.

The other class I’m taking is Speech 111 and that’s the one at TBCC. It’s….interesting. I don’t really have a problem with doing speeches so I’m lucky to have a large weight of my shoulders to that regard. Ultimately it’s a pretty good load that seems like it will work pretty well. After this term I’ll have all the credits and requirements I need to get an Associates of General Studies. But, I still will need 18 more credits to establish "residency" at PCC. Thus, graduating in the Spring.

Anyway, unless I decide to boycott dishes and laundry it will probably be the blog that suffers the most. SoI apologize ahead of time to all you loyal readers. I’ll try to get a post up now andthen but know you’re much more likely to see just photos or a video. But please stick around and keep coming back!

Edit: Also, I think I fixed the must-see pictures here!

Guess it’s time to get some little rain boots. Anyone know where to find them?

Hannah posted these hilarious pictures in her blog recently. The first is me. The second in a good portion on the Lewis family, my parents, brother and I are in the middle.

This video is older. And it’s titled "Too Many Pacis."

Let’s see here. Monday we….cleaned? Tony worked across the street as he now does from 4-6pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.  I don’t know what else Monday involved. Probably a lot of dealing with PCC, TBCC, and the likes.

Tuesday my mom and grandma came down! They actually spent a lot of time working really hard; weeding, doing yardwork, and chippping most everything in sight. My mom brought the trailor down (to bring the chipper and co. back) so we have happily found a bit more room and when my nana and grandpa move they will have a trundle bed to put in their extra room. Now, if we were just to get on getting rid of the bonus day bed and queen that remain. Then Ali would have an honest-to-God bedroom!

Wednesday was more working outside, a walking tour of Rockaway that was cut short as the air grew cold and damp. Before they left town we all went to dinner at The Mazatlan, a mexican restaurant north of us. Ali was the most well behaved she has ever been when we’ve gone out (and, really, we haven’t gone out much) so the whole thing was quite a treat.

Thursday is also kind of a blur. I think we just kind of hung around the house. I watched a lot of TV gearing up for the future when I figure I won’t have the time. Oh yes, and I waited impatiently for Miss Adriah Michelle to grace us with her presence. That’s right. I spent the day on pins and needles, unable to concentrate on much of anything except refraining from bugging Cynthia while in labor and all.

Friday we spent the morning getting ready to leave at naptime (trying to work all/most travel around the new routine from now on). Which worked out well as, when my mom was here, we decided that on our way to town we’d "swing by" Newberg to pick Trista up from George Fox for her first weekend home. Swing by being a relative turn because, while on the way, there is no good way to get there from here, so it’s kind of indirect. Anyway, Trista’s last class got out at 1:30pm, so it wouldn’t have don’t much good for us to leave much before noon anyway.

Ali testing random doors in Trista’s dorm.

In the half hour from Newberg to Gladstone.

One guess who gave her a bag of Cheetos.

Also on Friday we visited my grandparents on last time before they move into their new apartment. Ali was in a pretty good mood, inventing some hanger sorting game that entertained more than just her. Friday night Jordan and Becky came over for dinner. If my dad hadn’t been at work than we’d have had the entire family together but, nonetheless, all four siblings were there for the first time since we all reside in different cities. Also, sidenote, one of the cutest things I’ve seen in a looooooong time (except maybe Adriah which is coming up) was Trista and Alyssa running to hug each other. I don’t think they knew how hard it’d be to be apart. Friday night we all (well, the girls, Tony and I, my mom and, when he got back from work at 8pm(!), my dad) watched Baby Mama which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Saturday we headed to the PCC Sylvanis Campus in the morning (Ali slept TERRIBLE the night before, crying in her sleep most of the night so we got up a little late and were all tired) to get one of my books. We were happy to find it used and therefore $66 instead of $88. The night before Tony and my dad ordered my other two from Amazon because that’s where they were cheapest. My dad buys a lot from the site and gets free shipping so we had him do. Except he pushed a wrong button and accidently shipped it to their house versus ours so I’ll have to wait a couple more days. Either way, I should have all my necessary books by next week which is quite a relief. Especially to the tune of $175 instead of almost $300!

After picking up the book we walked around the very impressive campus, which Ali really, really, enjoyed. I think Tony took a few pics but they’re on his phone so I’ll have to get them later. Then we went back "home" for Ali to have a her snack-nap-lunch triple whammy andwait to hear that Cynthia was home, settled, and ready to be decended upon.

It didn’t happen. Poor them, Adriah was born Thursday morning and they didn’t get home until late Saturday evening because the discharge was soooooooo slow. We amused ourselves though, going to Value Village (oh, how I miss having one near) and Blockbuster to get two previously viewed movie for FREE because of some surveys Tony took online. We got Dora videos.

Then, after Ali went to bed, Tony and I ventured out to have a quiet, not-frenzied, relaxing trip to Target. It was great. First, because we so rarely get to go to any stores beside Fred Meyer and, second, because we never, NEVER get to go out just the two of us. And third because, now that Ali walks, she wants to always walk. Which is not always possible and rarely appropriate. So it’s complicated things a bit.

Ali waving bye-bye everytime someone leaves the room.

You can’t really see them but I finally got to buy Ali some legwarmers at Target. i LOVE them. They are super cute, were really cheap, seem warm, and are AMAZINGLY easy when chaging a diaper. I need them in every color ASAP!

This morning Ali woke up really early, like pre-6am. But, she slept better last night so it was ok. Also, I went upstairs and fell back asleep on the couch while Tony dealt with her. So even more ok! We ate breakfast, packed everything up, and were off to Cynthia’s by 10am.

I am still in shock over how tiny Adriah was. I cannot believe, or even fathom, that Ali was that small. We feel so lucky to have seen the newest addition sor early on in life and one more CONGRATULATIONS to the beloved Edge family.

From there we came straight home (timing it to naptime again), watched some of the red carpet Emmy pre-show and are headed down now to catch the ceremony. Since we had satellite, we get cable channels on the East Coast time, so there was three hours between the end of the pre-show and the actualy Emmys. Usually obnoxious but today agood thing. Leaves me time for absurdly long and in-depth posts like this one.

Something I fear I may not find/make time for in the immediate future.

School, for me, starts Monday. I’m taking 12 credits, two classes online and one in Tillamook on Monday nights. I’m sure this will be quite a shock to the system. Mine and ours. Unfortunately I don’t even have a financial aid award yet and am stuck in the system for 3-4 more weeks. Which will make purchasing books a bit of a challenge (I need three that are $94, $88, and $75) but hopefully not cause any kinks otherwise. Hopefully.

So, with that on the horizon I have been trying to fit in what I’m sure will have to give as the time crunches. TV. Excessive internet. Lounging. Getting 8+ hours of sleep. Etc. It just sucks that all the fall shows are going to come back just as our life speeds up.

We are going to my parents’ tomorrow. We’re driving first down to Newberg to pick Trista up and take her home for the first time since she left for college about a month ago. We’re going to leave at naptime (noon) and come home Sunday morning probably. That’s a really short stay for us, but I’m so hesitant to mess up Ali’s routine when it’s working so well. Also, I want to be home and settled Sunday for the craziness that will be the beginning of the week. Also also, the Emmys are on Sunday night and I cannot handle watching anything of importance without the DVR.

Lastly, it’s Fall now. With only Alyssa home (and between a very difficult school schedule and soccer five nights a week she’s got no free time) and both my parents working there’s not much reason to hang around into the work week anymore. Kind of sad.

Monday night will be the first time I’m not home for Ali’s bedtime EVER! It’s definitely bittersweet. As much as it’s a step toward freedom it’s also the end of an era.

I’m so excited to see Ali see Adriah. She’s seen a few newborns in the last couple of months and has had varying reactions, but the last two times she was very intrigued. Even more so, I cannot wait to see Shayla as a big sister and hear about her meeting Adriah. I’m just so ecstatic for the Edge family! Well, if Cynthia would ever change her name

Somehow Ali’s wake-up time has crept forward in the past two weeks from seven-fifteenish to anywhere from six-thirty to six forty-five. In turn, I am exhausted by 8pm, in bed by then or maybe 9pm (to eat ice cream and watch TV of course!) and asleep by ten-thirty, eleven at the very latest.  It’s a far cry from when I found mayself staying up until midnight waiting for her to wake, or sleeping fifteen minutes and then being up until past 1am.

So, there is a lot going on. Really it’s a lot to be excited about but in the days or hours before I always find myself apprehensive.

I know I’m overdue for a post. I have a moderate amount of things I could talk about. But Cynthia went to the hospital to have Adriah early this morning and last I heard (about 7am) she was six centimeters dialated and now I can’t concentrate on anything except waiting for this child to arrive.

SO EXCITED!

More pics! The first is another book that Ali is obsessed with right now. It’s Disney’s book version of the movie Dinosaur and it’s been weeks now that it finds it’s wayto the top of the pile and then is carried over to be read. Only it’s long and has big words andshe never stays interested. So I don’t really understand the fascination but whatever. It got her very into this lemur that Billie gave her b/c in the book Aladar (the dino) is raised by lemurs.

Those are eight of her, now, eleven and a half teeth. Below you can catch a glimpse of one of her new molars (it’s on the right). She’s recently discovered the joy of watching me through the camera if I turn the digi around to face me. Then I turn it on her real face and get these great (if not absurdly close-up) smiling shots.

Today, on the beach. The shirt she is wearing (which I LOVE, it is the perfect color to bring out her eyes) was Tony’s when he was little. Or that is my understanding. It’s possible is was his little brother Dave’s.

It’s that time ofyear again and Saturday we were fortunate to watch two good games in which our teams prevailed. Well, Tony watched all ofthe Iowa Vs. Iowa State game and we both watched the fourth quarter and subsequent over time of Oregon vs. Purdue. Very exciting. And, also exciting, is how much more "involved" Ali can be than she was last year.

TOUCHDOWN!

We recently applied for a scholarship to the Tillamook YMCA and today found out that we were approved for a six month membership at $26 a month! This is so, so exciting. Esspecially with the long, grey days ahead of us. Suddenly this winter seems like it will be full (if all goes well I will be taking a full load of 12 credits this year and graduating with an Associates degree in the spring) and FUN. Just knowing there is somewhere we can go to let off some steam, swim, EXERCISE!, and even get childcare?!?! I am basically over the moon.

Of course, the fact that it is 25 minutes away will definitely limit our access. I’m hoping we’ll be able to make it a few times a week and hoping to sign up for a class- maybe Water Babbies with Ali since she basically is one.

Today though, the weather is perfect. Not a cloud in the sky and Iowa just beat Iowa State for the first time in years! Pics to come of aborable Ali enjoying the game.