Rockaway has a strange relationship with cloud banks. It seems they love us, and like to hang out all day. Then dissapate 6-8pm. Just in time for sunset/bedtime. Or, at the very least, the point of no return when the day has already been written off. The most frustrating thing is a mere mile or two away is sunny, warm, and gorgeous.

Tomorrow we better get some of this sun!

So today we spent some time cleaning/organizing the house. Something I’ve kind of tackled with my newfound time and freedom (new schedule = LOVE IT!). Like, unpacking boxes from our move nearly a year ago. Or clearing the table we haven’t seen the top of in months at least. Tony has been working on reorganizing our "office." And I’ve been finally filling some of the empty photo frames I’ve been meaning to do forever. We’re finding a need to change things up as Ali is growing more and more. Provide different spaces for her with the option for less supervision.

And that’s about all I’ve got right now. I spent a few days very, very engorged. To the point that I was getting clogged ducts but I think my supply may have adjusted to our three briefs feedings a day and I am very grateful.

Ali dressed for the Hawkeye game…and then wanted the bandana on when she was helping fold laundry. It’s better than the underwear she usually like to wear around her neck as if a necklace.

I put a bunch of pictures into an album for her, since she was so enamored with one that Billie had, and she is now obsessed with it.

Going for a drive in Fred Meyer.

We had to go to Garibaldi to get some sun.

Walking even in the sand!

Terrifed of the "men" behind her- she probably thinks they’ll try to hold her!

The financial aid process is so long and disheartening. Ugh and ugh.

We returned last night from 3-4 days at my parents’. During which we were quite busy. Looking very much forward to staying put for awhile. Even if that’s only a couple of weeks.

Here are a few photos from the days before we left:

On our way home we stopped to play at Magnolia Park in Hillsboro. It was a great way to blow off some steam and ensure a sleepy girl the whole way home.

Hmmm, that’s a good question. We’ve been home for a week and two days now. We’re leaving again, probably Friday. Really it’s all starting to blur…

• The weather has been basically extraordinary. Probably a reason for my lack of blogging. There have been a couple grey and rainy days mixed in, which is okay because it allows appreciation for the days that aren’t.
• Ah yes, I remember. Early last week we were all sick. Well, had a cold.Ali seriously JUST got rid of her runny nose. It was her first really bad one and, geez! I can’t wait until she’s old enough to just blow the thing already.
• We’ve been going to the beach a lot. Once a day whenever it’s nice. Usually wading in the ocean and once even swimming. And boogie boarding. Which was so, so, so fun! I hadn’t really swam in the ocean in like eight or so years and it used to be all I wanted to do when we stayed out here. I love it.
• But, I tweaked my knee boogie boarding. I tore my ACL when I was 14 playing basketball and had reconstructive surgery placing a chunk of my hamstring in place of the shredded knee ligament. It’s really never been the same and gave me a lot of problems when I played sports in high school. It hasn’t bothered me since, but I’ve never been extremely active. So, that was Saturday and it seems to be getting more swollen by the day (weird). I can walk and function and everything, just have a limited range of motion and limp a little. Definitely something I’m a bit worried about.
• Trista is leaving for college tomorrow! She is just going about thirty minutes south to Newberg, OR to attend George Fox University. Last Saturday she came out to have a last hurrah with us until Monday morning. I know it’s the end of an era, and we will miss being able to see her so much.
• Friday night we attended a MOPS carnival in Tillamook. I registered for the upcoming year and am looking forward to meeting other moms and for Ali to be able to socialize with other kids. Also, while the moms meet childcare is provided so I hope it will be a good place to work on non-parental caretakers. Maybe the outcome of this will be….oh, I don’t know, a night or even a meal where it’s just the two of us?!?!
• Okay, I’m drawing a blank, so onto some pictures:

On one of the colder days…she looks so BIG!

I love crying pictures.

So sweet with baby buns.

On Saturday we found this extension to her Elmo house for $3. Complete with ballpit! Shall be great to whip out on the weeks when the rain doesn’t stop.

So cute in the sand.

Fun new game with daddy.

Pure, pure, pure joy!

Ali loves Trista.

• If you are so inclined, there are more pictures here and here.
• I can’t believe the kids are already heading back to school! The end of summer is so sad. Which is why I’m glad our summer will last as long as the weather does. And the light. Boo to it getting dark at 8pm.
• Oh yeah, Ali has been sleeping WONDERFULLY lately. Like, the last four or so days. She’s been crying when we put her in her crib (usually asleep from nursing but then she wakes) but falling asleep ON HER OWN. And, surprise surprise, she sleeps nearly twice as long this way. The night before last she slept from 8pm to 12:30am. Perhaps her longest ever. I am still sleeping in the bed in her room for part of the night though. We’ll get there I guess. Also, the last few days have been one-nap days. And it’s been a LONG nap (like 1-1.5 hrs) which she has never been into. For months she’s been doing two thirtyish minute naps. This is so, so much better. Especially when I can just set her down and if she cries, she cries. Today she went down just before noon (cried on and off for 30 minutes at least) and then slept until like 1:45pm. I had time to actually DO something. Ah, it’s amazing. I so hope this lasts, this is a routine I can deal with.

Last Sunday, no not yesterday but the over-a-week-ago Sunday, we were lucky enough to attend my friend Kelsey’s wedding. I’ve known Kelsey forever, probably since first grade at least and we went to the same church from third grade through high school. She married Josh Anderson at Timberline Lodge, and the service was so beautiful and unique in the outdoor amphitheatre there. The weather was so, so perfect. It was a scorcher in the valley, but up there is was cool enough to be pleasant. Though it sprinkled as we got out of our car, and began to thunderstorm as we returned to the parking lot, the unwanted elements stayed at bay throughout. At least while we were there.

My dad and sisters waiting beforehand.

The beautiful bride and her dad. I loved the black-white-red scheme.

Ali was being a pain throughout the ceremony because she wanted to nurse.

Awww, getting pictures taken.

Ali learned to say "Uh-oh" at the reception.

Ali and I.

The whole family.

Trista and I on the ride home.

To give credit where credit is due, Tony and I have now been motivated to finally finally start planning our own wedding. We have set a date (one we’ve had our eye on for quite awhile) and hoping to scout a venue this coming weekend. More on that to come I’m sure. Also, more pictures.

Reshma just posted her own pics of the Lewis picnic, including these two great shots. Which I have now stolen. Thanks Resh!

For those of you not closely acquainted with the Lewis’ I will give you a quick rundown. My dad is the youngest of four boys, borne to my grandparents William and Shirley Lewis. Bill is the oldest, Dean is second, and Perry is third. Bill is eleven years older than my dad and Perry is seven. So my dad (Steve) is the baby-baby. Or was. Is? I think being the youngest (or oldest) is one of those things you never really overcome. Anyway…

From those four sons came twelve grandkids. Six are older and six are younger, with five years separating the two groups. The older ones are in thier late twenties and early thirties. I, at twenty-three, am the oldest of the younger cousins. My sisters are the babies of the cousins. There is actually only six(?) years between Alyssa and Esther, the oldest great-grandkid.

And there are a LOT of great-grandkids now. Katy is mom to Essie, Sam, and twins Zach and Joey (ages 9,8, and almost 6 I think). Kari has Dominick, Breanna, and Isaac (7, 5, and just-turned 1), go to her post to see some great pictures, especially the one where it looks like Ali is break dancing or something. Anna has Emilie, Eli, Grace, and brand-new Anderson (7,6,4, and less than two months). And Heather is mama to Boston (almost three) and ready to have baby Cooper any day. Add Ali to the mix and that makes thirteen…..almost fourteen.

So, there were a lot of Lewis’, former Lewis’, friends of Lewis’, and those married or born to Lewis’ all gathered in one spot. Which, btw, was Rivercrest park in Oregon City. Could not have been a more perfect location. Though it was about 100 degrees there was plenty of shade and even a spray park for the kids to cool off in. And, sometimes, the adults.

Ali and Isaac. Less than six weeks apart, they both seem to be at that age where they’re much more interested in older kids.

The leis were for the Hawaiian theme. Hydration was key in the hot weather.

There are a lot of August birthdays. From the back left: Katy, Bill, Isaac, Anna, Boston, Ben, Nana and Grandpa (who is actually a March baby).

She is so adorable. I love that halter back dress on her.

Ali and Isaac (and in the background my cousin Hannah) playing at the spray park. Isaac is a much better walker than Ali but in this pic they both are looking pretty proficient. It’s amazing how much these kids have grown in just a year.

Late August 2007.

Our little water girl.

Trista and Alyssa getting in on the action.

Actually, it was so funny…some little kid (like 7 or 8 ) got some crush on Trista and kept following her around squirting her with one of those huge squirt guns. But, really, can we blame him?

Last Monday is was Beeeeeautiful here. But before we could hit the beach Ali and I had to man Off Our Rocker while Tony had a business call. Note the beads, Huggies spray-sunscreen, and what appears to be texting. Oh, and her ADORABLE new hair-do.

Baby in her toy box/basket.

I got my hair highlighted last Wednesday!!!

Sleeping on the way to Grandma and Grandpa’s Thursday morning[ish].

Trista and Ali running through the sprinkler on Friday because it was HOT.

Then we cooled off the this boat turned pool.

And that brings me to last Saturday, which was the annual Lewis family picnic. Upcoming!

Today it was sunny and gorgeous. Warm and only a breeze. Perfect, perfect. Hopefully we get to spend a bit more time enjoying it tomorrow. Assuming, of course, it is nice again. Which is something you actually cannot assume here. Anyway, we can assume that we’re in for some HOT weather when we’re in the valley at the end of the week. YAY!

First steps or no? That was two days ago and is about where we’re at. Or perhaps a bit further after tonight. She is so so sooooooooo close.

Speaking of tonight. We went to visit my grandma, uncle Don, aunt Yvonne, and two cousins (Micheal and Matthew) who were staying a Nehalam Bay State Park with Gladstone First Baptist on their annual campout. We just went for dinner, left after Ali’s woke up from her nap. We definitely wished we were staying longer, though maybe that’s just because we knew we weren’t? It was kind of cold and sprinkling off and on so perhaps one of those situations that looks better from the outside.

It seemed like Ali would really, really enjoy camping though. Especially if it involved bonus people around to shower her with attention and kids closer to her own age to provide 24/7 entertainment. Yes, she had a great time. And we want to borrow Matthew every night from the post-dinner pre-bedtime slot to wear the girl out. Which he was quite successful at!

This photo is so, so cute.

Ali had such a blast playing with Matthew.

Ok, here’s some catch-up pics.

Last week it was actually warm enough to get in the water a bit.

Ali reading about the new season of Sesame Street on the pot.

She has now discovered simulated phone usage. Which involves the phoneheld in the vicinity of her ear, and screamed baby-babble. Here she was specifically "talking" to Shayla.

Riding her bike…today! (Which means we’re up to date)

And more phone chats.

Nighttime is just as painful. She continues to wake uo every hour to hour-and-a-half with usually one three hour stretch. Isn’t that worse thanmost newborns?!?! I might call the doctor soon just to….I don’t know. Just to do something??? But that’s a whole other issue considering we’ve seen a different doctor every time (three of them) we’ve gone since moving here and we hear [hope!] there’s a permenant one coming soon but it’s hard having no established relationship.

I am working on drastically cutting down my caffeine intake because that could definitely be having an effect. Went from having two cups in the morning to mid-morning and one about 3pm to having one and half before noon and today having one about 10am. So we’ll see. No real improvements yet, but UGH. What a hard time to cut down on the stimulants. I kind of feel like a walking zombie.

Tomorrow we’re going to the Tillamook County Fair which is exciting. Next weekend we’ll be in the Portland area for the Lewis family picnic and for a wedding. Next week we are spending a few days in Off Our Rocker again. And by we I now mean Tony, as we discovered it works best if he just goes over there with his laptop and does his own work. I am working on enrolling for some classes in the fall through PCC. it has been especially difficult since I’m going to begetting financial aid (which involves tons of hoop jumping) and I’m finally transferring credits from three different colleges. I have to go next week to take a math placement test at TBCC (Tillamook Bay Community College), which I’m trying to study a bit for but it’s kind of depressing to look at stuff you know you know (or knew) how to do and realize you no longer have more than a faint inkling.

So we’re busy. And tired. And we’re had nary a sunbreak here since last Sunday! Which is so frustrating for me.