That would be the day I was born. Meaning tomorrow is my birthday. And I will be twenty-four. No longer in the "early twenties." As I’ve been saying, I will officially be a "twenty-something."

Also tomorrow we are leaving. AGAIN! In the morning we are going to the Roloff Farm (seen often on the TV show Little People, Big World) and they’re pumpkin patch. SO EXCITED! I have seen every episode of this show and love their family. Even if I don’t get to see any of the Roloffs, seeing the farm should be just as good.

Then we are heading on to my parents’ where we will be until Saturday night. Now, I’ve only known of this plan for about a day, so it must have been a bit of a surprise. Which I think was spoiled by us having to go to Seattle last weekend and, YES, next weekend. We are heading up north again next Friday, until Tuesday of so.

And after that? After that we’re STAYING HOME until Thanksgiving. Maybe longer. We’re really going to need massive amounts of down time.

I have too much to do to be doing this but, this is what I’m doing. This morning Ali stuck her fingers in the electric heater. I don’t know if they got stuck or if it was shock but she didn’t pull them out. They got burned and she screamed and wouldn’t calm down. We called the nurse’s line nad were told to go to the ER. Luckily it was a quick and relatively painless trip. Scary and sad and emotional but…well, hopefully she has now learned the heates are both "aught" and "auch-y." Her words.

Hopefully she will be good about her "hook" since she needs to keep bandaged and covered for the next week. Has to go back to get it checked on Thursday (my bday coincidentally!). Now I really need to catch up on school b/c I have class tonight and we didn’t get back from Seattle until about midnight last night. So much to do.

And we’re heading to Seattle tonight. We’re sticking around to watch the VP debate but hoping to get out of here as close to 7pm as possible. Which means….there’s a lot to do!

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.

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.

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!

Hmmm. Status update much? If you don’t understand that then you really should enter the social networking arenta where the rest of the world (or at least my generation) plays 24/7.

We are all sick here. With some nasty cold that is hardest on Ali since she can’t take any meds for her stuffy nose and therefore can barely sleep. It’s exhausting.

We came home from my parents’ Monday night and I don’t think it’s stopped raining since. Which is okay. Because I’d rather be under the weather and housebound when it’s nasty out. And it’s cold too. Cold, cold, wear sweatshirts and slippers and turn on the heater cold. Or maybe that’s just us being sick?

Anyway, I have a ton to blog about but it’s expansiveness is overwhelming me.

We’re going back to the valley in just over a week.

So we’ve been back well over a week now. But this just never happend. And now it seems kind of distant, so I’m just going to narrarate some pictures. Thank you Billie for a lovely week up in the San Juan Islands!

This is Ali wating for the ferry in Anacortes. We left in the evening and drove to Seattle. Got there about 12:30am and slept at Billie’s house. Then got up in the morning, left about 7:30am to catch the 11am ferry (it’s about a two hour drive). Got in line and everything. Ferry was delayed almost an hour. Ali did well though and we made it and surprised Billie!

The crowd at the last softball game.

Ali playing with her new friends Jade(right) and Coral(left).

Ali playing on the beach just down from our apartment.

Huddle.

Projecting Sesame Street.

We were a family of crabs forthe annual Invertebrate Ball.

If you haven’t taken a look at the numerous other pictures yet. Hoping to get a quicky update in today, assuming Ali goes down for an afternoon nap soon. This evening we are going to Manzanita to see/have dinner with my Grandma and my Uncle Don’s family. And we seen to be spending 9pm-9am in bed lately trying, trying, trying to get some sleep. ANY SLEEP!

At this point it seems like forever ago, but just afew short weeks ago we were at my parents’ house. We got there on July 16th (I know because the reason for our visit was my getting a wisdom tooth pulled). When we left their house for my appt. we noticed a flatter than flat tire. Lame. Luckily Trista let us take her car, which had just gotten out of the shop the day before. Sometimes luck follows lack of luck.

The tooth removal was fine, I was done 45 minutes after walking in the door. Was sore for a few days, but they give you the good medicine and oneof could supposedly breastfeed with so I survived. Although I did spend a few days fighting nausea while on it.

The first night we were there Ali opened a bunch of presents from my parents and siblings. Jordan got her this Elmo house which she loved (and is still loving- she now scampers into it to hide out everytime a diaper is brought out) but kept knocking over in her attempt to hug and kiss Elmo.

Saturday (we were there from Wed-Mon) we went to the zoo. I don’t think I’ve been there much on weekends before. Especially not summer weekends. Actually I haven’t been to the zoo at all in five years at least. Much had changed and it was pretty crowded. Reminder to do as my mom did when we were kids and go on in-service days. Ali was kind of cranky and much more interested in the other kids than the animals but we had a good time.

Real-life baby bear!

She was into these fish…

…until this little guy showed up.

Before she took a stroller nap.

On the way home.

Saturday evening we had a BBQ. That turned into a birthday BBQ. But began as me asking my dad to BBQ for dinner sometime when we’re there. Because he usually works swing shift this was a number of months in the coming. First we invited my Grandma, then Jordan and Becky, then Gabby and Trista’s new boy Tyler. Although at that point I don’t think they were offical yet. Anyway…

Doing the ‘more’ sign.

My mom told her to kiss the Elmo on her plate.

Playing ‘Apples to Apples.’

Playing with Alyssa at Hammerlee park on Sunday.

If you haven’t seen yet, many more pics here.