Exploring Vancouver, WA

We recently decided we want to spend our weekends exploring local attractions around Vancouver.  We've LOVED it! We love working during the week so we can count down the days to EARN our Saturday and have FUN! 

Here was our day today exploring Fort Vancouver:

Saturday, April 21, 2012

-Wake up 7:30 ('sleeping in' yet not too long that you feel gross)

-take Cosmo out for walk down by the lake where he chased as many birds, squirrels, and bunnies as his heart desired (Even had a one on one battle with one bunny that resembled a cartoon weaving in and out of bushes and climbing stairs till the bunny won)

Jonno wearing the BYU shirt my Mom bought him and Cosmo on the prowl for bunnies

-PERFECT, sunshine-y beautiful Northwest gorgeous day 75 degrees today!!

-Nancy goes to fill-in for an afternoon shift at Cascade New Horizons and Jonno studies for school

-Finished with our busy work, Nancy picked up Jonno for an awesome VANCOUVER ADVENTURE!

Vancouver Adventure:

-Jonathon, Nancy, and Cosmo went to the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site- awesome.

Jonno, Nancy, and Cosmo at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site

Some of the old barracks at Fort Vancouver

       

 At the visitors center - we loved this sunny field!

Running through the field!

This huge anchor they found a long time ago in the Columbia River  near the Fort

 Cosmo in the field- such a little cutie

In the pretty replica garden

Jonno and Cosmo in the fort

The teeny little door into the fort

The fields surrounding the fort and watch tower

Pearson Field Air Museum- right down the street from Ft. Vancouver

Nancy and Cosmo checking out the planes
(The museum closed at 2:00 so we couldn't go inside this section,
but we made do!)

Hot man!

Little mini plane!!

Okay, is he not the cutest dog ever??

Cosmo is going to run for dog president and this is is new campaign ad:
FOLLOW ME

Plane motor.. ca-razy stuff.
Jonathon can appreciate this from working on our car back in 2009- ugh.

  

Playing with the toys inside the museum- Nancy was making the ball float with the air!
"I did ot!" -Nancy

Did I mention yet how much we loved the field?

All tuckered out on our drive home-
(He loves to stand on his back legs and rest his body and front legs
on the center console between us while we drive)

-Stopped by the visitor's center and bought some stickers and post cards for Elder Huckvale (Jonathon's youngest brother who is serving a mission in Florida)

-Got to the actual FORT just as they were closing AND they didn't allow dogs- we'll go back again soon!  

-Walked around the park and old buildings 

-Stopped by the Pearson Air Field Museum

-Discoverd the Wintler Park and Waterfront and little beach when we got lost looking for a place to eat. There were plenty of people soaking in the sunshine - we'll make a future visit to this spot! 

-Took our worn out baby Cosmo home to rest

-Went to Washougal to eat at a place Jonathon remembered from high school "Cupboard Corner" and had delicious sandwiches- YUM!!!!

-Bought a book at the cafe called "Historical Camas" filled with a bunch of antique photos of our cute town of Camas- I love Camas!

-Stopped by the old Camas bowling alley "Riverside Bowl" that just got torn down :(

Remnants of Riverside Bowl 

-Stopped by Jonathon's old high school to bring back memories :

Old Camas High (Now Liberty Middle School)

-Stopped by Dairy Queen for some HUMUNGO dipped cones (they were like "King Gauntlets")

-Drove home to pull into the most beautiful neighborhood in spring.

Can you believe we drive into view THIS!?!?  Lake, red barn, fields, trees.. stunning. We feel so lucky.

BEAUTIFUL Mt. Hood- I see this almost every day while driving home from work

What a DAY! Someday these photos will all make it into an awesome photo book. :)

The temple and my ancestors

This is the Portland, Oregon LDS Temple:

It is so beautiful, inside and out.  It is 30 seconds off the freeway but hidden by huge green trees. You drive up a little street and it appears out of nowhere! 

It also happens to be the place where my sweetheart and I were married almost 5 years ago!! 

My family attended the open house when I was just a 9 month old little baby. 

My mom said I was fast asleep and quiet until we got in the temple- then I started babbling and pointing and fussing. As soon as we left the temple, I was quiet again.

She thinks it is because I knew that I would be married there someday!  I agree! Pretty cool.

I love this temple, for many reasons.

******************************************************************

This is a neat experience I had this week:

I went by myself a couple days ago to have some 'alone' time while seeking direction. There is a point in the temple where the topic of family is talked about- both your posterity and your ancestors and what blessings they are.  

While sitting in the  Celestial Room (which is where you are closest to God and heaven), I thought about my Grandpa Richards who passed away last year. Not being sure if I can 'pray' to my grandpa or not, I prayed to Heavenly Father to say Hi for me and let him know I miss him and how much he impacted my life.  

At that moment, I felt like I was being given a big hug and I felt my grandpa's arms wrap around me and a smile on his face. I then thought of Jonathon's grandma Carolan Sessions who also passed away last year and felt her arms wrap around me as well.  Next was her husband Ken, who I never got the chance to meet because he died about 10 years ago. I saw in my mind his warm smile and friendly eyes as he hugged me and a feeling of "I am so proud of you and Jonathon and all your hard work to get to this point. I am happy my grandson has married someone who makes him so happy. Thank you for loving him. I love you."  

Next, 4-5 women who were all sisters joined the group hug. These women were my ancestors, the Loader sisters, who were part of the Mormon Pioneer trek to Utah in the Martin Handcart company. I knew it right when I saw them, though I don't think I've ever seen a picture of them.  They were the first in my family to join the LDS church.  Many others came and joined the group hug who I didn't recognize.    

I felt like I was physically being 'lifted up' by these people in a way of "stay strong- you have so many people and angels who love you and are supporting and rooting for you. You have an important work to do here on Earth."  

I just started crying. It's hard to explain this-- It wasn't a physical sensation, it was just as I was sitting there with my eyes closed and praying. But it was very real and vivid. And very emotional.  

I thought of how my ancestors worked so hard in the past for ME to be here today. And they want to see me succeed! And I have a responsibility to do the same and be strong for my future family as well. We have angels supporting us even when we can't see them.

I am grateful for this experience and for all the sacrifices of my ancestors. I'm grateful for all the blessings I have today. Too many to try to list right now!  And I'm grateful for the Plan of Salvation so I can be with all my family again someday.

I trust that Heavenly Father is in charge and He knows what is best for me. Even when it is hard, I'll allow Him to guide me along and remember the feeling I felt this night that it'll all be okay and it's not in my hands. 

These are a few of my favorite things...

I have many things in my life that I LOVE and think "I wish I could share this with more people so they can be this happy too." Well, today is your lucky day!  Here are a few of my "favorite things:"

 My light alarm clock:  

 Starts getting bright 30 minutes before the alarm goes off so it is like daylight in my room when I need to get up.

 My warm, cute, Black Friday Coat

 My brown boots (prown poots) and sailor shoes

Thanks Grandma Richards- awesome birthday present!!

My running shoes:

These puppies helped me run my marathon

Jewelry:

-polar bear earrings 

(from my dad when we went to Yellowstone 6 years ago)

-classic pearl earrings

-My Lucky necklace 

(A 'Jasper' rock- got it at Martin's Cove with Grandpa and Grandma Roush.. it represents strength, courage, and power to hold on when times are tough)

-"Choose Happiness" necklace

(My sister Shirley gave it to me for Christmas-

I LOVE IT!!!!)

My "50s Cat Eye" fire red glasses

:::BEAUTY SECTION:::

HAIR SUPPLIES:

(From left to right:)

Purple shampoo-  brightens up blonde hair in a snap!  (Generic Brand)

-Texturizing spray (Beyond the Zone)

-Dry shampoo (BedHead.. but I have TONS- all brands work great!)

**I cannot express how much I LOVE dry shampoo and every woman should own some!!!!**

-"Surf Spray" (Bumble and Bumble)

-Volumizing Hair powder (Got2B)

-Boar bristle teasing brush (from Sally's)

Remington Pearl Curling Wand

AWESOME!! Spritz with hair spray and it makes perfect waves or curls:

-Diamond Clean Sonicare toothbrush

and Reach Gum Care floss

I LOVE this tb and this is honestly the BEST floss to help with sensitive, bleeding gums

Daily disposable contact lenses

Bausch and Lombe

I used to have really dry, itchy eyes until I tried these four years ago.  

Since then, I've tried "newer, better (aka more expensive)" contacts but they didn't compare to these.

:::MAKE UP:::

I don't use all of these EVERYDAY, but they are all awesome in certain times. 

I just discovered most of these pretty recently- 

Jonathon gave me a "go to the mall and have your make up done and then buy whatever they suggest" present for Christmas (I know, he is the greatest!!!!)  I've always bought the cheap drugstore stuff so I was excited and bought a bunch of fancy make up. I couldn't believe how it was SO EXPENSIVE, yet didn't seem to work much better than what I was using before. So, I went on a quest to find the best make up. It's not PERFECT, but I've made some great finds!! 


What I discovered about make up:
Spending more MONEY does NOT always mean you're getting a better product.
I actually found I don't like Mac much but LOVE LOVE LOVE the Hard Candy brand from Walmart and save SO MUCH $$MONEY$$, yet most of the stuff works just as good or even BETTER than the expensive brand! 

From left to right:

-Mac Fix powder foundation 

(great for on-the-go quick fixes and pretty good coverage) 9/10

-Hard Candy "welcome Home Matte" powder

(I use it for shine in my T-zone to set my foundation for the day) 8/10

-Hard Candy "Undercover" under eye concealer 

(I love this! It brightens and conceals well without settling in the lines) 9/10

-Laura Mercier smooth foundation

(Perfect "dewy" look- not too much, not too little coverage BUT smells weird! Jonno hates that) 9/10

-Hard Candy tinted moisturizer 

(I use this most everyday- perfect coverage for just everyday looks) 8/10

-CoverGirl NatureLuxe foundation

(This is the BEST drugstore foundation- comparable to Laura Mercier-- but $40 cheaper!!) 8/10

-Hard Candy Glamoflouge concealer

(Great for covering blemishes and scars- pretty thick texture so not good for under eyes)  7/10

Eye make up:

From left to right:

-Mac Creme shimmer highlighter

(I use it on the brow bone, bridge of the nose, and cheek bones to highlight.. 7/10

It is 'OK' but I wouldn't spend the money for this again- I'd rather buy the cheaper Hard Candy brand)

-Mac finisher gel

(I apply it lightly after my foundation to help with oil control between my eye brows doing Dental Hygiene each day

-It works 'OK' but again, not well enough for the cost of $25)   5/10

-Mac face primer

(Wouldn't buy again.. works OK but not any better than one from Walmart!)  5/10

-Wet n' Wild MegaGlo

(LOVE this blush!!!  Perfect amount of color with a sheer dewy glow.. not sparkly, but shimmers lightly) 9/10

-Mac Bronzing powder

(I do like this- it is not too dark, not too light- looks very natural) 9/10

(Back to front)

-Wet n' Wild eye wand (eye shadow and liner combo) 

(love the quick, easy color for on the go!) 7/10

-Maybelline eyebrow pencil

(basic ol' brow pencil... great!) 8/10

-Wet n wild dark brown eyeliner

(basic ol' liner.. great!) 9/10

Hard Candy baked eye shadow

LOVE this..  awesome dewy pretty color! 10/10

-Double Extend mascara 

(Works AWESOME - looks almost like false lashes.  I use it only when I wanna get more dressed up because it is struggily to remove- warm water to remove the lil tubules)  9/10

HEAT AND WARMTH:


My PERFECT comfy red cuddly, snugly blanket my Mom gave me many years ago
....
AND my most favorite of alllllllllll
JONNO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love him!

My floor heater!

I LOVE instant heat!!  This thing is my best friend in the winter. 

Favorites.. Honorable Mentions (but no pictures right now...) 

-My blue robe:

Keeps me warm and comfy- a D.I. special for $3 last year!

-My PLUM nail polish

-Tace Bell Double Decker Supremes

-Watermelon

-Mexican food 

-Anne of Green Gables book

-Soma muscle relaxer

-Jonno

-Cosmo

-My wedding ring

-Taylor Swift "The Best Day" song

-Candy

-Kroger Popcorn

WELL, I hope you all enjoyed a peek at my favorite things!  I recommend most all of them so let me know if you have any questions about it!  My blogging posts decrease significantly when I don't have a camera...  or my own laptop.  

-My laptop broke and we haven't got it fixed yet :( 

I'll try to get a camera and some updated pictures sooner than later. Bye!

December happenings

1. Temp at Warners dental office every Tuesday- Love them. They are so nice!
2. Got my wisdom teeth extracted. Starved for three days, got two dry sockets, an infection so my entire right side of my head swelled up, TMJ pain and not being able to open my mouth too big, and now have a huge canker where my teeth naturally bite down on tissue in the back. :( We'll wait two weeks and see if it heals on its own before taking the next step to fix this.
3. Grandpa and Grandma Roush came to visit! I got to see them and my Dad and Nolan and lots of family.
4. Grandpa had to go to the hospital overnight for a mini stroke. He's okay now but I don't like him not feeling 100%!
5. Grandpa and Grandma Huckvale came to visit! They also brought Roger who is Grandpa's aid. We love him and are so grateful for his assistance and being so willing to help.
6. My little brother in law David is preparing to go on his mission to Jacksonville, Florida. He gave an awesome talk at church. Sister in law Jenny sang and sounded beautiful.
7. Robby came home from BYU for Christmas break... and surprised us by bringing our good friend Jeremy! They bought their tickets back in October and only told my Mother in Law, Susie. I can't believe they all kept the secret that long!
8. Going to the temple with David for the first time and being there with loved ones. We went with GRANDpa Huckvale to the room where he sealed Jonathon and me 4 years ago. The three of us just cried together as we told him THANK YOU for doing that for us. GRANDma said that was one of the things Grandpa was most excited for- to get to seal his grandchildren in the temple for time and all eternity.  He performed three of these before his stroke left him unable to speak. We feel so honored and privileged to be one of those couples. 
--We're grateful in general to be raised by great examples in our lives and for all the hard work and love of our ancestors in THEIR lives so we can be where we are today.
9. Eating soooooo many Christmas treats!! :D I LOVE candy and sweets.
10. The whole reason I even began writing this post...  I love Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride tea! I am drinking it for the first time and it is yummy.
---Robby, Jeremy, Cosmo and I just walked Jonathon to walk this cold morning. The boys stayed to get a tour of the office and I planned to go out for a run so I left, but Cosmo is a pansy and can't run so I just came home. It was beautiful watching the sun rise and seeing the little sliver of the moon and that peaceful feeling of being outside walking. I love it. But i was just COLD! So tea hit the spot. :)
11. Rented a CAMERO (and got it for an awesome deal!!) for a day and drove out to Walla Walla to test drive cars with Alex and Talia. I love Talia! She's one of the cutest moms I know. She could start a "Cute Mom Club." We're still trying to make our final decision but I think we've narrowed it down to two.
--Getting a new car is such a tough decision. It is WAY more fun to do it when you can actually afford what you WANT and have been saving up for it!

Spending time with my FaMiLy!

Grandpa and Grandma Roush and Nancy

Breakfast at Shari's Restaurant

Grandpa and Grandma Roush and Aunt Marilyn drove up from Utah to Seattle to visit! I rented a car (gold Chevy Malibu) and drove up to join in on the fun.

------A couple weeks ago, I was talking to my grandma on the phone. Here was our conversation:

Nancy: "Grandma, I just am missing family so much right now. But Jonathon and I can't really afford to fly down to Utah. Do you think there is any chance you and Grandpa might be driving up to Washington to visit any time soon?"

Grandma: "Well, we're driving up in two weeks to see Susan (my aunt) direct her performance of Handel's Messiah."

Nancy: "WHAT??!!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I LOVE my grandparents so much and have missed them a lot since moving. I was thrilled to see them! I also got to see my dad, aunts, cousin, and brother. Yay for family!

Nancy and Dad

Here's my recap of this awesome weekend:

SATURDAY:

-get 4 hours of sleep then wake up and pick up my rental car

-drive 2 1/2 hours North to Federal Way to my dad's place

-Arrive. Say hi and hugs to Dad and his wife April.

-Nap-a-roo (I'd gotten my wisdom teeth removed the Wednesday before and was still recovering)

-Go to deaf party with Grandparents, Dad, and April in Edmonds with lots of cool nativities

-Ate SOLID, YUMMY food for the first time in DAYS. Literally, I was starving since I had been throwing everything up since Wednesday. The first taste of something that wasn't apple sauce, V8, or Jello- I couldn't stop stuffing my face!!

-Finally full, we drove home and I played card games with April's two daughters Mary and Olivia and my Dad. Fun! They are so cute. But I learned I am not a young buck anymore. I was sooo tired when we went to bed at 1:00!

-BED

SUNDAY:

-Wake up to a THROBBING face :( I overdid it eating the night before and got a DRY SOCKET

-Spent the morning icing my dang face with frozen bananas.

-Tried eating a pancake and regretted it instantly from the pain.

-Went to church at the American Sign Language branch where April gave a great lesson in Relief Society on the Final Judgement

-Left during the second hour of church in search of pain relief

-Ended up buying a "dental first aid kit" from Wal-Greens and placed Eugenol oil in my vacant holes in my head (wisdom teeth). And an oatmeal at McDonalds.

-Got back for the third hour of church and had a cool thought/experience involving a deaf/blind man who blessed the sacrament (I'll probably write about that in my other blog)

-Went to visit my little brother NOLAN!!!!!!

-Nolan is my half brother who is 7. He is also deaf. He the son of my dad and his second wife, Dina Marie. He lives with his mom up in Edmonds.

----I LOVE Nolan!! He is SO cute. I am amazed every time I see him how much he has grown up. He is so smart and loves math, even though he struggled with it at first. He has learned in the past year how to write, spell, add, subtract, and sign much better. He also knows the difference between someone who is "deaf" and who is "hearing" now.

---We went to the park and played tag. He is going to be a future athlete- he's so fast! Then walked home and had some dinner Dina Marie made. We played some computer games together and then finished with a game of Monopoly with the three of us. He was so cute adding up his money. And when Dina Marie would win something, he'd LIGHT UP and get so excited and jump up and give her a big hug. Haha. He's so cute!! I seriously can't get enough of that kid. Love him!

Caught him in the middle of signing.. I love his bright, happy eyes!

He said it was his turn to take a picture with his camera so he wouldn't let me take anymore of him. I just had to show how cute he is as a whole- his little pants and coat. Hehe!

-Met my family (lots of extended family including my Grandma's nieces Rebecca and others and my cousin) in Renton to watch Handel's Messiah being directed by my aunt Susan Jones.. she did SO GREAT and I loved being a part of that wonderful performance and message. Very powerful.

-Slept at Mike and Susan's house that night, exhausted again..

MONDAY:

-Went to breakfast at Sherri's with Grandpa and Grandma Roush, Dad, his wife April, my aunt Marilyn, and her daughter/my cousin Melanie.

-Said my goodbyes...

-Stopped by the Bath and Body Works outlet on my way home and picked up some sweet deals!

-Stopped by my dental office to have my two dry sockets fixed up

-----Dr. Brad packed the extraction sites with Clove oil gauze to help with the pain. The right one healed up and was great but the left gauze fell out that night and the next morning, the pain came back with a vengeance- worse than ever before! Ughh.. so ready for my mouth to be back to normal!

From left to right:

April, Grandma Roush, Dad, Grandpa Roush, Nancy, Melanie, Marilyn

April, Nancy, and Dad

-DROVE HOME TO MY LOVING JONNO AND WONDERFUL IN-LAWS!

I found out later that night that my Grandpa had a little mini stroke after I left. He is okay but it just makes you cherish these little moments. My grandpa and grandma are my little protectors always making sure I'm safe and happy and have anything and everything I need.

---I left during the Messiah to rest because my mouth was hurting. About ten minutes later, my grandma found me in a random room to check on me and make sure I was okay. She said Grandpa said "Don't you think you outta go check on our girl?" I love that I can feel their radiating, deep, genuine love. Not just for me, but for EVERYONE they come in contact with. Such great examples.

I LOVE my Grandparents. I love my dad. I love Nolan. I loved seeing my Aunt Marilyn. It was really fun being all together up there. I need to make it happen more often. :)