Exploring

So it's been a week of Oregonianing and I'm pleased to report I am now recycling like a native, living with one air conditioner in our back room (since we aren't allowed to have one at the front of our apartment due to apartment regulations - did you know they have laws on air conditioners here???), and feeling more at home with our pictures put up on our walls.  Ross is adjusting well too.  He wasn't sleeping so well at first, but now with the air conditioner in he's doing much better.  Would you believe it still hasn't rained here yet or been overcast?  I'm starting to wonder if this is really Oregon!  Neighbors have told us that Portland, Oregon is only number 30 on the most rainy places in the US.  It's just overcast all the time which makes it seem like it's always rainy.  I am looking forward to cooler weather but not frozen ice in the winter!  We'll see how it goes.  

Steve went to his orientation for school and starts tomorrow.  Tomorrow also starts my first day of being an alone stay at home mom!  Time to get organized and get a routine going for Ross and me.  I'm actually looking forward to having a house of order more, but not being alone with just Ross and me.  It has been so nice having Steve home for this last month.  It would be nice to be paid to stay at home and raise your kids together!  

We did some exploring these last couple days and ventured out to the coast to see what the beaches are like.  We stopped at one just outside of Tillamook which was gorgeous and extremely windy.  People had kites around and there was a great sand bar in the ocean that you could walk out in.  We roamed around a bit while Ross would bury his face in my shoulder blocking out the wind.  Then we went to the lighthouse there followed by a visit to the cheese factory where we went through the sampling line twice because the cheese was so good!  We also got some ice cream which was delish.  I love the berry kinds of specialized ice cream.  We got some wild mountain black berry and Oregon strawberry.  Yum!  It was a great day and a very pretty drive.  I want to say it's like a mix of Fort Bragg, CA and Rochester, NY.  Rolling golden hills and tall evergreens.  It's been fun exploring.  We've had two families over for dinner so far from our ward.  We're shopping for friends.  ;)  Everyone is so nice here.  Our ward is huge - twice the size of our old one in Utah - and lots of graduate students.  It's easy to get lost in a ward this size - but we're settling in.  We'll see how it goes this week when real life for the next 3 years begins.  Cheers to progression!

Saying good-bye to Grandpa Stan at the airport! 

Making our first stop to IKEA ever - we saw Arthur from the Biggest Loser there!!

Ross enjoying and inspecting his rice cereal.

More feeding

Steve's first day of school!  All ready to go. :)

The beach at Tillamook.  Lots of people enjoying the sunshine.

Trying to be responsible for the skin in the sun.

We had to bundle Ross up because the wind was so cold and strong!  Cute boy.

The Meares Lighthouse with a gorgeous view!

The cheese factory!  Yum!

Sampling the cheese.  Squeeky Cheese was my favorite.  Steve's was the garlic cheddar.

Super cute PJs!

With a monkey on the bum.  Ross still is sporting his bald spot where he keeps rubbing off his hair!