Day date!!

Today Dave and I had a much needed date! We went to the rain forest cafe because Dave had never been and had an appetizer and dessert. I think I will do that more often so I can actually enjoy a dessert because the one we had was amazing! We shopped child free in the mall afterward and it was so nice. It is funny how once having children, doing simple activities child-free is a desired date. We loved being able to shop together and when Dave saw a man sitting with a stroller and bags he said he was grateful that wasn't him this time :) it was so nice to get out with my hubby before his super busy schedule starts next week with school. Dating is needed more once you are married and we are so grateful we have awesome young women in our ward here so we can get out more often :)
Bailee even benefited from our date with a new shirt and dress :) she is a huge Minnie fan right now

Mommy-daughter shopping

Just a few pictures from the day... Bailee insisted on leaving the house and even going into the store with her sunnies and hat on... I managed to convince her to leave the ball in the car but the rest went out into the world...oui oui... She even made a mother crack up in the store with how she looked :) I heard the lady laugh and I turned to her and asked if she was laughing at Bailee and i explained that she was persistent to wear the hat and glasses.. she pointed to the three teenage girls behind her and said " I had 3 and you will have many more of those days :)" it was quite entertaining. Later we went to another store and she loved carrying her bag of clothes. It was our little mommy daughter outing and I loved being able to focus on her while shopping and loved that she gave me an opinion :) we ended up with a swimsuit and 2 pairs of sandals that she was excited to show off to daddy when we got home :)

Getting so big!

I have had these jammies in Bailee's closet thinking they are still way too big. Since all of her other warm jammies are dirty, I was planning to just put these on but they fit her! How can my baby be a 2T! She has also been saying prayers at random times and I will post a video soon :) As trying as this age can be sometimes, I think it is also the very best because of how much is absorbed and understood :) it is fun to watch the changes and rapid growth!

Today I am grateful!

Kid friendly carts at the grocery store are such a wonderful thing! I went to 2 grocery stores today (only because they are right next to each other so I might as well shop both sales) and both made the outing 100 times better than previous visits. I don't know why I haven't thought to look for these carts before but it made me enjoy taking Bailee to the store... Honestly for the first time I think! Usually Dave and I both have to go or leave Bailee home with the other because she is so curious and wants to "help" shop which makes it hard to get in and out in a timely manner. It was just wonderful and I had to share :) and I tried getting her to look at me in the pic but the sun was right on her both times...

This was what I needed to read today...

“As you create a home, don't get distracted with a lot of things that have no meaning for you or your family. Don't dwell on your failures, but think of your successes. Have joy in your home. Have joy in your children. Have joy in your husband. Be grateful for the journey.”
― Marjorie Pay Hinckley

A quick post...

We are slowly getting settled and Loving this area! We have had a few set backs with our apartment that have added some extra work on our part as well as maintenance but the problems are gradually being taken care of and we are feeling more at home here :) I will post more pictures soon, but I had to share this one... A wonderful leader and friend from my home branch gave me a beautiful gift of 3 plates with sweet and simple messages and this one is my favorite! I love the simple reminder that has a perfect spot in our new home so I can see it daily :) we have felt so blessed through this process of moving and are excited for the adventures to come here in Tennessee :)

OMSI

We went to a science museum in Portland today called OMSI. We went in April of this year and loved it then so we were excited to go again! They have something for all ages and when we were there in April, Bailee loved the baby area. This time, she was able to do so much more and just loved going from one activity to the next. Her favorite were the sand and water areas. She could have stayed there all day if we let her! In fact, when it was time to go, it was more because of the adults being ready for naps! Some of her cousins were able to go as well which was fun to see her play with them :) I love that we can go there and the mess stays when we leave and Bailee has been stimulated and has experienced new activities. It was also fun for us to be there because there is such a wide range of exhibits. Last time was a Lego exhibit and this time it was grossology. Bailee loved the digestive system slide and tunnel and pushing the fart buttons :) my favorite thing this time was a 3D globe that displays current satellite footage of the world. On that globe there are little yellow marks that move all around and account for all commercial planes in the sky at the time you are looking at it. It was amazing to see how many people were flying around noon today! China was pretty much a yellow blob with all of the flights in and out of what we assumed was hong kong. Another area that was extremely busy was the east coast and I was not surprised by the flights to and from Hawaii at this time of year. Blake pointed out how looking at the globe made him think of how quickly sickness and disease can travel globally so quickly from air travel. I am a visual learner so it really gave me some great perspective! We have decided that OMSI will have to be a regular event when we visit because we love it so much :)