We're Back!

I cannot tell you how good it is to have internet again. We decided when we moved to Virginia (and I can't believe we're FINALLY here!) that we wouldn't get TV but I had to have my internet!

Ok, lots to update -- I guess I should give the short version right?

My brother Jeff came home from his mission in Mendosa, Argentina on Feb. 6 -- Megan's first birthday. Of course it was the first time that he had seen her and he kept saying things like "she is so cute!" (yes, thank you) and "I can't believe I'm an uncle!". We celebrated her birthday and his homecoming at my parents in Michigan and then Chopper and Megan and I drove the 12 hours (yes, with a 1-year old) to our apartment in Fredericksburg, Virginia! It is wonderful to be together again as a family and have our stuff. I know things are just material possessions but having your own space is invaluable.

Megan now has 5 teeth and is still not crawling! We had her one-year appointment with a new doctor and she has referred us to a service that will provide physical therapy if Megan qualifies. I'm pretty sure she will. She is really turning into a toddler: pointing at things she wants, screeching and babbling at the top of her lungs, rolling her eyes at me, etc. It's fun to have her more interactive than just reactive.

I've been reading up a storm lately and have gotten on this Shannon Hale kick (thanks Grandma!). She writes mainly young adult fiction but they are all the best stories and wonderful romances to boot! I highly recommend her -- the titles I've read so far are The Goose Girl, Book of A Thousand Days, Princess Academy, and Austenland -- actually an adult novel about a woman who goes to a "camp" that is Regency England/Jane Austen immersion -- fun, light read. I also read a fun book called These Is My Words. I can't remember the author and once you get past the fact that the title is horrendous it is really good. It's diary-style about a woman in the Arizona territories in the mid to late 1800s. Also very romantic but it felt very real -- like this is what women really think and feel. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Ok pictures! I'm going to attach a ton because it's been so long -- hopefully they all come through. Enjoy! ** I just checked them and for some reason the text isn't matched up with the pictures but I'll be darned if I'm going to redo it so have fun matching them up!
Just grinning!
Happy Valentine's Day!

Megan started doing this funny thing in pushing out her stomach and holding it when she was done eating. I swear she looked pregnant.
Megan and my brother Jeff reading stories.


Happy first birthday! THe pink doll in the first picture was her birthday present from Aunt Denise -- it's an ugly sock doll and it's really horribly cute and Megan loves it -- especially the eyes. Apparently they look tasty!

Just a funny face.
With my brother Mark who lives in Chicago.
With Grandpa Gasser (aka my dad and can I just say -- that sounds really weird to call him Grandpa Gasser -- sorry dad!) Everyone was wonderful and wore birthday hats which Megan thought was really funny.

I have the strangest child on the planet. She never really took to baby food and LOVES table food. Spicy and flavorful included. I am not kidding when I say she eats fajitas -- not burrito style obviously). Anyway, her cake. SHe pulled off the sprinkles one by one and ate them but then didn't want anything to do with the cake because it was covered in sticky icing and she doesn't like things that are sticky (she won't eat syrup either). So I broke it up for her and she ate a few pieces but was just ok with the whole thing. She didn't have icecream -- mainly because she refuses to take a spoon and I'm not giving that to her for finger food! Strange baby.

Update

My in-laws internet is worse than my parents! I'm here (Virginia) until Sunday and then back to Michigan until the beginning of February and then Chopper and I will finally be back together again!!! WA-HOO!!!! We actually are in the process of getting an apartment and getting our furniture from Montana and I can't tell you how much better it makes me feel just to know that we are going somewhere!

Christmas was fabulous and made more entertaining because of Megan's reactions to everything. I won't be able to post pictures until I get back to Michigan but it was wonderful.

Chopper is literally working everyday up to the inauguration and then it looks like we'll be scheduling him for shoulder surgury to just take care of whatever the issue is!

I've been reading a good series by Rick Riordan (for middle-school, young teen age group) called Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It's about a young man who discovers that he is a hero (half god, half mortal) in present day and that the gods have not disappeared. Great for mythology because it puts it all in a modern context! And it's a fun read.

'Tis the Season

For Santa! The Riverdale Library (one room) had Santa and Mrs. Claus and it was perfect for Megan's first visit because there were no long lines and she did exactly what I thought she was going to do -- get really concerned and then cry. She was only concerned until she turned around and got a good look at Mr. Claus and the result was all out help me! She calmed down once I was holding her again poor thing!

For Snow! Michigan weather is apparently going to set a record for snowfall in December. I love snow, but this is not exactly thrilling. We made a snowman to stand in for Chopper for our Christmas cards (the real one is much cuter), and then walked around showing Megan the trees and everything. She really had to examine of course and my mom got this ADORABLE picture of her. I think it's my new favorite. Can you believe this madness?


For football! Grandpa's teaching her "touchdown" and she does pretty good. Although she crosses her fingers (what's she lying about)? Chopper will be so happy except for one little problem: she only does touchdown for Grandpa!

For Christmas! And the monster is completely thrilled by all things Christmas. She loves the music, LOVES the presents, and LOVES the decorations. Even when we go in stores and she sees trees or hanging wreaths and things she does her excited grunt/scream thing.


I do love the holidays and we definately have Christmas spirit going on!

Overdue Update

Next time I go to the library I'll have to add pictures -- I've got a ton of cute ones! But I thought an update was well overdue in the meantime.

Thanksgiving:
Probably the smallest I've had in a while! Just me, my parents, Megan of course (who didn't eat anything by the way) and my brother Mark who lives in Chicago. It was a very nice Thanksgiving but I have to admit that I think I like it when they are crowded and noisy and bustling! Don't you love the word bustling?

Megan has developed some fun tricks and refuses to develop the ones I want her to (like eating a variety of foods and crawling -- my arms are nice and firm though!). She can now wave and do touchdown -- although her arms aren't straight up. She has also discovered Cheerios, which means that Arthur (my parents' dog) has also discovered Cheerios and the sound that just getting the box open makes. She loves them. Grandma also gave her potato chips today which she ate without any hesitation. Wish she would do that with green beans, peas, oh well, any vegetable really. What's ironic about that is that my mom is somewhat of a health nut too . . . but I guess every grandparent should get to spoil them a little bit right?

We continue to be in limbo with Chopper's job but he FINALLY sees a doctor Friday so I'll add more after that hopefully. And we've had two snowfalls and today's was pretty hefty. Christmas is definitely in the air!

Good Movie

Last night we watched a movie called "The Great Debaters" (can't find my italics key) and it was really really good. It has Denzel Washington and it's about the first black college in Texas to debate (eventually) Harvard in the 1930's. It's inspired by a true story and one of the characters, James Farmer Jr., I later realized became a professor at my alma mater -- Mary Washington College! He was one of the 4 main leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. It is somewhat graphic because they show violence against African-Americans and some sexuality (not a lot at all though) but it was fabulous! I highly recommend.

Happy (belated) Halloween!

I know it's been a week but my computer issues have been massive and annoying so I finally discovered that the local library (1 room and an actual card catalog if you can believe it!) has high-speed internet on their computers to the public so VOILA!!! I'll finally be able to post at least (hopefully) about once a week.

So Halloween was completely uneventful -- no trick or treating or even trunk or treating or a ward (branch actually) party. So Megan was dressed up, I took about 50 pictures (I'm not kidding) and that was it! So here is her royal cuteness:

and I have to say that yes, I did make her poodle skirt. And I'm in the process of making her a courderoy jumper for Christmas (although she may have to wear it sooner). I couldn't resist the fabric and the pattern.

As for the rest of us -- well it's been a trying experience actually. Don't get me wrong, being with my parents has been great and Megan has really taken to them. Being apart from Chopper has been hard, especially when our future is so up in the air. Life is a roller coaster for sure.

Hey but I've read some great books actually -- The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig. Is a really good read although a little bit wordy and hard to follow in some places. The frame narrative is confusing (and not really necessary) but once you get into it, it is really good!

In a Nutshell:

So these are the highlights of the trip in case any of you are planning on going the same way in the near (or far) future:

1. Thank you to all the truckers who kept Megan entertained and they didn't even know it! They were the biggest thing on the road and she was fascinated watching them drive by.
2. We played tag with an old RV called the "Wanderlodge" which we first saw billowing black smoke in Billings, MT as it tried to make it's way up a hill. Then we passed it again in Bozeman (strike that -- switch the cities) and laughed at seeing it again. THEN WE SAW IT AGAIN IN SIDNEY, NEBRASKA! What are the odds?
3. 25 south through Wyoming -- not so pretty.
4. 80 east is though. Lots of farm country with fields and hills and not too many trees. Chopper said about twenty times, "now this is Americana" or some version of that statement.
5. We saw signs for a few historical places but did not stop: Little Big Horn, site of Custer's Last Stand and Independence Rock were probably the most notable. Oh and the birth places of Buffalo Bill and Ronald Regan. However, we did stop at the World Headquarters of Cabela's in Sidney, Nebraska -- go figure. As a history teacher, I am ashamed to admit this.
6. I still love trees and it was wonderful to see more and more with their colors in full fall regalia. However, I already miss mountains. Can you believe it?
7. Megan was a doll. I think she weathered 4 days in the car better than I did!
8. My parents live in the middle of nowhere and it's just been Megan and I and my dad (dear old Grandpa now which is really weird by the way). My mom is in California at DISNEYLAND and that's just wrong.

Nothing else really to report I think. No major disasters or anything thank goodness and the site-seeing was pretty much nonexistent since we were on a deadline so no really great pictures either (which would probably take me an hour to upload). Probably the next time I post will be Halloween because I am going to dress Megan up.

We're Here!

Ok going back to dial-up is like Chinese water torture. It's taken me 22 minutes to check my email and get to this point! So this is short even though I have a lot I want to say.

Briefly, we had a good trip and arrived in Michigan Monday night. Chopper drove to Virginia yesterday and reports on Friday. He'll be in Georgia now until Feb. 3! That's a longer time than we thought but I guess the silver lining is that we'll be here when my brother Jeff comes home from his mission so he'll get to meet Megan finally!

I know there are some comments that need to be read so I can send some of you contact information: thank you! I'll get to it over the next few days -- plus I have to figure out how to download pictures onto a mac. But we're here!

On the Road Again

And thus the reason that I have titled this blog the "Wandering" Whittacres. Friday, Chopper and I are driving out of Missoula for life in the east. He's taking a job with the US Capitol Police in Washington D.C. I'll be spending a few months at my parents in Michigan while he trains in Georgia (which by the way is NOT fair. I have to have Michigan winter and he gets Georgia winter!), and then hopefully we'll be back together in DC probably sometime in February.

So what does this mean for you? I already sent an email with our address and phone details. If you didn't get it, that probably means that I don't have your address!! I've enabled comment moderation on this blog so that I have to approve all comments before they post. If you want that information but didn't get it, leave me a comment with your email and I'll send it to you and then reject your comment and no one will be the wiser! If you never want to hear from us again -- now is your opportunity! :)

Also, I think the blog is going to slow down some. My parents have dial-up (blech!) so slow will be the name of the game for me. Although I'll have to post pictures -- Megan is going to be a doll in her Halloween costume and then we have Thanksgiving and Christmas . . . so much fun and cuteness to be had!

Once we get settled, you know ya'll (might as well start the southern now) are welcome to come and stay with us and we'll give you a tour and all the great spots to eat, etc. Spring is nice because the cherry trees and dogwoods are in bloom . . . and fall for the leaves . . . and the seafood . . . and the beach . . . and the history . . . am I tempting you enough?

Just thinking

about our cross-country travels. We've had some interesting experiences, that's for sure.

* On I-40 in Texas there is this massively big cross surrounded by a bunch of smaller crosses. And I do mean massively big. And it's in the middle of nowhere.
* On I-90 we took a day and went to Mt. Rushmore. Little did we know that the local town of Sturgis was having it's annual bike rally that day. I've never seen so much leather in all my life!
* I-90 is exceptionally beautiful -- especially La Crosse, Wisconsin. But beware -- from Pennsylvania to the end of Chicago they will toll you to death.
* One time on our way home from California we decided to detour slightly and go see the London Bridge in Lake Have-a-cow (whoops Havasu), Arizona. Interesting to say the least, especially the little British tourist village underneath. Chopper and I were both in the bathroom (separate ones which almost makes it funnier) when we were accosted by Japanese tourists who didn't understand that voices yelling "OCCUPIED" from the stall meant that someone was in there.
* We were idiots and did not detour to see the Grand Canyon.
* Chopper wants to me to post that we intended to go see the Dr. Pepper factory in Waco, Texas but I refused (stongly -- I don't remember why) and we had the biggest fight of our marriage in Subway's parking lot. But we weren't driving together so that was probably good.
* Speaking of which, we have never driven cross-country in the same car AND we just barely got a cell phone. We've done walkie-talkies instead. How talented are we??!!
* We spent the 4th of July one year driving through Memphis, Tennessee. That was really cool to watch the fireworks go off. Most of the cars on the bridge had pulled over though which made traffic a little dicey.
* On a related note (although not a drive), we flew into Salt Lake City one time on the 24th of July (Pioneer Day) and watched fireworks from the plane.

I'm actually getting excited for this next trip . . . (hint, hint)

Annoyed

It's been a while because I've been reading the new book in the Eragon TRILOGY: Brisingr. Once again, I am extremely annoyed! Can I not find a decent book to read?

What annoyed me the most was the fact that I got to the end of the book and what was supposed to be a trilogy has apparently turned into a cycle (set of 4). The author says in his acknowledgements that the third book was becoming so long (it's still 700 pages) that they broke it into two. Here's the thing. I read the 2nd and 3rd back to back but it's been a while since I read the first. He is a big fan of putting in all of these details and events that are really irrelevant to the story. I literally feel as if I'm following Eragon's every move -- even down to which berries he chooses to carefully eat at each meal. There is so much that I would've cut and then it WOULD have been a trilogy and one where it doesn't just get good in the last 100 pages!

Not to mention the fact that this guy is a prime example for writing with a thesaurus next to him. Now I'm all about a well-developed vocabulary and I have been called to the carpet before for using words people didn't know but there comes a point where it's just too much and he crosses that line I think.

I'm sorry that the last two books I've blogged about have been rants rather than praise. Maybe the next one will be fantabulous . . . anyone have any suggestions?

True Missoulians

I believe that you have to fit into one of the following categories in order to truly belong in Missoula:

1. Ride a moped (preferably with a strange furry hat on your head)
2. Be a Democrat (Chopper refers to the city as "in the tank" for Obama.)
3. Like eccentric and eclectic art (cowboys riding trout has been our favorite so far)
4. Decorate your home and/or yard with aforementioned art (iron dinosauer eating a skeleton is one of the best by far but close runner-ups include life-size aluminum animals and furniture made from antlers)
5. Be a University of Montana Grizzlie fanatic (emphsis on fanatic)
6. Go hiking and/or camping A LOT.

Chopper and I finally fit in -- no no he's not voting for Obama (Erika stop laughing -- the kids need to concentrate!). After a long dry summer without camping (not my idea of fun to hold Megan 24 hours straight while fighting mosquitoes and fire pits) we went on an actual hike today. We found a baby backpack for a great price and tried it out! It's too bad Missoula was hazy because the view was awesome and it was nice to just get out and about a little bit. I wish that we could explore more of Montana this way but it is getting colder and I highly doubt we'll be here next summer.

Happy First Day of Fall!

Ok I'm not sure happy is the word. There are definitely a lot of good things about fall: changing leaves, hot apple cider, Halloween, bonfires; but it just seems like it came too quickly this year. Maybe because winter lasted until June. Megan and I took a walk the other day and saw some beautiful colors starting to come out.

Go Griz!

Today is homecoming for the University of Montana Grizzlies and Missoula is fanatical! We took Megan to the parade and she did really well of course because there was so much to look at! But I have to say that Idaho State's homecoming parades are better. Maybe it was because we actually cheered for ISU and knew people in the parade, etc. or maybe it was because they could throw candy at you. Missoula has an anti-throwing candy rule that gets you kicked out of next year's parade if you do. How ridiculous is that? But we did have a good time.
Not so sure about this whole parade thing -- especially the drums. They were kind've loud.
Of course when Chopper's in charge of the camera the thing he takes a picture of is the WWII jeep with the 50 cal (whatever that is) on the top. We have no idea who the people are that they are gunnin' for (hahaha).
There was a Gaelic group -- I'm sorry but I love bagpipes! Of course, that's in moderation and at appropriate times . . . like parades.
Megan got a balloon! That was almost more fascinating than the parade itself. It moved, it was touchable, and it was LICKABLE! I hope she doesn't have a latex allergy.

Just a good Friday

Today was just one of those perfect days that needs to be recorded.

Megan slept in long enough that we were able to go to Tiny Tales at the library. Usually she's napping during that time. She was more interested in watching the other kids (it's for birth to 3 years) than the actual story but I really think she enjoyed it and I enjoyed being around other moms of young children. THen we went to Joanns and the remodel is almost finished. Even though it's only half done, it's awesome! They're expanding their stock and it's light and clean. It's going to be wonderful! Sigh. So I bought the stuff for Megan's Halloween costume. She is going to be adorable! I want to get started on it but I'm afraid if I do it now she'll grow too much in the next month and a half. Decisions, decisions . . .

After Megan's nap we got the mail and played with it (envelopes with plastic windows are the best -- they have that extra crinkle) and then spent about a 1/2 hour sitting outside blowing bubbles. It was a gorgeous cool afternoon and Megan loved the bubbles and gave me plenty of excited scrunch faces for them!

Then Chopper came home from work with a baby backpack he picked up for $8! You can't beat that with a stick!

Just one of those good days!