10 Month Hurricane Wes

Wow, am I really typing 10 months?! FYI this is an overload of Wesson post, I know long over due :)

Yes I officially have a typical crawling everywhere, getting into everything, accident prone, dog food eating 10 month old boy. I think I've said this before but I really don't think Wesson had a mellow baby stage. I mean yes he was mellower but I feel like he's always been a crazy child, and by that I mean the light of my life of course!

Wesson is just so much fun! He is constantly keeping us on our toes. Especially now that he can climb the stairs and fall back down. sigh. Seriously I didn't encourage the stairs for this reason and it happens with me sitting right there. I've already kissed my fair share of owies even though I think I tear up more than he does. He's such a stud.

When Mike was laid off him and Wesson really bonded. Like made me a little jealous bonded... well that bond certainly stuck despite Mike's long hours away. Mike gets home just in time for the end of the story and a good night kiss but boy does our little boy light up when daddy walks in the door. He doesn't even have to see him, just hear the door open and he doesn't want anything to do with boring mom. There are long days I really feel like I don't know if being here is best but man the minute I see Wesson's face, all questions go right out the door. It'll be tough on everyone when the boys and I move home in the transition time. 

I just have to say this little boy has been such a trooper with all the moving. I know he really doesn't know what's going on but this many changes can't be the easiest on his little body... today we took him to the local clinic for his 10 month wellness check up. This is now the 4th doctor he's seen, in the 4th state! He checked out great and was quite the hit in the waiting room crawling around entertaining the folks.

• He now weighs 22 lbs and is 28 inches long, growing right on track
• He has 6 teeth and loves brushing them with his own sesame tooth brush.
• Crawls everywhere... and he's fast, like scary fast.
• With him now being so quick him and Remmi actually play now. It cracks me up. Remmi will bring Wes a bone than Wes crawls away with it and Rem chases him. I think Remmi is ready for him to be able to full blown wrestle, which I have a feeling is coming soon.
• He no longer likes baby foods. He only wants real foods and is now obsessed with eggs for breakfast.
• His current favorite thing to do is swing. He gets the look of pure joy across his face when he sees the swing.
• I think he's starting to get the idea to walk. He'll stand between the couch and foot stool and take a few steps than crawl.
• He thinks its hilarious to eat dog food and if I catch him and say no he spits it out... into Remmi's water dish.
• I've spent way too many minutes trying to figure out why I don't have hot water until I found out Wesson is perfect height to flip the switch off.
• He is still going to bed around 7 and waking up around 6 but his naps are very short now. I'm lucky if he takes 2 one hour ones... I'm attempting next week to switch it up to just one long mid day one.
• He says mama clearly and says a big jumble of words when Mike gets around.

I know you shouldn't put this much pressure on your kids but I really am glad he's around. Alamo is already getting pretty lonely and I'm not sure what I'd do without Wesson... I guess I'd look pretty silly going down slides by myself. He already has such a sweet personality and is pretty laid back about everything. I think Mike and I lucked out in the baby department :)

brush brush!

seriously is that just the look of pure joy! love!

middle of their "game"

yay sunshine!

had to post... my dog is a freak.

zonked out after the long morning of errands around town.

Side note: happy early 1st birthday Emma!! Tori & Justin was it really a year ago we were all sitting in birthing class counting days until we got to meet our babies?! I so wish we could be there to help celebrate but we can't wait to facebook stalk all the pictures :)

Scariest part of this... Wesson turns 1 in 8 weeks now :-/ I remember holding Emma 7 months pregnant and mentally wishing time to move and contractions to come. oh boy...

why my week rocked.

• We got to deep clean our carpets... uh I mean our water pump got a mysterious crack in it and decided to floor our entire middle section of our trailer. Okay actually not the greatest start to our week especially after last weeks not long enough hose, so no draining water Tuesday; Wednesday's running out of propane while cooking dinner; and no power Thursday and Friday. haha it was a rough week on the old trailer. But we're fully functioning and it gives you all another reason to love your home.

• I finally met my weight loss goal. I've officially lost 21 pounds!!

my "beast mode" shirt Mike ordered for me for meeting my goal.

• I had a successful first Sunday dinner cooking for a few guys on the crew. I think it's going to become a regular Sunday night, dinner with the guys and walking dead? best day of the week! They were so excited to not have to eat left over pizza. Is that how my husband sounded before I moved in?! ;) Seriously though these boys are so sweet and appreciative it makes doubling dinner worth it. Plus who doesn't love it when their husband is proud of their wife?

I think Wes liked eating outside with the big boys.

• Successfully doubling chocolate chip cookies and making it through hours of baking them all. I forgot how tiny this oven is when it comes to baking, ugh. But once again these guys are working loooong hours the least I can do is bake cookies.
• Getting a text from my dad saying he's coming to visit in 2 weeks. I'm so excited and I'm already planning a mini day hike for us!
• Getting a phone call from my mom saying she's coming to visit me in a month! wine, pool and my mom?! perfect.
• Finally getting our first Sturgeon paycheck. gotta love double time, plus it nice to have a consistent paycheck again. I have no idea how people live on unemployment and stay sane. Every week we were having to make phone calls to make sure it was coming and we're still dealing with them. so exhausting.
• Planning March's meals and grocery shopping all right here at that local gas station/grocery store. Not as easy as it looks... amazing how they can get away with jacking up the prices of things. Puffs (Wesson's favorite treat) normally .99 here $2.49! ridiculous.

7 isles of groceries + a gas station= really hard shopping

• Finding a 3 mile loop in town. That's not an easy task when the town is this small and they don't believe in street lights. Turns out 4:15 am is really dark in the middle of no where Nevada.
• Receiving my first package in my very own P.O. Box!

birds on a wire scarf :)

• Walking to the library and picking up the next 3 Harry Potter books. I may or may not be a tad obsessed now...and I may have to go back this week to pick up the next 3... embarrassing? naw.
• Buying Wesson's first tooth brush defiantly makes the list. This kid now has 6 teeth, he's going to be eating steaks before we know it!
• The weather is warming up quickly and I'm starting to see 70s in the forecast.
• Mastering a yoga pose I've been working on since New Years, pretty awesome. There's no studio here so all my mat time in fit in between naps/baths/feedings/walks and if I'm brave I'll attempt while the monsters are awake... but typically this happens.

not successful day of yoga.

• Finding a local church that had a total of 10 people congregating. Wesson loved playing quietly under the pew with his cookie.
• Being able to walk to the clinic to schedule Wesson's ten month appointment. My favorite part about a small town is literally we can walk to every where we need to go. I haven't been in the truck since we got here! hello gas saver!

I know it may not seem like the most fun filled week but I'm trying to stay positive. As most of you have already came to the conclusion that Alamo does not have a lot to offer, it is offering us memories and the hours Mike needs :) 4ish weeks left people!! Trust me our Salt Lake City trip is going to seem like a cruise to the Bahamas!

Hope everyone else is enjoying their weekend! xx!

Alamo, NV

I can't believe we've already been here 5 days already. I finally took some pictures out on our walk so hopefully I can give you all a good look at our new home... First off here's some Alamo facts:

• Population 1080.
• Alamo is the closet town to Area 51
• The closet town to us is Caliente, which has a large population of 1,132, but they have a Super Family Dollar Tree!
• Alamo is a dry town, the town was founded on LDS beliefs.
• Everything is closed on Sundays.
• Everyone knew exactly who Sturgeon Electric was when I told them why we're here. It was nice to not have to explain what a lineman is!

On Tuesday our park host took me around the town and I felt like the movies. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. We literally walked the entire town and went inside every building, this isn't saying much. Its so nice not to not have to drive every time you need to go somewhere. Plus Remmi loves being able to always go with... He would just sit outside and wait until I came back. Again Bird Dog Boot Camp saved Remmi.

Here's your virtual tour of Alamo! FYI on my walk today I only had to wear a tank top and I was warm... I don't care how small a town is as long as the weather is nice!

here's our new park. its basically empty but filling up quickly with all Sturgeon guys.

Our new spot. Out back is our grassy area with a picnic table and a little stream, my pool will go back there.

Scoops, yummy icecream shop

my super fancy library, that thankful carries all harry potter books. unfortunately I finished #1 WAY too fast and they are closed fri-mon. I will be stocking up on Tuesday!

one & only restaurant in town. at least its mexican! mmmm

main street. so fancy.

 

Yesterday for Valentines Day I decided to venture out and find the park. And boy am I glad I did! Its located in a really awkward part of town and the end of a random neighborhood street filled with really loud barking dogs. Once you get into the park though. so much fun.

 

man does this little boy love to swing!

Rem had fun harassing the horses until he heard it was snack time...

 

So yes all and all we're adjusting well. We're all finding our groove again and so happy to be back to work! :)

 

Quick Mike Update: Mike is currently working 7 12s, and as soon as it gets lighter out they'll move to 7 14s. The hours are ridiculous but with this amount of time Mike will be finished with the apprenticeship in roughly 6 weeks. He's loving this job, his foreman is someone he met 2.5 years ago when he first worked with Sturgeon. He's letting Mike be acting lineman, which is basically the coolest thing. Its so nice to have your husband come home so happy! Here's what the structures that they're working on look like.

 

He said he'll try to get me some action shots so you can all see what a stud my husband is :)

Happy Day After V-Day!! <3 :)



 

Big Sky to the Silver State

We made it! I am writing you all from our new park in Alamo, Nevada (free working wi-fi finally!)
 
It was a loooong drive. Wesson did way better than our first big move but 15 hours broke up into 2.5 days just made it exhausting. We weren't planning on leaving Bozeman until Sunday morning but after getting travel ready quicker than we thought we were just ready to leave the snow behind. We left shortly after Wesson's night time routine and made it about 4 hours. Luckily my uncle gave us a tip on a faster route into Idaho and it saved us about an hour and a half of drive time. As soon as we left a snow storm hit us making that 4 hours no faster than 45 mph. it was tough, I could couldn't see anything so basically I just followed Mike's headlights the whole way. It was pretty scary and I'm glad the boys slept, screaming plus not being able to see would have not been fun.

Remmi being extra snuggly on the drive...

 
We stopped in Idaho Falls at a truck stop to try to sleep a little bit. With it being so cold and no hook ups we couldn't put Wes in his crib so we had to improvise. First we attempted to make him a bed in Remmi's dog bed on the floor... yeah that didn't work out, Wes just kept crawling out and playing so we had no option but to co sleep. Thankfully I think we were all so exhausted we all just passed out with no real issues. But a few hours later our bright eyed baby boy decided to jump on the bed telling us it was time to go! This was at 2 in the morning, ha. Instead of trying to fight him we decided to load up and go.
 
We drove until Salt Lake City and decided to get a hotel room for the night. Best decision of the trip! Monday morning Mike had to fill out paperwork, pass his drug test, and get his Sturgeon equipment so all day Sunday and Monday morning we'd have been hanging out the in cold trailer. It would have made for a long 30 hours. The hotel room proved we can never share a room with Wes and toy hauler trailer is the only way to go if we want to have a successful day/nights sleeps. He just kept wanting to play and party if he could see us... my day was spend in the hallway pinning and reading away...

monster wes eating breakfast

 

is it just me or does everyone look this beautiful during traveling??

 
Sunday morning did give us a good scare though... Wes was playing in the bathtub and slipped and fell. It all happened so dang fast, I was sitting right there and watched it in slow motion. He hit his mouth on the side of the tub. We're not exactly sure if he bit his tongue, lip or just smacked his teeth. It bled something awful though. I panicked and didn't really know what to do so I just held him really close while shoving a wash cloth in his mouth. Mike on the other hand kept saying its okay, don't pass out. I thought he was talking to me until I looked at him and he was as white as a ghost! As we shuffled out the bathroom I thought Mike was gonna loose it but thankfully we made it to the bed. It was a scary 10 mins but everyone is okay. I learned Wesson is a typical boy that keeps hurting himself and my husband can't handle blood if its his sons. Good lessons.

before the blood bath.

The rest of Mike's Sunday was spent at home depot and inside the trailer fixing our closet. Never fails something breaks on during our traveling. Luckily this really wasn't a big deal and my clothes are all hanging back up :)

woops.

 

Here's picture overload of our Monday waiting for Dad to get back :) He's insane I tell ya!

crazy, crazy boys.

 

Monday Mike took care of his stuff and we hit the road. Again the boys did pretty well and the last 7 hours went smoothly. Nevada is defiantly desert area and was kind of spooky driving in at sunset.... When we made to the park, we got set right up and pretty much fell into bed. Sounds like this week the park will fill up fast with more Sturgeon guys and I'm only hoping one brings his wife. So far it sounds like most of the guys wives travel but said no on this job because of location and the ridiculous hours the boys will be working.

 

So far Alamo is making me a tad nervous... I ran this morning before Mike left, I only ran 2 miles but was already looping the town. It makes Pinhurst look like big. The closest town is an hour away and their main grocery shopping is the Super Family Dollar, eeer? I better get stocked up on diapers, formula and wipes! I'll do more exploring this week and take pictures :)

hangin memories on those high line poles...

Well friends and family I have two big exciting pieces of info to share with you :)

First off Mike passed the last and FINAL test of his journeyman lineman test! OMG I cannot even tell you the amount of pride I have in my husband. He was a nervous wreck this morning on his way out the door and it didn't help head honcho telling him, hey if you fail this you're laid off for another two months. Oh geeze but my hubby passed (with flying colors) and is on his way home! Literally only 450 hours left until he is officially a journeyman lineman. *biiiig sigh!!*

Second big piece of the day, as most of you know we're adding another state to our list! We are heading to Alamo, NV. Haven't heard of it before? Well that's most likely because it has a huge population of 1080.

We really don't know much about the job except its the Ely 500 line which mean lots of hours. Like 7 days 12-14 hours. He's going to be one tired puppy! Good news with that though is as of right now he'll have the rest of his hours by the middle of March! So there is a possibility we'll be heading home but as of right now we're thinking Mike might stay on the job until summertime so we can build a nice little nest egg :) But as you all know things change very quickly.

Alamo is roughly 14 hours from Bozeman, add a few more hours with the trailer and you  have one long ass weekend for us. Tomorrow will be spent taking the skirting down and Sunday we'll head out. Mike has to be in Salt Lake City Monday morning to fill out papers since we are going out of jurisdiction. He will actually be working under Cal/NV instead of Mtn. States, which bumps his pay to Cali pay without actually having to go there. Woop! After he fills out papers we'll make the rest of 7.5 hours to our new home.

I'm so excited and ready but of course dreading this move. I just hope our babies stay happy!! Thank you all again for your continuous support for my husband and our family. Prayers for a safe (and sane!!) journey appreciated. :)

 

Here's what I was doing when I got the call... 3 pints down, 5 more to go!

25 Before 25

25 Before 25

Tomorrow is my cousin, Justine's birthday (happy birthday! :)) which means Mike's birthday is in 4 months and mine is in exactly 7 months. We're all turning 24, which means next year we'll be 25! ouch. Good bye early twenties, smack dab into mid twenties... you all know me and my mind goes a mile a minute and thinking about ages really got it going this morning! Tomorrow in exactly 19 months I'll be 25. I know you all are probably giving the computer the eye roll and the look my husband just gave me when I was explaining this but roll with me...

In my 23.4 years I think I've accomplished quite a bit but getting married at 20 and having a baby at 21 cut my "crazy, try random things years" short. Now don't get me wrong, trust me I wouldn't change one single decision about starting my family life young, there are just a few things I want to do moving forward. I'm excited to have my cheering squad be my sweet husband and adorable monster child.

So here we go. Here's what I hope to accomplish in 19 months... 25 before I turn 25!

1. learn to bake a huckleberry pie 100% from scratch
2. run a half marathon
3. try sushi YUM & DONE
4. join the Gallon Club (donating 1 gal of blood)
5. go unplugged once a month
6. start (and keep) a daily gratitude notebook Thankful November
7. have a full service spa day OH YAH! Read HERE!
8. attend a weekend yoga retreat READ HERE and more pictures :)
9. take Wesson to visit the Seattle Zoo
10. purchase our first home
11. learn to use the BBQ Although I never posted I did successful BBQ chicken ;)
12. have a semi stylish closet
13. host Easter brunch
14. read all Harry Potter books and watch all the movies FINISHED! loved the books :)
15. join a family church and get involved
16. back pack overnight into God's water slides COMPLETED! Read about it here!
17. save money and stick to our debt free plan
18. learn to use my sewing machine
19. go see a play or musical Trans Siberian Orchestra
20. have baby McBride number two
21. run a mud run with Mike DONE! Read about it here!
22. plan our honeymoon Hawaii? Mexico? Vegas?
23. snowshoe
24. get involved with the NSUJL NW Regional Director! HERE
25. go to a wine tasting Latah Creek Winery

Stay tuned to see if I can get these crossed off! :)

Sandy Hook Snowflake Response

Randomly after dinner last night, Mike asked me if I'd heard how the kids responded to the snowflakes. I felt a little guilty that I hadn't looked into it until now but now that I am searching for the responses I'm falling kind of short.

Here's what I have found though! A few short articles saying that CT PTA had to put a "thank you but no thank" stop to receiving more snowflakes. Apparently the snowflake project turned into a giant blizzard coming from all over the WORLD! Over SIX million snowflakes found their way to Newtown!! I think that's pretty rad and gives me a little hope that people do care. In response to the stopping of snowflakes, some schools have taken the time and effort to hang snowflakes in their own schools to show support!

I did find a couple picutres of the snowflakes but if you've come across any other info please share :)

if you look closely the windows are filled with snowflakes!

yup that's a "blizzard of love!"

 

 

Happy Friday friends! Hope everyone has a fun filled weekend... Mike is up getting ready to head to Helena for an extra study day before he goes next Friday for the last of his Journeyman Lineman Test :)