It's always fun when Grandpa comes...

...and Grandma and Auntie Steffie

My parents decided Friday afternoon that they couldn't wait anymore--so they loaded up, picked up my sis, and drove all night from Utah to Oregon to come visit! It was short--but super fun!

We went to the beach Saturday...I forgot my camera, but my parents took lots of photos (which they will soon post...right??)

Then Saturday night, they bathed him and played while Alex and I went on a date. It was great! We almost felt normal again for a few hours.

I came home and Stef had fallen asleep with Edgar--so cute!

Edgar had so much fun with his auntie! He really took to her.

Goodbyes came too soon...

We'll miss you Grandma & Grandpa...hope to see you again soon!

Hand Eye Coordination

A Borrowed Bounteous Harvest

Slice up some Yummy Tomatoes
Fry up some bacon

Crush up some saltines or club crackers.

Mix an egg with a little milk, salt, and pepper.

Bread the tomato slices and fry in bacon grease.

YUM. Fried Tomatoes are one of my favorite things to eat ever. Yum. Thanks to my sister-in-law Nelean and someone at Alex's work, we had lots of garden heirloom tomatoes last week.

I love summer!

Help Wanted from the Hive Mind

Dear Hive Mind (yes, that includes you)--

I have had the same cell phone plan for nearly a decade, and I have had the same phone for around five years. Needless to say, I have been technically challenged for a while--my phone does not have a camera, text messaging, music, or the Internet. (It does have a very low-fi tetris game and brick breaking game.) I am being forced to give up my $20 cell phone plan (yes people, $20/month for 500 minutes--no contract) because Qwest is discontinuing their wireless products at the end of October.

I have started to do a little research about cell phone plans (I haven't even started looking at phones yet), and I find myself completely overwhelmed. I know what I want, but I don't know if it exists.-I want to pay less than $50/month..

• I usually use around 500 minutes/month, but I tend to go over during months with big holidays or events.
• I have never used text messaging. Honestly, I would like to have the option for some texting (without paying per text), but I don't think I will be an avid texter.
• I want to get good service where I use my phone--in my basement apartment, in the Northwest, in Utah, and on the road between them (without paying roaming).
• I don't really care about having a fancy phone (sorry sis) or web browsing capabilities. If someone gave it to me, I might use it--but it's not worth shelling out the bucks for it at this point.

Any thoughts? What carrier do you use? Do you like them? Do you hate them? Why? Are all of my family members on the same carrier and talking to each other for free? I just got a letter in the mail from Qwest: they need to know what I am doing by mid-September, or they will re-route my outgoing calls to their customer service so that I will talk to them (freaky). So...I gotta figure this out ASAP.

Help!

Love,

Jen

The Danita Photoshoots

Danita finally sent us our professional photos about a month ago--but it has taken me this long to get them posted! She did a FANTASTIC job with our prenatal and newborn pictures. She even went through and did some photo-editing and made some beautifully artistic photos! Here are my favorites. There are a lot. Sorry. This IS me choosing just a couple of my favorites!

(All photos by Danita Pappas. The maternity photos were taken at the Oregon State Capital at approx. 37 weeks. The new baby photos were taken in our backyard and house when Edgar was just over a week old.)

Daddy and Edgar

Don't leave a new daddy, a baby, and a marker alone together.

Daddy and Alex hanging out.

4 months old

Edgar--Wow! you are 4 months old and so fun (still hard, but so fun).

Trying to sit up on your own, making lots of new sounds, playing games...I love exploring this world with you!

Love, mama

Here is Edgar's new game: he "surprises" mommy, I act stunned, he laughs, repeat. If I don't respond, he shrieks.

Updates

People often ask us, "what's new?" Well, the answer is mostly: "not a whole lot!" Still, I suppose I should come up with something worth talking/writing about! Edgar gets cuter (and more hair) every day. He is showing more interest in toys. His favorite toys are soft, grabbable things: his stuffed dog, lamb, blanket, mom's shirt, etc.

He has good control of his head and neck, loves to stand, and is starting to do some good pushups.

His smile and giggles are super cute.

We went to the drive-in movies this week and he did quite well. He mostly slept (=

Hooray for finding something we can go out and do as a family without bugging everyone around us!

In other news, I have a slightly revised calling in church: I am now the 3rd councilor in the Young Woman's Presidency and over the Mia Maids class--that's 14-16 year old girls. (That means that I have now taught all 3 age groups).

Yup. That's about it for now!