Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

So, we are on our way to buy chains for the rental car (go figure they don't provide them). Nate's busily shovelling the sidewalk, yet it may be a fruitless feat since it's still snowing. It started snowing Saturday and has been off and on. Funny how it picks up when you're going to be driving in it! Fortunately we have given ourselves lots of time to get to Portland. Our flight doesn't leave until 6pm and we're heading out the door here at 9am for our 3 hour drive. Let's hope it doesn't take too much longer than that. It's at times like these that I'm glad we live in AZ. Talked to my mom this morning who was telling me how cold she was there in Mesa. I let her know we've been in the teens for 3 days! She stopped complaining. Enjoy the pics and be happy you're not in it!

Katie at the temple

My sister Katie is going on a mission to Omaha Nebraska in January and so we went with her to the Mesa AZ temple while she was home for Thanksgiving. It was a neat experience to be in the temple with my mom, Brandon, Wendy, Ryan and their spouses all supporting Katie. She's going to be a great missionary, we're very excited for her!

Beautiful Columbia Gorge

While driving to Nate's brother's house along the Columbia River, we were blessed to see God's artwork. These pictures do not do justice to how amazing it really was. Cars were pulled off the side of the road for several miles while people took pictures of the masterpiece. It's been a long time since I've seen something that beautiful. Arizona has beautiful sunsets but this one definitely takes the cake.

Nate's 29th Birthday

Nate was very excited about his birthday (November 24) because not only did it mean eating cake, but it also means he's one year closer to being 30. He claims he's tired of being in his twenties and can't wait to get out of them. We'll see if he's still saying that in a few years. We splurged on his cake and bought a Cold Stone gingerbread ice cream cake. It was delicious. We couldn't justify eating the whole thing ourselves so we invited Brandon and Jackie Lee and their boys Carson and Boston over and Ryan and his wife Trisha. Thanks for helping us eat it!

Our House

Our house is wonderful. After some minor plumbing issues it is in really good shape. We got a smoking deal on it. It was a bank owned property in super good condition. Our realtor (my brother Brandon) did a great job and was a huge help and support. Since we were either working or sleeping he did a lot to keep us informed about what was going on. It was a huge relief to be able to trust him so much with a huge purchase. We recommend him to anyone. He really worked hard to make it as smooth as possible for us. The house is obviously a 2 story, 2368 sq. ft with 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and as big of a backyard as you can get nowadays in the crampacked communities. It has a nice living room/dining room which I doubt we'll use for eating, but it's great for the piano. We're just not formal people. Nate has been collecting superhero stuff for many years and now he finally has a bathroom for it all. Nate has been busy installing ceiling fans (yes we still use them and it's December), fixing the pantry door, and many other little things that keep popping up. So, it's keeping us busy and we love it.

So, they say this is supposed to be easy and fun. I guess we'll see about that!