Strawberry Season

One of the greatest things we've discovered about living in Oregon are all the U-pick farms. This week for family home evening we picked a box of Hood strawberries for $1 a pound. We've been enjoying strawberry pie and freezer jam all week. Yum!

Family Visits

With Aly's baby blessing, we had the chance to see our families. Dave's mom (Grandma Glabe) arrived early and stayed with us for a whole week. (Uncle) Brian and (Aunt) Melinda arrived next, with Aly's cousins Jaya, Joshua, and Avary. Grandpa and Grandma Shurtz, Uncle Matt, Aunt Katie, and Aunt Jenny (with Aly's cousin Meagan) also came to be with us. Here are some of the photos of the great memories we made together.

Aly's Baby Blessing

Aly's baby blessing was last Sunday, May 10th, and a number of family members traveled here to witness it. The blessing was a beautiful and sacred occasion, and a time of reflection on the temple covenants we've made that bind us as a family. What a privilege it was to share the experience with our extended family members!

Sisters

Grandpa and Grandma Shurtz

Grandma Glabe

Family Photo

Aly

Spring Break

We decided to take advantage of our last vacation without kids and spent some time on the coast. We spotted some gray whales migrating north at Boilers Point before heading down to
Newport where we explored the impressive aquarium and marine science center. We even got to pet some sting rays and baby sharks! Next was a visit to Yaquina Head to see the lighthouse and some of the best tide pools we've ever seen. There were seals, sea aenomes, starfish, and urchins everywhere we looked. Dave even spotted a nudibranch, and Erin managed to balance on the slippery rocks despite her pregnant belly. Dinner was Mo's famous clam chowder and then we headed back to the hotel in Lincoln City to enjoy the pool and hot tub. The next morning we walked down the beach in the pouring rain, but unfortunately Dave wasn't able to find one of the famous glass floats, so instead we went to the gallery to watch a glass blowing demonstation. When the rain finally cleared we decided to buy a small sport kite and enjoyed being kids again and learning to fly it. The video is Erin's first attempt. Don't worry, she improved with some more practice.


Later that week we went back to Seaside with some friends for a campfire and Dave tried to go clamming, but pretty much just ended up poking the ground with his shovel a lot. Other highlights of the week were that we put the finishing touches on Alyson's room and got our garden (which consists of a few rectangular pots sitting on our porch) started. It was a much needed and enjoyable break!

Happy Easter

Here's Alyson in her Easter dress. She enjoyed her first time at church.

Walks, poopy diapers, and sleepness nights

Aly's hiccups video

We're convinced that Aly is absolutely the cutest baby on earth, with the cutest hiccups ever. It's so much fun to watch her grow (literally!) each day, gaining new abilities and having new experiences.

It's a game of firsts. First poopy diaper (that didn't take long), first bath (and first and second poops in the bath), first walk in the stroller outside, first visit to the grocery store, first time at church, etc. The game of firsts is our new favorite game. That, and the game we play where we just stare at her and think about how much we love her. We play that one a lot.

Can you tell how excited we are about our new bundle of joy? Sure, there are the downsides - lack of sleep, lack of sleep, and more lack of sleep - but the upsides outnumber these a million to one. Babies are so great!

Angels

Uncle Matt, Aly, and Mommy

Uncle Matt and Aly

Grandpa Shurtz

Grandma Renae Shurtz

An angel. That's what we think Erin's stepmother, Renae, really is. She may never know what her service to us this past week has meant. After having spent 2 weeks helping her daughter with a new baby followed by a week of vacation in New York, Renae came straight here to Forest Grove to spend yet another week away from her family helping new parents in the family adjust.

Renae cooked, cleaned, babysat, laundered, washed dishes (without a dishwasher), stocked cupboards, and offered the support that only family can during a week when we needed her. Aren't grandmothers great?

There have been other angels, too. Friends and ward members who cooked meals or made a point to offer their services have been indispensable as well.

Thank goodness for friends and family.