The Pollard Place: September 2017

For a while we had been talking about moving closer to family and so that Rusty could get a different job. We threw around ideas of Idaho, Utah and Colorado, but for various reasons Utah seemed to be the best fit. So Rusty started reaching out to people and found an amazing opportunity with a small investor group in Orem. Then, shortly after we closed on a duplex that needed a ton of work. Things happened so quickly, but we then knew that we would be in Utah by October 2 for Rusty's first day of work, and probably would be there about a week earlier to get set up in the house. It was a bittersweet decision: we have loved where we lived and have made some really wonderful memories there. Our best friends are there, and so is the ocean. But we were excited to be closer to family, closer to the mountains, and get out of the rain. We were also ready for less traffic and a bigger yard, and especially for Rusty to enjoy his work. This meant that September was full of packing, but also trying to cram in last minute things that we knew we would miss.

One of these things was the Washington State Fair. It had been on my list since we moved to Seattle, but every summer seemed to be the wrong time. So, we hoofed it out there this month and let me say: IT WAS SO WORTH IT! Oh my gosh, it is such a great fair. They had so many fun rides, and SO MUCH FOOD. There even was a little kid area with rides that they could go on that Henry was over the moon about. We walked around and got some food, Henry won a prize, and then we went to the kids' area so Henry could ride the rides. This was his first time really doing that because at the fair last year he didn't ride any rides. He loved it so, so much! And he just enjoyed the fair in general so much more this time! The first ride that he did was the fire engine, and he was definitely unsure about it. But once it started he had a great time! He had a big smile on his face and kept waving at me and saying, "Hi Mommy!" After that he rode a little helicopter ride, and then his favorite was the green race car; we did that one twice and that wasn't enough!

We thought this turkey leg was going to be so huge, and it was kind of small haha.

Henry's first elephant ear! So yummy

H winning his prize!!

This firetruck was Henry's first fair ride! He was so scared, and then he absolutely loved it!

His favorite one

After doing some fun rides we went to the rodeo! Henry liked it so much more than I thought he would, and Della was not that big of a fan. It was pretty loud, and I didn't think to bring the ear muffs for her. But she did great and we stayed for a long time! Henry was so enthralled with it, and Rusty and I always love the rodeo. Oh, and we had the most delicious scones with strawberries that I've ever had in my life. They were so good Rusty went back to surprise me and got me another one haha.

At the rodeo!

Another thing was to make one last trip to Seaside, and this time we took the Hudsons with us! It was so great to get down there again before we left, and it was really fun to show them around and make memories with them. On Monday morning we drove down, stopping to get lunch on the way. We got there kind of late afternoon and went straight to the beach at Seaside! It was good weather, warm for there, but it was also really smokey from all of the fires. The kids played, we walked around, and made some good memories. The boys got tackled by a wave (which led to intense crying and "No water get you?!?!" being repeated over and over), Grizzly had a diarrhea fountain come out... twice, and Bailey scared some Asian woman to death. It was a pretty great time. Then we walked to the house that we rented together and settled in for the night!

The tackling wave!

The next morning we packed up and went to Canon Beach! We had a great vision of having a fantastic day at the beach and lugged all of our stuff down there with the four kids and three dogs, only to find that it was pretty chilly and SUPER windy. Everything kept blowing away (including our little tent) and then Della had the biggest, nastiest blow out ever. Of course, the one thing that I forgot to bring down to the beach was her diapers, so we had to borrow a bigger size from Carson. The wind made it so sand was getting stuck in the poop, the poopy diaper and clothes were blowing on me and covering me in poop, and all around it was a rough time haha. But, the boys did take advantage of the wind to fly the kite for a little before we all gave in and just went home. We went and got some lunch and then each couple got to take turns going for a bike ride for a little while the other stayed home to watch the kids. Rusty and I had a great time walking on the beach together looking at the stars, and laughed hysterically while I tried to ride my bike that was missing a pedal and had a bent wheel haha. Later all of us got in the hot tub and then played some games.

Wednesday morning both Henry and Della were up so early and just screaming. We didn't want to wake anyone up so we grabbed a little bucket and went out to collect seashells. This ended up being our favorite part of the trip; it was so peaceful and brought back so many memories for me. Henry was thrilled with finding the sand dollars, and filled his bucket up to the brim.

Then we went home, packed up, and spent the day downtown Seaside. We started at the Pig N Pancake!! Hooray! The food was awesome, and Henry especially loved his chocolate chip pancakes haha. Next we walked around some stores and went to the Candy Man and did our spin and tasted some taffy before going to the hat store and riding the carousel.

Our last stop was to go to the Aquarium, mainly so we could feed the seals. The last time I remember doing this it was really fun and cool to see the seals so close. They had each chosen a specific "trick" to get the people to throw the food at them; some would clap, some would make sounds, some would make small splashes. So I told Amber how fun it is and convinced her to go with me. This time it was different. One of the seals decided that the best way to get food fast is to splash the people, and I mean SPLASH. By the time we left, we were soaked and I only threw two fish and then just chucked the rest at him because I was so scared haha. Henry was pretty scared of feeding the seals for a while after and I had to wash Adeline's carrier because it got covered in salt water. To end the trip we went back out onto the beach for a little bit before starting our drive home!

Marysville did a really cool thing the Saturday before Adeline's blessing "Touch a Truck." They brought a ton of big trucks to a field and let kids climb up and pretend to drive them, honk the horns, turn on the sirens, and everything! We thought Henry would like it, and my parents were in town so we took them too! Rusty had to stay home to work on his talk but we met the Hudsons there. Henry was so excited and he and Bennett just kept running from truck to truck. He wasn't as impressed with the fire trucks as I thought he would be, but he sure loved the big tractors and the police lights. I think the biggest hits though were the buses! The city bus for sure, and also the school bus. His smile on the city bus is a real smile instead of his cheesy one he gives for the camera haha.

Della was unsure about it haha

On the city bus!

School bus!

The next day was Adeline's Blessing day, It was really chaotic because both Rusty and I had to speak that day, Rusty had morning meetings, and then someone from the stake presidency asked us to come in 15 minutes early to talk to us. So we were running all around trying to make sure we had everything, but once we got there it was such a special day. We were so glad to have our friends there with us, and my parents. In the circle was Rusty, my dad, Kenny, Craig, Bishop Whitney, Brother Badger, and Brother Olsen. Her blessing said lots of beautiful things, but my favorite was that she was a very special spirit and that she would be blessed to be strong spiritually and physically, and that she would be able to listen to and follow the Spirit. I know that following the Spirit will make her life so much better. It also said that Heavenly Father loves her and cares for her deeply, that she will have a strong testimony and that the restored gospel will bring peace to her life. My other favorite part was when he said that she will be blessed with health and she will live a long and healthy life. My mom heart definitely relaxed when I heard that. We managed to get a few pictures the day of, but by the time we got around to doing one of the four of us both kids were done. So, my cute family indulged me and we all got dressed again later that week so that we could have a good family picture together.

Another thing that was on my list for a really long time was eating breakfast at Maltby Cafe! It was kind of far out of the way, so it just never worked out to do it but for a final girls breakfast we met there and it was so much fun! It was me, Laura, Amber and Katie, and the food was so. stinking. good. Seriously that crem fresh is my favorite thing. I would swim around in it and be so happy. It was great to spend some more time with them and try out that little restaurant! Oh, and they are famous for their big cinnamon rolls, so I brought one back for the boys. :)

One of my favorite things I've ever done was go out to visit the Olympic Game Farm. We debated if we had time to go out there or not but I was pretty firm on wanting to make the trip. So one Saturday we got everyone in the car and drove out to Edmonds to catch the ferry over to the peninsula. Kenny was already over there for work, so we met Amber and her boys on the ferry. Once we got off we all met for brunch at The Oak Table, which was such a fun, old fashioned place to eat! And everything we ordered was all delicious. Henry got a pancake in the shape of a bear which he loved, Rusty got the yummiest blueberry cobbler thing, and I got what they are best known for: an apple souffle. It came out and it was HUGE! It tasted like a big, warm, apple fritter and it was delicious.

Having some fun while we wait to get on the ferry! I love this silly boy

On the boat! The boys loved looking out the window and going out on the deck

After we ate we drove over to the game farm. This seriously was so hilarious and one of the best things ever. You bring bread with you and you get to drive through the park in your car and you can roll the windows down and feed most of the animals! Then you drive through a little zoo area on your way out. We fed deer, yaks, llamas, peacocks, brown bears, bison and elk! And we saw zebras, tigers, lions, wolves, raccoons, and coyotes. The animals know that you will feed them, and they are not shy at all about coming into your car haha. The yaks were stinky and scary because of their big teeth, but the bison definitely took the show. They would trot alongside the car if you started to leave because they weren't ready for you to go! They came so far in the car that nobody was sitting in the passenger seat haha. I was holding Henry over there, but once they started coming in we were gone! Rusty and I were laughing so hard we were crying. Their tongues were huge and slimy and there were definitely times where I thought to myself, "This is not fun!! I'm scared!!!!!" Haha it was so great. Henry wasn't quite sure what to think of it because we kept screaming and then laughing, and Della started crying and screaming because we were all so loud.

Feeding the deer. This is the only time we got out of the car

This bear was awesome! When you held up the bread he would smile!

Henry's face shows he was not interested anymore haha

Afterwards there were breadcrumbs and pieces of bread all over the car from our frantic feedings haha

After that we went out to the Dungeness Spit before catching the ferry and driving home. I will definitely miss the ocean here.

One tuckered out little boy

There is a restaurant downtown called the Pink Door that is the number 1 restaurant in Seattle. I had been wanting to go really badly for a long time, but they were closed for a few months for renovations and then we had a baby and things just got crazy. So Rusty and I dropped H off with Amber and Kenny for a little while so we could go down and do Pike's Market and finally eat at the Pink Door. Pike's was so much fun; I always love that place. And Rusty bought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers! We had fun walking around and then made our way over to the restaurant (after our rental car got hit twice while we were parked, ugh).

We saw this guy playing an accordion with a cat head haha. Oh Seattle, I will miss you.

So there is no sign for this restaurant. Literally there is just the pink door down a little alley.

Our food! Definitely recommend the scallops, SO good!

Our little lunch date

Moving is the worst because you have to say goodbye to people. And two of the people that we were definitely dreading saying goodbye to are Katie and Cody. We went over to their house for dinner and they gave us this perfect gift of little gifts inside to open at different times. We got so lucky to know them, and we love them so much. We will miss them!!

The last thing that we did for fun before moving was going to the Childrens Museum! I had a free ticket so I really wanted to make it there, and it was so nice to take a break from packing and cleaning. Henry had a blast, especially with the water area (that I got no pictures of haha). We met Katie and Hannah there for that too.

Moving. I cannot even express how stressful this move was. I felt so tired from being up all night with a new baby and then chasing a toddler around, and the move just seemed to not be real. It came on so suddenly but we had talked about it for so long, that the combination of the two just seemed to make it fake. I started packing slowly, and then realized that there was no way I would ever get it all done. And I was pretty much right haha. We just *barely* got out of there, by the skin of our teeth. We were planning on leaving Saturday morning, and we didn't leave until 3 pm. That's a pretty late start to get on the road for a 8 hour drive. And even longer when I had to stop every two hours to feed Adeline, and Rusty couldn't go faster than 50 mph. Haha. We were quite a pair. The first day we made it to Boise at around 1 am, and 3 am, and stayed in a hotel for the night. The next day we slept in a little (as much as the kids would let us), went swimming, and then had breakfast at Sheri's before taking off again to go to my parent's house. My dad met Rusty and took the moving truck down to Orem and then back and we all spent the night there.

The next day (Monday) Dad and Rusty went to unpack while I stayed at the cabin with Mom and the kids. Kyle was so nice and came to help them unpack, and they got a ton done! Turns out the place was pretty full of nasty trash and they had their work cut out for them. They got that all done and the kids and I relaxed a little bit at the cabin playing with horses, getting ice cream, and going for a drive to the reservoir.

Tuesday we all went up to do some more work, and it was the first time I saw the house. Rusty said that it was in worse shape than he had thought and I was nervous. When I saw it I had to try really hard not to cry. Moving is really emotional and scary, and I was so sad to leave my friends behind. I was so happy there and I made the best friends I've had in a really long time. Seeing this place was just the final straw, but I knew it would get better. I didn't cry and we just all got to work. We cleaned everything: walls, doorknobs, light switches, floors, bathroom, you name it. We cleaned the carpets and started unpacking. The further we got the more I realized that it wasn't so bad, and it would be ok!

Mom making sandwiches with the giant knife out of Dad's car

There are these weird little benches in here. Gah.

Views from the windows upstairs!

Henry's Highlights:

He is talking so well! His sentences are getting longer and longer, and his pronunciation is improving. Sometimes he surprises me with words he knows or little phrases that he says.
He says, "Uh huh, YES!"
He picks up his binoculars and looks at you backwards and then says, "I see you!"
He is such a good big brother! He reads Adeline books and does "This little piggy" on her toes.

Cars are the favorite right now; any kind. He carries different cars with him all of the time. And slides are also a big hit!
Henry is starting to really learn his shapes!
He loves to sing Popcorn Popping, but really quiet and just act out the words. His favorite bedtime song is still "Bike Lightning", which is just any tune where you repeat "bike" and "Lightning McQueen".
Henry is getting independent. He likes to play outside with Bailey, and the day after Adeline's blessing he was out there with her. We totally forgot that Henry knew how to open the gate when he and Bennett were playing out there after church, and so he got out of the yard. It was only a few minutes but I realized that he was gone and came running down the private street when our neighbor saw me and asked what was wrong. I told him, and he took off. The other neighbor got on his bike too, and Rusty got in the car. We were all over the place and I was running barefoot down the street. He had gotten all the way down the road and around the corner and onto a busy street. When I got there a couple was there, and a lady was holding him. It was the absolute worst five minutes of my life, and when I saw him I just broke down. I cried pretty much the rest of the day. But these are from that morning; he wanted to give Della milk.

He will tickle my face and sing me songs when I lay in bed with him. He has figured out how to keep me in there past his bedtime. He will say "Hold hands Mommy?" and reach out for my hand. How can you say no!?

He calls out to everything that he's looking for. "Book! Book! Where are you book!"
He thinks everything will float away. I think it's because I got those balloons for Della's two month picture and I told him that if he took them outside they would float away. But he will all of a sudden look at me panicked and say "Hehy no fly away!?" Or "Phone no fly away!?" but with everything.
Henry is getting a little more feisty and will try to put me in timeout, or tell me to do something RIGHT NOW, OKAY??
His favorite toy is his kitchen set, and the favorite food item is the egg. I don't know why, but he carries that thing around with him everywhere. And when we make eggs for breakfast he asks to to not "smash it" so it will look like this egg. But the catch? If I make it this way, he won't eat it. He doesn't like how it tastes.

Adeline's Adventures:

Favorite song is "Mares Eat Oats". She starts smiling almost every time that you sing it to her. Her favorite book right now is The Hungry Caterpillar, and her favorite toy is the little spinning one with lots of colors.