Oh Salem. . .

I decided I needed to familiarize myself with Salem today. You know, scope out all the best shopping places, i.e. TJ Maxx, Target, Wal-Mart, etc. I was on a hunt for cheap storage solutions. Our place is small, and I want to maximize the space. Thanks to my wonderful phone for having unlimited texting and the ability to text google for addresses and directions (our internet wasn't working yet) I found all the places I needed to go!

As a side note: have any of you ever used google text? It's amazing. Just enter in 466453 as the number (google) and then text away! Example: I want to know what the weather is going to be for today. So, I enter in google's number (well, it's just programmed into my address book) and enter the words, "weather, salem OR" and send it off. A couple seconds later, I get the current temp as well as a three day forecast. Pretty sweet, eh? Or, perhaps, you're super curious about what time it is in china right now? Just enter in Time: Bejing, China. Seconds later, you'll find out the current time. So, today, I needed the address to TJ Maxx. So, I entered in, TJ Maxx, Salem OR and got the address. Then, to get the directions, I just entered my current address and then the word "to" and then TJ Maxx's address. Worked like a charm. Did the same thing when I wanted to figure out how to get from TJ Maxx to Target. I love Google.

So, on my from our new apartment to TJ Maxx, I was at the intersection of Commercial St. and Madrona. Commercial is a busy road with lots of traffic and lots of weird people walking down it. Today, there was a man waiting to cross the road and he just looked a little scary. I couldn't tell if he was mentally unwell, or if he was physically unwell, but whatever it was, I locked my doors. He was wringing his hands, looking this way and that, never making eye contact with anyone. I thought maybe he was deprived of drugs? I don't know. All I know is I felt for the poor man.

Later, as I drove from the Maxx to Target, I saw a kid on Center st. Center st. runs through a little bit of a rough patch of town for a few blocks and then it enters into a much safer part of town. As I was driving, I saw a kid (and I really wish I would have taken a picture) who was in camo looking skinny jeans and combat boots. Oh yeah. And then he had on a very fitted jacket with a guitar strapped across his back. As I passed, he was talking to himself (while muttering, so it seemed, four letter curse words under his breath). I just started laughing. It's a different world down here, people. But, I love it. Our ward is the bomb and we've got the best upstairs neighbors (in the form of my brother and sister in law. a sister in law who shares my name. it's not confusing or anything though.) We like Salem. Despite the weirdo's walkin down the street. :)

8

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When I was 16, I went out to New Jersey to visit Tara and David for a month. I loved it there. We were a 45 minute train ride away from Manhattan and I craved the big city atmosphere. While I was there, I drove around Edison a few times to run errands for Tara while she was taking care of the wee babes, Luke and Mathew. And while I ran those errands, I learned that driving around New Jersey was NOT like driving in Washington. (Mind you, I had had my license for 3 months. Count it. THREE MONTHS. I was a skilled driver.) In New Jersey, if there is the smallest space between two cars, you get out in that intersection. 'Cause if ya don't, then you get a LONG line of honkin cars behind you. I learned what it was to get out into an intersection, and FAST!

Since that time, I still implement my New Jersey driving habits here in Washington, where the pace is just a little slower than average. And when someone else waits for multiple cars to go by before they pull out, it maddens me. I get a wee bit impatient. I may or may not have road rage. Anyway, for some reason, whenever I am with Dallin and he is driving, I have gotten into this habit where if he doesn't go when I think he should, I say, "You could have gone 8 times!" Every time. Why the magical number 8? Who knows. It just flows out of my mouth though. It's natural. Dallin has decided this is the magical number for me and we're going to end up having 8 kids. I tell him he's out of his mind. Unless I can get pregnant 4 times and they're all twins, then I might consider it. Other than that? No way. No how.

But I digress. So, today I was thinking about us moving again down to Salem, and I thought about all the moves we've done recently. And guess what I figured out? In the last year and a half, I have moved 8 times. 8. There it is again. The magical number 8. It haunts me everywhere I go. And we're moving into apartment B8! I'm telling you, I am destined to have the number 8 everywhere in my life. Ok, maybe not. But I thought it was kind of funny that the number I always use just happens to now represent the amount of times I have moved in the last year and a half. And yes, I give you all permission to feel sorry for me. :) Ha, who am I kidding, I'm not even sorry for myself! I've got this whole packing thing down to a science. And I de-clutter every time I move. I get rid of all my unused junk and clothes. (Gives me excuses to go by more clothes! :)) See the pluses here people?? I'm telling you, moving is great. But, when the day comes that I won't have to move anymore, I will be mighty thankful. Then I'll just have to be super organized and motivated and de-junk every few months. You know, keep with the tradition.

And that is my tale about the number 8.

Love It.

I love purses. Have I ever confessed that here? I find myself drawn to Dooney and Bourke, Louis Vuitton, Coach, etc. Yes. I'm serious. I've never owned a single purse from any of them though. I can't justify the money. Seriously? I won't spend over $60 bucks on a pair of jeans, much less $200 on a purse. But, back to the point of this post. My lovely cousin Danyelle (or Dandee, as you may know her) is giving away the pattern to the cutest purse on her blog! Please, go check it out. You'll thank me. I promise. :) And spread the blog love! Let everyone else know about her awesome personal blog, as well as My Favorite Things. They're two of my favorites. I always get excited when they pop up on my Google Reader. :)

Make You Over

I just stumbled upon this blog and I am loving it. For one thing, it's totally Chelsea-esque :) and it just sounds like such a fun thing! So, head on over and vote for one of the top 5! I know I am a little biased, but I voted for this gal. :) Hope you win Heather!!

I Finally Did It. . .

I watched New Moon. I know, I should have hopped on that bandwagon long ago, considering I have read the whole series 3 times through, but I couldn't bring myself to watch it. The first one was just painful. And so I figured the second one couldn't be much better. I had heard from a couple different sources, however, that the second movie was much better than the first, so I watched it tonight. And, they were right, it was definitely better than the first, but still kinda painful. Edward and Bella still made me cringe, Jacob wasn't the BEST actor, but he's way better than Edward, and the werewolves were pretty sweet. So, all in all, I enjoyed it. And I will forever mock Kristen Stewart and Rob Pattinson. Sorry, but I can't help it. They're pathetic.

In other news, we got back from Florence, OR last night, which was a blast. We went four-wheeling and razor-ing (not a word, I know) in the dunes. Soo much fun. We only crashed once and rolled once. No big. I was in the razor for the crash, but not for the rolling. Thank goodness. Jeff bought a 4 person razor, which are so much fun, and Dallin and I played in Kerry and Bonnie's 2 person razor for the majority of the two days. We had a lot of fun climbing hills and catching sweet air. :) And we got to see the beautiful pacific ocean. I love the Oregon Coast. It's so beautiful. And we had amazing weather while we were there. We were happy. Needless to say, good times were had by all.

Blaine, Hillary and Colton have been here for the past week as well and joined us in the festivities at Florence. Colton started out the week by calling me "ash-ee" and has now decided he prefers "shod-ee". Not sure how that came about, but we all think it sounds like it could be a black girls name. It's pretty entertaining. We're so glad to have had them here with us, it's been so much fun. We'll miss them when they leave on Sunday.

Other than that, nothing too big happening around these parts. We were both down and out for a couple of (more like 3) weeks with nasty colds (love it) and I am FINALLY getting over mine. I feel like all I have been doing for the past 3 weeks is blowing my nose. I have probably wiped out an entire forest with the amount of tissue I have used. But we're on the mend! Hallelujah!

Haven't found housing in Oregon yet, but we're still on the lookout! If anyone knows of a sweet place for dirt cheap, lemme know! :) We're considering living in the place that Marcus and Ash live 'cause it's a nice little apt, in a good part of town and it's super cheap, but we're still looking. Hopefully we find one soon, 'cause we're due down there. And hopefully this little lady can find herself a job. Crossing our fingers.

So, that's life in a nutshell over the past couple of weeks. Hope everyone elses March has been less illness filled than ours :) Until the next post (which could be months from now. One never knows :))

Eenie, Meenie, Miney, MO!

I have been asked to update on the happenings of the Dallin and Ashley Calaway family. So, here we go. Deep breath.

We've been in Ellensburg for the past 2 months. It's been an awesome experience and Dallin and I feel so blessed to be in the situation we are in. We love Ellensburg. The people, the area, the scenery, the fact that it's only a couple of hours from Pasco. We've loved our time here so far. But, it's coming to an end. Like now. Surprised? So are we.

Our life can very easily be defined in two words: "In Limbo". We are vagabonds. We have not and will not be settled in an area semi permanently probably until Dallin starts grad school, which should be next fall. He just started studying for his GMAT and will take it in May. He's excited and stressed, especially since we are totally being thrown out of our comfort zones and heading down to Salem, OR to start an operation down there for Jeff. It's going to be a challenge, but we can't wait. And the fact that Marcus and Ash are there as well makes it even better. Needless to say, adventure is becoming our middle names!

So, there it is. An update on us. Dallin will go to UW this Wednesday with a friend of ours who did the Executive MBA program there, tour the campus and meet with the faculty in the program. Hopefully he'll get an in with that program. If it goes well, then UW, here we come! If not, Willamette, down in Salem, is totally in the running still. As well as OSU in Corvallis. After our adventures in Seattle on Wednesday, we'll head down to Salem to find an apartment. We've already got a nice little list of about 15 places we want to look at so, we should be busy. Who knows where we'll be a year from now, but oh well, what's the fun in knowing where your life is going? :) But seriously, life is good (despite a few sinus infections we've been dealing with) and we're excited to embark on our next big adventure. Oregon, here we come!

I Know I'm a Little Biased, But. . .

First. Sorry I haven't blogged in about a year. I've been in the, "I'd rather read your blog than update mine" phase.

Second. My husband was the cutest kid ever. Yes, random, I know. But I was going through pictures today, trying to chronicle the first year and a half of mine and Dallin's time together, and I came across these gems.

This is Blaine and Dallin when they were living over in Japan. Check out the terry cloth flip flops and the chunky legs. I love it.

This is also when they were living in Japan. And check out the little "I'm so cute that I can get away with whatever I want and you won't be able to get mad at me" grin. Yeah, we see through it. :)

Seeing this picture makes me fear that I will have nothing but boys and they'll all be terribly mischievous, just like this little fella. :)

This picture was taken in April of 87 which means my mom was probably just finding out that she was having girl (me). Weird, huh?

And this is probably about the time that my mom was wishing her last pregnancy could be over. :) Looking at those two reminds me of Tara's two little guys, Luke and Mathew. They're always about the same size. :)

Anyway, I guess I just wanted to show off how cute my husband was when he was little. :) I still think he's pretty cute too.