Finally Caught Up!

Whew... I'm finally caught up on my blogging. So here is the current update on the Clements Clan. Right now we are living in temporary housing (paid for by Sam's work... yay!). It is a pretty nice, furnished two bedroom apartment about 5 minutes from Sam's work, so we are happy. Since we've been back in the Tri-Cities, we have celebrated 3 family birthdays (one more next week), attended one graduation, and eaten several family dinners (thanks for feeding us, fam!). Yesterday we helped my parents lay sod in their backyard. Redoing their backyard is a project my parents have been working on (along with several other large projects) for the last 4 years. Seeing green in the backyard again is quite the delight.

Along with all the family festivities, we've been incredibly busy house hunting. And it looks like all that hunting might actually pay off. We have a contract on a house. We just had the inspection and now the homebuyers are working on fixing the minor repairs that need to be done. Thankfully, the inspection did not turn up any major defects, and the inspector actually said it was a really well built, sound home. We could be closing in as soon as 2-4 weeks. Don't worry... I'll get pictures soon.

As for each of us individually, Sam is getting into the groove of us new job. It has been a lot of reading and meeting people. I have had another bout with morning sickness... not fun. But I'm now 13 weeks along, so I'm hoping it will go away once and for all! Levi has loved having tons of cousins around to play with. He doesn't love our apartment because his toys are in storage, but he loves being at either of his grandmas' houses. Most specifically, he likes to be outside at their houses. Well, now this blog is all current and up-to-date. I'll keep you posted on our home-buying adventure. Here's a couple random pictures of Levi since we've arrived in the Tri-Cities.

Rewind: One Adventure Ends...

After stopping in Nauvoo, we drove to Omaha, NE. We were really planning on staying in Council Bluffs right outside of Omaha and seeing the Church History site there, but our map of the area was NOT very detailed and as we were trying to figure out where we were and where we were going, a huge thunderstorm opened up on us. We turned on the radio to hear about the weather, and they were giving tornado warnings... not the most comforting news. So our primary goal was just getting off the street. But wouldn't you know it, as soon as we checked into the hotel, the storm stopped.

The next day (Day 4 in the car) we went from Omaha to Cheyenne, WY. In Cheyenne, we missed a turn looking for our hotel and ended up in Colorado (a state I had never been to), so we added ANOTHER state to our already epic journey. Day 5 was from Cheyenne to Salt Lake City. In SLC, we were able to see lots of people from Sam's family: his sisters Becky (with husband Eric and son Isaiah), Connie, and Tedi (with husband Doug). It was so great to be able to see family... especially since most of them hadn't seen Levi since he was less than 2 months old (it had been even longer since they had seen Sam). We even got to pick up Sam's mom at the airport the next morning before we headed out!

On Day 6 we drove from Salt Lake to Boise where Sam's brother, Abe and his wife Ann live with their little boy, Tag. While there, we all went to dinner at Richard and Ericka Andrus' house (one of Sam's best friends dating back to their childhood). And finally, on Day 7, we traveled from Boise to Richland, WA... OUR DESTINATION!!! Amazingly, Levi did an awesome job for being in the car for 7 days. He only came close to having a meltdown once. The trip really wasn't that bad, because we kept the days short and went swimming every night at the hotels.
Oh yeah, one funny story I forgot to share... We drove past a SUV that had vanity plates that read BLNDSXY. As we passed the driver, it turned out to be a big, dark, hairy guy. Talk about false advertising! We're guessing that it was his wife's car. Here are a few pictures of Levi in the car.

We bought this toy for Levi specifically for this trip. It completely held his attention for the first 2 or 3 days, so it was well worth it. It didn't take him long to discover that the microphone really works. We were thoroughly entertained by his being entertained, so we had to catch it on film.

Rewind: Nauvoo

We started out the third day of our trip by spending a few hours in Nauvoo. We didn't have enough time to even see a fraction of what there is to see in Nauvoo, but we did get to see a couple things. Nauvoo, IL is where members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered after being driven out of Missouri (and other areas) and before they were forced to move West. In Nauvoo, there are several missionaries who demonstrate how early Saints lived in the 1800's - everything from weaving and baking to blacksmith(ing?) and wagon-making. And the temple there is absolutely beautiful! What a tribute to the great sacrifice the early Saints made to build the original temple.

(Can you see the Mississippi River in the background?)

You'll probably have to click on this to make it bigger,
but it is the plaque on the above statue.

At the Blacksmith's Shop, we got a horseshoe and prairie diamonds
(rings made from nails) made by the missionaries there.

Brigham Young's Home. It was huge!

Isn't Levi styling in his sunglasses?

Rewind: Day 2 of the Trek Continued

After the excitement of the high speed chase, the rest of the day was BORING! I think we drove on the absolute straightest road in the world. We were so bored, we had to stop and play at a rest area. There was a big farm behind the rest area, and Levi loved all the big tractors that drove by. We actually ended up sending an hour at the rest area... a much needed break in the middle of our 8 hour drive.

We got to Carthage around 8:30pm, and the visitor's center was still open. (Surprise! And Hooray!) Carthage Jail is where Joseph Smith was martyred. It was really great to get to tour the jail and to feel the spirit there. The grounds of the Carthage Jail were so peaceful, and it really was a beautiful area. The walkway is lined with large stones engraved with quotes from the Prophet Joseph Smith. What an incredible man and servant of the Lord!Carthage Jail

Sam with Joseph and Hyrum

Kelsey and Levi. The top window
is the one Joseph Smith fell through
after being shot.

Rewind: The Trek West

So we left Pittsburgh the afternoon of May 23, after the movers came and loaded all of our stuff onto their truck. The first day we drove about 300 miles to Columbus, Ohio. The second day we made our way to Nauvoo. Somewhere just outside of Indianapolis we witnessed something we probably will never see again. Here's the story: As we were driving down I-70, a police car driving faster than I've ever since whizzed past us. A couple minutes later another one did. Then about 10-15 minutes later, we started seeing cops flying down the other side of the freeway. About the time that enough cops had flown by that I felt it necessary to make the comment "Wow, something big must be going on," I saw a white minivan coming towards us on our side of the freeway. Well... it turns out it wasn't on the freeway, but beside the freeway flying up and down the little hills. Traffic obviously slowed and then stopped. When the minivan was right by us (we were in the middle lane, but still had an awesome view!), the passenger door opened and a guy in a white shirt jumped out. Then the driver stopped the van, and he and a girl jumped out of the van. They all jumped a wire fence and started booking it across a big farm field. While that was all happening, cops were flipping across the median behind us and then a few got out and started chasing after the teenagers. Well... after the fact, we learned that the three crazies were all caught. The driver was 18, the other boy was 15, and the girl was in her teens somewhere. They were being pulled over for a seatbelt violation, but started a high speed chase because the van was stolen and the 15 year old boy had just escaped from Juvenile Detention. We got a picture of them running across the field (the girl was just giving up), but didn't get the cops in the picture.

Rewind: Moving Day

Compared to our other moving experiences, this one was HEAVEN! Sam's new job paid to have us moved, so for the first time we used a moving company. On day one, three guys showed up at our apartment and boxed up all our stuff. It was interesting watching how professionals pack. The next day, two guys and a lady showed up, inventoried all our stuff and loaded it onto the truck. The hardest part for us was just sitting there and doing nothing. I am especially grateful that this moving experience was so easy because I was feeling a bit under the weather with morning sickness, so it was nice to not have to work hard. My parents were in town, so my mom took Levi both on packing and loading day. He was a bit surprised to come home and find piles of boxes instead of all our stuff. Luckily, they did not pack his bigger toys until loading day, so he still had toys to play with that night. In fact, it was pretty cute to see his face light up with recognition and relief when he found his toys among the boxes--whoever took all our stuff had left something behind for him! Moving has gone smoothly so far... we'll see how we feel about it after everything is delivered and unpacked.

Rewind: Carnegie Science Center

The one thing we really wanted to do before we left Pittsburgh was visit the Carnegie Science Center. We finally made it the Saturday before we left. They had a really great Tot Lot with activities specifically designed for children 6 and under. Levi loved the water table and the ball factory. Another highlight was the real submarine that we got to tour. We all had a lot of fun, so I'm glad we made it there before we left the 'Burgh.

Rewind: Sam's graduation

Here is the video of Sam receiving his diploma. I recorded his entire program for memory-sake, but that is only about 10 people so it is less than 2 minutes long. (And if you are really impatient, Sam is near the beginning, so you can just stop watching after that :) ) Sam's school commencement (Heinz School of Management) took place in a Jewish Synagogue. It was really beautiful.

Rewind: Master Sam

Alright, I'm finally getting around to updating the blog. It may be a slow process, but I promise to get it done. Back on the grand day of May 18th, Sam graduated with his Masters of Science in Information Security Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University. Wahoo! My amazing husband graduated with Distinction and was actually only .01 point away from Highest Distinction (not bad for becoming a father in the middle of finals one semester). Check out how HUGE the diploma is!

Just a little post... We are alive!

Since it has been ages since I last posted, I thought I'd better write a quick one. WE ARE FINALLY BACK IN THE TRI-CITIES! Hooray! After 7 days in the car and crossing through 12 states, we have arrived at our final destination. In the (almost) week we have been here, life has been crazy busy visiting family, meeting with mortgage lenders, seeing houses, and dealing with getting our 'Early Out' stuff from the movers. So, life has been extremely crazy. But we are all super excited to be back home and near our families again. Levi is loving the attention of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. As soon as I can get pictures off the camera and onto the computer and find the time, I will post about our journey across the country and our house hunt.

Levi has some news....

December 24, 2008

(p.s. Don't you love the face?)

A Sword Fight

Sam engaged Levi in a sword fight using vacuum cleaner attachments. It was too funny--I just had to grab the camera.

The Cheesecake Factory

For Sam's birthday, we celebrated with Mom and Dad Thurgood by going to The Cheesecake Factory. Levi was really lovin' the bread and chowed down on several pieces. I noticed that he was choking, so I jumped up to help him, but everyone else could still see his face and said he was fine and had worked it out. Then two seconds later, he THREW UP ALL THE BREAD! It was everywhere and it smelled yucky! So we had to strip him down to his undershirt and diaper. The rest of dinner was uneventful, but Levi was getting pretty restless toward the end so Grandpa took him outside to play while we waited for the check. Grandpas are great because they let you do whatever you want. This time Grandpa let Levi play in a fountain. I think Levi might have liked yelling at the water more than playing in it.

Essence of Levi: New Skills and Talents

Levi has been developing exponentially over the last month. In the first year of his life, most of his development was marked by physical tasks he was now able to accomplish. Now, Levi's development is apparent not only in new physical abilities but also in new cognitive abilities. He has truly become a mimic, imitating just about everything Sam and I do. For example, he loves to sweep (we even had to buy him his own broom that is light enough for him to haul around), but he often insists on trying to wear my apron while he sweeps because Mom does. Another wonderful example is the other day Sam read our Dilbert-a-Day calendar, laughed, then handed it to me. I read it and laughed. Levi was not about to be left out... he demonstrated his desire for the calendar (by grunting and reaching, as usual), then he looked at it for minute and started laughing a fake laugh. It was hilarious.

Here is one of Levi's new physical abilities: climbing. A little scary, as he now tries to climb in and out of the bathtub, his high chair, the shopping cart....




Here is one of Levi's new cognitive abilities: mimicking. So Levi loves the great outdoors and would stand at our sliding door banging on the glass and pointing outside. We would take him out on the balcony so he could point at the birds and everything else he could possibly see, but one of us would have to stay out there the entire time because the railing is not up to code (a problem with living in an older building) and Levi could easily fall through the posts. Well, I got the awesome idea (thanks to Mom and Dad Clements) of buying a piece of lattice work and using wire to attach it to the balcony railing. Levi watched intently as I cut the wire and then used pliers to tightly twist it around the balcony posts. As soon as I finished and put down my tools, Levi was ready to show me he knew how to do it, too.

(Sorry... some of this video is WAY close up. I was backed into a corner.)

Essence of Levi: Over the Head, Around the Neck

I can just imagine what is often going through Levi's mind: "Oh, this is an object of any sort? Let's see if it will go over my head and then hang around my neck." Luckily, here it is just diapers. However, cords are his true love. My new motto should be "constant vigilance". The cutest new effort this fascination has brought about is Levi trying to dress himself, including socks and shoes. But... that's going to take (A LOT) more practice.