Nial and Elle

The Comeback Kids

2011-01-18T15:50:00.000-08:00

Hello Blog and World!

We've been absent for awhile but we have internet at home again so we're going to try to get back on this thing :)

So update: Nial and I just celebrated our 1st year anniversary by taking a weekend trip to the Olympic Peninsula. We camped the first night (23 degrees!) and that was coooooooold. We went through Port Angeles and then onto Forks (fictional home of Twilight characters, Edward and Bella) which was tiny and kind of sadly twisted by all the attention. It is still VERY SMALL but has converted some businesses to reflect the Twilight theme. We saw a restaurant that had been re-named and a whole store dedicated to the films and books with a tour of Forks (haha).

We went to the Hoh Rainforest and saw this huge Spruce. It was FREEZING, literally the whole time we were there so we really are looking forward to visiting again when things are greener instead of frosted.

Driving through the National forest took us past Lake Cresent, which is a secluded huge lake. It was my favorite thing we saw. It was especially cool because it was so cold, the fog lay over some of it all day.

Nearer our campsite we took a short walk to a waterfall. There was an older couple there, taking pictures together. It was really cute, they had nice cameras and tripods each. I love seeing couples sharing in hobbies/interests together.

Our last night we stayed in Port Townsend, which is an adorable town on the very NE tip of the Oly Peninsula. Much of the downtown was built before and around 1990 so its very interesting and beautiful. We went to a Creperie and had coffee and crepes before exploring. We saw the museum of wooden boats, there is an annual Wooden Boat Festival hosted in Port Townsend.

If you're wondering about Mr. Shaggy, he got a haircut shortly after this trip :) and is now a very cold guy. ;)

Other life updates:

We are trying to get a job in Alaska for the "summer." In reality if we are blessed enough to get it it will be 6 months w/ little to no break mining gold. Half of you reading this probably think I'm kidding. No joke, through a friend we may have the opportunity to go work at an open pit mine in the middle of AK for 6 months straight. Daunting right? My confidence that we can do this lies mostly in Nial's confidence. Mostly I think: if he thinks we can do it, we probably can. We should find out a solid answer whether we're going or not within the next 3-4 weeks. We are very excited about this idea and now are just praying that all the pieces fall into place.

Nial is working at the Home Depot still and has great reviews from his boss. He has learned a lot about Plumbing (his department) and is frequently asked for by customers. I still work at Endzone Athletics, training volleyball players in fitness and mechanics. I am also coaching a 16's team. We were fortunate enough to have the ability to scholorship players this year and got a lot of great and unexpected talent. We play our second tournament this weekend.

We'll try to be back soon!

Blessing and Business!

2009-10-21T17:43:00.000-07:00

October 22nd! Wowza time zooms! God has been faithful to Nial and I this past month. When we were unsure of what was going to happen He stepped in as He always does with His provision. Nial was hired to a job last week after only being out of work for 2 weeks! In this economy!! THEN, early this week he recieved another call back from another job opportunity! He interviews tomorrow. With so many people out of work, we feel really blessed for him to be offered 2 jobs so soon!

And when I was starting to really worry about paying for school bills and day-to-day things, a super-part-time job opened up for me! Working back at my gym EndZone Athletics. I'm teaching 4 classes a week and I also do a private session with just one girl. I train them in strength conditioning as it directly applies to volleyball. It fabulous because with classes, volleyball 6x a week, planning our wedding and trying to study and be a good sister/auntie/fiancee I didn't think there was any way I could make cash with my limited hours! But doing these extra classes are just 1-2 hours a night. Its perfect!

So I just have to say I'm so grateful! :) Though I'm insanely busy I can't imagine being more blessed right now.

Familys / Teams Convergence Zone!

2009-09-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

In Ashland again! Ok, ok technically I'm in a hotel in Medford... BUT! Last night I was back in A-town! My team travelled from Washington yesterday to play against SOU. My parents also drove down bringing Nial and picking up one of my closest friends, Lisa Little. The match was a 1-3 loss so that was disappointing but I played definitely one of my better games (apologies for the boast...) and so that was nice to make a good show for my personal fan section!! Which included:

My Parents

Nial

Lisa and Arturo

Shira and Sophie

Diana

Dallas and Weston (although they came late because they thought that watching a silly high school match was more important that watching their soon-to-be-sister's collegiate volleyball match)

The Down-Ref remembered me and said he would hug me if that wasn't against the rules. Everyone of the SOU coaches hugged me (not expected...) including one who I really didn't know... And half the team (because I played and was friends with them only a year ago) also hugged and gave warm wishes.

My parents got to meet Diana for the first time and Shira, Soph, Dall and Weston. Which was really cool for them, but honestly, I'm kind of upset that I wasn't there when it all went down!! Oh well...

After the match my coach, very kindly, said that I could spend some time with them if I was back to the hotel before too late! Shira, Soph, Nial and I went to Shira's apt where she whipped up some post-game goodness! Potato-Leek soup, home grown corn on the cob and quesidillas.

Quickly, too quickly we had to go

There and Back again, an nomad's tale

2009-09-11T16:30:00.000-07:00

So as I stated in my last post, volleyball started for me in early August. We practiced twice a day and also had a conditioning session each day. That was 6 times a week for 3 weeks. Phew! I'm glad we're done with Pre-season!! So then we headed to Idaho the last week of August, we didn't do spectacularly but learned a lot I think.

The following weekend (Labor Day wknd) we headed to Los Angeles. It was my first time to So Cal and I have to say I'm not that impressed... It was dirty and people drive like everything is legal. We played 4 games there at Concordia-Irvine all against top-ranked (15and up) teams. It was tough! But we hung with Cal Baptist (#3 in the nation) and regained some confidence. Our last day there we went to DISNEYLAND!! I had never been there and loved it. Unfortunatley, after our last game we were in trouble with our coaches and had to condition for an hour in the dark outside the University we were playing at... so, we were kinda sore walking around the Happiest Place on Earth but it was still magnificent. Indiana Jones was my FAV!!!

So I am blessed to have my family mostly live close to me, Lee, very convientently lives in Kirkland about 3 blocks from my new school, Northwest Univ. During Pre-season I lived in their spare room and it helped tremendously! It was so fun to hang with my nephew more than normal, watching Nemo or playing with his matchbox cars... Love that little boy!

I moved home this week after getting back from CA. It makes life more organized not living in two places. And now I'm closer to Nial again :)

Being back in school has been a little weird! Trying to remember APA format and Calculus and how to be a good note taker and time-manager...! Its nice though, I do love school and learning so that part is very satisfying.

***REMINDER: If you're in Ashland next week Friday (18th) I'll be playing at SOU at 7pm. Nial and my parents and my friend Lisa are driving down too! So we hope to see you there!***

Wedding Website!

2009-08-09T21:33:00.001-07:00

http://www.mywedding.com/nialandellexandra/index.html
Just check it out... Its easier than re-writing it all here :)

I start volleyball tomorrow... therefore: my life ends outside of it. I am very excited and anxious but so glad that God has given me this opportunity.
After high school, I was recruited by a coach at SOU, he then left and I was placed into a changing program. New coach, new experience. It was very challenging. I didn't make the travelling team aka "Red Shirt" That was more difficult that I could've expected. I'm competitve and love my sport so sitting on the bench was mentally, emotionally and spiritually challenging. End of that season, coach told me I would start for him the following year! Spring season: I work hard. End of spring ball, coach tells me I need to work hard to have a spot. I go home to WA, work with my trainer, he kicks my butt 3x a week and I get into the best shape. When I went back to Ashland to start my 2nd season I think I have it in the bag.
GOD ALWAYS HAS A BETTER PLAN THAN YOURS.
I tore my meniscus during our 3 a day practices--I didn't realize that I was injured, we all hurt during that time and I just thought I was sore. 12 days in, coach brings me into his office and tells me he doesn't have a spot for me. I am devestated. The next day I realize that something is wrong with my knee when it swells to the size of my thigh. I am worried and sad but trust that God has something for me.
Nial and I move home to WA. I get treatment and have arthroscopic surgery in October. I am not in school and am sad because of the sedintary-ness of my life. Spring comes. I sign with Northwest University in Kirkland WA. It is in the same conference as SOU (we play eachother...). It is a Christian school and that is a big part of the athletic programs there.
GOD ALWAYS HAS A BETTER PLAN THAN MINE.
So here I am. About to start my first real season in college. I will be playing there for the next 4 months and I still can't believe that God has granted this to me. I haven't had a jersey since my senior year in high school, this year I'm #2. I can't say I did anything. The Lord has blessed me with this and I feel it should be shared.

We play in Ashland on September 18th. I am nervous to play against my old team/coaches etc. But please if you're in town, my parents and Nial will be there too, come watch and say hi!

Updates

2009-07-15T01:14:00.000-07:00

BUSY!

I am continuing to work at my restaurant and in addition to that in June I began working for one of my old trainers at Endzone Athletics in Kirkland. It is a ton of fun! I teach 4-8 classes a week for girl 10-18 yrs old. Most of it is volleyball hitting approaches and volleyball based strength training. It is something I really can do well and am liking it a lot. BUT, it means I work 7 days a week at kind of weird times so scheduling other things is difficult and sleep comes in short nights and sporatic naps.

I'm whining a little, forgive me.

For the 4th of July Nial and I backpacked nearly 20 miles roundtrip to the Deception Lakes. We parked my car way up HWY 2 (stevens pass hwy) and followed Deception Creek (very much not a creek, but in fact, a river). The first day we went 5 miles before making camp on a sandbar by the river, it was splendid spot actually. Saturday (the 4th) we hiked the remaining 5 miles and it was KILLER! It was almost strictly elevation gain and it was grueling. Over the whole 10 miles up we gained over 2,000 feet in elevation, most of it in the second leg.

But worth it! We had 3 lakes almost all to ourselves, we only had to share them with 2 other people. It was a glorious way to spend the holiday, picnicing on rocks and jumping in the alpine lakes. Sunday, we did all 10 miles down in less than 5 hours... it was all downhill :)

Nial was home for all of 2 days before he took off again, this time by himself. He had the week off of work (silly gov't jobs....) so he wanted to go back "UP." I dropped him off where Beckler River Road ends and the FS roads begin. He had his fly rod and his backpack and this time... a camera!

We're back!

2009-06-24T00:36:00.000-07:00

So... some adventure pictures:

Nial and I have been exploring and discovering new places in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness! These are from a fishing day trip we took up Index-Galena road which is now washed out due to storms and the Sky river re-routing itself.....

A couple weeks later we drove up to Jordan's "Secret Spot" on the Sky. After hanging out in the sun, we drove up some FS roads until we found an awesome waterfall!!! Unfortunately, it was really hard to get to and photograph but we still have some pretty pictures from downstream. Nial also scared the crap out of me scaling down the side of a mossy ravine in his neverending search for another great picture.

So one day while I was at work (the weekends is when I work the most, and OF COURSE, Nial is the opposite), Nial said he was going "Up." I said, "Where?" He responded, "Up. I want to go up HWY 2, then find somewhere to go hike up." Okay. So he ended up hiking all the way up Mt. Persis. Rad views...

Easter Trip Part II

2009-04-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

The remainder of the Easter vacation was great! We spent most of the time in Ashland with the family, I think I only saw 2 friends, but it was super trip! We saw one of our old pastors from Simple Faith, saw Paisli be blessed on Easter and I experienced (what I know will only be the first of many) the famous Hot Dog Roast. The flaming pokers were a dread and I was constantly fearing for little kids eyes. But it was exciting and something I definitely needed to experience.

We got to spend one night out at Standing Stone with Tash, Steve, Shira and Sam and that was a blast! We hung out for several hours getting to know each other and catch up and gab. And have some terrific local beer.

Monday night we went out to Creekside with Daisha and a slightly-under-the-weather Edward. He and Nial played pool and Daisha and I got to swap our boy stories! It was really fun talking and hearing her romantic I-found-my-husband-abroad-he-was-the-first-Englishman-I-met story. :D

Easter day Nial had some time amongst the craziness to take some pictures of each other around the homestead. We got some good ones but I decided to post the funny ones... It seemed appropriate.

Then he decided to fish (big surprise right!?) So I kept myself entertained by clicking his camera around...

Easter Trip Part I

2009-04-17T14:20:00.000-07:00

We made it down to Ashland via the coast last week for an amazing trip to see Nial's family. Wednesday morning we left, got only an hour down I-5 and blew a tire! Luckily for me, Nial is an excellent taker-offer-of-molten-shredded-tire-putter-on-a-spare guy and we were on our way to a Les Schwab within 5 minutes. Also lucky for me he has an internal GPS for Les Schwab and drove us straight there... (internal GPS also works for fishes) We were given the VERY LAST tire that was our size and when I went to pay for it he told me "no need for that." and handed me back my card! Free tire!

We got to Winchester Bay by hwy 38. We met up with Kevin who gave us a tour of his ATV shop and then asked us if we wanted to go out on the dunes!!! Heck yes! I've never been and I didn't realize how immense they are!!! The 3 of us went out on a side-by-side and it was super fun. He scared me repeatedly but it was such a blast! Like a roller-coaster ride. After that, we went out for some pizza and then watched WALLE in the toy hauler/trailer that we all spent the night in.

The next day we said good-bye to Kevin and headed to Sunset Bay. We were going to go to the Redwoods but decided (after much deliberation) that we would just spend more time on the Coast. Nial led me behind Sunset Bay up a trail that leads to the cliff that overlooks a little cove. Secret Cove. He took me to the edge of the forested cliff, to a spot where you can climb through a tree's roots and down the face. One particular root sticks out from the others forming a big hole that you can drop through. Nial walked out to the immense protruding root and stood on it. I didn't realize he was waiting for me to follow until he had this look on his face.... so I went to join him. He got down on one knee and I still didn't realize what was happening (!!!) So I bent down and kissed him like he had fallen or something.? FINALLY, I realized what he was doing! He said some honest, loving things and asked me to marry him. I said YES of course and he kissed me and we almost fell down the cliff.

We hiked down the hole and to the beach. Nial carved our names in a rock and we walked out to the point. Then the tide began coming in. Super. We more/less got stuck out there and had to full-bore rock climb around the point, across the bay and back to the trailhead. The rocks were slippery and covered in algae. Oh well it was an adventure!!

We took off down 101 after cleaning up a little in the park bathroom. We visited Dave, a former co-worker of Nial's in Myrtle Point then went to Myrtle Point to walk through Tiana and Hyrum's house! So cool, I hadn't really been inside it ever, the windows are fabulous and huge but my favorite part is the arched entryway. I'm excited to see the progress next time we're down. Nial got a hold of Tiana and found out they were at their shop in Coquille so we went back again to see them. I got to see their shop and see some of the cabinets pieces they are putting in their new home. It was great and I finally got to meet baby Paisli!

Back in the car we had to speed to Ashland to make Dallas' Board of Review for his Eagle Project. When we got to the Cluff Homestead Diana and I sewed on some patches of Nial's together.

Part II later... these are getting beefy!

Trip Itinerary

2009-04-08T01:48:00.000-07:00

Busy busy busy bees! Working lots, coaching, family, church and our marriage class and my parents and I are moving! Sorry we haven't written much...

Tomorrow, well, today really, we take off for Oregon! We're going to head down 101 to go see Kevin Muntifering, Nial's friend and Kaylynn's bf. I haven't met him seeing as he has been abroad for 2 yrs. So, I am very excited because everyone seems to love him AND he said that I could ride a quad while we're visiting!!! I've never been on one before-- always thought it'd be so much fun!

Thursday we're headed to the Redwoods really quick because Nial can't pass up any opportunity to see his Favorite Place on Earth. Then we're back to Ashland so Nial can go with Dallas to his Eagle Scout Review.

I am so excited to see everyone! New baby Paisli!!! It will be so fun!

I'm staying in the house that I used to live in with some girlfriends. It will be so great to catch up and have girl time with them that isn't over the phone!

Wedding News!!!

2009-03-15T22:43:00.000-07:00

Wedding Update:
We know that its never going to be possible to please everyone when planning a wedding. We also know that this is about us and our commitment to each other and to Christ as a married couple for His Glory. This isn't the best timing for everything in accordance with my siblings but I can't help when I find my other half can I? We're very excited to say the least! So basically, we're splitting it into two parts.
-Part One: Small religious ceremony with the fams and pastor Garren in Ashland this July.

-Part Two: Larger ceremony/reception with friends, fam and everyone- in Washington Feb 2011 or December 2010. (more likely Feb.)

The Two-Part Plan is due to Several Reasons:
- we want to get married.
- we're not changing our minds= we're sure :) Never been more sure about anything except my Savior.
- my parents can't afford to have a full ceremony/reception right now
- we need to give Lee space to celebrate him and Kristin (their ceremony is in May 2010)
- we need to give my mid-Western relatives space to plan their trips out here

Other Perks:
- the Cluffs all get together every 4th of July, so they will already be there!
- my family members love any excuse to go to Ashland, especially in summertime :)
- I can be with my love
- I can comfort my love, and he can take care of me
- My Part Two will rock because I will, by that time, have been planning it for 3 years :)
- AND it will rock because my parents will have long warning and a budget
- I love Ashland.
- Getting married outside at Simple Faith is such a wonderful beautiful plan!
- I get a mini-summer and my winter wedding :)
- It's a plan that gives respect to my older brother whom I love

If you're wondering why we don't just have it small and get it over with in July... Read on:

We have relatives to consider who will have to travel (including many of you) and its too close to Lee's to be feasible for many of them who want to share with us on our day. Also, I'm the only girl in my family and its been my parent's dream to give me a wedding that I've been planning for the entireity of my life. Regardless of my wishes, I would not deny my mother that time to celebrate with friends and family.

The Lord is first place in our consideration and our timing. We've been blessed to find each other early in our lives and want to honor him with uniting in His Presence. That is why we're prayerfully taking steps to glorify Him with our commitment.

Deception Pass Trip

2009-03-11T16:16:00.000-07:00

When George Vancouver was exploring the west coast and Puget Sound a zillion (aka 75) things were named by him or after him and his crew men. Vancouver Island (BC), Vancouver (BC), Vancouver (WA), Whidbey Island (WA), Mt. Rainer, Mt. Baker, Vashon Island and Deception Pass (WA) among others. :)

When he was exploring the weaving waters of the Sound he found many islands and interlocking waterways. One such inlet is known as Deception Pass. This narrow pass between Washington's mainland and Whidbey Island was seemingly trecherous. He stopped his ship and intended to continue southward. However his First Mate Whidbey asked to navigate the chanel himself in a smaller boat. For his bravery the Isalnd is named afer him. It is the 2nd longest island in the Continental US. Vancouver claimed he felt deceived by the chanel and where it led. SO, he named it Deception Pass.

That was your history lesson. Now for the actual part that pertains to us :)

So, Deception Pass is absolutely GORGEOUS. It has an incredibly tall two-part bridge that spans the waters from the mainland to Pass Island to Whidbey Island. It is coast-like, but super unique because its not quite as harsh. The foliage is dense and the State Park is visited by thousands of people during the summer months.

We went last week :) I've been there a ton of times. We used to camp there a lot when I was little. Also, with my Grandmother, we released some of my Grandpa's ashes off the bridge. Very emotional and touching experience to say the least. He was a beautiful person who loved Creation and reading books.

We went so I could show Nial. It was crazy windy and kinda stormy later in the day (you can tell if you look at the water's surface in the later pictures)

It was very fun and even though it was brisk, it was nice to trek around the driftwood and sand and pine trees.

Sorry that's so dark... I don't like the other ones we took either; so thats all you get! :D

Sammy at State!!!

2009-03-09T19:48:00.001-07:00

Hey y'all! Sorry nothing's been up here for sooo long! So I'm going to start in the past and move forward :)

For those of you who don't know, my family is very athletic and very competitive. The four of us kids have always been pushed to be tenacious, hard working and to never settle for less than the best. So (this is where I start bragging about my bros) my three brothers have been wrestling since they were 5 or 6 respectively; and I got into volleyball. I'm my brothers' biggest fan and I doubt anyone has been to more wrestling tournaments/meets/duals than me without actually competeing in them. :) My oldest brother, Jordan never won a state title but he got second twice, in college he got 2nd and 8th at NAIA Nationals. Lee won a state title his Freshman year and recieved 6th at NAIA Nationals wrestling for SOU. Sammy is 18 months younger than me and always been one of my closest friends. I haven't missed hardly any of his competitions and very few of his big tournaments.

Okay, BACKGROUND INFO: Sammy's State Record until this year: 6th, 2nd, 2nd. Both his sophomore and junior years he got to the finals and lost by ONE point. Heartbreaking. However, this year, when Sammy reached the finals things were a little different :)

FF>> to Feb. 20-21st: Nial and I and the whole family got to spend the two-day tournament together watching Sam and the team compete at the Tacoma Dome. The State Tournament is called The Mat Classic. They hold it in the Tacoma Dome so they can host all 6 divisions at once (4A-1B and Girls.) Therefore, on day 1 there are 24 mats running simultaneously. Its quite alot to handle! For finals however they just run six mats so the finalist get the respect they deserve. Nial got some great pictures and filmed so I didn't have to. We were all nervous and hopeful for Sam. Being his senior year it was a big deal. He won 8-4. It was tremendous. Quite a cap to his high school career. His high school's team also placed Second overall in the state at the 4A division (biggest in WA), so another tremendous feat.

Next year he will be wrestling at Highline Community College. After a few years there he want to transfer to Boise State and wrestle at the D1 Level- but we'll see. {This last picture was in the Seattle Times. ps. Nial didn't take this one :) }

Nial and Elle Engaged!!!

2009-01-29T20:38:00.000-08:00

Yes, the rumors are true. We are engaged! We have known this was going to happen almost since we met. I found my soulmate, my home. Its a crazy feeling to be so irreversably attached to someone; its amazing. Thank you for your impact on his life, everything that has made him who he is is something I can be thankful for.

On Sunday, we'll start pre-marital counseling with a pastor and friend from the church we attend. I'm excited for the challenge and the exploration. In March, (I think) we start a class with other couples, led by an older married couple in our church. Should be pretty interesting!

We have not set a date yet, sorry! Its sort of complicated because of my older brother, Lee. He and his wife never had a formal ceremony and have always wanted to-- so they finally decided to have theirs June 2010. Soooo, that makes choosing a date difficult because we dont want ours to close to theirs (asking my family from Michigan, Minnesota and the Netherlands to come out twice in one year is a lot to ask). So we're still trying to pick out when it will happen. We'll keep you posted. :)

I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER and Updates

2009-01-27T01:16:00.001-08:00

Well, Nial's made it back from the cold and is back to his regular potting, staging and moving loads of native Washington plants. At least he gets to be outside. My job situation hasn't been quite as good... After returning to Washington I was hired at a small newly-remodeled restaurant on the Snohomish River. Unfortunately, they were poorly run and had trouble getting business. So, because I'm not 21 and can't serve alcohol, I was laid off because they didn't want to have another pay to have me AND another person there all the time. Wahoo. They didn't however inform me of this... it was more like, they stopped scheduling me and that was it. The most unfortuate part about it all is that I have been forced to crawl back to my old job and ask to be re-hired.

Ruby's Diner: Way too many mostly teenage girls wearing horrible red-pinstripped dresses and nylons. Its awful. Okay, I'm making too big a deal of it- but I wish I didn't have to go to work looking foolish and avoiding gossipy girls and tons of fried food. I am grateful that they would take me back and the tips there are generally good; but I have to say its not going to be something I enjoy that much. Oh well :)

IN OTHER NEWS: Nial is moving out of Jordan's house! I think they'll enjoy the space and privacy in their home- they have a 2 yr old and Steph is preggers and sick often. He is happy to move out, he'll have more space and won't be living with my overprotective, but very loving and hospitable oldest brother. :D It was cool, I think they all enjoyed it; it was kind of was a pressure cooker situation for them to get to know each other so I'm grateful for it.

EASTER: I think I've been nearly blown over with questions of April 12th. YES, WE ARE COMING TO ASHLAND. :-) We've been asked via text (Dallas,) Facebook (Tasha,) phone (rents) and Blogger (Daisha.) It is actually wonderful to feel so invited! I'm so so so so so excited. We haven't been down since November and I haven't ever met Melanie or Tasha in person so that will be great. I'm excited to see the twins especially, over the summer they acted as my pseudo-little-brothers, we had a great time. Sam, my little bro and I are close so it was nice to kind of adopt them while I lived a state away.

I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER: http://icanhascheezburger.com/ is a hilarious website my friend told me about. Check it out!!! They take pictures (mostly of cats) and write funny captions.... you may think its stupid but I love it. :-)

This one scares me and makes me crack up all at the same time!

Nial's Called Out on Emergency!

2009-01-07T23:45:00.000-08:00

Ahh! The weather here is insane! Since mid-December we have had non-stop turbulent weather. I think every government worker, true commuter and avid snow-sportsman are probably about to pull all their hair out. In the beginning, there was snow. And the snow was heavy. Then the Alaskan storm also brought us to the single digits causing perma-icy roads and even a bus collision that resulted in the two buses involved to hang suspended about I-5 {pic on left.} Now there is a jet stream from Hawaii (normal for us, it helps create the mild winter. Its known as The Pineapple Express actually), which brings warm wet weather. So I know you are all smart people and can probably understand WHY these two storm systems occurring one after the other would cause a serious problem.

{Pic on right is of Snoqualamie Falls, check the video though-- its way cooler :) value="http://www.komonews.com/v/?i=37241889"}
The snowpack is now melting, which only adds to the amount of water being littered all over Western Washington. Therefore: landslides, avalanches, record flooding, major flooding, urban flooding and general discomfort. There are already a few towns in Pierce County that have been completely evacuated. All passes are closed (again, the quick snowfall made them impassable 2 wks ago, now avalanches have covered both Hwy 2 and I-90). And the worst part???
Nial’s job requires their crews to be on Emergency Response. They don’t HAVE to go but they’re encouraged and make overtime, SO: Yesterday, he found out at 9am that he was On-Call for Emergency Response because of the heavy snowfall in Spokane, roofs are collapsing. Two hours later he was gone! So he’s in Spokane shoveling snow off of schools and other government/important buildings. Everything, hotel, food, transportation is paid for. So quite nice but now quite complicated because like aforementioned; the passes are now closed and they have (in my opinion) a greater need here on the WEST SIDE OF THE CASCADES.

{Pic on left is from Concrete, WA were a house slid into another}

I just hope he doesn’t get stranded for too long. Nial is gone until this Sunday or next Sunday so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. At this point so far, he has complained of the cold (given) and the lack of a hot tub (hilarious.) We’ll see if he comes back with all toes and without falling off a rooftop…

{Pic on the left is from Spokane where Nial is}

New Years and Oregonians Visit

2009-01-02T01:23:00.000-08:00

Happy 2009! Nial and I had a tremendous celebratory New Years. Bryce, Nial's best friend, Lisa, one of my college friends from SOU, and two other friends all came up to visit us. We had a themed party where everyone wore black and it was a hit!

We've had a great time showing our friends Seattle and the surrounding area we live in. We brought Bryce and James (Nial's co-worker from N. Carolina) to Pike Place and went back again to show Lisa today. Nial also took Bryce to Seattle Center to walk around the Space Needle and the awesome architecture of the EMP aka Expericence Music Project. I'm hoping to get to take Lisa and Bryce to the Fremont Troll which is under a bridge in Seattle's neighborhood, Fremont. The troll can be seen in the movie 10 Things I Hate About You, which takes place in Seattle. ALSO, Gasworks Park! We'll see how far we get--- BUT as we're trying to get both Bryce AND Lisa to move here, we're trying pretty hard to show them cool things :D

When Nial first visited with me, thats all I did! Brought him to a concert in Seattle, saw Snoqualamie Falls, spent some time at my favorite secret spot on the Skykomish River, I did all I could to show him how cool Washington is :) I'm devious I know... My mother informed me today that our family's subconsious mission is to take Oregonians from their home state and move them here (Kristin, my sister-in-law is from Roseburg).
Pike Place, for those who don't know is a permanent farmer's market in Seattle on the waterfront. It's named for the cobbled street it lines, Pike Place. The Market is a favorite of mine because of the raw cultural beauty and diversity of all the people and artisans. Everything from fish (classic throwing fish...) to soap to vintage clothes and leatherworks are availible. The fresh flowers are my favorite though I think...or the fruit. Pike Place is also the home of THE VERY FIRST STARBUCKS! Its very brown and vintagey and has shelves of mugs, beans etc with a rolling ladder to reach it all.

Vendors and artisans rent out the stalls on the main arcade and have to set up and take down every day. Others who are downstairs on one of the other 2-3 levels (there is about a zillion ramps and honestly don't know how to count the levels...) can rent space for long periods of time. Its a wonderful mix because the main arcade is ever changing while the other levels and the opposite side of the street are constant.

Post Alley runs diagonally through Pike Place, its home to many interesting things, the Market Theater, some wine tasting rooms, some amazing graffiti art and Seattle's Own.... (drumroll!) GUM WALL! This wall has more gum on it than the CDC would ever allow. Travellers of the alley have seen fit to mark this wall with their spittle in very creative ways; some is draped, pulled, decorated, some is in the shapes of initials or pictures... It is quite hilarious. I am truly glad the owner of the building has not found it in his heart to destroy such a disgusting piece of urban culture. This photo really does not do it justice.

Monday everything goes back to RESPONSIBILITY. I'm so disappointed. Neither Nial or I have had to work for the past two weeks so Monday will seem really alien. I actually am starting school again- just Community college (save some $$$$!) so that will be cool. I guess....

Bryce has decided to stay with Nial for another week in search of a job so we've been doing a fairly good job convincing him it seems :) Who's next?!!!! (evil cackle ensues)

Christmas in Washington

2008-12-26T17:41:00.000-08:00

Snow!!! tons and tons of snow! there has been a series of storms from Canada and it has snowed over a foot at my house in Monroe. the roads have been terrible because of the lack of preparation Washington has. it doesn't snow that much here and so they aren't prepared for it. i work outside and it has been in the low teens here just before Christmas, it has not pleasant. it was nice having a white Christmas though. on Christmas eve i shaved most of my hair off and it was at its longest i think it had ever been. its kinda cold now... then we went to church and had a nice service. after that we came back and had a ton of appetisers and opened presents. all of the Ottow kids put their names in a hat and draw for a secret Santa so i had presents from her sister in law and i got a hiking book and hand + foot warmers and a sweet pirana shirt. and from Elle's parents i got a fishing Washington book and some hair product :) i picked Lee, one of Elle's older brothers, i got him a sweet doormat, The Soup Bible and a coffee table book. we drank and played charades till the wee hours of the morning. on Christmas day most of us were sleepy and were moving really slow. we had a nice big Christmas dinner with a quite large bone in ham and it was delicious!! after that we watched What About Bob. its the ottows family movie like the mad mad world is ours. if you want to have a sneak peak at what the family i am living with is like just watch that movie. in all it was a fun Christmas. --Nial

It was awesome to have Nial up here for our first Christmas. He is lucky to experience one of the only White Christmas's ever to happen in recent memory! He also got to make his grand Charades debut! We play it every year and The Girl Team tried our hardest to make it especially embarrassing for our newcomer. :)

Christmas Day was pretty relaxed, cooking, movies, etc. Nial and I furiously attempted to finish a puzzle with a lot of grassy/flowery and sky pictures... ergo- we're not quite finished yet. We snapped almost 300 pictures over the two days but my computer is being crazy so hopefully we'll get some good ones up here! My niece Mia and nephew Jackson were adorable as usual, but they are finally at the point where they'll play together by themselves- its quite a milestone! :) They also had a ton of fun walking slowly on the treadmill with Grandpa (my dad) until he wasn't looking and Jackson turned it on all by himself! He bit his tongue and scraped his chin but he was back 10 minutes later trying to walk on it. --Elle

AHHH! COOKIES!

2008-12-09T13:16:00.000-08:00

Living in close proximity to my oldest brother Jordan means he calls "a Rosie" on me every once in awhile. When I was younger and we all lived in the same house my brothers would call "Rosie!" whenever they wanted something of me; a glass of water, a snack, the phone, whatever. My middle name is Rose and it only gets used in this capacity. SO, a few weeks ago I heard the familiar tone being exuded from Jordans lips in the form of "Christmas Cookies for my co-workers." Oh, goodness. Planning ensued.

Plans, recipes, shopping trips, return shopping trips done, Steph (sis-in-law) and I attempted to begin. Of course her daughter Mia (see pic)
decided to hit her terrible two's all on that day. Screaming kid factored into the equation, 4 batches of cookies and one batch of Scoteroos were then my responsiblity alone. Steph attempted several times to rejoin the process only to forget she was melting chocolate on the stovetop...!

We only got through 2 batches and the Scotcheroos yesterday and I fear she won't get to the other two today...

Scotcheroos are an amazing remodeling of the classic rice crispy treats. Disolve 1 cup sugar in 1 cup corn syrup in a saucepan. Add 1 cup peanut butter. Remove from heat and slowly add rice crispies. Pour into 13x9 pan. Melt butterscotch and chocolate chips on stovetop. Spread lavishly over the crispy mix. Let set and enjoy!

I'd never heard of them but Steph claims they are a hit in Iowa (where she is from). Delectable.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-28T02:24:00.000-08:00

Nial and I returned from our mini-vacation on Tuesday real late. It was awesome to catch up with some friends, visit the Cluff Homestead and attend Simple Faith on Sunday. It was short but sweet. We had the chance to meet Weston's new girl-- super cute! And see the new boat which is huge and definitely something I will make the trip to go cruise on! It was too short to do everything (sorry we didn't make it to see you Tiana!) but what we had we were definitely grateful for.

Turkey Day! Nial spent the morning taking pictures of a washed out road in Index and the Skykomish River that he loves to fish. I spent the majority of the day in the kitchen with my Mom. Turkey, stuffing, yams, potatoes, corn, rolls, cranberry applesause, one Dutch Apple pie and one pumpkin pie. The pies are my favorite to bake... I think because I feel empowered with a rolling pin :)
As tradition dictates: before dinner Dad read scripture and we had a prayer, after dinner we each read 10 things we were thankful for and that always brings tears from the weak-eyed. We played some board games and visited til the little ones got cranky and sleepy.
It was alot of fun... 11 of us in all, 2 of whom are little tykes.

I hope all had a lovely Thanksgiving Day!!! Unfortunatly, Nial and I both have sinus infections and a terrible cough... any cures?!

Trip South Approches!!

2008-11-18T15:55:00.000-08:00

Nial just informed me yesterday that he actually has all next week off (therefore, with weekends 10 days off!). SO, we've been trying to get back down to Ashland to visit since Halloween-- now we can! As the plan stands to date, we are leaving Saturday and returning home on Tuesday. We're both so excited to see everyone. Dallas knew right away somehow and was texting me asking if I was coming :)

We're attending a Thanksgiving Pancake Dinner on Sunday at my old house-- should be interesting as we're supposed to dress up. For pancakes that seems weird?!

Tiana are you guys going to be in town by any chance???

A Trip in the Rain...

2008-11-09T23:48:00.000-08:00

Friday, Nial and I took a small road trip across the Cascades to Cle Elum and the Yakima River. We met up with 6 other friends and friends of friends to camp for a night and fish (well, they fished I took pics.) We got there and it began to rain. It rained all night. It was COLD! I hardly slept a wink... The guys fished on Saturday, another girl sewed and I clicked away! We made fun of the boys in their silly waiters...

We had two dogs between the 7 of us, they were both puppies and extremely energetic and cute! I snapped a ton of Lark because she made Nial and I her adoptive parents on the trip. See how adorable???!!

We made it back in time to have a horribly sleepy and honestly boring night of watching Mia while her parents went out. The drive to Cle Elum and back was interesting on several levels because of the storms we've been having and the local flooding. The fall colors and scenery of the Yakima valley were gorgeous.

Mia and Jackson

2008-11-06T22:46:00.000-08:00

My neice and nephew are the cutest things that ever happened. I watch Mia on wednesdays and she is a doll; always trying to get into trouble -- paint her nails, draw on the walls, play with scissors, take off her pants, get into Nial's room, or play with mom's makeup. Thursdays I watch Jackson, he is definitely a boy. Trucks running into each other, crashing blocks, running, rolling, motorcycles, wrestling and hard nap time.

I love them to death!

Tomorrow, Nial and I are going on a mini-fishing trip with friends from his work. Should be fun! Except that its raining. And cold. And I don't fish. And I can't really hike. But seriously, I'm planning on having fun! Because camping is great and I like his/our friends and fires and I can enjoy the outdoors, though I'm still not really sure what I'm going to do :) oh well.

My First Blog

2008-11-03T15:48:00.000-08:00

Wow! I've never had a blog before, well that I actually took seriously. So we'll see how long I can actually keep this up! Currently, I am watching early election news, applying for school, recoverying from knee surgery. I am living in Snohomish, Washington in the great country of the United States. I am a registered republican and an avid volleyball athlete. My family means a lot to me and I see everyone at least once a week. I babysit my neice and nephew at least once a week and work at a restuarant on the Snohomish River real close to were I live.
I have been with Nial Cluff for nine months (tomorrow :)) and we are very very happy together. He moved up here when I moved back after being in Ashland for a year. He lives with my oldest brother, Jordan and his wife and baby Mia! They live in Monroe, where I grew up and its luckily only about a 6 minute drive. He is working for Snohomish County as a part of an AmeriCorps program. He is technically a "Forest Service Specialist" or something like that... His crew takes care of salmon habitats and native species and helps during times of emergency, like the floods that happen every year. He likes it and is definitely his supervisor's favorite worker.
Wahoo that was more than I even meant to write for this first blog... bon chance!