And we wrap up June:

Hello:)

Life is going well! This is how my time has been spent:

Work at Starbucks, Watt & Kings Way! I am really enjoying. Only getting 2-3 opening shifts (4:30am) so luckily I'm not too tired all the time. 

Last weekend I got to go down to LA to visit the Aarons. Here is the one picture (from my phone) from that trip!! Can't WAIT for Saturday to be in Minnesota!! :)

Yesterday (Sunday) I went up to church camp to do the registration portion of it. I had put in a ton of time before to get the cabins and teams all worked out and getting lots of paperwork done. Here are two gorgeous views of the campus!!

And the rest of my time is spent with the fam, especially Brooke, Josh and the kiddos! :) Here's a video to start you off:

Evie's favorite spot in my room. And she insists Chet is in his spot too!

Playing on the bed while I'm doing my laundry :)

Love Chet's look at me! Like, "WHO ARE YOU???" :)

Me and Evie Loo :)

Nothing more beautiful than a sleeping baby! He was conked out!!! 

Here's me and Evie hangin'. It's so fun to hear her start to talk!! :)

WARNING: Please lower your sound! Evie is yelling into my computer! She had just been doing this into the mirror for about a half hour. This is exactly how she looks to herself :) Love it!

Me and Chet hanging out on the porch! Well, he's sleeping..

Big eyes! :)

Kisses for baby brother!

Love that little bear hat :) It was off of one of Evie's dolls :)

Sleeping boy :)

We spent a day at the school down the road which is dubbed "the Park!" Here are some pics!

Chet in stroller, Mommy taking pictures of Evie. 

Cutie bug!!

Love the comparison of her and that huge tree! She's so small :)

And here's a video of that day:

What a fun way to spend my time :)

Like you saw in the first video, I am leaving for Minnesota this Saturday and am stoked for that! Fun to meet more of Jeremy's family and of course spend time with them all :) From there I fly down to San Diego to see mom get ordained!!! I will spend time with my family in San Diego/Disneyland then head back up home, and be home by the 12th. 

When I get back my great friend Lauren Snider will be coming and I am sooooo excited to spend some quality time with her!!!! 

That's about it! Gotta run to WalMart for a few random things.

With love from sunny Sacramento!

Paige

Bad Blogger Paige :(

To all of my "regulars" I appologize for the lack of blogging lately. (Hi Aunt Donna!!) I have countless excuses, including starting work, living with the two most adorable kids in the earth!, and not having an exciting enough life to make a whole blog about it! But now I suddenly do, so here I go! :)

Work at Starbucks has gone really well! I am at Watt & Kings Way and it is a great store. I am enjoying that it isn't a drive thru and thus we are less stressed. I really love working with all the employees and everyone has been more than nice and accomodating to getting me reacquaitned with Starbucks! Luckily, it didn't take me long to get back in the rhythm and I was on bar (making drinks) my last shift which was a Friday morning rush (our usual busiest time). 

After making so many huge decisions regarding my life in such a short amount of time (changing my major to Communications) I ended up doing the opposite and ditching all list making, accomplishing, and other tasks that the type A side of me loves to deal with. Actually, I became a lazy bum and now this week I need to get back on track and finish organizing my college career so I can make sure I am still graduating a semester early!

I got the new Palm Pre, a cell phone which is the competitor to Apple's iPhone. Dad has it too and we have had fun trying to figure it all out. It's basically a computer! I enjoy it :) 

I spent this last weekend at the Aaron's house in Pasadena. It was SO great!!! They offered to fly me down there so I could attend Traci's, Jeremy's to-be sister-in-law, wedding shower! The night before I left I only ended up getting 4 hours of sleep between staying up too late to finish packing and waking up early for an opening shift (4.30am) for Starbucks! I got off at 10a and was able to get a flight for 12:45p so after a shower I was off to the airport! Because of my crazy schedule I ended up activating my stomach ulcers (which took me a few days to realize what the pain was exactly and it was the same thing I got in SA anytime I changed locations and was low on sleep and high on stress!) Luckily antiacids worked GREAT and I wasn't uncomfortable for too long :) But back to the GOOD stuff! So, I get to go to the Aaron's house for the weekend. Here are some highlights:

• Mrs. Aaron's dellllicous cooking! Including but not limited to: Tri-tip and potatoes, sour cream enchiladas, BBQ chicken salad, etc.! 
  
• Traci's wedding shower! 
  

         1) I got to see my wonderful friend from South Africa who knows Traci well, Katie :) We roomed together in Cape Town and became very close so that was really great to connect with her.

         2) Traci got great gifts and really cute stuff for her and Josh's house!

         3) The home it was hosted in was beautiful and the cakes, scones, parfits, etc. were SO well done! 

• Date night! Jeremy and I went to a great restaurant called Wood Ranch where we got a BBQ Tri Tip sandwich and tons of little goodies. We also saw "Taking of Pelham 123" and were pretty underwhelmed by it. Not a great movie.
  
• Running erands with Mrs. Aaron, Liz or Josh. 
  
• Lots of couch relaxing and watching movies previously recorded on the TV. :) Lots of talking and meandering around, enjoying our vacation with each other!!!
  

The Aarons are heading to Willmar, Minnesota for three weeks on this Wednesday. I will be joining them NEXT Saturday the 27th! Wow!!! I can't believe time is flying by so quickly!! :) Summer is just flying by!

My camera is getting fixed so I have NO pictures of this weekend!! Sad :( Maybe I can upload the one I took with my phone:)

Coming home today great to be able to see little Chet having filled out with some more baby chub over the weekend! Such a big difference from being gone 4 days!!! He is one month old this last week. Check out my sister's wonderful blog to see the cutest pictures EVER!!!

(theodgersfamily.blogspot.com).

With love from Sacramento,

Paige

I'm fixed!!!!

HELLO!!!!

Oh what a glorious morning! I went to the doctor since I just finished my antibiotics. Here's what I was told:

-I had gotten a parasite in SA and my antibiotics given to me should have cleared it out by now.

-My Vitamin D count was at 8 when it should be at 80 so I am on double doses of those pills for the next 3 months then go on a normal dose. She said I probably have been very fatigued due to this and will be surprised how awake I feel! 

-I need more Vitamin C, thus I will be buying a supplement today.

-I am not having a yogurt a day (which I guess 'a yogurt a day keeps the doctor away'?) because I don't digest it well so she gave me a probiotic pill which is the same thing yogurt gives you minus the dairy side effects.

-I am actually not allergic to milk! She said my body just doesn't digest it well.

-I'm not allergic to fish either... well she said shrimp. Crud! I have to call about that one. Either way: I think I most definitely have a taste aversion to fish and will happily never eat it again! 

Such a RELIEF to now only be taking natural vitamins rather than pills! My allergy medicine is working great for my lungs so I'm lookin' good!

Some other exciting news: I've changed my major! 

And I'm STILL graduating a semester early!!!

So, some of you may know the frustration I have had with really not enjoying my business courses. The reason I was sticking them out was to one day be qualified to work in a business setting, if that's what I ended up doing! When studying for the Information Systems test I was going to take, I got really fed up with putting so much time and money into a major that I am 1) not good at and 2) don't enjoy! I am a good student and this major just makes me feel stupid! 

So I got home and after some tears and talking to my parents and sister we made a list of things that I may what to be/do in life:

-Human Resources

-Public Relations

-Secretarial Work

-Teaching

-Working in a church's Women's Ministry/Missions Ministry

Now, I know that Business is a wonderful major, but I have decided that with Interpersonal and Organizational Communications I can be qualified for the same jobs I would have wanted to do with my Business degree. I know that I may not be as qualified because Business has the reputation of being a more rigorous program, but I really think this is the best decision for me and know things will work out in the end! Plus, now when I look at my class list I am thrilled rather than dreadful! So funny because when Jeremy looked at it he thought those sounded awful :) To each his own! 

So those are my updates! I cancelled my CLEP tests (which I wasn't prepared for anyways), changed my class & work schedule for the Fall, am possibly going to take an Online English Literature class if I can somehow get into it (I'm 18th on the waiting list so I'm not thinking that's probable). Gosh did Jeremy and I have a lot to talk about on our Skype date last night! Ha!! 

I am so refreshed too. So that feels great!! Oh here's a pic from my Country Dancing last week!!

Today after a run Evie came into my room as I was doing some exercises and laid down on the floor and tried to do them with me! Gosh she is so CUTE! I'm loving hanging out with her! This really is the most fun age :)Here's us in the pool:

With love from my bedroom in Sacramento,

Paige

Simplifying.

First, here's a little video :) 

Isn't he SO cute! My intentions have been to be done with my to-do list, ready for the day, and have exercised by 11am but so far I've gotten out of the house at 2! All those things get done.. but boy Evie and Chet are just the cutest! It's so fun to play with Evie or hold Chet! 

Right now I'm at Panera (a casual restaurant that has free internet) about to keep studying for my Informational Systems & Computer Application CLEP test I have scheduled for Thursday. And if you know me well, you know that I HATE to study! I hate being anti-social. Hate cramming knowledge into my head that doesn't want to go in! But, I love saving money. I love getting ahead. I love checking things of my list. So here I am! 

So because I have this love/hate relationship I have decided to simplify my computer life so that my only distractions can be.. well this blog. (Amazing that I am already distracting myself!) Thus, I am logging off Facebook, Twitter and Myspace. I am trying to eliminate distractions while I attempt to take these tests and possibly pass! And it's not just studying... I realized yesterday that after talking to Jeremy I spent an hour clicking around online and when I came out all my family had gone to bed. I didn't talk to anyone! So I need to remove myself from it a little!

That's my saga for now. I'm sure I'll be posting now as this is my only internet "outlet" besides Gmail and my online banking! Lol. :) 

With love from Panera,

Paige

There's a birthday girl...

... and her name is Grandma Dean!!!!! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA DEAN!!!!!!

Dad, Barbie and Grandma at Donner Lake our first year

The girls at Donner Lake our first year

Grandma Dean and Uncle Dick when she surprised him!!! ('08)

Family (minus Andersons) in San Diego for Dad's Ordination!

Grandma Dean and Evie on our front porch! '08

Grandma Dean, Barbie and Dad on Mom and Dad's first Sunday as pastors!

Mom, Grandma Dean and Daddy!

Dad and Grandma Dean at Donner Lake '08!! So cute :)

Those were some of my favorite pictures of you! So many of them I don't have on my computer so all of us when I was a baby and little girl I couldn't show! :( But I hope you know how much we love and appreciate you!!! No one could ask for a better grandma! 

Update on me: I am on antibiotics for a bacterial infection that the Dr. got from my results so I am hopefully in the process of being cured! :) My cough has gone away with my allergy medicine so that's great. I've been good about working out so hopefully I am gettin' everything in shape soon!  Gosh, South Africa set me behind a bit! But I wouldn't trade that experience for 10 less pounds! (Although sometimes that thought is tempting!) :) 

I am beyond thankful that I can get to see Jeremy and his family next weekend from the 12th-15th. His to be sister-in-law, Traci, has her bridal shower and their family offered to get me a ticket to come down and be there for the event! Thank you, Aarons! Jeremy and I didn't do a good job planning on seeing each other often! We thought after 15 weeks going 6 weeks wouldn't be a big deal but it's not that fun missin' each other so much! We have Minnesota to look forward to as June 28th I'm meeting the family out there. After that I'll meet my family in San Diego for Mom's Ordination!!! :) 

My days this summer are filled up with studying for CLEP tests (which are tests that you can take and get college credit for proficiency in a class), and Friday I start work at Starbucks! My boss is beyond great!!! And Starbucks is on a new policy where they hire less people and give them more hours to work so praise the LORD for that!!! I will actually work this summer for once!!!

That's all in my life. Loving, loving, loving being an auntie to Evie and Chet! They always put a smile on my face no matter what. Brooke could not be more of a caring mother and Josh is so attentive to them both. :) We are all just soaking in this time together!!!

With love from Sacramento,

Paige

May is coming to a close...

I love May 2009! So much has happened and it has been filled with such love and happiness :) I haven't taken many pics with anyone but Evie or Chet :) So here are some of them!

Jeremy and I in the hospital with Chet! I just got these from Brooke's computer.

Me holding Chet for the first time!

Hangin' with auntie!

Photobooth with Auntie :)

And here's a little video of baby Chet! Taken last week.

That's my update! Got a job with Starbucks Watt & Kings so I will be starting there soon, after I meet with the manager and have an official interview! Ha! Jeremy is enjoying his Memorial Day weekend in Minnesota with his family and my family is having a BBQ with some church friends today, so we have been busy setting up for that! 

Haven't gotten my results back from my blood tests so I will update when I know what's going on with my body! Feeling good these days, just not great.

With love from Sacramento,

Paige

Summer update!

Hello everyone!!!

I am loving this summer. I couldn't ask for anything better!!! As you have already seen, I was greeted in Sacramento by the birth of my wonderful nephew Chet!!!! Let me back up a bit...

Coming back to America was so wonderful. Jeremy picked me up from the airport with a beautiful purple bouquet of flowers and we just hugged forever! I couldn't believe he and I were finally together!!! I said my goodbyes to friends and introduced him and we were off! Being back in LA was surreal and it was so nice. I had a little honeymoon stage of being in awe of ketchup and driving on the right side of the road.


Jeremy and I went back to APU and I got to see my wonderful friends Elli and Catherine. Although I was SO TIRED it was so refreshing to see them. I wish we could have just had a week together to talk and laugh and be together. It was sad for me to not have Kalie there as well, so I am looking forward to seeing her the next time I can!! I miss her a TON!

That night Jeremy and I got together with his family for dinner at Legends, a favorite of mine in Azusa. Once again, to me I felt like I was pulling an all nighter so I was tired, but it was so great to be able to order familiar food and be with his family! I have no idea how we spent the next day, but that Saturday we packed up Jeremy's apartment, scrubbed down the bathroom and room, and got him moved out! His parents came out to help move him out which was such a help!! I don't think we would have gotten out of there at 2 if they weren't there!!! We grabbed lunch with them and headed to his house to unload. They were gracious enough to also keep some of my things in their shed for the summer!

Mr. Aaron taking a well deserved break!!


We spent the next few days until Tuesday with the Aaron family. We celebrated Mothers' Day with the family on Sunday and Mrs. Aaron hosted a big family dinner which was GREAT! I appreciate a home cooked meal so much more now!!!! :) And her cooking is soooo good! We also went to their church which also was so nice. Although I had the opportunity to go to church sometimes in South Africa, it was so nice to go to a familiar American church! We also had a lot of time just to hang out and talk. I enjoy their family so much so it was great just to relax and hang out!

On Tuesday afternoon Jeremy and I flew to Sacramento. My family greeted us in the airport with signs and smiles!!! It was hilarious because I was coming down with my camera in hand and they all had theirs too!! It was so great to be with them again... of course I missed them all so much!! And it was equally as great that Jeremy could be here too!! We were NOT ready to be apart from each other yet!!


The time Jeremy spent with me and my family in Sacramento was often spent just hanging out. We had some family dinners, meals with my parents out and about, doing a few things for me to get settled back home, movies, and hanging out! We were so grateful to be able to stop by Jeremy's great aunt and uncle's house in Grass Valley, just minutes from our friends the Turners! Bob and Marie have a beautiful home in Lake of the Pines and we were able to see their great car collection and sit and visit with them. Here are some pics of that day:






Jeremy had never been to the drive in movies, and since Sacramento is the "City of Trees" and not much else, we decided to take a trip there! We watched Angels & Demons (which we liked) and 17 again (which was surprisingly funny!!!).



But this quiet vacation wasn't going to stay quiet for long!!! On Friday the 15th we had a "Paige is back in America!" pizza & pool family night. Brooke looked so cute in her swim suit and big belly, and we all wondered when she would finally have this baby! Well, my feet were in the pool for about 10 minutes when Brooke told me to watch Evie because she was taking Josh away. Yes, labor had started! As she was already so progressed in labor we decided to book it to the hospital, as contractions were now only 3 minutes apart.

Evie saying "hi!" to Jeremy :)

And yes, four hours later she was holding her son!! :)


Here's a moment of our chaos!


And here is Jeremy and my pursuits in getting to the hospital! Haha.. you can tell I'm a little emotional. Glassy eyes. So excited and SO rushed!


I don't know if anyone can tell this story as good as my dad, but Josh and Brooke take off and my parents in another car behind them. It is 5 o'clock traffic and the freeway is stopped. After about 5 minutes of stop and go, and Brooke in a LOT of pain, Josh takes off down the median. My parents take off after him and stuff is flying from Josh's car at my dad's. (Apparently there's a lot of trash in those medians!) Well, Josh lost my dad but they both ended up at the hospital. Jeremy and I followed behind with food and forgotten belongings from the others. Everyone ended up making it to the hospital in time for the big event!!!

We were logging the events of the day and here is as follows:
9:24: I wrote in that the doctor was getting her gown on and everything was getting in place.
9:29: after TWO pushes and literally five minutes, Chet was in Brooke's arms!!!





The nurses called this a "textbook delivery" and told me to not be as hopeful! Ha!!! Brooke did GREAT and had that baby with no problems in 5 minutes! We were all laughing at how easy it all was! We were all back home by 10:30pm (minus Brooke, Josh and the baby of course) and Jeremy noted that it was like going out for a movie, but instead there's a baby! :)

Of course I was BEYOND happy to have been able to be there for the birth!!! I thought I had missed it all when I was in South Africa, so to be there and be able to witness everything from the epidural to the cutting of the cord, I loved it!!! Such a special moment :) And I sure have been enjoying him!! And so has Evie :) She's had a few rough patches but is adapting to be a big sister so well! Chet was quite fond of Jeremy... I mean if a baby had biases I'd say he liked him a lot :)




Here is a little clip of Evie. She's just in her diaper since she was "Spaghetti Evie" (Aka "I'm going to get spaghetti everywhere Evie!") If you listen, she has a high pitched "YEAH!" which Barbie mimics at the end. So cute!!


So that's all my big news! The only other thing I have to mention is my health.
Sunday night while watching Star Trek with Dad, Josh and Jeremy I broke out in hives all over my body. After the movie we went to Mercy San Juan's ER and I got admitted. During the time there they got worse then better so by the time I saw the doctor (about an hour later) they had faded a lot. So thankful for Jeremy for being such a calming presence! He really was great. I got some Benadryll and a steroid and I was fine, until Tuesday morning at 5am when I woke up with them again! Luckily I had a Dr's appointment about all my sicknesses at 8:45am. Crazy enough, even with Benadryll in my system I broke out AGAIN at the Doctor's office while I was talking to her! I got a Cortysil (sp?) shot and have been better since. Today I got a lot of blood work done and stool and urine samples taken. My Dr really wants to figure this whole thing out and thinks I probably have a parasite. Luckily she isn't worried, just wants to get me fixed! So I will update when I find out what else is goin' on! But I feel pretty good so no big complaints!!!

Oh, and I'm still job searching so I'll update on that later too :)

For pictures of Chet please visit my sister's blog (theodgersfamily.blogspot.com) since she will be updating them regularly!! I can't keep up with this growing boy!!

With my LOVE from Sacramento, California, United States of America!
Paige