Our top 10 things we have learned since moving to MA!

Since we have moved here to MA, we have learned a couple of things. Here are our top 10 in no particular order:

1. Nothing is said the way it is actually spelt. 

For example: We live in the city of Leominster. It looks like it would be prounced the way it is spelt Leo-minster, but instead it is prounced Lemon-ster. I could give you many more examples, but we are slowly learning the language out here! 

2. No one goes the speed limit. 

You will be on a "route" and everyone is going at least 20 over the speed limit. 

3. There is a "Dunkin Doughnuts" on every corner, literally. 

People sure do take their coffee and doughnuts seriously out here!

4. There are millions of trees everywhere. 

Nathan and I were so closter phobic when we got here. You can't see a block down the street, because there are so many trees. Plus people tell us that we should just wait till the spring when the leaves come and then you for sure can't see anything.  

5. The roads are very narrow and windy.

There is no such thing as a straight road where you can see at least a 1/2 mile ahead. They are also very narrow and with the snow on the sides they are even more narrow. 

6. There IS a difference between a town and a city.

We learned very quickly that you shouldn't call a "town" a town when it is a city or a "city" a city when it is a town.   A town is run by the people and has a council that makes the desicions and a city has a mayor and the mayor makes the decisions. 

7. Things are said straight up.

There is no "beating around the bush" here. They just say it how it is!
8. The roads are very bumpy. 

Keeping there roads newly paved isn't a priorioty. 

9. There aren't very many food chains, but there is a home-town pizza parlor on every other block. The only major food chains that are here are McDonalds and Burger King, other than that they are all local resturants. Pizza is huge here! They love their pizza! 

10. You can't tell the difference between a home or a business.  

The homes here are unbelievely beautiful. They are coloniel style and are very old, like built in the 1700s. The problem is the homes and business are all mixed together and they all look alike. 

I am sure we will continue to learn a lot more and then when we finally get it all figured out it will be time to move again. But that is okay, I guess that is the beauty of traveling aroung the US.

I just wanted to tell my sweet husband thank you for letting me fly home to Idaho this next week. My little brother, Trev is getting baptized and I really wanted to be apart of it. Thank you for working so hard for our little family. I will be thinking of you while I am gone and will miss you so much. I love you the most!

Gillette Stadium

For President's Day this year, a couple of families in our ward invited us to go with them to Foxboro, MA, which is home to the New England Patriots (MA-NFL football team). We had a pretty fun day. We went to Gillette Stadium and toured the Patriot's Hall of Fame.  

Nate standing in the huddle! Notice #12, Tom Brady!All of the girls had to get a picture in front of the Hot Tom Brady!!

Their 3 Super Bowl Trophies!

You could try on their Super Bowl Rings. Holy Cow, they were HUGE! 

I love this picture! They had a simulator there that you could kick a field goal at Gillette Stadium. Nathan's was good!!!

And then we ran into Mario outside the stadium.

I am sure you are wondering why I would take these last couple of pictures, but I have decided that I am a true blue Idaho girl and proud of it. We ate lunch at a place called "Five Guys, Burgers, and Fries" and each day they have fresh potatoes shipped in just to make their fries. When we were there, the potatoes came from Rigby, Idaho that day. I was so proud!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Happy Valentine's Day everybody from MA (I don't know how to spell the name of the state I live in yet!!) Well, Nate and I had a great Valentines. We celebrated it on Friday, the 13th, because a family in our ward invited us over for dinner on Saturday night.

We had quite the experience at the place we had dinner at. It was called SS Lobster. Everyone told us we had to eat there! They said it was very inexpensive and great seafood. They said it was very casual, but we still went a little dressed up because it was our Valentines date! Well, when we got there, let me tell you- it was a dive! (And I am not exaggerating!) It was this little hole in the wall in the middle of no where. It was super casual. You went in and walked up to this little window and placed your order. You found a seat in a not so clean and freezing dining room. They called your number and you went and got your authentic seafood dinner on a paper plate. I ordered the "King Crab Dinner" for only 14.99 and Nate got the "Dinner by the Shore" for 17.99. A guy at Nate's work told him he had to try the steamers, because they were so good. So with his dinner he got a whole lobster and a bowl of steamers (freshly steamed clams). When he got his dinner, he ate his yummy lobster and then moved on to the steamers, but we had no idea how to eat them. I went up to the front and asked and they said rinse it in the "salt water" (which looked like dirty dishwater-no joke) and then dip it in the butter. Well, we still couldn't figure out what part we were actually suppose to eat, because we heard not to eat the stomach. So after a few phone calls home and talking to some kid there, Nate spooned out everything in the shell, dipped it in the water and then butter, and then ate it. After about 2 seconds, I looked at Nate and he was spitting it back into the bowl. I laughed and asked how it was. He replyed, "It tasted like I had a mouth full of sand!" It was quite an experience and we sure had fun trying new things! My crab and Nate's lobster was actually really really good and wasn't that bad in price. We will probably end up going back, but will know to not order the clams!!

Boxes, Boxes, and more Boxes!!!

We were finally able to move into our new apartment this past Wednesday. YEA!!  But moving isn't always the most fun! I have been unpacking boxes after boxes and I feel like I am drowning in boxes. I am trying to be positive but it can be hard some days. I try so hard to be organized too, but there is just so much stuff for this little apartment. I am excited though to get everything finally put away and start getting the baby stuff ready!!   (P.S. Don't ask why this is all underlined, I couldn't get it to quit underlining things!)

My sweet husband putting our new dining room table together. He is such a handyman! Thanks babe!

And here I am putting together some lamps. One evening while we were unpacking, it started to get dark and so we went to turn on the lights, but soon figured out that there were no over head lights in most of the rooms. So we went to our good old local Wal-Mart and got some new lighting. 

We hope all is going well back home. We miss you and are think about you often!

THE BIG UPDATE- Part 4

Some of you have been asking me to post some pictures of my pregnant belly. I get a little embarrassed, but you are in luck. Our way awesome sister/in-law and brother-in-law (Nate's sister Leslie and her husband Tavis) came up to Rupert a couple of weeks before we left and took some really really cool maternity pictures for us. If you want to check them out, you can go to their photography website:

http://tavisjohnson.blogspot.com/

Just type "maternity" or "Heidi" into the search bar at the top right of the blog and they should pop up. Thanks so much Les and Tavis. We love them!!

THE BIG UPDATE- Part 3

Monday was Nate's first day at his new job! Doesn't he look so cute and of course, professional?!!

We are still living in a hotel until this coming Wednesday, because the apartment that we will be living in is being remodeled and won't be available until then. On Wednesday, we will finally have a new little apartment that we can call "home!" YEA!! (I will post some pictures of our apartment as soon as we move in.)

THE BIG UPDATE- Part 2

Second, Nathan was offered a job with a company based out of Pasadena, California. The company he will be working for is Avery Dennison. Most of you know the retail side of their company, which is the Avery mailing labels. He accepted their offer into their F.L.D.P. (Finance Leadership Development Program). In this program, they send you to 4 different areas of their company to learn all the financial and accounting aspects of the company, such as internal audit, cost analysis, and so on. So we get to move every 6 months for 2 years all over the U.S. Our first stop will be in Massachusetts. I still can’t believe that this is all happening, but Nathan and I say everyday how blessed we are that he was offered this opportunity when we, as a country, are going through this economic crisis.

About 3 weeks ago, the company sent someone out to come and pick up our cars to have them shipped to Massachusetts.
A week later, a moving company showed up to pick-up all of our stuff. The one nice part of this whole process in that the company moves you and you just fly to your next area. It is a good thing they do this or else I don't think I could handle it.
On Monday, January 26th, we left our little town of Rupert and headed out across the United States. Most of you who know me, know that this was not an easy thing for me to do at all. I would be completely content living in Rupert the rest of my life, but I have come to realize that our Heavenly Father knows what is best for each of us. I have learned to put my trust and faith in him and make the best of what I can. It has been very very hard on me to leave our families and move out here, but I am excited to start a new chapter in our little family's life. We are excited to have a new little baby boy and a new adventure!