People People

There is something different about people here in Oregon (at least in this little town we live in),

that is refreshing.

I don't know exactly how to categorize it or describe it...

but I'll try.

Like I've mentioned before,

Kevin and I have lived in the "Rexburg bubble" for the first 4 years of our marriage.

We then moved to what some peeps call the "Utah bubble".

In all honesty I loved living in those places.

Some times more than other times,

but still-I loved it.

I loved living in a dominant Mormon community.

Kevin lived in Mississippi for two years of his life,

while serving a mission for our church,

and I think that experience opened his eyes to a lot of differences-one I am trying to describe.

I have never really known anything different.

I thought it was totally normal to have a huge active ward growing up,

a huge youth group,

with tons of stake and ward activities always going on.

Okay I am already kind of straying from my topic.

::sigh::

I have lots of thoughts up in this noggin of mine today.

Let me just tell you about my experiences that prompted this post,

and maybes that will help you see what I mean.

Experience#1

Every single time(so this is actually multiple experiences),

and I seriously mean EVERY time I go out grocery shopping with Bronx,

some sweet elderly lady always comes up to Bronx and I and "oodles" and "ahhh"s over him.

I'm not going to lie,

at first I was a little afraid.

Like,

"uh, please don't give my baby germs..."

you know-like any protective mommy would.

It was strange and weird to have so many people(not just elderly) stop me and tell me how sweet he is and stuff.

Experience#2

I went to the post office today and (surprise, surprise) there was a huuuuge line.

I guess it's just that time of year :)

I've been to the post office before,

but what was different this time,

is that I had Bronx with me.

Within the first minute I had every single person in line trying to sneak peaks at Bronx in his car seat,

and then smile up at me and tell me how sweet he was,

ask how old he was,

and then proceed to tell me how precious they are at this age,

how they grow up too fast,

and how it's such a learning experience.

Not kidding-all of a sudden every person in that long line seemed to be old friends and was talking about their own kids and where they were now.

It was such a neat experience.

The point I'm trying to make is that in Rexburg and Utah,

this type of thing didn't happen to me.

Not that I'm trying to stereotype any one place,

but from my experiences and what I know/have seen,

those places are so saturated with young families and babies coming out left and right,

seeing a baby is "no big deal".

Here it's different.

There arn't young families all over the place and it's not Mormon-dominant.

It's so cool for me to see the love and unity in this different community.

I might sound so naive and retarded saying these things,

but oh well.

I'm learning many things while living here in Oregon and I'm enjoying these new experiences.

Enough said.

Now how about some pics of the little cutie pie himself?

After the post office,
we went to say hi to the daddy-o!
(ha-how could we not when his work was next door?)
We also ended up going to lunch with daddy at the great BK.
There's the champ holding up his bottle...and my husband has an obsession with ketchup.
As we finished eating,
an elderly man came up to us and said to Kevin:
"Did I hear you call her Audrey?"
Kevin: "Yeah I did."
man: "Well that's a pretty unique name. That makes (pointing at me) her the second one I know...I married the first. Merry Christmas to you guys, God bless."
It was so sweet.
And I walked out of there liking my name a little bit more :)

When we came home,
I started going through my craft supplies and found this little mustache(used way back when Kevin and I taught a cute little primary class).
You bet I wanted to get some shots with Bronx holding it!

It soon got taken away.
ha ha ha (no mom, he didn't swallow any of it-my fingers were faster)