Leaving Maine and The BIG trip!

I was born and raised in Maine and I love it there!

I will greatly miss the beauty of the state, the ocean, my family and friends. However, we've embarked on a new journey here in Idaho and I know that we will love it here as well. I'm excited to explore Idaho and see all that it has to offer!

I grew up in South Portland and Saco, both on the southern coast and right on the ocean:

The Portland Area:

The Saco Area:

A Few of My Favorite Things!

"Red casing on hot dogs and butter on lobster!
Fried dough and pier fries unlike any other!

Fluffer-nutter sandwiches and picnics in spring,

These are a few of my favorite things!

Bright sunny beach days and waves in the ocean,

smelling the salt air, pipe tobacco and tanning lotion,

all of the seagulls spreading their wings

These are a few of my favorite things!

Lighthouses casting their lamps into port,

buoys and lobstertraps, sailboats all sorts,

Smooth rounded seaglass that ocean waves bring

these are a few of my favorite things!

When the job market stinks

and the economy is bad

when we're feeling down...

I simply remember my favorite things...

and then I move to Boise, Idaho!

(Oh, I mean..."and then I don't feel sooooo bad!!!")

Beaches & The Ocean:

Lighthouses:

Sailboats:

Favorite Places:

CAMDEN...

SOMESVILLE/ MT. DESERT ISLAND/ ACADIA NATIONAL PARK...

I will miss Maine dearly, and I know Chris will too. Brady has told me everyday so far since we've been gone that he loves Maine and misses it. We've grown together as a family, Chris got hired at his first career-minded job with Enterprise, and Olivia joined our family. We will always be grateful for the time we were able to spend with my family in Maine.

Chris worked for L.L. Bean for 2 years and we enjoyed our discount and going often as a family, if for nothing else, for window shopping, free concerts in the park and giving family "guided tours!"

I also worked in Freeport for a year as a florist and enjoyed that. Freeport is a beautiful, quaint town, about 8 miles from our home in Durham. Along with outlet stores, cafes, forest trails and rocky coastline it's also the home of the "Big Freeport Indian!" The sentinel that marks the freeport line and welcomes all who drive along Rt. 1 or the highway.

Here's our big trip across country!

We left on Saturday, November 29th from Durham, Maine

Gassing up before we leave- our local town gas station which we supported almost exclusively over the last 2 1/2 years! See ya "Get N' Go!!!" (Thanks heavens gas prices have gone down by more than half since summer!!!)

Bye bye Maine!!!

The kids were really great in the car. We did have our "want to pull your heair out" moments but all in all it went well. Olivia seemed resigned to the fact that she was stuck in her car seat and only grumbled and complained when she was hungry or in serious need of a diaper change! Let me tell you- it's very interesting and challenging to change a VERY poopy diaper in the front seat of your car with the baby balancing on your knees because it's so cold outside! The poor girl- she really put up with a lot!



We sang many songs with Brady, constantly changed up his toys and movies and played hours of "I Spy," "I'm going on a trip...," "I'm thinking of an animal..." Those worked well at night time when he couldn't see to color or play with toys! And let me tell you, my mom truly was a trooper and was such a great help, I couldn't have done it without her! (She and my younger brother, Andrew came out with us). My mom helped me drive with the kids and Chris and Andrew drove the Budget truck. Chris was a trooper too- he drove the whole way (Budget doesn't allow drivers under 25- argh!)

Day 1: The first day we drove through Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio where stopped for the night at:

I didn't realize how long the first day would take us (14 hours) and I had reserved the motel online (at a killer price of $47 for the night). Unfortunately this created a very very long day and I didn't get to see my friend Rachel who lives in the Cleveland area, however I am glad that we made the long stretch because it shortened our driving time on day 3, which meant more time visiting with Chris' family in Burley, Idaho.

My two little babies slept on the floor for 4 nights!!! What little troopers they were too!

DAY 2: The next day we traveled through the rest of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and halfway through Iowa.

I was so glad to pay the last of my toll money as we left Illinois! NO MORE TOLLS! Literally HIGHWAY ROBBERY!!!! We'd intended to get across the border into Nebraska but we hit several snowstorms and had to quit for the night. A combination of bad roads, bitter cold and after seeing the 25th car off the road we hit the nearest exit and pulled into:

I cringed at the $110 room ($124.18 with tax) but was grateful for the warmth, comfort and safety! It didn't hurt that we had a great continental breakfast in the morning either!

Day 3: We counted another 50 cars off the road as we continued across Iowa. The roads were clear as we entered Nebraska and it took us all day to drive across that desolate land! We made it into Laramie, Wyoming for the 3rd night. Another night at AmericInn but this time we got a "steal" with a room price of $89 ($98.90 with tax) and another good nights rest and warm breakfast to seal the deal.

There were HUNDREDS of the awesome windmills all across Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Wyoming and Idaho (between Twin Falls and Boise). I'm glad to see us finally harnessing some natural resources!! Just amazing!

I also saw this cute little chapel somewhere in the middle of nowhere:

Day 4: a blustery, bitter cold day across another desolate landscape. I pity anyone who lives in these parts of the country- it almost made me cry seeing town after town surrounded by nothing but brown dirt. I mean literally, these homes are on solid dirt! What a shame, if they only knew that there was so much more....

There was ONE cool thing in Wyoming:

As I said, Wyoming was WINDY!!! I stopped to gas up at a mom and pop gas station and I almost blew away as I opened the car door. It almost turned my door away from it's hinges! I was holding on for dear life to the gas hose and this is exactly what I looked like when I got back in the car!!!! (It was much funnier in person, I guess you had to be there...)

These were in Wyoming too...

As we came into the canyon in Utah we began to see some pretty cool rock formations. I had missed seeing these geological wonders. It was a gloomy day so the colors didn't show up as vivid on camera, which is shame because the reds, greens and browns were truly beautiful (in that western kind of way! LOL):

Rolling along into Idaho we were greeted by wispy and fluffy clouds and a grogeous sunset:

To IDAHO or BUST!!!!

We did it! We arrived at Chris' parents house in Burley at around 6pm and were so excited to see everyone. Dad Graf didn't get off work until 7:30 so we anxiously awaited his arrival. Brady actually plaed infront of their picture window for about a half hour so he could stand there and wave when he pulled into the driveway! We were also suprised to learn that Great-Grandma Jones hadn't been "notified" of our move and that she was making dinner for the family that evening! Dad and Chris went over to pick her up at her house and played a trick on her! Dad went to the door and then Chris snuck up behind her (and almost gave the poor woman a heart attack!) Grandma survived and was very excited to see us again!

We left for Boise the next morning after delicious breakfast made for us by Mom Graf. There's pretty much nothing in between Twin Falls and Boise, I was getting a little nervous! But Boise is a great city with a lot to offer and after I got over the initial "shock" that this was all real I've been having fun seeing what this place is all about!

We got right to unloading the truck and I got right to unpacking! I'm proud to say that after the first week almost everything was done! All that is left now are some small details here and there, some pictures and Olivia's room, which needs a crib and some fabric for some curtains etc. I'll be excited to post those pictures SOON!

We have two happy kids to be out of the car and into a nice big apartment! Brady loves playing in his room (thank goodness!!!) and Olivia is sleeping through the night! YAY!!!

So, these are our apartments: The Landing at lakeharbor in Boise. They are situated on Silver Lake, which looks pretty glamorous in these pictures. It's a nice little "pond" but it will be fun to fish in and take the canoe out on every once in a while. We also live right along the Boise Greenbelt which is the 25 mile biking/walking path that extends along the Boise River. We'll definately be taking advantage of that when the weather warms up!!! I have great plans for myself, two kids and bike trailer and/or my double jogging stroller!

Cost of Moving Truck: $1685

Cost of Tolls: $110

Cost of Gas: $860

Cost of food: $150

Cost of Hotels: $270

Knowing you made the right decision: Priceless!!!

(many of the pics I have on this post from Maine are by a Maine photographer named Brent Dayley)

We Made It To Boise!!!!

After four LONG days in the car we finally arrived at our new home...still in the process of unpacking, finding a computer desk and hooking up the internet so we'll post all about the BIG MOVE soon!!!

Twilight...the movie (Blah!)

Okay so I went to see TWILIGHT on opening night with 2 of my best friends here in Maine. I'd hurried and read the books a few months ago when that was all of my YW talked about! I thought that the writing was very poor and juvenile of course, too repetitive and Myers' storylines too drawn-out BUT complelling and intriguing enough to feverishly read through them and want to watch the movie to see how poorly "Hollywood" portrayed the book.

I have NEVER EVER liked a movie about a book that I've alrerady read. I never think that they do the characters or the story-line justice, the "falling in love" is always really rushed or bizarre. Like in Twilight, it was ridiculous how they portrayed it, but of course they didn't have like 500 pages to show how Bella and Edward "fell" in love.

I hate when movies stray from the storyline or throw in little details of their own and don't stay true to a book. How hard would it have been to have the house right? Seriously! And what was with Billy driving the truck? I thought Jacob's teeth were way too white, Edward was more SCARY than OUT-OF-THIS WORLD BEAUTIFUL (he looked more like a werewolf with that hair and those eyebrows!) I DID NOT LIKE the guy who played Carlisle (he was NOT GORGEOUS!) I couldn't STAND BELLA and how she constantly blinked, took forever to say her lines, and moved her teeth back and forth in her mouth! She never even read the books! No wonder she sucked!!!!

Okay, for positive things, I liked mostly everything else except Jasper. What was up with him!? Charlie and Billy were funny and brought in an element that the movie definately needed. I loved Alice, thought they did a good job on Rosalie and Emmett (although I did picture him to be cuter) and I liked Esme, although I'd always pictured her to be blonde and have a 40's/50's short curled hairstyle.

Well, I'd love to hear any other Twlight fans' comments! Oh, there'a about a tyhousand websites where you can take quizzes but I took this one:


Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results! ">

In the words of Brady: "We're moving to Idaho, Boise!"

Yes, that's right! We are MOVING!!! I can hardly believe it and it's all happened so fast but in about 2 weeks we'll be packing up our moving truck and heading on our journey out west! Chris and I have been thinking and praying for several months now about where we should move. We've been here in Maine now for a little over 2 1/2 years and it's pretty evident that we're not going to be able to make a good living here. Maine is beautiful but very hard to get your foot in the door. Real estate is expensive and so is the cost of living. So after much deliberation, going back and forth in our minds and with each other we've decided that Boise will be a great place to raise our family and for Chris' career to prosper.

We really wrestled with this decision but feel peaceful with it and excited about the "adventure" ahead! It will be nice to be closer to Chris' family and some of our friends that still live in Idaho! More details will be coming later....

I Believe that our Nation has RISEN UP!!!

I don't want to be offensive to anyone, I merely wish to show people why I feel the way I do about our new President-elect.

To anyone who responded about the fundamental moral issues...

I believe McCain had more fundament immoral issues with HIMSELF than Obama. He would not, in my opinion, be a President OF THE PEOPLE...

This nation is not going to reject women's right to choose and gay marriage whether or not I believe they are right or wrong. We, as Latter-day Saints know that things are going to continue to worsen as the second coming comes. That doesn't mean that we can't stand up for these issues, but I would rather have a man who has a better character despite his personal beliefs on these issues. He simply believes as I do, that people have the right to choose. That also means that they choose their own consequences.

It is NOT one man making the decisions in this country. There are FAR TOO MANY people in senate who vote for issues too.

I also believe VERY STRONGLY that GOD GAVE US FREE AGENCY!!! I have neighbors who are lesbians who are wonderful people and if it is THEIR CHOICE to live that lifestyle then THAT IS THEIR CHOICE & THEIR AGENCY! To force certain moral issues upon the world would be like having a Communist society where people are told what they can and can't do.

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who is the ONLY MAN who can rule this country and the world with JUSTICE and MERCY will come when the time is right to govern with truth.

As far as Obama telling "lies..." What lies has he told us? That he wants us to have a better economy? That he CARES about the working class? That he TRULY wants to make a change? I don't think he's lying about any of that. I think he's sincere and I have full trust and faith in him. I've watched him for many months now and I think he's sincere, humble and has commen sense (As Maya Angelou said earlier on the "Early Show" that common sense isn't so common anymore!)

I am also PROUD that our nation has elected a BLACK MAN as our President. I believe that he will be a President FOR ALL OF AMERICA. He has obviously stirred something is our nation as America voted in record numbers:

"It looks like 136.6 million Americans will have voted for president this election, based on 88 percent of the country's precincts tallied and projections for absentee ballots, said Michael McDonald of George Mason University. Using his methods, that would give 2008 a 64.1 percent turnout rate.

That would be the highest turnout rate that we've seen since 1908," which was 65.7 percent, McDonald said early Wednesday. " (http://www.apnews.myway.com/)

He is the first senator elected to the White House since John F. Kennedy in 1960.

He was the first Democrat to receive more than 50 percent of the popular vote since Jimmy Carter in 1976.

So I ask, what are you so scared about (If you oppose Obama)? The last 8 years have wreaked havoc on our nation under a Republican. Under Pres. Bill Clinton, yes, a Democrat, we enjoyed great economic success, as we did under JFK, also a Democrat.

In Obama's Victory speech last night he said:

Midnight. –

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states. It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.

I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.

It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy... ... who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.

It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.

This is your victory. And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.

Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.

There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education.

There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.

I promise you, we as a people will get there.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other. (Does this now sound just like what we were told in the last Gen. Conference?)

Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.

In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.

Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity. Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.

As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.

And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.


To all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do.

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.

Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.

Obama for America: The Change We Need

"I'M ASKING YOU TO BELIEVE.

Not just in my ability to bring about

real change in Washington...I'm asking

you to believe in yours!"

Tonight Barack Obama was elected the first black president of the United States of America. I know that this will be acontroversial post but I just wanted to say that I'm glad that he won. Right from the beginning I felt like he was the change America needs; he is passionate about the working class people and I think he truly cares what happens to us. I did not feel that way about McCain, who I felt to be a pompous self-righteous self-proclaimed "Maverick!"

I know many of my friends feel that Obama is all talk and "full of lies" but I don't and I hope that he is a good President and that he'll be able to be instrumental in turning our economy around.

Yes, there are issues such as women's pro-choice, sex education being taught very early in school, gay/lesbian marriage etc. that I don't agree with; however, we've had a Republican President for the last 8 years and all of these things were continuing so I don't think that having another Republican in office would make any difference. I do believe in agency and I guess that's what pro-choice means. We need to hold to our values but we also can't force others to view the world in the same way.

So, for those of you who don't agree with me in thinking that Obama won because he deserves it then I hope you'll at least be hopeful in the future and give him the benefit of the doubt...I can't wait until Jan. 20th to see how he will begin office and what the future of our country will look like from here on out.

Happy Halloween!!!

Sorry this post is LATE..we've been having some computer problems...

We had a GREAT Halloween! I've been working on our costumes for the past couple of months here and there and I thought they turned out pretty good! We were the "hit of the party!" I'm in the Young Women's and the Young Men and Young Women always put on the Branch Trunk or Treat. This year we had a chili cook-off, a Halloween Lip Sync, Halloween twister, color pages, Cupcake walk, Witchy bowling, Witches hat ring toss and a Pumpkin toss- it was pretty fun!!!

Popeye, Wimpy, Swea' Pea and Olive Oyl

This was the PERFECT costume for Olivia because one of nicknames for her is Sweat Pea

Brady was so cute as Wimpy! He walked around telling everyone:

"MY tummy is so big because I ate so many hamburgers!" (and then he laugh at himself!)

He'd also say: "I will kindly pay you Wednesday for a hamburger today!!!"

My parents and my brother Andrew also came to the social. My dad went on his mission to Chile so he and my mom were a Chilean couple- I thought that they were pretty cute!

My brother Andrew was none other than a real life mountain man! (Pretty impressive since he put together his entire get-up in about an hour all from things in his bedroom!!!)

Pumpkin Carving
What child doesn't LOVE carving pumpkins??? Well, Daddies love it too!!!

This is a pumpkin that Brady colored with his "G.G." Morgan, who is my Grammie on my dad's side. He was able to stay with them for a night at their camp.

More Fall Pictures:
Sebego Lake
Raymond, Maine

Some friends of our family just bought a house on one of Maine's biggest and most popular lakes and my parents house-sat for them for the weekend. My mom, Brady, their daughter Crystal and I enjoyed exploring the shoreline and woods around their home- what a beautiful area! (Chris, my dad and Livy taked home and watched football!!)

We found this old fireplace and the remains of a foundation during our walk in the woods

Brady had so much fun exploring in and around all of the huge boulders and caves

Brady loved having a pal to play with too! And Crystal was such a good sport!

This is the boyhood home of Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of "The Scarlet Letter"

(right here in little old Raymond, Maine!)

My Dad's Moustache Story

My dad has had a mustache for over 27 years. Hence, I've never seen him WITHOUT his mustache and I have practically begged him (along with my siblings) several times over the years to shave it off just so we could see what he looked like without it! But, to no avail- he's very attached!!!

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My parents went to the temple last weekend to be interviewed to become temple ordinance workers and my dad was asked duing the interview how attached he was to his mustache. My dad replied that he's had it for over 27 years and that his children haven't even ever seen him without it. The temple worker then said, "Brother Morgan, if you're going to be an ordinance worker you'll have to shave your moustache; we comply to the same standards of dress and grooming as missionaries."

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So, my dad went home and shaved it off! After years of begging from his wife and children it took a servant of the Lord to tell my dad it had to go! Don't you think he looks cute? I personally think it makes him look younger!

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