Isabel seems to be a study in contrasts. She is so tiny, but has huge personality/vocabulary/ communication skills. For example:
At gymnastics on Monday, one of the other moms asked me if Isabel was premature. I said, "no, actually a day overdue." She said Isabel looks like her niece, who was born premature (tiny, small features) and has a big feisty personality like her niece. She was convinced she was a preemie.
Then today, Isabel and I were shopping at JoAnn fabrics, and having a nice conversation (she'd pick out certain fabrics and other things in the store and say things like, "oh, mom, look - isn't it beautiful?" Someone overheard us and asked how old she is. I said "2." She said she thought she was at least 3, and called Isabel "very grown-up."
So I guess she's the size of a 1-year-old (for real; I think she's up to 22 pounds, and she's 27 months). But seems she talks and acts like a 3-year-old. I guess it averages out to a 2-year-old!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Goodbye, dear Prophet
President Hinckley died 2 hours ago. I am so sad. He was such an incredibly amazing prophet, the only one I've known as an adult. I've always felt a bit of a kinship with him b/c he wanted to be a reporter, and did so much PR for the church in a variety of ways. And he was SO good with the media. I LOVED his biography, "Go Forward with Faith." Now I want to read it again. As my mom said, imagine what it would be like to witness his reunion with his sweet wife.
I will dearly miss our dear, sweet prophet.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Be still
This morning I went to women's stake conference in a nearby stake with several of my good friends who are in that stake. It was so incredibly uplifting. The theme was "Be still, and know that I am God." The key speakers were a member of the stake presidency and his wife. They spoke together, both standing at the pulpit and sharing their journey of dealing with the wife's breast cancer. I had never seen dual speakers before, and it was really effective. Plus they had such a sweet camaraderie, and really played off of each other.
They took turns recounting their experience, and reading journal entries/e-mails written during her battle with cancer, including her diagnosis, chemo, losing her hair, etc. They touched on so many gospel principles, including service (both receiving much service, and her being of service to others going through cancer treatment). In the end, she said breast cancer was by far a more positive experience than a negative one. If only I could say that about my trials (like the whole house thing).
I want to remember how uplifted I felt today, and how my heart was touched in so many ways. They really had an introspective effect, making me evaluate a lot of different things in my life.
It was also interesting to me that many of the cancer issues she addresses were topics I had written about in the stories I just finished for the University of Colorado Cancer Center. It really added dimension to the project, putting a face to the issues.
Note to Wendie: I had a nice chat with Janet Savage today. We had fun reminiscing about your wedding. :)
They took turns recounting their experience, and reading journal entries/e-mails written during her battle with cancer, including her diagnosis, chemo, losing her hair, etc. They touched on so many gospel principles, including service (both receiving much service, and her being of service to others going through cancer treatment). In the end, she said breast cancer was by far a more positive experience than a negative one. If only I could say that about my trials (like the whole house thing).
I want to remember how uplifted I felt today, and how my heart was touched in so many ways. They really had an introspective effect, making me evaluate a lot of different things in my life.
It was also interesting to me that many of the cancer issues she addresses were topics I had written about in the stories I just finished for the University of Colorado Cancer Center. It really added dimension to the project, putting a face to the issues.
Note to Wendie: I had a nice chat with Janet Savage today. We had fun reminiscing about your wedding. :)
Friday, January 25, 2008
Eyelashes
Connor and Isabel love playing a mini-golf game on the computer with Brian. They were all piled in a chair today playing it; I thought they looked cute so I snapped a pic. Then in looking at it I realized the shot captures their eyelashes. I always love pics of my kids looking down, b/c I think they all have amazingly beautiful eyelashes. Connor's are super long and curly, though not very dark; Lucas's are turning out the same way. Isabel's are crazy long and dark (darker than her hair), but not as curly. I will say, if nothing else, Brian and I make good eyes! :) In fact, strangers frequently comment on my kids' eyes. And, Brian's eyes are beautiful, too. He too has strangers comment on his eyes from time to time. He even got hit on once by a male coworker who loved his eyes (shhhh, don't tell him I told you).
Thursday, January 24, 2008
To rent or not to rent
We've switched realtors, and we met with our new realtor this morning. Can the news really get any worse? It seems to come down to: 1) do we want to keep trying to sell, which means listing at a somewhat competitive price that will mean having to bring at least $15,000 to the closing 2) do we want to rent it out, even though what we could get in rent likely won't cover our mortgage and HOA 3) do we want to keep living here (no) and 4) do we want to foreclose (no, because it's totally unethical, but I can see why people do it to get out).
Nice choices, huh? I'm in a rather foul mood about the whole thing. I thought buying a house was an investment! At this rate, if we ever get out of here, I feel leery about buying again.
Forgive the whining - now I'm sounding like a teething 2-year-old!
Nice choices, huh? I'm in a rather foul mood about the whole thing. I thought buying a house was an investment! At this rate, if we ever get out of here, I feel leery about buying again.
Forgive the whining - now I'm sounding like a teething 2-year-old!
It's nothing short of sickening
An e-mail to the TODAY Show:
"Please do not invite Drew Peterson or his slithering low-life of an attorney on your show anymore. I love TODAY - and have watched it for 15 years - and cannot recall an interview making me more outraged and disgusted as the one with Mr. Brodsky this morning. Giving a voice to these two conniving, heartless, self-fulfilling, weak, pathetic males - when Stacy Peterson has no voice - is disgusting.
To even give these lying snakes the chance to promote Drew Peterson's wishes to date again, whether in jest or earnest (we all know it's really in earnest), is doing a tremendous disservice to women. There are a number of women out there who are weak, passive and lack self-esteem (perfect targets for a manipulative murderer like Drew) who are likely willing to line up next for this smooth-talking snake, unknowing they will simply become future targets in a string of disappearing wives.
You bet I've charged Drew Peterson with guilty before his chance for a due process - and I sure hope he gets his due process, and all that will come with it. We all know Stacy Peterson did not run off with another man. It's preposterous. I know it, you know it, Drew Peterson clearly knows it, as does his leech of a litigator.
Please do a service to Stacy Peterson and all abused/missing women. I cannot watch Mr. Peterson or Mr. Brodsky on your show.
Thank you,
Melissa Howell
Aurora, Colorado"
An I sent it, too.
"Please do not invite Drew Peterson or his slithering low-life of an attorney on your show anymore. I love TODAY - and have watched it for 15 years - and cannot recall an interview making me more outraged and disgusted as the one with Mr. Brodsky this morning. Giving a voice to these two conniving, heartless, self-fulfilling, weak, pathetic males - when Stacy Peterson has no voice - is disgusting.
To even give these lying snakes the chance to promote Drew Peterson's wishes to date again, whether in jest or earnest (we all know it's really in earnest), is doing a tremendous disservice to women. There are a number of women out there who are weak, passive and lack self-esteem (perfect targets for a manipulative murderer like Drew) who are likely willing to line up next for this smooth-talking snake, unknowing they will simply become future targets in a string of disappearing wives.
You bet I've charged Drew Peterson with guilty before his chance for a due process - and I sure hope he gets his due process, and all that will come with it. We all know Stacy Peterson did not run off with another man. It's preposterous. I know it, you know it, Drew Peterson clearly knows it, as does his leech of a litigator.
Please do a service to Stacy Peterson and all abused/missing women. I cannot watch Mr. Peterson or Mr. Brodsky on your show.
Thank you,
Melissa Howell
Aurora, Colorado"
An I sent it, too.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
What a fool I've been
When Lucas was born, my mom brought me this baby food grinder, which she used when we were babies. I am loving it! I can feed Lucas so much of what we're having, and am buying way less baby food than I did with the first two kids. It is so super easy to use and clean! Such a simple thing, but has made me (and Lucas) so happy!
He definitely enjoyed the lemon-herb marinated grilled pork chops, steamed broccoli (sans cheese sauce) and brown rice that we enjoyed for dinner (a la ground up for a little mouth). Much tastier than that jarred baby food!
When I called my mom to tell her how much I am loving the grinder, and how I wish I would have had it with Connor and Isabel, my mom reminded me that she offered it, and I wasn't interested at the time. Blush. Silly me.
He definitely enjoyed the lemon-herb marinated grilled pork chops, steamed broccoli (sans cheese sauce) and brown rice that we enjoyed for dinner (a la ground up for a little mouth). Much tastier than that jarred baby food!
When I called my mom to tell her how much I am loving the grinder, and how I wish I would have had it with Connor and Isabel, my mom reminded me that she offered it, and I wasn't interested at the time. Blush. Silly me.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Stock Show 2008
Exhibit and rodeo tickets: $39
Lunch: $37
Parking: $8
Taking your kids to the National Western Stock Show to can get them out of the house so they'll stop whining only to spend a day out in public listening to them whine: Priceless.
In all fairness, my kids are not known for being whiney, but today? I'll explain in a bit.
Anyway... we went to the National Wester Stock Show today. We have gone every year since Connor was born, and always have a blast. This year just didn't seem to be in the cards for us. It was overall a fine day. But it was SUPER busy today, being a holiday, and we generally try to go on quieter days. It made it more challenging to get some good pics. That, combined with the aforementioned whiney kids. We did wandered through exhibits for a couple of hours, had lunch, then went to the rodeo. At the start of the rodeo all the light go off and there's a huge light show with loud music and then a fireworks display with some LOUD booms. This completely freaked Connor out, and he spent the next hour whining about wanting to leave.
And Isabel is cutting her two remaining 2-year molars, and has got to be one of the most unpleasant teethers EVER. She has always struggled with teething, but these molars are going to drive me over the edge. She's generally not whiney (fiesty, yes; strong-willed, yes; but whiney, no) until she's teething. And, she didn't get a nap yesterday (1:00 church, ugh), and didn't get a nap today b/c of the rodeo, so she was in LOVELY form by the time we left.
Lucas is the only one who never cried once today. We did manage somehow to make it through the 2 1/2 hour rodeo. Brian and I decided next year we will go to the rodeo sans children.
We didn't get as many cute pictures as we normally do, but here are some. I should mention here that lots of people - real cowboys/cowgirls or not - wear cowboy hats to the Stock Show, so Brian asked Connor if he wanted to wear the hat from his Woody costume; he did, and wore it through much of the day. He fit right in!
Connor and Isabel loved the tractors:
They also loved the train ride. You can sort of see the train behind Connor:
The petting area was HUGE hit:
Brian and Connor checking out the post-rodeo arena floor:
And Lucas as we were about to leave (had to include a pic of him; he was such a trooper). It was frigidly cold today:
Note to self for next year: go on a quieter day, allot more time for the exhibits (including the cheesy, but cute, photo staging area), and get a sitter for the rodeo.
Lunch: $37
Parking: $8
Taking your kids to the National Western Stock Show to can get them out of the house so they'll stop whining only to spend a day out in public listening to them whine: Priceless.
In all fairness, my kids are not known for being whiney, but today? I'll explain in a bit.
Anyway... we went to the National Wester Stock Show today. We have gone every year since Connor was born, and always have a blast. This year just didn't seem to be in the cards for us. It was overall a fine day. But it was SUPER busy today, being a holiday, and we generally try to go on quieter days. It made it more challenging to get some good pics. That, combined with the aforementioned whiney kids. We did wandered through exhibits for a couple of hours, had lunch, then went to the rodeo. At the start of the rodeo all the light go off and there's a huge light show with loud music and then a fireworks display with some LOUD booms. This completely freaked Connor out, and he spent the next hour whining about wanting to leave.
And Isabel is cutting her two remaining 2-year molars, and has got to be one of the most unpleasant teethers EVER. She has always struggled with teething, but these molars are going to drive me over the edge. She's generally not whiney (fiesty, yes; strong-willed, yes; but whiney, no) until she's teething. And, she didn't get a nap yesterday (1:00 church, ugh), and didn't get a nap today b/c of the rodeo, so she was in LOVELY form by the time we left.
Lucas is the only one who never cried once today. We did manage somehow to make it through the 2 1/2 hour rodeo. Brian and I decided next year we will go to the rodeo sans children.
We didn't get as many cute pictures as we normally do, but here are some. I should mention here that lots of people - real cowboys/cowgirls or not - wear cowboy hats to the Stock Show, so Brian asked Connor if he wanted to wear the hat from his Woody costume; he did, and wore it through much of the day. He fit right in!
Connor and Isabel loved the tractors:
They also loved the train ride. You can sort of see the train behind Connor:
The petting area was HUGE hit:
Brian and Connor checking out the post-rodeo arena floor:
And Lucas as we were about to leave (had to include a pic of him; he was such a trooper). It was frigidly cold today:
Note to self for next year: go on a quieter day, allot more time for the exhibits (including the cheesy, but cute, photo staging area), and get a sitter for the rodeo.
Scrappin'
I have not done one single layout since before Lucas was born, so I decided, seeing as how I needed to unwind a bit this weekend, that I really needed to find my scrapbook groove again. I did one layout for each child. I consider myself an average scrapper, some layouts turn out better than others.
Connor's layout: his first T-ball class from last summer:
Isabel's: I called this "Pigtails and Tea Parties." I LOVE the paisley stickers (I love lots of things paisley):
Lucas's: these are newborn pics in the hospital taken by my friend Kristie. I think this page feels a bit unfinished, but I wasn't feeling inspired about what else to do, so this is it for now. At least he has 1 layout!:
Connor's layout: his first T-ball class from last summer:
Isabel's: I called this "Pigtails and Tea Parties." I LOVE the paisley stickers (I love lots of things paisley):
Lucas's: these are newborn pics in the hospital taken by my friend Kristie. I think this page feels a bit unfinished, but I wasn't feeling inspired about what else to do, so this is it for now. At least he has 1 layout!:
Friday, January 18, 2008
Slammed
I just wrapped up an intensely crazy couple of weeks, mostly the result of a huge freelance project. In mid-December, I was asked to bid on writing the University of Colorado Cancer Center's 20th anniversary report. This involves putting together an estimate of how many hours I think the project will take, what I would charge, and some writing samples. The week before Christmas I was informed that I had the winning bid, and was offered the project. The deadline? Jan. 18 - and that's with 10 days during that time in Minnesota!
I basically started working on the project Dec. 31, and finished it today. I had to write 6 huge feature stories, which included interviewing more than 20 physicians/researchers/patients/donors. One of my interviews was with the German scientist who discovered that HPV infection causes cervical cancer. It was an interesting, but all-consuming project, being as I had such a short period of time. But tonight I am enjoying the feeling of it being completed! Whew...
I have to give a huge, huge shout out to Brian, who has been picking up all the slack the last couple of weeks. He had some vacation time to burn, so he used it last week. This week also has been light for him work-wise, and he has been cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, taking care of the kids, meal planning and grocery shopping to allow me to focus on this project. Thank you Brian for being a superstar! And, it's nice living with another writer who can edit my stuff and give me suggestions. Love you!
And while we were in MN, I got an e-mail asking if I'd be interested in writing part of The Children's Hospital's annual report (due in February) and two days after we got back I got a call asking if I'd re-write the Medical Center of Aurora's website (due in March). These should be more manageable projects, more like the time commitment I'm used to. I am grateful for the work, but geez! Watch what you pray for!
And of course, of all weeks, I have had 2 VERY sick little ones. Isabel and Lucas have had a nasty respiratory virus. Isabel has been sick since Monday; today is the first day this week she hasn't had a fever. She still has a really bad cough. And Lucas came down with it on Wednesday, and has had a fever, serious congestion and coughing since then. Not to mention Isabel is cutting the last of her 2-year molars, and Lucas cut his 2nd tooth on Wednesday, which is also the day he got his 7-month shots (which had to be postponed from 6 months b/c he was sick then).
And just because I'm unloading, I will also mention I have been dealing with a few very not fun Primary issues this week.
What a week! I seriously think I need a facial or something...
I basically started working on the project Dec. 31, and finished it today. I had to write 6 huge feature stories, which included interviewing more than 20 physicians/researchers/patients/donors. One of my interviews was with the German scientist who discovered that HPV infection causes cervical cancer. It was an interesting, but all-consuming project, being as I had such a short period of time. But tonight I am enjoying the feeling of it being completed! Whew...
I have to give a huge, huge shout out to Brian, who has been picking up all the slack the last couple of weeks. He had some vacation time to burn, so he used it last week. This week also has been light for him work-wise, and he has been cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, taking care of the kids, meal planning and grocery shopping to allow me to focus on this project. Thank you Brian for being a superstar! And, it's nice living with another writer who can edit my stuff and give me suggestions. Love you!
And while we were in MN, I got an e-mail asking if I'd be interested in writing part of The Children's Hospital's annual report (due in February) and two days after we got back I got a call asking if I'd re-write the Medical Center of Aurora's website (due in March). These should be more manageable projects, more like the time commitment I'm used to. I am grateful for the work, but geez! Watch what you pray for!
And of course, of all weeks, I have had 2 VERY sick little ones. Isabel and Lucas have had a nasty respiratory virus. Isabel has been sick since Monday; today is the first day this week she hasn't had a fever. She still has a really bad cough. And Lucas came down with it on Wednesday, and has had a fever, serious congestion and coughing since then. Not to mention Isabel is cutting the last of her 2-year molars, and Lucas cut his 2nd tooth on Wednesday, which is also the day he got his 7-month shots (which had to be postponed from 6 months b/c he was sick then).
And just because I'm unloading, I will also mention I have been dealing with a few very not fun Primary issues this week.
What a week! I seriously think I need a facial or something...
Friday, January 11, 2008
These are a few of our favorite things
Since we didn't get many good shots of the Christmas gifts, I decided to get some pics of a few of the gifts being enjoyed. Be sure to read the description by the art set for a crazy story from today!
Connor continues to love his sword and hook. Some days I'm not even allowed to address him as Connor, but rather he only goes by "Captain." He also got a Leapster, a video learning game system. I will fully admit I am not a fan of video games, but I am OK with this b/c it is educational. He is figuring out how to work it, and has really had fun playing with it. Isabel loves watching him. And how cute is this picture? She totally was resting her head on his shoulder yesterday morning and watching him play:
My parents bought Connor some Wedgits. They are "construction toys that add geometry and symmetry to play time fun." They were awarded Toy of the Year for Best Learning Product. A woman at the learning store insisted that these are so popular, and she was right! My kids fight over who gets to play with them. They are fun! Even I have fun playing with them. :)
The Hoberman Sphere is a big hit. It expands from this:
To this:
Isabel has been loving puzzles, and got this Abby Cadabby puzzle (a little fairy on Sesame Street). Isabel LOVES it.
She also got her own Cotton Candy scented lip gloss:
She got a new baby doll, and this play set for her doll (notice the baby sleeping in the pack 'n play):
She loves to do artsy things, especially paint, so she got this art set, which contains paint, clay and molds, crayons, markers, chalk, sponges and stickers. So this afternoon, we were doing art time, and I was leaning across the table to help Isabel with something. Connor said something to me, but it didn't register until it was too late. I heard a distinct "snip!" and suddenly a chunk of my hair fell onto the table! For real. It was then that I processed that Connor had said, "mom, I want to cut your hair." See those green scissors sitting there so innocently on the table moments before this incident?) I went shrieking into the bathroom to access the damage. I think for the first time in my life I am glad to have thick curly hair, as I don't think it is too noticeable. Any straighter and thinner and it just might have been seriously obvious. After I calmed down and looked at Connor, he was sitting silently in his chair with his hands covering his face. All of a sudden he burst into tears and ran upstairs to put himself in a timeout. I actually felt bad for him; after all, he did give me fair warning and I just didn't register in time. I gave him a huge hug and we had a nice chat about how he will NEVER cut anyone's hair again. My sister found this extremely hilarious payback for a certain incident involving me, and her, and some scissors, and her bangs that ended up being roughly a quarter of an inch long (some parts longer, some shorter) a week before our dance recital. Trust me, I was nowhere near as my mom was that day. I can still hear her screaming my name throughout the house as I hid in fear.
Lucas with a few of his new toys:
And last, Brian and I got a set of the Blue Planet/Planet Earth DVDs. We are LOVING them, and have been watching one every evening we can. We love nature programs, and think these are fantastic:
Connor continues to love his sword and hook. Some days I'm not even allowed to address him as Connor, but rather he only goes by "Captain." He also got a Leapster, a video learning game system. I will fully admit I am not a fan of video games, but I am OK with this b/c it is educational. He is figuring out how to work it, and has really had fun playing with it. Isabel loves watching him. And how cute is this picture? She totally was resting her head on his shoulder yesterday morning and watching him play:
My parents bought Connor some Wedgits. They are "construction toys that add geometry and symmetry to play time fun." They were awarded Toy of the Year for Best Learning Product. A woman at the learning store insisted that these are so popular, and she was right! My kids fight over who gets to play with them. They are fun! Even I have fun playing with them. :)
The Hoberman Sphere is a big hit. It expands from this:
To this:
Isabel has been loving puzzles, and got this Abby Cadabby puzzle (a little fairy on Sesame Street). Isabel LOVES it.
She also got her own Cotton Candy scented lip gloss:
She got a new baby doll, and this play set for her doll (notice the baby sleeping in the pack 'n play):
She loves to do artsy things, especially paint, so she got this art set, which contains paint, clay and molds, crayons, markers, chalk, sponges and stickers. So this afternoon, we were doing art time, and I was leaning across the table to help Isabel with something. Connor said something to me, but it didn't register until it was too late. I heard a distinct "snip!" and suddenly a chunk of my hair fell onto the table! For real. It was then that I processed that Connor had said, "mom, I want to cut your hair." See those green scissors sitting there so innocently on the table moments before this incident?) I went shrieking into the bathroom to access the damage. I think for the first time in my life I am glad to have thick curly hair, as I don't think it is too noticeable. Any straighter and thinner and it just might have been seriously obvious. After I calmed down and looked at Connor, he was sitting silently in his chair with his hands covering his face. All of a sudden he burst into tears and ran upstairs to put himself in a timeout. I actually felt bad for him; after all, he did give me fair warning and I just didn't register in time. I gave him a huge hug and we had a nice chat about how he will NEVER cut anyone's hair again. My sister found this extremely hilarious payback for a certain incident involving me, and her, and some scissors, and her bangs that ended up being roughly a quarter of an inch long (some parts longer, some shorter) a week before our dance recital. Trust me, I was nowhere near as my mom was that day. I can still hear her screaming my name throughout the house as I hid in fear.
Lucas with a few of his new toys:
And last, Brian and I got a set of the Blue Planet/Planet Earth DVDs. We are LOVING them, and have been watching one every evening we can. We love nature programs, and think these are fantastic:
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Lucas is 7 months
I'm still doing a Lucas post for each month until he turns 1. He is 7 months today! He's so totally precious; look at those eyes! He's doing well eating solids. The other day I put a handful of those puffy stars on his tray for the first time, and he cleared the tray in about 10 seconds! Of course, not all went in his mouth, but he sure had the concept down! He loves more and more to be in the middle of the action. I love watching him observe his brother and sister and just watching the wheels turning in his little head. He'll be keeping up with them soon.He's had some nap issues lately (ever since we got back from our trip, really), but has taken nice naps the last couple of days, so I hope we're getting back on track. I SO totally rely on that time when he's sleeping during the day to get things done.
He cut his first tooth over Christmas while we were in Minnesota; just 1 popped through, so there has to be at least another on the way. The months are just zipping by! Love you little boy!
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Minnesota/Christmas recap (finally!)
I have my computer back, so I'm back to blogging! Yay! Be prepared for a somewhat long post as I recap our trip to Minnesota for Christmas (now that we've already been back a full week. I guess better late than never.)
My parents live in a log home in the woods. I love going there, as it really feels like we're getting away. It snowed a majority of the time we were there, and I felt like we were in a snow globe. Here are a few pics of their house. They have a sauna in their house (which I love - I grew up taking saunas). I'm pleased as can be that my kids usually pronounce it the right way, with the sau- rhyming with cow.
My parents with the 6 grandchildren from left to right: Connor, Grace, Isabel, Lucas, Ben, Nolan. It's nearly impossible to get a good shot with so many little ones, so I posted a couple. I love that each of my kiddos has a "cousin buddy," a cousin of similar age and gender. Connor and Ben are 8 months apart; Grace and Isabel are 5 days apart; Lucas and Nolan are 6 months apart (Lucas also has Cameron on Brian's side - they are about 6 weeks apart). Quite a cute crew!
Waiting to open presents on Christmas Eve:
And then the frenzy begins. I must disclose that we don't have many great present-opening pics, as my mom sort of started passing out gifts to all the kids at once and it got totally out of control. I could barely keep up. I was doing all I could to keep all things possibly choke hazardous out of Lucas's grabbing hands. At one point Isabel said, "mom, what's this?" and I realize she had opened one of my brother's gifts! We all agree there could have been a better approach, but we were all laughing too hard to do anything about it. Better planning next time, although it was extremely entertaining. :) The kids got a ton of gifts from everyone. Connor's hook and sword have quickly become very beloved possessions.
Blueberries grow wild up north, and my dad has become quite the blueberry picker. Last summer he picked 11 ice cream buckets full, and froze most of it. We ate handfulls of frozen blueberries, blueberries in oatmeal/cereal each morning, and on Christmas morning my dad made blueberry pancakes with blueberry syrup. Completely and totally TO DIE FOR! Yum, yum, yum!
My mom made each kid a fun quiet time bag with lots of fun activities. Connor and Isabel love them - here they are trying them out on Christmas morning.
I grew up in a very very very outdoorsy family. We did it all: snowmobiling, skating, skiing, hiking, fishing, boating, swimming, camping, biking, snowshoeing and more. So we always spend lots of time outside at my parents'. And it was downright tropical for a MN Christmas - it was in the 20s most of the time! My kids learned the true meaning of "bundle up," and loved every minute of it!
One evening Brian and I went on a fantastic walk down a quiet country road.
Connor warming his hands at the fire pit in the backyard.
Connor, Isabel, and cousins Ben and Grace with my BIL Josh on the left and future SIL Alli on the right (Alli and my brother Nate are getting married this summer. Connor and Ben will be ringbearers and Grace and Isabel will be flower girls).
Connor and Isabel loved loved loved riding on the 4-wheeler with grandpa.
The long ride home. I must emphasize how beautifully well my kids do when we travel. They are super troopers! Even Lucas amazed me. The DVD really does make a HUGE difference! For some reason, Isabel likes to put blankets on her head and call herself "blankeyhead." We often thinks she looks like she's Muslim. Lucas seems a bit confused to be watching a movie in the van.
Whew! So many things we didn't even capture with pics. Saw some dear old friends, had fun shopping excursions with my mom and sisters, lots of late-night game playing after the little ones went to bed. All in all we had a terrific time.
My parents live in a log home in the woods. I love going there, as it really feels like we're getting away. It snowed a majority of the time we were there, and I felt like we were in a snow globe. Here are a few pics of their house. They have a sauna in their house (which I love - I grew up taking saunas). I'm pleased as can be that my kids usually pronounce it the right way, with the sau- rhyming with cow.
My parents with the 6 grandchildren from left to right: Connor, Grace, Isabel, Lucas, Ben, Nolan. It's nearly impossible to get a good shot with so many little ones, so I posted a couple. I love that each of my kiddos has a "cousin buddy," a cousin of similar age and gender. Connor and Ben are 8 months apart; Grace and Isabel are 5 days apart; Lucas and Nolan are 6 months apart (Lucas also has Cameron on Brian's side - they are about 6 weeks apart). Quite a cute crew!
Waiting to open presents on Christmas Eve:
And then the frenzy begins. I must disclose that we don't have many great present-opening pics, as my mom sort of started passing out gifts to all the kids at once and it got totally out of control. I could barely keep up. I was doing all I could to keep all things possibly choke hazardous out of Lucas's grabbing hands. At one point Isabel said, "mom, what's this?" and I realize she had opened one of my brother's gifts! We all agree there could have been a better approach, but we were all laughing too hard to do anything about it. Better planning next time, although it was extremely entertaining. :) The kids got a ton of gifts from everyone. Connor's hook and sword have quickly become very beloved possessions.
Blueberries grow wild up north, and my dad has become quite the blueberry picker. Last summer he picked 11 ice cream buckets full, and froze most of it. We ate handfulls of frozen blueberries, blueberries in oatmeal/cereal each morning, and on Christmas morning my dad made blueberry pancakes with blueberry syrup. Completely and totally TO DIE FOR! Yum, yum, yum!
My mom made each kid a fun quiet time bag with lots of fun activities. Connor and Isabel love them - here they are trying them out on Christmas morning.
I grew up in a very very very outdoorsy family. We did it all: snowmobiling, skating, skiing, hiking, fishing, boating, swimming, camping, biking, snowshoeing and more. So we always spend lots of time outside at my parents'. And it was downright tropical for a MN Christmas - it was in the 20s most of the time! My kids learned the true meaning of "bundle up," and loved every minute of it!
One evening Brian and I went on a fantastic walk down a quiet country road.
Connor warming his hands at the fire pit in the backyard.
Connor, Isabel, and cousins Ben and Grace with my BIL Josh on the left and future SIL Alli on the right (Alli and my brother Nate are getting married this summer. Connor and Ben will be ringbearers and Grace and Isabel will be flower girls).
Connor and Isabel loved loved loved riding on the 4-wheeler with grandpa.
The long ride home. I must emphasize how beautifully well my kids do when we travel. They are super troopers! Even Lucas amazed me. The DVD really does make a HUGE difference! For some reason, Isabel likes to put blankets on her head and call herself "blankeyhead." We often thinks she looks like she's Muslim. Lucas seems a bit confused to be watching a movie in the van.
Whew! So many things we didn't even capture with pics. Saw some dear old friends, had fun shopping excursions with my mom and sisters, lots of late-night game playing after the little ones went to bed. All in all we had a terrific time.
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