Christmas 2016

Christmas 2016, the first Christmas in our first house!  It was really fun to do our own thing this year. Santa left us a candy sculpture, a letter, and presents, and he treated us well this year, in fact a little too well.  Now Santa has a better idea for next year about how not to go overboard.  Oskar was so excited after he went downstairs with Joel he came back and jumped up on my bed and shouted, "Santa came!  This is such a THRILL!"  Ivy was excited but didn't show it nearly as much.  She opened one present and wanted to play with it and didn't care about opening anymore, we should have just got her one thing!  After opening presents we went to church and then drove up to Keri's house for Christmas dinner, which was deeeelicious.

It has snowed a few times this winter but last night was the biggest snowstorm of them all!  The snow started yesterday evening and went all night and into this morning.  I was so stressed I was going to go into labor and have to call 911 so I could get to the hospital.  The roads aren't clear yet so we're not totally safe but since I have no signs of going into labor I think we'll be okay.  Oskar and Ivy went out and played in it this morning and it was so deep Ivy kept getting stuck.  It was fun but I'm okay if it's just a once a year kind of day.

Christmas Pictures

A new friend in our new ward offered to do a quick 20 minute Christmas photo session for us a few weeks ago.  It was so nice of her and we really loved the pictures she took.  Joel knew he wanted to do a Tiny Tim picture with Oskar so he dressed himself and Oskar in period clothing and me and Ivy just wanted to dress up too.  It was funny because when we got to her house we realized she was planning on just taking pictures of the kids.  We felt pretty silly but she insisted we all get some pictures and they really turned out great.

I just want to blow this one up and print it out.  What a sweet picture!

And this little girl posed this way without being told to!

8 months pregnant is not a good time of life to get pictures taken.  Oh well.

"God bless us, every one!"

Thanksgiving and Birthday

 For Thanksgiving this year we were supposed to go to Keri's house where Grandma and Grandpa would be along with Jordan's family and Kamron.  But they had some sick kids there so we decided at the last minute to stay at home to keep Oskar from getting sick.  So with very little time to prepare we had to throw some Thanksgiving plans of our own together.  I was pretty down about not being able to be around family and I really didn't want to cook anything.  So Joel and the kids cheered me up by reenacting the first Thanksgiving.  Below are my two little Indians.

Then we made a thankful tree and listed all the things we were thankful for.

 And even though I didn't want to cook, we had to eat something so we had a roast and green beans and it ended up being fine.  We had just purchased a dining room table a few days before so we were able to have our first meal at our new table.

We have A LOT to be grateful for so it was nice to focus on our blessings and talk with the kids about how much we appreciate all the good things that we have in our life.

Here is a shot of our dining room.  The house still needs SO much work, like painting, I can't handle those purple walls for too much longer.  But very slowly it's we're making progress and it really feels like home.

And a few days later was my birthday.  I turned 30 years old, which was depressing, but I couldn't be depressed too long with my 2 3/4 kids' smiles (and kicks from the 3/4 one).  I made my own birthday cake and it was delicious.

Ninja Warrior

Oskar wanted me to film his ninja training at the park yesterday.  I am always amazed at what he can do.  He's so strong, there's no way I could do what he is doing, at least while I'm pregnant.  I need to get him signed up for gymnastics or something.  It's kind of a long video but the end is my favorite part.

Beginning our Life in the Northwest

This is just a random smattering of pictures I've taken in the last month.  We've been very busy with Joel going to LA for two weeks for work and house hunting.  

The house hunt has been ... interesting.  We found a house that we liked and made sense on paper but was at the top of our price range, we put in an offer, and then ended up not feeling good about it so we backed out.  Now we're back where we started.  Soon after saying never mind to the first house I found the most beautiful, perfect house that was also at the top of our price range but was my dream home.  I wanted to put in an offer on it but, of course, Joel didn't like it.  So we're still looking.  Everything Joel likes, I hate, and everything I like, he finds boring.  So I don't know how this is going to work out but I'm hoping we can find something soon.  Living in a two bedroom apartment with the two crazies and being 22 weeks pregnant is not a great combination.

Other than the stress of trying to find a house I LOVE living in the Northwest.  As soon as I got here it just felt like home.  And without trying we happened to find an apartment that was within walking distance of my BFF Jamie D.!  So now I get to see her all the time and I'm loving it.

Ivy showing her muscles

Keri gave Lena and Ivy "Tinkerbell hair"

At least these two are having fun looking at houses!

Finding fun spots to hide in, in our apartment.

Ivy with pigtails!  

Baby #3

Finally, at nearly 22 weeks along, we were able to have the mid-pregnancy ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby!  I was 100% sure it was a girl and had a name picked out and everything.  Oskar really wanted a little brother, since he already has a little sister he said, but I tried to warn him that it was probably a girl and that he shouldn't be too disappointed.  Well I was wrong and Joel and I were both very surprised.  There were so many times in the last two huge moves I wanted to get rid of the bags and bags of baby boy clothes I have accumulated but now I'm really glad I didn't.  There are no boy names I currently like so I guess I better start thinking!

This is how he was positioned the entire ultrasound, knees to his nose.  I guess he wanted to make it ABUNDANTLY clear he was a boy.  Joel asked the ultrasound tech probably three times if she was sure and she kept showing him the crotch shot and saying, yes, she was very sure.

More Oskar Quotes

Do those freckles make you itch a lot?

Oskar to Ivy:  I love you but you need to get out!

Oskar:  I need a day reminder.
Jamie:  What do you mean?
Oskar:  Something that tells me what day it is.
Jamie:  Oh, like a calendar?
Oskar:  It needs to be a glass screen with a calendar in the screen.  There's an arrow on it and the arrow stops on the day it is.  Then I read the day, then I know the day.
Jamie:  What do you do on the different days?
Oskar:  On Monday I play basketball.  On Friday I'm doing construction working.
Jamie:  What about the other days?
Oskar :  On the other days I'm just working on my computer.

Jamie:  Is that dirt or freckles on your cheeks?
Oskar:  I don't like freckles!
Jamie:  What about mine?  I'm covered in them.
Oskar:  I'm only interested GIRLS wearing freckles.

Oskar:  My idea hasn't worked.
Jamie:  What's your idea?
Oskar:  Keep my eyes open [while sleeping], but I still appear in my bad picture dream.
Jamie:  Oskar, you're hilarious.
Oskar:  Mom!  I'm SCARED of my bad picture dream!

*whispers* If you do what I want you'll be happy.

The Mona Lisa is the thing that will tell you which way to go in the wilderness.

Ivy Ruth, you present so many problems to your parents.

March forth to the temple of light.

(Referring to my tie-dye shirt) Mom, you have a shirt with the beautiful sky on it.

I like that weird hair on you.

Wouldn't it be a handsome name if we named our next boy Bad Guy Brinkerhoff Ackerman?

(Joel was carrying him to the car) Sometimes I don't like to walk *deep breath*, my voice smells tired.

You're going to feel foolish about that!