The Mortensen Family

A December to Remember…

2012-01-19T20:16:00.001-08:00

December seemed to sneak up on us, then disappear before we could blink an eye! I guess that’s how the holidays are. They come and go so fast, but even in the whirlwind, we were able to create some memories and have a wonderful month.

It all started the day after Thanksgiving. DECORATING! The girls really got into it this year. They especially loved putting the ornaments on the tree. Well, Avery actually preferred sitting in the tree box…

Here’s their cluster of ornaments.

I got the wrapping done pretty early in the season. The girls usually wake up before I did, so this was the scene when I finally made it downstairs…

They built a fort with the presents! The girls never even attempted to open the gifts early, but they loved putting up walls and making pretend homes. The imaginations of these girls never ceases to amaze me. They are too funny.

One of the favorite December memories is our breakfast with Santa Claus. He just happened to come to our local YMCA about a week before Christmas. The girls were excited about it for weeks. I wasn’t able to get a good picture of Anika when she first spotted him, but her expression was priceless. She was completely Star-Struck!

This was Anika’s letter to Santa. It says, “I am thankful for my bed. May I please have a princess scooter.”

Brinley wasn’t exactly sure what to think of Santa, but she definitely loved his beard!

One of our Family Home Evening activities was making a Ginger Bread House. I don’t know what the girls liked more; decorating the house, or sneaking the treats…

Brinley had a lot of fun during that activity as well…

Of course Christmas morning was the highlight of the month. The girls were so sweet. We had church at 11:00 in the morning, and had planned on finishing with the presents before going to church, but it didn’t happen. The girls had so much fun with their Santa presents that we didn’t even touch the tree until after church! It was almost like we had two different Christmas mornings!

These little swords led to hours and hours of Christmas day entertainment. Thank you, Target dollar section!

Brinley had a wonderful first Christmas. I took more pictures of her than I did of anything else!

That about sums up our Holidays! Sorry, grandmas and grandpas, that it took me so long to post these pictures. I’ll try and be more on top of things this year. :)

After church we took a few pictures of the girls. Enjoy!

As you can see, we had a great Christmas. We love being with extended family, but we much prefer to have our own little family in our own home. This Christmas was perfect. We hope your holidays were just as joyous.

Swim Lessons…

2011-12-04T19:12:00.001-08:00

Both girls are taking swimming lessons every week. It’s perfect because the class is for 3-5 year olds. They will be in the same class for another year! This swim class has shown just a few more ways in which the girls are complete opposites. For example, Anika is still scared to get her face wet. Avery has no fear, of anything, including dying. The kid let go of the wall a few weeks ago and started sinking. I RAN to the side of the pool and got to her at the same time as her teacher. I grabbed at her arms and her teacher lifted her around her waist. I expected the tears to flow and the lesson to be over. Instead, she spit up some water, coughed a few times, then gave me the biggest grin like, “Mom! Did you see that?! Wasn’t that awesome?!?!?!” This child is going to give me a heart attack.

Here are a few pictures of my little fish…

This is what Brinley looks like during the lesson…

I love the reddish tint on her little bald head! :) What a doll!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

2011-11-03T10:55:00.001-07:00

Another Halloween has come and gone. This year was a lot of fun because the big girls were really into it. Anika definitely understood the concept of trick-or-treating. The more houses you go up to, the more candy you get. However, after an hour of trick-or-treating, Avery finally said, “I don’t want to get more candy!” That’s when we knew that the fun was over! :)

Here are some cute pictures from the ward’s Halloween party.

Avery won the award for the best girl costume! (She won toothpaste!)

The actual day of Halloween was kind of interesting. Anika had her very first cavity filled. Here’s the thing. She was still pretty numb when it came time for Trick-or-Treating, so half of her face was pretty droopy. I thought it was so funny, so I kept asking her to give me BIG smiles. This was all she could muster…

Brinley wasn’t too thrilled with the whole thing, but she sure was a cute little ladybug!

At the end of the evening, I insisted on taking a few more pictures…

I just love my little bugs!!!

A big month for the three year old!

2011-10-16T17:37:00.001-07:00

Avery is officially three years old. Yikes! I’m not exactly sure where the time has gone. It seems like only yesterday that she joined our family! Now she’s telling us that she is “going to be four soon!” Wow. Here are some of the highlights of Avery’s month.

Gymnastics! Avery is in her first session of gymnastics, and she LOVES it! Her favorite part of gymnastics is the beam. She’s so good at it! She was only two when she started, but she is in the “advanced 3-year-old” class, and she can certainly keep up. In fact, her teacher told me that she is the best in the class! Way to go, little girl!

Going to the dentist. Avery had her first appointment with the dentist, and she rocked it! She did better than her mom, literally!!! No cavities, plus she got a special toothbrush at the end. What a great appointment.

BIRTHDAY!!! I forgot the camera at dinner, but we celebrated as a family at Red Robin, per Avery’s request. Dinner was delicious and Avery got a special birthday balloon, not to mention a free ice-cream sundae and a birthday serenade from every waitress in the restaurant. Now that’s what I call service.

We sure do love our beautiful, and incredibly silly, Avery! Happy 3rd Birthday, girl!

Oh Avery…

2011-10-06T13:23:00.001-07:00

This is why you should check on your 2-almost-3-year-old every 45 seconds…

Yes, that is the wall in my piano room.

She’s learned how to make smiley faces. Great.

Avery is especially proud of her ability to draw A’s. They are pretty small on this section of the mural.

Here’s a great big A. Good job, Avery. Good job.

Why is she so dang cute? These pictures were taken after the time-out and lecture. There were lots of tears, but I’m not convinced that she is ready to change her ways. I may be posting more wall drawings in a week. I sure hope not, but you never know with this little stinker.

Anyone up for an Adventure?!?!…

2011-09-16T20:58:00.001-07:00

Sean is in between quarters right now in school. We LOVE it when he has a break, however we don’t normally take advantage of it. Sean’s week long “vacations” from school are usually filled with household projects and honey-do lists. This week was different. We decided it was time for a family vacation. Destination? Washington DC! I’m sure some of you are thinking, “Washington DC, with three little kids? Are you crazy?!?” Well yes, yes we are. The girls definitely did not understand the significance of anything that we saw, but we had a great time nonetheless.

It was a fast and furious trip. We arrived on Monday evening. After checking into the hotel, we headed to the Washington DC temple for a nice Family Home Evening. It was fabulous. The girls LOVED the temple, and I loved chatting with a German sister missionary serving in the visitor’s center. :)

Tuesday was spent at the mall, the National Mall, that is. We got all of the classic pictures…

Washington Monument

White House

Nation’s Capital

(By the way, couldn’t the lady taking the picture see that Sean’s head was covering the capital!?!?!? Good grief.)

Lincoln Memorial

It’s kind of funny how we have a different number of kids in each picture. Although these pictures are great, and prove that we really were in Washington DC, they don’t sum up the memories that we made on this little trip. The following pictures better depict our family vacation.

Sweet little girls on the LONG drive.

Sharing a pull-out bed at the hotel. Side note: One hour into our big Washington DC day on Tuesday, Anika said, “Can we just go back to the hotel?!”

Riding the Metro into town.

Climbing on the wall outside of the White House, and on every set of stairs we came across, and on every statue we passed…

Riding a Carousel.

Playing in the dirt. I didn’t get a picture of Anika playing in the dirt, but I seriously couldn’t keep the girls off of the ground. They also loved chasing the birds.

Anika’s broken leg. Don’t worry. It was really just a scratch. But you know, it was Anika. I’m pretty sure that by-standers thought she had actually broken her leg. It’s a good thing I came prepared with band-aids!

National Museum of Natural History. Did you know that we came from apes?! Hmmm…

Anika’s crazy performance on the Lincoln Memorial overlooking the Washington Monument and National Capital. This kid is a riot! And a pretty good dancer!

Nap-time in the stroller.

Sweet little Brinley. She was SO good on this trip!

On Wednesday we decided to spend some time at the National Zoo before heading home. The girls loved it.

Sean won the Father-of-the-Year Award for pushing three kids around on a two-kid stroller. Way to go, champ!

That about sums it up! We survived a family trip to Washington DC. Would we do it again? Absolutely. Would we prefer to do it without babies? Most definitely. But are we glad we did it? Of course. I sure do love this little family of mine, and spending 16+ hours in a minivan with them over the course of three days has only brought us closer. That being said, the next family vacation will be Disneyland. It’s a lot easier when the entertainment is provided.

Life as a Mother to THREE…

2011-08-02T11:29:00.001-07:00

Many of my friends with two children have asked me to keep the blog updated on how it is to have three kids. Let’s be honest, the jump from two to three is pretty scary! At least it was for me. Three kids is a lot of kids! It makes for a good sized family! Well, let me just say that the transition has been easy. I’m talking Piece of Cake! Oh wait. It’s been simple because of this…

My mom got here just a day before Brinley arrived. She left yesterday morning. That’s right, she was here for almost three whole weeks! And honestly, I couldn’t have done it without her. We’ve had yummy meals every night. My house has been clean. I’ve taken daily naps. Anika and Avery have gone to the movies, gone to the swimming pool, gone out for ice-cream. My mom took care of all of the little daily tasks of motherhood – breakfast and lunch for the girls, baths, diapers, story time, snacks, and so much more. Needless to say, the transition has been easy, because I haven’t had to do anything!!! :) Now the real fun begins.

I’m on day two of going at it alone, and thanks to friends, I’m not really going at it alone! We had dinner with friends last night. (Thanks Marci and Adam!!!) And the big girls are spending the day with their best friends. (Thanks Britt!!!) I guess in a couple of weeks I might be able to give a better idea of what it’s really like having three kids. :)

Now for the real reason people look at this blog…cute pictures of my babies!

Oh, I need to put pictures of Brinley’s first bath as well. This little girls LOVES bath time. She was so cute. Didn’t cry once!

Welcome Baby Brinley!

2011-07-23T09:43:00.001-07:00

Well, now that our new addition is ten days old, I guess I can post some pictures and share the news with the world. I know that the extended family has been waiting for this. Sorry it’s taken me so long. I think that Brinley is fitting comfortably into the “third child” position, in that I haven’t taken a ton of pictures of her, and whenever I’ve had a minute to post pictures, I’ve decided to sleep instead! Better late than never, right?

I was induced with Brinley on Wednesday, July 13th. Sean, my mom, and I got to the hospital at 7:30 in the morning. This is what I looked like when I got there…

By about 9:00, I was hooked up to the IV and the pitocin. Getting the IV is one of the hardest parts for me. I know, that sounds ridiculous, but it’s the truth. I guess Sean thought it would be funny to get an action shot of my least favorite part of child-birth. Thanks a lot, Sean.

The contractions kicked in pretty quickly, but they weren’t very painful. At 10:40, the nurse came in and asked if I was ready to get the epidural and have my water broken. Truthfully, I wasn’t. My mom, Sean, and I were in the middle of a game of Phase 10. Yep, that was my reason for putting off the inevitable. I told her to come back in 20-30 minutes, and then I’d be ready. Well, an hour went by before we saw the nurse again. It turns out that there was an emergency which took all of my nurses and doctors away. This is how I ended up spending the next couple of hours…

It was about 1:15 before we got the party stared. I got the epidural (aka my best friend) and had my water broken. At 1:30 the nurse told me that I wouldn’t be checked again until 3:30. I kind of laughed to myself. Two whole hours? I knew that Brinley would be born by then. My mom told her that my other babies were born within an hour of my water being broken, but they didn’t pay much attention to the warning. By 2:15 I was in a lot of pain. The epidural had kicked in great on the left side of my body, but my right side could feel everything. I told the nurse that I felt a lot of pressure and a lot of pain. She finally asked if I felt like I needed to push. Answer…YES! They gave me another shot of the epidural, then another nurse came in to check me. To their surprise (not mine) I was nine centimeters dilated, and ready to do some “practice pushes.” Just like I had predicted, the room suddenly swarmed with people getting tables set up and instruments ready for baby Brinley’s arrival. I started actually pushing around 2:45. At 3:08, our little baby was born. She was 6 pounds, 8 oz., and was 20 inches long, and has red hair!

Later that night is when the real party started. Sean picked up the girls from home, along with their Aunt Keri, and came back to the hospital for a PIZZA PARTY! I think Anika and Avery were as excited about the pizza and soda pop as they were about meeting their new sister. :)

Daddy came to visit after school on the 14th. I think he was a little tired…

We brought Brinley home on the evening of July 15th. She’s so tiny!!!

We love our little Brinley and feel so blessed to have three beautiful daughters!

Happy 4th of July!!!

2011-07-07T10:44:00.001-07:00

I think that most of my friends know that I am a total party-pooper when I am pregnant. Well, let’s be honest. I’m kind of becoming a party-pooper in my old age. The thought of getting the family together to go “celebrate” is a little overwhelming. I can barely handle a simple trip to the park anymore! I had every intention of sleeping in on the 4th of July, thinking that maybe next year I would educate my children about this wonderful holiday and our magnificent country. Lucky for my girls, I have a good friend named Britt DeMill, who basically told me that I HAD to get up in the morning and join them and some other friends for an Independence Day Parade. My first reaction? You have GOT to be kidding. After a little arm twisting, I caved. And boy am I glad that I did. We had a great time, and the girls loved every second of it. Of course, people walked by and threw candy at them, so what’s not to love? Here are a few pictures from the big celebration.

Here’s Britt and I, being “cool” moms.

This is how we really felt. (I know it’s really hard to tell, but Britt has a little baby-belly as well.)

Now for a side-note. I’m sure you’re all looking at the belly thinking, “Uh…she is going to pop!” Yes, that’s exactly how I feel. I am due on the 16th, which is just 9 days away. However, I am being induced on Wednesday the 13th of July, so we have less than a week to go before we get to meet our little Brinley. I’m praying that Brinley will hold off her grand entrance until the actual induction. My mom and sister get here on Monday night, so we should have all of our bases covered!

Oh, and another side-note. I chopped my hair.

Before:

After:

Why do I keep growing out my hair?!

Baby Shower…

2011-06-20T10:42:00.001-07:00

There are six of us “dental wives” who have kids, and out of the six of us, three are pregnant! One of the girls is due in August with baby number 2. She has a little girl already and will be getting a boy this time around! The other girl is due July 16th. Sound familiar? Yep, we share a due date! She has a little boy, and will be getting another little boy. Apparently it’s up to the Mortensen’s to bring little girls into the world.

The three friends who aren’t expecting decided to throw us a baby shower. Truthfully, I felt really silly having a baby shower thrown in my honor. I mean, I’m having my third girl!!! I definitely don’t “need” anything. But we all had such a fabulous time. It was fun just to get together and let the little ones run wild for a bit. Everyone was very generous and gave sweet gifts. I think I’m set on diapers for the first month or two of Brinley’s life, which is a nice comfort. Plus I received the most adorable hair bows!!! I think that I was a bit of a slacker in the “girly” department with both Anika and Avery, but Brinley has so many cute hair things that I don’t have a choice but to keep her all dolled up! It’s going to be fun!

Here are some pictures of the beautiful baby shower. I was about 34 and a half weeks along at this point.

Thank you, friends, for the wonderful shower and the great gifts! I’m excited to get this little girl here!!!

Preschool Celebration!

2011-06-17T09:59:00.001-07:00

Anika’s first year of preschool has come to an end. Personally, I think they could have taken it into August and then taken a month off before starting in again, but apparently the kids need a “summer vacation.” Anika agrees with me. Every day she tells me that she “doesn’t want to be out of school.” I hear ya, kid.

Here are some pictures of her end-of-the-school-year-celebration.

Here she is with her teacher, Miss Linda. Anika told me one day on the way home from school that she wishes Miss Linda was her mom, because she loves her so much! I think that Miss Linda could pass as her mom! They look more alike than Anika and I do! After the celebration, Sean and I took the girls out for an ice-cream cone at McDonalds. They sure are cute!

On a side note, Avery informed us MANY times throughout this family outing, that she is ready for preschool “right now.” These kids are getting too big, too fast!

Avery…

2011-05-26T12:50:00.001-07:00

This morning, Anika asked to see the pictures of her with straight hair. We opened up the blog and looked at the last post. Then Avery asked to see pictures of herself. So I started scrolling down. Before the hair was Anika’s soccer, then her surgery, then our vacation without kids. Oops! Poor Avery hasn’t been featured in a blog post for a LONG time. I guess it’s time to write a little something about our two year old.

Avery is our night-owl. I think that when we tuck her in and tell her “good night” she thinks it means, “Time to party…” However, she’s usually quite sneaky about it. She knows that Anika is, well, a tattle-tail. If Avery even so much as sets one toe on the floor, I hear from Anika, “MOM!!!!!! AVERY IS GETTING OUT OF BED!!!” So, Avery has learned to wait until Anika is sound asleep (which doesn’t take too long) and then she makes her way down the stairs. Even after she gets downstairs, she will very quietly tip-toe or crawl to a safe place of hiding, usually under the kitchen table. Just a few weeks ago, while Anne (Sean’s mom) was visiting, Avery snuck out of her bed yet again and started making her way down the stairs. However, this time, the three of us adults were hanging out in the kitchen. We didn’t hear a thing, but at 11:00 when we decided to call it a night, this is what we found on our way to bed…

She fell asleep on the stairs!!!

I don’t know how she didn’t fall down the stairs. What a funny girl.

Just a week ago, Sean had a funny night-time conversation with Avery. The girls had been put to bed, and Sean was studying in the office, which is right next to their bedroom. Again, Avery has a hard time winding down at night, so she just talks. We laugh and laugh as we hear Anika say over and over again, “Avery. Please be quiet! I’m trying to sleep!!!” So on this night, while Avery was running her little mouth, Sean said, “Avery, go to sleep! It’s night-time.” Avery turned on one of her silly voices and said, “No, it’s morning time!” Sean came back with, “No Avery, it’s night-time. Please be quiet.” Well, it didn’t work. She continued to talk and talk. So Sean started in with the threats. “Avery, if you can’t be quiet, I’m going to put you in the crib.” Avery’s response? “No, Dad. I put you in the garbage!!!” Needless to say, Sean had to stifle his laughter before responding. She told him multiple times that she was going to put him in the garbage. Where do these kids come up with these things?!

Okay, I’ve done a lot of typing. I’ll just post a few more pictures of our hilarious toddler.

She got into Mommy’s makeup during Mommy’s Sunday nap. It looks like she knows what to do with mascara! Yikes.

We sure do love this little Avery. She brings so much laughter into our home. It’s going to be an exciting 16 more years of raising this comedian.

We always seem to want what we don’t have…

2011-05-01T18:58:00.001-07:00

This evening, out of nowhere, Anika got teary-eyed and said, “I want straight hair. I don’t want my curly hair anymore.” I tried to tell her how beautiful she is, and that I would give anything to have her gorgeous curls, but she wasn’t buying it. So we straightened her hair!

Here are the before shots…

Aren’t those curls amazing?! I just LOVE her hair. Here are some pictures that Sean took of the process…

There was one point, just before I finished, where Anika was sitting on her little chair facing me. Avery came into our bedroom, looked at the back of Anika’s straight-haired head, and with a super confused look on her face said, “Where’s Anika?” Sean and I rolled with laughter. Anika turned around to face Avery and said, “I’m right here! It’s me with straight hair!” Both girls got such a kick out of it.

Okay, here is the final product…

First of all, I can’t get over how long her hair is! Secondly, it doesn’t even look like my little Anika!!! All evening I just kept looking at her, thinking, “Who’s kid is this?” Just before bedtime, she had another meltdown and decided that she wanted her curls back. When our hair is curly, we want it straight. When it is straight, we want it curly. When will we learn to appreciate what we have?! :)

SOCCER!!!

2011-04-30T11:13:00.001-07:00

As a kid, I LOVED Saturdays. Why, you ask? Because Saturday meant SOCCER! My childhood memories have been flooding back as I now find myself on the sidelines for Anika’s soccer experience. I’m also realizing week by week what a saint my mother was. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE watching Anika run up and down the field, and occasionally kick the ball, but watching the games is nothing like playing the games.

This is Anika’s first season playing soccer, and it is so cute! She got to start in her very first game. She stood, facing the other team, ready for them to kick it off. The whistle blew, the ball was kicked, and the kids swarmed. However, sweet little Anika didn’t move an inch! She continued to stand in her starting position for at least one minute, until the other team scored and the ball was brought back to the center. Too funny. The second time around she became a bit more aggressive; well, aggressive for Anika. She moved up and down the field with the crowd, but did more dancing than running. Sean and I commented that we should take her out of soccer and put her in ballet! When all was said and done, Anika had a great time. She said that her favorite part was running.

Here are some adorable pictures of our little soccer player!

I forgot to mention that Anika is on the same team as her best friend, Dashle. These kids are too cute together. They have a great time. Let’s be honest, it makes it more fun for me too, because I have Dashle’s mommy to hang with on the sidelines!

Tonsillectomy…

2011-04-06T13:03:00.001-07:00

Anika is four years old and has just survived her second surgery! When she was about 18 months old, she had a hernia surgery. This time it was the tonsils. Oh what fun. For about two years, Sean and I have been telling her pediatrician that her tonsils are gigantic. She would gag on food, snore, gag when coughing, etc. We were finally able to meet with an ENT (Ear Nose Throat Specialist) about a month ago. He told me that the choice was ours as to whether or not to go through with the surgery. She didn’t have sleep-apnea or chronic sore throats, so she wasn’t a “must remove the tonsils” kind of a case. We chose to go through with it, and it’s a good thing we did.

Just after the surgery, I met with our ENT who told me that her tonsils were chronically infected! He also went ahead and took out her adenoids because they were blocking 70% of her nasal passage! Poor kid.

It has been a week and two days since the surgery, and I think that she is finally back to her normal little self. She is eating like normal, drinking like normal, and sleeping like normal. The only “not normal” part is her little voice! It has changed!

The week following the surgery was not fun, but Grandma Cordner was able to come, which gave Anika all the comfort she needed. We watched every princess movie Disney has ever made, including the new favorite “Tangled.” Thanks Grandma!

Avery has LOVED the past week. She didn’t get too much attention, but she did get all the popsicles and pudding she wanted!

Here are some pictures of my little sweetheart’s big day!

Before the surgery:

After the surgery:

Ultrasound…

2011-03-06T20:54:00.001-08:00

Well, it happened. On the third day of the third month of 2011, we found out that we will be having our THIRD GIRL!!!

For those of you who know me, you know that I have been CONVINCED from day one that we were having a boy. I have looked at baby boy bedding, baby boy clothes, baby boy toys, etc. I honestly hadn’t even considered that this baby could in fact be another girl. Just before starting, the ultrasound technician asked if I had any thoughts one way or the other. I said to her, “Oh, it’s a boy. I know that it’s a boy.” I explained that this pregnancy has been night and day compared to my last two pregnancies and that I just really think it’s a boy! Apparently my “mother’s intuition” is WAY off.

She started the ultrasound only to find that this little baby is breach. She had a hard time finding the gender quickly, so she moved on to measurements. When she went back to determine if it was a boy or girl, our little lady gave her a clear view. The ultrasound tech just smiled and said, “Well, it’s a girl!” I literally couldn’t believe it. I asked her if she was sure multiple times! She showed me the picture, and even I can tell that it’s a little girl.

I walked around in complete shock for the rest of the day, but aside from the major surprise, we are all thrilled. I couldn’t be happier about getting another girl. We love our Anika and Avery so much. Adding a little sister to the mix is just going to be adding more joy to our lives. It took a few days to get Avery to stop saying “Baby boy.” Anika thinks that her sister should be named “Anika.” Sean is already stressed about having to pay for three weddings. I’m just ready to meet this little sweetheart who likes to use my large intestine as a punching bag. Our little girl will be named Brinley Mortensen. We love her already and can’t wait to shower her with kisses. Only 19 weeks to go!!!

Cabo, Mexico!!!

2011-02-09T11:29:00.001-08:00

Oh Cabo, how I miss you. Sean and I were lucky enough to get to go on a little get-away just a few weeks before Christmas. The kiddos stayed in Arizona with Grandparents, and we were ALONE! Sean didn’t have to study for Dental School, I didn’t have to change diapers,… it was HEAVEN! We went in celebration of our five year anniversary. That’s right, it’s been five whole years for us. I can’t even really say that we did a whole lot. We walked on the beach, went on a dinner cruise, swam in the pool, shopped in the market, went on a city tour, took naps, read books. All of the activities that we originally had planned had to be cancelled due to the pregnancy, but it was okay. We still had a great time. Here are a few pictures of paradise.

This was a view from our balcony.

Unfortunately, going out to dinner meant Johnny Rockets and Hard Rock Cafe. My pregnant belly couldn’t handle the authentic Mexican cuisine. Lucky for me I have a very understanding hubby.

We went on a couple of boat tours around the famous Arch. Behind us is an old Pirate Cave!

We made some pretty good friends on the streets. :)

This was our dinner cruise. When we first got on the ship, they served drinks. I’m pretty sure we were the only ones to get Shirley Temples!

This is us in front of the famous Arch and a nice sunset just before dinner.

If you look closely, you can see the “Happy 5th Anniversary” on our dessert plate! Fun surprise.

Sean and I were kind of on opposite schedules during this trip. I was in bed by 8:30pm while he was up until 11:00. I got up before 6:00 every morning, but Sean slept in until 9:00. This was the last morning in Cabo. Sean got up early with me because I had been telling him about the amazing sunrises, which I admired every morning of the trip. Unfortunately, the morning he got up with me, it was pretty cloudy on the horizon, but it was still gorgeous.

We had a really great time. I’m excited for our 10th Anniversary…Germany! That’s what I’m hoping for, anyway. Thanks to moms and dads for watching the little girls while we escaped. I’m pretty sure they had an even better week than we did, considering how spoiled they were! :)

Happy Holidays!!!

2011-01-12T11:29:00.001-08:00

Hello Friends and Family!

This year’s Holiday Greeting Card is going viral! Well, not really, but instead of gathering the addresses, stamping the envelopes, and worrying about who we missed, I’ve decided to just put it on the blog. So much easier!

Sean has had an exciting and busy year. In 2010, he finished his first year of dental school at Ohio State University, started his second year, and managed to make it home most nights for dinner! He has been involved in the Young Men’s program at church which has included Wednesday nights with the boys and many weekends on camping trips. His new favorite game is “DADDY, GET ME!” which is played every single night, the moment he walks in the door.

Angell continues to work hard as a cook, nurse, chauffer, teacher, maid, bill payer, checkbook balancer, hair stylist, bath-giver, story-teller, “fairy-god-mother,” and everything else that goes with the titles of wife and mother. She has a couple of piano students and is also baby-sitting two little boys twice a week. Aside from the day-to-day, Angell is serving in the Primary Presidency at church which involves working with the children and their teachers. She continues to record the family history through scrapbooking. Angell’s big accomplishment of the year was running a half marathon in September with her dad.

Anika is officially four years old. She started preschool in September and is thriving. She LOVES her teacher, Miss Linda, and all of her friends in Classroom 8. She has learned to write her name and insists on writing it on everything. Anika has been going to gymnastics all year and has really improved. Her favorite part is flipping herself over the bars. Yikes!

Avery is two years old, and she likes to tell everyone her age. She is our songbird, her favorite song to sing being the ABC’s. If ever it’s quiet and we’re not sure where to find Avery, chances are she is in a corner “reading” a book. She LOVES to read. Avery has only recently discovered the art of speaking in full sentences, which has opened the door to many fun conversations.

Baby #3 is on its way! That’s right. Angell is 13 and a half weeks pregnant with the next little Mortensen. She is due July 15th which is only weeks after Sean will finish his Board Exams for Dental School. Angell is not feeling great, but hasn’t been nearly as sick as she was with the girls. (YEA!) We should find out some time in February if we’ll be having baby girl #3 or if we will welcome a little boy to the mix. The first thing Anika said when she found out that a baby was on it’s way was, “Well, I just want a baby brother.” Even Avery says, “I want baby boy.” We’re very excited either way!

That about sums up 2010 in the Mortensen home! We have been very blessed all year long and are eternally grateful to our Father in Heaven for the many blessings that continue to enter our lives. Happy (late) Holidays! We love and miss you all!!!

Sincerely,

Sean, Angell, Anika, Avery, and Baby #3 :)

COUSINS!!!

2010-12-04T10:23:00.001-08:00

We had a fun week. My cousin, Ashley Timm and her family came and stayed with us for a night. Her hubby, Jeremy, interviewed at OSU for a medical residency spot starting next year. Needless to say, we’re hoping they choose OHIO!

We really didn’t do much of anything, but it was just fun having them here! It’s been years since we last saw each other. In fact, she met Avery for the first time, and I met their little Connor for the first time!

Here are a few pictures!

LOVE COUSINS! Thanks for coming and staying with us, Ash! We miss you already!

October 2010…

2010-10-31T20:09:00.001-07:00

What a fabulous fall we have had. This is absolutely my favorite time of year. I love the colorful trees, the crisp air, the smell of campfire in the atmosphere, the holiday decor, the candy… :) This is also the season of celebration in our household. We start off with Avery’s birthday, then Halloween, then our Wedding Anniversary, Thanksgiving, my birthday, Christmas, Anika’s birthday, New Year’s, etc. What a fun, fun time!

A few weeks ago we took the girls to Circle S Farm, which is basically a fall festival at a pumpkin farm. We had a great time, and were so happy that Sean could take off a bit of time from the studies to be with us.

Avery LOVED the animals. Anika wouldn’t go near them.

Last Thursday was Trick-Or-Treating in Grove City, Ohio. It was a particularly cold evening, which was kind of a bummer, but we managed to have a great time anyway. The girls dressed up as princesses. To be more specific, Anika was Cinderella and Avery was Sleeping Beauty. Anika insisted on calling me “Fairy Godmother” all day, which also meant that she expected me to cater to her every wish. Nice try, kid.

It was a little too windy for Avery.

Anika is a total nut, and I LOVE it!

Silly Faces!

So here’s a not-so-funny Halloween story. Every year I take the girls to a portrait studio to have their pictures taken. My favorite October decoration is the 5 x 7 pictures of my girls in their costumes. I just LOVE seeing how small they once were and how cute they looked as little lady-bugs or cheerleaders. So yesterday I got them all dressed up and off we went. When we entered the busy studio, I heard the oooh’s and aaah’s all around us. There were whispers of “Oh look at those adorable princesses.” Truly, I was beaming. Two of the cutest kids in the whole wide world were by my side, and they were mine. As we waited for our turn, the girls played nicely at the Lego-table. I expected that everything would go wonderfully, as it always has. Boy was I in for a real treat. (Now read that sentence one more time, only this time make sure that it is laced in sarcasm.) We were escorted to our picture area, and immediately the girls went timid. They both started to cling to my side. Soon there was whining. I pulled out the M&M’s as bribery. All they needed to do was stand 2 feet away from me. Not happening. Before I knew it, the whining turned into crying. After 5-10 minutes of trying every trick in the book to get these girls off my hips and into picture mode, I turned to the two photographers and said, “See ya!” I grabbed my bags and we headed for the door. Oh wait. We weren’t just quietly walking out of the studio. I was holding Avery bat-man style as she kicked her legs and screamed at the top of her lungs. Anika was close behind doing everything she could to out-scream her sister. I was angry, annoyed, and embarrassed to say the least. Remember that “beaming” Angell that entered the studio? Yeah, she was long gone at this point. Maybe this all happened because of my pride in thinking that my kids were the cutest kids of all. Maybe this week, when we get up enough guts to give it another go, I’ll enter the studio thinking, “Ah, these kids aren’t all that cute.” Maybe then they will act like normal human beings. We’ll see. The kicker to the story is when I called my mom not long after the episode. I needed a good friend to listen to my story of a frustrating morning and tell me that everything would be okay. What did I get instead? A big, “You deserve it!!!” Apparently when I was three years old I did the exact same thing. Well, Mom, thanks for not killing me.

Best Friends…

2010-10-14T08:46:00.001-07:00

Aren’t they adorable? I sure love my happy girls, and they sure love each other! Their new thing is to yell at each other through the wall after they have been put to bed. Their conversation is usually something like this; “No, no, Anika!” “Yes, yes, Avery!” Sean and I can’t help but laugh.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AVERY!!!

2010-10-10T19:43:00.001-07:00

It’s official. My baby is no longer a baby. This wonderfully special day of 10-10-10 marks Avery’s second birthday. Where has the time gone?! It seems like only last week that I woke up at 5:45 am and waited by the phone, just hoping that the hospital would call me to come in for my induction. Honestly, the two years since then have been one big blur of complete joy, complimented with occasional frustration. :)

We threw a little party for Avery and her best friend, Coy, last night. Coy’s birthday was on Friday, so we thought it fitting that they celebrate together! Here are some pictures…

Silly face!

The kiddos, opening their presents to each other.

Look, Dad!

All of the sisters with the birthday kids!

Our good friends, the DeMills (Coy’s family) has the great tradition of doing birthday donuts instead of birthday cake, which means no half-eaten, rotting birthday cake in my fridge for the next month. :)

Coy seemed to prefer Avery’s donut.

Avery made it very clear which donut was his.

So there you have it! My girl is all grown up! In just the last week, Avery has started talking in full sentences. Her favorite things to say are, “I’m all done,” “I want more,” and “I want to eat.” The two most frequently used sentences, accompanied by some tears, are “I want Daddy,” and “I want Papa.” She has also decided that she needs to sit on her potty after every diaper change. (YEA!) Avery’s favorite game is “Ring-Around-The-Rosy” and she LOVES to do summersaults. I just adore this child!

I LOVE YOU, AVERY! HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Goals…

2010-09-19T12:28:00.001-07:00

So normally, my posts are all about the girls. Occasionally you will find a “family post.” Well folks, this post is going to be all about me. Yep, that’s right. It’s time to be a little selfish.

On December 18th of last year, I turned 27 years old. I decided that it was time for some seriously goal setting. I had become very comfortable in my role as a mother, a little too comfortable even. I had gotten to the point of always putting my children first, and never even putting myself on the list! So my goal was to get back into running. Now at the time, I could only run about a half a mile before I had to stop. It had been years since I had been exercising regularly. By the end of January, I changed the goal from “getting back into running” to “running a half marathon before my 28th birthday.” I am happy to say that yesterday, I accomplished that goal!

As you can see from the pictures, my dad flew out here a few days ago to run the half marathon with me. It was truly one of the greatest days of my life. We had such a fun time together. Well, I had a fun time with him! He kept me (and everyone else in the race) motivated and happy. I think that I spent most of my time complaining about how crazy it was to be running 13.1 miles! My dad is a marathoner, so this was a simple run for him. He spent the whole two hours taking pictures of me, while I spent the whole two hours trying to stay alive!

One of the coolest parts of this marathon is that it was the Air Force Marathon located near Dayton, Ohio on Wright Patterson Air Force Base. My dad is a retired Lt. Colonel of the Air Force, and with every step, I was filled with pride for the great life my father has lived and the wonderful things he has done for our country. It was a very patriotic event. When an Air Force Officer placed the medal around my neck, I seriously got choked up, not just because of this huge thing that I accomplished, but because I got to share it with my dad, a man who dedicated his life to the Air Force and to serving all of us.

I really can’t put into words what a perfect day it was. I love running, I love my dad, and I love this nation. Yesterday encompassed it all.

Elder M. Russell Ballard once said, “I am so thoroughly convinced that if we don’t set goals in our life and learn how to master the techniques of living to reach our goals, we can reach a ripe old age and look back on our life only to see that we reached but a small part of our full potential. When one learns to master the principles of setting a goal, he will then be able to make a great difference in the results he attains in this life.” Having set a seemingly impossible goal for myself, and then having accomplished it, has been an incredibly rewarding experience. My birthday gift to myself for the rest of my life will be goal setting.

First Day of Preschool!

2010-08-31T05:48:00.001-07:00

I never thought this day would actually arrive. Anika has officially started preschool. Her days of staying home with mommy are long-gone. She has entered the world of public education, and there is no turning back.

Isn’t she a doll?

She is so grown up, but in my head, all I can see is this…

and this…

Where has the time gone?!

August… What a fun month!

2010-08-28T06:55:00.001-07:00

I’ve received complaints for my lack of blogging. Well, sorry folks. I can say that I will be better, but really, I can’t make any promises. However, I will give a quick update on this past month.

Just a few weeks ago we packed up and drove to Cincinnati to visit Shanna, Mark, Brendan, Ian, and Nana and Grandpa. We had a really fun weekend and wish that we could all get together more often. Some highlights included going out to a fun dinner and checking out the aquarium. Ready for the pictures?…

While at Shanna’s, Avery learned how to play Pac-Man.

On August 19th Sean hit the big 3-0. Yep, that’s right, friends. Sean is thirty years old. YIKES!!! It’s a good thing he has such a young wife to keep him feeling young! :)

For his birthday, I got a babysitter and took him to Dave & Busters. It was pretty fun. We ate a yummy dinner, then pretended that we were kids again and played some old-school arcade games, like skee-ball!

The definite highlight for the month came the day after Sean’s birthday. About a month ago, Sean told me to plan on spending August 20th with him. He wouldn’t tell me what the plan was, but I was happily surprised. He took me to see…

I’m a big fan of Broadway. This musical absolutely blew me away. The talent of the actors and actresses was incredible. The music was magical. Everything about it was perfect. I can’t wait to see it again.

So that’s been our summer. And now the summer is coming to an end! Anika starts preschool on Monday. Yep, preschool! I’m not quite sure where the time has gone. Sean has finals this week, followed by a couple of weeks off. He’s been working very hard. I’m so proud of him. We hope you have all had a great summer! I’ll try and remember to post the first-day-of-school photos on Monday!

It’s Pickin’ Time!

2010-07-11T18:16:00.001-07:00

Watch out, world! I’m growing a garden! Now that we are homeowners, we decided to try our luck in the gardening world. Sean built me a beautiful garden box, and then I went to work. Well, actually, I bought the plants, planted the plants, then basically forgot about them for a few weeks. But to my great surprise, my vegetables didn’t forget about me!!! Gorgeous, right? Now hopefully they taste okay. :)

FAMILY VACATION!!!

2010-06-22T12:56:00.001-07:00

What a wonderful couple of weeks it has been. Sean had just over a week of school off, so we headed out west to enjoy the desert heat, which was surprisingly not that hot! Honestly, it was more enjoyable than the weather here in Ohio! But that’s beside the point. On Saturday we hung out with Nana and Grandpa (Sean’s parents), Cheryl and Scott, and their kids, Ty, Kaycie, and Kendall, and had a marvelous time. We rode on Scott and Ty’s ATVs, played with the dogs, and roasted marshmallows in the backyard. We couldn’t have asked for a better beginning to our vacation.

Anika and her cousin Kaycie. So cute!

Nana and Grandpa with the girls.

The girls LOVED the ATVs.

After a little Arizona time, we took off to San Diego to spend a week with the Cordners. We did everything from Sea World to swimming to Disneyland to the beach. We couldn’t have asked for better weather. It was a nearly perfect week.

Watching the whales at Sea World with Grandpa.

The highlight of the trip was Disneyland. Anika is in the middle of the Princess Stage of life. She knows every single Disney princess, and she loves them all. We splurged and had lunch at Arielle’s Grotto which is a nice restaurant in California Adventures where the princesses come to the table and meet the little girls. Anika was in HEAVEN. The sad part of the week is that the pictures of her with the princesses didn’t turn out well at all. Very sad. But we have some fun memories! This picture was taken just after lunch.

Cinderella!!!

Spinning on the Teacups!

Anika and Kaycie had so much fun going on the rides together.

The beach was pretty fabulous too. We weren’t exactly dressed to play in the water, but Anika didn’t care. It was kind of cold, but we still had a great time.

Sean and I got to go back to Disneyland for an “Adults Only” day. Mom and Dad watched the girls (THANK YOU) so that Sean and I could go with my Kyle, Natalee, and Keri. It was a great day.

Aw… Cute siblings. We’re just missing Ty and Tara.

We did a little bit of swimming on the last day to end off with a bang. And that we did. I’ll try and add a few videos as well. These kids are pretty cute!

Okay, I can’t figure out how to put videos up on here. I’ve done it before, but it doesn’t want to work for me now! I’ll try and get them up later on when Sean can help me. All in all, we had a fabulous week. Thanks Mom and Dad for planning this vacation around Sean’s break! We really did have a great time!

I’m trying to be patient…

2010-05-27T09:35:00.001-07:00

I’ll admit that I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. If I don’t get my full 8 hours of sleep, I’m just not a happy person! I’m working on it. However, I completely expected that today would be an easy-going kind of day. We don’t have any place to go, the house is clean, it’s gorgeous outside. Why is it that “perfect” days always get disrupted?…

Beautiful artwork, Avery, beautiful. It would be one thing if she had used the washable markers that are hidden in the desk drawer. She didn’t find those ones. She found the dry-erase markers that are supposed to be on top of the high bookshelf. Awesome. I’ve used up a whole bottle of rubbing alcohol to get it out. Well, it’s still not really close to being “out.” Is it bed time yet?!?!?!

Four Weeks of FUN!!!

2010-05-15T11:02:00.001-07:00

Hello friends. I was just looking at a friend’s blog, and saw on the side column that it has been 5 weeks since I last posted on my blog. FIVE WEEKS! My goodness, there is quite a bit to catch up on.

First of all, the girls and I enjoyed a glorious two weeks in UTAH! On April 17th, my dad the Salt Lake City Marathon, his FIRST MARATHON!!! I am so proud of him. He is truly an inspiration to me. What a great example of setting a huge goal, followed by many little goals, and then putting in a whole lot of hard work to accomplish something that only 1% of all the people on the earth can say they have accomplished. Way to go, Dad! That same morning I ran the SLC 5K. I know, it doesn’t sound nearly as exciting or magnificent as running a marathon, but I had fun. I ran it in 27:29 which was a personal best, and I tied for 19th place out of 232 women in my age group. I felt pretty good about it, I’m not gonna lie. I’m training for a half marathon in September. I ran seven miles last night, my furthest yet, and I about died. So we’ll see how these next few months go.

Here we are waiting to see Dad run by.

And there he goes…

After the race, the girls and I stayed in Utah for an extra two weeks. Yep, two whole weeks. We loved it. Most of our time was spent with Grandma and Grandpa Call. It was so much fun. I was also lucky enough to get to see some old friends. Unfortunately I didn’t get to see everyone that I wanted. Maybe I’ll take a trip back soon.

Here is a sum-up of the two weeks.

And here we are on the way home. I was pretty terrified about taking the girls on the plane alone, but they were ANGELS! Many prayers were answered.

The day after the girls and I made it back home, one of my best friends in the whole world, Stephanie Hansen and her baby girl, also named Avery, came for a visit. It was last minute, but it was great timing. Sean was SO busy with school, so Steph kept me company. I wish she could have just moved in for good!!! :) We did a lot of nothing, but it was fabulous. Every day was filled with laughs. Not just haha chuckles, but real-live belly laughs. I’m terrible at taking pictures. In fact, I really don’t think that I took a single picture while she was here, but I have a few from when we hung out in Utah!

So that is what’s been happening around here. The BIG news is… are you ready?…

ANIKA IS POTTY TRAINED!!!

Yep, it’s official. My life is suddenly much easier. It took an evening of torture, which Sean was willing to navigate, and then one morning of one clean-up job, and that’s it! She’s potty trained! It’s really miraculous. Really. It has been almost three weeks since her last accident. She doesn’t even need pull-ups when we go out in public, or when she goes to bed! My baby girl is FINALLY growing up! YEA!!! I really am so proud of her. There have been a few times when I have asked her, “Anika, are you stinky?” She looks at me like I’m crazy and says, “No, Mom. I go on the potty!” Oh yeah, I almost forgot! :)

Avery is getting big too. Her vocabulary consists of the words “mama”, “dada”, “papa”, “no”, “mine”, “ball”, “bubble”, and that’s about it. She no longer drinks from a sippy-cup. She much prefers the big-girl cups, and she does great with them. She reminds me of my brothers when they were teenagers, in that she is eating us out of house and home. That girl can really pack it in, but she is only the 1%. Yep, she’s a little thing, just like her big sister.

I guess there is nothing left to blog about! Sean is doing great in school. I am thrilled with how much he is enjoying his classes. The girls and I are looking forward to a fun summer. We have a family vacation coming up next month, which Anika can’t stop talking about. (We’re going to Disney Land.) And life is just good!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-06T09:53:00.001-07:00

What a wonderful weekend. It all started on Friday night when Nana (Sean’s mom) showed up along with Brendan, Ian, Shanna, and Mark (Shanna’s new boyfriend.) On Saturday morning we packed everyone up to go to a local “Egg-stravaganza.” I ran in the 5K and clocked in at 28 minutes and 30 seconds. I was just hoping to do it in under 30 minutes, so I’m pretty happy with the time! After the race the kids had fun visiting different booths and ultimately finding Easter eggs in a large field that were dropped from a helicopter. Pretty cool!

The rest of Saturday was basically spent enjoying General Conference. Oh how I love this time of the year. There is something truly powerful and inspiring that comes from listening to the words of a living prophet. All of the speakers were filled with the Spirit, and I was grateful to feel that same Spirit enter our home. It has given me a renewed energy that I hope will last throughout the next six months.

Easter morning was fun. The girls searched for Easter eggs in the living room. Even Avery got into it! That afternoon, both of the girls crashed, which made for a nice and quiet General Conference Session. We sure do love our babies. Especially when they are sleeping! :)

Here I am crossing the finish line of the local 5K.

Cute Cousins! (We miss Ty, Kaycie, and Kendall.) :(

Anika loved coloring Easter Eggs with Nana.

Avery got some new hair things in her basket. I love her tired eyes in the morning!

This is Anika’s “I GET CANDY IN THE MORNING” dance. Oh boy…

Waking up to tears… lots of tears.

2010-03-23T08:00:00.001-07:00

It’s a sad morning in the Mortensen home. Why, you ask? Because Grandma Cordner and Aunt Keri are on an airplane flying back to the empty desert of Arizona. Anika said her goodbyes last night, but she didn’t actually believe that they would be gone by the time she woke up this morning. It took Anika a good hour to finally come to grips with the fact that they are gone. Really gone. Such a hard life.

We’ve had a fabulous week with my mom and sister. Keri was on Spring Break, and I’ve got to say, I’m pretty flattered that she would want to spend it here in Ohio. We did a lot of nothing, and we enjoyed every minute of it. Here are a few pictures of our “adventures.”

We miss you, Grandma and Keri! Thanks for spending the week with us!!!

Peace…

2010-03-13T06:34:00.001-08:00

If only every moment could be as peaceful and enjoyable as this.

I’m pretty sure that this is the best time of the day. The girls love to read stories before bed, and I love it too.

Updates, updates, updates!

2010-03-03T12:53:00.001-08:00

So I realize that it has been a very long time since I last posted something on our blog. My excuse is, well, I have none. I just need to be better.

Sean is still busy with school, and is still doing really well. I am beyond proud of him with all that he is learning and accomplishing. He loves his lab classes and thoroughly enjoys dentistry thus far. I’m praying that it only gets better as he continues forward.

Anika is as much of a stinker as ever. I find myself praying for extra strength with each and every day. She has recently started beating up on her baby sister. Not cool. Just this morning I grabbed her arm as it was coming down on Avery. While I was telling her calmly (or maybe yelling a little) that we DO NOT HIT OUR SISTERS, she chucked the toy that was in her hand right at Avery’s head. Yep. I lost control. It split Avery’s head open (just a little) but enough to produce a nice bump and some blood. Needless to say, Anika earned a life-long ticket to TIME OUT! However, I am writing this with built-up frustrations from this long day. I should note that Anika can also be the sweetest thing ever. She loves to help me pick up her room, and she does actually love her baby sister. They give each other lots of hugs and kisses. It’s very sweet. She’s also been saying the cutest prayers lately. She mostly says, “I’m thankful that I get a Cinderella backpack and a Cinderella bike when I go pee pee on the potty.” Now you’re probably wanting the potty-training update. Let’s just put it this way. I have cleaned up three lakes in the last two days, and my house smells like urine.

Avery is still as cute as ever. Sean accuses me of playing favorites with her. I’ll admit, many days, she is my favorite! But I also acknowledge that it is only because she can’t talk yet. She doesn’t yell horrible things at me, and she doesn’t hit me out of anger and frustration. I’m sure that in another 6 to 12 months, both girls will be even with each other. Chances are, they will both gang up on me, and then neither will be on my good list!!!

As for me, I am actually doing really well, and I owe most of it to running. Those of you who knew me in high school knew that I was a runner. I would get up before early morning seminary to get about two miles of running in. Those days disappeared years ago. I did some running in college, and old mission companions probably remember some early morning jogs with me. However, as soon as the babies entered my life, the running shoes got thrown out. Luckily, I have an incredible husband who bought me a YMCA pass that has changed my world. They have free baby-sitting, so I am able to get in all the running I want! I am currently running at least 3 miles a day. Yesterday was my longest run in years. I did 3.75 miles in about 36 minutes. I’m going to be running my first 5K in just a couple of weeks. I’m also flying to Utah next month to run the Salt Lake City 5K and to be there when my dad runs his first marathon!!! (He’s my running inspiration, honestly.) In September, my dad is flying out here to Ohio to be with me for my first half marathon. I’m pretty excited. Running has given me a whole new energy and excitement for life. I feel great, and I really do owe it to the treadmill!

For those of you who have actually read this entire entry, good job! You will now be rewarded with some recent pictures of our adorable babies. :)

The girls love helping me bake!

These are the little boyfriends. Anika is in love with Dashle, and Avery can’t get enough of Coy. These adorable guys are brothers, and both were born within days of my little ladies! Kind of fun.

We are a silly family! I will try to be more diligent at updating friends and family on our lives!!!

Anika, the genius…

2010-01-27T18:46:00.001-08:00

That’s right, folks. According to our pediatrician, Anika is going to be an “incredibly bright child.” I always assumed this to be the truth, up until we began our potty-training saga. She still refuses to sit on the potty. But believe it or not, it is this exact situation that led the doctor to tell me that she is probably just really smart! According to Dr. Reis, kids that are incredibly intelligent actually take a long time to potty-train. Why, you may ask? Because they are stubborn and independent. Uh…yeah! That’s what I’ve been saying all this time! Anika is way too stubborn and independent! Well, I guess I should stop complaining, because apparently these are good things. Way to go, you smart little girl. Now please, just sit on the potty!!! The genius thing gives me some comfort, but not enough for me to want to change your diaper for the next ten years…

Let the Extra Curricula's Begin!

2010-01-14T12:56:00.001-08:00

That’s right, folks. We have officially put Anika in a gymnastics class. Can I be honest? It is the CUTEST thing I have EVER seen. She is in a “three-year-old” class with four other children. The other kids have all been taking gymnastics for over a year, so I shouldn’t be surprised every week when the other parents sit down and pull out a book, magazine, or some knitting. Me? I have my nose glued to the glass. I can’t pull my eyes off of my little Anika. She is just so stinkin’ cute! So without further adieu, here are some of the pictures of our new adventure.

Happy Birthday Princess Anika!!!

2010-01-06T18:29:00.001-08:00

That’s right. Anika is officially three years old. YIKES! I really can’t be old enough to have a three year old, can I? The actual birthday was December 28th, not that she actually understood that. I mean, yes, we sang “Happy Birthday” to her randomly throughout the day, and we said, “YEA! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” time and time again, but she has been saying that everyday is her birthday for about a month and a half. So really, it wasn’t that much of a different day. However, last Saturday, January 2nd, it was most definitely a ‘different day.’ She had a PRINCESS PARTY! That’s right! We had a tornado of two, three, and four year olds zip through our house for an hour. I’m still trying to recover. Anika had a fabulous time, and it really was a fun way to celebrate her big day. We sure do love the birthday girl!

Yes, I made that cake. And no, I’m never doing it again! My hands are still sore. But she loved it, so I guess it was worth it.

I couldn’t get a good picture of all of the kids together. This was during cake. There were ten little ones all together. SO FUN!

Anika was definitely spoiled in the present department. Her friends and family were all so generous. THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!!

2009-12-27T14:31:00.001-08:00

Another Christmas has come and gone. Where does the time go? There are two Christmases that stick out in my mind as being the best Christmases of all. One of them was five years ago from now. I was serving in Hamburg, Germany with my dear friend, Stephanie Hansen. Being a representative of the Savior during the season when the world celebrates His birth was simply wonderful. The other favorite Christmas of mine was just three years ago. Sean and I were three days away from welcoming our first baby into the family. It was just fun having a Christmas morning for just the two of us. We won’t have a Christmas like that again for a LONG time. However, as fabulous as those Christmases were, they don’t even compare to this Christmas. Anika will be three years old tomorrow, so she fully understood what was going on. She’s talked about Baby Jesus for a month now. She kind of understood the whole Santa thing. She definitely got into the tradition of opening presents on Christmas morning. Avery was into it too. Watching the girls get excited about their new toys was so much fun. It’s just made me even more excited for the coming years. Christmas with kids is the most magical thing in life. I love it.

Here are a few pictures of our fun holiday season…

A total pain to make, but they turned out pretty! (Not as yummy as Bethany and Trevor’s, but still tasty!)

Anika and I made some sugar cookies together. She really is my little helper.

On Christmas Eve we had some of our good friends over. The kids had a great time decorating the sugar cookies. YUM!

We also acted out the story of the nativity. Thanks for putting it together, Britt!!! These are our wise men and a shepherd. (Shyler, Sean, and our missionaries.)

I’ll try and get our Christmas morning pictures up soon. They’re still on the camera. We love you all and hope you had a lovely Christmas as well!!!

Great Grandpa and Great Grandma Call…

2009-12-06T19:45:00.001-08:00

For those of you who don’t know, I am very close with my grandparents. They live in Orem, Utah, and were basically home away from home for the seven or so years (minus a mission) that I lived in Utah. In fact, they are two of my closest friends. Sean and I preferred watching football and basketball games with them over anyone else, honestly. We ate dinner with them every single Sunday for the last two years that we were in Utah. It’s a tradition that I miss more than anything. One of the most special parts of having lived close to my grandparents was watching them with my daughters. Anika still talks about Grandma and Grandpa Call. She had such a strong connection with them from the moment she was born. I truly believe that they have known each other for a lot longer than Anika’s almost-three-year-long-life. And things aren’t much different with Avery. Avery just turned one in October. The last time she saw Grandma and Grandpa was last May, when she was only seven months old. However, lately she has been doing the most adorable thing. We have a picture of Grandma and Grandpa up on our fridge. Just this past week, Avery has started to sit in the kitchen, point to the fridge, and whine and cry until we pick her up. When we finally do, she continues to point at and lean towards the fridge until we walk over to the fridge. When we finally get there, she touches the picture of Grandpa and Grandma Call and smiles and laughs. I have a feeling that she has known them for a bit longer than 14 months as well. We REALLY miss Grandma and Grandpa, and are forever grateful for their love and friendship. Enjoy the video!

Four Years Ago Today…

2009-11-19T12:07:00.001-08:00

That’s right! This incredibly good lookin’ guy and I have been married for exactly FOUR YEARS! Wow. Where in the world has the time gone?! I guess that old saying is right. Time flies when you’re having fun! These past four years have been the greatest years of my life. I mean, everyone says that, right? But it’s so true! I think back on all of the amazing experiences that I’ve had in my life with such fondness. Living on my own and doing the college thing, so fabulous. (Loved the roommates almost as much as I love my man!) Being an EFY counselor during the summers, such a blast. Moving to Germany to serve the Lord as a full-time missionary, indescribable. But honestly, nothing even compares to the true happiness that Sean has brought into my life. Even when we’re bogged down with the normal life things; dishes, laundry, diapers, callings, school, etc. Sean makes me laugh every single day. Almost every night, when we kneel down together to pray, we end up in giggles. These days it’s usually from quoting Anika or impersonating Avery. Those girls have definitely given us a lot to laugh about. All in all, I’m more in love with Sean now than I was four years ago. I have a truly blessed life, and I owe so much of that to my faithful, funny, and unbelievably handsome husband. I love you, Sean!!!

Do you think she liked Halloween?

2009-11-06T08:21:00.001-08:00

Last Thursday night, after Ohio’s Halloween, we knelt down as a family for our nightly family prayer. It was Anika’s turn. She offers up the most beautiful and sincere prayers. They truly touch my heart. In the middle of this particular prayer came these words… “Thanks for Halloween. Bless that we can wake up in the morning and try it again.” It took all of my energy trying to suppress the laughter.

It’s been over a week since we celebrated Halloween, but still, every single night, when it starts getting dark, Anika says to me, “Mommy! The sun is going to sleep! TIME FOR HALLOWEEN!!!” She is too cute. I just love my Anika to death.

So You Think You Can DANCE!

2009-11-04T17:29:00.001-08:00

I’m sure most of you have heard of the show “So You Think You Can Dance.” I’ve never really gotten into it, but this season is totally different. Why? Because one of my old college buddies IS IN IT! That’s right! Crazy, huh? Her name is Ashleigh Di Lello and she is incredibly talented. In fact, her husband made the top 20 as well! They are both Latin Ballroom Dancers. I have never met Ryan. They married while I was on the mission and were moved out of Utah by the time I got back. Ashleigh is a wonderful girl and deserves everyone’s vote! Yep, I’m calling on all friends to watch So You Think You Can Dance and vote for Ashleigh. She’s not only an amazing dancer, but she is honestly one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Such a great girl. So get into the show, and have fun following Ashleigh!

Sundays…

2009-11-01T18:40:00.001-08:00

Oh how we love our Sundays. For the past month and a half, Sundays have been the only day that we get to have Daddy around, all day long! I’m so grateful that Sean has chosen to not study on Sundays. It really is a blessing to have him around. Plus, let’s be honest, I LOVE the help with dinner time, bath time, bed time, dishes, etc. I wish I could have him home EVERY DAY! :)

Sean just received a new calling today. He is the assistant scout master. I’ll be honest, we are both a little nervous about it. Sean became even more nervous about it when he received the schedule. Holy Cow! I’m not quite sure how he’s going to have time to do all that is required of him. But when the bishop set him apart, he promised him that he would be able to balance his time between family, school, and the calling. He also promised him added knowledge and help in school as he serves faithfully. We are counting on those blessings, and are having the faith that Heavenly Father is watching over us and will take care of us, which of course I know that He is. I love my husband so much and am so proud of him. I know that he will have a great impact on these young men and I look forward to watching my hubby learn and grow.

Well, I didn’t even intend to write all that. I just wanted to post a few videos of our silly girls. Oh, and to inform you all that Avery is well on her way to Toddler World! She took TWELVE steps this evening! Way to go, you big girl!!!

We hope everyone is well! Have a great week!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

2009-10-29T18:47:00.001-07:00

Columbus, Ohio doesn’t celebrate Halloween on a weekend. At first I thought that maybe it had something to do with safety. You know, less hoodlums out on week nights. But then I learned the truth. This city refuses to let anything, Halloween included, get in the way of it’s COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!! Oh boy. Too funny. So needless to say, our Trick-or-Treating was tonight. And what a fun night it was. The girls had a ball! Anika didn’t want to stop! She ran from house to house. Everyone LOVED Anika’s outfit. However, when they saw Avery’s they were less enthused. How dare we dress our child up as a cheerleader for some other college. I mean, really, do any other colleges even matter? I don’t think so!!! At every home I had to say to Anika, “Okay, what do you say?” The response I was looking for was “Trick-or-Treat,” but the men handing out candy said things like, “You need to say, ‘O-H-I-O!’” Another one that we heard a lot was “GO BUCKS!” One guy asked Anika if we (meaning good old Ohio State) were going to win the upcoming game. The look on her face said it all. “Uh…sir…I don’t care about college football, at all. Please just give me the candy that you are holding. Thank you.” Anyway, we had a great time. The girls were too cute. Here are the pictures!

PICTURES OF THE HOUSE!!!

2009-10-28T12:22:00.001-07:00

Here it is. Home Sweet Home! We still have two trees coming in the front yard, but this is it! I’ve realized after having taken the pictures of the inside that they’re all a bit redundant. I mean, every empty room looks the same. However, I did promise the pictures, so I will post them. Maybe in a few months, after we are settled and decorated for Christmas, I’ll post more pictures. We’ll see.

Now, without further adieu, our house.

1 – The stairs, located to the right just as you walk in. 2 – The front room, located to the left just as you walk in. It’s supposed to be a dining room, but we’re going to use it as the piano room.

3 – The kitchen. Oh what a glorious kitchen!

4 – The living room

5 – The loft, just at the top of the stairs.

6 – The Master Bedroom and Bathroom

(Anika loves playing in the shower.)

7 – The Girls’ Bathroom

8 – Avery’s Bedroom

9 – Anika’s Bedroom

10 – Sean’s Office / Angell’s Scrapbook Room

11 – The Basement

12 – The Backyard

13 – The view from the porch.

That’s pretty much it! Unless you want to see the front closet, the pantry, or the laundry room! There’s also a half bathroom on the main level – just a toilet and a sink. Very convenient. :)

So this is it! Again, we couldn’t be more grateful or more excited about being in this house. It turned out better than we could have ever imagined. We just love it! It will be a while before we’re settled ( I had NO idea it would take so long) but don’t let that stop you from visiting any time soon!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures! Oh, and Mark and Mary, sorry that I couldn’t swing the virtual tour of each room! Maybe next time.

It’s CHRISTMAS!!!

2009-10-23T09:43:00.001-07:00

Well, it feels like Christmas at least. And I’m like a six year old girl, just loving every second of it. This morning, Sean and I officially purchased our very first house. We signed the papers (many, many papers) and then they gave us the keys! CRAZY! We even have garage-door openers! Putting aside the stress that I feel from needing pack and get our belongings moved into the house, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. We have been incredibly blessed throughout our four years of marriage. Things haven’t always gone as planned, but they have always turned out way better. This house is just another example of how things have fallen into place for us, better than we could have ever imagined for ourselves. The neighborhood, the neighbors, the area, and the house itself are all unbelievably wonderful. We’ve received so much help and support from family, which has made this whole dream a reality, and we are simply thankful. I know that our Heavenly Father is looking down on us and is blessing us way more than we deserve! I’m just so excited!!! I took a bunch of pictures of the house this morning and will post them later today or in a few days. We love you all and hope that you come visit! There is plenty of room for friends and family!

Priesthood Blessings…

2009-10-19T19:21:00.001-07:00

Just before Sean started Dental School, his father gave him a priesthood blessing. I also had Sean give me a blessing. (Let’s be honest, I need added strength during this period of “single-parenthood.”) The cute thing is that this had a huge impact on Anika. So huge in fact that she has taken it upon herself to give her little sister blessings. Yes, you read this correctly. About every other day I walk into a room to find Anika’s hands placed on Avery’s head as she says a prayer. It really is the sweetest thing ever. I’ve tried to teach her that only Daddy gives the blessings in our family. However, she insists that she has the priesthood too! :) As much as Sean and I giggle about this, it really is so tender to see the impact that these blessings have had on Anika. I love her so much!!!

DENTAL SCHOOL!!!

2009-10-17T21:00:00.001-07:00

White Coat Ceremony…

So the craziness has begun. Sean is well into his first year of our big adventure called DENTAL SCHOOL! I am in awe of my husband. He continually amazes me. When we first got married, dental school wasn’t even a thought. It wasn’t until eight months after we had graduated from BYU and started a job in business that we decided to make a career change, resulting in six more years of school, (two for pre-reqs and four for dental school.) We packed up our family and moved back to BYU for Sean to take his science pre-reqs for dental school. It had been years since Sean had taken even a basic science class, but he did so well in his upper level sciences, like Organic Chemistry and Micro Biology and Anatomy. And now we are here, The Ohio State University Dental School. The overwhelming stress of the course-work has set in. The girls and I don’t get to see the man of our house as often as we are used to (and as often as we would like to) but we are all so proud of him. I feel so blessed to have a husband who is motivated, hard-working, and dedicated. He is a great student, and I know that he will be very successful in dental school. I love you, Sean! Thank you for working so hard for our growing family! Heaven knows I couldn’t do what you’re doing! I am so proud of you!!!

Happy Birthday Avery!

2009-10-14T19:43:00.001-07:00

Avery had her first birthday on October 10th. I can’t believe my little girl is already a year old. Where did the time go?! We had a fabulous birthday party for the little princess. The whole family was there…Mommy, Daddy, and Big Sister Anika.

Avery wasn’t too sure what to do with all of the presents. Luckily Anika was there to help. Oh boy. Here’s the problem. All of Avery’s new toys (minus one) were Anika’s old toys that I have kept in storage for the past year. Well Anika definitely recognizes the toys, and is convinced that they are hers! Poor Avery hasn’t hardly had a chance to even play with the “new” toys. Teaching Anika how to share is going to be more challenging than I ever imagined!

As you can tell from the next two pictures, Avery LOVED her birthday cake. Holy cow. She didn’t waste any time diving right into it. She’s had a few little tastes of ice cream in her young life, but other than that, no treats. With the first bite of her birthday cake, it was like I had opened a door into a whole new tasty world. I’m afraid that Avery has inherited my sweet-tooth, just like her sister.

We sure do love our Avery. It really is amazing how things work. I remember one year ago being worried that I would never be able to love my baby #2 as much as I love Anika. It’s incredible how the heart grows with the birth of a new baby. When Avery was born, our family felt that much more complete. She brings so much happiness and joy into our home. Happy Birthday you big girl! WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!

2009-09-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

Wow it has been a while. I don't know why writing on this blog is such a challenge for me. Hopefully when we get an actual computer (and not just the laptop) and when we have a space for the computer, I will be more motivated to sit down and update my friends and family on our life. We'll see.

As of right now, I'm missing my husband desperately. I am in Arizona with the girls. We have been here for two weeks and are leaving tomorrow. I'm sad to leave, but really anxious to get back to my little apartment, my regular routine, and most importantly, my adorable man. I miss you, Babe!!!

The summer has absolutely flown by. Sean starts school on the 21st, just one week from this Monday. I really can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday we found out that he had been accepted to OSU's dental school, and now it's actually beginning. While Sean has been working all summer, my babies and I have had fun at COSI (the children's science museum), the library, and the park. While in AZ, we've especially enjoyed the pool! I have two little fish in my family.

I wish I had more to write, but really, this is our life! We're just moving along, loving every day that we are blessed with. Anika and Avery are getting bigger and funnier every day. I couldn't be more grateful for my beautiful family.

Our HOUSE!!!

2009-07-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

Here's the basement! If they don't finish the house, we could have a nice pool!

We have a two car garage! Well, kind of.

YEA! The first floor is just about done!

The bedrooms officially have walls...

HOLY COW! It actually looks like a house!!!

Many of you have been asking how our house is coming along. Well, here you go! It's coming! I think most of you know that we are building a house. We feel very blessed and grateful to be able to not only buy a house right now, but build one from the ground up. We've had so much fun picking out the carpet, flooring, cabinetry, counter tops, wall color, light fixtures, fireplace colors, outside colors, etc. Sean's worried that I'll never be satisfied with a used house, because I love having a say in the design! It really has been great.

Our house is supposed to be finished in October, ready to move in on the 20th. We're actually feeling very confident that things will be done when we expect them to be. It is a two story house with a full basement. It has four bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, and plenty of space for us to grow into. Sean's favorite part of the house is the porch! Mine is the kitchen.

We'll continue to post some pictures along the way, but it will probably look like this for the next two months or so. If anyone wants to come visit good old Columbus, we'll have plenty of room for company!!! Everyone is welcome!

Daughter for Sale...

2009-07-15T18:18:00.000-07:00

Actually, forget the for sale part. I think I'm giving her away for free. I know that Anika looks very cute and all, but oh boy. She's a stinker! It's been a long couple of weeks. I can't help but think, "Why did we do this to ourselves?" Meaning, have children. In fact, it's more like, "Sean, why did you do this to ME?!" And yes, I have asked him that many times lately. Hopefully you all know me well enough to know that I do love Anika, and I really am happy to be a mommy. Honest. But really, why don't people tell us how hard it actually is?! So not fun!

I didn't realize how frustrated and mean I've been until I started really listening to Anika. Here are a few quotes from the little monster.

"Be nice, Mommy!"

In preparation for family prayer, Anika said, "Avery. Fold your arms. NOW!"

This was my favorite. While cuddling on the couch with both of the girls, Avery reached over and grabbed Anika's face. Anika said, "Be nice, baby, or go to Time Out!"

Yeah, maybe it's time to chill out, but what I would really like is a two week long vacation, without the babies. Isn't it distance that makes the heart grow fonder? I could really use some distance. These girls don't even let me use the bathroom alone. Privacy? What's that?

I wish I had something more to report on, but this is life. Anika just got over pink-eye, and I'm pretty sure that Avery is just now coming down with it. It's going to be another great week...

Where should I begin?...

2009-07-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, I really need to work on being more consistent with my blogging. I think it's been a few weeks since my last post. Sorry! I'll try to be better.

We have been loving our time here in Ohio. Just before Sean started work, we took a trip up north. We spent an afternoon in Kirtland and checked out all kinds of church history. That evening we headed over to Cleveland where we went to an Indians vs Yankees baseball game. It was great, well, aside from the hour long rain delay. Sean took off to get us some dinner just before it started raining. I soon found myself stranded under an overpass with hundreds of other people, holding a baby, a diaper bag, and Anika's hand. It lasted for a good 45 minutes. Not my happiest hour. However, it is funny to look back on.

Last week my mom and sisters were in town. We had a great time. Anika went to her very first amusement park, which was really cute. We sure do miss them! Anika cried all the way home from dropping them off at the airport. Oh boy.

I'm really not sure what else there is to say. We're having a pretty average summer. Sean is busy, and the girls and I are having fun. Here are a few pictures of what's happened around here lately!

Feeding Time!...

2009-06-09T12:58:00.000-07:00

She has a cute little face, doesn't she? Well let me tell you something. It's not so cute when those little lips are pursed together so tight that nothing can break through. And it's not so cute when you finally get a small spoonful of rice cereal and applesauce in that sweet mouth, only to have it forced out with a strong little tongue to dribble down the mini-chin.

I'm sure that those of you out there with older children are saying to yourselves, "Oh Angell. You haven't seen anything yet." I understand that my stresses in the future will be far greater than this. However, for the past two months, my greatest concern and most frustrating challenge has been getting Avery to eat. I never would have thought that this would be the case. First of all, Anika was an amazing eater. She would yell at me in between bites just because I couldn't dish it out fast enough. Lesson Number One: NEVER COMPARE YOUR CHILDREN. These are obviously two very different babies. I was definitely a naive mother thinking that having done it once, I had it all figured out. WRONG!

To Avery's credit, she is doing much better. I no longer have to grip her little cheeks to get her to open her mouth. And my desire to yell the words, "JUST EAT" has completely left me. She has chubby thighs and creases on her wrists, so I'm assuming that she is healthy enough. Who would have thought that such little, adorable creatures could create such large frustrations?!

Pictures at the Park...

2009-06-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

Sean started work on Monday. Yea! He's working in the admissions department of the Ohio State Dental School. He seems to be enjoying it. I think he's been feeling pretty lazy around the house. So have I, to be honest! I've been out of my "routine" with him around. Almost like he's in my way! (Sorry sweetie.) But I've got to say, all of us girls sure do miss him! Anika woke up the other day and said, "Daddy sleeping?" I had to explain that he was at work. Later that day when she woke up from her nap she said, "Daddy home?" She was not happy to hear that he was STILL at work. No matter what I do, I'm just not quite as cool as Daddy, and I'm okay with that.

Before the work started, we spent most of our days exploring Columbus. We found a fabulous park in the neighborhood where we are building. It's the PERFECT size for Anika. That's where we snapped these adorable pictures. We have about FIFTY more of them at the park, but I narrowed it down to these few. Such cute girls!!!

Our Hilarious Girls!

2009-05-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

I LOVE being a mother! These little girls keep me laughing. Sean and I giggle in bed every night before falling asleep just thinking about our babies. Anika is in a crazy stage. She literally doesn't have any patience for me or Sean, but when it comes to her baby sister, Anika has TONS of patience! It's unbelievable. They are the cutest little friends. I hope that they will always be friends. We are so blessed. This video has kept us laughing lately. Hope you enjoy!

Living Room Tents...

2009-05-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

So what exactly is there to do on a stormy Sunday evening? Make a tent! What else?! That's what we did last Sunday, and it was a big hit, if I do say so myself. It brought back many fond, childhood memories of making GIGANTIC tents out of every sheet and blanket that we owned. It also brought back the not so fond memories of my little brothers destroying those mansions. Darn brothers. Either way, Anika loved it. The only downfall is that we did it just before bed. Hmm...Bedtime is hard enough when there isn't a fun tent in the living room. Next time we decide to be adventurous, it will be in the morning.

My New Year's Resolution...

2009-05-18T13:29:00.000-07:00

So many of you may know that it was my New Year's Resolution to start a blog. Well, here it is, May 18th, and this resolution is finally coming to pass. I'm not quite sure what took so long, but it could be worse, I guess!

So first of all...WE MADE IT! We are now officially in Grove City, Ohio, just outside of Columbus. We have been here for a week and two days, and already we LOVE it. The area is beautiful. The ward is fabulous. The people are so friendly. Our first day here, we were invited to two different churches, the Methodist Church and the Church of the Nazarene. It really made us think about what we are doing as missionaries! It was so easy for these people to invite us to their church. We have definitely set some new goals to help further the work of the Lord. I have already had the chance to teach with the elders, which was a great experience. There is so much work to do here. We're excited!

Many of you know that we are building a house. We feel incredibly blessed. The unfortunate downfall of the economy has made it possible for us to purchase a beautiful home in a gorgeous neighborhood. Last week we got together with the builders and finalized all of the finishings. We picked out everything from the color of the house to the countertops of the kitchen. We hope that it all comes together the way we have imagined it! It should be finished in October.

We miss all of our friends in Utah so much! Anika whines for "JACK AND CHAD" every day. It's very sad. Hopefully we can find her some new friends soon! Have a fabulous summer everyone, and please keep in touch!!!