Today was a Designated Lazy Day

After a really busy week leading up to Christmas full of errands, baking, phone calls, visiting and cleaning, the Christmas weekend itself which was full of rich foods, traveling, very little sleep, the stomach flu for Emily and the few days after Christmas which were full of people, more food and even less sleep, I designated today as a Lazy Day. Where we did this:

We all slept in. Nathalie and I, until 9. Emily, who has had the stomach flu on and off for a week, until NOON! And then we played. We went for a walk. I tried to get caught up on laundry (not there yet) and we read lots of books. Played some more. Waffles for dinner, cereal for snack. Early bedtimes. Wore comfy clothes or jammies all day. And you know?

It was exactly what we needed.

The house is clean.
The laundry is going.
The bread is baking.

The presents are wrapped.

The van is loaded.

The children are sleeping.

I am eating chocolate.

It is starting to snow.

Santa has come.

Christ is born.

Merry Christmas!

The time has come...

I should get an award for making it through bedtime. Seriously. I've been trying to get the girls to go to sleep together in their room, but they usually talk or sing for a long time. Like an hour. Except tonight Nathalie was yelling and a few nights ago they were shouting "Boom!" at each other. But that's not why I'm writing..........................

TAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We bought a van. I'm sure you're not interested in the tiny details of our buying it or my emotions, so I'll spare you. 2009, 50k miles. It's got Stow-n-Go (AWESOME!!!!!) and now the girls aren't poking each other or kicking my seat. Although, to be honest, I've been driving our Jetta more still because it gets better gas mileage. I know, I'm a tightwad. Oh well. And it's quite possible that I've been driving the Jetta still because I may or may not be feeling too young to own a minivan. Pretty spiffy, huh?

Helen Keller

Emily watched a short video on Helen Keller at a friend's house. We've been talking about her a lot ever since and Emily thinks it's really interesting that Helen couldn't hear or see. So the other day I was trying to get Emily to do something (I think it was finish her lunch or put her dish in the sink) and I asked, "Emily, did you hear me?" She replied, "No, Mommy. I can't hear."

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

So proud of my husband

This is just a quick note, seeing as how it's after midnight here. (Yes, I routinely stay up past midnight.) We had a crazy week with our family, mostly because of a special event that took place on Tuesday (more on that in a day or two). We also were able to attend a funeral of a family member of some friends. Matt conducted that funeral today. He worked last night.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My husband routinely works nights and then stays up to do things during the day. One time it was hunting. Another weekend it was a family event, where he worked Friday night before, came home, got in the car and I drove 4 hours to a family thing. He got 2 hours of sleep, slept Saturday night and then the Sunday we drove home where he took a 2 hour nap before going to work again. All for his family. Every other Sunday, he comes to church without going to sleep after his shift.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matt is amazing. He is incredibly dedicated to our family. He takes very seriously the need to provide for us. When he's not working or sleeping, he's with us or doing church stuff. The girls adore him. I adore him. And every time he pulls one of these crazy shifts + some day event, I am amazed at his dedication. He's one great guy.

Definitely one of those days.

You know what I'm talking about. One of those days. The days where your children fight all day long and you try to be patient, but finally you lose it and yell at them while you're making dinner. The days where they get pen on their shirt and draw with markers on your bedspread. The days where no clothes fit right and you have to fight them to get into coats and boots even though it's 25 degrees outside with a strong breeze.
The days where you have a kajillion billion things to do, but you only get 2 of them done. The days where your back is hurting, the nerves down your legs are cramping and hurting and you're exhausted just from standing. The days when the phone rings too many times and your bed is really inviting. The days when your downstairs neighbors invite a friend over who smokes IN THE HOUSE and then your apartment smells like smoke for the rest of the night even after you go down there and he puts out his cigarette. (And what do I do about that anyway....since one of the guys renting the downstairs is the landlord's son...do I call the landlord and tell him? I would definitely if it weren't his son)

The days where you get to curl up on the couch with your 3 yr old and hold her for 45 minutes while she naps. The days where your 20 month old nurtures her babydoll and wants you to eat felt cookies. The days where you're grateful that your fridge is full, your family is healthy and you have enough money. The days where your bed means so much more, because by the time you get in it, it's like falling into a cloud. The days where little girls kiss you goodnight.

I'm ready for school!

This little girl desperately wants to go to school. I will send her to preschool in the fall, but as much as people around me have said, " Well, maybe she should go to preschool because she really wants to", I think they forget she's only 3. She's still so young! I only have a few precious years with her before we start school and she's gone from me. So right now, we do "school" during Nathalie's naptimes. Lately, she's been learning to write. Here's proof: These words-- horse, roo, pooh, emily, cow, cat, owl-- she usually doesn't ask for my help spelling, except for horse.

She knows how to spell her own name and only asks for a little on Nathalie's. She knows how to spell my name, but I LOVE how she wrote "Mommmmy". Like she says, "Mommy, your name has lots of m's." Yes, it definitely does.

Also, this is what she wants to wear to school. Underneath the robe? Nathalie's swimsuit. I don't think I can let her go to school in that!!! Perhaps I'm wrong and should send her to school next month. Admittedly, it will be a little crazy with 3 at home between April and September. But I simply can't justify sending her to school when she's so little. And also, I'm not ready.

Catching Up

I have been a little absent from our blog lately, so here's a review of what's going on. It took a long time, but we finally finished putting in the kitchen cabinets, backsplash, sink, countertop and trim. Matt put up the trim last week, even though everything else has been done since May or June. He's had a bunch of other things going, and since the kitchen was functional, this was kind of on our back burner for a while. But it's been so cold lately that he's been able to get some things done inside the house. Doesn't it look nice? Matt has been busy with church and even busier with work. He is working 5 shifts this week because people are taking time off for the holidays. It's absolutely crazy. Remember that he works nights? So he will be gone from tonight at 7pm until Monday around 3pm. Only he won't be gone, he'll be sleeping. I feel bad for him--he's going to have a rough weekend. The girls and I will be getting out of the house a lot so he gets some really great sleep.

I have been busy with Christmas. I'm making some felt food for Emily, which I hand sew. It's been pretty busy around here with Christmas cooking, parties and getting gifts ready. I still have a few projects to finish before Christmas. Christmas is not quite as relaxing when you're an adult, but it is fun to see your children's joy around Christmas! I'm 22 weeks now. Still wearing my normal jeans (with a rubberband) and shirts, but starting to outgrow them. I (sadly) got out some of my smaller maternity clothes. We already love this little girl.

This little girl is growing up too fast. She is 20 months old, this month. She now says, "Stop it!" whenever someone does something she doesn't like (wipe her nose, take her toys, put on her coat, etc). She loves listening to "Apples and Bananas" and she and Emily just CRACK UP whenever they hear that song. Whenever she cries I ask, "Nathalie, what's wrong?" and she replies, "Emmy sad." That means "Emily made me sad", even if Emily didn't make her sad. She's a smart cookie and has very definite opinions to boot! She's starting to talk in senteces too. I definitely have talkers.

Emily is beautiful and wonderful. She still has her tantrums of course, but after dealing with them for a 18 months, I'm more patient. She can write a lot of words now: owl, cow, Mom, Dad, horse, Pooh, Roo......she goes around the house talking and singing pretty much all day. I love hearing her sing. She says funny things too. Yesterday I told her we were having turkey for dinner (yes, still working on that turkey, but now we're done!!!) and she looked at me seriously, then said, "Potatoes go perfectly with turkey." She's been begging me to make mashed potatoes. Hilarious.

I am looking...

for a simple and fun Family Home Evening to do with my girls. Or maybe just a family activity. I read all sorts of things that families do to teach their children about Christmas in our church magazine (the Friend) but they're a little too advanced for girlies 3 yrs and 19 months.

What is your family doing?

Christmas

Emily wrote her first word on Tuesday. Now that she has almost outgrown naps, we sometimes use her quiet time to practice "school" as she calls it. Tuesday she asked me to write "owl", so I did. She and talked about the letters, then she pulled out a separate piece of paper and wrote it! All by herself! Isn't that amazing? We're working on her name, but she doesn't like writing "m"s, which is weird, I know, since she happily writes "owl" all the time. I'm so proud of her.

We set up our Christmas tree for Family Home Evening tonight. I was debating what to put under the tree since I'm not putting presents under there until Christmas Eve. (There are two people in my household that will play with or open the presents. And actually, Emily isn't one of them.) So I put our nativity under there. They love playing with it and since Emily understands that it is baby Jesus, she tells Nathalie about it too. Let Christmas begin.

I love little girls

Having little girls is fun. They wear cupcakes and piggy jammies. They like stories of Rapunzel. They play with shoes and necklaces. They like to wear aprons during cooking. They love to love their baby dolls. They take walks with miniature stories. They say, "Pretty!" when they put on their sunday dresses. They want to wear make-up. Which is why I'm having another one.

Yes, that's right. I'm expecting another little girl and we just found out today! I may or may not post any pictures, after all, you've seen me pregnant before. I'm hoping for a dark haired little girl now to complete my "set". She should be born in April and so she'll be able to wear all the clothes that Nathalie wore.

********************************************************************************

I have two dilemmas. One-- I made a purple-and-yellow baby quilt for Emily and a pink-and-green quilt for Nathalie. What should I do for this girl? The second is a name. We had two favorite girl names, and we've used them. Luckily we've got awhile to decide this.

****************************************************

Wish me luck! I foresee drama starting in about 10 years. Also weddings, braces, proms, girls nights out, boyfriends (please no!!), sharing clothes. It's like relieving my youth all over again and how I got along with two sisters.

Nathalie is wide awake and a Happy Thanksgiving to you!

We had a sicky week. It started with me getting HBD. Two days later Emily started coming down with a nasty cold. Then Matt got HBD and then Nathalie got HBD. Matt and Nathalie recovered by Wednesday night. Just in time for Nathalie to get slammed with the nasty cold that Emily had. Currently no one has HBD, Emily is recovering from said Nasty Cold and Nathalie is right in the middle of it. We are grateful for our health this year!

Which is why she's awake at 11:04 pm. She fell asleep on my bed at 8, but when the medicine kicked, she woke up feeling better.

We all got to enjoy a nice Thanksgiving though. We had a wonderful time at my grandparents, and all of us were mostly healthy. Healthy enough to enjoy the good food (homemade stuffing and Mint Cream Pie, anyone?) even if Nathalie and Emily have looked like this over the weekend. Now 2 days of rest before I officially start the Christmas season. Or, judging by Nathalie's hyperness right now, maybe there won't be that much rest.

"This is a National Emergency Warning: The GlubMonster is on the loose"

Description: The GlubMonster is approximately 37 inches tall, 33 lbs, has blonde curly hair. The GlubMonster has blue hands and feet that look strangely deflated. The GlubMonster has a disarmingly charming personality. The GlubMonster is dangerous and should be feared. Charges: The GlubMonster is charged with stealing "glubs" from the trunk of the car during a cleaning, attaching them to its appendages and tickling anyone in sight. The GlubMonster is also charged with pestering anyone in sight to continually attach "glubs" to its appendages. The GlubMonster especially loves to run around like a crazy and laugh.

In the event you meet the GlubMonster: Do not make eye contact. Do not speak to the GlubMonster. NEVER SMILE AT THE GLUBMONSTER. The GlubMonster will presume any contact to be open invitation for tickling. Back away slowly. The GlubMonster is as fast as an adult, so one can run away from it. BEWARE: The GlubMonster is very tricky and has a "cute" voice to attract its prey.

If you see the GlubMonster, please call 1-800-Glub-Monster.

HBD + the Weekend

Matt and I had a chance to go to Columbus this last weekend and get to the temple. It was a wonderful, especially because it's been a while since we've been to the temple together. Anyway, that was Friday. Saturday morning I thought, "I'd really like to take Emily to the temple since she thinks the churches here are temples." So we drove over the temple.

Emily was kind of grouchy. I took her inside to the waiting room and we looked at pictures of Jesus. Then she tried to do a bridge (think gymnastics move) on the floor in the waiting room. Awkward. I picked her up and moved all three of us over to the couch. Then Emily had a tantrum. Again, awkward. Lucky for me, a very nice woman was sitting there and read a book to Nathalie while I stopped Emily's screaming. Then I tried to tell her that in the temple we feel quiet, calm and that Jesus loves us. But she was still mad at me for interrupting her bridge and refused to acknowledge me (hence the above picture where she's refusing to look at me).

At least I tried, right?

***************************************

And Saturday night was our church's big Thanksgiving dinner. I was really looking forward to it-- ham, turkey, mashed potatos, green beans, yams, rolls, salads (I made one), pies, cookies, brownies, casseroles, etc. But on our way home, I started feeling sick. At first, I passed it off as motion sickness. But it got worse. By the time we got to the church, I knew I wasn't going to eat anything. Apparently I got HBD (Horrible Barfing Disease) which caused me to "B" 5 times in a little over 2 hours. I don't think I've EVER been that sick. Thankfully again, (I was blessed a lot) a good friend gave me a shot of Phenergen and a couple of pills AND a friend took Emily and Nathalie at the dinner. She fed them, cleaned them, got them seconds and dessert and watched them while I moaned and groaned in a separate room.

**********************************************

And Matt pampered me on Sunday. Took the girls to church, cleaned the house, made dinner, cleaned up. Let me say it again: I was BLESSED this weekend. And I'm feeling better too.

Cookie Helpers

I had some great helpers making gingersnaps for the missionaries! We're lucky we have enough aprons for everyone. Nathalie has such a great smile. She lights up any room. She is my happy child.

You don't get much prettier than this girl! And yes, I did make her wear clothes before she helped us with the cookies.

Love her.

Emily has just discovered drawing more than smiley faces and people. She draws cows (that what she tells me they are), forks, spoons, etc. This is her version of a spider. If that were in my house I'd faint. At least it's happy!

Through A Child's Eyes

On the night of the aforementioned Wal-Mart escapade, I experienced life through Emily's eyes. As we drove up to Wal-Mart, she saw all the Christmas inflatables outside. Her eyes got really big and she said, "Mommy! Look! It's Merry Christmas! Mommy, let's go see the big Merry Christmas!" And Nathalie said, "Snowman!"
(Swinging at the park during our beautiful week last week. )

As we walked through the store with all the Christmas decorations, Emily was so thrilled. She sat on the floor (gross, I know) staring up at a big Christmas tree. She walked around it, touching the ornaments softly. Nathalie shrieked with delight when an inflatable had a movable Santa and both girls stared wide-eyed at the sparkling tree lights. They, in their simple joy, showed me what their life is like.

( Emily showing me the person she drew. I think the ears are below the arms! This is the smile she gave me when I was excited for her)

One of the things I strive for as a mother is to try and understand what they are feeling and seeing. Yes, their reasons are usually completely irrational, but that doesn't mean their feelings aren't real. I often ask myself, "When I am speaking to them in (insert emotion), do they understand me? What do my tone of voice and body language convey? Am I really trying to understand what they feel is going on?" I'm not perfect, but I always try to convey to my girls that I want to understand. That's what our Heavenly Father did for us when he sent Christ. Made a way so someone could understand what our feelings and trials are. In my incredibly imperfect self, I'm trying to do this as best I can, which, I assure you, is not great. But it means something to those little sweethearts at my house.

And this is why I only go once a month.

I went to Wal-Mart tonight. Some of you might be gasping in surprise. But hey, when it's all you've got and Kroger doesn't sell some of (insert item) very cheaply, it's worth it to go to Wal-Mart.

Except after tonight, I'm willing to pay more at Kroger.

It started out innocently enough. The girls were doing fine, looking at all the Christmas things. I grabbed some wrapping paper and we headed over to get some more presents. We got stuck in an aisle because it was too small for the cart. Yes. Too small for the cart.

Emily had to go to the bathroom, so we turned that direction. Turns out, the entrance to the bathroom requires serious manuevering with a toddler hanging off the end of the cart. And I was not going to leave the cart outside the bathroom with my other toddler in it. So manuever we did, and made it in.

More uneventful shopping.

Reaching the checkout line. I'm starting to panic-- it's almost 8:00 and even though I'm going fast, apparently it isn't fast enough so it's almost bedtime. We still have to get home and take a bath too. We pick a line with no one in it thinking, "Great! We have 3 separate purchases to make, this should be simple." (Still working on figuring out how to buy things with separate envelopes and be efficient in the checkout).

Enter training cashier. 10 minutes for the first purchase. Emily has gone to the arcade area. I can see her, she's happy. Nathalie is literally climbing out of the cart trying to reach my money. "Money! Money!" (This doesn't bode well for the teenage years). By the 7th minute, I'm ready to strangle the cashier. I had 5 ITEMS. 5.

Second purchase, decent timing. Emily comes over.

Third purchase, she's moving slow. Emily tells me she has to go the bathroom. Then she starts doing the bathroom dance. Tells me again. And again. And again. Suddenly, she picks up her dress and looks underneath. Uh-oh. An accident, and not the easy-clean-up-paper-towel kind. You understand.

Cashier still moving slow, Emily is crying because she pooped her pants. I'm apologizing to her, feeling SO bad.

FINALLY we get out of line. Head over to the bathroom. Cleaning cart in the way and the manuevering I thought was tight before is nearly impossible. Get Emily cleaned up, get in the car and go home. Get girls to bed, clean up house.

Check my Wal-Mart receipt for our budget. The cashier charged me twice for one of my items. I have to go back on Monday.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

You Know You're A Mother When...

You find these in your refrigerator...and you leave them there!Good day today. Lots of laundry, cleaning, prepping our garden for winter crops and playing outside. Beautiful weather. Happy girls. Good food. What about your day?

It's a rainy kind of night

This is me trying to get a nice picture of Emily for our Christmas cards. This is the best smile she gave me. It's great to be 3. It's rainy and cold outside tonight. The weather makes me grateful for my warm house. I can hear Nathalie singing "Old MacDonald" to herself and Emily singing "A,B,C" to herself. Emily has to go to sleep in our bed because Nathalie will talk/sing to herself for an hour. Matt's at work, I'm home and thinking about putting a hot rice bag into my bed and reading until I fall asleep. It sounds great doesn't it?

I wanted to show you this picture of Nathalie. See how her bangs are really uneven? Don't blame it on me! I walked past the bathroom today. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Nathalie sitting on a stool and Emily in front of her. I heard them talking, but wasn't listening to the words. But then Emily acted suspicious. Turns out she was cutting Nathalie's hair. Which is really sad since Nathalie doesn't have a lot to begin with! Maybe in a year it will grow back.

Eeny-meeny-miny-moe

You should check this promotion out on Shutterfly. 50 free photo cards for a little writing, which, if you have a blog, you're already doing anyway. And if you're like me, sometimes you have nothing to write about so this is a good idea.

I love this card because it can hold 6 photos. And it looks organized (you know how important that is to me!) I also love this card, which is actually a photo card for 3 photos, and a small letter on the side. Check it out. It's a brilliant idea, for those of us (ME) who don't want to include a big letter (what is there that interesting to say about our family anyway?) but want more than just a generic "Merry Christmas" on their card. I might just choose this one. And especially this card because of the cute layout and ability to write a sentence or two for each picture.

If you want to check out their great selection on photo cards, click here. And if you want something a little more sophisticated, click here. And last, if you want to be super duper cool and have matching address labels (something I will aspire to, but probably never reach, unlike my mother who has matching envelopes) check out their selection here. It's great.

Shutterfly has some great promotions, decent prices and really adorable designs. If you’re like me and you weren’t blessed with the creativity to come up with some unique card, or you don’t have the time for that, this is great for you. I always love photo cards, and every Christmas we tape our Christmas letters and photos around our kitchen doorframe. It’s a fun tradition Matt’s family has, and it’s so fun to see pictures of all the people we love.

So go ahead. See what you like on Shutterfly.

Sugar, sugar and more sugar

We went to four Halloween events this year. I stopped accepting candy at the third!! The girls loved it and even Nathalie caught on to trick-or-treating. Eyeore--and a good thing too, because it was pretty cold! Nathalie was warm, but definitely did not like her hood.

Emily at the trunk-or-treat. She is being a kitty, just like Granny's kitty, Felipe. We lost her tail the day after the trunk-or-treat and I had to construct a new one.

Emily, right before trick-or-treating. She wanted to wear the mask this time. She also wore this costume to her very first dance recital ever. Where she just stood on stage and didn't dance. The entire song. I laughed and will tell that to her first boyfriend! Halloween was really fun for me this year because Emily understood the holiday and was so excited.

Projects, big and little

For some reason, I have lot of little things to say tonight. Read on.

Our clothing output has dramatically increased in the last month or so. I have absolutely no idea why, only that I make sure that the clothes that are washed are actually dirty. I get this pile every other day or so. And I put off folding it....like the basket that's sitting in my bathroom right now.

Matt finished our table today. Yes, he MADE this. With his hands and brain. My husband has skills.

We had our once-a-year FHE two nights ago and carved this pumpkin. The girls were beside themselves with excitement.

Emily helping. Nathalie directing.

The inside of a pumpkin is SOOOO cool and gross. Emily thought it was neat, but Nathalie said, "yucky" everytime she put her hand in.

Finished. Yep, I'm awesome.

Emily, getting ready to dip the end of the car charger into the hot candle wax-- which I didn't notice until after she had done it-- and Nathalie looking adorable.

More on the table. Matt has been working on this table for months. Our apartment is small and we wanted something that would be convenient for most meals which is just Emily, me and Nathalie, but also something to pull out for guests. Matt made this BEAUTIFUL drop-leaf table. I picked out the stain and Matt did everything else. The table is truly gorgeous and frees up a lot of space in the kitchen.

It's oak and from trees around here, just cut this summer. Couldn't be prettier. Next up? We have a couple of fun ideas-- toy chest for the girls, matching chairs, toddler bunk beds, shoe rack....Matt has already drawn plans for most of these. What a talented guy!

It's been one of those days

It was not a great day for us. You know the days when you wake up cranky, your children catch onto your mood and they either a) become grouchy and cranky themselves, b) become wired and hyper, c) don't listen or d) all of the above? It was a d day for us. Nathalie decided to do a, Emily decided to do b-d. Sigh.

Also, it rained for half the day. And if you know my girls, you know that they are like puppies--destructive when bored or cooped up. Does this make you nervous for winter? Because it does me. Finally after dinner, when we couldn't walk Matt to work and Emily was literally climbing up the doorframes, I let them watch a movie. Best decision I've made all day because I felt renewed. A little bit.

At least I got these cute pictures. In between yelling at them for climbing people's stairs or grabbing them after running in to the street. Good night.

What do you recommend?

I am in the market for a new sewing machine. Many years ago I bought a cheap Singer and it was exactly what I paid for. Some light use later, the tension is broken and I can't do a running stitch (but I can do other stitches--any idea on that?) and the machine overheats after 30 min of working with cottons. There are some other problems, but maybe it's time to upgrade.

So....to those of you who sew regularly, what is your machine? What do you love about it and hate about it? If you have taken a sewing class or sewed extensively on a machine other than your own, what other brands have you tried and what are their ups and downs?

I'm looking for a not-too-fancy machine, heavy duty that will withstand lots of layers and heavy fabrics. I don't need a kajillion stitches or 53 different feet. Just want something reliable, powerful and good for quilting. But I really really need your experiences!

How to make bagels

Included in our efforts to be more frugal and healthy, I decided last week that we would start making our own bagels. And I have to say, it's been a raging success! Let me tell you how you, too, can make these beauties. Dough Recipe:

1 C very warm water
3 C flour (I usually do half white, half wheat)
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 TB sugar
2 1/4 tsp years (or one package)

Proof yeast in warm water. Mix salt, sugar and some of the flour together, then add yeast/water mixture. Mix and slowly add more flour until dough is pulling away from sides. Knead until soft and pliable. Let rise for 1-2 hours in a warm sport. Form into several round shaped dough mounds with holes in the center. Let rise for another 1-2 hours. When ready, drop dough into a pot of boiling water. Flip the bagel over after 60-90 seconds to let other side be in water. Then cook at 350 until bagels are brown on top, or 20-30 minutes.

The best part about these bagels is that they are HUGE and FLUFFY. You can't buy bagels this big at our local bakery, and if you could they'd be $3 or $4 apiece. And they're REALLY GOOD. And you can add things--like onion powder, poppy seeds or cinnamon and sugar. (Just sprinkle top of bagel before you put it in the oven for a topping, or add into the recipe if you want a through mixture).

One batch makes about 4-6 bagels. 4 if you want them huge with no holes, like Matt. I use my bread machine and it makes the dough really smooth and elastic (something I'm not willing to take the time to do for a kajillion batches of bagels).

Anyway, we now have 3 bags of 6 bagels in our freezer. Next up? How to make cream cheese.

Dear Granny and Grandpa and all the people we love:

Emily, I love you. You loved the ocean. I was a little scared the whole time you were on the pier because the railings weren't close. Buddy, you're a crack up. I can't believe you're finally taller than me. First time EVER IN MY LIFE that one of my siblings is taller than me.

Granny, Emily loves you. Tonight in the car I said, "Emily, do you know I love you?" She replied, "Yes. I love Granny too." Not exactly a reciprocal statement....

I love my hair. But then I cut it off because it was too long. And I love the ocean. I kept taking deep breaths and felt like, for the first time since the last time I saw the ocean, I could breathe. It must be the Norwegian in me. And Nathalie wouldn't look at the camera because she was fascinated by the ocean. She said, "water!" about 400 times in 30 minutes.

I love Matt. He dared me to climb out on this rock and stand at the edge. I wouldn't, but he did!

Emily loved the aquarium, but was afraid the fish would come and "get her." She didn't really believe us about the glass.

Nathalie, you are my doll baby. I love your chubby body, your huge smile and sometimes I even love your curiosity about everything. Sometimes I don't though--usually when you find our extra toothpaste and smear it everywhere.

Emily really wanted her swimsuit on...but it was a little cold outside and the water was not inviting.

The sand was quite inviting however.

Nathalie and Granny at the restaurant.

Nathalie, cranky before bed, and Grandpa, holding his new friend. Grandpa, we love you. Thanks for taking a few days off to take our trip with us.

Dear S family, we love you. We wish you lived closer!

Emily and Grandpa.

Emily's last night with her favorite person in the whole entire world. She misses you like crazy.

Dear everyone on our trip: Thanks for letting us come. We had a beautiful time. Can't wait to see you in a couple of months! (And to my sisters: I loved seeing you too. I just didn't get any good pictures of you with the kids. )