Cravings galore

Over the past few months, we've gotten really good at meal planning and trying new recipes. When you only leave the house every two weeks  to go shopping, it becomes an adventure!  I thought I would be excited about going out shopping, but I realized I am much more happy at home!
That being said, we are getting creative with out baking and meal making, and the girls are trying their hands at a lot of new things. It is fun!
But then, out range decided to give up on us, so a lot of time was spent researching new ones. We finally found the one we wanted and ordered it, and on Monday it was delivered. If only that was the end!  Nope, it turned out it was a lemon, so we barely had it in our house before it moved back out and we are back to using our old range (which is quite temperamental if I may say so).
So, we had to put our waiting hats back on.

Since March we have grilled homemade pizza, made flamkuchen German style, made instant pot chocolate cake for a birthday celebration for the kiddo who happened to turn 10 during our lock-down, Brats and burgers on the grill, Copy-cat Olive Garden Zuppa Toascana, Pulled pork nachos, Rondane crock pot meal, Chicken Cordon bleu casserole, Thai, Thai, Thai (and maybe even some more Thai), skoleboller, Lo Mein, Fried Rice, no-bake cookies, waffle iron cookies, big Ham and Au Gratin potatoes (which is quite an adventure when your oven does not work the way one would expect!), Cauliflower soup, dronning Maud pudding (a few times actually), fried cheese curds, fried donuts, fried shrimp, and many other items I can't even think of.

Now my thoughts are moving toward cravings - Risgroet, Komler, Smash, Melkesjokolade, Mokkasjokolade, Pistasjiskrem, lapskaus, joikaboller, sour candy, julebrus, chocolate with black licorice in it (yum!), Knott, Hockey pulver, Riskrem. At this point, I would even take the quick and easy bags of premade stuff - just add water - if only I could get some of my favorite Norwegian foods! If anyone want to take pity on me, let me know and I will send you my address:)  I actually went as far as checking Amazon for these items, only to find that the ones they had, would not arrive until July, or would cost me more than my college degree!

First world problems, that is for sure! I really have so many things to be thankful for, when my current unmet cravings are at the top of my annoyance list!

Until next time - Stay safe and be kind!

A New World Out There!

What better time to relight the fire on the blog, than when we are all asked to stay home due to an epidemic affecting the entire world!  With the additional time at home, in our safe, warm, well-lit, home, with my family, the outside does not seem as scary.

Seeing the world change outside our four wall, people sharing, being kid and considerate, working together for the greater good, sure makes you think about all sorts of things. I see Teddy Bears in windows, hearts, rainbows, stars, chalk drawings on sidewalks, and so many people out walking - 6 feet apart mind you, smiling from across the street, waving, almost as though there are no worries in their lives.  I know though, that the worry is there for all of us. Perhaps not for ourselves, but for someone we love and care about, for our neighbors, co-workers, church. With things being so different than our normal daily life, and restrictions being there for us to limit our large-group get-togethers, traveling in packs, school, regular work, etc, we seem to be able to focus on more important things, even if it is only for a short while.

Who would have thought that when Wuhan was hit with the virus, that it would spread across country borders so viciously and rapidly?  Who would have thought that a "flu" virus could impact so many people, and even worse, kill as many people as it has. And we know it is not the end yet.  The US is about 2 weeks behind Europe, where Italy, Spain, my beloved Norway, Germany, and so many other countries are already seeing so many deaths.
I feel fortunate to live in Rochester, where we have Mayo Clinic backing us up, working tirelessly to prepare for what we all believe is to come. Preparing to be able to handle hundreds of people in need of ventilators, preparing to take care of any other patients without to virus, so they can stay free of the virus.
I have to admit, I have spent way too many hours reading news these last couple of weeks, paying attention to the change in numbers all over the world, but first and foremost in my own home country. Seeing my home area on the list of hospitals with infected patients is scary, especially when I know so many people who work at that hospital.  It is also scary since I know people back home who are immuno-compromised and would be in a bad situation should they get the virus.


COVID-19 is now going to mean - COme up VID (read in Scandinavian dialect for best effect) 19 things I am thankful for, courtesy of this darn virus.

I am so thankful for my healthy family!
I am thankful for my job that allows me to work from home during times like this, and not lose out on pay
I am thankful that even though Kevin has a required furlough, we will be fine!
I am thankful for our school system and our teachers who have been working tirelessly to come up with a way to continue teaching my children, through online schooling, after we return from Spring break.
I am thankful for my oldest, who works outside the home - stocking shelves and helping people get their groceries.
I am thankful for my oldest daughter's travelbug - as we often travel around the world just listening to her.
I am thankful for the extra time at home, to relax, read, do things that I normally put off.
I am thankful for the extra time to get my house cleaned and decluttered, without feeling like I am taking time away from the family (because let's face it - they are happy to have some time away from me too!).
I am thankful for the nudge to look at what is important in my life.
I am thankful for the new perspective my kids have.
I am thankful for the extra cuddles I get throughout my workday (this would be frowned upon in my office you know!)
I am thankful for my kids' newfound willingness to help out around the house (because when you are bored out of your mind, cleaning is actually fun!)
I am thankful for the real life skills my kid shave learned - even though my pants are getting a bit tight from all their cooking experiences!
I am thankful for added time to focus on myself and my own well-being
I am thankful for technology that allows me to stay in touch with everyone I care about
I am thankful for my kids' technology skills and their ability to connect with their friends remotely
I am thankful for my added kitten cuddle time!
I am thankful for our safety
I am thankful for our how my schooling and internship can still go on despite the pandemic, and the end of my degree is near!

Giving it another try

Here we are again, over a year since my last posting!  Truth be told - the last year has been so busy that blogging was the last thing that would get done.

I returned to work last January and though I enjoy what I do, I wish I had made the decision to hold off until my two youngest munchkins were in school before going back.  I have some pretty awesome coworkers though, and have learned a lot about the medical field, more specifically anything within Neurology.  It is very interesting!

My hubby also works for this wonderful Clinic that I work for, and he was asked to demo a product at this year's HIMSS conference in New Orleans.  My wonderful in-laws were willing to come watch the kids, so here I am too - in New Orleans with my husband.  He has to work all day, but we have the evenings, plus an extra two days after the conference to hang out.  We are looking forward to trying new foods, seeing new things (neither of us have been here before) and enjoying the warmer weather (high 60's to high 70's) while our dear Minnesota is being pounded by a huge snow storm (schools closed) that is predicted to bring a total snow fall with just this storm that is greater than the total snow falls for each of the last two winters!  I am SO glad I got out before the storm hit!

Anyways, I arrived last night, and we went out to eat.  We tried foods at Acme oyster house - see my food blog for that review.  We also tried some beignets at Cafe Du Monde - oh, heavens!  Brought a box with Beignet mix, and some french roast coffee with us from that place as well, and I have plans to return later today as Kevin is at the conference and I have the entire day to myself. 

I can tell that there is no way I will by accident lose a few lbs while here!  #lovingthefoodsoflouisina

Blog topics

I have SO many ideas for blogging, but often forget to even jump on here (as you can tell my how often I blog!).
So, I am starting a list of things to blog about and tentative dates, with reminders popping up in my calendar. We'll see how long I can put up with that bugging me without turning them off:)

If you have any ideas for what I can blog about, feel free to mention them in a comment!!

This is what I have so far:
*Being a Norwegian in America (how fitting is that:))
*Losing weight
*going back to work
*child rearing
*meal making
*relationships
*devotions
*favorite music
*Saving money
*Middle school
*raising girls
*raising boys
*family
*language
*school

Anyway, some of the ideas, and I actually have a calendar where I have them all spaced out, with a little bit every day.....yeah, let's see if this lady can keep that going when school starts!

Happy New Year!!

Wishing all of you a Happy New Year! It is time for a fresh start, certainly, for all of us. Regardless of how we did last year. We can always improve, and I hope this year will be the greatest!
Last year our family had a lot of big changes - me becoming a stay at home mom, buying our dream home, Kevin getting a wonderful new job, selling our old house, new schools for both of the oldest kids...hm...I think that covers it. And guess what! We'll kick this year off with a big change too! At the end of January I will be returning to school for a 14 week training to become a medical secretary and at the end of that program I will begin working full time at the same place my husband does! Awesome! I am very excited, but at the same time nervous about leaving the kids in child care or with a nanny.

Catch up!

Spending the Summer in Norway was a blast, so much of a blast I totally skipped on the blogging! How horrible is that!

We spent quality time with so many people, but most importantly with my grandpa, who only 10 weeks after I returned to the US, passed away in the comfort of his him, with many of his loved ones around him.  His passing was such a sad thing, but at the same time, we know he is no longer in pain, and is yet again re-united with the love of his life - my grandma who passed away last December. This year will be the first year with none of my grandparents alive. I am so glad I got to spend the last two Christmases in Norway, one with both of my maternal grandparents, and the last one with my grandpa.

A highlight while in Norway was being there for when my newest nephew, Joachim Leandro was born. He was making us nervous that we'd miss meeting him as he decided to wait past his due date of the 20th (we were leaving the 30th to return to the US).  He is absolutely adorable (as is his brothers and his cousins Miriam and Daniel!) and I am so glad we got to meet and love on him before we have to leave!

Upon returning to the US, we drove directly to our new house and camped out on air beds:) A wonderful couple who we consider dear friends, drove our van to the airport and left it there for us so we did not have to take the shuttle home. It took me a while to find the van as I forgot about the lack of internet at the airport (unless you pay) and had to search out someone who was willing to let me borrow their cell phone so I could call my friend:) The same wonderful couple also left food for us at our old house (which we found when we picked up airbeds before going to bed) so we had donuts, milk, and fruits for breakfast! How awesome is that!

We finally sold our old house in November, and enjoy once again being a one home family. We're still adjusting to the house, unpacking, getting rid of stuff we really should not have moved etc, but are loving the spacious house, wonderful storage and separate rooms for the kids! I love our master bathroom, my mail floor laundry and my new kitchen! It really is our dream house, and I am glad we were able to get it while the market was at a low!

We're preparing to spend our first Christmas in our new home, with family spending time with us, and we look forward to that.

Hoping to get pictures uploaded soon. I am really bad at keep up on that, but with my new laptop I should be able to do better since I don't have to wait a lifetime for the pictures to be accessible!

Take care, and have a wonderful weekend!

Norway - week 1

Today marks the day we've been in Norway for a whole week. It is very nice to be back, although I miss Kevin a ton already! I hope he is able to come see us later this summer, while at the same time, I know that if he is not able to, it is for a good reason which will pay off in the long run.

The two youngest girls are still adjusting to the time difference and the food change, but I think we're getting there!

Michael and Victoria have already improved immensely in their Norwegian, and it is so fun to see!! I can only imagine how great their Norwegian will be at the end of our stay here!

Well, off to get some salty foods. I had some food last night that just did not measure up, so now I have a hankering for the real deal:)

Girls Night Out with two awesome ladies!

My good friend Eli and her husband Omar came back to town with their little boy this past weekend, and last night my friend Karen and I got to go out to eat with Eli - without kids!It is soo good to be able to go out with two wonderful ladies and just talk while eating a good meal! You know those friends who listen to you when you vent, are always willing to give advice and just be there for you! These two ladies are that kind of a friend! I am blessed to have these two ladies in my life, and wish that we'd see Eli more often, and that I would be better at staying in touch. Another thing to add to my list of things to work on!
 Oh, and of course - no picture! Going to have to fix that later this week for sure!

On a side note - it is going to be a scorcher today! So, I will run my errands early, and hopefully get the rest of the stuff I can pack, packed. The kids need their shorts for a few more days, so those can't be packed until last minute, but the rest of our stuff should be ok. As long as I get the important papers taken care of, I should be ok even if I don't get their clothes packed:) It is for sure a day to be spent inside! Actually, I think they should cancel school since it is going to be dangerously hot at the schools, no AC etc.....but that is just wishful thinking on my part:) I am sure that later this summer, when my kids are getting on my last nerve and my vow to be a "thermostat" and not a "thermometer" fails, I will be glad they had these last three days of school:)


Speaking of heat -Thermostat vs. Thermometer is a parenting advice I learned yesterday. As parents we can choose to be a thermometer. Measuring the temperature as it rises. Or, we can be a thermostat, controlling the temperature. Isn't that a great picture to think of?! Now I just need to put that into my life:) Another work in progress:)

Conflict just is not a very fun thing!

I am NOT good at dealing with conflict, but lately it seems to just flourish around me! This causes stress dreams in which I always fail to keep my kids safe:( Yikes! I have to keep in mind though, that the conflicts I worry about right now, are due to actions made by others, which in turn caused them to be disappointed with the after-effects. I don't have energy to deal with adults who act like kids, throw tantrums like a 3 year old, refuse to be around us because of disappointment or hold a grudge or are jealous because of something we have accomplished. I have enough work with my own kids doing those things. We make the decisions we make because of the situations we are in, and we strive to always put our family first. If we end up disappointing you because of that, I am sorry, but that is life.
Ok, I got that off my chest now, and will look forward:) I can't afford to spend my time and energy worrying about what other people think or feel, when I know we've made the right decisions in what we have done, but it is my nature to worry about things I cannot control. It is very high on my list of things to work on, as it is mentally draining to constantly worry about other people and what they might think or feel. Kevin works hard to provide for our family, and there is no way in this world he will relent on his efforts to make sure his family is well taken care of (regardless of other people's feelings), and we are financially set. He is a gosh-darn- awesome guy and I am blessed to be his wife!

Summer, is here, and summer vacation close behind!

Spring took a long time coming, but when it did, it brought destruction and horrible weather for major parts of the country. We've been blessed to be spared here in Southern Minnesota (and I thank God he has not made me go through horrible storms yet as I am terrified of the American Storms!!). My prayers are with those people in the areas hit by tornadoes, flooding and any other disaster!

Like I said, it is finally warming up around here, and life sure is busy! I am looking forward to my first summer as a stay at home mom since 2000! And to make it even better, I am spending the whole summer in Norway with my family! The kiddos and I leave for Norway a week from Saturday, and will be there until August 30th! Kevin is staying back, dealing with house stuff, selling, buying, moving etc! We're hoping he can make it to Norway to visit us for at least a few weeks at some point during the summer. If he is unable though, at least there is Skype, FaceTime and many other ways for us to communicate.

My hope is that the kids will be able to learn more about the Norwegian culture, the family ties that are so important to me, learn to speak the language (which I really need to work on at home too!!) and just enjoy time with their cousins in Norway as well as make friends. Hopefully it will be the trip of a lifetime, with lots of time to just enjoy being a kid too!

Regardless of if Kevin is able to come visit or not, we sure will miss him! He feels bad I have to deal with the 4 kids by myself for the whole summer, but honestly, I am sure I will have an easier time there than here with all the family around, and all the stuff going on:)

The last few weeks (months) I have been packing up the house to prepare for moving into a new house. Kevin is a minimalist (less stuff = better) and rightly so, but I am afraid that if I left all the packing to him, he would make decisions to rid us of things I am not ready to get rid of:) Plus, if he has to move it all by his lonesome self, I don't want him to have to pack it all on top of that. There are days though, when I was thinking that I should just get a dumpster and toss it all out without even looking at it. Then that voice in my head started nagging me about "what if there is something important in there..."Yikes! Sure has taught me a lesson to get rid of junk as soon as it arrives (read junk mail and ads), pair down the things we have too many of (someone's trash is another person's treasure, right!), and also to label all boxes! It is very difficult to go through box after box marked with "misc":)

I am down to the last two rooms of packing though, and will leave the essentials as well as clothes for Kevin so that our house will look lived in:)

So, when my house packing ends, I will start packing our bags for the Norway trip! Need to go shopping for some essentials - butter scotch chips (can't get those in Norway, and Special K bars are a must at times!), baby gift for my lovely baby sister who is due in August (she better have that baby before I leave!), birthday gifts and other odds and ends.

I found, now that summer is here, that my summer clothes from last year are too big! Yay....or yikes! Not the time to have to go clothes shopping, but I am also excited to only be 5lbs away from my ultimate weight loss goal without really working at it. Seems like when you stop worrying about things, things take care of themselves! I decided to not think about weight loss until I was done nursing my peanut - Kaia - since I will have the rest of my life to stress about that, and voila! I have TONS of toning to do, but heck, I am just glad I did not have to go up any sizes in clothes the last three years with two pregnancies and nursing!

Anyway, rambling along, and no pictures to show for it, so I better get moving. Evenings are family time now that we're going to be apart for such a long time, and I want to make sure I am not cleaning or packing during that important time!

Ha det bra, alle sammen! (Have it good y'all!)

Catch-up!

We're looking April into the eyes and I have not posted since December 20th! Time for some catching up I guess.

Morfar og Mormor 2010

My wonderful Grandma Solveig passed away right before Christmas, so Kaia and I flew home for the funeral. This also meant we spent Christmas in Norway with our family there, but not with Kevin, Michael, Victoria and Madde here in the US. It was a weird Christmas for certain. The first one away from Kevin, and the kids for that matter. Kevin missed Kaia's first Christmas, but I am SO glad we were able to go home for the funeral and be with my family!
The awesome birthday gift I got from Kevin was put to good use (my iPod touch) since we allowed the older two kids to open their Christmas gifts from us on the 21st (night before I left for Norway) and they got iPod touches as well. Those amazing gizmos have Facetime, so a lot of our time was spent chatting on Facetime while I was gone. It helped Kevin see how much Kaia changed while we were gone, as well as helped Madeline not be too sad about missing us since she could see us on the iTouches. I arrived in Norway on the 23rd of December, just in time for Santa's little helpers to arrive with candy for the kids, decorating the tree and preparing for the feast the next day.
Christmas Eve was spent at my parents' house with my siblings and their children.

Mormor's (grandma's) funeral was on December 29th, and was a beautiful, although very sad occasion. My entire family was gathered to celebrate her wonderful life.
After the funeral we all gathered at my grandpa's house for some foods and conversation. In the evening we had a cousin gathering at my Aunt Siv's house. It was so great to hang out with most of my cousins on my mom's side! We've all grown up running in and out of each other's doors and have a close relationship, and being with them all to remember mormor, and rekindle some of the relationships that have kinds of dwindled a bit was very good for all of us. We started writing down stories my mormor used to tell us, and hopefully, over the next year, we can gather most of them and have them bound in a book along with stories from and about my morfar (grandpa) for all of us to have.
Below is a picture of my awesome cousins (minus Silje and Sondre).

I returned to Norway on January 9th (same day as we returned from Norway the year before I was told by the dude in passport control):)

Madeline turned 2 years old on the 12th of January. She is getting so big and constantly amazes me and cracks me up! She loves her baby sister, although is getting into the stage of not wanting her baby sister to take any of her stuff, which is a problem since Kaia started crawling and standing up while in Norway.

Kaia is turning 1 on April 17th. My little baby is not so little, and it just scares me how fast they grow up!! She is always happy and content and loves her siblings and her daddy!

Victoria and Michael are great help with their siblings and around the house! They started Norwegian class online in January and are making great progress. Hopefully our stay in Norway this coming Summer will leave them speaking Norwegian fluently:)

Kevin and I have been working on our house, finishing a 4th bedroom in the basement, and listed our house for sale again in mid March. We've also started looking at houses that we are interested in and have found one that is VERY interesting:)

My cousin Marthe came to visit for a while (her stay in Arizona did not turn out the way she was hoping) and we were lucky enough to have her come here. She is leaving for Phoenix again tomorrow and will return to Norway on Wednesday. Poor girl has been put to work her, helping up paint our new bedroom, watch kids and making Dronning Maud pudding now renamed Kevin's pudding:) It has been soo good to get to know her better and hang out with her since she was only 9 when I moved to the US.
I hope that despite the lack of things to do in Rochester during the winter months, Madeline and Kaia's naps for 3 hours during the day and everything else going on, she has had a good time!

Dronning Maud Pudding aka Kevin's Pudding due to his obsession with the dessert!

Saturday we visited the Spam Museum in Austin, MN (see picture below), Monday Quarry Hill, Wednesday Oxbow park and Zollman Zoo. Today will be spend scrapping morfar's birthday gift and just relaxing. Tomorrow we'll head to the Cities, and to Underwater Adventures at the Mall of America before taking Marthe to the airport. I am not ready to send her on her way, but it helps to know we'll see her and many others again this summer!

 All of us, plus Marthe and Victoria's friends Breanna at the Spam Museum

Rest in Peace Mormor

God looked around his garden

and saw an empty space

Then he looked down upon this earth

And saw your tired face

He put his arms around you

And lifted you to rest

Gods garden must be beautiful

He only takes the best

My Grandma Solveig passed away Sunday night Norway time. She has been ill off and on this past year and has been so tired. No matter how much we prepare for such passings, I find that we are very unprepared when the time comes and a loved one leaves us. Mormor, kommer til aa savne deg saa mye! Er glad for at du er i en saa mye bedre plass naa. Vent paa oss, saa skal vi en gang feire jul igjen i paradis!

The Krazy Coupon Lady!

This is one of the most awesome blogs out there! I am addicted to finding the best deals, and it gives me a high to know I either made money (!) or spend less than half of the original cost on something. Check it out! These days we can all stand to save some money, and this blog pretty much takes the extra work out of couponing!

Next year!

I am SO making this for next year!!!
It is adorable!

Way overdue!

I have not posted since June 17th! Kaia was only 2 months old and she is not coming up on 7 months! Yikes! Like really did get more busy with two little ones:)
I guess I could recap the past few months, but instead, I Will just post what is going on right now.
Our house is off the market and we hope to re-list in the Spring. My dream house sold, so I am not in too much of a hurry now:)

Thanksgiving is coming up and we'll be celebrating in town with the in-laws. It is also my big 3-0 bday the Saturday after Thanksgiving! I love birthdays, others' and my own! I don't think there will be a party though due to the proximity to Thanksgiving.

Like I mentioned earlier - Kaia is almost 7 months, has two teeth and scoots around! I am certain she will be crawling in the next month. She still sleeps through the night and is a happy, happy girl.

Madeline is 22 months, a happy and smiley girl. She still loves her baby sister - sometimes too much. She has unfortunately had a tummy bug the last few days but is on the mend now.

Victoria is going, going and going:) Busy girl with many friends. Loves to be outside and can't wait for winter! She does not have that last wish from me, I can tell you that! Oh, ans he is now a whopping 8 years old!

Michael is my helper. He has grown so much lately and is so mature. I love having conversations with him about things he has learned at school! He turned 11, and it freaks me out that in 4 years he can have his driver's permit!

Kevin is working away, keeping a roof over our heads, food on the table and love in our home. I love this guy! He even cleans up puke after the kids whenever they get sick! Can't find a guy better than that!

I am at home sick - actually - took the day off since it is late start at school, and then ended up sick. Good thing I took it off, huh! Our van is in the shop. Had it fixed Friday, but then Saturday the check engine light popped on, so it is back. Hopefully nothing major!
I also teach Norwegian again, twice a week, through Sons of Norway here in town. I love it! I have a great group of students and they make me laugh. I do wish I did not have to take two evenings away from my family, but that is how it is right now.

I have to dig out our camera and post picture from the last half a year, but for now, this will suffice to show we are still alive:)

Summer is here - and so are the storms and the goodbyes:(

What a day!
With working in the place I do, I get to meet many wonderful families, and since we live in a medical town, many of them don't stay forever. Today I said bye to one of my favorite families and I came to the conclusion that I am not a big fan of the residents leaving season! Me being all hormonal (I blame it on new mommy hormones still!) goodbyes are a sure way to get the waterworks going!
So, instead, they will now be "See you later"s instead. Good luck to all my resident friends and their families! I have loved getting to know you all, and wish you the best in your futures. I hope that it won't be too long before I get to see you guys again. I know I have my mind set on a girls trip to Vegas for sure:)

Then, if that was not bad enough - we got one of those nasty summer storms. You know, thunder, lightning, warnings on the TV, tornadoes touching down places! If you have every been to Norway and experienced a thunderstorm there you would laugh at me. I was terrified of storms there, and the ones in the US are SO much worse! Kevin has gotten so used to me being terrified that if the storms start at night he'll just automatically roll over in bed and hold around me - knowing I am shaking in fright! For real, I am really that afraid! I try to be brave for the kids (at least until they are sleeping!) but man that is hard!
Anyways, I have yet to look outside since the worst of the storm passed, but from what my fellow Rochester people are posting on Facebook, it does not look good out there. At least we did not have tornadoes touch here, but wind gusts up to 70mph is a lot! So, when this post is done, I will be heading up and out to check out the damage.

I am not a big fan of Minnesota Winters either.....makes me wonder when the time to head home is! I would be able to handle a Norwegian thunderstorm all by myself after 11 years in MN!

Summer is here

at least the kids are off on Summer break now. It started out cold and rainy, got hot and humid, and stormy! I am hoping for a summer like last year, when we only had the AC on for a few days early on:)

Michael is thrilled to be off from school, but not so much about getting up to go to work with me. He participated in a track meet on Tuesday - pictures to come.

Victoria wishes school was still in session, and has been my early bird this week. She also ran in the track meet - pics to come again.

Madeline is still adjusting to a later nap, loves baby sister and being outside!

Kaia is growing like a weed. She is 2 months old today. We go in tomorrow for her 2 month appointment. She is such a fun baby, and she sleeps through the night every now and then. Since I feed on demand it is a hit or miss if we get the last feeding done at the right time for bedtime, but that is ok.

We had another showing today, before the big storm hit. Hopefully it turns into a sale. Of course, I know not to get my hopes up. We have one house we really like, and another one on our list to check out, so if we do happen to sell our house soon, at least we're thinking of our new home:)

We're heading to Kevin's parents place this weekend as his younger sister is coming with her family from OK. We're very excited to see them again, and to meet the youngest addition to their family (she is almost 1!). We'll also celebrate Father's Day there and Lois' birthday.
Then we'll head home for two weeks before my parents fly in (barring no natural catastrophes or strikes or anything like that). We're very excited to see them again, especially since my mom has yet to meet her youngest grandchild. While they are here, Kevin's older sis will be coming to visit with her two kids, and after my parents leave we'll go camping at Kevin's aunt's lake with them, and the rest of the Minnesota in-laws. It will be busy but fun I am sure!
The month of August will be a work month, except for a week when the older two kids are (at least the plan is that they will) spending with grandma and grandpa in Moorhead. Kevin and I do not have big plans since we'll have the little two girls still, but I am hoping we can come up with something other than watching movies at home:)

So, pictures to come later. Kevin has the memory card packed away somewhere. I really do need to get some new pictures up here though. And hopefully I will be able to keep up with blogging as well...

3 weeks old

I have yet to take more pictures of Kaia, but wanted to write a little about her growing:)
I took her in on Monday (a few days over 3 weeks old) and she weighed in at 8lbs 13 oz (1oz) short of where Madeline was at birth! She was 21 1/2 inches long too, so she is for sure growing! It just feels so funny that she is still not the size her big sis was at birth!
She is doing great, eating well obviously, sleeping good at night, and in general is a happy baby. Not a whole lot of crying unless she is very tired and hungry. She lets us know when it is cuddle time, and I love that:) I think she'll end up being a tummy sleeper and she falls asleep as soon as I try giving her tummy time!

She is outgrowing her newborn clothes, although the 0-3 month clothes are still big. This is my first kiddo who actually fit in newborn clothes though, so that is cool:) She is still in newborn diapers, but I see a move up into 1's as soon as we finish the newborn pack we have. The 1's will be a bit big, but I don't think they will for very long. My first one to actually wear newborn diapers and fit into them too:)

Madeline is doing great with her baby sister. She loves to hold her, kiss her and sing for her.
Victoria is awesome help and makes Madeline happy whenever need be.
Michael is the greatest help I have, much due to him being the oldest and wanting to help out I think. I think he is Madeline's favorite person these days. Yesterday she was having a rough time at MOPS, but as soon as he came in she was ok with me leaving:)
Kevin is back to work, but still takes on a lot of the slack at home. He still won't let me carry much stuff and will give me the "slightly evil eye" if I lift something I am not supposed to or don't ask for help:) Gotta love this guy!

Sleep is going well too. Kaia slept from 10:30 until 4:15 last night! It was great. However, I tend to not be able to go back to sleep after feeding her so I get a bit of reading in in the early morning hours:)

Our house is still listed. Had a showing this past weekend, but nothing came of it. It would be great to sell the house, but I guess patience is a virtue and is certainly needed in the current home buyers market.

The kids have Awana Awards night this evening - the last Awana meeting for the year - so we'll take pictures there and post tomorrow. I will make sure to add some of Kaia as well:)

Giveaway

One of my fellow January 2009 Mommies is having a giveaway on her blog. She is a fabulous mom and a fabulous crafts woman. You should check it out. She has an Etzy account too with pictures of all her beautiful stuff!