today's funny

i walked into the bathroom today to find greta sitting on the toilet bended down with her head in her knees. i asked her, "greta, what are you doing?" her response: "i'm trying to remember yellowstone." where do kids get these things? we were in yellowstone 3 months ago and yet she still talks about it. hilarious...this is one for the record books!

merry christmas!

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

fun with aunt beth

beth came to visit this past weekend. she flew in thursday night (on a blue plane, greta was sure to ask, "what color was your plane?" first thing. do you think she flies much?) and flew out monday morning. we spent friday in corvallis showing her around our (cute) town, saturday at the beach and with carolyn for dinner, then sunday after church we were off to portland to see santa & enjoying the city a bit. we loved our time with beth and at one point greta said, "mommy, i'm going to call you aunt beth." she sure does love her. here are some pictures from our time...really, they are all from the beach (it was a gorgeous break in the rain we had!). it was fun for me to head to the coast, especially since we spent time in newport, which is where i went every year growing up...and now i'm sharing it with my girls...it's neat when it happens like that. anyway...here are the pictures!

a few pictures of greta and beth running around barefoot at the beach


greta's footprints in the sand

greta running from the waves

beth, mike & greta at seal rock (awesome beach, i'd never been there)

a little snuggle time with aunt beth before she leaves

chubby chew!

as my friend chris likes to refer to full babies, we do have a "chubby chew" on our hands. after going through life with a beanpole kid, it's nice having a baby who sits in her highchair with her mouth wide open waiting for each bite to hit her lips. her large stature was evident at her 9 month check-up, where calla weighed in at 19 lbs 2 oz, more than greta weighed when she turned one (she was a little over 18 lbs then and only weighs 25 two months shy of her 3rd birthday). i tried to find the "fattest" picture of her i could...and had to throw in a few others!

this is from the summer...but i think it captures her size quite well.

our christmas pic...she really smiles likes this all the time- at strangers, the wall, her pink chair, it's amazing!


and greta...lately i can't help but think she is such a little girl. here she is sporting her first braids, which she now wants all the time. "i want braids like maja." someone loves her cousin!

Thanksgiving...a little bit late!

i know, i know...it's taken FAR too long to get these pictures up, but in the past week we have suffered three colds, one fever, one bad back, two finals...and let's just say that our bags are yet to be unpacked! it's hard getting settled during finals week. mike's last final is tomorrow night & then maybe we will get ourselves into a groove...it's yet to happen since we've moved here. anyway, here are the pictures from our trip to new hampshire. we had the best time being with everyone and it was great seeing greta & maja pick back up right where they left off...they did not skip a beat. and calla was giddy over linnea. calla is crawling all over & picking herself up on things and she wanted linnea to be doing it right along with her...by next year they too will be running around together.
it was a wonderful time, and sad to say our good byes. we miss the friendships for our girls & also for us. we just miss them all. so...here are the pictures of our week. it was a good one. scott thinks all the fun happened after the dads left...the first four are from the time with dads...the rest are after. the question remains, was more fun had w/o dads?

they did this on their own...on the way to see great papa j

art projects are always a good way to pass time...and fun too!

great papa j had the coolest toy

greta getting a close up of maja

making thanksgiving place cards (they were made after thanksgiving, so they are for next year!)

grandma j showing greta & maja how to make a gingerbread house

the finished product...greta put so much frosting on this side that it collapsed

calla trying so hard to get linnea to play with her

the girls watching "the singing movie" (aka- disney princess sing-a-long songs, which i highly recommend for any 3 or soon-to-be 3 year old girls...it's quite the hit)

grandma & papa j with their broad of granddaughters...what are the chances it would be all girls?