Christmas Time

Baby William in his car seat, he is so snug in there and so well covered which was a really good thing the day we went to Temple Square. There is a little flap that goes over him to cover his head.

Christmas has come and almost gone now. My plans of 100s of photos to record this Christmas didn't quite happen. Most of my big plans didn't come to pass, I should know better than to try to do 1000 things with a new born baby. We rang in the Christmas Holidays by going to Temple Square on the 23rd. It was very cold start then the little breeze that chilled us to our bones quieted down for our enjoyment. It was snowing also which seem to make it all the more magical. We toured the square then went to the Lion House Pantry for a bite of dinner. It was a great way to start our Christmas time.

Kenneth and the children by the reflection pool in front of the temple.


The children and me by the Assembly Hall.


Espen and Mia on the Plaza

The Red Tree on Temple Square, so many lights it was amazing.

On the 24th (Julaften) we drove up to Aunt Megan's house. She had it all so wonderfully decorated, I am still kicking myself I didn't take any photos! With the tables all set with Christmas attire, I feel a sense of being home at Mother's. Megan is the most like my mother out of us 3 girls. I do believe, though, there lies a "strong streak" of Ruth in all 3 of us. We all like our table cloths ironed crisp, dinner served on beautiful dishes (our husbands still do not understand the importance of little jam spoons), presents wrapped with care and flare, and the overall sense of a magical ambiance for the Christmas Season. Megan's streak, however, seems to be a couple of degrees higher than Rebecca's or mine, and manifest itself even more on Christmas Eve as she began to hand out instructions to Kenneth. :) We had a delightful dinner, a fantastic fish pond with treats for all. A wonderful little nativity and watched a little DVD that Blake's mother had brought which was entitled "Reflections of Christ". I need to get this for myself as it was really something to watch. Megan also had "Santa gifts" for all. Espen managed to keep a stiff upper lip after he opened his for find a shirt instead of a toy. Luckily Spencer also received a shirt, so all was well. Megan always does things up so cute and really created a magical Christmas Eve for us all.


Our lone photo of Christmas Day, Espen and Mia amongst all the "stuff" You can just see Will in his chair in the background.

Christmas Day (1st Jule Dag) found us up at 7:00am. Apparently Sabrina had snuck down at 1:30am to check things out, but couldn't see much in the dark so she returned to bed until 6:30am. The children loved all their gifts and showed a great deal of gratitude and excitement for each other. We relax, played our new Wii games (the boys and I had a blast), ate our Pork Roast dinner, watched Harry Potter 6, and then were able to go to bed at a decent time.

Overall I would call this Christmas season a success, one week left of bliss before the children go back to school. I will enjoy them all, and my book (Santa brought everyone a book this year) for the remaining days, hoping that time doesn't decide to fly on by!

Christmas Piano Recital

Much to my children's current dismay, I have them all taking piano lessons (except of course for Mia and baby). Trying to get them to effectively practise daily is like trying to milk a cow on the run. They are taking lessons from my dear cousin Michelle, who is amazing on the piano and who is also an amazing piano teacher. They have a festival coming up in March and that will be fantastic to watch.

I was so proud of them this night. They all played really well, and they played through a few little blunders magnificently.

The actual videos we tried to take didn't really work, so I have taken a video of the children playing their songs at home. Espen didn't have his book, but did a really good job remembering his piece. I love that they are all playing the piano, I hope I can keep going and see them through until they realize what a blessing it is to be able to play.

William sleep through most of the night.
These Videos were taken with our digital camera, so the picture quailty is not that good, but the sound should be just fine. Spencer's is too large to upload, so I will try to get it on later, it is a shame as his is really good.

Mission Accomplished!

I thought this day would never come! This day will be remembered in my memories as "Miracles comes to those who wait and pray for them!" After endless, and I mean ENDLESS, days, weeks, months, and dare I say years of asking, begging and pleading, Spencer has finally found something he loves to read without being asked to. He loves a good book, but seems to only love to read if we are reading right there with him. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE, and ADORE reading with my children, but sometimes Mom needs to cook dinner, fold laundry, feed a baby, pay the bills etc etc.

So it has been a well fought battle, with much conspiring and strategy being played on both sides to have Spencer do SOME of his assigned reading minutes each day by himself. Also these assigned reading minutes, according to me, could not be just the sports page or SI, there had to be a novel involved, some sort of story to follow.

As you see now, Spencer has found the joy of reading a great book. He seems to love these books called: The Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I haven't read them myself so I cannot give a complete review, but if they will get the most stubborn child to read by himself for over 1/2 an hour they are worth their weight in gold!

Random Photos

We just took some random photos of the baby just now.

William is 2 weeks old today!

Big Brother Espen.

Sabrina just loves her "Halloween" glasses!

Big Sister Mia loves little William. She calls him William Philip--with a little lisp on Philip!

Big Brother Spencer

William er vaaken

Here is a little video of baby Will, who was wide awake on Sunday night. I really think he just wanted to watch the end of the Patriots vs. Colts football game! We thought we would put this on the blog for all our family who live far away and can't see or hold him. He is 10 days old now, and it really feels like we've had him forever already. Maybe that is the lack of sleep talking, I'm not sure, but now it feels a little more complete in our family circle.

William's Sun Bed

Our poor little William, has a really high Bilirubin count, so he has to be on what the call the "Billa Bed" to help lower his count. It looks like something from the movie "E.T." as it glows blue when it is on. He does a pretty good job of being content in the bed most of the day. It has been really hard on me to not be able to hold him all day. This has definitely been the hardest newborn we've had, and Kenneth has quite eloquently stated "This is the last, I can't handle anymore!"

So it seems for now, that we have our caboose. Let's pray today is the last day he'll need to go tanning!

Here is a video I took of Mia today with William. She is singing to him, and the last 2 songs are Norwegian songs.

Baby William

William Philip was born November 5th, 2009 at 3:24pm. He weighed in at 9lbs 1 oz (4112 grams) and was 21.5 inches long (54.6 cm). He was born with more jet black hair than any of my other children. We can actually comb his hair.

The time in the hospital was nice, but it is good to be home. The children absolutely adore baby Will and practically time each other when they are holding him. I am sure there will be many more entries to come concerning the baby, funny things to write from the children's comments etc.


In his hospital bed

Here is one that was really funny, Mom hear Spencer and Sabrina talking while "watching" the baby sleep.
Spencer: "Well do you think this is the last one?"

Sabrina: "I don't know?"
Spencer:"Well he looks like the last one."

In his car seat ready to go home.

After his first bath at home.

After his bath, we combed his hair!

The lighting was really bad, so for some reason the side of William looks yellow, he isn't that yellow.

Halloween 2009

It's finally here, we've made it to the end of October which can mean only one thing when you are young........HALLOWEEN! Friday the 30th the children had their parade at school, which is always fun to see how others used their imagination this year.

This year's costume menu seemed almost like a match at Wimbledon. Sabrina went back and forth between many, many, many different ideas. She finally decided on being an "Old Lady". I have already called and apologized to my mother today for all the times I thought "She doesn't know what she's talking about!"

Trying to convince Sabrina that "old ladies" do have curlers in their hair was a lost cause, she insisted on the bun! She was, however, overwhelmed with my knowledge that baby powder poured generously over one's head really does make it look grey, white, and elderly! I thought after finally getting her happy and sent off to school, WOW what a little determined mind.....then I had a flashback, of myself at that age, (which I quickly tried to block out, but to no avail). I could only think......"My poor Mother, all she put up with."

She carried a little dog around with her, she has a remote and hair pins in her pocket, and fun leopard spotted slippers!

Mia was convinced that being a "Butterfly" was a fantastic choice.

Espen wanted to be a vampire. However, we couldn't locate the remaining parts of that costume, so he settled (thank goodness) on being a "Jedi-Vampire" (with much persuasion from his mother).

Espen at the school parade

Espen ready for Trunk-or-Treat, he decided that face painting was too much-so he's just a jedi now!

Spencer was probably the easiest of them all to convince, a Florida Gator's Crazed Fan.

So tonight they are off to the Trunk-or-Treat Ward Party. Tomorrow may bring more Trick-or-Treating, then again, if I can convince them they have enough candy, we may rent a movie make treats and stay warm and cozy at home!

We still need to crave that beast of a pumpkin.....if I have the stamina, we may see it come together tomorrow.

A Monumental Day

Today was a long day in coming. No, we were so lucky as to go into labor and have our little baby....yet. We did, however, sell our very first mini-van. Well we more like gave it away, to the wrecking yard for a whopping $100. She was well worth more than that to me, all the memories etc, but when a car doesn't really start or hardly run when you get her started, you get what you can out of her and say "Sianara!"

It has been a trooper of a van, going to Canada several times, surviving hot Utah summers, with only front end vents, and cold Utah winters with a heater that never quite worked properly.

Outside Wymount one wintery day

She moved us twice, and Megan several times.

Mia inside the van

We will miss her terribly, she has been our old clunker that finally decided to throw in the towel. I will miss her, and miss having 2 vehicles.

Sabrina in 2007 in the front of the van

So we say farewell to our dear friend and comrade, she was our last link to our student days (except for our sofa) I think that is why it is kind of hard to let her go. Yet, the savings on our insurance will definitely soften the blow!

Happy Birthday Dad

Today is my father's 60th birthday. I am feeling somewhat sentimental over the fact that I can't run and give him a hug and kiss on this special day. My dad will play it down, no fuss necessary, but I can't help reflect on the some of the lasting memories and favorite things about my dad, from the time I was little to now. Here are some of them.

-"The only difference is my hair is long and his is short!"- I was always so tickled when I was young that people would always tell me how much I looked like my dad, and that was my answer.

-If ever my class was small enough at BYU, (this means the professor actually took role) when they came to my name, they looked up and said "Phil?" "Yes, he is my dad." Then a smile would cross their faces, "I remember watching him play." This happened all but one time, that was in a religion class when the teacher happened to be from Southern Alberta. He went on to inform the class how in High School, Dad's team crushed everyone, and how he never got the best of that team. Good thing then I had an ace up my sleeve for such a scenario, you see, I had known earlier that this particular professor had dated my mother once. So with a air of confidence, I quietly reminded the professor, "That maybe so, but do not forget who my mother is." Needless to say he smiled, looked at me and laughed, and then went beet red!

-Walking into my mission Christmas Conference in the Harborne Chapel in England and shaking Elder Condie's hand. He looked at my name tag and paused "Who is your father?" "Phil" I said with a smile. He smiled backed and said I remember him playing with Kresimer, what a team!

-Many trips to the UofL pool when we were young, always stopping at Dairy Queen on the way home.

All of the grandchildren at Allen's wedding

-Knowing if we had been out a little late on a Friday night, all we'd have to do is get up early on a Saturday and start cleaning. So by the time Dad got back from his Saturday ritual of driving over to Raymond to shoot the breeze, he'd walk into the house with us hard at work, and wouldn't saying anything. (not that this happened a lot, at least not with Becky and me, Megan I think could have used this knowledge a little better to her advantage while in High School)

-Letting me drive home one night from a basketball practice in Stirling on the back roads. I think I was in the 7th grade (at most). We were in the big green station wagon, I think anyone would have felt safe in that tank, anyway, he was calm when he pointed out that I might want to stop for that cow in the middle of the road. Luckily I saw that cow, slammed on the break and said breathlessly "Now what?" The cow just turned his head and looked at me, dad said "Honk the horn."

-Watching Dad and his brothers play cowboys, on cattle drives. The stories for this are really an entry all on its own, especially if I can corner my brother Mark, he has the best stories of these days.

-His black box. Anything that was important or worth saving was in Dad's black box. So of course as a young girl, I put a photo of me as a baby in it!

-His words of wisdom through out the years "Patience is the KEY word!"

-Game Day Colonge

-Countless stories of growning up in Pink House, I still believe that there were aligators in the basement!

-Learning how to be "Street Smart" from Dad, course this is coming from the man that bought a car at night time, from a farmers field! Much to the joy of Megan and Allen.

-Watching Dad with his grandchildren, whether it is swinging with Mia, or hiking the football with Espen, counting the jumps in jump rope with Sabrina, or putting for birdies with Spencer, they all love their Grandpa.

I asked my children what they wanted to tell Grandpa on his 60th Birthday. Old practical Spencer said "Well, Grandpa has lived half his life!" then "Well, he was the first person to score a basket in the Marriott Center, that's pretty cool!" Mia said "Grandpa likes to swing with me!" Espen said "Grandpa is funny." Sabrina said "Grandpa is great!"

I could go on and on, needless to say growing up with Dad has been fun and an adventure. One I am glad I was a part of. I am sure my siblings would have lots to add, but if they want, they can start their own blog!

Love you Dad, and Happy Birthday!

~Bonnie~

Your favorite, right Al, let's be honest! :)

Quite the crew

Bowling for FHE

We decided to celebrate the first Monday night that Mom didn't have to go to work with a trip to the BYU Bowling Alley. It was so much fun, everyone enjoyed themselves. I did not bowl, I don't think this huge "bump" in my front would have agreed, so I watched and cheered. Strikes were made by Mia, Kenneth, and Spencer. I know Espen and Spencer also got spares, and Sabrina was very close several times. Mia and Kenneth came out the winners tied at 100pts, Espen in 2nd place with 82, and Spencer with 78 and Sabrina with 77.


Mia had this handy device that helped her center her ball (which of course HAD to be Pink)


Sabrina


Espen, I think needs to get a little bit closer to the line before throwing the ball


Spencer and the "lucky" orange ball.