Gearing up for Thanksgiving

So for Eli's homework we had to create a story together as a family and decorate Tom Turkey so he was incognito- we had way too much fun with this one! 

Obviously for our family there just had to be an organ involved; I particularly love Eli's special attention to the eyes!

11.15

Today I am thankful for:

• payday- I just love when it comes on time and without worry
• my awesome family- we are so fortunate to have excellent families and people who we feel are just like family!
• personal revelation- there is just nothing better than getting those quiet assurances and needed direction in your life
• cinnamon rolls- obviously someone has begun to bake again.... this could actually be a problem!
• beautiful music- I love having Joseph play the piano all the time (and the kids too, with their perspective instruments)
• good conversations with our kids

11.6

Today I am thankful for:

• Joe teaching the kids Norwegian again
• a nice warm fireplace that made our house toasty last night
• elderly couples walking hand in hand eating lollipops (that is just how I want to be!)
• yummy cheesy biscuits
• a baby who giggles in his sleep and while he is awake
• better yet, is a baby who has been sleeping through the night

November= Thanksgiving

I want to have that feeling of Thanksgiving all month!
Today I am thankful for:

• a very nice checker at Wal-mart who unloaded my cart onto the check stand while I held sad Spencer, not only that but bagged my groceries very conscientiously
• children being motivated to be on time to school
• a wonderful husband who laid the baby back in his crib when I was too tired to do it and then brought him to me again a couple of hours later
• down comforters to snuggle in as the temperature drops
• gorgeous awe inspiring autumn leaves
• walking with a friend on a beautiful day, to go and vote

Halloweening

We had a perfectly lovely time this year with just enough Halloweening, I hauled Spencer into Bella's and Eli's class parties on Friday, then by the time we got everyone home we opted out of the downtown businesses trick or treat (though we have enjoyed it in the past).
We went on Saturday night to the ward party at the church with lots of yummy soup and bread and happy people in costumes and trunk or treating, my idea of a perfect Halloween party!

Zachary as the jailbird who stole The Scream!! His own creation!

Kaija and Grace and Kate at the church party

Bella and Eli after all the good fun. Did the Knight capture the fairy or put her in a trance?
Not sure!

Mr Money Bags, Himself!

Well now we can move on, but it always cracks me up that my kids are always talking about what they are going to be next year whilst they are still dressed up for this year!

Having fun

We are having way too much fun with Spencer!

Isn't he cute?

We have not been keeping up on our journaling and the time is racing past us.  Spencer is now over 7 weeks old and is growing at a rapid rate. He is a very happy baby, and we all adore him!

Joseph has been home for 3 weeks now and we have been trying to catch up from lost time; this is never possible, but we have been busy trying to organize our house, and in turn our lives!  

We have gone through every closet and drawer and dejunked the whole house. We certainly still have de-junking to do, but at least it is a good solid start!!  We have found Legos and hair accessories in every corner and have returned them to their rightful homes and have found new homes for all the other things. We have re-arranged furniture and added some furniture to help with the organizational efforts and have great hopes that we will finally get on top of everything.  The yard is a completely different story!

We found the dresser and night stand at "Those Were the Days" for a great price after looking at furniture stores and garage sales. Finally something that worked out just right- all they needed was a little black spray paint!

Took Zach's old bed and sprayed it black too! Yea for Kaija, places to put things away!!!

We have cleared out the "room of requirement", which has also been known as the guest room, and are getting ready to make some repairs and tend to the painting and preparing of the room for Joseph's organ which is now officially in Warrensburg.  He is anxious to get practicing again, so perhaps by Christmas time he will be pulling out all the stops!

One last piece of info, we finally gave up on our stove, because it gave up on us.  This being the case, we have brought in a new addition to our home, a beautiful baby Bosch (duel fuel convection)!  I think I might just start to cook again, it has been a long 2 years of glass top cooking and random failed baking experiences.  I am now in love, and the family feels pretty glad about this new relationship, especially when that means experiencing perfectly delicious cinnamon rolls! 

Even Joseph is anxious to cook with this beauty, and I am going through my ridiculous recipe files which include a large zip lock baggie full of loose recipes written on any number of random pieces of paper.  Yes friends, the time has come, I am in desperate need of organization.

Please feel free to send me any of your great ideas/tricks to help us in our organizational journey, and don't be stingy with your favorite recipes that I can add to my new organized and amazing recipe files!! 
(Well soon to be anyway!)

Bringing Home Baby

Welcoming

 Spencer Owen Karl Nielsen

September 4th 2010

9 lbs 15.1 oz

I have felt very fortunate to have had a very easy pregnancy, thank heavens because I am feeling a little older now!  It has made all the difference in the world to have the other children old enough to take care of themselves and help with the household responsibilities, so for the sake of sanity, a few years goes a long way! Not only that but they are all very helpful with the baby too!

Everything worked out just fine and even mostly according to the "plan". We had a smallish window of opportunity to get him here, since Joseph had only 4 days to be here.  (He has been and is now in Roanoke Virginia installing an organ at St. John's Episcopal Church.  We hope to have him home by the end of the month!)  Spencer was a little more stubborn about his arrival time as I spent all day Friday sitting around with the maximum amount of Pitocin allowed; hoping for it to be of short duration, and all that time he was just staying very cozy in his domicile and was not interested in budging.  

We got a little worried when Gale, the midwife, laid out our options around 5pm before her shift ended: go home and come back in a few days on your own, or later when Connie, the other midwife, came there was talk of a C-section- neither of those options were in the "plan" so we called the kids and our families and asked for them to offer up some prayers in our behalf.

God does answer prayers!

Not too long after that things finally started to progress.  We had the great blessing to have our friend Dr. Crook be the anesthesiologist for said event; he is a master of his craft and we had a great time chatting periodically through the day. Joe grew up with Shawn in So. Jordan and we have luckily ended up here in the Burg together!  Spencer held on just long enough to not be born on the 3rd, he was born at 12:26 a.m., he had hair, curly dark brown hair!! Unheard of in our little family- hopefully he will keep it! 

Life is really good, everyone has taken such good care of us and offered to help with everything.  We have learned a lot about patience and how to be happy when hard things come in our path.  I think we have done pretty well, but we certainly couldn't do it without the constant outpouring of blessings from the Lord and wonderful family and friends who buoy us up and sustain us in all circumstances!