Happy Anniversary

You might wonder what this picture has to do with my anniversary. Well, my singing group has started back up again and we're preparing for the Christmas season. We are now practicing at my house since the group lives so spread out through the valley and Oliver's and my home is centrally located. The group decided to start back up this past Monday and Oliver and I talked about it and the date worked fine with our schedule. So these wonderful women came to our house to kick-off our singing season.
After I committed to my singing friends, Oliver and I remembered that it was our third anniversary that day. Well, I'm married to a wonderful man, rather than bail on the singing group we decided we'd celebrate another time. So I spent my anniversary with some very wonderful woman and Oliver and I will be celebrating at a later time.

Good thing he's so flexible because singing practice was wonderful. Oliver's gift to me this year was the best - he allowed me to do something for me - there hasn't been a lot of that since we welcomed Addison into our family. It sure was a treat.

Addison's First Date

Our neighbors and friends had their first baby last November - right after we found out we were pregnant. Their son is one of the only little guys in our whole neighborhood and so we were so happy to have a little playmate for Ms. Addison. We admit, she isn't quite old enough to be much fun for Sam, he still prefers flirting with adult women that flirt back - but soon enough they will be mischief makers together.

This past Monday we picked up Sam and his mom and headed to Herriman Lake. Here they are getting ready for their first chaperoned date.
Sam loved playing in the sand and crawling all around. Do you love the ball that someone donated to the parking lot that we found and Sam enjoyed?
Addison wasn't much fun to play with - she slept through most of our outing.
She woke up long enough to eat and put her feet in the water. While we were experimenting with the water the bees came to join us and that was the end for Jolene and I...I certainly HATE bees!
She'd kick her legs out and then scrunch them up again - it was really cute.
We headed home and when we got back to Sam's house to drop him off we found them both like this. Must have been a successful date.
Hopefully as time passes Addison will be a little more fun for Sam to play with - we don't want him telling all the other kids that she's no fun or that she's boring ;)

Addison's Baby Blessing

We finished all the preparations for Addison's blessing on Saturday night. Everything - food prep, clothes prep, house prep, yard prep, etc...I just wanted to have a calm and relaxing Sunday morning before her blessing. We also decided to take family pictures before church so that she would still be in a good mood - she is happiest in the morning. Well, normally she's happiest in the morning, but Sunday she decided to scream her head off for a good hour - she must have sensed our anxiety. Luckily, we started getting ready at 8:30 and so there was plenty of time for her to get out her frustrations before we needed to be ready to go (church wasn't 'til 11).

Here are some pictures of dressing Ms. Addison.
She's calming down in Nana's arms.
Finally dozing for a minute after getting all ready for her big day.
Three generations.
Our family.
She's a daddy's girl - we call Oliver "the Addison whisperer".
The star of the show.


Our family and friends having lunch to celebrate Addison.
A yummy spread of food - thanks to everyone who helping bring food - it really lightened our load!
The eight of us - and now we're growing so I guess you'd have to say the 10 of us.
The Hansen family (minus Emily).
Uncle Taylor met Addison for the first time this weekend (unless you count Skype as a meeting). He flew in for her blessing and flew back just 27 hours later. It meant so much to Oliver and me

The Dress Is Done

Even though it is quite controversial, I chose to make my wedding dress into a blessing dress for Addison and I LOVE IT! I feel that passing down a blessing gown as an heirloom is more likely than Addison wanting to actually wear my wedding dress. There are plenty of pictures of my dress and me in it. As for Addison wanting to see it when she gets older, well, several women rent their dresses and don't have them for their daughters to try on etc, so she can join that crowd.

The women that cut up my dress and made Addison's finished her dress today - just in time for her blessing and it's GORGEOUS! Here is a preview of the dress; their will be more pictures of Addison in it after this weekend.


Yep - it's beautifully amazing!

Homemade Applesauce

Last year you may remember that I taught myself to can peaches. Well, it's harvest time again, it's time for me to teach myself to can something else. This year the choice was applesauce. Applesauce is one of the first foods that you can introduce to babies...and since I have one I thought it would be a good thing to learn to make.

My mom hasn't canned since I was little and she used to can all growing up with her mom - so she agreed to help me. A good friend loaned us an apple peeler corer slicer thing which made it go quite smoothly.
I bought a case of apples from my food co-op and the fun began.

I was really glad my in-laws bought me a food processor for my birthday - it also made the process go that much more quickly!

Now I have bottled and frozen applesauce. It can be used in baking and for baby food and to eat. I love being domestic - I could totally get used to this stay-at-home mom thing!

Nana's In Town

My mom came into town about a week and a half ago and it has been a blast. Since my sister lives right down the street and also has a new baby we have been spending a lot of time together. It has been fun to get the three grand-kids together to play and for us to enjoy some adult interaction. Here's a picture of our reading time - every time anyone pulls out a book Kyle snuggles his way into the crowd to join in. He loves to read and Addison loves it too! (she just loves one or two books at a time and Kyle loves 15) :)
Nana and Aiden just talking together.
Addison had another big first - yard work! If she learns to work in the yard, and better yet if she learns to love it, it will be something she learns from her dad. I would rather clean house than be sentenced to do yard work. YUCK! But, she went out last Saturday and helped mow and trim the yard - it really helped her through her fussy period of the day and was the only time she slept almost the whole day :)


Yep, books happen a lot over here...and sleepers, Addison dresses in cute outfits when we're going out but sleepers are the way to go at home!
My nephew had a birthday and my sister and her husband hosted his party at our house. Oliver helped Kyle use one of his new balls to play basketball. When he opened his ball he went running along the back of our house to get to the hoop - you can tell he's played with Oliver before.
Addison has been taking her last nightly nap on our office floor while dad works. We call Oliver the Addison Whisperer.
Addison has been doing amazing at night. I don't know if it's a two night fluke or the start of a new habit but she has gone down at 10 or 10:30 and not woken up 'til 6 AM two nights in a row! To tell you the truth, I don't care which it is, after two nights in a row of great sleep for me I am feeling wonderful. Even if it doesn't last - I am grateful to have gotten the best sleep since she has been born and will take whatever I can get.
This week has been really busy and I'm very sad to say that I don't have pictures of many of our outings. We have been to Wheeler Farm, the State Fair, on walks and hiking twice. Addison has now hiked Silver Lake to Solitude Lake and to Secret Lake. It is so nice to take her out and the weather has been perfect hiking weather.

I personally LOVE the State Fair. My dad used to take me every summer to the Oregon State Fair. Granted, the Oregon State Fair is 6 or 7 times as big as the one here - I still love it. My mom and I took my nephew and Addison and had a great time. I have never been to the State Fair right when it opens - I've always been working and had to go after work. Well let me tell you, opening is the time to go - there were no lines, no crowds, no annoying peddlers on the fairway and no stifling heat. I will definitely be going at opening time again - we parked right next to the gate and could see the animals without pushing past people or waiting in really long lines. Plus, Kyle was one of maybe three kids in the Children's Farm area so they didn't care if he picked more than one apple or rode the tracker more then once around the track. It was awesome!
I love the pigs at the State Fair - they are my favorite! Here is a new piglet...
And this is the only evidence that Addison went to the State Fair - their is no evidence that I was there :(

Here is Addison trying out her sunglasses while we hike - her little button nose doesn't hold them on all that well yet...but we tried.
Our little family at Secret Lake - don't believe the sign when it says "easy" - it's a total lie!
'Til next time - love to all!

One Month

I borrowed the idea from our friend Ashley - we are going to track Addison every month to see how she's growing. I honestly can't believe that a month has already passed...the time is going so quickly!
She weighs 10 pounds, 6 ounces (according to our home methods of measuring) and is 19 inches long. We love her lots and lots and lots!

Addison Again

Hi - it's Addison again - I have had a very busy last week. My dad has been working long hours and so I sent him this picture of me while he was at work and an email that said, "Dad - I miss you and wish you were home with me. I have so many new books and toys that Aunt Kel brought for me. I can't wait for you to come home and see them. I love you!"
Then I sent him another email and picture, "oh yeah, and dad...do you like my cute outfit today?" I was so happy when he got off work right at 5 pm - it made my day!
Because you see - the day before I wore this cute outfit - and it didn't make my dad come home any earlier.
But I did wear that really cute outfit to go to lunch with my mom's friends from work (but I don't really remember meeting them because I slept through the whole outing).
But, my dad felt badly for being so late that night so he did put batteries in my mobile and while I was more interested in looking at him while he was taking the picture I do LOVE my mobile. I go to sleep a lot better in my crib now and I know that's making my mom happy too.
Also, grandma came over to cut my finger nails. My mom clipped my finger the first time she tried - I didn't cry at all but it bled a lot and my mom felt badly - so grandma offered to help.
Since that first time, I've had them cut again by my mom and she did much better - see?
Oh, and, my dad took me around the house and vacuumed. He carried me the whole time and by the time we finished his arm was dead - I'm not sure if it's because I'm heavy or because we have a BIG house...
I also would like you all to know that I have been working on perfecting my tummy time - isn't this more what it's supposed to look like? So please stop laughing at my previous attempts - I was only two weeks old...sheesh.
My parents took me to my first Swiss Days. I hear we'll be going every year because my great-grandpa has a booth up there and we help him clean up. I didn't really help this year but my dad says that we are hard workers in our family - so I'm sure I'll be helping soon. Also, at Swiss Days, my mom fed me for the first time in public - it went pretty well other than that it was really hot.
Did you know that I have an awesome high chair...well I got to try it out for the first time this weekend and I really like it.
It helps me to do one of my favorite things - look out the window. I can recline and watch the birds and shadows of the trees and just enjoy the sun. It's awesome!
I also learned to find my thumb this past week. I think it's accidental but I suck on it really hard when I can find it.
I also would like to report that I am the BEST SLEEPER - my mom says so. I went to bed at 9:30 last night - right to sleep with no fussing. Then I waited until 2:30 to eat again and I went right back to sleep. I then let my parents sleep in until 7:30...I figure they work so hard and could use the rest on a holiday morning. I'm pretty nice and considerate - don't you think?
The best thing that happened this past weekend is that my Aunt Kel came to stay with me (and my parents too).
We did all sorts of fun things together - like read...
and play in the activity gym that she got me...
snuggle...
We also went for a short hike. My dad loves to pack me in the Baby Bjorn so we headed up Little Cottonwood Canyon to hike Lisa Falls.
We took lots of pictures - this is me with Aunt Kel and the quilt that she made me.
My dad tossed me and played with me...
Then my mom packed me back down from the waterfall (please ignore the skewed picture that my dad took).
Well folks, that's been my big adventures...stay tuned because I'm sure I'll have other stories to tell very soon.
I love you all - thanks for your continued readership :)