Meeting G&G Lyon

As crazy as Claire's beginning was we didn't make it to meet Oliver's grandparents for about a month after she was born.  On Sunday November 4th we stopped by their home to make the introductions. 

Here is 4 generations just missing Oliver's mom.  She doesn't love having her picture taken and wasn't with us that night - so it's as close to a 4 generation picture as we can get.  Claire did what any child does at the end of a Sunday-day - she cried.  At least that's what our kids do at the end of most Sundays.

Grandma Margene is the best piano player.  We could name just about any song and she could play it without a book.  Addison danced and sang around their front room for quite awhile singing ABC songs, Christmas songs, Primary songs and anything else she could think of.  At the end of our sing-along Addison played chopsticks with grandma.  It was a great Sunday evening.

Grandpa Lyon passed away on December 18th so this was our last visit in their home.  We saw him a couple more times in the hospital before he died - but we were glad to have this evening to share with him.  

Things to Remember

December 19th (traveling home from Nana and Papa's house on a Christmas night-light tour):
Addison: Look the temple
Me: Yep, it's beautiful
Addison: I get married there.
Me: Yes, you and Claire are going to get married there.
Addison: Jesus be there?
Me: Yes
Addison: Mary be there?
Me: Our friend Mary?
Addison: No, Mary.  Mary be there?
Me: Jesus' mom?
Addison: Yes.  Mary be there?
Me: Um, yes, Mary will be there too.
Addison: Good, I want Mary there.  Joseph there?
Me: Yes, Joesph will be there too.
Addison: I married with Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
Me: Yep.

December 28th - Addison says her first unassisted prayer
Heavenly Father.  I love thee.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Often Addison has tried to say her own prayer but usually she just says Heavenly Father in Jesus' name Amen.  This is the first time she's inserted some text in the middle.  She is getting so big.

Claire's Blessing

We had Claire's blessing yesterday and it went wonderfully.  Almost all our family was here to support us.

We made Claire a dress from the fabric of my wedding dress just like we did for Addison.  Addison's was long and single layered and Claire's has several layers to make it puffy and it is considerably shorter.  I might find time to get some detail pictures of the dress - but for now - here's a comparison.

And of course Addison needed to lay out like Claire and have her picture taken.  Whenever Claire is getting some extra attention Addison jumps in and wants to be doing the same thing.

Three generations.

 The entire Hansen family and no one is in a wedding dress!  We can put it up on our wall and everyone looks great!

And just for more comparison...

OOMA-Bliss

If you know me well then you know that I hate my cell phone.  However, we have never been able to justify the expense for a land line on top of our cell bills and Oliver has never been supportive of me not having a cell and only having a land line.  However, I've been staying home since February and don't have great cell service in our basement and don't like having to run to answer my cell phone and usually it's on silent.  Often, when Oliver comes home Friday night I put my phone on the kitchen counter and don't touch it again until Monday when he's back in the office and I need to talk to him.  I'll pick it up and have 8 voice mails and several texts.  I don't like feeling tethered and I just wish we had a land line that rang throughout our house!

Since I read this blog post on March 24, 2011 I have wanted to get an Ooma system which is kind of like Vonage in that it runs your home phone through your internet - however there is no monthly fee!  You pay a one-time $150 purchase of buying the box system and they you pay whatever your state taxes are every month to have a land line.  In Utah it is $4.  For the grand cost of $4 I now have a phone line with free long distance, call waiting and an answering machine!  Several times I've looked into adding a land line to our internet service and the most basic phone line is $12 per month with $10 in taxes and no long distance or call waiting.  It would only take 7 months to trade to OOMA at that price.  My mom pays upwards of $50 for her home phone line with long distance and it would only take 3 months to convert to OOMA. 

Don't misunderstand, I wish OOMA was paying me to advertise for them, but they aren't.  I just love the savings and I LOVE having a land line phone in our home.  I don't have to keep my cell attached to my body and my mom bought us phones for our house for Christmas on black Friday.  We have four handsets (playroom, office, kitchen, laundry room) and they work like an intercom system through our house and they ring when you call so I can always hear our phone ringing!  I can also call Oliver down in the office from the kitchen and say "dinner is ready"!  It is awesome!

The most important part of this message - other than I think that you should get an OOMA - is that we now have a home phone number.  Please start calling me at 801-441-2202.  Thanks!  Much love!

Merry Christmas

Addison was very excited to go and see Santa.  She ran right over to where he was sitting and jumped in front of him exclaiming "boo".  She then jumped right up onto his lap and told him that she wants a kitchen and an orange backpack.  She wasn't as excited to have her picture taken - but she was earning a cookie sheet with four wooden cookies if she would cooperate.  She did great and Claire started crying right after the last picture.  All in all - it was very successful!