Love at first sight

It's been eight years since the day that changed my life:  The day I met the love of my life!

It was Thanksgiving Day.  My family had moved back to Norway three years earlier, so I had been invited to spend this holiday with my friend Lori and her family.  Lori's high school had their annual reunion this evening at a local bar.  Although I wouldn't know any one, she convinced me to come along.  We were going to meet a few of her friends who had gone to the same high school and then drive to the bar together.

In the door walks this cute guy I had noticed at a karaoke bar a couple weeks ago!!!  I was SO excited!  It didn't take long before we got into a conversation.  His name was Mike and he had moved to Minnesota from California.  He was two years older than me and working as the manager of a country club (where I had been with my roommate because she wanted to apply for a job there).  His dad actually grew up in Minneapolis just a few blocks away from where I used to live, and his twin sister studied in the same program as me at the same college!

When we got to the bar, everyone ran off greeting and hugging friends they hadn't seen in a long time.  Mike, on the other hand, went up to the bar and bought me a drink (a Smirnoff Ice - my favorite at the time)!  What  a gentleman :)  After hours of conversation, I had already developed a huge crush on him.  He was simply amazing!  He was so easy to talk to, and such a funny guy!  At the end of the night, he told me that he had actually seen me at the karaoke bar a couple weeks ago and had asked a friend about me. hihi :)  Too cute!  To skip all of the cheesy details, it was the best evening of my life.  We stayed up late talking and listening to music, and I couldn't wait to see him again!

I knew it was meant to be!  There had been so many events in the past that we had both been at plus we had so much in common, so if it hadn't happened this Thanksgiving, I believe it would've happened anyway!

The following days were so exciting!  We were both falling very deeply and very fast!  Less than a month after we met, I was going to Norway to spend Christmas with my family.  Mike got his passport and came to visit me while I was there.  He met my family, they got along immediately, and... well, the rest is history! :)

Guess why I'm so happy this morning???

Ut på tur, aldri sur!

We brought Olivia on our little hike today and she LOVED it! She slept most of the time, but was really happy during the little time that she was awake. She was so comfortable and absolutely loving the fresh air!!!

Pumpkin huntin'

Have you ever gone Pumpkin Huntin'? Neither have we!

Halloween is soon approaching so I wanted to do something fun for the kids. If we were in the States, we'd go to the Pumpkin Patch, on Hayrides, Haunted House (well, maybe not until they're bigger) and do lots of fun Halloween'ish stuff. Since we don't have any of that here, we have to be creative.

So today we went for a hike where all of a sudden we found pumpkins hanging in trees throughout the woods. The boys were beyond excited!!! They ran around, super eager to search for another pumpkin!
Deep into the woods, we arrived at our bonfire area. Mike and the boys built a lavvo, while Olivia and I grilled our dinner ;)

They continued to build and had a blast playing on their own "climbing projects"!

The boys in my life!!! Our kids are so incredibly lucky to have such an amazing dad!!! And home we go after our fun adventure in the woods... :)

Happy Birthday Mamma!

My mom had her birthday this weekend so to celebrate she brought our entire family to the new Rock 'n Roll museum in town. What a creative idea!!! The kids just LOVED going there to eat, run around, and do fun stuff with their favorite people. It was great!

We weren't allowed to take pictures there so I didn't get to capture the smiling faces sitting in old cars, wearing great hats and big sunglasses, while rocking to old classic music.

We had such a fun day and I shouldn't be surprised that my mom brought us here. She always keeps everyone else in mind when planning her days. She finds things that everyone will enjoy, no matter what age or who they are. She finds things that her grandkids absolutely love and brings us places where we can have fun together. She's simply amazing... Not just at planning days and activities like this, but at everything! I look up to her so incredibly much and am lucky to have her in my life, both as my mom and my best friend.

Happy birthday Mamma!

SNOW!!!

I was in shock when I looked outside the window this morning at 6am. The first snow of the year had fallen!!! I LOVED IT!!! I woke the kids up and we ran to look out the window together. Unfortunately (for me at least), it was a school day so we couldn't rush outside to play in the fresh snow!Although it wasn't much and didn't stay for long, it really put me in the Christmas mood. I'm so excited for more snow, shopping for Christmas, decorating, and everything else that goes along with Christmas spirit!!! Soon, soon, soooooon!!!!! :)

Old fashion mail

Remember back in the days when friends wrote letters and actually sent them by mail? I miss REAL mail! I love the simplicity of technology and how easy it is to keep in touch with family and friends so often, but I miss sitting down with paper and pen to write a note that will one day end up in my friend's mailbox.

Mike's dad is one of the few who is really good about still using the mail box. Besides bills, he may be the only one we receive anything from in our green box. Today we received anyother care-package from him. Inside the cardboard box with our address on top, we found a car each for the boys, a couple of gossip magazines for me (which I'm not embarrassed to admit that I love!), and a cute Halloween onesie for little Olivia. I think Mike received a car magazine of some sort but I got so excited about the stuff for me and my kids that I forgot to look - sorry! ;)

Thank you for all of the great things you send us, Grandpa Glenn!!!

Olivia at 5 weeks

Olivia is growing up so fast! She kept smiling and trying to make sounds today.

I was a little late with getting my camera in video mode so I missed her big smiles and trying to talk a lot, but I thought I'd post it anyway so you guys could see how cute she is and how big she's gotten.

Girls Day Out

Olivia and I were having a girls day out with a couple friends and their babies today. I don't dress Olivia up in dresses very often, but decided to today. We met a few friends for lunch, then went shopping for new clothes for her big brothers. I can't wait until she gets older and we can do more shopping together!
P.S. I've tried taking both Elliot and Aiden shopping with me, but they are such typical boys - they only enjoy it if they're bribed with buying a toy! haha

My smiley sunshine!

Olivia is such a little smiler these days! She smiles every time we make silly faces or sounds. It's so cute!!! They are REAL smiles too! :)

I attempted to take a picture while she was laying in my arms. The picture didn't quite turn out but at least you can see one of her little smiles!

Playground fun... or not...

Mike had some work to do so I decided to take the kids out. My mom was nice enough to offer to come along to help. I thanked her but explained that we would love her company but that she didn't have to if she had other stuff to do because the kids are always so nice and good to me when we go out anyway. Well, lets just say I'm glad she came with!!!

When I told the boys where we were going, I expected a shout of excitement. Instead they both said they were tired and didn't feel like playing at the playground today. WHAT? I didn't believe them! I knew they would have fun once we got there - like they always do! Boy was I wrong!

The first half hour was constant wining, arguing, falling, and complaining. Apparently they meant it when they said they were tired and didn't want to go there. Luckily, my mom was there to help motivate the boys to run around and have fun.

After a couple hours of playing, we went for a walk to the pond to look at the ducks before we headed home. Not all days start out as great but we ended up having fun eventually. And although I like to be stubborn and not accept help, it sure was nice to have my mom there when I was out alone with all three!

After our outing, we went back to my parents' house where my dad had his grillpit ready for grilling hotdogs with the kids.

What started out... well, not so great... ended up great after all ;)

Family Day at the Firestation

This week is Fire Awareness Week in Trondheim. To be honest, I haven't heard much about it or the activities that take place this week, but thanks to facebook statuses, I found out about a local event that was happening today: Open Day for All at the Firestation.

We loaded up our car and off we were to the firestation. Inside the station, they had a contest for the older kids. They had to walk through the station and answer 12 questions about fires, which Elliot mastered easily. A fireman was waiting at the last question. He congratulated Elliot, wrote his name on a diploma, and gave him a fireman cap as a prize. Aiden got one as well even though he was too excited to run around the station to listen to the questions.

They also had the hose from the firetruck out so the kids could try out. The water pressure was obviously very low, but the boys found it exciting anyway. When the long line finally calmed down, it was time to go up on the ladder. Elliot didn't care for a ride, but Aiden was very excited to jump at the offer.

It was a really eventful day for all! :)

Not bad for only 4 weeks

My theory on the local baby boom

I just had a group meeting at our local doctor's office for all of the moms in this area with babies born in August 2010. There were 18 of us, which is A LOT of babies for such a small area. Apparently there is a baby boom going on here this summer.

Here is my theory:

Last summer/fall, there was a lot of talk in this town about the lack of daycares. We have quite a few, but not enough to offer daycare for the youngest kids when they were ready to start. Last September, there were a couple hundred kids who did not get into daycare, leaving a lot of parents confused and frustrated about how to manage work and family life. Norway has a law requiring cities to provide daycare spots for ALL kids born before Sept. 1st, so parents planning how to deal with childcare after a year of maternity leave can secure it ahead of time for the following school year.

My thought when I heard about this law was that our next child should be born before Sept. 1st so that we didn't have to stress about our finances if we didn't get daycare when I was going to start work again. We decided to try having our third baby in August to make life easier for us... because if we didn't get daycare when our baby turns one and I need to start work again, we'd have to wait an entire year for an opening (unless people move and spots open up, and our name was towards the top of that waiting list).

Apparently, I wasn't the only one with this thought. The nurse said there are more babies in one month in this town than there has been in a looong time. I can't wait to hear the results of babies born in September and October here. My theory is that the number will be really low!

We'll see if I'm right!!!! ;)

Awaiting our new niece

Mike sister and brother-in-law are expecting their first child and today is their due date! The ultrasound showed a baby girl and her name is going to be Elizabeth. I am so incredibly excited for Jill and Joe. They will love being parents and do an excellent job, and their daughter will be lucky to have such amazing parents!

After a lot of nagging, Jill finally sent me some pictures of her with a belly. Isn't she gorgeous? I just adore this girl and I'm so lucky to have her as my sister-in-law!!!

Mike and I are so excited to meet our little niece one day and to see our kids play together with their cousin. I just hope it won't be too long!

Three weeks old

Olivia is now three weeks old. She's becoming so aware of her surroundings! Her eyes focus really well when she looks at you. If someone walks into the room, her head and eyes move quickly. She seems to follow sounds really well and looks back and forth between people talking around her.

She's an alert little girl. That's for sure!

When did I get so old?

I had a Parent Meeting at Elliot's school tonight.

While sitting there in a room full of parents, listening to a 24-year-old teacher talk about HER class that MY kid is in and discussing our role as parents, it hit me... I'M ALL GROWN UP NOW! When did this happen??? Where did the time go???

It just seemed so unreal. But you know what? I loved it!

I love my life as an adult. I feel lucky to have what I have and live like I live, and I wouldn't go trade it for the world!!!

Big brother

Aiden and Elliot love being big brothers to Olivia! Today after daycare, Aiden insisted on going for a walk with Olivia in the stroller. He went and got the stroller, then asked me to put Olivia in there. I was about to make dinner so instead of going for a walk outside, Aiden took his little sister on a trip around the house.

Role models

You know how there are some people you just look up to? Not for any particular reason... Just because they are who they are?

I have a couple aunts like that. They are people I respect because of their achievements, yet I view them as friends as well. They are people I know are always there for me. They are the ones who send messages when things are rough or to congratulate us if something exciting in our life has happened.

One of those aunts is coming over to visit today. I can't wait because it's been too long since we last met. She is one of the kindest and most positive people you will come across and I can't wait to see her big smile at my door today!

Family Movie Day

I'm not a big fan of movie theaters. I don't mind movies, but I think the theaters are overpriced and therefore, I tend to just save the money and watch movies at home. Mike is opposite - he grew up with movies and couldn't live without them. He loves the whole experience that goes along with movie theaters... buying tickets, getting popcorn, eating candy, and of course the movie (ANY movie! He LOVES movies!).

So today I decided to be a 'good family member' and take my cute little family to a movie AND go with!!! Elliot was really excited that I was coming along because usually Mike just takes him while Aiden and I go do something outdoors. Olivia is only 2 weeks old so we took a chance that it'd work out to bring her. I figured that if it was too loud or she was uncomfortable, I would just leave and take her on a walk.

Our first movie experience as a family of five went great! Apparently, Olivia fits right in with Mike and the boys because she loved the theaters. When she was awake, she just sat on my lap and looked at the screen and the lights along the wall, but for the most part, she just slept.

It was such a fun Family Day! It was especially cute to see how excited the boys were to go to a movie AT A THEATER with the ALL of us!!! :)

Giftbaskets...

I love making them. I love giving them. I love receiving them!

We have a family reunion coming up so my mom and I wanted to give my aunt and uncle a gift since they host this annual event. They put in a lot of effort in preparing everything and do an incredible job! So here's the gift we put together for two people who deserve a big thanks!

The items within the basket are: 3 towels, 3 candles, napkins, a bottle of red wine, a handmade napkin holder (it's wrapped around the wine bottle), Yatzy game (a must-have at every cabin!), nice dish cloths, and yummy sausage (my favorite - especially along with crackers and cheese!). My mom was the creative one when it came to the shopping, and I think she did an awesome job. They are all items that are perfect for a gift we'll be delivering at a cabin. I think they'll love it!

A weekend alone with all 3 kids!

I sent Mike away for the weekend to close up the camper since we won't be using it until next spring/summer now. He brought along a friend of ours and made a fishing/boys' trip out of it. Although they didn't catch any fish, I'm sure they're having fun. I know we are!

I love being alone with the kids. We have such a blast together!!! For some reason, they are SO good and helpful when it's just me home with them. Not that they're bad when Mike is home, but then they're more likely to be sneaky or try to play us off of each other. The kids were tired from school and daycare on Friday, so we just stayed in all evening. We made pizza together, then took out some snacks and watched a movie. Half way through the movie, Aiden got bored of TV so we took out some legos. Aiden and I built legos for a little bit while Olivia laid on Elliot's lap.

This morning was like any other morning. No challenges. No problems. We ate breakfast together and the boys played while I fed our little Olivia. Then I laid tons of different artsy things on the table so that Elliot and Aiden could decide which art project they wanted to work on that morning. First we made cute little animals out of styrofoam, yarn and paint. Then we drew for a little bit before we started our playdoh project. I love watching the boys be creative on their own. We had so much fun together!

After a wonderful morning around the art table, the kids decided to throw me a challenge! ;) I wanted to get them outside to get fresh air so we went to the soccer field to run around a bit. My mom stopped by to visit us so she came along to the field with us... Luckily!!! I'm not sure what happened with my kids, but nothing went right. After an hour (if that) of arguing, Olivia thought it'd be fun to join her brothers so she began crying in protest of laying in her stroller like the sweet little girl she is! Although I was frustrated and confused on the inside, I couldn't help but to laugh. I packed up the bunch and we headed home. My mom must have been in shock... I don't think she's EVER seen her grandkids like this.

The hour of arguing was exactly what the boys apparently needed because once that was out of their system, they were angels the rest of the day! I'm not sure what it was, but I still find it odd that it didn't happen until we got a visitor and it went over as soon as she left. Maybe the boys notice that when I'm alone with all three kids that it's more work for me and that they have to be kind to help me out. Is it out of respect maybe? So when there is another parent around, they hurry and take the opportunity to get the Stinker side of them out? I don't know, but I find it quite amusing.

All in all, it's been an awesome weekend with the kids so far. They did a great job getting ready for bed this evening and fell asleep without a problem. Olivia is asleep now as well so the household is quiet and peaceful... but also kind of boring. I'm not sure what to do now that everyone is asleep. Maybe Mike will surprise me and come home early so I have someone to watch a movie with? :)

My three favorite people!

This picture was in the newspaper of my kids. Although the quality isn't that great since it was scanned, I think the picture turned out great! All three of them look amazing!!!

Sleeping baby

Siblings :)

I can't believe it - we now have three kids! I was expecting chaos, noice, and craziness... but so far things are going absolutely wonderful. Elliot and Aiden are proud big brothers who want to hold and cuddle with Olivia anytime they get the chance.

If she cries, they try their best to talk softly to her, sing a song, or kiss her on her cheeks and forehead, while they tell me to hurry up because she wants food or a diaper change. Olivia is so lucky to have such great big brothers. I'm so proud of them!!!

"Aiden and Mommy Day"

Today was Aiden's day to be alone with me, while Elliot got alone-time with Mike. Olivia came along with Aiden and I but she slept in the stroller the whole time so Aiden and I still got plenty of time to ourselves.

Aiden and I decided to go for a walk down to the school to play on the playground. This is one Aiden's favorite places to go since it's his big brother's area, but today he got it all to himself! I brought along a bottle of water and some cookies that we enjoyed inside the boat.

While we were here, Mike and Elliot enjoyed there Fun Day at the soccer field. We met them there when we were done playing, and then we all headed home to enjoy dinner together! It was so nice to have that quality time with just one of my boys. Time to give JUST him ALL of my attention (while knowing that Elliot was being spoiled with the same attention by Mike)! It was a FUN FUN day!!!

Our princess!

Olivia is only two days, yet so alert! When we talk to her, she looks right into our eyes. When the boys are running around playing, her eyes move quickly around the room to try to figure out where the sound is coming from. It's so adorable! Aww, I love this little girl!!!

Going home to the boys!

Three hours after Olivia was born, I was walking around my hospital room when the Midwife came into my room. She told me that both Olivia and I were doing so well that we would shortly be brought to the "Hotel" part of the hospital (it's part of the hotel so you're on your own but have nurses and dr.'s available nearby if there is anything).

She followed by saying that I will have a room for three nights and can ask to stay longer if I need to after that, but if things continue to go this well, we could also choose to go home as early as the following day! I had always thought we were 'suppose to' stay there for at least two days so I was extremely excited to hear that Olivia and I could go home the next morning!!!

"Did you hear that Olivia? We're going HOME to the boys!!!"

Look at that proud daddy! He was so happy to hear that he could bring home his girls! :)

Olivia slept the whole car ride home without a problem. Isn't she cute??? :)

Our new family member has arrived

Elliot and Aiden now have a baby sister. Olivia arrived Sunday, August 29th at 8:22pm. She was 6.6lbs, 18in. long, and absolutely beautiful!

My due date was that very day. Throughout the past couple of weeks, I had predicted that she would be born either Sunday or Monday. Elliot started first grade last week and Aiden started a new daycare group for the bigger kids so I was hoping our baby girl would wait to arrive so that I could be a part of their first few days at least. She was quite cooperative and did just that! :)

Saturday evening, Aiden and Elliot went to my mom and dad's house to spend the night there. Mike and I had planned a date with good food and a movie to enjoy some time together before our house was filled with three little ones. Sunday afternoon, we headed over to my parents' house to join them for dinner and pick up the boys. During dinner (around 5:30pm) I started to feel a little bit of pain and commented that I had a feeling she'd be coming out that night or next morning. As we were getting Aiden and Elliot ready to head home, we decided my mom should come with us since I'd probably have to head down to the hospital in a few hours. The boys drove with my mom since she had the carseats to drive them to school/daycare the following morning. A few minutes after leaving my mom's house, I started getting stronger contractions. Since Aiden and Elliot were born within just a few hours, Mike and I decided to drive straight to the hospital to check things out instead of wasting time driving the opposite direction to our house only to return in a few hours.

We arrived at the hospital at 7:30pm. I went with Mike to park the car because I wanted to walk and save time from laying on the hospital bed once I checked in. After checking in, the midwife made me comfortable and asked the normal questions to prepare the birth. Our baby was extremely active in my belly and her heart beat was fairly high so our midwife asked how I felt about trying waterbirth to calm the baby and as a pain relief for me (since I didn't want any other sort of pain relief). At 7:50pm, I have on my phone that I sent a text message to my parents to let them know I had arrived, was going to give waterbirth a try, and that I was 5cm dilated already! The bathtub wasn't even filled up halfway when the midwife told me this was going to happen so fast, I wouldn't make it into the tub. I had a few painful contractions, but with Mike standing next to me so I could squish his hand while he put a cold washcloth on my face, I felt very safe and comfortable. The midwife told me it would go really fast so to relax and breathe slow - and don't start pushing quite yet! On the next contraction, I pointed at the midwife to let her know that plan wouldn't work - my baby was on her way out! At 8:22pm, a beautiful baby girl entered our world with one arm over her head!

The midwife put my daughter on my chest. It was as if this was my first child - the feeling of holding my daughter was amazing! She was beautiful. Tiny. Mine! I was so extremely proud! Her skin color was gorgeous. The midwife even commented that usually the skincolor is darker and more bluish when you've had a couple kids previously, so she was amazed at how gorgeous our daughter's skincolor was, being that it was my 3rd pregnancy. Her eyes were big and blue! She was by far the prettiest girl we had ever seen!

I still can't believe it! Less than an hour after we parked our car, our daughter was born. The birth was a dream! It was absolutely perfect and I couldn't have asked for anything better. The midwife was amazing and so positive, and last but not least, Mike's support is what got me through it all without a moment of hesitation! He knew exactly when to comfort me, what to say, and what I needed to feel safe! He was amazing!

I am so content right now. I'm in love with the best guy and I have three beautiful kids who I couldn't be more proud of! I couldn't be any happier than I am right now, at this very moment!

A very simple diaper cake

An old coworker of mine had a baby this spring, but with summer vacation we haven't been able to meet yet. So today I'm going to have coffee with her and finally meet her little girl. I had started a diaper cake for her a while ago, but realized just last night that those diapers would be too small by now so I had to hurry and make a new one this morning. Because the diapers I bought now were bigger, there were also a lot less in the package, which pregnant-and-forgetful-me didn't think of until I was making the cake. Therefore, it ended up being smaller and more simple than planned. Hopefully it'll be the first time she receives a diaper cake and she'll appreciate it anyway! ;)

Off to deliver the gift, drink coffee with an awesome friend, and meet a cute little baby girl now.

Happy Wednesday!

It's my original due date TODAY!

Yup, that's right... When I first found out I was pregnant, I was given TODAY as my due date! After the ultrasound, the date was changed to the 29th, which is still another 5 days away. Either way, the past 9 months have gone by incredibly fast and we're ready to meet our new family member whenever she decides to come out.

Aiden and Elliot are especially anxious. They keep hugging my belly, singing songs and talking to their sister, and asking A LOT of questions. It will be so great when she finally decides to join us. I can't wait to see the 3 siblings interact and get to know each other.

I feel so blessed today. Anyday now, we will meet our little princess!

Elliot's first day of school