Once there was a snowman...

Once there was a snowman, snowman, snowman,

Once there was a snowman tall, tall, tall...

And in the sun he melted,

melted,

melted,

small, small, small...

Wishing you a Happy, Happy Annika!

The Belle of the Ball, Adrienne...

It is not too often that Adrienne and I get to get dressed up to go out together. My employer, Kitsap Bank, throws an annual Christmas party that is semi-formal. So Adrienne had an excuse to get all dressed up. Isn't she beautiful?

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow...

Some of you may have heard that it has been snowing here in the Puget Sound area. I have been lucky to have been on vacation since the snow began to fall. Above you will see our attempt at what is commonly known as a snow man. I know he doesn't look too great, but he has a very good excuse. You see he is a Mariner fan and it has been a rough year for him.

Needless to say it has been very difficult to keep the kids inside. I am amazed at how long they can stay outside in the cold without proper clothing. All they need is a hot chocolate and they warm right up.

Pioneer Valley

A few weeks ago we were invited back to our "old" church ward by some good friends. We were able to go for a special ordination. As soon as we walked in the doors we saw so many warm and friendly faces. I felt a great sense of feeling I was home. It was pretty great going back to visit with these people who are like family. I just want to say thanks to Jerry and Jennifer for inviting us to be a part of that moment. We did miss seeing some of you while you were away with sick kids and family matters elsewhere. I will always think of Pioneer Valley ward as one of my favorites!

Oh yeah, and thanks to Darwin (Bishop Reed) for holding Annika and putting her to sleep.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

The Saturday after Thanksgiving Joe and I had the day off from work. So we decided to put up our Christmas tree and decorations. We put some wassail on the stove, put in some Christmas music and got to work. With the help of Madi and Gavin it pretty much is a whole day activity. We realized that it may be easier to put the lights on as we put the tree together. In theory, this is a good idea until you realize you only have one string of lights. So Joe went to the store and bought 2 boxes of 100 lights. We barely got up to the second set of branches. Hmm, another store trip later and the 4th or 5th time of putting up the lights we finally were satisfied. There are more lights on the bottom but I couldn't get myself to take them all off again to make it even. After that it was dinner time and Joe and I were both tired enough to let Madi put all the ornaments on the tree. So all of our ornaments are her height level and down. It looks so good!!!! But the holidays are about the children anyway. So I will leave it that way for a while. She was so proud.

Ta Da! Our finished product.

Many Thanks...

Papa, Annika, and our niece Ila Ann. We met with them for an appetizer before the festivities began.
Our nephew Joshua and Gavin.

Our niece Tara and Madi.

Papa holding our nephew Zachary and Joe holding Annika.

This year we spent Thanksgiving at the Sirrine's house. The VanderHoevens, Urvinas, and Densleys were there. Overall, I believe there was close to 30 people!! So the tradition is to list a few things that you are thankful for. I do hope that it doesn't get too long and mushy! I have much to be thankful for.

I am thankful for the Sirrines inviting us over to a wonderful dinner. I love a full house and all the chaos of kids running around, football game in the background, and the rush of last minute touches.

I am thankful for a nice warm place to live and food on the table.

I am thankful for my job and my husband's job.

I am thankful for 3 very happy healthy and beautiful children (Well, most of the time anyway). I am also thankful for my extended family on both sides.

I am thankful for a husband who adores me and shows and tells me on a daily basis. I am thankful that he works so hard to support his family at work and home. I am thankful that he believes in Jesus Christ and shows compassion for everyone. I am thankful that he is an amazing daddy.

I am thankful to live in America. I am thankful for my freedoms. Freedom of religion, freedom of speech, etc.

I am thankful for modern day appliances that make day to day life so much easier.

I am also very thankful for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I would definitely not be the person I am today without the wonderful example and knowledge of Jesus Christ. I am also thankful for the atonement and the knowledge that I can live with Him again and with my family.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy this wonderful month of December.

Our Little Angel Annika

I figured it was about time to give an update on our little angel, Annika.

While she doesn't crawl yet, she is very mobile. She likes to roll where ever she wants to go. She can be surprisingly quick at this. She is also very quick to find anything that is left on the floor. Of course it goes straight in her mouth. We have pulled many interesting things from her mouth recently.
We have been working hard with her to learn to sit up unassisted. She can last a little while, maybe 30 seconds. But will eventually turn quickly to see one of her siblings run by and fall over. This is a huge accomplishment for her.
When she gets excited she tends to, well I am not sure how to explain it, so watch the video.

The video quality isn't the best....but the audio is hilarious.....

(You may want to scroll down and pause the music before you play the clip)

Photo Tag

So the tag is to post the 4th picture of your 4th folder. So here it is.

This is Madilynn when she was 2 years 11 months old. Christmas 2003. I still love those boots.

Twilight the movie

Yes, I braved the long lines and the late night to go see the Twilight movie come to life. I went to the 12:01Am showing in Federal Way with my sister-in-law Valerie (with Zach in tow), my niece Sarah, and her cousin and friend, and Valerie's sister-in-law Judy. I was in line at 9:30PM. I forgot my book and so I just sat their and people watched. Very entertaining lots of teenagers and people who like vampires. It wasn't all in vain. I did get some very nice seats so that I didn't have a huge crick in the neck. Anyway, I liked the movie. I want to see it again to give it a proper critique. It is really hard to see a movie when you really love the book. It is sometimes hard to put on screen what books do so well with words. Overall I thought the actors playing Bella and Edward were a good fit. For all of you who haven't read the Twilight series I highly recommend.

Cell phone pictures what can I say!!!

Gavin at the Fire House

Last Friday Gavin got to go on a field trip to the Sumner Fire Department. It was really great. They showed the kids how to put their fire gear on and that it may look a little scary but it is just a fireman underneath it all. They showed them to get low when there is a fire and not be scared if they come to rescue them. Great idea! They got to sit in a Fire truck and see a fire engine. They got to go in an emergency medical vehicle. We also got a tour of the fire house. That was actually really cool. Each firefighter had their own little cubby room. They had a nice big living room and kitchen. They don't have a pole or a dalmatian, but they have a really cool slide. Here are some pics that I took with my cell phone.

201(k)

At work today, we had our annual meeting with our retirement plan representative. I have to admit I have really tried to not look at my 401(k) lately, because I knew it wouldn't be pretty. However, with the rep paying us a visit I figured I would log on and take a peak today. I should have resisted the urge. This is what greeted me:

From: Jul-27-2007
To: Nov-20-2008
Percent Return: -53.15%

I had heard the running joke about them now being 201(k)s..... but this is just ridiculous....

Imaginary Friend?

It is no secret that Gavin doesn't like our new house. He has told us on more than one occasion he likes our old house better. So he goes around saying things like, "At my house we get to..." or "My house is close by". We don't indulge it by any means and try and tell him we live here now and this is our house. Well lately I guess he felt the need to trade up some more. He is constantly saying "My other mom says we have money to buy the transformer" and "My other mom at my house..." I know having an imaginary friend is considered somewhat normal but what about a whole new imaginary life? He told Joe that his other mom will let him come to his house. What!!! I had to ask Joe if he had a girlfriend somewhere! J/K but seriously that kid!

High School Tag!

1)Did you date someone from your school? Briefly, my boyfriend had actually graduated!
2)What kind of car did you drive? The first year I could drive I drove a Plymouth Colt hatchback - that my dad named "The wind-up". He thought it resembled those little toy cars that you had to wind-up to get them to move! My first accident was in that car about a week after I got my drivers license. My second car was a 1994 Ford Aspire, teal green. I named this one Paco.
3)What was your most embarrassing moment? Thinking back about this there were really too many. Here is one I can remember that isn't too bad to share. I was in math class as a freshman. The teacher was calling us back individually to talk with us, while the rest of us had quiet study time. He said my name I got up and my book was about to fall so I turned to slide it back on and then turned back around to go see the teacher. I turned a little to wide and ran smack into the metal file cabinet. It was SO LOUD. Every one turned and laughed. OY!! I just laughed it off and kept walking. I will never forget that one!!
4)Were you a party animal? Only with my close friends. I did get quite a few sugar highs but that was the extent!
5)Were you considered a flirt? No, I was a little shy in high school.
6)Were you in Band, Orchestra, or Choir? No, I was considered a hazard when it came to music.
7)Were you a NERD? Verdict is still out! J/K I wasn't a nerd but I definitely wasn't a part of the "IN" crowd.
8)Were you on any Varsity Teams? No, that would require me to be on a sports team.
9)Did you get suspended or expelled? No, shy remember! Plus my mom would have killed me.
10)Can you still sing the fight song? No, I barely could remember the words! My friend that I got this quiz from had it all written down. So here it is. “We are proud of our valley, its fields and meadows fair. We dwell in peace and plenty, contentment everywhere. There is one of these blessings from mem’ry ne’er depart. It is our dear old grand high school, the pride of every heart. GV High (GVHS), I love thee (I love thee). Thy name I hold in memory. GV High (GVHS), I love thee (I love thee). Let me live and die still true to thee.” I won't do the second verse. ;o)
11)Who were your favorite teachers? Mr. Harwood he was a witty smart teacher. I loved how he constantly made fun of all of us for our bad grammar! Sanpete county, He got a lot of laughs. For me he was very effective. He was also over the yearbook committee and I really enjoyed my time there.
12)Where did you sit during lunch? I didn't go into the cafeteria often. I couldn't be seen eating! Hello this is HS. I always took my apple and plain wheat bagel and ate it in the halls. I sometimes met my mom at home for lunch when I was hungrier!!!
13)What was your school mascot? Bulldog. Go Blue!
14)Did you go to Homecoming? I think I did one year. I didn't date a lot in HS. Small towns are difficult to date people. I could remember what these boys did in Kindergarten. Like eat paste and stuff like that.
15)If you could go back would you? No, I would never want to relive it. I am pretty satisfied with what I did and who I was. Those are difficult years. I did the best I could.
16)What do you remember most about graduation? I remember it was in our school gym. I sat by my good friend Stephanie Finlayson and talked through most of it. Checked out a guy in the back of the room I had a crush on. (Rochelle Pet.'s cousin) Oh yeah, and my brother-in-law Rick yelled out "Yo Adrienne" when I got my diploma!! Classic!
17)Where did you go for your Senior trip? I didn’t. I bought a ticket to go back to Finland and Sweden. Then a day before I was supposed to leave my father passed away! I wish I would've gone to CA with everyone else. In hindsight!!!
18)Were you in any clubs? Student Body Secretary, FHA, Yearbook, that is what I can remember.
19)Have you gained weight since High School? Yes. 3 kids later. I am working on it. I was fit in HS.
20)Who was your prom date? Gregor Biet, an exchange student from Germany. I actually stayed in touch with him for quite a few years after.
21)Did you go to your 10-year class reunion? No. I would like to go to the 15 year though. I did check out the class reunion website.
22)Looking back, what advice would you give yourself? Life is beautiful and HS is only 4 years. Don't sweat the small stuff! I hear people say HS is the best four years of your life. I disagree. I say it is just a stepping stone to many more wonderful years ahead.
23) What year did you graduate? 1996

I am tagging everyone that reads this. It was fun to reflect.

Halloween 2008

The Urvina clan all dressed up for Halloween!

Annika was a little cuddly bear. The goal here was just to keep our little bear warm. It was a bonus that she looks so cute too.
Gavin doesn't usually need an excuse to pretend to be a ninja. He thought the big muscles were pretty cool so he picked out the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle "Raphael". According to Wikipedia "He (Raphael) is usually depicted as being aggressive and rebellious." Yep, that fits Gavin perfect.

Madi choose to be Jessie from Toy Story 2. She has always wanted to be a "cowgirl" and has always been fond of horses, so this was perfect for her. Adrienne put a little makeup on her and I must admit, I have a beautiful little girl for a daughter.

We met up with my sister Valerie's family at their ward's trunk or treat. Josh wore a sweet costume as Mario and little Ben was a Monkey.

Baby Zach was all cozy in his Banana outfit.

After the trunk or treat we went trick or treating in a neighborhood close to Jeff and Val's house. It was really fun to see the kids literally run from house to house. I was especially impressed with little Ben, he was trying so hard to keep up. Gavin had the line of the night after the first door, "They just gave me candy!" After that it was hard to slow him down.

Spooner Farms!

Spooner Farms is becoming a tradition for our family. We went there with my sisters' families last weekend. It was really fun to have all the cousins together and watch them run around in the mud.

Madi locked Gavin in the jail. I love the look on Gavin's face. Luckily he escaped!




This is the real reason the kids love Spooner Farms. It is one time where they get to wear their boots and just get dirty and Dad doesn't get mad.
Fun in the mud!

My favorite part of the trip is the pumpkin slingshot. You get to slingshot little pumpkins towards targets. If you are lucky and hit a target you get a huge pumpkin to take home. Sarah scored this year. I think she only bought four shots and won. I bought a few more, but came up empty handed again.....


Some may remember that in 2003, I took home a huge pumpkin. Wow, I have been shut out now five years in a row. That will change next year.....

Happy Birthday Princess Tara!

Our niece Tara had a really fun birthday party where she took her cousins and some friends to a "Kids Salon." The little girls were to come dressed in "Princess" dresses. At the salon they were pampered by getting their nails painted and hair styled. The parents were kicked out so we only have these cute photos after the party was over. This is Madi with her cousin Kelsi who she loves to death. They look pretty cute all done up.

I have no idea how they did this in Madi's hair but it's pretty cool. She kept it in for like four days. While Madi was at the party we went with my sister Keri and her husband Dave to the Cabella's store. We hadn't been there before and Gavin LOVED it. They have the Deer Hunting video game and Gavin walked up and grabbed one of the guns while someone else was playing. Seriously, this kid needs someone to teach him some manners. I guess that's my job, D'oh. I need to work on that. Luckily, they were very nice and actually bought him a couple of games. Gavin getting some pointers from a real hunter.

He must get this from Adrienne's side of the family. I have never considered myself a hunter.

Dave, Keri and Annika.

Soccer Fun

Some of you may know that growing up I wasn't a huge soccer fan. It was widely considered a sport for girls among my friends and I. I do remember going to a few indoor soccer games in the Tacoma Dome, the Tacoma Stars and Preki seem to ring a bell? Spending a couple of years in Brazil changed that. Soccer is the only thing that matters in Brazil. People's lives are scheduled and cities literally shut down for a soccer match.

Anyways, we recently signed up Gavin and Madi in local soccer rec leagues. Gavin plays indoors with 3-4 year olds. They are pretty cute but anyone who has been to one of these games knows that it is a game of "follow the ball around the gym."

There's our little number 2!
The coach does a really good job of keeping these kids organized. Not a very easy task.
Madi plays outside. They are focusing on the fundamentals of soccer.

Soccer girls have always been cute, Madi is keeping that tradition alive!