if only we could......

Chad and I were in the truck today with Anna in back.  She was playing with her Barbie and Ken dolls.  This is what we hear!

"Ladies and gentlemen, the show is about to begin.  Please make sure to turn off your cameras, cell phones and YOUR KIDS!  Enjoy the show.  Thank you. "

New Years Eve!

Better late than never!  Here are some images from our family fun New Years!!!  

Anna and Kate doing a little drawing.

Candle lit dinner!

Kids all bundled to go out sledding with the Dads!

Snow angels too.  

Enjoying our chocolate fondue dessert!  Yummy!

Anna, Kate and Brevin!  

Kate wasn't going to make it to midnight so she did her noise making early!

Brevin and Anna on the other hand made it to 2009!

The adults played a little Rock Band and worked on a puzzle.

Jill with the kids counting down and watching the ball drop!

A Little Bit About Me

I think these types of things are kind of fun in the blogging world. It is a list of 99 things and I have bolded the ones that I have done in my 32 3/4 years of life. Copy and paste it and let me know if you added it to your own blog!

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band (if high school band and marching band count!)

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

7. Been to Disneyland/world

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo (karaoke that is :))

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (as far as they let you these days)

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill (everybody has done this, right?)

24. Built a snow fort (back in the day when I actually liked being outside in the winter time!)

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29 Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33 Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41 Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Gotten flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67, Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79 Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible.

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous (if Erik Perkins counts!)

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a lawsuit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

Five Quick Years

How is it possible that our little baby, born at a mere 3 pounds-10 ounces, is now........................

.................FIVE YEARS OLD!? 

This time 5 years ago we were in shock!  Could not believe that the little one growing in my tummy made such an early appearance - 8 1/2 weeks early.   And now I am in shock again.  This time shocked that 5 years have gone by and now what we have is a little girl preparing to go to school.  

Five years used to seem like a long time.  Like when you are in 7th grade and you think you will never get to be a senior.  Or when you go to college and you never think your graduation day will come.  And then you don't have school and grade levels to measure time and there it goes, faster than it feels like you can live. 

Thinking back to those first weeks of Anna's life, things were uncertain.  We knew that she was strong and could breathe on her own, except when she would forget to.  But we didn't know what the long term implications of her prematurity would be.  Would she have poor eyesight or hearing or would she have trouble gaining weight or height.  Would she have developmental delays.   She amazed us and her doctors and now you would never know that she even started out life with such uncertainties.  

Every year has been better and better but of course not without the typical parenting "learning moments".  Each year is more fun for a different reason.   At two Anna was talking and learning more and more words every day.  At three she was growing up to be a little girl and getting more and more independent.  At four she exploded with new phrases and sentences and learning capability as well as the ability to make new friends and enjoy her "old" friends too.

So what will 5 bring?  I see this coming year as a year of changes and more learning to be had!  She will leave Mary's and head to Kindergarten.  Not sure who will have a harder time with that transition at first.  But we so look forward to seeing our little one in school and seeing her succeed.  

As a write this post in the evening of her birthday I think again about the last five years and marvel at the wonderful memories and the thought of all the exciting things that are waiting for us in the next 365 days!  

Happy Birthday Anna Banana!  Hope you enjoyed your birth day and we look forward to celebrating again on Sat with your party!  We love you so much and can't wait to see what the year brings for you!  Love, Mommy and Daddy

More Movie Reviews

I love this time of the year! Great movies come out and we have time to go see them! This year was no exception. I already blogged about seeing Milk and now I have 3 more to recommend to you!

Slumdog Millionaire - Great movie! The premise of the movie involves a young man in India who goes on India's version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. He is doing well and they suspect him of cheating. The movie goes back in time with flashbacks to instances in his life where he experiences something about the questions he is asked. It goes back to the slums of India and the life of people in that part of the world. Very eye opening and great movie.

Bolt - Ever since Toy Story I have loved Disney Pixar movies! This one is no exception. This movie is about a dog who really believes he is a super hero because he plays one on TV. Really a cute story. And I love how they throw in the jokes for the adults too! Anna thought it was great and we did too.

High School Musical 3 - I know Anna seems a little young to be into these movies and as a friend of mine has said - we are starting down a slippery slope! :) I take full responsibility for that because I LOVE these movies. I have always loved a good musical but through in high school drama and I am sold! I think they are good fun and have some good catchy tunes. The 3rd installment to the series did not let me down. It may even be my favorite.

Goals for 2009

1. Live a healthier lifestyle through eating and exercising.   Specifically eating more fruits and vegetables and doing some form of exercise 3 times a week.
   
   
2. Blog at least once a week.
   
   
3. Keep my room clean and clothes picked up!  Yes I am 13 again!  :)
   
   
4. Grow spiritually through more Bible reading and prayer.

Christmas in Pictures

Christmas season starts with getting the lights on the house and yard!  We added a spiral lit tree this year (not pictured) and will add to the "display" each year!  Chad has big plans for next year!

Day after Thanksgiving shopping excursion.  Yes, mom and I brought Anna with us and were to Target by 5 am.  We had a fun filled day and got some great deals. 
Decorating the Christmas tree.  Got a late start this year with Thanksgiving being so late but it is always fun to spend the time putting the ornaments on one at a time and reminiscing about each one.

A new tradition this year was to visit Santa in downtown White Bear Lake.  It was GREAT!  Thanks to the Vosbergs for recommending it.  We had breakfast at Key's and then waiting like 5 minutes to see a GREAT Santa and you get a FREE picture!  They even have horse drawn carriage rides.  It was a fun new tradition that we will for sure be continuing.  


Chad and I always spend a Saturday in December on a shopping date and then the next day my mom, Anna and I do some cookie baking.  We toned it down a little this year but mom still took the time to make cut-outs with Anna.  They had so much fun!

The best part of Christmas - celebrating with friends and family.  We had our friends, Joe, Sarah, and Kate over for dinner and then the kids exchanged presents.  Love watching them play together!

Later that same week we had Heath, Jill and Brevin for dinner and a present exchange.  So fun to see the joy and wonder in the kids eyes!

David flew in from NYC on Friday the 19th and we headed right downtown to see the Macy's 8th Floor display.  Really cute display this year!  Love this tradition.

Always after the 8th floor we head to Nicollet Mall for the Holidazzle - another tradition that I love.  It was a pretty "mild" night considering how cold it had been all week so we lucked out.  

Our first family Christmas with the Carstens at Dad and Sue's house in WI.  Anna got a pink guitar from Gma and Gpa.  Pretty exciting.  

For Christmas Eve we headed to Rosemount for Christmas mass and then to my aunt and uncle's on my dad's side to celebrate.  I was so surprised to find at Christmas mass an old priest of ours in Monticello!  Fr. Bill was a favorite of mine and I really enjoyed mass with him!  

Family photo on Christmas Eve.

It has become tradition for us all to open new pajamas on Christmas Eve night - no matter how late we get home.  It is fun to be in new PJs for Christmas morning.

Christmas morning - checking out the milk and cookies that Santa left over.  Anna is holding up the notes she left for him.  One just says Santa - Love - Anna.  The other one says - Eat the cookies whenever you want to.  Anna wanted to make sure that Santa knew he didn't HAVE to eat the cookies right away.  He could take them with him!  :)  Santa wrote a nice Thank You note back to Anna too.

Anna holding the ONE present she actually asked for - Baby Alive.  I guess she probably could have done without all the other stuff.  Besides Baby Alive she was most excited about the tea set she got.  We promptly had tea after this photo!

Then we headed to Monti to celebrate Christmas with just the immediate family.  I didn't get a picture of Anna putting our baby Jesus in the manger but got one at Gma and Gpa's.  Baby Jesus sleeps in a drawer at both places until Christmas morning.

Gma and Gpa looking at their gift from Anna - a photo calendar. 

Our last Christmas celebration with my mom's side of the family in Mankato.  We were excited to have my cousin and her family here from VA to celebrate with us this year. 

Playing a little Rock Band.  We never leave home without it!  :)  

Cousin fun!  I guess they would either be 3rd cousins or 2nd cousins once removed.  I have no idea how that all works.  Anna with Ethan and Bailey.  

And now adding in the "big" kids - Tommy, Hannah and Bridget. 

It always goes by so fast but it was a great week+ of Christmas celebrations.  The thing I love the most is how it brings people together.  Whether it be friends and family that you see often throughout the year or family and friends you see only a couple of times a year.  What a great time to connect and celebrate the birth of Jesus!  It brings a renewed spirit to carry us into the new year!