World Class Traveler

After my parents heard of the MB Christmas switcheroo they surprised us with an irresistible offer... plane tickets to come spend the holidays with them!! Of course we were beyond willing to take them up on it, so off we went!
We spent the night in Fargo and then flew out the next morning. Overall everything went very smoothly (with hardly any minutes to spare!) and we arrived in Detroit unscathed.
Alia did FANTASTIC! We calculated that this was her 7th & 8th trip on an airplane (not counting all the connecting flights, etc.) and has always been a very good traveler! I was a little nervous to take a VERY energetic 19 month old in a VERY enclosed space for hours and hours on end... so needless to say was quite relieved that she did well!

Watching the airplanes and giving Mommy a very enthusiastic report any time something went "up"!!!


Watching for Daddy to come back with our latest "free ticket voucher" news - when all was said and done we didn't get them... but it was fun to dream how we would use them if we did!


Lukey was on his best behavior the whole day!




But the return trip was something else! Poor Alia was getting some nasty teeth in so the first 2 1/2 hour flight was more than she could take. She has never screamed that much or been so out of it before, and there was nothing we could do to take away her pain. We just kept trying to force water down her... thus forcing her to swallow... but it did nothing. I'm SO glad Jon was there and that I wasn't traveling with her on my own. I was a wreck. First I thought she was just being disobedient and was trying to have stern talks with her about being quiet, etc... then we realized she was just in lots of pain... and that made me bawl like a baby, because I was so helpless! Oh were we ever thankful to touch land! The second (literally) that we were in normal air pressure she fell asleep and stayed that way for hours!

9 months preggo

I can't believe I'm here. Only a few short weeks to go before we finally meet this precious one! Between keeping up with Alia and traveling so much this has been a bit of a whirlwind pregnancy... but good none the less! This month my goals are simple...
-savor every little kick and hiccup from our tiny miracle
-be as prepared as possible
-spend extra time with and simply enjoy Alia being Alia

I have taken VERY VERY VERY few maternity pics this round. And yes.... it was intentional! Don't worry, we'll get pregnancy pictures taken soon (hopefully!)and those pics will be enough to satisfy the babies curiosity when he/she is older! At any rate... here is the most recent (as of this morning kind of recent!) one. In all its early morning, no make up, puffy beauty!

Christmas before Christmas

This year our family was "scheduled" to stay in MB and spend the holidays with Jon's family... BUT... they decided to make the trip out before Christmas, so we got the best of both worlds!
We had our Christmas gathering a week before Christmas and spent the day eating, relaxing, playing in the snow, and enjoying each other's company.

My two loves...


Alia and Gramma Great playing together


Hershey and Alia got some play time in too... just on opposite sides of the glass


Our newest member of the family with his momma (and dadda)



Our little goofy girl in action


It was a long day for Santa


Everywhere that Anderson went, Alia was sure to follow


Trying on Daddy's Sorels


All bundled up... Alia's the pink one - did you guess right?!?


And of course my husband can't just lay on the tube - he has to make things more challenging... and risky


Poor Alia isn't quite ready for tubing, so she rode on the four wheeler instead




The cousins... together at last


But it didn't last long... maybe next time!


Showing Gramma her new gifts

BIG sister

Alia's going to do GREAT in her new role! I have no doubts... sort of!
Here she is "pretending" to step on her baby

And here she is "pretending" to sit on her baby

But at least she knows how to make up for it! The baby is getting some ice cream for all the hassle she's been through in the last 3 minutes!


All kidding aside, I think Ali will do fantastic! We set up the basinet in our room and each morning and after each nap she runs in there to show me where the baby sleeps! She loves giving my belly hugs and kisses, which is just the sweetest! And she has become quite the little helper... so I think she'll enjoy getting things for Mommy when need be! Although it seems crazy... I am really looking forward to seeing her transition from being an only child to being the BIG sister! This little baby is going to be loved beyond measure... that's for sure!

That's so OLD news...

... even though Alia still gets excited about the "NOOOOOO" when she looks out the window, this picture proves otherwise!
She's done fantastic with the whole bundling-to-the-hilt thing, but deep inside I think she's longing for sunshine! Warm, glorious sunshine... flip flops... the smell of fresh cut grass... trips to the park... leisurely strolls... ice cream on a weekly (okay, okay... semi-daily basis)... daylight until WAY past bedtime.
No, I can't say she's exactly TOLD me these things - but I just know. I mean we're tight. We're like THIS. We go WAY back. Oh... yeah, you might be right.... I guess I'll have to get back with you on how she feels about this whole winter thing! That is something she got from her daddy after all! Apparently you can tell who the REAL Canadians are around this place!!

A Day in the Life

of Alia! It's not hard, complex, or overly stressful.... but somebody has to do it!



This happens regularly at our house... I find all sorts of things under there! At least it reminds me to swiffer under the couch!


I suppose this is actually TWO days in the life of Alia! I didn't change her wardrobe for this momentous blogging occasion... and she got a little beauty mark on her cheek since the last "day in the life"!

Look at that tongue... this is some pretty intense play time!

One can never be "too pretty" while playing... although we will have to work on the lipstick application a bit!

My heart melts...

... when I see this girl sleeping. I don't know what it is, but there's just something about a resting child, eh?

She Takes After Me...

... and I'm not really okay with that!! Why can't she take after her daddy? I mean there are hundreds of things that I would rather her get from him. Pretty much everything... okay, okay... except his dancing abilities! (It's all about honesty around here!) But I'm afraid she's hanging out with someone else a little too much!
Here we are making macaroni and cheese. She's so absolutely positively beside herself with excitement that she's eating the cheese... in the wrapper!

Macaroni and cheese is her favorite of favorite foods... case closed!

Our little growing family

For our family pictures this year we chose a nearby park just a few miles from our house. It was a B-E-A-U-tiful day, and we had a great time! My sister-in-law and I "made a deal" that I would take their pics and she would take ours! I think she had the harder end of the bargain! 1.)she was using my camera so it took some getting used to 2.)Jon hates picture taking.... with a passion, a very strong passion 3.)18 month olds don't do the whole posing thing... it's just not on their to do list! But between the both of us we managed to get some usable shots and made some good memories!!!

Two personal favorites of Jer and Joe



With the leaves everywhere Alia was happy as could be... we have poplars and evergreens at our house, what can I say?!?!



Just the 3 1/2 of us








My oh my, she's not a baby anymore! I've known that, and I'm okay with it... but looking at these pics is just another realization of the fact!




My love and I

Nov. 2 ???

Are you serious? That's the last time I've blogged... oh my! I didn't realize it was that bad. Well, all I can say is "geesh - you guys weren't kidding!" Hopefully I can find some time to blog on a more regular basis! Sorry bout that!!