Merry Christmas from the Early Kids

Emmy, Peder and Mari want to wish all our friends and family a VERY Merry Christmas.  We all hope that it is filled with joy and happiness and safe travel.

Emmy, Peder and Mari in their new jammies.  They get a pair every year on the 23rd, so they have special new jammies to open their gifts in the next morning.

Reading a very special Christmas story with Daddy before bed.  You can see our new couch that was delivered today.  The fabric on the pillows is what I picked out for our chairs.  It doesn't really do it justice, but we do love our new furniture!

Our Christmas tree all ready for our celebration that starts tomorrow morning.  I just love how beautiful and festive it looks!

Photo Challenge: Dangle

A scrapbooking website that I frequent (Two Peas In A Bucket) hosts a weekly photo challenge.  The choose a word and you take and upload a picture that you think fits the word.  This week is my first time participating and the word is "dangle." 

I took this picture while we were decorating our Christmas tree.  Emmy hung this ornament very carefully on the branch and it stayed.  I couldn't believe how perfectly it bent the branch and hung from our tree.  I had to take a picture. 

Do you have an interpretation of dangle in the form of a picture?  I'm really liking what I other people are posting on the website, it's great to see interpretation!  One is a picture of a kid looking shocked at his tooth hanging from a string.  It looks like it was just yanked out of his mouth.  Pretty great shot if you ask me.

Early Family Christmas Picture 2009

It sounds like people are starting to get their Christmas cards from us, so I thought I would post our family picture.  Later this week I'll post a picture of the card.  I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season and that your hearts are filled with joy and love.

The kiddos from left to right:  Mariana (2), Emmarene (2), and Peder (4).

Daddy's Little Helpers

Over night last night we got several inches of snow, so when Jake got home from work he bundled up all the kids (the kids wouldn't let me help) and they went outside. They all "helped" shovel the sidewalks and ordered me around as I took some pictures.

Peder shoveled our neighbor's yard.  I'm sure they appreciated it!

Mari mostly followed Peder around....and got in trouble when she tried to lick the fence.

Emmy was very helpful.  When I got outside she was holding on to Jake's shovel while he was shoveling the back sidewalk.  She was also the one ordering me around while I was taking pictures.

I'm thinking about doing a Year in Review from now until the new year, with each month having a summary in pictures.  It's a great debate for me right now....January was not fun and I don't know if I want to look at some of those pictures, especially during such a joyful time.  We'll see....I'll probably decide as I'm writing it.  :)

A Fresh Blanket of Snow

I am SO happy that it snowed.  I L-O-V-E our new layer of white all over our world.  Jake and Peder shoveled the sidewalk and the snow brought out the wonder in our kids' eyes.  It is such a wonderful thing to watch.

I had my financial aid appointment today at the Minnesota School of Business.  Jake had to be there too since we file our taxes jointly and that meant all 3 kids came with us too.  On our way to the appointment we drove past the airport and it got me thinking about movie portrayals of a Minnesota winter.  You know...people step out of the airport and there is blowing snow, it's dark and gloomy and it basically portrays a place no sane person would want to be.  I said this to Jake and we started talking about how it should be portrayed: big fluffy snowflakes falling playfully down, when the sun comes out right after a snowfall, the brilliant brightness that fills the world, Christmas lights shining off the snow and kids playing.  All the things that I love about winter.  One of the reasons I live in Minnesota by choice:  we get to experience these seasons.  Yes, today was kind of like how we're portrayed in the movies, but I know that I'll get a lot of those good days out of this winter too.