Adam's Blessing Day

Adam in his blessing suit.

The blanket that Adam is laying on is a blanket that my Grandma Olson crocheted for me,

and each of my children have been blessed in it. Thankyou Grandma!

Adam smiling.

The suit that he is wearing is the same suit that Isaac was blessed in as well.

Family and friends after the blessing.

Here are the men who assisted Duane in the blessing.

Sunday, December 6, 2009, Adam was given his baby blessing from his father, who was assisted by his father, father-in-law, brothers and brothers-in-law. We really missed having Duane's brother Doug and his family there with us, but we can't wait to see them here for Christmas! The blessing circle was smaller than usual, only 7 out of the usual 12 men. We missed Doug, Todd, Aaron, Greg and Ben.

We also celebrated the December birthdays in the Land family (Duane, Dawnie, Luke and Nora). Great company, great food, it doesn't get better than that!

And then there were 3!

Here are my three knuckle-heads in their jammies.

Brothers.

Adam, just being cute (as always).

Photo shoot with Adam.

The Look.

Well, we are still alive, even Adam. My kids haven't killed him with kindness yet. They both love their little bro so much. Sometimes I have to tell them to back off.

Adam is such a wonderful, sweet little guy. He has a dimple on each cheek, that are very apparent when he smiles and laughs. And boy-oh-boy, is he filling out! He is just over 2 month old now and growing like a weed. He is such a sweet-tempered little boy, I just love him so much!

He's Here!

Our little Adam is finally here! He was born last Tuesday night and is doing well.

He came out a-screamin', and it was music to my ears. I know every mother thinks this, but, he was the most beautiful little person I've ever seen (along with my other two children, of course).
I am so grateful that Heavenly Father has entrusted his safe-keeping to me. He is a most welcome addition to our family.

He was 7 lbs 8 ozs and 21 inches long. And the kids are so in love with him!

I will post more pictures later!

Still here, still pregnant!

Yup! still pregnant. I am 39 weeks now (but who's counting? ...I am!). According to my latest ultrasound, my due date is today, so I guess this little guy could come anyday now. So here I am, waiting. Everything is ready, Isaac's old baby clothes are washed and clean, the bassinet is cleaned and set up, even the car seat is clean and ready to go! Now, all we need is a baby!

Natural Water Slide at Bryce Canyon

Here are some pictures of our time at Bryce Canyon where we found a waterfall and a natural water slide for the kids to play in. And boy, did they have fun! See for yourself:

Summer Vacation

This summer our family drove up to Idaho and had a family reunion with my grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins and their kids. But having pregnant brain, my camera was not charged for that part, and I forgot to bring it the other part of the time. So, sorry I don't have any pictures to share from that part of our trip. It was lots of fun though. We all had a great time visiting, eating, playing, swimming, and eating. It was great to see everyone and renew all of those relationships.
After Idaho we drove to Salt Lake City and stayed there for a couple of nights. We went to Temple Square and Lagoon. It was my first time to Lagoon (I know, shocking right? I lived in Utah for 2.5 years and never went there). I am pregnant, so I was unable to ride any of the rides. I did take Lucy on the Merry-g0-round several times though. The kids had a great time.
After Salt Lake we drove to Bryce Canyon in southern Utah. And boy, if you haven't been there, you've got to go! It is so beautiful! I even went on a hike all the way down into the canyon and all the way back out! I was pretty proud of myself (even though I had to take several breaks). We camped (in tents) for 3 nights there, which was also very fun, except for the wind storms that nearly blew our tent over 2 nights in a row). On our last day there we went to see Mossy Cave and the Water fall and the kids had tons ov fun riding down a natural slide. They were soaked, but had so much fun! The kids also earned their Junior Ranger badges, which they were super-proud of.
After Bryce Canyon we drove farther south and visited Zion's National Park. And it ended up being their Centennial Celebration (and so everyone got in free that day!). We took another hike there and saw deer and other wildlife. And because of the kids Jr. Ranger training, they were able to identify various "scat", which is another word for animal poop.
When we finished our Zion's experience, we drove home. The kids were ready to be back in California, and back in their own beds, and so were we!
It was a really fun trip, but we ready to get back to normal life. Here are some pictures from the trip.

Ice Cream Fun

So it has been pretty hot this summer and you know that I am pregnant. So I took the kids to get some Thrifty ice cream occaisionally. And well ... Lucy loves chocolate, and Thrifty's was having a sale on the double scoops...so this was her after enjoying (very thoroughly) her double scoop chocolate ice cream cone. She loved it ... and then she got in the tub.

Spring Training at the Land's

So after FHE on Monday, Duane decided that it was high-time to teach Isaac how to do a proper baseball slide. So here is what happened: (the piece of paper represents the base)

Duane had to first, show them how it is done:

Here is Lucy (in her princess dress) showing her skills:

This is Isaac showing what he learned:

Our house has this really long hallway, that at first, I thought was odd, but I love it now, when I come home, the kids come racing down the hallway to the front door to give me big hugs. I love it! They do the same for Duane every day, when he comes home. And it has proven to be very useful in training for baseball.

It's a BOY!

Well, we had our ultrasound a couple of weeks ago and we saw our new little Land. It was fun because after the tech got all of the pictures that she needed, the kids and Duane got to come in and we all got to find out whether we would be having a boy or a girl. Isaac has been rooting for a boy and Lucy for a girl for a while now. So it was lucky that Lucy fell asleep and missed the unveiling. So while she snoozed we saw that we are having a boy. And it was pretty clear. Immediately, Isaac said, "YESSSS! I knew it!". He was so excited. Although when Lucy woke, she was not so thrilled. She is actually still in denial. She is sure this baby is a sister!

So, anyway, here is a picture of our little guy, it's his head (face) and abdomen.

Baseball Fun

Well, the season is over and the kids were all triumphant! They all got their trophies and some pizza too! They were all so cute after thier last game we had a team pizza party. Here are some pics of the event:
Isaac and his teammates were taking votes. "If you like pizza, raise your hand!" "If you like baseball raise your hand!" "If you like dirt, raise your hand!" Isaac has been so excited about our new baby that he yelled out. "If your mom has a baby in her tummy, raise your hand!"

This is Isaac after he received his trophy. A little excited, don't you think?

This is Lucy at the party, she found a lady bug. I thought that the light was so pretty on her face I took a picture of her too.

Pregnancy Update

18 weeks and couning!

So far, so good. My tummy is starting to grow, but not to the point where I look pregnant, just to the point where I look fat. My pants and skirts are too small, but I am not big enough for my maternity clothes yet. Fun times! Oh well, small price to pay. But I am really starting to feel this critter move! It is so much fun! Life keeps us pretty busy, so when I get to sit still for a moment, like right now, I get to feel little kicks and rolls. This is my favorite part of being pregnant. I have such a wonderful husband! He is so patient with me during the "tired-moody-cranky" phases that I go through. I really could not have asked for a better man. He takes such good care of our family. I love him!

We still don't know whether this baby is a girl or a boy, the ultrasound isn't till the end of May. I tend to call the baby "she" or "her", but I think that is just because my last baby was a girl. Isaac wants a brother so that he can get a bunk bed in his room. And Lucy wants a sister, probably for the same reason. I don't care which this baby is, as long as he/she is healthy.

Easter!

Well, we had a great Easter and I am finally getting around to posting pictures of the day. The first few are of the kids after church, but before the egg hunt.

Don't they look sweet?

Isaac, was so ready to change into his play clothes, I let him take off his tie early.

Lucy, well Lucy wasn't really in the mood for pictures, but she's still cute, right?

Isaac was trying to get Lucy to smile.

Duane got in on a few shots too.

This is Lucy on the egg hunt. She was very determined on the hunt.

Isaac had his year to shine as winner of the egg hunt, he found the most this year and he was so proud. (Of course, we had egg salad sandwiches for a solid week, I hope he doesn't do as well next year).

We had a great time at the Land's that day. Lot's of fun, family and food. And strawberry shortcake to finish it off, yummy! (be still my hungry-pregnant stomach!)

Check this out: Susan Boyle

I saw this via email. I am a sucker for anything Les Miserables. It was such a fun thing to watch. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

Lesson learned: Never underestimate anyone.

Conference, Lucy's Birthday ... and near disaster!

Well Conference was great, as usual. It seems as I get older, I appreciate conference weekend even more, and I look forward to the next one more each time.
After conference was over this year, we had a family birthday party to celebrate Lucy's birthday as well as others in our family. We had a great after conference dinner and party. With the Land family, you can never go wrong with food. Yummy! Anyway, we celebrated Lucy's 3rd birthday, and boy did she make out this year. Ever since Christmas, when her cousins Eva and Lilly got dress up clothes, she has been wanting some of her own. I never thought that a daughter of mine would be such a girly-girl! (Actually, she is pretty well balanced, she likes the girly-girl stuff, but as many of you know, she is not afraid to get down and dirty with the rest of them!) So anyway, she was given many a dress-up dress (including jewelry all that). She loved it. She even got some Barbies, she loves them!
Here is a picture of her opening some of that jewelry...


After presents, she blew out her candles, and if you look closely, you will see the soon to be "near-disaster".

Yes, Lucy's hair caught on fire! I threw the camera down and grabbed her hair, but by the time I got there the flame was out, and only the smell of burnt hair was left. Fortunately, it was a very small piece of hair that got toasted, and no real harm was done. But I definitely learned my lesson: Pull Lucy's hair back when she blows out the candles!

Anyway, she had a great time with all of her family. She turned 3 mostly unscathed.

Lucy is such a "fun-filled" member of our family. She is so loving. She is my "wild-child". She definitely keeps me on my toes, but I don't know what I would do without her. I love watching her sleep, and I love watching her and Isaac play together. They both bring so much joy to my life. She is growing up so fast!!

Box Top Fever

Yeah, I've just come to the realization that I have to keep my eyes peeled for these things. Each trimester in Isaac's school, they collect these darn things, and Isaac has caught the "box top bug". Every time he finds one he wants to put it in an envelope and save it for the next box top drive. But then we lose the envelope and have to start over. So I have found a special place to hide the 10 cent pieces, for the next drive.

What do you other mother's do when this time of year comes around?

Baseball Time!

Isaac started playing baseball a few weeks ago so I wanted to share the pictures that were taken at the beginning of the season. Isn't he so cute?? It has been so much fun seeing him play and improve. The teams just started "coach pitch" which means they aren't hitting off from tees anymore. They get 3 pitches from their coach and if they can't hit off from that the get 2 chances to hit off from the tee. Anyway, I don't really need to tell you that Isaac did not need the tee, he was able to hit off the pitch. And he hit it really hard too. He is doing a great job. Duane is an assistant coach and they have a lot of fun playing each week. Lucy is having a hard time waiting till it is her turn to play. But she has to be 4 first.

New Free Background Website!

I found a new background website, that has the CUTEST backgrounds ever! Yes, I think they definitely rival the cutest blogs on the block. My cousin's wife designs the backgrounds and they are so cute! Check out the website:

http://hotbliggityblog.com/

3rd Little Monkey Jumping on the Bed ...

Well, here he or she is! Baby Land #3 is on his/her way! I am officially 12 weeks and counting. My due date is October 1st! Yeah!

I had my first appointment this week, and was measuring a little big, so I got to see the little bug on an ultra sound! It turns out my bladder was just full, so that is why I was measuring so big (hah! my bladder is always full, or at least it seems that way!).

Anyway, it was so fun to see this little beetle "dancing" around. The baby was just a-wiggling and a-dancing all over, it was so fun! And I got to see his/her heartbeat too!

Potty Training Update

Well, I think we have successfully manuevered through the first phase of potty training. I am happy to report that Lucy is going pee pee on the toilet 100% of the time now. She is wearing big girl underwear and is very proud. It just sort of clicked last Thursday. She all of the sudden, stopped what she was doing and announced that she had to go pee-pee! And she has been dry ever since (even at church!). I am so proud of her.

So we are now in phase 2 (going number 2 in the toilet). She is doing well. When she starts to go, she tells me, so we are getting about half to the whole BM in the toilet! Yeah! She is starting to make the connection there. We are still in the midst of everything, but Lucy is progressing so well. I can't believe it! I have to admit that girls really are easier to train than boys.

A picture for Grandma Olson

Ever since last Sunday (we were at my mom's house and my mom was talking on the phone to Grandma Olson) Isaac has been drawing pictures for Grandma Olson. Seriously, every day he has drawn at least one picture for her. So tonight after he finished his drawing, I asked him if he wanted to put it on the computer so Grandma Olson could see it. So here it is!
Know that you are loved Grandma Olson (by a very sweet boy down here in Southern California).

Potty Training Woes

Well, it has begun .... I started potty training Lucy. (gulp). As some of you know, I was slightly traumatized from the potty training experience with Isaac. Yet, here is stands, alive and potty trained. I know there will be an end to this maddness, but the question is, WHEN??

Do any of you have any brilliant potty training advice for me? She's gone through too many underwear to count today, although she did pee once in the potty (hooray!).

I need help. Please help me!

Isaac receives the "Eagle Award"

...for Outstanding Character and Citizenship. Isaac's teacher gave him this award.
She said, "Isaac is a model of good behavior for other students and always demonstrates the qualities of a good friend. His smile and excitement are contagious. Way to go Isaac!"
Here are some pictures:

We are so proud of Isaac, he is doing so well in school, and it is so nice to know that he is being a good kid and friend too! I love this kid so much!

Duane the MASTER!

Well, they did it! Duane and Adele are Masters! They both got their MBA's about a month ago. Whew! What an experience, I am so glad that it is over (and I didn't even study one bit!).

Anyway, here are some pictures from that day:

Above: Duane walking out of the ceremony hall.

Adele and Gordon (my parents) (aren't they cute!?!)

And here we are, the Land family.

The kids were fairly well-behaved. Well, Isaac was well--behaved, he actually wasn't feeling well that day, and slept through most of the ceremony. Lucy however, was herself, I took her out once, then my dad took her out for the rest of the time. The ceremony took forever! The President of the University shook all of the graduates hands and had a mini conversation with ALL OF THEM! ALL 600 graduates! It took forever! Anyway, I couldn't be more proud of both of them. They both worked so hard and accomplished this great goal!