The Jensen Family

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for...

2009-08-20T20:07:00.000-07:00

This summer Eilee has found a new favorite!

All the cuz buzzes enjoying in Grandmama's and Abba's backyard

About a half hour later, she finally finished. This is what sugar looks like...

Father's Day 2009

2009-06-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

80's bangs

2009-06-03T20:25:00.000-07:00

Couldn't resist capturing these perfectly teased bangs that Eilee woke up with on a hot day after her nap.

Side View

Front View :)

P.S. Michelle, if you read this...brings back memories of our 7th grade days. :)

Swine flu scare

2009-06-03T20:20:00.000-07:00

So...since we tend to err a little on the cautious side, we decide Kristoffer should wear a mask when he got a really bad flu a couple weeks ago (right after all the swine flu stuff). A couple minutes after Kristoffer put his mask on, Eilee had fashioned her own mask (aka "headband).

The Many Faces of Eilee Rose

2009-06-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

Needless to say, we have an actress on our hands... She decided it might be fun to practice her "looks" in front of the mirror.

(Who does this remind you of, Auntie Cece?)

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-21T15:32:00.000-07:00

Auntie Ceecee, Grandma, Eilee, and Mommy

First Egg Decorating!

2009-04-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

When my mom gave us an egg decorating kit, we decided we were brave enough to give it a shot. :)
With towels on the chair and wax paper on the counter we ventured into new territory with a two year old and brightly colored dye.
Eilee had a blast dropping the eggs in the dye and then decorating them with stickers.

St. Patrick's Day--McGuinness Style

2009-04-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

We couldn't think of anyone better to spend St. Patrick's day with than my Irish grandparents.
We had such a wonderful time celebrating our Grandee and Grandpat!

A little sightseeing...

2009-04-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

We ate the most amazing scrod (aka cod) at the oldest running restaurant in the U.S.

Our little trooper actually took an 1 and 1/2 nap in my arms on the trolley tour.
Please note the lipstick held tightly in her little fingers--this little girl actually fell asleep holding it!

As we walked the Freedom Trail,
we visited the Park Street Church where our former pastor Wayne Anderson
led the college ministry for many years.
We miss him so much!
We kept thinking about how much we would have loved to tell him about our trip.

Just right.

Boston Children's Museum

2009-04-13T20:32:00.000-07:00

During our weeklong trip, we all spent a morning at the most amazing children's museum ever. Kirk, Wanda, and Kyle were given a family pass for the year and they were able add us onto their family for the day. Kyle showed us his favorite bubble room and water boat room. Eilee had a blast experimenting with the bubbles (aka getting wet), shopping and working at the grocery store (I would have loved that part as a kid---as a matter of fact, I still did love it.), and being a stylist. We could have spent all day exploring the 3 stories there, but naptime called. :)

More Boston

2009-04-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

Here's the birthday girl on her real birthday (March 3) enjoying her homemade birthday pizza.

We had fun exploring the Boston Public Garden with Wanda and Kyle.
There was still snow everywhere this day (March 4) and we were freeeeezing in the 20 degree weather,
but it was beautiful!

Boston!

2009-04-13T15:27:00.000-07:00

I can't put my arms down!

The first ever cup of hot chocolate on her real birthday!

The amazingly talented Kyle Jensen :) He can seriously keep a beat.

Those are actually sweat icicles on his hair!

We took a trip to Boston the day before Eilee's birthday and had an awesome time visiting Kirk, Wanda, and Kyle.

Little baker

2009-04-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

This is what happened when we said, "Eilee, smile."

Since Eilee is in that copying phase, we gave her this little kitchen for her birthday. And the adorable handmade apron came from her close friends Grace and Nora. She has been such fun ever since taking her carefully prepared meals (aka egg on a plate) to the coffee table and serving me. :) "Mommy sit here." Every time I ask her what she put in the delicious eggs, she replies, "Yogurt and parmesan."
P.S. Eilee is still working on her posed smile. Lately it looks much like this last picture with squinty eyes. ;)

Eilee's 2nd Birthday!

2009-04-13T14:55:00.000-07:00

So...we finally got our memory card to work again on the computer and we wanted to share all the fun pics from the last couple months. On March 3, Eilee turned two so we celebrated with a baby doll and teddy bear picnic on our back patio. Eilee has been in love with baby dolls for the last year so she was really looking forward to it! It was adorable to hear her discuss the plans for the party in the weeks preceding it. We had crafts and a puppet show by daddy, Auntie Erika, Uncle David, and our friend Mitch. Then, Grandma led the group in a song and Mommy read a story. Eilee talked it about it every day for weeks. We are so thankful to have such a exuberant little 2 year old!

Little Prayer

2009-02-12T20:13:00.000-08:00

Lately Eilee has loved tossing all her baby dolls and little people and sheep and random toys into her crib and then asks if she can join them. Last week I found her sitting with all of them in a little prayer time. So sweet! She just loves to pray for any people she knows (family and friends she has just played with) and any fun things she has enjoyed. Lately her prayers have gone something like this...."Thank for Daddy, Mommy, Eilee, and (insert family members' names) and the lady and the man and the boy and the girl and the park and the swing and (insert whatever fun thing she has just enjoyed) and (insert whatever friends she's thinking of---lately it has been Toby and Kristia).

P.S. This was the afternoon, but she had begged to put on her Christmas pjs. :)

Our 10th Anniversary

2009-01-18T15:22:00.000-08:00

We decided our 10th anniversary (January 2) was a perfect reason to spend our first night away as a couple since Eilee was born. Since we had heard about a "Carpe Diem" special offered by the chain of inns that owns the Blue Lantern Inn (where we spent our honeymoon night), we tried out a new inn by booking it the day of our anniversary for that night. We picked The Channel Road Inn in Santa Monica, a large craftsman home converted to a B and B. After settling in, we continued our tradition of eating at PF Changs on our anniversary and loved the Prix Fixe Menu that they are offering right now (appetizers, soup, entrees, and desserts for 2 for $39). Since our inn was in walking distance to the beach, we enjoyed a morning run together along the boardwalk and finished up with more than our fair share of the yummy breakfast back at the inn. Then, we were off to explore Venice and all the interesting shops along their main street (which I am forgetting the name of right now). My sweet husband was a trooper as we perused many a store in search of a 10th anniversary memento (something aluminum or tin for a tradtional 10th gift). When we thought we had looked in every store possible, we found a greenish glass candleholder/vase/glass decorated with "aluminum-ish" looking metal. At that point we were satisfied, and went off to enjoy the most amazing tea ever at Jin Patisserie. If you ever are in the area, that is the place to go for the most amazing pastries, teas, and chocolates in a contemporary setting. Kristoffer is not usually one to frequent these places, but he couldn't stop talking about the Roobus (sp?) teas we both had...delicious. It was a perfectly cozy meal to eat on a brisk day. We both agreed that having a night away was the most amazing treat at this stage in our lives...it made us feel like newlyweds (but better) again. :)

Happy New Year 2009!

2009-01-07T21:14:00.000-08:00

We continued our tradition of a cozy day at home spending some alternating time alone reading, praying and journaling thoughts about the new year. :) Thought we'd take a picture in front of our tree like last year.

Snow Day!

2008-12-28T19:55:00.000-08:00

We decided to take advantage of the great snow at Forest Home on Friday with the Carlson and Myhr families. It was fun to see Eilee experience it all. We just realized that we really need snow clothes for her...The makeshift ones we used did not cut it in 23 degree weather. Suffice it to say, we had a brief time in the cold and were glad we caught a few pictures before she said, "Mommy go to car and go home." :)

Sweet Little Mommy

2008-12-28T19:42:00.000-08:00

It is so adorable to watch Eilee play with her little dolls. She is such a natural nurturer. The day after Christmas I found her up on Mommy and Daddy's bed giving her dollies a nap. :) She's been having a blast with her new baby bottles and doll stroller....it seems that price really doesn't matter to little ones. Her favorite toys were under 10 bucks at Target. :)

Christmas Day

2008-12-28T19:38:00.000-08:00

We had Christmas morning at our house with what we thought would be a short gift opening, but we were amazed at how carefully Eilee opened her packages this year...it seems she is still intrigued by it all! Maybe next year she'll be tearing into them like her older cousins.:) Then, we went to Grandma's and Grandaddy-O's house for Part One of the McGuinness celebration. We loved sharing a special devotional by John Elderidge about the carol "O Holy Night" (please see his blog to read it---it is so moving). And we all squeezed around the tree as always for our cozy gift opening. Mom made her yummy traditional Orange French Toast and Cranberry Breakfast Pudding. Then, it was off to our our Reidy cousins for a delicious Christmas dinner and Maureen's famous Christmas cookies. We loved seeing all the family!

Christmas Eve 2008

2008-12-28T19:26:00.000-08:00

We had a cozy Christmas Eve in Grandma Da's house this year with The Jensen Family. After enjoying our favorite meal of the year, we went to the Christmas Eve service together and came home to share our gifts. We had such a fun time seeing Eilee with her cousins Anders and Christian. They all really love to play together now! (They even ask to talk to each other on the phone.)

A few of her favorite things...

2008-12-22T14:06:00.000-08:00

She does love girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes and snowflakes (or raindrops) that stay on her nose and eyelashes and brown paper packages tied up with string, but these are a few of her favorite things...

*Reading a pile of books.

*Leaning against any wall in the house.

*Taking her princesses and little people with her wherever she goes.

2008-12-20T19:24:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd post a few pictures before fall is officially over. :)So...in an effort to catch up on what's been happening in the Jensen household for the last few months, I'll make a quick list of the highlights.

*We starting taking full advantage of our Disneyland passes. Eilee loves "Dumbo, Horsey, and Train." AKA Dumbo, The Carousel, and Casey Jr.

*Eilee dressed up as make-shift flower (I promise next year I will not be making or buying a costume on Halloween!) and went Trick or Treating for the first time at Biola University since our friends invited us to a dorm decorated as Candyland. At the start of the night, she was giving all the candy back and, by the end, she was trying to grab as much as her little hands could hold. We're learning. :)

*We took our almost-annual trip to Oak Glen with Eilee for the first time (well, 2nd if you count when she was just a little peanut inside me.) Eilee just loved being given her own special apple by the nice lady at Wood Acres.

*We had Thanksgiving at our house for the first time! I was thrilled to do what I love best...decorate and bake cookies and everyone else brought the rest.

*And...we've been running like crazy through it all with Kristoffer training for a marathon again and Erin seriously contemplating running a half-marathon in early February. Pretty much every Saturday we take turns pushing Eilee as we run with a group of about 6 or so.

Fall Fun

2008-12-20T15:45:00.000-08:00

Here's one of our many efforts at getting a Christmas card picture. :) Erika caught this cute one in their backyard one crisp fall day.

Punkin Patch

2008-10-28T13:20:00.000-07:00

We had a great playdate at the best Pumpkin Patch in OC at Irvine Valley College. They had a cute haybale tunnel, tons of 50 cent rides, some random goats, and pumpkins of all sizes. Eilee had fun pulling and pushing Liv around in the wagon (she has inherited her daddy's strength) and riding the mini carousel with Amelia and Charlie (and she's inherited her mommy's love for horseys). As soon as we brought home our smattering of pumpkins and gourds, Eilee decided to play toss the mini pumpkin (you can tell her daddy has been really working on her throwing arm). Ever since that day whenever she sees a pumpkin she calls out "punkin patch!" in a very excited one and a half year old girly squeal! :)

Due to technical difficulties involving our really old computer that will not upload our pics from our nice camera anymore, the pictures will come later. I've been procrastinating writing on the blog lately due to this problem. So hopefully we'll get a new computer for Christmas and be back to giving normal updates.

Why does MIT have to be all the way in Boston? :(

2008-10-28T13:14:00.000-07:00

In mid-September we had a weeklong goodbye party for Kirk, Wanda, and Kyle. Eilee and Kyle really started playing (and saying "no" to eachother) together this time. We are so sad that they will be so far for 5 years or so, but are hoping this means they will end up back here (maybe San Diego) when Kirk is done with his post-doc. They are living in a neat old home that has a view of the Red Sox's stadium (I wish Kristoffer were here right now...I can't for the life of me remember the name of the stadium.) and is right across the street from a park that flies a flag that George Washington flew. How's that for a little history? :)

Family Camp (2nd Generation)

2008-08-28T13:43:00.000-07:00

A lot of you know that my family had a tradition of going to camp together every summer with our church. It was always such a highlight for me since we tried to go with the same group of friends every year. So...this year we took Eilee to the Forest Home Family Camp for a week of togetherness, worship, teaching, swimming in the lake, hiking, pancake breakfast on the mountaintop, polar bearing, swinging, nighttime babysitting, gourmet (truly) food that I didn't have to cook, parenting classes, time by the creek, meeting families from around the country and OC, and naps! It was really a great vacation for us as a family and for me as a mom. I'm really thankful that Kristoffer was willing to give it a try. He loved being with us and having so many opportunities for activity. Eilee just loved being outside so much of the day and seeing so many "girls" and "baaaybees."

Love that grin!

2008-07-30T19:51:00.001-07:00

Eilee has been getting a kick out of running back and forth downstairs. Occasionally she'll throw in a few spins. Here's our energy ball taking a break.

It's in the genes!

2008-07-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

Ever since I could feel Eilee kick around while I was pregnant, I could tell that she loved music. So now she has taken up her third instrument--the harmonica (drums and a maraca came first, but everyone can play those). It is the most hilarious thing to see her swaying back and forth to the tune. I think she can already play it better than I can.

OC Fair

2008-07-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

So this was officially our first time to the fair as a "family." We took Eilee on some rather precarious looking little rides that were supposed to be fine for her age, saw a few animals (goats mostly), looked around at the food, and then decided to eat somewhere else. :) It seems like most of our jaunts are pretty short these days, but I think that's changing as Eilee is heading to just one nap. That's one thing I'm learning...just as soon as you think you have a rhythm, it starts to change. I think (hope) I'm learning to be more flexible. :)

Coldplay At Last

2008-07-16T19:08:00.000-07:00

We have been huge Coldplay fans, but have never been able to go to a show before. So, in April, I started searching for tickets to their summer tour and found that they weren't going to be in LA. I was really bummed because I had wanted to give Kristoffer tickets for Father's Day. Then, on Father's day weekend, we found out that they added LA tour dates, but we were too late to buy tickets. :(.....Fast forward to yesterday (July 15)......We decided to be spontaneous and search for tickets for yesterday's show on craigslist. Everything was either way too expensive or gone. Then, at 5:15 we got a call from a guy in Anaheim who had two tickets for a great price in an awesome section. Kristoffer picked them up, I called my mom who babysat, and we were off to LA by 7:00. It was awesome! We couldn't believe it. The show was so perfect! We loved the way they kept moving to different stages throughout the Forum. They really engaged with the audience and made it such a fun experience. It is amazing to be in a room with thousands of people (sold out audience) and hear everyone singing the same lyrics. I think the reason I love that so much is that it reminds me of what it will be like to be singing in heaven (different lyrics, but similar connection).

Our Fashion Plate

2008-07-11T16:18:00.000-07:00

So lately Eilee has just been loving to find her "bees" (beads) and her hats and any purses and get herself all dressed up. I caught a couple of her best looks. :)

So...I guess it was bound to happen

2008-07-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday after church Eilee was so excited to see some other kids playing so she kept trying to get their attention. Since most everyone in her little world right now just loves to get her hugs, she decided that she would give one to the new little girl. Just as she was reaching out her arms to hug, the little girl (who must have had a reason for being cautious about arms coming at her) decided to give Eilee a good shove straight to the ground. Eilee cried so hard that I could tell it was not just about the fall. Her feelings were really hurt. :( I think my heart hurt almost as much. It was so hard to see her little wounded heart. I just wanted to make it all better. All ended well, though, when the little girl decided to give Eilee a hug. It got me thinking that it must really hurt God when we "shove" his kids to the ground. I think I am learning more about life from this little one year old than I ever could have imagined.

The 4th

2008-07-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

Spur of the moment, we had a Jensen-McGuinness family potluck for the 4th complete with veggie dogs! At this stage of life, it just seems way more relaxing to have everyone come to our house. We had an awesome time of food and swimming. (FYI--The whole wait 30 minutes after eating rule must have been something that our parents just agreed on for a little break because my friend saw a Dateline about it and it has been totally disproven. So...eat a hot dog (or veggie dog) and swim to your heart's content!)

P.S. Mom--if you see this will you send me a family photo of our side...I didn't get one for some reason. :)

Disneyland!

2008-07-02T19:31:00.000-07:00

Since my parents gave us Disneyland passes last Christmas, we've had a great time reliving our childhood memories with Eilee. (My dad has absolutely loved seeing his first grandchild at one of his favorite places in the world.) Last Thursday, we spent a day (afternoon really) with our friends the Pfeifers and their two daughters, Grace and Nora. Eilee and Grace are about 6 months apart and they are becoming good friends in their own little way. Eilee still calls Grace "girl," but Grace, being the older and more mature one :), calls out often for her friend "Eileelee." We had such a great time walking around Disneyland (key words) and actually going on a few rides. By the way, if you haven't ever tried it, they have the most amazing soft serve with a ribbon of flavoring swirled into it in California Adventure. Having the bubble gum one was like a blast from the past.

And, oh yeah, that is Kobe in the bottom pic....He happened to walk right past us with his family (and a few bodyguards) as we first walked down Main Street---much to Kristoffer's delight!! We were kind of stunned, but our friend Kristia might have a future with the paparazzi. :)

Marathon Man!

2008-06-07T15:12:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, Kristoffer ran his first marathon down at the Rock N Roll Marathon in San Diego! He has been training since January and has found that he loves to run. He did such a great job staying dedicated and determined and he's not finished yet! The very next day he came home from work with plans for the next one. By Friday, he had convinced me to buy a good pair of running shoes (I have not run since Cross Country in High School--13 years ago!). Today we hit the streets with Eilee in the jogger for our first run with our friends Scott and Alyssa (who also ran the marathon). I was kind of nervous to run with these completely accomplished runners, but I had a lot of fun. They all planned a 6 miler so I did about 3 instead. I was really excited to be able to run my 3 miles since it had been a long time. My new shoes made such a difference--I totally recommend The Running Lab in Old Towne Orange. They did a very thorough assessment of my running movements to help me find the right shoe.
It was so beautiful to be out in the morning on such an amazing day. So...if anyone is interested, it looks like we are going to continue trying to do a group run on Saturdays.

Time flies!

2008-06-04T21:10:00.000-07:00

We just can't believe that Eilee is already 15 months old and walking everywhere! This is such a fun stage since she is constantly using the 25 or so words she knows to comment on everything. Her favorites right now are "That's a doggy!" and "That's a baby!"It is amazing to be actually having mini-conversations...we can tell our daughter is just going to love to tell us about everything.
She's also really loving to get a little serious look on her face--eyebrows furrowed and everything-- and then crack a little smile like she's playing a joke on us. I really reminds me of my sister Chelsea at this age...being a little clown. :)
P.S. I know we hardly ever update this blog anymore...sometimes it just sounds better to live life than to write about it. I guess I'm just not the best at journaling. So please forgive us if you have given up on us. I'll try to write at least once a month. :)

First Steps!

2008-04-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

For the last month or so, Eilee has loved walking around holding onto one finger of whomever would oblige her a walk. We were starting to wonder if she was just getting really comfortable with it and might never let go! :) But...today she had her little friend Liv over and suddenly she decided to walk right over to her to give her a hug!

Let it Snow!!

2008-03-17T21:48:00.000-07:00

We spent a long weekend with my parents and sister Noel in Sequoia. Everything was covered in a blanket of white when we arrived. By the second day, we found ourselves in the heaviest snowfall we had ever seen. It was beautiful! Days were spent snowshoeing, playing games in the lodge, and sledding.

Woof Woof

2008-03-03T21:37:00.000-08:00

Since January, when Eilee learned what a doggie says, she has decided that most every animal says "woof woof." So for her birthday, we spent some family time at the Santa Ana Zoo knowing full well that she would get quite a kick out of all the monkeys and such that they have there. She was completely mesmerized by the hopping wallabee and the parrots.

Then, we had dinner at her favorite place--Wahoo's. She just loves their fish. )

Cake Face

2008-03-03T21:32:00.000-08:00

For starting out as a cautious cake-eater who delicately picked off sprinkles one by one, Eilee had quite a turn around by the end when she was devouring the frosting and smashing some bits onto Mommy's and Daddy's faces.

One year...already!

2008-03-03T21:23:00.000-08:00

I know everyone says that kids grow up so quickly, but I never knew that it would feel like I just turned around and a year had already passed. I am so amazed at the blessing of our little Eilee. She is truly a light to the world (as her name says). Everywhere we go she reaches out her hand and enthusiastically says "HI!" I have learned so much from her about the way the Lord sees people. The homeless woman at the grocery store, the sales clerk at Target, the little boy walking into the library, the man with the toothless smile...they all get a "Hi" from Eilee. The world is becoming such a smaller place as the people I pass change from being just shadows on the sidelines to someone's grandmothers, sons, cousins, aunts, and friends each with a story uniquely their own.

Hanging with the Cuzz Buzzes

2008-02-15T21:19:00.000-08:00

While Kristoffer was gone, we spent a couple nights with the Carlson cousins. We had a blast going to the park every day and taking a 3 mile walk around the old houses in Redlands. It was so good to have time to see them...

To England with Love

2008-02-14T21:10:00.000-08:00

This Valentine's day was the first in 10 years that Kristoffer and I were apart :( Open Doors was having their annual IT conference in the UK and it just happened to fall right on the week of Valentine's day. After seriously considering joining Kristoffer, we decided that since his meetings went from 7 am to 9 pm that we wouldn't really get to see him much at all anyway....so Eilee and I stayed home. It was definitely the hardest goodbye we've had in a long time since we really spend so much time home together as a family. As we were driving to take Kristoffer to his ride to the airport, he said that he didn't care how hard it was--he was never going to go on a long business trip without his family again. I was so touched... :)

We sent this picture to him on Valentine's day.

A Night in L.A.

2008-01-18T14:09:00.000-08:00

Spur of the moment, Kristoffer's parents gave us tickets to Itzhak Perlman at the Walt Disney Concert Hall since his mother was not feeling well. We were amazed by the beautiful architecture of this concert hall that has some of the best acoustics in the world. Itzhak Perlman is the premier violinist of the world, so, needless to say, his performance was breathtaking! During intermission, we walked out onto the patio which is home to our country's smallest National Park. We felt like we were walking in a dream as we stepped out and saw an amazing view of the L.A. lights. I was especially taken by a tree that draped over the sidewalks with its large leaves and pink puffs for flowers. For the parents of a ten-month old, just the mere fact that we were having a date was a treat, but we were able to enjoy beautiful music, breathtaking views, and innovative architecture. Plus, the evening ended with Itzhak playing an encore of the theme of Schindler's List (which he performed for the movie).

A New Year

2008-01-01T20:18:00.000-08:00

This year Kristoffer suggested that we spend New Year's day in prayer for direction for the coming year. So, we each took turns watching Eilee while the other had time to read and pray. It was so refreshing and meaningful. We'd really love to make it a tradition. Here we are in our comfy clothes at the end of the day....we realized that we never had a family picture in front of the Christmas tree so we did it ourselves. :)

These are a few of her favorite things...

2007-12-31T20:14:00.000-08:00

This Christmas was definitely one of the most special ever since we were able to see all the wonder through the eyes of a child again. Even though Eilee was only 9 months, she entered into all the excitement in a few special ways. Each morning she would wave to the Christmas tree as we walked down the stairs for breakfast....all the lights just captured her. Then, she would stretch out her hand toward the nativity on our mantle and say her new favorite word, "Hi," to baby Jesus. So precious!

Christmas Week!

2007-12-30T14:39:00.000-08:00

This year we had a week of family celebrations starting with dinner with Erin's grandparents, followed by a Jensen family Christmas Eve, McGuinness family Christmas morning, and a Carlson family Christmas afternoon! Then, since Erin's sister Noel and Kristoffer's brother Kirk and his family were all in town, the rest of the week was spent with lots of great meals and good laughs with family. Eilee just loved practicing her new word "Hi" on any and everyone she saw. :)

Kristoffer is 30!

2007-12-03T20:07:00.000-08:00

After going to the morning service at our new church (The Gathering), we had a birthday dinner at Yen Ching's with Kristoffer's parents. Anyone who's been there knows how delicious mu shu vegetables and mongolian beef are! :) And...anyone who has seen "A Christmas Story" knows why this picture cracks us up!

First Pumpkin :)

2007-11-23T20:01:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving at Erin's parents' house with about 20 family members. It was a delicious feast since everyone brought a specialty! After one of the most amazing meals ever, a little group took a walk around the park before sunset. Granddaddy-O (a.k.a. Erin's dad) loved having a chance to stroll Eilee around. :)

Swinging into our 30's

2007-11-10T14:33:00.000-08:00

To celebrate our 30th birthdays, we decided to have a 1930's swing dance at a historic building in Old Towne Orange. So here we are in all our finery. Our friends Jeremy and Laura (pictured above) are professional swing dancers and instructors so they led the group in a couple of awesome lessons.

The Blacksmith

2007-11-03T23:00:00.000-07:00

Kristoffer was a Blacksmith at a donor event through his work. Above, Kristoffer is with Brother Andrew, who was himself a blacksmith in his early years just like his father was. Also, the cross you see was made by a real blacksmith. This was the first blacksmith I called, who was a Christian and said he would make the cross for this event for free!

Sweet Pea

2007-10-31T20:00:00.000-07:00

After thinking for weeks we would not get a costume for Eilee since she goes to bed at 6:30, we couldn't help ourselves when we saw this Pea Pod costume. So, on Halloween we bought it and dressed her up really fast in preparation for Light the Night carnival at Calvary Church. After being at the carnival for 15min, Eilee was out for the night. We carried a limp Pea Pod for the rest of the night :)

Welcome to our blog!

2007-10-30T20:56:00.000-07:00

Since some of you may not have seen us for a while we decided to backtrack at bit to show a few highlights from the last couple months. Little Miss Eilee is 7 and 3/4 months old, has 2 teeth now, is chewing on everything, and is developing a little sense of humor...she gets a giddy right before bed time and thinks everything is hilarious! We have a lot of fun thinking of new goofy ways to make her laugh... ;) She is such a joy! We are so thankful God has made us a little family!

Erin turns 30!

2007-10-29T15:53:00.000-07:00

Kristoffer took the day off and we spent the day together as a family--lunch at Ramos House Cafe in San Juan Capistrano, visit to a little farm, dinner at PJ's Abbey, and a movie date for K and I courtesy of Grandmama Cheris.

Morning Walk

2007-10-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

It's been fun to snuggle Eilee up for a morning walk!

Bath Time

2007-10-12T15:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a lot of prayers and some good advice, our lives have really developed more of a routine now. Each morning after "our little rooster" crows between 5 and 6:30, Eilee plays, eats breakfast, has a bath, and takes a nap. She loves to chew on her little rubber duckies (she has a few to choose from) and then dunk them under the water. We just love to see her snuggled up in her little towels. I think snuggling is one of the best parts of being a parent.

7 months old!!

2007-10-03T15:38:00.000-07:00

Eilee is seven months old today and just loves to jump!

Harvest Fun

2007-09-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

9.29.07: We never knew finding our way out of corn could be so hard. After trying to make it harder on ourselves, we realized we were lost! Eilee fell asleep waiting for her parents to find their way...

The Cutest Girl in Whoville :)

2007-09-22T15:22:00.000-07:00

6 months old: Eilee was invited to a Dr. Suess birthday party and came home with this adorable "hat."

First Solids!

2007-08-30T15:11:00.000-07:00

Just before she turned 6 months, Eilee tried her first few spoonfuls of rice cereal and seemed to take to it quite well!