Brunch with the Dahlbergs!

So, we forgot our camera and are stealing these pictures from the Dahlberg blog so all of our friends and family who don't know and see the Dahlberg blog can see them too! I am holding Elsa and our friends' Mike and Danielle's adorable little boy Keaton.
Here is Kennet with his Kappa Sigma brother Mike Dahlberg and the kids!
Elsa was flirting a little with younger Keaton during brunch. She even gave him one of her pony tail holders so he could have a pony tail too...see below.

Pretty cute huh??

Mike and Dani were in town visiting her parents a few weekends ago. We got together for brunch and catch up a little. It was great to see them! Thanks again for taking some great pictures!!

Busy Busy Busy!!

Kennet cooked me a fabulous Valentine's Day dinner of filet and crab. He decided to really celebrate and open the last of his bottles of Sebastiani Cabernet. Kennet, our brother-in-law Charlie, and our good friend John White split a case of this many years ago in Minnesota, each going home with 4 bottles. It is a great wine and shortly after the split case, the entire winery and vineyard burned down in CA. The wine jumped in value and became impossible to get. Kennet slowly savored these bottles over the past 9 years and enjoyed the last one last Saturday. I rarely drink red wine and I even took a second glass! Thus, the picture.

Elsa is ready to go out and play! She is at such an adorable age right now. Even with the challenges of toddler-hood and occasional melt-downs, I really love this age! She is walking everywhere, into everything and has a really funny personality. She says a few words and has really caught onto Baby Sign Language. She uses "please" "thank you" "more" and "all done" really well and we are teaching her more signs all the time.

Here she is with Scotty! Scotty has been such a trooper this past 18 months (yep, Elsa will be 18 months next week!! Crazy!) Scotty is so good around her and she loves him!! She laughs at him, pets him, and now chases him around the living room! Luckily for him, he is still much faster than her and can get away when he wants to.

The living room has been completely toddler-ized. Elsa now has all of our previous knick-knack and what not shelves as toy and book shelves. Here she is with one of her baby dolls (which she loves to play with and put to sleep) and her other favorite...Legos and Mega Blocks! She also LOVES storytime! If you say "storytime" she will drop whatever she is playing with and go find a book to bring over. It's adorable!

Our little Valentine! Thanks to Auntie Marian and Uncle Charlie for her Valentine top! Also to both sets of Grandparents for the cute Spring outfits! She will be wearing them soon!

All in all, things have been great but as the title says...BUSY! Kennet and I have both been very busy at work lately. Kennet is working hard writing proposals to bring in more engineering jobs and doing design and mentoring for EIT's and for students in Engineering at Gonzaga. By the way, Go Zags!!!! I have become quite the Gonzaga basketball fan and can't wait to watch another one of their games tonight! Work has been crazy busy for me too. I have been doing a lot of staff training on health issues since I am the Health Mgr. and only nurse in our Early Head Start program. I have been writing a milliion health plans for kids and working with their doctors and parents etc. It is a great job and such a rewarding field to be in.

Elsa has been growing and changing every day! Like I said, she will be a year and a half old next week! It is so hard to believe how fast time goes! She loves her daycare and so do we! It is such a great curriculum-based child care center with a wonderful staff of teachers that adore Elsa and all the kids! We feel so thrilled to have such a wonderful place to take Elsa to. She gets so excited when we tell her it is time for "school!"

We are getting excited for spring and then summer for the beautiful sunshine in Spokane and eventually golf and lake weather! Kennet and I are going on a get-a-way weekend to Las Vegas in a few weeks!!!!!!!! We are both in need of a Spring Break and it will be my first time away from Elsa ever!! I am nervous but know she will do great here with my parents. Elsa loves time with Grammy and Papa and they are looking forward to it too.

We will try to keep up better on the blog...we'll see how that goes!

The Holidays 2008!!

Becky, Brittany and I threw a party for our parent's 40th Anniversary over the holidays! We hosted it at a wonderful place in Missoula called the Gibson Mansion. It turned out great and everyone had a great time!!

Kennet and I at the Anniversary party.

Happy 40th Anniversary Mom and Dad!!!!

Kennet, Elsa and I at the Mustard Seed in Missoula after family pictures.

I took Elsa for a ride on the Carousel in Missoula. Kennet took the action shots.

Elsa loves Grammy's rocking chair and spent a lot of time in it!

Elsa on Christmas morning. Auntie Britt gave Elsa her first cell phone!

Our nephews Bryce and Drew with Elsa on Christmas Eve in their new holiday jammies!

Great-Grandma Helen and Elsa posing for a quick photo.

Papa Bryce with Drew and Elsa playing blocks...little Bryce is in the background watching.

Well, here are some belated pictures from Christmas and the holidays in general. Kennet, Elsa, and I got away from the crazy snow in Spokane and drove over to Missoula for a week over Christmas. My whole family was there!! Mom, Dad, Becky and Stuart with Bryce and Drew (drove up from New Mexico...long story), Brittany and Cameron, Aunt Dede, Great-Grandma Helen and Kennet, Elsa and I. We had a wonderful holiday all being together!!! We went sledding, played a lot of Wii, ate and drank a lot, and really enjoyed the time together! My parents were also celebrating their 40th Wedding Anniversary so we threw them a cocktail party. It turned out great and we had an adults night out! The week was such a great time and we can't wait to see everyone again soon.

Winter Wonderland!!??

Kennet went for a little ride...
Elsa and her friend Ragan loving the sled!!

We're all bundled and having fun in the 2 feet of snow!

First sled ride!

Do you like my new hat? My friend Ragan gave it to me.

"It is hard to move with all these clothes on Mama"

Trying to keep the driveway clear...

View from the back deck.

Kennet getting ready to shovel the deck...22 inches, we measured.

All warm and cozy inside by the fire!

Well, the biggest snowstorm Spokane has ever seen hit here Wednesday. We have over 24 inches in 36 hours. The whole city shut down all schools, businesses, etc. and only emergency vehicles were to be on the roads. Today is our 2nd snow day! Fun!!! We took Elsa out in the snow late yesterday afternoon and she loved it!! We are enjoying the snowed-in days at home. We are looking forward to the holidays next week. We are planning to drive to Missoula on Tuesday...hoping the snow lets up by then!

Trip to Minnesota!!

Homecoming game at Minnesota versus Northwestern. This is the band at halftime. The Gophers lost the game in the last 24 seconds, a bummer of an ending but they are still having a great seaon at 7and 2.

Marian, Charlie, Kennet and I went to the game at the Metrodome. It was their last Homecoming in the dome, their new outdoor stadium opens next September!


Homecoming Parade! Elsa and Anna had a great time hearing the band and seeing the floats and all the Gopher fans!!

We dressed Elsa in her Gopher gear!

This is a great picture of them!! Daddy and Elsa having fun at the parade.

Poul watching Anna and Elsa in the rocking chair!

Halloween night...Elsa was a mouse.

Heading out to go Trick-or-Treating with Anna!

Susanna with Anna and Elsa...Anna was a butterfly! We all had a great time!

Charlie, Anna and Marian getting ready to Trick-or-Treat.

Charlie was proud of his Green Bay pumpkin!

Kennet starting the pumpkin carving...he is very serious about this.

Marian showing off Baby Bradburn...coming January 2009!! We cannot wait to have another niece or nephew!!!

I visited the Women and Children's Clinic in Minneapolis where I used to work. These are friends Erica and Bridgette. It was their first time meeting Elsa!


What a great trip it was! As you can see, we went to MN for a visit to Nona Susanna, FarFar Poul, Auntie Marian, Uncle Charlie, Uncle Eddie, Cousin Anna and lots of friends! Charlie's parents Chuck and Patty were also in town and it was great to see them. We were there 5 days and had a great time! Elsa and Anna had such fun playing together! We also got to see friends Chris, Denise, their kids Zach and Josh, Eric and Colleen, Jim, John and Karey, Andrew and Cat along with all those pictured above! It was beautiful weather too.

Fall Birthdays and Fun at Greenbluff!

The 3 of us at Walters Fruit Ranch.
Britt and I celebrating our birthday! 29 and 32...not too painful!
Cameron kept saying "I know I should stop eating but it is so good." Nice job Kennet!
Kennet cooked up Spicy Thai shrimp noodles and green coconut curry for our birthday dinner.
Auntie Brittany and Elsa having a great time!

Cade, Elsa and Ragan posing by the pumpkins!
Helping Elsa find the perfect pumpkin...
"I found it Ma-Ma!"
Kennet talked me into him taking Elsa on her first pony ride!!
Grammy Barb and Papa Bryce in Pumpkin Land with Elsa!

Fall birthdays are crazy in our families! September was Poul, Susanna, Little Bryce and Hande! October is Uncle Eddie, Brett, Marian, Betsy and Brittany on the 15th, Kennet, and Carlen. November will be Nathan, Big Bryce (Dad) and Drew. Phew, hope we did not forget anyone! Wishing lots of birthday happiness to all!! Mom and Dad and Brittany and Cameron were over last weekend to celebrate our birthdays...yes, Brittany and I have same birthday (October 15!) 3 years apart. We had a birthday dinner with Britt and Cameron last week...Thanks for cooking the Thai food for us Kennet!

The past 2 weekends we have gone up to Greenbluff where there are 30 or so small farms together over 12 miles. There is a huge harvest festival, pumpkins, and lots of good things to eat! Last weekend, Kennet, Elsa and I went with my parents up there on Sunday and this weekend we went back with friends and neighbors Rich, Suann, Cade, Ragan, Kristen and Charlie. We had a great time both trips!