photos

We had such a fun time with Peter. Ariel and Adriana love him almost to death literally. I had to constantly remind them to be gentle with him. Ariel thinks that she can jump on him unexpectedly from any angle and that he will not only be able to catch her but also walk away from the incident unscathed. We went to Silver Lake and walked around it. It was so beautiful and nice to get out in nature with all of its pleasant aromas and fresh air.


While Peter was here he helped us move furniture. Nikolay found these great dressers at a garage sale and we converted Annika's crib into a toddler bed and moved it in with the "big girls". We moved out a lot of other stuff so, now the room feels more spacious and not as cluttered. I like it. The next picture is of Annika in her big girl bed, making her trademark funny face.

I just took this one tonight of Nikolay holding our big three month old boy. Isn't he growing so quickly?
Jacob and Emily were so nice to come up and babysit for us Saturday night and Peter got to show off his computer with all of its fun extras. The girls had a great time taking funny pictures of themselves. Hey Pete, if you are reading this send me one of them and I will post it.









In staying with the theme of this blog, everyday I come across things that makes me feel old. Like it really bugs me that people like to use the term "pics" for pictures or photographs instead of photos. I suppose it must be a text message thing which definitely makes me older than a lot of people because I have never text messaged, nor plan on doing it. Only old people (like me) get bugged by new things younger people are doing. Anyway I have a lot of photos that I would like to share. We'll start out with the cutest guy I know. I wanted the photo to go below this text but it didn't. I am going to try again with another one.

So I actually wrote that paragraph before I posted all of the photos, if that makes any sense at all.

Rebekah and I had a great conversation today about how frustrating it is that kids aren't "grateful" for everything their parents do for them. (specifically signing them up for extra curricular activities and driving them all over the planet) We didn't figure out how to fix the problem but came to the conclusion that the reason that they are not grateful is that they have never known any different and it is kind of all our own fault (but that doesn't make us bad mothers, right?). It is great talking to her because we are going through a lot of the same things in life right now and can reassure each other that we are not bad parents. (Our biggest fear.) I wish that I could have said that all with more humor, but I guess I am just not there yet.

He'll be coming 'round the mountain

This picture was actually taken on Ariel's birthday in April, but I am posting it because Peter called today to say that he is coming to visit for a couple days and we are so excited. I really wish that he would start a website displaying some of his cool artwork so that I could put a link to it from here.
I have been trying to remember all of the funny things that the kids have been saying lately, but it is hard because they are constantly saying funny things. Like Adriana today said, I know whose name starts with an "M", Emily's. A few days ago Annika brought me a hairbrush and two ponytail holders and grunted in a way to make me understand that she wanted ponytails done. After I did them she still had the brush and was walking around in a circle brushing her hair and saying to herself, "Brush, brush, brush." but not really pronouncing the "R."
It was precious. When she gets really excited about something she puts her arms in front of her and bends her head down and runs fast (like Superman).
I am stuck in a non-cooking rut. Does anyone out there have any good recipes? I am soliciting comments on my blog, because I love to read comments.
I just finished a good book recommended to me by Rebekah, "To Hell with All That: loving and loathing our inner housewife" by Caitlin Flanagan. For all of you stay at home moms, its great, but you could skip the first two chapters they were a little too racy for my taste.

sunday morning

The girls were building a fort this morning and posed for a picture. Try to get three squirrely girls to all smile and look at the camera at the same time. I took like 16 pictures and this was the best one out of the lot. I just love it when they play nicely together.

saturday is a special day

I didn't have any new pictures to post so, I am putting up an old one of Dallin because he is so cute (maybe I am biased). Today we did yard work all day. I had ordered a "green trailer" from our sanitation department and they are going to pick it up on Monday morning so we were trying to fill it up today. So we were busy trimming all of our trees and bushes. Luke and Pete and Jacob know what I am talking about because they helped trim our overgrown trees earlier this year. He finally got them trimmed away from the power lines (mostly). We did manage to fill up the container and there some that we will take care of next year. Our yard looks the best that it has all summer. Too bad we didn't get it done before everyone came out to visit. Oh well, its not the end of the world. For Nikolay's birthday I got him a weed-whacker and I tried it out today and it is so cool. I just might be weed-whacking everything on Monday.

About Harry Potter, Emily mentioned that she was rereading the previous one before this one came out, and I thought that was a grand idea, but I just got it the day before yesterday, so I decided just to read the last few chapters and now I am really glad that I did because when Nikolay wasn't doing yard work today, he was reading the new one, so I guess I'll just have to wait until he is done or read it while he is at work. So, I am glad that I have to Half-Blood Prince to read while I am waiting. Did anyone else order it from Amazon and think "what a cool box I bet sme people are saving them as collectors"?
Ariel and Adriana went to a birthday party today and had a blast. Birthday parties are good things, they were looking forward to it all week and didn't stop talking about it till they went to bed. I'm going to try to take some good pictures tomorrow and post them

growing

Nikolay blowing out his birthday candles with Ariel on his lap and Annika in her highchair.



Svetlana with the kids the day before she moved to Seattle. We are really going to miss her. And I am really going to miss the free babysitting. Adriana is blurry because she can't be still for a second.
Here is a picture of what I was doing to the flowerbed in front of the house. I kind of rearranged some stuff. I have seen pansies survive the winter here in Utah so, I may dig some up in the fall and bring them inside but leave the rest. I want to plant some more bulbs too for the spring, but I always forget where the other ones are.


So, I guess Emily tagged me so I'll answer all the questions but I don't have anyone to really tag yet. Here goes.
My roommates and I once: drove all the way to Logan from Rexburg (woo hoo) We were all probably only eighteen so we thought that was a big deal and we let some guys that we met in Logan drive my roommate's car and he took it "digging" and it was just a Nissan Sentra, needless to say he did some damage and we had to buy a case of transmission fluid and keep filling it up just to make it back home.
Never in my life have I: been to Mexico.
When I am nervous I: avoid things
My hair: is in a pony tail because it is hot.
When I turn my head left: a fan is blowing in my face.
I should be: typing with two hands but the other one is busy holding Dallin.
By this time next year: Adriana will be getting ready for kindergarten.
My favorite Aunt is: it's a tie, they are all so nice to me
I have a hard time understanding: why countries go to war
You know I like you if : you get my humor
My ideal breakfast is: blinii (crepes) with fruit and whipped cream
If you visited my home town: considering that is Holladay, Utah, because we bought a house here, you would see the mountains and lots of friendly people.
If you spend the night at my house: you will get to take a shower in the new shower that Nikolay tiled.
My favorite blonds are : Ariel and Adriana
My favorite brunettes are : Nikolay, Annika, and Dallin
The animal I would like to see flying besides birds is : fish.

I don't think I can finish the rest of the questions, but I will take some good pictures and blog again soon.

birthdays

Tomorrow is Nikolay's birthday and this evening he asked me how "my years are my riches" sounds in English. The best I could come up with is "One year older, one year wiser." Getting older each year has been hard on both of us, but I guess it is inevitable, and a lot better that the alternative. Sometimes, when I really think about it I am so glad to be alive, like when I think about how many people I know who wouldn't be here if it weren't for modern medicine, and how lucky we are to live in the developed world where everything is available to us. Aren't we spoiled? Like how much stuff we have and how much we wouldn't even miss it if it were gone. (some of it).

I didn't mean to start my blog out on such a serious note, but that is one of the things I am always trying to overcome, being too serious and not light-hearted enough, it really does stress me out, and my kids too. I need to learn how to laugh again. Especially after a steroid driven day like today. I can't wait for Ariel to be done with treatment and maybe life will be a little more normal.

Another thing I am working on is taking better pictures. Nikolay thinks I should read the manual for our super duper camera, but who has time for that or a photography class either. What I really like about Emily's blog is that she always posts photos.
I think I am just going to write as if the audience or readers or who ever already know who everyone is so that I don't have to always write "my oldest daughter" or "my sister-in-law". And if you don't know who is who, just keep reading and maybe you will figure it out.

So here is a picture of Dallin's feet tonight.. or maybe it is not as easy as I thought to put a picture in. OK, so it ended up at the top which doesn't make sense, but I will leave it for today. I hope you enjoyed my first blog entry.