Swiss Miss

Third times a Charmer!

2012-01-26T13:46:00.000-08:00

Isaac has charmed us all and is getting lots of attention (wanted or not).

"Can I??"
MmmmWhaaa!
Reading Isaac stories . . .
Making sure he is cozy and has friends . . .
watching morning shows . . .
taking a snooze -
mommy's in love!Eli unedited!

Grandma Mueller's Visit

2012-01-26T13:39:00.001-08:00

Watch out Grandpa Mueller! Grandma might have found another boyfriend!

They colored pictures, played balloon ball and read endless amounts of stories. Grandma and Analise grocery shopped together and Analise did lots of "shows" for Grandma to watch.

The little guy was quite happy to be held at any time of day.

Showing pictures of Smokey and Babes - grandpa's horses, while getting ready to head out. We don't have two dogs - that's just Elijah's hat.

We were so happy and blessed to have Grandma Mueller here this week. She helped with everything - including a steady stream of laundry that had been stock-piling upstairs, cooking healthy meals and playing with kids. We love you and can't wait to see you this summer!

Natalie's Visit

2012-01-18T19:17:00.000-08:00

Natalie came to visit us during her January break from Minnesota. She was an awesome help with everything: baby, big kids, cleaning and hanging out.
The outdoor buddies - they worked for hours to build a fort.
Meanwhile inside Natalie helped me give Isaac his first bath.

Spent lots of time holding a sleeping baby!

Working on daubbers in the afternoon.
He's awake!
Building legos with Elijah.

Grandpa Johnson's visit

2012-01-14T06:21:00.000-08:00

Elijah has found a favorite new chair . . . just his size!
Grandpa and Analise worked on making peanut butter kiss cookies one afternoon. Analise is quite adept at unwrapping kisses!
watching Cat in the Hat and George monkey in the morning
talking to Grandma Johnson on Grandpa's phone - something she said is very funny!
reading books on Grandpa's bed
playing Candy Land
Oh yeah, the reason for the visit! Baby Isaac and Grandpa got lots of snuggle time. He was very content in Grandpa's arms!

Meet the family

2012-01-09T17:22:00.000-08:00

And then there were THREE

2012-01-07T17:00:00.000-08:00

Monday, January 2 . . .

Tuesday January 3, 2012 9:22 am - welcome Isaac Alan Mueller!

Coming home on our coldest day yet this winter - but you were well bundled!

Our friend Leslie watched Analise and Elijah during the morning so that Daniel could go to class. Then Stephanie had them over for lunch while Daniel came and got me so we arrived home with Isaac to a pretty quite house.

Grady must be thinking "Great, here we go again." Hard to believe the pooch has been with us through all of these adjustments and changes. He's sure a good little dog!

For posterity sake I'm writing down the birth story . . .

We woke up during the night because we heard Elijah crying, but once awake I realized I was having pretty regular contractions. Nothing very hard or uncomfortable but regular - about every 8 minutes (they say to come to the hospital when they are every 5 minutes.)

This got me thinking, "great, we're going to have a baby today. I'm going to need to call Leslie or Chandra. I hope they have their phones on. I feel bad waking somebody up - maybe I'll just wait and see how this goes." So from 3 - 6am I just dozed and waited and kept checking the clock every so often.

Then we got up - Daniel made coffee and I showered, finished packing the bag and called Leslie, who didn't answer her phone. I waited and at 7 called Chandra (another friend) who said she could come over. But again, I said no rush because I really wasn't feeling too bad and the contractions were not close yet.

Elijah woke up and came down to watch "George monkey" and "Cat in the Hat" - our morning routine. During these shows I started feeling it a bit more and had to walk away to breath a little - but Eli kept inviting me back to the chair to watch his show with him. :)

Closer to 8 I called Chandra again to say that we had really better be leaving and to see if she was on her way. She arrived a few minutes later and we left quickly.

On the way I had a few more contractions and definitely more intense. We parked in the parking garage and though Daniel offered me a wheel chair, I thought I'd walk. I was pretty determined to be tough this time around. I held Daniel's hand tightly and had to stop for a drink at the water fountain once -but we made it to the maternity around 8:45.

They put us in a holding room where they monitored baby's heart beat and my contractions. By this time the contractions were very intense - but still I was trying to be tough and not overreact that they weren't checking how far along I was. The nurse made the comment "Well, you should have a baby within the hour!" When she left I told Daniel "I don't think I can make it an hour!"

And thankfully it wasn't an hour - not even close.

The details from here are blurry to me but essentially the doctor came in and it was go time!

Daniel said it looked like a movie that they wheeled the bed quickly to the delivery room with a few people diving out of the way. Then the room was full of nurses getting everything ready and within three pushes the baby arrived at 9:22 - less than a half hour after arriving in the maternity.

Daniel stayed until lunch when he went and picked up Analise and Elijah. He made them scrambled eggs and cheese and then put everyone down for naps. That evening Leslie came and watched them so he could attend his night class from 5- 9pm. She came back in the morning so that he could go to class and come pick me up around noon. To add to the confusion, we didn't have a name chosen for the first 24 hours so I was thinking constantly about what we were going to name this child! Finally, when Daniel arrived we committed Isaac Alan to paper and immediately I felt relief and joy about the choice.

So after 9 months of waiting, in just over 24 hours we delivered a baby and were back home again.

God has been so good - everything went so smoothly, the baby and I are healthy, Analise and Elijah have been adjusting well, and Daniel is the rock that kind of holds it together right now - that it leaves my head spinning just a little.

The name Isaac means "laughter." Sometimes, when faced with such a mountain of blessings there is no better way to express the gratitude and joy at the absurdity and extravagance of the gift that we've been given than to break into laughter. When I think of this week I'm amazed at God's goodness and I'm definitely laughing!

Christmas

2012-01-01T16:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year was a quiet event - well as quiet as our family of four can ever be.

Christmas Eve Elijah was running a slight fever and very tired during the Christmas Eve service - he perked up a little for Christmas morning - but still went down for a nap at 10:30!

While he hasn't quite figured out the wonder of opening up presents - and actually threw one back at me because he was busy playing with something else - Analise has fully arrived. She tried her best to wait patiently for Elijah to open a gift before it was again her turn, but it's SO HARD when he just doesn't have the same enthusiasm!
The train set has been a big hit - we've built a new track every day!
Hmm, I see one with an "A" - is that for me?
"Let me double check . . . "

Daddy is relaxing for a little between cinnamon rolls and egg bake while kids are busy with toys.
Watching a little show and relaxing. We truly did not get out of our jammies the entire day - it was wonderful.
Happy Holidays! Ever since the ice show at Busch Gardens - Analise has been honing in on a perfect "Happy Holidays!" while waving at the crowd. She even "skates" over to shake hands with the audience - I love it!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-23T17:46:00.000-08:00

What's so funny?
"Say cheese!"
My friend Stephanie and her two boys came over to play and make "gingerbread houses" out of graham crackers. As we predicted - the kids decorated for about 5 minutes then burst off to go play and we sat at the table and "finished" the job! It was fun anyway!
Did I mention she is pregnant too? And due just a few weeks after me . . .
Look at those bellies!
hanging out with the crew . . .

Florida and Atlanta

2011-12-13T19:15:00.000-08:00

After Hilton Head we went south to visit my aunt Liz, uncle Curt and cousin Hannah. One morning we went to Disney village where we shopped around, played with toys, road some rides and ate lunch. Basically got to experience as much of Disney as a 3 year old and 1 year old can handle - and it's free!

Eli was quite taken with Hannah and is busy pointing out the train.

Minnie and Mickey stop for a photo op.

All this talk of princesses had our little gal (and her mom) in the mood for dress up. So we went home and had our own little beauty parlor! With special glitter make-up, nail polish, and a new "Belle" dress from Aunt Liz she was looking pretty fancy.

Next stop was Aunt Jane's house. She and Aunt Ger graciously hosted us for a week. They golfed with Daniel, we swam in their club's pool, and (the highlight) Ger lent us her golf cart to go cruising. Elijah was in HEAVEN!

We also spent a day at Busch Gardens. It was perfect because we got to see all of their Christmas shows as well as the Sesame Street characters and show in the children's park.
Notice Eli's reaction in this picture . . . he's not such a fan of costumed creatures.

Analise was practicing her ballet moves from the back of a book when Daniel snuck in with the camera.
the little guy -
Last stop - Eloise's house! (sorry Beth, but Eloise was the real highlight here :) Our friends from Paris, now in Atlanta who have children the same ages as ours - and one more on the way! The girls enjoyed doing everything girly - including a tea party with some delicious Christmas cookies.
the gang - snuggling under a blanket to watch some shows

playing on the tire swing at the park . . .

H.I. are for . . .

2011-12-13T18:43:00.000-08:00

Hilton Head Island!

We spent a wonderful Thanksgiving with our Mueller family on the beach at Hilton Head, South Carolina. Time in the warm weather will hopefully make the winter more bearable here in N.H. - right?

snuggle time with blankie and Grandma. This was down time for Grandma who had been busy preparing a Thanksgiving dinner and taking Eli downstairs to play pool . . . well, his version of pool anyway
loving the sand!
Christmas at Thanksgiving with the Warrens. Analise has been a little confused by this and now calls her "Christmas list" her "Thanksgiving list" - ironic isn't it? Making a list of all your wants and calling them your Thanksgiving list - ah, out of the mouths of children . . .
tired out! After walking around Savannah all day the kiddos crashed in the stroller.
The beach house at Hilton Head.
waves crashing at night made sleeping like a baby easy - even for an 8.5 month preggo
Analise and Hannah help Grandma by cleaning off the beaters after making whipped cream.
little friends -

G is for . . .

2011-11-13T17:48:00.001-08:00

G is for Green - mixing blue and yellow paint makes green. This was a super fast experiment because what I really wanted were handprints to make Grandparents Day cards - which requires speed on mom's part! slip the paper on the table, smack those hands down, lift up straight, swoosh the paper away and insert a new one - all in one fluid motion!
G is for Gifts. We got a toy catalogue from a friend and both kids have already poured over it's pages.
G is for Gift from Grandma! Thanks Grandma J for getting into the G thing with a package filled with gifts - a princess puzzle for Analise, truck for Eli, and fleecy jammies for baby Mueller.G is for Green, Gold, Glitter and Green bay Packers! Also in Grandma's package were all the makings for these glittery signs. Go Pack Go!

the Guys . . . enjoying the last of the warm sunshine that November has to offer. Now that daylight savings has hit the afternoons slip away far too quickly. Let me clarify - the "outdoor" portion of the afternoon slips away. The "indoor" and dark but not quite dinner portion stretches to eternity.

Green Goo!! What was I thinking!?!?! Corn starch, water and a pinch of flour made this goopy, gluey substance absolutely great for touching, squeezing, dripping, and smearing.
While Eli got the goo all over, Analise kept fairly contained - but played with it for much longer. SO fun :)

Analise is showing my how she drew a C and made a C with her fingers. The picture is of her with chicken pox and of the "baby in your tummy" - shown by his very short arms and legs.

F is for . . .

2011-11-06T19:58:00.000-08:00

Not too many pictures this week, although we have been enjoying all that F has to offer!

F is for Fan! This week Daniel had a few Fans as he played drums in the Tuck band. They did a really great job and surprised quite a few of their peers and maybe even themselves! At one point a number of his friends in the crowd started to chant "Mue-ller, Mue-ller." It took them doing it three different times for him to realize they were talking about him. It was pretty hillarious.

One day I took the kids to the pet store to just look at the fish (appropriate for F). It brought me back to the magical days of my childhood when we were first allowed to bike to the fish store on the corner near our house and just look around. Before I knew it I was suggesting that we pick out a fish to bring home! It started out as a 99 cent goldfish - but Analise was unwilling to accept that there were no pink goldfish and couldn't understand why we couldn't just get the $29.99 tropical pink fish in the tank next door. We compromised on a pink Beta - whom she appropriately named Pinkie. Pinkie is now living in a bowl on our dining room table and bringing all kinds of entertainment.

Here's an encore performance . . .

Halloween

2011-11-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

The pink princess and the cowboy . . .
Free!! from the photo op ;)
"It's really cold out here, this had better be worth it . . . "
The finished products - Eli freaked out touching the "goo." Kind of funny for a guy who spends most of his time covered in it in one form or another.
Analise however didn't mind digging right in and even shared some with her brother -
First was the trick-or-treat party at Tuck. Our friends Zachy and Van got in on the photo booth.

wrangling 4 sugar loaded kids and getting them to stand still, let alone look at the same thing is darn near impossible - but it was fun!
After tricks and treats we had a fire in the fire pit at our house and a few friends came over. Analise is sharing some cider with Zachy - cheers!

E is for . . .

2011-10-28T18:46:00.000-07:00

E is for escape! Last weekend we traveled to Portland to visit the Maine coast for a few days over the weekend. The highlights were a train ride, a boat ride, and a cafe called "Mornings in Paris" - owned and operated by a French lady. So there was a little something for everyone!
Eagerly waiting for the train to come to the station . . .

throwing rocks in the water on a little island off of Portland. We took the ferry and weren't quite sure what to expect, but after lots of walking and a stop at the market for a picnic lunch - it turned out to be worth the work.

one afternoon we drove to the lighthouse in Portland
Fish and chips for lunch at a little outdoor restaurant on the marina
E is for Elijah!

Analise with her "make-ups." This includes about 5 different chapsticks and one heart compact with sparkly eye shadow. She managed to put the eye shadow all over her forehead - just like mommy!?? She was very sparkly. She's very generous with her make-ups and shares very nicely with Eli. Eli calls them "gac" - his little work for snack . . . umm, not quite buddy.
A street in old Portland . . .
Eli found a little seat.

D is for . . .

2011-10-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

D is for fall Day! This was a special one - out to pick pumpkins, take a hay ride, eat apples and enjoy blue sky. Pretty spectacular! This little farm has a big pumpkin patch, orchards, berry patches - everything needed to feel like a real fall day.
D for Dray horse! (OK, I had to look that one up- I admit) These Belgians pulled the hayride.
Delicious! It's so handy when you can just give them an apple and it keeps them busy all morning . . . no more bitty chopping, pureeing, . . . at least not for a few more months.

Determined . . . they're still working away at those apples

Decisions, decisions. Analise came back with about 10 pumpkins before deciding on the chosen one.
Driver. - every stick becomes a useful instrument for whacking away at a ball - or whatever else happens to be on the sidewalk.D for DOG. Grady is still around - trying to keep himself out of the way of curious kids, cleaning up the floor, harboring the occasional deer tick, and being an all around "good dog."
D for Daddy! Lately Daddy has been keeping busy when he's not in school by playing drums in the Tuck band (yeah - there's a Tuck band), getting in a few more rounds of golf before snow comes, and spending lots of time with his family - we're so lucky :)

Playing Thomas with Eli. Lately Eli has started saying Dada. Every wine glass I take out of the dishwasher gets a "dada," every time I open the refrigerator to get something the little runt grabs a beer and runs it to "dada." NO - we did not train him!! He loves his dada and nothing gets him motivated more than the prospect of playing with daddy.

D is for Dress up. Here Analise has laid out all of her outfits - complete with shoes and matching jewelry. Notice the mismatched shoes - this is on purpose and I have to talk her out of wearing them that way - we'll just stick with mismatched socks.
Dressing as a pink princess . . . As part of our D week we've been watching lots of Ballroom Dancing on youtube and she's a BIG fan. I can't get her as excited about Dolphins or Dogs but Dancing and Donuts are pretty motivating.

And a little note to baby #3 - your sister loves you! Whenever she and I sit together in the afternoon she likes to pull my shirt up and lay her head on my tummy. She waits patiently to feel you kick (and you usually comply). She tickles my tummy and says she is "tickling your back." You are already well loved and looked forward to.
Some friends over to play in the afternoon. Analise was being a punk and didn't want to turn around for a picture - but the girls were so cute! They had blankets and the tent out under the trees behind our apartment. I didn't see them for a few hours!

D is for dough. We spent a lot of time with playdough this week. For the most part Eli is over eating it - which is a relief.

C is for . . .

2011-10-07T16:42:00.000-07:00

C is for cold! This week turned cold - and while we maybe didn't need hats, I never say no to extra accessories.
C is for cuties - here they are in their morning glory.
C is for chocolate - digging for marshmallows at the bottom of the cup
and for Cup - these are cups we made last year at the pottery place.
C for cupcakes! While I was busy making carrot cupcakes - trying to have a moment with my daughter - she was busy making her own cupcakes with playdough

C is for cut. During some particularly rough rough-housing Eli went over the arm of the leather chair and bit down on his lower lip. It was a gusher for about 10 minutes! He had a huge lip and cut on the inside.
C is for cotton ball clouds . . . who can resist tasting one
and ripping them off the page

C is for creation - this is Analise's first self-portrait. I think I'm more proud than she is!

B is for . . .

2011-09-29T19:06:00.001-07:00

B is for Birds! Our outing this week was to the VINS nature center where we saw lots of birds, went on a nature hike (where mommy managed to step mid-calf deep in thick mud) and hung out with friends.
The peregrine falcon is our Buddy Zachy's favorite bird at the moment -
The Bunch - Van, Eli, Zachy, and Analise (plus 2 more since Stephanie and I are both expecting)
B is for boots! New rain boots got broken in on a particularly rainy afternoon

B is for bizarre? Who is this girl? She's showing me her doll house - which is getting lots of play time right now.
B is for breathless - anticipation of the UPS truck. Waiting for deliveries is a daily occurrence - I"m not joking . . . for real. And every time Eli sees the truck (or any truck) it's WOW!!
Books! Following in his sister's footsteps is another little bookworm.
Broom! Starting them young on doing the chores.
B is for balls, beer and bonding! As soon as Daniel turns on sports center Eli comes running, shouting, "Ball, Ball, Ball!!"
A little bonding time . . .

A extra . . .

2011-09-23T20:14:00.001-07:00

Where'd the shirt go? Yes, it's the first day of fall - but it was SO hot and humid here. The kids got a trillion mosquito bites and Eli even got stung by a bee in the raspberry patch. We're recovering with a little apple cider . . .
Eating gelato in Hanover outside the Nugger theater on a beautiful fall-ish day.
Eli is perched precariously waiting for me to finish snack - but his little pose was too cute to pass - plus I love his slippers.
Playing with balls at the Montshire children's museum
Building a complex house with rooms and roofs for some mini - stuffed chipmunks - also at the children's museum.

A is for . . .

2011-09-23T20:00:00.001-07:00

"A" is for APPLE! This year we're following a letter of the week "curriculum" - meaning we pick 5 words that start with the letter of the week and then do things, sing songs, read stories, play games etc. - based on our letter. This week we did LOTS of apple related crafts, food, singing etc.

Apple printing - and color mixing . . .
a little finger painting . . . (this activity lasted about as long as it took for me to take the picture)
And apple picking! We went with the Tiny Tuckies to the apple orchard. We left with two grocery bags full of apples, apple cider, Indian corn, some gourds, and mini-pumpkins. Hurray for the first day of fall!! This is our very best friend Zachy - and I was trying to hop Van into the wagon, but wasn't quick enough! oops
Little man at the Farmer's Market. Not really A related, except he's an A+ to me :)

Summer Pics Pt. 2

2011-09-06T10:51:00.001-07:00

Playing at the park in Idaho by Grandma's house
Eli doing his circuit . . . up the steps, across the bridge, up some more steps, down the slide - repeat as fast as possible . . .
During our one week trip to Pasco, Washington Daniel worked all day so the kids and I had plenty of time to explore the river as well as the wading pool in the park next to the hotel. Thankfully it was 90 degrees and sun every day or we would have been stuck!
throwing rocks . . .
testing the water - Analise is always ready to plunge in, but Eli was not so sure and preferred to look at the water rather than go in.Eating ice cream at a 50's style diner next to the hotel in the afternoon
goofy guy
first pics after his big hair cut - we can spike it now! Call me crazy, but I think his personality changed after the cut. It really launched him into toddler land versus sweet baby boy land . . .
I couldn't believe how much hair was on the floor after this cut!

Summer Pics

2011-09-05T18:48:00.001-07:00

A visit to Bear World near Yellowstone Park in Idaho - the bears really come right up to your car! I was amazed and had a way better time than I thought I would . . .
The little lady all ready for the annual Sun Valley Ice Show. Yes - she is wearing fluffly pink dress up shoes . . .
Riding the Carousel at Tauphaus park in Idaho Falls. Look at those stumpy legs! The little guy LOVED it and could hardly stay in his saddle he was so excited.
Watching a Chukars game with dad.
Driving through Yellowstone on our way through Idaho into Montana.
Long car ride . . .
Where are you Eli?
In Minnesota - having popsicles on grandma and grandpa's back step
trying out the new blow up pool
watching a show on the computer while eating a snack before bed.

more pics to come~!

We're Home!

2011-08-31T20:14:00.000-07:00

Taking a break in Boise, ID to put our feet in the rive - and throw some rocks.
Stop over in Twin Falls, Idaho on the way to Pasco, Washington . . .
Spent time at our house in Idaho - next year we'll be living there full time!
Taking a walk by the falls in Idaho Falls.

More pictures to come . . .

After three months "abroad" - the United States - we're back in New Hampshire.

Top Ten Highlights of the Summer

10. Daniel worked with Volm Companies both in Wisconsin and Idaho - so we spent June in MN and July out west.

9. We got to see LOTS of the Grandmas and Grandpas. SO nice to see the kids interact with them - and so nice to give mom and dad little breaks! :) Also lots of time with families - including our cousins Jacob and Hannah and our NEW cousin Makenna Joy!

8. We DROVE coast to coast, experiencing 18 states and one Canadian province, stayed in 12 hotels, ate countless "nuggets and fries," and watched 42 zillion episodes of Caillou in the car.

7. Lost our dog in Miles City, Montana. Found him again at the Miles City, Montana pound 1 hour later.

6. Got pulled over twice in 20 minutes in the state of South Dakota . . . and had our car searched for drugs . . . and ran over a skunk.

5. Improved our French by hosting Penelope, the girl I nannied for in Paris, who came for a visit in Idaho for three weeks.

4. Learned how to strip wallpaper - not one - but THREE layers in one room, how to enjoy doing heavy duty yard work, and clear algae from the pond so the fish can live. The key? It's our house! No more rentals after this year and it's amazing the motivation one finds when something is really yours!

3. Watched a baby transform into a toddler. "Little Daniel" was what we heard the most. He loved golfing with any ball and stick he can get his grubby mits on, ate corn on the cob until . . . , and has an ever expanding "vocabulary" of animal sounds, "down, down," "upa" "uh- oh" and BALL! - to name a few.

2. Watched a toddler transform into a princess. She enjoyed doing 25 piece puzzles, playing dress up and dolly, swimming, doing "ballet" and singing. A princess in every way :)

1. Learned that Dorothy said it best when she said, "There's NO place like home!" After months visiting I'm so thankful for our wonderful families and amazed at how well - and quickly - the summer went. Now I feel refreshed and excited to slip back into our own little routines here in New Hampshire, rediscovering our friends here, and the beautiful area we live in. At least until January 4th . . . I'm sure I"ll be singing a different tune after #3 arrives!!

Sandbox play

2011-05-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

The weather is finally beautiful! Yeah!! Analise is trying to take Eli for a ride . . .
Thankfully Dad is close behind!
AHH! Crusty face is coming! The delicate mingling of runny nose and sand is irresistible!
tasting the goods . . .
Our mini-sandbox (idea thanks to Beth Seelinger) fits well on our little porch and serves the purpose!

Happy mother's day!

2011-05-06T05:25:00.000-07:00

New York - Day 3

2011-05-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

The last morning in NY we drove to the Botanic Gardens in the Bronx. It was a perfect day for it! Clear skies and warm sun. After an incredibly long winter, this felt like heaven. This caterpillar was made all of flowers . . .
Still the cherry tree season and they were so gorgeous . . .
what are these? sweet peas? so cute! whatever they are, they reminded me of the little flowers that people used to get on May 1st in Paris.

The sad part of the weekend was that Eli lost a shoe. SO frustrating! But at least it was warm enough to be barefoot today
Say cheese guys, I'm going to take your picture . . .
Man down! Man down! Analise get off of him! No, you can't push on his tummy like that - it hurts him!
The trees were wearing great big princess dresses!

Catch it Eli!

New York - Day 2

2011-05-02T18:55:00.000-07:00

The second day we walked and walked! We started in Washington square and meandered around Greenwich Village, Soho, China Town, Little Italy and then back towards our hotel. It was a long day!

Wave to daddy!

Analise heard the music and could not be stopped. I have numerous videos of this, but only included one. Even in Kindermusik she doesn't want to imitate animal moves, she does ballerina moves - pretty normal, but she's the only girl in our class! The 6 boys stare in wonder and confusion . . .

"Mommy and prince you dance with me??"views from China town

Eli are you tired? poor baby

New York - Day 1

2011-05-02T18:38:00.000-07:00

The morning after we arrived in NY we walked around the city - slowly making our way down 5th ave. with a stop at the gardens and F.A.O. Schwartz

When Analise found out she got to pick something out the response was pretty immediate : "I'd like a pink dress, a pink crown, a pink necklace, a pink phone, pink glass slippers . . . etc." Boy did we find it all! It was actually kind of hard for mom to hold back, even when she didn't ask for anything else after finding the dress.After shopping we headed for a picnic in Central Park. Daniel (checking his map) did a great job of arranging all the details. I'm so thankful!
A little view that reminded me of Paris . . .

ELMO!!!! We didn't know you live in New York! Analise about flipped when she saw him and couldn't stop giving him hugs.

We also saw Minnie mouse - which was equally as exciting, but disappointing when she didn't say high because she was deep in conversation with the police . . . we're wondering if Minnie didn't have a permit . . . try explaining that to a 2 year old!

The transformation is complete. She will now spend the rest of the weekend as "the pink princess." If New York is about making a fashion statement, she pretty well nailed that as every person we passed commented on the princess and tiara. It didn't help that the royal wedding was going on at the same time!
walking through the park to our picnic spot . . .

Oh, and our little Li-Li. Just along for the ride, as usual and happy as a clam. He's standing by himself and even bending his knees, but just won't take the first step. Still faster at crawling I guess - that's O.K., no rush!

I heart glueguns

2011-04-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

One thing I definitely missed while living in Europe was the easy access to a multitude of fun, CHEAP craft supplies. To that end I'm now the proud owner of my own glue gun. The smell, the singed finger tips, the stringy goop all over - I love it. I made easter egg bunnies holding a little playdough as a special little gift for Analise and Eli's friends . . .
Our spring crafts . . . the tulips, caterpillar, and ladybugs are made out of egg cartons. Analise painted them and helped poke pipe cleaners. I manned the glue gun (heh, heh, heh)
googly eyes just make everything better . . .
These little bean bags were supposed to be for Easter baskets, but I couldn't hold back and gave them early

One thing I miss about Europe was the understated simplicity of decorating. No glue gun (etc.) meant more "creative" and cheap decorating. And cheap fresh flowers never hurt either.

Freezin' our Easter Eggs off

2011-04-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Tiny Tuckies Easter egg hunt - so today we had to get out all the gear and "practice." Analise found all the eggs! Easter dresses are on sale at TJ Maxx, so I got one a size bigger, thinking to save it for next year. So far she's worn it every other day. It actually works out well that it's too big because she has to wear a T-shirt and leggings underneath!
These are her "tapping shoes." I just had to take a picture because her little toddler foot puffs up out of the top of the shoe and it's seems wider than it is long. . . mother, I need a word with you about that . . .
Aah, Eli, hold still, I'm trying to take your picture!

Playing with Easter eggs outside in full winter ware. In fact, it flurried for most of the day. I'm so done with New Hampshire! I'm ready for . . . umm, Wisconsin?? Minnesota?? sheesh, I guess I'll stay here a little while longer. How's Idaho this time of year?

Eli saw a ball on the porch and worked himself all the way to the end, went up the steps and crawled to the prize. He's persistent - and he LOVES balls! In fact, he was so upset in the grocery store and I couldn't figure out why. He pointed and cried and kept whimpering "buh, bruh, bbb, bhhh" (not very clear) and finally I looked up. Sure enough, all along the top of the aisle were red balloons - probably 20 at least. Clearly their marketing was working on somebody.

Here we're getting ready to go to bed - but I just love these jammies and needed a little video. Analise is watching "Monkey George"

clapping for the music

2011-04-05T12:15:00.000-07:00

This video is a bit boring because Eli just woke up and is more interested in the dog than in what we were playing with - but usually when he plays with this little toy he rocks out!

Daddy and We

2011-04-01T16:02:00.001-07:00

Goofing around on the floor after supper . . . Daddy throws the ball up in the air and catches it and Eli thinks he's amazing. Talk about a major ego booster!
Here's lookin' at you kiddo
At Eli's last appointment he was in the 49% for height and 48% for weight - pretty average!
Now there's a little different kind of interaction here - daddy and "Belle" are out walking Grady
Daddy is still throwing things up in the air and catching them - and Analise still thinks he's amazing, but she needs to wear a dress and heals, necklace and bracelets . . .
"No daddy, I mommy, you baby, you need to go yours room - you cry. It's Ok baby, mommy's here."

Ladybug Picnic

2011-03-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

For "Tiny Tuckies" I had this great plan of planting seeds, eating "mud" with gummy worms and painting clay pots - all indoors, as a celebration of spring coming, but today actually turned out to be sunny!!!!! Nothing could entice us back inside . . .
Analise playing chase with friend Aiden . . .
Analise enjoyed the "mud" snack (pudding, oreos and whip cream) and is showing me her dirty hands before going inside to wash up . . . Notice the necklace - we go nowhere without full jewelry
Eli is more and more eager to walk and does pretty well holding just one hand but no first steps yet.

In friend Stephanie's words "A vision" . . .

Today Eli went head first down the slide you see - I swear I was watching and the next moment he was gone! Pretty adventurous! Thankfully it was so slow he was at a complete stop by the bottom.
Hi buddy! Right now Eli is getting more opinionated about everything. He LOVES his blankie and is so feisty to get down when he wants to move around. Daniel caught him trying to climb the bookshelves . . . I'm sure it's just a foretaste of the things to come!

Sesame Street Live

2011-03-29T18:50:00.000-07:00

"Please mom, I'm rea'y a go see Elmo show." I've been hearing this phrase since February when we were snowed out and unable to drive to see the show.
Eli totally missed an afternoon nap but held out through the whole thing!
ELMO!!! I have to admit, I go a little choked up on the "Sunny Day" montage :) good times
Abby Cadabby!!!!
I think Analise wants to BE her . . .
singing and dancing and lights . . . lots of crowd appeal!
Friends Zachy and Van
and mom Stephanie (who Analise calls Fuffy)

Waiting for the show to start- can't really see it here, but Eli is pinched down in the seat. He was too light to make it unfold! But he did fine sitting on my lap. Analise enjoyed the show (although the storyline was over her head). All in all a great outing!

Grace

2011-03-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

Ahh!

Another month has gone by and I haven't posted anything! Does that mean there's nothing going on chez Mueller? No, quite the contrary.

After returning from Atlanta (the trip during which Eli had a horrendous gastro bug - poor little thing) . . . Analise then got a bug and had a pretty high fever for about two days. This happened to be over the Tuck Winter Carnival - so we didn't really get to participate in any of those festivities - and believe me, there was nothing photograph-able about the the weekend!

Then we left for Idaho Falls for 10 days over Daniel's spring break. Daniel did some skiing and we had some quality time with Grandpa and Grandma Mueller and cousins Jacob and Hannah. Analise gets along really well with her cousins and they do such a good job of including her and playing with her - it's so fun to be with them!

Eli celebrated his first birthday at Grandma's. This time he was dealing with teething issues and we kept him on all matter of teething tablets, tylenol, and orajel around the clock. Finally he recovered and everyon was able to enjoy what a happy little guy he really is!

Happy Birthday Li- Li we're so blessed to have you in our family and we look forward to getting to know you more and more!

Then there's the reason for the title. I listened to a devotion today about Grace . . . and the speaker said often we listen to what we should do, go home and struggle to do it and eventually fail because we are doing something in our own power. It's only God's grace that gives us the power to live a Godly life. I feel a small sense of this in doing the blog. I start out with gusto, do about five, and then get side-tracked, forgetful, or just lazy! Same with devotions, taking vitamins, exercising, being patient - and even just being nice. I need God's grace in every part of my life! I learned that Grace not only redeems us from the mistakes but takes us a step further and gives us the power to move ahead - in ways we would have never dreamed possible for ourselves.

I experience God's grace daily and the days that I'm aware of it I'm so thankful and joyful! So, while I cannot promise any more blogs right away (although I have some pictures of Eli's birthday) I just wanted to share some of the things that we're doing and the Grace that's getting me through them!

Valentines Visit

2011-02-18T20:26:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day dress up at Beth's house in Atlanta with all the goodies provided by Beth's mom! The girls lived in their skirts and sparkle shoes all week!
Eloise in flight!

All dressed up and no place to go . . .

ready for a Valentines day tea complete with pink frosted cookies and apple juice in tea cups.

Go Packers!

2011-02-18T20:20:00.000-08:00

Go Pack Go! We watched the super bowl at a friend's house this year. Eli was enjoying the appetizers . . .

Analise is wearing a Packer's skirt (I made the night before) and some beads - luckily St. Patrick's day is the same color as Packer wear!

Winter Carnival

2011-02-18T19:50:00.000-08:00

Directly in front of the front door, in the main thoroughfare of the apartment, is a small shelf of books. So why is it that this would be the favorite place to sit and play?Reading together . . .

Now on to Winter Carnival . . .

Skating at Occum Pond as the kickoff for Dartmouth winter carnival last weekend . . . I really had to hold myself back now that I've become such an amazing hockey player . . . ha! ha!
kid version of ice fishing . . .
roasting rather toasting marshmallows over a not so open flame . . .

Hi Li - Li!!

beautiful day and beautiful setting definitely New England at it's finest - But we have some major worn out kids here -

Montshire Science Museum

2011-02-09T16:47:00.000-08:00

During these snowy months we're looking for things to do indoors - one place to head is the Montshire children's/ science museum The bubble exhibit, toddler tree house and giant moose keep us busy . . . for at least an hour!The little ornery one didn't want her picture taken
Eli is getting around so fast now and pulling up on everything that it's hard for me to remember a time when he was STATIONARY!!
There was a special exhibit by the Blue Man Group about science and music. It was fun to play songs with a giant paddle on different pipes . . .
Daddy takes a whack at it . . .

Dinner time!

2011-02-03T19:35:00.000-08:00

Doesn't seem to matter how many toys there are in this house . . .somehow the troops end up playing wherever I am . . .
"Muah - ha - ha- ha I ate all of my pasta - and I will eat yours too!"
"tasty!"
"High 5 - don't leave me hanging!"
Thanks Great Grandma Schlobohm for the fancy bib/ apron - it's perfect for spaghetti dinner!This video is a little snapshot of the end of dinner. Sorry i spend too long trying to get him to wave when he's clearly not doing it -but he is waving, clapping, kissing and dancing now and it's so fun to watch!

Snow day

2011-02-02T15:47:00.000-08:00

We have snow! Of course the blizzard of the year happened the day we were supposed to drive to a town 1 hour away to see "Sesame Street Live." We were pretty disappointed at first, but thankfully we got over pretty easy. Later daddy came home and we ventured out for a walk . . .

Thanks Grandma Mueller for Eli's stylish coat and snow pants! What a combo!

It snowed pretty much all day and the drifts were quite something!

borrowed a friend's sled and we're heading out

"Hmm, what are my sister and dad doing?"
They're trying to make snow angels . . . but this was a little too deep for that!

Our neighbor's car needs a little help - we might not see that one until the thaw!

Story Time

2011-01-29T21:54:00.000-08:00

Story time is Thursday mornings at the Howe Library in Hanover and it's one of our favorite outings! Analise is waving to "Midge" the teacher's puppet hedgehog. We have fun listening to stories, singing songs and coloring.playing her egg shaker . ..

My favorite part is watching Analise grow from such a little toddler to a pre-pre-schooler! We started coming at the beginning of the fall and the change in how she interacts in the class, listens to the stories and absorbs everything going on has been so interesting and fun to watch.
Our friend Stephanie and her two boys, Zachy and Van, come too!
After story time Analise lined up all the characters on the felt board . . .
Van and Eli - rebels without a cause, hangers-on in the "above 2 year old" class . . .
the magic rain stick turns over to say "The magic of story time has begun" it gets their attention every week!
Zachy putting his piece on the felt board

After story time we walk across the street to Ramuntos with Stephanie and her boys to have pizza for lunch. Usually the daddies get done around the same time and meet us there - definitely one of the highlights of our week! Here Analise and Zachy are checking out snow packed against the window and then chasing around the post. For all that Analise loves dollies, princesses and mommies - she really know how to hold her own and Zachy is often the brunt of her affections!

Hello Li Li

2011-01-29T21:46:00.000-08:00

Finger painting . . . is that a mustache? - man the girl has her father's facial hair!Elijah is getting ready for dinner! He kicks so hard in that little wooden high chair that I sometimes think it might go right over!

pants are totally optional when you have thighs that squishy . . . and you're under 1 year old.
Eli is crawling all over now and pulling up on everything . .. which means two baby gates and we've permanently moved Grady's food.

Analise's favorite saying is "Li Li you puttser puttser" and we'll be standing in the bathroom hearing Eli come crawling down the haul and she says "Here comes trouble!"

Lazy Days . . .

2011-01-19T16:23:00.000-08:00

With the snow accumulating outside, we're finding new ways to pass the time inside . . . bathing is one of them. Playing in the tub with is fun - but playing the tub with a friend is even better! And this spiky haired bad boy is living it up.

Then there's the ol' empty the book basket trick . . . also more fun with a friend. Analise's favorite phrase now is "Oh, no! Li Li eating my books!"

and sleeping! The blanket on the bottom is from his Great Grandma Johnson and the blanket on top is from his God mother Megan Johnson! PS - he just had a haircut over Christmas break and is in desperate need of another.

PSS - I did a horrible job of taking pictures over our trip back to MN, if anyone wants to send some my way I'd be happy to post!

November highlights

2011-01-05T12:48:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone - hope that your Christmas celebrations were all delightful. Here is a recap of November since I've been so delinquent at blogging!

This is the view of the city from atop the Empire State building . . . pretty awesome!

We spent Thanksgiving in New York with the Muellers and Warrens. It was a fast couple of days but lots of fun to see the city together. Daniel was surprised at how quickly I was won over to the city - but it may be a case of still missing Paris and finding the American equivalent . . .
Thanksgiving dinner was all the traditional dishes - but served on a boat cruising the NY harbor
A view of Lady Liberty. I was struck at how much smaller she is in real life - from "American Tale" I thought it had to be enormous! Of course, that from a mouse's point of view . . .
Watching the Macy's Day parade. We actually couldn't see much, but the atmosphere was very festive and fun!

"Hey Eli - gimme back my glasses!"

After New York, we drove back to New Hampshire for a few days. This was Eli's first gift opening so we called it Christmas and took a few pictures. He very shortly went to bed following this picture . . .

"Yummy . . . box - num, num, num"

Analise received recorded stories from Grandpa and Grandma - one of the Nativity and one of Frosty the Snow Man. She has taken to Christmas carols with gusto this year belting out Away in the Manger, Jingle Bells, Frosty and Silent Night like nothing. It kills me! Especially when she cut and pastes verses so that the song never really has an ending - it just keeps going and going and going and going . . .

Reading with Grandpa and Grandma . . .

and modeling the new Christmas dress from Grandma. Besides singing, Analise loves dressing up like a princess and has been known to make appearances at the grocery store dressed as snow white. She walks around the house going - "where my crown mommy?"

It was a quick but fun trip and the highlight of November!

After Thanksgiving it was a whirlwind of Christmas parties, finals, skiing, shopping and packing to get ready for our trip back to MN in December. More pictures of that to come . . .

Tri-pod hockey

2010-11-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

This fall I've been playing hockey on the Tuck tri-pod hockey team and last night we had our final game of the fall season - and we won!!!
I'm number 44 coming in for the team huddle. . . Go team Pussy Cat Dolls!!
ready for some plays . . .
O.k. - lets get real, i've never played hockey before, can barely skate and was not exactly the all star of our team, but I had a lot of fun!! The video says it all - watch for the dipped shoulder, the resulting wipe out - and the resulting score by our team captain. Does that qualify as an assist?

Homecoming 2010

2010-11-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

We drove up to watch the lighting of the bonfire for Dartmouth's homecoming .. .
It started slow . . .
But it grew pretty quickly! It was crazy how HOT it was!

and of course I had to throw in a few pictures of Li-Li

Building blocks

2010-11-02T16:35:00.000-07:00

So this was from a Saturday morning a few weeks ago. It's kind of long and not very interesting - so be warned! But it is a peek at a few good moments amidst a sea of chaotic ones . . .

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T17:38:00.000-07:00

Carving pumpkins after nap but before heading out to go trick-or-treating. It was kind of a last minute blitz, but at least they have faces!
Analise got right in there . . . no texture issues for her!
"Trick or treat!!!" The princess and the dragon are ready to hit the town.
Smiley guy!
I was kind of proud of Eli's homemade dragon costume . . . I was having a Martha Stewart moment when I decided to make"modify" a turtle costume into a dragon costume and one thing led to another until it ended up a whole new creature!

Smile Analise . . . O.K. that's good enough lets go . . .

While we were out it really started to flurry and got very cold! They both ended up tucked in a wagon with quilts tucked in around them and I just ran to my friend's places and then home! Brrr!

She was quite content with her haul . . .

Happy Halloween!

Hike . . . and bath

2010-10-26T18:16:00.000-07:00

Lots of little trails around our apartment are really nice for hiking - considering the parties involved are willing to participate . . .
Some of the last leaves cling to the trees - but many have fallen. Especially since our first frost and flurries have already hit!

Hmmm, somebody had a really rough ride . . .

So, once all parties involved in the hike agreed to walk - things went much smoother.

And lastly, I came in to check on the action happening in the bathroom and was surprised to find that all the toys were lined up and sorted - plates with plates, ducks together, spoons together etc. Someone has been pretty busy!

Pumpkin photo op

2010-10-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

One of my new favorite times of the day is late afternoon when Analise is still napping but Eli wakes up and we have a little mommy alone time. Today we sat outside and watched Grady run around with his bone.

Eli continues to be a happy little guy and pretty content.
THE HAIR! I know, he needs another trim - it's in his eyes again. It's definitely a conversation starter at church, in the grocery store, around town . . .

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-17T18:15:00.000-07:00

Thursday we went to the Pumpkin patch with my friend Noelle. We walked through a corn maze and ended up in a field of pumpkins . . .
Analise loved finding the smallest pumpkins and carrying them around like her baby . . . but when I kept asking her to pick one she couldn't! She just wanted to stay and walk around the WHOLE field!

We found a tall one for daddy, a medium one for mommy, a smaller one for Analise and cute little one for Eli.
I just can't resist those cheeks . . . or thighs . . . or knees . . . or tummy . . . any excuse to squeak in a kiss!

We're still here!!!

2010-10-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry it's been so long since our last post. Life in New Hampshire is still going well and we're keeping busy! I've taken over co-leadership of "Tiny Tuckies" and the Halloween party is in a few weeks. I'm also doing book club, hosted a few small group dinners and . . . playing hockey . . . explanations and photos to follow at a later date! We've also been taking lots of drives and enjoying the last of the brilliant fall colors - they've been quite spectacular!
We drove to Woodstock (a very quaint touristy type town) and had lunch one Sunday after church.

Analise is still very much a little mother and takes very good care of her babies. Her phrases at the moment are "Oh shoot, baby crying!" and she immediately drops what she's doing and runs to find her baby. She is also saying "My name's June" - as in June from Little Einsteins. Then to the baby "Ok baby, June here, its Ok, ohhh"
pleased with her coloring and ready to say prayers before lunch . . . at the pub

hanging out on the courts . . .and on the playground
Eli has a French girlfriend! Our French friends have a little girl named Alice and we enjoy hanging out together. I really appreciate being able to speak French with someone and I think she appreciates it too! It's fun to hear about the difficulties of moving to a different country - but from the opposite perspective of what we did.
The happy little guy!

"O.K. mom, we get it - enough with the camera . . . and she's not my girlfriend, we just like to hang out, got it?"

Berry Picking

2010-09-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

Today we visited Riverview Farm to pick some of the last raspberries of the season.

Analise definitely ate all that she picked and then started nabbing fistfuls out of my bucket too!

Eli road along in the stroller and i managed to get enough to try another batch of jam (I'm addicted now!)

We picked for about an hour and a half and then had a picnic lunch overlooking the river - then went back for small gourds, cider, a bag of apples, indian corn, and fresh cut flowers. Did I mention I LOVE fall?? Maybe I got a little carried away, but we did have fun!

Samson - meet Delilah

2010-09-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

So after Eli went to sleep tonight I took out my new scissors from Wal Mart and gave the little guy his second trim.
I can't believe he stayed asleep through the whole thing. This could be tragic when he wakes up - we'll see how well it worked.

sweet dreams little one . . .

Eating dinner

2010-09-20T17:07:00.000-07:00

Eli is starting to join Analise at the dinner table more and more. So far he is loving bananas, baby yogurt, sweet potato, some peas, rice cereal (with just about anything mixed in) and today he even picked up a few cheerios and got them into his mouth. I'm sure he'll be out- eating Analise in a few months . . .
mmmm . . . nummy, nummy, nummy . . . .

more interested in reaching for the camera than smiling for a picture

Look at those long legs! he's not messin' around with baby food for long - pretty soon it'll be steak on the grill!

Analise Reading to Eli

2010-09-10T17:24:00.000-07:00

Billings Farm

2010-09-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

Analise, Eli and I joined some new friends to go to Billings Dairy Farm in Vermont. Cows!!
Someone really enjoyed the hay ride and watching the horses.
We got to pet the calves and drink chocolate milk . . .
Even Li - li had a good time . . .but he always has a good time
I'm kind of proud of my first ever attempt at jam making, peach freezer jam. It's so easy I can't believe I haven't done it before!

Say "Hi" Eli!

We're Here!!!!

2010-09-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

We've finally arrived in New Hampshire and are in the process of getting settled in.

It's been a long and sometimes arduous journey - first from Switzerland to the U.S. and then across the U.S. from Idaho Falls to Hanover via South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, then up through Pennsylvania, New York, Toronto, Montreal, Vermont and Maine . . . that was with our 2 year old, 6 month old, dog and U-haul trailer!

But God is good! It was a great experience and while I do not feel the need to sleep in a hotel or eat an Applebees any time soon - we made it without incident.
Now we're living in Sachem Village, an apartment complex about 1.5 miles from Dartmouth and filled with families and young children.

Today (aside from unpacking, cleaning, dealing with Comcast, calling Switzerland, setting up Dr.'s appts. etc.) we colored with chalk on the sidewalk and Eli practiced sitting!

The rest of the pics are from along the way and include . . .

a sleeping baby (Eli was great in the car and slept most of the time)

shucking corn with Great Grandma in South Dakota - and I have to say the most amazing corn of the summer.

Eli met his great grandpa Mueller for the first time - four generations of Mueller men. Eli has some big shoes to fill!

Some girl cousin snuggle time watching morning cartoons.

Birthday party for Sarah and Leesy (as she now calls herself)

Well, now that we're back on the grid I hope to keep more pictures posted. We are really enjoying the area so far and I'm starting to feel a little more settled. Ironic that Daniel started classes today - on Labor Day. This program will definitely be challenging but we're excited to be here and start this New Hampshire experience!

Iris Gardens

2010-06-18T23:09:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago we visited this Iris Garden at an old chateau near Morges. Since irises don't bloom for very long, there is really only one or two weekends that the gardens are completely in bloom.

We enjoyed walking around with our friends Timo and Claudia and their daughter Lea (who Analise calls Ailee - kind of a backwards form of Lea). Claudia was pregnant at the time but has since given birth to a little boy named Lukas.

The weather happened to be very hot and humid that day - but at least the sun was shining! This has been a rather rainy summer.

Pit stop to feed an burp the baby. Poor little guy was a ball of sweat in his stroller.

Analise really enjoys holding hands and walking with all of her friends - even when it's against their will. She really wanted to hold "Ailee"'s hand so when Lea didn't want to Analise was a little upset. She settled for holding mine and Claudia's hands instead.

The rainbow of color and the smell of the gardens were really spectacular - it was like walking through a Van Gogh painting.

Our little smiley gal . . .

and our little smiley guy!

Annecy

2010-06-10T13:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, these pics are from a few weekends ago too - but I just found them again. We visited Annecy with Deb and Alan - about an hour drive from Geneva.
It's a really beautiful old city with lots of canals and one of the clearest freshwater lakes in Europe.
It was fun to walk around, eat lunch outside and see the beautiful mountains - I would definitely recommend a visit.

By the end of Pa and Ma's visit Analise was pretty good at calling for the "Man" to bring her "pie" aka all dessert - mainly ice cream. It's cute, except when she starts yelling "man, man!" across the restaurant.

This is what you get when you ask Analise to smile. It cracks me up every time.

Late lunches are fun for some . . . but not for others. She was a trooper - but missing naps are no fun.

Walking by the boats . . .

In Training

2010-06-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

We have T minus 21 days until the packers come and 24 until we fly. To that end we are training Analise on headphones. For the first couple of episodes she didn't put her hands down - such was her amazement.
You may notice socks with the sandals - she refuses any other shoe at the moment, but with cold tempuratures last week she needed something warmer - so we compromised by wearing socks with the sandals. Whatever works dearie.

Even when she's just playing she want to have the headphones to watch "cai-yee." (That's Caillou)

And from the peanut gallery . . .

Thanks to my friend Michelle for the little overalls. I didn't think anything could be as fun as baby girl clothes . . . but I could be wrong.
The little mover rolled over this morning from his tummy to back and quite surprised himself and us! (thankfully he was on the floor). One this is for sure though - he loves to move!

Red Carpet

2010-06-04T04:42:00.000-07:00

Strangely, I was the only one taking pictures of these beautiful ladies on the red carpet - lucky me!

Analise loved the merry-go-round and silly mommy got to ride along - umm, I didn't love it as much . . .

Eli is showing off his muscles.

Big sister reading stories to her little bro . . .

"Now pay attention here Eli - "

Poolside

2010-06-02T22:43:00.000-07:00

Well, we've been back for awhile already - but I'm still imagining lounging by the pool . . .

Keeping Analise occupied - out of the sun -was quite a task, but emptying Grandma's purse provided endless enjoyment. Also, Grandma entertained Analise by painting her toenails - her first pedicure!

I love it when they do this . . .

just enjoying the sun . . .

diva?
umm, not quite -
I spent more time rinsing sand out of her mouth than off of her feet. Something about the texture was too much to resist . . .

Dinner in Cannes

2010-05-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

The first evening in Cannes we had dinner at a hillside villa overlooking the bay of Cannes. Now how is that for a sentence??

Aix en Provence

2010-05-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

After leaving Avignon we stopped for lunch at Aix en Provence. By the time we parked and started walking it was nearly 1:00 - so I was a little worried that this was going to be an ordeal to get through - as many French lunches can go on forever! But I was pleasantly surprised by this city - we found a nice spot quickly and enjoyed the people watching almost as much as the food. I'd go back for seconds anytime . . .

Eli's shirt says "I'm the new one" - although he really doesn't look it. One lady commented that my 6 month old sure had lots of hair . . . I said "6!? - he's only 2 and 1/2!!" She was shocked - but she was also French, they breed 'em a little small here.

Avignon

2010-05-25T13:35:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we drove to Cannes to meet Alan and Deb who flew in from Idaho. On the way we stopped in the city of Avignon to spend the night.
Daniel found a hotel that had been converted from an old monastery and still had the original stone walls. It had a lot of character.
This is the courtyard of the hotel.

This is dining room where we enjoy dinner together.

Breakfast was out on the sidewalk - croissants and cafe creme - Beth and Alan we were thinking of you!!!

The old city had plenty of original stone walls and architecture. It was the seat of the pope for a number of years so much of the building is a result of the pope's influence and power.

Friends???

Washing up at the hotel . . .
This is the city center in front of the pope's castle.

Neuchatel

2010-05-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend we drove to Neuchatel to see the chateau from the 1200's. We enjoyed walking around the chateau, the village and seeing the market.

Mom and Eli

2010-05-14T05:31:00.000-07:00

Taking naps with Elijah is one of my favorite activities at the moment - couch, bed, chair - doesn't matter, just curl up in the afternoon and conk out for awhile.

My favorite activity after napping would have to be laundry - JUST KIDDING!! But at least watching him smile while I shake out shirts makes it more enjoyable.

Sunday night

2010-05-13T00:13:00.000-07:00

Just hanging out on Sunday evening after church. These are all pretty typical sights - Analise is filling Eli's swing with her own dollies and animals, chatting the whole time about "OK baby, it's OK . . . "

Eli watching his little mobile from the safety of the kitchen table - far from the "loving" body slams of his big sister.

And if you look carefully you can see the elusive "daddy" in his natural habitat - sitting at the kitchen table and savoring a glass of wine . . . you might even notice two glasses . . . hmm, the mommy isn't far away!

Analise still loves reading books and has to empty the whole shelf before she is content to sit and read through them all. Then mommy gets to almost break her neck as she walks around avoiding the piles - we haven't really mastered the "clean up" idea.

Leavin' . . . on a jet plane . . .

2010-05-12T04:39:00.000-07:00

That's what Grady was singing at 7:30 this morning as his plane left Switzerland in route to Dallas with a final destination of Salt Lake.
The little guy didn't know what was about to take place as he laid by the table nibbling on bits of steak we gave him for his "last supper."
It's so crazy that this dog, who has lived more of his life in Europe than in the U.S., has now ended his European adventure and is headed home. I think it's a sign of the surreal experience to come as we pack up and head out.
He's staying with Daniel's sister Sarah (and family) and we can't thank them enough!
The movers are coming June 29th - what a way to celebrate Analise's 2nd birthday!

See you all SOON!!

so sad!

2010-05-04T13:53:00.000-07:00

Elijah and Daniel

2010-05-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

He's getting so big! Little Eli is getting rounder and more "interactive" every day.

Today the little bruiser is sporting a scratch across is forehead and a small scratch on the side of his nose thanks to his big sister - but he feels confident that she did mean well and is eagerly looking forward to the day that he can slug her back if she pulls something like that again!

Thursday we went into Geneva to get his passport - he'll be ready to be in the U.S. of A by the 4th of July!

A sunny weekend

2010-05-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was beautiful sunshine - so we made the most of it by spending time at the park by the lake and then enjoying some "Filet des perches" at a restaurant nearby.
This weekend is all rain, so we hung around at home and took some time to clean out the cave (storage room in the basement). We now have a fixed date of June 29 for the movers to come - yikes! We have just two months left of our European adventure.

pudding

2010-04-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

I've found that in "survival" mode I've stopped doing a lot of the extras and just focused on getting through the day in one piece.
Usually if I put in a DVD it's because I have lots of things I want to get done and I"m buying time - but today I sat and watched and braided her hair. It was kind of fun girl time.
Thanks Aunt Jenn for the darling outfit!! I couldn't wait for warmer weather so we put a long sleeve under the tank.

For dessert at lunchtime Analise got to have a pudding. I had more fun watching her eat it than anything else! That's some concentration!

Eli's first . . .

2010-04-18T05:20:00.000-07:00

SMILE!

Sunday morning Eli shared his first smile. It couldn't have come at a better time for me. Daniel has been gone to Boston since Thursday and we found out today that due to the volcano he isn't expected to come back until next Saturday. I was pretty disappointed and a little daunted looking at the next week but I was reminded that I have so much to be thankful for when I saw this little one's smile.

More pictures

2010-04-15T12:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry these pictures are going to seem a bit disjointed . . . but do your best to just imagine some fun narrative to go along with them.
I have to tend to a crying hungry baby . . . gotta go!

Grandma J's visit

2010-04-10T00:27:00.000-07:00

Analise had so much fun during both of her Grandma's visits and I feel so blessed to have had them come.
Grandma J brought lots of new books along and spent lots of time reading and playing.

I realized after she left how much she held Elijah - because all of a sudden my back and neck got really sore!

Feeding the deer at the park near us . . .

We took the boat to the old city of Yvoire on the other side of the lake. It was nice to sit and have a coffee in the sunshine before heading home again.

On the boat - Analise is giving lots of hugs and kisses to Grandma. We sure love her and miss her! We're looking forward to seeing all of our family again this summer!

Easter

2010-04-10T00:07:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for Easter church service . . . Analise recently had her first hair cut (thanks to Grandma J.) and she was watching Caillou while mom curled her hair a little.

Now mom turned Caillou off and said it was time to go to church . . . yeah, that didn't go over well.

Thanks Grandma M. for the sweet dress!
This Easter Analise got really into noticing crosses and was happy to point them out all over the church, quite loudly. Then when we would acknowledge the cross she would start crying and saying "Oowee, oowee" until we said "Yes, Jesus hurt himself and his friends were very sad."
It's great to see that she's already getting this idea, but I wish she could do it with a little less volume!

First Easter as a family of four . . . I'm still not really used to that thought yet!

Afternoon walk

2010-03-31T12:56:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Analise have been enjoying their time together. Yesterday it was a walk down to the lake to look at the boats and ducks.

"Hey, let me tell you a secret .. . psh, psh, psh"

Baby boy

Analise and her "boyfriend" Enzo. She loves holding his hand and she's the only one that he'll let hold his hand - so cute!

checking out the flowers . . .

2010-03-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

Analise had fun sitting on Grandma's bed and helping her unpack her suitcase . . . aka discovering all the fun stuff she brought along!

"Hmmm, how does that taste? . . . never mind, I don't really want to know"

Analise is reading Eli a story. Eli, safely behind bars, listens in peace. The book is Hippo Lemonade and was mine when I was little - a gift from my Grandma Johnson.

"Hi there baby boy"
Eli is lying on his baby quilt made by his Great Grandma Johnson - thanks Grandma!

Swinging at the park! Analise really loves the "Weeee" as she calls them and asks for "Show" which is "One for the money, Two for the show . . . " before the under-dog.

Saying good-bye

2010-03-23T07:08:00.001-07:00

Grandma and Granpa left this morning and they will be sorely missed by everyone here.
Analise had a big day yesterday playing at the park with Grandpa and watching the ducks on the lake.
She also loved reading with Grandma and helping her in the kitchen.
We loved having them here and can't wait for our next visit. Love you guys!

So, I'd heard it said that once you bring the new baby home your older child will suddenly seem HUGE. At the time I thought, yeah, right - she's still so little, it'll just seem like I have two babies.
Um, not quite. Suddenly Analise seemed to go from 20 months to 20 years! Her the independence, interaction, self expression, and personality are all her own. In my book she has crossed the line over to toddler.

Do you know this man?

2010-03-19T03:50:00.000-07:00

After 40 some years of sporting a mustache, Alan finally decided to heed his father's advice and get rid of all facial hair.
As part of the effect, he didn't tell Deb and let it be a surprise for her. Let's just say he got a reaction all right!

This week

2010-03-18T11:38:00.000-07:00

Watching Caillou with Grandpa . . .

"So you're saying I shouldn't poke the eyes?"

"O.K., I guess I'll kiss him instead . . . but I kind of want to poke that eye"

Grandma and baby Eli

My Little Brother

2010-03-17T06:14:00.000-07:00

Eli has the hiccups and each squeak started a new round of laughs from Analise.
Analise seems to already love her baby brother and is quite protective of her time to get to hold him. She can hardly wait to have her hands wiped after breakfast because she wants to get down to go see him.

Hand holding is an acceptable form of touching - we're still trying to discourage fingers in eyes, fingers in nose, mouth etc. Kisses are and acceptable form of showing affection - we're avoiding the patting on the face and all out bear hugs.

If he starts crying she says "baby ea, baby ea, ea, ea" (as in baby eat!) and starts patting my stomach or better yet, lifting my shirt!
After Eli's bath, when his crying jag went for quite awhile while we diapered, cleaned, and lotioned him - Analise had to just cry along with him and kept saying "ok baby, ok."
I think for all her drama she is a rather sensitive sister!

First Bath

2010-03-16T07:12:00.000-07:00

Grandpa and Grandma Mueller have been visiting since last Thursday.
What a blessing to have my mother-in-law here to help!
I'm a little scared for what "real life" will hold . .. best not to think about it . . .

Here is baby Elijah's first bath in the kitchen sink. He was very calm and quiet once he got in the water.

Hey there studly! Nice coif!

Home Coming

2010-03-13T07:22:00.000-08:00

Elijah Daniel was born on Tuesday March 9 at the Morges Hospital in Switzerland.
I am very thankful that the delivery went smoothly and that Eli and I had some quality time together in the hospital before coming home - but I was REALLY looking forward to getting back together with the rest of my family!

The view from the hospital room. I actually had a nice view of the lake, but the weather was quite cloudy and cold this week, so the clouds never really let up for us to really see.

mommy, daddy, Analise and Eli heading home

Feeding the baby

2010-03-07T01:06:00.000-08:00

Well, we have no news to report, but in the meanwhile we're getting plenty of baby practice . . . and mommy's trying not to be so impatient. Though I did give myself shin splints from walking so much on Friday. This boy is just taking his time!

Pop the Cork!

2010-02-19T06:02:00.000-08:00

Father daughter bonding? Not too sure, but Daniel has taken it upon himself to make sure she knows how to open a bottle of wine. This is going to be a classy lady - no pushing the cork into the bottle for her!

preggo pics

2010-02-15T04:52:00.000-08:00

OK mom, here you are . . .
preggo pics. Yikes!

We have just about two weeks yet and are counting down! The baby gear has been hauled out, appointments made, phone numbers entered into the cell phone -
all that's left is to pack our bags and oh yeah, I guess we should figure out what we're going to name the little guy . . . .hmmm.

Sock Doll

2010-02-12T11:14:00.000-08:00

This blog is dedicated to Jean Knusdsen, the creator (?) or at least the giver of sock dollies. I know I still have mine (well loved) somewhere and now they are being given to a new generation. This one is a little lumpy because he came for a walk with us and ended up in a mud puddle and consequently the washing machine.

In the video I was trying to catch Analise singing "Bye- a, bye-a" - a little lullaby that Grandma Schlobohm sings. She does it pretty frequently - but never when you want her to!

Little Miss Mom

2010-02-03T11:55:00.001-08:00

Analise's imagination seems to be branching out lately. The other day we built a fort together in the living room. I went to get some lunch together and when I came back it was populated with animals, pillows, toys and books! She has also discovered how fun it is to crawl into her little cardboard playhouse when I ask her to come change clothes or diaper . . . "hee, hee, hee - mommy can't get me in here!"

She also enjoys playing with my pot and wooden spoon for quite awhile. Of course, poor Grady was the "victim" of her cooking as she chased him around the house with the spoon yelling "Ady seeet, Ady seeet!"

Riding in the car on the way to Verbier the other weekend. I know I might get paid to say this - but Kindermusik CD's really do save our car rides! She listens very intently to the songs and he bad moods shift almost immediately as she hears "her" music.

Finally, I apologize for the poor quality of the video - it was kind of dark in the kitchen and so the camera didn't focus well. Also, I was trying to remain discreet because she's becoming more interested in the camera than in just doing whatever it is I'm trying to catch.