The Eve of 2013

Well folks, if you follow this blog you already know that this has been a year of ups(Elsa was born) and downs(loss of family members), perhaps more downs than ups really but it's impossible to have everything always going great without a few stumbles along the way! Life is like the economy they are both cyclical and the good always comes with the bad, it's the balance nature ensures we have. What I've learned in life is that you have to roll with the punches, not get crazy when things get stressful and live right now and not dwell in the past or the "what if's" of tomorrow.

I can be pretty self critical but I try really hard to shake things off, like every year it seems like a "close" friend of mine no longer has a place in my line up and I question myself as to what I did. But I have realized that these people are from different chapters of my life(single days, YSC era, Nordstrom, Bobbi, etc) and when that one thing that kept us together is removed we really have nothing in common to talk about. Then there are the past friends that I no longer talk too because we are so fundamentally different. It might seem on paper that we should get along but distance, core values, the way of living can be so different that you simply don't mesh and I don't allow that to make me feel bad. It is OK to change and grow from people.

What I love about life is knowing that it always changes and that I can expect to leave some people behind while I meet and befriend new people. Elsa and I start a music class every Thursday morning in January. I'm going with my old high school friend and her daughter that I have reconnected with over the last year and a half. Then on Friday mornings I have a reoccurring play date with the moms group in this area for kids born right around Elsa's birth date. I have made a really good new friend that I met in the new Moms group from Day One, and I've been growing my friendship with a few other people that I couldn't live without (Amy & Amanda)! I used to have a ton of friends from the Scandinavian Club but as we got married stayed in more, and had a baby we just don't want to drive all over. I also realized that my husband is a little bit anti social and a little too comfortable just playing video games or watching baseball/football with my brother! So my big goal has been to meet other Stay At Home Moms in my neighborhood, which takes time but it will come.

So, 2013 it is going to be a good year, I can feel it! We most likely will not be traveling to Sweden or anywhere for that matter :(. Reality is we need to pay off our trip from this last fall and save for a rainy day. HOWEVER, I have a feeling though maybe next holiday we might, if we stay on track financially we might be able to go to Sweden for next Christmas, which is also a good friend of our's 40th birthday. We also happened to set this Swedish guy up with our female friend who lives abroad . And they are currently totally enamored and I have a feeling she will be permanently moving to Stockholm. Yes, my matchmaking skills rock! Anyhow, 2013 will be full of surprises I am sure!! we are happy in our little house and so very grateful for our little family, dog and cat! So we wish you the happiest of New Years and a fantastic 2013!

Elsa's 1st Christmas Part 3

Ok so then Christmas Day we went down to Mormor &MorFar house and got even more presents! It was pouring but nice and cozy inside with a fire and family!

Elsa's 1st Christmas post 2

Christmas Eve is when we open presents, so we had all of the family over to our house! We gave Elsa some of the layered cake I made with Birgitta's help of course. Elsa was practicing for her 1st birthday I think!

Elsas1st Christmas! Post 1

Oh boy oh boy did we have a bountiful holiday in food and gifts!! I have so many pictures to post but not sure I can write about each one and post them, would be the longest post ever! So I'm going to start with the decor. Thank you Marianne for the tomtar candle holders! Thank you to my MIL who has helped with decorating, teaching me tricks to keep my plants alive, cleaning and entertaining Elsa while I got ready for Christmas Eve dinner! Also the new black kitchen cart was a present to myself using points from our credit card through amazon. I love it! Jonas put it together this morning!

Almost walking!!

We practice with her all day long, this little cart from Ikea was worth the $20!

Farmor is here

We are having so much fun! Today we went to Ikea and Elsa got spoiled by Farmor(fathers mother) with a new set of tables and chairs, a rocking moose and a whole bunch of stuffed animals! Papa is working hard to assemble the tonight. Elsa is almost walking too! We have the push cart from Ikea and she walks and pushes it all over the house! Yesterday we went shopping with both Grandmas. The picture here is so funny because Elsa pulled her blanket up to hide the sun from her eyes!

Start to finish in 72 hours

Well we worked hard to get this done. Had a few hiccups, and definitely not experts at drywall but the wall is up, and I love it! The house feels that much bigger with 3 rooms!

More Shifting

So our house has a weird layout. We thought we would put Elsa in the middle room while Jonas's mom is here for 7 weeks, that way Farmor could stay in the furthest room from our room, the front room. BUT then we'd have to tip toe past a sleeping baby's room every night to get to our room to go to bed, I think not! So Elsa will stay in her room, and we moved the guest bed into the middle room for Birgitta. See picture of Elsas now huge playroom!!

BUT my friend was here for a few nights staying in the middle room and there is really no privacy, for the guest or us. I couldn't sleep knowing that this layout would cause unrest and be uncomfortable for such a long visit. So, I suggested it a while back and we are seriously cutting it close but Jonas is going to build a wall to make this house a more legit 3 bedroom. See diagrams. This way that room which is huge to begin with gets privacy, and we can have a hallway to our back bedroom. So this is going to be a stressful weekend getting it done but Jonas says he can do it!! Wish us luck!

Can Somebody Explain To Me...

How is it possible that both Jonas and I have head colds but Elsa does not? Jonas obviously brought it home from work, so I am a day behind him. I would think today Elsa would wake up snotty and cranky, but no she's in a super good mood and currently hitting Coco with an empty water bottle. Jonas always gets a cold this time of year. it's his once a year cold, in 2009 I think we both got the swine flu, but this is just congestion slight sore throat etc. I feel so lucky that I have a strong immune system, I never got sick while pregnant even this time last year when Jonas was. Elsa must be gifted with antibodies or something, Who knows, but she does have 2 molars cutting on the bottom so she's been cranky anyway, and she not even 11 months old!?

She is also gearing up to stand on her own could happen soon, but I think she is waiting for Farmor to get here! After the holidays is Elsa 1 year old birthday already, do we invite close friends over to celebrate or not, I'm on the fence....

40

The last few days of being 39 are upon Jonas and he mentions it everyday, mid life crisis on the horizon? I doubt it but I'll keep you posted if he decides to get any more tatoos, a sports car, or a younger wife ha!

This past week has just blown by, I can't believe it. Today Sunday we would have had our yearly Advent party but this year we decided not to have it and instead are having a small party in San Francisco Saturday for Jonas's birthday which I mentioned in the previous post. I will post pictures after all is said and done.

The last few days have been the wettest few days of the season! So we "hunkered down" at home all weekend. We got our Christmas tree from Costco. *Note* Costco Christmas trees are all bundled up when you buy them, not standing like normal trees with the branches down so you can pick the tree with the best tree layout for your ornaments right? Ok I didn't know this and just sent Jonas to get it there because they are priced well. So Jonas brings the tree home and we untie the ropes and POOF the tree is just huge, with a million branches and a TON of pine needles all on the floor. I had vacuumed and shaken and vacuumed and shaken the tree about 10 times and I went through 2 bags on my vacuum machine. But finally we got it done. I am waiting for a few new ornaments and our stockings in the mail. I ordered personalized stockings from Pottery Barn, they are just classic and simple and hopefully good enough quality to last us forever.  Today we dressed Elsa in a sweet little red dress and I actually put on some make up and did my hair and we *tried* to take some holiday card pictures, well that was fun! Elsa hated the dress and Coco was just jello falling all over me because she is the loviest dog but wouldn't just sit still, neither would Elsa.  Well, I will post them closer to the Holiday but there are some cute ones.

Ok I'm exhausted, and have a Gymboree class with another Mom and her son tomorrow, the Festival of Trees for the auxiliary I am helping out with Jonas's birthday, play dates and playgroup...darn...then this weekend and my friend Amy will be staying with us for a few days. Yeah I need a good nights sleep tonight!