Sundays

Despite the dreaded combination of late church + sacrament meeting last, our Sundays are pretty enjoyable right now. Elizabeth has gotten old enough that she can a) keep herself quietly occupied during sacrament meeting, and b) wait until 3:30 for a nap. And Annalise is still young enough that she can a) eat and sleep anywhere, and b) not care about anything else.

This is one of those "once in a blue moon" moments: everybody is ready for church early enough that we could take a few pictures!



Here's Jared enjoying the traditional post-church nap with his new napping buddy.

Cheaper by the Dozen

Baby Emmett was *supposed* to be the last of the three June babies due in the family, but he surprised everybody by arriving in May! Congrats to Aaron and Joni:


Congrats also to Emily and Erik on the arrival of baby Henry! Like his big brother and sister, baby Henry arrived with a truly astonishing amount of hair:


Emmett, Annalise, and Henry bring the Olson Grandbaby Tally to an even dozen. . .Poor Skylar--if Sarah gets married first, you're going to have quite the time wrangling all those kiddos in the waiting room at the temple. ;)

Indulge me, please. . .

. . .as I share still more pictures of my two favorite girls:

System Update Complete

We're thrilled to announce the arrival of our new baby - Annalise Ruth Olson arrived on Wednesday morning at 7:11 AM, weighing in at 7 pounds, 14 ounces and 19.5 inches long. Mom and baby are now home and doing well--we're looking forward to our first weekend together as a family! :)

More Random Cuteness

Here's Elizabeth doing her fake "mad face". Pretty cute--almost as adorable as her real one:


I only wish I could remember just what made her so mad here. . .


See, Kellie--Elizabeth doesn't need a real dog. . .look how happy she is with a stuffed one!


Hanging out with cousin Jordan at the Gateway fountain


Playing "dress-up"


After I offered to give it to her bunny instead, she finally relented and let me put on the dress I'd just finished making for her (which, upon closer inspection, I'd made with the fabric UPSIDE DOWN. Oops.)

Update

Okay, Kel, I got the hint.

So, we're pretty well settled into our new house. And. . .fanfare please. . .our old house is officially DONE and on the market. Spread the word. :)

To celebrate the completion of the old house, Holly and Elizabeth tagged along the following week when Jared had to go to Las Vegas for a short conference. Elizabeth thought the Strip was just "beau'ful", especially the big MGM lion and the Excalibur castle. Here she is at one of the fountains in the Caesar's Palace mall. . .she was really bummed that Mom and Dad didn't have more change for her to throw in it.

We had fun splashing around the pool back at the hotel as well. . .

We're home now and staying very busy, getting projects done around the house and preparing for the arrival of "Tinkerbell Jesus", as Elizabeth calls our new baby. Jared and Holly are teaching Sunday School to the 12- and 13-year-olds in our new ward. They're really a fantastic bunch of kids, especially considering their age. :P Elizabeth is having fun at the new house--she LOVES to run around the backyard watering the dirt, exploring the bushes, chasing the neighbors' cat, etc. We recently found a tiny Elizabeth-sized bike at the D.I. . . . After helping Daddy with some minor repairs, she got to try it out--she doesn't quite have the hang of pedaling yet, but she still loves to sit on it. When she feels the need for a little more speed, she just gets Daddy to take her for a ride in her wagon instead. . .

100 Posts!

I was going to make an entry about something else entirely, but the dashboard indicated that this will be our 100th post. . .Hey, maybe in a few more years Hallmark will come out with a card to commemorate such an occasion, eh? ;)

It's amazing how much Elizabeth has grown in the nearly-two years that I've been blogging. What has struck us time and again is that while so much has changed as she gets older, in many ways she is so very much the same little person we brought home from the hospital: eager, alert, passionate, self-assured, and just very much her own person. . .

It's also amazing to see our own growth as parents during the time Elizabeth has been in our family. I remember feeling discouraged when Elizabeth was a few months old and asking a friend with an older child when it would get easier. Her answer: "Oh, it never gets easier. It just gets different." Truer words were never spoken. Some phases have definitely been more challenging than others, but EVERY phase is one that needs to be appreciated and remembered, because they pass so quickly. I have to say that Jared is better at this than I have, but I'm learning. . .

So, yeah. Happy 100th Post. It's getting late--I decided to celebrate by perusing the archives, which has made me nostalgic. Now I think I'm going to finish the celebration by peeking in at my sleeping kiddo, kissing my husband, and going to bed. :)