Happy Birthday Daddy!

Yesterday was Kent's birthday and our anniversary.  The kids and I baked his favorite chocolate cake, blew up balloons and decorated the house!

The balloons were a big hit (literally).

My New Ride!

Kent and I loved our Toyota Matrix.  When we traded in my Subaru Legacy for the little zippy white car gas prices were going through the roof and we were all talking about getting the best gas mileage.  I was pregnant and we had no idea what it would be like in a few years with two huge car seats!  For the last month we researched three row cars for many hours and finally narrowed it down to three vehicles to test drive: Ford Flex, GMC Acadia and the Honda Pilot.  After a few test drives we decided that the Pilot was the most comfortable car that also fit our budget.

We said goodbye to our little car and drove home in this nice one!  It even came with birthday cake! :)

and a DVD player!  Sweet!  By the way, I think Caitlin and I counted ten Honda Pilots, Ridgelines or CR-V's in the Swanson family... I guess we had to join in on the trend.

Everyone!

Here is a photo of all our family that attended Oliver's baptism.  We are so blessed to have this many family members at such a memorable event.  Many thanks!

Oliver's Baptism

On Sunday after Christmas we had Oliver baptised.  He was one active but behaved child!  The baptismal gown that he wore was made by my Great Grandmother Ann and is 65 years old.  Everyone in the Swanson family starting with my Uncle Rob has been baptised in this gown!

Brooke was a very good girl up in front of the congregation.  We are lucky to have Caitlin as our sponsor for our two kids.  She loves her niece and nephew so much and is their only Auntie!

The Chalmers family.

The McCabe family.

Pastor Dave and Oliver!

Christmas Dinner

After a full day of preparations, our family arrived and we had a wonderful time together singing, talking and eating!

Kent, Ben (on his new ukulele) and Caitlin played some Christmas carols.

Brooke played tea party with her Great Grandmother.

This is what happens when you leave the great grandparents in charge! :)

My parents and grandparents drove 20+ hours to be in Washington for Christmas.  We were so happy to have my family from Seattle join us and even Pastor Dave came to the Norwegian lutefisk dinner!

Here's one of the most talked about items in our Christmas feast, the lutefisk.  Most of our family members love it.  It's an acquired taste!

Christmas Morning

There is so much excitement surrounding Christmas.  Along with all the people visiting, special meals, and lots of new happenings, Brooke and Oliver got to open some new presents!

A tambourine from Grandma Carol!

New Curious George books came all the way from Alaska from Annie's sister Jennifer.

Kettle Falls Grandparents brought these fashionable reindeer antlers!



One of the highlights was a small Thomas Train set for Brooke.  Oliver and Brooke both wanted to get in and play with it!

Oliver: 8 Months Old

Oliver!  It was fascinating to read back on my post for Brooke's 8 month of life.  So many differences and so many similarities.  Oliver is definitely bigger (probably 21 pounds) and further along with the crawling and climbing.  She was walking better than him and had less (and lighter colored) hair.  Oliver has a big bright smile and she had the sweetest little twinkle.

These two kids love each other.  When they are alone for very long they get so lonely!  Two peas in a pod!

 



Let's see.  A little look into Oliver at eight months... He's loud.  He is Mr. Personality.  A ladies man.  Very physical.  He climbed his first step, stands holding onto vertical flat surfaces (and screams to get help down), and crawls army style and normal).  He knows what he wants and how to get it.  He often crawls over to Kent, holds Kent's hands and stands up, turns around and walks wherever he wants to go.  In the morning he hears me in the shower so he crawls over and bangs on the door.

He's a bundle of joy (usually) and such a hunk!

Danish Christmas Eve

We have so many important traditions in our families!  We enjoyed a wonderful Danish meal for Christmas Eve.

Yummmm!

Dad tried on the reindeer antlers... very festive!

Living Nativity

We were asked to be in the Living Nativity in Leavenworth this year.  We both had never seen one, but we heard we didn't have to say anything so we signed up! We thankfully watched the Mary and Joseph very closely during the show before us and then got in our costumes!  There was a large audience on the street for the first show and I think we did just fine.  The only bad part was when the donkey stepped on my toe!  At least it didn't really hurt!

Grandma Carol, Brooke and Caitlin sipped on hot chocolate and watched the show!

There were lots of people and animals involved.  Oliver was thankfully in a peaceful mood and so entranced by the spotlight and snow that he didn't make a peep.  Well, maybe only one big peep!

Caitlin and Brooke watching the show!

Christmas Program

We got the opportunity to be in the children's Christmas Program at our church.  Here we are as Joseph, Mary, baby Jesus and an Angel!  Oliver thankfully behaved himself the whole time and Brooke acted very angelic!