December

Email excerpts:

12/8: We are looking forward to seeing Abby in a few hours! Wish you were going to be home for Christmas too. But we know and so do you that you're where you are called to be at this time. It's your bday next Monday!!! I hope someone makes you a cake. And I hope your sweet package arrives this week. 

We had a good week. David had late practice so I was on my own with the kiddos at night. It's hard but I'm so glad not to be a single mother 24/7. 
Annika is stoked for Christmas. She likes to go on Amazon on papi's iPad and add hundreds of dollars of Frozen paraphanelia and other Disney stuff to the cart. She knows it's just a game. But I know a small part of her hopes all of those things will arrive in a big package. 
Annika is doing much better with potty training. Thank the heavens. 
Benson has bruises and scratches all over his face. He fell two days in a row outside and then yesterday he face planted in the church gym. Poor guy. 
I am feeling good for the most part and getting more excited to meet our sweet baby in 6 months! What do you think of the name Esther Pamala? I think it's beautiful and I kinda hope it's a girl so we can name her that. 

12/22: We are in Oregon for a few days. We're driving out to the coast right now. Windy road and emailing on my phone aren't mixing well so this will be a short one. 

Annika is always on the lookout for Santa these days. She wrote Santa a letter. She is also very concerned about moving "mary and jovis" on our nativity advent calendar. 
Bensons vocabulary has been expanding lately. This week he started saying door and roll and Bella. He's a doll. He is talking a lot more than Annika was at his age. 
We had an ultrasound and it looks like we're having a girl! We are planning to name her Esther Pamala. What do you think? I haven't felt this sure of what to name a baby as I do for this little girl. 
David is super busy with coaching bball. we will all be glad when the season ends. 

12/29: Annika has been loving her new Christmas gifts from papi. She got lots of Frozen stuff. She also loves the necklace making kit. The kids both love the marble train from papi. Benson doesn't have much patience in letting the marbles travel down the track uninterrupted. 
We love having David home for Christmas break. We had a lazy morning and waffles for breakfast. I gave both of the boys hair cuts this morning. If you can believe it, they look even more handsome than before. :) 

more chins than a Chinese phone book!

I made a yummy oreo cheesecake! mmm I love that stuff

Benson wanted to try on Annika's sparkly boots :)

hanging out at Papi's house :)

This is David's solution for both kids wanting to "ride the horse" at the same time. It works! And it's much safer for Benson to be close to the ground

Coach Beus!

Annika sang with the Primary kids at our ward Christmas party. David couldn't come because he had a basketball game. But Abby and her friend Ashley came with me. I was grateful for their help! Benson didn't last long. He wanted to roam around the gym and was quite distracting. I was walking around the gym with him after dinner when he went up to a 4 year old, who is about 3 times as big as Benson, and hit him. yikes. I was quite surprised. I know it was just out of curiosity to see what the other kid would do, which was nothing. But, I don't really know how to respond to that. We may have a rough road ahead of us! 

Benson loved driving Debbie's car while it was parked in her garage! We had a great time in Oregon! We spent a few days at Debbie's and then a few at Blake and Julie's beach house near Tillamook. We went to the cheese factory, local Goodwill, and the beach a few times (when the weather permitted). It was a fun family trip, but we were happy to be home the day before Christmas so we could celebrate at home.

Annika looked so darling for church in Oregon. David had practice and a game on Friday and Saturday. So I drove up with my dad and the kids on Friday. David came up on Sunday afternoon. We were so happy to be reunited. It felt like we hadn't seen him forever. Probably because he's been gone so much with bball. 

Papi and Kevin took Annika to ride the carousel and see Santa in downtown Salem

Rain boots on the beach! This girl can work it for the camera!

ready to hot tub with Daddy at the beach house!

coming out from their bedrooms on Christmas morning

I love our little family. We can't wait to meet our baby in 6 months!

Zack got this shirt for Benson for Christmas so he can match David. Benson likes seeing it on other people better than wearing it himself. :)

she got roller skates for Christmas. She's getting more confident with them. I remember loving these as a kid!

Annika collected these shells at Oregon Coast. I found this frame at the Tillamook goodwill. Annika painted it and I glued the shells on. She is very proud of it! And I love it too!

A cold day at Pam's Playground! These two love to swing!

such a cutie pie!