New site

We have updated our family website so it does not redirect you back to this journal. If you would like to see the new look and fresh updates: CLICK HERE.

Play Time

This last week Noah has discovered the cause and effect theory. If I swing my arm I hear my rattle, if I kick my feet I can make a toy move, if I smile the world smiles with me.

Thought I would post a quick video of the action.

Six weeks and counting

Thanks to everyone who has emailed and phoned us with well wishes and love. We feel so blessed.

Every day seems to bring a new adventure around our house. This past week Noah has started to smile at us as we interact with him. Big brother Damian changed his first diaper and Sean has been a super trooper helping to entertain his little brother so mom can take a shower once and while. (I totally forgot how little you get done those first few months besides loving up on baby.)

Speaking of baby, I hear him waking up so I better keep this short for the time being.

God bless!

More three week photos

Here are a few more images of Noah at three weeks. I will be posting additional images later today from pictures we took this week. I can't believe how much he has changed in three short weeks.

Time flies

It is so hard to believe it has been three weeks since Noah was born. So much of our lives has changed and it has been a blessing.

Since it is Noah's three week birthday I wanted to post a current picture. We are hoping to add some additional images and updates this weekend.

Introducing Noah

We are so excited to have been blessed with another son. Noah has already stolen our hearts and our sleep. Someday we will get our sleep back, but from now on our hearts are once again gone forever.

Thank you for sharing in our joy. We have been very blessed by your visits, cards, emails anf phone calls. We love you all!

Newest addition

Noah James David was born on Thursday, Feburary 5th at 8:30 am. He weighed 7 lbs 9 oz and was 19 inches long.

Watch for a video in the next week. We will try to get it posted after we get home and get settled back in.

Thank you for all your well wishes, calls, and visit. It has made this time such a blessing to all of us.

Say what....!?!

This is so typical of a day in the life of our family. The shirts say it all.

Crash

The other day when we took the boys out skiing Damian had mentioned that he took a spill going down one of the ski hills. At the time I didn't think anything of it until he told me that a photographer who was out on the slopes had captured the whole event. So, we waited and the next day they were posted on her site. Let's just say when I saw the actual crash I didn't know if I should laugh or cry. It was a good thing I had 24 hours to process the spill before I saw it was really a pretty good crash.

The ironic thing is not more than five minutes before Damian had come in the lodge to tell me he took a tumble and to give me his glasses for safe keeping, another guy had walked in all bandaged up having broke his collar bone going down the same hill.

Here's the evidence we really do have angels watching over us.
















© Sallie Olson Photography 2009

First day of skiing

Yesterday was the first time the boys have ever tried out skiing. It was a blast to watch them as they learned a few moves and started up the lift for the first time. They had some great friends who were out there skiing also encouraging them along the way. Thanks for taking the boys out on their first run Colin. They had a ball.

Merry Christmas!!

This year has been such a blessed year for us. Some of the blessings have come in the form of new friendships and acquaintances. Some have come from finishing up another school year and starting a new one. Finding out we are expecting a new little life was a big one. Damian getting his driver's license and two part time jobs was pretty cool. Sean growing by inches at a time and finally getting taller than Mom ranked pretty high on his list. But this all seems to pale in comparison to today's blessing.

Today we celebrate the birth of Christ and all that means to us and our lives. This little baby who would one day die for our sins and save us from eternal suffering is the best gift any of us can receive. Our prayer for each of you today is that the Christ child's sacrifice would be your ultimate blessing too.

Merry Christmas from all of us.

Snow Day

We live in Minnesota because we love the changes of the season. This year we have been so blessed to have a great fall and now a very beautiful winter. Here are some images from our yard earlier this afternoon. Many blessings on your day!

The boys today

Here are a couple of photos I took of the boys today. It was such nice light outside the windows so I couldn't resist. They are growing up way too fast. It is hard to believe they are 12 and 17 already.

First snowfall of the season

I couldn't believe it when I heard the words, "look outside, it's snowing." But sure enough it was. It is big flakes and so pretty.

Fall colors

Just one from the other night as the sun was setting. The colors in our yard have just popped. It is glorious.

It's a...

Here are the latest pictures of baby. It was so awesome to get to see little one moving around and doing what babies do. These were taking during my 21st week. We only have 17 weeks until we can meet baby face to face.

Lawn Olympics 2008

Eight games in one evening would determine who would come out on top of this year's Lawn Olympics. The air was warm and thick as the games began and you could hear laughter from one end of the lawn to the other. Below is the slide show with all the action.

Congratulations to all who won and all who dared to play! We look forward to the next staff event.

Crazy love

I know most of you know this information by now. It hasn't been a secret we have been trying to keep, but it has been hard to get on the computer and do much recently.

This morning I had a follow up doctor's appointment to see how things are progressing and to check in to see if we had any questions. All of them were answered when I got the chance to see these...





It was so amazing to see little arms and legs moving and kicking. To see the facial features of our newest blessing.

For the record, we are expecting the arrival of this little one sometime the beginning of February 2009. Everyone around here is excited and still trying to adjust to the change about to happen.

It honestly seems like a dream at this point. So seeing our little "Roo" made things feel a little more real. With Damian just celebrating his 17th birthday this week and Sean celebrating his 12th next week, things are definitely going to be different. Now we wait on the Lord to finish the work he has begun and we look forward to sharing more with you in the days to come.

Blessings,
Shelly

Lake of the Woods

We finally got to go on a family trip this summer. On the morning of our anniversary we packed the van and headed north. And when I say north I mean north. As far north as you can drive a car in Minnesota. We had reservations for four nights/five days at Zippel Bay Resort on Lake of the Woods.

We stayed in a three bedroom log cabin while we were there and Damian and Scott went out on a charter boat fishing for two days. They came home with their limit of fish and Sean and I came home relaxed and refreshed from just hanging out. On Tuesday we all went over to Zipplel Bay State Park and dipped our toes in the lake. We also got to see Canada from across the water. That is the closest I have been to being out of the country. So close, yet so far away!

Below is a slide show with images of our trip. Hope you enjoy.

Life has been a little crazy

OK. I confess I have neglected to make any posts to our site in a little while. Life, well life took us on some crazy turns this last six weeks and I haven't had time to get on and tell you all about them. Plus, one of those crazy turns has left me feeling a little ill every time I go to work on the computer so it has been a challenge to even keep up with emails.

Now that I have thrown out a few excuses with no real reasons I will say I have missed letting you all know what is happening in our world.

My goal is to get on here at least once a day for the next few days to get some updates on our latest happenings. So, check back daily and see what we have been up to.

Blessings!
Shell