THE HANSEN FAMILY

introducing....

2011-03-17T20:05:00.002-05:00

Brecken Christopher Hansen

born March 10, 2011

8 lbs. 2 oz.

21 1/4 inches

we are so thrilled that our little guy is finally here! We are all adjusting very well! He is the sweetest thing, very mellow! Sky & Ari just love him! They always want to hold him and are constantly talking and singing to him!

We feel very blessed that we have yet another beautiful healthy baby!

growing and waiting....

2011-02-25T15:59:00.003-05:00

so whats new since last week... well for one I am growing, well my belly anyhow~ we have 2 1/2 weeks till D-day. I however won't complain if he decides to still be a Feb. baby! He has 3 days to decide!

this is what 37 1/2 weeks looks like on me...I don't think its my best look but it could be worse :)

last week the girls also had their 2 & 4 year well child check ups!

They are both growing like weeds...

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Skylar weighed in at 34 lbs (40% for a 4 yr old)

she is 41 1/2 inches tall (90% for a 4 yr old)

Ari weighed in at 30 lbs. (90% for a 2 yr old)

she is 37 inches tall (51% for a 3 YR OLD, ya and she's 2! We will have a tall girl on our hands)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

as a reward for being brave at the doctor the girls got the treat of spending the afternoon at Chuck 'E' Cheese. They had a blast! Mom and Fred met us there for an afternoon of fun...we all slept good after (pretty sure mom and Fred did too)

sky riding with Chuck 'E'

Ari playing a game with Fred's help!

Other than that no big excursions for us...we had another good snow storm this week, but today its beautiful and sunny! Although we love winter we are also looking forward to spring so we can get out and walk, go to the park and maybe even hit up the ice cream shop (the girls fav part of walking to town)

here is a sweet pic from yesterday of Sky 'teaching' Ari to read!

Happy Friday, enjoy your weekend! I am really hoping my next post is a BIG announcement :)

::ash::

little boys room

2011-02-21T13:26:00.003-05:00

I have been working hard to get everything done around the house and had seriously been procrastinating on the little guys bedroom! It funny when I was expecting Skylar, Chris and I had the room done within 3 weeks of knowing we were having a girl!

I knew when I started planning his room I wanted something a little different and I didn't want it to have a cutesy baby feel but rather a clean, simple and vintage feel. We decided on an auto themed room (since Chris kinda likes cars :} )

I found most of the wall decor online, hobby lobby or good will. The crib and dresser are the same ones the girls had in their nurseries but I decided to refinish them to make them look more 'boyish', SUCCESS! I painted them in colonial blue and finished them with an antique glaze (MY NEW OBESSION, its so easy to use and I love the finished product!) Then Haley and I were out thrift store shoping and came across the coolest find at Salvation Army! It is an old Steamer trunk (early 1900's) we are using at as a book shelf in the room!

the full room view

here is our special find! can you believe we found it at salvation army?!? It has stickers from all over the world...switzerland, rome, egypt, japan, portugal, argentina, france...and several other places....and the best part we picked this beauty up for $18!!!!! All I did was recover the shelves with a cork contact paper, and I put lacquer over the stickers so the kids don't peel them off!

the crib and dresser I refinshed...and I made the curtains for his room!

here's the wall decor!

I still have a few odds and ends I am working on collecting to decorate but its done enough that he can come out now!!

The girls bedroom

2011-02-21T13:14:00.004-05:00

So I finally finished the girl's bedroom! YAY! I love how it turned out! Fun with a little funk, perfect for my spunky girls!

some of the details.....

1. jewelry/dress up clothes hanger that I made out of all the left over fabric and an old frame, the only thing i bought were the drawer knobs... for less than $1 each at the hardware store

2. the cute shelves found on clearance at JoAnne fabrics...a little pink paint and they were perfect

3. of course...the sign, it doesn't surprise you does it?

4. the silhouettes of the girls ...I did this project one afternoon, really easy and I LOVE how they turned out!

more details:

1. the frame/mirror collage wall....found all of these on ebay for super cheap, less than $3 per lot of 3! sprayed them pink added fabric and ribbon to a few and wa-la!

2. the wall stripes over the beds!

3. the headboards! I also love how these turned out! And they were cheap to make, definetily makes the bed! Chris bought the wood and cut the pieces with a jig saw to give me the rounded tops, I covered them with batting and fabric!

Skylar & Ari's Birthday Party

2011-02-21T13:02:00.002-05:00

Wow, their birthday's were already over a month ago! It really is hard to believe that they are now 4 & 2! It really seems like we were just welcoming Ari's arrival...now we are anticipating a little boy!

This year we did the girls party at a place called The Blast Factory. It is such a cool spot for kids, a warehouse full of inflatables and bounce houses! SO the kids just run and bounce and most importantly burn off some energy! We had 15 kids join us this year for an afternoon of fun! The girls both had an amazing time celebrating with their friends!

There is a huge like maybe 12 ft slide, this is of the first time they went down, love the look on Ari's face :) I even went down once and it did make your stomach drop, it was a big slide!

the butterfly cake Sky requested

lovin' the cupcakes :)

present time!

A big thank you to everyone that joined us! You made the girls have a very special day!

::snow day fun::

2011-02-02T17:26:00.005-05:00

We survived the blizzard of 2011! We have crazy amounts of snow...2nd largest 24 hour snow fall on record! This morning we had about 2 1/2 feet against the doors, which made it a little difficult for the dogs to get out this morning, and seeing as how the snow was deeper than Bruiser is tall he was less than thrilled!

Skylar was super excited about the snow...she loves being outside and thinks the snow is just fantastic! We spent almost 2 hours this afternoon playing outside while Ari napped....it was a little cold but the sun came out and it was beautiful...I think we both needed the fresh air!

here is the little path that chris made to the front door

it was a great day with my girls!

they really do love each other

aren't they just precious!

and we had to have some bed jumping fun....the only casualty was chris' reading light...opps!

::preview of the girls bedroom::

2011-02-01T10:02:00.002-05:00

Here is a little peek at the girls bedroom...I started on it (quite) awhile ago but its been needing the finishing touches...which I am still working on but its getting closer. I am now in crunch time because I need to work on the little man's room :)

Thanks to my fabulous husband who cut the wood for the headboards, then I upholstered them. What do you think? The cute the flower night lights are from IKEA.

found all of these frames and mirrors on ebay

then sprayed pink and added my fabric and ribbon

i found these cute shelves at the fabric store on clearance ...a little paint and glaze they match the room perfectly.

i still have some things I am crafting for the room...I'll update when its TOTALLY finished :)

::ash::

just a few recent pics...

2011-01-31T17:31:00.005-05:00

we have been enjoying life....here's a little peek into our world!

Sky turned 4 on Jan 10...where have the years gone!?!?! She has turned into quite the cool kid. She is my social butterfly, always making friends and up for new adventures!

Ari turned 2 last week...she is very much a mama's girl and VERY shy around those she doesn't know....and she's still a drama queen, in a HUGE way! :)

and here is the little guy...

6 weeks until his due date (this was taken at our ultrasound on Jan 13) He is growing right on track and we can't wait to meet him! Oh and no name yet...still working on that :)

and here is my growing belly...33 weeks in the pic, I am feeling HUGE!

Sky :: our little skier

2011-01-31T16:50:00.003-05:00

Chris and I are so proud of our little girl! Since we both LOVE to ski it is only natural we want our kids out there too! I am bummed that I can't go out with her right now, but just maybe by the end of the season depending on when little boy arrives....

And these mad skills she has developed are totally the work of her GRANDMA FRYE....Chris works Saturdays at his new job and I can't ski because of being pregnant so Grandma Frye has worked with her the last couple of weeks and Sky has nailed it!! YAY so proud of her!

makes me laugh

2010-11-08T07:56:00.001-05:00

fall is here...

2010-10-17T19:48:00.002-05:00

I know we (ok, I) have been doing a terrible job on keeping this updated! To be honest it gets the least attention because of well....life, work, facebook and my photography blog. But life is good. I am so happy that fall is in full swing, it is definitely one of my favorite seasons. The cool temps, beautiful colors, and of course all the fun fall activities :: apple picking, football games, pumpkin patches, baking (for some reason this is the time of the year I usually start up again!)......we have been having a blast!

Lots has been happening: here is a brief update::

We are adding to the family! Yup, thats right....a third and final hansen cutie will be here in early March 2011. And we are excited that the newest addition is a little BOY!! No names yet, well at least Chris and I have not agreed on any :) Skylar however has decided that she will be naming her baby brother CINCO DE MAYO....good one right?!?! Its so funny, from the time we told her we were expecting she was determined it was a boy and she would name him Cinco. In fact when we would discuss the possibility of another sister her response was very serious:

"God knows I already have a sister, and he knows I don't need another!"

She is a character, always bringing smiles to our faces!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Skylar has started school. She is attending the local Christian school and LOVES it. She is making tons of new friends and getting a great foundation. Chris and I were so happy to be able to have her attend there! She just wishes she could go every day! She is turning into such a little lady! She amazes me everyday with her smarts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ari is doing her best to keep up with her big sister! She is a sweet mama's girl with an attitude bigger than most adults (Chris jokes she gets it from Haley, Haley however doesn't find it that funny). She really looks up to her big sis and enjoys any and all attention Sky gives her! She is such a wonderful little girl with serious determination.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chris is enjoying his new (well 4mos new) job at Prestige Imports as a service writer. It is keeping him busy. In addition to that he is still finding a little time to buy/sell cars at the auctions. He is very much looking forward to the upcoming ski season....he is going to have his hands full though, he is going to have to work with both girls on the hill this year since I won't be able to ski this season!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have been staying more than busy being home with the girls and continuing to grow my photography business. I was blest this year with a busy schedule and AMAZING clients. My wedding season is coming to a close but I am staying busy through the fall with family sessions. And I am almost booked for next summer, it is truly amazing to see your passion and dreams become reality!

hope everyone is enjoying their fall season....and only 68 days till Christmas!!!

much love,

ash

;;whoa its been a while::

2010-09-09T21:21:00.001-05:00

::updated family pic::

childhood sayings revisited

2010-03-16T07:20:00.003-05:00

Growing up my family had a theme song (doesn't every family): "You can't always get What you Want" by The Rolling Stones. As a child my siblings and I were never to amused when we would ask for something and mom & dad would break in to their best rock and roll performance (real embarrassing when you are in public) then as we would sigh and dramatically proclaim, 'it's not fair', their response was "LIFE IS NOT FAIR"......

The funny thing is, although I know its true I still, as an adult, don't like the saying! On this beautiful sunny morning I am so thankful, God has blessed me beyond measure and I am so incredibly grateful.

However, I want to stomp around screaming 'its not fair'; its not for me, its for those who are hurting deeper than I ever have. Two wonderful, faithful, God fearing families that are hurting...2 precious babies and their families...I know that God is holding them tight, surrounding them with his steadfast love. Their strength that is so mesmerizing is from he who created us, their endurance is from our great God, and their faith is from these.

So although I don't think its fair, I can accept that God has a plan, his hand is in this, he sees the big picture and I will trust in his vision.

It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of the deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. Psalm 18:32-35

So as we go about our day, remember the big guy's got your back!

He will bless us with what we need, he knows.

see whats beautiful today,

:ash:

{the way God works...}

2010-03-09T08:27:00.003-05:00

You know the old saying God works in mysterious ways...but thinking about that I don't think its mysterious, its exactly what we need!

This past weekend was crazy busy...which is a blessing( as I am pushing forward with my passion to work with my photography full time, which allows for me to be home with the girls) because it shows me that my hard work is paying off, Ashley Photography is growing! In fact in just the last week and a half I have booked 3 weddings :)

So with that being said I had an unfortunate circumstance occur this past weekend as I was working an event...another photographer acted very poorly towards me, though this person does not know me she chose to speak negatively about me and my talents...and it just keeps digging in to me, to be honest I am having a hard time letting it go! I actually would love to shout from the roof tops this persons name, but I know that won't get me anywhere...so this morning as I sat down to do a devotional I opened my bible and starring up at me in blaring yellow highlighter was this verse:

"Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character,

come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning..."

1 corinthians 15: 33-34

Yup, I think God was talking to me...although I had only discussed this matter with my best friends and family, I am still sinning and I allowed her actions to affect mine, I should have forgave the other for her actions immediately and moved on...but that is hard, not of human nature...I should have prayed as the situation unfolded instead of waiting till my heart was hardened...lessons learned. So this morning as I reflect on my actions I pray that God strengthens me to be better the next time!

Gotta run, we are going to be late for gymnastics!

since the blog is better with pics here are my babies:

sky

ari

buster

bruiser

blessings,

ash

{FPU & some prayer requests}

2010-03-04T08:25:00.004-05:00

I am so excited that Chris and I have made the decision to start the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University Classes...they consist of 13 weeks of study and group discussion. I went to the TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER last week and it was awesome to see Dave live, totally a motivator! So last night we started...

Somethings that we are excited about: to be on the same page financially, (we have never been far apart but I tend to be on page 10 with Chris on page 5, ya he hates reading :) ), to establish a solid budget that we both agree to and stick to it, to be DEBT free, to not let money or lack there of control our lives....

I will keep you all updated as to how its going, sometimes it may not be pretty...but in the end I know we will conquer. We are excited to have already accomplished step 1 of the seven steps, step 2 will take us a little longer - pay off all debt but the house, but we are hoping that with in 7-8 months that will be accomplished.

Our assignment for this week : BUDGET! Sounds fun huh? honestly I think this will be the hardest, we are going to be following the envelope system... and the when its gone its gone mentality must prevail.

After the last year this is so refreshing, to be on the rebound, headed in the right direction...no going back!

*my last thought for the day: I covet your prayers for a friend, her daughter and the rest of her family...they have had a very difficult year and were given some heartbreaking news on Monday. Their sweet baby girl may only have days left here with them. Please pray that she is comfortable and pain free, please pray for her siblings that there maybe understanding, please pray for her mommy and daddy as they cherish these days, allow them continued strength...

The other day I heard Carrie Underwoods "Temporary Home"...it is a beautiful song, and I absolutely love the lyrics, here is the chorus:

"This is my temporary Home
It's not where I belong
Windows and rooms that I'm passin' through
This was just a stop,on the way To where I'm going
I'm not afraid because I know this was
My temporary home."

It is comforting that as christians we KNOW this is true, not only this world is temporary, but remember so are situations...

blessing,

ash

{some winter fun}

2010-03-03T13:30:00.002-05:00

so I know have been horrible about posting but also about taking pictures....well of my own family so not only am I going to get better at blogging again, I am also going to take the time to photograph whats happening... these are from a couple of weekends ago at Caberfae. We are still working on Sky's skiing skills....she is a complete chicken sh** this year (totally takes after me) ! It seems as though there is the slightest bit of danger and she wants to bail...this is a good thing though, as Ari is showing us she is scared of nothing (just like her Daddy)! So the girls personalities will compliment each other as do mine and Chris' funny how that happens!

Ari aside from being our daredevil is on the move (for about the last 3 weeks) and is in to everything...so amazing how they go from not being able to walk to practically running in such a short amount of time...and she wants to do everything that Sky does. It is so precious to me to watch them play, although it often turns a little to rough and someone starts screaming :)

Ari is really trying to put her words together..she gabs a lot but we only understand a few things so far, I know in a short amount of time we will have another talker on our hands, watch out Chris!!

Skylar started her second go round at gymnastics yesterday with complete success, she LOVED it and participated in every activity (even the ones she was scared of last time). She is my big girl, my little lady, my mini me...(even if she looks like chris) she really has my personality, very outgoing, but reserved and cautious when necessary! She is so looking forward to spring time so she can get outside more. The other day she totally cracked me up, this was our convo:

me : uncle cam is coming by to see you today

sky: he is! i think we are going to the zoo (he told her almost 2 months ago that he wanted to take her and now every time she is sees him that is what she wants to do)

me: honey i don't think you are going today, you have to wait till its warmer out

sky: ugh! its just so frickin cold!

me: what

sky: its frickin cold

me: can we just say its cold?

sky: but IT IS fricking cold mom!

not to argue with her we do have some cold days, but now we are watching our language a little closer :)

{3 & 1}

2010-02-18T14:43:00.005-05:00

so as promised i am posting (and you get pictures)! today we had 'model session' as sky called it. she has not been a huge fan of having her picture taken but she's turning a corner, every time i get ready to leave for a session she begs to come and have her picture taken too....so today i thought i would try to convince her it was a GREAT day to take her pictures...we had decent success. decent because for the life of me could not get an acceptable picture of the two of them together, you get one happy and convinced and the other one falls off the wagon :) so goes life...but i have a beautiful picture of each of them and that is most important! there will be a day for a great picture of the two of them!

today is a beautiful day here in MI! The sun is shinning and its not too cold...so we are headed out to run some errands...enjoy your day!

thankful...

2010-02-16T19:17:00.003-05:00

today i am writing with a heavy heart...i learned earlier today of serious diagnosis for a friends child! my heart breaks for them as they seek God's guidance, strength and faith. it is truly unimaginable, in an instant your world is turned upside down! as a mother you always want to keep your babies safe and allow all their dreams to come true...but what if you can't...

i am so thankful for the gift of my baby girls; however, there are times that I feel like screaming or crying or being whisked away to some far off exotic island...i am sure other moms have these moments too...and they are ok completely natural feelings...but when i hear of another mothers darkest fear becoming a reality, i feel guilty that I have been so frustrated with my healthy children...they are only acting as children do. I really don't think that Skylar and Ari devised a plan to torment me or make mess upon mess.

As another friend wrote on her blog and it sticks with me: we should be thankful that they are able to play outside and track mud in on our freshly mopped floors, that they are able to eat and spill their dinner on the floor, that they are able to voice/yell and reason their opinions because it means they are able to speak and understand...there are so many more instances that we encounter through out this journey of motherhood and we have a choice...when you hit the breaking point will you crumble or will you see the beauty in the situation for what it is... it is a constant decision, choose BEAUTIFUL! we need to remember to relish in each new day and moment, they are gifts from our wonderful creator...God is good !

so i did not write today just to ramble, as I make a conscious decision to choose beautiful I am going to try to better document our crazy beautiful lives...i used to be so good at updating and then it fell by the wayside and my excuse was 'its busier with 2' and when in fact it is, its not a valid excuse. I do have at least 2 ~ 15 minute periods every week to fill you all in on the beauty we are experiencing, life may not be perfect but its our perfect...i am not promising pictures (ok ok there will be some pictures) but at least i will update.

so here's to life...let's be thankful for what is our beauty!

Trunk or Treat...and a much needed update!

2009-10-28T21:37:00.002-05:00

What an incredible fall day here in MI! And its about time because we have had a pretty cold and rainy season so far. So with the mild temps and sunny skies, the girls and I headed to 'Trunk or Treat' with the Hedstroms. Ari was of course just along for the ride :) But Sky loved trick or treating and getting candy, I think Halloween may end up being her favorite holiday!

We have had a lot going on in the Hansen house this fall....I have been super busy with work, photography, & life...Chris is super busy with school, and the girls are busy buy busy!!!
(to say the least)
We enjoyed family in town at the beginning of the month for Haley & Courtney's wedding. It was so great to see everyone but of course it was not nearly enough time, and there were several family members we were missing so it would be wonderful to catch up with them in the near future! Haley was an absolutely beautiful bride...I unfortunately did not shoot the wedding so I do not have any pictures to share, bummer right? My amazing friend Jaren did the photography and we are all patiently waiting to see some photos! I know they will be stunning :)

Little Miss Ari is not so little anymore...she is now 9 months old, can you believe it...time is flying by! I am trying to grasp every minute I can! She started crawling at the end of Aug and within 3 weeks was pulling to stand. She is now walking around furniture and getting pretty steady on her feet. I am betting that she will be walking by Christmas, whoo not sure if I am ready for it or not! She just had her 9 month check up and is growing perfectly...a very long 29 inches and she is weighing in at 20 lbs. (95th percent for height & 75th percent for weight) She has also come very self aware and is starting to let you know if she is not happy with certain situation (i.e. Sky taking her toys from her) She squeals pretty loud!!! She is such a great little girl even with the fact that she is becoming so aware of her ability to disagree she is most of the time a pretty laid back little girl!!

Sky is really keeping us on our toes...she is constantly making us laugh with her take on life. To see the world through her eyes, really takes any worry and stress away and leaves you with wonderful belly laughs instead <3 We are finding that she is now using our tactics against us...

a couple of of recent conversations:

sky(at 8am) : mom I want candy because I am hungry
me: ok I will make you some toast :)
sky: mom, do you hear me...look in my eyes when i talk, i am serious!
(YIKES)
needless to say she just got toast
_______________________________________________________

me: sky, ari has a red mark on her cheek, did you hit her?
sky: well mom, it was with a magic wand! and i just made her a cutie pie
(got to love her reasoning huh?)
_______________________________________________________
after taking her toys away from Ari
sky: ari is a pain in my butt
then after listening to ari scream because the toys were taken away
sky: ari is a drama queen
__________________________________________________________

we don't have many dull moments around here, and we love every minute of it!

{She's on the move}

2009-09-06T12:34:00.003-05:00

Ari is on the move...watch out world! No more putting her down and knowing exactly where she is...she is a quick one. I can't believe how quickly my baby is growing! In additional to crawling she has 2 teeth and she is just itching to stand up...if you hold her up to the edge of the couch she grabs on and stands on her own, I am sure before we know it she will be pulling up on the furniture!

{First BIG Girl Hair Cut}

2009-09-06T12:28:00.004-05:00

Well we decided that it was time for Ms. Skylar to have a big girl hair cut! We bit the bullet and cut about 4 inches off, it looks so cute! She cried the entire time saying " I don't want my hair cut, I just want my hair and my daddy!' After they were done they spun her around to look in the mirror and and she continued to cry saying, " I just really don't like it, I really don't" :) but good news is she likes it now!!!

{...can't be left behind}

2009-08-01T18:17:00.002-05:00

well after Skylar modeled for Besty Bee
Miss Ari wanted in on the action too!! Besty is AWESOME
and is now doing sizes starting at 3 months! YAY, all the
pint sized divas can fill their closets now too!!!

so in addition to adding 'model' to her resume...Ari is staying busy! She is now 6 months old, really where has the time gone? She is sitting up, rolling around like a crazy lady, and just itching to crawl, I give her 3 weeks, then watch out world! She is as happy as ever and just a doll...She loves to watch her sister and just giggles with delight when tickled! She is loving the introduction to 'food', teething biscuits are topping her list of favs, but she has not turned her nose up at anything yet, this girl has an appetite!
She had her 6 month check up last week and it proved she is growing like a weed... 16 lbs 3oz (50th percentile) & just over 27 inches long (80th percentile).

**she is perfect in every way**

{Skylar's modeling debut}

2009-07-27T23:13:00.004-05:00

My friend Betsy is launching a little girls clothing line, Betsy Bee .She just completed her fall line up so we had a day of fashions shoots to get all the product shots for her website! She has asked if Skylar would model for the shoot but I told her no promises could be made, Sky has a mind of her own and we would have to see what was on that mind the day of the shoot. I also told her it didn't help that I was the photographer! But low and behold when Sky's friends arrived the day of the shoot and she found out that part of the shoot involved painting daddy's bus pink (yes he is a great sport, he let the girls paint on the VW bus....it is getting sanded next week to get repainted:} ) she was game! SO without further ado...here is Skylar's modeling debut:

*she has definitely mastered the serious model face!*

more cousin time!

2009-07-11T22:20:00.004-05:00

the other night we had dinner with Cari, Ryan, Tyler, Sammy, Sara, Jared, Avery & Uncle Glen & Aunt Boni. A big thanks to Cari & Ryan to hosting us all!!! :) Here are all the kiddos...5 kids age 3 and under :)

Sammy 1 1/2 yrs., Ari 5 1/2 mos., Avery 6 1/2 mos, Tyler 3 1/2 yrs, & Sky 2 1/2 yrs.

Ari & Avery

2009-07-11T22:13:00.002-05:00

they are just 4 weeks apart, it was fun to see them together!!!

supposedly Avery is not into nuks at all but she was pretty into Ari's!

the battle was on!

aren't they sweet

Avery was trying to bite her....

we are hoping that Sara, Jared, & Avery will move back to MI sometime soon so the girls can grow up together! :)

pool time

2009-07-11T22:02:00.002-05:00

we spent the day last weekend at wodarski's pool, we had a blast!!!

spending time with the cousins...

2009-07-11T21:56:00.003-05:00

the other day, Michael, KJ, & Makenna came over to hang with us for a few hours....a busy couple of hours, which made me realize I am perfectly set with 2 kiddos of my own!!! Her are some pics of the kids painting! :)

michael & kj warned me that kenna did not know how to paint...well I think she did a pretty good job, other than it wasn't on the paper!!!

4th of july

2009-07-11T21:46:00.003-05:00

we didn't get to do everything that we had planned for the day because the weather was not as great as we were hoping! But we had a great time anyhow~ we spent the afternoon and evening at Chris' Uncle Steve & Aunt Toni's house for great food, swimming and amazing fireworks!!!

Ari with Great Uncle Randy

they re-created the pyramid, Chris' Dad & his brothers

<3 LOVE this picture of Grandpa with 2 of his girls!

sisters...

2009-07-11T21:38:00.001-05:00

Sky:"Ari can sit by me, but I need a pillow....."

...just..can't stay ...awake.....

2009-07-11T21:35:00.001-05:00

fell asleep eating her peas! :) this is like the 3rd time, it cracks us up!

always up for a challenge

2009-07-11T21:32:00.002-05:00

so at Start of Summer they had the Euro-bounce (REALLY fun and I totally recommend it....that is if you have not been out drinking the night before) ~anyhow~ my wonderful mother-in-law bet me that I couldn't do more back flips then she could and that I couldn't out jump her....Not thinking real clearly about what I had done the night before :) I accepted the challenge, I am proud to say that I successfully beat her in both, but me head paid for it !

A day at the beach

2009-07-11T21:28:00.002-05:00

We spent father's day at the beach! What a beautiful day!!!Skylar loved everything about the beach, and Ari didn't mind it either! :)

Bath time fun

2009-07-11T21:24:00.002-05:00

Ari is big enough to sit in the bath tub seat! She LOVES being able to sit in there and watch her big sister!! Skylar is enjoying someone to play with!

Ari's Baptism

2009-07-11T21:19:00.002-05:00

Ari was baptized on Sunday June 14! What a special day to dedicate our little love to God! We had a beautiful sunny day that was spent with our family! A big thank you to everyone for sharing this day with us!

the 5 cousins, talk about hard, 5 under the age of 6!!!

Florida Trip

2009-07-11T20:42:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the ridiculous amount of pictures....I am way behind on blogging, I know I keep promising to get better but, lets be honest .... 2 girls, my photography, a full time job, a husband, and I can't forget my Facebook addiction :) So maybe you should all join FB then you can keep up with me :)

The beginning of June we made the trek down to the sunshine state. I had to attend a work meeting so we made a family trip of it so that some of my family (who made never met the girls) could get some snuggle time! We had a great time! Cameron came with us, which was awesome!We always love hanging out with him plus he was a huge help with driving, yes we drove straight through not to bad the girls slept almost the whole way!!!
We started off spending time in Monticello with Dad, Mary & Sam...we were also able to see UNcle Andrew. Sky fell in LOVE with here Pop-Pop and his horse, Sox...she was convinced he was going to let us bring the horse home! But where would we put it?!!?!? In addition to spending time at the farm we had lots of quality time with Mary which was great, I would so love to live closer so we could have more quality time together!
After 4 days we headed to Orlando and enjoyed a day at Magic Kingdom then a day at Animal Kingdom & Blizzard Beach! Sky was very excited to see Cinderella's castle and all the other disney princesses! Then at Animal Kindom she was able to see all the animals and have her picture taken with a Baboon, funny thing to be excited about huh?
Then on our way home we stopped for a quick visit with Uncle Mike & Aunt Barbara...it was so good to see them!
What a great mini vacay...will have to happen again sooner rather then later!

...life is busy...

2009-05-13T16:38:00.002-05:00

sounds a little cliche' right? But seriously LIFE IS SUPER BUSY! I started back to work full time the first week of April! At first I was hesitant, I didn't want to leave my babies, but now that we are in the groove I have adjusted very well (the girls had no problem). WE are very blessed that mom was able to tweak her work schedule so that she would Monday's off and be able to spend quality time with Sky & Ari! It has been wonderful, a little adjustment for Skylar as now Nana has to lay down the law from time to time...I think it was her second or third week watching the girls when mom told Sky that she was doing something that I wouldn't want her to (eating play dough) and Skylar in a very serious tone said " nana, mind your business!" ....so we have had to work on some things :) The girls are also spending 3 days a week with Miss Annie (a good friend of ours) even on the weekends Skylar will ask if she can go to Miss Annie's, it is so nice that she is comfortable and loves being at the Hedstrom house, I know that they girls are very well loved when they are there and it makes my days being away from them even easier! And then one day a week Chris has been able to adjust his schedule to have a daddy daycare day! Sky loves Daddy day but I think both Chris and Sky are looking forward to summer so that they can be outside more often! It is so great that Chris can do this not only does it give him some special bonding time with the girls but also (i think) given him a new appreciation for the role of 'mommy'!
I am keeping busy through out the week working for H-Wave and then I am also doing quite a bit with Ashley Photography. I am blessed that my dream continues to grow, and I am so excited to see what the future hold for Ashley Photography.
Update on What's new with Miss Ari~
Can you believe she is almost 4 months old? She is such a joy. She is turning into quite the talker, constantly squealing and babbling (boy is Chris in trouble). She has not rolled over yet but seems to be close, she gets half way (from her back to side) then stops. She does seem to be scootching all over, no more hanging out on our bed unsupervised...She has her 4 month check up next week, so I will be interested to see how big she has gotten, she is very long and defenietle starting to chub up! She is sleeping great usually going to bed at night around 9 pm then pu around 6, this morning I actually had to wake her up at 7...but thats only happened once!
Sky's Update~
It is amazing what a smart little girl she is...knows all her colors, can count to ten, can sing some of the alphabet, her speech is fantastic, she often uses several sentences at once to get her point across...I love hearing all the funny things she says, she has completely mimiced Chris and I. We have had to really start watching what we say when her little ears are around, we could get in a little bit of trouble :) She is also lookig so grown up, she is already 36 1/2 inches tall and her hair is starting to grow out of its mullet phase :) She actually had her first official haircut, although it was just a trim, she went to a real salon!! She is ready for summer to come so that she can get out and play, riding her bike and swinging are 2 of her favorite activities!

I will try to keep things updated a little better.... hope you all have a fantasic week :D

Easter 2009

2009-04-17T12:41:00.004-05:00

We had a beautiful Easter! Not only was it amazing weather it was also a great day with family! Skylar and Ari both had baskets waiting for them when they woke up! The Easter Bunny doesn't hide them yet, maybe next year. Skylar ate her weight plus some in chocolate, she was one happy girl:)

We started off the day with brunch at our house with Mom & Fred and Haley & COurtney, then off to a great church service. We came home for a couple of hours of relaxation, then off to Dad & Cindy's for Easter dinner with Haley, Courtney, Cameron, Ali, Ben & Dad & Cindy!

{spending time with Grandpa Hansen}

2009-04-17T12:39:00.003-05:00

we have been trying to do dinner a couple times a week with Dad Hansen, which has been very nice! We are so blessed to have most of our family right in town and SKylar LOVES to spend time with her grandparents! Her face lights up when she sees them! It is so cute she calls dad, just HANSEN, no grandpa...whatever works, I think its so cute!!!

{ARI got her ears pierced}

2009-04-17T12:33:00.003-05:00

2 weeks ago I took Ari to get her ears pierced! She was 11 weeks old (Skylar was 10 wks when hers were done!) She did great and her little diamonds look so cute in her ears!!!

right before...she has know idea :(

again no idea...but isn't she cute!

here it comes

ok it just hurst for a minute, like shots but much prettier:)

~finally....

2009-04-03T18:20:00.001-05:00

...a picture together! My two beautiful girls!

{ARI GRACE is 2 MONTHS OLD}

2009-03-24T14:11:00.003-05:00

_____________________
I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE MY LITTLE ANGEL HAS ALREADY
BEEN WITH US FOR 2 MONTHS. SHE IS SUCH A GREAT BABY,
VERY MELLOW AND LAID BACK.
SHE IS A TINY PEANUT AT 10 LBS 5 OZ (25TH PERCENTILE)
23 INCHES (50TH PERCENTILE), SHE IS A WHOLE POUND
LIGHTER THAN SKYLAR WAS AT 2 MONTHS.
SHE IS VERY ATTENTIVE WHEN SHE IS AWAKE WATCHING US USUALLY
WITH A LITTLE SCOWL ON HER FACE :) SHE SMILES AT US BUT YOU HAVE TO
WORK FOR THEM, SHE DOESN'T GIVE THEM UP FOR NOTHING.
_____________________________________________

WE LOVE HER TO PIECES AND FEEL SO BLESSED TO
HAVE ANOTHER HEALTHY, BEAUTIFUL LITTLE GIRL!!

lessons taught ... then learned?

2009-03-18T15:59:00.003-05:00

For all of you parents out there, you can appreciate how sometimes our lessons come right back at us! I'm sure you can all relate to a moment where something comes out of your child's mouth (that you said) that you never
thought they were paying attention to...(thank goodness this is a clean one :)
_____________________________________________________________
I'm sure there are many things that I say like I am stuck on the replay button, one of which sorry to say is to my wonderful hubby...I try not to nag but the clothes hamper is right there in the bathroom. It may just be a 'man' thing, because everyday he puts his clothes on the floor next to the hamper, I don't know maybe he thinks it is full, maybe sometimes it really is. But I have tried to not nag about it and just hope that some day maybe in our future he would put his clothes in it. I guess it really does not matter if the clothes are in the hamper or not, its just my thing, you know?
So (this is where it gets me) last week as I was getting ready to get in the shower, I removed my clothes and just left them on the floor (I was going to put them in the hamper after my shower, I swear)...my very smart and very attentive 2 year old came in sighed (yes for real) and started putting my clothes in the hamper, then looked at me and said "mommy you pick them up, put in here!"
WOW, a couple of things...so even when they don't seem to be listening, they are (I am sure this goes for Chris too); if I preach it I must follow through, all the time (great overall life lesson, huh?); and I must sigh to much or way to dramatically (because Sky had it down pat)!

I love that parenthood puts life in to perspective for me on a daily basis...reinforces things I know to be true, is always shining light on new truths, and never ceases to amaze me how my little girl's smile can make the day so much better, its like God's rainbow for parents. God has given me an amazing gift in being a mom, He is good!

Skylar I love you so much thank you for being such an amazing little girl!!

Caberfae Spring Carnival 2009

2009-03-18T15:22:00.005-05:00

WOW, another carnival come and gone...and it was a great time! The weather was AMAZING! Almost 50 degrees and sunny, couldn't ask for anything better when you are out at the ski hill!! Most of the Winquist clan was there and all decked out in costume...here are some pics from the day!

our failed attempt at a family photo, yes the girls are there!

the pirates

great grandma Ariadne, me & Ari

the clan

Sky & KJ

Sara & Avery

Great Grandma Ariadne & Ari

funny or what?

KJ holding Ari

getting a little love from MIchael

Ari & Avery

2009-03-18T15:20:00.001-05:00

here are a few quickies with the girls, they are a month a part! I am excited for the
cousins to grow up together, they will be great friends!

oh yummy, its good...

2009-03-18T15:17:00.002-05:00

Skylar and I made cookies and she got to lick the beaters...what a happy girl she was. I know that when I was younger that was my favorite part of baking too (ok it still might be :} ) She is priceless and brings so much joy to our lives, look at her smiles, she is perfect!! I love these mommy moments with her, it is so much fun!!

Poppa & his girls

2009-03-13T11:10:00.002-05:00

Dad wanted a pictures of himself with the girls...Skylar was not so in to being photographed.

MIss Ari

2009-03-13T11:07:00.001-05:00

she is such a love

BUbbles, bubbles, and more bubbles

2009-03-13T11:06:00.000-05:00

I think I put a little too much bubble bath in....

Costume Dinner - Disney style

2009-03-13T11:00:00.001-05:00

Last weekend the ski club held a Disney theme costume party...Skylar was a princess and Chris a pirate, aren't they cute!!

Happy 3rd Birthday Tyler Luke!

2009-03-13T10:56:00.003-05:00

Last week we helped Tyler celebrate his 3rd birthday! We had a lot of fun...Skylar loves to blow out candles and kept climbing on the table and blowing the candles out before Tyler could! I think Aunt Boni had to relight the candles 3 times, oops:)

silly face

2009-03-03T16:39:00.000-05:00

a red head??

2009-03-03T16:17:00.000-05:00

can't quite tell but its looking like we may have a red head on our hands!!!

me & my love

2009-03-03T16:12:00.002-05:00

chris and i got out skiing this past weekend (thanks to mom for watching the girls)! It was so great! Since Ari arrived we haven't really had anytime for just the two of us and it was so nice to have a little time!

The girls

2009-03-03T16:09:00.001-05:00

Still can't get Sky to take a picture with Ari, but here are my sweeties, separately of course! :)

Winter Beauty

2009-03-03T16:05:00.002-05:00

I really do love winter! When we have tons of the white stuff it truly transforms the landscapes! These are from up near cadillac one morning after a good storm, I just love how the snow coats the trees!

Doug & Sheri's Cabin - The Fire

2009-02-27T14:36:00.002-05:00

Doug & Sheri's Cabin - After the Fire

2009-02-24T18:57:00.007-05:00

The Fire damage...

my girls

2009-02-20T13:20:00.002-05:00

both of these are at one month old...the girls definitely have some of their
own features, but there is no denying that they are sisters!!!

Skylar's 2yr well child check up

2009-02-19T17:26:00.002-05:00

Skylar had a great check up, she is 26lbs. and 34 1/2 inches tall both of which put her in the 50% mark for her age! She is talking up a storm, cracking us up daily...she can count to ten, knows her colors, and can sing almost the whole alphabet! We really have to watch what we say around her as she has taken to repeating pretty much everything!
Her favorite phrases are:
"I'm not kidding me, I am serious!"
"Oh goodness"
"Do you hear me"
Needless to say she is always making us smile...We love her to pieces and are so blessed by such a great little girl!!

Ari is ONE MONTH OLD!

2009-02-19T16:51:00.004-05:00

Ari is already 1 month old!!!The time is going so much faster it seems with 2!!! Ari is a great baby, she is pretty laid back but loves her cuddle time! She is a snuggler :) Last week at the doctor she weighed 7lbs. 3oz. and was 20 inches long. She is sleeping pretty good, usually going to bed between 9 & 10 then up at 3 and up again at 6...so I am getting a fair amount of sleep! She is trying to be awake more during the day which I am encouraging:) She is such a blessing, we love you Ari Grace!

what doesn't kill us only makes us stronger..

2009-02-19T16:47:00.003-05:00

....so we made it through, I guess it didn't kill us to wear the maize and blue for a quick photo ;) This is for all those U of M fans in the family...just remember who won this year...
Go Green Go White!!!

DINNER WITH NANA

2009-02-19T16:46:00.002-05:00

Last week Chris had a dinner meeting so the girls and I headed down to my mom's for a great dinner! Thanks mom for letting us crash your place for a little while! W e had a great time hanging with Nana :)

Gracie came to play!

2009-02-19T16:43:00.002-05:00

h
We got to spend some time with the Hosford girls last week and it was great fun! It was wonderful to 'catch up' with Trace, and it was so great to finally get the girls together, Gracie and Sky are just 3 weeks apart! They had a busy morning of playing dress-up, playing play doh and riding the 4-wheeler!
WE CAN'T WAIT FOR ANOTHER PLAY DATE GIRLS!

Weekends at the cabin!

2009-02-19T16:38:00.002-05:00

Here are some random photos from our weekends North! We have spent every weekend up there since Ari arrived and it is great! It is nice to have the weekends up there to unwind and relax!! Skylar has been working on her skiing and we've been building a few snowmen! Ari is just enjoying all love she gets from the family :)

t
can we go skiing now?

Play Date with Livy

2009-02-19T16:36:00.001-05:00

Two weeks ago we had a great play date with Jaren & Livy! It was so great to catch up with JAren and the girls had a riot together!!! THanks for coming to play!

2009-02-19T16:33:00.000-05:00

Ari ~ 2 weeks old

2009-02-03T11:21:00.002-05:00

I can't believe that Ari is already 2 weeks old...she is a sweet sweet baby, very laid back & mellow. Every day she is becoming more and more alert. She is still a tiny peanut, at the doctor last Thursday she was weighing in at 6 lbs. 7 oz. She sleeps great during the day...and at night pretty well...we are usually up at 2 am & 6 am. So for now that is pretty good.
Skylar is being a great big sister. She likes to gives kisses and gentle head rubs to her baby sister, well as long as it is her idea...I really wanted to be have a picture of the two of them together but that has not been on Skylar's agenda, so when it is you will get to see it :)

A special bithday surprise...

2009-01-26T12:56:00.003-05:00

This year on Jan 20 I celebrated my 27th birthday! I can't believe I am 27, yikes! But although 27 isn't really a 'BIG' birthday year it was for me...Chris and I were pleasantly surprised by the birth of our second daughter, Ariadne Grace Hansen.
Ari's due date was Feb 7, 2009 but we had scheduled a induction for Jan 31, so thats what we were expecting. Skylar didn't come early and although I wanted Ari to come early I did not believe she would :) But surprise!
Ari was born at 8:06pm on Jan 20, 2009. She weighed 6 lbs. 15 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long. She is perfectly healthy! She reminds me a lot of Skylar but she has some of her own features (some are saying maybe more of my features). She does have my crooked pinkie fingers, and I figure she should bear some sort of mark that she is my child since I did spend our birthday in labor all day!
Her full name is Ariadne (pronounced : R-E-add-knee) which is after Chris' amazing grandma, whom we love so much! We are calling her Ari (R-E) for short.
We are settling in to a slightly more hectic life but we are loving every bit of it. Skylar is a fantastic big sister very concerned for Ari. Sky has been a little upset by the fact that Ari won't go play with her but tends to be content that Ari will watch movies with her:)

Here are a few pictures I will try to stay on top of updating but for now some of our first photos...

Our family of 4!!

Ariadne Grace Hansen

Skylar is a proud BIG Sister

already camera shy :)

The girls rooms are done....

2009-01-26T12:37:00.003-05:00

two weekends ago we decided to spend the weekend home so that we could finish up on Skylar and Ari's bedrooms. We got them done! here they are...

Happy 2nd Birthday SKylar!!

2009-01-11T18:30:00.010-05:00

cinderella cake

great grandma & SKy

new cousin baby Avery

cousin Sammy

I really can't believe my baby is 2 (or that she won't be the baby much longer!) We celebrated her birthday on Saturday up at Caberfae with most of her cousins: Tyler Luke, Sammy, Ali, Aubrie, & Avery (we missed Michael, KJ, Makenna, & Parker)! We also were able to celebrate with Reagan and Charlie Hall! The kids had a great time, the played, ate pizza & cake! It is so much fun that Skylar has so many cousins right around her age, she absolutely loves when she gets to spend time with them!! Thank you all for celebrating Skylar's special day with us!!!

WOW...

2009-01-09T11:40:00.001-05:00

God is good..this is the beautiful sunrise we were blessed with this morning! Isn't it lovely?

An 'everything' post

2009-01-09T08:12:00.010-05:00

Sorry I am being lazy and doing one mass post...I am way behind in updating!!! The holidays were great, we spent our time at Caberfae with all of our family. Christmas Eve we were to spend again with Chris' dad and my brother, then Christmas afternoon Hales, Court and my dad arrived, followed by my mom the day after Christmas. We also had a big Christmas celebration the day after with the Chris' mom, step-dad, sister's family, and step-sister's family! Every bit of it was great! Christmas Eve was pretty low key, decorating cookies for Santa, making Reindeer food, oh and Santa and Mrs.Claus stopped by to see Skylar and tell she better go to bed on time! It was priceless, she was so excited! Santa even brought her an early gift, a Dora doll, which she loved! Then Mrs.Claus took her outside to sprinle the Reindeer food that we made so that Rudolph could found the house! Then Chris and Sky opened their Christmas Eve pj's, this year they both got footey pj's:)
Christmas morning was a little overwhelming for Skylar she just wanted to be able to play with her toys not keep opening her presents! She was a good girl this year, Santa brought her a Barbie 4-wheeler & a make-up vanity table! They were both a hit, she kept going over and checking herself out and brushing her hair in between presents! She was incredibly spoiled as usually by the whole family!
Along with opening more presents throughout the next 2 days we did a lot of RELAXING! It was great, there was even a day or two that we stayed in our pj's till well into the afternoon:)
NYE was pretty mellow went spent it with cousins: Cari, Ryan, Tyler, Sammy, Sara, JAres, new baby Avery, Grandpa Winquist & Unlce Glenn & Aunt Boni...we were actually home by 10:45 because Skylar refused to sleep at their cabin, way to much exciting stuff:) SO I am pretty sure once we got her to bed Chris and I were asleep by 11:30...how the celebration changes after having kids:)
Another big milestone was our 5 yr anniversary! Hard to believe that it has been 5 yrs already, the time has seemed to really fly by! It has been a wonderful 5 years and I am so thankfully for Chris, he is a wonderful husband!
Enjoy the collage of pictures...I will try to get back on track with consistent updates:)

Skiing 'Round 2'

2009-01-09T08:05:00.003-05:00

WOW...Skylar's 2nd time on the hill was a huge improvement from the first time, thanks to some wonderful tips from Uncle Tommy!!! She was a natural, which I didn't doubt based on her genetics:) So anyhow one time down the hill with us 'catching' her ever 6ft or so and then it was let her go at the top and catch her at the bottom...yes the very bottom! I know its only the bunny hill but she is such a little munchkin, I couldn't believe. She was so funny, Chris would bring her back to the top so we could get her ready to go and then he would start down the hill a little ahead of her, she didn't want us to touch she kept saying 'go away, go away!' She just wanted to go go go ! Then when we left the hill she was upset screaming 'again, again'! What fun I can't wait to see how she does through the reat of the season! In a couple weeks Chris is gonna take her up the chairlift and try to ski with her on the harness now that she understand how to stand up on her own!! Watch for more pictures!

Happy Holidays

2008-12-21T12:53:00.001-05:00

Budget Cuts & Blizzards

2008-12-19T20:11:00.002-05:00

this is what happens when we have state budget cuts with a large snow storm...Chris ends up plowing out the neighborhood!!! I think he was in heaven though, he is a big boy who loves big toys :) And Skylar had a blast as well, she helped Daddy with about half our street and wanted to keep going! Just as Chris was finishing the Road Commission came through, but he did not even have to touch our street , he gave a BIG thumbs up to Chris...

33 weeks....t minus 7...

2008-12-19T14:09:00.002-05:00

WOW seven weeks left! I can't believe that is all we have until we get to meet baby girl #2! It kinda seems as though this pregnancy has gone fairly quickly! All is going well, I do feel more uncomfortable this time around, but nothing out of the norm...Baby girl is growing right on track, as am I. As of yesterday I have gained 16 pounds, I am doing much better this time around :)
Yesterday we had an OB apt, one that was kind of bittersweet...we found out 2 weeks ago that my Doctor would be moving out of the area! So our last visit with Dr. Murphy was yesterday. He has been an amazing doctor and a true blessing, we will miss him tremendously but wish him the best of luck in his new ventures!
On Monday we have an apt to meet my 'new' doctor! I look forward to meeting her, I have heard wonderful things about her!
So there is the brief prego update, I will continue to update to let everyone know how things are progressing...and hopefully by the last week of Jan we will be posting to let you all know that baby girl has arrived!

2008-12-09T20:15:00.003-05:00

I can't believe that my baby is almost 2...in this picture she looks so grown up to me! God has truly blessed us with an amazing little girl who is full of spunk and fire!
...and I can't believe that in 2 short months Skylar will be a BIG sister, and our family of 3 will be 4!!! SO many changes ahead.

Shower Time

2008-12-09T20:05:00.002-05:00

Skylar loves taking showers, no more baths for this little girl...and if you ask her it is her shower! She would stay in the shower all day, she dances around and sings...Chris and I end up sitting next to the shower waiting for her to decide that she is ready to get out.

SKIING

2008-12-09T19:50:00.004-05:00

This past weekend we took Skylar out skiing, well Chris did more than I did, because I can't get on my skis right now:) Skylar seemed to love going fast down the hill, saying 'weeeeee' the whole way down the hill! She did not seem to like going slow...we have to work on her standing up by herself as she likes to just lounge back and let Chris hold her up! But for her first time out she did great. We went out for just an hour and all in all it was successful :) As we left she said 'no home, i ski'

how sweet...

2008-12-09T19:45:00.002-05:00

the other night Skylar wanted to wait for Chris to get home, so I let her...After about 5 minutes it was very quite, I looked into the living room and she was fast asleep with her Buster boy...what a great picture!

Chocolate Lover

2008-12-09T19:43:00.002-05:00

Skylar has decided that everything she must eat is chocolate...no we don't give in to this desire but she is always voicing it loud and clear! I do love the look at excitement she gets when she is allowed some chocolate...

Christmas Tree

2008-12-09T19:36:00.002-05:00

our Christmas tree...

this was my bargain of the year! I wanted a tall skinny tree (artificial) for home but of course did not want to spend an arm and a leg on one! SO ... I found this one on craig's list for just $45, YEAH ME!!! It is exactly what I wanted and at a price better than I expected. I love our tree :)

We all got in on the action...who can resist the music...

2008-11-27T23:55:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Cam got a little happy for the holidays...

2008-11-27T23:13:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Please Pray

2008-11-25T15:52:00.003-05:00

As we near the holiday I ask that as you all say your many prayers of thanks that you also remember this little boy in your prayers! My dear childhood friend is marrying a wonderful man who is a cancer survivor. Dustin battled the disease while he was in high school. Dustin uses his experiences to help other kids that are going through cancer treatments; his chemo pal is Nick! (more info below)

{POSTING BY ERINN}
Say a little prayer....

This morning, we ask that you join us in prayer for Nick, Dustin's chemo pal, who is undergoing surgery to remove another tumor. Nick is a 12 year old boy who has been battling cancer for years. He went through his second round of treatment this summer only to find out weeks ago that there is another tumor growing in his body. He is probably in surgery right now, so we ask that you pray with us for:

1. The doctors and nurses operating on him and taking care of him.
2. Strength for his body and mind as he continues this uphill battle.
3. Peace for his family as they question the events taking place right now.
4. Courage, perserverance, and comfort for Nick as he is exhausted and tired from this LONG fight.
5. Wisdom for those around him to move forward in the right way.
6. The PEACE that passes ALL understanding...the peace that only our Lord can bring.

BIG NEWS.....

2008-11-23T21:21:00.002-05:00

So lots of new changes are in store for us next season!!! Chris and I are so excited, after lots of thought and prayer we have decided to accept the distributorship for Backyard Adventure brand Play sets, from this point on will will distribute and sell Backyard Adventures instead of Rainbow! This is a huge deal for us...since we will now be a direct distributor we will have the opportunity for a lot of expansion, we will have 2 sub-dealers, one in Kalamazoo and one in Traverse City. We are excited about this opportunity to grow these territories through our sub-dealers. And in coming years we are planning on then opening other locations! We have a lot of changes we will be going through this winter to get ready for a big kick off in the spring!!!
I will be taking a more active role in operations of the business helping Chris with the growth and expansion. I am looking forward to working more as a team and helping him with our future growth!!! Hopefully my years in sales and marketing will really payoff, now I just need to learn swing sets like the back of my hand :D
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we transition through these next several months.

SANTA CLAUS

2008-11-23T21:13:00.001-05:00

On Saturday we took Skylar to visit Santa...I wasn't sure what she would think but she had no problem sat on his lap told him what she likes and talked with him about his 'deer'! It was so cute!! :D

Visiting Heidi

2008-11-23T20:59:00.004-05:00

Heidi & Chris in the cock pit

the C130

the cargo area with the tail being put down

cock pit controls

Chris pretty excited about 'flying' or pretending

Chris is testing out the night vision

ready to hit the flight line, don't forget the protective ear wear

Me & Chris on the flight line, it was so cold and windy

Me & Cpt. Heidi

trying out the NVG...very cool

Recently Chris and I had the opportunity to visit my dear friend Heidi! Heidi and I met our freshman year at MSU and became instant friends...after graduating she was off into the Air Force. She is now a captain with the USAF and a pilot too!!! I have not seen Heidi since the summer of '04 since she has been constantly busy with pilot training and tours to the middle east! But the opportunity came up and we jumped on it so we visited her and it was great a short visit but none the less wonderful! She took us on base and gave us a tour then took us out the the flight line to see the planes and even had it arranged for us to go in the plane she flys. Heidi is currently a co-pilot on a C130 but as of March will have enough hours and expirience to transition into head pilot (or whatever they call it)!!! The C130's are huge, we went back into the cargo area which the transport everything from supplies to para troopers to injured troops. It was pretty cool. Then she took us into to the Night Vision Goggle testing area so that we could try those out! They were pretty cool but I think I would have a major headache if I had to wear those for extend time periods like night flying!
After touring the base she treated us to a fantastic dinner!!! It was so great to see her! She will be home at Christmas so I am really hoping to be able to get together for a more extended visit then!!! Thanks Heidi!!

Sara's Baby Shower

2008-11-16T15:19:00.004-05:00

Saturday morning we celebrated Sara's pending arrival! We had her shower at Arnie's Old Mill in Rockford. It was a great time. We can't wait to meet her new baby girl!!
After the shower since the boys were away hunting we had a very fun girls day!! We did a little shopping and then went to the Mud Room in Ada and painted our own pottery. I had not done it in years so it was fun to get creative!

Family update...

2008-11-13T20:19:00.003-05:00

All is good in the Hansen household...just thought I'd give a quick up date. I am 28 weeks pregnant now, which is hard to believe! It really seems like it is going very quickly. We have a lot to do, we have not even started on the baby's room, funny with Skylar her room was done when I was like 21 weeks along...guess we are slightly busier with this go around!
We usually head to the cabin for Thanksgiving but this year we are going to stay home so that we can hopefully knock some projects off our to do list...wish us luck we have been working on the same 2 items for about 1 1/2 months..yikes we are serious procrastinators....but noses to the grind stone we WILL get the projects done over the thanksgiving holiday!
I am feeling pretty good, and growing (yes I will post a belly shot soon)! Doc says everything looks good, baby girl is right on track. I am more tired it seems with every day but today at my ob apt they said that I was anemic, so that could be why, hopefully the iron supplements will help. On VERY POSITIVE note I have been free of migraines...I started going to a Chiropractor (where Hales is working) and within a couple of adjustments I noticed that I was not getting any headaches, amazing!! So needless to say visits to the chiro are becoming part of my normal routine, I'm a believer!!
Sky is doing great, everyday more words are added to her vocabulary and she is always making us laugh. Yesterday we were driving and I was singing..I turned around and she had a very annoyed look on her face, I asked her if she would sing with me and she said "no singing mommy!" So I asked her if I was a good singer and she said very seriously "no mommy no" Well at least she's honest right :D On another note, Skylar is so sweet she will always say 'hi baby' and rub my tummy... we are always telling her that she is going to be a big sister and that we'll be having a baby in our home soon...I think she gets it just not sure she is a 100% O.K. with the idea...but she'll be fine I am sure!
Nothing new with Chris, he's still busy...winding down a little and really looking forward to ski season and some down time :D
Hope you are all enjoying your fall!!!

Skylar's new Buddy...

2008-11-09T08:45:00.002-05:00

On friday night we got to hang out with old friends...Chris and I have not seen Mark & Renee Spica in 5 years. While long story short we were able to reconnect and they came over for dinner with their adorable little girl Lexi. Lexi is 9 months older than Skylar and they had an absolute blast together, giggling and belly laughing the whole night long! Chris and I also had a fantastic time catching up with Mark and Renee too. We are hoping that we will be able to get together again soon!

they girls played on the stairs for a while and they were laughing so hard they had us laughing as well, it was contagious!

say 'cheese'...yes this smile is cheesy!!!

diva in training

2008-11-07T08:15:00.000-05:00

Practicing in her high heels!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2008-11-07T07:58:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday we celebrated Sheri's birthday. Sheri, Doug, Grandma & Grandpa Winquist all came over for dinner! We had great time!
Happy Birthday Mom, we love you!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-02T15:18:00.004-05:00

What a fun day and busy day! Before we could go trick or treating at home we had some places to visit. WE trick or treated at Grandpa Hansen's office (and got lots of goodies), we visited Grandma Mueller at her work and we visited Ha Ha's office and Ya Ya was there too!!!

Then we got to trick or treat in the neighborhood, Grandma & Grandpa Frye came over and walked the neighborhood with us! Skylar did a great job, but she she did get worn out!!! She would act pretty shy as she went up to the doors but you can tell the smile on her face it was all an act...then after she received some candy she would run back to the sidewalk and yell 'thank you'. She was too cute!!!

Carving Pumpkins

2008-10-31T11:35:00.003-05:00

Thursday night we carved pumpkins! Skylar loved it, she wasn't phased by the 'goop' one bit...in fact after she pulled all the guts out she got bored waiting so she put them all back in!!! Chris tried a new carving technique, he decided to use his dremmel tool, it did work but if if does that next year he will be carving pumpkins in the garage, that thing sent pumpkin shavings flying everywhere!!!

little bit of sass...

2008-10-24T18:05:00.000-05:00

I think the picture explains pretty well...

just call her linus...

2008-10-24T17:55:00.003-05:00

So yes at times Skylar and her 'blankie' are very cute...then at other times I wonder why did we let or insist that she use that blanket! I thought when she started showing attachment to this purple silkie it would be wise to buy another so that we could wash one and use one...well that lasted for a little while then she got smart and realized there were 2!!! Thankfully she doesn't always have to drag both around but she can become upset if TWO blankies don't come with us!!

so is it a lesson learned...we'll see with the new baby :)

Skylar and the Boys

2008-10-24T17:51:00.002-05:00

Skylar absolutely loves her 'boys'... And as you can see they seem to really love her too, or a least tolerate her!!

baby girl hansen update

2008-10-24T17:46:00.002-05:00

So finally here is our newest little munchkin! We had an ultrasound almost 3 weeks ago, we actually have another next week :) I love getting to see her every month through the ultrasound! She is growing right on schedule, it is crazy to believe that in 15 weeks or so we will get to meet our baby girl & Skylar will be a big sister!

Skylar & Riley

2008-10-24T17:44:00.003-05:00

...new friends! WE had a play date with Riley & Shelby! We had a great time. The girls are 5 weeks apart! Thanks for having us over Shelby, we need to do it more often!!