The Brueck Family

Yard Transformation

2009-05-26T14:51:00.000-07:00

So many of you know that we have been working hard at making our backyard more useable, and kid friendly. We are getting close to being finished with the transformation. Here are a few before/after pics, and some of the kids "helping".
Before - Garden

After

Before patio

After

Before Front of house

After

It is March, and It is Snowing!?!

2009-03-08T12:19:00.000-07:00

March is here, and along with it, snow in Montana. Not anything major, but we have woken up to white more then a few times this past week. With several of my friends heading to warm vacation spots and my dad in Florida, I am really craving a break from the cold. Hopefully the sun will return soon. This past weekend we celebrated Abbi's first birthday. It was a little late, but we wanted to wait for my parents to be here. It was great, we had a party on the 28th, which is my dad's birthday, I think he enjoyed sharing the day with his first granddaughter. Here are some pics.

Addison and Abigail after celebrating Abbi's Birthday with Dad at the Children's Museum Abbi on the horse she got for her birthday. Cape, Phone and horse, what more could a girl want. A diva already! Papa celebrating his birthday with Abbi! Cake Time Addison, Daddy and Mommy braved the snow storm and took to the hills for Addison's first ski experience. He did great!! We made it up and down the rope tow 3 times before he wanted to go home. The greatest thing is that he wants to do it again. "I want to do it by myself next time!"

Snowbowl got 23in. of snow the day before we went, and it was snowing the entire time we were there. It made me remember how much I miss skiing, ahh, someday.

Happy Birthday Abigail!

2009-02-18T20:43:00.000-08:00

Abigail is One today! Wow, how the time flies. Abbi, you are such a blessing to us, we thank God for you, for your beautiful smile and infectious laughter. We have enjoyed watching you grow and learn this past year, and can't wait to see what and who you become! You are greatly loved!

A Rough Week

2009-02-15T10:38:00.000-08:00

This past week was a challenge. Looking back it really wasn't as bad as it was going through it, but at the time I didn't feel like it would ever end.I worked everyday but Friday, and worked all day. Abbi and I also got sick on Monday, so both of us were miserable for the rest of the week. Tuesday Addison had a tough day at school, and Wednesday he feel at Laura's house and cut his eye. Laura rushed him to the doctor, not able to reach either Bart or I. Bart finally got the message, and met them at the Dr., and got to watch Addison being glued back together for the second time. It looks gruesome, but Addison was very brave, and didn't even cry when the doctor cleaned it out and glued it back up.

Thursday was chaos, and we of course forgot the valentines Addison had been working on all week for his classmates at home. I have finally caught up on all my house work and laundry. I really don't know how mom's work full time. Anyway. Hope you all had a wonderful valentines day. We are looking forward to Abbi's birthday this week, and my parents coming the week after.

Abbi's First Steps

2009-01-23T19:37:00.000-08:00

Yes it is true, Abbi took her first steps last Friday. Mom was away, but Daddy caught the very first steps on video, so here it is!!!

Happy 2009

2009-01-07T13:21:00.001-08:00

The holiday's have come and gone, and we are now standing at the beginning of the unknown. What will this year bring? Hopefully a new job for Bart. He will be working at our church for at least the next 3 months, then...??? Abbi will begin walking and talking and becoming a little person with her own opinions and desires. Addison will continue growing and challeneging us. He will begin to have friends over to play at his request, participate in orginized sports, and perhaps begin music lessons. Our country is also in transition, and we are praying that God will grant our next president wisdom, that he will sorround himself with Godly people who will help him lead this nation.
It is always scary looking into the unknown, but I don't think that is what God intended us to do or feel. I think he really wants us to live in the present. So I have been asking myself, what can I do today, for my family, kids, husband, for myself, for my country, for my friends, for my church, for those I don't know who are in need. What can I do today to honor God with my life. This is the idea I would like to carry with me for 2009. I know that God will take care of the future, that is not to say that we should not plan ahead, but it does give me comfort and help me to realize I don't have to worry about it. I also can not worry about the past, I can not change what has already happened. I can choose to live today for God, in a way that is pleasing to him.
I have other resolutions that I will not share at this time, but I think that if I am successful and continue striving after this idea, the other resolutions will happen, and without much extra effort.
OK, enough seriousness, here is the fun stuff. Pictures from Christmas, and our trip to Seattle.

Here is Christmas morning in Montana.

Christmas with the Nygard Clan

The Carnes Family Cousins

And a trip to the zoo

Happy New Year! May you be richly blessed, and live today for His glory.

Christmas Time is Here

2008-12-10T16:14:00.000-08:00

December is upon us, and we are gearing up for our first ever Christmas in Montana. It is amazing the we have lived in Montana for almost 8 years and have never celebrated Christmas here. For all of Addisons life, we have not had a tree in our house, or hung stockings. We are excited to start some of our own traditions with our kids this year. So far we have been out to the "wild" to cut down our tree. I had very low expectations, but our tree is one of the most beautiful I have had ever. I think the process of tromping through the woods with the kids, and finding the perfect tree makes it all the more beautiful to me. We have also started the count down with our advent calendar, and are trying to do daily advent readings along with lighting the advent wreath. This becomes a little difficult with a three year old, but we are trying.

This also marks the first year that Addison has not been terrified of Santa, and was even excited to have his picture taken with him. Abigail on the other hand screamed her head off (as you can see.)

We went on the Santa Train again this year, it is fun for Addison to get onto a real train, and although the train does not actually go anywhere, he had a blast sitting in the seats and looking out all the windows. Like last year, they gave every kid a hat, gloves and scarf.

Abigail seems a little oblivious to the whole Christmas going ons, she won't even touch the tree, I don't think she likes how it feels. But she looks very cute in all her Christmas duds, some of which she has been wearing for the past month because I was afraid she would grow our of them before Christmas arrived.

Here is her new favorite sleeping position

This past weekend, we had my company christmas party up at the Double Arrow Lodge at Seely Lake. Despite the weather (it was snowing and -4 without the wind chill when we arrived there)we had a wonderful evening and stayed the night in a great cabin. Bart played Santa for the second year in a row, and although he didn't let on at the time, Addison did know it was daddy. I asked him where daddy was, and he said "Santa is daddy." Evan Abbi warmed up to him, looking a little confused that her daddys voice was coming from a very weird looking man in red.

Another fun thing we have done this winter season is put up a bird feeder outside out front window. We are apperently the only one for miles, because there are literally swarms of bird that decend on it throughout the day. I counted 8 birds on it at one time today. At this rate we will be filling the bird feeder about 2 or 3 times a week. Aren't birds supposed to fly south for the winter??

More Christmas Pics to come!!!

November Already

2008-11-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

Where does the time go. It seems that Halloween was just yesterday, and now I am realizing that November is almost half over, and Christmas is only 6 weeks away. What is even harder to believe is that Abigail is almost 9 months old! She is changing so much each week right now. She is now crawling all over the place, and pulling up on anything that is within reach. She has taken several tumbles because of this, and I am sure they won't be her last. We are placing bets as to when she will start walking. She is crawling about a month and a half sooner then Addison was, so if that transfers over to walking..??? Let us know what you think. Bart's money is on 12 months, the same as Addison. I am betting on closer to 11 months.
Addison is also changing. His imagination is taking off, and I get to witness his turning into a rocket, or a dog at any given moment. I have also learned that we now have a toy store in our house called Freddies. The location changes with where Addison chooses to build the store each day. Some days it has a bed and kitchen, and other days it is just a pile of toys in the middle of the living room. Today he is Buzz from Toy Story, and he is jumping (flying) off the couch, chairs and his bed. Crazy boy! I can't wait to see what he becomes tomorrow.

MOVIE TIME

2008-11-04T12:07:00.000-08:00

Our kids are growing up so fast, here are some new tricks for both of them. We cant wait to see what is next!!

October Pics

2008-10-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

This has been a crazy month, and it has flown by. Here are some pics we have compiled from the month.
If you look closely at Addison's lip, you will see the result of his headlamp snapping back into his face. It was the first injury that really had me worried, not because it was really that bad, but because I knew he would forever have a scare from the incident. It is not that noticeable in this pic, but you can now see the beginnings of the scar to come.

My parents and brother came to visit a few weekends ago. It was great having them here, and Addison is finding out how much fun Uncle Tim is.

This was Abbi's first tunnel experience, she loved it, and would squeal every time Addison would crawl in at the opposite end from her.

Addison was much more into carving pumpkins this year, and even helped clean out the inside. It didn't hurt that power tools were the carving tool of choice this year.

We took the following pictures at the farm down the road. We tried very hard to get a good pic of the two kids both looking near the camera and smiling, but it didn't happen. Getting a three year old to hold still for more then 3 seconds is almost impossible. Especially when there are pumpkins to look at and hay bales to climb. We got some cute pics anyway.

Abbi on the move

2008-10-01T20:09:00.000-07:00

Yes it is true, Abbi has started crawling, well she is scooting around on her belly comando style. She also is officially in the middle of her first ever cold, and cut her first tooth, what a week! She is now 18 lbs., and cuter then ever. Here she is showing the world!!

Big Day's for Addison

2008-09-23T14:53:00.000-07:00

The begining of this month marked two big days for Addison. First, the day after Labor day, Addison started preschool. He is going to a Christian preschool run by a lady who goes to our church. He is going two days a week, and absolutely loves it. In fact, the first day he was out of the car and to the door of the school before I even had my door open.

Then, on September 6th, he turned 3 years old. It was quite the day. We had our first Gymnastics class of the year in the morning, then were joined by friends at our house for a afternoon of sun, fun and of course, the waterslide. There were 4 boys age 4 and under, and it was so much fun watching them play and interact. It was amazing to me to look at the boy Addison has become. He is no longer a baby or a toddler. He is a little boy, Mr. Independent, and loving life. We are so blessed by him, and so excited to see what God has in store for his life.

To Seattle

2008-09-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

We had a great trip to Seattle the last week of August. Great in that we were able to spend some quality time with family and friends. Not so great in that it was sunny only two out of the ten days we were there. Here is a glimps at our time there.

Abbi's first time at the Summer Home on Mercer Island

Daddy and Addison playing in the water

Uncle Tim taking Addison for a swim

Addison and his good friend Colin. Colin is the son of Barts friend Aaron, and these two boys play together so well and so hard, you would never guess they only see eachother a few times a year.

This is the last picture that was taken of my Grandma before she passed away on Sept. 7th. She is greatly missed, but I will cherish the fact that she was able to see and enjoy both of my children before she passed.

Our good friend Janet lives in Kingston, WA, and it is always an adventure going to her house, with a ferry boat ride, and exploring the beach out in front of her house.

Grandma Carnes

Uncle Tim and Abbi

Grandma Nygard

The Fair and More

2008-08-13T18:21:00.000-07:00

This past week was the Western Montana Fair here in Missoula. It was a fun filled week for us. Third Day played at the fair on Tues, it was an awesome concert, and the first time we have left the kids for a night out. The kids did great and we really enjoyed our time together.Then on Sunday, 20 churches form the Missoula area relocated for church at the fair. This is the second year the church of Missoula has come together like this, and it was amazing. Around 6500 people showed up to worship in community. Bart was blessed to be on the worship team, and had a great time playing with other musicians from 7 different churches. Following the church service, we stayed around at the fair and let Addison ride a few rides, and look at the animals. He had a blast, as you can see.

On a similar note, our church hosted a concert from the band Revive, which has been touring and opening for Third Day. Bart and our friend Paul really connected with the band members, and we go to have them all over for dinner last Tuesday night. We are so excited to see what God has planned for these guys who left Australia, and relocated to Atlanta to pursue their music here in the U.S. Our friend Paul has agreed to move to Atlanta with them and be the bands road manager. We are very excited for him and for the possibilities that lay ahead for him. We are keeping both Paul and Revive in our prayers. Check them out at www.reviveband.com.

Movie Time

2008-08-09T19:29:00.000-07:00

We have been wanting to post these for a while, and just got them formated so they would be small enough files. Hope you enjoy them!!

This is Abbi the first (well actually thrid) time she rolled over.

This is Abbi eating real food....yum yum rice cereal.

This is the first time we were able to get Addison to sing for the camera. He has been saying his abc's for almost a year, but would never do it on command, only out of the blue when the camera was no where to be found.

5 months old

2008-07-19T14:20:00.000-07:00

Abbi is five months old all ready, the time is flying by, she has her own little personality, and loves to smile. She has beautiful blue eyes, and some very healthy thighs. We are growing more in love with her everyday. It is so fun to watch her discover the world around her, like her reflection in the mirror, splashing water, and discovering that dogs don't taste very good. She is loving her jumper, and is now less content to be laying on her back, so rolling I feel is only weeks away. Addison is also growing up, and has changes so much this summer. He is talking so well, I am amazed at times at the words and concepts he now puts together. He informed me yesterday that when he grows up he wants to be a worker and drive a tractor or a fireman, "but not now mommy, just when I get bigger, that will be so fun."
Addison and Bart tie-dying a shirt and the kids fair downtown
We has had some great fun over the past few weeks. Over the forth we went up to a cabin on a lake with some friends. Addison had a blast playing in the water, discovering crawdads and watching daddy put an an amazing fireworks show. Abbi slept through the fireworks.

This past week, my sister and her son were here, it was the first time the two boys actually played together, it was so fun to watch.

July Already?!?

2008-07-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

Summer is really here, it was 101 yesterday, and not much lower the previous two days. We are now in the "what can we do to keep cool" phase of summer. Abbi had her first water park experience, and seemed to love it. Both Addison and Abigail love being outside, no matter what the weather is like.

My parents were here last week, and we headed to Kellog Idaho with them for some fun out of the sun this past weekend. The Silver Mountain Resort just put in an indoor water park called Silver Rapids, needless to say, we all had a blast!!

We can't believe how quickly time is going by. Abigail is 4 months old, and Addison is just two months away from turning 3. We are enjoying out kids so much, look for more pics, and some updated movie footage soon.

Addison's New Water Slide

2008-06-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

Addison just HAD TO HAVE IT!!! And what kind of parents would we be to deny our son a lifetime of joy and happiness!

June

2008-06-03T14:32:00.001-07:00

It has been a while since I posted, things have been a bit crazy!!!
First with Abigail, she is growing like a weed, she will be 4 months old in 15 days. It has been so fun seeing her personality come out, you can tell in the picutures that she is a very smiley baby! Addison is always trying to get her to smile, with his funny faces, but all he really has to do is look at her and she lights up.

Addison has decided to start potty training. He just started using the potty about 5 days ago, and has had only a few accidents since then. As promised he got a Diego scooter as reward for this feat, as well as lots of fun underwear. He now wants his picture taken each time he puts a new pair on, what a funny boy.

I started back to work yesterday, which was much less tramatic for the kids then it was for me. I had a good first day of work, easing into it with only 4 patients, but I was anxious to get back to my kids when work was over. Addison loves being at Lauras, and was so excited to be back there, he almost didn't want to leave with me when I came to pick them up. As you can see Abbi is now taking a bottle, thank goodnees, this is the first brother feeding, I am sure it will not be the last.

Here are some more pics from recent weeks.

To Seattle and back

2008-04-29T14:24:00.001-07:00

We just returned from a great week in Seattle, including a a visit to the water park, the zoo, bowling, and my nephew Sean's birthday party. It was quite a week, here it is in pictures, along with some new shots of Abbi and Addison.

more pics

2008-04-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

It is spring in Montana, and Addison is watching it snow. They are predicting it to be 70 tomorrow, but we will see.
Here are some more pics!

No Time with Two

2008-04-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

I don't have much free time to spend on writing, but I will try to keep pictures coming.
Abigail is getting big, and starting to smile, hope to catch some of them to share, but not having much luck with that yet.
Enjoy these!

Easter

2008-03-23T20:58:00.000-07:00

Addison on a Pony

2008-03-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

Bart's Birthday

2008-03-23T20:25:00.000-07:00

Bar-b-que and Go-karts!!! That's all I really have to say about it! It was a perfect day!

March 9, 2008

2008-03-09T16:29:00.000-07:00

More pics to share. We had a great week with my sister and her son Sean.

2 weeks old

2008-03-05T15:52:00.000-08:00

Abigail has just passed the 2 week mark. She is growing well, and is still a wonderful baby. At her doctor appointment yesterday she was up to 7 lbs. 7 oz, and everything was looking good. She continues to have good awake times during the day, and goes right back to sleep after eating at night.
Addison is loving being a big brother. He is very good with Abigail, loves to hold and kiss her, and show her off to everyone.
My parents were here for the first week of Abigail's life, my sister is here right now, and Bart's mom will be coming over on Saturday. The help has been great, especially with entertaining Addison.
Here are some pics from the past weeks.

Addison Goes Bowling

2008-02-24T21:48:00.001-08:00

Abigail was taking a nap, so Dad and Grandpa took Addison bowling. He quickly got it figured out and was throwing strikes. Well.... Almost!

Notice the ball in the lane next to us. It was being thrown by a 5 year old. Lets just say Addison took him to school!

Keep on the look out this spring, as were pretty sure he will be the youngest member of the PBA (pro bowlers assoc.) Addison "The Hammer" Brueck!

Welcome Home Abigail

2008-02-21T09:44:00.000-08:00

I am finally feeling a bit normal, and started to reflect on the past few days. Abigail is 3 days old, everything has happened so fast, it still is hard to believe that she is really here.
To recap, I started to have contractions after putting Addison down for a nap around 1:00 on the 18th, however I didn't really think anything was happending until closer to 3:00. By 3:30 the contractions were bad enough that I didn't think I would be able to deal with Addison if he woke up from his nap. I called Bart to have him come home, and by the time he got home around 4:00, I was having contractions every 2-3 minutes, and feeling like I almost needed to push.
We got to the hospital a little before 5:00, and I was already dilated to a 7. I had an epidural a little after 6:00, and she was born after about 3 pushes at 7:05pm.
We were able to go home the next evening after being in the hospital for just over 24 hours. We were all so glad to be home, and so thankful that my parents made it over from Seattle to help us out and entertain Addison.

Abigail is doing great! She is a sweet baby, eating good and starting to give us a little sleep at night. We are not sure who she looks like, yet, let us know what you think.

Addison is a super big brother. He loves to give her kisses, and help with getting her diapers, pacifier etc. He is also very concerned when she crys, and asks "what she want?"

We are so blessed that everything has gone so smoothly and are so thankful for all that has happened in the past few days.

The Baby has Arrived!!!!!

2008-02-19T15:27:00.001-08:00

As Kristi is still in the hospital, I wont spend much time writing on the last 24 hours. I will wait and let Kristi give all the details. Here are the highlights:
Checked in the hospital Feb. 18th at about 5pm. Baby was born at 7:05pm. Had a light dinner at 8pm. Picked up Addison at 8:30pm to come see his baby sister. Took Addison home for bed at 8:35pm, (he didnt last long!). Had a snack at 9:30pm. Addison finally fell asleep at 10:30pm. Kristi's folks arrived at 11:30pm. I went back to the hospital at midnight. Starred at my 2 beautiful girls for an hour or so then pretended to sleep on a pretend bed for 4 hours. All in all it couldnt of gone any better. Mom and baby are great and im still trying to figure out what exactly happened this last 12 hours or so. So, for her Internet Blog debut, here is Abigail Marie Brueck!

One week left

2008-02-15T20:48:00.000-08:00

With one week left until my due date, things are really starting to happen. At my doctors apt. yesterday, I was three cm dilated, and the baby's head was really low. I could have told him her head was low. Here I am at 39 weeks.

I have been having stronger contractions over the past 24 hours, which hopefully means something is happening. If I have not had the baby by Monday, I will return to my doctor and have him strip my membranes (not sure what that all entails), to help things head in the right direction.

We continue to prepare Addison for the arival of his baby sister, he has two new shirts to help him out!!

Nine days to D-Day

2008-02-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

With nine days to go, I am getting a little anxious. Partly because I am uncomfortable, and sleeping so little, I can't wait to have my body back. But mostly because I can not wait to meet this little girl who has been growing inside me for the past nine months. Here I am at 38 weeks.

We are definately in preperation mode, the car seat is ready and waiting, all/most baby things are washed and in their place, and I am nesting, big time. I have already re-orginized every closet in our house, updated the photo album, wiped down every surface I can reach over my belly, and have had Bart cleaning everything I cant, including my car.

Addison, although aware of the pending arrival, seems oblivious to the changes. He is talking about baby sister more, but I am not convinced he really knows what will be happening in the next few weeks. Please keep him in your prayers as we go through this transition period.

Here are a few baby things I just had to share.

The going home outfit

Her first Nikes

Burp clothes my monther-in-law made for me

One month to go

2008-01-27T12:54:00.000-08:00

The end of January is approching, which means we are quickly entering the month our daughter is expected to be born. So much has happened this month, it has really flown by.
First off, I turned 30 and it was not as tramatic as I had anticipated. I think mainly because I am really happy with where I am in my life, no major regrets or unaccomplished dreams. I have a wonderful husband who I continue to fall more in love with as we get older. I have an amazing son and a daughter on the way. We live in a great community with a house and two dogs. I am working in the field I hoped to be in at a job that is very rewarding and fulfilling. We are blessed with a great church and a community of freinds that have become our family here in Missoula. So turning 30, although a little shocking as I still feel 25, did not create any feelings of crisis in me.
We celebrated first by going out to dinner (without Addison) to this wonderful little italian place. That weekend, my mom flew over to visit, and our Friend Laura hosted a baby shower for me. It was so fun to have my mom be here for the shower. The shower also started to make this whole having a baby girl a little more real. My mom also greatly helped me get baby stuff orginized, Thank you mom!!!

We will continue to celebrate this week, as Bart got us tickets to go see the Blue Man Group this Tuesday at the University. I am so excited!! I also got a great pre-natal yoga DVD from Bart, a new girly diaper bag from my sister and parents, and my parents gave me the great gift of pictures. Starting a week from monday, we will have a series of 4 photo shoots documenting the before and after baby, up until our new one is a year old. I met with the photographer this past week, and I am so excited to see what she is able to capture in photographs.
It is hard to believe that soon it will no longer be just Addison in our life, and I guess I am mourning that fact a little as my due date approches. So in addition to getting pictures of the pregant belly with a focus on what is coming, we will also be capturing some of the last moments with just the three of us. This is a little glimps at the boy our baby has become.

I will be returning to the Doctor this week, with the hopes that I am progressing a little and my body is preparing for labor and delivery. I will try to keep my postings more regular as we approch D-Day.

Into the New Year

2008-01-05T19:40:00.001-08:00

It has been a whirlwind the past few week, and blogging has been put on the back burner. So here is a packed and extra long blog to make up for lost time. We traveled to Seattle for Christmas, spending time with family and friends. It was so nice to be there for more then just a few days, and we even had a white Christmas. Addison got a bit burned out, celebrating three times in three days, I am not sure if had more fun opening his own presents, or passing out presents to everyone else, and helping them open theirs. Here are some pics of Christmas.

Bart was Santa at my company Christmas party. He was finally able to get Addison to sit on Santa's lap

Grandma and Papa with Addison and Sean

Going for a sleigh ride

Uncle Tim took Addison to his roommates fire station. It was one of the highlights of the trip

Addison and cousins

We also had our second ultrasound, making the pending arrival of our daughter even more real. I am 33 weeks, seven weeks to go and counting. I looked on the calendar, and saw that there is a full moon on Feb. 20, one day before I am due, so we are hoping if she is not here by then, the moon will help us out a little. Here is what I look like at this date, and what our beautiful baby girl looks like, truly amazing!

Santa train and gingerbread house

2007-12-09T15:26:00.000-08:00

We are definitely in the Christmas mood here in Missoula, as I am writing this, Christmas music is playing, and snow is falling outside. We have been busy getting ready for the holiday, and trying to get Addison used to the idea of Santa so we can start a tradition of Santa pictures. No luck yet.
Last weekend we visited the Santa Train, Addison loved every part of it, except the Santa part. As soon as he caught a glimpse of the big red man, he buried his face in my neck, and wouldn't look up until we were out of that car.

That evening we went downtown to the tree lighting celebration. Many of the children's activities were free, and Addison experienced his first S'more. Amazingly, he only had about 3 bites, then gave the rest to dad.

Here is Addison decorating his gingerbread house.

He adorned it with gummy bears, worms and fish, in addition to other candy.
I had another doctor's apt. this past week, and everything is going great. The heart beat is strong, and I am measuring exactly where I should be, despite everyone telling me I look small. She is moving more everyday, although she does calm down at night and let me sleep. Here I am at 28 weeks, less then three months to go.

It is so different the second time around, I don't feel I have as much time to enjoy being pregnant, or as much time to think about the little girl growing inside me. But my love for her and anticipation of her arrival continues to increase. It is amazing how much love you can have for one child, and then when you thought you couldn't love anything more, the same love erupts from somewhere within for this new life. I can't wait for her to realize and experience the deep love Bart and I have for her.

Thanksgiving

2007-11-25T19:24:00.000-08:00

November has been a busy month, and it has been a while since our last post. Since then, we have traveled to Seattle, had the first snow of the year, and celebrated a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.
Our trip to Seattle was packed from start to finish, a long weekend that seemed to fly by like it was a day. Bart participated in a worship conference at Overlake church with several other members of the workship band. It was a great time of learning and worship. While Bart was at the conference, I got some much needed time with my family. We were able to get 5 of the 7 second cousins together, and the other two joined in by web cam.

Addison was able to also see all his cousins from Barts family at his cousin Sean's Birthday party.
On that Sunday, we were honored to attend the wedding of Bart's close friend Daryl to his beautiful bride Brenda. We wish them the best.
This past Sunday, while Bart and Addison were playing at the indoor water park, it started to snow. This is not uncommon in Missoula at this time of year, however was was uncommon was that we woke up to 8 in. of wet, heavy snow Monday morning. This was the greatest one time accumulation we have had in Missoula in 8 years. Addison was so excited to get out and play in it, as you can see, he had a blast.

My family (parent's and brother) were able to come celebrate Thanksgiving with us this year. They drove over Wed., and we had a wonderful Dinner shared with friends of mine on Thur. My parents left Sat. morning, and Katie and Ryan arrived from visiting his folks up in Great Falls. Addison and Sean got some quality time together. Here are some pics from the weekend.

Addison also had gymnastics this weekend, which he is still loving, and learning more then I thought he would.

After all that, I am still pregnant, and still feeling good. I am now in my third trimester, less then three months to go. I am getting bigger, and a little more uncomfortable, but overall I am really enjoying this pregnancy, and expectation of having a daughter soon. I should be having another ultrasound in about 5 weeks, right after Christmas.
I realized this weekend how much we have to be thankful for this year. It is really amazing to see how much God has blessed us, and brought us to the point we are at today.

My Little Dragon

2007-11-01T16:36:00.000-07:00

We headed up to our church last night for a Harvest Party. I was unsure if Addison would be into the games and other events of the evening, but I had nothing to worry about. As you can see, he had a blast, and was by far the cutest kid there. He had so much fun just collecting the candy, and putting it in his pumpkin, he never tried to open any and eat it. He did, however greatly enjoy his first cotton candy experience.

Today was also a doctor appointment for me, and everything is looking good. Our little girl is growing and moving more every day. I am now at 24 weeks, which puts me just two weeks from entering the home stretch of the third trimester. With all the holidays, birthday and anniversary coming in the next three months, I know the end of my pregnancy will be here before I know it. We can't wait to meet her.

Big Boy Bed

2007-10-21T19:42:00.000-07:00

Well the day has finally arrived and tonight is Addison's first night in his new Big Boy Bed!!! He is pretty excited about it and told us tonight after prayers, "Mommy, Daddy, OUT!" Even as I write this he has already tried to escape, let's hope he doesn't continue this all night!

Autumn is Here

2007-10-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

The signs of fall are all around us. From the hills around Missoula, you have an amazing view of yellow, orange and red carpeting the city. We have been blessed with three beautiful days this weekend, which has allowed us to truely enjoy the fall colors. Here are some pics from this past week, Addisons first experience with jumping in leaves, and the pumpkin picking and carving. He was not as excited to get his hands into the pumpkin as we thought he would be.

Each month brings us closer to the arrival of our daughter (name still to be determined). I am feeling her move more and more, which is making this pregnancy more real to me, and to Bart. We are trying to prepare Addison for the pending arrival, he knows there is a baby in mommys tummy, but the whole concept of a little sister, and that the baby will one day soon be more then just a bump is a little beyond his grasp. Here is the first belly shot. Actually, not the first we have taken, but the first that actually looks like there is a baby somewhere.

The Big Announcement

2007-10-01T19:46:00.000-07:00

The day has finally arrived for us to find out if we will be welcoming another little boy or a girl into this world.
Apart from having to wait for almost an hour to see my doctor, our visit was wonderful. Everything is developing normally, and perfectly, and my apprehension was totally unmerited. It was a little ironic because I told my doctor I had not been feeling the baby move much, at least not as much as I remember feeling Addison move at this point. He said this baby may just be less active, but once the ultrasound was focused in on the little one, it was evident this was not the case. The baby was moving so much that it was hard to get a good picture of the face, and even more difficult trying to determine the sex. Yes I will get to the announcement. But see if you can tell by the pictures.

The correct answer is .....It's a Girl!!! 90% sure of it. But, like I said, she was moving around so much she didn't really give us a clear view for more then a second or two. Her favorite move was putting her feet up by her face, our doctor kept saying she must be very flexible. The following picture is not a 4D, but what looks like an arm up by her chin in actually her knee.

Addison came to the appointment with us, and enjoyed looking at the pictures of the baby on the screen. He is getting very good at saying baby sister, but I don't think he really has any idea what this really means. He also got to hear the heart beat again, which he thought was very fun, he still does a great fetal heart beat imitation.
Thanks again for all you prayers, we can now start praying for our little girl instead of the baby, a name is in the works, and will be announced when we decide.

2007-09-29T12:27:00.000-07:00

The end of September is already here, and it is definitely fall here in Montana. Today was Homecoming at the University, and the whole town turned out for the Homecoming parade. It was the first time Addison was into the parade, and with the help of his friends Ridger and Titus, learned all about looking cute and saying please, please to get candy from the various floats and cars. I think Addison had more candy today then he has his whole life! But he was having fun, so oh well.
We appreciate all the prayers for this new baby to come. Hopefully we will be able to post the big boy/girl announcement on Monday. I have been feeling more anxious about this ultrasound then I did with Addison. I just remember being excited to find out the sex with Addison, I don't think I was considering the possibility of something not being right. This time I am still excited, but will be relieved when we see everything is ok.
It has been fun as I have started to feel the baby kick and move. This one is much less active then Addison was, I hope that is an indication of things to come, or as all my friends say, maybe it's a girl.
Here are some pics from the past few weeks. As you can tell we have quite the artist on our hands.

Addison is also becoming very nurturing, and has taken an interest in his "baby" This is him snuggling with baby on the couch.

Look for our big announcement on Monday evening. Addison thinks he is going to have a baby sister, but that might be from a little coaching on behalf of Laura and Emily Trosen.
Have a great weekend everyone.

The Joy of being a Boy!

2007-09-17T16:36:00.000-07:00

It seems like every other hour of every day is another adventure for Addison. So often I find myself forgetting this, becoming overly caught up in the day and trying to just survive keeping up with him. But regardless of how challenging he can be, Kristi and I strive to never stop being amazed by what is occurring right in front of us each and every day. A life is being formed, seeing, smelling, tasting, feeling, right there, right in front of us!!! Never again in his life will we witness this kind of change and pure innocence. How great is our God to give us this blessing!! If only there was a way to just make it last a little longer. So, it is these thoughts that prompted me to put together this little video of Addison. Its just him being a boy, so sweet and innocent, discovering and fully enjoying all that God has given him. Every time we watch it now it seems to show me something new about the world through his eyes, and the adventures to come! I hope it does the same for you!

Gymnastics!!!

2007-09-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

Addison just being........ Addison

2007-09-12T10:22:00.000-07:00

Chico Hot Springs Weekend

2007-09-10T19:45:00.000-07:00

We all packed up for the weekend and headed east to Chico Hot Springs Resort. We made our first stop Saturday night in Bozeman to visit Heidi and Logan. Heidi was Kristi's study buddy all through grad school and they have stayed close since graduation. We rose early Sunday and headed off to Chico. It is a natural fed hot springs that was originally opened as a hotel in June of 1900. It is nestled in the Absaroka Mountain Range, at 5280 elevation, and about 30 miles north of Yellow Stone Park. Needless to say, it is beuatiful there. They have 2 open air pools. The larger one stays around 96 degrees, and the smaller one around 104 degrees.(way to stinking hot!) We stayed in this great little 2 bedroom cabin perched on top of the hill overlooking everything. Addison cried every moment we werent in the water and managed to make friends with everyone in the short time we were there. One little 2 year old girl named Chloe was especially nice and insisted on exchanging hugs with Addison and his mom and dad prior to us leaving. This is now our 2nd year going to Chico and can already see this becoming a annual and maybe even semi-annual family weekend vacation. So, if your ever on your way to Mammoth Yellowstone, or the Absaroka Mountain Range, be sure to stop in and say hi to folks at Chico!

The View from our cabin. (click for larger view)

Addison ready to jump in!

Growing One, Growing Two

2007-09-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

We are following in the footsteps of Katie and Ryan by creating a blog to keep all of you updated on our growing family, and we are growing.

Growing One
We found out on Father's day that we are expecting again. This pregnancy was much more planned then Addison was, but we are no less excited about the pending arrival. Our current due date is February 21. This is its first picture at 11 weeks.

We have had two visits with our doctor and everything is going great!!! Addison even helped the nurse find the heart beat with the Doppler at our last visit, and he will now tell you just what the baby sounds like (video to come shortly). Children are such blessings from God, and we are truly blessed by this pregnancy.

Growing Two
This past weekend we celebrated Addison’s 2nd birthday. It is hard to believe he is already two, where does the time go? We were blessed to have Grandma and Papa Nygard here to help celebrate as well as many of Addison’s friends from church.

It was a hot day, so we had a kiddie pool ready and waiting, which was in use for the entire party by one kid or another. Addison greatly enjoyed his cake and opening his presents.

We hope to keep this blog updated as much as possible, but life does get crazy with a two year old.