2011 Christmas Recap

 We had a wonderful BROWN Christmas!!  I can't believe we don't have any snow yet.  We have had small dustings here and there but nothing that has stuck.  And the temperature has been awesome for December. 

On Friday Jason and Hayden left for the farm in the morning and Clara and I went to Fargo for her recheck.  She was up to 11 lbs. 4 oz and gained 1 lb. 2 oz in 11 days.  She is now only bottle feeding and is a very content baby.  She is even starting to not want to be rocked to sleep.  This makes me a little sad, but she will snuggle with me for a little bit and then she just wants to be put in her crib and left alone.  She's growing up too fast.  Jason and Grandpa Randy went ice fishing on Friday and caught a few fish.  Hayden and Joy went to check out their progress.  I guess Hayden didn't quite know what to think of the holes. That evening Jeremy, Heather and Tank showed up and we opened up presents. 

On Saturday we all hung out and Jeremy, Heather and Hayden went for a Prowler ride.  Hayden said that Jeremy drives bumpy!  Which is what Hayden likes!  That afternoon we went to church in Marion and then to Jason's grandma's for dinner and more presents.  It was fun to see the Piehl famiy. 

On Sunday morning we got up to see what Santa brought.  We actually had to wake Hayden up!  He was a tired little guy from all the Christmas festivities.  He woke up and saw that he got some puzzles, underwear, socks, a book, alphabet flashcards and was wondering where his rock guitar was that he asked Santa for.  There was a package that he opened up and there it was....a rock guitar!  He was pretty excited!  The guitar Santa brought wasn't quite right because you have plug it into a speaker in order to hear it, so I had to run to Alco and see if they had something that would work.  Thank goodness!  Next year we'll have to be more specific with Santa! ;) Clara got some books, the movie Beauty and the Beast, clothes and a toy.  We then set off for Forman.  We stopped in Lisbon long enough to drop off the pick up and then went to Forman.  Emily, Scott, John and Sara showed up shortly after us.  We had lunch and then opened more presents.  That evening we had our traditional Christmas meal.

On Monday the weather was so nice that Emily and I went for a walk.  It was nice to get some fresh air and to catch up with my sister.  The boys even got to go to the golf course and do some golfing.  I don't know if there has even been golf in ND on the day after Christmas.

We had a wonderful Christmas weekend.  We are so very blessed to be able to spend the holiday with both sides of the family.  We had a great time celebrating Jesus' birth.  It seems like Christmas just keeps getting better now that we have children and Hayden is able to realize what is going on.  I look forward to many, many years of wonderful Christmas memories.
  

Nice List

Poor Hayden is going to have an ulcer before Christmas is over.  A couple of years ago An Elf on the Shelf made an appearance to our house.  Last year Hayden sort of noticed him but this year he is really aware of him.  Every morning he looks for him and we talk to Bob (our elf's name) and tell him what Hayden wants for Christmas.  We talked to Hayden about the Naughty and Nice list and everyday about 20 times a day Hayden says, "I'm a nice boy, right mom?"  or "I'm on the nice list, right mom?"  Over and over!!! And then when we have to get after him for doing something wrong he cries and says, "but I'm a nice boy, mom!  I want to have Christmas!"  On one hand the poor kid is going be traumatized, on the other hand I sorta wished this sort of thing could be held over his head all year long! :)  Whatever it takes to make sure he stays on the nice list!!

I LOVE Mail

I LOVE LOVE LOVE going out to the mailbox this time of year.  I love seeing what cards we have gotten that day.  I love putting them up on my door to look at.  I love reading the Christmas letters.  I love seeing how all the kids change since last years cards.  I also love putting our own Christmas card together and mailing them out.  Below are the photos that were on our Christmas card this year along with our letter.  We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas from the Engers!

Each year seems to go faster than the last.  This past year was filled with blessings and excitement for our family.  We hope your year was filled with good health, blessings and joy. 

Jason continues to work at Bremer Bank and enjoys it very much. This year he attended ND Bankers School and will attend next year as well. He stays busy with the Dollars for Scholars board and Church Council. He also enjoys hunting, fishing, golfing and doing yard work. This summer he did the ND Triple Challenge and golfed with friends at Hawktree, Bully Pulpit and The Links of ND. He was able to go back to the farm a few times to help with harvest.

Betsy celebrated her first full year as a stay at home mom.  Hayden and I enjoyed most of the year together going on playdates, playing at home and trips to doctor appointments. I was able to go scrapbooking in January in Brainerd but was not able to do much golfing this summer due to a growing stomach.  Since Clara was born I have been busy learning the art of being a mom to 2.  I am involved with our church by being on the Special Events committee.   

Hayden turned 3 in May and is a very sweet, funny kid. He started preschool and Sunday school this fall and loves going to both. He has several friends and enjoys spending time with them. He attended T-ball and gymnastic camps this summer and loved going swimming and playing at the park. He loves the trips to the lake and farm and playing with anything with a motor. He has made the transition as a big brother extremely well. He loves his baby sister and is so sweet and gentle with her.

Clara Joy Marie was born on August 10^th and we were overjoyed to welcome her to our family. She is a very good baby that smiles constantly. At 4 months old she is a tiny thing weighing only around 12 lbs. but we are thinking will be a handful. She already rolls both ways and “talks” all the time. She loves her big brother and lights up when he talks and sings to her.

Lucy turned 4 in May and loves to bark at anything that moves, including squirrels, birds, cats, rabbits, other dogs, leaves, her shadow, you name it. Her other pastimes include sleeping, riding in vehicles and driving Jason crazy.

Be sure to check out what’s happening in our lives year round at our family blog.

www.betse11.blogspot.com

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

 Love, Jason, Betsy, Hayden, Clara and Lucy

   

Tis The Season

Christmas is only 7 days away and Hayden can hardly wait.  Each day we have been doing a countdown on our Advent Calendar and most days he thinks he needs to move it twice!  Because we just aren't getting to 1 fast enough.  Here is a little breakdown of what we have been up to.
* Thanksgiving at G & G Engers.  We saw a lot of family, ate great food, we all went for Prowler rides and the weather was awesome.
*The day after Thanksgiving we went to Forman to see Scott, Emily, John and Sara  G & G Bishoff.  We took family photos for my mom.  I'm not sure who handled it worse....the kids or adult men!
* We had our Family Craft Workshop at the church the week after Thanksgiving.  I am on the Special Events Committee and this year we took it over.  It was a lot of fun.  Hayden is not what you would call "crafty" so after his first project he said he was done.  We had him do a few more and he kept saying he didn't want to do anymore, until he realized he was going home and then he wanted to do more.
*Jason took a day off so that I could go to Fargo for the day and do some Christmas shopping and get a massage with my friends.  It was a lot of fun and I got a lot done.  Amazing what you can do without having 2 kids in tow!  Jason has a few vacation days to burn up before the end of the year, so it was nice he could take the day off.
*I helped my mom make meatballs for Christmas.  This is a recipe that has been passed down for generations.  I'm not quite sure why they are called meatballs because they look more like patties, but they are yummy!  We got 7 dozen made, which will be enough for our family to eat 2 meals from.
*We all rode in the Holiday Lights Parade in Lisbon.  Jason drove the float and we rode along.  Hayden even got to talk to Santa for the first time.  He was so excited.  I almost cried because it was so sweet.
*We went to Marion for the extended Enger Christmas.  The weather was great and Hayden got to play with his 2nd cousins.  We ate lots and watched the Bison win!!
*Hayden had his 1st Sunday School program.  He did awesome!  He stood up front and did all the actions and tried to sing along when he knew the words.  We even got a wave from him! :)  I forgot my memory card at home so I don't have any pictures to post.
*Clara had her 4 month appointment.  We got some good news and some bad news.  She hasn't gained enough weight.  She had only gained 3 oz. since her last appointment which was 2 months ago.  But the good news she is very healthy and doing just fine.  So we are supplementing with formula and honestly she likes to be bottle fed better so we are going to start doing that mostly.  I can already see some differences now that she is eating more.  We go back on the 23rd for another weight check just to be sure that is the only thing that is going on.  She was in the 15% for height so she isn't a very big girl, but we just want to get a little more weight on her.
*Hayden & Clara got to see Santa!  We went to the mall after Clara's appointment and they both sat very nicely on his lap so that we could take a picture.  Hayden told Santa he wants a Rock Guitar!  And he also said that Clara wants a drum!  I don't think so! :)  Santa thought maybe she would prefer a toy she could chew on since she is a baby.  I think Santa is a very smart man.
*We had a Christmas party with our friends.  There were 12 kids 6 and under and 5 couples.  We had a great time and the kids did a book exchange.  They had a lot of fun.  We are blessed with great friends.  Jason and I decided that we needed to show up with our ugly christmas sweaters to surprise everyone.  Next year we decided we will all have to do that as a tradition.
*On Friday I took the kids to Oakes to see our friends Mitch & Michele Benda and their 2 girls.  Mitch and I were friends in high school and then Jason and I worked with Michele at State Bank & Trust.  We use to do a lot together until they moved to Rapid City, SD.  Mitch's mom lives in Oakes and they were home for a wedding so it was fun to visit with them.  Their daughter Kesley is a month younger than Hayden and their youngest daughter Molly is a couple months older than Clara.  We are hoping to go and visit them in the Black Hills this summer. 

*Yesterday we went to Grand Forks for a surprise 30th birthday party for my friend Mandy.  The party was in a suite at Englestad Arena for the Sioux Hockey game.  We had a lot of fun but are tired today.  We stayed with my cousin Ashley and she was kind enough to watch the kids for us while we went out.  My other cousin Clare and her husband Dexter also live in Grand Forks so we got to see them as well.
*Today the boys are enjoying the beautiful weather and getting things done out in the garage.  Hayden is evening riding his bike outside.  It's a beautiful day for December 18th.  52 degrees!!!!
*We are looking forward to this week and I'm sure a little boy is really hoping it goes by fast!  Hayden has his preschool Christmas party on Tuesday so I'm sure that he will have lots of fun with that.  Then he is off until January 3rd.
*We will be going to Marion on Friday until Sunday morning and then head to Forman.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!!! 

Thankful

This week is Thanksgiving and every year I reflect on what I am thankful for.  This year so very many things.  Here is my list.....
* My husband - he works hard every day to provide for our family.  Not only to just provide but also make it possible for me to stay home and raise our children.  We celebrated our 5 year anniversary this year and I realized that not only do I love him, I really like him.  I like to spend time with him and look forward to when he comes home every night to hear about his day.  I know that not all relationships are like this so I am thankful that I feel this way. 
*My husband has a job that he loves and feels challenged by.  I have never once heard him complain about his job and I think that means he is doing exactly what he was meant to be doing.  When I first met him he told me that he wanted to be an ag lender and 5 years ago he got the call that would make his dream come true.  I am also thankful that it is a job that offers flexibility for our family. 
* My children - Everyday I ask myself, "how did I get so lucky?" Obviously not every minute is perfect, but I think we are very blessed with two beautiful children.  I can't imagine my life without either one.  There really aren't even words to express how I feel and how thankful I am for them.  If you are a parent you know what I am talking about.  The pride I have of being a parent to my two children is not even measurable.  I feel like my dreams came true on May 19th 2008 and August 10th 2011. 
*Our dog - Lucy!  Yes, she drives us crazy on a regular basis, but she adds fun to our lives.  Even though Jason doesn't like to admit it! :)
*Our health.  We are all healthy and happy and when I see and hear others are going through life threatening illnesses I realize how truly blessed we are. 
*Our extended family.  We are very lucky to have our parents close by and always willing to help.  I am glad that our children will grow up knowing their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  Jason and I both grew up close to our grandparents and extended family and know the value that has had on each of us. 
*Our friends.  We have been blessed with many friends and are very fortunate to have them in our lives.  We have a number of friends we know we can pick up the phone and they would do almost anything for us. 

And as you can see....the most important things in our lives....aren't things at all.  I hope that you have many "things" to be thankful for as well!  My prayer is that each of you is surrounded by those you love this Thanksgiving!  Happy Thanksgiving from all of us!!!

Here is the link for Clara's 3 month pictures - www.studiodphotos.com
Click on proof
password: enger

I forgot....

I forgot to update you on a couple things on Clara.....
She is rolling!!!  She started rolling from her tummy to her back on Halloween night.  G & G Bishoff & G & G Enger were there to witness it too.  I think Clara will be moving and groving far sooner than Hayden did.  He didn't roll over until he started crawling which was at around 10 months. 
And she is sleeping pretty much through the night.  She Goes to sleep at around 9pm and sleeps anywhere from 4:30-7am.  Most nights she wakes up and if we just wrap her back up and give her her paci back she will fall right back to sleep.  But last night she slept like a rock star.  She didn't wake up until 5ish and then I gave her her paci and she went back to sleep until 6:30!  I hope and pray this is here to stay! :) 
Oh and by the way.....she is 3 months today!!  CRAZY how time is just flying by!  We had her 3 month photos taken on Monday so we should have a preview very soon.  I'll keep you posted!  Enjoy your day!!

Wow!  It's been a whole month since I last posted!  Where did this last month go?  They do say time flies the older you get but I honestly didn't think it would go this fast. 
This past month we have been doing lots of fun stuff.  Since my last post....
*Clara had her 2 month check up - She is weighed 9lbs. 15 oz. (23%) and was 21.5 inches long (15%).  Dr. Sarah said that she looks like a healthy 2 month old. 
*We went to the pumpkin patch in Oakes with our friends Katie, Tucker, Carly & Griffin
*I went scrapbooking at the Catholic church here in Lisbon one weekend.  I came home only to feed Clara and went right back to work.  It worked perfectly.  I got lots done including a fun project that I'll show below.  It felt really good to get out of the house for a little while. 
*Jason & Hayden helped combine corn at the farm.
*My cousin Clare got married in Fargo on Oct. 29th.  We were able to see most of my family and had a lot of fun. 
*Halloween - we had a really cute Buzz Lightyear and Bumble bee
*Deer hunting at the Farm - Jason got his buck.

Sorry the pictures are all out of order....but I think you can figure out where they are from.    Some are from my phone so I just put them wherever they landed. 

 Here is a version of the project I worked on.  I adapted it to work for me but it's pretty much the same concept.  You make an index card for every day of the year and write the year on the left hand side.  You write a little note about what happened on that day and put it in the back of the box.  So if you do it every day and then once you have completed a year you will see what you did on each date.  It's sort of like a family journal but much simpler.  So I'm hoping to keep up with it.  I think it will be fun to look back at in a few years and see what we did.  I used a recipe box instead of the box shown in this photo.