WINTER WONDERLAND!

We have gotten a little snow here and there, and we did get the opportunity to play in it a little before it got WAY to cold out (okay so this was suppose to be posted at the end of December). Drew continued to ask to go outside and I hate to admit this, but I was a wimp...it was TOOOOO COLD! I was able to get some fun pics when we played outside, ENJOY!

Hair Post Snow... LOVE IT!!!

Our Family Campout!

After Christmas we bought Drew a Lighting McQueen blow up bed (on clearance) because we knew the next time we took a trip our BIG boy would not fit in the pack-n-play anymore. Well, we had the bright idea to do a family campout in the living room, so he could get use to the new bed. Overall the night went well, but it did take awhile for him to fall asleep not to mention he did not like it when we turned the lights off. David braved the floor with him along with Bella, me I took the recliner.

Enjoy a couple pics of our first campout!

Our Little "Gangster"

Hello All!!

I just had to post this picture I took today of Drew. Recently he has really been into this red striped hat and wears it ALL the time. Now let me share with you I tried to get him to wear this for Christmas and he was not having it...

Now, just like always, "HE" wants to do it, so here you go! He just cracks me up!!! Is it just me, or does he look so much older in this picture????

Below you will see some pics from earlier in the month playing with this same hat. ENJOY!

28 WEEKS- THIRD TRIMESTER!!

Hello ALL! First, some of you know we have been dealing with internet issues, so I am WAY behind with posting on my blogs. I somehow got a virus on my laptop and it took lots of work on David's part to remove it. I am praying and hoping it is good to go!

Now, onto my pregnancy update! We just passed the 28 week mark which means we are officially in the third trimester, which is crazy. I know this last trimester will fly by, which means for me NESTING begins. I am ready to wash all the Newborn clothes and begin packing hospital bags. I know I am crazy, but I like to be prepared.

This little boy is very active just like Drew was. He likes to dance on my bladder, so I guess I am carrying him lower. Drew played in my ribs alot and I am undecided as to which is worse the ribs or bladder???

Anyhow, I am enjoying every moment because I know it will be over way to quickly and there is nothing like feeling those kicks and rolls.

We are still deciding on a name for this munchkin, but we are leaning towards Evan Michael... who knows if that will change in the next 12 weeks, but for now that name is in the lead.

Now for some pictures.. here are my belly shots:

OUR 2010 JOURNEY BEGINS!!

Hello Family and Friends! This is a bit of an unusual post! David and I have been praying for quite some time on how to effect change in our lives to better serve and honor God. Well, first and foremost is finances! So, please join us in prayer and support over the next 3 years as we begin the journey of becoming debt free. I have been recently inspired by a blog... moneysavingmom who set a goal to pay cash for a house, which she & her family achieved by the end of 2009. I knew if they could accomplish that HUGE goal, then we could surely become debt free by 2012.

So, I will update you on our journey over the next several months. We are committed and encouraged by each other, many of you, and most importantly our Lord! We ask that you pray us through this as we know there will be tough times and sacrifices we will have to make along the way.

THANK YOU!! Christie & David

WHO DOES DREW LOOK LIKE???

Okay I wanted to post this awhile ago, but just remembered tonight since I have been trying to organize the thousands of pictures I have taken over the years, and I am not underestimating that amount. We got an external hard drive the day after Thanksgiving, so I could transfer all of my pictures and hopefully add a little extra protection to them.

Anyhow, when Drew turned TWO last month I wanted to post pictures of David and me so you could see what we all looked like around 2...

David's 2nd Birthday

Drew 2 yr Photo Shoot

Drew's 2nd Birthday
Me @ 2 (with my Dad)

Fun Stuff Huh?? I am very interested to hear what your opinions are, then I will share mine!!

How Old is He Really??

As I have said 100x's and I am sure I will continue to say... Drew really amazes us, and we often have to remind ourselves he is only TWO. So here are some things he enlightened us with so far this week:

LAST NIGHT:
#1 David tried to steal some of Drew's mac-n-cheese and Drew' response to him.. "No Think about it."

#2 David was pointing out the letters in a sign I have on the wall and Drew quickly responded with: "No Touch Daddy, its pretty." If you are wondering where he got this, well it is something I have said to him for a long time, it is just the first time he said it.

TODAY:
#1 In the car he asked me where the Beep Beep's (firetrucks) were. So, I replied with the same question.. Drew's Response: "I don't know where the Beep Beep's are?" I don't know is the saying of the week..

#2 I asked Drew where Jamie was.. His response was: "Home napping"

He has also told let us know this week that he is a "Dude" and that David is a "Boy." Then again he think everyone is a boy.

These are just the some that come to the forefront of my brain. The other fun thing he blessed us with last week was singing Jesus Loves me.. we were quite impressed with how much he knew. Enjoy this video.. now since taking this one he has learned more of the song, so I will try to get an updated version!!

Ho Ho Ho Merry Christmas!!

Hello All,

Well, it has been awhile since I've posted, but as you can guess this last week has been crazy with the holidays. This is our very first Christmas alone which definitely has its ups and downs. We will get to start some of our own traditions and have been able to spend it with some wonderful friends. I am proud to say I made my first Christmas meal, and it turned out pretty yummy if I say so myself! We must say we are missing our families though!

So, here is some fun from our day long festivities! Now, when I say day long that is what I mean, it took us all day to open everything not because there was an overwhelming amount, but because I needed to cook and frankly it took Drew forever since he had to take every last piece of paper off the packages. It was so fun to see him really get into opening presents.

Enjoy below:

ULTRASOUND PICS...FINALLY!!

Okay these are a few weeks overdue to be posted, but we just got them scanned in. So, enjoy these pictures from my 19 week appointment! No, we have not completely settled on a name yet, but we will let you know when we do!! Enjoy our little man!!

Profile (Drew would never cooperate for us to get these shots, so I am a little excited about this one).

Our Little Thumb Sucker (this will be a new one for us since Drew didn't suck his thumb or take a pacifier).

CUTE LITTLE FOOT!!

24 WEEKS.. AND MORE...

Howdy! Well, This weekend we hit the 24 week mark with this pregnancy.. how exciting! So, only 16 weeks to go which is crazy to think about. January will mark alot of prep work for me because as many of you know I am a planner!

Today was a funny day because during church this little boy was having his own little party. Is this an indication of what is to come?? What was extra special about this little party is, it is the first time David really got to see the movement. Just like Drew, whenever David puts his hand on my tummy the baby stops whatever he is doing.

DREW is Officially a BIG BOY!!

Well, we took the plunge and moved Drew into his Big Boy bed on Saturday night. To our surprise the night went pretty well. Only after around 10 minutes of whining he went to sleep and it has been that way ever since. I am so glad we got the bed a couple months ahead of time because I think that helped the transition go smoothly....we had it set up in the basement and kept referring to it as his bed.

Now, tonight we added his belated birthday present from us.. a TRAIN TABLE. Are you asking, why we decided to wait a couple days??? Let, me explain when we were visiting my sister-in-law, Erin, and her family for Thanksgiving Drew had 3 1/2 fun filled days of straight train table play. It is ALL he wanted to do from sun up to sun down! So, with that said we thought he should get use to his new bed before we introduced the train table.

Enjoy a couple pics from Drew's newest adventure!!

You will notice the first picture is of a purple car bed and the second a yellow. I had bought the purple one a couple months ago because the deal was to sweet to pass up on Craig's List. As we looked at it in his room the last couple of days it just didn't go and I didn't know how I was going to decorate around it. So, needless to say I went on Craig's List again last night and found a yellow one for the same price. I must say I am glad I made the switch!! So, be looking for the purple one to go up on Craig's List tonight.

Once I get some basic decorations made and up I will post more pictures.

DREW... The Big 2 YEAR OLD!!

I can't believe I am posting that Drew is TWO! There is no better way to turn two then on Thanksgiving, which is exactly how we feel about him so THANKFUL and blessed! We enjoyed spending his special day with my sister-in-law Erin & her family plus the bonus of Grandma & Grandpa Hagerhjelm! So, not only did we have yummy cake made by Auntie Erin, but we also enjoyed a VERY yummy Thanksgiving meal!

Okay, I know I did not do a 23 month Update as Drew is learning so fast it is just so hard to keep up, so I am just going to highlight the last 2 months..

STATS (he had his 2 yr appt on 11/30):
Weight: 30.4 lbs (75th percentile)

Height: 34.5" (50-75th percentile... this number show he shrunk from 18months but the nurses just measured him wrong then).

Now, let's see what I can remember from his crazy learning curve. When we were at his appointment yesterday the doctor was just beside herself with how advanced he is verbally. It nice to hear that from others sometimes because of course we all think our kids are smart.

OUR FAVORITE "Drew" PHRASES:
*"Daddy/Mommy...be careful" or he tells us he is being careful
*I wanna go this way
*I am sleepy
*Drew: "I wanna Eat or I'm hungry", Us: What would you like to eat, Drew: "Chicken (which he hardly ever eats)"
*I wanna __________ to." He is such a copycat and if someone says they want to do something he instantly wants to do it to.
*When he wakes up in his crib we can hear him over the monitor saying: "I wanna get out or I am hungry." Whatever gets him out fastest.
"I wanna go in the basement and play with cars"
"I tickle Mommy/Daddy/Baby"
"I wanna go home.. and sometimes he adds to see BaBa (which is Bella) or Mommy

WHAT HE KNOWS:
Body Parts: Nose, Mouth, Lips, Eyes, Cheeks, Hair, Knee, Arm, Elbow, Shoulder, Ears, Feet, Hands, Thumb, Pinky, Tummy, Teeth

Colors: Red, Blue, Yellow, Orange, Brown, Black, Pink, Purple, White, learning Silver & Gold

Vehicles: Dump Truck, Bus, Pick-Up Truck, Mac Truck or Trailer Truck, Train, Helicopter, Plane, Excavator, Jeep,

Animals (& sounds): Cow (Moo Moo), Donkey (Ee Aw), Bird (Tweet Tweet), Monkey, Duck, Dog/Puppy (Barks), Kitty/Cat (Meow...then hisses), Piggy, Frog, Horse, Bear, Zebra, Geese/Goose, Dinosaur (Rawr)

Misc:
*Knows most of the train names on Thomas videos & the characters on Cars
*he will tell you Chug-a-Chug-a Choo Cho and let you know it is a train sound
*he pats my belly and says nice baby & likes to show the baby stuff
*His memory is way to good.. if I offer him ice cream at some point in the day he will remember it the rest of the day.

Now, this is only a drop in the bucket of what comes out of this little man's mouth!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

As I say Happy Thanksgiving I am also saying Happy 2nd Birthday to Drew! So, we have a double holiday this year! We are so blessed to be sharing this double holiday with David's family.. minus Mark (bummer) in Oklahoma! We also get to see our friends Courtney, Steve, & Kiddos... what could be better?????? My newest adopted sister Jamie riding down and back with us.

I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving as we give thanks to our Lord & Savior, Jesus! What better way to do that than with the FOUR "F's..." Family, Friends, Fun, and of course FOOD!!

I am just beyond thankful for each of you and the part you have in my life.. I would like to give a special shout-out to the people who have really made this year special for me:

*Courtney... I just love you girl, God sure knew what he was doing in making us friends, especially when we both needed it the most! "You've Got the Right Stuff!"
*Angela... what can I say we were just meant to be family, life would not be normal without you in it!!
*Leslie... for your continued friendship
*Jamie...I am so thankful to have you here, you are one of the main reasons I still function some days.. love ya sis..LOL!!
*Renee & Dawn... thank you for taking the extra time to make Drew important in your life, without having local family you have made it a little more bearable.
*Mom & Pop... you are our foundation & our rock, thank you for your prayers and continued love.
*Drew.. Mommy could not ask for a sweeter more funny little man! You brighten my days and I know God has great plans for you!!!

DAVID (last but not least)... I just don't know what I would do without you! God knew exactly what I needed in a husband, I love you!

Okay enough sentimental stuff!! Have a wonderful season! Christie

Drew and Emma

Click here to view this photo book larger

My Preschoolers

Many of you know I am blessed to teach preschooler 3 days a week. I could not ask for a more rewarding job!! I just had to share this cute picture of them as we prepared for our Thanksgiving Feast (yesterday). Our class was the Indians & the Pre-K class was the Pilgrims.

Get ready for some cuteness!!!

IT's FINALLY HERE!!

Hey ALL! I am so excited to be making great process on the launch of my photography business. I have my blog up and going, but you have to know it is a work in progress... I have my first three sets of pictures posting of the next few days.. I will probably have several posts over the next several weeks to catch you all up on the shoots I have done! This is a HUGE day for me as I have such a love for photography! You will also soon see a facebook page for my business.. WHOO HOO!! God is good!

Click on the picture below to get the first look at my blog! Pricing will go up by the end of the weekend!

20 Weeks... HALFWAY MARK!!

We are at the halfway mark and now the countdown officially begins until we meet this little man! Oh, by the way if this is news to you.. we are having A BOY!! He is a very active little squirt. I have been blessed once again with a great pregnancy. The only difference from this one from Drew's is this little guy is pickier with food. So, when I tell you I have been enjoying many Totino's pizza's I am not kidding! LOL & YUCK!!

Anyhow, here are some 2o week pictures:

PRAYER REQUEST

Hello Friends & Family,

I don't do posts like this often, but I really felt lead to write this one. Some of you know the story of my friend Wendy Warren from MOPS, so sorry if some of this is repeat.

Wendy and I were on the same MOPS table last year, so I was blessed throughout the year to know her. Also, last year an infertility group was started at our church that Wendy and I were both a part of, so we got to know each other on a whole other level.

Needless to say Wendy announced last spring that she was expecting after 3 years of trying, and I was beyond excited for her.

When she went in for her 20 week appt to find out the sex of the baby they discovered she had really low fluid, which was very concerning for the doctor. At 24 weeks they decided to admit her into the hospital because at that point they would do everything they could for the baby. She eventually found out she was having a little boy, but also learned that the low fluid either indicated little to no kidney function or underdeveloped lungs. So, she spent just over 11 weeks on bed rest in the hospital away from her family with a scheduled delivery date of tomorrow (Nov 3), which would put her at just over 36 weeks.

I received a message from Wendy this morning saying they had to do the C-Section on Saturday night (10/31) and that her little Elijah was born with no kidney's or a bladder. He went to be with the Lord Sunday afternoon in her arms. My heart just breaks for her!

So, I ask you to please lift this family up in prayer! Although they had an open mind during the whole process, nothing can take away the pain of loosing their sweet little boy they prayed so hard for.

Thanks to you all!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2009

Okay now I can still say that because we are setting our clocks back an hour tonight, so really it is not Midnight yet right???

Anyhow, this is Drew's second Halloween, but really the first one he really got to participate in. We just went to our local mall, which is sooo easy. We actually only got the top floor done and Drew was pooped. We were blessed this year to have my friends Renee & Dawn come up from IL and one of our adopted family members Jamie came along. So we had quite the pow-wow.

Enjoy some pics from the day... ARRRRR!

Start the Day: Daddy dressed Drew up in his jeans, he was not a fan!

Love this face?? Little blurry but couldn't pass it up!

Drew figured out Trick or Treating very quick... He loved putting the candy in the bucket HIMSELF...LOL!! Cheese Monkey...
His Pirate Pusher... Jamie (she got him the costume)

Auntie Dawn & Nae Nae

See what I got... Mmmm Yummy!

Waiting patiently for Chickfila (by the way they gave out awesome stuff)