StiLL AliVE!!

Well it has been a while, and yes we are still alive!! We have been keeping busy as always. With doctor check ups for the kids and myself, and other daily life appointments, and Mckay wrapped up in tax season. McKenzie had an 18 month check up and was not so sure about the doctor this time around...she did not like him touching and checking her out. These are her stats:

Weight: 19 pounds

Height: 29 inches

She is doing well in nursery and is a happy girl, especially when she has a book (you will notice in some of the following pictures). I don't even bother taking toys to church for her, as long as I have a few snacks and a stack of good books she is on her best behavior. Now if we could only get her hair to grow, I am afraid that the baby will be born with more hair then my little McKenzie has managed to come up with in a year and a half!! I swear I had given Payton a few haircuts by this time!

Best buds, it is fun to watch these two play together and just enjoy each other! Lets just say that some days are better than others.

This past weekend we went COSMIC BOWLING with the kids and Lane, Liz, and their kids. This was a first for Payton, and had been forever since we had been. It was a lot of fun and Payton was really getting the hang of it. We won't even mention that Mckay's first bowl was a strike, and all night he seemed to be on a roll! Payton was loving those funny shoes and was hoping to keep them when all was said and done.

GOOD TIMES!

While we were waiting for our lanes to open up we played a few games to pass the time.

We have also been preparing for the arrival of BaBY SWeNseN...you would think I would have everything by now but there seems to be a few things on the list of I still need to get! We just bought a new infant car seat, our other one did well to make it through two kids, and lets be honest, I never really liked it, but it was the cheapest and we managed!! Car seats are so big and bulky so we knew we would not fit in our small car anymore, so after some looking for a while we purchased our first van last night. We had to say farewell to Mckay's Honda Accord. (Kinda sad because it had some of our dating memories with it: our first kiss, driving to Montana for the first time, listening to Christmas music, fun little chats, etc...I'll spare the details!!) It was a good car but we are excited to have a little more room and actually bring baby home from the hospital and fit!! It is a 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan and I think I am going to love it!! I'll have to post pictures later!

A FeW oF OuR FaVoriTE ThiNGs!

It just seems like lately life has just been so busy. I get done and caught up with some of the things that have been on my mind and my "To Do" list, (you know those silly things that keep you up at night) and then it never fails that something else just fills in the spaces of those things I just crossed off! I keep thinking that things are going to slow down (wishful thinking). I guess it makes me really appreciate the moments in life when I can just sit back and enjoy. I do feel like I have crossed off a lot of things recently, and maybe now I can prepare more for baby #3 because it is just around the corner and I still need some more things. I thought I would make this post be about some of our/my FaVoRiTE things in life, the things that I want to make proirities regardless of those pesky never-ending things. In no particular order.....

...Our little kids: I can't imagine life without my kids. Both Payton and McKenzie bring such different personalities to our family, we are anxious to meet Baby Swensen too! They play well together and surely do love each other.

Payton is now in Sunbeams and seems to be growing each day, I can't believe we have a child in Primary. Yesterday night he woke up at 1:30 AM complaining that his ear was hurting. After some comfort and medicine he was back to sleep until the morning when his symptoms continued, only this time he had an additional fever. The doctor was able to confirm my suspicion of an ear infection. I think Payton is now on the mend but I always feel so bad for my kids when they are not feeling well. Payton also tends to wake up with bad dreams occasionally. Most of the time when I am trying to comfort him, I don't think he is quite awake, but rather talking in his sleep, sometimes he seems scared and I want him to snap out of it. I wish he could tell me more but when he does come to again he wants to go back to sleep, so it is left up to me to guess what might have been the problem. I just wish that there was something else that I could do.

As shown in the picture below...we are RANCH lovers in this family (another favorite)! McKenzie will not even touch a fry if it isn't smothered in RANCH!! I guess that is one way to get them to eat their veggies.

One of our lattest favorites is shoveling SNOW!! After not having yard work for so long we actually enjoy doing outdoor jobs. Payton got a small shovel for Christmas and loves to be our little helper! I have discovered that it can be quite the workout, most of the time Mckay and Payton beat me to the punch though! When Payton knows that Dad is going outside to scrape he immediately wants help, getting all bundled up and ready too. He does try to scoop snow but before long he ditches the shovel and it turns into a snow fight with whoever he can throw a chunk at as well as just plain rolling in the snow. Payton is such an outdoor little boy. A couple of weeks ago before we headed to Montana for a quick trip, Grandpa (my DAD this time) asked Payton, "Are you a Montana boy or an Idaho boy?" Without hesitation Payton said proudly "A MONTANA BOY". There is some truth to this, Mckay loves the outdoors too and they both share similar feelings in this department, (me too).

Working/Playing hard!

Payton and Dad, just before Payton is about to ditch the shovel and play with all the white stuff!

McKenzie loves to brush her teeth, in other words...chew on the toothbrush. She also has been starting to climb on things and thinks she is a BIG GirL. I guess she is getting bigger because Sunday will be her first day in Nursery. YIPPEE!!! Now if only she had a pinch more hair, maybe she wouldn't look so young!

Payton is still trying to adjust to Mckay working so often (just wait until Tax Season gets busy). He often wakes up in the morning and askes me where Dad is. When I tell him Dad is at work, he tells me that he doesn't want Dad to go and make money. If only it were that simple...I miss him too. Since Mckay has to drive further to work now that we have moved, he no longer gets to come home for lunch breaks (bummer), and the drive to and from work is longer so I think it is harder on the kids (okay, okay, and me too). One afternoon while we were out shopping without Mckay, Payton just broke down and started to cry and told me that he misses Daddy. It was so sad. When Mckay does come home the kids are ready for some fun, aka wrestling with Dad. We are all So GLaD WhEN DaddY CoMeS HoME!


Maggie (cousin) and McKenzie! This past weekend we had some visitors and a full house. Both of Mckay's siblings (Isaac and Megan, and their families) were passing through so they all spent some time at our house. It was good to see you all again, wish it could have been longer!

The BOYS! Kason, Kade, and Payton. Payton was excited to have some buddies around.

Most of all, our FaVoRiTE thing is spending time with family and friends, we have been so blessed in this area of life!