Elin Carolann

Born at 1:53 PM on June 29th, Elin Carolann weighs 6 lbs. and is 19 inches long.

A trip to IKEA

Today we went to IKEA to buy some necessities for Viggo and Svea's new room. (The bedroom formerly know as Nate and I's room - we've moved everything around to make room for the baby. Or I should say, Nate has moved everything around. Thanks, honey!)

IKEA stands for Ingvar Kamprad, (the founder) Elmtaryd and Agunnaryd, the farm and village in Sweden where Ingvar grew up. He started the business at age 17 in 1943. And now you've had your daily dose of Swedish trivia.


Welcome to the Philadelphia IKEA.

Somebody had an attitude today. I'm not naming names.

Svea makes a list of things we need.

Stacks and stacks of potties! Three guesses which one Svea chose!

So there's an enormous docked and dead ship right across the street from IKEA. It makes for an interesting sight, but I'm sorry to say I don't know anything about it.

Here's our stuff! Stay tuned for pictures of Viggo and Svea's new room - it is going to be cool!

Happy Birthday, Jude!

Today our friend Jude turned 1!

There were cupcakes . . .

All wet

Staying in hotels with pools on our travels to Illinois and back to Delaware provided a much-needed energy release after a long day in the car :)

Viggo is in Minnesota!

While we were in Illinois, Jim and Lois offered to take Viggo up to Minnesota until the baby comes. Because this means it could be as much as five weeks, I have to admit it was hard to let him go! But playing in our small backyard in Delaware, compared to running around on the island in Minnesota - well, that's a no-brainer! And it's time with Grandma and Grandpa Zeke, which is sadly rare since we all moved out of St. Cloud a couple years ago. Nate convinced me it would give me more opportunity to rest (clean?) until the baby comes, and I agreed that it would be an unforgettable time for Viggo. But we miss him and all his funny ways! It is very quiet around here without him, but Svea is making up for that with lots of chatter!

A stop in Duluth. Viggo is so happy to be with Grandpa and Grandma! And doesn't he look spiffy in his new rain jacket!

Nate went too - the Hope Covenant men's fishing retreat was happening up at the lake last week. Nate rode up with his folks and Viggo, and flew into the Chicago-Midway airport yesterday, where Svea and I picked him up and proceeded back East. I was SO excited Nate got to go north. He deserved a break so badly! I wish he had more time up there; he loved every moment. He and Viggo spent a lot of time kayaking. Seeing the men from church was great. I have loved hearing stories. And I can't wait to hear Viggo's versions!


Viggo with one of the many panfish he caught at Timbuktu.

I love his smile.

Chasing Zeke around is always fun. And Zeke is now Viggo's roommate up at the lake.

Fishing. I love that there are flowers at the end of the dock!

Remembering Grandma

Here is Grandma Weeks, holding three-month-old Svea. Nate and I love this picture of the two of them. Grandma passed away late last week. We will miss her presence in our family very much. I will always remember Grandma as loving, kind and thoughtful. Grandma would surprise me with small gifts in the mail, usually related to housekeeping, which I always appreciated! It never failed to warm my heart that she was thinking of me and spent the time to send something useful. Grandma also faithfully sent cute knitted gifts for the kids, including a hat that Svea still loves to wear even though it is now undeniably too small! Her love for the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in her life was obvious and endearing.

We traveled to Illinois to be with family and celebrate her life this past week. We are thankful that we will someday see her again because of God's precious gift of grace and eternal life through Jesus. In the meantime, Grandma will be missed very much. Peace be to her memory.

In the kitchen with Viggo and Svea: Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

My sister Maren gave me this recipe several years ago and I can testify that the quality of our lives has improved since we've been eating these.

It's my chaotic kitchen crew!

These semi-spotted peels are pretty modest for ripe bananas in my opinion. Usually they're close to completely black when I get around to using them . . .

Typically, I carefully squeeze the fruit of the banana while it is still in peel - this is a quick and easy way to get the banana "mashed". But, having a 5- and 2-year-old squeeze them - hmm, not such a great idea - can you imagine? Banana would squirt everywhere. Option #2: we put the naners in a bowl and mashed them with the potato masher.

And the finished product: Nate and the kids shared one, the rest are meeting their frozen fate for the After-The-Baby-Freezer-Stash.

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Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

1 ½ C flour (I use one cup unbleached, ½ C whole wheat)
¾ C sugar
¼ C baking cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2 to 3 medium mashed ripe bananas (the more banana, the better)
1/3 C canola oil
1 egg
1 cup mini chocolate chips (I skimp and use ¾ cup or less; no one has complained . . .)

In a large bowl, combine first six ingredients. In a small bowl, combine bananas, oil & egg; stir into dry ingredients with a large spatula just until moistened Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or lined muffin cups ¾ full. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until done. Makes 12-15 muffins.

S'mores for Two

Viggo and I went to Cosi's for our date night.

Look at the gap in his mouth! I had the cutest date in town :)

We ordered S'mores for Two. Oh dear, the wait seemed like forever! Viggo decided to pretend to be my waiter and he took a couple orders from me.

Inside our "mini campfire" was purple gel; the waitress dropped a match inside and it burned for at least 45 minutes until it went out. Pretty cool!

Viggo was very concerned - was his marshmallow intact? At one point we traded 'mallows because his was "burnt" (browned with some bubbles on one side). Obviously he doesn't know how delicious burnt marshmallows are! His loss = my gain; but I was bummed that I couldn't roast mine to a blackened crisp.

Sticky!

Even without a real campfire (and a lake to go with it, but we didn't miss the skeeters) the s'mores were yummy. Viggo wants to go back to Cosi's and try everything on their dessert menu :)

McNutts come to play!

Yesterday we had a playdate! Caleb arrived with brothers Noah and baby Zachary to have fun. Viggo was SO EXCITED that Caleb was coming over (like Christmas-morning-excited). Svea was looking forward to the playdate too - she loves Noah and Baby Zachary. And I was happy (relieved?!) to see Heather; so nice to hang out with a friend while the kids ran around like a bunch of crazies. Viggo and Caleb spent most of their time outside, Noah wandered in and out, and us girls and the baby stayed inside most of the time. After they left I noticed it was 1) very quiet and 2) it took Viggo and Svea about 2 seconds to fall asleep at naptime - wow, were they tuckered out! Viggo and Caleb both seem like normal, active five-year-olds . . . but when put together they are a force to be reckoned with!

Caleb climbs the tree.

Svea gets in on the action eventually.

I love that as soon as Noah saw my camera he started waving. Obviously he's used to the paparazzi!

Viggo and Noah both screaming and being dinosaurs? I can't remember what was going on - but it was loud and fun!

Zachary was really the only one who would be still enough for me to get a decent picture :) He's only ten months old and has been walking for two months already. Oh, what a cutie! Thanks for coming over, McNutts!

Coins and cloth

Viggo and Nate have launched into coin collecting with abandon! Every week seems to bring trips to the bank to buy rolls of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Because of the bad economy, lots of people are visiting banks to cash out change - change that has sat around on a dresser in a jar for a couple of decades (or longer!). This has made it fairly easy for Viggo to find pennies dating a century back - sometimes several in one roll. Those that aren't needed are brought back to the bank to be cashed in for another roll. Viggo saves the money he earns each day (by doing chores and being helpful, etc.) and is overjoyed when he has enough to visit the bank and buy a roll of something. He also spent his hard-earned money on the books to save the coins in. I for one am a big fan of this hobby because it teaches Viggo that there are other things to do with money other than spend it, and it is also time-consuming! He's zipped through pennies and is almost done with nickels, but dimes are going to take awhile because they are $5 a roll! Nate has also amassed quite a collection and it is fun to watch them work on their coins together. They often trade one coin for another, and go on special outings to the bank and the local coin stores. When Nate comes home from work it is not unusual to hear Viggo say, "Dad, can we go to the bank?" Svea usually tags along too - she loves going to the bank.

When Nate brought home a roll of presidential dollar coins, I asked if I could have one. It was fun to look through the pile of shiny golden-colored coins! He said, "Oh, are you going to start a collection?" Well, not exactly: "No, I just thought it would be fun to spend one!" Clearly I have a lot to learn :)

Svea gets in on the action. She loves all the coins, but even under supervision can mix up critical piles of sorted and unsorted coins . . .

Nate giving Viggo a hand with some pennies.

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Meanwhile, I've been attempting to sew things for Svea. She's my little girl and loves dresses, so I am doing my best to rise to the challenge!

I bought some gorgeous Amy Butler fabric to make her a sundress. I started this a couple weeks ago, got distracted, but now all that's left is to put the straps on. I just wanted to take a photo of the fabric it because it's so pretty!

Svea helps out by constantly turning the pages of the directions so it takes ten times as long to accomplish reading one short paragraph . . . but whenever she manages to find the right page, she says, "MY pretty dress!"

As you can see, Svea is really the one in charge here.

The Disney t-shirt, a tape measure - this is really all she needs to be happy! And her sunny presence is all I really need to be happy while sewing!