36 Weeks Today

Can't believe it but I am at 36 weeks today. There are a lots of thoughts and feelings running through me today...

- Yeah I'm almost done and this baby will be here soon!

- I'm very uncomfortable and this childs little butt is constantly jutting out against my stomach!

- I can't believe it will be over soon...this is probably the last of the Addington baby's :(

- It is amazing what the body can do

- Holy cow I have gained a lot of weigth this time....are those new stretch marks....no more bikini's for me!!

- Is it a boy or a girl?!

- There is much to be done yet...washing up clothes and car seat, buying some diapers, cleaning the house

- How can I have to go to the bathroom again...just went 10 minutes ago!

- I hope this child comes soon as I'm running out of clothes that fit...

- Baby has the hickups and it always makes me smile when they happen

- Our family of four is going to expand...is now the time to get that mini van?!

At any rate it is amazing, crazy, sad (don't know why but there are times I feel a little sad), exciting, uncomfortable, funny, and an absolute blessing from God to be expecting baby #3 any day!

Can't wait to meet this little peanut...Shooter or Carrot!

Catch Up

I'm behind on this and I know it! So where do I begin? I've missed some moments on the blog that I'll have to rely on my memory for but I'm not giving up!!

I'm 25 weeks along in pregancy this week. It at times doesn't seem like I am very far in the pregnancy process but I know the time will fly. Such a blessing to have this little mover and shaker in me! We don't know what we are having but the kids are convinced it is a boy and have named him "Shooter". Not sure where this came from but they are very content to speak of Shooter as a part of our family. We are still working on easing the kids into the potential that this child could be a girl and that if it is a boy, his name may not be Shooter. I love that they are excited though and can't wait to meet this little one.

Cameron had his first day of pre-school a week ago during the state fair. He loves school and loves his teacher. He is very excited that this year he gets to have a full day at school on Fridays that includes hot lunch. I laughed when I looked at his lunch menu and saw that his first "hot lunch" is a cold sub sandwhich!! He probably won't care and will love every minute of it! He has grown up so much this summer and seems to be such a big boy. He loves pirates, adventures, using his imagination, and going to the food plot with his dad. He is a big smiler and has a soft and caring heart. Here is a picture of his first day:

Emmy is almost three and absolutely loves her big brother. Something happened over the summer between Cameron and Emmy....they became friends! It has been so fun to see how they play together and take care of each other. I won't deny that they can have a good fight once in a while but overall they really love and care for each other. She is into princesses, purple and pink, loves her dolls, is not afraid of getting dirty, is tough and feisty (we say it is the red in her hair!), and is an absolute joy. Here is a photo Matt snapped of her this summer.

Matt's exciting news is that he has found a place for Matt Addington photography to be housed! We have loved having it out of our home but it will be great to have a place for him to meet with clients, display his work and do more photos in the winter months. The studio is located on the main street of Cannon Falls and has the character Matt has been looking for. Click here to hear more about the studio and see photos.

The summer really flew by but was full of fun and blessings for our family. We are welcoming the cooler temperatures and anticipating the fall months which are some of our favorite of the year. Matt is gearing up for the hunting season, the kids are excited for the apples on the trees and some nights of camp fires and making s'mores, and I love the slower pace that the fall brings. God has continued to bless us in so many ways and we are thankful for health and happiness of each day!

Berry Picking

Someone has been eating all of the berries we've been picking....

I think I found the culprit....

One of the best parts of this season and something that Cameron and Emmy love to do each summer is pick berries. Each year we are fortunate to have black raspberries growing wild all around our house so it is easy to get out and pick. This year we also ventured out to a local strawberry patch in Northfield to pick strawberries. Lots of fun and something I will always love doing as a family.

Sibling Bonds

Don't want to foget this one...

Tuesday morning I was doing the dishes and Cameron and Emmy were playing outside. All of a sudden, Emmy comes running through the door, grabs the wet wipes and bolts out the door again. I peeked out the door and watched her run full blast to her big brother who was squatting in the tall weeds...doing his big job! She hands him the wipes in her little "here you go Cameron" and is back to playing.

I remember many people saying that these two would be close as they were only 18 months apart. Even though we have days with lots of screaming and fighting it can't beat these moments of sister helping brother in his moment of need!

Growing

In the midst of my most busy time of year, I have had some drive time to think and reflect. One of the things that I think about frequently is how much growth is constantly occuring around me. Here are just a few things that are growing lately....

- My kids....way to fast

- The grass....espcially because we are never home to mow it

- The weeds in my garden....again, never home to tend to it

- Our pile of laundry...it grows upon returning from FFA camps

- My never ending to-do list

- My belly....also meaning our family!!!!

By now, many of you have heard our exciting news that we are expecting baby #3 in December. We are thrilled, excited, joyful, a little nervous, and so thankful for this blessing! If you hadn't heard our news click here for the video announcement that Matt put together!

So creative isn't he?!

Here are a few photos to show the growth Cameron and Emmy have had in the last year.

Emerson at Deer Lake in 2010

Emerson at Deer Lake this year

Cameron and Daddy at Deer Lake in 2010

Cameron and Daddy at Deer Lake this year

Thank God for Growth!

Where to begin...

It has been about 5 weeks since my last post. It's not that I haven't wanted to post or have nothing to say. A few words....State FFA Convention! For those of you that know FFA and know me, you know that State Convention times puts everyone on overload for a few weeks and that was exactly my case. I am in a sort of an excited/mourning mood as we go into this time of year. I love spring and summer and all that comes with it but it is also my most busy time of year for work and it is go time from now until the end of the state fair.

I am not about complaining so I'll just give an update to all the things that have happened since Cameron's birthday when I last posted...

It has been a long warm up to get to spring and we are finally enjoying some sunshine and the beauty that the valley holds this time of year. Everything is blooming and beautiful!!

Easter was such a blessed day. Matt was in Custer, South Dakota for a wedding all weekend so the kids and I had the chance to spend time with grandparents and cousins decorating Easter eggs and celebrating our Savior's resurrection. A good friend and student I've worked, Emily Achen, joined our family for Easter celebration at church and dinner at my aunts house. We had a wonderful day with sunshine and lots of joy!

The following weekend was the state FFA convention. The convention went really well and I am so proud of the students we worked with and the accomplishments they had. We elected our new team and so I am in the process of getting to know them and their strengths. We just finished with their training this past weekend.

I had the chance to see Surgarland and Little Big Town in concert. Our friend and neighbor Lori invited me and I must say it was one of the best concerts I have ever seen. We stood through the whole concert and were four rows from the stage...what an AWESOME show!

Mother's Day was very special. Matt in all of his creativity always makes it special and again it was a great day. Picture books, flowers, and breakfast in bed by the kids were a few highlight!

Matt had a birthday and we spent the day at home as a family...it was AWESOME! Some times just being home is the best.

Birthday Boy!

Today is Cameron's 4th birthday! Like everyone says it has gone way too fast and there are so many things that have happened in four years. It was a perfect day with nearly 60 degree temperatures. After such a long snowy winter if felt glorious. We started the morning with Cameron waking up to a decorated hallway upstairs and his favorite breakfast...cinnamon rolls! We then took the kids to the Children's Museum to celebrate and were joined by Jess, Peyton, Lindsay and Wyatt. We had a blast! We also got to see both sets of grandparents today as Matt took did a photo shoot in Rochester. A great family day and so much to be thankful for!

Cameron and Wyatt on the king's throne at the Children's Museum

Here are a few of the things that Cameron is up to in his 4th year:

- He is very much into pretending he is a pirate, super hero, knight, baseball player, drummer and either Buzz Lightyear or Woody
- He is going to preschool two half days a week at St. Paul's in Cannon Falls and loves it
- He loves Bible stories and tries to compare how big God is compared to things in his own world
- He loves to eat/drink popcorn, chocolate milk, make his own PBJ sandwiches, any kind of sweets, and his favorite meal is anything with fish and seafood
- He and Emmy get along fairly well but definitely have their moments of frustrating each other
- Favorite movies include Peter Pan and any of the Toy Story movies
- He loves spending time with his cousins and grandparents
- He can be a worrier at times

We are so thankful for you Cameron (our little pirate)! You are truly a gift from God!

Our prayer for you is to:

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9)

Goodnight Moon

We've been reciting Goodnight Moon to Emmy at bedtime for the past year. One day a few months ago she surprised us as she repeated the full story back to us by memory. I've been wanting to record it but it has been tough. Matt finally got her on video saying the story....don't want to forget how it sounds when she says it!

Enjoy watching!

Winter Fun

The weather has been a little warmer meaning we've been getting outside to play a little more. What a winter!! The temperature was just right the other day to melt the snow into the perfect snowman making form!! The kids loved rolling the snowballs and putting his "accessories" on! I didn't have coal for the eyes and mouth so our snowman is a bit of a redneck with his bottle cap features!

Introducing.......



Harold the Snowman!

The kids came up with this name! I always love what they come up with when you ask them their opinion.

Last night some friends of ours invited us to come over and skate on their self-made skating rink behind their house. Each year, they flood their back patio area with water and it is an instant ice-rink!! They've done it for a few years and have collected skates of all sizes. The kids LOVED it!! Cameron had some great quotes as he stepped onto the ice..."this ice sure is slippery!" and "skating isn't as easy as it looks!" Our friends have little chairs that the kids could use to hold onto and keep their balance as they were on this ice...perfect for Emmy.
Here are a few pictures from the fun we had.
This one made Matt a little worried...future hockey player??!!

New Addition - Schliep Family!

I haven't blogged in F-O-R-E-V-E-R! I have some very important news today however!

We have a new nephew and cousin!!!!! He came a bit early so we were all very surprised!!

Reid Donald Finnesgard6 lbs. 10 oz. 18 1/2 inches

He is the sweetest little thing and we all just love him so much!! We got to go down and see him today and hold him. Even the kids held him and snuggled with him. I can't explain how excited and joyful I am for these guys...it has been spilling out of me all day!!

We've been praying for the baby in Lindsay's tummy for quite some time. Tonight as we said our prayers we got to say Lindsay, Josh, Wyatt...and baby Reid...not the baby in Lindsay's tummy. This brought on many questions from Cameron.

How did the baby get out of Lindsay's tummy?
Did the baby come out of her mouth? (my personal favorite of the night!)
Does Lindsay have to stay over night in the hospital?

He was very concerned for her and all that came with having this child but he was also very excited to have a new cousin!

Congratulations Lindsay, Josh and Wyatt!! We are so happy for all of you!

"Every good and perfect gift is from above." James 1:17

Floss, Brush, Check!

For the past few weeks, Cameron's class has focused on teeth! Brushing teeth, flossing teeth, and taking care of teeth! It has been very fun because it means that Cameron has been very conscious of taking care of his teeth without my constant reminding. He has also become avid at flossing. Just last night he was just about to sleep and he darted up in bed in a panic because if forgot to use the new flosser that Mrs. Palla had given him at school.

So, today we headed to his first dentist appointment. Lindsay and I actually called together and scheduled both Cameron and Wyatt together to make it a sort of adventure. Unfortunately, sickness has been making it through their house and they didn't make it to their appointment.

Cameron was very excited and asked all day long when we'd be going to the dentist. When we arrived I was very surprised that they came up and took Cameron back without me. I felt a little twinged of "where are you taking my baby....ALONE...without his mom!!" The entire time he was back with the dentist I could hear him talking! When he came out he was ecstatic about what had just happened to him. The comment from the dentist was that he was a very good helper, that he was very social, and best of all no cavities!

Cameron then took me back to see his chair and all of the tools he helped the dentist use. I even got sprayed with water as he showed me the tools. I loved that they let me touch and try out each of the tools they were using as it really got him excited. He was sent home with a bag full of "prizes" too...toothbrush, toothpaste, stickers and floss!

Here was a picture I got...it seems that it is much cooler to go to the dentist now then when I was a kid!

Sometimes...

Sometimes...

you just have to have a powdered donut for breakfast!



Sometimes...


a girl just needs to put some mascara on!



Sometimes...


you just have to have a picnic in the snow
(even if it is fake snow!)


Sometimes...


girls just have to do their nails!


Sometimes...


it is fun to be silly!!



Sometimes...

My kids make me laugh



Sometimes...

My kids make me want to cry


ALWAYS...

I LOVE THEM~

Christmas 2010

Christmas was over a few weeks ago but I still wanted to post some photos as a memory of this year's family gatherings. In the hustle and bustle of preparing for my trip to Argentina and cleaning up after Christmas I didn't get this post done but I also didn't want to forget it either.

Christmas was a blast this year...especially the ages that Cameron (3) and Emmy (2) are at. Lots of awe and wonder and much excitement to celebrate Jesus' birthday!

Here are a few photos from the many blessed and fun festivities with family through the Christmas season...

About 15 years ago, my grandma started a tradition of going Christmas shopping with her daughters. Part of the trip included taking a picture with Santa. Every year since then, even after she passed away, we have kept this tradition going. It has expanded to include all of the gals in the Lunde family. It is less about shopping and more about getting together for quality time. Here is the picture from our gathering in early December.




Both sides of my mom and dad's families all live relatively close so we continue to get together to celebrate Christmas. It makes for many celebrations which means lots of family, food, and fun!

The Schliep Cousins

The Lunde Cousins...all of us made it this year and grandpa was so happy!!
Cookie decorating at G'ma Carol and G'pa Gary's...lots of frosting less cookie!
The three girls (Brynn, Emmy and Harper) all the same age had a blast playing dress up on Christmas

Buenos dias from Argentina!!

I'm in Argentina for the next eight days with the National FFA...it is incredible to say the least! I won't be blogging on my own while I'm here but here is the link for the blog we'll keep as a group!

http://nationalffa.blogspot.com/

Can't wait to share more when I get back!