Memorial Day Picnic

At the ward Memorial Day picnic, Liesel played with Grandpa Wuehler on the swings:



Ireland ate her first watermelon:

The girls mugged for the camera:

Then we all tried out the pool at the clubhouse. All in all it was a lovely day!

Happy Mother's Day!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Easter Weekend

Brent had Good Friday off so on Thursday night we packed up the car and headed to Iowa City. Driving down was a dream: Brent and I were able to have a nice in-depth chat and the girls slept pretty much the who way. Once we got to my parents it was another story. The girls were so excited to see Grandma and Grandpa it took us hours to settle them down for bed the first night. Brent slept with Liesel who kept crying when she was left alone in her bed (undoubtedly because she felt left out) and I slept with Ireland who kept trying to slide off her bed (undoubtedly because she wanted to keep the party going). We all woke up bleary eyed on Friday morning.

Friday night the girls were lucky enough to spend some time with their cousins Hunter and Harley. I'd planned an Easter egg hunt but was bummed when it rained and then drizzled. The kids barely noticed though and they had a blast running around the backyard. We color-coded the eggs for each kid so the older ones had to work a little harder to find theirs. Watching their enthusiasm made me determined to make this a tradition. Hunter and Harley are impossibly well-behaved kids who are nothing but considerate and polite. I love that my girls get to hang out with them now and again so it can rub off. In the middle of all the fun, Liesel informed me she wanted to stay in Iowa City and not go back to Chicago.
On Saturday mornings, we often eat breakfast at the local grocery story, Hy Vee. It's really delicious and ridiculously cheap. Turns out they were having an Easter egg hunt as well! I told the lady at the check out I wish I'd known because I would have brought a sack or something so Liesel could participate. She whipped a grocery sack out from behind the counter (oh how I love midwest friendliness!) and encouraged me to hurry because it was starting in just a couple of minutes. Brent took the lead on this one and thanks to his swift feet, Liesel was able to score quite a few eggs. Ireland and I watched it all from the window as hot eggs and sausage were placed before us.

Saturday night my parents offered to watch the girls so Brent and I could go on a date. Nothing in the theaters was tempting. Soooooo, what do you do with your Mormon husband in a drinking college town on the weekend? I knew I'd have to get creative. I love Iowa City but it's not a date town. It's a bar town and if you don't drink life can be pretty dull. Driving around running errands, I'd noticed the University of Iowa just completed a new Rec Center this past summer and I found out they have a 52-foot rock climbing wall. I floated the idea past Brent. In spite of his fear of heights, he said yes! He was even more excited when he found out it was a measly $3 per person (WAY cheaper than a movie!).

I've done indoor rock climbing before so I went first. I got about 1/4 up the wall and was ready to get down. The guy bullaying me told me to just let go but I couldn't. I kept hanging onto the wall as he slowly let me down. Much to my amazement, Brent scampered up a full story and took his breath on a ledge. When it was time to get down he had to walk backwards over that ledge and Brent didn't even flinch. Iwas so impressed knowing how strong his fear of heights is. Look for us on Amazing Race someday!

I decided to try it again, determined to at least make it to the ledge but I froze. That may have been due to the fact Brent and the staff member were talking about what kind of bodily damage would occur should someone accidentally fall. Brent tells me I was about 1 and 1/2 feet from the ledge. All I know is I was DONE! When I said I wanted to get down suddenly everyone at the wall stopped what they were doing and stared at me. A few of them tried to cheer me on and one girl even said, "It's FUN!" Now the situation was getting embarassing. I even let go of the wall and the staff member just let me dangle- LITERALLY- as if I'd change my mind. Finally he let me down. Brent and I tried a more challenging part of the wall which in some ways was more fun. It was a great date and I can't wait to go again.

On Sunday the girls looked adorable in their new Easter outfits. We tried to get a family photo which was a complete fail because Liesel started crying out of nowhere. I brought out some bubbles while Brent snapped away and we got some good individual shots.

Ireland making a face. My mom pointed out she looks like a Kewpie Doll with her hair like that.

Liesel full of joie de vivre. This picture makes me smile. Every. Time.

Getting back to real life was a serious downer. Even with the long weekend, the time flew by too fast. The girls were irritable the entire drive back to Chicago. Unpacking was drudgery. Waking up on Monday morning was almost painful. We need another vacation!

Luck o' the Irish

As it is St. Patrick's Day and the beginning of March Madness, we had no choice but to celebrate! Brent was at work late so the girls and I made BYU mint brownies. The BYU part to cheer our Cougars, and the mint green part to celebrate our Celtic side. Liesel loved helping out; I really need to get her a little apron of her own. It goes without saying her favorite part was licking the beater.

Ireland was equally satisfied with the spatula. You really can't go wrong on a day like today when your name is Ireland! I keep kissing her in hopes of getting a wee bit of luck. All the festivities really wore her out. I love this picture because it shows her chubby legs. I can't get enough of them!
We hope you all had a wonderful St. Patrick's Day! Just in case you're still not in the spirit of things, here's my Top 10 songs to get you in the mood:

10. Tubthumping by Chumbawamba
9. All I Want Is You by U2
8. Tryouts from the Rudy Soundtrack
7. Flora's Secret by Enya
6. Danny Boy by John McDermott
5. A Life So Changed from the Titanic Soundtrack (snark all you want, there's lovely Irish undertones in the music)
4. Endless Journey from the Riverdance on Broadway Soundtrack

3. Galway Girl by Mundy & Sharon Shannon
2. Rainbow Connection by Kermit the Frog
1. Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore by The High Kings

Let me know if you have any St. Patrick's Day tunes you like and I can add them to my playlist!

Happy Valentine's Day!

We hope your day was filled with sweet scents

...or sweet treats

...or sweethearts

...and should you be a Cupid hater

...consider giving him one more chance!

XOXOXO, The Wuehlers

Indulgence

The shoes are a Christmas gift from Grandma and Grandpa Wuehler. Liesel first spotted them in the Von Maur shoe department and she cried when we left without them. For months we "visited" them but I couldn't bring myself to buy them. Thank goodness for grandparents or she never would have owned a pair. Liesel gets nothing but smiles when she wears them in public. For that matter, Liesel IS nothing but smiles when she wears them, as you can see.

Christmas

There's a reason I've been putting off this post. In spite of my planning, organization and study of The Container Store's "How to Wrap Presents Like a Professional" tutorials, I feel like I failed with Christmas this year. Looking back, I'm sure a part of it stemmed from the fact Liesel was more in tune than ever with the idea of the holiday. The closer we got to Dec 25, the more determined I was to make it magical for her. My good intentions culminated in a very sleepless night Christmas Eve. My mind was plagued with doubts. Were the stockings sufficiently stuffed? What if she didn't like her presents? Had I done enough? It was ridiculous really. She's not old enough to remember this Christmas anyway so I'm not sure why I wasted all the mental energy.

I later read an article that advised picking what is most important TO YOU for Christmas and focus on that rather than try to do everything. After some contemplation, I realized for me it's not the presents (I know, I know... DUH!). At the top of my list is our Christmas card. I book the photo session at the end of October. I write draft after draft of the newsletter. I haul the pile of cards to the post office the day after Thanksgiving so they're the first one our friends and family receive. Throughout the year I keep two copies of our address list as up-to-date as possible. Our Christmas cards are what fill me with holiday cheer. That feeling only multiplies when we receive cards in exchange.

Next is the train. Growing up we always had an LGB train scooting around the tree. As my siblings married, they each got a train of their own. The first Christmas of our married life I eagerly anticipated getting mine. I love our train and am so happy we have one. Because we were at my parents house for Christmas, they obliged us with putting out their train. Initially they were concerned the girls would get into it but both of them showed surprising restraint. Grandpa even had the time of his life letting Ireland be the conductor.

Finally, my favorite part of Christmas is seeing the girls in Christmas pajamas. Gymboree made pajamas this year that coordinated very well with year's past. Because of that, the girls looked adorable in coordinating stripey sleepwear. It warmed the cockles of my heart to see them running around in these!

Christmas card? Check. Train? Check. Coordinating pajamas? Check. I wasted a perfectly good holiday needlessly worrying. Next year I'm going to try and keep things in perspective and just enjoy it. Hopefully this was a lesson learned for me. What's your favorite part of the holidays?

Meeting Saint Nick

Christmas just keeps getting better and better as the girls age. This year, Liesel really caught onto the idea of Santa Claus. She fell in love with books like 'Twas The Night Before Christmas and The Polar Express. Whenever she saw the jolly old elf at the mall she'd yell out his name and carefully watch him. I repeatedly told her we'd wait until Dad was in town and then we'd go meet Santa Claus as a family. Christmas Eve seemed the perfect time to do it anyway. I dressed the girls in their most festive holiday outfits and prepped Liesel for the introduction. Considering all her excitement about Santa up to that point, I thought it would be a breeze.

Liesel cried as if we'd handed her over to a serial killer. Ireland contentedly sat on his lap like it was her second job. Santa was great though and patiently waited until Liesel warmed up to him. Turns out he used to do gymnastics and they bonded over their shared hobby. Santa handed his sleigh bells over to Ireland and they were fast friends from the start. I love, love, LOVE the photo! They had to take a few because Liesel was crying so hard. Believe it or not, this is her most mellow moment. Classic.

Merry Christmas!

This was a forward from my sister Reagan. I laughed, laughed, laughed. Hope you do to!!!

Turkey Bowl

After a delicious Thanksgiving dinner we headed over to the bowling alley to burn off some calories. We've never taken the girls bowling before and they both loved it. The kids had a lane all to themselves with bumpers and a ramp. Liesel didn't immediately catch on to the rules of the game and she was upset when her ball rolled away from her. Eventually she figured it out and

she even got a strike. Ireland was just generally excited, especially when someone sat her in front of the computer scoring thingy. Turns out my sister-in-law Krystal used to be on a bowling league and she won hands down. All the women beat their spouses but I only edged out Brent by a point. I was hoping to score at least 65 and I got 101 thanks largely to 2 strikes in my last frame.

The kids had a blast. Afterwards we went home to finish up the night with some pie. Mom made the most amazing apple cranberry pie! Unfortunately she thought it was too tart and isn't planning on a repeat. The bowling however I think we just might make a family tradition.

Which Witch is Which?

I know a witch is a classic Halloween costume some might consider boring. However, I was so excited to dress the girls as witches this year. Liesel got these crazy sunglasses in a happy meal not long ago and I thought they were the perfect touch because they kind of look like flying goggles. Don't you think witches would have protective eye wear when flying through the skies on their broom? While taking pics in the backyard I got some footage. I love how Liesel just stares at Ireland when she falls over. Yeah, she's NOT her sister's keeper.

We had a lot of fun at the ward trunk or treat. Surprisingly, Liesel was incredibly shy as she went from trunk to trunk. Maybe she felt like she was begging for candy? She seemed happy with her spoils though...
...as was Ireland

Merry Christmas

Yes, this is a bit belated but it's worth documenting. For Valentine's Day I'll let you know how our New Year's went. There are oh so many things that are a little bit better with children such as swimming, 'Toon Town at Disneyland, and Christmas morning. We were extremely careful to train Liesel not to touch the tree or train so it took her a little while to warm up. Whenever we ran the train around the tree she would sit impossibly still and just stare at it. Christmas morning I tore a corner of the first gift she opened to get her started and when she ripped off a chunk she just looked at me quizzically and said, "garbage?" It wasn't until she saw others making a mess and *gasp* not getting in trouble for it that she launched in.

We've been trying to wean Liesel off of her binkies for fear they will ruin her teeth. Instead, we've been giving her Dum Dum's... which will probably also ruin her teeth. Anyway, she was excited to find them in her stocking:

Although Liesel looks like a type and shadow of her father, she's definitely got some of me in there. This is made manifest the most in her love of shoes. In fact, she hates feetie pajamas because she can't get her shoes on over them. She'll spend a toddler eternity in her closet playing with her shoes. For Christmas she got two pairs of Crocs and a pair of Pedipeds that are just adorable. In case you ever need a maternity test:

When we were kids we had these really LONG stockings and my mom cleverly found the best way to fill up all the space was to give us Pringles and frosting. Now it doesn't feel like Christmas to me without some sour cream and onion chips to munch on. Random I know, but there you have it. Thanks to a generous grandpa who let her have his BBQ flavored Pringles, Liesel quickly embraced this time-honored tradition. She insisted on wearing her new pajamas and shoes all day.

Relatively speaking, it was a very simple Christmas which I rather liked. There wasn't a lot of pressure to get through a mountain of presents so we were able to just enjoy each other's company. I had planned to make a fabulous ham dinner but after the festivities of opening stockings and gifts, I completely passed out. Because I'm saving my vacation time for my maternity leave I'd worked on Christmas Eve and then frantically done my last-minute shopping. I was able to sleep in a bit on Christmas morning but the second Liesel went down for a nap I went down too. When I woke up Mom and Brent had taken care of the whole thing! The house smelled wonderfully of ham and we sat down to a lovely meal. I am so grateful to have my mom around at this time because we would have eaten cereal otherwise.

Ringing in the Holiday Spirit

Paying it forward from a co-worker who sent this to Danika. We hope it makes you smile and gets you into the christmas spirit if you are not already.

Sitting Pretty

Liesel has spent the last few days with Grandma and Grandpa Nielsen while Brent and I were in Arizona for a wedding. We got in this morning at 1:00 AM so of course she was in bed. After completely spoiling us for two weeks (not to mention taking stellar care of Liesel), my Mom and Dad left in the wee hours of the morning. When we heard Liesel stirring in her crib a couple of hours later, Brent jumped up to get her.

She was SO happy to see us! Brent brought her back to bed to cuddle with us. She leaned over and kissed him 3 times and then she threw her little arms around me and said, "I sorry!" One of the challenges of being a mother of kids Liesel's age is they don't quite know how to express appreciation, even if they are grateful. I'll take that hug as a token of appreciation though, and it was nice to see she genuinely missed us.

Our day was spent trying to get back on East Coast time, unpacking and settling into the reality of the mundane week to come. We had a Christmas party to attend and I took the opportunity to put Liesel in the red tulle skirt I got on sale at Gymboree last week. Brent went out to warm up the car and she went into hysterics, even as I tried to tell her he was coming right back.

Liesel was an absolute hit at the party. She smiled coyly at the guys and hugged the girls who asked to hold her. Liesel hugged one girl for so long she gushed, "Oh, THIS is all I wanted for Christmas!" I know I'm biased, but she really was charming. She got lots of compliments on the skirt as well as her shoes and hair. I'm grateful to have friends who eagerly invite not just Brent and I, but Liesel as well to their formal gatherings because we really wanted to be together as a family after some time apart. Sorry the picture quality isn't the best, it was taken from Brent's camera phone!

My Fellow Americans

On our first 4th of July together, Brent and I announced our engagement to our parents and then snuggled under a sky of fireworks on the Cambridge side of the Charles River. We were in NYC on vacation for our second 4th and elected to avoid the crowds by skipping the fireworks. It was incredibly eerie walking the quiet and empty streets of Manhattan while hearing loud booms in the distance. The following 4th we took our then 3-month old girl to New Jersey to visit my parents. We watched the fireworks at Liberty Park close to the Statue of Liberty. So it feels like we're coming full circle by being back in Boston for this 4th.

Brent and I had work off yesterday so we were able to take care of all our Saturday items. This morning I ran some final errands and Brent mowed the lawn. We thought about going to some batting cages (what could be more American than baseball?) but they were all closed. Once Liesel woke up from her nap, we packed up the stroller and headed downtown. Don't ask me why, but I had a feeling I'd get a good parking spot and we did! We crossed the street to the Boston Commons and stopped at the Frog Pond so Liesel could get her feet wet. She was so funny, she'd walk towards the water and then run away when the fountains came on.

Then we headed to the Freedom Trail. I work kitty-corner to the State House so it's not far for me. When I'm able to get away for lunch every now and again I'll do what I can that's close. Brent, on the other hand, had never officially done it. One place I'd never made it to was the Granary Burial Ground. There were lots of people dressed in period costume giving tours but Liesel and I wandered on our own to see the graves of Sam Adams, Paul Revere, John Hancock and the victims of the Boston Massacre. Very cool. There was a wedding at the next-door Park Street Church and the newly married couple was taking photos IN the graveyard. Weird?

We headed home to barbeque like good Americans. Brent and I found a recipe for a Dr. Pepper marinade that's SO good! We've slowly been refining our technique and the result is a juicy, tangy, VERY tender meat. While Brent fired up the grill I put on some Aaron Copeland. Somehow we had a plethora of lemons so I made lemonade Stonewall Jackson style which is more on the tart side. Surprisingly, Liesel was the biggest fan. We also had corn on the cob (in honor of America's heartland, IOWA!). Again, Liesel was a surprisingly huge fan. She was begging for it before we'd even said the blessing and then she went to town. We rounded it out with some rice pilaf (uhmmmm, in honor of the Chinese who gave us fireworks? and because it goes well with the meat). Using pound cake, Cool Whip, strawberries and blueberries I made an image of a flag that was nice and light after the barbecue.

Liesel's been having nightmares lately and generally having trouble sleeping at night. Because of that we decided to skip the jarring loud noises that accompany fireworks. Before putting her down for the night I read her Longfellow's The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. Right now we're winding down by watching the Boston Pops and just waiting for Neil Diamond (the featured performer this year) to sing Sweet Caroline.

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Here's Looking at You, Kid

The funny thing about Valentine's Day is married people are annoyed with the holiday almost more than single people are. It seems like a waste of money, a marketing scheme, a fabricated holiday even. In trying to see past all of that, I've always strived to embrace the holiday for what it should be all about... LOVE. In years past I trekked to Target and got those super cheesy Valentine's Day cards kids usually hand out in their elementary school classes and mail them to my closest friends and family. I've mentioned before that Brent usually sends me a huge bouquet of flowers and I take him to dinner. However, we're doing things a little cheaper this year so we went for this alternative:

Dinner: rib-eye steaks with mushrooms, new potatoes flavored with seasonings and parmesean cheese, asparagus pan fried in olive oil and a bottle of Martinelli's. Brent's mother is in town and she insisted on paying for the steaks so it was actually a lot cheaper than we even intended. Thanks Jeanne!!!

Movie: Casblanca which in my humble opinion was one of the original romantic comedies back when they did them right. When I saw it for the first time I remember being surprised at how witty the dialogue was and how truly touched I was by the story. There are tons of quotable quotes so if you've never seen it you'll find yourself saying, "So that's where that phrase comes from." I like the closing scene even better ever since I found out the plane in the background was fake and so small they hired midgets to look like life-sized people in the background to keep it real. Seriously, next time you watch it look for the midgets.

Tribute to St. Valentine: Brent and I had a long distance relationship so phone and email were our only connection much of the time. I compiled all the emails we sent back and forth during our six months apart and had them bound for posterity. It's fun to read, especially because you can see the progression of our relationship over time. From the "It was really good to run into you" to "I can't wait to be forever yours". We've come a long way baby!

I honestly think I liked the alternative better than the original! What did you do for Valentines Day?

Liesel Grace January 18, 2009

More pictures of Liesel, including Christmas.

Men Are From Home Depot, Women Are From Vera Wang

What should I wear?

I pose this question to Brent in regards to the children's Christmas party at his work. He responds dismissively, "It's Saturday so just something comfortable... jeans." Hmmmm, he mentioned Santa was going to be there. While I realize I'm pretty new at this whole parenting thing, I recall being amazed at how well-dressed the children at the mall were waiting to sit on Santa's lap. It's a photo op. Some parents even make ornaments out of them. Kind of a big deal.

Are you sure? There aren't going to be kids in like, super nice outfits are there?

Again, Brent dismissively assures me it's SATURDAY which is code for casual. I quickly decide on my own outfit: skinny jeans, high heals and my fuzzy pink sweater which is carefully stowed in a plastic bag for much of the year. I throw my hair in a chignon and put on only light makeup. I'm trying to convey the message that I'm impossibly put together for the mother of an 8-month old and my husband's success extends well beyond his position there at work. Then I consider Liesel's outfit. Something festive for sure. I settle on a red sweater with jeans and then fearing she'd look too much like a boy, I throw on her red and white lace socks. To top it off (pun intended), I force her into the scratchy Santa hat we bought on a whim at Target a week ago. As I strap Liesel into her car seat Brent comes out with no coat. He's always insisting he runs hot and I'm always begging him to blend with the crowd and cover up. This time I also remind him his work is located in the seaport district where it's always much colder than inland. He runs into the house and in a flash he's back in his over sized BYU windbreaker. The one that's big enough for a linebacker to wear... with his football gear on. *sigh* I'd been thinking something more along the lines of his black, leather jacket but you have to pick your battles.

Upon arriving at Brent's work he shows us around before we head down to the party. We ran into his old boss who has three kids in tow. I notice the children are in matchy-matchy argyle outfits. Ooookay... maybe it's just because that's the boss? We head down to the party and there are all the children in their red velvet/plaid satin/sparkling silver outfits. The boys have chunky sweaters with matching pants and socks. The girls have white tights and patent leather shoes not to mention silk ribbons in their hair. The good news is my outfit was right on cue. Every woman there is wearing essentially the same thing. Liesel on the other hand is looking a tad... well... off. Even with the Santa hat she's just a little under dressed. When I talked to Brent about it afterwards he was a bit sheepish. I'd been right to inquire about a dress code; even if that dress code was unspoken.

What I find fascinating about all this is it seems to be a gender thing. Pretty much every married woman I know has a story similar to this. Men may make fun of us for staring at a closet full of clothes and exclaiming, "I have NOTHING to wear" because they don't understand this fundamental truth: always obey the dress code. You don't want to be THAT woman who's ridiculously under/overdressed. It indicates arrogance or ignorance or worse, BOTH. Yet for the average male, it barely escapes their notice if someones appearance is out of kilter with the event at hand. Why is that anyway? If a man showed up to a black tie wedding in jeans all he'd remember is that he was really comfortable that day, not that he was horrifyingly inappropriate. Ladies, back me up here?

A Little Sunday Afternoon Reading

Here are a few pictures from the Thanksgiving holidays, including celebrating Sister Nielsen's birthday. Also included are some pictures of Liesel in the tub, reading on a Sunday afternoon (my favorites), and a videos of watching the train go around the Christmas tree, and Dancing/Kicking (Sorry for the change in direction on that one--I did it so I could capture more of her kicking).

Giving Thanks

What a fantastic Thanksgiving! Mom and Dad drove up from their mission in New Jersey to be here for the occasion. We had three of our most fabulous friends join us which rounded things out perfectly. This was only the second turkey I've made in my life and it was a 25-pounder we called Herman. I followed the advice of friends and brined the sucker. Those first "test" bites were practically dripping with moist deliciousness and we've been loving the ample leftovers ever since. One of the perks of hosting Thanksgiving is you get to call the time it's served. I didn't want to get up at 6:00 AM to start working on the turkey so I established 5 PM as the bewitching hour. We had a long, leisurely day to prepare the food and the house for entertaining. This is the first year we had our complete china set (including the gravy boat!) and the table looked fabulous if I do say so myself.
Thanksgiving was also a special day because it was Mom's birthday. Every so often they fall on the same date and it just adds extra oomph to the festivities. Instead of traditional pumpkin or pecan pie we had tri-layer red velvet cake from Irving's in New Jersey. YUM! Mom has a way with people and she really got a deal on it. Sadly the candles didn't make it through much of the songs and there was one corner of the cake that had an ember burning a hole in it. Still, it's a Nielsen tradition to sing absolutely every birthday song you know, so in the end she only had one candle to blow out.

Even with all the kitchen duties I had snippets of time to ponder on my blessings. I was surrounded by family and good friends not to mention some of my favorite foods. We had wonderful conversation and it may sound ridiculous, but I'm grateful to have a day just to eat good food and give thanks. Thank you Thanksgiving Day!