Oi

Before you ask "What was Danika doing?" when you view these photos allow me to explain. In general, I don't believe in toys. They cost money, make a mess and stunt imagination. Not having a load of toys for my girls also motivates me to get out of the house and do things with them. As such, the girls are pretty good at coming up with their own entertainment around here. Ireland really likes to play with the pots and pans and shut herself in the cupboard. Hearing her bang around in the kitchen isn't unusual.

Apparently Brent did some rearranging a few days ago. He moved the cake flour from high on a shelf to inside one of the lower cupboards. If Ireland gets into anything, it's the cereal... she's never even attempted anything else. Also, Liesel is a pretty good snitch. Not much goes down without my knowing it around here. All these things created the perfect storm.

I'd heard the banging of pots and pans for the last 10 minutes or so when Liesel was suddenly by my side. "Uhmmm, Ireland's makin' a MESS" reported my favorite informant. She often says this when Ireland had just pulled a few pots and pans out onto the floor. Still, I thought I'd better check it out and was met with this scene:

When I pulled out the camera Ireland immediately cracked a smile and said "CHEESE!" as if she were so very proud of what she had done.

As the video shows, Liesel also aknowledges when Ireland "cleans up" so I guess she's not a total snitch! Oi, anyone know how to get cake flour out of a tulle skirt?

A Happy Video

While catching up on my blog reading, I came across this video from Design Mom. I loved the simplicity and sincerity of the story. Brent is an all-round sports fan but he has a special place in his heart for soccer. He really enjoyed playing as a kid and definitely wants our girls to have the same opportunity (I'm more partial to baseball). I kept the page up and made a mental note to show the video to Brent when we had a quiet moment that evening. That moment came just before we went to bed. I handed Brent the laptop and headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth and slather on some lotion.

I think Brent was secretly annoyed with me. He was already in bed, on the verge of getting some much-needed rest. But when I glanced over at him, the light from the laptop was splashed across his face. He was smiling slightly, with bright eyes. I could almost see the images of him as a little soccer player running through his head. He looked oh so angelic with his pale skin and blond hair. Needless to say, he loved the video too and let me know he appreciated me showing it to him.

Now watching this video makes me happy for a whole new reason!

No Place Like Home

After vacationing away most of August, I'm happy to report we are back in sweet home Chicago! The massive pile of mail glares at me menacingly from the dining room table. Travel kits need to be restocked and luggage stowed away. The packet from preschool information night whines to be read. Our DVR is bloated with the last few weeks episodes of The Closer, So You Think You Can Dance, Toddlers and Tiaras, and Selling New York. My google reader tells me I have over 250 posts to read, ponder and pin to my Pinterest boards. And then there is my own blogging. Our travels brought us so many photo ops and stories, I hardly know where to begin. There is so very much to do as autumn creeps up on me and I'm forced to relax my grip on the days of summer.

As sad as I am for this summer to end, I cannot adequately express how wonderful it feels to sleep in my own bed again! Ireland has been my bed-fellow for the last week and a half. For a tiny creature, she sure has a knack for knocking me around in the middle of the night! Once again feeling Brent slide his warm hands around my waist and pull me next to him is heaven. I even missed my kitchen and am happy to forgo restaurant eating for the time being. The girls are slowly getting back into their much-needed routines. Thoughts of school, Halloween and even Christmas gifts are tugging at my mind. For my 3 readers out there, don't look for a slew of catch-up posts just yet. I'm going to sip some lemonade, enjoy a fiery sunset and maybe take the girls to the beach one last time. I'm not ready to say goodbye to summer just yet...

Little Road Warrior

Liesel was the most delightful travel companion. She's old enough to take off her own shoes at security, she's potty trained enough to "hold it" if need be, and she has an innocent and child-like wonder at the whole experience. Because we live relatively close to O'Hare there are often planes flying by overhead. After months of pointing them out to Liesel, she was jumping at the chance to ride on one herself.

I've never seen anyone so intently interested in the safety information!

At security they asked her for her name so she told them her first name. Then she gave her full name. Then she spelled her full name. Then seeing I provided ID, she asked for her "credit card" so I gave her the American Airline frequent flyer card. She very seriously gave this to the TSA worker who obligingly furrowed his brow as he reviewed it. Once she walked through security she ran back through it to hold Ireland's hand and help her through.

No really, she was very very interested!

During boarding I warned to her watch her step getting onto the plane. When it was our turn she loudly announced, "Okay Mom, watch your step! We don't wanna fall! Be careful, okay?" The pace of her chatter only increased as we took off. I tried to prep her beforehand by explaining we'd go fast, fast, fast and then the plane would tip up and we'd be in the air. As the plane sped up she said over and over, "We're going fast, fast, fast! Fast, fast, fast! Fast, Fast, Fast! Fast, FAST, FAST!!! HEEERE WEEE GOOO!!!" Everyone around us laughed and one man looked back at her and smiled. When you think about it, flying really is an incredible experience! I so wish I could have recorded her reaction to flying but ya know.. "all electronic devices must be turned off and stowed..."

It was almost better than a Dr. Seuss book!

I similarly prepared her for landing and warned her there might be a bump. Sometimes those can be more of a violent jolt than a bump but we got lucky on both flights. Of her own volition she wildly clapped upon landing. From what I understand, that used to be standard practice on any flight. Don't you think we should bring it back? I think one of the biggest thrills for Liesel was seeing other planes so up close from her little window.

I would fly with Liesel any day, she truly was a delight. Ireland was much more of a challenge. She's in the midst of teething and sitting on Mom's lap is only fun for about 20 min. For the flight home I kept her up all day and then gave her some Benadryl so she'd be nice and tired. She was indeed crazy tired the ENTIRE flight! She finally gave in to her exhaustion during landing and fell asleep. *sigh* Give her a couple more years and I'm sure she'll be a pro just like her big sister.

Me and My Girls

I recently received some advice to be sure and take pictures not only OF the girls, but of me AND the girls. Initally I brushed it off... I carry a camera with me just about everywhere so obviously I have pictures of me with my girls, right? Then I started looking at my photos and realized she's right. Turns out I have thousands of photos of the girls and lots of them with their dad, but just a handful of me with them. After taking a few photos of Reagan's family, I quickly handed her my camera and asked her to snap some shots of me with Liesel and Ireland. She generously obliged.
It's funny how tan I look next to them when I'm really not tan at all! Reagan commented that "Hitler would have loved your children." With the German surname, cream-cheese skin, light hair, blue eyes, I guess she's right. Disturbing thought though...

Memo to Me, Memo to Me

Do NOT leave the camera where Reagan can get a hold of it...

Cupcake Wars- Truce

As we made plans for our vacation out west, it was a no-brainer that I'd sneak in some time to make cupcakes with Reagan. I really wanted to try out this sunflower version which also happen to be Reagan's favorite flower. So happy, so fun, such a good use of an Oreo!

The only problem is that I chose buttermilk frosting which sounds delicious, but lacks the stiffness necessary to make a good petal. When we refrigerated it, the petals separated into a stringy mess. Reagan discovered that by just using the Oreo top rather than the entire double-stuffed Oreo the petals didn't have quite as far to wilt. She also insisted on adding the ladybugs which I initially didn't think were all that big of a deal. In the end, they were the perfect touch.

As you can see, our eldest daughters were more than happy with the results. While we're happy with the results, Reagan and I would both like to try this one again using regular frosting.

I mentioned this latest cupcake project to my sister Katrina who expressed an interest in joining the fray. When I asked why she didn't jump in from the start, she reminded me the summer is a bit crazy with her tinies running around. Now that school is in session, I'm looking forward to seeing her cupcake masterpieces! I think Lisa should join as well... that way she can stop helping Reagan with hers and mine just might have a chance of winning :)

Stay tuned for the next challenge...

Cousins

Once a month I feel a strong desire to move to the mountain west. That impulse always occurs around the time my siblings have family dinner together. Usually I get pix messages of the cousins together with some witty comment. Nielsen humor is kind of unique, and we all think we're totally hilarious. Occasionally an outsider appreciates it too but for the most part we all just GET each other and it's always a good time. The cousins love spending time together. Liesel and Ireland are no exception. They thoroughly enjoyed their Utah cousins and it warmed the cockles of my heart to see them all interact. All my siblings have different parenting techniques but somehow there is a connective tissue.

Ireland and her cohort Isaiah. They aren't really on each
other's radar yet... this is the best pic of them together before
Ireland ran for my legs and Isaiah ran for Katrina.

Liesel and her cohort Sam. They are somewhat on each
other's radar and bond over candy (in the sacks).

I was fortunate that the Utah relatives had a family dinner while we were in town. Nothing big or fancy but then again, not much is needed for us to have a good time. Brent was really bummed to miss out but hey, he had to go back to work sometime! 

Initially I just wanted a picture of Abigail and Eli (who are best friends). When I
made the request Abigail noticed Noah standing nearby and said, "That's fine,
but then can we get a picture with all of us?" I thought that was so sweet that she
wanted to make sure he wasn't left out. When I got to the picnic Noah ran up and
gave me a hug. We'd just dropped Brent off at the airport and I actually needed a
hug pretty badly. What a great kid.

Piper is "surfing" on the teeter totter. The two boys weighed enough to bounce
Liesel a bit which made her laugh heartily.

I already can't wait to see these guys again and I know my girls feel the same!

Temple Square

For Brent's last day in town we decided to head up to Salt Lake City to see Temple Square and squeeze in a little family time. We didn't make it to see a taping of Music and the Spoken Word but didn't mind just walking around the grounds. Unfortunately Ireland and I came down with some kind of bug. We stopped at just about every bench we came across to rest. Poor Ireland didn't get much out of Temple Square.

Liesel on the other hand was thrilled to "go to the temple and meet Jesus." Yeah, I perhaps set up some expectations I shouldn't have. I thought she would be happy with taking pictures outside the temple and seeing the Christus. Nope! She firmly believed we were going IN the temple to MEET Jesus. As we headed towards the car she sadly said, "But Mom, I'm wearing my dress." As if I wasn't feeling crappy enough! Her simple faith really stunned me. I'm happy to report she has since bounced back and is determined to get married in the temple... so she can "meet Jesus."

As soon as we got to the Christus, Brent asked if we were going to get a photo. I hung out on the benches for a little while, waiting to spot someone with a large-ish camera that would do a good job. I finally spied a very friendly lady with said large camera. I had to laugh when I realized she had cut off Jesus' head while leaving plenty of carpet at our feet! It's still a good photo though and I'm glad we have it.

I don't know how long this has been on display but I absolutely love it. It's a cross-section of the temple so visitors can see what the inside looks like. Completely brilliant!

We sadly took Brent to the airport and said our goodbyes. I'm happy I was able to spend more time with my family and friends and the girls loved the time with their cousins. Still, our family just isn't the same when we aren't together and we all missed Dad quite a bit.

Tolman Family Reunion

Months ago we heard about plans for a family reunion on Brent's mother's side of the family. Due to a change in the timing of the reunion, we were able to tie it in with our trip out west. We caravaned with the California Wuehlers up to Twin Falls, ID. The 4 1/2 hour trip flew by for Liesel who rode in the minivan (complete with dvd player).

Upon arrival, the girls were eager to work out the kinks out in the hotel pool and hot tub.

Aunt Jennifer seemed to have a really special connection with Liesel while Aunt Julie toted Ireland around most of the time.

The reunion itself was really wonderful. It was incredibly well-planned with lots of activities for all ages. Brent stayed up late into the night playing games and chatting with family. I got to know lots of people I'd only seen in passing during our wedding reception. It was nice to put names with faces after years of stories from Brent. Somehow I managed to forget the charger to my camera and the battery died not long after we arrived. Sad!

We had a picnic at Shoshone Falls which is really beautiful. Because Brent was flying out on Sunday, we could only make it for 2 days of the reunion. Before heading back to SLC, we were able to see the graves of his grandparents and the home where they lived. I know getting family together was extremely important to Grandpa Tolman so I'm happy we could make it!

Bear Lake

Old friends are the greatest gifts in this life. Brent and I are fortunate to have a group of college friends we vacation with every couple of years. The core group is made up of Brent's roommates and a few others (like myself) who were in the same ward. A couple of spouses round out the crowd. We call ourselves the SNCP: Solid Nucleus of Cool People. It's a great group of friends to have. Over the years whenever the topic of a trip with the SNCP has come up, our response has been unanimous-- we're going. Whatever the location, whatever the cost, come hell or high water we are making it a priority to be with these people. We've never regretted it.

Liesel and Ella singing "Happy Birthday" and then jumping onto the ground in a gale of laughter.

Ireland loved climbing up and down the stairs at the condo, on the chairs and on the tables.
Life has had some funny twists and turns for each of us. Somehow in spite of changes, we're all perfectly comfortable chatting in pjs over cereal. We joke about the past, talk about the future and thoroughly enjoy being together. Even when we haven't seen them for years, Brent and I miss them as soon as we say goodbye. We admire their marriages, the way they raise their children, their commitment to their faith, and the kind of people they are becoming. It's almost like I'm hoping all of that will come to me by osmosis if I just rub shoulders with them. The time we spend with these guys always has me laughing, thinking, and inspired. They are indeed the very best kind of friends.

Steve and Sara with little Ellie. These two are the most relaxed new parents I've ever seen. I was dying to hold that sweet baby and they graciously obliged.
Blair and Katrina. If we were pioneers I would seriously want Katrina in my wagon train. She's adorable but tough as nails when you get down to it.
This year's vacation was to Bear Lake in northern Utah. I got to ride a wave runner for the first time in my life. My teacher was a bit of a speed demon and my introduction to it left me screaming for my life. Once I was in control I started out a bit slow but worked my way up to 50 mph. Whenever a wake rolled towards me I tried to mentally attack it but chickened out every time. Regardless, that is definitely something I'm doing again! I wonder if you can rent a wave runner on Lake Michigan... We were repeatedly told to try the amazing raspberry shakes. They were quite tasty but the REAL find were the chocolate covered raspberries. I seriously ate 6 in one sitting without remorse.

On our last day there I got up to watch the sunrise over the lake. There had been a huge storm the night before so the quite calm was even more profound. My first attempt at a panoramic photo!

Who knows when and where our next SNCP trip will be, but I can promise it's not soon enough.

Logan Temple

On our way back from Bear Lake we stopped in Logan. A friend of mine told me about a museum done by the Daughters of the Mormon Pioneers (something like that). Apparently it has some sleigh bells given to/from the prophet Joseph Smith to/from Orrin Porter Rockwell. Rockwell is definitely one of my favorite people from church history. If we had a little boy I'd love to name him Porter but it sounds really strange with Wuehler. Obviously I don't have the detail down on those sleigh bells so while we were in the area I wanted to check it out. Turns out the museum was closed on Mondays. I was totally bummed.

Both Brent and I have family histories linking us to the Logan area. My grandparents lived in Logan for quite some time. Brent's parents were married in the Logan temple. After the disappointment of the museum, we couldn't resist a quick stop.

Gorgeous temple, gorgeous grounds!

The girls were thrilled to be out of their carseats for a bit.

Show Liesel a fountain, I will show you a happy girl.

A family snapshot. One of my favorites actually.

Afterwards we headed to Cafe Rio for lunch. Oh Cafe Rio, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways: one...two...three...four... no it's FIVE! I went to Cafe Rio five times during our vacation out west. I'm sure if one opened right around the corner from us here in Chicago I'd go maybe twice a year. Until then, I have to get as much of their insanely delicious food as I can when we're in the area.

Twirling

Oh how I love this little girl!