Friday, January 23, 2009

Have You Ever?

I caught this on Tiff's blog, and it involves very little thinking on my part. So if my kids cooperate (i.e., don't fuss at me while I try to do this), I'll play along. You are supposed to highlight the things you have done, and supposedly this is a list of things that people should do in life before they die. The red items are what I've accomplished (so far!) in my life.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower (on our friend's roof!)
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/ world
8. Climbed a mountain (if Sumas Mtn. counts)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (in the 3rd grade Christmas program. Back when they were called Christmas programs)
11. Bungee jumped (this item will never be check off on my list)
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked (sorry Mom! It was someone I knew. Does that count?)
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (it doesn't take money)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving/ snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served in a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood/ platelets (Nope, I get nauseous. But I have volunteered & given out cookies & juice!)
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar (nasty stuff)
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the changing of the guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Been to the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (One fish. And then I couldn't eat fish for nearly 20 years.)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Potpourri

I've been busy with our new schedule in the new year. I work two long days, and John's taken on additional work a few nights a week, so we don't see each other (or have help with kids) Monday through Thursday. It's temporary and necessary, and probably makes us appreciate each other more when we are all together. This means my house is (incredibly) messier, dinners are less homemade, and I'll probably be blogging less.

Here are a couple photos from the last few weeks, to catch you up on our lives.
Sara has started climbing everything, and is so fascinated with our dishwasher. Daddy wasn't watching quite as closely, and suddenly she was up & inside it.
Sara is definitely an avid eater. She can polish off a banana at speeds you wouldn't believe, and here you can see her munching on whole wheat pasta circles, and begging for more of John's Blizzard ice cream (he was too slow!).
Liam got some Christmas money, so we went to a great toy store in Lynden. He had his choice of so many great educational toys. THIS is what he chose. Yep. He's a five year old.

Liam was a shepherd in our church's Christmas program. He had several verses to read, and did a great job.







Monday, January 12, 2009

Look Out World!

Sara has figured out that she can walk, and is putting those feet to good work. Here's a video John caught this evening while I was at work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rd6D3YWnc8k

Monday, January 5, 2009

My Two Oldest Kids Sledding


So I've been a bad blogger - it's been too long since I've put anything up on here. That's what happens when your baby has a fever & clings to you for a couple days straight - not a lot of free time to type (plus it's even more challenging when Sara tries to "help" me type). I'm not going to make up for it all tonight, but I'll try to put up this great video from a snowy Christmas day at my Mom's, plus a few photos.
We had a very white Christmas, up to two feet deep by some accounts. This, of course, meant that the kids (Liam and my cousin Jack, all bundled up in the photo), and the "big kids" (my husband John, Alison, Emily, Jacob & Jeff) had to go out and play in it. I love that John's right out there in the middle of the action, because (1) Liam loves playing with Daddy, and (2) it means Mommy gets to stay inside where it's warm & dry.

The video is from John's point of view as he and Liam go down the hill at Grandma's house on our sled. Well, John goes all the way down. Liam gets lost on the way, but both of them laugh through the whole trip. I'm so thrilled they captured this moment on video, so we can listen to the giggles over & over again.
Alright, it's too late at night for me to be fussing with a video that doesn't want to upload. So if you want to see the video, go to http://www.youtube.com/ and search for '4swedbergs'. Or see if this link works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N1Y3i1NVrM . Enjoy!