Family Photos

I know there are a ton of pictures in these posts... but I was just at Mom's and I uploaded a bunch so they are sitting as drafts waiting to be written about and posted.

You are lucky enough to have the pleasure of looking through a little bit of Jansen family history in the form of family photos. I may be a bit biased, but some of them are pretty cute. Absolutely adorable in fact. Sometimes I dream about being there when we were all little. Does that make sense?? What I would give to go back in time and sit and watch us all interact and be little again. I wonder what it was like. I wonder what I would think of us. I wonder if it would make me like my siblings more or less. I wonder what kind of perspective I would gain from it.

Ok, photo number 1. Circa 1987. The little one in the bonnet is me. How cute am I?! Super Cute. My mom actually gave me that exact outfit this weekend and I am planning on putting it on every single baby girl I have. Look at Jonathan and Zac... they're the two little gaffers in the front in the blue. How cute are they??

The infamous front-step-photos. You may recognize the house because my parents still live there. They moved in when my mom was pregnant with me. Can you imagine moving with six kids while you are pregnant? That does not sound like fun to me. Look at how good my mama looks! Seriously. This was in 1989... probably in June judging by how little Justin is. Lindsey and I don't appear to be enjoying ourselves very much.

This is an awful picture, but I included it to draw attention to the sofa we are all sitting on (I can't believe how easily "sofa" ran off my tongue... I never call it a sofa!). My mother, the pack-rat, decided to just throw the thing out one day. I'm pretty sure they had it for over 30 years and she just tossed it one day. Go mom!!! I walked into a whole new living room this Thanksgiving. Now we just have to get rid of the love seat that goes with it. The only problem is that I love those couches... they are so comfortable!

I'm pretty sure this is at one of my aunt's weddings and I'm fairly certain Mom is pregnant with Benjamin. You probably shouldn't quote me on that one though. Can you imagine your mother telling you she's pregnant when you are 19?? At the present moment Sharlene is 38 (don't tell her I told you) and Benjamin is 18. Crazy eh? Back to the photo... Jonathan = typical... and adorable. I love Justin's little sailor outfit. The little boys happen to be wearing the same t-shirts as two photos above... and I remember wearing that dress. Could this have been Auntie Ange's wedding?? I'm not sure.

I specifically remember having these photos taken. This was just after Sharlene's engagement. Benny Boy has finally made his way into the world thus completing our immediate family.

Visiting Oma and Opa Jansen and Great-Oma and Great-Opa Jansen in Edmonton. Four generations of Anthonie/y Jansens were present at this photo session. Precious eh? I remember visiting the greats every time we visited Edmonton. I didn't even hate those visits even though we were all cramped in a room listening to the adults speaking dutch. Shar's missing from the photo because she already had a baby of her own and no longer came on family trips with us.

At the homestead. 1995. Christmas-time. Look at how cute Jessica and Kaitlyn are! They, for those of you who don't know, are my nieces. They are no longer cute, but are now beautiful young women. Scary thought. I remember Mom coordinating what we all wore and sticking me in a bright red sweater. She apparently thought it wouldn't stick out with all the denim. I beg to differ Mama. At least it draws attention away from the doll on the floor next to us.

Dutch man's photo editing... See how my mother neatly cut out pictures of Anthony and Jonathan and literally pasted them on top of another photo? That's what happens when there are nine of you and it's cold outside. It's hard to all smile in unison, especially when the only incentive is my mother saying it will make a nice photo. Back to her photo shop skills. So funny! She stuck it in an album like that. I laugh every time I look at it.

This was probably in some winter month. Aren't those curtains psychedelic? Mom just got rid of them a couple months ago, just before throwing out the beloved couch - she's been gung-ho lately. I have braces in this photo, that's why my teeth are shining.

And this picture was taken at Anthony's wedding - the first of many weddings for our family. We decided to sit like this to poke fun at my mom's family because they always sat like this in family photos. I actually love this picture though! Serves us right for mocking my Oma! She had 11 children so I guess she figured out what worked. In case you can't tell, we are sitting from youngest to oldest. The difference between this picture and all my Oma's is that we are not all wearing the same outfit. Or clothes made of the same fabric. 

All of our  family photos since then have been taken at weddings. The most recent photo was from my wedding. I don't have it on this computer, but I'm sure you've all seen it. We need a non-wedding family photo. The problem is, we are hardly ever all together. Oh wait! We do have a more recent family photo! It's from my Opa's birthday! You can see it here. But in all seriousness, I think it's time for a family photo taken by real photographers. The only problem is.... when are we all going to be home?

proud auntie

I think I have the cutest nieces and nephews. Look at little Hailey Jade! She's almost 4 months old and is just adorable. She loves chatting and screeching. She is so tiny, but somehow has the most delicious cheeks. She is just so easy to love. 

It is amazing how much joy a little person can bring to a family. Countless hours were spent huddled around Hailey trying to make her smile and giggle. We think she's the best.

My Love of Onesies

 I think I can attribute my intense love of onesies to wearing them until I was 15. Ok. Maybe just until I was six. How cute are we??

love for my brothers

My brothers had a volleyball tournament this weekend. I came equipped with signs to cheer them on! I don't have a picture of my sign for Benny Boy, but there was one for him. They are in the same league so they will be playing against each other this year. The team Joel coaches also happened to be there so I got to watch all three of their teams play.

Justin wasn't as excited about his sign... that may have to do with the game he had just played though.

At the game I was sitting near some first year college students and man did it make me feel old! I know I'm not, but it was bizarre. I am in my sixth year of university though. I'm bound to start feeling out of place at some point. Ok. Off to bed!

from the back of the closet.

This weekend Lindsey and I pulled out our old grad dresses and tried them on. I think Lindsey said she's gained a solid 3 lbs since high school... which was 11 years ago for her!!! Needless to say, it was no surprise her grad dress fit her like a glove.

My dress, on the other hand, didn't fit so well. I have gained quite a bit more than Lindsey has since graduating only five years ago, but, I was impressed that mine almost fit. It was a bit of a squeeze in some areas, but it zipped all the way up.

I'm making this picture small, but I couldn't stop laughing. My bust was busting out!!!! It may be a little to revealing and I apologize for that, but seriously... it's hilarious. There are other pictures that worked better, but you can imagine that they would not be quite as appropriate to post.

And here we are together.

woops

I just wasted my morning. And I didn't waste my morning in the "I just sewed my baby girl a quilt" sort of way, but in the "I have sat staring at the computer screen for the past six hours and typed a page" sort of way. I should look on the bright side, I typed a page! And now I have the rest of the weekend to finish my 15 page paper. Thanksgiving weekend at home. With my family. This weekend is even more special because my father turns the big 6-0 tomorrow. SIXTY! And my niece turns 17. Yup, I did just say niece and 17 in the same sentence. Hard to believe.

having my hubby home

Having Erik home every evening is something I need to get used to. As suspected, it isn't the easiest transition. You'd think that I would adore the extra time together, and I definitely do, but it throws a wrench into things.

For example, I am very undisciplined when he is around. He would argue that I am always undisciplined but that just isn't true. I would rather hang out with him than do my homework Or he interrupts me for a simple question and we get to chatting for hours. Or he interrupts me when I am in my groove and I get instantly irritated. I have never had to do this! I have either been single and had all the time in the world, or been married and had an absent-in-the-evening husband.

It's also hard to get used to him being around when I don't have homework to do. We have to share space! He'll want to play guitar but I will want to listen to something or to watch something and we have to compromise! Or I'll want to knit and he'll want to go for a walk together. Or he'll be clanging in the kitchen and I'll be wanting quiet while I read (though I am so thankful for his clanging).

It is SO wonderful having weekends off together. I love love love that. Poor Erik has had to deal with me babysitting the past two weekends. Maelle came for her first sleepover at my house the last weekend of September. I know having babies around all the time isn't Erik's favorite thing in the world, but he does love my girls - especially Sawyer now that she's older and can play with him.

Back to the moral of the story. It is a big adjustment having Erik home on evenings and weekends. It is difficult at times, but it is an adjustment I LOVE and am so excited to make. Change is good. It's very good.

"mom" for a weekend.

I got to play mom for the weekend to a little three-month-old! Actually, he is a gargantuan three-month-old. He is Sawyer's bigger younger cousin who we endearingly named "Fat Jon".

This weekend also happened to be one of our busiest! Poor Jon was hardly at our house! On Friday night we had a bbq at school for Africa. On Saturday morning we went to the Farmer's Market because Erik was doing something for work. Then we spent Saturday afternoon baking 30 apple pies for a grad fundraiser with two of my friends. And we had a young adults movie night on Saturday night. We had a nice low-key Sunday though to make up for the busyness of the previous days.

I enjoyed having a little one all weekend. I have to say that it is definitely easier to care for "your" babies. I know Sawyer and Maelle aren't my own, but they are my babies. I know them. I know what they need and I know how to comfort them. I know what their different cries mean and can predict how they will respond in certain situations. With little Jon I wasn't so sure. I just met him when we picked him up and all I had to go off of was a detailed outline from his Mama.

I didn't know how he would respond if he missed a nap or if he had to sleep in his car seat at some point because there was no where to lie him down. I didn't know if he needed to be burped half way through his bottle or if he would scream at me if I interrupted his feed. I know that these may not seem important, but they are when you have a three-month-old with a powerful set of lungs.

Also, it is easier to tolerate screaming from a baby you know and dearly love. Now, Jon didn't cry too much so this wasn't an issue, but when he did I was aware of how quickly his crying wore me down. I should clarify that this was quicker relative to my babies. I think I have a high tolerance for children inconsolably screaming in my ear. I will admit that I had to put him in his bed for a couple minutes because I just didn't know what to do! I felt like a bad babysitter, but I figured that if he screamed as much in my arms as he did on his own I would put him down so we didn't both get worked up. Don't worry, I did come back and try again about 3 minutes later, but I just needed a couple minutes to breathe.

Jon had some of the best smiles! They were open mouthed grins that lit up his entire face! It was awesome. His cousin, Sawyer, and her mom slept over the second night and they had fun "playing" with each other. They really just "talked" and grabbed at each other. Or rather, she grabbed at him and tried to eat him and he tolerated her. It's funny how fascinated babies are by each other.

Well. That's all the energy I have for now. It's time for bed.

sick to my stomach

I cannot find my camera and it makes me feel sick to my stomach. I have looked everywhere. Every single place I can think of. I even made Erik go driving to everywhere I was yesterday to look for it. I remember taking a picture in the grass by the mall and then we got into the car and came home. It disappeared some time between the picture and home. I can't imagine myself forgetting it on the ground, but it is no where!!

I think it might be lost.

And that makes me sick.

I don't care about the camera so much as the memory card full of pictures. I had 847 photos that are NOT uploaded onto my computer because, well, my computer is on the fritz. I have nothing from Maelle's birth on.

Barf.

It's Official

I'm going to Africa!!!!!

Got my acceptance letter this morning and I am giddy with excitement. I knew I wouldn't be rejected, but I feel as though it's that much more real now. Now I just have to find out where I am going (Ghana or Zambia) and who I am going with. But those are just details because, let's be honest, it really only matters that I'm going. To Africa. Yippee.

bah

My computer is on the fritz, thus the lack of posting. I am still alive though.

The Girl Effect

my weekend

I love having classes three days a week. It makes for a lovely long weekend every single weekend. I know that starting this week I will need to use that weekend for productive things like homework and group meetings, but this past weekend I got to enjoy friends.

It started with a breakfast date and then thrifting with these two lovely ladies. Bean is learning how to sit. She can sit unsupported if she is folded in half. It is super cute!

She is also just starting solids. It makes for yucky poops, but watching her eat is oh so adorable. Check out her little forearms in the picture below. They are my favorite! They look even bigger in person so I call them her popeye arms.

This weekend we were also blessed with the unexpected and much appreciated gift of a blender/food processor and a little deep freeze!! The blender is glass (hurray!) and the deep freeze is w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l. Guess where my plums are going. And hopefully a deer that Sawyer's daddy is going to hunt for us.

We also had the pleasure of going to a concert. Our friends from college were in town at a little cafe playing. It was so good to see them again and to meet their son, Henry. He's 5.5 months and he sat through the entire concert! He even be-bopped to the music. It was so fun to watch how they interacted with him while they were singing. He was sitting with me in the front row for the second set and he was loving their attention. I may have had some tears in my eyes while they sang one of their songs and they were both focused entirely on him.  I felt like I was imposing on an intimate family moment.

Erik adored Henry. Probably cause he didn't cry or smell bad. Not that Erik discriminates against crying or smelly babies, but he does seem to prefer the happy ones.

And I got to spend one evening with my little miss. Her and her mama were sick so I came to snuggle with her in the evening. Poor little girl was congested, but she was mostly happy. Look at how exhausted she looks! Poor thing. Apparently she slept well after I left. I'm so glad! Her mama definitely needed some sleep... so did papa cause he had to work in the morning. I don't want to give the impression that he isn't helpful at home because he definitely is.  

 

peaches, plums and case workers

It has been a productive day in the Olson household. Now that is something you don't hear every day!

I had class today. Then I came home and canned 20 lbs of peaches. Then I prepped for making some peach jam tomorrow. And I picked plums. Lots and lots of plums.

Erik got a new job!!!! My beloved husband is now a case worker. Well... he starts Wednesday. This is very exciting for him.. For both of us actually. It means he will be home every evening and that we may actually see each other every day! It will be a bit of an adjustment for me because I am used to being able to go see my babies any time I want, but I'm excited to spend more time with my husband.

I counted up the days we were together this summer... we were together for 40 of the last 95 days. And that's including days that we saw an hour of each other because of our work schedules. 40 days!!! That's it! Oh man, we are so thankful to finally have each other back. This will be the first time in our married life that we have been on similar schedules. It will only last four months so I am going to enjoy it!

(I say only four months because then I'm going to be in practicums again, then I graduate and who knows what work will be like after that).

Why not?

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

Letter of Intent

Not going so well. My computer keeps shutting off on me and then I do silly things like go on facebook or check blogs over and over in case someone updated. So much for getting into the swing of things quickly. I am about half-way through my letter and it has been ok so far, but the rest is not as interesting. My goal is to be done in two hours. Which would be amazing because it took about 14 hours of sitting here to write the first half. Here's to hoping.

Update:

It's only 7:30pm and I am done!!! Well, my hubby is hopefully going to edit it tonight, but I am done! One read over tomorrow am and I should be good to go... If I'm accepted that is. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.

Transit and Africa - though not related.

The bus routes in town changed and my ride to school is now absolutely painful!! Instead of taking a fairly direct route from my home to the mall to the school I now have to go through Rutland. This means nothing to most of you, but Lauren understands. Rutland = Stopping every 30 meters. Like I said, painful. More stopping equals more people. Many more people. The driver had to skip the last 10 stops because there was no room on the bus to pick up the waiting students. They didn't even think to pull out the double decker for the occasion of school starting. The ride home was even more painful because I wasn't lucky enough to grab a seat. I think I'm going to have to suck it up and transfer to a different but even though the whole trip will take a bit longer. I refuse to take that bus again.

Tummy Time during our Sleepover

Now the more exciting part of the post (for me at least). I am currently in the early stages of writing my Letter of Intent for an international practicum in Africa!!!! The letter is due on Wednesday so I really need to get on it, but I have been so busy (excuses, excuses). I am so excited!!! I'm fairly certain I won't be rejected, but you never know so I'm trying not to get too excited. Also, I need to save up a whole lot of money to be able to afford the trip. Some of you may remember that Lauren went on the same trip last year. It's 6-7 weeks in Africa and I get credit for it! Who would pass that up??? I don't know where I want to go yet - the options are Zambia or Ghana. It kind of depends who I'm going with. I know that's selfish, but it's true.  I'll write more on this later, I'm sure. For now I should get back to writing my letter of intent. Woohoo!!!

Someone's teething so she chomps on everything!

Fiber Arts: my shawl and attempting dpns

I have a bit of a confession to make: I love shawls. Hence this little beauty I made a couple weeks ago. I thoroughly enjoyed this little project. It was simple and I could change my stitch whenever I pleased.

I hope to make another one soon out of all sorts of stitches that I have yet to learn. It will be nice to get some practice in and I think it would make a wonderfully textured effect. I can't wait!!

A couple days ago I attempted double pointed needles for the first time ever. Talk about intimidating!!! And confusing at first. There is so much more to keep track of when you have five needles in play rather than two, but I held my own and picked it up quickly.

As you can see, I managed to get out of my housecoat this day and actually got dressed... but I didn't get far from my computer.

I made two little hats. I'm starting to store up a little collection so I can sell some of my stuff at one of the hospital christmas craft fairs this year. We'll see if I actually have enough to set up a little table. I'm not holding my breath as I tend to give away everything I make before it is even finished.

As you can see... there are a lot of needles to keep track of!

ps. I did can those peaches.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. 

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take a listen

I first heard this song on SYTYCD and loved it. I somehow stumbled across it again a couple days ago and am still loving it.

convertibles and helmets

Am I the only person who feels that people in convertibles should be wearing helmets? Every time I see someone driving one I feel like they legally need to wear helmets. I have a visceral response to seeing them, especially with children in the car, and I feel as though helmets are necessary precautions. I feel like they need to wear helmets... until I remember that they don't. And then I shake my head and think they should wear them anyway.

lazy to the power of seven

I am so lazy.

lazy lazy lazy

picture this:
me sitting at my computer
in my housecoat
with my feet up on a chair
watching tv online
and knitting

times infinity.

seriously times infinity.
or at least times lazy to the power of seven.
or nine.

my friend was over yesterday and i wanted her to leave so i could go back to sitting on my derriere watching prison break.

prison break = vile human being 
  friendship

ok. so i may be exaggerating a tiny bit, but you'd be surprised by how little.

what's my deal??

on the list for today: canning peaches.
here's to hoping.

New Mom's

There is nothing like watching a new momma navigate motherhood. Ok. Watching a new baby is pretty special too, but I LOVE new mommas. I love all mommas, but new momma's are just something else.

It's like watching a young'n play. You know what I'm talking about... when they are finally interacting with the things around them. Every sound is fascinating to them. Every new texture or smell. The simplest of things are awe-inspiring and each new discovery requires their undivided attention.

New moms are kind of like that. They delight in every new sound their baby makes. They stare at each little feature in complete awe and amazement. They can spend hours munching on little baby toes and kissing little baby noses. Every little thing is deserving of an 'ooh' or an 'awwh'.  

New moms are charmingly overprotective and lovingly hesitant with their babes. They are often uncertain, but quickly learn how to comfortably hold their newborn and how to calm them. It doesn't even matter if they have had a lot of experience with other people's children because this is their baby. They are the momma instead of being the auntie or friend. The momma. And there is something special about momma's.

Another thing I love is how they marvel at the perfection of their child. They are deliriously happy and cannot believe that they could take part in creating such a perfect little being. They radiate joy and pride even when they are more exhausted than they could ever imagine.

It's really something wonderful.

Barefoot Skiing

I had heard of barefoot skiing prior to camping a couple weeks ago, but I had never seen it done. One of our church members is quite skilled in the sport and we were able to come along for a ride and watch him. Wow. It was amazing. As you can see in the first photo, he would start face down with his feet in the rope. Then, the driver would gun it and he would eventually somehow manage to pop up onto his feet. Talk about a sinus flush!

It was incredible (and terrifying) to watch him because everything looked so easy - even recovering from losing his balance and being dragged by his feet.

Erik even got to try it out, which he was pretty pleased about. When you're a beginner you just use the boom and you start by holding on and being dragged with your feet in the water. You then have to rotate your hips while the boat is going fast and somehow get your feet in front of you before slowly standing up on them. Then it's pretty much just like skiing, lean back with your arms straight, but you have to keep your toes curled up so that you don't lose one. Erik managed to get up and actually ski on his first attempt, which surprised all of us. So much so, in fact, that he hadn't been taught how to fall when we got to the end of the lake. We were quickly approaching the shoreline so Dan was yelling at Erik to sit down and let go. Erik only heard the let go part so he stood straight up and let go... it was funny and a little bit painful to watch as he bailed hard.

Even managing a smile for the camera.

His thigh was so bruised the next day... and the bottoms of his feet hurt (understandably). They were a bit swollen and were very sensitive. But I think it was worth it.
This is a video of the end of Erik's last run. The quality on these blog video's isn't so good, but you'll get the point.

HA

Seriously. Try looking at this photo without chuckling... it's impossible.

Two Years

Our second anniversary was last week. We celebrated in our usual fashion... apart. Erik worked and I drove down to visit my SIL.

august 24, 2008

The past two years have f.l.o.w.n by and I have loved every minute of it. I often marvel at how blessed I am to have Erik as my husband. He is pretty special. I often laugh because he is not the man I "wanted" to marry; he's not the man of my dreams. God knows better than we do though (thankfully) because Erik far exceeds any expectation I had of a husband. Before I met him, I did not know people like that existed. He is by far the most genuine man I have ever met. He is joyful, compassionate, loyal, supportive, sensitive, hilarious, hopeful, and patient. He never fails to tell me I am beautiful, but more than that, he makes me feel beautiful. He is nonjudgmental and forgiving. He makes me feel safe and loved. I know that there is nothing that would make him love me less. He sees the best in me and encourages me to become more than I already am. He communicates so well and his emotions do not alter his judgment. He knows me and he still loves me. He loves me even more because he knows me.

august 24, 2010

We celebrated our anniversary on the 29th by what has become a bit of a tradition... we read our vows to each other and reminisced about the year. We also went to Cirque Du Soleil which was amazing! We will definitely have to do that again sometime.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

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