babies-r-us (love that store)

On our way home from Christmas up at mom and dad's house, Brandon and i stopped at a Babies R Us in Maple Grove. Oh, boy...i could spend hours in that store!! The first time Brandon and i went in one we were quite overwhelmed! That's a big store chalk full of all baby stuff! Pretty much everything you can think of for a little one. This time we were on a mission...we have been stock-piling money to go towards a stroller/car seat system. all those photo shoots this fall really helped with that!! and when Brandon sold one of his guitars in hopes of buying a new one...well, i convinced him we should buy some stuff for the baby instead! (sorry hun!)
We found a 3-wheeled stroller with a car seat that came together. We had looked at this one the first time we were there, and this time we brought it home! (good thing we borrowed Bruce's pickup to go up north with...i don't think that big box would have fit in my little car!!)

Of course Brandon put it together that night!!

Trying out the car seat...the little monkey we got from mom and dad worked perfect!!

Grey and Green...

As a Christmas gift from "Mom, Dad and the Kiddos" this is what was in the box. Lots of super cute baby things! Mom sewed the baby crib sheets (4 of them) and also the cute little burp cloths (rolled up next to the monkey).

Super Cute!! Thank you guys!
Oliver will love everything once he's finally here!

ana+paintball gun= brandon as the target

Brandon convinced me to go outside and shoot the paintball gun a couple of times...he just knew i was *dying* to go out to the woods with the guys and shoot at everyone!! But, being preggers, i didn't think that would be the safest thing! So i just practiced a few shots off to the trees.

Brandon thought i might get some enjoyment out of shooting him in the back with one of the yellow paintballs...oh, yes i did!!
thanks, hun, for being my target!!
(i slipped on one my sister's sweaters...it doesn't look like i'm pregnant!! guess i could have eaten more cookies!!)

oh, yeah...there is the spot i hit him!

Proudly showing it off!! Colter took the photos for me while i was having a blast!

Brandon...quite the funny man..."playing dead" in the snow!
Notice all the yellow paint in his beard...that was from the fight with the guys earlier...it hit his facemask and exploded yellow paint on his beard and his coat!!

more photos from Christmas...

Here are a couple photos of the paintball fights...

Brandon got shot in the back by my dad...

Colter took a paintball to the facemask...he also has quite the bruise on his leg. He's so skinny-mini that he bruised from not having any fat on his legs!!
He was *very* proud of his bruise!

Mom and Dad got the kids a Wii for Christmas...i'm not sure who enjoyed it more...Brandon or the kids!! Many hours of playing games and creating their own Mii's were spent playing over the weekend!

Snowboarding...this is a game that Brandon and i got for the kids once we found out they had received a Wii. Well, i'm thinking Brandon wanted to get it for them so he could play with it!!
Since i won't let him get one for our house...he has to get in as much time playing when he's up north or else visiting with his brother! Poor little fellow!

Colter...he received this cool looking hat from Nick for a gift...and wore it inside for the majority of the following day. Looked a little warm to me, but he liked it!

Colter and Brandon each received the game of Battleship. They were playing it together on Saturday morning...can you tell which board is my brother's?? Colter is just like Dad...cheating on games...but they always think it is soooo funny!!

And having little girls running all around the house, it's just a matter of time until they want to "beautify" someone! Brandon got picked on Sunday morning...Emma "decorated" his hair with lots of headbands that were a gift from Grandma Jan!!
Brandon just sat there and let her pile the headbands on his head and stretchy hair pieces around his wrist!
Silly girl!

paint ball guns + 5 guys = lots of fun

As Christmas gifts...mom and dad gave Nick, Jon and Brandon paintball guns. (Dad and Colter got one just for the fun of it!!) and did they all think that was the grandest thing the whole world! So, on Friday night after the gifts were opened...they all bundled up in warm (old) clothing and jackets and headed outside for a little fight!

Dad, Colter, Brandon and Jon
(Nick didn't play the first round because he didn't bring old play clothes.)

a few practice rounds...

Brandon said he would be their target...notice the paintball that grazed past his head and hit the shed! (the big orange splat!)

Here they are all aiming for the burning barrels...they were quite colourful at the end!

Heading out to the pasture to start their fight!

You can't see too well with this photo, but there are 3 guys out there.

Jon and Colter...sneaking their way to the enemy's territory.

baking for Christmas

Yesterday after work i made a quick stop at the grocery store and then went home and started baking! i love baking things...but i found that after working a full day and being preggers, you get tired out much faster while baking!! i managed to finish a few things....

pretzel rods dipped in white and dark chocolate and then sprinkled with nuts, sprinkles or coconut!

my all time favourite...coconut date balls!

and of course banana bread...not exactly typical Christmas baking food, but i love banana bread...and am eating a piece right now for breakfast!

so i should have enough to share with the Ankeny side of the family and the Ostrowski side of the family. Tonight brandon and i are joining the Ankeny's for Christmas Eve service at the methodist church and then going to grandma/grandpa Ankeny's house for soup with all of the family. And after that wraps up, heading over to bruce and bonnie's house for a smaller Christmas...just brandon's brothers and their families. It's going to be a busy night...but it will be fun to be able to see everyone again!
brandon and i are supposed to leave on friday to head up to my family's house, but it looks like we might leave on thursday. the weather is looking like ice for friday, and that would be no fun to drive in! and then we are spending the weekend up there and coming home on sunday. busy...busy...busy!
i'm sure i'll have more photos to share after tonight...

Merry Christmas Everyone!

more photos of Oliver's room...

yes, i was late for work today...i just had to take a couple photos of a few new things we put in Oliver's room!

Sunday, while watching the game, i started stitching this little owl for the baby's room...and then finished it up at work yesterday!

Brandon was searching though his memory box in the closet the other day and came across a little box that held these little cars and bikes...and he thought they should go in the baby's room on the shelf!!
my mini cooper and motorcycle and brandon's pacer!!

i finally finished up all the clipboards! i had 3 left to complete before i hung them up. i think it was friday evening i brought all my scrap supplies i have stock-piled for the baby and created 3 more clipboards.

(i think this one, above, is my favourite!!)

trying my hand at stamping...something new for me!

little monkeys!

mirrors...

almost 27 weeks!!
i decided to take a couple of photos of my ever-growing tummy this morning before heading to work. the mirror in the entryway is always a good one for taking self-portraits!!

Look at that bump!!
(note...my one Christmas decoration...a wreath in a basket of candles on the coffee table!)

baby bump!!

Christmas gifts...

a Christmas gift from miss Liz...
Liz and her family came back to Blue Earth to celebrate Christmas with Ben's side of the family over this past weekend...and Liz stopped over to say hi on Friday night. It had been a long time since i had seen her...we talk on the phone every once in awhile, but it's always more fun to be able to sit and visit!

During her visit that evening, we exchanged Christmas gifts...she gave me these adorable burp cloths and baby blanket. Love the colours and the blanket it oh, so soft!

Here is where you can find these blankets...
polka dot mama on etsy

A cold Sunday...

My husband...all bundled up and ready to go snow blow the driveway! i chuckled when i saw just how bundled he was...but he says he stayed warm! Makes it look like his tummy is so big he can't put his arms at his side!!

out the door he goes...into the cold. i think it is -4 degrees today.

We keep the snow blower in the shed, so he plows a path from the shed to the driveway...there is lots of snow in the backyard!! It snowed lots on Thursday night and again on Friday and Saturday it snowed and blowed! While in the coffee shoppe there were times we couldn't see across the street to the grocery store!! (but we got to close early on Saturday!!)

After coming inside he wanted to show me the ice that had built up on his beard! baby, it's cold outside!!

a little time for cleaning...

Today i felt like i was just wasting my time at work. It was a snow day, so no school...so Brandon spent the day at the store too. It was rather slow...so with both Bruce and Brandon there...i really wanted to go home and get a few things done.

Brandon dropped me off at home (we had driven together to work today) around 2:30 and i've already accomplished a lot! i cleaned up the baby's room (Brandon had picked up most of...since it was guitar stuff!) and vacuumed, dusted and vacuumed and picked up our bedroom and have been working on laundry.

dang...
i ***love*** this stuff!!

This picture is pathetic...i saw it this morning as i was walking to the kitchen to get breakfast...dust bunnies next to the fridge!! yuck...so sweeping is definitely coming next!

Not to mention some dishes that have been piling up on the counter top!
i have plans of baking banana bread yet tonight and making dinner for Brandon...i think sloppy joes are on the menu! and to finish up the house with more cleaning and of course the "always-over-flowing" laundry!!

i like being at home alone to accomplish some of these things...you feel good at the end of the day!

more for the baby's room

Last night and today, Brandon worked on a few things for the baby's room. He hung the curtains for the two windows and also the little white shelf above the crib. The teddy bear is the one Jessica and Nick sent when we announced we were having a baby. And the book "Oliver" is from Bruce and Bonnie...they were shopping at Barnes and Noble and saw the book with our little Oliver's name on it and had to get it for him!
It looks adorable on the shelf!

Chocolate brown curtains...from Target (of course)!

The curtain rod in the sitting window was quite a pain for poor Brandon to hang...
i do believe i heard some cursing words and today i saw a couple bent screws!!

The oh, so cute little white shelf above the crib...
just waiting for little Oliver to get here!