Max Pulls Up!

Now, before you watch this video I have two disclaimers to make:

1. 1. I was hissing at Ruby to stop already with the jumping. That isn't copacetic in this house.
2. 2. I don't have a clue how my "peek-a-boo" could be that screechy! So, I'm sorry for that and feel free to turn down your sound if you wish!

Also, as a side-note... things are getting pretty crazy here leading up to our move (in t minus two weeks). I feel like I still have a million and one things to do before we leave and Jared hasn't gotten a job offer yet, though he continues to work like a dog trying to drum one up. All that to say, I may not keep up the posting all that well for a while and we covet your prayers--so, so much.

Are We Having Fun Yet?

It sure can be fun being a mommy.

(I'll spare you the pictures of them arguing over the mallet.)

Chatterbox

Ruby has been blossoming over the last few weeks. It's not that we've suddenly added and angel to the family tree--we haven't! But, she is able to talk and sing and pretend with such amazing clarity almost overnight. As a result we have learned and been surprised by just how much Ruby knows and remembers, as well as just knowing how she feels. Here are just a few examples:

Ruby is not patient by nature. Are any of us? We have been singing the "Be Patient" song for months whenever her requests become whiny and then on the verge of a full fledged tantrum. Lately, though, when she's starting to go "over the edge" she'll suddenly say, "Be patient, Ruby." And then proceed with the song (or her version of it), "Be patient, Be patient, don't hurry, don't worry, God is patient too!!" I can't tell you how big my grin was when I heard that the first time!

I also can't get enough of her talking about things that she finds "bew-i-full" and that includes everything from flowers, to ducks, to a fresh table cloth, to streetlights. Yes, streetlights. She has a big thing for streetlights. I'm also a pretty big fan of hearing that whatever I've made for dinner is "deee-wish-us"! That doesn't happen every day, but it happens with a lot more regularity that it used to, and her waistline is showing it!

We're also the first to know what she wants, doesn't want, and NEEDS! Sometimes the definitions get a bit scrambled in her brain though... For Thankgiving I made some of Pioneer Woman's Sweet Potato casserole. This casserole is delicious and loaded with sugar. So, we were pretty sure she'd dig it. Ruby had other ideas though and was thisclose to a MAJOR meltdown over having to try some. Jared convinced her to lick some off her fork, which was immediately followed by gagging (on Ruby's part, not Jared's), which was immediately followed by dunking her fork about a hundred and eleventy more times to lick it off... turns out she liked it after all.

One final cute picture of Ruby and I'll call it quits. Turns out bear had to go potty. She's also very diligent about wiping them AND tries her hardest to get her hands on brother's diaper cream to tend to their "sore bottoms".

Happy Thanksgiving!

While all of our friends and family stateside are busy with Thanksgiving preparations, watching the Macy Day parade, or just relaxing, we are thinking of you and wishing we could be there. Jared is teaching today from 8am til 5pm, something he isn't entirely thankful for! I will be home all day preparing our Thanksgiving feast and doing some crafty things with Ruby. I seriously considered glossing over Thanksgiving this year--with only three week until moving day there are so many excuses to do so--but, I'm thankful that we can take the time out today to just dwell on God and all that He has blessed us with.

Here are two very special reasons that I'm thankful today...

Happy Thanksgiving!

He Can Crawl!

...sort of! Here's a great, albeit dark, video of Max on the move before 7am this morning. The kid wakes up with a smile on his face and spring in his step. We should all be so lucky!

Isn't he just the darlingst thing you've ever seen?

Nana and Bobo Visit Tivoli

We managed to visit Tivoli on the last day of the season for a chilly, but fun evening. We missed several buses trying to get there because they were too full, but it turned out God had a better plan. Because we waited so long we ended up running into some ladies from church who let us get in for free on their annual pass! Bonus!
This is a view of they city hall clock tower from inside Tivoli. We didn't have time to take them up the tower... looks like that's another place we'll only visit once. Look back here for some pictures we took on a tour almost two years ago when our friend, Rachel, came to visit.

You're looking at the best family photo we have so far. I know, sad. To be fair, Ruby was very concerned about the roller coaster roaring over our heads, so that's the main reason she couldn't be bothered to look at the camera. Hopefully we'll be getting some good pics when we head back to the states. Bobo is quite a shutterbug and I'm sure he'd take our family picture if we can get the kiddos to comply!

This was the first time that Ruby was really excited to ride on the carousel and actually picked out her steed all on her own. The only drawback (in her eyes) is that she really would have liked to play musical chairs for the whole ride to try out all the animals!

Ruby also got her first ride on the Ferris Wheel, this time with Nana by her side. She was just looking all around taking it all in. I guess she isn't afraid of heights!

Yet another picture of SuperDad! Not quite as impressive as this trip, but pretty close!

As you have seen, we had a wonderful, action-packed visit with Bob and Kay. It was such a blessing to have them here and we all were so sad to see them leave. Ruby and Max are anxious to see their Nana and Bobo again and I think the feeling is mutual. Next visit, back on US soil! Only about 25 days to go!!!

Nana and Bobo see Roskilde

I suppose the title is a bit off on this one, as these are actually pictures taken by or with Bob and Kay, but somehow we didn't get any of Bob and Kay in Roskilde. Anyhow, the first part of this outing was to the Viking Ship Museum, which I touched on earlier this week. We also were able to go to the Roskilde Cathedral where most of the Danish royalty has been entombed.


Interestingly enough, this is also the church where Jared's boss, Kristian, and his wife, Pernille, were married. It's a beautiful church and very BIG. I imagine they must have had a pretty spectacular wedding! The cathedral is under renovation almost constantly it seems. This time they were busy replacing all of the copper on the roof and towers.

Here's an example of one of the tombs. I have no clue who is entombed here, but I thought it was one of the more spectacular ones. Bob took a very thorough inventory of all of the tombs, so maybe he has all that information in his memory banks. Mine are just too feeble at this stage I'm afraid!

I thought that this was a pretty cute picture of Jared and Max. I think that this was one of the last times in the Baby Bjorn, now that he's topped out over 10kg, he's getting a bit too hefty for a front carrier.

Here's a funny last picture from a dinner at Wagamama back in Copenhagen. Bob commented that Ruby seems to be doing better than any of us with those chopsticks. She just kept shoveling in those noodles. Yum!

Just another food post!

My time is short and my typing severely hindered (thank you "Hands" a.k.a. Max), so I've decided to quickly link you to some of my favorite recipes of late.

1. Glazed Apple Cream Pie - Okay, so imagine your favorite apple pie a la mode: sweet, gooey, creamy, deee-wish-us. This pie's got it all and a delectable glaze on the crust. I have NEVER been a pie crust lover, but this pie has got me singing a different tune. Just make sure to double the apples (at least) and you'll be in love too. Jared was so impressed, he wanted this instead of birthday cake.
2. Apple-Cinnamon Baked French Toast - We've decided that baked french toast is going to be a birthday breakfast tradition in the Nelson household. Lest you were worried that I'd scorched Jared's birthday cake in yesterday's post, it was actually a pan full of this spiced goodness. Bring on the whipping cream and let out your belt, because this stuff is good.
3. Fresh Ginger Fruit Salad - We had an "Asian-themed" potluck at church last weekend, which was entirely too stressful for me AND had the added benefit of both my dishes being flops. Sooo, I ate a LOT of peanut noodle salad (which is why that recipe is not on the list). I also ate a lot of this salad and I loved every bite. You do have to be a fresh ginger lover, but if you are, you'll love it too.

I think that three will be enough today as my wee ones are telling me that they need A-T-T-E-N-T-I-O-N! Enjoy the recipes and have a fantabulous day!

30 Years Young

Today we have the privilege of celebrating my hubby, Jared's, first thirty years. Although I've only been in on the last six and a half, I pray that I will be blessed with the chance of spending the second thirty right by his side.

Jared is an amazing husband, always giving sacrificially. Showing me daily that love is an action. He is an awesome daddy, always there to laugh, play, discipline when needed, and wipe away tears with his kisses.

I hope that from his breakfast birthday celebration with the kiddos this morning 'til our night on the town tonight, he will feel that this day is special... because we sure think that he's the tops.

I love you, sweetie.

Nana and Bobo Take the Town

The second week of Bob and Kay's visit we managed to take in a few sights around Copenhagen (even though the weather was pretty terrible!). I won't bother putting up pictures of the actual sights since they were all places that we've visited before and documented pretty heavily in past blog entries!
Here's Kay and Ruby posing by the big anchor in Nyhavn. This is where we caught our boat for a tour of the canals. This time we took one that had a glass top and was heated--SO nice on a dreary day! Bob did stand outside for a lot of the trip though, catching all the sights on "film". For a few of the sights, look back here and here.

We managed to take a stroll down Strøget in search of a teapot. After stopping in at Royal Copenhagen and a few Danish-design housewares shops we gave up. Spending over $100 on a teapot wasn't going to work for us! Of course there was a stop for ice cream included in the trip. I think we probably got ice cream at least a dozen times in two weeks. I can't speak for Bob and Kay, but I haven't had a taste for ice cream since then! Jared, on the other hand, is always ready for another soft ice.

Here's Ruby eating another Danish treat, flødeboller, right at home. Flødeboller is a thin wafer topped with a huge mound of light, fluffy marshmallow, all coated in a thin layer of chocolate. It's one of the things that Jared and Ruby will miss the most I think when we leave Denmark next month!

We made it out to the Viking Ship Museum. For lots more pictures, look back here. We actually took a tour in English this time which I really enjoyed. Of course I spent some of the tour chasing Ruby around, but I still learned a lot. The icing on the cake, though, was a very precocious little British girl that was just smart as a whip. I think she had her hand up every other minute with a question. You could tell her parents were used to this and handled it really well. I have to admit, I probably would go a bit batty after while molding that little inquiring mind!

I thought that I had gotten video of Kay and Ruby in this boat, but (Murphy's Law) the camera had some technical difficulties and somehow if has become impossible to access that file. Anyhoo, they were pretending that they were Vikings and rowing the boat. Ruby was really playing along good and looked so cute "rowing" with Nana!

Ruby's imagination is really thriving these days. She's constantly pretending to eat candy (because mean old Mommy won't give it to her constantly as she wishes!), fly around like a bird, hop and croak like a frog, play mommy... the list goes on. For all the difficult parts of being two, there are even more fantastic parts. I really feel blessed to be a part of her little life. I better stop typing about it and go live it. Take care everybody!

Nana and Bobo visit the Zoo!

It will come as a surprise to no one that the number one place Ruby wanted to visit with Nana and Bobo was the zoo. So, to the zoo we went. Despite the chilly weather, a good time was had all around as we visited all the usual suspects. Unfortunately, Nana and Bobo just missed getting to see the hippos (flodhest in Danish)--our newest arrival to the zoo. They actually made a fantastic habitat for them and set it up so that you can see them underwater. It is SO cool to see them moving around and to see just how enormous they are up close and personal. When we visited there were several school groups there at the same times. Two things stood out to me: (1) Every single one of those kids had camera phones. (2) Every single one of those kids wanted to take a picture of the hippos pooping underwater. Why does this fascinate kids so much?


You know those moments where you get a glimpse of your kiddos all grown up? Somehow this picture of Ruby does that for me. I'm sure she'll ditch the bangs... and after all the hours she's logged on her pacifier we know that braces are in her future... but the smile. And those happy eyes and smiling cheeks. I hope that this is what she'll be known by.

Here's Max and I in the butterfly house. It was cozy warm in there, which was wonderful. Max didn't seem to notice the butterflies flying all over the place, but he did enjoy people watching as usual. He's a bit of a flirt.

Don't mind the dazed expression on Ruby's face. I'm sure she was just trying to figure out why those chimps stink so bad! Let that be a lesson to you-- a few missed baths and you might just start stinkin' like a chimp too!

We'll end on another Max shot. He's just too cute... and the personality to match. You can tell that Nana and Bobo agree!

Spain in pictures... The apartment

Here's the last post (at long last) from our Spain trip. This next week I'll try to get all the pictures up from the second half of Bob and Kay's visit here in Copenhagen.
We ended up staying here at this "rural apartment" called Can Roura. It was actually a great little apartment--totally new, as it had previously been a barn. There were a few drawbacks though, primarily a pretty bad stink (at times) and the only bathroom was on the second floor, while Bob and Kay's bedroom was on the main floor.

It was nice that we had beds for everyone though and our own little kitchen to come home to in the evenings. We had been anticipating some really yummy cheap food... but, the things that we tried were neither all that yummy or cheap, so I guess you had to go to Barcelona or pay a bit more for the "good stuff".

Here's a last shot of Bobo giving Max some zerberts! Max was a real trooper on the trip and just went with the flow for the most part, which was wonderful. Big sister was enough of a pill all on her own!

Our trip home ended up being MUCH more smooth and easy than the trip there, as well as a lot less expensive because we were able to catch a shuttle bus from the Malmo Airport back to Copenhagen. All in all, it was a really fun trip and one that I wouldn't mind taking again when the kids are older... of course, there are SO many more places in the world I'd love to visit that it does make re-visiting a bit of a difficult choice.

Well, I better run! We'll move on to Copenhagen pics tomorrow!

Spain in pictures... Dali and Garrotxa

We spent a day inland seeing a few sights including one of the Salvador Dali museums-- Teatre-Museu Dalí. It was weird... and packed... and did I mention weird?


Here's the outside of the building with the famous eggs on top. We had the misfortune of arriving at the same time as a HUGE school group, so I can't say I really absorbed all that much. Also, they didn't allow strollers inside so Mr. Jumbo (Max) had to ride in the Baby Bjorn. Thankfully, my sweet hubby did the carrying!

Jared got a big kick out of the entrance, especially the guy in antique dive suit in the middle. I kind of like the ladies balancing French bread on their heads though. Really, it's a toss up. Click on the picture to get a better view.

It seems that none of our pictures inside the museum really turned out that well... probably due to that whole "no flash" rule. But, that might be for the best. The whole place was designed by Salvador and his wife including his work and some other artists that they admired. Also, the building itself is meant to be a piece of art. It was quite creepy in places and not necessarily "G" rated.

Jared, Bob, and I got free entrance into the special exhibit where there are all kinds of pieces made with jewels and precious metals. I can't say I saw too much of that either since we were really just there for the bathroom, but what I did see was neat... in a weird way. Did I mention the place was a bit weird?

Kay said it best I think when she pointed out that she could see that it was good work, but she didn't have to like it. Amen, to that sister.

Later, we tried to visit some prehistoric caves with caveman drawings (or something) in them, but we managed to arrive about 15 minutes before closing and they wouldn't let us in. We decided to hit the water instead and visited this volcanic lake.

The place was PACKED. Once they started an awards ceremony, we figured out they had just completed a day long swim meet when we arrived. We all took a little dip in the sulfur-rich waters and enjoyed cooling off a bit.

One of the funnier things about vacation is that you feel totally comfortable walking around half-dressed all day. I guess we figured we were never going to see these people again. I went as far as wearing a one piece swimsuit (top part hanging down) with a short cover up skirt and bra and t-shirt on top... INTO a shopping market. Yes, it was trashy.

Well, that's getting pretty close to the end of the excitement on the Spain trip. I'll post a few more pics tomorrow and then we'll move on to other things... like life since then!

Spain in pictures... Costa Brava

La Costa Brava is kind of like the French Riviera. I say that, of course, having never BEEN to the French Riviera, but you get my drift. It's a looong stretch of coves and sleepy fishing towns, interspersed with some resort towns. It was also hot and absolutely beautiful.

Jared lost no time digging a huge hole with Ruby's help. Then Ruby and I buried him. I was getting a bit nervous that the tide was coming in so fast we were going to have a Twilight Zone moment on our hands, but it all worked out okay. As you can see, Ruby was concerned that Jared might need to borrow her sunglasses.

Ruby wasn't all that keen on swimming (the water was quite cold), but she did enjoy fetching buckets full of water and sand. Nana found a great beach kit complete with water can. That water can continues to be a big hit at bath time!

Here's a view of the beach where we spent the day. After our hours at the beach we took a really beautiful drive down the coast and saw lots of beautiful views. Unfortunately, it was a very tiny, windy road, with no turn outs, so those pictures reside only in my foggy memory.

Max got pretty pooped and decided to sack out in the stroller with Nana under the umbrella. Before long we all joined them for some lunch.

Here's Max in his swim trunks. They didn't see much water since every time his toes hit the water he cried bloody murder. He's decided that he's strictly a heated pool baby.

Ruby and Bobo taking a long walk on the beach.

Don't give up on me! I promise to get more posted soon!

Spain in pictures... Girona

Things are getting extremely crazy around here as we get closer to moving day. I haven't been able to get myself to sit still in the computer chair long enough to make an interesting post about our trip to Spain, so I guess I'll just put some pictures up to tell the story...

We flew into Girona, Spain and after a loooong convoluted drive finally found our cute little apartment just outside town. Once we got settled we went back into town for a little exploring.

Ruby got her first chance to try a drinking fountain (believe it or not, they just DON'T exist in Denmark). She thought it was pretty fun and Bobo got a kick out of it too!

This photo was taken in the Museu del Cinema. It was really a very interesting museum of the history of movie making--starting with shadow plays. Definitely a must see for movie buffs or those technically minded. Ruby even enjoyed playing with the interactive exhibits.

Ruby didn't complain AS much about holding hands when she got to hold Bobo or Nana's hands instead of boring ol' Mommy and Daddy's hands.

If you look through the leaves, you'll see a form laying on the ground. Yes, that's Ruby. She decided to throw one (of many) tantrums here at the playground and refused to leave. We called her bluff and walked away. After a few minutes she skipped over to us like nothing had happened. That girl knows how to push my buttons.

I thought that this church was pretty. Notice the palm trees. It was actually warmer in September (high 80s, low 90s) than we have experienced in the last two years. It was GREAT!

This iron bridge is a famous landmark (of which I've forgotten the name...) in Girona and is smack dab in the middle of one of Europe's oldest Jewish Quarters. At the other end of the bridge is the Spanish version of Strøget, La Rambla, a pedestrian shopping street.

A final shot of the river running through town. It almost had a Venetian feel to it.

More to come!