Yikes....

Has it been awhile or WHAT?! HIIIII anyone who is reading this!!! I have to admit... I actually had to look up what my blog address was because it's been that long.. I FORGOT!!! & if I forgot I bet you did too!!!
But after a cold winter the flowers are FINALLY in bloom, the grass is getting greener & we have a few updates!!!! :) :) :)
Meet Yuma! The newest little addition of our family!

Isn't she cute!! And yes... we realized after we named her we have bad gender association with our pets! Yuma is a girl & Clawdia a boy! ;) Tyler adopted her from a local animal shelter and we have been having a blast having something else around! Especially with the nicer weather, we have been in the consecutive 50's all week!! YAY!

The same week we got Yuma we also had some special visitors from Denmark! Albert, Kasper & Frederick are on a road trip from coast to coast and made a stop in Ontario! ( We love when people do that!)

:) Here they are with Mom as they cook us a Danish meal!!!!!

So that's a little from us!! Not much but hopefully I will get better at this dang thing!

3 Visits:

The Swanson residence has just had 3 visits in 4 weekends, from most of our very FAVORITE people!
2 I have already mentioned & last weekend Tyler's Dad ( Bob) & brother ( Brennen) came to visit! This was supposed to be a bachelor party for Jared ( the middle brother) but it didn't turn out that way & he was very missed! We did, however, LOVE LOVE LOVE getting to show Bob & Brennen the area! They went hunting every day, frequented the local restaurants & enjoyed (?!) the change in temperature! This was the first time that they had been up, and it was extremely special to be able to show off the house! :) We are truly blessed to have such incredible people in our lives, who have visited us! We hope to visit them all in return!






So this weekend was the first weekend since our visitor series, and Tyler & I didn't know what to do! We have spent the day today sleeping ( I started my first nap at 10 :)- as you can see by this blog post at almost 2 in the a.m. ) and will hopefully become productive human's this week. It almost feels like we are empty nesters :(!

Holiday Season!

Happy Holidays!
We have had a very fast December!
Kelly & Chris drove up to visit us! ( We feel so spoiled!) Ontario had just had some great snow and we were able to take advantage by going sledding, snowmobile, snowboard/ski, and of course drink a few beers! Here are some pictures of when we went to Brundage:



That next weekend Heather came in for the 3rd annual Dinsmore/Meyer Christmas party!
I was able to take off Friday from work & we spoiled ourselves with massages, shopping & if you haven't been to the Ram & had their Peanut Butter Bacon Burger you need to go! It was HEAVEN! Our addiction to Angry Birds and Cut the Rope on our phones started, and we have now invented new dance moves, surely to be seen repeated at next years party! I would post a lot of pictures.. . but I will refrain so that I don't embarrass ourselves! Well.. one won't hurt:


2011 is rapidly approaching & the time just continues to fly! 2010 will hold a special place in our hearts with a whole year of firsts! First year of marriage √, first 'career jobs', first house, first pet, first deer and so much more! There are so many things to be thankful for & so many ways that we are blessed! We will be starting off 2011 with what is sure to be the best year yet, with a visit from Tyler's Dad & brother! We are so ecstatic to be having family visit! We have been so lucky that way! Tyler's sister, Andrea, couldn't have said it better on in her Christmas text, when she said that 2010 brought many miracles that we are so grateful for, and 2011 we will be expanding our family even more and welcoming a new set of Swanson's to our family! We can't wait for Jared & Carrie's Wedding and the Swanson family to continue to grow! 2011 we are ready for you!

Thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving- A little late but still- if any of you are like me, you can't get enough of the holiday spirit!
We started out our Thanksgiving tradition at the Turkey Trot ( Dane & Tyler both sporting their traditional hangovers- but were total sports & stuck the trot out!)
It was 10 degree's this year but once you got moving it wasn't bad at all & it sure helps your mind balance out all of the food you are eating! :)
Mom also sported her snowsuit during the trot which made us all giggle. For one- it wasn't snowing... it wasn't even windy.. & we don't live in Alaska.
Maybe she was a little ahead of the game because look @ what we woke up to this morning! :
& it's still coming down! :)
Brrr!

You can't help but celebrate Thanksgiving & the holidays and not think about what you are thankful for!
There are so many things that I am so thankful for! On Thanksgiving I was especially thankful to be sitting at the dinner table with Grandpa DE ( 100 ) & Fanny who's 95?! - to share a meal with the rest of my family, and get horrible bouts of the giggles due to incredible homemade wine ( in which I am thankful for Lana & Marcus- who taught us their trade <3) & we were also able to skype with Jaela- who is studying abroad in Mexico! What a fantastic experience to have Grandpa DE wave to her on Thanksgiving while she was sitting in her wonderfully colored orange dining hall! You can't help but appreciate those moments ( and technology!) I am incredibly thankful for each of you, who are reading this ( & those that aren't!) & hope that your holiday season is full of heavy laughter & cheer (or cheers ;) )

On a different note- here are some other things that I am thankful for that I would love to share with you!
Because it's snowing outside- I am loooving the internet & being able to holiday shop while drinking coffee in my flannel pjs!
Here are some sites I adore:
6 PM ( Heather introduced me to this addiction & I'm obsessed- a new brand of shoes on sale DAILY! If your looking for fantastic work shoes check out Soffts- you won't even know your in 3 inch heels!)

This blog:- If you ever wanted to create ANYTHING- they have a tutorial for it! LOVE THEM!

& Etsy is a given- I seek items out daily- so that I can then search for the tutorials on Little Birdie Secrets & make my own! Try it!
Cheers to you & your families this holiday season!

The chill is running through the town...

so it's time to get ready for FALL!
Tyler grabbed some hay from my parents house the other day & some pumpkins as a little surprise! We were both itching to start getting that cozy Fall feeling going!


| I know it's our porch, but how cute is this?! If you were a Trick 'r Treater you would want to knock on this door right?! I talked to our neighbor Dixie & she let me know that there have been years where 300 kids have come to her door! Since this is my first time EVER with Trick or Treaters- I am looking forward to that Sunday night! |

One of my favorite things about this time of year is the excuse to have a candy bowl and a horrible addiction to Candy Corn! When I took this picture this was our second bowl full... and it is now gone! Don't tell my Dentist!



And of course.. I couldn't resist taking a picture of Clawdia! He is now on a diet because right before I took this picture he had trouble jumping up on this ledge - which is maybe 2.5 ft. off the ground! haha Tyler says it's his winter coat... I don't believe him! :)

The first of many...

Tyler got his first buck on the opening day of deer season! I'm sure this picture will be the first of many to come, along with many conversations about where he can place the mounts -which I tell him, unfortunately we have low ceilings... so to the garage they will go ;)
And you guessed it... our next purchase has been reserved for another freezer!

100!!!!

This week has been full of celebration, and so it should be! Great Grandpa Denny is officially 100! Below is Grandpa DE & Fanny on his actual Birthday!

Not many people can say that they have a Great Grandpa- let alone one that is 100, still mowing his lawn, living independently, driving & has had the accomplishments that he has had in his life. We are truly blessed to have him in our lives, and learn his lessons directly from him.

Thursday the Ontario Chamber, many local businesses and the Cultural Center helped support this monument by hosting a party & an exhibit opening ( if you want to stop by, it will be open all month) - Over cake, many long time friends of DE's shared memories and talk as a talented country musician played music. He also dedicated a wonderfully written song to Grandpa, as Grandpa tapped his toes in honor.

The celebration doesn't stop there, though! Tomorrow is the real birthday bash with many friends & family coming in to town that we all haven't seen in way too long! More pictures & cheers to come.