Lasts

We are having a lot of "lasts" here in Iowa.  For example, we just recently ran out of ketchup and I had to replace it.  I found myself on the grocery store isle looking at all the bottles and different sizes. I bought a small one because it is the last bottle I will be buying in Iowa, and I don't want to throw half of it away in a few weeks.

These "lasts" I find to be both thrilling and terrifying all at the same time.  I am thrilled-thrilled - to be done with residency in a few weeks, but moving and buying a business--I find terrifying!  When the Dr and I talk about our future--we ask ourselves--what is the worst that can happen?  Our answer--hate where we are moving and/or go bankrupt. But that's not too bad--right?!

We had our last Iowa Easter.  It was just as great as the other Easters we have celebrated here.

Well, maybe it was a little "greater" because we have a new little munchkin that thought the plastic eggs were fabulous.

Gracie sorted them all for us and helped me match them together.

I love watching my kids dye eggs.  It is very entertaining.

Jace is very serious about it, and Gracie is very messy --but very artistic about it.

Ryan insisted that Jace take a second to look at the camera and SMILE!!

Saturday morning--before we started our egg hunt.  I have cute kids!  Boy do I love them.

The kids got a few goodies and toys left on the table from the Easter Bunny.

Jace was pretty thrilled with his helicopter

and mini vehicles.

Gracie was ECSTATIC about everything!! She is really fun on holidays because everything is so WONDERFUL!! Blurry pictures--she couldn't hold still!

Jace could reach the high $1 egg this ear!

He shared his $1 with Kjersti

She thought it was fantastic --she even went cross-eyed looking at it!

Here you see the tired Dr.  He hid 339 eggs this year!  200 outside and 129 inside.  And it was just about the right amount!

Here's my sweetheart!

The Erickson's' came over again this year!!  We love them!  Good thing they are from Utah so we can see them in SLC.

Each child gets a large egg with their name on it.  It is filled with  little toys!

Here is Jace finding his

and Gracie digging up hers. 

It was filled with jewelry made with real diamonds of course.

Only the best for Lucy and Gracie!!

I hope you all had a Happy Easter.  Our next one will be in St George at my parents home.  Can't wait!

Swigert Land

Here is a little tour of Swigert Land.  

We live in this white house with the newly painted yellow door. 

February and March found us up to our eyeballs in home improvement projects.  We had more help then we could handle!

We have a very content, sweet baby that lives here.  She just turned 5 months old on April 6th.

She is adored and loved by her sister Gracie 

and brother Jace. 

We also have a ballerina in our midst.  She wears quite the outfits.

We had a dance recital not too long ago with Barney. 

But he kept dancing off the table. 

Kjersti has her own custom suite in the living room. 

She is also our "pirate baby"

and

 princess fairy baby. 

She also gives excellent pony rides. 

We got a dog not too long ago.

His name is Zoomer.

Having two pet owners under one roof is COMPLICATED!  We did not know that until recently.

Thankfully Zoomer is quite compliant and doesn't mind being tied up to the toaster oven. 

We have learned to set the timer for 5 minutes at a time so that both owners can have equal time walking him. 

The owners are still friends, that's important. 

This "baby pet" just recently started eating food other than milk.  She loves having her brother feed her warm, Italian bread, fresh from the oven.

We just watched General Conference--of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints-- last weekend. It was really wonderful.  Before conference began, we decided to step things up a bit.  We prepared a  conference game.  For Familiy Home Evening, we made a list of 15 words we would listen for.  The list included words like: missionary, church, Joseph Smith, Amen, faith, God, Jesus, etc.

We bought an arsenal of goodies to enjoy and plopped them on our piano bench.  Each time we heard a word from our list, we promptly retrieved a treat from the bench and devoured it.  

Within minutes of the first talk, we realized that we had too many words on our list--we all had heaps of goodies to eat.  Jace said, "The first prophet gave us a ton of junk food."

You can tell he really didn't mind. 

 Gracie's junk food stash. 

She enjoyed every bite.  It was our best conference yet. 

Last, and definitely not least, the Dr. is almost done with residency!!!   He just finished taking call 24/7 for the last 4 weeks.  It was rough.  He was NEVER home. He spoils me.  He helps out a lot when he is home, so when he is gone, boy do I feel it.  

Other news in Swigert land--we sold our home. That is a huge load off.  It was really easy to sell. We had 3 offers in under two weeks.  We feel really blessed.  Fingers crossed that everything works out on their end with financing etc. 

So here's to our last 10 weeks in Iowa before we head West--HOME!!

I'm failing at blogging---but don't these cookies look good?

Time--- I don't have enough these days.  I have found that blogging with a newborn is difficult.  I have tried numerous times to post while holding and bouncing a baby, typing one handed--it just doesn't work. During nap-time Jace and I rush to get home-school done, then Kjersti wakes to be fed, when I done doing that- Gracie needs my attention.  Then there is the laundry, the cooking, the unfinished house projects staring me down. But I enjoy my low key days. With a frozen world outside, I love that most days I get to stay home and nurse and kiss my baby and just be with my children. Speaking of baby, she still keeps me up EVERY night until at least 1:00 AM.  But I am used to that now, so it's not as hard.  I have become what I call a "Netflix junky."  I stay up with Kjersti and rock her and watch Netflix.

The Dr had last week off. It was his first week of vacation since last April.  He only gets 15 vacation days a year. It was nice to have a break from his intense schedule.  Residency is hard. It has worn us out.  Last week wasn't much of a break. We had a three page list of house projects to complete. We now have a new kitchen and entry way floor, crown molding on the kitchen cabinets, clean carpets, fresh paint, etc. Our goal was to list it March 1st.  But we haven't yet. We will soon. This week I think.  I am kind-of dragging my feet about it.  I hate selling a house. I hate waiting for the phone to ring, so that I can start the mad rush to get it spotless and ready to be shown. I would love to just fast forward to June.  Luckily the time is just flying by.

You might be wondering why I have pictures of cookies at the top of this post.  This post was started 2 weeks ago, and I want to finish it. It seems weird to post about Valentines Day, now that it has come and gone.  But like I have said before, I blog to document my children's childhood in some way. So the rest of this post is the story about their Valentine's Day.

Baking--did I say lots of baking!  That is how I spent the day before Valentine's Day.  We have delivered cookies on doorsteps now for years, and I can say we have it down to a science. This year we dropped 13 plates of cookies. It is our record.

Here are the 13 plates all labeled and ready for the night to come.

That evening Robin and Rue made hearts to put on the plates.

It was freezing this year!  And it was also slick and icy.  Gracie decided to stay in the car with me and Kjersti for most of the deliveries.  I was surprised she chose to do that. Jace had a blast.  He delivered all of the plates. Doorbell ditching is just fun! The Dr and I reminisced about how Arizona is going to feel so much warmer next Valentines Day when we carry on this tradition.

Half way into the evening little Rue faded out.

She had spent the evening making a Valentine card for her pediatrician Dr Katie who lives in our ward and had carried the plate of cookies on her lap all evening.  When we finally got to Katie's house we tried to rally her so she could put them on her doorstep. After we worked to get her eyes open the slightest bit letting her know it was time to deliver Katie's cookies, all she would say to Ryan was "no thank you."  So Ryan and Jace finally delivered them for her.

Did I mention that we did all of this on the 13th this year?  We delivered our cookies early this year so we were free on the 14th to attend our good friends the Erickson's annual Valentine's party.  It is so fun.  Ryan and I are going to MISS it!!!

Anyways, after we got the kids in bed after their exciting night of doorbell ditching, Ryan and I stayed up to decorate for them and leave them a small gift on the table.  I opened a bag of chocolate kisses and made a path from their room into the dinning room.

Ryan and I also took a moment to make a large paper heart for each of them and write them a love note. Jace got up early and found his gift.  It was a set of Hotwheel cars.  I was still in bed nursing Kjersti, so I couldn't take pictures of him.

Here is my little Rue discovering her gift. We have never given them a Valentine before, so of course they were surprised and thrilled.

She loved her card and is going to keep it "forever and ever."

And this Hello Kitty gift basket--a true hit. 

And here is my littlest sweetheart

with beautiful blue eyes like her Dad.

I just can't get enough of her.  

She is quite content--most of the time...... 

And here is some proof that the Dr is a pretty dang good handy man.  

Behold the kitchen floor almost complete. (it's all finished now)

And that's all for today.  Hope you are having a good March!