Christmas

Christmas didn't really feel like Christmas this year.  It never really does when we're not around family, participating in all the usual traditions.  There was something to be said for not having to travel around that time and for things being a little less hectic.  It definitely can be crazy visiting home at that time of year.  And it was fun to just be me and Tanner - although it would have been a lot more fun if I didn't have to work.  I feel like that comes with the job territory and I'm happy to have worked then and New Years so I can more easily avoid it next year :)  So yeah - I had to work Christmas Eve and Day.  I got off a little early Christmas Eve and then didn't go in till 11 the next morning.  So first of all, we slept in! Then we did presents.  Man.  I needed to shower before so I could be ready for work but these pictures turned out down right scary.  Maybe it's the pregnant face.  Hard to tell.  Don't look too close :)

 Tanner likes to try and guess what the present is before he opens it.  I had him pretty fooled on a few this year :)  These are some trout flies for hopefully some summer fishing!

 Despite that face - he actually REALLY likes this shirt.  It's always scary picking out clothes for him but I don't think I did too shabby this year.  And we've had so many conversations about bison vs buffalo this year that when I saw this shirt it had to be.  Plus there's lots up here in Teddy Roosevelt National Park. 

 Awesome Ugg slippers from Clare and Berrie. 

 Wheat grinder from my parents.  My dad makes the most amazing whole wheat bread from freshly ground wheat and I've wanted to be able to do that too.  Plus there's tons of stuff you can grind so I need to read up and get grinding!

 That's a legitimate HAPPY face!  Tanner's been looking at the Art of Shaving stuff for awhile and my parents got him a set that probably was his favorite gift by far.  He's been loving it and his face gets so smooth - minus that small part above his upper lip.  It's crazy how much stuff there is for to shave - it really is an art and you could spend more on shaving paraphernalia than a house if you wanted to.  It's intense. 

 New little purse from my mom.  I'm excited about the wallet part.  It will fit great in a diaper bag so I don't have to be carrying around so many things. 

And my favorite gift!  Last year Tanner got me a regulator for scuba diving.  And now I have my own BC.  And it's sweet!  Can not wait to use it!  I feel like a legit diver - except I haven't been for far too long.  Baby making has put a damper on that - but not for long.  Hawaii dive trip is basically booked for June.  More on that in a few months ;)  Tanner is a sneaky and amazing gift giver.  I used to think I was but over the years I have disappointed the both of us.  Haha.  But really - he did awesome and always spoils me.  We got these also, a day later...

Amazing.  It is so fun to brush teeth now and I feel like I've just come out of the dentist every time - which is great because you get the good feeling without the crappy feeling of having to be at the dentists!
After fun presents - we ate the my family tradition of Aebleskiver's.  Little Danish round pancakes that are fun to cook and eat AND delicious! 

Breakfast was yummy but the morning ended way too fast.  Work was a lot busier than it should have been on a Christmas.  I got festive and Tanner was embarrassed for me.

What's wrong with that sweater? I think nothing :)  Then there was no shortage of food at work. 

Carb city.  Woah.  But yummy and good and not a bad work day.  I had desires of trying to make a fancy dinner but Christmas Eve and Day were ruined by work, so Tanner picked up the $26/lb hunk of meat a few days early for me and we had a nice dinner the Friday after Christmas.  I think it turned out better than I was expecting myself to do.  But I committed the one sin I had sworn I wouldn't do...over cooked the meat.  Just a smidge.  Tanner even bought me a meat thermometer to avoid said catastrophe - but I stuck it in a little too late.  Oh well.  It still tasted like awesome meat and overall I think it was yummy.  At that price, though - I won't be practicing again any time soon!

So those were basically our holidays.  We spent New Years Eve at some friends playing some games and eating food.  It was low key and fun and relaxing.  Just didn't take any pictures.  We are really looking forward to next year and the years after that when we get to have kids help make Christmas more magical again.  We are so blessed though, right now in our lives, and we try every day to remember that.  Even when it's -50 degrees.  But I suppose that's how we can keep Christmas special and such all the time.  Being grateful and kind and loving all the year long.  Hope we don't slack off any time soon!

Birthdays!

December is an eventful month for our family. Mom, sister, brother in law, nephew, husband and myself all have birthdays this month. So glad Harvey decided to come a couple months after! Tanner and I both had to work on our birthdays so they weren't the most exciting. But I think, despite all of that, they turned out to be pretty good days. 

Somehow Tanner finagled his way into opening his presents on the eve of his birthday. My dad was in Germany and he wished him happy birthday when it became the 17th there. So Tanner thought that meant he could open my parents gift. And strangely enough it turned into all of his presents. Stinker.

The hat and golf balls were from my parents. The hat is a World Series one from last year. He was pretty excited about it. Then the shirt, a couple books cd and a nice leather iPad cover. 

The next day he got an omelet for breakfast and the a day of work. Then we went to dinner at the fancy Williston with some of our good friends up here (Andelin's and May's). 

Dessert was his favorite (also his grandpa's favorite), grandma's special German chocolate cake. 

 Happy birthday, husband!!

My birthday came 3 days later.  The husband can not wait for actual holidays. He made me open my gift when I got home from work the night before :) 

I am so dang excited about this. I've been wanting a fancy blender for oh so long and now it's mine! All mine! Yay!! Kitchen gadgets are some of my favorite things. 

Tanner made me cream of wheat for breakfast (in bed - he's carrying on y family's tradition nicely!)  Holy he made it good. I need to try to imitate its perfection.

My parents sent home a few gifts with us when we were there in November. So I got to open those that morning. 

Also have been wanting and needing a printer for so long. I keep begging friends to print things for me. It was more than time. And Telestrations is a game we played while home and it was hysterically awesome. So. Much. Fun! Can't wait to get a group up here to play. Amazing Labyrinth is a game we played with my cousins all the time when we were kids. It's been on my Christmas wish list for at least two years. My mom finally found the real deal. So excited. 

Then I worked. It was actually a great work day. It was 4 hrs before I saw my first patient. The doc on bought us lunch and the nurses got me/us a Dairy Queen birthday cake. Amazing. 

My friend Emily also brought over a party in a box which was so nice! Fun silly birthday things to make me still feel your and not boring :) 

Didn't get partied with it till later after I got off work and made Tanner play a game with me. 

Then we watched a movie and relaxed and it was exactly how and who I wanted to spend the evening with! Yay for another year. We are so looking forward to upcoming year and all the fun, exciting change that it's about to bring!! 

(Also - this is the first thing made in the blender. Already have used it like 6 times. It makes me so happy).

Work shower

Man I work with the best people! I feel so grateful that I not only like, but REALLY like so many of my coworkers. It definitely makes a job I already enjoy even more enjoyable :) The nurses threw me a shower last Saturday and it was awesome. It was so fun sitting around enjoying each other's company without patients interfering with chat time! Food was delicious and they were all so nice and generous. I feel overwhelmed with how great and kind people are. Geez. 

A bunch of people who were and weren't there pitched in and got me a JOGGING STROLLER!!! Oh my gosh so awesome. I can't wait to be able to run again. Such a great gift. 

Liz, Maria, Brenna, me, Jami, Lindsey

Tiah and I

Can't wait for this little munchkin to get here! Have I mentioned that before?? 

Bring on the baby

While we were in Utah we got a crib and a dresser. And all the other amazing things from our showers. We had a slew of things scattered about our house for a little bit which was not my favorite. So in between Minot and our ward Christmas party Tanner and I made quite the team effort of moving baby stuff out of one room, moving all our storage stuff into that now empty room, and then putting baby stuff into the once storage room. Make sense? We just made the baby room be the bigger of the two rooms. Don't think too hard about it. And then he got the crib all put together. 

Then we pulled tags off clothes and washed them and the next day I folded them and put them in their drawers and he put other baby paraphernalia together. I must admit it was one of the most surreal moments of my life. Or at least my parent-prepping life. That crib we put together? Ya, a baby will be sleeping there. And all those clothes we folded up and put away? Not just fun, cute presents, but clothes that will go on a living, breathing thing that was made by us and will depend on us for its very survival. Super trippy!  But also so incredibly exciting we both can hardly stand it. 

We also tag teamed it this last weekend getting it painted. 

BEFORE:

DURING:

AFTER:

I love the color. It is a very happy room and I like to just go in there sometimes and smile :) It needs some things on the walls but we haven't found the right stuff yet. Eventually. But really, it's just add baby at this point. Only 8 weeks left!