Uriah Michael

As always when we're around my mom, we bust out the camera and our smiles. So when we were in Pocatello for Christmas, we had ourselves a 32 week maternity shoot! I just wanted something simple and classy...pictures for the bedroom and baby book. And I love them! She couldn't have done a better job! Thank you, thank you, thank you, mom for taking the time to do these for us! 

Little Uriah Michael, we love you and can't wait to meet you! 

Pocatello {part 2}

Christmas Eve came and brought snow! Not that it wasn't going to be a white Christmas, but fresh new white snow sure is a happy sight on Christmas Eve morning :) We got to play in it, well, I got to play in it while everyone else was hard at work shoveling and plowing the driveway... And take Tucker up the hill for some exercise and lovins'. 

After our hard work (their hard work), we enjoyed some coffee by the fire while watching The Grinch (how much more perfect could our morning get?!) After taking maternity pictures with my mom (in a blog soon to come!) we got dinner prepared and dug in! With a game of Down by the Banks to finish it off, of course! 

Our Aunt Kelly, Uncle Mark, and cousin Gail got in just after dinner (they decided to make the Boise drive just in time to spend Christmas Eve night with us and we're so glad they did!). Stephen and my parents and I joined Grandma and Grandpa for a Catholic Mass service, which was something I'd never been to! And though it wasn't my exact cup of tea, I loved getting to see Grandpa so happy and it was a nice reminder and reassurance of my faith in Jesus and all the wonderful things He's done for us. It's so easy to get distracted from the real meaning of Christmas, but to know that Christmas is first and foremost the birthday of a King... Well you can't help but fall in love with a story like that. Plus, it was fun to see my dad quote off scriptures from his childhood I was sure he'd long forgotten ;)

We came home to dessert and Christmas jammies and a book waiting to be read... Every year my dad reads our old version of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' to us like we're still little kids. And just like little kids we sit in rapture and love every minute of it :)

And then it was Christmas :) With stockings and presents to be opened, cinnamon rolls to eat, new games to play and movies to be watched... It was a quiet and relaxing Christmas day. Stephen and I squeezed in a nap, I stole a long hot shower, and we all did a lot of talking and laughing. It was so fun to experience Harper's first Christmas, too! Though she was satisfied with the first toy someone handed her, she was by far more spoiled than any of us! Guess she was good this year! ;)

The Bolander clan left on Wednesday and we said our goodbyes to Byron over a yummy Bagelry lunch. More movies and games and time with Harper... Our bags were packed and our drive to Boise planned out for the morning... We are so happy and grateful to have spent Christmas with my family in Pocatello. Happy and grateful for all the laughs and gifts and hugs... Happy and grateful for all the memories and fun and love... We love you all and can't wait to see you again!

Pocatello {part 1}

Getting to Idaho was no small task. First, it was sad to say goodbye to the Wall family knowing next time we see them there will be a new nephew in the mix and James will be 6 months old! Not to mention that we'll have a baby of our own! (A lot will be happening between now and May!) Though the flight from Fairbanks to Seattle was easy, the three hour layover in Seattle turned into an almost 5 hour layover and we were being shuffled on and off planes and doing a lot of sitting and waiting around. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate flying? Once we landed in Boise, we still had a three hour drive to Pocatello to look forward to... But seeing my mom in the airport and getting to talk with her the whole way home made it all worth while :) Grandma and Grandpa met us at the airport, too, even though they wouldn't be making the drive to Pocatello for Christmas for a few more days. Grandpa was giddy over my belly - I love getting to see him so happy and I love that I'm starting to see more of him in my daddy (same nose, same smile... a couple of handsome men if you ask me!) We made it to Pocatello past my dad's bedtime but he had waited up to give us hugs and kisses. Even though it hasn't been my home for awhile, and it never really will be again, there's just something about walking through that door to that smell and to those faces that feels just right...

We spent our first day close to home, wrapping presents, listening to Christmas music, loving on a sick, sweet Harper, making chili for dinner, playing games, and enjoying each other's company. From the outside looking in I'm sure our week in Pocatello looked rather boring and maybe as if we did a whole lot of nothing... Oh, wait! We did do a whole lot of nothing and, oh yeah...! It was AMAZING!

The first few days of our trip I was suffering from some serious back pain. It's been on and off this whole pregnancy and I think all the traveling and changing of beds just did me in. Though back pain is absolutely no fun, it was somewhat comical in our house considering my dad is currently suffering from it as well, and then Grandpa joined the crew and our house was outnumbered in whiners and mopers. It was contagious. 

Friday night my parents got all dolled up for my dad's work Christmas party and as they headed off to that, Stephen and I headed out for dinner - a little Ruby Tuesday date night. Lucky me got treated to a prenatal massage after that from my mom (thank you!). It was seriously, heaven. Stephen and I curled up in bed to a movie that night and I slept fantastic.

We continued to spend most of our time loving on Harper who is getting so big and so smart! At ten months old she's taking small and shaky steps and blabbing all the time! She's got us all wrapped around her finger and enamored with her every move... Who knew I could love a little girl so much? And she's not even mine! Uriah is in for some serious loving...

Running errands with our parents, making Christmas cookies, watching home videos, playing wii, last minute stocking shopping and present wrapping, games, and a good glass of Baileys (not that I would know)... Before we knew it, it was Christmas Eve!