Updates.....

My ancient laptop is getting increasingly slow and I think it may set itself on fire any day now, so I've been avoided it (and blogging--since it no longer lets me upload pictures) like the plague.  However, we're having a busy, fun fall and while I have a few moments to work on my mom's computer, I thought I'd throw up a quick update......

Garrett:

    ~ Working late nights as he gets a new software program up and running in the office.  Hopefully this new program will eventually simplify his workload so he can finally come home before 8-9pm which is exciting!  But in the meantime.....we miss him.

    ~ Still loving what he does and his practice is growing.
    ~ With a busy schedule and working hard to complete his CEU's this fall, he is one tired guy.  I think he's wanting a vacation....or at least a weekend without work.

Romantic date night working at the office!

    ~ Still manages to squeak in workouts on occasion during his lunch breaks and has started up CrossFit.  (If anyone is familiar with CrossFit, he did a muscle-up on his first day.  Yeah, he's ridiculous.)
    ~ Still loves working with the young men in our church.
    ~ The Chargers are having an amazing football season so far, so all is right in his world. :)


Holly:  
    ~ Vounteering in Kenadie's kindergarten class, which I love.
    ~ Volunteering as an RN at the Public Health Center this summer and fall.
    ~ Working out again regularly since this past spring and feeling great.
    ~ Humbled to the core last month as I began CrossFit (per Garrett's prodding) and realized that I'm not in as great of shape as I thought!  However, I ran a 5K yesterday in about 24-ish minutes, so progress!
    ~ Having fun cooking, preparing, and eating the amazing produce from my family's farms this fall.  YUM!!

Blanched kale for the freezer

tomatoes galore

veggie herb skillet

healthy Skittles!

makes for great homemade baby food!

    ~ Loving my full-time job as a mommy.  My kids usually run me ragged by the day's end but they are the greatest JOY and it is a blessing for me to get to raise them.
    ~ Contemplating going back to work (on a very part-time basis) but hesitant because of how much I love my current job as stated above.
    ~ Finally recovered the NASTY dining chairs we got off craigslist this spring with our table (our old wood dining table burned in the barn fire this spring....).  It may not be my dream table and the fabric was just the cheapest I could find,  but it has made a huge difference!

nasty before

much improved after

    ~ Just discovered that the research I conducted in nursing school might be published and presented at research conventions across the country.  This story could have its own blog post, so long story short: I shed a few tears of joy and gratitude when I found this out.
    ~ I spend several hours a day drawing mermaids for Lila.  True story.  More on that below.....


Kenadie:

    ~ LOVES kindergarten.  Recess, reading, math, gym, music class--she enjoys it all!
    ~ Is a reading machine.  This girl is picking up reading so fast and I rarely see her these days without a book in hand.  Makes my heart happy.
    ~ Started riding the bus a few weeks ago.  She thinks she is so cool now.
    ~ Still keeps her parents on their toes!  She has incredible determination, which is sometimes awesome.......sometimes reeeeally difficult.  This month's victory is that she no longer FIGHTS me morning and night when it's time to brush her teeth.  Ahhh, baby steps!
    ~ Has her own (uncoordinating) sense of style.  Her teenage self may look back at pictures and wonder how I let her leave the house like that.  I will simply tell her that there were some fights not worth having! ;)
    ~ Lost her first tooth a few weeks ago.  That was probably better than Christmas morning for this girl.

    ~ Loves to be my big helper with Soren.  She loves to carry him, feed him, and help bathe him.  When this girl is in a great and helpful mood, she helps make life so happy and fun!
 

Lila: 

    ~ Very, VERY sad to not be riding the bus and going to school with her sister.  Luckily she has "Tumble Buddies" at the gym three times a week.  She loves this little gym class and I love the time it affords me to work-out kid-free.  She also got to be  "Mini Moose" this week at Palmer High and do some fall crafts with the home ec. students:

    ~ Getting good at recognizing her letters and numbers.

    ~ Continues to exhibit large amounts of sass and spunk but still needs her daily snuggles--she especially loves snuggling her grandma and grandpa.
    ~ Has an obsession with mermaids and begs anyone and everyone to draw her mermaids frequently throughout the day.  I've literally drawn 100s of mermaids!!  The other night at my parents' house we decided to have a mermaid drawing contest and Lila got to pick the winner.

 She picked my mom's mermaid, which I think was the freakiest-looking of the bunch, but that sure made my mom proud and it kept Lila satisfied for the evening so my mermaid-drawing skills could take a darn rest!
    ~ NEVER considers herself dressed for the day unless she has a skirt on, preferably sparkly and twirly.
    ~ Carries her blankey everywhere and still sucks her thumb.  (I may be avoiding the process of breaking her of this habit....it ain't gonna be pretty!)
    ~ Loves to color and paint and cut with scissors and she has become quite good at all three (though I monitor the scissor use closely as my girls seem to love to cut their hair).

Soren:

    ~ Nine months old and the smiliest little guy.  We are nuts about him!
    ~ Loved by his sisters and he adores them right back.
    ~ Has 8 teeth now.
    ~ After refusing to roll or scoot around at all, he got onto his hands and knees and began crawling like a speed demon a few weeks ago.  He's loving his mobility!

    ~ Has quickly moved to cruising the furniture.

    ~ Is now into everything!  I'd say the exponential rise in messes around the house is annoying, but it's just so nice to have a happy baby who will entertain himself for periods longer than 10 minutes without me holding him. Zero complaints here!

    ~ Allows his mommy to sleep all night without waking up to get him--blessed, blessed child!
    ~ The least vocal of all my children and so far it seems that he has not inherited the loud, harsh Oberg voice.  He doesn't babble often, but when he does it is music to my ears!  Oh how we love our little man.  :)

Future dentist here inspecting Grandpa's teeth

 

Garrett's fabulous new receptionist, Nickie, has a photography business and was gracious enough to deal with our crazy girls a few weeks ago and take our family pictures.

I LOVE how they turned out and am quite impressed with the great shots she pulled out of our uncooperative kiddos. :)

pretty fond of this guy

Sometimes life seems chaotic with three kids and a super busy husband running his own practice, but boy do I love my family and life is about as close to perfect as it gets.