Popsicle Bliss

Our poor baby. For the past few days she's had her whole world turned upside down and packed into boxes. Friday night she woke up a few times in the night and cried like she was scared because there were big looming boxes where her cute little nightstand used to be. She's been so good about it though! She chatters and crawls around to see what everyone is doing in her house.

Yesterday she had finally had enough. Poor little Lainy! She just lost it and cried for about ten minutes. After she settled down a little, I decided she deserved a treat. So I stripped her down to her diaper, placed her in the middle of the kitchen floor, and gave her a popsicle. She looked at me with big tear-filled eyes and an open mouth, then smiled and went to town on that popsicle. It was just what she needed. Pure popsicle bliss and attention from her Mommy. What a sweetheart!

Our Little Helper

Things have been busy around here. Brad and I realized yesterday that we're moving in two weeks and we've got a lot, A LOT, to do before we go. We're going out of town for a few days this weekend, which means we really have about 7 days at home to get ready for the move. Ah! Crazy!

For the past few days I have been organizing all of our stuff. You know, going through old papers, clothes, books, etc. and getting rid of what we don't want or use. Lainy watched me for the first day, then I think she decided she wanted to help. As I went through our file cabinet and put old papers in a pile to throw away, Lainy sat behind me. She was very quiet, so I turned around to see what she was doing. After I would put a paper in the pile she would then picked it up, examine it, and set it back down in the pile. It was so funny! It was like she was double checking my work to make sure I did it right. The whole time she had such a serious look on her face. I couldn't help but chuckle.


Yesterday I was going through Lainy's old baby clothes and putting them in a storage bin for safe-keeping. I left the room and came back to find this:

That's what you get with a crawler, I guess.

Finally, this morning as I was loading the dishwasher, Lainy decided I needed her help once again. Here are the results (notice all the silverware on the floor):
What a sweet baby! So helpful. Maybe I'll have to give her some other tasks so I can actually get done what I need to get done!

Fun with Family

We have had such a busy, fun, delightful week so I'll tell you about it.

Monday we had a murder mystery dinner with my family. The theme was Mardi Gras so we were all decked out in beads and masks. Brad's character was a lawyer and best friend of the victim named Stephen J. Peek. I was an eccentric novelist named Connika Gothika. Among the other characters were: the young, trampy widow of the victim , his French maid, his spoiled daughter and her fiance, a Jazz musician, and an aspiring TV chef. We had a fun night! The story was a little crazy. If you can think of any scandal that would involve those characters, it was probably in the script. As it turns out, Brad was the murderer! No one saw that coming. We had a lot of fun eating and trying to solve the mystery. Thanks for a fun night everyone!
Tuesday kicked off the first Rick Hansen Family Reunion. We started things off by celebrating Brad's birthday. Brad wanted to go to Teton Canyon and repel and climb so we invited Jeff, Cassi, Doug and Jessica to come with us. It was so gorgeous up there! Jeff brought his camera and took some amazing pictures (featured below). We had a great time repelling off a big overhang cliff and swinging out over the canyon. What a rush!

By the time we got home, all of the Hansen family were here. We had a fun dinner catching up with everyone, then we left to go to The Savior of the World. It was such a beautiful production. The cast was incredible, especially Mary the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. I think I cried in almost every scene. It was just very moving.

Wednesday we took it a little easy and just spent time together. Later in the evening we took the grandkids to the carousel. I set Lainy on a horse and held her on. The carousel started and she just looked around. Then the music started playing and she looked at me with a startled look on her face and started crying. She didn't settle down until the ride was over. Poor baby! It was just too much.

Thursday was a gorgeous day so we went boating at Ririe reservoir. There wasn't a breath of wind and the lake was really smooth. Everyone had fun skiing, tubing, swimming, and enjoying the sunshine. My dad had given us a life jacket for Lainy to wear. Every time we put her in it she pouted. It was kind of funny. She wouldn't look at any one, she just stared straight ahead with a little scowl on her face. She did like kicking her legs in the water, however, so her whole day wasn't terrible. ha ha

Friday was the 4th of July! We went to the parade in the morning, had a bbq, had family pictures taken, and went down to Idaho Falls for the fireworks. Most of the Hansens were playing in the Freedom Symphony at the Shilo Inn, so we all got a free dinner and great seats for the show. The dinner was okay, the fireworks were awesome! Lainy watched them for a while, then snuggled up with her dad and went to sleep. What a sweet baby! Brad and I planned our getaway after the show so we wouldn't be sitting in traffic all night. It worked out perfectly! The show was over at about 10:45 pm, and we were home just after 11:30. Wahoo! Brad's family wasn't as lucky. They didn't get home until after 1:30. Still, it was a fun day! Saturday we had a big family breakfast, then went to Heise hot springs to swim. We got Lainy a little baby raft to sit in. She liked it for a while, then she wanted to get in the water. James had a lot of fun with it after Lainy gave it up. The rest of us had fun going down the water slide, watching Sarah Jane swim, and playing with the kids. We had a picnic by the river, then came home. Saturday night was the talent show. Lainy blew her whistle. David sang a song. James sang some songs. Sarah Jane played the violin. What cute kids! Becca read some beautiful poetry she'd written. Jessica played her performance piano piece. Richelle and Bryce sang a funny song about a baby needing a nap. Dallin played his violin for us. The Hansens did a little stupid skit, and so did Brad and I. Then all the brothers sang some barbershop. It was a fun evening.

Sunday morning we had a family testimony meeting. The spirit was strong. Brad and I feel so blessed to have such wonderful families! It was sad to say goodbye to our family members who live far away. We love them so much! It was fun to be together for a few days.

Now that our week is over, Brad and I feel like we need a couple of days to recuperate. Lainy slept almost 13 hours last night, if that's any indication of how exhausted we are. But it was all worth it! We love our families!

Our Crawling Machine

It has been almost two weeks since Lainy started crawling. I am completely amazed at how quickly she picked it up. One day she was only moving two or three crawls, and the next day she was zipping across the room. She started crawling on the 27th of June and hasn’t stopped since (except to eat and sleep). It’s crazy!

It’s a whole new world at our house. I guess there are pros and cons to about every situation. Having a crawling baby is no exception. Among the pros: I love that Lainy is crawling because she can crawl over to whatever she wants to play with and can crawl to me when she wants something. On the other hand, we’ve had to do a lot of baby-proofing around the house because she can get to things that have hitherto been out of reach. I’m still getting used to leaving her in one spot and coming back to find her under the table or behind the couch.

Still, it’s fun to watch her. She’s so excited to be moving! Our little baby is getting so big. Here’s a video.

Happy Birthday Brad!

Brad's 25th birthday was last Tuesday! I thought I'd copy something I've seen on a few blogs to tell you about my sweetheart.

What is his name? Bradley Arvel Hansen

How long have you been together? It's been almost three years since we started dating.

How long did you date? We dated for four months and were engaged for two months.

How old is he? 25 last Tuesday!

Who eats more? Brad used to eat much more than me, but I think I ate more when I was pregnant. Now it's about even. I eat way more junk food though.

Who said I love you first? Brad said it first and I was quick to follow.

Who is taller? Brad

Who sings better? Definitely Brad. Sometimes I sing very quietly at church so I can hear Brad better. His "rock voice" has been featured in a few Guitars Unplugged shows to thunderous applause.

Who is smarter? Brad of course! He's a genius! He's going to do great in Medical School.

Whose temper is worse? Probably mine.

Who does the laundry? I do it most of the time. But if I get behind, Brad is quick to jump in and help.

Who does the dishes? Usually Brad. It's great! We have a pact that whoever made dinner can't do the dishes. By default, I usually make dinner so Brad usually does the dishes.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me

Who pays the bills? I do most of the time.

Who mows the lawn? We don't have a lawn, but if we did I'm sure Brad would love to mow it.

Who cooks dinner? I usually cook dinner. Unless we're grilling. Brad has the magic touch with grilling meat - it always turns out perfect!

Who drives when you are together? Usually Brad drives and I'm on baby duty.

Who is more stubborn? I'm not sure. Neither of us are very stubborn.

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? I don't know. I think we are both pretty quick to admit when we're wrong.

Whose parents do you see the most? We see them about equally because both of them live near us. We love it!

Who kissed who first? It was a very mutual first kiss.

Who asked who out? Brad asked me out first.

Who proposed? Brad proposed to me on Temple Square under the Christmas lights. I was so excited that I said "yes" before he even finished asking!

Who is more sensitive? I am more sensitive about most things, but Brad is very sensitive about some things. I guess we even one another out.

Who has more friends? Definitely Brad, but his friends are my friends too so it's fun.

Who wears the pants in the family? I think we both have one leg in. We know we're much better when we work together than when one of us is bull-headed.

Happy Birthday Babe! Thank you for making me the happiest girl alive! You amaze me every day. I love you!