Because this picture needs to be shared...

Meet mini-Brad

This is the face that greets me every morning. Yes, he is that excited every morning. I love it. I love him. Don't you?

P.S. I'll get to more blogging about vacations, moving, Samuel's blessing, etc, etc soon. Maybe tomorrow? (don't hold your breath)

Update

Lake by our new house

There is so much to say, that it really can't be said right now.

So here are the basics:
After selling almost everything we own (including our beloved Subaru)
and packing the rest into pods
and driving myself crazy trying to coordinate a cross-country move
and spending a few days in Idaho with family (not enough)
and blessing our sweet baby Samuel (more on that later)

We made it to Boston!

We've been here a week and as of right now, our pods are MIA (lost somewhere between Washington State and Massachusetts). So we're camping on our beautiful hardwood floors and cooking from the one frying pan I threw into my suitcase as an afterthought.

But we're here! And our house is cute. And we live two blocks from a lake. And I'm sure we're going to love it...once our stuff gets here and we can get settled.

Over and out.

Real Life

My babymoon ended this week. The 6 weeks since Sam was born have been pretty great. Brad's schedule allowed him to be home until noon every day, and I took full advantage. He was so sweet to let me sleep in with Sam while he took care of the girls. Now Brad's off to work at 8am and it's back to real life for me. But a new sort of real life.

For the most part, this transition to three kids has been pretty smooth. I credit a very good baby and two helpful girls. Sure, there are hectic moments when they are all fighting for attention at the same time, but we're figuring things out.

I've learned that one of them always needs something. It leaves me feeling like a little bee humming busily from one child to the next all day. It's busy and sort of exhausting. But then Sam starts smiling and cooing at me, or Leah comes and wraps her chubby arms around my neck, or Lainy says "I'm sorry you have to take care of all these kids all the time" like she's some sort of adult, and everything is suddenly okay.

Leah thinks she's a big girl (disclaimer: we didn't drive anywhere like this)

Helpful Lainy (she really wanted Sam to try a bottle)

Sam's favorite sleeping spot (and daddy's too)

First smiles

We're gearing up for our big cross-country move, which definitely adds some stress. But things are falling into place. A couple of weeks ago we found airline tickets to Boston for an amazing deal. It was a few days after the bombing so maybe that had something to do with it? Anyway, we bought four tickets. We're going to ship our things on pods. It's going to be quite a process, but we're excited to be going to Boston. I'm pretty sure we'll love it...once we get there! So if you have a moment, say a little prayer for that crazy Hansen family moving across the country with two kids and a newborn. D-day is June 13. It's going to be an adventure!

Circle of Life

Brad's Grandma Boyer recently passed away. She was 94. Her funeral was last weekend in Arco, Idaho.

We made the difficult decision to send just Brad to the funeral. It was a hard decision because I dearly love Brad's grandmother and her incredible family and I wanted to be there to celebrate her life with them. But we knew that 20 plus hours in the car in one weekend would just be too hard on our kids. So Brad left to make the trip and I stayed home with the girls and baby Sam.

From all accounts I heard, the funeral was beautiful: complete with incredible musical numbers, inspiring messages, and a miraculous parting of the clouds at the graveside. I'm sure Grandma was pleased. She's left a pretty amazing legacy. We have a lot to live up to.

Though I'm still sad I couldn't be there in person, I ended up having a nice weekend too. After watching horrible events unfold in the city we are moving to in two months, holding my pure, precious newborn baby and thinking about an amazing woman and a life well lived was reassuring. Love and family... that is what is most important no matter what craziness goes on around us.

We love you, Grandma...

Things I Want to Remember: At Two Weeks

How big Samuel's hands looked when the nurse handed him to me and the shock of hearing how big he was.

Brad bringing our tired-eyed little girls to meet their baby brother, and their somewhat stunned reaction.

Reading the story of Samuel in the Bible with Brad Sunday morning while waiting to be discharged from the hospital. Thinking about how it's a little different parenting a boy who will someday hold the priesthood and serve a mission - and hoping we're up for the task.

Bringing Samuel home to this reaction.

Immense gratitude for my Mom and her uncanny ability to know what you need without asking and for making my sweet girls (and me) feel so special.

The virtual baby shower put together by my sweet sister-in-law and all the thoughtful gifts my sisters gave us.

Scenes like this:

Sam's tendency to wake up and be totally alert just in time for his Dad to come home.

Brad's wonderful parents making a spur-of-the-moment trip to see us and admire their newest grandson.

Quiet times when Sam just stares at me like I'm the most fascinating thing in the world.

 This perfect, healthy little face (I think he looks like his daddy).