The Iverson Family

Blessing Day

2011-02-24T10:11:00.005-05:00

Last Sunday was the blessing day of our handsome little man, Henry. We are so lucky to have him in our family. He is such a happy, calm baby. He makes us smile everyday.
Sadly we were not able to have any family here to share the day with us. We invited some friends and neighbors, but none of them were able to come either. Either way Henry was blessed and it was a beautiful blessing. Here are some pictures from the day.

Here He is - our little man.

Savannah and Bella chose their dresses for church and came down matching. Perfect for pictures.

Savannah is such a good big sister. She loves here little brother and is so good at getting him to smile.

We told Bella to hold on so Henry didn't fall. Well, I don't think he is going anywhere.

Nothing like love from a big Sister.

The proud Mom and Dad

Here are my boys. I love them both so much.

I was quite nervous for this picture considering the fact that my 3 mo old really can't sit by himself, but oh how cute it turned out to be. I saw online how to turn one of Seth's tie into a tie for Henry. So fun.

Do you think they are siblings?

2010-12-03T06:43:00.003-05:00

All three sleep the same way.
Savannah

Isabella
Henry
As babies, none of our children want to have their arms tucked in and wrapped up. They all eventually wiggle free.

More pictures

2010-12-03T06:27:00.004-05:00

One day old.
Two days old with Mom in the Special Care Nursery.
At home sitting in his car seat.
Our early Christmas present.

Update on Henry

2010-12-03T06:10:00.004-05:00

Just some more pictures of our gift from Heaven

2010-11-22T08:35:00.005-05:00

HENRY BOYCE IVERSON is here!!!!

Born at 2:36pm at Rochester General Hospital on 21 November 2010. He weighed 9 pounds and 5 ounces and is 21" long!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-04T14:13:00.005-04:00

This year for Halloween Savannah decided she wanted to be Belle and I decided for Bella that she was going to be a doctor since we already have that costume. Bella was very excited to be a doctor, she just wasn't so excited to be getting her picture taken.

The weekend before Halloween I took the girls to our zoo for Zoo Boo. They get to go to many trick or treat stations plus see the animals. It is also nice to be out enjoying the beautiful fall we have.

Here they are roaring like a lion.

During the middle of October we were so lucky to have Grandma, Grandpa, and Great Grandma come to our house. It was so much fun to visit and show them around our area.
Reading a book with Grandpa.

Of course we took the time to visit the church history sites in Palmyra, NY. We love living so close to such a special place.
The Sacred Grove

My dad took some beautiful pictures of the Sacred Grove. It is such a peaceful place.

This is the Peter Whitmer Home were the church was organized.

On their last day, we decided to go to Wickham farms to find us some pumpkins. We were so sad to see them leave. We love having family come and visit.

Our First, First Day of School

2010-09-29T12:33:00.005-04:00

Sadly it has taken me way to long to get this posted. My mind has been on so many other things as I am trying my hardest to get all ready for Christmas before our baby comes. Which means there are many projects right now. But, better late than never, here is our first, first day of school.

First day of school outfit.

You can't start school without the good old picture by the front door.

She was so excited to wear her new backpack and take her lunch to school.

Waiting for the bus. Luckily for us, the bus stop is our house.

Getting on the bus. I was a little worried about how this would go, but she did great. No tears from her and no tears from mommy. As Bella and I watched the bus drive down the street, Bella said, "I want my Savannah, I love her." So cute.

Waiting for Savannah to come home.
Seth has always planned on being home for the first day of school, but sadly he had a major physics test that day for radiology. He had to leave very early so he missed the whole morning. Happily the test was only a few hours so he was able to be with us to welcome her home.

My day is done. Welcome home Savannah.

Everyday she greets me with a hug, which I love.

She is in all day kindergarten, so it has been quite the adjustment for us. She absolutely loves school, which makes it so much easier. The long days do make her very tired, but hopefully she will get used to that. I did much better than I thought I would until that night when it all hit me, we get to do this all over again tomorrow and many more days to come. One day at a time!

Much Needed Update

2010-07-29T09:47:00.003-04:00

The biggest news we have to share is . . . We are having a BOY!!! It was a bit of a shock at first, but we are all excited and anxious to see how life will change. I hear from everyone how different boys are so I feel a little like I am starting over with all the unknown. Pretty Crazy.

Here are some of the fun things we have been doing lately.

I took the girls on a last minute trip to Niagra Falls. We went to the aquarium and then over to the falls. We didn't stay long, but will definitely be going back to really explore. I am just amazed at how much water goes over those falls.

We were able to go to the Hill Cumorah Pageant this year. We had a lot of fun. We met some of our good friends, the Connors there. It was so fun to see them. As soon as the pageant started, Savannah was hooked. I think I had more fun watching her watch it then the pageant itself. She clapped and cheered even when no one else was.

Savannah was able to reconnect with her good friend Ammon Connors. They are only a couple of months apart in age. They haven't seen each other in two years, but became fast friends again.

I finally finished the curtains for the girl's room. There is another window so I made a total of 4 panels. Each panel has eight flowers on it. I am so happy with how they turned out. Every time I pass their room they make me smile. I love when projects turn out that way.

Here is a closeup of the stitching around each flower. It took longer than I thought, but it was just too cute to do it differently.

Guess What

2010-06-01T15:44:00.004-04:00

I guess now is as good a time as ever. Baby #3 is on its way!!!!! We are very excited. I am 14 weeks along and feeling good. When we told our girls, Savannah couldn't stop smiling and hugging me. It was pretty cute. The due date is Nov. 3oth, which seems so far away at this point, but I am sure once summer activities start time will go quickly. I am very excited to find out the gender - only six more weeks.

Easter Dresses 2010

2010-04-12T08:50:00.003-04:00

Even though Easter was on General Conference, I still decided to make dresses for my girl's. I took the extra week and they wore them yesterday. I just have to share the pictures because these just might be my favorite so far.

Here it is. Of course there is two, but they are just the same.

I love this part of the dress. Instead of doing regular ricrac around the dress, I found these cute little flowers. So fun.

And here are my girls. So cute! The dresses look even better on. The best part is how excited they were to wear their dresses. I ironed them on Sat. and put them in their closet. Then on Sunday morning Savannah woke up and immediately got their dresses down and laid them on their beds, ready to wear after breakfast. Savannah even let me curl her hair, a rare occasion these days.

Sadly Daddy was on call so he did not get to see them in their dresses. But I am sure there will be many more chances.

Good News

2010-04-05T09:34:00.003-04:00

The mouse trap worked. We set it out that night and the next morning it was caught. Poor Savannah thought that it was in some kind of cage so we could let it go outside. I had to carefully explain that the mouse was not alive anymore and that I am not opening the trap to see the mouse. I am glad to have it gone. We do have another trap set just in case, but so far no mouse.

We had such a great Easter weekend. The weather her in NY was beautiful. Friday and Saturday it was in the 80's so we spent a lot of time outside. The Easter bunny came on Saturday morning and brought the girls some fun tools for the garden. They are excited to help mom.

Conference was wonderful as usual. Luckily this year we were even able to watch it on our tv. The cable company here decided to carry it. We usually watch it on the computer. Savannah was very excited and even stopped to listen to quite a bit of Sat. morning session. With all the warm weather and the fun of Easter, conference, and way too many sweets, I think we wore out the kids. During the Sat. afternoon session Savannah climbed on Seth's lap and promptly fell asleep. She NEVER does this. Even when she was little she would rarely fall asleep in our arms. Then during Sun. morning session she fell asleep on my lap and slept for an hour. Of course Bella decided not to take a nap on Sunday so about 15 min before the end of conference which is about 5:45 pm our time, she had a melt down and then fell asleep in Seth's arms. We didn't let her sleep long, but Seth still enjoyed it for a little while. Here is a picture of Seth and Savannah during Sat. afternoon session.

Please leave our home

2010-03-25T18:20:00.003-04:00

Recently we have had a very unwelcome guest in our house. A while back I noticed weird little black things on my counter ( yes very gross) every morning. Sadly to say I finally did some research and they were either mouse droppings or cockroach droppings. This is so weird to say, but I found myself really wishing it was a mouse and not a cockroach (or many). It seems easier to rid our house of mice than cockroaches. So last night we set up the video camera on the night vision setting and went to bed. We woke up to no droppings on the counters, but after watching the video, we finally saw our little visitor. A Mouse. Gross, gross, gross. I really dislike the idea of having any little creature in my house. I really do keep a clean home, or so I thought.
The traps have been purchased and will be set tonight. I apologize to the mouse world. I am especially sorry if you have hidden cooking talents like your friend Remy, or are related to Mickey or Minnie, you just have to go. Wish us luck.

Tagged

2010-03-15T10:17:00.003-04:00

I have been tagged. Here is the deal. You must find your 1oth photo in your first album. So here is mine.

This is obviously at the empire State Building in NY. We had just moved to NY a month earlier and my Aunt Marylee came out for the US Open. We met her down in the city for some fun site seeing. It was our first time in NYC. What a place. We had a great time.

Now I tag Wendy, Bekah, and Jen. Find your 10th photo in your first album and post away.

We are still here!

2010-03-05T11:22:00.003-05:00

I know it has been quite a while since the last post, sorry! There are many posts coming soon I hope. The funny thing is I check our blog every few days. I don't really know why. I guess I am hoping one of these times all the things I want to post about will be there written beautifully.
Anyway, thanks to all those who keep there blogs updated. I love reading about your lives and the wonderful ideas you have.

Current Projects

2009-11-01T17:12:00.002-05:00

Blankets for my girl's. Savannah's - top, Bella's - bottom.
I sewed together two pieces of fleece and then clipped the edges.

Fabric that will become my kitchen curtains.

This is the fabric for curtains for the girl's room. I am super excited and really hope they turn out like the picture in my mind.

2009-11-01T16:05:00.001-05:00

My mom came out to visit for a week. We had so much fun. We were able to visit all the sites in Palmyra, NY. Of course one of the favorites is the Sacred Grove. We were also able to visit the beautiful Letchworth State Park. The picture of the waterfalls comes from that park. We took Grandma to the zoo for the fun Zoo Boo fun. And of course some yummy Halloween sugar cookies were made and enjoyed. It was so nice to have her here with us. Thanks for coming Mom.

Halloween

2009-11-01T15:14:00.005-05:00

Introducing.....

Goldilocks and Baby Bear

I once again was lucky to be able to pick the costumes for this year. I think next year Savannah may have another idea.

Saturday morning we carved our pumpkins, but I forgot both times I went to the store to get candles so they remained dark Halloween night.

Savannah chose which shapes to use, but sadly (for her) we helped with the carving.

Seth's Pumpkin

Bella's Pumpkin. She was napping at this point, so she didn't make the pictures.

We met up with some friends for trick-or-treating. So much fun! So much Candy!

A sucker in the mouth, candy in both hands, one happy girl.

The next group of pictures are some of my favorites from when my mom was here.

My very first pie with homemade crust. YUMMY! It was an apple pie.

Super excited to make sugar cookies with Grandma.

Letchworth State Park in NY.

My favorite picture. This was taken at the Smith Farm in Palmyra, NY. The Sacred Grove is in the background. We are only 30 min away from Palmyra.

Before and After Photo's - Living Room and Office

2009-09-02T15:00:00.006-04:00

Here are the before and after photo's. The house is coming along, slowly but surely. I am determined to make sure everything has a place or we don't need it. I want to start off organized so that it will be easier to maintain. That being said, it takes a long time to get everything put away especially when I have to be creative in how we store stuff. Also, this whole decorating thing does not come very easy to me. This is a major learning experience, one I hope turns out positive.

THE BEFORE

This is how the old carpet looked. It was supposed to be a light blue, but it was more brown than blue except where the furniture was. We were lucky to be able to paint before the carpet was replaced.

This hardwood floor was under the carpet. We knew it was there, but did not know what condition it was in. It wasn't too bad, but would have needed to be refinished.

THE AFTER
And now the new carpet. We opted for a neutral color, not to light, but not too dark. Don't worry, the teal curtains on the window will be changed, probably to a chocolate brown.

Fireplace view

The carpet went all the way up the stairs as well.

This is our office / treadmill room. The door leads out to the sun room and the backyard.

So there it is, the new carpet. We love it. It is so soft and clean. There will be more photos to follow as I finish more of the house. I am not kidding when I say decorating is not easy for me. It all got a little overwhelming so I just stopped trying for a while. Now I am back to working on it little by little.

It's About Time

2009-07-28T15:44:00.005-04:00

I figure it is about time to actually sit down and start posting some of the many things on my list. First of all we made it to Rochester, a month ago, but we are here. So far so good. Seth loves his job, YAY! He was really nervous that he wasn't going to like Radiology, but the work day seem to pass very quickly, so that must be a good sign.
We are enjoying our house. It is pretty fun to have our own space. I do have to say this, there is so much to do. I am sure all you home owners are nodding your head in agreement. It seems like the to do list is never ending.
Most of the moving in has gone smoothly except for one major item. We knew moving in we were going to have to have our carpet cleaned, the background to which I will share later. Knowing this we put everything that needed to go in the office or living room in the basement or sun room. We had Chem Dry come to clean the carpet and the first words out of the guys mouth was, "I can't clean this." He went on to say that it would be a better to put our money toward new carpet. For some reason I was not suprised, but did not want to hear that. I was very impressed that he would tell me the truth instead of charge me knowing it wouldn't come clean. It is pretty bad. We were pretty frustrated, and still are a little bit. We definitely did not plan to have to buy new carpet. It is so expensive. We do have hard wood floors under the carpet, but after much discussion, we are still going ahead with carpet. We found some carpet we like that we think (hope) is good quality. When I can let my mind get passed the price, I am actually very excited. It is going to be so nice to start fresh and know that my carpet is clean. Right now there is a very weird, gross smell in our house that I really hope leaves with the carpet. So any way, we are only partly moved in, main stuff the couch, entertainment center and computer. I feel like I am constantly going through boxes to find things. It is driving me crazy. We finally made the appointment with the carpet installers for a week from today. So from start to finish it will be 4 1/2 weeks. Maybe it always takes this long, but I am so tired of living on really gross, stinky carpet.
So because we are replacing the carpet, we decided we better paint while we still have the old carpet and don't have to worry about any spills. We painted the office a medium brown, actually called Mississippi mud and the living room a green (I can't remember the name). I will post pictures later when we have our new carpet. Right now the carpet is a light blue, except for the huge areas, where it is down a brownish blue, and it doesn't look very good with the paint colors we have. Our new carpet will be a light brown and I think it is going to all come together nicely. At least I am really hoping it will. Picking out paint colors was a bit of a stress, I am not very good at that kind of thing.

We also painted the girl's room pink. I am still in the process of putting their names on the wall and flowers as such all in a chocolate brown.BEFORE

AFTER - I will post another picture when it is all done.

Here is our very first home!

The door is to our sun room, or three season room, which also leads out onto our patio!

This is our back yard. I love that it is already fenced in, already has flowers and such, and most of all that it is mostly grass for us to play.

Now the next picture I did not know we had until we moved here and it is my most favorite thing about this house.

RASPBERRIES!!!
I was so excited when I found out. It is a pretty big patch of raspberries, and what do you do when you have many, many raspberries?

You make raspberry freezer jam!!! Right now we have 24 cups in the freezer and more raspberries coming. I love it. YUM, YUM!

Whirlwind Weekend

2009-06-05T15:36:00.002-04:00

Last weekend was a crazy, crazy weekend. First of all I have been packing up everything we own for the last month while Seth was practically living at the hospital. Luckily he did have a few days off before packing the truck to help with the last stuff.
Friday afternoon we picked up the truck. Friday around 4 pm our help started showing up. By 7 pm the truck was pretty much packed. Saturday morning we woke up and I started cleaning and Seth was packing the stuff we needed the last night and rearranging some stuff in the truck. We left Cooperstown for the last time around 11 am. I was definitely feeling some sadness as we drove away. I really enjoyed the year we spent there. We reached our home in Rochester at 2:45 pm and help came at 3 pm. Our truck was unloaded in an hour. It was amazing. We had such great help on both sides of the move. I am so grateful for the church. We couldn't have done it without all the members who came to help. THANK YOU!!!
We then returned the truck and went to dinner. We put the girls to bed and then made sure we had everything ready to go to Utah. We woke up the girls and 5 am Sunday morning and drove to my cousins house so she could take us to the airport for our 7:30 flight. Thank you Seleta for waking up so early. You are the best.
After 7 hours of travel time we arrived in Utah. I am so glad to be here. We are having such a great time reconnecting with family and friends. It has been two years since we have been home. This trip was much needed. We will be here in Utah for a month. Seth is working at Logan Regional Hospital with a radiologist and has a great schedule. It was pretty weird to move in to our house and then lock it up and leave for a month, but I am very happy to have the break.

Easter Weekend

2009-05-03T15:49:00.003-04:00

Even though it has been a while since Easter, here is our Easter celebration time line.
It all started with a super fun package from my mom and sister. Savannah and Bella were so excited. They each received a bag full of Easter goodies and of course the following Sunglasses.

Movie Star for sure

Bella loves being like her big sister.

Seth didn't want to miss out on the fun.

Thanks for the fun packages Mom and Traci.

Saturday we had a fun little Easter party with our friends the Harry's. We decorated sugar cookies and had an Easter egg hunt. Seth had to work that day so it was so nice to celebrate with friends.

Here's the clan after all the eggs were found. They wanted more of course.

Since Seth was at work on Saturday we changed plans and did the baskets on Sunday morning. I definitely prefer Saturday morning. The girls were pretty excited which is so fun. When I was younger the "Easter Bunny" would hide the baskets and we would have to find them. I am excited to do that as the girls get older.

Savannah and Bella checking out their stash.

This is the best picture we could get of the girls in their Easter dresses. They didn't want to stand. They looked so cute.

Here is a full picture of this year's Easter dresses. I love having girls to make dresses for.

Sunday afternoon we decorated Easter eggs.
We had a dozen of these happy eggs to look at.

My Busy One Year Old

2009-04-18T17:13:00.007-04:00

Do you ever feel like you are so far behind that you don't even know where to begin? That is how I feel about blogging right now. There are so many things I want to blog about with so little time to do it. Even right now I am trying to type while my one year old tries to type for me.
Whenever I think life is busy it just seems to get busier. We have once again started the crazy process of moving. We have 6 weeks left in Cooperstown, then on to Rochester. We are in the process of buying a house - very exciting. I will blog more about that later. If all goes well, we will be moving on May 30th and flying to Utah on May 31st. I can't believe it is that time already. But first things first.

Our beautiful little Isabella turned 1 years old on Feb. 4. She is such a sweet girl. She is walking all over the place and just loves to explore. Her smile and laugh can turn a bad day - good. We are so excited to get to Utah so that our family can get to know this little girl. Most of the fam and many of our friend have yet to meet her in person.
I have noticed that I am able to enjoy each stage more with Bella than I did with Savannah. I was always so stressed with Savannah and trying to figure out how to be a mom. I don't think I have completely figured it out but I am able to enjoy it more this time around. Of course it helps that Bella is my little mama's girl and loves to snuggle.
We had a low key birthday celebration with our friends the Harry's. Once Bella tasted the yummy frosting, she dug right in. The ice cream was also a big hit. All was well until we heard a weird sound in the middle of the night. Seth went into Bella's room and found that she had thrown-up everywhere. We thought we had probably just stuffed the poor girl with way too many sweets. Then two days later Savannah started throwing up and it lasted all day long. We were very glad when that stomach bug left our house.
Here are some more pictures and a video of our sweet little Bella.

I love this girl!

Bella loves to wear Savannah's bike helmet. The funny thing is it almost fits her.

Looking cool in my new sunglasses.

I love seeing this face every morning. She wakes up so happy.

Snow, Snow go away

2009-02-23T09:52:00.004-05:00

Today it is official. I am done with winter. Winter and I are no longer friends. I have been trying very hard to stay positive about winter because we will have long winters the next 4 years, but today I am done. I am done with getting all bundled up. I am done with dry, dry skin. I am done with car doors frozen shut. I am done with bad roads. I am done with the cold.

WINTER, I AM DONE WITH YOU!!!

Now I know I can't make spring come any sooner so I should probably change my attitude. Maybe tomorrow we will become friends again and I will be able to see your beauty. Until then, I am done.

Husband Tag

2009-02-08T15:57:00.000-05:00

1. What is your husband's name?
Seth Henry Iverson. I know him as Seth, but to some of my cousins he is Hanky Baby. He always says he would like to go by Henry.

2.How long have you been married?
4 1/2 Years

3.How long did you date?
We officially dated 6 months before we were engaged. Then three months and then married.

4.How old is he?
31, almost 32

5.Who eats more sweets?
Definitely me! He is all about the dried fruit, trail mix kind of snacks. There have been many times when I will be eating ice cream and he is eating a grapefruit.

6.Who is a better singer?
We both can sing in choirs, but never any solos

7. Who is smarter?
I would say Seth

8.Who does the laundry?
Me, every Monday!

9.Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?
If your sitting in the Bed, I sleep on the right side.

10.What does he do in his spare time?
If he had spare time, he would spend time with the girls, read, ride his bike, or finish on going projects.

11.Who cooks dinner?
ME, although I do believe he has some hidden cooking talent. Every once in a while I hear about something he has made, but I don't see it very often. I do have to say this, he makes a very delicious chocolate cake for my birthday.

12.Who wears the pants?
I think we both do.

13. Who is always right?
I would love to say it is me, but then I might be wrong! Seth does say that he is learning more and more to listen to me. Those are his words, not mine.

14. Who said "I love you" first?
Seth did. All I said back was, "I don't know what to say". Real romantic.

15. Does he snore?
Occasionally, mostly when he is stuffy.

16. Who kissed who first?
Seth kissed me first.

17.Who drives?
If Seth is in the car, he drives which is perfectly fine with me.

18.Who asked who out first?
Our first date just kind of happened. We had planned a hike up the Wellsville mts. with a group of people and everyone else decided not to go for one reason or the other. So we went together anyway and had the best time. We were pretty much together from then on, so a few weeks later we decided that was our first date. We even have a picture of us on our first date.

So that is just some of what I love about my husband. I am so thankful that we were able to find each other. We love each other and the wonderful little girls that we have. We miss him when he is away, but we are so grateful for all the hard work he puts in at the hospital. He is doing such a great job. He is simply amazing!

I tag, Jen Isom, Sarah Smith, and Andrea McClelland.

All Things Christmas

2009-01-11T16:03:00.005-05:00

The end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 have been great for us. We had a wonderful Christmas. Seth had a week off starting Christmas Eve. It was so nice to have him home. Savannah was much more into it this year. I loved seeing the excitement in her eyes. Bella didn't really know what was going on, but she did love the paper Christmas morning. She loves to play with any paper, mag. etc. she can find, so we didn't put any presents under the tree until Christmas Eve. Here are a few pictures from the Season.

Playing in the snow with Savannah and Bella. Bella didn't last very long, but Savannah had a blast.

Santa had his own little house on Main Street here in Cooperstown. He would come a few days a week to visit with the kids. Mrs. Claus came with him. She also did story time on Mondays. Savannah really enjoyed that.

Bella was not very excited to be handed off to a man in a red suit, no matter how jolly he was. He actually did a really good job with the kids. Yes, his beard is real. He does this every year with his wife.

Christmas Eve Dinner. I cooked a ham, funeral potatoes, rolls, corn, blue jello (Savannah's idea) and sparkling grape juice. The ham cooked for 13 hours, overnight, so easy and so delicious.

Savannah and Bella were lucky to open a present Christmas Eve - pajamas. They say "What Santa doesn't bring me Grandma will.

I couldn't resist posting this picture. I just love this little girl. She is always so happy.

The Sunday before Christmas church was canceled due to snow, so the girls wore their Christmas dress after Christmas. They looked so cute. Savannah actually even let me do her hair. That is a rare occasion these days.

These last two pictures are of the presents I made for my girls. I made the doll for Savannah and the bears for both of them. It was originally supposed to be Goldy Locks and the Three Bears, but I used too big of yarn for the doll, so she kind of towers over the bears. I was pretty excited to see the finished product. Of course I do hope they keep them for a long time, but we shall see. I love making things with my hands. This project taught me a lot about knitting.

There is nothing so constant as Change - YW Manual

2008-12-19T14:56:00.003-05:00

So we have had a few changes in our lives lately. The first one came about a month ago when I was asked to be the new Young Women's President in our Branch. I said yes, with a lot of "I hope I can do this" going through my mind. It is just a small group, about 6 girls. Each Sunday at church I learn something more I should be doing or planning. Seth is also the Young Men's President, so we are in charge of the youth program. There is actually only one young man and one more turning 12 soon. So our two little girls get dragged along each week for mutual and such. Savannah actually loves it. I get overwhelmed with all there is to do, but then the spirit calms my heart and reminds me about the purpose of YW and that is to bring the girls closer to Jesus Christ. All I have to do is take it all one step at a time and do the best I can. The funny part is I will probably be just figuring things out when we move again.
The second change came about two days ago, when Bella decided she no longer wanted to be nursed. Last Wednesday she ate fine in the morning and then I guess she just decided she had enough. Since then, she screams and cries when I try to nurse her. So I called the nurse and asked what the options are since she is 10 1/2 months old. Luckily they said I could start cow's milk. Yesterday was rough, but today is looking better. I am not very good at sudden change like that, so we are definitely still adjusting. Bella pretty much won't let me leave the room without her. This was not the case before the sudden switch. I was able to slowly wean Savannah so this is all new to me. Bella certainly has her own plan and schedule in mind. I was looking forward to being done with nursing, I just didn't think it would happen so soon and so abruptly. I am hoping we can all get adjusted soon. If anyone has ever gone through this and has some good ideas, let me know.
So needless to say, we did not get any Christmas cards out this year. We really wanted to, but with all that is going on something had to go. There is always next year right? We hope you all have a Merry Christmas, safe and warm with family and friends. It is snowing right now and looks so beautiful. White Christmas here we come. What a wonderful time of year!!!

A little late, but Thankful just the same

2008-12-03T14:26:00.002-05:00

I have many reasons to be thankful this holiday season. We are all healthy, happy, and loving each other. Recently I have come in contact with a few people that have really helped me see how truly blessed I am. It is so easy to get wrapped up in what we don't have, and forget to see just how much we do have. I am so grateful for my amazing husband. He has worked and continues to work so hard for us. I am so happy that he has found a field that he loves. He still has more training to come, but he loves being a doctor. We have been so blessed with experiences that we would have never had if situations were different.
Savannah is such a wonderful joy and such a sweet little girl. Bella has made our home so much brighter. Her smile makes us smile. I am still learning so much about being the kind of mother I want to be. I am so grateful that my girls love me even when I make mistakes. They are so quick to forgive and move on. I am thankful for family.
I am also thankful for friends. I have recently reconnected with an old friend that I missed so much. She is such an amazing person. Living so far from family has taught me just how important friends are. I am a better person because of the amazing people I am blessed to call my friends.

2008-11-14T11:29:00.000-05:00

Little Bo Peep and her Sheep

2008-11-01T16:44:00.003-04:00

Happy Halloween! This year Savannah and Bella went as Little Bo Peep and her Sheep! I started working on the costumes the end of September and I don't want to brag, but I have to admit they turned out pretty cute. I also made Savannah a staff to carry, but it didn't make it into any of the pictures. This might be the last year that I have a say into what Savannah is for Halloween. She already informed me she wants to be a witch next year. We shall see.

I just love these girls!!

This little Sheep is ready to go!!

We had a fun time carving pumpkins this year. Savannah's(with my help) is the front one and Seth did the one in the back. The light area is thin enough that the candle would make it glow. We didn't get any good pictures of it lit.

Cooperstown has a Halloween parade that we participated in. The high school marching band led the parade with all the kids (and parents) followed behind. Lots of fun. We also went trick-or-treating to all the shops on main street and some of the neighborhood homes. Savannah had a blast trick-or-treating and did not want to stop. We lucked out and had some great temperatures with no snow.

This is a cute video of Bella laughing. If you watch her mouth closely you will be able to catch a glimpse of her teeth. She has three teeth. Two on top and one of the bottom. Not too different except that the two on top are the side teeth and the bottom tooth is one of the middle teeth, so we have our own Jack-O-lantern smile. Very fitting for Halloween. We are doing our best to get a picture of it. This is all we have so far.

Oh, the first snow fall of the winter...

2008-10-29T09:51:00.002-04:00

I find it to be a little crazy to have a nice fall day one day and then full on winter the next day. Yesterday we went from rain to slushy snow to snow and now we have winter. I do love a good snow storm, but I just don't like it to come before Halloween. I am not quite ready for winter to set in. Because the snow was so wet and heavy all the branches are really hanging down. We have one branch that is hanging down onto the roof and somehow is wedged right where the roof and side of the house meet. So now as the wind blows the branch scrapes on the side of the house making a horrible creaking sounds. It sounds like the house is under too much pressure and is going to collapse any second. The branch is right outside Savannah room and woke her up in the middle of the night. She came running into our room so scared. Poor girl. Like I said before I am not quite ready for winter. They say we will have great weather and temp. for Halloween. Hopefully that really happens.

Yesterday around 3:00 p.m.

This is what we woke up to.

Bread

2008-10-22T11:26:00.002-04:00

I LOVE Bread. I love making bread. I love the smell of fresh bread. I love eating bread. There is not much better than a warm, fresh slice of homemade wheat bread. My Grandma makes the best homemade bread. Eating her bread is one of the many reason why I love going to Grandma's House. I have always had a goal to make bread like Grandma. I realized that Grandma had probably been making bread her whole life so I decided I better get started. Back when I started college (1998) I decided to make all my bread. No more buying bread. The beginning was rough. I had a lot of very short, dense bread that didn't rise very well. I would have some turn out which gave me hope. After many dense loaves of bread, many questions to Grandma, learning I had the wrong size pans, buying the right pans, getting a new recipe that rises in the oven (thanks Grandma), and 10 years of practice I think it is going pretty well. I really enjoy making the bread for my family. I have now started trying new types of bread - branching out as Seth would say.

This is our whole wheat bread that I make regularly. It makes the house smell so good.

English Muffin Bread - YUMMY

Focaccia Bread. This one still needs some practice, but it is fun to have.

The next one I want to try is sour dough bread. My mom also just gave me an Artisan Breads cook book. I am so excited to start using it.

This one goes to Bella

2008-09-12T10:42:00.004-04:00

Our sweet little Bella is growing up so fast. She is already well into 12 mo. size clothes, which just blows my mind, because she is only 7 mo. old. She loves to sit and play with her toys. She is very mello and cuddly - so fun. It is so fun to go through all the new baby stages and watch her learn and explore her world. Life is pretty crazy with two kids, but I am doing my best to enjoy it along the way. I do have to say that she just might be a mama's girl.

Bella loves to play outside while her sister rides her bike around.

I love her smile.

Out for the day at the fair. (I will post about the county fair later)

Bella's favorite thing is to drink from my water bottle. I just think it is so cute.

Where did the summer go?

2008-09-04T14:24:00.009-04:00

This summer has gone by so fast. I can't believe how fast this summer has gone by. We have really been enjoying living in Cooperstown. It has been a great place for our family so far. We have been doing a lot of fun stuff that I have been wanting to post, but life with two kids gets a little busy some time. I am going to do my best to get everything posted over the next few days, one for our sake and also to get one more thing crossed off my never ending to do list.

The first post goes to Savannah. She turned 3 years old on Aug. 5th. I am so proud of my little girl. She is growing up so fast and loving having more independence, more than I want sometimes, and learning so much everyday. Sometimes I just watch her and wonder when my baby turned into a little girl. For her birthday we did a little family celebration. We were going to go to a county fair, but the rain came and changed our plans. We were able to go to a Children's museum in Utica, NY. It was ok. Let's just say they are trying to have a children's musuem, but still have a long way to go. She liked it well enough so that is what counts. Savannah also got her hair cut for the first time. She was quite excited. The first day we went, they closed about an hour before we got there. She was devasted. Who knew they would close at 3 pm on a Sat. So first thing Monday morning we were there for the big event. I think it turned out great.

Before

After

Our little family celebration!!

I couldn't resist putting this picture on. Just too cute.

Her first time on the bike.

This is at the lake by our house. There is a little beach area we love to go to.

What is a trip to the beach without being buried!

Nantucket Weekend GIVEAWAY!!!!

2008-08-12T10:08:00.001-04:00

Nantucket Weekend GIVEAWAY!!!!
This is from a great blog, Grosgrain done by someone very talented. She does amazing giveaways.

Good old family fun

2008-07-14T13:17:00.006-04:00

Here are some pictures of some fun things we have been doing lately. We are doing our best to take advantage of all the fun things we can do since we will only be here one year.

Daddy came home from work one day holding a baby bird that must have fallen out of its nest, into the road. Savannah was so excited. She couldn't wait to hold it. The moved it from the road to the trees. We hope it found its mother.

We go on a lot of walks and we love it. We bought an attachment to our bike trailer that turn it into a double jogger. Very handy. Luckily Bella loves it and so does Savannah.

THE 4th of JULY

We went to a small town parade. It was great. Some nice lady let us borrow her umbrella which was heaven sent.

I would love to own a car like this someday.

What small town parade is complete without a trailer full of kids pulled by a tractor?

One the 5th of July we went to the Farmers Museum here in Cooperstown. It is a 19th century town and farm, complete with a state fair carousel.

Savannah meet Daisy the sheep.

Savannah was able to help feed the new calf. This reminded me of when I use to go to Rupert, ID to my grandparents dairy farm and wake up at 5 am just to feed the calves their bottles. So fun.

Our home in Cooperstown

2008-06-19T15:10:00.008-04:00

After a week of packing, loading the truck, realizing the truck was too small, getting another truck, loading the second truck, cleaning the apartment, driving 4 hours to Cooperstown, and unloading the truck in the first major heat wave of the summer we have made it to our new home. We are excited to be here. Thank you to all who helped pack up the truck in Valhalla, and to our new branch for helping us unload the truck in Cooperstown. Thank you also to Grandma Diane for being so much help. Luckily she was here to play with the girls and the drive the second truck.
We have actually been here for a week and a half, but it took a week to get the internet. We are still unpacking boxes, mostly the tail end stuff that doesn't go in any certain spot. I am anxious to get the pictures hung up so that it looks more like our home.

We are so lucky to be able to live in a 3 bedroom townhouse. Here are some pictures Grandma took before we unloaded the boxes.

This is the view of our front door. There are 10 units in each group.

Side view of our house. This is the view from the parking lot. I am very excited not to have to re-park my car after unloading groceries. Some of you understand what I am talking about.

Back of the house. The first set of three windows are the living room windows.

When you walk in the front door, this is what you see. There is a carpeted dining room but we will not use it for that. The stairs to the right go up to a landing and the second floor. Strait ahead, down a few stairs is the living room. See pictures below.

To the left of the previous pictures is the area we are using as the dining room.

This is the kitchen. More like a hallway with counters on each side, but it is has more cupboards and counters than the last place so it is great.

Living room

Up the first set of stairs, to a landing area we will use as an office.

Up the second set of stairs to the second floor with the bedrooms and bathroom.

We do not have pictures of the bedrooms, but maybe when everything is unpacked I will take some to share. There is also a half bathroom downstairs right by the front door. We also have an unfinished basement that is so nice for storage and the washer and dryer we will be buying from a previous resident. We really like it so far.

Our little Flower Girl

2008-05-09T13:44:00.006-04:00

Last Saturday, we had the privilege of being a part of our friends, Cat and Andrew's wedding. They asked Savannah to be their flower girl. We were very excited. She was perfect for the part. I was a little nervous for the actual day and how well Savannah would do what they wanted. She did a great job. They were married at the UN Chapel and had their reception at the UN Delegates Dining Room. Here are a few pictures of the day.

We are waiting for them to let us inside the chapel to finish getting ready. I put Savannah's hair in curlers earlier that morning. So fun.

This is how Savannah looked at the beginning of the wedding. The hair lost some curl by the end of the day but she looked so cute.

She loved holding her basket of flowers.

Andrew, Cat, Seth, Bella, Jeni, Savannah
Congrats Cat and Andrew!

Savannah loved playing in the blossoms, while waiting for her picture to be taken.

They took pictures at the UN Gardens. It was so beautiful.

Savannah loved to dance and took every chance she could to dance with the Bride.
Savannah had so much fun at the reception. Here she is while the band was taking a break.
We gave Cat and Andrew a denim quilt that I made. Thank you Wendy, Megan, and Seth for helping tie the quilt.

Savannah seriously danced every chance she had. She didn't care if we were out there with her or not. Is this really my child?

Fun time at the Zoo

2008-05-05T20:36:00.007-04:00

For those of you that have lived near the Bronx Zoo probably know about free Wednesday. We decided to take advantage of that a couple of weeks ago. It was spring break for the elementary schools, so the zoo was pretty busy but still fun. We went with the Connors and had a blast. Thanks Wendy.

The beginning of the day. A little more energy.

The end of the day. Kids were pretty tired.

Savannah and Ammon, hand in hand, enjoying a stroll through the butterfly exhibit. Savannah always says, "Ammon my best friend."

I was carrying Bella in a carrier and pushing Ammon and Savannah in the stroller. There were a few people who did a double take when we walked by, with a look of pity to see me with two two year olds and an infant.

My little midge fly daughter.

Melts my heart

2008-04-16T14:30:00.003-04:00

Isn't she cute? O.K. I am a little biased, but I just love this smile. She has been smiling at us for awhile now and we love it. Even when I have been up since 4 am and exausted, seeing that happy smile makes it all worth it.

A New Blog

2008-04-02T14:18:00.002-04:00

I have been wanting/needing to lose weight for a while, so I decided to start a new blog to share my success, failures, frustrations, etc. I am a little nervous to actually have people read it, but I am hoping I will feel a little more motivated to stick to a better, healthier lifestyle. You can read it if you would like. I am going to do my best to be very real and honest. The blog is www.whynotjeni.blogspot.com Here goes nothing.

Easter Dresses

2008-03-25T15:00:00.006-04:00

I was so excited to make the Easter dresses this year. I found the cutest fabric and it was even on sale. I love fabric sales. Having two girls is so much fun. I love having them in matching dresses. The looked so cute!! I wore a pink shirt and Seth had a pink tie, yes we were all matching. Kind of cheesy, but a lot of fun. We plan on wearing our pink for the next family picture.

Easter Fun

2008-03-25T14:41:00.006-04:00

Last Friday we went to the Skousen's home and decorated Bunny Gingerbread houses. It was a very fun morning.

The Easter Bunny came by our house Saturday morning. Savannah was very excited to see her new bubbles. Seth was a good sport and took her outside to play with the bubbles even though it was still a little too cold. We didn't get a pictures of Bella, she was a little too tired.

Saturday afternoon decorating eggs. I had six eggs, but one broke in the pan. It sure doesn't take very long to dye five eggs, but I am the only one who likes to eat them, so we didn't want to do too many.

We Have Matched

2008-03-20T15:17:00.002-04:00

The Match has finally come. We are headed to Cooperstown, NY for the first year, a general year. Then we will be headed to Rochester, NY for 4 years of Radiology. We are so excited!!!

Cooperstown is a small town, which I am totally excited about. I am ready to have a little more open space around me. Rochester is a great place for families and has good schools for Savannah. Yes, she will be starting school while we are there. I was very surprised to realize that little fact. It is a little weird to think about. Of course they both have really good programs for Seth.

Seth will be starting at Cooperstown sometime in June. We will be finding out more of the details in the next few days. We feel so blessed today. Seth has worked so hard over the last four years and we finally feel like the hard work is all paying off.

Today is also Seth's birthday. Happy Birthday Honey! It was a nice birthday present to find out where we are headed. We are going out to dinner tonight to celebrate his birthday and the match. We will actually be able to go without kids (Thanks ChyAn). What a wonderful day!!!

Going To Church

2008-03-03T14:52:00.002-05:00

Bella and I were able to go to church yesterday, finally. We decided to wait a month because of all the flu going around. It still makes me a little nervous, but we will do our best to keep her healthy. It was so nice to be able to go to church again. I missed it. We are in a new branch now, the Westchester Second Branch in Yonkers, NY. The boundaries were actually changed a month ago and I attended the branch once and then had Bella. Besides the spiritual side of church, being gone from church for a month makes me realize how much I rely on church to see my friends. I felt totally out of the loop while I was gone. It was so nice to reconnect with everyone. I am still getting used to being in a Branch instead of a Ward. This is the first time I have been in a Branch. I have only been twice, so it is still new to me. It is good to be back!

2008-03-01T16:28:00.002-05:00

Life continues to move forward. Some days I really wonder how in the world we will be able to handle two kids, it can all get a little overwhelming. The nice part is we can wake up to a new day each morning and try again. I am definitely not my best self when I am tired, but I am trying my best to take each situation one at a time.
Today has been a good day! This afternoon, during Isabella's nap, Seth and I were able to spend some time with Savannah. Just her and us. I really think she enjoyed it. I know I did. The best part was it was not planned, we just found ourselves all together having a good time. I think Savannah misses time with us. We will definitely do it again.
I have been so lucky to have Seth home quite a bit in the last month. He has been such a great help. It is nice to have someone to turn to when things get a bit crazy. His schedule changes on Monday, so we shall see what the next 4 weeks are like. We are anxiously waiting to find out where he matched for Residency. Only 2 1/2 more weeks!!!

Who's who?

2008-02-15T14:02:00.006-05:00

Sleeping Baby #1

Sleeping Baby #2

I think our girls are more alike than we thought.
One of these pictures is of Savannah, one is Isabella.
Can you guess who is who?

2008-02-15T13:56:00.004-05:00

Here are more pictures of our little girls. Savannah loves to lay down by Isabella while she is sleeping. She really loves having a baby sister. Sometimes she gets jealous, but we are doing our best to give her attention as well. Life is pretty fun with two cute girls in our home.

Valentine's Treat

2008-02-15T13:52:00.003-05:00

I found a recipe on the Martha Stewart website for ice cream sandwiches. Chocolate cookies with strawberry ice cream. YUM YUM! We had a great Valentines day at our house. We had steak, pasta, and broccoli for dinner and a relaxing evening watching No Reservations. It was a perfect night for a tired mom with a newborn baby.

She's Here

2008-02-09T13:34:00.001-05:00

Isabella Iverson

Feb 4, 2008
1:58 pm
8 lbs 3.5 oz
21 inches long

Savannah was so excited to come and see her new baby sister. One of the first things she said was, "Nana happy". We are excited to finally have Isabella here with us.

2008-01-26T15:30:00.000-05:00

9 More Days!!! Unless I go into labor next week, I will be induced on Feb. 4th. I was very happy to hear that from my doctor. I am all about going earlier, a week early to be exact. We are very excited. We got out all the little 0-3 mo. baby clothes and put them in the dresser. I can't believe how little those clothes are. It certainly brought back memories of Savannah wearing all those close. Yesterday we put up the bassinet/porta-crib in our bedroom. We are very ready for her to come.
Does anyone have any opinions on Baby Bjorn carriers or any other baby carriers you have used? Do you like or dislike them? Do you wish you would have bought something else or nothing at all?

2008-01-26T15:24:00.001-05:00

I posted earlier about working on 3 afghans for Christmas presents. Well, here is the picture of how they turned out. I was pretty excited. They actually do look pretty good. When I finished Seth asked where our afghan is. We have more yarn, so I guess it is back to the beginning again. It is nice to do some crafts to keep instead of give away.

2008 - Here we go!

2008-01-06T20:33:00.000-05:00

As the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve, Seth and I just looked at each other (after a kiss of course) and said "2008 is going to be a big year". We are so excited and a little nervous about all the changes coming our way. First, we will be welcoming a baby into our family in 5 weeks. I don't mind if it is a little sooner than that. I am ready to be done being pregnant. Second, in March we will receive a piece of paper telling us where the next five years will be. Who knew one little piece of paper could be so important. Third, Seth will be graduating from Med. School. We are so excited for this. He has worked so hard. Fourth, we will be moving, hopefully to a place we want to go. It is weird to know that we will be moving, but not knowing where. And that is only in the first half of the year. Then Seth will start residency and the busy schedule will start all over again. Yes, this will be quite a big year for the Iversons. We are very excited for it to get started. I remember back when Seth started med school thinking how far away 2008 was. Well it is here! I am so proud of Seth. He has worked so hard to become a doctor and now it is just around the corner. What an amazing accomplishment.

2008-01-06T20:13:00.001-05:00

Savannah was so excited to see her new kitchen just waiting to be played with. She immediately started playing with it and having so much fun. Seeing her smile makes me want to give her everything I can.

We have a tradition in my family growing up to receive a box of cereal from Santa every year. We decided to keep that tradition going in our family as well. That way you have Christmas breakfast all ready. Don't you love Seth's hair!!!

Savannah loves Winnie the Pooh and was so excited to see her own bear. She just hugged it and then looked at it. She is such a sweet little girl that can be so tender at times. We are extra excited because the stuffed Winnie the Pooh doesn't make any sound. We actually made it through Christmas without one toy that needed batteries. YIPEE!

2007-12-19T09:41:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas to Everyone. This season has been great for us. Seth is busy doing residency interviews, but luckily most of them have been close which has kept traveling down a bit. He is up in Massachusetts right now on a three day trip doing three interviews. I am very glad that this is the only long trip he has to go on. Since he has the car, Savannah and I are pretty much just stuck at home, but it could be worse. I remember friends from last year whose husbands were gone for a week to 10 days at a time. I am very grateful for what we have.

Savannah is so excited for Christmas. She talks about Santa Claus everyday. We made her a chain to count to to Christmas, which has helped a little bit. We are done with our shopping and are just waiting for what we have ordered to come in the mail. I had a great time working on some of the Christmas presents this year. I can't post a picture until after Christmas. We are staying in NY for Christmas because it is just too close to when the baby is due. We miss our family, but we are excited to see Savannah come out Christmas morning. Hopefully someday we will be able to be home for Christmas again. The holidays really are all about sharing the joy with family and friends. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family who loves and supports us in all that we are doing. For my mom's sake, I hope that we can live closer to family someday so that she can see some of her grandkids more often. We are also so blessed to have so many wonderful friends around. When you don't have family close, friends really do become the family. You have each touched our lives in so many ways. Thank you for you love and friendship.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Downtime for the kids

2007-12-07T16:24:00.000-05:00

We decided the kids needed some downtime during Thanksgiving weekend. Malcolm, Cash, and Savannah all seemed to enjoy Sesame Street.

This is harder than I thought

2007-12-07T15:47:00.000-05:00

I am still trying to remember to post to the blog so be patient. We are so excited for Christmas this year. I am currently working on some Christmas gifts that I hope will get done in time to mail them out. I will post pictures after Christmas, so I don't ruin the surprise. I am still trying to figure out what to buy Seth for Christmas. I have some ideas so at least I am headed in the right direction.

Joining the blogging world

2007-11-26T13:18:00.000-05:00

So I have finally decided to join the blogging world. I figure it is better late than never. I don't promise anything spectacular, but I will do my best to keep you all updated on our lives and all the changes that will be happening. We are just beginning the whole interview process for Seth's residency starting next year. He will be doing a lot of driving over the next couple of months. We are really enjoying the 4th year of Medical school. We love having more time to be together as a family and enjoy a little more of New York.
Savannah is now 2 years old and is no longer a baby. She loves being as independent as possible. She is very excited to be getting a new baby sister. Only three more months - YIPEE.