The Birkeland Family Blog

Emmi and Jack being little friends in Jack's crib sharing a little moment together over some sippy cups and a little belly button action.  The belly button is Emmi's happy place! Jack once again getting into his sisters clothes and dress ups.  Jack chilling eating a bagel in the laundry basket.  I find this kid in the most random spots.  Jack trying to be like Daddy Emmi is love with drawing hearts and flowers. Emmi with her cousins coloring rocks at the cabin. 

 My first turkey that actually turned out.  I brined the turkey for 24hrs before I cooked it.  Wow it had awesome flavor.  It was fun preparing it besides that I underestimated the time so we ate like 1.5 hours behind schedule! What a beautiful table! It's always fun to get together as family and prepare a big meal.  It's fun to try new recipes and then also look forward to the traditional dishes we always have each year.  There is so much to be thankful for! Family Friends Health Abundance Blessings I never got any pictures of us all sitting down.  We had Ric, Mom, Jeff and Salenta and her mom, Jon, Me and Brian.  At the kids table we had Emmi and Jack and Salenta's kids, Haley and Calen.  It was an enjoyable evening.  The best was that I got to sit with my legs draining while everyone cleaned my kitchen and did the dishes.  What a treat!  Now I need to have this baby!

Featuring Julius Caesar and The Little Mermaid! You may ask where I got my inspiration for the Julius costume, because you know Jack didn't pick this costume.  It really was my cousins idea at a family party.  I thought it was perfect for our little guy, and boy did he pull it off.  He was the star at his preschool Halloween party.  The homemade costumes always seem to outshine the store bought ones! Emmi wanted to be a mermaid and when she has made up her mind on something, it is a done deal.  No negotiating at all.  I kept trying to sway her into being a Greek Princess, but that was a no go.  She adored her costume and thought she was the most beautiful mermaid ever! I will never forget this Halloween.  It was the most warm beautiful evening I can ever remember having. The kids left the house with no coats and had no need for them the entire night.  Jack was absolutley hilarious at each house.  He would strike conversatio...

Emmi 4 years old Linda and Loralee Class G Jack 2 years old Carolyn and Jessie Class A-1 Two Fun Emmi was so excited for her first day.  She was ready 1 hour before asking continually if it was time yet.  She washed her hands, put on her name tag and walked in and started on some puzzles.  Loralee was there to greet her.  Wow....my little girl is growing up so fast. Emmi had to jump into Jack's photo shoot! Jack immediately went to the marble run and was fighting off any intruders in his game!  He absolutely loved his first day.  He played, made his snack placemat, sang songs, played some games, and ate his snack.  He felt like such a big boy!

Another birthday and another year older.  But hey, look at my cute family.  I may be getting older, and time keeps flying by faster, but I am so lucky to be a mommy and watch my little family grow up.  Everyday they make me laugh and amazed, yet they can get tears of frustration and impatience out of me.  I love them to death.  Cheers to getting older!  

I'm 20 weeks pregnant with a baby girl.  If this is a surprise to you it is even a bigger surprise to us.  Brian and I have always rolled our eyes when couples say, "this was a total woops".  Yeah yeah!!!!  "Whatever", we thought.  Well, we now believe in "woops" babies.  This was not planned and totally unexpected.  I will spare you the details, but like Brian likes to say, "we came home with an extra souvenir from Disneyland".  We are now finally being able to admit to ourselves that we have another little one coming to our family. We are now believing this baby is coming to us for our little Emmi.  She has been begging for a little sister since Jack came and ruined her life.  We have kept this whole pregnancy a secret from Emmi because once you let her in on something everyone will know about it.  We wanted the cerclage to go well and my first ultrasound to be cle...

Emmi has finally overcome her fear of water and has learned to kinda sort of swim.  It wasn't an easy process.  In fact, they just pushed her in over and over with her screaming, but after 12 weeks of weekly private lessons she is floating, swimming with head under the water, and jumping off the diving board in the deep end.  She in fact maybe a little too confident in her skills.  Her last day of preschool they went swimming at the Fremont Pool.  She and a friend went out to the deep.  She kept trying to reach for the side of the pool and couldn't reach.  I saw her struggling so I, the mother, go running to get the gaurd to see her and to get her, while two other moms go in fully clothed to save her.  I got mother of the year award.