"Ria" as Henry lovingly calls his little sister, is growing so quickly!  Just the other day she giggled as I was changing her onesie, but stopped abruptly, seeming surprised at what had just happened.  More giggles to come, I'm sure!

Ella and Andrew love to hold Victoria (even when she cries) and are very good about helping to take care of her.  She is nearly 3 months old - 11 weeks today.  What a sweet thing!

Victoria Pearl

19 February 2013
Aviano Air Base, Italy
11:14 a.m.
7 lbs. 9 oz.
20.5 inches


Victoria arrived kicking and screaming on Tuesday, 19 February 2013. She is our heaviest baby by one ounce! She was warmly welcomed by her older sister Ella and two older brothers, Andrew and Henry. They have shown so much love for her. Andrew loves to sing her lullabies, Henry softly strokes her arm (with intense adult supervision), and Ella is a confident baby cuddler. Grandma and Grandpa Nelson are here with us and have been so helpful! We love this precious baby girl and are so blessed to have her join our family.

Slipping and Sledding

We have this great ski resort just 30 minutes away from home. Piancavallo is a great place to get a fix for fun in the snow and then not have to worry about any of it back at home. It is rare to have snow fall in the valley. And if it does, it never stays long.

Henry lasted about 2 minutes and then he spent the remainder of the time in the car with me. He loved having free reign of the car!

It had been a while since fresh snow, so there was plenty of ice for slipping around!

This is a view from the mountain top. We loved seeing the blanket of clouds covering the valley while the sun set.

Buon Natale

This Christmas was wonderful! Although all three kids were sick at different times over the holiday break, we managed to enjoy being together and stayed cozy at home. Here's Henry stopping first at the treats. He's wondering if the black nuggets are edible. Santa just left this candy coal for the kids for fun. I think Ella was nervous for one second until she read his note.

Andrew found his egg beater right away. This kid loves to see how things work and with this he can see how easy it is to make his own bubble bath!

The tree on the Air Base.

Thanksgiving Temple Trip

We joined our ward's annual temple trip to Bern, Switzerland this Thanksgiving. It is such a joy to be at the temple together as a family. Conveniently, the hostel is next to the temple and made for great group meals - including a fabulous Thanksgiving feast - babysitting, and quick access to the temple.

On our way home, we toured the Swiss Callier chocolate factory that offered endless chocolate samples! I tried really hard to taste each one, but felt a little sick after the first 10...or 20.

Halloween

Happy Halloween! I love dressing "themey" as a family for Halloween. This year, not all family members liked the idea, but we managed to dress "Spanish" for one event anyway. Brett and I served our LDS missions in Spain and we took a trip back there this summer. It was the perfect opportunity to bring back the memories of good times.

GIRL

If the kids love the baby as much as the balloons in the box, we're in business!

IT'S A GIRL!