The latest & greatest from the Hansons

Sooooo..we are overdue for a update here!

Anyhow - I just started working full-time recently at the local Camp Fire USA office. It's the first salary job I have ever had & the first job I have run across that I could actucally justify working & having to pay for childcare. I am their Club /Teen Volunteer Program Manager. It's a ton of stuff on my plate & while it is crazy & demanding - I truly love it! The are also great perks like the flexiblity with hours and working with my friend, Jana, who I know from church.

Meanwhile the kids are at my mom's during the hours I am at work & seem to be adjusting to thes new arrangement just fine. I expected to be somewhat not so much in the mood to switch back to "mom" role when I got home from work but I find I am appreciating the kids & the time I have with them even more.

Brian is back at school again & has 17 credit hours he is working on this semester. It seems, by far, that his biggest challenge /thorn in his side will be his English class. This week he should get back his first writing assignment so we shall see how that went. The great new is that since I have started working he has the freedom to quit working at Pizza Hut so by the beginning of October he should quit working there! We ALL are thrilled about that!

Nate is continuing to dazzle us with his smarts. His newest word is airplane, he just said his first prayer last night - he always folds his arms & such but I could never get him to repeat any words - last night he did! I was soooo excited!

Rachel is growing like a weed, dazzles us with her smile, & has pretty much mastered the art of holding her own bottle! Yipee! Hard to believe she will be one soon!

More later,
Sally

I am soo bad about keeping up here but....

between chasing kiddos, trying to find a job, trying to find "me" again, a couple of roadtrips, & another death in the family it has been crazy.

Rachel is now over 5 months, loves talking with big brother, being held, and learning about how to eat cereal & baby food as well as the occasional sweet. You can see she is quite the busy little gal. She has be to SLC, Corpus Christi, & will probably squeeze at least one more trip of sorts in before the year is out. Her favorite two toys are links & her frog that hangs off the car seat handle. She last weiged in at nearly 15 lbs. & was 2 ft. tall.

Nate adores baby sister as long as she is not stealing mom's attention. He says all sorts of words now from "snack" to "treat" to "Cass, Cass" - his cousin's nickname & "K K" short for his aunt Katy. He climbs everything, loves coins from dad's pizza tips, & has a newfound obsession with anything the resembles a sticker - which is another word he can say.

Brian is doing wonderfully in school though quite burnt out from doing school & work & dealing with all the craziness here at home. He just recently was a pallbearer at great-grandma Halden's funeral (Sally's mom's mom). He & Nate love to roughouse but he also loves moments holding Rachel & talking to her.

Sally is trying to keep her head attached. She recently helped plan her grandmother's funeral, started job hunting, volunteered herself for a church calling that needs filling, & is trying to find a happy medium between sanity & insanity.

Sorry I've been MIA

Sooo... Nate is now 2 & terrible - j/k - he constantly is amazing us with the new things he is learning! Tonight we tried putting him in the big boy bed again & after some serious tears he finally realized mom & dad weren't gonna rescue him & fell asleep in his bed.

Rachel is almost 4 months now & 14 lbs. last time we checked (about 2 1/2 wks ago). So only about a 13 lbs difference between her & Nate. She is quite the demanding little gal but oh soo sweet. She thinks that she has to be either eating or being entertained if awake. She hold her head up wonderfully , is facinated by the tv & most any sound & somehow manage to survive without too much complaint her big brother's attention.

Brian & I are the same ole' same ole' crazy parents - Brian - bless his heart has sooo much on his plate these days but he does it all so well. I am soo blessed to have such a wonderful man & am certainly proud of his decision to go back to school & how well he is doing. I am just a SAHM for now - I have trying getting back into the workforce but have had no such luck & unless I got a really good job it wouldn't be worth it anyway so I just go crazy here at home. I am also reviving my interest/love of scrapbooking as well as a new love for stampin' thanks to my friend Linz.

Well, I am falling asleep as I right this so I think I shall call it a night & continue my thoughts tomorrow.

Halloween Pics

Here are the Halloween pics I promised before. Isn't our little monkey the cutest?


Sally

Finally...

A much needed update for those who actucally read this.

*Rachel Leigh made her arrival Jan. 22 at 2:05 am weighing 6 lbs 10 ounces & 19 inches long. She arrived in all nautral style - that is - mo had no drugs - just daddy & a doula to help mom work through the pain. We love having her here & she has made the sweetest addition to our little but ever growing family

*Nate is loving having a little sister though today - on Valenine's day of all days - he showed his first signs of serious sibling rilvary but throwing his cup at Rachel, stelaing her bottle out of her mouth & hitting her. On the other hand - he is alreay trying to say her name which I think is a good sign.

*Sally- is trying to figure out how to balance 2 kiddos along with everything else. Please tell me any trade secrets you know.

Brian - is a jack-of all trades. He surived one semester with all A's & B's , continues his full-time schooling, works part-time & comes home to a harried wife who then has his help with all sorts of stuff from dinner to trash to babies & he is such a good sport about it!

We should have pics of Rachel soon to share as well as a updated family pic. For now - this one pic of Rachel at 1 week old will have to do.