Visit With Santa At The MOA

I took the kids to go see Santa today at the Mall Of America. I had made an appointment a while back. When we arrived there was already a line for the 11:00 appointments. I think we got there around 10:30-ish. So we waited and hung out in the line. It wasn't too bad. Both the boys were in pretty good modes and Marisa was also in a good mode. After pictures we had lunch at Johnny Rockets and than we left to go pick up Daddy at home and head out to Auntie Olivia's so she could take family pictures of us. Yes, it was a busy long day of pictures, but the boys were good and goofy. Marisa was a little tired and crabby we got to Olivia's so she wasn't her happy self. I think she did manage to get a few good pics of her! I hope so! We will see! I can't wait to see the pictures! Here are some pictures below with our visit with Santa. I hope you enjoy!


The boys while waiting in line to see Santa


Always have to do silly faces


Little Marisa

Hanging out with Santa on the floor

Hive fives! Cool! Cool! Cool!

Jon apparently said he wanted a telescope...Don't know about that...I thought he was going to say Bagukan

Group picture. I think the one I ordered turned out pretty good

These next two are SO cute! They had me back Marisa in with her back facing Santa. So she was facing me the whole time. At the end she looked up and was like who are you?!

She didn't cry she just looked at him wondering who he was.

Marisa's 6 Month Check up

Marisa finally got her 6 month check up today. Her doctor was on vacation for 2 weeks so that is why it is so late. She is "a giant among the girls" is what her doctor said. He said that last time too! So here are her numbers:

Head - 17 1/2 inches = 92nd percentile

Height - 27 3/4 inches = 96th percentile

Weight - 19 lbs. = 90th percentile

"She is a 6 month old living in a 9 month old body." Dr. Seifferman said. He also said she looks good and healthy. She got 3 shots today plus the flu shot! Poor thing...She was just laying there on the bed playing with her feet and looking at Dr. Seifferman being happy. Than the 1st shot! Her eyes just got really big, than the crying came! She even did the can't breath crying. Poor thing. I of course had to laugh because I have never seen her cry that hard. He was happy with her eating schedule, and that she was in her own room and sleeping through the night. So, hopefully we will not see Dr. Seiffeman again until her 9 month check up.

40th Birthday Party

We went to a 40th Birthday Party today. They are actually good friends of my brother Paul. They all went to Grade School together and some went to High School together. Our families basically grew up together. It was so nice to see these people again since we haven't seen them in a long time. Most of the parents look the same to me. Just a little bit more gray hair, but that is it! The boys had a good time since there was a ton of kids there. Here are a couple pictures of the boys with their hair spray painted and face painted.


Jon didn't want to do it at first, but than I told him that Dad would think it was cool when we got home. Next thing I know he is in line to get his hair painted and than his face! He kept on going back for more!

Nicholas of course had to copy his brother with both the hair and the face! LOL!

Happy 40th Birthday to Brain Nepstad, Tom Vasquez, and Marty Mendez! Thanks for inviting us to your party!

Marisa Laughing

I just took this video of Marisa laughing in her highchair. Too cute to not post!

Daddy Look Alike

I was looking through Mike's photo album that he received from his parents and these are the pictures that I found when he was a baby. Does Marisa not look like her Daddy?!?!?! Look at those cheeks! Same big eyes! Too funny!


Not sure how old Mike is here. No date was on the pcture.

When he was teeny. Not sure who is holding him. Hia brother Doug is in the picture too. Not sure who man is either. Mike thinks they are his Great Grandparents Grandma Norton and Grandpa Norton. I will have to ask Bev!

Marisa's first word is MAMA!

Marisa's first word is MAMA! It is so cute! She has been saying it for a few days now. I've been trying to get it on video and she said it once in this one that I took this morning. Hopefully I can catch her saying it again and video tape it again.

Marisa is 6 Months!

Marisa turned 6 months on the 9th! I can't believe it has already been 6 months since she came into our lives! She has been such a blessing to have and is such a fun little girl. I love her smile when she sees her Daddy come home from work and how she smiles at her big brothers when they play with her. Apparently she likes to sing with Lola, but she hasn't done it in front of me yet. Lola keeps on trying but she won't sing with her with me in the room watching. She hasn't gone in for her 6 month check up yet. It will be on the 24th. Her Doctor is on vacation for 2 weeks. So I have no idea how big she is! It will be interesting to see where she is at for height and weight. She is a big girl! So, stay tuned and I will post her stats after we get back from the Doctor's Office. Here are a couple pictures I took of her on the 9th. Enjoy!


Lola likes to take her downstairs with her so she can play and sing with her. She was coming up the stairs when I took this picture.


Sitting in the Excersaucer. She loves this thing along with the Jumperoo! Thanks again to Amy B for these 2 items and the Highchair! I don't know what I would do without them!


It wasn't me Mom! Doesn't she look like her Daddy?!?!?! Can you tell she is teething? Look at all that drool on her shirt! :-)

Marisa the Cheerleader!

The other night Mike was tossing up Marisa like she was a cheerleader! Don't worry, there will be no cheerleader in the family! She is going to be my outside or middle hitter! :-) She was so funny because most of the time she had her arms and legs spread out like she was flying! I had to take pictures!


My first 2 attempts were not that good.


I was cutting her head off!


Getting better!

She even looked at me a couple times!

You can even see how big her eyes get!

She didn't cry, she was having fun! Daddy's arms got too tired for me to get more pictures.

Knitting Projects

I am almost done with all my knitting projects I had talked about earlier. I just have my scarf left to make. I do want to try to make Jon's & Mike's matching hat. I made an attempt with Mike's and it turned out WAY too big! LOL! No picture of that one...I am going to try again. But below are the finished products and mine is half way done. I am pretty happy with the turn outs! :-)

This is what Nicholas' is suppose to look like.


Here is what I made. He only wanted two colors red and green. The patterned called for 4 colors. Looks like a Christmas scarf!

Jon's scarf he picked out. Still have to attempt to make the hat.

What I made. Can't really tell, but it does have the bumps like the above picture.

Mike's scarf and hat

Just the scarf that I made. I only used one color again but the yarn had a blend of black and grey to match his winter coat. I will try again with the hat and hopefully it will turn out! The one I had made could fit over a basketball! :-)


My scarf that I picked out. I am not making the hat. I didn't think I could do cable knitting, but I did it!

My scarf that I am still knitting. I am now doing the second color. I was debating if I should just keep it the cream color, but I switched colors last night so we will see if I like the bi-color look. If not I can make another one in one color. Pretty good, huh?! :-)

Halloween 2008

Every year my family rotates what neighborhood we are going to Trick or Treat at so all the cousins can Trick or Treat together. This year was the Dehne's turn. They live in St. Paul by St. Kate's College. We all had dinner there before the big event. It was a Mexican theme so Missy had cooked Mexican Cheese Soup, the Cardenas' brought a pork dish, we paid for rice & beans from El Burrito's, the Ramos brought a Taco Salad, and the Koch brought a 7 layer bean dip. The Elliott's were there as well. So! There were A LOT of kids! but it is always fun to get together with everyone. After everyone had dinner, all the kids got their costumes on if they didn't had it on already. They were all geared up to go! Of course us Moms wanted to take pictures first! Marisa and I walked a little bit with the group and than after about 4 houses we went back to the Dehne house. I probably could have walked with her the whole time but I knew she was getting tired. It was a fun Halloween! Can't wait until next year! Enjoy the pics!

My Little Piglet!

I need to look up the pictures of Jon and Nick when they were Piglet! I've had this costume for 6 years!

I love these next pictures of Lolo and Lorenzo. He was just playing with his face and staring at him. Good Lolo and Grandson moment....

Lorenzo in his costume.

He was a cute lion!

Lola and Lolo with the 2 youngest grandchildren

Bella was a witch

Maria was a Vampire

Nick and Anthony. Anthony was a Police Man

The three Star Wars fans! Noah as Jumbo Fette(?), Nicholas as a Clone Trooper, & Jon as a Clone Trooper

All the kids on the step for a group picture

I told you there were a lot of them! :-)

The little ones joined in.

Jon's Candy stash!

Nicholas' stash of Candy!

The Koehn Family

My precious kids

Looks like Marisa is getting squished!