Maddy is 10 weeks old!

You'd think since I'm home on maternity leave that I'd have time to update this blog quite frequently but apparently that's not the case. While Nels has been out either fishing on North Long or spearing on Pig Lake, the girls and I have been mostly watching Christmas movies on TV. All our presents are wrapped and under the tree - a personal first for me. I'm usually still shopping on Christmas Eve.

It's been nice to be home but I've got to face reality - my time is up. I go back to work next Monday. I'll be sad to leave Madeline, but I know Nels and my mom will take good care of her while I'm gone. I am looking forward to some aspects of work, like my lunch dates with DeLynn and Heidi every day.


But I still have a week left and it's the best week of the year. Nels and I are going to attempt to make lefse today for the first time and we'll probably make krumkake tomorrow, something we make every year, our way of paying homage during the holidays to our Norwegian heritage. Plus, they're so dang good. I'm taking Erika and a friend to Brainerd Tuesday so they can be Salvation Army bell-ringers and on Wednesday - Madeline's 10-week birthday - we'll be going to church with Nels' mom and his family before we head over to his brother's house to celebrate Christmas Eve.


On Christmas, my parents, brother and sister-in-law will be coming over and we'll hang out and open presents and then make our way over the river and through the woods to my grandma's house where we'll celebrate with the rest of my extended family.

What a wonderful end to my maternity leave - celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ with our own baby girl.

By request, I've uploaded another video of our smiley Maddy. She's such a happy baby. Here she's hanging out with her big sis, Erika.

Merry Christmas!