Golden

"I prefer the retro chic of spending Christmas just like Joseph and Mary did --traveling arduously back to the place of your birth to be counted, with no guarantee of a bed when you get there." --Tina Fey

That is golden. I think I may read her book. I always get pangs of homesickness this time of year. I long to be with my in-laws where the Christmas magic is still going strong and for my family I get homesick for Christmas' that were years and years ago. This year I have been thinking of my childhood. I remember one Christmas when all my older siblings were home from school. It was Christmas Eve and I ran to the kitchen to get a serving spoon as everyone was piling food on their plates and I paused as I came back into the room and just took it all in. The happiness I felt was so palpable. I started to cry. I said a prayer of gratitude. I knew then that was my version of heaven - my family all together. that was what I lived for....it was a rarity in my world. I only have a handful of moments that rival that one for me. I knew then that is what I'd live for, for the hope that we could all be together through the eternities. I think I was around 6 or maybe 8. If I could back in time to a day of my childhood it'd be that one. I hope my kids experience such joy in their Christmas memories.

Meet Choco

Here is our latest addition, Choco. He is Tink's brother. If someone told me last year at this time we'd own not one but two dogs I would not believe them. Not for half a second. And Stewart would have never thought he'd enjoy having little Pomeranian mixes - but he adores them. It just goes to show never judge and never say never. Because here we are with 4 little kids and two fluffy puppies. Life is so funny that way! Anyways, back to the dogs....

He is Tink's polar opposite in personality. He is calm and submissive but also curious. She on the other hand gets frightful and sometimes aggressive when she is really scared...needles to say we originally picked him out but the breeder had her reasons (which I question :) why she wasn't selling him but she decided to put him up for sale and we got him for next to nothing and now we have two little puff balls. Bridger fell in love with Choco the first time we visited and then the other times the other kids were sold on him as well. Tink was the prettiest pup though. When he wasn't available anymore we opted for Tink. But we had all fallen for Choco and were really very sad we didn't get him. But now we get him too. :O)

So far the two of them together has proven to be a really good thing. Tink has a playmate so she has really mellowed out and he is being a little less of a lump of sleeping fur. She does well when she gets to go on walks but the vet said we cant walk her until she gets all her vaccines and so we've just been playing in the back yard and it hasn't been enough. But now she is fulfilled. Watching them play is so fun and it has really been a joy. He is basically potty trained and that has helped Tink have less accidents in the house. Even though I was nervous it is working out well. Stewart is over the moon about having two dogs. He LOVES training them and caring for them which makes my dog ownership really easy on me. Choco is the Boy's dog, though Bridger claims he is only his. :O) Angeli is jealous because he is more cuddly then Tink but in time Tink will mellow and the true dog lovers (Stew and Angeli) will win the most affection from the doggies and all will be right with Angeli's world. Anyways, He has proven to be a great addition - lets hope it stays that way!

And here is Tink...she is such a little girl compared to him. They make a cute pair.

Rasmussen Review - aka christmas card

Rasmussen Review

2011

Genevieve- This year Genevieve was born! This year she has learned how to recover from RSV, giggle, clap, crawl, walk, play, say her first words, and to eat solids. She loves her Mama, her bottle, her blanket, Mom’s car Keys, dancing to music, her binky, and getting into everything within reach.

Benjamin - This year Benjamin turned 3! He started his first year of preschool. He loves riding his bike, going swimming, eating candy, jumping on his trampoline (and anything else for that matter), going to the park, collecting rocks and other such treasures, playing games on family game night, singing and dancing, and coloring.

Angeli-This year Angeli turned 4! She started her second year of preschool, got her very own puppy, and enjoyed swimming lessons. Angeli loves going swimming, going to the museum, being mom’s helper, playing princess, story time, playing on the trampoline, riding her bike, going on vacation, tickle torture, and taking care of her puppy.

Bridger- This year Bridger turned 5! He learned how to swim, started kindergarten, and lost his first three teeth. Bridger loves partying, going to the children’s museum, family movie nights, coloring and doing art, cooking with mom, doing science experiments, playing with his friends, jumping on the trampoline, building forts, going camping, and being crazy!

Emily – This year Emily got another year older! ;) She kicked off the year with the birth of her fourth precious little baby. Emily ran her first half marathon, learned that caring for four kids is more work than three, enjoyed all of Stewart’s time off before residency started, fell in love with working with the young women at church, loves taking pictures of the kids, enjoyed her flower garden, enjoys making the holidays magical, and blogging about it all. She happily retired all her home businesses and now in her “spare” time likes thinking about the possibility of scrapbooking.

Stewart- This year Stewart turned 30! During this year he graduated from medical school, was accepted into the University of Arizona residency program in radiology, and he started his intern year in internal medicine here in Reno. When he wasn’t practicing doctoring he enjoyed his many home improvement projects, doing his woodworking, reading several book series with Emily and our month long family vacation this summer visiting Yosemite, Disneyland, Southern California, Las Vegas, Arizona, and the Grand Canyon.

This year we have been so blessed. We can’t help but feel so much gratitude and love toward our gracious Heavenly Father for tenderly watching over our little family. This time of year we are especially touched by the miracle of Christ’s life; from His humble birth, redeeming atonement, magnificent resurrection, and His restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ we are filled with awe for his gifts to all the world. We pray that His love along with our Heavenly Father’s will bless your lives this new year. We love you and count your friendship and love a precious gift!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love,

The Rasmussen Family

Santa's Train Ride

We wanted to do the genuine Polar Express train ride in Carson but it was sold out and I imagine it was a fortune so its was probably for the best...if only next year. Anyways, we settled on the other more humble Santa train offered in Carson city. It was fun. The kids got to ride a real steam engine and though it was short and sweet it was delightful. Our elf brought us the movie polar express that morning so we watched it before we left to ride the train and that added to the magic of it all. On the ride Santa came and gave each kid a candy cane. Santa was sure using his "I'm Jolly old Saint Nick" to ask for hugs from all the pretty girls so that was a bit creepy but besides that it was jolly good fun. Enjoy our pictures....and as a little teaser, after we rode the train we headed to Pets Mart to buy a collar for a new addition!

drinking hot chocolate watching the train go by

Live the Life Results: Week 5

I did not want to weigh in but I couldn't start my very late week 6 without being accountable. Since money is tight I let me fifth week last as long as the food did. So it was a very long week 5. and though I was very sloppy this "week" I was still able to lose inches and weight. Halla! :O) I haven't exercised at all really so I hope that now that most my Christmas craziness is passing this week I should be able to get back to my good old morning routine of exercise and such. So here is to hoping.

I do have to say that I am so excited that I am to the point where I am packing away clothes that are too big to wear anymore. How fabulous is that!?!? I may just meet my "year from having a baby" body goal after all!

Verdict:

Waist: -2 inches ( I have lost 5.5 inches in total)
Hips: -1 inch ( I have lost 2.5 inches in total)
Weight: -1.6 lbs. ( I have lost 10.8 lbs. total)

*My Christmas goal in two pounds less then I am now...we'll see If I can make it. If I am really good maybe. I've been so sloppy with all the holiday parties and treats dropped at our door and such. My sloppiness has really slowed my losses but I hope to do a little better if I can.

Bring it.

The awhile ago Stewart talked to a resident who is a year ahead of us. He is currently at the University of Arizona, Tucson in radiology (where Stewart will be next year). He told Stewart that he has every weekend off and is off by 5 every weekday. NO CALL for the first half of the year! Oh, that sounds like the best thing ever right now. BRING IT ON. I am so ready. I am more and more excited to move to Tucson all the time....never be cold, hopefully live in a house that was made for a family of six, Stewart will be working in the field he actually wants too, and I'll have my husband back!!! Tucson, we are so ready.

Benjamin's first day of preschool

I cant believe he is in preschool. He was our Medical School baby and look how many years have passed. Time is sure flying. The teacher at the elementary school loves me so she said that I could have Ben start as soon as he turned three even though it was mid-way through the year....well, she told that to everyone with almost three year olds but its true that she loves me. Anyways how AWESOME is that?!?! So he started and is in Angeli's class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Ben was a bit unsure about the whole school thing but Angeli was such a good big sister and took him under her wing. She showed him the ropes and encouraged him. Bridger was also very sweet and encouraging too, he backed up all the advice Angeli gave him. They were both so excited for him.

So when we got there he was pretty overwhelmed with it all. It was all he could do to not cry. Poor little man. :(...But with some time and encouragement he started to warm up and actually ate his lunch and Angeli and Bridger were such good little helpers getting him all comfortable.
By the time we got to the classroom he was beaming. He loved that he got his very own notebook and that it was GREEN! His favorite color. And when I picked him up this is what I was greeted with! LOL Such a happy big Boy!
When we got home he was so excited about his homework he got out a marker and set to work coloring in all the "N"s. And everyone who comes over gets to see it. :O) He is so proud of himself as are Angeli, Bridger and Me.

Grandma's Visit

Grandma/Mom Ras flew up to Reno to be with us over Benjamin's Birthday. It was so kind of her. Having her company was such a nice refresher for me and such a treat for the kids and Stewart. I'm not going to lie, residency is taking it's toll and its sort of wearing Stewart and I out so to have her sweetness in our home and all her help just made us feel so loved and supported. That means the world to us. I think she had a good time too. :) Mom Ras, Thanks for coming. We love you and miss you!

ROAR!

Dinosaurs have taken over our house! :O) Well, just for a day. Benjamin is THREE and to celebrate we threw him a big old Dinosaur Party. Oh, I felt so blessed that everything came together as well as it did. Throwing indoor parties in a tiny house is tricky. But I had special help this year. Mom Ras flew up to celebrate with us and help me out since the Mr. of the house wasn't able to get any time off and we had a ticket we needed to use up before it expired. I didn't realize how much I needed her help until the day of and then I was soooooooo grateful she was there. I felt that the Lord was helping me a lot with this party. I had a week to pull it together and I just felt guided....making the cake I was inspired, how to make the birthday banner, what food to serve, like "oh, how nice that the carrots and chips and ketchup all match the theme",....just a million little things he helped me with. Makes me feel so loved by my Father in Heaven cares enough about my stressing about my son's third birthday party to help me out a bunch. So happy.

I think the party was a great success and I hope Ben felt really special on his big day. This was his first friends birthday party and I think he was a little shy that it was all about him...poor middle child isn't used to that. But I think he could get used to it. :O) I hope he has more opportunities to get spoiled with the spot light. Enjoy the pictures I got of the party.


The kids first came in and used super cute foam dinosaur stickers to make their own dinosaur picture, then we ate lunch, after that they went on a hunt to find the dinosaur eggs that needed help hatching. They followed the dinosaur foot prints to the nest and then each got their own eggs to break open and keep their very own dinosaur.

We had a great turn out. All but one kid I invited was able to come and even two showed up who weren't invited. LOL! The neighbor kids across the street saw we were having a party and invited themselves over. Too funny. I sort of went crazy on Oriental Trading Company website and ordered a ton of inflatable dinosaurs. They turned out to be super fun and the kids have enjoyed playing with them for days. The huge T-REx was their favorite. :O)

She Walks!

Just before Genevieve turned 10 months she started to walk. Oh, she is delighted with herself and loves walking. She is as cute as ever and spreads cuteness wherever she goes. She loves her mommy but isn't too shy of strangers. She likes trying to make silly sounds. She says "mama" and "dada" but I am not sure if she uses them as words or not but nonetheless I love hearing her say "mama". I am adjusting to having her walking around the house and mourning that her baby days are fading away. But I am hopeful that my throbbing hands and wrists will have more of a chance to recover now that she can walk and wants to be held a little less. O q1h, pain or not I still love holding her. I want to hold on to her baby days as much as possible. And as a perk she is my instant pick-me-up. Whenever I am glum she makes me feel all bright and cheery again. We adore her and are so grateful she is our little baby girl.

Thanksgiving In Burbank

I went back and forth so many times about if I was going to go to my parents for Thanksgiving. I felt bad because I would be leaving Stew all by himself but in the end I needed to go back home and get some hugs and yummy cooking from my mom. So I loaded us up and off we went. The drive was so smooth it felt like nothing at all even with four kids, one a baby, and a new puppy in tow - I was blessed!

It was so trippy to be with so many of my siblings again. We were all acting like kids again with a few more tiffs then I would have preferred but it was like "home". LOL! There were six of us kids there plus our families so we had quite the bunch...weird to think that it was still only half of us. We also had Five generations there to celebrate and that was pretty cool.

It is so beautiful there in California. Man, I wish we could live there. The weather was the best thing ever. And my moms the best medicine for me. She is a lot like Stewart in that way. She is calm and kind and not overly emotional and makes me instantly feel relaxed and good. My dad makes me laugh with his quirks and I marvel at how well his planned "retirement" is going....he is so not retired at all. Working as hard as ever at the age of 83. It was great to see my niece and her beautiful little family and my nephew. They lived with us so much while I was growing up they are like my own siblings. love them like crazy. It was likewise great to meet my sister's almost fiance and start seeing him join the family and see how happy he makes her. And then there is the cousin fun. Oh, life would be pretty awesome if we lived close to lots of cousins. There is just something so magical about the relationship kids have with their cousins. So fun!

And the FOOD, nothing beats my mom's cooking.....well, I do adore my mother-in-laws ham and ham gravy. But the assortment my family throws together when we party is ridiculous! We all like cooking too much and so when we bring all our finest together it is a ton of food. I mean we had 14 different desserts at thanksgiving, out of control I tell you! :O)

It was a good change of scenery for me. I think Stewart was able to enjoy his time to himself reading Eragon, doing his wood cutting, and watching movies instead of doing dishes, picking up toys, and putting the kids down each night like normal.

So that was our thanksgiving in a nutshell.

Getting ready to eat....

12 of my parents 42 grandchildren, plus 1 great grandchild...The silly girls...
Half of the buffet of food...

Friday night the girls went to Aunt Anj's house for a girls slumber party and the boys stayed at grandma's for a boys slumber party, I helped them build a major fort out of packaging paper. They loved it. Picture of girl's slumber party coming soon...

Living the Life: week 4 results

Okay its a miracle. I lost weight this week! Serious shock for me. But I am not complaining. :O)

I lost 1/2 around my waist
I didn't lose anything around my hips
I lost 3.2 lbs.

YAY! So glad for the progress. :O)