evan, lindsay, nina, elena and esther

I don’t know if I can really say how happy it makes me that march is here. There are now like 6 inches of GRASS fringing our giant-mass-of-snow-lawn. I can’t remember the last time I saw grass there. Rexburg’s winters are mind numbingly long (my first summer here saw snow on June 14th), but the summers are free and fun. We’re still under a cold sky of winter grey and surrounded by mounds of snow in every direction but it's melting!!! (at least for the moment)

We enjoyed the bit of sun and visited Evan on campus today:



March means we’re only a month away from a trip to ny and boston! We can’t wait to see Suvi and the Niemans and other friends! We can’t wait to explore new places!!

March 2nd (yesterday) was Nina's 15 month birthday!! She said hi and baby. In a much more lucid and natural way than usual. Talking is right around the corner. She's such a funny kid!! It's fun to talk and reason and kind of relate with her. All the things she's been soaking up the last 15 months are taking form in the way she acts and the things she does. One thing I think is interesting is her love of bags, belts, shoes, scarves, hats, bracelets, etc. Most of you know I'm not the girliest accessorizer, so where did Nina learn it? She finds ways to adorn herself on her own. Like those colored ring tower toys that most kids have - those aren't stackable rings, she discovered that they are actually bracelets. Evan's pencil pouch is a purse that she carries around. She does this all on her own. It's an interesting contrast to her less delicate and dainty tendencies. I sort of butchered her hair a week ago while we were skyping with Evan's mom on her birthday- my first attempt at cutting Nina's bangs to get them out of her eyes.


A couple of pictures Evan's cousin Jenny took this weekend. You can see Nina's new bangs and her cyndi lauper hair do.

March also means I’m in my second trimester, and a month closer to meeting the second kid in this family. (for those of you who don't know yet – yes we’re actually expecting!) A month closer to seeing Nina be an older SISTER! Hahaa I can’t wait. The first trimester is over with its relentless cloud of nausea and fatigue. I feel so much better than I did two or three weeks ago.

This baby is due August 1st, a week after Evan graduates on July 23rd - another looong-awaited event that we are a month closer to. Evan just registered for his last semester of classes yesterday!!