Happy Birthday, Lucky Mommy!

Another special day in our family--today is Kristina's birthday! Here are a few pictures in honor of the celebration....

Stockholm, July 1976. We were all so excited that our baby sister had arrived. The Swedish hospital staff had never seen such a big family before!

A Swedish baby needs a Swedish buggy, and Kristina put lots of miles on these wheels, all over Sweden, on her travels with Mom and Dad throughout the mission. She learned to say Swedish words when she was out of the house or playing with the phone, and English words when she was in the house or talking to the family!

Lisa and her dolls...oh, one of them is a real baby!

Reading stories together in Dad's office at the mission home.

New Aunts, Lisa and Kristina, visiting their niece Angie in Utah with Mom and Dad. "Aunt Nina" was 7 years old.

"Nina Ballerina" reading stories to Angie, who was now about 7.

The little cousins always loved being with Nina, Lisa, and Dave.

They still do!

City of Joseph Pageant, Nauvoo

Go, Longhorns!

The beautiful bride and her charming groom, Josh.

Sweet twin boys, Sam and Michael...

Little Anna came next...

Never a dull moment with this happy family!

We love you, Kristina! You are a lucky Mommy for sure and a wonderful sister and friend. Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Lisa!

Today is a very special day in our family! It's Lisa's birthday. I remember Mom and Dad coming into my room early in the morning to tell me they were going to the hospital because today the baby would be born...and later in the morning getting the exciting news that we had a baby sister! Here are a few pictures to celebrate Lisa's special birthday today...

Cute Baby!

Cute Mom!

Birthday Girl, one year old

Daddy's Girl

The family

Big Brother Dave helps Lisa on the rocking horse

Such a happy baby! She had the cutest laugh--and still does!

Christmas Eve

A favorite picture of Lisa

At Mema & Papa's with Becky, Debbie and Amy

In Sweden...

Playing in our yard in Stockholm

Midsummer's Eve in Sweden.

School Days

Family Dinner

Glamour Girls!

At Dave and Lizzie's house

Lisa is a great mom!

Sisters

on vacation in Utah

Lisa is a devoted mother who gives her all for her children. She teaches and encourages them and takes them on fantastic adventures all over the city.

WE LOVE YOU, LISA! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Congrats, Grad!

It's graduation day! We're so proud of Julie for her hard work and good choices that have led her to achieve her goal.

The nursing school has only a few graduates each year, and it was a lovely graduation ceremony. Some of the graduates sang, "Lord, I Would Follow Thee". One of the speakers referred to the line that says, "I would be my brother's keeper, I would learn the healer's art. To the wounded and the weary, I would show a gentle heart." I liked that. Nurses do such a noble work. They literally follow the BYU motto of "Enter to learn; go forth to serve." I'm grateful for the nurses who have helped me and our family, and am happy Julie has chosen this as her profession.

As each graduate came to the podium to receive their Nurse's pin and diploma, they showed a slide with their picture and a favorite quote. Elder Richard G. Scott and Sister Rosemary Wixom both spoke to the graduates and their families. Such a beautiful graduation celebration!

Congratulations, Julie! We're so proud of you.

A Special Birthday

Happy Birthday, Debbie!

Today is our sister Debbie's birthday. I've been able to think of little else today. She is a wonderful sister and friend. She loves her family and the Lord. She puts her trust in God and then goes forward, giving her all on behalf of her family and others. She is kind, thoughtful, and genuine.

Here are a few pictures in honor of this special birthday celebration...

Always a lady

Cute school girl

Fun times growing up

Birthday girl

Ready for the dance, in Stockholm

Out for a special dinner with the family

Such a cute mom!

We love you, Debbie! Happy, happy birthday. xoxo

Dan the Man

Today is our brother Dan's birthday. Dan has always had a great sense of purpose, an outgoing personality, and a smile on his face. We had fun times growing up together and admire the man he is today. Here is a little walk down memory lane...

Birthdays were a big event when we were growing up. On this particular day, Mom hosted a double birthday party for Danny and Debbie, complete with cakes and matching cupcakes for each of them. Here's Dan with his pirate ship cake.

What a cute baby!

Dapper Dan

"I think I was about ten years old..."

(Dan always jokes that it seems like most childhood memories happened when he was about ten years old.)

at the Mission Home in Stockholm

Elder Oscarson returns from Arizona. Here's Uncle Chris (who was the stake president) welcoming him back.

Dan and Stephanie with the first three children. Look at all those great smiles!

Happy Birthday, Dan! We love you and Stephanie and your family.

Thanks for being such a great brother.

Memory Lane

A Few Memories From Dave

Guess what... we have a dog!!! Yep, an 8-week old Rhodesian Ridgeback named Leo - he's adorable! We're working on some manners right now, but the kids are crazy about him and he's really cute - we'll have to send some pictures soon...(This is not Dave's dog, but an example of a Rhodesian Ridgeback, according to Google)

Thanks for the trip down memory lane... I could use some of that heat and sunshine right now, not to mention the breakfast, music, lawn and pool (in that order...)!

Those are some of my fondest memories too - Claymont Pool was such a gift to us as kids; I would spend hour upon hour every afternoon on that diving board - I don't know if the rest of the family even knew how much time I spent learning how to dive... I only wish that I now had the courage and lack of fear to learn some new moves...

Another treat for me was to get on my bike and ride down to Claymont Woods Lake to fish - I know it sounds boring, but there was one day when catching a largemouth bass actually became a reality for me: it was a beautiful spring day in May and I had spent hours during the winter dreaming of when the ice would thaw so I could use my new lures... The anticipation is most of the fun!

I had no schedule, so I threw my hula-jig spinner out there and walked along the bank trolling - and hoping... I need to say here that I had seen a few bass pulled out of that lake before by Dr. Messina, but so far, my catches had been limited to bluegill, sunfish and catfish (all easy bait-fishing catches...). I walked for a good while, having done so many times before, but then suddenly, a jolt hit my line and I found myself reeling in my first largemouth - I was so excited I could hardly stand it! I brought him in, hardly believing that it had happened, and looked around, trying to find witnesses...

Well, having landed my first one meant only one thing - that I had to try to land another, which I did, four more times, until it was time to go home for dinner. What a day - it cemented my love for fishing and I grew from there starting with the Shakespeare Baitcasting Reel Santa brought me the following Christmas...

There are certain moments that stand out for me, and aside from Christmas, most of them are memories of being outdoors.

More Than a Feeling

I have what I think is a fun idea. I have so many memories about the family growing up but I don't share all of your memories. Would anyone else think it a fun idea to have us write posts about our memories growing up? They could be about Mom and Dad or siblings, or just the house. Anything that involves common ground with each other. I just live too far away from you and I am trying to tell my boys stories about "A long time ago when I was a little girl named Nina and lived with Grammie and Grandpa in St. Louis. . ." I would love to capture your memories and the ways they influence your lives now.

Here's one of mine.

On a foggy December morning here I went out jogging. It was early. It was cold. It had been cloudy for weeks and I would usually be depressed under those conditions, but I felt happy and warm, not only from the jogging, but from the song I was listening to.

Imagine waking up in Mom and Dad's house to the sound of really, really loud rock! "More Than A Feeling" cranking on the stereo that was more familiar with Bach than Boston, . The first track of their album was a sure signal that Mom and Dad were out and soon the smell of Dave frying eggs and potatoes in the kitchen wafted back to my room. Lisa and I would wander out and the day would begin. It was a hot day and Dave would have to mow the lawn, but first an enormous breakfast and some "tunes." Then mowing the lawn, then the swimming pool. I guess it was his version of "Oh What a Beautiful Morning," but that's another post.

That memory comes flooding back to me whenever I hear that song. On a cold day I felt the warmth of an August sun and the light of that summer sky lit up my December morning.

Please share your memories. We can always make the blog private so only family members can sign in and read it. Grandkids' posts are welcome too, just email me if you've forgotten how to log on and post.