Christmas and Winter

So it really has been a long time since my last update for everyone. I have been busy with finishing school and starting my new position and then the holidays, time has really gotten away from me.

Bethany has really become a little character. We have had lots of fun through the holidays this year with opening presents and learning to crawl and discovering that Nellie's toys are just as fun to chew on has hers are. Chris and I figure that the few germs she gets from the dog toys are just going to make her immune system that much stronger.

We had a lot of fun with the holidays this year as I said before. Christmas Eve was spent with family at my Mom and Dad's house in Oregon, WI. We met cousin Nolan for the first time that night. Man was it weird to see the two of them next to eachother...Bethany looks soo big compared to him but I know she was that little at one point. Christmas day was spent at our house in Westfield. Grandma and Grandpa Klapoetke and Aunt Sara and Uncle Chad came over for Christmas Prime Rib and presents. All in all a nice christmas this year...and no lack of snow either. Our Christmas was really white despite all of the rain we got on Christmas eve. Although we did not have a triumphant winning season...Bethany has also become quite the little Green Bay Packers fan.We have spent most Sunday afternoons playing on the floor and watching the Packers play, winning some and losing some. Our favorite is when we get a touchdown and Bethany and mom put our hands up and say "touchdown" and both of us laugh! Other than that...not much is here to report. We are getting a good start on this year with all of the projects we are going to undertake with the house. More details to come with the next posting. Hopefully we will see more of you this coming spring and summer. Look for details about an upcoming first birthday for this cute little munchkin too.

Hope all is well with everyone and that you had a happy holidays as well. More soon!

Marit

Long time no update

Hello again to all -

So I again have been a total blogging slacker! Oh well life gets away from you when you are juggling a new house, puppy and baby. I have a few new pics to update everyone. Bethany is now 6 Months old. My how time does FLY when you are having fun. I also FINALLY have some pictures of Nellie!

This is a picture of my Bethany. I love this big smile! And yes her smile is ALWAYS this big.

Bethany and Chris on her first trip to the state fair. I don't think she got much out of it because she slept most of the day. It was quite hot out but she was really well behaved.

This is how we make sure Bethany is ok if we have to run out of the room for a min. Nellie is a GREAT babysitter for a few min.

Now that she is on solid foods things have gotten more interesting. This was her first morning that daddy had to feed her... oh what an experience! Can you tell what Chris thinks of what she is eating? Take a good look at the face he is making!

Last but not least...this is Bethany's newest way to get around. She doesn't crawl yet...but she sure does hold herself up and push herself around to get from place to place!

More pictures of the family and the house to come. I can only download so many at a time on the computer before needing to do something else! Hopefully this post finds you all well and in good fall spirits!

3 Month Pictures are here

Hello from Westfield again. Things are going well...Bethany is growing up. She is 3 months old today. We had her pictures done on Saturday this week. She wasn't the most cooperative...but we managed to get some pretty cute shots. She is really starting to get big. She has started laughing a lot and she smiles all the time now. Her motor skills are starting to take off as well. She loves to stand on our laps and sit up like a big girl.

As you can see she is starting to reach towards toys and be fascinated with the colors and shapes. She sings along with us now when we sing to her. She is starting to try to hold her bottle as we feed her...which is proving to be a challenge because now it is another toy for her and she doesn't understand yet that if she pulls it out of her mouth that she can't eat anymore...and she crys. We laugh!

We are really excited for Bethany's first hunting season. We have the outfit all ready...all the way down to the camo boots. (Thanks to the Pearson family) Chris already talks about taking her out into the woods and getting her used to being dirty and playing in the sticks and dirt with him. That is all for now. More to come with Pictures of the house and the puppy.

I am writing to update everyone again. Bethany is getting so much bigger. She had her 2 month doctor visit last week Wednesday. She is now 11lbs 10 oz and 23.5" long. She eats all the time and grows more and more every day. She is starting to be more and more animated as well...she is smiling and giggling and cooing up a storm. She still eats a million times a day and it seems like even when she is done eating that she is still hungry. OH well...let the girl grow. I will get some pictures up soon, we have been really busy so having time to get on the internet to get stuff done has been a challenge...but isn't everyone busy in the summer?

Here she is - I know I know I am a huge slacker. I haven't gotten any pictures of our little girl up until now. Bethany is doing great. These are some of the pictures that we had taken professionally of her at two weeks old. She is growing like a weed. She goes into the doctor next week for her two month checkup. It is hard to believe that she has been around for 8 weeks already!

Things are going well with the new house as well. We are in the process of getting all of the landscaping done, but with weather being as it has been this spring we have been mighty limited as to what we have gotten done thus far. I will post more pictures of the house as I get them.

Other than that we don't really have a whole lot to report. I started back to work last week (May 11) after celebrating my first mothers day with my parents and Chris's parents at my house. Chris, unfortunately, had to work that day so he couldn't partake in the yummy meal my dad made for all of us. Oh well the leftovers were just as good. I have also started working at the Longbranch Saloon in Germania WI. (I know I know...where the hell is Germania WI - it is about 20 min from our house and the bar is owned by some of our friends so it was easy to get in there and I am only working a few hours a week to make some extra money on the side.)

I hope all is well with all of you and hope to see some of you soon and hear from others as well.

Much Love

Marit, Chris, Bethany and Nellie

This was our first official family photo. This was taken about 45 min after Bethany was born.

Holiday Greetings

Hello to everyone - So I have been very slacker like in this whole blog only because there hasn't been much to report. Nellie is now home with us. She is growing like a weed. She is just as sassy as can be but over all quite the good puppy. She has a wonderful personality and is full of energy which is to be expected of a puppy. She is a very fast learner and is doing very well with all of the training that it takes for a puppy to be good! For 11 weeks old she has come quite a long ways already and we know that we have a long ways to go, however, she is doing well. Deer season this year was less than eventfull. Chris shot a buck, nothing to write home about or hang on the wall but still puts meat in the freezer for another year. The first week and a half were uneventful, but the Friday before closing was the day of the kill shot. As many of you know, Chris and I have an accepted offer on a house in Westfield. Thank goodness for that! Well we have run into a few snags along the way and so the closing has now been pushed back from Dec 19th until sometime first part of January. The new well must be dug before we can move into the house. I guess that everything happens for a reason but I would have loved to have been in the house before Christmas...so our Christmas decorations consists of cardboard and tupperware boxes this year. Nellie, by the way, loves to chew on the corners of the boxes...whatever keeps her out of trouble. So the house has been put on hold through the holidays but we should be in shortly after the new year comes around. I will try my best to keep everyone posted on the closing and moving dates. This is the house - obviously this picture was taken back in the nice weather - before we got the 10 bazillion inches of snow. As many of you also know - I am entering my third trimester today. 28 weeks today to be exact. I am more than excited to be in the final stages of pregnancy...I know I know...enjoy it while it lasts but I really want to know what I am having and be a mom. The time off of work will be a huge added bonus too! I will try to have some pictures after christmas of both the puppy and how big I am getting...well I could throw Chris in there too. Hopefully this posting finds you all deep in celebration of the holidays and maybe in a little less snow than what we have here. Wishing everyone happy and safe holiday travels and a very MERRY CHRISTMAS (yes you can say that to me...I don't take offense) and a Happy New Year! Love to all and hope to see you soon! Love Chris, Marit & baby Klapoetke

HELLO EVERYONE- This is the newest addition to our family. She isn't home with us yet and she doesn't have a name as of yet either...we are trying to decide what to call her. She is 4 weeks old here and as CUTE as can be. She is one of 8 in the litter and man was it a tough decision to pick her out but hey, we sure picked a keeper. We will keep you posted with names and fun pictures as she grows up. I now some of you are thinking we are NUTS getting a puppy when I am about to have a baby but we have wanted this one for a LONG time and we are ready for this new adventure too! Love to all and talk to you soon!