We’re excited to announce the arrival of our new baby daughter, Clara Otelia Olson.
Clara arrived at 9:25 pm on April 13, 2010 (one day before dad’s birthday!) She weighed in at a healthy 7 lbs. 12 oz., and was 19.5 inches long.
Here are a couple photos of our little peanut:
The Story of How the Kids Caught the Mouse
by Laura E. Olson 2/11/10
One Christmas night, the kids hung up their stockings. Then the mother and father put them to bed. They said their prayers and hoped that they would get lots of good things from Santa Claus. Then they went to bed. They all had good dreams. In the morning, they got up and ran to open their stockings. They found good things to eat, and they each got a new book and a doll. They ran to tell mother and father. Mother and father smiled. “Why, what nice things!” mother said. “Yes.” Said father, “Now let’s go have breakfast.”
After breakfast, they got to have a little dessert of their candy. Then they played with some toys that they had gotten. When it was finally time for lunch, they had their favorite meal. It was tuna fish sandwiches. Then they went to a Christmas party with their Papa and Grandma. They opened more presents and found that they had both received board games. It was a good day! Then they went home and had supper. They had salad, and spaghetti and meatballs. Then Mama gave them dessert which was chocolate brownies that she had made the other day. “Delicious!” said the kids.
Suddenly, the kids screamed! Dad said, “What’s going on?”
“There is a mouse that just ran under our bed!”
“Oh my goodness!” said Dad. “Go get me the flashlight.” When the kids did, Dad went into the bedroom to try to catch the mouse. He saw it scamper right behind him. He chased it out into the living room. They had a cat. The cat tried to get it too. Suddenly, the kids had an idea. “Hey, let’s surround him.” So that is what they did.
They finally got him put under a bowl. Then the cat went sniffing the bowl. The dad said, “All right, I will give him to you for your supper.” So they killed the mouse and then they put it in the cat’s bowl and she licked it right up.
The END.
Merry Christmas to all! We wish God’s best to you at this special time of year.
Here is our 2009 Christmas card:
All three of our girls LOVE books! I am not really sure if it is genetic but they all love to be read to and to read on their own. Helen has even been known to be browsing through chapter books without many pictures - probably a direct result of wanting to imitate her big sister who wants to have her eyes in a book at all times. Laura is just starting about the 25th book in our collection of the “Box Car Children” series! She is so engrossed in her reading that she has been known to run into walls while reading a book and walking. When I went to pick up Esther a couple of weeks ago from the nursery at church, she was sitting in a chair and “reading” a book all by herself.
They really do love hanging out with other kids and people as well, just to quell the thought that they are all anti-social book nerds. A couple of weeks ago Esther made friends with two different children at the library all by herself. Helen makes friends wherever she goes - even in the elevator at the mall. Laura makes friends quickly as well even though she is a little quieter.
As most of you have heard, we have another girl in the making. Since all three of our girls that we have met so far are so different in personality, I really am looking forward to meeting this new one and getting to know her as well.
Well, we are having another girl! Rachel had an ultrasound today (she’s at about 22 weeks) and the evidence was very clear.
Laura thinks it’s really funny that I’m going to be “even more outnumbered” in my “girlie family”!
I’m excited! Now to pick out another girl’s name…
We’re happy to announce that we are expecting a new addition to the Olson family, due in April 2010! Here are the first snapshots of the new little one:
That’s all the pictures for now, but in the future we’ll add more photos to Baby Olson’s Photo Album.
Eric Twietmeyer, Worship & Connecting Pastor at First Free Church wrote the following song during our recent Boundary Waters canoe trip. Enjoy!
Eight Big Boys
By Eric Twietmeyer
To be sung to “Yankee Doodle”
Eight big boys from First Free Church C'noed the boundary waters Left couch and remote behind With wives and sons and daughters Packed a pair of underwear Was that all I needed? The doctor said that I could go So with care I proceeded To Grand Marais we left with haste And stayed at Pastor Harvey's Slept in comfort, ate real well It's Northern hospitality Up the gunflint trail we drove In at Seagull Lake Little did we know that eight mere Hours it would take Captain Ole was our man He headed our adventure Navigated like a champ With calculated measure Ole, Ole, lead us on Into great blue waters When this trip has come and gone We'll hold you up in honor Browner was a fisherman With Mountain Dew and paddle "Trolled" the lakes with his own hand Caught nothing now I tattle Cast it out, cast it again Never from it weary If you ever catch a thing I might believe your theory Scotty is a carpenter, A jack of every trade Cabinets and paddles are just Some of what he's made Once for dinner he prepared Dehydrated spaghetti Adding water was such fun Your talents sure are many Jon was vet'ran guide and cook His meals were a sensation After feeding us would Encourage contemplation Engineered our feasts so well Loved the steak and chicken Cared for us e'en at the end By lending us tenactin Stopped at Knife to set up camp It could not come too soon Not much happened here, we slept; While Scotty shot at loons Jeremy snored, kept us up Jon cooked eggs and bacon Packed it up and then we left Eight boys on their vacation Knife, Amoeber, and Topaz, Day: two; lakes down: just three God had mercy on our backs, A sweet site at lake cherry Portage nearly killed us all Muscles were so tender Lunch was good as I recall Cheese, sausage, bread, p-butter Mark & I swam 'cross the lake As fish we were in water Browner, Koby caught bass so we Cooked some up for dinner Love the taste of small mouth bass Heated over fire Fresh from where he swam his last And only inches higher. Football player Jeremy was quite the entertainer Showed me how to fish With hook, leech, bobber and a sinker Did a little dance one time A joyful celebration At the catch of a walleye He showed his delectation Mark is our man from the south, No, wait he's from Ohio. Kicked out of his church because He read from NIV -- O Pastor Mark, you rebel, you Paddle strong and steady When I needed some ear plugs I ask you 'cuz you're ready. Playing bard has been my role, I do not take it lightly Would have wrote much less but thanks To Jeremy I write nightly I won't think about my legs They're not really throbbing Aches and pains, I'm going to bed My sleep you have been robbing After pancakes we moved on Portages to go: four Roots and rocks and up and down Until we see the lake shore We all peed on Canada North of monument Paddled up the Sag Lakes as Relieved Americans Camped by Munker Island for a Final night of rest Only to be greeted by Green Man of the Forest Mask on face he was a friend With us he would fish "Litter Not" was his command "Come back again" his wish Chip was oldest and best dressed: Red jacket and brown pants Navy man & teacher, now Consults for insurance. When the rain began to fall And our spirits tired He's the one to cheer us on Keeping the weary fired Morning rain was our goodbye Our trip is at its end Food was gone and so we lunched With Ole and with Sven Eight big boys from First Free Church C'noed the boundary waters Left the wild to return to wives and sons and daughters!
Our friend and sister, KaWan came over the last couple of days and put in long hours to create a new look for the outside of our playhouse. Thank you KaWan for beautifying our children’s playhaven!
Laura says, “I love babysitting while you are in the shower!!” I went downstairs to take a shower and when I came upstairs this is what I saw. I think that her skills will be a sought after commodity in about 6 years.
