SUPERtoddler!

Lana got a Halloween costume AND a new set of wheels today!

Another Day in Paradise

Good morning! It has been a LONG time since the last post. Little Boy Ahlsten is on the way in December and Little Girl Ahlsten (Lana) is tumblign her way into new words every single day. Daddy is doing very well at work at Google and mommy is doing better every single day at her job taking care of daddy, the kids, herself, and the house.

Our days have become downright predictable, a lot of playing, giggling, running around outside, kicks inside my growing belly and dinners around the kitchen table.

It's good. Have a blessed day!

^1-2I, Paul, am under God's plan as an apostle, a special agent of Christ Jesus, writing to you faithful believers in Ephesus. I greet you with the grace and peace poured into our lives by God our Father and our Master, Jesus Christ. ^3-6How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

^7-10Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.

^11-12It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.

^13-14It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.

^15-19That's why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn't stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I'd think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!

^20-23All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence. (Ephesians 1, The Message)

Emigrant Wilderness - Lana's first backpacking adventure!

Neil, Lana, and our friend-couple Doron and Jaclyn went to the Emigrant Wilderness June 12-14 for an EASY 2.5 mile hike in to a great camping spot - redundantly named Camp Lake. Lana had a wild time picking up pinecones and small flowers. Although she had a little bit of trouble sleeping at night and therefore so did Neil and I - she was always very happy and mysteriously well-rested in the morning!

We did a little day hike (of about a mile) over to Bear Lake and Doron did his usual jump into freezing cold lake water. We heard him hooting and hollering from a safe distance away so we would not get wet or see anything we didn't want to see!

Here's Neil and Lana in Lana's backpack. She's quite happy in it as it has some great suspension!

Fun Friday

The Gangs all here!

My fam (Nadia's mom and brothers) came to visit from Feb 28 to Mar 4. We had a BLAST even though it was raining about 98% of the time they were here!  I think a favorite time for me was when the guys and I took a walk in the woods near where my in-laws live.  It was really pretty outside after 2 days of rain!

Lana and TK became fast homies as you can see in the photo below. Lana is putting on her 'tough' face.

The guys even snuck out with Neil one night and snuck into a Sharks game!  I think my mom was just tickled to be able to cuddle with Lana whenever she wanted...

Freaky Friday

From SFO to swim lesson to Yosemite!

Neil got back from Australia on Thursday morning!!! He called the day before to see if Lana and I would be up to do some adventuring over the weekend before he goes back to work.  I though HE might need a little rest after a 13 hour flight but apparently NOT.  So we made plans to go to Yosemite the next day.  Thursday afternoons Lana has her swim lessons at Waterbabies so we invited Daddy to come along and be our photographer.  Aren't we cute in our swimsuits?? Lana's winking at the camera :)Neil thought it would be fun to go to a bed and breakfast in Yosemite.  We got a great deal at the Groveland Hotel since it is the off-season in Yosemite (The Groveland Hotel Restaurant serves AWESOME dinners too!).  Unfortunately for Neil we were put in the PINK Teddy Bear Room which Lana was pretty fired up about. Poor Neil, it was such a girly room!
We went into the park for some short snow shoe hikes.  The snow made the sounds of the rushing rivers reverberate through the valley, but otherwise it was quiet, except for the snowmen that were hiking along the paths with us!

Here we are in front Yosemite Falls!

And we made it all the way to the Vernal Fall Bridge!  In the snow!  We were glad we had snowshoes.  But there was a seventy five year old couple who walked all the way up in sneakers, and one of them leaning on a cane, so we didn't feel quite as cool. But it was still specatacular.  An Lana was great the whole way - googley eyed in wonder at the crashing sounds of cascades and beautiful contrasts of snow, trees and granite.