Just a few things....

Once again, many months have passed since I've done any posting on this blog.  I'm a horrible blogger.  Anyways...I think I have a good excuse.  :)  Before Christmas, Brandon and I found out some wonderful, exciting news.  Baby Hall #4 was on its way.....something we have been hoping and praying for for quite awhile!  I was almost starting to wonder if God's plan was different from ours....maybe we weren't meant to have 4 babies.  Anyways, prayers were answered and here is our little sweet pea after a 12 week ultrasound!  Lord-willing, we will find out if it's a boy or a girl in less than three weeks!  Can't wait!

What else has been up?  Well, I spent some time in Mankato with my sis, over my 30th birthday!  That was pretty fun....I actually got stuck there because of all of the snow we were receiving up north.  But Kelly treated me like a queen, as usual, and we had a blast.  Here are the cousins, enjoying the grocery store.  

Raina, Elise, & Norah - who knew grocery shopping could be so much fun??

When I got home, Brandon surprised me.  Him and Maddie had been busy re-doing our upstairs bathroom, for my birthday surprise.  Let me tell you, I was surprised!!  It looks amazing.  What a guy  - he's the best.  

We had a very nice Christmas...the girls sure are at a fun age!   We loved celebrating in our new home.  

In January, Madeline lost her first 2 teeth!  (We never found either of them....I think she swallowed them.)  Pretty big milestone!  Maddie has also been busy with school....learning how to read!  It's so fun to listen to her read to me.  Love it.  She is also continuing on with ballet and is enjoying her special American Girl doll, Saige, that she bought with birthday money last November.  Pretty special!

Norah is my big helper around the house, while Maddie is away at school.  She loves helping me with Elise or mopping the floor or making a salad for our dinner.  It's great!  She has been taking gymnastics at the YMCA, which she loves, attending CBS and Awana.  She is learning her Bible at a young age, which is exciting to me!

Elise is going to be a great big sister.  You can tell the wheels are really turning in her mind, as to what's up with this baby in mommy's tummy business.  She's always got lots of questions and is always asking, "Can I hold the baby tomorrow?"  She is quite the talker....doesn't stop, and in the last few weeks, she has been every mother's potty training dream!  I was hoping for at least one easy potty trainer, and I got it!  :)  She has been pretty amazing.  

We've had a pretty rough winter around here....it has been bitterly cold and we've had quite a bit of snow.  Sure has made for an even more rough first trimester of pregnancy.  While I was already feeling pretty horrible, I cringed every time I had to step outside.  We hardly got to enjoy the outdoors this winter....I think we got out skating once, Brandon took the girls sledding once, and we've been out in the yard maybe a handful of times.  It's just been too cold.  Anyways, temps are beginning to go up, thank goodness and we've been spending more time outside.  (but I'm quite ready for spring at this point!)  Here is a pic of my sweeties outside in the yard, as well as a few others that I just had to share.  :)  All for now!

My cousin Andrew took this picture back in October.  I just love the smiles on the girls faces -
 and my dad's too!  Pretty great picture.