Home Owners!

We took a big step today:

Signed more paperwork all at once and withdrew more money from our account than we have ever done in our lifetimes...

...and now, we are home owners!

After closing, we drove over to our new house and began painting, taking measurements for projects, and enjoyed our first meal there together.

Today my heart is so full.  

I am so blessed.

This is the beginning of something great. 

Oh by the way...

It's definitely been an eventful past two months for us.

The crowing moment, of course, was the arrival of this little cutie here:

But I'm getting ahead of myself.  

It's because we have this cute little guy around that even more hustle-and-bustle has recently happened around here:

Did I mention that we also recently parted with our beloved Volvo...

...and bought a minivan (much like this one pictured here)?  Side note--we LOVE our new Odyssey!  I never thought I'd love being a minivan mom as much as I do.

But that's not all.  As if that weren't exciting enough, there is still more to tell:

If you guessed it, YES, it's TRUE! 

We are MOVING too!!

 

After what felt like ages of searching, hoping, and praying for this great blessing, it's REALLY happening for us: we are closing on our first home this Tuesday!

We are moving about five minutes east of where we currently live, into a cute little ranch house in Columbine Hills.  Our stake (church) boundaries that we live in will stay the same; ward (church congregation) and schools will change. 

Packing boxes (amidst caring for two little boys and a newborn baby) has made the process feel ultra crazy, but it wasn't until our landlord listed our townhome online and found a new tenant for the place that it really felt real. 

So it's a bittersweet time for us.  We are really sad that we'll stop working with our awesome landlord-turned-friend and to be leaving a great ward and neighborhood too.

But change is good.  Words can't express how excited we are to have 

more SPACE,
a YARD,
to move into another GREAT LOCATION,
to live close to GOOD SCHOOLS...

...it's going to be pretty awesome.  

Moving day is next Saturday.  Countdown: 8 days!

Sweet Baby Boy

It's been seven months since I last posted...seven long months.  

I'll say now as I said then, pregancy is no easy road for me.  I've been down many emotional and physical roller coasters between my last post in October and today.  I must say my anxiety was especially intense with this most recent pregnancy.  There were some days--okay, actually, many days when I thought that I was absolutely insane for getting myself into the business of having a third child--and another MAN child at that!  These little guys are hooligans.  My two older little boys keep me hopping all day, every day, and seriously...I chose to throw another one of those little crazies into the mix?!  Yikes! 

On the last day of November I walked into my OB's office and had my 20-week ultrasound.  I also learned that Norris baby #3 was another boy that day.  

And I cried. 

It's too bad that I didn't see more of the full picture then.

Now, my heart is full.

Now, all the emotional anxieties and physical pain that had been my reality for nine months have been replaced by this:

Perfection.  

Literally Heaven on Earth. 

And I remember that it's all worth it.   

Welcome, sweet baby Matthew.

(Pictures and announcement created by Amber Allen at Echo By Amber)

*This sweet little one is four weeks old today (time is moving by way too quickly!).  I am so blessed.

Happy Halloween From All of Us

Baby #3 is on the way!

My pregnancies are not easy to hide...I know that this is not going to be news for many of you out there!  Still, we are thrilled to be officially making this announcement.

I am now 15 weeks along (almost 4 months).  

Still feeling pretty sick, but thanks to a good doctor and modern medicine, the world's most empathetic husband, and TONS of support from family and friends (THANK YOU so much!), I am getting better every day.

We are all very excited and are looking forward to the big day: April 22, 2013!

Triathlon (Again)

I completed triathlon #3 today.

It was fun, tough, challenging.

Me setting up my transition area

Don't know my results yet; only that the entire event took me about 2 hrs. 45 mins. to do (way longer than I took to complete my tri last Fall), but here are some highlights:

The event began at 1:45 in the afternoon...the latest I have ever begun a race.  With 90 degree temperatures outside, the 750 meter swim at the beginning felt SOOOO GOOD! No panicking this time.  Just puurrrre pleasure....ahhh.

My heat (yellow caps) beginning the triathlon

 Finishing the swim 

The bike portion of the race, which was originally planned to be 17 miles long, evolved into 23.6, due to road construction.  That part was brutal for me, given that I had hardly trained for the biking, and also because the weather took a crazy turn...into heavy rain and high winds.  It was exhaustingly wild.

Natali on her bike.

Me biking.  

(HUGE THANK YOU to Kathy for loaning your road bike to me for the weekend.  It made such a difference!)

The 5K run, well, uh, hurt me.  My legs were programmed to keep doing their 24 miles of biking thing and didn't want to change, and by that time in the afternoon, the rain had stopped and we were back to 90 degrees...on a dirt trail.  I was super tired and super ready to be finished.  I'm just happy that I reached my goal of not quitting on the run!

Through all my adventures, today was overall a blast.  You can't beat these blessings:

-I got to race with a good friend, Natali (who kicked my trash, I might add.  That woman is tough!)

-Andrew and my boys were cheering me on and taking pictures all along the way.

-I was racing a triathlon...one of my favorite things to do in the world.

Last but not least, I loved that I got to race for a cause for this event.  It felt really meaningful to know that I was both having a good time and doing good for others while I raced today.  I couldn't have done that without the large support that I had from friends and family.  With our combined efforts, I was able to raise $180.00 for the Waldo Canyon wildfire victims!  THANK YOU to all of you--you know who you are--I was so deeply touched by the selfless generosity that you gave.  There are some among you whom I know have very little to give, but gave so much anyway.  Your friendship and examples are tremendous blessings to me.

First Day of Preschool

 I feel old today.

This morning, I dropped off my FOUR YEAR-OLD son at PRESCHOOL.

My carefree days of not having children in school are over (at least, for the next 20 years, give or take).

Taylor was so excited he could hardly stand it.

Last night, he mentioned his school preparedness checklist to me at least half a dozen times:

Can I choose my clothes for tomorrow?

May I pack my snack?

Where is my backpack?

Do you have my school supplies ready?

At 6:00 a.m., my little boy was knocking at my bedroom door, fully dressed in his prechosen racing shirt with backpack already on his back.  I wonder if he slept at all.

"I'm ready for school!" he told me.

I told him (and his little shadow, Russell) to go back to bed.

Try as he might, my little adrenaline-loaded boy couldn't manage.

So a little after 7:00, I rose myself from attempted slumber and dressed myself and Russell, fed my boys...and twiddled my thumbs a little until I could finally put the kids in the car to go to Mt. Carbon Elementary School-- a.k.a. "Taylor's Preschool."

His teachers Ms. Becky and Ms. Sarah were waiting for him.

So were tables full of building toys, some name tags,

and his friends.  

Madeline and Emmalee are in Taylor's Sunbeam class in our ward at church.

When I picked him up two hours later, my little preschooler had a smile on his face, but as is so typical of him, had little interest in conversation:

"How was it?"  I ask.
"Good. I could only eat one of my snacks, so I should eat the other one at lunch."
"That sounds like a good idea.  Why couldn't you eat both?"
"I don't know."
"What else did you do?"
"We ate snacks and read a book and stuff."

After prodding him, I managed to get a few more bits of info out: that the title of the book was Clifford's First Day of School, that he played on the playground, he sang a song about animals, and he learned that this month is called August.

My conclusion: that I am definitely raising a boy (aren't boys weird sometimes?), and I think that he likes school.   

Good outcome, I'd say.

Countdown to Triathlon: 12 Days

I am getting ready to participate in my third triathlon...in just twelve more days!  As usual, I am feeling anxious and excited as the big day approaches.

This tri will be somewhat unique this time.  

My friend Natali and I will both be racing for a cause of our choice.  I feel like my choice of cause was a no-brainer...after witnessing the most disastrous fire in Colorado's history this June, it just made sense to try to help those whose homes were among the 346 that burned in Colorado Springs!  I am still shocked and saddened that it happened to so many.  

Next Saturday, I'll be racing for them with help from an organization called "Colorado Springs Together."

To whoever is reading this, whoever is interested, whoever also feels like they would like to help the wildfire victims but don't know how, I would love to have your support. 

You can read more about my upcoming race and Colorado Springs Together HERE.

Devin's Graduation

The party doesn't end quickly in the Macfarlane family...

...the day after Kyle came home from Brazil, my youngest brother Devin graduated from Timpanogos High School!

We're so proud of him.

Getting his diploma.

 Dev and his adorable girlfriend Lisa before their graduation ceremony.

Me, Kyle, Devin, Larry

The four of us.

I LOVE these pictures of my brothers and me that we've been taking this week.  Words can't express how much I love all three of those guys.  And it's SO great to be together again!

Family. <3

Kyle is Home!

My little brother Kyle returned home from Sao Paulo, Brazil yesterday after giving two years of missionary service to our Savior.

It was such a happy day for me and my family.

Here are Larz and Andrew the night before...making "Welcome Home" posters in anticipation for our Elder's arrival.

My cousin Madison helping her super crafty mom and sisters decorate the outside of my parents' house before Kyle arrived.  (Megan, you're amazing!)

The decorating team at work

Here's our first glimpse of Kyle after two years...on the escalator at the SLC airport, with my parents and brother Devin--who were lucky enough to go to Sao Paulo to get Kyle and spend a few days with him before returning to the states!

Taylor at the SLC airport.  He was pretty happy to see his grandpa.

Larz is our family comedian.  It only took seconds after Ky's arrival to get him to laugh (at the funny poster he made for him on Sunday night).

Kyle and Grandma Mercer

Cousins Brittany and Bobby with Kyle, holding the fun poster Brit made for Kyle.

Kyle meeting my littlest guy for the first time--ever.  Russell was born only a few days before Kyle left home.

Siblings reunited!  Kyle, Larz, me, Devin.

Cousin love. Allen, Bobby, Larz, Brittany, me, Devin, Aaron, and Kyle

Russell insisting on helping Papa carry his suitcase out to his car.  Cute kid.  Sore grandpa.  Adorable pair.

Dad, Kyle and Mom at home.

We stayed up until midnight talking about Brazil, reminiscing, and just soaking-up every second of having Kyle here again.


I'm telling you, this guy is really great.  We've really missed him and are so proud of his great work and example.