Steven and Chrystal Tandberg Family

Mariah's Princess Birthday Party

2010-09-19T20:01:00.004-05:00

Since Mariah's birthday is the day after Independence day we usually have her party either late or early. This year most of her friends were gone all summer visiting family. We waited for all of them to get back and had her party the beginning of September. She is crazy about princesses right now. One day she asked me if she really was a real princess. I told her that she is a daughter of Heavenly Father and that He is the king, so she really is a real princess. She loved that. Anyway we had a lot of fun putting together her princess party.

We used our dryer box to try to make a pink castle for them to play in. They had a blast with it.

Mariah wanted a castle cake. I am so glad that I had a friend who knew what she was doing and helped me with it! Thank you Cami!

I don't have pictures of all of the games we played right now, hopefully I can gather some up. We played Pretty Pretty Princess/Handsome Prince. Mariah helped me make crowns, necklaces/medals, bracelets/capes, rings/shields, and wands/swords. I printed pictures and taped them to the floor and they danced around to princess music then when the music stopped they got whatever they landed on until they had everything. This was probably their favorite game.

I had drawn a picture of a frog prince/princess, the kids took turns "kissing" the frog by putting paper lips on the frog while blindfolded. The first girl who did it put the lips right on the frog's mouth. Good job Dana!

Pumpkin Patch!

2009-10-12T21:05:00.003-05:00

We went to the pumpkin patch the end of September with Steven's brother Dan and his family. We had such a good time!

We told Mariah she could pick her own pumpkin to carve!

Lylah had a little bit of a hard time balancing on this pumpkin, but she sure is cute!

Sweet pumpkin girls.

Mariah thinks she can pull Lylah around and Lylah isn't very fond of it.

Steven is in his OB/GYN rotation and has had some crazy schedules. We were glad to have the time to go as a family.

Thank you Grandparents! (from Lylah)

2009-10-12T20:38:00.004-05:00

Lylah made a haul this year, thanks to extended family!

She was excited about her presents, can you tell?

She loved the wrapping paper so much we had a hard time getting her to actually get to the presents.

My mom made her a quillow (fleece blanket that folds into a pillow). She loves it, this is what she does every time she sees it. Thank you Blue Grandma!

My brother and his family gave her a Mr. Potato Head. I think Mariah has rather dominated this toy, but Lylah is very intrigued by it and tries to get it back. She always laughs when Mariah puts things in the wrong place. They have an amazing ability to make each other laugh, they are so cute. Thank you for Mr. Potato Head Jared, Christine, and Lucas!!!

She was really good at grabbing the paper to open her presents.

I don't think she liked this one very much! ;) Grandma Tandberg gave her this little kitty, she loves it. Thank you Grandma! She gives the kitty a hug by putting it between her chin and her chest and walks around with it there.

Thank you for all of the presents, she loves all of them!!!

Happy First Birthday Lylah Marie (September 16, 2009)

2009-10-12T19:51:00.006-05:00

So, as usual I am way behind, but here it is!
Lylah turned one year old this fall! I can't believe it! She took her first step on her birthday and is just starting to take off on her own.

I made her a butterfly cake (out of round cakes and cupcakes). It was my first time really trying to decorate a cake, it ended up being a huge cake!

There's our birthday girl!

I'm not sure who actually blew the candles out. Lylah tried to get it with her fingers.

So... this is how she started out, nice and dainty...

... how did we get to this?
She really enjoyed her cake! She just kept eating, handful after handful. Eventually we had to just take it away so she wouldn't have to have too bad of a stomachache.

Sweet birthday girl.

Mariah made Lylah a birthday present. She was so excited for Lylah to open it.

Mariah painted a piggy bank for her, it turned out really cute!

Mariah's Ladybug Birthday Party

2009-09-05T14:34:00.008-05:00

This summer Mariah turned 3 years old and had a ladybug party! I have had some requests for some pictures of it, so here they are.
When the kids first arrived they made a ladybug crown.

We were so excited that my mom and little sister Afton, my aunt Denise, and Aunt Hazel could be here with us for the party. My Aunt Denise made Mariah a ladybug cake.

We had ladybugs everywhere!!! Even Lylah was a ladybug!

The kids loved playing in Mariah's ladybug tent, looking at ladybug books, playing with ladybug toys and balloons!

We went through a series of clues to help the ladybug queen who would visit at the end of the party!

#1 Ladybugs are lucky and so are you, today it's important to follow each clue! If you can do this with the help of the crew, I'll send the ladybug queen to visit you

#2 If you're a ladybug it's important to fly, so I want you to give it a try, find a leaf and place it on the ground, turn on the music and fly around
We flitted around from leaf to leaf like ladybugs listening to a ladybug song until the music stopped.
#3 Ladybugs love to climb around on green leaves, see if you can land a ladybug on a leaf with a big heave!
I didn't get a picture of them playing with the ladybug bean bags I made, they tried to get them to land on the leaves.

#4 All good ladybugs have spots that are black, help my friend put hers back!
We had to help the ladybug get her spots back on (the spots were inside red ladybug balloons, some of the kids were a little afraid of popping the balloons to get the spots out).

#5 You've solved all the clues - you're a really great bunch! But before the queen visits, let's have some lunch!
We even ate ladybug strawberries and bug crackers, along with a lot of other yummy food that my mom and aunts who were visiting helped make.

At the end of the party, the ladybug queen visited us in the form of a pinata that Mariah worked hard to help me make!

Mothers Day craft

2009-05-27T15:49:00.003-05:00

For Mothers Day this year I made aprons for our mothers and had the girls put their handprints on them. We had quite the adventure doing handprints in fabric paint. Mariah did ok, but Lylah was a challenge. I would not recommend trying to have a seven-month-old do handprints with paint. She was just too wigly and puts her hands everywhere, as you can see! (Though we did have a lot of fun doing it!)

Quick update on our girls

2009-05-27T15:33:00.003-05:00

Here is our sweet Lylah. She is such a happy baby. At 8 months she's not much of a mover. She is content to sit and play. She is just starting to scoot backwards on her belly.
This picture was taken on the UVA campus after a beautiful hike near Charlottesville on Steven's one day off after his last test and before beginning to study for the boards.
She really loves to eat! (As evidenced by her rolls and chubby cheeks) She loves her rice cereal and is starting to love green beans and carrots.

This was the first time I gave her applesauce. She made all sorts of funny faces. Now I mix it with her rice cereal and she likes it better.

Mariah has decided that she wants to be a Doctor like her Daddy. Almost every day she puts on her little backpack and gets on her tricycle and tells me that she is going to class with Daddy to be a Doctor. In this picture she was "being" a Doctor. Look what Steven has to look forward to as a Doctor, I must say that Mariah's idea of a Doctor is very attractive. :)

Mariah and Lylah got matching ladybug rainjackets for Easter. Mariah loves to wear hers and use her ladybuf umbrella. She had a blast this spring when we had a ton of rain, splashing in puddles and playing outside.

Mariah and Lylah Love their Mommy!

2009-05-10T16:01:00.003-05:00

Mariah wanted to make a movie for Mommy. I probably should have changed her out of her pajamas and washed her face before filming!
Steve

"I am a Light house..."

2009-04-16T07:14:00.004-05:00

Have you heard that song? I am a Lighthouse by Nickel Creek, very good song!
Here are the lighthouses we actually went to this time out to the Outer Banks. I love lighthouses, I think they are so fun to visit!
This is a marshlands lighthouse on Roanoke Island.

I believe this is one of the oldest original lighthouses, it is on Ocracoke Island.

This is a fun lighthouse that was left unpainted to distinguish it from the other lighthouses.

This is the Bodie Island lighthouse that we visited last year and didn't actually go up to this year.

"Is this water sanitary? It looks questionable to me!"

2009-04-15T20:18:00.005-05:00

Who knows where that quote is from??? One of my favorite Disneys!
So, after falling into the water last year, Mariah was very unsure of going on the beach when we went to the Outer Banks, NC over Spring Break. When we first stepped foot onto the beach, she started screaming.

Somehow, we got her down by the water...

...but she wasn't very happy about it.

At first she was very hands off, she let Daddy do all the digging.

Maybe a little casual digging won't hurt.

I think this is ok...

..this might be fun...

...ok, this is pretty fun...

...I like this stuff...

...I love the beach!

Is this Virginia?

2009-03-18T18:29:00.004-05:00

The first week of March was a surprise. We got six inches of snow, basically overnight. They were out of school for 3 1/2 days, even though the roads were drivable by the second day. When Steve went to the grocery store to get milk, he got the last gallon of milk. Everyone had panicked! But Mariah loved it! It was pretty exciting, I didn't think she would get a chance to play in the snow out here.

We weren't very well equipped to play in the snow. I was wearing regular shoes and Mariah didn't have any snow pants. But we still had fun.

We made a sled by putting a swim tube inside a big black trash bag. It turned out to be a great sled!

Our first Virginia snowman!

Maraih's very first snow angel!

Lylah even got bundled up to play in the snow!
We got a little cold in the snow.
Lylah loved playing in the snow!

Mariah loved our first Virginia Snowwoman, her name was Frostina.Doesn't she make a nice addition to our family?

TanFam fun!

2009-03-18T16:28:00.003-05:00

Lylah is getting so big, she can sit up by herself, for a little while.

Mariah is getting so big, I can french braid her hair! This is a huge accomplishment, considering that a year ago I could hardly do pigtails.

Mariah's new favorite game is Hide and Seek. She loves to find Lylah. She doesn't quite get the concept of hiding very well. I usually tell her to hide and then I find her sitting in the middle of the room with a big expectant smile on her face. Oh well, she enjoys it.

These are Lylah's friends. They were both born within a couple weeks of her. It's so fun to have babies close by that are her age.

Valentines!

2009-03-18T15:44:00.003-05:00

We made pink heart shaped pancakes for breakfast on Valentines day and topped them with strawberry jam, cool ship and strawberries- delish!

Yum-yum-yum!

This year we had red mailboxes for our valentines. Mariah was so excited to come and see the Valentines fairy had come and brought her valentines!

As you can see, Lylah was thrilled about Valentines day. Mariah could hardly wait until she woke up to show Lylah her valentines.

She was more excited about her cute Ladybut dress.

Cute Valentines girls in their Valentines outfits.

Lucky girls, they also got some cute Valentines books that Mariah is "reading" to Lylah.

That night we had some friends watch Mariah so Steven and I could have a quiet few hours to have a nice dinner at home. We had an awesome fondue dinner and a relaxing walk outside.

So excited for Spring!

2009-03-18T15:33:00.003-05:00

Well, we haven't really had a rough winter, but it was still exciting to be able to go outside without coats and jackets. This tree is across a path that goes through the trees behind our apartment.

Mariah loves to go throw rocks in the river behind our apartment complex.

She also loves to jump on the rocks, but she's not very brave unless Daddy is with her.

Lylah was taking advantage of being strapped to Mommy and fell asleep.

I think Mariah is going to be a great soccer player, she already has great dribbling skills. She LOVES to play with balls, she always has.

Playing catch up

2009-03-16T21:58:00.002-05:00

I know everyone is expecting pictures of our spring break trip to the Outer Banks, but I have to play a little bit of catch up first. Please don't be too dissappointed, I'll get to them soon. I just need to document what we've been doing, for journaling sake.

Our own pizzaria!

2009-03-16T21:46:00.003-05:00

I decided to let Mariah make her very own pizza. She was so excited!

I gave her some dough to flatten out and this is what she ended up with!

She was so excited to use a butter knife to cut her own olives. I left her in the kitchen doing this while I nursed Lylah in the living room. She came out with a big smile. acting all proud and said that she was all done. When I came in to see her handywork, the plate was empty. I asked her where her olives were, and she said they were all gone. She had eaten all of them....

...and continued to eat while we finished her pizza. I think she ate at least as much as went on her pizza. It's alright, though, because I remember that being my favorite part about making pizza when I was growing up. I chose what I wanted to help with based on what I wanted to snitch in.

She was so proud of her pizza and loved eating her very own pizza!

Maymont

2009-03-16T21:01:00.005-05:00

It was a beautiful day in february, so we decided to go to Maymont, (a wonderful place that has a petting farm, beautiful grounds, and a lovely old mansion) with some friends and have a picnic and feed the animals.

Once she decided that the goat wan't going to bite her fingers, Mariah loved feeding the goats.

Thank you Joelle for letting Mariah help you feed the goats!

This is Lylah and her friend holding hands on the blanket.

Don't get too cozy!!

Skating in Colorado

2009-02-05T22:05:00.003-05:00

Just one more to update about our Christmas vacation. We had to take advantage of our one trip home for a while. We got to go ice skating with Steven's family.

Mariah was so excited to go ice skating. She really has been wanting to for a while!

She couldn't stay up on her own but she kept wanting to go around on the ice while we held her up! She was such a trooper!

It was so fun to be there with family we haven't seen for a while!

Skiing in Colorado

2009-02-05T21:24:00.003-05:00

Sorry these are so late, I just got the pictures from my in-laws. I just want to document that we actually did get to play in the snow!
Part of our Christmas present from Steven's parents were Ski tickets to Loveland ski resort.

Lylah even got to go...to the lodge!

It was -20 degrees at the top of the mountain. We were freezing, but we still had a great time!

It felt so good to be in the snow again.

Dogsledding in Alaska

2009-01-27T22:49:00.003-05:00

Thanks to my Grandma Carlson and our friend Bruce (who owns the dogs), we were able to go for a dogsled ride while we were in Alaska. For those of you who might be wondering: people don't usually use a dogsled to get around in Alaska and I did not have to ride a dogsled to school while I was growing up.

Bruce said that these dogs could pull 700 lbs each. They really were some pretty dogs, also very excited and obedient.

That's me and Lylah going for our ride. I have Lylah in a Snugli front pack surrounded by blankets and my mom's bit parka coat.

Yup, she's there! She's a natural dog sledder; she loved her ride. It put her right to sleep!

Mariah got to go for a ride with Uncle Jesse! (She is wearing a hat that I wore when I was little!)

Visiting Santa

2009-01-15T22:05:00.002-05:00

We went to see Santa Claus in Colorado. Mariah was super excited to see him. We waited in a long line and she was super happy the whole time...

She pet the deer and she was still happy...

She got to the front of the line and started screaming!! She didn't want to go near Santa. Somehow Steven got her calmed down and sat her down by Santa. Lylah loved Santa She just sat there and gooed. Then the funny part is, on Christmas morning Mariah's cousins were anxious to open their presents so they wanted us to wake Mariah up. We woke her up and told that Santa had come and brought her presents - thinking she'd be excited and run downstairs because she had been so excited about Santa and Christmas. She started crying and wouldn't go downstairs. We couldn't figure out what was wrong. Finally after we told her that Santa wasn't there anymore, she was happy and went downstairs.

Our Santa Baby

2009-01-13T21:23:00.004-05:00

I put the girls in their Santa hats and had them help me deliver Christmas goodies to our friends before we left for our trip. Mariah decided that she was "Santa Mariah" and had a blast playing Santa, she would run around singing "I Santa Mariah, I Santa Mariah..."

After our Christmas Party we had a little photo op and we took turns posing with our sweet little Santa Baby

Mariah's nap

2008-12-08T22:54:00.002-05:00

Mariah didn't want to take a nap. So Steven went to help put her down for her nap. I was taking care of Lylah and I walked out to find this:

Me: What are you doing downstairs?
Mariah: Playing.
Me: Where's daddy?
Mariah: In my bed

So, this is what happens when Steven puts Mariah down for her nap, especially when we have a newborn in our room.

Lylah Girl

2008-12-08T22:48:00.002-05:00

Lylah is two and a half months old already! Here are some of her new tricks.

She loves to blow bubbles, she always has bubbles on her chin now. Mariah is so mesmerized watching Lylah's endless supply of bubbles.

She has an adorable laugh! She laughed for the first time in her sleep. Now she laughs when I tickle her under her chin. It is the most adorable sound there is, my new favorite sound!

Mariah's prize

2008-12-08T22:36:00.003-05:00

Mariah gets money and/or treats when she goes poo-poo. She wanted to use her money to get a prize. We went to Target, where they had the dolloar bins, and she chose a little princess kit with sticker earings and nail polish. By the time we got home she had the sticker earings all over her face, I had already confiscated the nail polish until we got home.

After we got home she found the mirror and spent at least two minutes just staring at her face.

And promptly went into the kitchen and painted her nails. Cute girl! :)
(note our lovely kitchen floor in our apartment - lovely color, huh--lovely for how long do you think?)

Thank you grandparents!

2008-11-05T18:23:00.003-05:00

Yet again we are indebted to our parents! They helped us with these needed purchases!

Mariah graduated to a big girl bed! Grandma Carlson painted the headboard and gave her the bedding as an early Christmas present. Grandma and Grandpa Tandberg helped us purchase the mattress! Mariah calls it her "pretty flower bed." She loves it! She plays on it all day and sleeps so good on it at night!

My favoritest thing in the world is now my rocker recliner that is my early Christmas/Birthday present from my parents. THANK YOU! As you can see the whole family enjoys it. Lylah falls asleep almost everytime I sit in it with her! I LOVE it!

Thank you Grandma Carlson and Aunt Afton

2008-11-05T17:43:00.008-05:00

My mom and little sister Afton came out a week before Lylah was born to help us get ready for her and stayed two weeks after. They did so much to help us! My mom made meals and helped me decorate the apartment along with everything else. Afton helped entertain Mariah. Mariah would ask for them first thing when she woke up in the morning and after a nap. She still asks for them.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!

My mom had to get her baby time too, she would even take her at night so I could get some sleep before Lylah had her days and nights figured out!

Afton loved to hold her little niece!

Mariah and Afton ahd fun at the playground here at our apartment complex. And I enjoyed the free time at home!

In front of our lovely little apartment.

They took Mariah and toured Williamsburg and Jamestown while Lylah and I tried to rest at home (well at least I tried to rest).

Grandma Carlson brought matching turquois bracelets from her hometown of Blanding, Utah. She also brought a bunch of other fun prizes for our girls!

They toured the white house of Virginia, the state capital designed by Thomas Jefferson.

This is on the front steps to the old Community hall in Richmond.

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Tandberg

2008-11-05T16:58:00.005-05:00

These next few posts are very delayed, but important nonetheless. Steven's parents came to visit in the beginning of October. They helped us get a bunch of projects done in our home, entertained Mariah, helped take care of the baby, and did a little bit of sightseeing.

THANK YOU!!!

Grandma had to get her baby time! They both enjoyed it... and sometimes I got a shower!

Mariah loved having Grandpa and Gradma's attention.

Grandpa soon became Mariah's favorite playmate! She was so worried every time he put his shoes on and had to make sure he would either take her with or be back soon!

We had a very nice visit to Williamsburg and Jamestown.

Blessing Lylah

2008-11-05T16:49:00.004-05:00

These are a little late. While Steven's parents were here the beginning of October we blessed Lylah at our home. Thank you to all of those who were able to attend. We had a very nice gathering of friends and family here to support us.

Trick or Treat!

2008-11-03T17:53:00.003-05:00

The girls dressed up as Dalmation puppies. Mariah was "Lucky." Lylah was "Rolly" since I feel like she is always saying "I'm hungry Mother, I really am." When I told a friend what the girls were going to be, they asked if I was going to be Cruella Devil, so I decided I had better do it.

Happy Halloween from our pumpkin girls!

2008-11-03T17:49:00.003-05:00

Grandma Carlson got them cute Halloween shirts so we tried to do a little photo session at home, obviously we are not professionals!

Our Sweet Girls

2008-10-29T13:39:00.003-05:00

When Lylah was a week old we went on got some pictures taken. Here are some cute shots of our sweet girls!

Mariah's two year old pictures! She loves "rar rar's" (bears)!

Picking Pumpkins

2008-10-29T13:32:00.005-05:00

A couple of weeks ago we went to a pumpkin farm to pick our pumpkins. It was a really fun little farm where we were able to play in the hay, go through a hay maze and go on a fun hay ride that included a stop in a spooky decorated old barn.

Mariah had a blast picking out her pumpkin and playing in the hay!

Lylah Marie Tandberg

2008-09-21T18:11:00.004-05:00

Welcome Lylah Marie Tandberg!
Born: September 16, 2008 2:59 PM
Weight: 8 lbs. 12 oz.
Length: 20.5 in

Like father, like daughter!

2008-07-27T21:01:00.004-05:00

... or so Mariah hopes!

Lately Mariah loves to go into our closet and find Steven's clothes and shoes and wants to wear them! She went and found Steven's one purple shirt and insisted on wearing it to bed. She also refused to change the next day and ended up wearing Daddy's purple shirt all of the next day!

She has really loved Steven's shoes lately. We have found them all over the house.

More Golf!

2008-07-27T20:30:00.004-05:00

I believe we will call this the summer of golf! I don't believe Steven has thought of much else.

We went and watched the Virginia State Open Golf Championship. It was a little too hot for me, my pregnant belly, and varicose veins to spend too much time outside, but Steven was excited to be able to watch some quality golf in person. Mariah had a hard time being quiet enough, I hope she didn't distract too many golfers.

Mariah had a lot of fun just running around in the grass!

Got to keep our girl hydrated out on the golf course on a hot day!

They now know us personally at the driving range. Mariah loves to go "pay golf with daddy!" She cries if she ever goes without her. Steven has gone golfing with his friends, with the young men from the ward, and with us!

Last week Mariah and I actually got to go play a round of golf with Daddy and his friends! I didn't actually play, Mariah did though!

She got to use some golf clubs just her size! (They are actually her Christmas present but Steven couldn't resist letting her play with them just on the golf course before we hid them away till Christmas.)

Mariah didn't want to let Daddy show her the right way to use clubs her size, but she is doing better.

Both Steven and Mariah have really enjoyed playing golf this summer!

Picking Blueberries!

2008-07-27T20:25:00.002-05:00

Last weekend we went and picked blueberries at a blueberry farm!

Mariah did such a good job and had a great time!

We have REALLy enjoyed eating the blueberries! We have made blueberry pancakes, blueberry muffins, and ate them fresh with ice cream!

Our little girl

2008-07-13T22:38:00.003-05:00

Which one is the real baby doll?

Mariah has recently decided that it's fun to play in the little baby basket she has been using for her dolls. One day she was calling for me and I couldn't find her for a while, she just looks like a cute baby doll in the basket!

Mariah loves to do craft projects with mommy, sometimes she gets really carried away. I don't know how she got so much on her face here.

Golf

2008-07-13T22:26:00.003-05:00

Steven was able to find a set of gold clubs for a good deal that I gave to him as an early birthday present at the beginning of the summer. Ever since then he hasn't thought about anything else. He has gone golfing several times and has taken Mariah and I to the driving range a couple of times.
Mariah has picked up Steven's enthusiasm and begs to play golf whenever she can.

She's been getting really good at her golf swing.

Steven practicing his chip with one of the young men from our ward.

Steven likes to practice his golf swing and research ways to make it better.

I have a hard time trying to hit the ball, I've decided pregnant bellies weren't made for swinging a golf club.

Virginia Beach

2008-07-13T22:19:00.003-05:00

We went to Virginia Beach last week. Mariah had a good time on the sand, but she was deathly afraid of the water and would scream if she got near it.

Steven and his friend RJ (RJ, his wife Joelle, and their baby came with us to the beach) were out enjoying the waves.

Mariah thought it was so fun to bury her feet in the sand and then pull them out!

2008-07-13T22:11:00.002-05:00

Mariah is 2!

2008-07-13T20:22:00.004-05:00

On Mariah's birthday we had a small celebration at home. She got to choose a special cereal for breakfast, go swimming, and help daddy make her pink heart cupcakes!

Grandma Carlson sent some fun lady bug dishes along with other fun toys that Mariah has thoroughly enjoyed!

Grandma Tandberg sent a fun felt board and figures along with some much needed clothes! Mariah loves to wear her birthday clothes, as she calls them.

Mariah has been asking for a bike for months! Mommy and Daddy finally got her one and it hasn't gotten a rest since!

We had a birthday party for her yesterday, it had a barn animal theme. Mariah wanted a "mink" (pink) cake, so this is her pink pig cake.

I am really sad that I didn't get a picture of the barn I built out of cardboard, or the fence with the "sheep" balloons, or the barn bean bag toss with the animal bean bags, or the signs we ended up hanging between trees at the park. Everything turned out fun and cute. We are so glad that so many people were able to come. Mariah had a blast!

Mariah had a lot of help opening her presents, and has really loved playing with them since then.

You can kind of see the animal visors I made for the kids to wear at her party, they were really fun.

"Camping"

2008-07-01T21:52:00.002-05:00

Steven went on a caving trip with the scouts last weekend. Mariah and I decided to go "camping" ...

... in the living room!

Mariah was so excited to sleep in her "eeping back" that she couldn't sleep. She ended up running around the apartment with the lights off for about an hour before we gave up and decided to sleep in our beds. We spent the next morning playing around in the sleeping bags though.

Richmond Zoo

2008-07-01T21:30:00.005-05:00

Mariah and I joined some friends at the Richmond Zoo last weekend. We had a good time despite the heat and the humidity.

Unfortunately Mariah didn't think the Giraffes were her friends. She refused to get close to or feed them.

The monkeys were really fun. They were really loud, making all sorts of funny noises and playing together.

Mariah liked the monkeys more than the Giraffe, maybe because they couldn't get close enough to slobber on her hand (the giraffe were really slobbery).

This picture isn't very clear, but we caught a beautiful peacock crossing the road and wandering around at will.

The girls loved the Siberian Tiger and couldn't decide whether it said "meow" or "rar."

They didn't have trouble deciding that the bears said "rar-rar."

University of Virginia

2008-06-22T19:51:00.003-05:00

Thomas Jefferson was the founder and the architect of the University of Virginia. It is a beautiful campus.

So, I guess we are raising a tree hugger. Mariah loves trees and isn't afraid to show it.

This picture is for my Mom. She wanted to see a picture of a Magnolia tree in bloom. I think the large flowers on the beautiful large trees are so pretty.

Mariah needed to take a rest, it was a long day.

Monticello

2008-06-22T18:17:00.006-05:00

While we were in Charlottesville we were able to visit Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home. It was such a treat, Thomas Jefferson is such an inspiring man.

Mariah loved having the space to roam around in.

We learned so many interesting things about Thomas Jefferson on the tour of the house. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take pictures inside the house. We especially liked his gadgets. He had a pulley system to bring bottles of wine directly up from the wine cellar into the dining room. He had a special clock made that worked using weights that gradually descend throughout the week, he had markings to pass each day along the wall. He also made it so when you open one door, the other one opens at the same exact time. The amazing thing is that they all are still working. He kept an amazing schedule, he said that the sun had never found him in bed. He recorded the indoor and outdoor temperatures at dawn and at dusk, recorded everything that happened on his plantation with over 200 slaves, and the exact location and workings of every plant on the plantation.

This tree is only one of two original trees that Thomas Jefferson had planted and that were on the property when Thomas Jefferson lived there. It is really sad though because it isn't doing well and is going to be removed.

The flowers there are all heirloom plants and are very interesting and pretty.

Thomas Jefferson's vegetable garden was three footballs fields long and were tended by the senile (elderly) slaves.

This structure was in the middle of the garden.

The orchard was amazing. He did a lot of experimenting there.

They let us eat some cherries from the cherry tree, they were delicious.

We were able to see Thomas Jefferson's grave. He wrote his own epitaph about what he felt his most important accomplishments were. There was nothing about being the president. Truly an inspiring man and place.

Vacation at Charlottesville

2008-06-21T21:55:00.006-05:00

We had a rather sudden opportunity to take a family vacation to Charlottesville. A member of our ward offered a Time Share that his parents weren't going to be able to make it to, to us at a really good deal. So we went to a resort near Charlottesville and had a really great family vacation!We got to stay at a cabin right on a lake. It was beautiful!

The view from our front porch.

There was a cute playground with a little play cabin where Mariah had a great time playing.

The resort had a kiddie pool, which Mariah thoroughly enjoyed!

Steven helped Mariah learn to play put-put golf on a fun mini-golf course.

We took a ride on a paddle boat from the marina.

Mariah got to ride a pony! She was so good! We tried to go the day before, but they weren't giving rides. We tried to go pet the horses and she wouldn't go near them because they were stinky. It was a good thing they weren't as stinky the next morning when she got to ride them!

We also got to play games down at the lodge. It was such a fun place to stay!

Help Mommy?

2008-06-21T21:38:00.005-05:00

When I am in the kitchen Mariah always comes and asks, "Help mommy?" She loves to help me cook and is such a good helper.

She loves to try to help mommy do projects, this was part of our project for her grandpas. We did colorful handprints on a placemat. She said it tickled when we painted her hand.

She also loves to read. Sometimes when I am busy I get worried because it is so quiet, only to find my sweet little girl in her room with a pile of books (usually also surrounded by a mess of toys).

We love you Daddy!

2008-06-14T22:00:00.008-05:00

Steven doesn't get to be with us on Father's Day so we are sending a Father's Day message out to him:

Daddy,
You are always there for me:

You were ready for me before I was born,

You were there to give me my first bath,

You bless me,

You are my study companion (or vice versa),

You help meet my needs,

You help me smile,

You carry me through my rough times and yours,

You have always been my best playmate!

You have always been there to lift me up!

I want to be like you!

You lead us in the right direction,

Are there for us,

Help us walk the right path.

Help us accomplish great things,

And are always reaching out to us!

Happy Fathers Day!
Kent Nerburn said "It is much easier to become a father than to be one." We know it's not easy, but we think you are doing well! You are such a wonderful father and husband. Thank you for all you do.
We love you!

King's Dominion

2008-06-03T16:23:00.006-05:00

Yesterday we took advantage of Steven being done with school and went to Kings Dominion, an amusement park. Steven got us Season passes with a good online deal where we only paid the same amount as it would have cost for a single day. It is nice to have them so we don't have to wear ourselves out trying to take advantage of a day pass. It has a really nice area for children, Mariah had a better time than anyone else, I think.

We got to see Scooby-Doo and Mariah gave him high fives!

I loved watching Mariah on this ride, she could barely see over the edge of the car, and as she went around the track I could just barely see a little hat barely poking over the edge!

Mariah is such a good driver! She continually turned the wheel in the wrong direction the entire time!

She was a little afraid of the rocking boat, but she was brave and did really well!

We had a blast playing in the tidal pool, Mariah was fearless and the water and the waves! She loved to splash!

Memorial Day at the James River

2008-06-03T16:10:00.003-05:00

Memorial day was during Steven's last week of classes so he had a ton of studying to do. He told us we had 25% of the day to do something together, so we drove to Osborne Landing. It was a really pretty spot on the James with a fun playground. We took a little hike and tried out our second hand backpack, which Mariah enjoyed. Then we had a picnic and Mariah had a blast at the playground.

Doctors Dance

2008-06-03T16:04:00.004-05:00

Last month Steven and I went to a Doctor's Dance with Richmond Academy of Medicine at the Richmond Botanical Gardens. We got to have fancy food and a fun night out with some of Steven's fellow students and the local doctors. It was a fun thing to do despite the troubles of finding a dress that my pregnant belly could fit and look okay in. Mariah got to be babysat by a couple in our ward, and she was so good and had a great time!

Braves Baseball Game

2008-05-12T21:04:00.003-05:00

We were able to go to one of the Braves Baseball games with a bunch of Steven's classmates last week. It was Mariah's first baseball game and her favorite part was the "diamond duck." At first she was afraid of it, but then she gave it a high five and it was her best friend.

Mariah was sporting her glasses at the baseball game.

She loved watching the ball, and entertaining the people behind us.

Trees

2008-05-12T21:02:00.003-05:00

Mariah loves to look at nature and point things out when we go for walks. She especially love "tees." She had fun climbing this big magnolia tree!

Tea Party

2008-05-12T20:40:00.005-05:00

Mariah loves to have tea parties with her bears, she is such a good hostess!

You have to be good at eating, or she'll feed you herself!

Happy Mothers Day!

2008-05-12T20:28:00.002-05:00

Mariah had a good time making mothers day prizes for her grandmas. We love you grandmas!
Happy Mothers Day yesterday to all you mothers out there! You're wonderful!

2008-05-01T13:34:00.002-05:00

So, we went to the Dr. and had our ultrasound and I have been trying to scan our ultrasound pictures, but haven't figured it out yet. So, for anyone out there that is anxious to know, we are having a girl! We are so excited! Not that I don't love my little sister (Afton is 9 and I do really love her!), but I always wanted a sister close in age to me! I hope these little girls of ours can be really close! I hope they will play well together and be good friends! And we are happy that we don't have to try to change over to baby boy stuff! I can focus on trying to get some of the things that I really wanted with Mariah and didn't have! We also found that she seems to be a healthy little girl, she is measuring right on schedule and has all her fingers and toes, etc.

our free time

2008-04-30T14:28:00.002-05:00

Mariah and I like to play together when we are not running around taking care of things.

She got this lady bug tent for her first birthday, but she has been scared of it up till now. She has been having lots of fun in it. WE had a lovely tea party in it with all of her stuffed animals.

We love to paint our nails, Mariah gets so excited, but is so patient and still while I do it.

Happy Birthday to me!

2008-04-30T14:22:00.002-05:00

Chef Steven made me a wonderful birthday dinner! I crave vegetables more than anything else this pregnancy, so we had a yummy green salad, and potato salad is my favorite food, and then Steven made these delicious tenderloin steaks wrapped in bacon, they were so good!

And he made me a delicious strawberry cheesecake with an oreo crust! yum yum!

Mariah loved helping me open my presents!

Mariah's new skill

2008-04-30T10:10:00.004-05:00

Mariah is learning to get herself dressed. This was her first time putting a shirt on all by herself! Tricky girl!

She got so excited about being able to put shirts on that today she put three on, all at once!

Steven and I were busy in the kitchen and Mariah decided to get all decked out. If you can't tell, she has a shirt that she couldn't get on quite right that is around her midsection, a hat on funny and she has one shoe on - and she did it all by herself!

and... she has gone in the potty a few times. It is very cute to see her on the potty singing and talking to herself while she looks at a book.

4 months pregnant

2008-04-30T10:07:00.003-05:00

These were taken at the beginning of April, when I was 4 months pregnant, I am showing much more than I did with Mariah at this stage, I think.

Cherry Blossom Festival

2008-04-30T09:56:00.006-05:00

We made a quick, rather unexpected, trip up to the cherry blossom festival in Washington D.C. These cherry trees were a gift from the Japanese and are supposedly amazingly beautiful when they bloom. We didn't get to see them because we were told that they weren't in bloom by the time we made it up there and we were short on time.

Mariah loved the parade, especailly the big balloon characters.

There were some really neat Japanese dancers and drummers.

The Cherry tree royalty

This was my favorite, the highty tighty band, they were probably the best ones there, but I just loved the name.

Monument 10k

2008-04-30T09:23:00.003-05:00

Yeah! I ran a 10k 4 months pregnant! I finish3ed my 6.2 miles in just over an hour. It was a fun experience, though we had to run in the rain.

Baby!

2008-04-04T10:41:00.006-05:00

I've been told I'm past due to have a post about that baby counter I put up. So, here it is. These ultrasound pictures were taken at 8 weeks and now I am 16 weeks pregnant. At the end of the month we have our next ultrasound appointment scheduled where we will find out the gender. Lots of people are rooting for us to have a boy, but I have a feeling that Mariah is going to get a little sister. We will be thrilled either way.

I think this picture looks like a little gummy bear, when the ultrasound was taken it looked like a gummy bear with a heart beat.

This pregnancy has been interesting, I was definitely sicker during the first trimester than I was when I was pregnant with Mariah. Thank goodness I am over that now. Since Mariah was so big my doctor has been paranoid about my having gestational diabetes, which I didn't even have with Mariah. I have already had two different blood sugar tests and have another one yet to come, even though they have all been perfectly normal. I am excited to run a 10k tomorrow, I signed up to help keep me exercising, and so far I've done pretty well, hopefully the 10k isn't more than I can handle.

Easter

2008-04-04T10:27:00.003-05:00

I was trying to get cute pictures of Mariah in her Easter Dress, but she wouldn't cooperate very well. She just wanted to play with her cousins!

She really loved that ball and didn't let go of it the whole time we were at Steven's Aunt and Uncles for Easter Dinner.

We went for an Easter walk down to the stream. It was a very nice day!

Easter Egg Hunt at historic St. Johns Church

2008-04-04T07:30:00.003-05:00

We went to an Easter Egg hunt on Easter morning at St. Johns Church. It is a famous place because this is where the "Give me Liberty or Give me Death" speech was given, where part of the Declaration of Independence was written and where several founding fathers are buried.

I thought it was very interesting to pull Easter eggs off of gravestones!

Mariah found lots of Easter eggs!

The famous church!

Easter Bunny

2008-04-04T06:34:00.005-05:00

We died Easter eggs the day before Easter with David and Darin and the kids, they died some really awesome looking eggs!

We discovered that it was easier for Mariah to paint the egg, cause just dipping an egg into color wasn't very exciting, and when she tried to color on the egg it cracked.

Alyson with her work of art.

Easter morning! The Easter bunny came and the kids are finding easter eggs all over, even Evanie!

Mariah was mostly interested in eating what she found, not looking for more eggs.

Yeah, look at those full baskets!

Steven found our baskets, the Easter bunny hid them in the microwave!

There's my little flower!

Wright brothers first flight

2008-03-31T16:25:00.003-05:00

This is a model of the very first airplane that worked. The actual airplane is in a Smithsonian.

This is a monument in their honor.

I decided that I needed a picture with the sewing machine they used to make parts of that first airplane.

This is where the first flight actually took off.

Here is where it landed, it was short, but it worked! there were four flights that day.

more spring break pics

2008-03-31T15:58:00.005-05:00

Grilling delicious kabobs for everyone!

Beautiful Sunrise over the ocean. A friend got up early and took these, so I never got to witness it in person, but they are beautiful!

Mariah's friend loved to give her hugs. She did it for a while, then she started pushing him away. But the had a really good time playing together.

They were being so cute copying each other.

The guys played a lot of games, actually we all did.

The theater room was really nice.

Fun Outer Banks Pictures

2008-03-31T14:43:00.006-05:00

Here are all the couples that were at the outer banks with us.

A really cool lighthouse, they would only let us in the bottom. We looked up at tons of winding stairs. It's crazy that when it was first built workers had to carry gallons of oil up all those steps to keep the light going. It's amazing to think these were built brick by brick.

This was a really cool beach where two major ocean currents come together and create a whirlpool. There were a lot fishermen there, we even saw them catch a shark! (a small one)

We went down to the end of an island and took a ferry where we just drove the car onto the boat! It was fun to be out on the water.

Mariah loved being in the car on the boat!

The Beach!

2008-03-31T10:44:00.004-05:00

We had a great time on the beach. Mariah and I stayed on the shore and built sand castles, Daddy helped after he went for a swim in the cold ocean.

Hmmm...looks a little chilly out there!

He said it wasn't too cold, but when Mariah fell in earlier in the week, she sure thought it was.

What brave men!

Look at the beautiful surf! It really was mesmerizing.

I really had to work with Mariah to get her to let me bury her feet in the sand, she was kind of scared of the sand.

At the beginning of the week it was really cold, so we just enjoyed walking along and looking for shells.

This was one of our first days and the day that Mariah was wondering to to close to the water. A wave came and swept her off her feet. She fell down and her and her bear got wet and sandy. From then on Mariah refused to walk on the beach, she had to be carried.

Spring Break at the Outer Banks!

2008-03-31T10:36:00.003-05:00

For Steven's Spring Break we were able to go with some other Medical and Dental Students and their families to the Outer banks where we rented this large beach house.

The decorations in the house were very interesting. We took our pictures with some of our favorites.

This was in the Theater room where there were several large recliners in stadium seating and a large projector.

St. Patty's dDy

2008-03-31T10:31:00.002-05:00

I decided to try and do the traditional corned beef and cabbage for our St. Patrick's Day dinner. I don't know if turned out the way it was supposed to, but we enjoyed it.

Mariah even liked it!

Christmas

2008-03-31T10:25:00.004-05:00

So, I have to post some Christmas pictures, if just for the grandparents, even though it is so late.

Mariah loved our Christmas tree!

This is Christmas dinner with Steven's brother David and his family. My sister-in-law, Darin, and I made (I think) a great Christmas dinner, especially considering it was my first time doing it without maternal help.

Christmas Eve at Maymont

2008-03-30T20:05:00.004-05:00

On Christmas Eve we went to Maymont with Steven's brother David and his family and had fun exploring the grounds, it such a fun place to visit.

Mariah tried to wave to the fishies in the water.

Peekaboo!

Christmas Festivities

2008-03-30T19:58:00.003-05:00

For those who are interested in catching up with us, here are some of our Christmas activities.

Mariah was really good at making her gingerbread house, she didn't even try to eat the candy!

Richmond had a fun Christmas parade that we went to with Mariah's friend Stevie and my friend Tiffany.

The parade was just a bit too much for Mariah.

Mariah loved making Christmas sugar cookies to sell at a bake sale for humanitarian aid.

Mariah got a Christmas package from her Grandma Carlson and was ready to open her Christmas presents right then, she was very anxious to open her Christmas presents.

Virginia Fall and Winter

2008-03-30T19:46:00.004-05:00

So, I know, I am terrible at keeping up, it's spring and I am posting fall and winter pictures. I just have to keep things sequential even if the timing is wrong.

The fall in Virginia is gorgeous!

Mariah wasn't sure what to think of the snow flakes falling, it only happened twice.

If you can't tell, it was snowing in this picture. I know the green lawns are deceiving, but it is winter.
The second snow fall. Mariah and I went out to try and catch some snow flakes. It was Mariah's first and only time out in the "snow."
There wasn't enough snow to make a snow man, so we wrote daddy a message!

Halloween

2008-01-12T09:06:00.001-05:00

We were all bears for our Halloween party etc. but we didn't dress up for trick-or-treating, and unfortunately I don't have any good pictures of it.

This picture was taken in Harrisburg. We went to visit David and Darin and the family then went to carnival near them. This picture was taken inside a hot air balloon.

My mom made this cute Halloween outfit for my little sister Afton, and now Mariah gets to wear it and be our little Halloween girl.

We just went trick or treating down one street, but Mariah still made a haul. I couldn't get her attention away from her candy to take a picture.

There she is digging in her horde, I think we still have some of it left.

There is our lovely pumpkin. Steven's med school class held a pumpkin carving competition and we won! I outlined the design and Mariah was Steven's assistant as he carved.

More cute things Mariah does

2008-01-11T15:51:00.001-05:00

As I'm sure most parents are, we have so much fun taking picutures of Mariah and the cute things she does, which is almost everything she does.

Mariah loves to help us in whatever we are doing. This time she was helping daddy get dressed and somehow ended up wearing daddy's shirt.

She really wanted to wear daddy's socks, but the funny thing was watching her trying walk around in them and then get them off.

Mariah's first pigtails! She finally had enough hair, well, sort.

Cute little pigtails, you can't even see them from the front.

Daddy is determined that she will be a good climber!

Our little Mariah girl

2008-01-10T08:45:00.000-05:00

Just to catch you up on our sweet little girl and some of the things she likes to do.

Mariah has a doll that is almost as big as she is that she takes very good care of. It gets its clothes changed many times a day, gets fed raisins (there is probably one stuck in its mouth right now), and gets lots of hugs and loves. She takes turns feeding, dressing, etc. the doll and her little pink bear.

She loves to collect things in bags and baskets and carry them around with her. What a pack rat, I don't know where she gets it from. ;) (I did it all the time when I was young and still have pack rat tendencies)

She has gotten very good at opening and closing doors. We have to be careful now and lock doors occasionally.

We measure her on her height chart. At 17 months she was 31 and 1/2 inches tall.

Do I measure up, mommy?

Mariah is thrilled with our couch, we spent the first few weeks in our apartment without one. She loves to play on it, these pictures are from when it was brand new and she was experimenting with her bear and how much help she could get.

Okay mom, dad? who's gonna help me this time?

Virginia Beach

2008-01-09T17:22:00.001-05:00

We were told we had to get to Virginia Beach before it got cold, so we did! It was beautiful. The waves were amazing, and so fun! But the water was oh so salty, I really haven't had that much experience with the ocean, I guess.

Mariah loved the sand and playing with her ball, but didn't have much use for the water.

She could handle a little bit of water with someone holding her, but the waves were pretty scary.

Fun in the sun!

Virginia History

2008-01-09T15:03:00.001-05:00

We went and toured some of the forts from the civil war. There are still embankments that the soldiers dug.

We went to the national Folk Festival that Richmond hosted, there were many neat exhibits.

One of my favorites was this guy who made brooms by hand.

Steven's Skateboarding

2008-01-09T14:51:00.000-05:00

Steven had been promising a neighbor boy that he would teach him how to do some skateboarding tricks. He said he was doing really well, landing all his tricks, until...

It was amazing how fast it swelled up!

He had to wear crutches and Mariah and I drove him around.

Then it turned all sorts of pretty colors.

He has now decided that he is too old for skateboarding. Good thing he went out with a bang!

Rock Climbing

2008-01-09T14:34:00.000-05:00

Steven LOVES to rock climb, so he wants Mariah and I to learn how. I think we did pretty good, although Steven is definitely the expert.

Look at him go! (Sorry so blurry)

Mariah tries so hard to do whatever mom and dad do!

2008-01-09T13:19:00.001-05:00

Another one of our favorite places to visit here in Richmond is a place called Maymont. It used to be owned by a very wealthy family who developed it. It has a mansion and carriage house with neat old buggys and an ancient "car." It has a beautiful landscape, nature center, and petting zoo.

Mariah was trying to become part of the sculpture.

Mariah was too scared to go inside the cave in the tree, but it's a pretty cool tree!

We went wading in the stream, it was a very hot August day in Virginia.

Mariah loved the fish in the nature center.

Cute little bridge.
Beautiful old weeping willow.
Out of all the animals, Mariah loved petting the pigs the most!

Fall Events

2008-01-09T12:24:00.000-05:00

We have REALLY enjoyed living close to Steven's brother David, his wife Darin, and their kids Bryce, Allyson and their new baby Evanie. They live in Harrisburg, PA which is just under a 4 hours drive for us.

We were able to visit when David graduated from Penn State with his PhD.

We were there and helped when their baby Evanie was born.

We visited when baby Evanie was blessed.

It has also been nice that Steven's sister Kristin was in Baltimore, MD doing an internship at John Hopkins. It truly makes such a difference to be close to family.

Virginia

2008-01-09T12:12:00.000-05:00

I have been very neglectful of updating this blog, so with a few quick entries I hope to update whoever is interested.
These pictures are of Virginia in August.

One of our favorite places that we have visited is the Virginia House. It's a beautiful old house made from historic buildings in England. It's interior is richly decorated with artifacts from around the world and many of them are very old and beautiful. It's grounds are absolutely amazing. Mariah found a chair in the garden that was just her size.

Kristin and her mom toured the Virginia house with us.

This is our favorite park. It is just a couple miles from our apartment and has a lot of neat toys. Mariah makes new friends there every time we go.

Mariah LOVES to swing!

Steve's Wii adventure

2008-01-04T10:08:00.002-05:00

Steve has been buying and selling Nintendo Wiis for a good profit this holiday season. But, now that he has played it he really wants one for our family! There is a surgery game that he is especially interested in. We definitely don't have the money to buy one so he has signed up for a referral program to earn points towards one. He has researched and this company seems legit. In order to get a Wii you have to complete an offer like a free Netflix subscription for 2 weeks or a Disney book club subscription that can be canceled and then refer 5 people to do the same. Some of the offers require you to pay shipping, so it isn't completely free. We don't normally do this type of thing but we have friends that have done it and received an Xbox and an HDTV. Here is the link to sign up to get your own "free" Nintendo Wii and help Steve in his quest to get his own.
YourNintendoWii4free.com

For more information about these programs:

Steve

2008-01-04T10:08:00.001-05:00

Fun in Alaska

2007-09-18T12:58:00.001-05:00

We got to have lunch with my best friend growing up, Christa. It was so good to catch up with her!

Mariah had a good time playing with her Aunt Afton!

Yeah! Mariah loves to eat!

oohh... a table just my size!

ahhh...this is the life!

Soldotna Days Parade

2007-09-18T12:52:00.001-05:00

In Soldnotna we have a Soldotna Days parade near the end of July, it was mariah's first real experience with a parade, she loved the idea of being able to pick things up off the ground and eat them.

The family showing their colors!

Grandpa had to go help an old truck that broke down in the middle of the parade, good thing he is so tricky, he got it running in a few minutes and the parade went on! It was okay because it gave Mariah more time to finish picking up her candy.

Out on Grandpa's boat: the Crystal Sea

2007-09-18T12:34:00.001-05:00

Here's our little fishergirl. She's not quite sure this is her thing, this big life jacket is awfully big.

I guess it's okay as long as we can see Grandpa driving the boat. Mariah loved to see her grandpa through the window and wave at him.

Mariah's first real boat trip!

Oh, now this is fun!

Yeah, out on the boat named after mommy, the Crystal Sea (get it Chrystal Carlson-Chrystal C).

Mariah loved waving at the other fisherman and the seagulls and boats and whatever else we saw.

What a boat trip, huh Mariah?

oh, what a car!

2007-09-18T12:30:00.001-05:00

We've been having problems with our car. We were grateful for Steven's dad and brother's help while we were there. That is why it is still working, I'm sure. But now we are even more grateful for the new to us car that we purchased from Steven's Aunt and Uncle. It is a '98 Volkswagon Jetta and the best part is: it has air conditioning! I feel so spoiled driving a car with air conditioning!

Paul's Mission Farewell

2007-09-18T12:26:00.001-05:00

Steven's brother Paul was called to the South Africa mission. He left the beginning of July.

Paul gave a very moving farewell talk and we were so glad to be able to be there for it.

It was also neat to spend time with all of the family!

Then and Now

2007-09-18T12:06:00.001-05:00

hmmm... this place looks familiar. Steven and I hiked Mayflower Gulch on our honeymoon. It's funny how much has changed in two years!

Ahhh... young and in love!

Wow...what happened?

Life is fun fancy-free!

... and just gets better when you have an adorable daughter to share it with!

Drunk on love!

...maybe a different kind of love!

Mayflower Gulch- enjoying the mountains

2007-09-18T11:04:00.001-05:00

Uncle Jared and Aunt Christine came to celebrate Mariah's birthday and joined us in the mountains.

We have to show out true colors, hiking in the mountains in Colorado.

Group picture with Jared, Christine, and Steven's brother Daniel and his (now wife) Kari.

Lovely mountain stream.

Mariah wanted to get in the stream.