Carter Family

Seriously?!

2011-12-19T13:16:00.001-07:00

One of the latest Groupon deals: Lighted Fleece Slippers... seriously?! People buy these for real?!?!!

Catch-up; Halloween & Other Fall Fun

2011-12-13T14:29:00.006-07:00

To begin with... I realized we haven't even posted anything about our garden plot we had in the Village all summer! Here is a picture of our bounteous vegetables! We planted tomatoes (grape and big beef), bell peppers, zucchini, peas, and green onions. It was so fun and each year we learn a little more on how best to plant, cultivate, and eat our vegetables! We got our moneys worth from the grape tomatoes alone, partially because of how expensive they are in grocery stores. I think I brought peas home once because Otto would eat them every time on the way back to our place. We had zucchini growing out of our ears (made nearly every dish I could think of and gave some away), but we still love it! I'm pretty sure one of our big beef plants cross-pollinated with one of our grape tomato plants, making a sort of roma-looking variety. I don't know much about cross-pollination, though, so I could be lying. :)

It was lots of fun & we look forward to having a garden again (hopefully sooner rather than later!).

Now to fall festivities. I just love this time of year!

At the pumpkin patch...

Eric picked this patch especially for the line-up of tractors & Otto LOVED it!With our pumpkins

Making & decorating sugar cookies...

Halloween - Otto was Woody from Toy Story & had a blast! On Halloween he even trick or treated with another "Woody" and just loved it; he kept saying to him, "Come on, Woody! Let's go!" Sorry to the family who felt obligated to trick or treat at a few houses with random strangers just because their kid was super excited to see another Woody.

Here he is with his buddy before Halloween at a trunk or treat, laughing it up.

He noticed she had a tail and kept chasing around after it. Hilarious!

Insights...

2011-12-05T14:59:00.001-07:00

There is so much to update! We moved from the Village & haven't had the internet until recently, so there is much to do. Stay tuned for pics & other joyous stuff! For now, I just wanted to be a little introspective.

This move has been hard on me. Probably harder on me than it should have been. I knew it was coming, I knew there would be changes, but I think I resisted it. I have been thinking a lot about the power one individual can have to change those around him/her and how that effects that individual. I started out trying to meet people in our new place, but feeling horribly awkward and out of my element. Eric seemed to take it all in stride, but I was just annoyed by people around me which didn't really encourage me to break out of my selfish coma to see what surrounded me. I just kept complaining about things and closing myself off more than I should have. I don't remember exactly what kicked me out of this state, but something did. Probably someone who showed a bit of extra kindness and interest. Or I probably reached my "low" and got sick of it finally.

Anyway, my point is that now, after I've wasted a whole lot of time (as far as meeting others and serving others goes, although it was a good introspection time for me), I'm finally getting accustomed to life outside the village, in a regular ward, with my husband working a regular job, doing the somewhat monotonous things I do everyday with the challenges and rewards I enjoy every day. And really, life's as good as you make it. It really is! And I have nothing to complain about; I've been blessed with so much! If you want to know more, ask me. I'll probably tell you.

Blogger posting problems

2011-08-12T09:40:00.004-06:00

Blogger wouldn't let me post! Every time I'd push "publish post" there was no response, regardless of text only posts, pics, or whatever. I was talking to one of my amazing brothers about it and he suggested trying Mozilla. I don't really know why I never thought of that because I used to have to do that all of the time at work... Mother's block, I guess. Regardless, I have a few posts that will be coming soon now that things are figured out. *Sigh*

Remember to look through the last few posts... they were the saved posts that I finally got to work.

Otto is 2!

2011-07-15T15:40:00.031-06:00

Otto had his birthday in June and we decided that since we will be moving, we would do a friends birthday party to celebrate his happy day. We combined with 2 other June birthday boys in our court, which was a lot of fun and Jenni (the mom of the 2 other boys) was great to work with! Here are some pics...

The amazing Thomas pinata Jenni made!

The kids enjoying the pinata... none of them dove in after pulling the strings to open it, but instead just sat there admiring it or opening 1 piece of candy. It was hilarious.

One of the birthday boys - turning 3!

Otto, the birthday boy - turning 2!

The third birthday boy - turning 1!

The train cakes that Jenni made!

The rice krispie treat, fruit, and frosting dump truck that Eric made!
(Otto loves trucks!)

More fun pictures!(Otto's never really had a sense of what a "personal bubble" is, has he?)

Thanks buddies!

After the friend party, we got together with family members and celebrated with a BBQ and presents at Aunt BriAnn and Uncle Derek's house.
He was spoiled with MANY more gifts (which he adores, even still!) - thanks everyone.

The amazing "Otto's Trash Truck Service" cake that Sarah & Brian made!

He loved it! Thanks to everyone for coming and celebrating with Otto. He loves you all SO much!

Eric's Graduation

2011-07-15T15:01:00.006-06:00

Thanks to everyone who supported Eric in his schooling and on his big day! It was fun to celebrate his accomplishments with you!

New Mormon Messages

2011-07-15T14:57:00.002-06:00

There are some great new Mormon Messages on You Tube;

- Watch Your Step

- Moments That Matter Most

Let me know what you think!

Eric's Final Presentation - April 22nd

2011-04-13T11:53:00.005-06:00

For details on Eric's Final Studio presentation, go to this link. It will be at Trolley Square on April 22nd from 5:30 to 7:30pm with awards and remarks at 6:30pm. Hope to see you there!

The Longest Week and a Half

2011-04-07T13:55:00.003-06:00

I'm fully expecting the next week and a half to be the longest yet in our marriage. Eric's finishing his final project, which he will present to a jury on April 18th. He will then just have a few little things to do before graduation. This week he's been focusing on his drawings and he hopes to focus on his model next week. Last night he was working on it in the studio at school until 5:30 or 6:00am. Then he came home and slept until 9:30am and got up, got ready, and went back to the grind. He's gradually eliminating sleep during the night. I think that will be the norm until the night of Apr. 18th. Then he'll crash for sure. But at least he'll be done - we can't believe it!

Conference

2011-04-07T13:41:00.004-06:00

Latter-day Saint General Conference was last weekend and I just love it! I love being able to hear words from modern-day prophets and apostles. There is always something I need to hear that applies to my life and the concerns/worries/thoughts, etc that I have had of recent. Fortunately, I caught a few pearls of wisdom (I loved Elder Oaks' talk on desires... see/hear/read it at http://lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2011/04?lang=eng). Unfortunately, Otto is a bit busier and constantly distracting. I'm not gonna lie... there were a few talks I wished I heard more of. In spite of his busy behavior, when a speaker or prayer would finish Otto would say "Amen!" and then continue whatever he was doing.

During the Saturday afternoon session, Otto randomly said, "All done" when he felt like it was time to turn off the TV and stop watching conference. So, I decided it was time for Otto's afternoon snack (he's usually more focused when food is involved). I sat him in his high chair and gave him his snack. He then looked up when a member of the 70 was speaking and immediately folded his arms and bowed his head. He waited a few seconds, said "Amen!" and looked up to see that the general authority was still at the pulpit. He immediately refolded his arms, bowed his head, waited a few seconds then said, "Amen!" Heedless of my comment between prayers that the general authority wasn't praying, Otto repeated this about 5 times until he kind of just gave up on it. It was adorable. We love him so much and in spite of his busy, energetic spirit, are so happy to see that he catches onto things that we try to teach him.

Otto & Friends

2011-03-17T22:59:00.003-06:00

Anyone who knows Otto, knows that he's a social bug. He LOVES being around other people. He loves learning from others, watching them (so close he's in their faces sometimes!), being the center of attention, etc, etc. So, here's a little feature of a few of the wonderful buddies he has the pleasure to be around often enough for me to snap an occasional photo (which I need to be better at!).

Playing with towels from our bottom kitchen drawer...

"Oushide!"

I love how all three of these guys are looking in different directions, discovering their own little worlds!
Not a glamor photo of Otto... just getting up after joining his friend on the floor.
"Social time" at the gymnasium of our church building on a cold day...

So, here's to all of the little kids who make it possible for Otto to be thankful for his friends (and possible for him to list them one by one in prayers or wake up saying their names or walk around the house begging to play with one, or all, of them...). Thanks to those not pictured, too! Thanks for being so fun!

Spring Fever

2011-02-16T12:17:00.003-07:00

"I've got the madness... I've got cabin fever!!! I've got it toooooooooo!" Name that movie and you get a prize... :)

This warm weather has been a nice break from the bitter cold we had a bit ago. Unfortunately, I don't think it'll last much longer - the news reported snow beginning this evening. I guess we'll have to start bundling up to go "shouside" when Otto requests it. *sigh*

Fun with talking

2011-02-07T11:40:00.005-07:00

Otto is beginning to get better at talking and is getting a larger vocabulary quickly. So, before it gets better and I begin to forget, I just wanted to share some of the fun things he says/used to say;
- "ga!" which means, "grandpa" or "grandma" (which is now "ga ka!"or "ball"... not sure how the two are connected
- "die!!!" (with a wave) which means, "Bye!"... I keep worrying our friends with English as a second language will think, "why does he keep yelling that to us as we leave?!"
- Eric taught him that when a truck goes in reverse it goes "beep, beep, beep" and then when it stops it goes, "cshhhhh" (the air brakes stopping). So now he does it when he's walking in reverse as well as when he's playing with his trucks. SOOO cute!
- "gurt" for yogurt
- names (Aub-ah for Aubrey, Syce for Bryce, Ash for Charlotte, Ad-uh for Aida, Gee-yun for Jillian... and more)

Dance & animation collaboration Story

2011-01-05T22:32:00.001-07:00

Dance and animation collaboration produces stirring viral video. Here's the BYU story on the animation and dance collaboration, if you're interested.

Thought of You - by Ryan Woodward

2011-01-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

Check out this video from You Tube...

Love it! So beautiful... but then again, I love to dance. They did a great job combining animation and the emotion of the dance.

Favorite Things, part Otto

2010-12-02T12:25:00.005-07:00

In light of Thanksgiving just passing and the upcoming Christmas holiday, here are a few of Otto's favorite things;

1) Playing hide and seek with daddy - I close the door and daddy hides in the kitchen or living room. I'm super excited to search him out and giggle for joy when I find him!
2) Grandpas and Grandmas - Thanksgiving was the best! I also enjoy Aunts & Uncles and all other family, of course. I love following my grandpas around, pointing and saying "Ga!" or "Ga ka!"
3) All things Sesame Street, especially Cookie Monster and Elmo.
4) All things transportation - Trucks, cars, trains, airplanes, helicopters, bicycles/tricycles
5) Playing with other kids! Sometimes I get a little overbearing because I just love them so much!
6) Giving hi-fives and "rock me"s or "pounds" (or "bone me"s as some call them) to everyone.
7) Being tossed. Onto a bed, love sac, couch, etc, etc.
8) Music! Anything with a beat and I'm swingin' my hips, movin' my shoulders, waving my arms, bobbin' my head, stompin' my feet. Mom's favorite movement is Otto's hip movements - he bends in half and twists at the same time!
9) Dr. Suess - "Sox in Fox" and "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" are current favorites.
10) Giving kisses, especially to mom.
11) Helping - with anything!
12) Playing outside, even in the snow.
13) Animals, especially pretending to be a frog.
14) My blanket
15) Watching people and exploring new spaces.
16) Yogurt ("gurt!"), cottage cheese, cheese, milk. Mommy trained me well to love these!

The list could go on and on... that's one of the greatest things about me! I love so much about life!

Temple to Temple 1/2-marathon

2010-11-29T21:57:00.004-07:00

So, I'm finally posting about the temple-to-temple half marathon! Sorry to those looking forward to it! Alicia, my former coworker at the LDS Church office building, had run the temple-to-temple 1/2 marathon that her good friend, Brooke, had organized the year before. We had talked about running and I ran my first 10k earlier this year on Earth Day. I did really well at the 10k and Alicia kept encouraging me to run the half marathon.

Considering the time commitment, I kept being non-committal about whether or not I would run the half until just about 3 months prior to the race. I had already quit working at the Church Office Building (COB), but Alicia had promised to send me updates and such about the race. So, I started training. I was ready to run it - Sept. 18th was the day. The plan was to run from the Draper temple to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple across South Salt Lake Valley. Due to my hurriedness, I didn't double check the plans and ended up being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Oops. So, I started about 30-40 minutes after everyone else (it was a small group of runners). Everything seemed to be going smoothly, though, as I began running. Brooke had left me a map of the race and the water stations were all going to wait for me (bless them for this!). I felt good, too. I never would have thought I would say that.

At about mile 8, though, just before a water station, I was trying to meticulously study my map so that I wouldn't miss any turnoffs or anything and I landed on the edge of the pavement, rolling my ankle and landing my opposite knee on the gravel in stride. I continued in stride a couple of shaky steps and decided to take a breather. Unfortunately, my ankle felt pretty sore and my knee was bleeding down my leg. I instantly thought, "What?!?!? I am NOT quitting this thing! Too many hours of training have gone into this! And I've come too far!"Ironically, I had the map and was able to wipe my knee off a little as it dried over the next couple of minutes. My ankle stopped throbbing and I began walking for a little bit before beginning my run again. I was able to finish the race in about 2 hours and 15 minutes including the fall along the way and the stoplights. I don't know for sure if that is a decent time or not, but I was really glad I was able to finish the race. Thanks to the cheerleaders at each of the water stations, to Alicia for encouraging me to run in the first place, and to my cheerleaders at the end of the race, especially Eric & Otto, Alicia, and my dad & Jill!

Here is a pic of Alicia and I at the finish line. Yes, I look nasty after running, especially after running 13.1 miles.

Quick update... more to come

2010-10-05T13:58:00.002-06:00

So, I've decided to give a quick update of the things we've been up to since my last post;

We've had plenty of large zucchini from our garden plot. We've also enjoyed tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, and bell peppers. Otto especially enjoys the tomatoes. mmmmmmmmmmmm
Elder Bednar came to our LDS stake and gave us a special fireside - absolutely awesome - ask me about it sometime. :)
Eric started his new semester and is doing research for a couple of professors. He's loving school, but it's super fast-paced this semester since most of his classes are 1/2 semester classes (a lot of info & projects packed into a little time).
We moved back to our old apt since the contractor finished fixing our old balcony! Yay for not being in major transition anymore! As a result of our old building and another building opening back up, we're now busy as ever with our Resident Assistant stuff - orienting new residents and such. It's nice to see life in our buildings again.
Jacquie ran the temple-to-temple 1/2-marathon that Alicia introduced her to!
Eric and Jacquie saw Lion King on Broadway at the Capital Theatre - so awesome!
Jacquie survived putting together and hosting the dinner for the RS Broadcast for our LDS stake ladies. No big catastrophes.
Otto, then Jacquie got the flu... it's so sad to see an innocent baby/toddler throwing up and then look at you like, "What in the world was that?!!! And why did my body do that?!!! That hurt, mommy!" So sad, but we're surviving. Eric's sick now, so hopefully he recovers quickly and then we'll be done with it.

Soon I will post pictures of some of these events... I can't promise when, but hopefully it will be soon. Other things we have to look forward to this month;

Eric finishing his 1/2 semester classes this week
Fall break next week
Halloween & get togethers with family/friends

CA Vacation

2010-08-26T14:52:00.005-06:00

Mid-August we went to California to visit my Aunt Layne and Uncle Peter as well as to take some time away from everyday life before Eric had to head back to school. It was so nice to be there!

Here we are visiting the Getty Center in LA...

The Getty is known for the architecture (done by Richard Meier) and it was very interesting to go on an architectural tour and see how the architecture affected the exhibits. Eric enjoyed it, too (of course).

Here's the view out from the museum.

We also made it to the beach... most of these pictures explain themselves...

Otto jumped and rolled and played in the sand... just after loading him up with sunscreen. This is a small demonstration of this.

Hanging out with Layne and Peter:

Just to clarify:

2010-08-04T22:32:00.006-06:00

I have not had to put up with anything, it's Jacquie that has had to deal with me these past three years... Yes, I know that this goes without saying, but I need to say it anyway.

As probably all of you know, Jacquie is about the most loving person in world. I couldn't ask for a more gentle, kind, and caring wife... or a more wonderfully nurturing and loving mother to Otto. I am amazed at her willingness to support our family in so many ways, despite how taxing it can be... and has been at times. I am grateful to her forever... and look forward to forever with her, too.

Love now, and always,

-Eric

Anniversary

2010-08-04T12:44:00.004-06:00

At the luncheon on our wedding day

Today is our 3rd anniversary! I love my husband and this post is dedicated to him. He's put up with me for 3 whole years and I hope he'll put up with me for many more - even an eternity!!!

Things I love about Eric:

-his dedication to the Gospel

-his love and care for our little family

-his genuine care of others (most often it's more for others than for himself)

-his hard work in his schooling - he inspires me!

-his willingness to be a better person

-his continuous love of me!

-his fun-loving attitude

-his knowledge of classic rock and love of most types of music

-his willingness to go galumphing with his crazy wife :)

-his patience

-how he listens to me ramble about my day and he loves it

-his excitement in trying new things

and the list could go on and on! He is extremely talented and I'm so blessed to have him with me each and every day! Here are a few pics of us pre-marriage and newly married.

While we were dating...

Here's one in San Francisco at the Cable car Museum on our Honeymoon.

Eating gelato in San Fran on our Honeymoon

Communication

2010-07-23T21:43:00.004-06:00

So, I feel like Otto has been learning a lot, especially related to communication. He can sign lots of words; yes, baby, tree, all done/finished, more, ball, mommy, daddy, eat (sometimes), drink (sometimes), etc. He understands quite a bit and he is forming words, too (hi, dog, ball, etc). The other day Otto did a couple of adorable things that I really wasn't expecting to have happen in a long time.

Cute thing #1
After waking up, he pointed at the picture of Jesus we have near the light switch in his bedroom and said, "Jesu" (Jesus without the end "s")... Eric said Otto said that with him the other day, too, so I know it wasn't just my imagination. I wasn't expecting that for a long time!

Cute thing #2
At breakfast, Otto was eating his cereal and we had just set the table for Eric and me to join him, when he put his hands together like he has done recently when we've said, "prayer, Otto"... except we didn't say that to him - he just took the initiative. A few minutes later, after we had all been eating he did it again and looked up at us, waiting for another prayer. So, we said another prayer. It was adorable!

So, this is living proof that religious teachings don't just fly by our little ones - they REALLY notice! And it seems like he appreciates it and has a desire for it, which I'm sure most children have as well. It's a testimony to me that our little ones are the wisest amongst us all, having a closer relationship with our Heavenly Father than we realize.

First Birthday!

2010-07-21T15:25:00.007-06:00

Otto celebrated his birthday in two parts...

the first included us moving on his actual birthday to a temporary apartment. (wahoo, right?) Our old apartment building needed some repairs so we had to move to another in the meantime (for 1-3 months, we're not really sure exactly). It just so happened we had to move on his birthday. Thank you to all who helped make the move smooth!

In our new apartment... Otto enjoyed bouncing on his mattress and yelling while crawling through the halls and in the bedrooms. The sound was so different. Other than having only one 45 minute nap the whole day, he was unphased by the move. Just another adventure to him!

We enjoyed his favorite pizza from the Pie Pizzeria; chicken bacon ranch. mmmmmmmmm... delish! Yes, we've given him pizza... he devours it!

By the end of the day, he was SO exhausted. This was the picture of him we took while we were shopping for his birthday party (around 9:30 at night).

Part two, included a celebration by going to Hogle Zoo (for his first time) with family. Such a blast!

Donating grandpa's dollar after the bird show. They have awesome bird shows, by the way!

I don't have enough pictures to represent the complete fun of the zoo - Otto loved pointing and grunting at everything. He was passed around from person to person quite a bit.

Opening presents at the lunch we had after the zoo... thanks for the fun gifts, everyone! He loves them!

We purchased two cakes.... one of watermelon (which he LOVES), and basketball cupcakes (which he loves playing with basketballs, soccer balls, baseballs, bouncy balls...)

Yummy!

The after party, party. :) Enjoying time with grandpa.

Thanks for coming everyone, we had a blast and really appreciated you coming! Otto was able to celebrate with great family!

(Sorry I didn't get a picture of everyone all together!)

Tracy Aviary

2010-06-24T21:32:00.005-06:00

About a month ago, we made a trip to the Tracy Aviary. Probably a good thing we went then, considering the oil spill... so sad. Anyway, it was a LOT of fun. Here are some pics to recap.

Peeking at the ducks.

Otto and daddy

A peacock was wandering around and Otto nearly pet it; he was SO excited!

Another bird wandering around got on the peacock's nerves... it was beautiful, though!

Here's the pesky bird. Doesn't it look devious?

Otto eagerly looking at the birds who were running around. So eager, he's eating the fence. Of course.

Eric and Otto are enjoying watching a vulture being trained in preparation for summer bird shows. It was a pretty amazing process to watch.

I'm gonna get you!

2010-06-11T15:31:00.001-06:00

We love to play "I'm gonna get you!" Otto loves it, too! He especially loves playing with daddy!

Fear of Fans & Orangutans

2010-06-11T15:08:00.006-06:00

So, the other day, Otto went with Eric to his bishopric meeting at a fellow under-1-year-old child's house. The neighbors had created a video that includes pictures of baby animals associated with their sounds. One of which included a picture of a baby orangutan and its sound. I'd imagine it looked something like this...

Well, Otto began to "imitate" the noises really loudly... it wasn't until a few seconds later that Eric and the others realized he had a look of terror across his face and was absolutely petrified. Just to be sure, they moved on to another animal and came back to the baby orangutan. Sure enough, another freak out from Otto. I felt so bad after hearing about it, but couldn't help laugh... when you think about it there are a lot of reasons to be afraid of an orangutan;
1) their buggy eyes!
2) their strangly bald heads with random hairs that stand straight up!
3) their large nostrils
4) their nearly-human-but strangely-something-else features

I could go on, but you get the point. Hopefully when we go to Hogle Zoo Otto isn't absolutely petrified when we approach these creatures... maybe my psychology studies will prove to be right about how to treat fears by the use of "flooding". But probably not. We'll see.

On to fans; the following Wednesday when Eric again had a bishopric meeting, Otto yelled and went wide-eyed at our fan! He is overcoming this fear, however, as he slowly approaches them while they're off and as we turn them on and he sees that he is, in fact, ok. He has also been talking to them more... communication always helps. Here's how he looked this morning as he pointed and talked to our fan;

Yeah, he still looks scared. Maybe it's something he'll grow out of.

Another year finished!

2010-05-05T16:37:00.004-06:00

So, Eric has had another successful year in his architecture program at the U, his first year in the Master's. He has had quite an adventure, I'd say! He went to Japan last October with a class in which he focused on Japanese architecture and architects, did research on sustainability, completed models and created designs while having to pull many all-nighters. He had one of his all time best reviews at the end of this semester for his design that would theoretically be built on top of the existing architecture and art buildings on campus at the U. Great job, hubby!!! Only one more year... we can almost see the light.

Perhaps since he has completed another year, we'll be able to post some recent pictures and such!

Check back again soon...

Otto's Dance Grooves

2010-02-26T15:01:00.002-07:00

Here are the little man's awesome dance moves.

He's watching a Baby Einstein's Baby's First Signs movie to potentially learn sign language to transition his language skills. And, he loves TV, so I figured we may as well brainwash him while we can. :)

Lotsa Laughs!

2010-02-09T09:33:00.003-07:00

Love this video... and this laugh. :)

Once again, Otto's entertainment was provided by my silly dance moves. Should I be offended by that? :)

Crawling has begun

2010-02-03T10:05:00.004-07:00

So, the last few days Otto has really began to move... and he seems to be progressing quickly! AGH! In all actuality, it is a little nerve-racking, but it has also been so enjoyable watching our little boy explore and build up his strength to this point.

It seems apparent at this point that he has very particular personality characteristics; determination, impatience (with himself especially), strength, perseverance, and general happiness, to name a few. It's so fun! I don't think I could say that enough. Eric and I thoroughly enjoy being parents even with the work it requires!

Standing... soon to be crawling/walking

2009-12-30T15:38:00.003-07:00

So, Otto stood up last night. He just was sitting on my lap (almost indian style), and pulled on my shirt to stand up! He did it again when I exclaimed in surprise to Eric, too.

I was not expecting it at all and now I'm a little apprehensive about how quickly things are going to progress... he's not crawling or walking... yet. I knew he was strong, but come on! There was no real warning at all!

Goodbye world. This is our official goodbye since we'll be chasing around our little boy any day now! Wish us luck!

Smart man

2009-12-28T18:31:00.004-07:00

So, Otto was evidently bored one day when I had set him in his high chair early November and figured this fun trick out... before this he was smiling, amused and laughing. I almost missed the best of it.

Mans surprising laugh

2009-10-15T20:36:00.001-06:00

Mans surprising laugh

Shared via AddThis

Therapy with Donald

2009-10-12T23:48:00.003-06:00

So, this was mid-September... Otto hates to be on his tummy sometimes and this was right after he had tummy time. Apparently Donald Duck isn't just a beloved Walt Disney character; he's also a very effective therapist. In all seriousness, Otto loves his Donald that Grandma & Grandpa Carter brought back from Disneyland for him!

Playing with Daddy

2009-10-12T23:41:00.002-06:00

We love to bounce Otto and he loves it, too! Otto has begun laughing a lot more now - his most recent favorite is laughing at mommy dance. I knew I was rusty in my dancing, but really... is it that ridiculous? :)

TV + Otto

2009-10-12T23:25:00.002-06:00

He's mesmerized sometimes! We'll have to make sure he watches good shows! :)

Babysitters & such

2009-10-01T12:07:00.004-06:00

Thank you to all you have babysat and continue to babysit Otto for us! We are hoping this will only continue for a short while longer, of course, but we wanted you to know we appreciate you!

The other day our neighbor, Abby, babysat Otto even though she has her two little ones to take care of. She was sweet enough to take a few pictures of him and they are so well done! All those who think she could earn money doing this, say aye! Aye!

Hiking

2009-09-22T22:58:00.000-06:00

Eric's family invited us to hike Mt Timpanogos with them and so we decided to prepare by going on other hikes. Here we are at Donut Falls... it's only a couple miles total, but it was fun to get used to hiking again. Otto was really good in our front carrier - he just fell asleep and enjoyed the ride.

That was the only hike we did in preparation for the big hike. Probably should have done more, but we

survived. Here we are on our way up Mt Timp on Sept. 5th. We met up with BriAnn and Derek (on their way down). We ended up leaving late that morning,

which made it so we missed Eric's family on the way up, but we also missed the rain (that

was our plan all along). We enjoyed the hike - the exercise, the beauty, and the fresh air were great for us! It was a fun hike; we went just over halfway, but I was very sore for a couple of days and Otto's schedule was thrown off for a while. He was a champ, though, along the way. He's finally sleeping through the night again - yay! (Sorry for the poor picture quality - it was pretty misty from the morning rain.)

We've resolved to make it to the top next year with Otto!

Eric graduated in May!

2009-09-18T22:25:00.000-06:00

So, I didn't post anything on Eric's graduation in May of this year, but I just wanted to express how excited we are to begin our next adventures together, but to have a milestone behind us! He graduated with a Bachelor's in Architecture. Way to go, Eric!

Now on to bigger and better - his Master's at the U. I'm so grateful for a hard working husband who is excited about architecture! He's wonderful!

He rolled over!

2009-08-10T18:05:00.000-06:00

Today, after work, I set Otto on a blanket for "tummy-time" and he was pushing up and doing what we used to call "superman" exercises when I was in gymnastics where he lifts his arms/shoulders and legs off the floor. I was amazed so I got out the camera and recorded a video... then he rolled over! I was so surprised! He's getting so strong!

Just ignore my reaction/voice! I sound goofy. :)

Bath time!

2009-07-23T11:05:00.000-06:00

Otto is really enjoying bathtime these days... since his umbilical cord fell off and he's able to sit in warm water, he loves it. The other day I took him out of the bathtub, set him on his cute towel, and he started wimpering. I opened his towel to hurry and put lotion on him. He then started urinating and I immediately put the towel back over him. What else could I expect from a naked little boy? :) It's actually the second time he's done that... I wonder what that means.

He's so cute!

Otto's Sneeze

2009-07-22T14:19:00.000-06:00

Little Otto

2009-07-16T22:44:00.000-06:00

Becoming a mother is an interesting, challenging, and rewarding gift. I'm sure Eric has felt the same about becoming a father. I intend to write more on this in the future, but for now, these few pictures from our hospital stay say quite a bit!

We've given in!

2009-07-16T22:25:00.000-06:00

So, we've finally begun our blogging adventures! We hope to add many features and such, but are just starting afresh, so be patient! :)

Feel free to send us your blog addresses so we can add you to our friends and family!