Monday, December 15, 2008

Happy 1st Birthday Astrid!




Today at 2:58 p.m. Astrid will be 1 year old!!!
I can't believe how quickly this last year has passed. It really is no fun (fine, it has been a ton of fun) to have your baby grow up so quickly.

Speaking of new babies, my sister my brother and sister in law had their baby on the 10th, Ruby Elizabeth VanWagenen:


On a final note, Lex, gets home from his mission tomorrow. In fact, he has a layover at the Salt Lake airport. Astrid and I are going to surprise him there and then fly to Colorado Springs with him. I'm giddy excited!

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

California Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving we (Drew, Marisa, Arthur, Astrid and I) decided to go to Pasadena to spend it with our fun sister, Sarah. We had a yummy restaurant Thanksgiving dinner and lots of good Trader Joes in between. Astrid got to see her California cousins (not nearly long enough) who she has only met a handful of times in her life.

Lamely, we didn't take any pictures except for our day trip to Ventura to visit the Florences. Astrid had almost as much fun on the beach as she did at the hot springs, if not more. Every time we picked her up to go inside (after more than hour of crawling and playing) she screamed and tried to squirm out of our arms. Nothing makes me happier than seeing my baby own a beach or hot pot.

(notice the blurry lens from the hotsprings...I finally cleaned it a few pictures in)


I love this picture.

Monday, November 24, 2008

Diamond Fork Hot Springs













Arthur had been wanting to go to the hotsprings for forever, so on Friday we decided that Saturday would be the perfect weather for hotspring going. Arthur's parents and our friends, the Milnes, came up with us too.

We drove up Spanish Fork Canyon and had a fun 50 minute hike up to where the hot springs are located. This was by far one of the most fun things we've done with Astrid. She LOVED the hot springs. She literally played for about an hour in the water without so much as a whimper. We should have known as much, since she really has a love for water.
Can't wait to do it again.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Don't want to forget her post nap rosy face

I LOVE Astrid's face after she's taken a nap. It's just so warm, rosy and soft.




This is what she does all day.
She figured out how to draw on the white board...bad news for the walls.
Today we're going to Diamond Fork Hot Springs! Got to go pack!
P.S. Is anyone else listening to Christmas songs yet? I just put the radio on Christmas songs all day. It's actually kind of fun and Astrid likes the songs.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

prop 8

Now that Mormon ward houses are being vandalized and prop 8 has passed in California (with similar measures passing in Fla and Az), Arthur feels like it might be worthwhile to clarify that he thinks the Mormon's got this one wrong and that gay people that want to be married by the state should be able to do just that.

At his brother's suggestion, Arthur read the official Church explaination of why it supported prop 8 and asked its members to "do all they can" to support the measure. None of the reasons seemed very compelling to him.

First, the Church claims that they have the right to participate in the democratic process and takes great lengths to espouse the virtues of democracy. Fine...but this approach seems entirely misdirected considering that Mormons believe in the theocratic rule of Christ himself and that he will return to earth to reign and govern all humanity. We will not be voting for him. The democratic process is a temporal solution for bad rulers and though arguable the best system of governance that we can come up with, it is hardly a reason for the Church to step away from its standard position on voting and democracy. If the Church had said, "Democracy is good...go vote"and left it at that, we Mormons might not be percieved as instigators of divisiveness and prejudice.

The appeal to the right to participate in the democratic process "when it comes to moral issues" also begs the question: Why does the Church not direct its members to vote for candidates that will end the war in Iraq? Or that will fight to alleviate poverty? Or that will preserve ANWR and other unprotected wilderness? Each a threat to family stability and each a moral issue. Though others do and will disagree, Arthur thinks we Mormons got this one wrong (it would not be the first time) and is pretty sad to see the negative fallout on both sides.

The Church also claims that allowing gay people to be included in the definition of marriage threatens the separation of Church and State, a long held principle of our consititution. They cite examples of pro-gay groups instigating lawsuites against church run universities and other religious institutions for violating Equal Protection rights of religious gay people who want to participate in the religious life. First, those lawsuits are only applicable to religious institutions that recieve federal funding, and if they really want the freedom to worship "how, who, or what they may" as provided for under the Bill of Rights (and Mormon Articles of Faith), all they have to do is lose the federal funding. As freedom of religion is so fundamental to the fabric of our country and its founding, I find it hard to believe that our right to continue to worship the way we do will be jeopardized or threatened in any significant way because of how THE STATE decides to define marriage. Contrary to the Church's argument, allowing gay people to be included in the definition of marriage is the ultimate separation of church and state. Mormons believe marriage in the temple is for eternity and is the only form of marriage that continues beyond mortality and thus that has any eternal value and purpose. Why should we worry about a temporal union sanctioned by a government of men? Especially if/when we believe that we are all children of God and as far as earthly governments go, are entitled to equal protection of earthly laws. The obsession with gay marriage seems to distract us from our goal of heaven and a celestial life and bogs us down in what Arthur percieves as decidedly political issue. We love our gay friends, don't feel they are a threat to our marriage, and hope for more love and understanding. Besides, as Captain Steve Zissou notes: "We are all part gay"

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Favorite part of the day...

...has been nursing Astrid to sleep and watching the snow fall outside our bedroom window.

This picture reminds me so much of last winter runs with my newborn...same brand of bunting, just 9 months bigger :(
It's been snowing non-stop today.

10 a.m. & 1 p.m.


Yes we can!


Our first black president...awesome!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

First Halloween: Leopard

Trick or treating with mom and dad
Checking out her candy
Eating candy with the cousins
After the trunk or treat (Christophersons and Karims)
Getting tired of trick or treating
With cousin Gwen



Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Tagged by Missy

Here are six random things about me.

1. I can't fall asleep unless my feet are touching Arthur's (and I don't like to wear socks at night)

2. I love to see happy, vibrant old people (especially when they're running)

3. I love the dollar store (once when I was there I saw a lady that I'd seen on Dateline...she'd been faking pregnancies and telling people that she was putting the baby up for adoption and then she'd swindle them for money and lose contact with them as the "due date" approached. It was pretty scary)

4. I wish there was a perfume scent of fall mountain weather and campfire.

5. I am totally paranoid, especially now that I have a baby, of robachicos (kidnappers)

6. I am terrible at dusting furniture

I tag Saskia, Erin, Jo, Robin, Laura T., Alisha, and Melissa C.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

She loves it


Katherine, Astrid looks so cute with her little backpack! Thanks so much for thinking of her while you were in Kenya.

Monday, October 20, 2008

First tooth, Halloween festivities begin & Milcreek Canyon






I just love having a little family.