Going Private...

Yes, I am joining the "in" crowd and putting our blog on private status. I would love to have all the friends and family members that like to keep up on the Rasmussen family happenings to please email me or post a comment on this blog. I will then send you this nifty invite.

I hope you will all jump on it!

Thanks for understanding!

Halloween 2009!

Can everyone say, "Quack, Quack!" Yep, that is right. Instead of Trick-or-Treat, it was Quack, Quack. He had an absolute blast! He loved his costume. He was the cutest duck I have ever laid eyes on!

And now for the unveiling...

Well, after much diliberation and severe persuasion from my husband, I (well, WE) are now proud owners of a new car...wait, scratch that...a new MINIVAN! Oh, my goodness, I have become something I didn't want to have to become for quite a few more years (if I could have helped it in any way...) I have become...

a Minivan Mom!

Yep, that is right. We decided that it would be probably a better choice to go up than do something similar than the stratus, and have to get something bigger in a few years. So, here it is. Although, I must admit...those car designers have gotten pretty cleaver at enticing people to buy minivans. There are quite a few bells and whistles on this bad boy. I think I might even survive this transition!

So, I guess, if I think about it enough, then I can get used to the idea. It will be a good situation for us! Anyone for a road trip?!?

Saying "Goodbye" to an Era!

Well, can I just say that when it rains it pours! Monday night we were in a car accident. We were returning home from a lovely evening with my extended family at Taco Maker Night. We were stuffed from all the great food, tired and happy. We were just a minute or two away from our home, when we were hit by another car. Luckily, we were all okay. Ethan and I were a little shaken up, and all of us sustained a few bumps and bruises, but all in all...we are okay. I am grateful it wasn't any worse than it was.
Now...as for our dear car...the outcome is not as positive! Yes, it was an older car and I had driven it for quite some time, but we did not see us having to send this car up to junkyard heaven quite yet. She still had a few good years (alright, months) on her left to give.
I bought this car when I was in college. It was my very first "adult" purchase. I was so fond of this car. It has given me many good memories of road trips, outings, and experiences.
So, today I say farewell to our first car, and hello to a new chapter in our vehicle experience. I just hope we can find something that will be as great of a car as the good ol' stratus had been.

And, for all your viewing pleasure, we would like to give you just a few glimpses of how our dear ol' stratus is leaving us!

Ethan Came, Saw, and Conquered!

Ethan had his birthday party last Friday night. Yes, I know...he is only 1 and he won't remember it, but it is fun to get together with friends and family to celebrate this milestone in our family. Because I come from a long line of women who truly know how to throw a party, I will admit we went a bit overboard! But, we had a blast doing it! Here are just a few shots from the party!


Yes, this is the spread that we had for food. It never is a party without TONS of food to eat! It was delicious, though!


Ethan surprised me. He actually enjoyed opening his presents. (Okay, as far as a 1 year old can focus!) He was thrilled about his new car and clothes!


Ain't this just a beauty?! No, I didn't make it. But, it was WELL worth the money! We have been enjoying this birthday cake all weekend long!


He wasn't quite sure if it was okay to put his fingers in the cake. We had to first show him how it was done. But, don't let him fool you...he went to town on it for a bit!


This is the aftermath of the cake-fest! What a face! Luckily, I have already washed the outfit, and all the food coloring came out successfully. Thank heavens for Spray and Wash!

Thanks to all those that came to celebrate with us! We are so grateful to have good friends and loving family to celebrate these special moments. Even if they are more for the parents than the kids!

Happy Birthday Ethan!

Ethan turned 1 year old today!! Wow...I can't believe that this year is gone already...it just seems to flash right before your eyes. I know people told me that this year would go by so fast and they would grow and change so quickly, but I don't think any new mom fully comprehends how true that is...

Ethan has just been such a blessing in our home. He is always making me laugh by the faces he makes or the things he continues to learn about each day. Here are just a few recaps of his first year...and I am sure he will continue to be too cute not to take his picture!

His birth! What a trip...a long one, but well worth it!

Halloween...he was just tiny in that outfit!

Christmas...What a joy!

Using one of his favorite toys...he would just laugh and laugh when he was in this thing!

The many random faces of Ethan. Anyone who knows him will understand that! He is very expressive with his face. His eyes just brighten any day!

Happy Birthday Ethan!

I love you!

Rasmussen Family Reunion of 2009

Let's just say that the month of August has been dubbed the Family Reunion Month for Mike and Sara. We have had a family gathering of some sort every weekend this month. So, I apologize for not being better at posting...but here is the update!

Last weekend was spent up in Bear Lake with Mike's family. It was their annual reunion and they decided to spend it by Bear Lake (good choice!). It was very fun to get to know Mike's cousins, aunts, uncles, and our immediate family much better. Here are a few recaps of our weekend!
This I think sums up our weekend...CHEETOE FACE! Yep, that is right...Ethan found the bag of Cheetoes and began going to town on them. By the time his mother figured out what was happening...it was too late!

Ethan surprised us all by how much fun he had with his cousin, Easton. They hung out quite a bit together. Although Easton can walk, Ethan kept up with him! Here they are in Easton's camping chair (built for two) and Grandma! Aren't they just adorable?!

Here the two kids are hanging out again in that chair. This is at lunchtime. They looked so cute. We all just sat there thinking, "Can't you just see these two 50 years from now, sitting in their chairs?" I was quite grateful to Ruth for bringing this chair, it kept them entertained for quite a while!

Here the men were playing some weird game we had never seen before. They were all standing around and watching with amazement! This is what family is all about...hanging out and enjoying each other's company!

Here is Aunt Alisha and Aunt Ruth introducing Ethan and Easton to each other. I was grateful they did this, because they were hanging out the rest of the day!

Our campground was right off the beach. It was so much fun to hang out and just talk and watch the kids play. We ate really well and got quite a bit of sun! Thanks for such a great time!

The Webster Family Retreat of 2009

The beginning of August my family had a reunion up at Warm Springs Retreat, near Hanna. It was so fun to get to spend time with my cousins like we used to when we were kids. It was 3 days packed with fun, laughter, great food, and of course...some very spiritual moments! Time spent with the family really makes you appreciate your family and gives you just a glimpse of what eternity will be like! I am just grateful that we enjoy spending time with one another and we have terrific grandparents who enjoy making times like this possible! Here are just a few shots of what the weekend entailed.

Here is Aunt Lisa trying to get Ethan to enjoy the cold water of the river. This river was literally right next to the campground. It was so fun to watch all the little great-grandkids go down the river a little bit. I hear it was quite cold...so I guess that is why Ethan was not enjoying this!

Here is what we call "Let's see what the baby will do" game. This time it was initiated by my Aunt Wendy with a bottle of Reddi-whip whipping cream. Let's just say that Ethan has a new found taste for whipped cream! As you can tell, grandma, grandma-great and Aunt Wendy were very entertained by sugaring my child up before 10 a.m.

This is the pavillion that we spent most of our time hanging out under. It rained every night when we were there, but we were grateful we had a huge shelter to hang out under. The chipmunks enjoyed us hanging out under the pavillion as well. They reaped many benefits from our weekend...melons, chex mix, rice crispies, and the list probably keeps going...but that is just what we saw them eat. Those chipmunks kept the kids quite entertained!

Here are my parents in the paddle boats that they had at the pond that was just a little walk away from where we stayed. They also had kayaks that the little kids really enjoyed using. I was quite impressed that they picked up on how to use them so quickly. The paddle boats really gave you a great leg workout once you made your way around the pond.

Well, that is the fun that we had that weekend! We just can't wait for 2011! Thank you Grandma and Grandpa for helping us make memories!

Friends + 4 Wheelers = A fabulous day!

Our fantastic friends, Mike and Becky, invited us to spend a day with them at their family's property. So, this last weekend we went up and spent the day with them. We had such a blast!

Oh, it's tough playing in dirt all day! Here are my boys relaxing for a minute after lunch. They look so comfy.

Here we are on the 4 wheelers. We weren't quite sure how Ethan would do, but he loved it. Loved it so much he fell asleep right on the 4 wheeler during our excursion out on the mountain. He is so cute!

Here are Ethan's bestest friends! He loves them so much. And, of course, so do we. Thanks guys for such a great day. We enjoyed it so much...and yes, Becky...we will be spending many more days with you up there! We had a blast!

The "FFF" (Forced Family Fun) Day!

"THIS IS THE PLACE" to have fun!

One Friday this month, Mike and I were trying to find something to do on his day off. So, we were brainstorming and bouncing ideas off each other, until we stubbled upon "This is the Place" state park. Well, as luck would have it, that very day the park was having their annual Family Fun day. So, lucky us...it was free! (Is there anything better when you are trying to save money, than to do something that doesn't require any?! I think NOT!)

So, we took Ethan, knowing that he probably would just sit in his stroller and scream at us for sticking him in there all day. But, to our astonishment...he enjoyed it! What a great kid we have! So, we took him to the barn where there was all sorts of animals...and as you can see in this picture, he looks like he is crying or laughing, take your pick? Neither! He was screaming at this...

Yes, he was screaming at a goat! It was hillarious! As you can also see from picture #1, my mom can barely keep him out of the pen with the goat. He wanted to crawl in there and play with the goats.
So, as we continued on our merry little way, I really wanted to take Ethan on the train ride. I thought that he would just have a blast on it. (As well as the rest of us!) And there you have it...again, he wanted to jump out of the moving train. It was so funny! He loved it. So, who says that "forced family fun" day isn't actually a great, fun, memorable day.

God Bless America!

Happy 4th of July! What a great holiday! I think next to Christmas and Easter, the 4th of July is my favorite holiday! I love that we can celebrate our great freedoms with our family and friends! So, what could be better than fireworks, parades and barbeques? Well, all of those things with kids! We had such a blast this weekend with Ethan. He was so fun to watch.

On Friday night, we decided to watch the Riverton Parade. We were a little nervous, because Ethan is at the age where he wants to get down and crawl around and is curious about everything, so we weren't quite sure how long he would last. But, he did quite well! Here we are waiting for the police to block off the parade route--so that we could back the truck up to the parade and watch. It was the best idea we have had yet! Good job Dad!




Ethan loves to have his picture taken. Anytime he sees the camera pointed in his direction, he grins really big! It is adorable. It also helps that he is so photogenic. We just love him! Here he is just hanging out with daddy under a tree before the parade.


Here we all are in the back of the truck, just waiting for the parade to arrive where we were. We were kind of at the end of the route, so we had to wait a little bit longer. Ethan just used this time to navigate through the truck and find cool things to play with. As you can tell, Grandma enjoyed playing with him!





Ethan was just content to hang out with grandma. I think he just likes the attention and the fact that she gives him whatever he wants! They get spoiled so quickly in life!




That is the face of a child watching people walk through a parade for the first time. You can just imagine what is going on in his head..."What are they doing walking like that and waving at me?!" He was quite enthralled with the fire trucks! (NOTE TO GRANDPA RAS: I think we will have a future firefighter on our hands!)


Then, of course, we had exhausted all of our party energy. He couldn't take it anymore. He climbed up to me and fell asleep during the parade. He had just had enough fun to last him all day! Poor thing! He was so good. But, from a mother's point of view, he desperately needed a nap!

We also went to the fireworks at Granite. It was a fantastic fireworks show. Ethan didn't last very long with the fireworks. They were kind of scary! But, it didn't stop him from falling asleep, yet again, in my arms. But, can you blame him?! It was 11 by the time we were done. That was way past his bedtime. Good thing we decided to sleep at grandma and grandpa's!

Saturday morning, we woke up early for my parent's ward 4th of July breakfast. It was great! From there, we went (and took Ethan) to see Ice Age 3. It was a very cute movie. By the end of that, we were very tired and ready to relax. We went back to my parents for a little bbq and homemade root beer! What an exciting holiday!

Should have been born with fins!

I can't believe how time is just flying by! Ethan is 9 months already. No one tells you that when you have children they grow up so quickly and right before your eyes. It has been such a joy to see Ethan grow and become the cutest little man ever. His personality is down right hillarious!



This summer has been even more exciting than I had anticipated. Ethan is just loving being outside and enjoying the sun, grass, and of course- water! Over Memorial Day, we took Ethan to the pool with the family and he wasn't quite sure about the big pool, but he did quite well. Since then, Grandma has had her baby pool out in the backyard, and Ethan has loved playing and splashing in the water!








What a joy!

Can't help loving that boy!!!

"Aren't I just stylin' mom?!"

You can just imagine him saying that to you in this photo, can't you? He has just become the most entertaining person we know. Why doesn't anyone tell you before you have kids, that you can sit and watch them and laugh over the dumbest things that they will do! What fun we are having being parents. It helps a whole lot having a great boy who is constantly smiling and making us laugh! What joy!

"Hey, grandma has sunglasses like me, too! Wow!"

"Hey, what you lookin' at?"

Say "Cheeze"

Ethan has been getting so big lately. I can't believe that he is 7 months already. Wow! Time flies when you are having fun learning and growing. He has become such a cute little person. He has been sitting up on his own now for quite some time. He loves it! He has even began discovering his legs and trying to crawl. He has mastered the backwards "army crawl", but has yet to master forwards. He gets so upset when we try to get him to go forwards. He cries when he finds himself going farther and farther away from where he wants to be. It is quite comical!


He has also become quite a comedian! Anytime someone smiles at him, he will usually give the cheeziest grin you could possibly imagine. It is quite funny. Here are just a few shots of his cheese! We just love having his fun personality in our home. What a difference your children can make in your life. He has brought such joy to our lives.

And...just this week he has learned the word "Ma Ma Ma". Of course he isn't quite sure what he is saying, but it has made his mommy quite happy to hear that every day, all day long!

Ha! The parental roles have changed...

I think it is quite funny to look back and realize that we are getting older, hopefully wiser, and that sometimes our lives take turns that remind us of younger years...yet, they take a different aspect.
I seem to have forgotten than as we get older the roles that we thought we were supposed to play change quite a bit. For instance, my Dad had surgery the end of February and my Mom had foot surgery (on both feet) last week. Since they have both been "out of commission", our family has taken a turn on the roles that we have always played. Instead of Mom and Dad being the care-takers and watching over us as children, we have somehow managed to switch roles and take care of them. It has been incredible to watch how our family has just jumped in and have taken care of our parents. I have been spending quite a bit of time at my parents home, making sure that my dad doesn't stress himself out, and that mom gets meals like she should, her feet stay elevated, and that the house stays clean and they have clothes to wear.
I believe that I thought it would be quite a few more years before we started taking care of our parents, but it has been a great opportunity to give back the many things that they have given us over the years. So, Mom...don't worry, I enjoy helping where I can!
Thanks Mom and Dad for showing us as children how to serve others and to be there for our family. I feel like our family has just gotten stronger through these challenges and opportunities for the roles to switch!

I love my family! Thanks for being great friends!

This one's for you Grandpa Rasmussen!!

Ethan was so cute in his outfit yesterday, that we thought we would give a little "shout-out" to grandpa Rasmussen! Someday when he is bigger, we will have to make a special trip out to grandpa's work to see a real fire truck!

A Tribute to our Soldiers!

One of our family's great friends, Kerry Stauffer and Kayce Clark, came home from Kuwait yesterday. This was Kerry's third tour of duty. We are so excited to have both of them home safe. Our thoughts and prayers have been with you and your families, Kerry & Kayce! Thanks for being so willing to defend our freedoms and serve our country! You guys are great!

God bless America!