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.