Tulips in the Spring

This year we had a short time frame to take pictures with the tulips. It was windy and the tulips didn't last too long. Finn had a short attention span, too.

Tulips in the Spring

Attack of the Praying Mantis!

Finn turned 3 on January 19. We had a nice birthday picture but decided to post this one instead. He saw a picture of Aubrey and wondered if the mantis was going to eat us. Not too long afterward, guess what was in his grocery car (upper right corner)! He keeps us busy!

Christmas Card 2011 (Click on Photo to Enlarge)

Yo Ho Ho!

So our Christmas card is out. And once again, we seem to have not taken Christmas that seriously. We sure don't in our pictures, that's true. But in real life, different story. If Christmas is to commemorate the birthday of Jesus, it would make sense to ask, "Well, what would he want?" Turns out, he wants us to have a heart like his. That is, one that sees value in people. One that puts service and others above self. A heart that sees a lot of room for personal involvement in making the world better. So we do. Rather than exchange (and then return) ties and socks and the like, we give to aid agencies that promote sustainable health and economic stability and education. So we support scholarships for those with little opportunity for education. We help provide clean water. And yes, we give a goat or a chicken once in a while. One of our favorite places to give is www.adra.org We invite you to begin your own tradition of giving. After all, what can you give to someone who already has everything?

We hope you enjoy our photographic and seasonal silliness. But more than that, we hope YOU have a great holiday season. Happy Birthday!

Pics from the making of Pirates of Colorado

Special Thanks to Grandpa Stenbakken--without you, Finn would not have played his part. Thank you so much Hearts and Tails Carriage Company for the sleigh.

Why do I live in Colorado again? Gelerie

This was at the end of October. Huge snow that caused a lot of tree damage.

We made a snow cave/igloo.

Oh Yeah, my family is here...

We spent fun times camping in this summer.

Dumont Lake Campground (Near Steamboat Springs), August 2011. The wildflowers were beautiful. We camped nearby where there were available spots.

Maui 2011 - Part 1

In September we were in Maui. We got a week long pass at Maui Ocean center. Highly recommend. If you plan ahead, you can get a 10% discount online.

Surf's Up! Erik learned how to surf in Maui.

We spent a lot of time at the beach. Instead of fighting the biological clocks, we just went to the beach almost everyday around 7 a.m. The kids were a lot more awake and there wasn't a crowd of people.