Erick, Heather, and Ryker

"So Much to Be Thankful For"

2012-01-25T21:54:00.005-07:00

The Josh Groban song, "Thankful" on his Noel album brings the whole feeling of gratitude to the surface. This year we had a lot to be thankful for because it was a hard year for us but we knew that the Lord had a hand in helping us every step of the way through it. Between me quitting my job to stay home with Ryker and reducing our income, Ryker's hospitalization in June, Erick not being able to locate new employment, and several thousands of dollars spent in car and truck repairs on our tiny budget, it was a bit of a nail biter. However, Ryker got his helmet off in record time with a perfect head, we did get to go to Disneyland, Erick graduated, the hospital bills weren't as bad as we thought, our cars are still running, and Erick got a $10,000 raise for basically doing the same job, just a different job title - I think we did okay!!

But in thinking a little deeper, I'm grateful for parents who have been so kind and generous to let us live with them while we figure our lives out, for employment when so many do not have even that, for medical insurance to take care of Ryker's needs and dental for my needs, for the truth and knowledge of the gospel and the blessings of the priesthood ordinances through Erick and I's sealing, and for the kindness and friendship of many who make every day a little more bearable when things get tough. I'm grateful that we don't have war on our soil like so many other places, that I can go to a grocery store full of food and buy what I want, even on a limited income, for heating and cooling, clean water to drink, technology to stay connected with family and friends, and for the blessing it is to be able to care for my child without worrying about him starving or being neglected medically. . . the list goes on and on.

This year we spent Thanksgiving with Erick's family, which was sparse because of the different directions everyone moved to this year; it was hard to not have them there, but for who we did have, it was nice. Poor Larry was in a rehabilitation center after breaking his hip in a slip and fall accident on their entrance stairs so June ate dinner with us at the house and then went to be with Larry, where later, B.J., Erick, Ryker, and I went to visit Larry.

Ryker hanging out with Grandma

Ryker had fun playing with Taylor and then playing in Grandpa's wheelchair at the center but other than eating a few sweet treats, he didn't understand what all the hub-bub was about.

Ryker and Taylor playing Together

2011 has definitely been a year of trials but it had its many blessings too!!

Halloween Fun

2012-01-25T16:17:00.004-07:00

Ryker Checking Out the Jac-o-lantern

Halloween was a little more fun this year with Ryker being close to being one and a half years old. We knew that we weren't going to take him trick-or-treating but we still wanted to dress him up a little bit and give him a few pieces of candy. Since we picked up some pirate mouse ears in Disneyland, and we had a black onesie with a skull and cross bones on it, we decided to dress him up as "Captain No-Beard". We loved it and got rave reviews from those who saw him in his outfit.

Captain No-Beard Up Close

Ryker got some M&Ms, Goldfish crackers and some lollipops in his treat bucket. Mommy and Daddy got Krispy Kremes and icecream for the evening.

Caught With Pirate Booty

The most fun part of the evening was when the doorbell would ring with trick-or-treaters and Ryker would go running and screaming to the door to see the other kids and then walk quietly back to my Dad's office and wait for the doorbell to ring again. It lost it's excitement after the 8th time.

Hospital Visit

2011-06-03T22:18:00.008-06:00

Our Sick Boy

For Memorial Day, we went up to my grandma’s home in Idaho. Before we left, Ryker had been acting like he was coming down with a cold, but we thought it might be his teeth. I took him in to the doctor’s before we left and they assured me he was just suffering the ill effects of teething and not to worry. However, the Sunday just before Memorial Day, Ryker threw up a ton of fluid and started crying and wouldn’t stop. Erick and Richard gave him a blessing and we finally got him to sleep. Monday, on the way home, we stopped in Pocatello for lunch, where Ryker threw up a ton again. I was worried. He was very irritable and wouldn’t drink or eat. We tried to give him Pedia-lite but he threw that up and then his fever spiked and he was breathing funny.

After considering our options, we ran him in to McKay-Dee Hospital’s ER. We arrived at 11:30 p.m. and stayed in the ER until 5 a.m. the next day. They had done a chest X-ray, a nasal wash to check for viruses, and had done a breathing treatment on him to open up his lungs. They finally did a blood draw and inserted an IV to get fluids in him. They finally sent us up to the Pediatrics unit where they wanted to watch him because his oxygen levels were so low.

When we got up to the Peds Unit, they had to re-do his IV because they couldn’t flush it and it was so hard to hear him cry. Everything they did required Erick and me to hold him down and we knew it wasn’t pleasant but necessary. We spent all of June 1st in the hospital and by the 2nd, we were released to go home. They had determined on the 1st that he had a virus called the Human Metapneumovirus (similar to RSV) on top of the Rhino Virus (common cold). The left him hooked up to the IV to get him hydrated, did regular breathing treatments and had him on some antibiotics to keep him from developing a secondary infection.

The people of McKay-Dee’s staff were so awesome to work with and they helped Erick and I in every way possible to keep us comfortable since we hadn’t slept all night and then just got a little bit here and there. We also were so thankful to family who brought us meals or came to visit us and Ryker. It was so scary for me and Erick and definitely scary for Ryker.

Ryker's 1st Birthday

2011-06-03T21:38:00.005-06:00

It came fast and it was fun – Ryker turned 1!! Erick and I have counted the months and can hardly believe that our little guy is one. We took him with us to Disneyland as part of an early celebration and we had so much fun showing him things. He was more interested in people than in things and so it was fun to watch his interactions with others.

When we got home, we had four days to plan his birthday and we wanted it to be small and intimate for Ryker. We invited both of our parents and left it at that. We took Ryker with us when we bought his birthday gifts and he kissed and hugged all of them as we put them in the shopping cart. We also bought him some gifts in California.

For his dinner we had beef ribs and salads. We then showed a video of all of the pictures we have taken of him for the past year; this was so much fun to show and we also looked at his birth video as well. We then let him open his presents and then he got to have his smash cake. This was comical because he didn’t know what to do with it and he just sat there. I took his hands and placed them on the cake. He started to touch it slowly and then he started squishing it in his hands. He looked like a smurf when he was done, but he refused to eat his cake.

Smash Cake

Our Smurf

For gifts, he received a onesie from Disneyland with Mater on it that says, “Who Backfired?!”, he received bath toys, a blue bouncy ball, a computerized talking soccer ball that sings too, he also received a texture book with zoo animals, a drinking glass from Disneyland that Grandma and Grandpa Farley bought him, and Mega Blocks from Grandma and Grandpa Presser.

His new blue bouncy ball!

His singing/talking soccer ball

It was an amazing day to celebrate my baby’s first birthday and it was such an experience to look back at his and our growth over the past year. Happy Birthday Ryker!!!!

Disneyland Vacation

2011-05-23T20:24:00.004-06:00

First day in the park.

Since Erick and I were married we have never taken a long vacation except for family reunions and camping so we decided to take one this year. We decided that with Erick and my graduations and Ryker's 1st Birthday, we needed to go on vacation so we booked a trip to Disneyland. We left on Monday, May 16th and returned on Friday, May 20th.

We flew out on JetBlue to Long Beach, took the Super Shuttle around, and stayed at the Castle Inn and Suites at the Main Gate. The weather wasn't super warm except for our last day in the park. The first day was cold and rainy, forcing us all to buy ponchos. It rained most of the morning and the stopped around 12:00. It took us the rest of the afternoon to dry out. The next day was cool but not rainy and the last day was around 80 degrees.

On Wednesday, my mom took us to dinner at the Blue Bayou Restaurant (the restaurant inside of Pirates of the Caribbean). Erick had the salmon and I had a pepper sauce steak. The food was really good and the ambiance was wonderful.

Here's our little Pirate!

We were able to ride all of the rides except for Star Tours, Indiana Jones, and Splash Mountain, because they were closed for refurbishment. However, on the last day in the park, without any fanfare, Indiana Jones opened and we were able to ride it. We never waited a long time for any of the rides. The longest we waited for a ride in Disneyland was 30 minutes and 50 minutes in California Adventure.

Riding the Tea Cups

Ryker was so much fun in the park. He slept through the first ride we rode which was Pirates but woke up and enjoyed the rest of the day. The only rides he couldn't ride with us on were the roller coasters and the Tower of Terror. This worked out really well because Mom and Dad couldn't and didn't want to ride those rides so they took Ryker and Erick and I rode.

Ryker loves the aliens on the Astro Blaster Ride

Erick and Ryker at Pirates on the last day.

We all had a lot of fun and came home tired but happy.

Erick's Graduation

2011-05-12T13:34:00.000-06:00

On Friday, May 6, 2011, Erick graduated from the University of Utah in Mechanical Engineering. We're so proud of him and all of his hard work and dedication to completing his degree. Erick worked full-time all through his schooling, got married, had a baby, and never neglected his duties to family and church. He spent many hours getting in work and homework, sometimes staying up later than midnight and working through weekends.

Erick had a great group of supporters for his graduation - Grandma and Grandpa Jenkins, BJ and Holly, Kirsten, Taylor, Kyle, Dan, Wendy, June, Larry, Corri, Ryker, and Me. Grandma and Grandpa took us all out for lunch afterwards and we are so appreciative of their support in our celebration.

Congratulations honey!!!

Senior Design Day

2011-05-12T13:01:00.000-06:00

As part of Erick's last year of school, he had to do a senior project. Erick signed up to do an electric racing car with 4 other guys in his class, and they have spent the entire school year working on it. They had to solicit funds from various companies to help them finance the work on the car and make upgrades on the car from the previous year's project. The body had a lot of work done on it from the polycarbon shell and the epoxy coating to the steering system, brakes and so forth.

They got to display their project on April 19, 2011 at the Union Building on the University of Utah's campus. Mom, Ryker, Taylor, Corri, and I went up to support Erick and his group and to see all of the other projects. Erick showed us the car, the batteries they run the car on, and the video of the test run they did in the parking lot on campus.

Erick's group got an excellent score on their project and did a wonderful job with their presentation. They answered questions throughout the day and then took it back to the engineering building so that the department could give it to the next group of seniors to work on.

We're so proud of Erick and it was fun to see his hard work pay off in something that I could see and touch - and it sparked my nephew's interest in engineering!!!

The car.

Daddy and Ryker celebrating the day!

Ryker Growing Up

2011-05-12T12:33:00.000-06:00

My baby is almost 1 year old and I have seen so much growth in the past 3 months. We have enjoyed his babbling, his clapping, rolling around, scooting on his bum and watching him interact with other people. He's so happy all of the time, except when he's teething. We decided that as part of our celebration trip to Disneyland for Erick's graduation, we would include Ryker's 1st birthday in that as well. Here are some pictures of our cute little guy for your enjoyment!

Sitting at a toy at Aunt Diana's

Posing as a Pin-up!

Man those toes must taste good!

Riding his car!

Smiling and laughing.

Happenings

2011-03-23T20:33:00.002-06:00

The last two months have brought a lot of events for our family, most of which are good. We moved the end of January into my parents' home so I could stay home with Ryker. It's been nice to visit with my mom at night while Erick is at school or work until late. I love being at home with my baby and having the time I wanted to work with him and work on being a more organized "domestic engineer". I was called as the Junior Primary pianist so Erick gets to take Ryker during Sunday School.

Erick has been really busy with school. He's in school on Monday and Wednesdays all day until 8 p.m. He then has his extra labs and time spent on his senior project. When he's not in school, he's at work trying to get in a 40 hour work week. He's been applying all over for a job in his field when he graduates in May, but we haven't heard anything yet.

Ryker has been doing great. Because of his helmet, he has been delayed in his rolling and crawling. However, the helmet came off on March 16th and since we've been at Mom's, Ryker has learned to roll in both directions, turn circles on his back, pull himself to standing while holding my hands, talk a lot, clap his hands, feed himself little snacks, and he has cut 1 tooth with 1 on the way.

We have been terrorized by our cars - the total repair costs for both vehicles, just this year, has been close to $7,000. We've decided that with the repairs, we have prolonged their lives for a few more years until we are ready to purchase newer cars. But on the brighter side of things, we have booked our trip to Disneyland!!!! Erick and I have never had a vacation since we got married and we decided that with our tax return, we would pull out some money and go on one; we would also celebrate Erick's graduation, my graduation, and Ryker's 1st Birthday. We leave on May 16th!!

Our family is getting really excited for Spring to come and for all of the changes that will come with Erick's graduation. We don't know where we will end up but we are excited to start our new life (after school), and start working on having our family, getting a home, and paying off our school loans so that we are completely debt free!! We love Spring for General Conference, Easter, our birthdays, flowers, gardening, walks, and sunshine.

Changes

2011-01-12T12:49:00.003-07:00

After stressing and running beyond my own means, I sat Erick down on New Years Eve and told him about the toll working was taking on me. I have taken Ryker to work with me since he was 3 weeks old. It was easy at first, because all he did was sleep. But then he started getting more rambunctious and alert and work became a juggling act. In the midst of working an 8 to 9 hour day, I was running Ryker to his doctor's appointments, therapy appointments, etc. then I would go home, try to get dinner made and run it up to Erick at work so he could eat. That had to stop in November because I just couldn't do it anymore. On top of this, I would try to clean a little each night but would end up spending the entire weekend cleaning house and catching up on all the things I missed during the work week. By the time Sunday would roll around, I found that I would sleep most of the day just to catch up on my rest.

It also didn't help that at work, things were getting way out of hand on ethics issues and personality issues between my boss and I and that Ryker had a tantrum so loud that the building officer came down to see what was going on while I tried to silence the noise.

I have a wonderful husband who could see the toll it was taking on me and how it was also affecting everyone else because of my moods and stress so we agreed it was time to bring me home to take care of Ryker. In order to do this, Mom and Dad have graciously agreed to let us live in their basement until Erick finishes school in May. We will be moving in the next two weeks and I get to be done with work on Friday.

This is an answer to prayers and I am grateful that the Lord has helped us to come to this decision. I have been praying for a way to get me home to take care of Ryker and our family needs and there just hasn't been any answers until this past week. I know He listens and that He has a timing that we can't possibly understand until after the miracles come.

Christmas Decorations

2010-12-02T10:45:00.003-07:00

I've been in love with Christmas as long as I can remember and in my family, it wasn't uncommon for our tree to be up before Thanksgiving. However, since I've gotten married, I've respected my husband's wishes that I give Thanksgiving it's due and wait to put the decorations up after it's over. So we did just that.

On Friday, November 26, 2010, we spent three hours and decorated our apartment for Christmas. Our apartment is small so we only had space for a 3 foot tree and it is placed behind the sectional, not just because of Ryker, but because of space issues.

Poor Ryker fell asleep while we worked - I was joking around and made him an honorary reindeer!!

Life and Everything that Comes With It

2010-11-22T09:24:00.003-07:00

Updating posts becomes difficult when you don't get two seconds to yourself and that is how it has been for the past 3 months. Once Erick started school this semester, life took off on us and it has been a hard go. We've been running crazy with our schedules to the point where I have come super close to having a huge breakdown.

Ryker was diagnosed with a condition called tortacollis (stiff neck muscles), and plagiocephaly (flat head)at two months (in July). We went to physical therapy in September and got the tortacollis fixed; all it required was for us to do some muscle stretching exercises with Ryker every day. He still tilts a little to the right but for the most part, he can now turn his head all the way to the left and right without it hurting him. We were told once he started to turn his head more, the flat spot would fill in. However, it didn't and now we have had to go to Primary Children's Hospital to have him get treatment for a helmet. We have to go to the helmet business tomorrow to have measurements taken and a file sent to our insurance to see if they will pay for the helmet or at least a portion of it. The dang helmet costs $2,000 but no matter, we are going to help him get his head rounded out because the other option is to do nothing and then he will have ear and jaw problems later on in life.

Well, in the midst of this, my car's thermostat went crazy at the first of November and we ended up spending $700 to get the radiator components fixed. And then we got word from the shop that there was a lot more wrong with my car. Needless to say, that we had to spend another $1000 to get the belts changed, the spark plugs and wires fixed, the gasket and waterpump changed out, the pulleys for the belts, and the labor fees. I still need to do a few flushes totaling $200, get two new tires for the back of my car, and fix the right tie rod. This is when it would have been nice to have a degree in automotive repair. The blessing side of this is that if we hadn't had the repairs when we did, we would have lost the engine and the car.

Erick's schooling has kept him busy. He had to take the FE (Fundamentals of Engineering) exam on the 30th October that took 8 hours to complete. He has to pass this exam to graduate so there was and is a lot of pressure to complete this test. He spent all of September and October really studying in addition to doing his homework.
We rarely see each other (Sundays are the only full day) and so I have to try to keep things running while he's at school and work. They just called Erick to be the 1st counselor in the Sunday School Presidency and we're excited about the calling.

I've been working full-time and taking Ryker with me. I've been blessed to have an employer who will let me bring him with me and he's so good at work. However, the time is soon coming that he won't sit still and quiet and then they won't let me bring him anymore. I spend all day working at work and then go home to get dinner made, take care of Ryker, and then up until now, I have been running dinner to Erick at work. By the time I get done with all of that, I get Ryker to bed, do some dishes and clean up as much as possible and then go to bed at 11:30 most nights. That's my life.

In all, I'm thankful that we have made it through these past three months. I knew it was going to be tough, but we have had help from family and the Lord and I'm so grateful that He watches over us. When I think of what our lives could be in another country, without a knowledge of the Plan of Salvation, and not having access to medical care for Ryker, I just have to be thankful for what I do have. I hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving and take the time to look at your life and blessings and thank the Lord for helping you get through another year!

Update on Us

2010-09-27T15:41:00.004-06:00

A lot has happened since our last post!

Ryker is growing like a weed! I decided I needed to get some pictures of him in his blessing outfit and I was dang lucky to get what I got - He'd nearly outgrown his outfit. I took the pictures myself and Ryker was really patient with me (adoring mother syndrome). He has been going to physical therapy for a condition called tortacollis (tight neck muscles). He tilts to the right and has since he was born and it made him sleep in the same position so he has a flat spot on the back of his head. To fix the tilt and help him to sleep in other positions to let the flat spot fill in, we see a therapist who has given us some exercises. He's done well and is starting to hold his head up by himself, does tummy time really well, and is on his way to rolling. He loves to spit bubbles, laugh, and chatter at me.

I've been busy with work. My boss agreed to host a conference which means that I get to plan it and execute it. It has kept me busy for the past six months and next week it will be over!! I've been trying to keep up to our family's new schedule since Erick has gone back to school. My day starts at 5, 6, or 7 a.m. with getting Erick out the door to work or school. Then I work with Ryker on feeding him, doing his exercises, dressing him and then trying to get a shower for myself. Then by 10:00 or 10:30 Ryker and I go to work. I work until 5:30 or 6:00 p.m., rush home to make dinner, and then run it up to Erick at work. Then by about 8 or 8:30 I get to try to eat dinner, get Ryker ready for bed, clean up the house and about 10, 10:30, or 11, I get to go to bed. I had the Relief Society President chew me out for making it hard for my Visiting Teachers to visit. I'd love for her to run my schedule!!

Erick goes to school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8:30 to 3:00 p.m. Then he rushes to work and works until 10:00 p.m. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he works 12 hour days, comes home, eats dinner and then does homework until he goes to bed. If he's lost time doing work because of homework, Erick has to make up work hours on Saturday. I get to see him on Sundays. He will be taking the Fundamentals of Engineering Exam on October 30th - this is an 8 hour test, and he has to pass it to graduate. So on Fridays he goes to review sessions but I'm very confident he'll do well. He received clearance from his counselor for Graduation this coming May!!

We've been so busy that it has been hard to keep up to posting anything, talking on the phone, amd socializing with anyone in either of our families. We hope you are all doing well! Our first break from this delightful schedule will come in the middle of October - Fall Break - we're looking forward to being a bit more available then!

Happy 24th!

2010-07-28T15:27:00.004-06:00

On Saturday, Erick and I kept our yearly traditions for the 24th of July celebration! We started out by going to Sill's Cafe for breakfast (it was packed!!) We had good food and then went home to make ice cream. This year we tried some new flavors out - pineapple-orange, cherry-almond, and lemon-raspberry and they turned out really, really good!! We then spent the afternoon and evening down at Erick's Aunt Kathy's home - she lives across the street from Liberty Park in Salt Lake City and so we went to the Tracy Aviary and then to her house. Ryker didn't like the heat that much which is why were at Kathy's more than the Park. It was a fun filled evening with good food, conversation, and the fireworks were wonderful.

While we were there, we decided to take some pictures of Ryker laying out on the lawn where we ended up having a camera war! It's never a good idea to give a camera to Erick when he's in a playful mood!!

More on Ryker

2010-07-16T10:29:00.006-06:00

Ryker is our first child, so naturally like all first-time parents, I can't say enough about my sweet little boy! He's been such a joy to have in our home because I have found that he makes me appreciate all of the hard work my mother put into my rearing. It is hard work to have a baby, especially when you have to work in addition to managing a home and the baby. However, Ryker is such a mild child that I don't have to spend too much time trying to keep him calm and happy. When he naps, I can get the house cleaned and dinner made, but there have been times when he will sit quietly in his bouncy chair and just look around or coo at me while I'm working in the house or at work.

We blessed Ryker on the 4th of July and Erick gave him a beautiful blessing. We want to thank everyone who came to it and helped us with the luncheon afterwards - it was a pleasant day and we enjoyed everyone's company as well.

Ryker in his blessing outfit - a more formal picture to come later!

The only sad part of being a parent is watching your child fall ill and not being able to do much about it. Ryker got sick last week and I took him to the doctor to see what I could do to help him breathe easier - not a whole lot because he's under 2 months. We also found out that he weighs 10 pounds at 7 weeks!!! He was 7 pounds 11 ounces when he had his 2 week check up so he has put on 2 pounds in the last month! He's starting to fill out and grow - we had to put him in his 0-3 clothes and retire his newborn clothing already!!

Anyway, I will stop rambling - we love Ryker and we enjoy watching him grow and change!

Ryker's eyes were open and he looked so cute I couldn't help myself.

Ryker loves napping on his daddy and Erick is so good with him.

This is Ryker's lower lip face - it melts me and he gets whatever he wants!

The Annual Trip to Thanksgiving Point Gardens

2010-07-16T10:14:00.003-06:00

Erick and I have decided to make taking trips to Thanksgiving Point's Gardens an annual event in our home because we love looking at landscaping ideas and enjoy looking at flowers and the outdoors. This year, we took Ryker with us and enjoyed strolling the grounds and coming up with ideas of things we could do in our yard when we get our first home. It was so much fun and the grounds were so gorgeous. Ryker was awesome - he slept through the whole thing and for being only 1 month old, he did great in the heat. We recommend the Gardens to anyone who wants to enjoy the beauties of nature and a quiet atmosphere at the same time. We hope you enjoy some of our photos!!

Looks like an English Garden from something like Pride and Prejudice

Monet's Bridge

Beautiful Pink Flowers we have yet to identify!

This was a picture of a portion of flowers in a bigger design!

The Secret Garden Pond

The Main Waterfall Attraction - it's huge and produces a refreshing mist!

Topiary Gardens - looks like something out of Alice in Wonderland

Ryker napping!

5th of July Water Fight

2010-07-15T15:18:00.009-06:00

I'm good at starting fights, water fights, and that is what I did; I planned early this year and planted the seeds of competition clear back in January with my niece and nephews and Erick. I knew I wouldn't be too involved because I was pregnant and would have Ryker by the time summer rolled around so I got the ball rolling and teased the kids that Erick could wipe the floor with them in a water fight. They loved it so much that they planned for the longest time about what types of water paraphernalia they would use to get Erick.

Erick went to the store and got the largest water gun he could get - this thing holds 8 pounds of water, shoots up to 40 feet, and has three nozzles on it. This gun was tested in the alley behind our apartment and then at Gauge's 2nd birthday party so we knew it would work really well. The 5th of July proved to be another day of infamy as all of the kids took Erick on with water balloons in the first 5 minutes and then spent the rest of the afternoon getting him wet, even in the "safe zones". Erick did his best to soak the kids and then he had a benevolent streak hit him and he shared his gun and used the water pitchers to douse the kids.

It was a fun day for everyone from the oldest to the youngest and I'm glad that I can start it and my husband can finish it!

Meet Ryker!

2010-06-16T13:35:00.006-06:00

Our son Ryker Erick Christiansen was born on Tuesday, May 25, 2010 at 4:28 p.m. The delivery wasn't a bad one, especially since I had an epidural early on and it helped me progress in labor more quickly than had I gone without one. Ryker weighed 7 pounds and 7 ounces and was 20 inches long and that explained why he kicked me so much towards the end of the pregnancy. He came out screaming and so we knew he had healthy lungs and a cute cry!

Proud Daddy!

Happy Mommy!

He has been mostly healthy since delivery - he had problems with high bilirubin (jaundice) and so we had to put him on a bilibed at home for three days to help his body - but for the most part, he does really well with his eating and pooping.

Ryker in his bilibed!

He already holds his head up, can roll onto his side, pushes with his legs and feet and makes all sorts of interesting sounds and faces awake or asleep.
We love him so much are so happy to add him to our family!

Ryker chilling in his chair.

Mother's Day

2010-05-19T15:01:00.005-06:00

Dahlias

Mother's Day has always been the familiar quandry of what to give my mother every year, but this year, I was put a little off-guard when Erick asked me what I would like for Mother's Day. Then it really hit - I'm going to be a mother! I have to admit that he really did a great job for the information I gave him (little or none)!

He started out on Saturday the 8th with making me breakfast and then letting me go shopping with my mom and sister (any man would cringe if his wife said she was going shopping)! Then we all met back at Mom and Dad's for a Mother's Day barbeque for which Erick helped my Dad with the grilling of the food.

On Sunday, Erick gave me a blue leather binder for our family history. I have been asking for something like this since we got married because I want to start our own family history while collecting our families' histories. I am so happy!!

On Monday, Erick took me to buy some flowers for our apartment (we don't have anywhere to have a garden of any kind). We went to J&Js to look at flowers and he let me pick whatever I wanted and he paid for them and then took me to the Home Depot to get a pot and some soil to plant them in.

I ended up with the most beautiful group of flowers and grass - I have a marroon grass in the center, with dahlias placed evenly around the grass, and then a paint brush looking set of flowers around the dahlias. We finished off with some purple allysum around the base of all of the flowers. It's gorgeous and the flowers have been blooming so nicely. It was such a great Mother's Day because I got to spend time with my mother, enjoy gifts that brighten our home, and spend some needed time with my husband. It was a great way to celebrate my impending motherhood - thank you Erick, I love you so much!!

Erick's Robot Competition Part 2

2010-04-27T11:39:00.007-06:00

For those who are interested in seeing what these robots could do, we took some video shots with my camera. It was fun to watch them move without remote controls - just the programming that the teams had given them prior to the competition!

Round 1

Round 2

Erick's Robot Competition

2010-04-21T14:12:00.005-06:00

Yesterday, April 20th, Erick and his mechanical engineering group got to compete in the 2010 King Kong Robot Competition up at the U of U Union Building. They spent the last 9 months learning how to build and program their robot to find "Fay Wray" and climb the Empire State Building with the doll in similitude of the movie "King Kong". The robots were placed on a course with sensors and there were four dolls within it. They groups had five minutes to receive their instructions to find the right doll, and climb the building. Erick's group successfully retrieved the doll the first round but was unable to climb the building. There were a total of 33 groups that competed and Erick's group made it to the second round, but then their robot decided it wasn't going to take orders on a low battery. The day didn't end just there, we saw the Freshman do their ping pong ball challenge and the seniors display and demonstrate their projects. I am so proud of Erick and all he has learned and is able to do. It was very fascinating to see the different areas mechanical engineering can be applied to and used.

"Johnny 5"

Testing Johnny before competition

The Empire State Building

Erick with his creation

Roll those Eggs!!!

2010-04-21T14:01:00.005-06:00

The Christiansen family has an Easter tradition called "rolling easter eggs" and that is exactly what they do. They save whatever easter eggs they don't use for eating and take them to a rocky hill and roll them. Erick found a spot in Fruit Heights and on Saturday, April 17th, we hiked up there with Kyle, Jake and Nikki's family, Michelle and Dan's family, Maren and Landon's family, and June and Larry. The kids rolled their eggs down the trail and then would run down to pick the eggs up for the adults (I'm glad they wanted the exercise!). The object is to see how many times you can roll the eggs without the yolks coming out of them so it is kind of a demolition derby of sorts for eggs. At first, I was skeptical, but it was fun!!! Everyone rolled at least one egg and it lasted about 45 minutes. There are a bunch of animals on that hill that were well fed by the time we were done. Here are some of the fun pictures that I took!

Picking up eggs off of the trail

The kids watching their eggs roll down, down, the hill

Erick and Lexie bringing eggs back up the hill

June, Larry, and Michelle

April Birthdays

2010-04-21T13:54:00.004-06:00

April is a very busy month with Easter and General Conference, but not to be forgotten are two very special birthdays in our family. Porter and Dallin had their birthdays this month and it was so much fun to celebrate with them on Sunday, April 11th. Porter has turned 9 and Dallin has turned 3 and they are growing fast. All of the family was there except Anne, who is in Boston as a nanny, but would have been there otherwise. We spent the afternoon eating pasta and chocolate cake with icecream, playing games, and opening presents. Happy Birthday Porter and Dallin - we love you!

Porter was having camera wars with me

Blowing the Candles Out

Hyrum with Diana

Corri, Richard, and Kids

My Birthday

2010-03-25T14:35:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was my birthday and really, it wasn't one of the better days I have had. My sweet husband woke up and wished me a happy birthday and gave me a kiss - this was nice!! I got up and while he showered I made us some french toast and bacon for breakfast (we don't eat a lot of hot breakfasts because of time constraints). Not a bad start to the day you say? Sure, I was feeling a little bit hopeful despite the fact that I haven't been looking forward to turning 30. The rest of the day went downhill from there.

I was pleasantly surprised that my mom had left me a note on my computer at work wishing me a happy birthday, but I noticed a lot of other stuff on my desk. My boss had forgotten until my mom showed up to wish me well and ran over to the Bookstore and bought a lot of clearance stuff and threw it on my desk. I should be grateful, but I was somewhat unimpressed that after working with her for 7 years, she completely spaced it and then tried to cover it up. Next, a faculty member came into the office and told me that I looked huge and as he put it, "You look like you are a month overdue, you're going to have a BIG baby." (Really, at 7 1/2 months, the baby weighs around 3 1/2 pounds and I'm not that big.) It's nice to know that a man, of all people, has a right to comment on a pregnant woman's size, and has the sensitivity of dead moose to say so.

The relief came when my awesome brother and two sisters called and wished me a Happy Birthday, and then my grandma called later to do the same. However, by this time, I had already been insulted twice and I could feel my mood changing. I really learned who my real friends were as the day progressed. I had only two friends and one in-law acknowledge me and that was it for the day.

Erick came home around 5:30 and took me to Boondocks where we had a fun round of miniature golf (Erick won - he was amazing with 2 holes in 1.) He then took me to dinner at Applebees and then home for dessert. When we got home, I found a bouquet of flowers there that my mom had left for me and I was really touched. Had it not been for the few of my family and my husband, I would have stayed in bed and cried the whole day. It's amazing how people can convey their true feelings about someone by what they do or don't do and yesterday was a day of learning who cares.

Instead of being completely upset and overwhelmed with bitterness, it did teach me, however, that I am very thankful for those in my life who do take the time to acknowledge me once in a while and to sincerely share special moments with me and for those people yesterday, a huge THANK YOU! I hope that someday, people will learn that it is the relationships in our lives that mean the most and last forever - everything else is just fluff and now I can go forward with my true friends and celebrate life and its ups and downs and know that they care as much as I do!

Our Baby at 7 Months

2010-03-11T09:36:00.004-07:00

Yesterday I had my 7 month check-up and glucose test. First of all I was shocked that I had gained 15 pounds in two months, and that our baby had gained 1.9 pounds as well. My glucose was good as well as my other vitals but I was just shocked at how much weight I have gained!! But the doctor told me that I am doing okay - even though I told him I want to exercise more and he was okay with that as long as I stay hydrated. He then did the ultra-sound and did another 4-D picture for us.

Our baby weighs 3 lbs (he shouldn't weigh this much until almost near the 8 month mark - granted this is based on measurements taken from the head)but the picture of him shows his full face for the first time. I think he looks like Erick and he has such a sweet face (I can't wait to kiss those cheeks).

I was hoping that this meant that my timeline is off and I can deliver early but I'm still due on the 1st of June. I am now visiting the doctor every three weeks for awhile and then during May every two weeks. We're starting to get down to it and I am getting more and more excited.

Happy Birthday Erick!

2010-03-01T14:58:00.005-07:00

For Erick's birthday tomorrow I wanted to wish him a very happy birthday! Erick is always so modest about celebrating his own birthday so I want to make a big deal for him!! My family grew up making the whole day a celebration with our favorite breakfasts, dinners, and then activities for the family to enjoy and sometimes friends. I was shocked when Erick told me he just wanted to go to dinner with me, come home and watch a movie. When I asked him what kind of dessert he wanted, he said, "Just a simple white cake with frosting." I know Erick's family made birthdays fun and so I chalk it up to getting older and not really getting super excited about aging (I'm three years older so I don't like talking age either). But no matter what it is, I hope to make birthdays in our home fun and anticipated events.

We agreed for our birthdays this year to buy a tent as our gift to each other and so we went and bought it last week. The year before for Erick's birthday, I bought him a sleeping bag and lantern for camping. It seems that we have a camping fettish but I love it!!

Anyway, Happy Birthday Erick - I love you so much and hope the day is a happy one for you!

Baby Preparation and Other Fun

2010-02-23T13:11:00.006-07:00

This past week has been fun for Erick and I because we moved into our own apartment and because we now have space to put our baby stuff that we are collecting. We bought the bassinet about 3 weeks ago and then on Saturday we purchased the diaper bag that I really liked. It is made by Jeep, it is made of canvas so I can wash it if it gets looking yucky, and it is black so Erick and I can carry it around without looking overly frilly. Then yesterday night we bought our stroller/car seat travel system!! We felt like we would get a better deal getting a stroller and car seat for the price of just a car seat so we invested in it and since we had a little extra cash (thank you tax season), we now have everything large except the crib!!

We've also had fun just spending some time together doing little things like making cookies and dinner together, trying out our new washer and dryer (thanks again, tax season), and watching movies together when Erick doesn't have homework and work. The time is passing quickly before our little guy arrives but I have found that I want to enjoy the last of my free time for the next 30 years and so I try to enjoy just watching TV or cooking dinner at a slow easy pace - I've also enjoyed working on puzzles, reading, and catching up on my journal. For you veteran mothers out there, how do you survive with so little personal time?!

New Apartment

2010-02-16T11:01:00.007-07:00

On Saturday, February 13th, we moved into our new apartment in Kaysville. It's a two-level town home type setup with a kitchen/dining area, laundry room, and a living room on the main level and the upstairs containing the bedrooms and bathroom. We got it for a good price and it is in great condition - I feel like we are in a palace because we have lots of closets to store our stuff in and a room for our baby!
Here are some pictures of our apartment - we don't have pictures up yet so the walls look really bare - but that will be remedied this week.

Kitchen

Living Room

Bedroom

Study/Baby's Room

We'd like to thank everyone who helped us move on Friday and Saturday - we know moving isn't fun and especially in the rain. We love you all so much!!

Valentines Day

2010-02-16T10:51:00.005-07:00

Erick and I celebrated Valentines Day a little bit earlier this year. We knew we were going to be moving over the weekend so we started our festivities on Thursday. Erick sent me a dozen long-stemmed red roses and I gave him the soundtrack to Sherlock and the two newest James Bond movies. Then we went to Pioneer Theater Company's Twelve Angry Men to complete our evening. We had such a good time spending time together and we both loved our gifts. I took a picture of my roses which are still blooming and they are gorgeous, don't you agree?!

I love you Erick - thanks for a wonderful Valentines Day!!!

Peek - a - Boo!

2010-02-09T14:38:00.006-07:00

I went in to the OB today for my 6 month check and for what they call a "targeted ultrasound". They looked at our baby's organs and overall development to check for deformities - all is well organ-wise and skeletally. However, our baby seems to have an attitude already of "I don't have to do what you want me to". He pushed back at the ultrasound wand when the tech placed it against his head to get a facial shot of him. She told us most babies will back off, our baby was head butting it! Then they took some pictures of his face (we couldn't get a full shot of his face because he didn't want to move his feet and hands - he was playing peek-a-boo with us). I have some of the pictures of his face and I think he has his daddy's chin and nose.

I am getting so excited for his arrival now that we have seen his cute little body. He is laying across me like he is in a hammock, but his head is down in the position of the birth canal and he is all curled up; he weighs 1 pound, 7 ounces. We are still on target for June 1st - Yea!!!!

January

2010-01-22T13:56:00.004-07:00

In case you've wondered why I haven't posted (since you have nothing else going on in your lives) I've decided to explain!

The first week of January sucked!!! I ended up having to go back to my dentist to have a root canal tooth from December fixed because it was giving me more pain, to the doctor for a horrible ear-ache and for a sinus infection, to turn around and end up in the ER to get stitches in my pinky finger (7 stitches) because I sliced it open on a pop-top lid to a can of tuna. The ironic part of this is that I hate fish and wouldn't normally touch a tuna can if you paid me, but Erick needed help getting lunch ready before he left for work. Then on Friday of that week, we paid a lot of money to have Erick's truck fixed (thank heavens it's fixed) and then because he was in so much pain, I ran him to the InstaCare in Layton. They scared us half to death when they took a chest X-ray and said that he had an abnormality in the bottom of his right lung for which they sent us up to McKay Dee Hospital to have a CT scan done. They were looking for pulmonary embolisms and blod clots. Blessings abound because the tests showed no cancer, blod clots, or pneumonia, but he had what they call a pleural effusion which is a collection of fluid at the bottom of his lung. They put him on a Z-pac and then gave him Lortab to deal with the pain. That was week 1!!

Week 2, we spent recovering from our fun week and Erick went to the Dentist for a cleaning and I went to the OBs to see that our baby is on track and doing well - and yes, he is!!

Week 3, Heather went in for a cleaning and found out she has $2,000 in dental work that needs to be done including another root canal - dentures anyone? I have also been called for an interview at Doxey Elementary in Sunset that I am looking forward to. It would be a position teaching 2nd grade for the rest of the year and after doing some research on Doxey, it looks like a promising job.

In all, this month has been the medical month for Erick and I. I keep joking that we will have met our deductible in the first month of the year and that our baby will be free (not true ever). I just have to take this time to say that for us (me) it has been a trying time because I would rather spend money on getting ready for our baby and moving into an apartment and not lining the pockets of dentists, mechanics, and doctors. But we are still so blessed and grateful that we are both alive and have jobs and family to help us get through the rainy days of life. Hopefully the next post will have better news than this one!

Happy Anniversary!

2009-12-29T12:42:00.003-07:00

On Sunday, December 20th, Erick and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary! We got to go out for the weekend and spend some time together since we don't often get to with work and school schedules during Fall and Spring semesters. We went back to the Castle Creek Inn in Holladay and spent a night there and then we we got to go to Temple Square and see the lights, spend some time shopping and we went to Rodizio Grill and to Sawadee in Salt Lake City for lunch and dinner.

It's been an amazing year of marriage with us both going to school, me graduating, getting pregnant with our first child, and all of the dates, reunions, and other events that we have been able to share together. While people say that the first few years are the honeymoon years, I hope that Erick and I can always keep the love and excitement in our marriage as the years go by. We are both excited for this coming year and all of the new adventures we will have together, good and bad.

Happy Anniversary Erick - I love you so much!

Taylor and Danni

2009-12-14T13:16:00.003-07:00

On Saturday, Danni danced in her dance school's version of the Nutcracker. Danni was a cherry cupcake and she was so graceful and smooth, not to mention beautiful. She has become such a beautiful young woman and a great dancer. We watched her performance, which unfortunately, they don't allow photography or taping during, so we weren't able to get a picture of her in her costume. We are so proud of her!!!

Taylor is turning 13 on the 31st of December!!! Holy cow, he was my first nephew and being the oldest in the family of nieces and nephews, I just can't believe he has grown so much. He has really matured and has been an awesome student and help to his parents. Happy Birthday Taylor!!! We celebrated his birthday last night at Sunday dinner and I got a picture of him enjoying the candy stash he got from all of us.

Graduation Day

2009-12-14T12:44:00.004-07:00

I graduated on Friday, December 11th, 2009 from Weber State University with a dual degree in Early Childhood Education / Elementary Education. I graduated with a 3.85 GPA (Magna Cum Laude). After 6 1/2 years of working and going to school, I can now just work - the only problem is that because of budget cuts in school districts across the state, hiring of teachers has come to almost a standstill. So I have graduated, but I am not employed in my degree area as of yet.

But back to the happy times . . . I really could have cared less for the whole ceremony other than the speaker, Pamela J. Atkinson, spoke on caring for others because we have been given the gift of education and employment so we should reach out to others. I would like to extend a challenge like that to everyone. Everyone has something to give and while so many are suffering in so many different ways, we can help, and one day someone will help us when we need it.

Thanks to all my husband, family, friends, and mentors over the years who have helped me reach my goal and are still cheering me on!!

Erick and I

Me and a Friend

Graduation!!!!

2009-12-01T17:22:00.003-07:00

Hurray!!!! I'm graduating Friday, December 11th at 1:00 p.m. at the Dee Events Center in Ogden!! After 6 1/2 years of going to school part-time and then full-time while working the entire time, I will get a dual BS degree in Early Childhood Education / Elementary Education, Magna Cum Laude. Anyone who wants to come (you can't sue me if you feel like you've lost 2 hours of your life that weren't very meaningful) you need to be at the Dee Events Center by 12:30 to get a seat. They promise we will be done no later than 3:00 p.m. (we'll see). Anyway, I thought I would let all of you know that I am officially done and excited for the prospects of the future which should hopefully include a teaching job somewhere in Davis county. Yea!!!

Updates!!

2009-11-25T16:38:00.002-07:00

I went to the OBG last week for my 3 month appointment. I was scared silly because I just hadn't felt pregnant lately - the morning sickness was gone and I wasn't feeling so gross and thought I had lost the baby. The doctor put the ultrasound wand on me and in an instant he found the baby and told me that the baby was doing great, he turned on the sound and I got to see the heart beats as I heard them. Then he pressed a little harder and got a measurement on the baby - 3 inches!! He told me that this was a healthy baby and that we were on schedule. He then just sat there watching and the baby started moving around on its own. It was sitting on its head with its bum in the air.

While I was watching our child on the screen I was able to feel peaceful and happy and then I got excited when the Doctor told me that on the next visit they will be able to tell us what gender of baby we are having!!! This has been so exciting for us because at the end of this week, I will have made it through my first trimester and the percentage of miscarriage will go down - we are starting to realize the fact that in 6 months we will be parents.

Our Bean!!

2009-10-22T18:30:00.004-06:00

Here's the picture our Dr. took for us today. He confirmed we are 8 weeks along, the baby's heart was beating like it should, and our official due date is June 1, 2010! He was delighted to hear that I was struggling with morning sickness because that means the hormones are doing their job - no sympathy :) .

Bun in the Oven

2009-10-12T16:56:00.003-06:00

So most of the family should know by now, I'm pregnant and expecting to deliver June 3, 2010. This is the current posting based on three positive home pregnancy tests. My official Drs appointment isn't until October 22nd because they told me they wouldn't see me until I was about 8 weeks along. I'm really nervous about all of this because it is a first for me and Erick. We were going to wait until Thanksgiving to announce it but I have had so many questions about this pregnancy that I told Erick last night that I needed to be able to ask questions and get help if needed.

We're really excited about this and hopeful that everything will work as it should. I've been having trouble with sickness (there's no limit to the time of day when the nausea hits!!) and with student teaching, it has proved to be a bigger challenge than I had originally thought. I just need to get through the next 7 weeks and I'm done with student teaching, I will be past my first trimester, and I get to Graduate from Weber, celebrate my 1 year anniversary with Erick, and celebrate Christmas. (What a year!!!)

Colored Bubbles

2009-10-01T14:52:00.003-06:00

Teaching Kindergarten has helped me to see a whole new dimension of life! We studied colors for two weeks, talking about the words that spell the colors, words that rhyme with the names of the colors and doing projects to help us remember the colors. On blue day we made blue colored bubble papers. All you need is the following:

drinking straw cut in half
piece of white paper
dish soap
paint (tempra or craft paint)
a little bit of water

Mix the dishsoap, water and paint in a small paper cup. Dip the tip of the straw into the mixture, hold it over a piece of paper and blow softly. As the bubble pops on the paper you get a variety of results. My favorite is a perfect circle, the other is the splatters from the bubble popping. My students loved this activity and here are a few the results for your enjoyment.

If you have some time with your children on a rainy day or on a day where you want to have some creative fun - this is the activity for you.

Faith and Hope

2009-09-23T20:44:00.004-06:00

This week I have been talking to so many people and it seems that everyone is in kind of a funk. Times are hard, there are lots of heartaches, injustices, and it doesn't feel like anyone follows the rules, thinks, or even behaves normal. However, getting past the negative, I realized while reading in Alma 32-34, that this is where the seed of faith grows, when we are under the "sun" of tribulation. I want to challenge anyone who is struggling, please pray, fast, have faith, and focus on the positives.
I found that I have been one of the most negative people this week and it has taken a toll on how I feel about loved ones, my job, my education, and my social life. This isn't who I want to be and I don't like not feeling in control of myself. I am going to spend time today and everyday listing 10 positive things that happened in my day and make sure that I thank Heavenly Father for them - after all, I would hate to think what life would be like without the help that I know I am receiving from beyond the veil.
If you need to vent, or talk, or even just take a walk, please let me know and I hope that with the knowledge we have of our Savior, the atonement, and our gospel, we will use it to help in our endurance and refining. We will make it and we will conquer - Satan doesn't want us to think we can - don't let him win!

Cirque de la Symphonie

2009-09-23T20:38:00.005-06:00

Last Saturday, Erick and I went to Cirque de la Symphonie. This was my pay off on the Golf Tournament that I lost so Erick got to pick tickets to any event and I had to buy them. Turns out that when you have a student ID, you can get tickets to the Symphony, Ballet, or Opera for $10 a ticket (plus tax). So this was the show we went to see.
We loved the music on the program - Erick said he didn't recognize the names of the pieces on the program, but he recognized many of the pieces when they were played.
The performers were amazing and some of them made me feel arthritic but I was enthralled through the whole performance. I have posted some pictures below of two of the acts that were performed - if this ever comes to Salt Lake City again, I highly recommend it!!

And the Winner Is . . . .

2009-08-31T18:06:00.003-06:00

The Erick and Heather Miniature Golf Tournament of 2009 is officially over! The tournament concluded on Saturday evening at the Eagle Lakes Golf Course in Roy. This is an excellent bang for your buck kind of course. It is somewhat challenging, there are 18 holes, and they were open until 9 p.m. It is an outdoor course so it is not open year round to my knowledge - but I had a wonderful time.

Eagle Lakes Golf Course

Now, for those of you who were wondering . . . the winner of the tournament will get tickets to any event of their choosing at the other's expense.

And the winner is . . . . Erick!!!!
He beat me soundly on this course by 17 points! I had a horrible round of golfing but it was fun none-the-less and he did a great job on his putting. Congratulations honey!!

Moving

2009-08-18T12:44:00.002-06:00

The first week of August was spent moving Erick and I into his parents' basement. They have generously agreed to house us while I student teach and cannot work. So as things go, I spent most of the week packing up non-essential items and moving them to my parents' house where they will be stored, and trying to work out the logistics of moving what we had left in a timely manner. Friday, the 7th was the official moving day selected and wouldn't you know it, I got the stomach flu. I spent the morning trying to keep 7-up and soda crackers down and then my wonderful family and husband showed up and finished packing us, moving us, and cleaning our apartment! By 6:00 that evening we were completely moved in and all that was left was the carpet cleaning (I owe Corri so big for staying at our apartment until midnight cleaning our carpets for us!! I owe my niece and nephews for being so good and washing our walls without complaining when they could have been playing!)

Thanks to my wonderful husband who ran to the grocery store early in the morning to buy the 7-Up and soda crackers, for packing our home, for moving our furniture, and getting me settled in that night - I love you sweetie!!!

Thanks to my family, Dad(use of his truck, tools and muscles), Mom (cleaning my fridge, packing my house, lifting more than you should have), Anne (hurting her body and having swollen feet lifting heavy objects), Corri(cleaning my apartment, packing my home, providing child labor), Richard (use of truck, muscles), Taylor (washing walls and carrying items in and out), Danni (washing walls, babysitting Isaac), Mason (washing walls and carrying items in and out), Carter (washing walls and carrying items in and out), and Isaac (comic relief) for helping Erick and I out and for storing some of our belongings!

Thanks to June and Larry for taking us off the street and helping us during a tight semester!!

We're so grateful for family and for their help during the move and for stepping in up and beyond what is normally called for when I got sick unexpectedly! (I'm not pregnant!)

Miniature Golf - Part 4

2009-08-18T12:36:00.005-06:00

Two weeks ago, Erick and I did another round of miniature golfing, this time at Fat Cats in Ogden. We were a bit shocked that we paid around $6 for only 9 holes of golfing when everywhere else we've had 18 holes. We were in and out in 20 minutes and the course wasn't particularly challenging (this course would be good for younger children who don't have a lot of experience).

For those who have been following, the bet for this round was that whoever lost had to make an entire dinner of whatever the winner chose. So I have to cook Erick whatever he wants for dinner. I did lose this round, but for our summer tournament, we are tied 2-2. This weekend will have to be the tie breaker and we will declare the 2009 winner of our tournment!

Student Teaching

2009-08-18T12:23:00.005-06:00

I was just made aware that there was a summer and it's over - YIKES! I start student teaching this Fall semester as my last semester at Weber State University so that I can graduate this December. This is the semester that you dread for your entire school career because you know that it will either break you or make you. And those that know me well know that I worry about being perfect and working above what is considered normal because I want to be successful.

Anyway, not to make you think I don't enjoy teaching, I start next week with my first assignment at Crestview Elementary in Layton and I am so excited to start with Kindergarten. I get to work with around 44 cute little kids and help them get a foundation in their numbers and letters, which can be a lot of fun; mid-October, I get to start working in a 5th grade classroom until Thanksgiving. I love the 5th grade curriculum because it deals with multiplication, division, a little pre-algebra, and my favorite, American History. The two teachers I have been assigned to are really wonderful women and I know I am going to learn a lot from them. I have met them both and I can't wait to get to know them and their methods better - for Kindergarten I have Ms. Laura Penman, and for 5th grade I get Ms. Gloria Taylor. So if after this posting you notice that my posts don't make a lot of sense, it could be because I am insanely busy, or I transferred my brains to the kids and have come up with my own deficit - who knows?!

Here's to the end of my basic schooling career and on to the beginning of long and hopefully wonderful professional career (yes, teaching is professional and more people should try it before criticizing it!)!

The Michaelsen Reunion

2009-08-04T11:04:00.002-06:00

The Michaelsen's are Erick's, Dad's, maternal Grandparents. Complicated I know, but anyway, they hold a reunion every August and all of the descendents of the John and Ella Michaelsen family meet in Mayfield, Utah. (Mayfield, if you don't know, is 7 miles south of Manti and is east of Gunnison.) This is a huge gathering of at least 200 people, sometimes more and they get together for the entire first weekend in August to catch-up and meet each other. I went with Erick to it last year when we were dating and it was one of the funnest reunions I have ever been too.
We left early on Friday to go down so that we would have time to go to the Manti Temple and do a session before we officially started the reunion. It was so beautiful inside and it just set the right mood for being around family during the weekend. I got to meet a lot of nice and wonderful people, get reacquainted with family that I had only met on our wedding day, play games, watch movies, and my favorite, dancing. I don't know how to dance, but that evening, the family had hired a DJ to do some disco music as well as other music. Erick taught me how to waltz and we did some of the "deacon shuffle" as well. They had crafts for all ages to do, a volleyball tournament, a soccer game, a fish pond, a candy store, water baseball, and a raffle on Sunday. I actually won a bath kit (for those who don't understand my amazement is that I never win in drawings of any kind. I could have 80 to 90% of the tickets in a drawing and still never have my name pulled out!) So this was an exciting event.
I love that families try to keep connections alive, and Erick and I have tried to hit every one this year because we believe it is important to stay involved with our loved ones, no matter the time, distance, and so forth. This is what the next life is all about, and what a great way to practice doing what we will be doing in the next life - connecting with families and creating more!! What a great weekend!

Pioneer Day

2009-07-27T09:33:00.006-06:00

I get really sentimental when it comes to holidays, especially ones like Pioneer Day. I had many family members leave Europe to trek across the Great Plains of America to come to Utah. Some family members died along the way and those that made it were sent to Idaho and parts of Utah. I am so grateful for their faith, sacrifices, and determination.

Erick and I started the day off going to breakfast and then over to his mom's house. We were in charge of making ice cream for the evening festivities and so we began our 5 hour task. We made cherry chocolate (diabetic version), lemon-raspberry, and banana-mango. They all turned out to be very yummy. While we made ice cream, we watched the Days of '47 Parade on TV and spent time talking with Erick's family.

We went down to Aunt Kathy's in Salt Lake City to have dinner and watch the fireworks near Liberty Park. It was so much fun - we walked around Liberty Park for a couple of hours to ride rides, walk through the Aviary, and see some of the booths. The fireworks we lit were fun but a bit loud and explosive (we bought some we thought were pretty benign!) and the City's fireworks were awesome.

Kathy's House

Nathan, David, and Isaac

Erick, David, and Isaac at the Aviary

We had a great day and it was fun to celebrate with family and I am looking forward to it again next year!

Traditions

2009-07-27T09:24:00.003-06:00

Since I've gotten married, I have really been excited about creating traditions with Erick and our future family. Traditions have a way of making you excited about events because they are consistent, fun, and usually involve people you love. Last year, on Pioneer Day, Erick took me to breakfast at Sill's Cafe in Layton. Anyone who has been to Layton knows that Sill's has the best and largest scones so it is a great place to eat! This year for Pioneer Day, we decided to go to Sill's again for breakfast and it was so much fun to realize that a year ago, we had just started dating seriously and have come so far! I hope that this tradition can stay around for as long as it can because Sill's is going to be torn down to make way for the new Layton Interchange (progress has it's positives and negatives). I love traditions and this is just one of many that we are going to create!!

Scones with Honey Butter - Mmmmm!!

Camping

2009-07-20T10:20:00.005-06:00

I love to go camping (not hard core) and furthermore, I love camping when I am supposed to be at work or doing something responsible. Erick and I have not had a vacation since we met last summer and so we decided because of budget and school coming up, that we needed to do something inexpensive - so we went camping and invited our families along. My mom (Wendy) came and Erick's sister (Maren) and her husband (Landon) and their two kids (Brinlie and Gauge). We went to Monte Cristo which is about 40 miles north-east of Huntsville. It is a secluded camping ground that is 8000 feet in elevation and has nice campgrounds. Erick, my mom, and I left Thursday night and then Maren and Landon joined us Friday afternoon and we all went home Saturday morning.

Close-up of Me

Mom

Erick

Maren, Landon, Brinlie, Mom, and Erick

We had a great time sitting around talking, playing games, and taking nature walks. Erick and I went and took pictures of the flowers growing around the campground. It was beautiful and it wasn't as hot up there as it was in the valley! In all, we had a great time and hope to go back there someday soon!

Golf Tournament - Part 3

2009-07-14T09:39:00.005-06:00

Okay - the third round of Erick and I's golf tournament commenced on July 10th at Toad's in Harrisville. We played 18 holes outside on the Haunted House round. The stakes for this bet were whoever lost has to plan the next date night and execute it in the next two weeks.

As you can see, I won (I was very surprised!!) and Erick lost (very graciously).

This was a more difficult course than some of the others we have golfed, but the course was a lot of fun and the evening was perfect. We definitely recommend this course to anyone looking for some fun in a miniature golf course. Toad's also has go-karts, arcades, and a putting and driving range, as well as a batting cage.

Mason's Birthday

2009-07-14T09:34:00.003-06:00

Mason is my oldest sister's (Corri) second son. His birthday is on July 19th and so our family gathered on July 5th to celebrate with him. Mason has always been a happy person and very intelligent. Erick and I have been buying our nieces and nephews their favorite candy bar or candy for their birthdays since the count for both families is up to 26 with three more on the way! We asked Mason what his favorite candy was and he started listing off every known candy - we had to limit him to one. He was quite pleased with our gift and from Grandma Farley as well because he got quite the supply of candy. We all love Mason and are so glad to have him in our family. Happy 11th Buddy!

Hyrum's Blessing

2009-07-14T09:31:00.003-06:00

My brother and his wife (Jared and Diana Farley), were blessed in May to have a new edition to their family, Hyrum. He was blessed on July 5, 2009 and we'd like to give them our Congratulations on having a beautiful son and for including us in the blessing of Hyrum.

What a cutie!

Happy July 4th

2009-07-14T08:48:00.006-06:00

I love Independence Day!! My family has had many members who from the very beginning have fought for our independence. I had a relative who fought during the Revolutionary War and was given discharge papers from George Washington. We also have records of various family members fighting during the Civil War, World Wars I and II, and many family members who are currently serving in our military (My Dad, Jake, Nathan, and BJ). I am proud to be American and to celebrate on the 4th.

Erick and I started our day out by helping the Young Women post flags around the neighborhood and then we went to the Kaysville City parade. It was so much fun to go because Brinlie was so excited about getting candy and gifts that we got caught up in helping her get the mother load of parade prizes!

We went out for lunch and then went to my family's house where we spent 1 1/2 hours filling up cherry bombs, water grenades, and water balloons for the biggest waterfight. We also set up a slip-n-slide (thanks Mom) for the kids to play on. I ended up getting sunburned but loved playing with my niece and nephews as well as Erick and my brother-in-law Richard.

The best part of the evening was the dutch oven dinner we ate and the fireworks we watched and blew up ourselves.

What a blessing it is to be able to do all of these things and not be arrested because it goes against one political party's or leader's idea of what we should and should not be doing. To everyone we missed that day, Happy 4th of July!!

Gauge's Birthday - Part 2

2009-07-02T10:04:00.010-06:00

As in the traditions of old - Gauge got a cake to eat all his own, however, he didn't seem very impressed by the fact that he had a cake sitting in front of him to demolish and ravage! Here is a clip of his reaction to the cake and a little help from Landon to get him going. . .

This was the after result of "messing around" in the cake . . .

Gauge's Birthday - Part 1

2009-07-02T09:59:00.003-06:00

On Saturday, we celebrated Gauge's 1st Birthday!!!! When Erick and I started dating, Gauge was maybe 3 weeks old and now he is one. Maren and Landon held a party at their home where there were grilled hamburgers and hotdogs. The kids were jumping on the tramp while the adults sat around and talked. It was such a fun evening!

Waterfall Canyon

2009-07-02T09:45:00.006-06:00

Okay - so I'm way out of shape! I thought hiking would be no problem since I have been spending a ton of time at the gym exercising my butt off! The only problem with that process is that I exercise on level equipment and the hike up to Waterfall Canyon was not level.

Erick suggested we go on this hike and I really wanted to go. We picked a day that was fairly overcast and cool so I was happy with that as well. My only problem was that before we left to hike we ate dinner and I ate more than I should have for a hike. I had only 15 minutes to digest before we started.

We started up the trail, which I might add, was fairly easy so I took it at a pretty fast pace. Just before we entered the canyon portion of the hike, Erick and I had a camera war - I thought this was a really good picture of him!

Then going into the canyon caught me off guard because I wasn't expecting to have to crawl up rocks and cross fall trees as bridges over the river. I did pretty good but I had to take a few breaks and after 45 minutes we made it up to the waterfall. It was so worth it!!!!! We sat at the base of the falls and let the water mist me and if felt so good.

On our way back down, I wasn't watching what I was doing and ended up slipping and falling on my one leg. I still have a pretty good bruise on my shin and lump to accompany it. But all said, this is a wonderful hike for young and middle aged (if your older and out of shape - let's be honest - it will kill you!). I want to go again when we have the chance!!

The Waterfall

See the mist my camera caught!?!

Erick enjoying the waterfall

The view of Ogden Valley

Cooking Day with Danni

2009-07-02T09:31:00.007-06:00

Danni and I decided we needed a girls' day and so it happened to be a cooking day! Danni is such agood cook for being 9 years old. All I had to do was to read the recipe and she knew what measuring tools to use, how to measure, crack eggs, etc. I didn't have to worry about her messing up! I let her pick what she wanted to make and she chose to make snickerdoodles, banana-mango smoothies, and a mixed berry pie. She did such a good job that I had her help me make dinner that night and it was so yummy! After we had made the food, we had to wait for Erick to come home from work so we played Go Fish (with British accents) and Memory for about 45 minutes. By the end of the evening, I was almost in tears when we had to take her home. We made her promise us that she would come back again soon! I love my niece!!

She is a natural!

Perfect Cookies!

The Future Marie Callender

Making Chinese Casserole

Fathers' Day & Birthdays

2009-06-22T10:43:00.007-06:00

For Fathers' Day Sunday, we spent the evening with Erick's family. We celebrated Fathers' Day with Larry and for all the other dads and men and then celebrated the June Birthdays - Gauge, Landon, Michelle, and Kennedy. The evening was filled with fun conversation, kids running around, and great food!
We missed some of the family members who couldn't make it like Nathan's family, Jake's family, BJ & Holly, and Jeff's Family - Happy Fathers' Day to all of you we missed!

Golf Tournament - Part 2

2009-06-22T10:21:00.005-06:00

We started our second round in our Miniature Golf Tour. We went to the SpareTime Family Fun Center in Syracuse. The course was called "Clash of the Titans" and it housed mythical creatures such as Neptune, Medusa, ogres, and other monsters you would find in this kind of theme. It was done in blacklights so sometimes it was hard to see where the ball had to go in order to reach the hole. The bet this time was a little less expensive.

Erick wins = DVD of his choice
Heather wins = Flowers

Erick won! He did much better than I did but it was still fun!

We are preparing to have our nephew come with us the end of July and we know he's going to kill us both - so David, I hope you know what you want for your prize!! We are trying to find some of the more creative and fun courses to golf and practice our putting skills so we don't look too pathetic against our skilled 6-year-old nephew!

Our next round will be coming soon!

Our 6th Month Anniversary

2009-06-22T10:05:00.006-06:00

Erick and I celebrated our 6th month Anniversary on Saturday, June 20th! We started the day off by going to the Oquirrh Hills Temple Open House in South Jordan. It was so beautiful and it was fun to have some of our families there to tour it with us. That took most of the afternoon and then Erick and I drove home, changed our clothes and started our evening!!!

We started the night with our golf tournament - Part 2 - at the Syracuse SpareTime Family Fun Center. The golf course was a blacklight course and it was themed on mythical people and creatures. It was so fun because we made our bets again. If I won, Erick had to buy me flowers, if he won, I had to buy him a DVD of his choice. I lost so Erick gets his movie!

We then went to dinner in Salt Lake City at Sawadee - it is a Thai Restaurant and we highly recommend it to anyone who wants great service, fabulous food, and reasonable prices.

Following dinner, we went to the Gateway and saw Up by Pixar in 3-D. The movie was so good and had some great themes to it. Another recommended movie. We finally got home around 11:30 and were exhausted but so happy.

A lot of people have laughed at us for celebrating our 6th month, but we got married 5 days before Christmas and since we don't know what to expect for our first anniversary due to school and finances, we decided to take this opportunity to celebrate now while we can.

I love you Erick and marrying you was the best decision I have ever made! Happy Anniversary!

My Family's Fathers Day!

2009-06-22T09:58:00.003-06:00

My family held their Fathers' Day celebration on Friday since that was the best time for everyone who had dual commitments to Dads and Father-in-laws. It was a lot of fun, a)because the sun was out, b)because we grilled, and c)because everyone seemed really happy and we played games. Mom made a "sand and water table" for the kids and they loved it. Danni was so good to help Isaac and Dallin work with them molds and toys in it and yet keep it safe and sane. The food was great, the kids were so much fun, and the game of four-square was awesome!
We have such awesome men in our family and it was a great way to pay tribute to them for all they do for us and their families. I don't know what we would do without them so "Happy Fathers' Day!

Intolerance = Blindness

2009-06-17T13:05:00.004-06:00

Nothing bothers me more than people who accuse others of doing the same thing they are doing. For example - the conflict over gay rights. The homosexual community talks about tolerance and acceptance of their right to be homosexual and have rights for insurance and etc. Sounds like the Civil Rights Movement right?! However, they have gotten so tunnel-visioned in their pursuit for rights that they have been making life miserable for people who are heterosexual by trying to publicly humiliate them or trash their names - isn't this what they are accusing heterosexuals of doing to them? My question is, why can't both sides agree to disagree on their views and stop trying to pass sneaky legislation punishing the other group for not accepting their views (Senate Bill 909)? There are basic human rights that should be applied to all human beings such as medical care, death benefits, estates, etc and sexuality should not be the issue.
I, myself, do not embrace homosexuality, however, I know many good people who are homosexual and I hope that these issues can be resolved the way they should be - openly, honestly, and impartially. Have we not learned anything from our past about hate and intolerance?

Date Night

2009-06-08T09:50:00.008-06:00

Erick and I decided Friday night to have a date night and paint the town. By the time we had our date we were too exhausted to "paint the town"! Anyway, we ended up going to the Clark Planetarium in Salt Lake City to go to their IMAX production of Under The Sea 3-D! This show is great - good for children and adults and it talks about the marine life found in the Coral Triangle and the Barrier Reef off of Australia. Jim Carrey does the narrating and the 3-D effects are really good. After the show, we walked through the gift area and found some fun toys to play with - such as the marshmellow guns and the stuffed animal version of viruses and bacteria (doesn't everyone want a stuffed animal version of Chicken Pox?!).

After the show, we went to The Counter, which is a gourmet burger restaurant at the Gateway. You are given a sheet that allows you to check what kind of meat, what size of patty, what kind of bun or bowl, sauces, cheeses, and toppings of all kinds. Our burgers were so large that we could barely get our mouths over them to eat them. Our burgers were around $8 but they were so yummy.

After we ate dinner, we walked the Gateway in an attempt to digest and ended up going into the Z Gallerie. This is a home decor store and we like some of what we saw, but the most interesting was the section with rhinestone skulls. These skulls were table cloths, candle holders, place mats, blankets, etc. We were guessing they were a possible option for decorating in the goth style or they were for pirate fans!

Can't wait for the next date night!!!

Go Get 'Em Ashton

2009-06-02T09:52:00.010-06:00

Yesterday, Erick, June, and I went down to Herriman to watch our nephew, Ashton play in his T-ball game. We got there late because traffic around 5 p.m. is horrible! When we got there, it was so much fun to see two teams of four-year-olds standing around a field with dads and grandpas behind them telling them what to do. One of Ashton's team mates was off in a corner, sitting and plucking grass up because he had lost interest.
We were lucky enough to see Ashton go to bat, hit the ball, and run the bases. He did a great job! The whole event was fun to watch as well as getting a bit of time with our nieces, Lexie (9) and Abbie (1).
We went to Artic Circle after the game to have dinner and shakes to celebrate and then over to Jake and Nikki's house to get the tour of the kid's rooms and share some time with them.
It was a fun evening and FHE.

Let the Games Begin!!

2009-06-02T09:43:00.005-06:00

After my cousin's wedding on Saturday, Erick and I decided that it was the day to begin our "Miniature Golf Tour of Utah". In the past, we have made bets (small food bets) on who would be the winner, and honestly, I talked trash and always lost to Erick. So we decided to up the stakes from cookies to the following:

Erick wins = Rodizio Grill
Heather wins = The Roof at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building

We started our tour off at Cherry Hill and I have attached the score card for your reading pleasure.

The winner = Heather (I was shocked as much as you are now!)

We will keep you posted as we continue our tour through Utah and on the results of each of our little "bets".

(Please understand we do not believe in gambling with money, more of just little services to each other - winnings that we both can enjoy together!)

The Famous Cherry Hill Sign

The Winner Is . . .

Congratulations!!!!

2009-06-02T09:27:00.003-06:00

On Saturday, May 30th, my cousin Jessica was sealed to Blake Sherwood at the Bountiful Utah Temple at 9:45 a.m. The ceremony was beautiful and the counsel given to them was so helpful for me as well as the new couple! We finished in the temple and went outside to do pictures. It was a clear, sunny morning and so it was kind of hot standing on the temple grounds facing east. Some of the smaller children were having fun playing around the water features on the ground - I was almost tempted too!
After pictures we went to a park that is in North Salt Lake/Bountiful to have the luncheon! We had sandwiches, chips, salad, and cup cakes for the wedding cake. It was a wonderful afternoon and again, very relaxed.
Erick and I want to wish Jessica and Blake all the best and to let them know that marriage is one of the happiest, most fulfilling endeavors you can take on (frustrating and hard some days). We hope that life treats them well and provides them happiness for eternity!

Newly Weds

Temple Shots

Tempting Water

The Wedding Cake

First Meal Together!!

Reception/Open House

2009-06-02T09:15:00.007-06:00

This past weekend, my cousin Jessica and her fiance were married. It was a two day event with the reception/open house being held the night before at their Stake house in West Valley City. It was an informal affair, but it was so much fun! Since they will be living in Australia, they asked that they not receive gifts, so most of our family gave them cards with money - I liked the hat box idea!! The food was catered and some was homemade and then people sat around and talked while the kids played on the toys. My cousin, Matthew, is serving in Canada and couldn't make it, so he was represented on a stick!!! It was a fun evening!

Jessica and Blake

The Hat Box

Matthew on a Stick!

Carter and Isaac Conquering the Slide

Merry-Go-Round Mason

Thanksgiving Point Gardens

2009-05-27T09:38:00.005-06:00

On May 16th, Erick and I went to the Thanksgiving Point Gardens in Lehi, Utah. The cost of admission for an adult is $10 and being the money pincher I am, I was thinking it was a lot of money until we went in and started walking the grounds. It was absolutely gorgeous!!! I kid you not, the tulips from the Tulip Festival were still in bloom and it was a perfect day for walking the grounds. We spent two hours walking the main gardens and then we went to the Children's Garden, which it was fun to see the exhibits they had for children to explore. This is an activity that I would recommend to families and couples alike. If you have a hard time walking, they have Segways and golf carts you can use to get around the grounds. They have exhibits and gardens such as the Secret Garden, the Italian Fountain, and the largest manmade waterfall, to name a few. I have posted a few of my pictures to give you an idea of how wonderful these gardens are - nothing could be closer to my idea of Heaven!!

Family is Wonderful

2009-05-27T09:24:00.003-06:00

As Memorial Day has come and gone, I have reflected on the importance of family and how much I love mine! I have a great family (both mine and Erick's)and I realized as I was putting flowers on the headstones of deceased family members, how much I would miss my family if they were gone. We have recently celebrated some birthdays and baptisms in my family - Mom, Corri, Porter, Dallin, and the newest edition to Jared's family, Hyrum! Porter was baptised the first of May and we are so proud of him! Here are some pictures from our celebrations - I hope you enjoy!!