Following in the family's footsteps...

We've been told many stories by grandmas and great-grandmas of our heritage of climbing babies. Whether it is the time Nick climbed in the sink full of dish water fully clothed or when Grandpa Erickson climbed the ladder onto the roof, apparently Avery comes by it naturally. Unfortunately this time it was at her cousin Elsa's expense...

Happy Belated Birthday Baby...

Avery's first birthday has come and gone and here are the photos to prove it. Cake was tasty, but not messy enough for Dad, hence the additional squirt of whipped cream on her forehead.


Lots of family and friends came to share our joy with burritos and pie at Grandma & Grandpa Knudsen's.









And an oh-so-fun surprise visit from Aunt Heidi!

A ride on the fire truck with Cousin Marcus.




Puffs with Grandpa are the best finish to a fun birthday!

Remembering Andrew

Our little nephew was born two years ago on November 18, 2006. Although his time was short, he will never be forgotten. Andrew is a constant reminder of how short life really is, how we should value the time allotted to us and pursue the good life.

Avery's First Halloween

So given that is was Avery's first Halloween and all, Mindy decided to put a little extra effort into Avery's get up and made it herself. Mindy was going for a little woodland character/sprite and ended up with a quasi martian/pixie/ballerina. Pretty cool!

Dad's Halloween get up for his work party. It's nice! It also made us $50 bucks richer after winning for the scariest costume. He's got legs and he knows how to use them.

Pictures from the Patch

As you can see from the photo, the kids were loving picture time

Ten Months!

Playing with paper- a new, particularly tasty hobby

Finally, jeans look cute:)

Great Grandma Erickson

Great Grandpa Erickson

Beanie, courtesy of Aunt Heidi

Herold cousins (from l-r): Isaac (13 mos), Avery, Michael (12 mos), Rhiannon (3 years), Addie (3 mos)

My how everyone has grown, check out the first photos of Isaac and Avery here.

Smells like Fish

One of my latest paintings. And if you were wondering, it's a goldfish. acrylic and ink on wood (12"x15")

How Cute is She!!!

I think were going with super cute!

I know this blog isn't about politics...

But, I couldn't resist a word or two on Sarah Palin. Although I understand voter hesitation when it comes to experience, here are a few reasons/rumors/facts why I'm excited about her, whether the McCain-Palin ticket wins or not:
1. One of her first acts as governor of Alaska was to sell the governor's jet on Ebay. I heard it sold for $2.5 million.
2. She's suing whoever put the polar bears on the endangered species list because there are so many up there they actually are bad for business.
3. She's the one who put an end to "The Bridge to Nowhere".
4. She is pro-life. Not just in word, but in deed. Her youngest has Down's Syndrome and was diagnosed before birth. As a young mother, the push for aborting babies with congenital diseases is a big concern for me. It has become so prevalent I worry about the problems we'd face as parents who'd choose to keep such a child. I hope her choice will radically impact our culture. Please read Andy Crouch's The best thing about Sarah Palin for a brief, but insightful look at what her family may do to shift thinking in this area of life.