Precious Moments

One of the best things about living in Utah is that we get to spend a lot of time with our families (minus my sisters, unfortunately). Erik's Grandma, Farmor (the Norwegian way of saying your father's mother), lives only a few minutes a way from us and so we get to visit her often. She is 90 years old and a delight to be around.

I love going to her house and playing hymns on her piano while she hums along. It's so peaceful and I can always feel the Spirit. Another time I cherish is watching her interact with Khloe. Khloe runs in her house, wags her little tail and Farmor's face instantly lights up. I'm so glad we have the priveledge of visiting with her often. I will always remember these precious times.

It Just Keeps Growing

One of my favorite things to do is make lists and cross things off. Weird, I know. The only problem is that lately, I cross one thing off and add three more. Not only does my list never get smaller; it gets bigger! A few things I've actually had the pleasure of crossing off my list are:

Install shelves in the garage....check

Clean out cupboards in the kitchen for baby stuff...check

Buy baby bedding...check

Take an updated pregnancy picture for my out-of-town sisters to see...check

Build shelves for my scrapbook supplies...check

Install hardware on all of our cabinets...check

Buy crib and dresser...check

Backup computer...check

Do another blog post...finally check! :)

These are just a few of the projects I've completed and if my math serves me right; even though I've finished these, I've added another 24 items or so to my list. Yikes! Does it ever end?!

Khloe Is Having A....

SISTER!

I had my 20 week ultrasound at the beginning of the month and found out we are having a little baby girl! We are so excited!!!

Erik and I both thought it was going to be a girl, but we were thrown a curve ball when I took a pee test called "Intelli-Gender" (which is supposed to be 82% accurate) and it came out BOY. We were shocked. For about a month, we had wrapped our head around having a boy. We even had a name picked out.

Well, so much for that. We got some great views at the ultrasound and it is definitely going to be a little girl. Erik was upset at first that we wasted $30 but he's gotten over it. How could you be mad after looking at your child's foot for the first time (see below - it's 1" long).
Now the fun really begins. I've finally been able to start buying girl clothes (although Erik wishes I hadn't started) and I can't believe I've finally passed the halfway mark. Only four more months to go!

I Never Thought...

...I would be brought to my knees last Tuesday for 10 hours straight, throwing up every 20 minutes (including blood the last four hours) and would remember the make (Sterling) and model (Bemis) of our toilet...

...I would end up in the Emergency Room after said episode for the first time in my life...and would then be hit with a bad cold and ear infection to round out the week.

Anything else you're going to throw me little baby?

The Journey Begins

Now that you all know I am pregnant, I better start documenting how the journey began.

I finally got Erik on board with the whole baby thing last summer and a couple of days before Halloween, I decided to take a pregnancy test. I couldn't believe it...I was actually pregnant. We've been married for over 6 years now and of course I knew this day would come but it was really strange knowing it was really going to happen.

I bought Erik a little onsie that said "My Daddy is #1" and gave it to him later that day. He just looked at me. "Are you serious" he asked? I told him "yes" and immediately began to cry (happy tears of course). I could tell Erik was shocked. We both thought it would take a long time for us to get pregnant but it happened pretty quickly. Can't you see the excitement in his face? J/K

A few days later, we were at Erik's parents house for Sunday dinner. As a photographer, I wanted to try and catch the moment when we told his family I was pregnant. We told everyone to sit on the couch for a quick family picture. I set the timer and before it went off, Erik said "oh by the way...Tanya's pregnant". They were supposed to freak out right then, but being the good photo subjects they were, they sat there and smiled until the flash went off. They all looked at Erik and thought he was lying and so they turned to me for verification. Of course I started crying and everyone jumped off the couch in excitement. It didn't go perfectly, but that's okay.

Later that night I called my sisters and told them the news and a few days later when my parents were finally home from their mission, we gave them a "welcome home" present with the news inside.

Erik and I are so excited for this new chapter in our life. Although, I'm not to keen on the bodily changes I'm facing. This picture was taken the night we found out....

...and this one was taken December 18th. It's not very fun seeing the scale continue to go up and I know it's only going to get worse.

Ahhh...the joys of pregnancy. :)

Reflections and Anticipation

I can't believe another year is over. 2009 was a fantastic year for Erik and I. My top 10 moments include:

10.Visiting family in Arizona and Erik getting to go to the Sugar Bowl in Louisiana

9. Taking a quick trip to Vegas to visit family and get in some golf

8. Our first mini-trip alone: hiking in Moab

7. Graduating! I finally finished my bachelor's degree and Erik completed his Masters in Finance.

6. Going to New York for the U.S. Open - my anniversary gift to Erik

5. Taking our first BIG trip without family. The Dominican Republic was amazing!

4. Attending my friend's wedding in Seattle and going back "home" for the first time in years.

3. Going to Cabo San Lucas with Erik's family. We had so much fun!

2. Having my parents come home from their mission.

1. Getting PREGNANT!!! Yep, Khloe is going to be a big sister!

2009 brought a lot of travelling and fun times with our families. We have been so blessed and I couldn't have imagined a more exciting year. Obviously, for me the best part of 2009 was finding out that I am pregnant. Here it is, I'm finally announcing it. I am currently 16 weeks (4 months) and we are ecstatic. I'll post more on this venture later. :)

As I begin to think about what 2010 may bring, I get excited, anxious and scared. So much can happen in one year and I know this one will be especially challenging with a new baby and other likely changes to come. My goal this year is to cherish every single day and be the best version of myself. Oh, and I do hope 2010 brings some travelling and fun adventures along the way. ;)

Christmas: Come & Gone

I can't believe Christmas is already over. The holidays go by so fast! Before my family arrived, Erik and I went on a "Christmas Date Night". It was absolutely perfect. We went to dinner at Christopher's and had a delicious meal. (We usually don't like fancy food.) Dinner ended and on our way to the car, we gave our $30 steak leftovers to a homeless man and his dog on the side of the street. He was such a nice man and the dog was adorable. We watched as he opened up the styrofoam container and gave the first bite to his hungry companion. My heart melted!

The Christmas spirit continued throughout the week when my family arrived from out of town. This year my entire family was able to get together for the first time in almost 3 years. Like usual, we started off by taking our annual Santa picture (adults and all).

Later, we made gingerbread houses, went ice skating, watched "Christmas Vacation" and spent hours catching up on old times. I love it when my family can all be together.

Christmas day started bright and early so we could watch all my nieces and nephews open their presents. We sat there for probably an hour watching as they opened present after present. They were so happy and full of joy.

Erik and I hope you and your families had a wonderful Christmas. I can't wait for next year! You never know what it will bring.

We've Been "Elfed"

I know this was the popular thing to do a couple of years ago but I just had to do it again so I could see Khloe as a little elf. Take a look...it's pretty funny. (Pause the music on my sidebar first.)

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Christmas Excitement

Almost every day I get on my blog to check and see what other people are up to and realize I have got to post something; it's been 2 1/2 weeks! Unfortunately, not much has been going on in our household. So, in an effort to post SOMETHING, I'm going to blog about how much I love Christmas.

Last week I ordered our Christmas cards and to my surprise, they arrived today! A week early! Strangely enough, I love designing our Christmas cards and I hope you enjoy receiving them as well. The Christmas tree will finally be up this weekend and I have finished our "Christmas Activities" list and posted it on our fridge. :) I like to write down everything I plan on doing so that my husband can't complain when I spring something on him like going ice skating or making a gingerbread house with my nieces and nephews. "It is on the list, Honey." HA!

This year, my entire family will be together. It's been a long time since my parents have been on their mission in Bermuda. I can't wait to go sledding, make Norwegian cookies, watch Christmas Vacation, and get Santa pictures taken as a family. Yes, we have all grown up and still get our picture taken with Santa. It's been a tradition in my family and we can't stop until Erik and I have a baby. When that time comes, the adults are finally free. You should see Erik and my two brother-in-laws at the mall waiting in line. They are so miserable and can't wait to get out of there. Thankfully, they tough it out for the sake of tradition.

(Santa Picture - 2008)

Anyway, I hope you and your families are enjoying the Christmas season as much as I am. Only 23 more days to go!

Little "Khlo-ers"

Our little Khloe turned 2 years old earlier this month. As usual, we made her put on a birthday hat and gave her "fresh" dog food, which she loved.

In people years, we're now experiencing the "terrible two's" and in dog years she is a "terrible teenager" (14 years old). I guess that would explain her lack of listening and obeying lately.

Anyway, we love Khloe so much and look forward to many birthdays to come.

Home Sweet Home

Well, it's official...my parents are finally home from their mission. It was so wonderful being able to give them a big hug again. It's so hard for me when they are gone, however, the wonders of technology (Skype), the telephone, email and our visit to Bermuda last Thanksgiving made it much easier.


I love you Mom and Dad and am so happy you made it safely home! xoxo

Vegas Visit

A couple of weeks ago, I went down to Las Vegas to visit my sister and her family. I only get to see them about 3 times a year so I was very excited. In between all of the photo shoots she booked for me we ran errands, made cookies, went to Ashlyn's soccer game,

had a much needed girls night out at The Cheesecake Factory in Ceasar's Palace and

played with the kids at home.

I wish they lived closer so I could see them more often. Good thing I only have to wait until Christmas!

Parents Come Home TODAY!

My parents arrive back home in 5 hours and I am so excited! I thought I should get around to the seriously long overdue post of our trip to Bermuda last year. Erik and I were able to visit my parents over Thanksgiving last November so now it has been almost one year since I have seen them last. Here is a look at my favorite parts of our trip.

Meet my parents. The best "senior" missionaries ever! They worked so hard and have been such an amazing example to me.

Here we are at the Belmont Hills Golf Course where Erik golfed the first day.

One of the neatest things about Bermuda is how colorful it is. Every house is painted a vibrant color. No boring beige here.

Along with the colorful houses are incredible sunsets. They were amazing!

This is their baptismal font. What a neat place to become an official member of the church.

Here is my Mom in their very small kitchen. She is going to be so happy to have a dishwasher again.

I think this is called Horseshoe Bay. As you can see, we were there during the off season. There wasn't a single person there. It made for a beautiful picture.

This is the "toaster" as they called it; their transportation for driving around the island. It was very strange watching my Dad drive on the left side of the road.

Here is the view at the top of Gibbs Lighthouse. Isn't it gorgeous?

We went to the "Unfinished Church" one afternoon. They began building it in 1874 but due to lack of money, it was never finished. It was severely damaged by a hurricane in 1926 and is now a national monument.

We also went to Fort Hamilton. Can you believe the size of this leaf?

I need my Mom here to tell me where this was. Anyway, these are called stalagmites. Nature is so interesting!

Erik and I decided to brave the cold water and went snuba diving. The water was absolutely freezing! When we first got there, the guide thought we were crazy but I wasn't about to travel to Bermuda to not get in the water even though it was November. Despite the cold, it was still a lot of fun.

My Mom made a delicious Thanksgiving dinner in their miniature kitchen. The elders were very nice and seemed to enjoy the extra company.

Here we are in front of their branch building with one of the local families. All of the members were so nice and welcoming. It was wonderful getting to meet some of the people my parents have spent the last 18 months serving.

Lastly, here we are aboard the "Spirit of Bermuda" sail boat.

We had so much fun visiting my parents and it was comforting to see that they were taken care of as well. I'm sure my Dad would have loved to sail back home but thankfully they'll get here much quicker than that. Only a few more hours to go!

Never Too Late

Happy belated Halloween from our little devil.

Nature At It's Finest

One of the things on my list to do this fall, was to drive the Nebo Loop Scenic Byway. It is a 40 mile drive that starts in Payson and ends in Nephi. I discovered it online one day and they said it was "a photographer's dream". Boy were they right! Can you believe those colors? I was in total awe!

As the drive took us higher into the mountains, we began to see less colors because it was a little too late in the year. I highly recommend doing this around the end of September when the colors are really saturated and they have yet to fall off the trees. Here is the view from one of the many "outlooks" as we got a little bit higher. The view is still gorgeous.

The highest point of the drive takes you to about 9,000 feet in elevation, which is only about 3,000 feet below the summit of Mt. Nebo.

On our way back down, we passed what they call "Mini Bryce Canyon". I hope to make it to "big" Bryce Canyon soon. Amazing!

We only went about 25 mph on the byway so we could soak in everything around us. By the time we got home, it was five hours later. I can't wait to do this again and if you've never gone before...put it on your list for next year. This should not be missed!