She speaks

A little late,but here is our first attempt to post a video. Though a picture isn't showing up, it should still work...

Hoppy Halloween!

Zoe got so into Halloween! We thought we would take her for a few houses and then take her home so Bella and I could go longer. After the first door, when she caught on to the whole concept of getting candy, she was signed on. She ran from every door with her cute little bunny tail bobbing up and down. It was awesome. I will post some video because her cute little voice can't be missed.



Bella opted for Princess Leia this year--without any swaying from me--which makes me proud. More so cause we don't even own the films.



The weather here has gotten so nice finally and Kari took Zoe to the pumpkin patch. She ended up pulling this kid around half the time.

Another year, another...?

Happy Birthday to Zoe! She turned 2 years old on Friday and we can't believe how fast it has gone. We have had so much fun with her.



We ate at a burger joint and Bella and Zoe got to decorate their own hats. Most of the day, though, Zoe wore a crown they gave her at her pre-school that day. Awesome.



She is the smallest (23lbs.) and youngest child in her class, but the teacher says that she is the best (not to us--we stole her journal and read that in there). So, she totally rules the school. You can see it in that kid's face.



This picture was taken a month ago of the Arntsen women in front of our home.



OK, not really. We were at a park in River Oaks--the money area of Houston. Not that we want to pretend we belong there, we were just in the neighborhood. Money rules!

The most exciting thing about Zoe's birthday is that at this time next year, she won't be the baby of the family anymore. We found out that Kari is expecting and is 7 weeks along now. We are really excited, though it is a little new still. We feel so blessed and loved and can't wait to add another one to the mix in the early summer of 2008.

Happy Birthday...3 years later.

I was looking through old photos and realized that it is probably close to Brooke Richards birthday right now, since this was taken August 14, 2004 at her birthday party in Salt Lake.





I think Kari and I already look a lot older than we used to. We've been through enough in the past 3 years to add 10 years to our life. I don't say enough how lucky I am to be her husband, though I have been thinking it more and more lately. I love you, Kari. Now, I just have to go and tell her to her face.

Finally it has happened to me...

So, we are finally almost all back together after a long period of vacation. Kari took the girls to Utah for Pioneer Day, where I joined them a week later. It was a lonely week. We took a family photo with Kari's side of the family at the Great Salt Lake--haven't seen the results yet, but we finally got a new camera and took a few of our own.



We left Zoe with Kari's sister and drove to Yellowstone and Jackson Hole for the weekend. We got to Old Faithful about 30 seconds before she erupted, which is perfect timing when you are driving a lot with a 6 year old. Still, we had a lot of fun and it was so beautiful. In Jackson Hole, there were enough bald eagles to make a patriot of anyone, plus about 2000 bikers on their way to Sturgis (which meant even more bald eagles...tattooed everywhere).



As you can see, I am still not used to taking photos, which is why I appear a little stiff in this picture. This was actually my best one too.



After a week in Utah, I had to head back home for work. Kari took Zoe out to California for another lonely week (for me). She had a great time and had beautiful weather. Zoe got her first solo ride on the merry-go-round. She's takes to horses pretty natural-like. Must be the Texas in her. Anyway, I am glad to have two of the girls back and can't wait 'til Bella gets home on Tuesday. She will start 1st grade in just a couple of weeks!

So, now that we are finally photo-ready, we have no excuse not to post more often. This likely won't become a journal, but I am hoping it becomes as common as a Chris Romney hair twirl. Yeah right.

Copycats

So, since our camera is busted, we are stealing photos of our 4th of July trip to Austin from Josh and Melisa-hope they don't call the authorities (general).

We had an amazingly fun time, especially considering the lack of sunshine.







By the way, the McKinneys live in a friggin' mansion. Seriously, though, their house is beautiful and we are so glad to have them close (by Texan standards--3 hours drive).

Alice Cooper

School's out for summer...

So Bella finished kindergarten last week and it is kind of strange--it makes you realize that you really are a parent. Here is Bella when she turned 6 in March. She is so beautiful and is growing up so quickly. I can't believe how much she has grown since I met her. She is on the swim team and just finished up a dance class. I am very proud of her andwhat a great sister she is. I can't believe how old she already is.




This is Bella in January of 2004, 6 months after I met her for the first time in Utah--thanks to Nicole Choules. I am grateful you invited me to your family bar-b-que that day!





I am now the same age my dad was when I was born. We are getting to that point where we are starting to think about another kid and I am really excited (and not just because that means I will get some action). I have really felt that it is time to take a step ahead in life and to grow up some more. Every time I have, it has meant greater happiness, so I think I am up to the challenges that always accompany such growth.

What does this all mean? It means I just joined the gym, so I can get in shape. In a few months, I will hopefully be big and powerful like Carl or Mike Kelly. Before photos to come soon...

Hurricane Alley

I love really close up pictures sometimes. Unfortunately, they are often out of focus. I like this one anyway. Zoe does have a lot of my features--including the biggest rear end you have ever seen on a cute girl.

June 1st marked the official commencement of hurricane season. We are hoping for a repeat of Rita from 2005 when we ended up in Austin with Josh and Melissa. We stayed at an enormous lake house with my siblings and their kids for what turned out to be the best impromptu vacation ever. Not a drop of rain and 3 stories of free fun and food (Josh's boss, the owner of the lake house, bought all the food and did all the cooking!!!).

So, if any storms are heading towards the gulf coast, book your flights for Austin and we'll see you there.

Zoe is our little hurricane at home. Nothing is really safe. Sadly, she just broke our camera for good and we haven't sprung for a new one yet. There are too many other expenditures on the list right now. She has learned to hit and push and destroy. Today in church, she took off one of her sandles and ran around hitting all of the kids in nursery with it. Oh well.

#2

I can't believe how long it has been since our virgin post. How do people post almost daily? Don't they have TV to take up all their time? Seriously.

Anyway, here are some photos that span the last couple of years...



Above are the girls in the early spring of 2006. Below are the girls in December 2006, sitting in an opened gift box.



I have also noticed that it is time to update my operating system, since I am on a four-year old version of everything on my iMac. It won't let me use many of these buttons to add more photos and whatnot. Anyway, it will work somehow.

Is this thing on?

As the official last family to start a blog, we have a lot of catching up to do. We will keep it refreshingly unclever and state the facts:

Spencer, Kari and Isabella moved from SLC to Houston to get married in January 2005.
Kari got pregnant on the honeymoon and Zoe was born in October of 2005.


After a few moves and changes, we closed on our first home on Valentine's Day of this year. We are still settling in, which is way more work than HGTV ever made it out to be. Kari is in charge of maintaining some semblance of order and has our home looking great. Bella is now 6 and about to finish kindergarten. Zoe is 18 months and the cutest handful ever. Spencer works as a consultant to small business owners for a good company. We are totally living the burb life and loving it (mostly).

This photo was taken last August in Utah. We will try to do some fancy photo montage to get everyone visually caught up soon...