We love the Swartzentrubers. And we can spell their last name.


An action shot.


Grandpa Ralph teaching Marie how to walk.

Bucket Head


Hours of entertainment in a laundry basket.


A rocking COW? Whatever. It was 4 bucks and it makes Marie smile.


A party with Marie's animal friends.


Nice booties.

Okay, the blog is up and running again. Here are the pics!

Pretty little pumpkins

Mommy hugs

The fam in the maze


Marie kinda looks like a hobo in this picture. A cute portly hobo.


The Three Bambinos. Ike, Marie, Naomi.


They were mistaken for twins a couple of times in the double stroller.
Fraternal twins, that is. Their appearances are slightly different!
(that's a nice way of saying Marie is a chunky monkey)


Uncle Tim with his two kiddos.


Tim taking the kids out for a drive.

Some pictures from the Eden Prairie Meehans' visit.
I will post many more later,
but unfortunately the blogger website is acting up!

Two of the cutest little pumpkins I've ever seen...

Marie's First Trip to Chuckie Cheese's

We took a group from Special Touch out to lunch
today and had a great time!
Joel and I are convinced that places like this are
the reason behind the ADHD epidemic in the U.S.

Mom and Marie with the Chuckmeister

Dancing along...

Sitting at Chuck's feet.

Alisha, Chris and Clark

Clark and Marie

Laughing about something.

This picture has nothing to do with Chuckie Cheese - I just like it.

Hopping up and down while holding onto mom's legs.


Marie fighting off the paparazzi.


Oh yeah, this is a cute face. Can you say "jowls"?


Marie now rolls to get things (like Mom and Dad's shoes)


Mrs. Moozie - also Maggie's favorite toy as a kiddo.


What are you lookin' at COW?

Dad dressed her up in Mom's shirt.

Joel's Famous Rejection (courtesty of the rim). Enjoy...

Grandpa Ben and Marie


Left to Right: Mom, Dad, Great-Grandpa &

Great-Grandma Jobe, Grandma Barb, and little Marizzle
(Yes, these are the great-grandparents that had 16 kids!)
Marie was their first great-granddaughter,
preceded by 7 or 8 great-grandsons (can't remember).

Of course, Naomi came one week after Marie,

so now they have two!

Mom and Dad's Colorado Getaway

Timber Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park.
It was a 10.6 mile hike there and back.

We're thankful that the grizzlies and

mountain lions spared our lives.

Garden of the Gods - Colorado Springs


At the top of Pike's Peak. Whew! We made it!
(actually, we took the train)
Maggie got a little loopy because of the lack of oxygen.


Joel and Maggie at the top, trying to avoid the lightening (no joke).
Is it just me or do we look like friends,
rather than husband/wife, in this picture?
Ewww...boys have cooties.


Joel's near-death experience at the top of Pike's Peak.
I just had to snap a quick photo before rescuing him.

A good one of Marizzle (what her daddy calls her).

It was cold out, so she was a good sport.

At this point she appears to be 100% Joel.

That's the general consensus, anyway.

Grammy Cindy took these for us in Lincoln last weekend.

She did a great job, and it beats paying a "professional"!

Joel proposed to Maggie at

this exact same spot on 2-14-04.