Our Noble Lad

We went to grandma and grandpa Knight's for Christmas. While we were there the Oot got to play with his cousins. One afternoon grandpa was teasing Oot and his cousin telling them that he was the ear pig and he was going to eat their ears. They squeeled and tried to get away. Grandpa grabbed little MaKenna and Oot said, No, don't bite her, you can have my ear. This one here.
He is such a sweet boy and he teaches me lessons every day.

Eight Years

Today we celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary. I went through our photo albums and wrote down a few of the highlights from each of our years together.





2001
Snowmobiled in Salmon, ID.
Graduated from Ricks College.
Spent the summer in Utah.
Mark sold pest control and Monica went to dental assisting school.
We moved four times this year.
We both started working full time in the fall.


2002
Monica had been working as a dental assistant for only a few months,then started dental hygiene school.
Mark was working on his first year of his electrical apprenticeship.
We spent lots of time at the lake this summer including a cabin weekend with Monica's family.
We took several rafting trips with Monica and Jeremy and Tanya and Jon.
Mark got his Suzuki dirt bike.
We skied in Tahoe after Christmas with Marks family.


2003
We snowmobiled with Chris and Mandy.
Mark cut his head open and got 14 stitches.
We spent a lot of time jet skiing with Niki and Glen.
Monica hard at work in dental hygiene school, graduated at the end of the year. Mark got Monica her little Yamaha dirt bike.
We rafted, hiked and explored hot springs with Trent and Alex.
We bought our first home.
Mark surfed in California with Angela.

2004
Monica got her first dental hygiene job in a dental office.
Monica went on a European tour with Mark's sister Monica.
Mark sold the Suzuki and upgraded to a faster KTM.
We played on the lake with Monica's family and went camping with Marks family.
We had a dirt bike adventure with Trent, Tyson and Sid.
We found out we were pregnant.


2005
Our 1st child was born.
We went on a cruise to Mexico for Christmas with Monica's family.
As I looked over the pictures from this year I found lots of pictures of a sweet little boy getting bigger by the minute. With the birth of our first child our lives were changed forever. What a joy and blessing this little boy has been.

2006
We bought our second home and rented out our first home.
We did some remodeling to that second home.
Mark graduated from his apprenticeship and became a journeyman electrician.
We took a trip to Spokane to see Mark's parents land and where Monica grew up.




2007
Mark got an even faster KTM.
We found out we were expecting our second child.
We went paint balling in the summer.
We snowmobiled at Christmas with Monica's family.


2008
Our second child was born.
We went rafting in the summer.
We went to Aunt Angela's wedding.
It seems the year a baby is born out life stops for a while and we focus entirely on the new life in our lives. He has also been a great joy. He has the happiest disposition and we truly enjoy having him in our family.


It has been a great eight years. Mark is such a wonderful husband and father and I feel so blessed to have him in my life.

Sweat Box

The other night we drove around in the car looking at Christmas lights. We had the bear wrapped up like this....





When we got out of the car he was soaked in sweat.....

Fall Photo's

I have been holding back on posting any of our fall family photo's because I wanted to send out my Christmas card first. I didn't want to spoil the surprise and have you open a Christmas card to reveal a photo you have already seen. Ok I am wierd I know. Oh and I know I posted some of these on my backdrop, but they were not the one's I used in my card.
My friend Jammie took them and she did a wonderful job. Here is a sampling taken from the calander pages and mock Christmas cards I made. Here are some of Jammies favorites. Here is one she played around with. Oh how we love photoshop.

Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir?

A few weeks ago I suggested that Oot draw some pictures to send to some family with their Christmas cards. He drew a couple of blue and orange scribles. Well today he brought us a paper where he had drawn a star wars guy and daddy. Amazing, one day he scribbles the next he makes people. Oh I guess Mark threw away the star wars guy but here is one that I found...It is titled creepy monster

Visit to Santa

Oot was really cute when we went to see Santa. He drew a picture of Santa to take him, and talked about how he missed Santa the whole way there. He was nervous when we got there and wanted me to come with him. He sat on his lap and told him that he wanted a blue and an orange car. Last year all he cared about was getting candy and I think he cried when I tried to put him on Santa's lap. This year he forgot that there was candy. Oh and he told Santa that he met his wife, we had seen her a few weeks back at a Christmas activity.

What is So Funny About Poop?

Still have lots of things I want to post about but do not have the time. I don't take the time often enough to write down the funny things my son says, so here goes. Yesterday while we sat in church my son was talking to the teens behind us. He dropped a quarter on the ground and the teenage boy told him that he ate it. To this my son replied, "well now you are going to have to poop it out." He repeated this several times as the teen teased him about eating his quarter. Don't worry he didn't whisper so I am sure plenty of people heard. I couldn't help but laugh, it was a weak moment. He said to me, "that is funny huh?" I said, "yes but you need to sit down and be quiet." Oh he was just getting started. He then asked the teens behind us,(loud enough to be heard three rows back) "Why did tiger look in the toilet?" they didn't have a chance to reply before he proudly announced, "To look for pooh!" How embarrassing. But funny. He is sure fun to have around. Ok lunch break is over!

Missing Posts

Well I was going to post about so many things over the last couple of weeks; Thanksgiving, Airplane travel, Black Friday, Coupon deals, recipes, and many more. Some how my time has been taken up with fixing the computer, designing a Christmas card, gathering addresses, mailing cards, baking Christmas goodies, coupon shopping and deal hunting, making a photo calender and turning my European tour into a DVD. This is all in addition to my regular routine; you know the one, cook, clean, shop, work, clean drive, volleyball, diapers, clean, feed, sleep, rock, clean again, play, balance, pay, deposit. That sort of thing.
So I thought I would take a minute to post our Christmas card, I may or may not get to changing the fall background. How is your Christmas preparation coming along?

I Just Want to Know

It sounds like a lot of ladies went to see Twilight at midnight. The showing was sold out in 3,000 theatres. I actually went to the Sat morning matinee. I thought it was good. I would even see it again! Of course it did not live up to the book, movies never live up to a good book. Our imaginations can paint things so well. There were a few moments of cheesiness and I wanted more character develpment. Overall I enjoyed it. What did you think? Anyone want to go again? I am also wondering what someone who did not read the book thought of the movie. I wonered if the book kind of filled in the gaps for me and I would have been a little confused if I did not read the book. So tell me, I just want to know!

Women's Weekend

The last two years in the fall we have had a weekend away for all the women 12 and up that are decendants of my grandmother. We had our second annual gathering last week. It was so neat. There are some really awesome women in my family. Every year I learn new things from them and come to appriciate who I am more fully.

The Girls Retreat officially kicked off November 14, 2008 at 3:30pm in the Idaho Falls Temple Parking Lot. My cousins Dannyel, Chaunntel, NaTasha and Monique, my aunts Joyce, and Diane and my grandma all went to the temple. I forgot how beautiful that Temple is. I have not been there since we lived in Rexburg 8 years ago. It was really neat to be there with these wonderful women that I am related to.
My Aunt Vicki, and my cousins Kwinnae, Kayloni and Taryn went to the Mall to shop for last minute items in anticipation of the birth of Kwinnae's baby next week.
Aunt Patty put on a wonderful Mexican Style supper for everyone. Refried Beans and Spanish Rice, Shredded Pork and Chicken on homemade tortilla's and a absolutely amazing Caramel Flan for dessert.

We had a sharing time that started after supper and continued until everyone had a chance to share something important to them. This is one of my favorite parts so I took notes this year here are the highlights.

Our theme was favorite Christmas traditions

Chauntell
All the children sleep together in the same room on Christmas Eve.
Menu of 10 meals from food storage.

Diane
Get up very, very early, 3am early.
Treasure hunt for presents, usually a big family present.
Set up video and record everyone opening gifts.

Monica
Putting together a box of gifts, food and goodies and leaving it for a family that may be in need.
This year I am really excited to make my own digital Christmas card using photoshop.

MaryJo
Filling Christmas stockings. Put an Orange in the toe, this was always done by grandma. An orange was a special treat for her children at Christmas time.
Likes to sneak a little some thing special into every ones stocking. She did this one year when we were at Grandma's for Christmas. I remember getting something in my stocking that did not come from Santa. She must have been the one that snuck it in there. It was something simple like chapstick but it left a lasting memory for me. A little extra Christmas magic!

Patrice
Eating was Christmas, it's all about the food. Traditional foods, candies, cookies, orange chocolate sticks, special dinners.

Grandma
Mincemeat pie came from Great Grandma Peterson
Carrot Pudding from Great Grandma Hyer
Christmas dinner with a stranger. Grandma and grandpa were going to spend Christmas dinner alone so Grandpa stopped a man on the highway to join them and baby Vicki for dinner.
Grandma would stay up decorating the tree Christmas eve, the children were many times surprised to see a Christmas tree in the morning.
Grandma used to make a Christmas Goose.

Vicki
Take turns opening gifts… teaches self control and gives everyone a chance to watch each other open gifts.
Vicki always says, "If you don't believe in Santa he will not come." This has always kept a little magic alive for her children.

Joyce
Stocking is the item to open on Christmas Eve
Visit a family and take a treat…pick someone who has inspired or touched your life this year.
Favorite Christmas books, Little Red Bucket, Christmas Orange.
Santa only brings one present

Monique
Share one special gift the Savior has given us. (talent, blessing)
Family Prayer then open gifts.
Treasure Hunt for last big family gift.
Implementing continuing memories of childhood


NaTasha
Three Gifts are from parents The gift of Want, Need and Love
Want…wrap in gold represents gold(biggest exciting thing)
Need…wrap in green represents mere
Love…wrap in red represents frankincense(example…temple picture-- )
12 days of Christmas Nativity pick a family and give a piece each night… a little message with each piece.

Taryn
It’s not just Christmas Day it’s a Holiday Season
Puts tree up day after Halloween
Make treats, fudge, divinity, cookies gingerbread, sugar
give treats to neighbors
Open new pj's on Christmas eve

Kwinnae
Scrap books on snapfish give as a gift of Love
Cook Turkey all night and then Dad gets to eat a plate of turkey before kids open gifts.

Kayloni
Her mother's Christmas Village
Her mom did not like to get up early so she would drug the children with Dramamine in some juice and change the clocks.
Gratitude means more than thanks.
Take Christ as your best friend…..text 100 times day,

Dannyel
Has a book full of Christmas stories and they read one every night until Christmas.

Other tips and ideas that came up

Dannyel
Book: Remembering Wholeness by Carol Tuttle LDS Author
Amazon.com is cheapest place to buy one.

Chaunntel
Search your Patriarchal blessings for your mission statement, warnings, personality traits

MaryJo
Quote “The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others, blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that we must ask for in order to obtain.” Bible Dictionary
Great resource for scripture study

Vicki
Food Storage…. Find a good deal...if you can afford 3 buy them and use 1 store 2.
Always have a commodity.
Food storage ideas.

Joyce
Mineral Oil… great for moisturizing your face, works for constipation as well.
Continuously think of 5 things a day that you are grateful….changes your brain chemistry

Monique
Personality Profiling….individual personality and makeup helps you understand and appreciate other people's differences.
The D.I.S.C. Learning Model
The DISC Personality test is a nonjudgmental survey for understanding behavioral and personality styles. It helps people explore behavior across four primary dimensions:

Dominance: Direct, Driving, Decisive. These people tend to be independent and results driven. They are strong-willed people who enjoy challenges, taking action, and immediate results. The bottom line is their focus tends to be on the bottom line and results.
Influence: Optimistic & Outgoing. These individuals tend to be very social and out going. They prefer participating on teams, sharing thoughts, and entertaining and energizing others.
Steadiness: Sympathetic & Cooperative. These people tend to be your team players and are supportive and helpful to others. They prefer being behind the scene, working in consistent and predictable ways. They are often good listeners and avoid change and conflict
Conscientiousness: Concerned, Cautious & Correct. These people are often focused on details and quality. They plan ahead, constantly check for accuracy, and what to know "how" and "why".

NaTasha
Favorite quote from Grandma, "Never learn how to do something you don’t want to keep doing." (ie gut a fish, or pluck a bird)

Saturday Morning

We all came out to Sid’s for breakfast. Vicki and her girls were in charge. She helped us make omelette's in a bag. You put all ingredients in a big zip lock bag and put in boiling water until it was done. It is fast and hardly any mess.

Next at Diane's she taught us to make homemade soap. You can buy soap base here, plus the scents. Shred soap base, add scents, and scrubs, etc. and melt in microwave. Pour into mold and spray immediately with alcohol to keep bubbles off the top.




We made Grandma’s Salve. Here is the story of the salve. 80 some years ago Grandma Hyer was making tomato juice and Uncle Gary her brother was about 18 months old and got under the bread board and a bottle of hot tomato juice burst and the juice landed on him. Grandma talked to her grandma Peterson Johanna Maria Mouritsen. Born 1846. This was Grandma Hyer’s Dad, Lorenzo Petersen’s Mother. She brought the recipe for this salve with her crossing the plains. They got the ingredients and made the salve and he only has 2 small scars after healing. He had burns over 80-90 percent of his body, and 3rd degree burns.
The Salve has mutton tallow in it which from what I gathered is lamb fat it smells really bad, we added lavender oil to the salve to give it a little better smell. We also learned that adding a little oil to the salve helps if it gets dry and clumpy.

We also made coconut cups, peanut butter cups, and caramel. Dannyel shared with us her talents and recipes.


Grandma gave away some of her things. The hot item's were the spoon rings that our Uncle Sid made to earn money to pay for college. He made them out of fancy old souvenir spoons and then sold them to a shop in SLC for $12 each. This was in the early 70's. My grandma had kept a box of about 10 all these years. My Uncle Sid is always the entrepreneur. Grandma also brought over to show us her father's army coat from World War I. I tried it on and it barely fit me, I could not believe he could have been my size.




The gathering was wonderful. Thank you ladies for taking the time and sharing a piece of yourself. Also thank you to our wonderful husbands who took care of things at home so that we could unite.

Look Who Is Crawling!

I have been expecting him to start crawling around 9 months because that is when his brother crawled. Well he is about a week short of 9 months so just about what I expected. It is still very exciting to see him do this. Although I am worried because he is going to be harder to keep track of.
I took a video of him crawling but had trouble uploading it so I am going to post pictures instead. He started back in October a couple of days before Halloween.



Now he is getting good at getting into everything!


The Oot was not to be out done. He had to show off his crawling skills too!


He is such a sweet little boy!

Ricks College

This summer we went to Idaho Falls for my cousin Kiery's wedding. We decided to take a trip down memory lane back to where we met, dated, got engaged and spent the first few months of our married life, Ricks College. It was really fun. We walked around campus, went to the botanical garden's and visited our old apts. It brought back lot's of fun memories. We had such a great time at Ricks. Especially my freshmen year, I must have had the best roommates ever! The College has changed a lot since we were last there. In fact it isn't even a College anymore it is a University. We have not been back since graduation.
We took pictures in front of all of our old apts except my freshmen summer house because it was torn down and our first apt together because we just forgot. Mark said we must have been trying to suppress those memories. It was kind of a hard couple of months, it was a frozen tundra the whole semester, we were dirt poor, (I am not even sure how we survived, lots of potato's and chili dinners.), we were adjusting to married life and we pretty much had no social life.
The visit was fun. What a great place to go to school. We would recommend it to anyone with a positive attitude. You have to be creative and positive in a tiny town that has snow on the ground for what seems like the whole school year!

Hooter Hider

I made this image for my mother in law. She is selling these at a craft show next weekend. I thought I would post this and let all who are interested know that she sells them for $30 and if you want one just let me know.

Yes on Prop 8

California voted on Propisistion 8 yesterday to place in the CA constiution these words, "Marriage is only between a Man and a Woman." It passed! Gay and Lesbian couples will still have all of the rights of a married couple under the domestic partnership laws, but when it comes to leagalites concerning the word marriage it will remain between a man and a woman. This will protect churches, schools, photographers doctor and numurous other organizations from being prosescuted for not supporting the union of a gay couple. I am so proud of the many Californian's who still believe in the sanctity of marriage and have worked so hard to keep it that way.

Voting

I voted last week, yup already done. I filled out an absentee ballot. Very cool. I won't have to figure out where to go, get a babysitter, drag my kids along, drive anywhere, squeeze it into my schedule or stand in a long line.
I did my research online with each category before coloring in the circles. Unfortunately I did not feel clear excitement with a lot of the candidates. I am not going to go into that any further, but I am sure many others feel the same way.
So on NOV 4th I will not be voting, cause it is already done. YEA!

Trick, Treat or Conversation?

Out little Oot is a talkative little boy. We had a lot of fun taking him around to different houses. He always had something to say.

On house had the candy in a bowl on the porch with the screen door shut and the front door open. We just assumed they did not want to come to the door. After we made enough noise out front two dogs came barking at the door and along came the owner.
Oot: "Why did you put your candy out here?"
Owner: So the we wouldn't have to keep holding the dogs back.
Oot: Which candy should I pick mom? Yellow or brown?
Me: Oh pick the yellow.
Oot: No I am going to pick brown.

At another house the lady told him he could take as many as he wanted. So he kept taking one after the other until I finally stopped him. Then he looked in the house and saw a large white bowl near the kitchen and said, "Do you have more candy in that white bowl?"
Lady: No it is just tomatoes, do you want some tomatoes.
Oot: NO.

One couple asked him do you live here?
Oot: No I live with my mom and dad.

With many people he would ask for particular colors of candy, more candy or what was left in the bowl.

He asked many adults what they were dressed as for Halloween even when they were not dressed up or why they left out certain decorations or carved their pumpkins a certain way.

We went around with our friends Glen and Niki and they have a new baby that they were pushing around. At our friend Tara's house she wanted to get a peek at their new baby. Oot worked and worked to get her attention so that he could show her our baby. "Look our baby is a Penguin, don't you want to see our baby."

My friend Julie has a brown dog that is some kind of poodle. When her husband came to the door the dog came too and Oot said, "Is that a pine cone or a dog?"

At the Costello's house he asked Patrick, "where is your mom?" (your wife)
Patrick: She is working on the computer.
Oot: My mom works on the computer too.

One house had a logo for our local college football team, I pointed it out and he said, " oh cool." The owner then said, no rival fans will trick or treat here ahh hahahahahaha. (Kind of weird and spooking like.)
Oot looked at him and said, " why did you say that?"
The guy rather embarrassed said,"I don't know."

It was fun. I don't know why he is so social he sure does not get it from me or his dad. It is good for me though to be more social. He is a good boy!

Boo at the Zoo

We spent a fun afternoon with some friends. We went to a special costume and candy collecting day at the Zoo. It is Boo at the Zoo. It is very fun and very crowded. It was a nice day to see the animals.

Halloween Decorations

The lady that watched my children when I work has her house decorated with lots of cute and fun Halloween decorations. My boy was asking about these decorations and so I told him we could get ours out when we got home. Almost everything I have I got from my mother in law. I am not really into decorating for all the holidays except Christmas. I am realizing that it really is not about me, it is about the kids. They are the ones that love the decorations.


Last night after all the boys had gone to bed I was cleaning up some of the toys and such. I found these cars on top of my toilet and put them away.



The next morning my son went about the house placing his cars in different places. Then cheerfully announced, "mom, tell me good job for decorating for Halloween."







My goodness that was cute until later that day I asked him to clean up another one of his messes and he put most of it on the couch claiming that he was decorating for Halloween again!