Chick Chat

2012-02-07T03:19:00.001-08:00

Hey girlies who never update this blog because you actually have lives. I've created a new blog, mostly to post story stuff on. :) http://ambermaesnotebook.blogspot.com/ Check it out.

Wait, I was supposed to be acting?!

2011-03-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, I guess I'll be the first one to post in this new year since it's the middle of March...

I just got done with a play called Geeks and Greeks in which I was the Greek Goddess Hestia. :) The way my director wanted the part played required little acting on my part. LOL...I just had to be my motherly self with a higher pitched voice and absolute faith in Tupperware. In fact, I would come off stage, and people would say, "Amber, you're off stage. You don't have to be Hestia anymore." Heehee...The older cast members started calling me "Momma Amber" and their "Stage Mommy" because I would do their hair and make up and help with costumes, and the little kids followed suit. I felt so loved. <3 Anyway, I'll here are some pictures of the process. :)

Happy Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown!

2010-11-25T17:19:00.000-08:00

So, we nearly made it to Utah for a pre-Thanksgiving gathering with some of you, but we were snowed in and trapped in our own state. We've made the best of it, and are grateful we didn't risk our lives:) From our home to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!

What's for dinner tonight?

2010-10-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

I just took a few minutes to throw together a crockpot meal for dinner tonight. I've linked the recipe to save me some time typing it and to also send you to one of my favorite food sites.
All the ingredients are readily available. If I hadn't been growing a baby this year and not up to a garden, I could have pulled some of the veggies from my garden as some of you may be able to. I did use canned white beans, because I had them on hand. I prepped my veggies ahead of time, which made this a super quick fix. You could easily cut this recipe in half to accommodate a smaller crockpot and a smaller family size or if you don't like leftovers. I actually love a good soup or stew the 2nd day around.
Enjoy!

Recipe

2010-09-05T21:17:00.000-07:00

I have a hard time deciding what to cook every night. I get tired of eating the same thing over and over again, but I get scared of trying new random recipes. Anyway, here is one of my recipes that I used to make quite often several years ago and just recently discovered. I just thought that maybe some of you are in the same boat and need ideas for dinners.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 to 1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 large broccoli crown, chopped or frozen broccoli
milk as much as wanted
*optional--bacon pieces or shredded chicken to make it more substantial.

I throw the soup and the broccoli 9and bacon if using) in the crock pot for a couple hours until the broccoli is done, then I add the cheese and some milk to thin it out to the consistency I want it. I add salt and pepper to taste.

If you want to make it stretch, you can serve it over rice or baked potatoes.

Alright it's your turn. What is a simple, tasty recipe?

August Ends

2010-08-31T20:12:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to tell everyone who has anniversary in August...."Happy Anniversary!' Sorry I didn't get individual wishes out to you all. It's been a crazy month for me.
Love you all
Jill

Summer Ends :(

2010-08-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

So, I got my schedule for this upcoming year. It's scary, but we'll see if I can handle it. I've been looking for a job...and I have a standing offer to be a day care assistant at my friend's mum's day care, but I'm saving that for a last resort. Anyway, today I made egg drop soup and stir fry for dinner. I had it all ready when mum got home from work. It was fun.

1 + 2 = 3

2010-08-08T18:02:00.000-07:00

That's right. We will be adding a new addition to our family in the coming months. We will be leaving the realm of two parents for two kids and will now be outnumbered by our children. As long as I don't have to take them all shopping with me, I should be alright. I am almost done with my first trimester and am glad to start seeing the days of feeling better. My due date is set for Feb. 19th, but I am expecting earlier. Anyway, just thought I'd share the good news. Hope everyone is doing well.

Maine :)

2010-08-03T15:48:00.000-07:00

So I have spent the past month here in Maine with Ann and Dan and the boys. It has gone by so darn fast!!! It feels like I haven't been here more than two days. :) Thanks to Ann for making my stay so wonderful and full of fun. :) I loved having all the treats. I am almost sad to fly out tomorrow. Well, one more trip to go, unless Mum, Shane, Chubs, and I really do go camping at Trout Creek. Then home for a few days before senior year!!!
Well, I haven't just been having loads of fun out here. I've also been hacking away at my story. :) Not getting too far, but baby steps, baby steps. If you want to read the parts that I am happy with, I am uploading them to Facebook and my writer's blog (http://adelynsstories.blogspot.com/) as I go. :)
So, next stop: Utah.

Hooray for June

2010-06-22T19:24:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to wish Emily and Connor happy birthdays and also tell April congrats on the new baby. I look forward to seeing lots of pictures from the recent birthdays and the new babies.
Jill

Sewing Projects

2010-04-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

This post is really for April but these are some dresses that I made for Katie and her little friend Piper. Also, I made this skirt out of an old pair of my khakis.

Yummyness at Home

2010-04-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

So, today I felt like baking. I made sausage calzones, vanilla ice cream, and blueberry coffee cake. And they all turned out!!!! YAY!!!!!!!

Vacation

2010-03-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

We recently returned from a two week vacation to NY/Washington DC. It was great. We had a lot of fun, got very worn out, and are glad to be home in our own beds. You'll have to check out my blog in the near future for a semi-complete update of our trip (with lots of photos).

I do want to share a couple of pictures with you . We had the opportunity to visit the Vietnam War Memorial and were able to find Mom's cousin's name on the wall. It was neat to be there and find his name. Look for Raymond L Robertson Jr. That is Aunt Winnie's son who was killed during the Vietnam war.

Still Employed

2010-02-23T18:30:00.000-08:00

Since I can't remember who I've talked to, I thought this was the best option to update everyone. Back in December, we were told Dan's position would be cut for next year. Since then we have been applying for jobs and anticipating another move. However, last week we were unexpectedly offered another year here at UMaine. Through small miracles and good people bargaining for us, we have managed to secure another year here. We are not sure we will stay, depending on what the Lord has in mind for us, but we are hoping to. We love it here and would love the chance to spend another year here. I'll keep you posted. And if we do end up staying here, that will give all of you another chance to come visit us in glorious Maine.

The winds of Change

2010-02-22T13:23:00.000-08:00

We have some news to share. Justin just accepted an offer for an internship with CWI, a company out at the INL site hear Idaho Falls. He starts Mar 8 and will work through the summer. He graduates in July, and right now he's applying to graduate schools so he can start in the Fall. We're excited for this next phase and move to wherever we're going in the Fall although we'll be sad to leave Rexburg.
Our next piece of news is that we're expecting in August. We won't find out what we're having for another month, but we'll keep you posted. We decided Katie needed a sibling and we're excited for the new little spirit to come to our home.
Hope all is well with everyone else!

February is Crazier than January.

2010-02-19T21:48:00.000-08:00

So, at the beginning of January I tried out for a play at the Orphan Girl. I got several supporting roles (only one has lines) and ever since then has been crazier than I could have ever imagined. The past six weeks have been some of the most hectic of my life, but opening night tonight was worth every bit of it. More than once, I came home in tears because being the oldest was hard and the other girls closest to my age were stick thin. Realizing I was chosen for one of my parts because I am larger was definitely a blow to my happiness, but it's all good now. I have been invited back by the Costume Director to help with costumes and kids next production, which should be fun. :) I prefer being crew vs cast anyway. The play runs for another week, so this should be grand and tiring. So that's me for the month of February.

January Is a Brutal Month

2010-01-26T20:58:00.000-08:00

So, today I took my last final o the semester. I did horribly on my English final, but oh well. I'll live. :)

One down, one to go

2009-12-21T18:59:00.000-08:00

So we have successfully weaned Andrew. I never imagined I would nurse him until he was 17 months old, but sometimes life goes in ways you wouldn't expect. But after all is said and done, we are finished. It does seem that he is sleeping better at night now that he is weaned. I'd like to thank all of you for your helpful advice, tips, etc about weaning. They were helpful.

Now I just have to get Cole potty trained. We started today. After a rough start this morning, we had a successful afternoon and evening. Now we'll see how the rest of the week goes. Wish me luck. (And as always, I'm open for advice.) Thanks.

Merry Christmas.

Our trip to Niagara Falls

2009-11-15T13:58:00.000-08:00

Hello all - it's been forever since I've actually posted something on the blog, so that tells you how monumental this occasion is. Well, as I'm sure you all know, I just recently returned to Utah after a 3 1/2 week stint in Maine with the Barretts. I had a FABULOUS time and added several new states to my list of places visited. A few of my favorites from this trip were seeing the Boston temple; a visit to Acadia National Park (Maine); stopping at the Hill Cumorah & the Sacred Grove in Palmyra (New York); and HELLO! standing next to Niagara Falls! What an action-packed vacation, if I do say so myself!

Anyway, I thought you might enjoy a few pictures of Niagara Falls. I took hoards of pictures everywhere we went, but I won't overwhelm you with my photos (especially since quite a few didn't turn out as well as I had hoped). So, I hope you enjoy the few of Niagara Falls that are presented here. The pics don't begin to do the spectacular place justice, but hey, it's the best we could do.

Ann kept trying to convince me to go over the falls with her, but I insisted that it wasn't a very good idea. She finally talked me into it, however, and off we went (see picture below). Cole and Andrew, on the other hand, were very wise in their choice to remain on shore. After we paid our $25,000 fine and convinced the border patrol and park security that putting us in jail was a bad idea, we were finally able to leave the state of New York and go back to Maine...Okay, so maybe it didn't happen QUITE like that, but it sure is fun to joke about : ) I couldn't resist editing the photo to put us in it.

October....

2009-11-06T20:07:00.000-08:00

October was a grand month. I've had a lot of ups and downs with the guys in my life. (Dennis/DJ has decided he likes me again, but I'm kind of dating this other kid...)I'm trying not to fail block, but Cooney dislikes me so I don't know how that's going to work out. I have become the resident cheerleader for speech and debate as well as fencing and band.I have attended one speech meet and two concerts in the past two days. Anyway, I've had a lot of fun. I had a movie party and I've spent lots of time with Josh <3. Hope you guys are having a great November so far.

October Fun

2009-10-06T17:53:00.000-07:00

We started out the month with cold and snowy weather. We took Katie out to play, and she liked it.
The other pictures are from when we went to the mall in Idaho Falls to do some shopping and to distract Katie while Justin looked at a few things. And there's one picture of katie and the little girl I babysit.

It's Been A While

2009-09-24T17:24:00.000-07:00

So I haven't posted on here in ages it seems like. So I thought I'd give you a quick update. Things are going swell. We love Maine. It is beautiful and the people we've met are really nice. Dan is enjoying teaching at the university and all of his colleagues are super. It has its moments of stress and busyness, but overall is a good experience. Cole is actually growing. He has inordinate amounts of energy and keeps us going every minute. He loves to read and help me with the dishes. Andrew is a born climber and I get tired of fetching him down off our steep stairs a million times a day. But I'm convinced he's part mountain goat or something. It's in his soul and there is no stopping him. I am enjoying the beautiful fall season of New England. It has only begun and is extremely gorgeous. I love fall; it is my favorite season. I absolutely love the reds and yellows and oranges.

Dan and I have callings in our new ward which are ones that neither of us have done before. I serve as the CTR 6 teacher in primary, which is an adventure sometimes. I have two little girls and I confess I don't know what to do with them sometimes. I am used to working with boys. I did cub scouts for a year and with my men at home, that's what I'm used to. I guess I'll figure it out. Dan serves as the ward music director. Basically, they want him to start up a functioning choir. He also has been called to be the 11 year old scout leader. I think he is a little nervous since he know nothing about scouting, as he has never done any of it. He will be great though.

Anyway, I think I have rambled on long enough and need to get my bread in the oven. Later.

Weird Encounter

2009-09-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am an aide for Ruffier. YAY! and I was making copies in the teachers' office and Mr. Samples came in. So there I was, making my 240 copies and he was like, "So how's April?" and I was like wait a second! You know who i am?! It was so weird. But anyway, he told me to say hi to April, Jane, and Mary. I figured this was the best way to say hi for him to all of you. :)

Maine pics continued

2009-09-17T11:37:00.000-07:00

Maine pics

2009-09-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

A marble board!!!

2009-09-08T22:47:00.001-07:00

A couple of years ago, I was on a crazed, determined quest to acquire a marble board for our family. You may remember all my solicitations for help, after attempts to find one online failed. Jill and I pieced all the details together (confirmed them with Matt, who had a marble board--still does) and I set out to make my own board. Kade and I were in the process of selling our first home, and we didn't have the proper tools, but we managed to throw something together really quick, using the biggest drill bit he had for his drill, to placate me for the moment. We sold our home, moved into our new one, spent the summer getting organized, then with a very busy school year and being pregnant with Joshua, the marble board was pushed to the back. Well, thanks to Mary, who is on her own quest to own an elusive marble board, she resurrected my quest, and I've succeeded. We don't have many woodworking tools, and didn't know what to do about not having a drill press. We finally solved the problem this time by finding a drill bit which attaches to Kade's typical drill, that does the job perfectly, and lets you bypass having to have access to a drill press. I finally finished staining and sealing the board yesterday, so we played on the board last night. Everyone loved it (we had played before on my makeshift board a couple of years ago, but this time was fabulous.) Sorry for the long post. I've included photos of the first board, and my new one. Anyway, there's hope if you're interested in the same thing. Just get in touch with me for some details:)

A California August

2009-09-08T22:31:00.000-07:00

Hi, all. So it's September 8th, and I'm posting about August. Gotta problem with that??!! :) Anyway, we're all well, although in shock that we've been in school for a month now. Crazy!!!! Kade and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary back on the 18th. Fourteen sounds like such a long time, but it's hard to believe how fast the time has flown. Joshua turned 16 months on Sunday. I'm convinced I'm in some kind of time warp. Anyone feel that way too? Here's a few photos for your viewing pleasure.

Maine

2009-09-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

HEY! So I got home from Maine last Wednesday. I am very happy to be home. I'll post pictures when I get the chance, but right now I have to go do my pre-calc homework...so anyway, ttyl.

Anniversary

2009-08-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary to everyone who has August Anniversaries. I usually forget to send a card or an email...so Hope everyone has a good anniversary.

Montana Stock Shindig reply

2009-07-13T10:44:00.001-07:00

I'm making this a post so it's more obvious than a comment, because, again, Toni and Amber, it needs to be said what a terrific event you put on. You guys did such an amazing job. I think you two should do it again, because of your fabulous skills. I don't necessarily want to be the host of the reunion (in Montana, of course), but I'd be willing to step up if you guys are burned out and no one else cares to, just so we can continue this wonderful family legacy preservation device:) The photos are on their way. I'm burning dvd's as we speak. We had such a great time!

Montana Stock Shindig

2009-07-12T12:35:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to thank everyone for coming to the family reunion and for making it a huge success. I really appreciate that everyone worked hard to get along, be cooperative, and participate in the activities we had planned. We somehow managed to be together for 3 full days without too much drama - hooray for our side! I really hope that you all had a good time and made some memories that will last a lifetime. And I really think the icing on the cake was that we were able to get a picture of all 12 of us--the first time in 11 years! That is something that I will definitely treasure for the rest of my life. We'll definitely have to do it again in a couple of years. Finally, I want to publicly thank Amber for all of her support in planning & executing the reunion. She was a tremendous help to me - I really could not have pulled it off without her. I was somewhat of a slave driver during those three days, and she did everything I asked (okay, maybe commanded) her to do without complaint. Thanks so much Amber - you're the best!

A sneak peak:)

2009-06-29T13:03:00.001-07:00

edit: just an edit to the post below. I accidently uploaded the same photo twice, and missed one I had planned to include with Mom in it. I deleted the duplicate but don't have time to upload the missing one. I'll be back later.

Just a sneak peak of what you'll be receiving shortly. Hope you all had as much fun as we Petersens had. Toni and Amber, you did an amazing job planning and executing this huge undertaking. Thanks for everything. We miss everyone already.

Family Reunion

2009-06-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought the family reunion was a success. I'm glad you could all come. :) We missed Denise, but maybe next time she can come too. :)

Hip Hip Hurray!

2009-06-19T10:47:00.001-07:00

The 2009 Stevens Family Reunion is in less than a week! Get excited!!!!!!

May Flowers and Weeds:)

2009-06-02T22:13:00.000-07:00

Hi, all, I thought I better do a May recap to preserve the family legacy although I'm hoping to see you all in person very shortly. May flew by in a whirlwind. We celebrated the boys' birthdays this month, with Joshua turning a year and Caleb nine. My school honeys are unofficially done, but will party this week until the end on Friday. Maryn, Joshua, and I couldn't help but keep strolling past the school on our walk this morning to spy on Elise as she ran through the school sprinklers in the field on "Water Day." I tried to drag the walk out so I could spy on the third graders (ie, Caleb and his best friend Dylan) who were coming next, but after 75 minutes in the stroller and Maryn was ready to get out, hop the fence and join the fun. We also unofficially acquired a "pet" a week or so ago. We have a mole or gopher digging up our front lawn, after our neighbor, whose backyard borders our side yard, landscaped said backyard. Well, anyway, happy June until we meet!
The photo is one of all the honeys after a full day of Memorial Day commemoration activities. Yes, I bribed them to sit still for half a second--they're not impressed with all my preserving the family legacy.

Amber in the Month of May

2009-05-24T20:53:00.000-07:00

iiiiiiiiHola Chicas!!!!!!!!!
Hello. I'm kinda hyper, so pardon me if I'm a little bit loony. Anyway, only about a week and a half of school for Amber. :D Hip hip Hooray! So, I went to youth leg which was kinda fun (no, I will not explain what it is) and yeah. So, I'm carrying out an "open long distance relationship" with a boy from Great Falls named Sam Martin. He's crazy, but in a good way. lol Mom is going nutso cuz I'm failing my journalism class. Don't worry, it's all because of my own stupid laziness. :) It doesn't bother me. I don't need the credit anyway. :) I'm excited for the family reunion. :) It makes me happy.

Catch Up!

2009-05-05T19:36:00.000-07:00

Since it has been quite a while since I last blogged - here goes!
Alexus is getting ready to end her first year of formal education. I can't believe it has flown by so quickly. She has her Kindergarten graduation on June 3rd and is very excited. She almost talks about nothing else. Alexus also recently started our garden-in the house and in starter pellets. We still have snow up here so its hard to say when our peas, watermelons, and carrots will end up in the ground. She hasn't been feeling well so she wasn't too keen on a picture.
Tyse is nearing his third birthday very quickly! He has decided on a cowboy cake with a rope on it. He has become obsessed with roping and guns and horses and cowboys - at least for today. He definately is all boy and is testing his limits as much as he can. He also has acquired glasses which look absolutely adorable on him!
As for me, its pretty much the same old thing - working and chasing kiddos and taking care of sick kids for about the last two to three weeks. I recently broke down and read the Twilight Saga after Harry Potter was bumped because of the Twilight movie release. I actually really enjoyed them and read them all in less than a week, unfortunately my poor house suffered, so I am playing catch-up on that. The joys of house cleaning - lol.

Congratulations!

2009-05-05T19:32:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Mary, Don and family!
We are so happy for you and glad to hear that everything is going well! We are so excited to see everyone. Alexus and Tyse are really excited to see Emma and Ethan and Ainsley and the new baby, Lenay (sorry, I think I spelled it wrong). She has been talking about seeing her cousins with the really blonde hair that plays with her all the time. I hope everything is going well for you guys!

April finishes April:)

2009-05-03T17:14:00.000-07:00

Well, April has come and gone in a blink of an eye. Its conclusion has actually brought May showers, which we desperately need. We concluded April with Caleb's cub scout pack meeting. Pack meetings are supposed to be family affairs and they sure are in our ward. My girls look forward to the meetings just as much as Caleb does. This month's theme was dinosaurs and found us digging for bones on the church's property. Just a little over a month of school left--Yeah!

For Amber

2009-04-18T21:11:00.001-07:00

April beat me to posting...but here I am giving Amber the post she ordered. i second amber's email about being more in touch with each other especially as the blog is such a great tool. I'm really grateful for it. Anyway, I'll get off my soap box

We went on a picnic today in St. Anthony which is a 15 minute drive from Rexburg. There's a little park right on the river. I saw a fish jump, and Katie tried out a baby swing for the first time. We were sad to come home.

Justin starts school up again on Monday which I am mourning. I feel like I hardly had anytime with him on his week off. We went to Salt Lake to check out the University of Utah for grad school, and I got to play with Toni for two days. That was fun. She took us to this really neat planetarium and then we also went for a drive in the mountains. There's something about mountains that are good for the soul.

I think that's all that is going on in our lives. can't wait to see everyone at the family reunion!

Alright, I'll post:)

2009-04-17T22:56:00.000-07:00

For a while there, it seemed like I was the only one posting, so I backed off a bit. For more in-depth details of our own family, you can visit kapandcompany.blogspot.com. Stevens family members don't comment much on the posts or on my own blog, so it's hard to guage if anyone cares or is paying attention. Kade's family and a number of friends who've moved away all blog up a storm, and it's impossible for me to keep up and comment on all their posts, but I've always tried to comment on all my own family members posts so you all know I'm paying attention to your lives, even if that attention is being paid at nearly midnight:)

My honeys had a week of easter vacation ending with Easter, and Kade's vacation began with Easter so we haven't been in our normal routine which is nice. We've finally kicked the pinkeye thing (well, we eradicated it a little while ago.) Lately, I've been trying to teach Haleigh, Caleb and Elise how to play the piano. Haleigh's been teaching herself for a couple of years now, with some minor interference on my part, but now I'm trying to push her more. I've posted Easter photos on my blog for any interested parties, but here I've included a few of my latest favorite photos of my honeys.

Post!

2009-04-17T19:56:00.001-07:00

Am I the only one who posts on here anymore? Honestly!

Post!

2009-04-17T19:56:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one who posts on here anymore? Honestly!

DC Trip

2009-04-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

Hey. I got back from DC last night. (Thank you so darn much for paying for it, Toni.) I had a lot of fun, except at the dance, but i won't go into that. Anyhoo, here's some pics. I have a TON more on a disc. :)

SHOCKING NEWS!!!!

2009-03-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

:) Enjoy! Too much time in the bathroom, I guess...or really tired at 1 in the morning...anyhoo...

HELLO!!!!!!!!!!!! NEYAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! I like messing with my camera, so I'm gonna post some junk. :)ANYHOO!!!! I was gonna post a better vid of the shane-a-beast, but thought it might be considered "porn" since he never wears stuff besides his undies...oh well...you'll get the general idea of my current fave pastime.

Ethan's Baptism

2009-03-01T20:22:00.000-08:00

We attended Ethan's baptism yesterday, and we are so proud of him. He is such a good example. He always surprises us by his deep thoughts and good decisions. Congratulations Ethan!

Alive and well, we think!

2009-02-28T17:08:00.000-08:00

Hi, folks! It's good to see everyone posting again. Good job, Jill, leading the charge. You can click on the thumbnail photos above for a larger image; then click the large image again to reduce it.
We are doing well, despite the wild financial and climate roller-coaster of life in California these days. Education is being hit extremely hard with all the budget woes, but we feel positive and hopeful that Kade will get to stay as a counselor at his school site. His district is extremely well-run, and it's definitely paying off with the crisis. We've also been keeping an eye on our local school district and how the cuts will impact our children's school. We'll just have to see.
My baby girl princess turns three in just a couple of weeks which seems so crazy. Mr. J will hit the ten-month mark and has gotten so busy. He likes to sit on Maryn's tricycle and pretend he's driving it.
Our older three are coasting on the downslope of the school year.
I deleted Jill's request for this post, so I'm referencing the rest of yours to answer the questions.
Favorite dessert--usually anything with chocolate. My favorite ice cream is Denali's Moosetracks.
Favorite shoes--I love wearing socks and shoes in general, but I'm pretty functional about what I own.
Games--our latest family favorite is SWAP--even Maryn can play it with us. It's an inexpensive card game that I'd recommend for some cheap entertainment.
Books--I don't have favorites, so the most recent one I've read was actually re-reading Elantris by Brandon Sanderson--such a great book.
As to a movie--I don't have favorites here either, but the most recent one I watched and loved was "Cranford." For all you Jane Austen fans out there, you'd love this one. Kade and I loved it. I would definitely recommend it.
Well, I think that's all. Hope everyone's doing well.

A Snippet Continued...

2009-02-21T19:30:00.000-08:00

forgot the rest. whoops!
2.I love most of my shoes! I really like my Crocs right now...
3.Clue!!!!!! Hurrah!!!!! I love games!!!
4.Bookity, Book book. hmm...so many to choose from! I'll randomly pick Sense and Sensibility. :)

A Snippet from the Crazy Life of Amber

2009-02-21T19:23:00.000-08:00

1. DESSERT!!!! RUN FOR IT!!! YUMMY!! YUMMY!!!! Currently, reeses peanut butter cups are my favorite...ask Mom, I'm eating her out of house and home.

Hello from sunny AZ

2009-02-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

We've had an eventful 2009 so far. January brought a host of events. I celebrated my 28th birthday (Can I really be that old?), Cole lost his hearing for about 21/2 weeks, Mom came to visit for a couple of days because she had another conference. February brought more. Cole's hearing thankfully returned. Dan is currently in Carson City where he will perform with the Carson City Symphony. He has been gone 21/2 days and will be gone for 2 1/2 more. It seems like forever. Anyway, like I mentioned above, Cole's hearing has returned and it is fun to have him back. We are back to being silly and singing and all sorts of mischief. He's back to telling me he's "just too busy" or that he's "just doing things" when I call for him. He is still obsessed with sports. Andrew is 7 months old and is army crawling. Nothing and nowhere (and noone) is safe anymore. He's a man with a mission. He is usually mild and very happy and smiley. He's currently working on two teeth and has a bit of a cold, so it's not always pleasant. I'm just trying to survive all the changes in our family and manage all the doctor's visits.

Between Cole and Andrew these days, I could probably invest in some kind of medical stock or something. But they are pretty healthy and happy despite our minor challenges, for which one must be thankful. Dan is finishing up his last semester with all the accompanying major exams, dissertations, and the such. We have applied for several jobs and are hoping to have a job for the fall somewhere. Anyplace is looking good right now, as long as we have a job. Well, that's about us.

Favorite Dessert: almost anything (I have a mouth full of sweet teeth.) Ice cream is definitely among the top.
Favorite pair of shoes: none or flip flops. I don't really like wearing shoes.
Favorite game: I don't think I have one.
Favorite book or movie: Again, I like many a good book and movie, but no favorite.

The Days

2009-02-17T10:48:00.000-08:00

Well, not much new is going on for us. Justin is plugging away at school and work, and I'm loving my time at home with Katelyn. Justin has been looking for an internship for the summer, but we haven't felt very good about any of them so we'll see if we go somewhere or end up staying put for the summer.
1.Favorite Dessert --like Mary it depends, but usually cheesecake or cookies are a safe choice

2. shoes-my doc martens with the buckles...my whole life I wanted shoes like these and then two years ago I found these at a thrift store.

3. game -I love pictionary, but I think my favorite is Taboo

4. Book: the Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom, Movie: I don't think I could pick but I really like Rigoletto, National Treasure, Gettysburg, and Ever After

2009-02-08T18:38:00.000-08:00

Nothing much new on the Ostler front. No news is good news, right?
1. Dessert - depends on the day
2. shoes- none
3. game - depends on the day, but I'm not much of a gamer
4. we go through cycles on the movies, but Wizard of Oz, Great Race are a few keepers

Mary

The Virginia Stevens-February '09

2009-02-07T14:14:00.000-08:00

Shannon's Favorites...
1. Favorite Dessert--CHOCOLATE-in almost any form-cheesecake, cupcake, icecream...
2. Favorite Pair of Shoes - flip flops, because they're the closest thing to bare feet without having my skin touch icky things in the road
3. Favorite Board or Card Game- I guess Scrabble or something like that, but we often play on the Wii-I know it's an evil video game, but there's nothing like looking like an idiot to prove that you love your children.
4. Favorite Book or Movie - I definitely can't pick a favorite here. I LOVE to read, and it really depends on my mood. We'd exceed our bandwith if I even tried to start listing favorites.

So now you know a little bit about me...otherwise, our family is doing the same old thing. We work, go to school, swim, eat dinner, go to bed, and do it all again the next day. We did finally break down and let Cody get a cellphone. We are so not in favor of young kids having cellphones, but he comes home to an empty house each afternoon for about 20 minutes. I'm a huge worrywart, so...hence, it had to be done. He pretty much has no freedom on the thing. Don't tell him though, because he doesn't know just how limited it is. ; )

All three of the boys actually made honor roll in the same grading period. That was strange. Poor Hunter usually struggles with that, but he's started kicking some butt. Parker always makes straight As and could probably use a little humbling. Cody just finished taking his first semester exams. I don't remember exams in sixth grade. It's nuts!

Matt and I are pretty much the same-thankfully that includes being employeed for the time being. Our school district, like many others, is working on a limited budget. Luckily, special ed teachers are some of the last to go. Thank heavens for the IDEA.

Well, that's all folks! I hope y'all are doing great and that February brings many wonderful things for you and your families.

Happy Birthday, Jane and Justin!

2009-01-05T14:45:00.000-08:00

Hey you two. Wishing you a happy birthday from rainy Northern California. In honor of your birthdays, I'm doing 20 loads of laundry:) Hope your day has been more relaxing than mine on a Monday.

A California December

2008-12-30T21:57:00.001-08:00

I hit the ripe old age of 34 and Haleigh followed it up with a youthful 11. Joshua turned seventh months old. We've enjoyed the last week and a half with everyone home, including the man of the house, and are looking forward to one more week off. Maybe I can negotiate with the school district for a little more time? As previously stated, we opted for a quiet California Christmas. Joshua ate all the wrapping paper so we didn't have to bother to do any recycling:) We enjoyed receiving everyone's well-wishes and hope you received ours:) One day I'll get a decent family photo out to everyone. We've (Kade and the honeys) been on strike regarding the professional route, but maybe once JC Penney moves in next door (opening in March), we'll drag our lazy backsides in for a photo op. I'll just have to bribe Kade and all the honeys to make it happen. I guess that's what I get for taking photos of them 24-7. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Stevens Christmas 2008

2008-12-11T07:12:00.000-08:00

Hi there. We will be staying put this year for Christmas. Matt doesn't ever like to travel, but he REALLY doesn't like it for the holidays. We'll probably eat Christmas dinner with my mother, but that's not a definite. Once again, that's not a favorite activity of Matt's. Apparently, my side of the family is a little wild. ; ) In all honesty, I don't like the stress of running from this place to that place and back and forth on the holidays. Kids like to be at home to mess around with their new stuff.

One of my favorite traditions is opening each part of the advent calendar each day and reading the scripture that goes with it. The other is reading "The Christmas Story" from Luke 2 on Christmas Eve. I love that cozy, peacefull feeling of Christmas Eve with the glow of the Christmas tree lights, hot chocolate, and a family reading of the story out of my family bible. That's the same bible my mother used to read my brother and I the story when I was little.

Christmas

2008-12-10T14:06:00.000-08:00

Justin, Katelyn, and I will also be staying put for the holidays. OUr anniversary is on the 22nd, then Christmas, then New Year's, then Katie's blessing on the 4th, and finally Justin's birthday on the 5th. I guess you could say we have an eventful holiday season ahead of us.
If anyone wants to come to Katie's blessing on the 4th, they are more than welcome to come.

Like I said, it will be on January 4th here in Rexburg. Sacrament meeting starts at 1:30. DOn't feel obligated to come though because we understand about roads, weather, impossible distances, and getting kids ready to go back to school.

My favorite christmas tradition is probably going to look at lights as well. I didn't get to do it last year because it snowed a foot in one evening which happened to be Christmas Eve, and since we don't have 4wd and Rexburg doesn't blow, we opted to stay in. I'm planning on it this year though. Justin's family also had their big meal on Christmas Eve, so we've started doing that as well. And this year we're going to start a new tradition of making cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning.

Petersen Plans for Christmas and New Year's Eve

2008-12-08T17:04:00.000-08:00

As per Jill's request, here is the lineup for the Petersens this holiday season. We are planning to stay home for both this year, given our status with a newly potty-trained toddler and a nursing baby and a mom with a broken tailbone who can't take much chaos these days. We are looking forward to our first Christmas in this home, since we were gallavanting around Utah last year. I imagine we'll ring in the new year as well from our comfortable abode. In between the two, we are planning a trip somewhere around California, probably up north a little ways to Mount Shasta to play in the snow for a few days. Kade's not a big fan of snow. Having grown up in the Cascades of Washington State, he's shoveled far too much snow for a lifetime (they used to jump off the roof into 10-ft. snowdrifts, or so the story goes). Having said that, we still like to ensure our California honeys remember both our roots and not wonder what that foreign white powder is about.
As for traditions, we've managed to do a lot of combining my and Kade's family traditions, and keep coming up with new ones. One of my all-time favorites is going around to see the Christmas lights on Christmas Eve. And, since Christmas eve was such a big deal with Kade's family growing up, we like to have our main Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve, which makes Christmas Day a more pleasant, relaxing one.
Merry Christmas, all!

Hello

2008-12-05T19:28:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, I finally get to have the computer to myself. I usually come home from work, and then have to fight Amber and Shane for the computer. Shane is uptown with the Starks' for the Christmas Stroll and so was Amber. She just got home and is hungry, so I get to write while she eats.

I am loving my new job. It has gotten very busy, however, and I am having trouble keeping up. I did get to go to Phoenix for a distance learning conference, and I got to see the Barrett's and Toni. That was a lot of fun to see them. Ann graciously drove me back and forth, so I got to stay with them. I got to fly over the Grand Canyon and that was something like I have never seen before. I enjoyed the different scenery that Arizona has to offer.

Amber cleaned and decorated our front room last weekend, so it is feeling more like the holidays, although we have very little snow. Thanksgiving was very quiet. Amber remarked how strange it was not to have little people running around and how weird it was not to have a whole bunch of adults talking to each other. It was really warm out, so I cleaned out in the yard. How weird is that for November?

Jordan is enjoying college out at the COT. He certified in the 1st level of welding. He is doing well with school, and he is still working hard at Burger King.

I don't need to update you on Amber since she does a better job of communicating than I do.

Shane is still homeschooling, and we are doing a little better with that. He just had two ears infected, also. I had to take him to the doctor last Sunday.

I have spoken to Logan recently - he was trying to make that old fashioned fudge I used to make - the kind that you either ate with a spoon or chiseled with hammer.

John was up a couple of weeks ago to see the kids.

Well, I'll close for now. I love you all!

Hello from the desert.

2008-11-24T21:16:00.000-08:00

After a long hiatus, we are back. I am forever and always behind. But we are doing well. Dan only has about three weeks of the semester left and then he'll work on his doctoral paper over Christmas break. That will bring us to just one semester of classes left (it also includes a comprehensive exams, a language proficiency exam in Italian, a recital, his doctoral paper). We are currently applying for teaching jobs all across the country. We have applied for seven so far and have four more to apply for, so hopefully something will turn up. Unfortunately, they are all in the nethermost parts of the country. We'll let you know how it goes. The boys are growing up so fast. Cole celebrated his 3rd birthday Nov. 16. Thanks to all for their birthday wishes and gifts. They were gratefully received. Andrew is four months old now and so much fun. The boys have been sick this last week with terrible colds and Andrew with an ear infection. He was pretty sick, but he is on antibiotics now and doing much better. But I fear that I am now on the downhill slope to sick city. (All those sleepless nights and days taking care of sick kids.) Anyway, that is us in a nutshell. My connection really isn't working right now, so I will forgo adding pictures. Check out our blog for more up to date info: www.littlepickles.com

Yep, it's me!

2008-11-23T17:02:00.000-08:00

Never thought you'd see me on one of these, did you?

I'm a Lucky Aunt

2008-11-23T16:35:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say how thankful I am to be an aunt! Sisters, thanks for bringing these adorable children into the world so I can be their aunt. I really do have the cutest nieces & nephews in the whole world--okay, so maybe I'm a LITTLE biased!

My Trip to Bozeman

2008-11-23T10:34:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, yesterday, I got to go to Bozeman to have Christopher Paolini sign my copy of Brisinger. YAY for me! Anyway here's some pictures.

A Day with the Ostlers

2008-11-17T14:55:00.000-08:00

So a couple weeks ago, probably a month ago to be more accurate, we went to Mary's to spend teh afternoon. We had such a good time palying with the kids. Ainsley kept us in stitches while Emma and Ethan gave us a good show with their dancing.

2008-11-13T19:01:00.000-08:00

2008-11-13T18:48:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, Just thought I would say hi. things around here. I have been really sick. I had the stomach flu first, then strep, then a sinus infection, then a locked joint, and now I have psorias really bad. I have big red, flaky, itchy sores all over my body. And of course, since I am crazy and don't like to take meds.(I like to do natural) I am suffering. If this is not the end of the yuck I am going to be committed to the hospital. Other than that life is great.

Congratulations jill and Justin on your cute baby girl. I can't wait to see her. I am so glad my sisters are still having babies so I can participate and not have to be pregnant myself. Nothing wrong with being pregnant, I just don't want to be.

Our family is doing well. Austin still has a job. Thank heavens. And the kiddos are still growing like crazy. I can't believe Emily is 3 1/2 already. It seems impossible. Abbi lost 4 teeth all at once and they are finally growing back. Spencer is keeping super busy with 4th grade. Holy Cow! That is a very busy grade level.

Since I have been so sick lately I think we are going to stay home for Thanksgiving. Austin has the day after off, so we might go visit Jill and the new baby. I am dying to play with a baby. Too bad Ann is so far away!!! We miss Cole so much!!!

I hope everyone is well and happy. I am going to try to keep up with this better but no promises. Love you all, Jane

Autumn Days....hee hee

2008-11-04T10:19:00.001-08:00

Awesome Sunrise from This Week

I love my new last name because you can play with it so much...anyways....

October flew past us in a blur. I can't believe it's November already.

The eventful things for us in October included childbirth classes, being worried over our car, getting a new camera, a surprise visit from Toni, and Halloween.

Halloween was fun since we had friends over for games and treats. I think I am still recovering from the sugar highs and lows of the weekend.

Petersens in the Fall

2008-11-01T19:48:00.000-07:00

October went way too fast for us. I can't believe Halloween has come and gone already. Nothing too exciting to speak off this month--another month of campaigning for Proposition 8, school, extracurricular activities, etc. We potty-trained Maryn at the beginning of the month which seems to be going well--unless she's outside. She loves to be outside in the backyard and it's too much of a distraction. Joshua started solids at the beginning of the month. He's a little wiggle worm and is constantly in action. You can't live in the pumpkin capital of the world without visiting a real pumpkin patch which we did, and just this past week, we visited Yosemite, first time in the fall for us. Happy Fall, y'all!

WASHINGTON D.C.

2008-10-27T16:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm going to Washington D.C. in April, over Spring Break. :) I'm terrified, yet I'm uber excited!!!!!!!!! I'll most likely get to go to the Smithsonian and the National Mall. Cool huh? Well, right now I have a sinus infection (again!) and probably the flu. :( grrr. arg! Chubs says hi!

HAHAHAHAHA

2008-10-27T15:58:00.000-07:00

lol...FEEN-AY!!!!!!! "Watch Plays With Squirrels" on youtube.com :)

Too Early to Think of Christmas?

2008-10-16T11:01:00.001-07:00

With our weekend of snow showers, I've been thinking a lot about Christmas. I've already done most of my Christmas shopping. I'm not an over achiever, I promise...I just don't have much money so i have to start early and keep my eyes out for bargains and deals and then I stow the presents away for Christmas. Anyway, I got to wondering about who has who for Christmas this year. I don't know who usually does the drawing of names or whatever, but maybe I missed out on it if they already made the assignments. Does anyone know who I have for Christmas? or have I jumped the gun with my early Christmas enthusiasm and it hasn't been decided yet?

Hello from Amber

2008-10-11T18:55:00.001-07:00

Hey, peoples! School is driving me nuts. I think I should get more than a diploma for going to Butte High. Anyway, Mom is making me an apple pie right now! YAY FOR MY SIDE!!!!!!! I think I need to lay off the sugar. :) NEVER! Anyway, it's been really cold here (snowed all day today and yesterday) and my friend Josh and I were eating lunch outside (I'm crazy, I know), so my hands were dreadfully cold. I told my buddy that I had been playing in the morgue, and he thought I was serious! Honestly, it took him a minute to realize that I was joking. Almost as good as Toni's "Air flow or strip show" story. Aren't all our family sayings just wonderful? I love them.
Anyhoo, I look like a faery princess right now because of the awesome sparkly eyeshadow I'm wearing. :)
ps I hate people in general. Is that a bad thing?

Life in the Hills...

2008-10-09T20:31:00.000-07:00

Alexus is absolutely loving school and making all of the friends she is making. She was invited to her first birthday party for this coming Friday and it is becoming quite the event for her. She is still taking riding lessons and is even starting to trot on her own! Its amazing to watch this little child wield such a large animal to do what she wants. Tyse is growing and smiling like a little man should. He has a great smile and laugh which helps him out when his little temper decides to flare up which is happening more and more lately, much to my dismay. We are also in the process of moving into our house! The septic still has to be connected as does the power and we don't have any water or propane yet, but it is coming along and we are very excited!

How about "As the world turns in California..."

2008-10-05T19:33:00.000-07:00

I can't even remember what happened in September:) We celebrated Kade's 35th birthday. For some reason, that sounds old. Caleb earned his Wolf badge in Cub Scouts. We've been very active in the grass roots effort to get Prop 8 to protect traditional marriage passed here in CA. Haleigh started playing the clarinet in band at school. Elise exited from the speech program. We've begun potty-training Maryn and Joshua started solid foods. I think that's it in a nutshell, with not much time to devote to the computer.

The Days of Your Lives

2008-09-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

Like the title? I'm so funny. Anyway, Just thought I'd give an update on our lives. Justin is loving school and work this semester. He's in a lot of his major classes and loving every minute of them. His job pretty much is doing what he's majoring in so he likes it a lot. Right now he's training to be able to certify others in CPR.

I'm doing the same kind of things I've been doing all summer. I work on my little sewing projects, cook, clean, and do some bed resting. A few new things I've done this week include harvesting apples and plums from the trees in the yard of our apartment complex, making apple pies, going to Yellowstone, and attending the RS broadcast. I've also been planning a big Halloween party. If anyone has any great ideas for me to use at my prty as far as decorations, food, or games, you should let me know. I'm thinking of freezing some of the plums we picked and peeling them to look like eyeballs since they're about that size.

My stomach is getting bigger and bigger, and just when I think I can't get any bigger, my wasteline expands a little more. I'm getting more excited and more impatient for baby to come.

Happy Belateds!

2008-09-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

Just a happy belated birthday to Denise yesterday, and happy belated anniversary to Don and Mary on the 20th. I hope you all celebrated in grand style and know I was thinking of you on your special days--just sat around feeling guilty I didn't get your cards in the mail. Anyway, happy belatedness from your California sister!

Some Thoughts on Potatoes

2008-09-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

a small round flat potato we got out of our potato box

I discovered today how much growing up a certain way affects us the rest of our lives. I don't know how many of you remeber the potato box in the washroom, but I was thinking about it today when I was peeling potatoes for Justin's lunch, and I had to laugh to myself because I have my own potato box. I keep it under the bottom shelf in my kitchen where the sunlight can't get to it, but I can and there's planty of ventilation so they don't rot.
When Justin is helping me with dinner sometimes I tell him to go get three or four big potatoes out of the box. It's so funny to me because I remember helping mom with dinner or lunch when I was little, and mom telling me to go get six or seven potatoes out of the box.
I also remember peeling lots of potatoes growing up. I wasn't very quick at it when I was younger, but boy am I quick now. I think it helps that I have a very, heavy duty peeler, but all the same after years of practice when I was little I must be pretty good at it.
The first few months after we got married, Justin was pretty amazed at how many potatoes we ate. Pretty much most of meals I knew how to cook included potatoes of some variety and so we had them nearly every day. That and they are so stinking cheap especially here in Potato Country. It's like reverting back to childhood when we had meat and potatoes for every meal. Whether it was venison stakes with mashed potatoes or pasties or stew...potatoes pretty much made up half of every meal.
Luckily for Justin, even though I don't think he ever really minded because he never said anything about it, I have branched out my meal plans, and quite often we have Mexican and Italian dishes. Some of my favorite things I have learned to make since being married include baked burritos, chicken enchiladas, fettucini with alfredo sauce (from scratch), and lasagna.
All in all though, I don't think I'll ever depart from being a meat and potatoes kind of girl. My favorite Applebees order will probably always be steak and french fries or mashed potatoes.

Surviving Butte High

2008-09-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

Hey, peeps! I'm currently a sophomore at Butte High, and I'm going nuts. :D I just turned 16 on the 6th of September, and, happily, completed my Young Womanhood Recognition stuff a week or so before my birthday. :) (which happened to be my goal.) I'm writing a new novel on top of school, seminary, and teaching myself Italian. I'm pretty busy, but I at least enjoy Italian and writing. I have no job or opportunities for one because our family has no connections, so I'll hang out, bumming off mom and doing whatever odd babysitting jobs I can get. I've got to go to bed. (Seminary comes very early.)
Ciao,
Amber

The Three Stevens

2008-09-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

Hi All

I've finally joined the blogging era and am figuring it all out! We now have our own family one too - Wohoo! As for an update, although slightly belated, we are doing pretty well. Alexus is enjoying school more and more, but the early mornings aren't always that fun for her. She is learning to swim in school and loves checking out books from the library. She loves playing school now, too. Lex is also learning taking horse riding lessons and is enjoying it! Tyse is doing great, although pretty sick right now. He has that killer smile that tends to keep him out of too much trouble, but he is finally talking in sentences and so the next hurdle is potty training. I'm not looking forward to that too much, but he has the idea down its just getting him to go in the potty instead of outside all the time. As for me its pretty much work, kids and riding. My aunt and I are trying to put some miles on our horses and its been great. I've been taking some senior portraits, doing some graphics work and still working at the stock yards so its been fun. All in all we're doing great!

Adamsons

2008-09-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

The Adamson family is still putting along. We are still trying to get over our loss of Oreo. And now since Oreo got killed Silver seems to have run away. We haven't seen her for a few days. And we were doing so good. We had those bunnies for 1and 1/2 years. It is hard to see their empty hutch. Abbi is about to turn 7 and I am trying to talk myself into potty training Emily, since she is 3 and not getting any younger. Other than that nothing much is going on. We would like to know what all of you are doing for the holidays. We are not sure what we are doing,but we would like to see some family. Let us know.

Ostler's

2008-09-13T17:11:00.000-07:00

Life is busy right now and stressful, but all is well. Emma is having a pretty stressful transition with school and we are trying to figure things out. Ethan's shoulder is better and he no longer has to wear his brace. He still has to be careful for another 6 weeks. I was changed from 1st to 2nd counselor in YW which has actually complicated life. Ainsley and I haven't felt good so today we had a movie marathon while Don did a football game in Leadore (2 hours away). We watched Mulan II and Mr. Magoriums Wonder Emporium. Next Saturday Don and I will celebrate our 11th anniversary. Man are we getting old.

Belated Update

2008-09-10T16:40:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been so late in posting something. Our lives have been pretty uneventful until the last week so you really haven't missed out on much.
Well, two weeks ago, Justin finished up summer school, and we headed to the mountains for some rest and relaxation. I posted on my own blog all about that so if you want to read about our dead moose find and Warm river adventure, you'll have to go there to find out about it. It was a wonderful weekend for camping and did the trick for us. Then we spent a few days getting ready for our trip to California.
We drove down to Jane's late Tuesday night (I ended up having to get a new drivers' lisence so we got behind schedule), and then we flew out to Sacramento early Wednesday morning. We got to see all of Justin's immediate family (his mom, dad, brother, and his sister's family), and a good chunk of his extended family. We also got to spend time with April and her family which was so great.
Everyday we were in a new location in California so it was an interesting trip. Wednesday we spent in Sacramento and Vacaville, Thursday we spent in Concord and San Fransisco, Friday we spent in Manteca with April, and Saturday we spent in Berkley.
It was so good to spend time with April and the kids even if it was only for a few short hours. Joshua is so adorable, and I can't believe how big the rest of her kids have gotten. They are such good kids, and so different from each other in personality. We wished we could have spent the night at least, but with so much family in one area but different locations, we were pretty stretched for time in any one location.
For those of you who have never visited Berkley California, you're in for an interesting adventure if you ever do. I saw a man walking down a street in nothing but his underwear, and let's just say they weren't boxers. I also have never seen so many Obama signs, peace signs, and women's lib signs in my life. And talk about the pedestrians and bikers. They were all over the place. The streets are all super narrow and windy. It's like uptown Butte times three. I couldn't believe some of those streets.
we flew back in very very late Sunday night and stayed at Jane's one more time. A tragedy struck while I was eating my breakfast. I watched Jane's pet rabbit, oreo, get malled by a cat. It happened so fast while I was looking out the window that I didn't have time to do anything, that and I didn't even know that it was Jane's rabbit. Jane has declared war on the stray cats in her neighborhood, and I don't blame her.
We ended our trip with a stop at the Army surplus store outside of Idaho Falls. Justin thought he had died and gone to heaven. I really liked the store too. I do believe that whoever I get for Christmas this year will be receiving a present from the Army Surplus store.
All in all it was a whirlwind of a trip, and though it was good to go somewhere different for a change, I was never so glad to get back to my little home. My feet had swelled up to gigantic proportions, and I was starting to think that they would never go down, but with my return to rural, quiet, cold rexburg, my feet are back to normal.
Sorry i have no pictures of our trip. We don't have a camera, but hope to be purchasing one soon. Let us know of any recommendations you have.

Your mother does exist

2008-09-07T16:00:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

I am alive and still on planet Earth. I was looking at this remarkable website and realized how proud I am of all of you. I am the luckiest Mom ever. I love all of you so much. It is wonderful to see all the pictures.

I wanted you all to know that I have been hired full time at Montana Tech as Distance Learning Coordinator. It will be a welcome change and adjustment. I have really enjoyed my work at Rocky Mountain Clinic, and I will still be working an hour here and there for them. They said I could work from home.

My job at Tech is partly grant money, so if we do not produce - no job next year. Needless to say I will be working very hard.

I couldn't even begin to tell of all the events going on. I have a pie crisp in the oven and a line up of bread things I'm baking. So I will say bye for now and hopefully, I can fill you in on life later.

I love all of you.

TROUT CREEK

2008-09-07T12:41:00.001-07:00

Okay, okay, after numerous requests posted on the blog for details on the Trout Creek trip, I have finally decided to humor you. Okay, the truth is that I've been crazy busy and haven't even had time to look at the Chick Chat website for weeks. I do have a few minutes right now, so I thought I would write a bit.
Well, as you all know (or at least most of you), some of us went to Trout Creek for a few days during August. That "some of us" consisted of John, Jordan, Brandon (Jordan's friend), Alexus, Tyse, Mom, Amber, Shane, & I. We camped at Bull River, which is a few miles north of Noxon. I believe it was my third time camping at Bull River, and personally, I like it quite a bit better than North Shore--the campsites are larger and more spread out. It isn't nearly as crowded as North Shore. I like the swimming area better, and there is even a little trail back along the river where it is incredibly quiet & peaceful. Hooray for Bull River!

Anyway, we just did the usual Trout Creek events - swimming, looking for deer, etc. It was beasty hot (upper 90s and low 100s), so we (Amber, Shane, & I) were in the water quite a bit. John, Jordan, & Brandon fished the entire time, so we didn't see much of them.
Amber and I visited the Ross Creek Cedars one of the days. Ann, you will be happy to learn that they fixed the road after the avalanche wiped it out the last time we were there. I simply love the Ross Creek Cedars. That place is somewhat magical, I think. It is peaceful, quiet, and the lighting inside the forest is simply remarkable. And talk about the water! The creek is the most crystal-clear water you will ever find in the world. And it is fresh-off-the-glacier cold to boot--just one step above frozen. They just don't make water like that very often!

Amber & I also did some deer watching. We saw 109 deer the first night, and even some wild turkeys. A turkey hopped out of the tall brush in front of us. We stopped the car to watch it, and a few seconds later, one by one, little turkey babies started popping out of the brush to follow their mama. They crossed the road in front of the car and walked off into a farmer's yard. They were so cute!

We also popped over the Idaho border (only about 10 miles away) and went to the Cabinet Gorge Dam. It was pretty impressive. And the water was an incredible greenish color. Talk about photo-op.

On our way home from camping, Amber & I took the time to stop at the National Bison Range. Our best views of the bison were actually from OUTSIDE the bison range since the animals were by the fence along the highway. Bison are pretty interesting critters, you know? They make a low grunting sound - sort of like a pig. I like bison.

Well, that's about the extent of our trip. We did have a few unpleasant moments, but that is to be expected with any family outing I suppose. Let's just say that I have DEFINITELY ruled out camping as part of the upcoming family reunion (hey, remember we're having a family reunion?). It's hard enough for all of us to get along under the best circumstances, let alone put us out in the woods without hot showers, indoor plumbing, and comfy beds to sleep in, and we're asking for disaster. Anyway, I had a fabulous time at Trout Creek. I'm even thinking about taking a job at the Naughty Pine Saloon so I can live out there. : )

The Monsooned Barretts

2008-09-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

Things are going well in Arizona. We are all alive and out of jail as Mom would say. Andrew is getting bigger. He is now seven weeks old. He had his one month checkup on Wednesday (Sept. 3). He weighed in at a whopping 10 pounds, 14 ounces and 23 inches long. He is growing like a weed. Much to my dismay, we learned at his doctor visit that he has a milk allergy. So I get to cut out of my diet anything made with milk or soy. That pretty much wipes out my entire diet. I'm trying to look at it as a great weight loss program (if I don't die first). Also, just as an FYI since I know know one will be able to make it to this far away desert land, we are going to bless Andrew this Sunday, Sept. 7. It should be interesting with the circle just including Dan and the bishop, maybe his counselors will join in. Anyway, I need to go in search of a blessing outfit for him.

Cole is getting bigger every day. My little pickle is growing up too fast. It's kind of sad in a way. I don't want my little ones to grown up and ever leave. But I guess it is inevitable. Cole also received his first shaving of his hair. That's right all of his beautiful locks are gone. It is just way too hot for him with all that hair. I shed some tears and now we are trying to move on with our lives. Cole is still all about ball. We've added new sports to the mix since our good old Olympic days. Volleyball is a new favorite these days. Dan started back to school on August 25 and I'm not excited about that. But hey, this is our second to last semester so we'll make it. I'm just cruising along, feeding Andrew all day long, getting ready for some cooler weather.

Speaking of weather, we enjoyed a monsoon on Thursday evening. It was rather unnerving to tell the truth. Our neighborhood was hit hard. There were 75-80 mile per hour winds with gusts up to 100 miles per hour. We lost at least 12 huge trees along our street with many more losing large branches. Our street was closed down because there were several giant trees fallen across the road. We lost our power for about four hours. So I was changing diapers by candlelight. Fortunately, we didn't experience any damage except for losing our beloved trees outside our apartment. Anyway, it was rather crazy, but we survived. Other than that, things are really pretty uneventful. Hope everyone has a great week.

Petersen Update

2008-08-29T15:22:00.000-07:00

Okay I decided to play the game I play with my visiting teaching supervisor each month. I always try to call her to report my visiting teaching before she has to call me. Unfortunately some months she cheats and calls early because she's going out of town. How does this relate to Chick Chat, you might ask?! Well, I was desperately trying to beat Jill before she sent out "the e-mail" encouraging us to do our Stevensly duty and update our lives.

So, here goes. Kade finished counseling for summer school August 7, HCE started back to school on August 11, we celebrate our 13th anniversary August 18, and Kade started work August 25. We did manage to squeeze in some fun family activities amidst all the schoolness in our lives. We toured the Jelly Belly factory and ate a year's supply of jelly bellies in one weekend, swam a bunch at "Uncle Mike's," camped in the backyard, played at one of our favorite mountain lakes, and went grocery shopping as a family of seven twice, and 24-7 Olympics and sleepless nights. I also attempted a couple of wild outings with my five by myself. We had a nice break from year-round karate (actually tae kwan doe), skipped ballet pretty much the whole month, enjoyed a full month of cub scouts for Caleb (what an awesome program for little boys!--I can see that, now that I'm the mom of one--I didn't have a clue the few short months I was a leader when Caleb was 6 months old) and Activity Days for Haleigh, Elise, Maryn and Joshua (I'm the leader), and some more landscaping of the side yard (our secret garden).

I think that covers it. If you want more details you can visit my blog at http://www.kapandcompany.blogspot.com/. I look forward to reading all your updates too. And, by the way, I'm still waiting to hear the details of the Trout Creek trip. Ann alluded to the fact in her comment, I noticed, that she heard some of the scoop.

Happy 11th Anniversary, Jane and Austin!

2008-08-29T14:29:00.000-07:00

As I was shopping today for our friend's son's wedding gift, I was thinking, hey, this date is familiar. It's Jane's anniversary. I remember being gone all weekend for your wedding festivities and coming back to work the following Monday morning. The headlines splashed across the newspapers were the news of Princess Diana's death. Hope you two have a great day!

The Stevens Boys

2008-08-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

I stole these pictures from Shannon's facebook account so you could all see (hope you don't mind Shannon)

Trout Creek

2008-08-20T17:24:00.001-07:00

So I am waiting for the Trout Creek goers to update us on their trip...I'd like a few photos too. I hear that there is a picture of a turkey and her babies along with some other great shots....

Happy Anniversary, Ann & Dan and Matt & Shannon!

2008-08-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

I meant to do this earlier, but we haven't been home much and I've been battling Kade for the desktop these days. I just wanted to wish you guys happy anniversaries and more wedded bliss moments in the years to come.

Love those games.

2008-08-13T21:48:00.000-07:00

I have to say that we are thoroughly enjoying the Olympics. At a time when sleep is already a much needed necessity, I get even less now because I have to stay up and watch every night. I guess you pay for what you value. I have decided, however, that I am going to have to start screening what events we watch. Cole was trying to do some dives in the bathtub the other night. I was okay with his gymnastics on the bed, but diving in the bathtub is not the best idea. So watch out for those young and impressionable ones that watch the Olympics. Who knows, maybe I have a future Olympian on my hands.

My kiddos

2008-08-12T19:12:00.000-07:00

Thankful Thursday

2008-08-07T18:19:00.000-07:00

So I saw that my friend Veronica does a post every thursday on what she is thankful for, and I thought that was a great idea. Sooooooo.....

Today I am thankful for scripture study, a wonderful husband, and wind. Some of you might be surprised by the last item if you know me well enough. I usually (almost without an exception) HATE wind. However, today was very warm and in my present condition, I get hotter than usual, and I just over heat like crazy. However; when it is windy, the heat is so much more bearable.

Olympics

2008-08-06T09:15:00.001-07:00

I'm sure everyone is aware that the Olympics begin on Friday with Opening Ceremonies. I was happy to see that April had a countdown clock on her blog (although, I didn't expect anything less from her). I hope everyone has at least the basic stations so you can enjoy some good Olympic fun . Anyway, I just thought I would take this chance to share my Olympic enthusiasm with you. Enjoy!

Hello

2008-08-03T21:57:00.000-07:00

hey peeps!! I'm in Arizona right now visiting the pickles family. The newest addition is adorable. I love him completely.

Bryce Canyon Adventure

2008-08-03T15:25:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

So, after living in Utah for 7 years, I finally made it to Bryce Canyon National Park this past weekend. My friend Gracelyn, her daughter Joyce, Joyce's friend Jenna, and I went to Bryce Canyon on Friday.
We set up our campsite and then we hiked the "Navajo Trail" in the park. It was pretty incredible (despite giving myself heat exhaustion). We had a great time. I definitely prefer greenery & rivers, but the red rock formations were absolutely breathtaking nonetheless. Hooray for my side! - Toni-

One Year

2008-07-31T16:38:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd take this opportunity to share the commemoration of the one year anniversary of our moving to Arizona. I can't believe that we've been here a year. In some ways it seems like we've been here for a long time. But I can't believe we've been here a year. Time does fly. We came to Arizona with one toddler. One year later, Cole is almost a preschooler and we have a newborn. It's amazing what a year brings. Anyway, just thought I'd share this reminiscent moment with you.

Nicknames

2008-07-31T10:56:00.000-07:00

When Kade, his siblings, and cousins were growing up, his maternal grandmother gave them each nicknames, that everyone remembers and still talks about today. Anyway, Kade's mother wants to continue the tradition and so lately, the family has been bouncing around nicknames for all my MIL's grandchildren, and even her children-in-law. That got me thinking about us growing up. I know Mom and Dad weren't in to nicknames, (at least for me, I should say,) but Grandma always called me Brownie. Did any of you have nicknames from our parents or grandparents while growing up? Just curious and trying to fill in large gaps in my gray matter.

Authorship

2008-07-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad April figured the authorship thing out. That was going to be my task for today, but now it's all done for me.
So this summer I've been learning new things since I haven't been working or going to school. I learned how to sew. I made one skirt now in the possession of Amber, curtains for my kitchen, and now I'm slowly but surely working on a dress. My next sewing project will be to make a little girl's dress for my baby.
I also have been learning how to blog hence our family blog. And I have been working on family history. This includes family indexing online, teaching Justin how to use PAF, and also getting my own cleaned up and more workable.
Another thing that I have been up to is learning to crochet. So far my efforts have been to watch several you tube vidoes on how to do it. Maybe later today, I will be adventurous and venture to DI where I noticed some yarn and crochet hooks.
If you can think of any other handy skills I should learn feel free to email me with them as I like to feel productive, and I like to prevent myself from getting sucked into spider solitaire.