Christmas in Idaho

It was pretty exciting!!!




MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

Kaitlyns 3rd birthday

This was the absolute cutest thing ever!!!


This was my bad idea. Sorry Kaitlyn :)


Man this was like the birthday that never ended :) Thanks everyone for making Kaitlyns 3rd birthday so GREAT!!!!

Training in Orlando

This week I had a training class in Orlando FL. Cindy and the kids decided to ride along. We drove through the night Saturday night, went to church, and checked into our hotel. Thankfully we had friends in Knoxville lend us their GPS so Cindy and the kids were able to find parks and the zoo during the days. For family home evening on Monday we drove to the Orlando Temple.

Then on Tuesday we went to down town Disney.

On our way home we decided to drive up the coast.





We filled up in South Carolina for $1.37. I never thought I'd see gas prices below $1.50 again EVER so I had to take a picture :)

More Thanksgiving fun

Thanks Hayli for teaching Kaitlyn some sweet new dance moves :)


Like I mentioned in the next post, Cade LOVED the rocks

Thanksgiving 2008 - GREAT TO SEE EVERYONE!!

Thank goodness for things to do at the airport.

Sure wish the excitement would have lasted a little longer though.

Cade LOVES playing in the rocks. Everytime we let him go outside he'd head right down the stairs and sit in the driveway. By the end of the week he could open the door by himself so if we were looking for Cade we started with the driveway.

Thankgiving was awesome. The kids all got to eat outside (not just because the adults wanted them to either :))

When we got home we had a leak in our kitchen. What is it about plumbing problems when we leave home????

It's all about time ;)

Just a little family time :)


Kaitlyn has been quite the little dancer lately. The best dancing always stops when the camera starts rolling but these were still pretty funny.


Another sweet dancing video.

Halloween 2008

More halloween stuff 2008

Quick clip of Cade the cow getting around before the trunk-or-treat.


Kaitlyn the kitty had a blast before going trunk-or-treating too.


We left our camera at the church or we'd have had some great pictures from trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, the company picnic, riding horses, and a hay ride. Oops, my bad :)

Friday drive

Friday after work we decided to drive over towards the Smokey Mountains. We didn't quite make it all the way but just enjoyed the drive. We also passed 137 corvettes :)

Getting adjusted

So here we are in Tennessee. This is on the way to our house.


Kaitlyn and Cade love to be outside.


For some reason Cade is fascinated with these flowers. He'll sit and pick them for an hour if we let him.


Cade wants to play football for UT :)


Here's our house. If Cade isn't picking flowers or grass then he's standing in the road. :)

Settling In

We're happy to be moved in and to stay put for a while. It's so fun to be closer to Brian and Kathy. They visited the weekend we moved in and Kaitlyn and Cade warmed right up to them. After they left she said "I miss new Kathy". She also expresses how she misses everyone else as she goes through the list of names of everyone.

Walking Wonder

Cade is a walking machine. While I was posting these videos he went on a walk outside down the driveway to the street. That took him no more than 30 seconds. I have to keep the door closed or I better not take my eyes of him for a minute.

Nightly bedtime ritual & Cades walkin :)

So Kaitlyn and Cade LOVE sharing a room, especially at bedtime:)



Cade was preparing for quite a while.


He got plenty of encouragement. Thanks everyone!


Yeah Cade!!!!! Congratulations!!!!

First few weeks in Tennessee

So just for a quick update here's a letter I wrote to Amanda (no need to read it again sis :)). It pretty much covered my first couple of weeks in Knoxville so here's the update.....

Things are good back here. I've actually stayed farely busy. I'm really liking my new job. They are pretty easy going and are fine with me getting on the internet etc. I don't think I'll push my luck and down load IM yet :)
I spent last weekend just driving around exploring. I totally feel like I'm in a movie back here. I was driving down this road that was completely covered by trees. I was in a tree tunnel for probably 1 1/2 miles. Then it opened up and there were mansions with huges green fields, horses, white picket fences, etc.) Then all of a sudden I was driving along the river, bike trails, & parks. I happened into a neighborhood where like every other house had a play set and every garage that was open had little girls bikes in them. There were kids and families just out hanging around. I found a couple houses for sale and it just so happened that they were having open houses.
I loved 'em and so I sent Cindy the links with pictures and she liked 'em so with out here actually seeing the house I made an offer yesterday :O. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.
We've gone almost a month without a single showing on our house in Utah. Now all of a sudden yesterday a lady that we've been talking to decided she wanted to rent it for a while so I sent her a lease agreement. Now today a realtor called and asked if they could show our house. What the heck?
Now Cindy is at the house cleaning and the movers are finally there today packing our stuff. They're supposed to load up and get on their way in the morning. Then they gave us an estimate of 9/15-9/19 as the date of arrival. In the meantime I've signed a three month lease at an apartment and had to go to Wal-mart to buy: a pot, pan, air mattress, towel, food, TV, a couple of folding chairs, etc. You know, the basics :).
Kaitlyn has had tonsilitis four times over the past six months so Cindy has her scheduled to get them out in the morning. They recommend a two week recovery period to ensure there is not abnormal bleeding etc. We're going to give here 4-6 days and see how she is going and then hopefully Cindy and the kids can fly back towards the beginnig to middle of next week (which is probably good timing because I'm sure they'd all go crazy living in an appartment with no real furniture, dishes, bedding, etc.)
On Sunday Elder Bednar was in town. There are two stakes in Knoxville (the Knoxville area) and our stake has the biggest building so we were combined with another ward church while the other stake met with Elder Bednar in our building. Afterwards he met with the missionaries and I was just driving around with nothing really to do so I went over and sat in the foyer and listened to him talk. I love listening to Apostles talk, especially in person, they are so inspiring and motivating. He talked about how our lives are gifts from God and that we need to do all we can to keep ourselves clean so that we don't get in the way of allowing the Lord to bless us. He talked about how we don't really every "earn" anything but that the Lord "gives" us what he knows we need. Obviously he was speaking to missionaries but the principle really hit home with me.
After work I've kept my self busy by eating out (so that I could watch football. I don't have cable, just the bunny ears so I have to go somewhere else to get a good reception :) ), working out (mainly for the same reason, there's a TV in the fitness center :)), driving around looking at houses (not sure how I'm going to feel now that we've made an offer on a house), and shopping at Wal-mart for things that you just can't live without (can opener, bowls, plates, shower curtain, etc.), and I've spent two evenings helping some neighbors move in.
So far so good :)

ps. the offer has been accepted so hopefully we can move into our new house in a few weeks.

continued.....

5) And it came to pass that I did journey to the land Knoxville and I did go before my family to prepare the way for them. And it came to pass that I did find a hotel where I was able to lodge.
6) And after not many days I did become weary of the hotel where I did lodge and I did take my flowered suitcase and my clothes, and my computer and I did take my journey eastward to a place which they did call Copper Pointe (apartments) and I did rest there for a time.
7) And it came to pass that I did long to have my family with me and I did look forward to the time that was not far off when they would join me in the land Knoxville.
8) And in all things I did give thanks to my God. Yea I did give thanks for my family, and my job, and for Copper Pointe (and that fact that it is only for three months :))and for my new air mattress, folding chair, for my new pan, paper plates, my new towel and shower curtain......
9) And I did give thanks for the fact that someday I would once again have a couch, a bed, a kitchen table, pots, pans, chairs, towels, and a house. And so was my mind cought up when I did lay down for the night.

Update on the move

So Cindy and I just got back from a house hunting trip to Knoxville. We found out on Friday morning that the trip had been approved so we booked a flight and left a few hours later. Cindys parents and family watched our kids while we were gone (THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!!!). We found a few houses that we like and will probably be making an offer in the next couple of days. We just got back into town and are on our way back up to Idaho to get our kids and hang out with my family (Seth & Randi live in Blackfoot, Corri & Bert just moved to Blackfoot, and Mom, Dad, & Amanda/kids are driving up tonight). I start work on Monday so it's going to be a crazy weekend and next couple of weeks until we can get into our house. Sorry we didn't take the camera this weekend. I'll post some pictures soon.

And we did prepare to move

1) And it came to pass that I did take my family and we did journey into the wilderness. And on the twenty and fifth day of the seventh month of the year the Olympics were to be held in Beijing I did arrive in Knoxville (for this was the name of the place which we were to dwell) and I did look for my family but they were not with me for I had journeyed alone to this place and did prepare for the time when my family should join with me.
2) And it came to pass that on the first day of the eighth month of the year the Olympics were to be held in Beijing I did look out and I did see a large vessel in the air and it did descend gradually until it did reach the earth and it did roar like a lion and it was tight like unto a dish yet it did move like the great cat. Now behold my family was upon this vessel and they did come unto me and I was filled with joy and did give thanks to the Lord for them.
3) And it came to pass that we did make our home on the West side of the city Knoxville in a place called Farragut Tennessee and we did make friends with our neighbors and the members of our new ward. And we did not dwell in a tent but did surely live after the manner of happiness.
4) And we did blog often for we were desirous that our families and friends should remain close to us. And we were desirous that our families and friends would also blog, call, e-mail, chat, and visit for we were in a strange land and our hearts did yern to be close therefore we were desirous that our friends and family would seek to communicate often with us.

So I read Bryson Perkins blog and loved it so I had to try. Thanks Bryson :) http://bookofbryson.blogspot.com/

I look forward to our upcoming move and promise to do better at posting to our blog and keeping in touch. I hope everyone will continue to keep in touch.

Knoxville here we come !!!!

Well we're really doin it :)

Summertime Chillin'

These two love the water, especially Cade. The blow up pool had a hole in it so Nate filled this laundry bucket up.

July 4th in Littlefield

We went to Littlefield for the 4th of July weekend and had a great time with Nates family. We took family pictures, went swimming in the river, watched the fireworks in Mesquite, went to a show, played a bunch of games, and ate like kings.




The Peterson Family

Kids new pics

So we had our neighbor come over and take a few pictures of Kaitlyn & Cade. These were a few of my favorites.

A great Fathers Day weekend

Friday after work I drove to Idaho to pick up Cindy and the kids. Cindy had been staying with her nephews while her brother and sister-in-law went on a cruise. When I arrived Cindy and the kids were just getting back from the store. I helped Kaitlyn out of her car seat and she laid her head on my shoulder, gave me a great big hug and said, "I missed you daddy. I wuv you daddy." Talk about melting my heart.

We had fun with Cindys family on Friday night and Saturday then we drove home Saturday night. We were about 1/2 hour from home when Cindy remembered that she had left my fathers day gift hidden under the bed in Idaho. I'll have to thank her for that because I may need to refer back to it in the future when I forget to get a gift :)

On Sunday morning I was going to put Kaitlyn down for a nap. She wanted to lay on the floor to read stories. So we put a couple pillows and blankets down and she snuggled up to me while I read her stories. Somewhere early in the second story I fell asleep and Kaitlyn left the room quietly.
After a while I woke up as Kaitlyn had returned, knelt down next to me, and gave me a great big hug. She said, "I wuv you daddy. Happy Fathers Day daddy!" and then gave me an Eskimo kiss followed by butterfly kisses. It was so sweet. She probably told me happy fathers day 40 times yesterday.
Cindy did a great job too. Thanks hun for cooking lunch, letting me sleep in until 6:30, and letting me watch the end of the Lakers/Celtics game :) It really was a great day.

A WANTED MAN!!

So I drove down to St. George this past weekend to attend the wedding of Brianna Leavitt. On my way home I got pulled over (the officer said 89 but I was only doing 83, I know still speeding so I didn't say anything :)) and given a ticket ($107 ouch). When the officer returned to my car he asked if I was aware that there was a warrant out for my arrest. I instantly thought that my identity had been stolen and that this was going to get ugly. I told him that I had no idea and he proceeded to remind me of a ticket I was issued last June for failing to use my blinker (OK I actually swerved across four lanes of traffic so that I wouldn't miss my exit but he was kind enough to write me up for failing to signal). I knew I'd paid the ticket and told him that I had a receipt. He asked if I had it on me and when I obviously did not he told me all the things he was supposed to do (take me to jail, impound my car, etc.) but said he was going to make a note that he'd talked with me and that if I was pulled over again without having taken care of it I would be booked. I spent all day looking through my electronic receipts with no luck. My electronic bank statements only went back to the end of June 2007. I thought I was going to have to pay $206.50 to clear my warrant but I finally found a paper copy of my statement and the carbon copy of my check stub.
MORAL OF THE STORY: Keep your receipts..... or don't break the law... :)

Vegas visit

We had a great time visiting with Amanda, Glen, mom, and the kids. Thanks for letting us come visit.

Kaitlyns first piano recital

Kaitlyn loves it when Cindy plays the piano. She'll dance, sing, try to play a duet, and the other day she decided to show off how far she's come.



She's usually kind an gentle but she has her sassy side.



We sure are glad that spring is here and we can spend some time outside again :)

I'm FINALLY done with school!!!!

Well I've finally decided that the professional student thing is not for me and I'm calling it quits. I graduated with my MBA from Weber State yesterday. Let the good times role, I wish I had more time saved up to take off of work :)