Christmas Morning

Christmas was pretty fun this year because Gavin was old enough to figure out how to unwrap presents. He loved getting new toys but I think he loved ripping the paper more. Gavin and Garrett got matching PJ's, thanks to my wonderful bro-in-law, Chad. Gavin got this cool kid-sized chair, which he thinks is pretty cool. Santa brought us a Wii and he brought Garrett Guitar Hero. Not sure how I feel about that yet...
After the traditional breakfast and gifts at my parent's house, we went for the traditional minestrone soup and Grandma Gerry's homemade rolls at Grandpa Christensen's house. Then it was back to my parent's house for yummy ham and roll sandwiches and games. What a day! All in all, we had a wonderful Christmas weekend.

Oh Christmas Tree

I'm usually dying to put the tree up but this year, it took me almost 3 weeks to finish the decorative touches. The boxes sat in the kitchen for way too long. I just thought I'd post a picture for all to see.

Growing Up

I can't belive my baby just turned 1! Can anyone tell me how to slow the growing process? I swear, the past 12 months just flew by!

Someone Else's Bucket List

I stole this list from someone else's blog and I find it interesting. I've made lists of my own like this in the past but I like to refer to this one as a means of comparing myself (I know, it's never a good thing to compare yourself to anyone) and see where I measure up. My 'accomplishments' are in bold.

I guess what I glean from this activity is that while I may feel frustrated at my current situation as a young working mother, I have still done a few things in my time.

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band (does middle school count?)

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris (I guess the airport doesn’t count)

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train (The sleeping part is a bit iffy)

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23.Taken a sick day when you're not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (here’s the kicker – I was there but didn’t do it because I'm too cheap)

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (I'm glad the person who wrote this list was smart enough to use satisfied rather than happy)

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo's David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa - this should be closer to the top on my list. I'll get there someday!

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business (boy, what an adventure)

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (no, but I’ve sure enjoyed them)

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma (I tried, but I passed out at the finger prick, and I've been using that excuse ever since)

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt (I bought the fabric, cut it out, and didn't dare sew it together)

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone's life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake (The swimming is a bit iffy. Does standing in the water holding your nose count?)

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

Love this picture

I came across this picture tonight and thought I'd share it with you. I love the emotion that is captured. I think I'll frame it and put it on my desk at work.

Double Trouble

My friend Nicole just had twin boys, Gavin and Kyler. I got to visit them and even feed Kyler. So cute! They had to be taken C-section at the last minute, so mom is a little sore. Both boys are doing well.

My heart goes out to Nicole and Josh and their 3 boys under the age of 3! We hope to be able to help any way we can.


Man, I can't even begin to imagine myself in Nicole's shoes!

First Real Snow of the Season

This picture was too cute not to post

Pumpkin Patch

Ah, the Pumpkin Patch. We started this tradition with the Foxes last year but they were too cool to pick the pumpkins with us this year. Sad.

Ya gotta love Gavin's bum shot...

My baby is growing up!

No pictures on this post - but I promise a killer video clip is coming.

Gavin is officially walking now! I'm so excited, yet so terrified. He does very well and we haven't had any trauma yet (knock on wood). I love to see his little legs toddle around, his arms outstretched just a bit. It's so cute!

Oh ya, and he is talking a bit too. His newest word is 'shoes' but it sounds more like 'shuice'. He says it repeatedly when we are putting his shoes on. He mimics sounds and has about 5 or 6 words that he says every now and then.

Man, how time flies!

Aren't my guys the cutest?!

When the leaves first started to change, we went for a drive up Payson canyon with family to take some photos. Gavin kept grabbing the leaves and trying to eat them. His face told us they didn't taste very good but he kept trying anyway. Garrett hasn't had a chance to process his 'professional' pictures but I thought I'd post this one now.

Chickens

Earlier this summer, we had dinner in the Baird's backyard. We enjoyed the company of their five chickens, who are cleverly named after the golden girls. I thought this video was pretty funny.

Don't forget to check Gavin's blog

I tend to update Gavin's blog more often than our family blog so don't forget to check his for more current updates!

www.gavinwoodsoler.blogspot.com

Thanks!

Gotta Go, Go, Go!!!

Gavin has been crawling for about a month now but thanks to his older cousins, he's discovered the fine art of walking with assistance. We're not sure we like it because he pulls himself up on everything including the entertainment center, the exersaucer and laundry baskets in the middle of the floor. Every so often, he lets go for a few seconds. He rarely cries when he falls, unless he bonks his head really hard. He's growing up so fast! Where did my little boy go?

First Zoo Trip

We took our first trip to the zoo this past week. My cousin and her family were in town and since she has two small girls, we figured it would be a fun idea. Gavin wasn't too interested in the 'cool' animals. He was more intrigued with the rabbit that came up to the window and the gorilla that was rearranging his hay into a pillow for a nap. It's been a while since I've been to the zoo so even though Gavin wasn't really excited, the kid in me still had a good time.

Boating at Jordanelle

We joined Garrett's brothers and their families for a day trip to Jordanelle. Gavin looked so stinkin cute in his little life jacket (which he kept trying to chew on) and Garrett just loved floating with him on the inner tube.

Athena Bunny

Here are some beautiful pics Garrett took of Athena. She is so fun! We love her demanding nudges for lovin' and her excitement when she gets to run around and play. Gavin grabbed her ear the other day and it didn't even affect her. I can't wait till she and Roman get along so we can put them in their new digs (pics coming soon of the massive bunny condo Garrett built).

Usborne Books

There is a company called Usborne Books whose books Mandi has really liked for a long time. The are very centered on children's books and stay on the top of the medical research which helps children read sooner and better. In an attempt to try and acquire books from a sales rep, she decided it made sense for her to try and sell them as well. So she is now a sales rep for this industry leader.

If you are interested in purchasing books or checking out who they are, there is a link on the page to her site. Please do check them out because they really are much better children's books that what you would typically see in a store. The link to her site is in the right hand column of this blog under "Our Businesses".

Bringing Home Bunny

VIDEO HAS MUSIC!!! TURN VOLUME DOWN IF YOU ARE GOING TO GET CAUGHT WATCHING THIS AT WORK!! THIS IS VERY VERY FUNNY!!

This is our new bunny. We got her the week before Easter from a breeder, Bradbury Bunny Barn in Perry Utah. She is about 7 weeks old in this video. Her name is Athena. Athena was/is the Greek goddess of wisdom and strategy. Our bunny is authentic to her namesake! So we are continuing with our naming of bunnies after antiquity! She is very smart and we have seen her a few times try and escape!
It is pretty much official that we will probably have bunnies for a long time. We are hoping that the two we have live a little longer than Caesar. We still really miss him!

Easter

Our first Easter with Gavin was spent much like any other Easter for us. Saturday we went down to some of the Christensen family property north of Elberta, Utah to ride 4 wheelers. The weather was not quite what it normally is on Easter due to it's early date so we did not actually ride at all. Gavin was also a little sick with an ear infection so we stayed in grandpa's camper most of the time just spending time with family. It was still a very fun time. Sunday, as you will see, was Gavin's first Easter egg hunt. He got one with the help of his mom!

Fun fact for the day: We all experienced the colder than normal weather this Easter due to the early date. Which begs the question, how do they figure out when Easter is to be? Well, the combination of events is so complex, that the combination will never repeat itself for 5000+ years. Easter falls on the first Sunday, after the first full moon, after the vernal equinox. This year the vernal equinox (first day of spring) was on the 20 th march, the full moon was the very next day, and Sunday was only two days later. So Easter was on the 23rd of March 2008!

Gavin's Blessing

We would like to thank all who were there in body or spirit to support the Oler family today. There were some who could not make it due to weather...and many who braved the weather to make sure and be there. We love you all and feel so much gratitude for having such great family and friends. I will be posting snippets of his blessing and a formal thank you for those who stood in the circle on Gavin's blog soon. There are lots of pictures from the day there so check it out!! For those who don't want to link to another site, here is a teaser. If you click on his picture, it will send you to his blog.

Also, I am trying to re-compile my contacts list. So...friends and family, please send me an email from your most used account and send me details....Names, any email addresses, street address, birthdays, phone numbers, anniversaries, and any email addresses of mutual friends and family. Send this email to mandiandgarrett@gmail.com
Thank you

Gavin Woods Oler Blessing

It is about that time for Gavin to be blessed. We are going to do so on the first Sunday in February which is the 3rd. Our church starts at 9:00 am. (Sorry!) We are planning on having anyone over afterwards as well. So please come and participate with friends and family! Here is a map to our church...I was not sure of the address so I guessed...but you should get there.
Also, go to Gavin's blog to see more new pictures of him. You will see a link in the family and friends section of this blog.

Love you all!

Oler Family