SEPTEMBER 2008: by the KIDS

We’re doing great – keeping busy as usual! We let the kids write the letter this month!

Ellie-
I spinned (in dance class). I was gonna have a “popsicole”. I have a birthday tomorrow (she means next month). I have Brenda at my house.

Miriam-
I was playing with Collin and Grant and KayKay and Bennet, even Jenny and Chad – you know those friends that used to live in Georgia and now they moved into that different place – I played with all of them, even the grownups. In preschool – we did letters there. We had recess and had a snack when it was time to go. We bring papers home. And, we go hunting (“goin on a bear hunt”).

Enoch –
Refused to dictate anything – but he’s having a great time in school. His birthday was fun! Bjorn made an awesome Indiana Jones obstacle course, complete with a golden statue, rolling boulder, water grenades, snake pit, swamp, spiders, and much more. The treasure at the end came falling down when Enoch cut the rope. He said it was way better than he imagined it would be!

Natalie-
I played soccer this year and my team either won or tied every game. But I did not make one single goal the whole soccer season (but Mom adds, she kept the other team from scoring countless goals ☺). I’m learning how to type in school too. School is really fun also! In school I am learning multiplication!

Isaac-
My first football game of the year we lost in triple overtime (0-6). Then we played the team again and we beat them in double overtime. We have two more games left to see who wins for 3rd and 4th place. We played in the rain and it was hard to pull any flags and I pulled the flag that kept them from winning the game, and someone on our team brought dougnuts and I got to pick the biggest doughnut, because my coach said I needed something special! I bought two cap guns and Enoch and I have been having cap gun wars.

Auriana-
Seventh grade is sort of hard, the good thing is that I have a lot of fun classes! At our school, we have A-day and B-day so I have different classes on the different days. For my math class, I am in Algebra 1 with a bunch of eighth graders. There are only about 5 seventh graders in the whole class, and that’s counting me! I’m taking choir and we had a concert about a week ago. I’m also taking orchestra and I had a concert for that a few days ago. Jenny, Collin, Grant, Katelyn, and Bennet even came to the concert with my family! We had a lot of fun while Jenny and Chad were here, we even went on a hike to a waterfall! It was fun, but when we got back to our cars, we were all freezing cold!

August 2008

We’ve been keeping tabs on all the travelers the last few days.  We’re grateful that Jenny was able to get on the plane with the baby yesterday.  And we’re glad that Bjorn is having the fun opportunity of driving across the country with the boys, they’re in church in Mississippi at the moment.  We’re jealous that Bjorn has already held the baby, the rest of us can’t wait to meet baby Bennett!

We started July in Yellowstone this year, where we had a really good time.  We made a memory while sprinting back to the car through a downpour/hailstorm that came upon us suddenly while we were on a little hike.   We made a memory at old faithful as the geyser errupted and we all oohed and aahed. We made a memory at the outhouse as we watched a buffalo graze right behind it.  We make many ice cream memories, and we had fun counting wildlife. We were especially excited to see a bald eagle.

We enjoyed seeing many of you in Rexburg and then came home to a few weeks of Pendleton family festivities.  We’ve had a lot of fun with cousins this summer – and we find ourselves being more and more grateful for cousins as our kids grow older.  Thanks, to all of you cousins for being such wonderful friends and examples to our kids.

Our summer has been so full of activities, it felt like summer vacation finally got started over the 24th of July when we spent the entire day relaxing and playing outside.  It was one of those long hot summer days when we could lay in the grass and watch the clouds go by. We don’t have much else to do until school starts – and I’m delighted that the kids have finally discovered that they can play board games without a parent.  I enjoy board games, but neither Bjorn nor I can fit them in as often as the kids wish - especially a two hour round of Monopoly or the game of life with Ellie on my lap.

We had great fun with Konnie and the kids this weekend. All the girls “dressed up” all weekend, and  we definitely should have had the camera out. The boys had a blast with Micah – “being boys”. We made it to the Pratt Reunion for a few hours and enjoyed basking in the  strength and love of a Pratt family testimony meeting. We also enjoyed being with Aunt Diane and her family at Suzy’s bridal shower - Suzy is very nice. Auriana did an awesone babysitting job, so that Konnie and I could go and enjoy having our hands free for a few hours

Auriana got braces this month and can’t wait to have a locker in Junior High.  Isaac’s been reading a lot and loves any board game where he can get a lot of money.  Natalie loves to play whenever and with whoever is playing – going to bed is not her favorite activity.  Miriam has learned to ride a scooter and has the srapes and bruises to prove it. Enoch wants to read badly and is making great progress.  Ellie gets up and down from the trampoline like she’s five, then she hops onto the swing and pumps herself into a high swing. Bjorn continues to work hard - day in and day out – but we enjoy seeing him at meal times.  Becky continues to try and figure out what to fix for yet another meal.

Family Picture by the rose bush

May 2008

AURIANA
I graduated from the 6th grade and got my “diploma”!  At the end of the graduation they showed a slide show and everybody got a copy of it.  The day that school got out we went to a hotel with an indoor swimming pool and free breakfast.  When we checked out of the hotel we went on the Alpine Slide. After we went on the slide we got dipp’n dots and went home.  About three weeks after Natalie gets her braces off, I’m getting mine on. I’m looking forward to the rest of summer vacation.  

ISAAC
Me and Natalie got a wave board and a ripstik and we share them.  It was hard at first, but now I’ve really got the hang of it. We went to a hotel the day school got out.  We went swimming and my dad launched me and I did a flip and landed in a belly flop. My dad let me be responsible of one of the hotel room card keys.  I love those things! I was sword fighting with Enoch and he whacked me as hard as he could, but I blocked it and his stick broke and now he’s really sad.  But, my dad glued it back together with wood glue. Auriana got a new blue bike. The ripstik is blue and the waveboard is silver (and Grandma, I’ll have to show you them sometime, because you probably don’t know what they are.)  And I’m really excited for summer, because I don’t have to wake up at 6:30 every morning, and I can sleep in as long as I want. And, I can’t wait to see you. We got a new little water thingee that has a palm tree that squirts water and a turtle that everybody calls Rex, and a dolphin that has lots of different names like:  dolphinia, aleena, dandelion, daisy, and Wabob. Oh yeah, and they also call the turtle Shelly, but I like it to be Rex. I’m on the track club and I win every race that I enter, but I don’t like it very much.

NATALIE
Schools out!  I’m getting my braces off in three weeks.  And then I’m getting a retainer. I had a great time in soccer and I’m getting good on the ripstick.  I got Auriana’s old bike when she got a new one.

ENOCH
I was sword fighting with Isaac.  And he hit me in the head, but I’m OK.  I graduated from preschool. My favorite part about it was that I singed songs.  I’m excited to be in kindergarten next year. I get to do cheerios and pretzel exercises with my mouth (to get rid of his “lateral s” lisp).  We went to a hotel and we went to a swimming pool and we went down a big slide from the top of the mountain to the bottom. I drove it myself.  I learned to swim across the big pool (with arm wings) and we got ice cream that looked like dots.
MIRIAM
Yellow and Pink and Purple are my favorite colors.  I love you. I got a new swimming pool and we have a waterslide.  Today in Primary I learned about the blind man and Jesus helped him.  My favorite thing to do is play with a toy bunny and the little people.  I love to color. I learned to float across the hot tub with a life jacket and arm wings on.  My parents were so proud they got me a treat!

ELENA
I’m potty trained now!  I have an asthma attack now and then.
What’s your favorite color? “pink”
What’s your favorite toy? “yellow”
What did you learn in Primary today?  “The song that have the I love Jesus.”
What did you do in the swmming pool? “Swim”
A favorite phrase…”I want a piggy ride back”
After jumping on the tramp a while I say “Boy, I need a rest!”

BJORN
I was elated to do some back and front flips on the trampoline in Park City with the help of some bungee cords.  I’m excited to have found a few more talented designers to sub-contract to, to ease my work load a little bit. I recently received a certificate signed by Governor John Hunstman for my work on the Arts Council as a “change leader” (as in one who leads change).  I’m enjoying playing basketball every Wednesday night. I had fun finishing up coaching Natalie’s soccer team. My youngest brother will be getting married next month to a girl from Sonora, Mexico.

BECKY
We’re all in mourning because two of our favorite families in the neighborhood have moved.  We used May wisely and made a lot of memories before they left. We’ve been so grateful for good friends who lived close by – it will be an adjustment – we hope to get replacements to move into their vacant homes!  We really did have a lot of fun in Park City – we left spur of the moment when school got out and found a great hotel room with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, and a kitchen for $149. Off season prices are great!  The kids wore themselves out in the pool and didn’t even want to stay up late. It was a very relaxing and fun weekend. I am now the Sunbeam teacher (Miriam’s class) and the assistant Cub Master in our ward.

April 2008

It has been a great day! We are celebrating Miriam’s birthday, the real Christmas, the anniversary of the organization of the Church, and just finished watching conference. Each message was so timely and inspiring. I’ll have to say that my favorite part of conference was when President Monson wiggled his ears in the Priesthood Session. Everyone in my stake center (and probably all around the world) just burst out laughing. I think it further endeared him to many. That moment, along with so many witnesses from the other apostles and seventy, along with many witnesses from the Spirit confirms to me his calling as our next prophet. I had been seeking for that witness so that I could say “I know,” and now I feel that assurance. I hope each of you has also had that witness at some point over these past two days.

We had a fun family party for Miriam this morning. She received all sorts of art supplies and activities – crayons, markers, paints, etc. that will keep her busy for hours and hours. She had her friend party on Friday afternoon and Becky did a wonderful job of putting on a fantastic “pony party” complete with a rainbow cake and a My Little Pony piñata. Jenny was also a great help in preparing for the party, and it was great to have Collin, Grant, and Katelyn there to join in the fun. As we have done with some of the other kids’ parties, I set up an obstacle course in the back yard – except this was a pony course. Each of the kids got a pony that Becky and the girls had made out of stuffed pant legs of old jeans. She put eyes and yarn manes on them and tied them on to a swimming “noodle” and each of the kids had to ride their pony through the course, going around and over obstacles, stopping and smelling daisies, stopping to eat some oats (Cheerios), and lassoing a post while saying, “Ride ‘em cowboy!” and then hit the piñata at the end. For the older kids we had timed them to see who could get through the course the fastest, but for some reason the competitiveness just wasn’t there with this age group. ☺

Brenda came near the end of the party and capped off Miriam’s state of happiness. Then she and Jenny and kids headed up to Rexburg. We sure enjoyed having them here for a few days. Our kids were sad when they left. I’ll claim a personal victory in getting Katelyn to laugh and smile at me as she was in the car waiting to leave. It’s amazing what a little chin tickling can do.

It’s amazing to think that Auriana will be starting Junior High next year. She anguished over what classes to sign up for and now may be doing it all over again as it appears she may end up going to the charter school instead. It looks like she might have a few more friends there and some additional options for music and art classes, but whatever decision she makes, we’ll be happy with it. She’s such a good student and such a good person, that she’ll excel whatever she decides.

Isaac and I have been trying to plan another trip up to Washington to visit his cousins, Daniel and Jacob, but can’t seem to figure out a time that works for everyone. We’ll get up there eventually though. In the mean time, he is enjoying soccer and trying to spend as much time as possible with Tyler and Landon Shumway, his good friends that will be moving to Texas in May or June because of a reassignment for their dad who is in CES. It’s hard to believe Isaac is now 10 years old. He got his Bear award in scouts a couple months ago and is attending Webelos now and really enjoying it.

Natalie is playing soccer too, and this year Becky and I are her coaches. It has been a blast so far. We had our first game on Thursday in the biting cold. It’s a little bit different experience coaching girls than boys. For instance, when I was coaching Isaac’s team a few years back, I never got the question, “Can we do a ballerina spin before we throw it in?” Its great to see them having so much fun. Their exuberance is contagious. It’s also cool because now since I’m the coach I get a treat after every game. ☺

Enoch is getting better at recognizing letters and sounding out words. He’ll be reading full sentences before long. Kindergarten isn’t that far away. Enoch had a blast with Collin and Grant. I was the paper airplane maker for an entire morning – they sure had fun using their imaginations with those planes. We really enjoy Enoch’s sense of  humor around here. He can be pretty silly sometimes. We are also grateful for his ability to focus the attention of his younger sisters onto something fun and constructive. The other day Miriam and Ellie were at each other all morning and as soon as Enoch got home from preschool they all starting playing together happily.

Ellie is no longer a baby. That is for sure! She is acting so grown up lately with certain attitudes and the things she says. All of us are constantly entertained and surprised at what she says and does. Definitely times to treasure and remember. Becky took her to the store yesterday so she could spend some money that we had saved for her from Christmas. She went from one toy to the next loving each one more than the last. Then she saw a cute outfit, and with an “Ooooh!” decided that she wanted that most of all. Two years old and already she’s a crazy shopper. She also got a haircut recently. She had been twirling her finger in her hair so much that it was getting tangled to the point that Becky couldn’t get the tangles out and had cut big chunks out on several occasions. So she finally decided just to cut it short and now it’s just above the shoulders and cute as ever.

It was great to have Mom and Dad down for Easter. We felt lucky to have them in our home for a short time, as their lives are so busy with their service in the temple. I was grateful they made the effort to come from Burley in time to attend my Easter concert in the Provo Tabernacle. It was a fun concert – a great place to perform. We also enjoyed time with Alan and Konnie and kids and enjoyed Easter dinner with them and Brenda and Karen and Andrew. I could say a little more here, but I think I’ll refrain for the time being. ☺

Becky was just released from the Primary presidency last Sunday. She served for about 3 ½ years. I look forward to seeing how they will use her next. She is so capable and dedicated in her Church service. Hearing Elder Ballard’s talk in the afternoon session about young mothers made me appreciate her all the more. She truly does “make” our home.

I have made a couple of presentations to the City Council in the last month and it looks as if this Cultural Arts and Heritage Center may actually happen. Of course there’s a long road ahead – a lot of organization, hard work, and $15 million to raise, but having the city leadership on board was a big hurdle to overcome. Work continues to be busy as ever, but I think I’m learning to work a bit smarter bit by bit. I went golfing for the first time this season and got an even 100. Hopefully I can improve on that a little bit through the next few months. With Chad promising to pay for all my golf from now on, I’ll have to make sure I give him his money’s worth. ☺  

Congrats, by the way, Dr. Chad. I know I’ve already told you on the phone, but we’re sure excited for you, and excited for us that we’ll have you so close. We wish you the best of luck in finding a home and making the move. Best of luck to Jen as well in having that baby during such a busy time. Our prayers are with you.

Happy Spring to each of you! May your garden planting be successful and your hay fever minimal.

March 2008

We’ve loved spending some time outside!  The weather has been wonderful for the past week or so.  The kids have rediscovered the grass, the swingset, the trampoline, the basketabll hoop, their bikes, rollerblades, scooters, etc.

Auriana started night-time head gear and has been very diligent and good at remembering to wear it.  Natalie got her braces tightened today and chose pink bands instead of blue.

We were able to take part in a baptism this last Sunday – a girl that Bjorn’s brother David has been dating.   Her name is Ana and she is from Mexico (Obregon actually). We’ve enjoyed getting to know her over the last four or five months, and she and Miriam have really taken a liking to each other.  She asked if Miriam would sing at her baptism and she (along with Natlalie) did a wonderful job of singing I am a Child of God. Besides singing beautifully, they were all smiles, and Miriam waved at Ana a few times during the song – melting everyone’s hearts.

Isaac is counting down the days to his birthday – and is really hoping he gets a green machine!  He went to his last den meeting with the Bears today – he’s had a great leader, but is excited to join the Webelos.

Enoch is becoming increasingly witty – Saturday as we were driving home from Brenda’s new condo, Auriana commented about something saying, “This is pleasant!”, and Enoch added “Grove”!

Ellie continues to dance the days away, but now when she’s dressing up, she demands to be dressed in something that will spin when she twirls.   Tonight during Family Home Evening she danced as we all sang primary songs around her.

The kids were all devestated when Brenda announced she was moving, but they adjusted when they found out she would have a pool, a playground, and would be close by and visit often.  They all had a lot of fun helping her move, and were actually quite helpful carrying things back and forth and up the stairs. The girls can’t wait to go and help Brenda unpack and decorate.

Feb 2008: by Bjorn

February 17, 2008

Dear Family,

Even though it was a pretty quick trip, it was great to be with most of you for the dedication weekend. We left from Spanish Fork right after Isaac’s 9:00 am basketball game and enjoyed good roads the whole way. We were amazed to see the snow piled so high when we arrived. The snow tunnel was pretty impressive, and Becky and I were regretting that we hadn’t packed the kids’ snow stuff. The Cultural Celebration was wonderful. Becky and I were both surprised at the emotions it created in each of us. I was particularly touched with the love and testimony that was being expressed by each participant as they each gave their best throughout the performance. I could feel the love they had for President Hinckley, and maybe a bit of angst that he wasn’t able to be there in person, but also a strong faith that he was there in spirit. It was neat to see how that love and respect was redirected to Elder Nelson and Elder Bednar. I could feel the pride they had in their heritage, their gratitude for that legacy, and their excitement for the future with the new temple. Seeing all those children coming in at the end all dressed in white was really powerful. There was definitely power in the purity of those children and what they represented.

Thanks Mom and Dad, for letting us into your home on one of the busiest weekends of your lives. Soon after we arrived, Auriana asked if we could just skip school on Monday and stay longer. She said, “I just love being here.” The rest of us would have to agree – we love being in Grandma and Grandpa’s home. It was fun to see the cousins pick up right where they left off, spending every possible minute together and having a blast.

It was nice to have a relatively lazy Sunday morning as we waited for our turn to go to the dedication. When the time finally did come, the excitement in the air was energizing. The picture that was in my mind of how things would work out once we got in the temple was based on my experience going to the Bountiful temple dedication where we were in an ordinance room all seated together. So when we ended up in the front foyer and were separated into three different groups, I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed, and several times considered rounding everyone up and finding a different place where we could all sit together. But as the service started, that feeling quickly disappeared as the Spirit took its place and I considered how lucky I was to be in the temple at all, and how wonderful it was to have my immediate family – Becky, Auriana, Isaac, and Natalie – right around me and participating in this historic and sacred event. Each of the talks and the singing were wonderful, and I was so proud (excuse me, I mean well pleased) when Dad and Mom gave their talks and Alan sang, but I’d have to say that Mom’s talk touched me the most as she mentioned her children and grandchildren and expressed her testimony of eternal families.

We left in a flurry, as we were trying to catch the tail end of a birthday gathering my family was having in Layton. I hope I didn’t offend anyone with my pushiness to say good-byes and get out the door and on our way. It was fun drag-racing Matt on the freeway between Idaho Falls and Pocatello. ☺  It was a quick trip, but so worth it. We missed having Jenny and Chad and kids, and Barbie and Mikayla there.

The kids enjoyed Valentines Day on Thursday. I think we’re still getting over our sugar highs. They’re looking forward to the day off school tomorrow for President’s Day. Isaac has been asking to go ice skating for quite a while, so we’re going to try and fit that in as a family activity. Isaac has been getting better and better at basketball. He scored seven points in his game yesterday, including an “and one” foul shot. He’s a quick player and scrambles after the ball really well – he even got three jump-ball tie-ups. Natalie has started basketball too, and got three baskets in her last scrimmage. Its more of a skills training league at this age, so they don’t play real games. We’ve had to switch to another music teacher for the 3 older kids. They’ll have their first lesson with him this week. We’re trying to work it out so he comes here, since he works in this area anyway. We just found out that our good friends, the Shumways, will be moving to Dallas, Texas in June for his new assignment. He’ll teach institute and coordinate all the seminaries in the area. We knew they would be going, but the kids are still pretty devastated. They will be sure to enjoy these last few months with them. On the night we found out, Isaac asked Becky if she and I would pray to know if we were supposed to move too.

As far as other big news – Ellie is almost potty-trained, and Miriam is doing great at not sucking her finger anymore. We’re just holding our breath hoping it will become permanent. I’m looking forward to an overnight snowmobile trip with my brothers up to our family cabin this coming weekend – as long as the weather cooperates. The two new business ventures are still in transition or startup mode and I’m just trying to keep my head from spinning too fast. Becky and I are still looking into the possibility of joining Truman Madsen and the film crew on a trip to the Holy Land to film his next “On Sacred Ground” series. Other than that, our lives are pretty normal . . . yeah, right! But we love it. And we love each of you.

Bjorn, Becky, Auriana, Isaac, Natalie, Enoch, Miriam, Ellie

December 2007: by Becky

It’s my favorite time of year!  Christmas trees, lights, stories, music, gift giving, candy – I love Christmas!  Tonight we read a story reminding us what all of these things really mean – and I’m glad that we celebrate Jesus Christ in such a happy, loving, long lasting way.  We’ve had some memorable holiday experiences and look forward to many more.

We enjoyed picking out and decorating our real and amazingly symetrical tree.  Miriam, Ellie, and Enoch continue to enjoy re-decorating it on a daily basis. Bjorn and I were able to attend the high school choir concert/dinner a few nights ago, and were touched by their portrayal of the nativity.  They used a real baby, and the whole scene seemed so authentic, it was easy to imagine we were there, watching them experience the Christ child.

We attended the John Schmidt Christmas concert last night and thoroughly enjoyed it for the fifth year in a row.  I always appreciate good, clean, uplifting entertainment – and the kids really had a good time. We had to drive through a major snow storm, but it was worth it.

The annual Utah cousin party was at our house this year, so it was fun to welcome Marianne, Brian, Karen, and Steve into our home yesterday.  

The holidays are so full of good times, good memories, good feelings, and renewed testimonies.  We look forward to being with most all of you for more celebrating over the next few weeks.

Other than Christmas activities, life carries on normally!  Auriana was sick all last week, but we don’t worry too much about her missing school.  As usual, her teacher thinks she’s perfect in every way. On Friday during their spelling test, on which they have to write in cursive, the teacher said “you’re all getting lazy on your cursive, I can hardly read your writing – except Auriana, hers is perfect!”

Isaac has a new favorite thing – Ben10 (a tv show).  He watches it, talks about it, plays it, and dreams about it.  He’s also reading Harry Potter for the second time. He says it’s amazing how much he missed or didn’t understand the first time.

Natalie had fun working on her project for the 2nd grade invention convention.  She and Bjorn spent hours building a server track - a wooden track that helps you set or clear the table while sitting in one spot.  Her teacher (and I) was very impressed.

Enoch has a great time in preschool!  He’s our first to ever experience it, and it’s been really good for him.  He loves to say the pledge of allegience, sing the days of the week, and do show and tell.  Miriam and Ellie have both grown up a lot. Miriam is very independent in a good way, and Ellie imitates everything we do and say.   

Bjorn sang “What Child is this?” very beautifully in church today,  and when asked to speak about Christ in sacrament meeting a few weeks ago he bore a very powerful testimony.  I’m grateful for his testimony and for the way he shares it in our home with me and the kids everyday.

This is Bjorn writing now. I just wanted to tell you all how much more wonderful Christmas is in our home because of Becky. The fun and thoughtful things she does for each of us and for our neighbors and friends really make the holidays all the more meaningful and memorable. She took the time to create a book full of pictures and messages for our good friends, the Shumways, who may move away this coming Spring or Summer. She created a fun DVD for our neighbors, the Lunts, with slideshows of their kids and our kids taken from our funny PhotoBooth program on our iMac. I’m sure it will provide them with hours of laughter and many fond memories. She has also taken the time to make fun treats for all our neighbors, not to mention all the effort she puts in to make new stockings for the youngest ones, and getting a yearly ornament for each of the kids that represents something significant that happened in each of their lives within the past year. I could go on, but Becky won’t let me. ☺ We love the Christmas season because of the Spirit we feel so often and how it draws us together in our love for the Savior and each other.

2007 Favorite Pics