Getting ready for the season..

Decorating the tree

Stake Live Nativity


Breakfast with Santa: an annual tradition at the S.W. F.A.C.

Santa always arrives riding on the Firetruck. The kids run out to meet him and escort him in to sit on his lap.

Logan wants "a miniature motorcycle with a little dude to ride it".

Parks doesn't know what he wants this year...a game?

The Augers joined the festivities this year.
Blow up bouncy toys are the highlight of the morning.

Logan and his best friend Dawson, looking festive in red and green.

Hud, Skrap and Gunner playing 500 with their friends.

I am thankful for...

My family! For our health and the fun times we share together. Here are some pics i found on facebook that i never got to blog about and they make me happy, to look back at the warm weather and all the things we did together. Thanks Larry, Tierra, Hudson, Parks and Logan for being who you are! You make me smile.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Halloween spooks

I'll have to put our trunk-or treating pics up another time...they are on our other laptop. Hudson was Ron Weasley that night but since his friend and Parks were gonna be girls I talked him into being one too. A few years ago at Sunday dinner at Gram and Pops, Tierra, Abby and Phoebe dressed Hudson up as "Georgina" in this wig and dress (we forgot the shawl in this picture) so we dug it out at Grams one hour before trick-or-treating. Hud as "Lavendar" Parks as "Pam" and Logan as "Bozo the clown" They made up their own names.

My mom made this clown costume for Tierra and now it's been used down through all the kids (except Parks...i guess we forgot about it)

Parks wanted to be a girl. He kept it a secret for a whole month from Hudson until Friday night Trunk-or-treating. I don't know any kids that can keep a secret like my kids! He was sooo "precious." But he didn't like his hair "poofy".

Playing at Grams house before going trick-or-treating. Ezra as Dracula.

All the cousins.

It's been a tradition to go with Hudson's friends Jacob (as Hannah Montana) and Scott (a banana) for the past 3 years. They came over here first and we went to the Grubbs spook alley.

Engineer John Grubb making sure they are securely on the train for a ride.

Then we had donuts and hot chocolate by the fire before heading to Jacobs and hitting the neighborhood. We went to a scary haunted woods backyard with Logan clinging to me and crying and I'm screaming while a man with a hockey mask and chainsaw were chasing us and Scott and Jacob were about to cry and Hudson is asking him if he wants to be his buddy. He has no fear! Next year Hud, Tierra and I will hit the real haunted houses! We love them. Then we went to Heidi's and cooked hotdogs and ate chili and sat around the fire talking. There was an F16 pilot there who gave me information about getting my pilots license. :)

Deer Shop

Waiting at The Cheesecake Factory

This is an annual tradition from the Christiansen side of the family (Diane's). This year there was 8 of us.

Even though none of our husbands are actually out hunting, which is good cause we need them to stay home and tend the kids, we go out shopping ALL DAY. I'm talking from 8:30am we meet at Diane's and we eat breakfast somewhere then hit the stores till about 8pm. Most of the time it's a mall, but we've also done the outlets and Gateway before.

We are supposed to be doing Christmas shopping but I find it hard to shop for my 3 boys. They want toys not clothes. I do find great deals on clothes for myself though. And my favorite part of the day is eating somewhere yummy for lunch. This year, same as last, was Fashion Place Mall and The Cheesecake Factory. Lunch is a fun time we reminisce about old Deer Shop experiences and also make predictions of what will happen to everyone by the next Deer Shop. I was predicted to have my kitchen cupboards painted and to have moved. (let's all pray) The usual ones use to be someone would be pregnant when we were younger. I hated those days and never joined when I had a young baby that needed nursing. It would be pure misery to shop with an infant. Since Paige was not there I'll tell her her predition from me...that her and Cory would have a cabin by next year. :)

The rule is young girls have to be 18 years old to come..it used to be they had to be married but what if they never got married or married at a ripe old age like myself? So Tierra gets to join us in 2 years! She will really need a job before then because she'll be in 7th Heaven shopping for 12 hours straight and I'm sure she'll be the big winner of "who spent the most". I think this year was a tie between Becky and I. Not on the amount of money we spent but amount of bags we had. I got really good deals so I didn't spend much at all compared to what I brought home!

My legs ached that night!

Halloween Party

No I am not just some old lady...nor am I just any Vietnamese nail lady...I am THEE Ms. Bunny Swan from Mad TV. I Love Her! I have her accent down to a tee. Larry is an "official" official. Since the NBA referees were on a lock down.

Poll's as teacher and student with love child :)

Romney's Savannah as Sacajawea and Rachel as a Pink Lady

Augers as Mimes

A few guys even came without their wives! Nobody wants to miss the Cook Annual Halloween Party, date or no date.

O.K. I tell you everyting....heeee looka like-a man

If you don't know who Ms. Swan is, I suggest you google Mad TV Swan...laughs!

My youngest turns 4

Logan at 1 yr.

Logan's mean face.

Logan's Happy face.

Logan Mitchell was born the day before his due date weighing in at 9lbs 6oz. My biggest baby yet fastest delivery.
I blame it on the full moon. I started having labor pains at 2am after a Halloween party at Savannah's. I jumped in the shower but before I got out they were so severe that I couldn't even stand up to blow dry my hair. I had to take a bowl to the hospital because the pain was so bad I began vomitting. I took a long time getting into my hospital gown because the contractions were so close and hard.
By the time they got me checked I was already at a 9 and the anethesiologist was on his way but they warned me the medicine might only be chasing the pain. Luckily my epidural did kick in. He was born at 5 am on a Sunday morning, the same day our kids had a primary program. Hudson was only 5 and said the 13 Article of Faith by memorization..I wish I could have been there.
Larry and I both heard his sister Wendy's voice in the hall right after I had Logan. She had also gone into labor. He followed her down the hall to her room and surprised her with our news. She delivered a 9lb 10oz bouncing baby boy named Wesley (Woody) about 10 hours later, and on her exact due date. I couldn't find the picture of them in the hospital together...but I'm sure I posted them last year on Logan's birthday.

Logan's nickname is Gunner. He is a loving, cuddle bug. He is so funny with a great sense of humor at such a young age...probably from hanging around his 2 crazy brothers. He loves his brothers and follows them around like a puppy on a string. He is beautiful to look at with long lashes, sparkling deep set eyes and naturally curly hair.

His best friend is Dawson (D-bone). They have been having playdates for more than a year now and they are hilarious. When together they use the word "dude" more than they say any other word. They are a little too comfortable together. They are notorious in primary, running away and hiding from their teacher. In preschool they are in their own imaginary worlds always wrestling each other and talking too much.

Happy Birthday Gigabyte!

Homecoming

Emily came over to get ready with Tierra.

Tierra had her date Lee dropped off at Grandma Diane's since our house is under construction, so we didn't have any place for pictures.Emily's date picked them up there and drove to the dance. They didn't go on a day date or dinner...they went out for ice-cream after the dance which I thought was a good idea. Dances are so expensive as it is.

Tierra's dress had spaghetti straps so we used the sash and crossed the back and Diane sewed them up front so it covered her shoulders more. I think it looks Great! Why don't they just make them that way in the first place???]

We have an ongoing joke about Lee's shirt. He looked very handsome in blue expecially with his dark hair. But should he have worn a shirt to match Tierra's dress? Most people say no and didn't even notice. Tierra teased him a bit about it. But he claimed he asked her.

He hung out with Larry and I, gram and pop, Tierra, Hudson, Parks, Logan and Jacob, Hud's friend, while we waited for their ride. It was donut making day so we convinced him to have one. He didn't act too nervous, watching and talking about football with Larry and Nolan. Except when we were taking pics he was a little stiff and didn't stand next to Tierra and he asked "what should I do" I said put your arm around her. I thought he would put his arm around her waste, but he moved right in and put her in a choke hold. ha ha

Tierra said she couldn't wear heels since he was as tall as she was???I think she feels a lot taller than she really is!

They didn't want to do the corsages but he brought her a rose!

He seemed like a really nice kid and Tierra said they had fun.

From "Thee Castle" to Las Vegas

This was by far the most exciting thing Tierra did this summer.

Remember the Castle that used to be visible from Hwy 89? I always looked for it when I was little coming home from visiting my grandma in West Jordan. My mom and I actually drove up there after it had been framed and walked through it once.

(Here it is today.)

Well it turns out after all these years, Tierra has been related to the owners. The original owner of the castle went bankrupt and the castle sat empty for 2 years. That is when the new owners bought it 17 yrs. ago. He was into real estate and bought it to fix up and sell. But he fell in love with it. He was a vacuum salesman when he first got married, but now he also owns a home in Vegas worth 8 million. (which Tierra was hoping to visit while in Vegas with her dad, but they were here at the castle because it was too dang hot down there). One of two pools. This one is on the side of the house.

Tierra's dad Phillip invited her to come visit him in Las Vegas. Phillip's distant cousin who also lives in Vegas also was here and would drive her down in Phillips truck. This cousin, Bernie, was visiting his parents home (the Castle)...so Tierra got to spend the night there (like Weekend at Bernie's ha ha) before heading to Vegas with him and his family. He offered to give us a tour when we brought Tierra. So I took my mom who was very excited and curious and Tierra invited Shae. Bernie was very informative about the history of the castle and the woodwork etc. Tierra asked if she could take pictures but her camra is retarded so some pictures are very blurry. Here is the entrance hall to the master bedroom. If you can see the lions heads on each side, they are time capsules that the builders put in. Bernie's dad did a lot of remodeling in it. Terrible picture but this is the ceiling in the master bedroom. The original owner dated an Opera singer and this ceiling was built for the acoustic quality so she could rehearse here.

A view of the front entrance way from the second level.

The castle had a few secret doors and hidden passages. One cubby had a ladder in it that led to a small room that had a view of the city and Great Salt Lake. The study had a wall of books that was a secret door that led to the master bedroom...just like the movies! Inside the master bedroom. The stairs led to a lounging room with a stove in it??

There were several spiral staircases and most of the railings were from one piece of wood! They have awesome carvings in them too. Some of the ceilings had ornate paintings on them like you'd see in Italy. There was also a piano that could play CD's. The dining table looking into the kitchen. Cookie, Bernie's mom in the background.

Pool and theater room

Bernie and Tierra.

They use this golf cart to drive up to the backyard and pool house..it is so steep. winding pathway that led from the house up the mountain side. Bernie laid most of the stones himself.

Decorative pond with goldfish

Looking down on the castle and tennis courts. The road you see ahead is Antelope Dr.

Shae and Tierra at the beach house pool

Beach house where their ground keepers lived for the last 17 yrs. They were a poor couple from Mexico who spoke only Spanish and could not have children. They saved enough money over the years to retire and buy a nice ranch and just moved back to Mexico recently.

Tierra had a fun night hanging out with Bernie, his girlfriend and their kids (2 girls around T's age and a few boys too). Then had a long drive to Vegas.

They had lunch in the Stratosphere restraunt overlooking the Strip

View from the restraunt

T and Phillip (that tuft of hair on his chinny chin chin is not normally there) ha ha

M&M factory

Phillips street

Phillips house, she was excited that she had her very own room and bathroom, no surprise for a bachelor pad.

They swam at Mandalay Bay and watched the World Hip Hop Dance Competition at one of the casinos.

Swimming at Bernie's house with family and friends