New Years Eve

Melissa and Andy joined us for New Year's Eve. Melissa brought the game Rummy-O and it looks like it got too serious man! Andy drank about 3 Red Bulls. We also played Horse and ate at Pizza Hut. We were suppose to have shrimp at Mom and Dad's but mom came home from St. George with the stomach flu. Melissa brought puzzles for Austin and Kohlton to do. Austin does not like her picture taken and this was the best one I could get. Kohlton is always up for a picture!

Kohlton is our "little dipper" this year. He loved the chocolate fountain and couldn't stay out of it.

Andy tries his hand at the piano. This is his imitation of "Stevie Wonder". I think he has had too many Red Bulls. What a hoot! We had a lot of laughs and I even made it till past midnight which is a miracle for me. HAPPY 2009!

Christmas Day

Merry Christmas! Mom and Dad came over on Christmas day along with Geena for about 5 hours! I couldn't believe they stayed that long. Here they are displaying their Chrismas gifts.

Kandis got a Dell Dude! She wouldn't even look at the camera. She didn't believe that the box was what it said it was. Her computer is pink. We are trying to get her ready to go to College. This is the first step I suppose.

Kohlton sporting his new PJ's and opening his presents. He didn't really get into Christmas this year.

Kelsie was SURPRISED this year. She got a new piccolo and is tickled with it. She can't wait to show it to her band teacher. I played songs on the piano all day while she played her piccolo along with me. Geena loved the music especially Bing Crosby.

The Night Before Christmas

Geena got to come home for Christmas! This is her first Christmas home since she was three. She loved to hear Kandis and Dad sing. Her favorite song was "I'll be home for Christmas". She would laugh and laugh everytime she heard it. It made mom cry.

Melissa and Kelsie show off their "Twilight" shirts. Melissa loves Edward and Kelsie and I choose Edward! Melissa bought this shirt for her and she loves it! Thanks Aunt Melissa!

Kandis and I try a little Karoke and try to harmonize. I love to sing alto and her high soprano sounds pretty good.

Kurt and Kohlton gave it a whirl too! We had a fun night. Dad shared some cool stories and we read out of the Bible. Edie and Swede were able to join us while Andy slept on the couch!

What's on Your Mind?

Try this its fun to think of the things that you have done, and want to do!
bold: means you have done it
italic: means you want to
normal: just stuff/ideas
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
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 (hatched them out of a case and raised them)
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (Scary)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Been to the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen pyramids of an Ancient Civilization
20. Slept on an overnight train
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. Visited the Caribbean
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
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
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Been to a World Series game
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance (DUHH)
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 (Fiji)
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
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
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 sushi
72. Pieced a quilt
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 someones 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
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Christmas before Thanksgiving

And the stockings were hung . . . before Thanksgiving. LOL This is the first year EVER that we have put up our decorations before Thanksgiving. The kids are soo excited and love this season. I do too.

We still have our pumpkins around from Halloween. Kohlton thought this was funny! It makes for quite the picture. Christmas and Halloween.

Kandis and Kurt have spent my last two birthday's buying me my nativity set. Kandis was soo exited to put it up today. I love it.

Kelsie really wanted lights on the house this year and she was able to "sweet talk" Kurt and I into putting them up. We are feeling very festive. We listened to Christmas Music all day today. We decorated the whole house. Maybe this year we can relax a little and enjoy the season. I will take some pictures at night for you all to see.

Where's the Beef?

Every year we raise a couple of Beef in Andy and Dad's Pasture out back. This year we got two Hefer's. But one really wasn't a Hefer it was a Martin. Soo, Andy named this year's beef Martin and Fartin'. If you don't know what a Martin is you can ask me or ask someone else because I am not going to tell you on this blog. Here is the first Beef after Kurt, Andy, Dad and Denis killed it. Kohlton watched the whole thing this year and is in the Red Coat and Andy is driving the 'ol John Deer. The boyz do an Awesome job!

Here is Kurt washing it down with Andy's qinked up hose. It was a little cold last weekend. This year we are taking our Beef to Jason Astle to cut up. This will be the first year that we haven't cut it up ourselves. The Beef is at Jason's curing right now, we will let you know how it turns out.

TAG 10 Years Ago

A tag from Jill:
**5 things I was doing 10 years ago**
1. Teaching SPED Preschool
2. Living in Burley
3. Had 2 Girls 3 and 11.
4. Young Women's
5. Turning 30. (Oh no does that give away my age today?)
**5 things to do on my list today** (we'll say tomorrow since today is practically over)
1. Teach School
2. Do Paperwork
3. Young Women's Combined and Pres. Meeting.
4. VOTE
5. Take Kohlton to Valley Voices
**5 snacks I enjoy**
1. Tomatoes (Plain, V-8, Salsa, Soup, you name it)
2. Rainbow Licorice
3. Extreme Sweet and Sour Patch Kids
4. Crystal Light
5. 5 Lush Gum
**5 things I would do if I were a millionare**
1. Pay off Bills and own everything I have.
2. Pay for my kids college and missions.
3. Build a Barn and have animals.
4. Give it away.
5. Buy new 4-Wheelers and Snowmachines for my family.
**5 places I've lived**
1. Torrington Wyoming
2. Fairview Wyoming
3. Logan Ut
4. Rexburg ID
5. Burley ID
**5 jobs I've had**
1. Waitressing
2. Regular Ed. Preschool Teacher
3. SPED Teacher
4. Austism Group Home
5. Bernina in Logan
**I Tag**
1. Melissa
2. Storme
3. Bridgette
4. Sherry
5. Millie
Rules: Each person answers the questions themselves. At the end, tag 5 people and post their names

Halloween Night

Halloween was Great! Kohlton ended up missing Halloween at School and the day prior due to an absessed tooth. The antibiotics kicked in Halloween afternoon and he will get into Dr. Hammond on Wednesday afternoon to have it pulled. Ouch! He has been a sick little boy. Kandis' missionary Chris entered the MTC on Wednesday and she has been a little lost with out e-mails and someone to go to lunch with. Needless to say she has been at home and leaning on me (her mother) and family. We went 4-Wheeling the other day and found these spooks at a bridge, I thought they looked eventful!

We went to the Box-H Trunk-R-Treat and Melissa brought all the decorations. This is the back of the van. There is Kenna, Kelsie and Kandis in the swivel seats facing backward and Kohlton and Austin. She is hiding her eyes because she didn't want her picture taken. We gave away over 500 pieces of candy and had to turn children away. Notice the bowl fulls of candy in the back that all the kids are chowing down on.

This is Kandis and Kohlton in their Halloween get-up. Kandis is the princess and Kohlton is her knight in shinning armour. He told her when Chris was getting ready to leave, "I will rescue you from your emotional 'imagination'." Ha, Ha we laughed and laughed. His face is a little swollen on the left side.

This is Kelsie, Kenna and Kandis on Halloween Night. Kelsie is a "Munchkin" from the Wizard of OZ. Kenna is Chris' little sister and has begun to hang out at our house since Chris left. She is a 50's girl. She is a year younger than Kelsie. Her name fits right into our family with the K.

Autumn Falls upon Star Valley.

Today we went for a Ranger ride up Dry Creek. Here is Kohlton at the lake with radiant beams from heaven coming down. It was neat to look upon. We ate lunch here.
We went further up than the lake, it was rough going and little nerve racking today. Here is more evidence that winter is not far off. Kohlton and Kelsie played in the snow while dad and Kurt scouted the road up further to see if the Ranger, Razor and 4-Wheeler could make it. I got to drive the Razor and enjoyed scaring mom to death!
This was just a fraction of what our views were all day. It is soo pretty with the red, gold and oranges. It was a eye-catching day.
Here we are posing for a partial family picture. Kurt, Kohlton, Gwen, Kelsie. Kandis went to Yellowstone with some friends.
I always enjoy getting mom and dad's vehicles as dirty as possible. Plus, the Razor hasn't been dirty enough yet! Mom wore capri's and I soaked her with mud! The Razor has holes in the bottom of the floor and it is a good thing as we had muddy, stinky, water sloshing all over.

Look At Us!!

This is a test and so Kohlton might not show up at the moment.

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

Bear World with 1st Grade

There is Sunshine in my Heart!My favorite flower and color. Notice the bee in the middle.
I had the opportunity to travel to Bear World with my 1st graders last week. These are the baby cubs playing with each other. It was a super trip as all the bears were out roaming around and sniffing and eating the bugs off the bus.
Another baby bear playing in the water. These are black bears and actually come in all colors. The cinnamon color is my favorite. This is a great place to take your kids, but hurry because they will be hibernating soon.

Gwen turns ?????

Over the Hill? Well, not quite. My family threw a little party for me on my birthday! Ha, ha. Grandma is in the background and recovering well from her surgery. Mom and Dad gave me a frame for my sunflower picture and now I can complete my purple wall. Yea!

Campin' on Labor Day

Kurt and Kohlton on the Ranger workin' hard. The water in the trailer was not working so we had to get our five gallons of water every day. We love our Ranger!
This is the view looking onto the lake. What an awesome sight! We used the paddle boat and the canoe all day on Saturday. We were also able to pick wild raspberries and eat them. Delicious!
This is Grandma Sherry's new Razor Ranger. Look who gets to Drive! Wow, Kelsie was thrilled.
During one of our relaxing times, Grandpa Farrel got out the Banjo and played us several tunes. He has perfected his banjo playing and sounds fantastic.
Snow? Snow! It snowed on Monday and we were all cold and wet. This is us loading up and getting out of there. Kelsie is standing in the green rain coat and dad is up in the yellow. We had quite a train. We made great memories.

Twin Falls Youth Cultural Celebration

We had the opportunity to attend the Twin Falls Youth Cultural Celebration on August 24, 2008. What a awesome experience it was as the Twin Falls Temple was dedicated the next day. The whole Richard and Elsie Garrard Family was there. (Emily, Jaeli, Cassie, Julie, Jenny Marie, and Jake)
Christy and Kohlton enjoy a moment together while we are waiting for the performance to begin.
Our Beloved Prophet Thomas S. Monson looks out over the youth, and talks to them. Wow, this was impressive. Elsie led the audience in "We Thank Thee Oh God for a Prophet". Also another lifetime opportunity.
This is Elsie leading the Choir of angelic voices. These youth practiced and practiced for this event. I think there were over a thousand youth. Christy and Dave wrote the opening song called "The Living Waters". We were so thrilled to be a part of this celebration and family.
We also got to see a lot of our old friends from Burley. These are our neighbors from Oakley Ave. Everyone has grown up and it was wonderful to see them. It was like going home. We are so thankful for all our friends and family!