Update

I thought I'd update a little. Mike hasn't got his deer yet. He says he's only seen one worth shooting and he's only seen it once. I'm hoping he decides to just shoot one of the nice ones we've seen, but I have a feeling it's going to turn out like it has in the years past where he holds out for that one and doesn't ever see it again so near th end of the hunt when he finally decides to just shoot one we won't even see anything but doe's. lol! Men cannot make up their minds. Anyway
Right now the County Fair is going on. And living in sevier it wasn't such a big thing as it is down here. At least it didnt seem like it to me. But I guess it helps that my in-laws help out with it every year like raising the flags, luncheons and dinners. It's kind of a family thing to help out I guess. Anyway this week the carnival starts and the exhibits for the fair are being judged. They have so many events, 2 evening rodeos, horse races, commercial boothes, bull wars, little buckaroo rodeo, Labor day parade, and more. I like it! It might have something to do with hunting season, Fall is approaching or maybe its just all the events we go to. It seems like that's when we do the most "fun" things beyond camping.
My in-laws also cater a dinner every year for I don't remember who all beyond the senator and a bunch of other people that come from all over for some reason (I honestly don't remember and I have asked... I think every year) and Mike and I always go help them set up and take down tables and chairs and everything and I've since being a part of the family been dubbed the "centerpiece girl" which I didn't know until last Sunday (caught me offguard there at first my brother-in-law called me that.. and well I guess you just have to be at those family dinners to understand fully... although children really shouldn't be....)Anyway I would ask them if they were going to put anything in the centers of the table to kind of spice them up. They do the dinner at what's called the 'Jesse Smith Home' outside to the side of the house so there's not much decorating you can do. Well since then I get to help or rather decide what to decorate with. So the long story that this is now (It really was going to be short when I started.... story of me though) ... I am the "centerpiece girl" but hey I like to decorate so it doesn't bother me any, it's all natural I just don't have the chance to do it very often. So that's kinda the update on us!

Ty's B-day

Ok so I just had to post this!! This is Mike's nephew Tyler's 3rd birthday party. It was lst Friday on his b-day. We went and had dinner with his family (ok that is kind of exagerating a bit... Brooke had dinner with them, Mike and I ate when they were all done we were home packing everything getting ready to head up the mtn after the party so we were a little late to dinner) Anyway then waited for more of Mike's family to get there for the cake and opening of presents. Since I like to take pictures and Danny is divorced I figured somebody should take pics of Ty's birthday. So I did and thought I would share. The kids had so much fun playing with Ty's new toys!! And when Ty opened his present from Grandma and Grandpa that had clothes he really wasn't interested in finding out was in it and took some coaxing to look through the bag.






Tyler was being so shy that night for some reason and it took me awhile to get his picture and like the picture because of his facial expression but the dang camera cord was in the way, however I couldn't delete it!

Bottling

Well I am very proud of this and I actually didn't think I would ever bottle at least not until I got older. I just didn't think I had the patience to do it. However I have always liked bagging and freezing corn just never bottling. Well because we have a garden (I really don't like store bought vegetables) I decided I needed to learn how to bottle so we had quite a few beans ready and we didn't want them to go bad before we had anymore so we did a small batch our first batch!!! And they turned out great. Mike and I basically did it ourselves I asked my mom how exactly you do it and she explained the process over the phone and we borrowed Mike's mom's pressure cooker and she explained how to use it and we did beans and 2 bottles of beats to start with. We will probably be doing more in a week or two. Oh and we've already frozen 2 bags of carrots too!! I am so excited to have fresh vegetables again I must admit that I don't eat very many vegetables unless they are from one of our (meaning mine, my parents' or grandparents') gardens. And I am so excited to have beans and corn again!!!!!! And garden carrots for my soup!!! Just thought I'd share!! (Oh we did this bottling last week like Thursday night before we left for camping...)

Mike's handiwork!!

So my husband loves to make things out of barbed wire or metal anything. In fact the man can fix about anything there are so many people down here that love him for that. In fact one farmer calls him MiGiver (don't think I spelled that right but oh well)!! Ok well Nancy and Chase, if any of you have seen their living room (when its furnished that is) they have this way cute cowboy lamp. Well ever since Mike first seen it he's wanted to build one. Anyway last Christmas, we drew out Kandace and Pepper for our big Mickelsen party. Well we didn't have much notice before the party anyway for reasons I won't go into as it is a longer story, but Mike decided he wanted to make them that lamp. Well he started it, but didn't have time to finish or find a lamp shade or bottom for it. Well it has taken months!!! literally for him to finish, we got the lamp shade and the electrical shortly after Christmas but it sat in our living room unfinished for many months. Well finally after a day of reminding him that Christmas is almost here again, he decided to finish it (although if you ask him he had been thinking about it and decided to shorten it, etc.... right men!!!lol) So he cut a piece of cherry wood from a stump we had and made the bottom and it looked perfect. So i just wanted to show you his handiwork.... He will sell some things too, but you have to get him at the right time cause some days he doesn't want to give it away for a copycat to make.... Oh and we gave it to Kandace and Pepper and since we forgot while we were there we had my mom take it to them, she said they loved it!!! I hope so!!!

Family Fun

So my Aunt Paula moved to Texas late summer of last year. I don't think she's been home (Utah home) since. I haven't seen her anyway. So she came back Sunday with her in-laws and was in the state until extrememly early tomorrow morning when she flies back. She actually flew in on her Birthday. She has been in Enterprise for most of the time but yesterday she went up to Kanosh to my granparents' to see all the family that could come over. Since we are only 8 years apart in age we have been pretty close (ok so the age really might not play a factor we've just been close) and I haven't seen her in a LONG time I took work off and Brooke and I drove up to see all our family (which really wasn't even half of the family but a good chunk). It was so good to see her, I really miss having her here. So anyway I just wanted to share some pics of our day,for those of you who know her or some of my mom's side you can see an update! Oh and some news we found out yesterday also, she is going to have another baby due in March!! Congrat's again PJ and thanks for everything, I don't know what I'd do without you, I guess that's why the Lord has blessed me by having you as an aunt (a young one at that!, lol... 28 right??? ;)!!)



Paula and her twin Brent weeding the flower bed

Jaden (Brent's oldest) he wanted his picture taken with his stuffed animal and his sister's! It was so cute!

Amy and Kaylinn (again I hope I spelled it right, it's Brent's youngest).. Amy acts like a mother to her and Brenna it's soo cute!!!

Rachelle, Brent's wife (I can never remember how to spell her name), Skyler, Jaden, and Nolan watching a movie
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Grandma and Paula talking on the patio... Brent has done so much to their yard since I was younger It's amazing!!! And the patio is really nice in the summer time!

Selena being her odd little self and climing between the bars on the playground!!! I had to get a picture

My Grandma H. with Brooke. Brooke was so hot and flushed and ornery (from not having a nap) she would NOT smile or even look at the camera. Stinker!!

Brooke playing soccer....

I didn't end up getting any of my mom in any pictures. Every time I went into the house to get the kitchen full of people (that seems to be the hang out spot for adults at my grandma H.'s) there was only 1 person or noone there, odd eh?!

Premortal Life, Mortal Life, and Eternal Life.... Wonderous!!

So I just wanted to write a little blurb.
It's a great time to be alive! As much as I really don't like the way the world is and the further south direction its heading, I do love living with such amneties of our time! And things might be getting worse in most respects but we always have the knowledge of what's truly coming and that in itself is glorious!!! It is so great to have the truth and knowledge that a lot of us do.... to have the gospel and the atonement specifically for us ALL of us!!! Anyway like normal I have been doing a lot of thinking and decided to let out some of my thoughts!!!!
Oh and to those of you all who have been great examples to me even with little things, I'm sure you don't all know who you are or the impact you have left on my life, but considered it done now.. Thank You!!!! I love you all!!!!