Candid Shots!

The "stache" gang!

Rob in the kitchen! (at Cindi"s)

Guess whos!

Renny and Hannah!

Katie enjoying mayo!

Isaac and Keith.

Grandma at work!

Grandpa at the reception!

Sam's last week at home!

Here are some fun pictures from Sam's last week at home!  It was a busy one!  Rob and I got back from Education Week a week before he was to leave.  We went to Hermiston for Ben's reception.  Then we had a barbecue here his last night home.

They really do like each other most of the time!  And we had some fun taking pictures his last Sunday home!

I am sure this is not allowed!  But it had to be moved before the barbecue!

Thanks to all the family who came out to send him off!  We love you Sam!

And Away He Goes!!

We got up at 3 am and took Sam to the airport yesterday morning.  We all look pretty good for it being so early in the morning and the fact that some of us only got 3 hours of sleep!  We took some pictures, hugged good-bye and then waited to see him through security.  Then he stopped, posed for a picture, waved and he was gone.  I know this is what I have wanted since the day he was born but it does not make it any easier.  Two years is a long time.  We love you Sam and are proud of the decision you have made to be a missionary.  We look forward to talking with you in 128 days!  And hearing from you in your first email.

These are the pictures I should have used with the last post!!  Sam in his missionary clothes (except he will be wearing short sleeve shirts which we got on sale for $8 and then an additional 20% off) and with his back pack showing us his call.  He was the only one home when it came and waited until 11:00 that night when we were finally all home to tell us it had come!  We were all too excited to be mad at him!  Love you Sam! 

So, Sam is going on a mission!  I know!  We are all super excited and proud of him.  Last Sunday he gave his farewell and he was amazing.  (I am not just saying that because I am his mother!)  This week we have been doing the last minute stuff.  Still have to buy the shoes and raincoat.  We were able to go out in one morning and get all his shirts, and pants, belts and socks and a nice suit which he looks very handsome in.  And we got them on clearance because they were short sleeve shirts and summer type things!  Oh ya, he is going to the Mississippi, Jackson mission so it will be like summer most of the time!  He leaves for the MTC next Tuesday morning.  It is so hard to believe it is actually happening.  I know I will be crying like a mom at the airport but I am so happy he is going and know he will be great!  Millie

Today is the beginning of the Easter weekend. We decorated our eggs Friday night and the Easter bunny came while we were sleeping! We got up, hunted for eggs, and ate pancakes! Then the kids donned their new t-shirts and we headed to Grandma's for the annual Easter egg hunt.

The weather cooperated (we were doubting after our week of rain) and the sun was shining. Here are Teaghan, Raelynn, and Kirsten.

Isaac and Luke quickly found their eggs.

Each kid gets 24 eggs and their name egg.

Here is Luke and Lorna (well Lorna's side).

Sam did not hunt for eggs but here we caught him looking! And this is a shot of Raelynn and Ainzlee's head!

We were a small group this year. Here is Jesse looking for his name egg.

Grandpa was handing out money to the big kids who did not get a name egg with money in it! Thanks Grandpa!

Arlee and Stu and baby Baylee!

Hannah, Sam and David did not hunt for eggs this year. They are all growing up. After the hunt we went in and ate tacos and Grandma's yummy trifle.

Tomorrow we are looking forward to having Dad home on a Sunday morning. We are going to make resurrection rolls (found them on pintrest!) and fruit salad and eggs. I love doing the whole egg and Easter bunny thing on Saturday because then we are really ready to leave it all behind and celebrate the real reason we have Easter. Looking forward to going to church with my whole family (Sam has a Sunday off! and Hannah is going to visit our ward!) and listening to Rob sing. Loved having conference last weekend and then this week off for spring break and now we get to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. We are truly blessed. Millie

Still here!

Can't seem to get around to blogging! It is not that we have not been doing blog worthy things....Sam's b-day, my b-day, various snow days(!), valentines day, national pie day, Luke's 4th grade concert (some interesting songs about Lewis and Clark!), Hannah's first two layer chocolate cake, participating in the Washington caucus (and interesting process), 2 car break downs, a trip to Camp Kilowan to check out our stake camp site and many more. I just can't seem to get the pictures on the computer and then if I do I can't find them again! But I do want to do better! Now our computer is acting up and I am using my work laptop which does not have any pictures on it!! Oh well. The only thing that makes me feel better is to see that those who talked me into blogging in the first place are not blogging any more!! Millie

We are still here!!

Just wanted to let you all know we are still here. We did not perish in the snow or even drown in all our recent rain. Life has just gotten terribly busy and I am addicted to Pinterest!! But I am in rehab and hope to get back to blogging! I had not even gone on to read others blogs! So, I am turning over a new leaf. Millie

Sunday we got up to a bit of snow. Not enough to keep us from going to church or having the missionaries to dinner. On Monday we got a bit more. Enough for Luke to make this snowman!
But most of it melted and the snowman fell down.

Today we had a snow day from school and got some more snow. Actually is snowed off and on all day here.

Rob came home early and Sam barely made it up the hill. It looks so pretty and is actually sparkling! We are suppose to get more tonight! We have a little over 4 inches now. We shall see! Millie

Family pictures

You may recognize this picture from our Christmas cards this year. I did make the scarves!! I was planning on making one for each of us but only got 4 done. Rob is wearing Isaac's green one I made for his birthday. Maybe next year. The idea was to wear them when we go caroling. I only have three to go! I loved our red house in the background and the red leaves on the tree. Here are some others we looked at.


In front of the barn door. I think Rob is talking and I look a bit scared!

Standing in the field. Yes this is our view from the patio. Is it not beautiful? We are so blessed to live here.


One side of the chicken house. Once again Rob and I look a little stern.

The other side of the chicken house. One of the few pictures where Rob is actually smiling. I do have some really great looking kids! And they are good sports too.

If I were to choose our card picture today, this would be the one. I had it made into an 8x10 to hang in the living room. Just looking for the right frame. I am thinking black. Next...the fun photos!! Millie

The last of Christmas

I know, I am still doing Christmas! This year with Christmas being on a Sunday we decided to do things a little differently. We usually get up and do the Santa and stocking stuff and then have Rob's family down to have hot cocoa and yulacaca (Swedish Christmas bread). Then we open presents. Later we head to the Eisenhauer's for dinner and then to the Henrikson's for dessert and opening more presents. But this year we had church at 11:00 and Rob had to be there at 10:30. So we decided to not open our presents until that night. That way we could get up, have the cocoa and yulacaca and get ready for church without it being a big rush. Most of us agreed to this. Luke was very vocal about how awful it was!! So we went to church and then to the Eisenhauer's and then to the Henrikson's. Around 7:00 that night we got home. We all got into our Christmas pjs and commenced to open our gifts.

Here they all are waiting! Luke is way in the back. This was hard for him. He wanted us to do everything fast because he thought if we hurried fast through everything, time to open the presents would come faster. Then he had to wait while I found the camera and take a picture!

In the middle of it all.

Rob and Isaac looking over Rob's new cd.

Isaac and David looking at David's new cds.

Sam got a pickle in his stocking. Hannah and I found these at Winco. We could not believe they actually sold pickles separately in these little plastic bags!!

The aftermath!!

Luke scored with a star wars lego battle ship and a lego game and a lego encyclopedia of star wars lego characters, a new vest and hat. It was really fun. The ones (except for Luke) who did not want to wait to open the gifts said we should do this every year. Instead of coming home at the end of the day to the mess of gift opening and not being able to play or use their things all day we had the anticipation all day of waiting and then we did not feel that let down feeling that every thing was all over. It lasted all day and we had such a happy filled feeling all evening too. It was nice to go to church and feel the spirit of the day. I wish Christmas was on Sunday every year. Millie