Carter receives the Aaronic Priesthood

Our dear Carter is already 12 years old. This last Sunday he was given the Aaronic Priesthood. It was a very special day and experience. He is a wonderful young man. He has always been very spiritually sensitive. We are so happy for him and all that he will learn as he does the Lord's errand.

Carter being a thinker.

The cousins.

Proud PARENTS

Carter and Matt

It is amazing to think that this 9lb 2oz baby boy is now a 12 year old boy ready to have more responsibility and grow closer to Heavenly Father as he exercises the priesthood in righteousness.

Grandpa Morrison and Carter

Grandpa Newell

All of the men that were able to come and be apart of the ordination.

Grandma and Grandpa Newell

Hannah gave Carter a tie pin that was a football with CTR on it.

Seat Belt CLUB

Recently I had an epiphany!

As a mother, I have had a very hard time with making sure that all of my children (excluding when they are babies) are buckled up when we are driving. Sometimes I will look to the back of the car to check on everyone and realize that we have almost reached our destination and a child was not buckled up. The children that I am talking about are my booster seat kids and over the shoulder car seat kids. In order to get them to buckle up, I have used reward cards, bribes, threats, pulling the car over, getting out and strapping them in, telling them to get out of the car if they don't buckle up and many more. Usually these things might work for a moment, but sometimes they don't. Of all of my children, my 4 year old Paige has struggled the most. I have been really trying to find a good answer so that I am not having a power struggle with Paige on a regular basis.

My answer came last Friday night. I was watching a movie with Bailey and Paige and the actress said something that peaked my interest. I decided to try a trick when I got in the car with Paige the next time to make sure that she buckles her seat belt. I felt that Monday would be a great start date. So, as we got in the car to head to preschool, I said, "Hey Paige, mommy has a new club that only exists in the car", she said, "What is it Mom?" I said, "it is called the SEAT BELT CLUB. In order to be in my club you have to have your seat belt on when we drive." I said, "look at Gannon he belongs to the club because he is buckled up and look at Mommy she belongs to the club too". She then said, "I want to be in the club". I said, "then let me hear that seat belt click". Without any further ado, she buckled that seat belt. Paige is now officially part of the SEAT BELT CLUB.

I can honestly tell you I have not had one battle with her about buckling up all week. I am so happy that kids want to belong to CLUBS! Hooray for the SEAT BELT CLUB.

Random events in January!

This month we have tried to get back on a good schedule. The kids are busy with piano, basketball, young men/women, scouts, tutoring, studying, reading, playing together and growing up to fast. The kids are now officially half way through their 2011/2012 school year. This year we have also enjoyed a few days of snow and warm fires. I hope that this month has been a good month and a good start to 2012.

Matt is teaching Carter how to chop wood.

Matt showing Carter where he should hit.

A boy very proud of himself.

Gannon watching Carter chop wood.

The kids enjoying the first snowfall of the year.

Paige and Bailey.

I am very proud of myself. Why you ask? I have belonged to our local gym for one whole year. I have decided that I need to tone up this body of mine. I have started to go to a class called body pump. It is incredible. I love it. Matt even joined me one night and about died. I was laughing so hard at his reaction that I couldn't lift up my bar.

Matt and I.

He survived!!

Thanks for coming with me honey.

The heaviest snowfall that we have had in 12 months. It was such a beautiful sight.

I opened our front door to see this white landscape with complete silence in the air. I grabbed the camera and started to take pictures. These pictures do not do this night justice.

If you are from Idaho or Utah don't laugh at our little snowfall.

It was exciting to us!

One morning after I bathed Paige and Gannon, I put them on the bed and they just stared at me with their towels wrapped around them. Paige told me that she and Princess Gannon were cold. (I keep the house at 69 degrees and it is very cold) I hurried and grabbed the camera to take a picture. These are special moments.

Hayden is getting ready for his Pinewood Derby. He designed his car and Matt helped him cut it out and sand it down. He is very excited. This year he wants his car to look like an airplane.

Sanding down the edges.

Sketching what he wanted his plane/car to look like.

This picture is out of order.

Carter participated in a school event celebrating the Chinese New Year.

He wore a snake around his neck. He was very proud of his responsibility.

Carter's class holding up their banner!

Christmas 2011

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you. It is hard to believe that Christmas vacation is over and life is heading back to normal again.

We started our vacation by packing up the car and doing last minute things around town. Matt needed to stay and do some more work at school and we had some church functions to attend. Hayden had not been feeling very well for a few days and so late on Friday, I took him to Urgent Care. He was not eating, laying on the couch all day, his temperature was 103 for 3 days and he was coughing. When we got to Urgent Care, they did a strep test and it came back positive. We immediately started antibiotics. We decided to go ahead and leave on our trip hoping that he would get better with medicine. We went to Eugene to stay the night with mom and dad Newell. Hayden continued to get worse and so we went to a Urgent Care in Eugene. Not only did he have strep but he had an oral infection that caused sores all over his mouth, gums and lips. They gave us a prescription of Vicodin to help him make it through the pain and sent us on our way. We noticed that Paige and Gannon were exhibiting the same symptoms and so I called our doctor at home and they called us in a prescriptions for them also. We ended up changing vacation plans and staying in Eugene until the 23rd of December. We all then went to Lincoln City with Matt's family for the next 5 days to celebrate Christmas in a beautiful home. I got a cold and we tried to be positive and helpful, praying that nobody would get our sickness'. Despite the kids being sick, they had a good time and were troopers. Paige did scream a lot from the pain, but we understood. Santa was very good to the kids!! They loved playing with their cousins.

After we left Lincoln City, we went to Eugene and celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary. We then came home and took down the Christmas items and prepared for 2012. It has truly been a great year. Heavenly Father always takes care of our needs and showers down his love upon us. We are looking forward to another great year!!

Sitting at the big table eating breakfast.

I took family pictures of some of Matt's siblings.

This is Tricia and Darren's family.

A family picture on Christmas Eve.

Hayden is cold and not feeling well and you can see Paige's lips enlarged.

The whole family.

Rich and Julie

Crazy picture.

I put this picture in this blog to show you our poor children. Hayden is ready to cry and Paige is pleading for Vaseline to cover her huge lips that have sores all around them. Carter is very angry and Matt and I for having him take off his shoes in the sand.

The beach was so pretty this day that we did not want to leave without getting some pictures walking on the sand. She recommended us hold hands and turn around. Hayden refused to take his hand out of his sweater, Paige was screaming and Gannon was crying too. Julie kindly and patiently took these pictures for us.

Zac and J.J.

The whole family.

Amber and Aaron.

Ashlee and Jeff's family.

Jill

Ashlee holding little baby Luke or Jonah?

Sweet picture.

J.J. and Tricia.

Rich and Julie.

Christmas Eve we watched the children do a very sweet play.

It really set a great tone for the night.

Santa Claus Carter.

The kids singing We Wish you a Merry Christmas.

Amber and I.

Our beautiful angels for the nativity.

Madalyn was a donkey.

Hayden laying down in front of her.

I believe he was supposed to be Joseph.

The whole group.

All of the grand kids with mom and dad.

Christmas morning.

This year we had told our kids that they would be getting 3 gifts from Matt and I. They were very good about it and did not complain.

The grand kids lining up.

Bailey excited about her Toms.

Bailey excited about her Lalaloopsies.

Madalyn with her new camera.

Hayden with a star wars Lego toy.

Carter with his Memoir 44 game.

Hayden's Nerf gun from Grandma.

Matt got an IPad.

I got a watch.

Paige fell asleep from her medicine and being sick.

Poor girl.

Christmas dinner.

A group of the family working in the kitchen.

Grandma reading to Gannon.

The grand-kids playing with cars.

Gannon talking to baby Luke or Jonah (I have a hard time remembering which baby is which). Sorry Amber.

Jen feeding the twins.

Isabella doing Bailey's hair.

Carter riding the gift that Santa left for Hayden and Carter.

Uncle Rich pushing Bailey on the Green Machine.

Madalyn wearing a dress from the wedding on the Green Machine.

Formal picture.

Mom and dad with kids.

Jennifer and Michael with mom and dad.

Game night!

At the Morrison family reunion, my sister Meg did a game called Minute to Win It. We had 8 stations of activities. I copied her and did the game with Matt's family. We had a great time together in teams.

These are pictures of the TEAMS:

Carter getting ready to do the paper bag game.

I think it was called Face Off? I can't remember.

Jen doing Face the Cookie.

JJ doing the balloon challenge. (can't remember the name of this one)

Ben doing Separation Anxiety.

Darren doing Stack Attack.

Bailey doing Nose Dive.

Mom doing a Bit Dicey.

When we got home, Madalyn went to her first church dance with her cousin Taylor.

She had a great time and looked very pretty.

This wasn't the outfit that she was wearing for the dance!!!

Happy New Year.