Say what?!#$%%^^@%$#

So I am at the checkout counter at Harmons...and the check out boy, cash register guy....says looks like you are shopping for Thanksgiving and I said yesseree bob..this Sunday is my thanksgiving day with my family....then he says..oh my family decided were not going to do Thanksgiving anymore or christmas....my eyes pop out...smoke comes out of my ears and then my eyes spin around quickly and I say huh?@3$#@...he said, yea my siblings and I are all grown up so there is no need to do Thanksgiving anymore. I then say, I didn't even know that was an option in life. That is truly unamerican you know. Their family didn't feel it was necessary to do Thanksgiving any more and besides look at all the money you would save. Well you will definately save money by not having Thanksgiving, but that doesn't mean you don't have a special dinner one with prayer filled with all those tender feelings for family and friends and blessings you have received. I don't get it...it was more then my body, mind and spirit could comprehend. How can you not have Thanksgiving....and then no christmas...I grabbed my groceries and ran....tooooo much for me....I hope that my family remember to thank our Father in Heaven for all that they have...please tell me you are thank full for your abundance of family and friends. May all of you know how my cup runneth over for my family and my life would be so less without each one of you. I am truly blessed for all that I have with each one of you. With waterfilled eyes and swallowing hard, my heart pounding I am so grateful for each of you and each one of my grandchildren....if you weren't my own and I met you I would definately have wanted each one of you for my own. I know a lot for some of you...but its how I feel and it feels good to share it. So here's to lots of Thanksgiving's and Christmas's together and apart. I love you....Mom

I am probably writing this in vain..but who knows maybe someone will look just to see if there is anything new to see or read. It is November already and I love this time of season. It comforts me, brings a smile and happiness to my heart. I love the smell of autumn and the look of the skies, kind of a moody, dramatic, inward feeling. But I like it. Autumn to me always feel homey. You know like crawling up in a big warm blanket in your favorite room in the house and doing your favorite things. Looking out the window and watching the leaves blow all over the yard and everyone elses yard for the matter. I still love how that makes me feel. It is the one time of the year that I truly enjoy cooking. ....mmmm actually I truly love thinking about cooking...Thinking being the key word. I have read the blogs on how everyone feels about Halloween....I think Halloween is a fun holiday..I think its fun to dress up in something you find enchanting, funny, scarry, etc. and just have a fun time....I thought it was fun to go to peoples houses and trick or treat all dressed up. I liked the responses you receive from different adults. They were usually positive..oh sometimes you would get someone who acted like they were appalled at the very act of you coming to their door...but that is life...we need diversity...its what we are all about. Just think how boring life would be if everyone was just alike. I hope that Halloween was safe for everyone and I loved all the costumes. I loved all the fun pumpkins and I love the tradition of our Halloweens...I hope this finds everyone well and enjoying what their journeys are offering them. Love you, Mom

I will have to post the pic later...I'm at Wendys writing this and I don't have access to our pics..hey just think something to look forward too...Mom

Well lets get this little puppy going. Since I'm the Mom I'll go first . More like since noone else is doing this then I will begin. Ok lets just think here for a moment ..thinking thinking thinking, well first of all we broke down and bought us a new couch, chair and ottoman for the front room, I am attaching a picture so that you can see how great it looks. Dad wanted to keep blue and so we were lucky enough to find some blue furniture. Everyone who sees it loves it. Most of all we are thankful to have it. Always a boost to get something new. Im sure my son would agree...NOT!
Dad is getting ready to do 2 gigs this weekend. ONe at a home for a family affair down in Highland and one at Liberty Park. Bonus is they are getting paid for both of them. For fathers day your dad purchased a new keyboard to play with. He has been writing some songs and needs to have one for that and for just playing around.
We will be going down to open the cabin for the 4th for a week. Grandma is going with us. Anyway it should be fun and it will be nice to get out of the heat. Besides it will be a good place for me to practice my bus driving techniques...Russell............
We are looking for to the Spinettis coming for a 3 week visit. We will have to think of some fun things to do.
Not much news in the neighborhood. Hey since we did June how about Angie doing July? Sound like a winner. I think so.

With much love, Mom

How may I help you?

Ok, since no one else finds this blogging thing useful....I was thinking maybe we could come up with some ideas? Maybe we could exchange months. Kinda like a schedule of when in the 12 months you are scheduled to post for your family. So you post like every couple of months? What do you guys think? I know I love knowing how everyone is doing and we all are on the computer at one time or another during the day. Does anyone else have any suggestions? Also do Russ and Suzanne even know about this blog? I know I sent them an e-mail but haven't heard anything?

Please let me know. I would like to know what is going on with everyone even though we do talk to each other on a sometimes weekly basis.

Ok I am responding to Angies "Tag" is it..so here goes..
1. I still bite my fingernails
2. I love to split my nails and toenails
3. I wish I had more hair
4. my ankles are too skinny for my body
5. I've got some serious chub on me
6. I like me
7. I am 95 pages ahead of my reading on the book of mormon..Im happy with what I am learning and that I am studying so hard this time
8. I like to type
9. I never missed a day of school all through elementary school.
10. I never missed primary of mutual until I was 15 years old.
11. I was good in the buisness world.
12. I do not like to cook, clean or anything really that is domesticated..
13. I should have been a man
14. I loved playing run sheepy run when I was young
15. I ran everywhere when I was younger did not walk, stroll or skip I ran.
16. I was queen of the times tables in the 5th grade
17. I missed the word buisness in the 6th grade spelling bee.
18. My 7th grade teacher drank booze from a flask every day.
19. When I was in the 2nd grade my mom made me a lt blue satin dress for christmas from then on I was called cinderella
20. I could never understand any kind of algebra...
21. Sometimes I miss my mother so bad I have to tell myself to breathe
22. My most favorite group is the Eagles.
23. I loved the song Sunshine on my Shoulders by John Denver
24. I wanted all boys for my children.(thank goodness that never happened)
25. I am very sensitive...
26. I have very visual dreams
27. I don't like confrontations
28. I do like confrontations
29. I wish that I could always feel peace inside myself
30. I love how I decorate when I get to
31. I love to look at cross stitch
32. I love to have massages and facials.
33. I love when I am in the temple.
34. I used to love playing racquetball
35. I love to drink water with ice
36. My husband farts too much
37. I like my husbands sense of humor
38. I like to see my kids all cleaned up
39. I like to be with people who are real
40. My favorite calling in the church was In service leader
41. I loved going to clarkston when I was young
42. I like to be warm...
43. I like eclairs from Glaus bakery
44. I don't like burgers in my nose
45. I like to read
46. I like to study
47. I love the Frasier reruns
48. I love American Idol.
49. I like to play in the sand.
50. I am glad I get to pray

Update for the Gabrielsens

February was like January. It went by and I didn't even realize I was into the next month until I had to write a check. Funny what happens when you are home all the time....days just tick away and months go by like seconds. We have been keeping ourselves busy with Chad's basketball. Rec games on Monday nights and ward games on Wednesday nights. He is still working very hard and is hoping that the weather will stay in the 80's for a while so he can get some good games of golf in. I have been sticking to my work out for the past 8 weeks. I have lost 16 pds up to date. I am very proud of myself....I thought it would never come off. I have 14 more pds to go for my goal weight by May 1st. Pray for me...I'm going to need it. Ashley is still as adorable and funny as ever. We have made a lot of new friends for her to play with in the ward and she loves going to there houses, having them over for tea parties and play dates at the park. Kate loves to be doing anything we are. She is just so adorable and gets cuter by the minute! She is starting to roll on her own, play with her piggies and loves to talk to whoever wants to listen. She is sleeping through the night and is a great baby. We are just plugging along. Getting ready for things to start heating up! We are going to try and plan a trip to Utah the first of May. We will keep you posted on the dates:)

We are "blogging"!

This is going to be so cool and so much easier then publishing a monthly newsletter. I am way excited about this. (Thanks mom for the push in the right direction:) Tomorrow is the last day of February 2008. Before I turn the page and look ahead to the next month, I will take a moment to review our past month with you. Riley and Nick are still plugging along with their activities. Nick is doing well in piano, guitar and will begin baseball the end of March. Riley is progressing nicely with piano, violin, and she will begin tennis again the end of March (she really wants to do baseball though). Brian is starting to travel again in an effort to motivate and support his sales team in his territory. I am having a grand ol'time with my quilt group that meets every Thursday (we call it Holy Thursday now. This means that NOTHING takes prescidence over quilting this day). I love being with this group of ladies each week. I spent a week end up in SLC with my girlfriends for our bi-annual retreat. It doesn't get much better then spending time with friends being able to shop, attend the spa, eating out and getting to go to a temple session together. I was fortunate to be able to spend some time with Suzanne and the girls while I was in town. Being an aunt is one of the things that I enjoy being able to be here on this earth. My nieces and nephews are all so unique and special. I am blessed! That is all for now. Until next month.

Hello Family

Well let's give this a try shall we!!! I'm new to this whole thing, so bare with me. Jut testing this out!

And away we go!

Angie thought it would be a good idea to do a Blog for our family in place of the actual family newsletter sent out. I have invited all of you as authors. If you have any questions on how it works, please feel free to e-mail me and I can walk you through what ever questions you might have. Also...Angie has set up her blog so she can help too if I am not available. I am excited for this...I have my blog and I love it so let's make the best of this time to share what is going on in our families, whether it be daily, weekly, monthly or when you have time. No pressure. We can share experiences, ideas, recipes or just the usual things you would have included in the newsletter. What ever you feel....write about it. We are all here to love and support each other. In the end...our family is what matters most. Can't wait to get this going:)