Rosey's Bark Letter

Here is the letter that Rosey wrote to the Bark a while back. I think it should be on the BAWB.

Hello Happy Bassett Barkers!
12/7/09
It has been quite some time since
I have written, but I made the
mistake this morning of
commenting on Uncle Sid's
fantastic letter which showed that
there is Bassett Bark "life" in
me...thus inspiring dear Aunt Jill to
encourage me via email to write my
own letter to the bark (Yup...she
still has not left her character from
the Bassett Carol, I think she is
trying to get a bigger part for the
next family movie! :) I am just
teasing Aunt Jill, I have been
studying all day for finals and
figured there is not better time to take a
break than right now...and well I really do
have a lot to tell everybody so I may as
well write...Thanks for the encouragement!
So first off, I just want to say how great
life is. I am extremely busy (mostly
because I like it that way so I do everything
possible to stay busy). I am currently
taking 17 credit hours trying to finish off
my undergrad in Social Work at UVU next
semester. I am a Team Lead in UVU's
Mentoring Program, and with that I am
working on a Research Project and paper
on Mentoring that I am trying to make
submittable to a journal by the beginning
of January. I am also working on filling out
an application for Grad school at BYU to
get my MSW (Masters in Social Work).
So school is especially crazy...but with all
my extra free time from that I have been...
Dating a wonderful boy named Daniel
Moroni Turley! A lot of you have met him,
he is quiet, easy going, has beautiful eyes
(seriously), is super good at basketball,
very spiritual, and the list goes on! I think
the most important thing is that he lets me
do my thing. Grandma told him the other
day that he reminds her of Grandpa in that
he just lets his crazy girlfriend do her thing
but still loves me! :) Luckily he works a full
time job and is taking 12 credit hours so
he is as busy as me! Most of our time
spent together is in BYU's library doing
homework. However we always do
something super fun on the weekends...
and Sundays are our sanctuary (I don't
know how to spell that)! Things are going
good with him...and just so nobody goes
through shock sometime in the near
future... we are dating quite seriously! :)
Other things I do with my time are:
Spend time with family (not as much as I
would like but whenever I do it is so so so
so fun!) I also played on 4 intramurals
teams throughout the semester...now I
know what some of you are thinking...she
is crazy that is too much with her busy
schedule, but they are what keep me
sane! My passion is in sports and thus
these keep the engine revved. I played on
an all-boys Ultimate Frisbee team, The
number 2 women’s flag football team, a
soccer team with a bunch of girls I didn't
know, and a co-ed basketball team. They
were all super fun and kept me in some
sort of shape at this busy time.
Besides that I am the co-chair for the
ward activities committee where I plan 2
activities a month. This has really helped
me gain some party planning skills so
that I can be more like Grandma
when I grow up. It has been stressful
times but I am happy to serve the
Lord because of all he has blessed
me with. I am so happy to be doing
all that I am doing and am so grateful
for all of your examples and for my
wonderful parents and siblings. I
hope you all have a great Christmas
Season! Life is so great! Choose the
right and carry on!
Loves. -Rosey

Life Snapshot - Ivy Jane 11 Months

Was there ever a sweeter baby than Ivy Jane? I don't think so. I really don't. She is my sunshine. She always has a giant smile for me. It's still a toothless smile, surprisingly! She is following the toothless path her brother and sister paved for her! Hopefully they will come in sometime, but in the meantime, nothing makes me happier than her toothless grin!

She is scooting around all over the place and sticking stuff in her mouth always. The more kids I have the harder it is to have a childproof house. She had one of Gwen's hair elastics in her mouth the other day and gave us all quite a scare. We are trying to be extra careful, but she always finds something. She is outgrowing much of her clothing, which is great, as the doctor was worried about her growth a few months ago. She likes to babble and baby sing. She is a great little eater and I think will be my first child to actually crawl on all fours! She is sweet through and through and I simply can't get enough of her.

Life Snapshot - Bentley 2 years 3 months

This guy is crazy! He'll be playing nicely and then all the sudden will get a crazed look in his eye and come try to strangle you, no joke! For now it is funny, but it makes me nervous for years to come!

Bentley loves music and to dance and sing. He is always game for someone to sing with him and knows lots of words to lots of songs ("twinkle twinkle little star" "Daddy Home" "Child of God" and so on).

He is really funny in that he doesn't really like toys but would rather just sit by the cd player and listen to music, I wonder who on Earth he got that from ; ).

He is sweet to his sisters, especially Ivy and will often want to hold her. Of course he only holds her for about two seconds before pushing her away as hard as he can, but what can you do?

He is really fun to take shopping, he sits in the cart and opens his arms to give you a hug and then as you lean in he'll grab your cheeks (or hair) and pull you in for a kiss. It's quite a weird phenomenon as when kisses are requested they are rarely granted. This may be the reason behind my urge to shop ; )

He loves to take off his shoes, and socks, every time we are in the car, even for a thirty second drive.

He won't eat hardly anything at all. This is also quite the phenomenon as you may recall he used to eat tons. He's given up PBJs, Cheerios, which were the usual go to. Yesterday all I could get him to eat was chocolate milk and a bran muffin at night. If anyone has any great ideas let me know, he isn't willing to even try things....crazy kid.

He loves to wrestle with dad, and has been known to through punches at his sister, much to her (and my) dismay.

He loves "baby Bret" and talks about him all the time and can't wait to meet his new cousin next month!

Life Snapshot - Gwen 5 years 2 months

This little girl is growing up fast! She seems to be getting taller and taller every day. She loved going to St. George and spending quality time with Grandma and Grandpa! It was a welcome break to us and to Gwen and she has been doing great behaviorally since then! Not always perfect but a marked improvement from before where she and I were both near the end of our rapidly fraying ropes!

She is way into princesses! She can always be found in dress-ups, usually two or three layers deep of different dresses and skirts and "flare". She loves playing with her little friend Maleah "Mia" upstairs. They are usually together several hours of each day running up and down stairs and getting along well, though neither one of them is very nice to Bentley : ( .

She is enjoying preschool, loves to watch Dragon Tales, Sesame Street, and Super Why.

She loves playing on Mom and Dad's Christmas present (which they got early to prepare for the cruise), the elliptical machine. She exercises morning and night and, not kidding at all, stays on it longer than I do. That girl has stamina!

She continues to amaze us with how smart she is.

She is looking forward to kindergaten next year and hopefully a visit to Texas sometime soon!

Christmas List (Stef)

Well, I am with Blaine, this is a serious thing so it has taken me extra long to compose :)

New Michael Buble Cd (or mp3s)

Disney DVDS for Bret -some examples would be
Disney's Tarzan DVD
Happy Feet DVD (this may not be Disney...sorry)
Lion King
Aladdin
(any with fun music for him to enjoy) (we don't care if they are used)

tripod like Dad's sweet one for our camera
money to go shopping (one of my favorite hobbies) :)
Food Storage
photo paper (for the printer)
appetizer tongs
mini wisp

long black beaded necklace
cute beanie/scarf/and or gloves

those are the practical/affordable ones

now just to be like you guys I gotta put these ones on there too:
chacos
Tuacahn season passes
sewing machine (not sure if I really want this or not)
guest bed so our moms can stay comfy when we have the new baby!

Well that's all :)

Devil Woman Gone! (mom)

Did anyone notice that Kristi's devil woman eyes have turned brown?? And now we have a new little title, too. And is it just me, or did something happen to Blaine's left eye? Hmmmm. . . just wondering.

My unnrealistic Christmas List :) (Janey)

Hi everyone,
Of course I have to start out with the things that are unnrealistic to give but what I really want:
-Someone to decide where I should I go to graduate school
-Someone to fill out my grad school applications
-Someone (namely Blaine) to take the GRE for me
-Someone to find a good job for me
-Someone to figure out the squeaky thing in my car

If someone could do those things for me, I wouldn't need any thing else :) Please note how there is no diamond ring on that list (usually there is...but not this year. That is just too far out of my realm. We can let Rose take care of that one this year. The cool thing for her is that it might actually happen! Wahoo!!!!)

Okay, now to my real list:
-Clothes of course (running clothes, jackets, pants, everything)
-That Girl (season 5)
-A new journal. I really like the one I have right now. It's spiral bound down the side with a hard back cover.
-Flirty apron (um...I have actually already purchased this so don't buy one)
-Cookies (ha, just kidding)
-Book: "Code of Honor" by Betsy Brannon Green
-New silver watch
-Jewlry

I can't think of anything else. If I do, I'll add to it!

Love ya!
Jane

My grown up Christmas List

Hmmmm...

Well there is this one book called "Coping with not Being an 'Original 5'" that I'd really like to read....ha ha, just kidding.

Let's see

hmmm...

vacuum that works
griddle (on which to make multiple pancakes at the same time - - is that a griddle? I am so done making them on a frying pan)
Big bread loaf pans....like double long ones....ask Shauna Jones, she has them.
Lens hood for Nikon D40
Camera bag for D40
Cool boots...but I totally plan to buy this with any birthday loot I get, or with money I get from donating plasma. I simply will not wear flip flops in the snow, again.
Warm Coat
Cute hat and gloves (warm).... I hope to look like Jennifer Aniston did in that show Janey and I went to go see her in.
Babysitting coupons ( I would be completely happy if that is all I got!)
Anxiety medication for my upcoming flight
New unified cool silverware, of the non rusty variety
Other sorts of cooking gidgets and gizmos to hone in on my craft
speaking of crafts mabey a fabric cutter and mat....eh, I don't really want to waste a Christmas present on that, but if anyone knows anyone who has an old one they are getting rid of....
Oooo! Nice straightening iron with that concoction you are supposed to put on your hair before straightening it (Jane what is that stuff?).
Uh...did I already say babysitting coupons?
Chocolate covered pretzels, which I have decided are my very favorite treat
Gym pass to the Lehi recreation center
Or
Elliptical machine
My own carribean island
Hmmm.... I could go on and on and on.
Uh, full day preschool for Gwen
Did I mention babysitting coupons?
Ski pass
weekend ( or week, or weeks, or months) away with Blainey bopper
time for myself
um......okay, done for now!
wait wait, gift card to Maurice's. AKA "pants that fit"
Modest swimming suit with magical slimming powers. And hey if we are going for magical powers maybe it could have magical tanning powers too.

oh wait wait, just read Nick's list..I would love a bike too, and a bike trailer....er...I guess two bike trailers. Dang I have a lot of kids!

Can't wait for Christmas!

For Rose - From Nick

Whatever anyone thought about giving me for Christmas this year, I would like you to think again and just use that money to help get Rose what she wants. She is such a good girl, and she deserves it all. Love ya Rose!

Ok, but it never hurts to throw out there what I would like:

-A new computer (j/k of course): I just can't stand slow slow slow computers and ours seem to get slower everyday. They still work fine but I am not kidding they are slow.
-A new set of Irons (golf clubs): This is something I would need to choose myself probably, and would be almost as expensive as a computer.
(I am just trying to get my juices flowing here, that is why I put the first two items)
-A wireless router. It really would be nice to be able to use internet anywhere in our house, not just the little upstairs office
-A handful of new Zebra F-301 pens. I think I am about out and those pens are the best
-New jean, or works shirts, or ties, or socks, or polo shirts, etc...
-Beautiful artwork for our front room
-New nice chair for the front room
-Goggles (this is something I would probably need to pick because I would be kinda picky about it.)
-New furniture set or kitchen table
-Some good books on CD or digital (i.e. Enders Game, Michael Crighton books, Harry Potter, etc) This would make our frequent drive to WVC not only bearable but something to look forward too. Stef and I love listening to books.
-A real football (something like Max's nice Nike one - not a nerf ball)
-Some fun new Cologn
-A family trip
-A decent road bike to start getting me in to biking (this would require lots of shopping to find a good deal)
-A Zions Ntnl park pass, or even a Pass for all the national parks. Stef and I have talked about trying to visit all the parks next summer.
-New flip-flops. (again, something I would need to choose)
-A new nice watch, or to get my current one fixed...which would probably be cheap but it is just one of those tasks that I never get around too
-For the whole fam to move to St. George!!!! You guys will love it here.
-Some dumbells (like a 20 and 25 lbs)
-Materials for the GMAT

Ok, I better stop, this is getting out of hand. I don't need any of this stuff, but if you insist on giving anything, this could give you some ideas of things I have thought about before (except those last two...the juices got flowin then went straight south - basically forget the last two).

Loves and thanks for getting through the list.

Nick

St George Thanksgiving

Hi Everyone,

Nancy came over last night to update me on their St. George plans and I thought I would pass them along. Both houses are reserved for the whole weekend. From here on out houses will be identified by the "Yorg" house and the "other" house. She thought the marrieds might want to sleep in the other house (B&K, James &K) and Dad and I sleep in the Yorg house in our regular corner room with grandma and Gwen Y next door in the white bedroom. I also learned that Gwen's favorite friend, Robbie, is coming down for the weekend. Nancy is thinking Richard, Max and Robbie will be in the basement at the Yorg house.

Also, Nanc wanted to know when everyone is planning on going down. Since Dad is willing to work out of the other house (where there is internet access) on Wed., we may go down on Tues. night since Max and Janey don't have school on Wed. This was happy news for me. I know Blaine doesn't have Wed. off but we hope you can make it down that night so you are there on Thanksgiving. What are your plans B&K?

Rosey, you are welcome to invite Daniel. Would you stay the whole weekend? Do you have school on Wed? Nick and Stef, what are your plans? Last I heard you were eating turkey with us and heading to SLC Friday.

One more item - family Christmas photo. Can we all plan on taking a photo on T-day? Bring your nice camera Kristi!! Anyone care what we wear? Or where we take it?

Should be fun. Let me know plans ASAP.

Thanks and love, Mom

In the spirit of being selfish...(ROSE)

Ok so I just thought of one more thing I really want...would not want to keep it off the list! :) There are a few books I would really like to own, but for the sake of not looking too selfish, I will just name one. It is called Bowling Alone by Robert D. Putnam. I am really interested in the topic. I am done...sorry!

-Rosey

Bachelor Life: Way Overrated

I am currently living the Bachelor life and it is way overrated. Just to give you a taste of what I mean, after my church meetings today, I took a 3 nap, drove around our ward to familiarize myself more with the boundaries, played the piano at the church, and hung out with my 60 yr old YM Secretary for a few hours. It was actually quite fun but one day is enough, and I am ready for work to start again and then later to join Stef and Bret in WVC.

Life is going pretty well overall. Work has slowed down significantly which is a huge blessing. Things with my calling are still overwhelming and I am just doing my best to know how best to help the young men. My next big push is going to be to get the qourums organized, and get these YM qourum presidencies to start utilizing their keys and fulfilling their callings. It will be a blessing for everyone involved if they will. The Lord really has a great system set up to help members of the church at all ages and phases of life...the trouble comes when people don't follow through with or implement that system. Home Teaching is the best example of that principles but it applies to all kinds of areas of our lives. First and foremost, if satan would quite picking on families and let families help and encourage each other, that would be the very best thing to help get people active and doing well. Next if neighbors and hometeachers would look past their busy schedules once in a while and reach out that could really help, and ultimately, if everyone would magnify their callings with the spirit I believe lots more lost souls would be found and helped. But alas, it is not so easy. it really takes hard work, discpline, trust, faith, and other principles that require time and cultivation. I suppose all we can really hope for is that everyone is just doing their best. I really believe that when we are giving it our best the Lord will help fill in the necessary gaps that we leave behind. I really have a testimony that this is the Lord's work and the imperfections are not in the church itself but in people like me who need so much help to fufill a calling the right way.

On a slightly lighter note, Bret is now sleeping in a big-boy bed. He still requires us to rock him to sleep before we put him down so I guess it isn't really like he is doing anything different (fall asleep in our arms, sleep, wake up 7 hrs later) except somehow he wakes up earlier in the big boy bed...go figure. Stef has been so sweet all week long to be the one to go and get him and either try and put him back to sleep, or entertain him till it is at least 7:00 or 7:30. Bret is now learning to talk and can say more and more words every day. I really can't believe how old he is getting.
Stef gets cuter everyday. She is sure in great spirits too considering she has to carry a big beach ball around under her shirt that weighs like 15 lbs all day. She does an amazing job being patient and loving with Bret, and has really been doing lots of stuff getting ready for Christmas. She was not joking when she said she has lots if not most of her shopping already done. She is just great. She just got called to teach in RS which she was really excited about. Every time she teaches she puts in what seems like hours of preparation (I am always so impressed).

I'll end, but I love you all very much. Thanks for your happy spirits and good examples to me. They mean so much to me!

Nick

BFF (mom)

This is the night we've waited for;
Always a treat we have in store!
We love each other more and more
With ev'ry BFF

Good food and games for everyone;
Being together can be fun!
Father and mother, daughter, son,
Together at BFF!

The New York Steaks are thawing, the garden red potatoes are ready to be scrubbed. I whipped up a little hot artichoke dips for an appetizer. See you all at 6 pm tonight. (Hope Carol Graff Gunn didn't mind a slight change of the words. For some reason this song was buzzing thru my head when I pulled the steaks out and I had to share.)

And to Nick and Stef - we will miss you A LOT but are glad you get to go out with Brent and Nancy.

Love, mom

Devil Woman

Am I the only person who feels like I may turn to stone from the laser beams shooting out of my eyes in the picture on the BAWB.

Just sayin'. . .

My Christmas Wish List (Rosey)

All Janey's talk of Christmas has got me excited! So out of my greedy heart, I thought I would write a quick wish list...emphasis on the word WISH. I just need something to unwind my mind so this is fun...

A pair of choco sandals (they are super, super, super nice...and even more super expensive)
Food for my lowly apartment
A ski trip with my siblings
New pants and shoes
a diamond ring
Cleats
Gum
Homemade bread
A new power cord for my computer
Money
Prime Family time

and I am sure there are other things...but for now! tah tah.

Love you all...

Research (Janey)

After extensive research, I found our list that we did last year (we are a little late this year...last year we talked about it in October). Stef is correct in her calculations, everyone gives two older. Here's the list:

Blaine and Kristi give to Rosey
Nick and Stef give to Max
Janey gives to B&K
Rosey gives to N&S
Max gives to Janey

I am assuming we want to stick with $30-$35?

Do we want to do dollar gifts? I am thinking probably not because we won't have many people at the house anyway. Rosey, Max, and I will probably all sleep in until noon. Ha ha. Just kidding. If anyone has thoughts...do share. Christmas lists on the BAWB would be helpful!

Love, Janey

Christmas is on the Way!!! (Janey)

We can know that Christmas is coming soon because the Harold B. Lee Library already has their Christmas tree's up. One time I got thinking and wondering why they put their christmas stuff up so early...the conclusion I came to was that they want us to enjoy them for at least a month, and because we all go home so early in December, they decide to get a jump start on it all and put stuff up at the beginning of Novemember. Anyway, I am excited for Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, does anyone remember where we are in our rotation? Who gives to who? I am suprised Stef hasn't said anything yet...last I heard her Christmas shopping was practically done. :) I am so jealous of your amazing early Christmas shopping skills!
Quick update on my life:
-Smart Cookie is done! Weird but amazing to be done. It is amazing how I kind of miss it. Then when I really think about it and the things I didn't like about it, then I don't miss it very much! I think it might also help me stay a little bit more healthy. I already don't crave cookies as much.
-School. School is good. I love my major and my classes. I can't believe that I only have one more semester and then I graduate. Don't get me wrong, I still have another two years, but it will be nice to have my undergrad done! It's time to buckle down and study for the GRE and really wok on those Graduate school applications.
-Roommates. Love my roommates. We have so much fun together and I really do feel like we all care about eachother's lives. I didn't see Lara all day yesterday and it took us like an hour this morning to catch up on everything that we had missed from the day before. I love it! The hard thing is how crazy I am about things being clean. I kind of get tired of cleaning up after people, but I figure it is kind of my own problem. We have lots of guy apt friends in the ward and it is super fun. I love my ward and feel like everyone is really friendly.
-FHE mom: I wasn't super excited about this calling, but I have learned to love it! I need to do better at reaching out to the few people who don't come, but those of us who do come...we have a great time!
-Blaine and Kris: I love having them so close. They are so nice to let me come over for dinner and I love that I can occasionally go and babysit. It's weird because it reminds me so much of the good old days when I would go my freshman year....but their family is a whole lot bigger now. It's a little more difficult to babysit three kids than one. I put them to bed last night while B&K went to dinner. As much as I was kind of going crazy, I was really laughing my head off. I was trying to read Gwen a story while Ivy (who was really squirmy) was sitting on my lap and grabbing the book. Ben was on the other side of me jumping on the couch and yelling words at the top of his lungs. Their little neighbor from upstairs was over (age 3 or so) and she was yelling trying to tell Ben to be quiet. Meanwhile, Gwen was sitting patiently next to me while I attempted to read the book. The whole situation just made me laugh. They went to bed really well afte rthe story was over.
-Love Life: It has actually been quite exciting and there is too much to write. I have been asked out a bunch this year which is really flattering. Although I haven't really been to excited about anyone that I have gone with, I have had a good time with them and just getting to know people. The best part of my dating life (I guess this should go a little bit more under a "friends" category, but I am going to put it here), is that Brian is back! Although we haven't gone out on an official date, it just makes me happy that I now get to see him and Tim more often. They just make me laugh (Rosey got to meet them and was in full agreement that Tim is pretty much one of the funniest people out there!) I went with Brian this past Sunday to the CES fireside. It was just me and him and it was great. I felt like he treated me like a girl, not like his little sister. He opened my doors and even came up with me to my apt and helped me make syrup for a Waffle Party my apt. was hosting later that night. It was fun to see him interact with my roommates who are even younger than me. I'll just say it...I like him. The great thing is, I feel like everything between me and him, and everything in my dating life is just where it is supposed to be. It is truly a great feeling to have. Who knows what will happen, but I just feel like life is good!
-Bowling Team: I have been especially invited by Chelsy Erickson to join a bowling league (I think they wanted my mad skills because they know I have great potential because Great Grandma Layton? Winder? bowled a perfect game once.) Anyway, it will be Chelsy, Katie (roommate), Katie, Amy, Emerald (who were all in that ward) and me. If you only knew these girls and how funny they were you would also want to be on this bowling team. I wish you could read the facebook thread of what everyone has said, you would laugh your head off. I justhope we don't get kicked out of the bowling ally. Anyway, we have the team name of the "Pin Pals" (apparntly taken from "The Simpsons"), and it should be a lot of fun. I think this starts in Jan. or Feb. It will just be fun to see these guys once a week!
Sorry, that was a little bit longer of an update than planned, but there's the basics of my life!
Love, Jane

Nick Posting

I know this says it is from Stef, but it is actually from Nick. Stef got me reading some letters on here for the first time in a while, and I was afraid that if I logged out, I might get distracted and not log back in to write, so I will just write while I am hear, logged in, ready to go.

It was fun to see all of you this past weekend. As you know, Stef and Bret ended up coming up with me this weekend to the game. We met her parents in Provo and their uncles Chiropractic place, and then they got and adjustment and her parents drove her back up to Salt lake while I stayed in Provo for the game. there was plenty of time before the big games started so I was able to go visit Blaine and the kids. I was so impressed with his little lunch that he just threw together after I called him. Blaine and kris are really quite the chefs. It was of course also fun to see Ben and Gwen and little Malia who was also over. It is so fun to have you guys close by and we hope you are settling in and starting to feel a little bit at home.

The BYU games itself was fun, except for the actual game. I had very high hopes in BYU this year and was unfortunatley let down from what I expected. It amazing what high expectations can do to kill an otherwise good team. I had a great time being at the game though, and seeing my old friends and also nice Janey who came and met me at the half and Rose who i talked to a bit after the game. After I drove home that night it was fun to see mom and dad and Max for a bit before going home to bed.

Work continues to be very busy, but nothing like that week after the marathon. That week I got kind close to "breaking the buck" (working more than 100 hrs in a week). I think I worked 80+ which is prett rediculous. I am grateful that week is over and am soooo grateful to Stef for her support throughout the whole week. She is absolutely wonderful. Things will continue to be busy for the next week or so, but it consistently gets a little bit slower all the time. By middle of December we should be down as slow as it gets.

My calling as YM President continues to demand whatever time I am not at work. It really makes it so that I need to work hard to make sure that my time I have to spend with family is spent doing quality things, and in the best spirits possible. Sometimes it is easy to just be tired after working all day and doing things for my calling but I try to make sure and play with Bret as he is growing up so quickly, and doing all that I can to help around the house. Again, Stef is so helpful and supportive of all the things I am doing. I aboslutely could not do what I am doing without her help. She is amazing.

I also wanted to tell everyone (most of you know) about the race. It was so fun to have so much of the family down here. It really did mean a lot to me that everyon would come down to support me. One of my favorite things was that Stef had organized to have some posters spread periodically along the route. They were all really fun, and got me all choked up. It is so easy to get emotional while you run, and when you have such fun, heartfelt things along the way, it is really hard not to just get tear filled eyes. Again, it was very fun, and I am grateful to all who came to support, and to those who were supporting me in their thoughts.

I love you all! Carry on Carry on.

Nick

I Found It! (mom)

Last Wednesday I wrote a letter to the BAWB and when I went on line the next day I couldn't find it. Well, I found it. I accidently posted it on the Ned & Gwen Winder Family Blog. That was kind of embarassing but I guess it could have been worse. Course Andrea and Aimee are now my favorite neices since they both read it and said nice things. So, if you care, (and I KNOW YOU DO) go read it. Max, I talked about you!

Missed the boat but not giving up...

I guess I kind of missed the boat on answering Dad's questions but, like everyone else, I want to do better on writing and want to contribute to the momentum started by others to revitalize the blog. It was so nice of everyone to come to Gwen's party last night. We all had a blast, especially Gwen. (And ESPECIALLY Max and Kelsey, haha :) We understand for everyone who couldn't make it but it really was great to see so many of you and both grandmas. Also we even got to have Janey for dinner (not as the main course or anything, just joining us) which is always super fun. We had delicious WinCo steaks--an item I'm glad we stocked up on while they were so absurdly cheap.

The thing we're excited for at the moment is to order our new computer. It's arguable that we have needed one for almost two years and I have been pushing for one since before last Christmas. Now that Kristi is on board and we found the right deal I think we're finally making it happen, so that's exciting (also for Mom, Dad, and esp. Max who also might be taking advantage of the employee discount that we are taking advantage of from some of our Texas friends). Anyway, I don't really have much to say (obviously) but I had a minute so I just decided to force it. Feel free to do the same any time--it's always fun to see a new post as I do continue checking the Bawb every weekday. Love you all!

Blaine

My answers

This is nice to have questions to answer : )

1- For Gwen's birthday we went and had a picnic in the park (PB&honey) with Laurie, Anna, Kate and Eve. We then went to the pumpkin patch in Vineyard. Where every single person had a melt down and I was informed that I was ruining Gwen's birthday by taking her there. That's right folks, I paid $15 and lugged six children to a pumpkin patch so I could ruin their lives : ) Luckily after thirty minutes of screaming and tears they were all best friends again. Then we came back to our house for cupcakes and icecream sandwiches (Gwen requested ice cream sandwiches and I had a coupon for Fat Boys from the contest I won). They had a great time, until they all broke down again and left--all four girls in tears (six if you count Laurie and I). Poor Bentley, he has to deal with a lot of estrogen when we all get together. Hopefully Blaine will get home soon and we can enjoy our dinner of...? I forgot to marinate stuff for fajitas, so I better think of something!

2. Definitely not watching the game tomorrow.

3. I took a bunch of pictures of my kids on my bed. The lighting was perfect and I got a great deal on a new camera last week, I think they turned out good but I may never know because our computer has no room on it's hard drive (or whatever) so I can't load them on here.

4. Last night I had a good laugh while watching The Office with our upstairs neighbors, and then Blaine had me listen to a new song by Flight of the Concords, which was very fun and funny. (I don't endorse listening to the whole album, but the two songs he had me listen to were really funny! "Hurt Feelings" and "We're both in love...")

5. Mmmm....steaks sound good. I can bring the onions. I have a ton of onions. And a salad of course. Is this one where I can put the kids down there? Thanks!

My response to Dad's POst....Love it!

Dad...Fun idea!
1. I went and hosted a little party for Amber in her classroom today because it is also birthday. Now I am at work until five. At five I am going home to go to a wedding shower for Shannon Hansen (me and all the Granger Dancers..love it!) After that I am heading back to go to dinner with Daniel and his room mates..they are quite excited! SO I am a slacker and am not doing anything with Gwen on her birthday, however I am thinking about her.
2. UMMM...YES! It has kept me alive this week, I get to go to the game and I am so excited. I am also going to a big tail gate before. SHould be fantastic!
3. The last set of pictures I took was last Sunday at Daniels Dad's 50th birthday party. THey sprayed his hair gray and gave him all sorts of silly old people gifts. IT was lots of fun.
4. Hmm...Seeing as about everything makes me laugh this is a tough one. However I would have to say going to be in Ambers classroom this morning gave me lots of laughs. They all gave her funny/cute little cards. I love kids, they are so thoughtful and genuine. My personal favorite was as follows: "Dear Miss Cruits, you are the best one there is. Are you going on a date with Kevin tonit at 8:00?" Have a good day. The best day. Love, Kenzie THey were all funny to me!
5. Do something which involves a free meal that is with my wonderful family! I am up for whatever.
Sure love you all....

Sometimes it's hard to think of what to say... (Dad)

I decided that one of the reasons we're not writing much on the bawb is because it's hard to think of what to say.  So here are a list of 5 questions that everyone can answer in less than 5 minutes, which would help us feel closer to you this week.

1. What are you doing today for Gwen's birthday? (Friday oct 23)
2. Are you going to watch the BYU game vs TCU tomorrow? Where?
3. What are the last set of pictures you took about? Where are they?
4. What made you laugh recently?
5. What do ya'll want to do for Bassett First Friday next week?

Okay that's it.  Can't wait to see ya'll responses.

Loves.

breakin the streak (Stef)

Hi everyone, no one has written in soooo long, that I decided I'd better be the one to post something!

Things have been going well in St. George! Nick has been busy with work and his calling, but at least work is slowing down for a little bit. He has still made time to have fun with his family, which we really appreciate!

You all know I am obsessive about Christmas, so I have had fun starting the shopping! I am almost done with Bret's gifts, and in my head I have mostly finished Nick's, but I haven't actually done those ones yet!

Scentsy is starting to pick up down here which is a huge blessing! Its something to be excited about and keep my brain actively thinking all day instead of in baby mush mode :). We are having a big party tomorrow night, so wish us luck! We hope it has a better turn out than the last one we did (4 people).

Bret is getting so funny and so smart. Its awesome to watch. His favorite book right now is Hop on Pop. You know how the first page is up pup, pup is up. Then I ask him where is pup and he can say up! He is starting to say tons of words (only some are audible to the untrained ear), and his comprehension grows everyday. He has been such a happy boy the last little while and that always makes me filled with such gratitude. He has been know to have attitude ya know, but he's been doing really well lately. His teeth are at a stand still for the moment and knock on wood he has been healthy! YAHOO! He is getting good at his animal noises and just loves being active. He's such a sweet boy!

Last night Nick and I got to go to the temple. Bless Stef and Jan Miller for swaping babysitting with us! We also go to eat at Cafe Rio, complements of Nick's boss for the whole working a million hours thing. It was a fun night. We finished it off with a yummy smoothy at home!

Today I had the super fun glucose tolerance test at the OB. Now I have to start going to appointments every 2 weeks! That means we are getting close. I am 27 weeks and 2 days along. I always have to ask the doc. because I don't really keep track! Bret always goes nuts while I am on the doc's little table, but it was cute, he totally stopped to hear the heartbeat of the new baby today. Doc even let him hold the machinery!

Nick gets to go to the BYU game this weekend and that should be really fun for him. He is going with his co-workers Mike and Troy, but he will just drive alone and blitz it there an back. We will miss him and the car on Saturday :) he he. We talked about going down to the used lot and just buying some junker just for this very weekend, but I think we will be able to go awhile longer with just one! :)

We miss you all lots, its been so fun to have people come down and visit! Keep coming! And Mom, thanks so much for sharing all your garden goodies and the fruits of your labors (canning) with us. We enjoy them so much. They are all so yummy!

Love you guys, sorry to be so long winded!

Stef

September Photos - including Blaines Bday (Dad)

Hi Ya'll ...  It was so fun being with you all last night.  It was one of those perfect evenings.  I had finished all my big church assignments.  Work wasn't for another 12 hours.  We were going to B&K's new Utah house for the first time.  We were celebrating a very important birthday.  The chocolate eclair birthday cake was a new and wonderful taste sensation.  And everyone was happy...even the kids.  Of course Nick and Stef still had a long drive home...but they are so good to never complain.  Blaine's iphone had a little problem, but we got that fixed.  Thanks to Blaine and Kristi for hosting the fun!  Thanks to Daniel for taking the photos.  Thanks to all.  Loves.  By the way, these photos also include Max in his football uniform.
 http://picasaweb.google.com/bretbassett/Sept09#

Happy Birthday Blaine (Dad)

Hi Birthday boy.  I hope this is a great day for you and your family.  You guys have been working so hard to get moved into your new place, and you've got a long way to go... so maybe that's how you'll want to spend your free time after work...or maybe you'll want to go golfing with your new quorum.  Whatever you choose to do I hope it's great.  And don't forget to take your iphone with you...!

My letter to the Bark for Aug/Sep (Dad)

 Hi Family - here's my letter to the Bark which covers a lot of ground.  And I thought since I mention ya'lls names you may want to see what I added...loves.

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/bretbassett/Aug09#

http://picasaweb.google.com/bretbassett/Sept09#

 

All,

 

It's been an amazing two months for the Bret Bassetts.

 

Of course the big news has been Blaine and Kristi moving to town.  They finally got out of Texas and moved back to the land of milk and honey.  Peanut butter and honey that is.  I say that because while they lived in our house, our supply of Milk and Honey went down much faster then when it's just the 3 of us, but I get ahead of myself.

 

When they arrived, Blaine immediately started working at his new job - Applied Signal Technology (AST) - which is challenging but great, and the rest of the family started trying to find themselves in a strange new land.  They lived in corporate housing up on Highland drive, and enjoyed it - for 30 days.  After that they had to make some big decisions...sign a contract to live somewhere else (and pay money)...or live at Mom and Dads for free.  They chose the cheaper option and so we have enjoyed having them in our home.  It wasn't very long before they decided they needed to move on (we didn't kick them out...I promise!  They were PERFECT house guests), and they found a wonderful place in Lehi just off the freeway (easy on/off) and moved into it yesterday.  Of course we hope that their stay at our house isn't what convinced them they needed to move so far away.  But at least they are closer than they were when they lived in the Big T. 

 

So they are gone, and we're falling back into our regular routine of living.  But although we have more jelly beans, peanuts, and 'milk and honey' than we had when they were here, we miss them a lot!   We will miss having the energy of our grandchildren.  We'll miss kristi fixing fun and interesting dinners.  We'll miss Gwen's independent spirit that let's her play with toys, play outside, play with brother, watch pbs cartoons for 1 hr, take care of sister, and tell us of how much fun she is having going to her preschool.  We'll miss Bentley's emphatic but oh so loveable:  'No...', 'I don't want to...', and 'I don't like it'.  Of course those aren't the only thing he says - His language is growing everyday, and it is so fun to try to interpret.  But those are the new things he learned to say the day he turned '2'.  We'll miss Ivy's perfect smile.  When she is awake, and you glance her way, you can feel the power of her smile.  It's wonderful.  We'll miss Kristi's ability to find friends everywhere and set up little outings which we then get to hear about and live through vicariously;  The Zoo, The Children's Museum, The Cabin, the Family Fitness Center (Highland), and 100 other places.  Of course alot of her errands were to go to shop for new housing, but she is one who finds lots of good friends so she can take them to fun places and show them how to have a good time.  You may want to get on Kristi's 'friend' list as she even buys extra tickets to places so she can take friends with her.

 

So although they are out of sight now (Lehi) they are not out of mind.... and we hope to see them at lots of the Bassett, Winder, activities.  It's hard to believe they are gone, but we still see little signs that they were here...Blaine's popular mechanics magazine in the bathroom book collection, Gwen's picture on the fridge, photos around, toilet paper rolls which having once been unrolled, are now rerolled.  Etc. Etc.  We miss their pitter patter, and hope they'll be back soon.

 

Rosey continues living life at a frenzied pace.  We don't see her much, but know she is busy doing lots 'o good stuff.  She's on about 4 intramural teams, goes to BYU games, works, serves in her church callings while going to church, dates her man Daniel, and, oh yeah, goes to school.  WE're just thrilled when she is able to join us cause she brings a new passion and excitement into our days.... the last time she was in town she got all of her friends to throw up, by telling them that no one...absolutely no one...can swallow a tablespoon of cinnamon.  So they all had to try.  We've got video if anyone's interested.

 

Janey's life continues forward at a more sane pace even though she's down at BYU as well.  We love it when she comes home and shares life with us.  She is a really good friend to max and listens to all his stories.  She amazes us with her ability to get up at 5:00am or earlier to bake cookies.  And so besides all she does in her church callings, her personal study, her work, her dating and hanging out with friends, she still makes time to come home for dinner on weekends and bake up some rolls, clean dishes, gets her laundry done, and all those important things, and seems to love them.  Her life is complex, but she's good to make it look simple.

 

Max is back in High School...ran for office and lost, got recruited onto the football team and won, had his friend (who is a girl) fall for another guy and keep it in perspective, and play the piano like THE man (the piano man to be exact).

 

Other activities which happened in August included:

• Wendy and kids hiked Mt Timpanogos
• Bret took Blaine and Max to Father's and Sons sleep over.  The highlight was when we were sitting out on a mountaintop picnic table (solid metal) with rain and lighting all around us, eating wet "Kentucky Fried Chicken" and Blaine said, "Uh Guys, maybe we should move back into the tent, this seems a little, um, dangerous."  Maybe you had to be there.
• We went to Mom's party for the Gma and Gpa Remington's 100 year birthday party.
• and then to the Winder Jamborall at the pool.

 

In September we had the following:

• Stake Conference
• Jann and Emery left on their mission and we celebrated Jann's birthday before they left
• BYU Beat Oklahoma and then got smashed by FSU
• Max started high school, and joined the sophmore football team
• We went on a labor day hike to Cecret Lake
• We celebrated Bentley's birthday #2...and Blaines Bday #28

 

Feel free to enjoy all the pictures out on Picasa!

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/bretbassett/Aug09#

http://picasaweb.google.com/bretbassett/Sept09#

 

 

Loves to all.  Sounds like your summers have gone lovely.

 

Be excellent to each other, AND... party on Dudes!

FOOTBALL!!!

Hey everyone!!!!!! Even though Rosey already said it in her post, I thought I would write a little bit about my experience while being on the football team. Yes, I just joined the Granger High School Football team!!!!!
The first Granger football game I went to this year was against West Jordan. When I went to that game, it hadn't even crossed my mind that I could be on the football team. After the game, the sophmore coach, Dave Bateman, (who played basketball with Janey and thought she was amazing.) ;) he was also my basketball coach last year for senior league so he knew me pretty well, he came up to me when we were walking to the parking lot and I said hi to him and he hit me pretty hard in the chest like any football coach would and asked why I wasn't doing football. I told him I think it would be fun but I don't really know how to play.
Since then, I had never really thought about football again until a couple of weeks ago after the game against Skyline, it the night I had figured out that I didn't win Sophmore class rep. and I was kind of sad about that. Coach Bateman came up to me and asked if I had won, I told him no, and he told me that I should come play football. This time, I really thought hard about it, I mean I really wanted to get involved at Granger and I didn't make class rep. so I thought it would be reall cool to do football. I didn't think I would be able to do it this year, so I planned on doing it next year during the summer. The next monday, I was talking to my friend Garrett and he said that Dave was talking to him about joining also, and that we could still talk to the head coach, Coach Holt. So we went after school into Holt's office and asked if we could still join the team. He asked why why didn't do it earlier and we told him that we were busy with class office and stuff, so he gave us the packet that we needed to fill out, and he told us to fill it out before the end of the week, and we could be part of the team!!!!
I was so excited, I went straight home and talked to mom and dad about it. I could tell that mom was really hesitant about it, but me, being the youngest, could convince her a lot easier than any of the other kids could. :) JUST KIDDING!!!! After a lot of talking to her about it, I finally convinced her, and dad said he thought it would be a great idea! I couldn't wait!! I needed to get my physical first and then fill out a couple of other things. So on Tuesday, I went with dad and got the physical exam, and we bought some cleats and a mouth guard.

On wednesday was my first practice!
After school, I gave the coach my packet and he said that I could come to practice but he didn't have pads and equipment for me quite yet. So I went to the practice, but I couldn't hit or get hit because I didn't have any pads. It was good to watch the team play and to see how good they were. The practice went until about 7:00, which is when it usually ends.

The next day was thursday, and thursdays are game days for sophmores.
When the coach and the team said game days, I just expected to go to the football game, come home with a win or a loss, and be done for the day. I was wrong! VERY WRONG!!!! Game days are much more than just the game I learned.
After school, I talked to the coach again about getting my pads, and he told me he still didn't have any pads for me so I wouldn't be able to play. That meant I was going to be water boy!
:( I went to the game at Murray and made sure that all the players got the water they needed.(And let me tell you, that is A LOT harder than it sounds!) Anyways, the sophmores beat Murray 54 - 8! It was about 6:00 when we got back to the school, and the coach told me that there was going to be a team dinner a 7:00. They have a team dinner cooked by the Booster club every thursday night. But that night was the night forum, and I needed to go to that, so I told the coach, and he said that we could come over at the end of the Forum and have some dinner. So I went to the forum, and that ended at about 8:00, and then I headed over to the cafeteria for some pork and crab salad. I WAS STARVING AND THIS PORK WAS DELICIOUS!!!! I mean, mom's cooking is still MUCH better, but you know when you're so hungry that everything sounds good, that's how I was because I hadn't really eaten anything all day! So I ate my dinner while the coaches gave their speeches. It was really cool to see the coaches get emotional, and to know that they have a soft side deep down. (You never see that soft side at practice!) :)
After the dinner, it was about 9:00 p.m. and I was really ready to go home! But then I learned that every thursday after dinner, the team has a little meeting out in the bleachers. It's just the team, with no coaches. When I was talking to mom about it, this is how I described it:
"It's a lot like a testimony meeting, just you clap at the end, and the people are swearing." It really was like that, we sat really close together in like a huddle, and you could get up and talk if you wanted to. I was really close to getting up and introducing myself to the team, but when I finally got up the courage, the meeting was over. :( I will have another chance to do it though, I mean, they have it every thursday! Anyways, I left home at about 7:00 a.m. and got home at about 10:00 p.m.. That is what game days are, not just playing a game of football, but spending a lot of time with the team!
Well, I just wanted to tell you guys about my experience so far. I've been on the team for three days, but it feels like months! :) I'm really liking it a lot! I learned last night that I get my pads on monday! So i'm really excited for that!
Anyways, I hope this post makes sense, and I'm sorry I haven't written for a while!
Thanks and love you all
Max

Quick (2)

Well I decided to copy cat Mom and give you all a quick update on my crazy, crazy life! First of all I want to share my pride with Max for joining the Football team. Seriously Max, I think you made my whole week. I am so excited for you and look forward to going to atleast one of your games, please let me know when they are. Ok well a quick over view of my life, I think it is crazier than it has ever been before, but I am loving it! I got a new position at the bookstore (I am on my break right now),I work at the warehouse as the online sales rep. I know it sounds official and well in a way it feels official too because I am completely my own boss and I have my own desk and space. It is cool, but quiet...I did not get a pay raise but I do fell complimented that they trust me enough to put me in charge of my own destiny, not to mention I make my own schedule which is so nice! Besides my 15-20 hours a week for work I am a Team Lead for my Mentoring group which has been so fun and has taught me so much, but man it is time consuming! I devote about 15 hours to this and then I am taking 17 credit hours. I go to the library almost every single week night with this handsome boy named Daniel (after he gets home from working a full 8 hour day!... at 9 o clock) Anyways we usually go study for like 2-2 1/2 hours a night. I can't really complain though because for some reason even though you are just sitting there doing homework still, it is just more fun with him :) Speaking of Daniel, I am sure you are all wondering what is going on there and lets just say...REALLY GOOD. Everything is just so good because of him, we have kind of discussed the M word but don't get antsy...we both have a contract until April, so nothing will happen too soon. However I think the CD that Jane brought me last night sums it all up (thanks again sis, it is always so good to see you...seriously!) But she named the CD after Buble's new song, "I have not met you yet" but she titled the CD (I haven't ...except for Rosey has met Daniel... you yet". Anyways just a little update...somethign I love about him is that he is such a hard worker, he works full time and is taking 11 credits right now and he never complains at all. It is so impressive to me because i come home kind of tired and grumpy every day. Anyways that is that. The only other major thing going on right now is my baby...Intramurals! I know you all think I am crazy to add more to my schedule if I don't have to, but they really do keep me sane, I live for them. I am on 4 teams right now...although I think I will drop the Ultimate team because it is all boys and they have enough people. But I am on the infamous Cowgirls football team with Chelsy again! And then a soccer and basketball team with random people. THey are my social activity each week. Well thats all I have time for. Back to work. I miss you all so much! Seriously. I can't wait for conference weekend... Keep being righteous, it is so worth it to always give time to the Lord, I know this from experience. :) Loves.

-Rose

Moose Tracks

Ahhhh. Nothing beats a late summer day at the cabin. A little rock hunting, a little zip lining, changing leaves, friends, food, a delightful day indeed.

We said goodbye to our friends and were just finishing some last minute details before leaving the cabin for the day. Change a diaper, look at some more rocks, etc. I went to swig one more drink of cool spring water from the drinking fountain when I heard a tree branch crack. My eyes shot up to see..

The biggest moose EVER! And that's not all, you see those tree stumps, right there on the bottom left? I had been standing on one of those MOMENTS before and swinging on the swing (you can see the rope cutting across the picture). I very well could have been gored by a moose mid-flight!

I panicked! Beautiful as they are I hear moose can be a bit...tempermental. So I screamed for the kids to get in the car. Once we were all in safe I figured I ought to get a few pictures, lest I be known as the girl who cried "giant man-eating moose".

And then the moose marked his territory, and seconds later gave me a menacing look.

So that was enough for me to get. the. heck. outta. there.

The end.

Quick (mom)

Dear Family,

I wasn't going to take time to write because the house is quiet and I really, really, really need to prepare my talk for sacrament meeting on Sunday. But I just wanted to tell you ALL how much I love you.

Also I want to tell Blaine and Kristi how much we have enjoyed having them stay here and how wonderful I think they are. It brings back great memories to have Blaine sitting at the kitchen counter eating breakfast when I get up for carpool each morning - even in garments:) Kristi is just the best little mom and takes wonderful care of the kids planning fun activities for them each day. Today they are up at the cabin. She has also fixed dinner the last two nights. Wahoooo!! They are all so good to pick up after themselves and be respectful of "my" way of doing things. I love seeing Ben's sweet little face in the high chair when I come home from my morning runs. I love reading books to Gwen and brushing her hair when she will let me. I love Ivy who gives the sweetest smiles anytime. It has been a joy to have them and I want them to know it.

I can't believe we are in the middle of Sept. I still have tons of canning I want to do and ,well, there is this talk that is hanging over me!! Yesterday I spent from 6:30 am to 8:30 p.m. in the front hall of Kennedy Jr. High as an election judge for the West Valley City Primary election. It went well though voter turnout was low. I got some reading and crocheting done! And I ate school lunch for free!!! I think that is my first school lunch in 34 years.

Good news - Mike Winder will go into the Nov. election for WV Mayor. Don Christensen (I sat next to his wife Necia all day at the polls) and Steve Buehler (in our Stake - dad's exec sec.) made it in their respecive city council primary races. We are happy about election results.

Okay, I MUST prepare this talk.

Love you all. Mom

PS Stef inspired me to write this letter. Short is good!

more pics (STEF)

Labor Day Weekend Pics (Stef)

It's been awhile (Stef)

Well, Bret is napping, and I am doing nothing of great importance, so I thought I would make a posting!

One of our greatest adventures lately is when Blaine, Kris, and the kids came for a visit. Its so funny because Bret kinda picked up on Ben's little giggle and the way he just exclaims stuff all the time (like "Oh"). Its way funny. He has also started doing this thing we have no idea where it came from, when he is in his high chair eating he will close his eyes and feel around like a blind man looking for something. Then of course he peeks to make sure we are watching and he busts out in a smile. Its dang funny. But not as funny as how his little bootie swaggles when he runs so fast! He is a crack up. He loves the water- baths, lakes, hoses, pools, etc. He also loves dancin still, its so funny to watch, he really gets into the beats/songs on his little kiddie educational TV shoes. Love it! He also really likes the new Michael Buble song that I told Janey about!

Well there are just some random tidbits for ya.

We had a great Labor Day here because we got to go to beautiful Zion and hike Emerald Pools again. Oh Bret loves it so much! We missed being with you guys, but we are excited to see you all over conference.

We are sure getting excited for the marathon to come (and then be over :)! I know Nick is tired, but he is still doing so good on his training. He is in the busy season with work and has lots of responsibilities with his calling, (and of course football makes his weekends even busier..) so he will be ready for a little rest from running! I know he is going to be really awesome though :).

Oh yah, the best was Nick in nursery this weekend. He is a natural, all the kids were just sitting around him playing. I have never seen them all gather round like that for so long before. I tried to get him called in there, because he is so darn tootin good at it:)! It was really fun to have our whole family in there!

We had fun seeing Bryan, Chandi and kids down here this weekend. We are also glad to know Stake conference went well again for Dad! We love you guys,

love, Stef

Stake Conference Talks

Hi Family,

This was a big weekend. Stake Conference. If any of you are interested, here are the two talks I gave... enjoy!

Why Obey


How to Make Meetings a Blessing

Major Award!

Be sure to hop on over to the Little Things to read about my major award!

Just getting it off my chest (mom)

One of my least favorite things about the computer is an email telling me to do something and then telling me to forward it to at least so many people or blank will happen or not happen.

Ask me to donate money to a worthy cause, ask me to tend your kids, ask me to feed the missionaries, ask me to do your laundry or take your car in for a windshield repair, emissions and safety check and oil change. I will happily do all of these things. But PLEASE don't ask me (or especially tell me with silly consequences) to forward on any email.

Thanks. I feel better.

Bassett First Friday Club (BFFC) - (Dad)

Okay, let's get real on this Bassett First Friday activity.

Janey, since it's your idea, how 'bout you taking lead and set up things for the first monthly BFF. Technically that would be in 2 weeks on Sep 4.

But before we do anything, you'll want to ask a few questions of the gang...

1. Is the First Friday the best regular weekend to be able to go w/ Nick and Stef, or is there another regular weekend when they might come up? Or should we try to not have it be a regular night, but rather have it be on a night when Nick and Stef are already coming up? So the person in charge would work w/ Nick and Stef to figure out which day would work best, and then plan it around them? Or should we do both? Have a regular night AND get together when N&S are in town. I prefer the later.

2. Do we want to have it be with grandkids (freshman class)or without? May not seem like a big deal when you've got just 4 or 5 kids in the Freshman class... but when all of you have got kids of all ages, it will really take away from the fun of it just being the your generation. But if it means not having some come cuz of sitters...that's tough. That's a question to ask. I prefer the no-kids option(just so you guys aren't distracted when you're there)

3. Do you want to have it be dutch treat or have it be Mom and Dad's treat? (By the way this is a trick Question) If Mom and Dad pay for everyone, then we won't ever do anything very fun.

Other than that...the only advice I would throw in, is for everyone to be excellent to each other...and...party on dudes. :)

Ragnar Relay

IMG_0042
Originally uploaded by bretbassett

By now you've seen the photos...and you've either sighed (oh boy, another event I had nothing to do with) or like me, you've delighted to be part of something wonderful w/o having to have trained for it. Here's how I saw the ragnar.

PS Im testing out Flickr as a way of posting photos...

To a New Year... (Janey)

Hi Fam-
So, the BAWB hasn’t been very active over the summer, but I can’t blame anyone but myself because I defiantly haven’t contributed. Because of that, I have tried to make up for my wrong doing and have written a very, very, very LONG letter (sorry, I know we all have a hard time reading the long letters.) I have divided it into three portions: the first is this portion I like to call “family business;” the second portion is a “semi-quick synopsis of my summer”; and the third portion is my “thoughts as I begin school again”. Read what you can, I won’t be offended (or is it affended?) if you don’t read it all.

Portion 1: Family Business
1) We are planning something fun for Labor Day, perhaps having a big breakfast, hiking Ensign Peak, and then going to Clark Planetarium while we are downtown. There we thoughts about coming home and having a little lunch, go swimming, maybe go to a movie, maybe a BBQ? Those were some idea’s we had. We know Nick and Stef aren’t planning on coming (although you are still invited), but we just want to make a plan so we aren’t sitting around that morning deciding what we should do! If you want to hang out with us or have any ideas, we would love to hear them.
2) Welcome back Blaine, Kris, Ben, Gwen, and Ivy Jane! I am so excited to have you guys back. I love that you guys just come and hang out; I wish I didn’t have to work so much so I could play more with you guys. Anyway, now I am hoping that once everyone gets back into the groove of life after such a fun summer this blog will kick back into gear with lots of good updates!
Not only would it be fun to hear from each other, but I also thought it would be fun to get a set time each month that we could get together. I know there has been lots of talk but this hasn’t really ever happened. Wouldn’t it be fun to get a BFF: Bassett First Friday (not best friends forever) or whatever day everyone thinks would be best, going? We could make one “couple” in charge each month. I know N &S couldn’t always come, but an occasional visit from them would be fun! Let me know what your thoughts are.

Portion 2: A Semi-Quick Synopsis of My Summer
I have to start this letter with my big thing that I have just accomplished and am sooo grateful is over: Planning my 5 Year High School Reunion. I don't know why, but I have been so nervous for it. It went fine. We were planning on having it in the cafeteria at Granger, but there was a misunderstanding and so we had to change it last minute to the park (which we weren't very excited about.) We had Apple Spice Junction cater, had about 45 people come, and charged $20. We played a little "How well did you know your classmate?" game with prizes and everything. The game was actually kind of fun. Most of the people who came were friends I have seen at wedding receptions and stuff throughout the past few years. By the end of the night we had a new committee appointed to do the 10 year (which I am not on) and then I was able to relax a bit and had a good time visiting with friends. It wasn't fancy, but for a 5 year reunion I think it went okay. Thank you to all you family members who listened to my frustrations, concerns, and helped me through it all!

As the summer is drawing to a close, I can't help but reflect on what has happened and the great time I had! It is amazing how quickly it seems to go by, yet when I think about the beginning of the summer it seems so far away. Some of the highlights or big things I did are:

-Fun trip to Disneyland with two of my roommates! We went on my birthday so I got in for free. We did the beach, the San Diego temple, Disneyland/CA Adventure, and Sea World. The amazing thing was I think it only cost me a total of $100. We did food the cheap way (grocery store shopping), stayed with some friends (no hotel cost), and drove (splitting the cost of gas.) I was excited that it ended up being so cheap but lots of fun.
-Did a spring term at BYU Salt Lake to get my last two generals out of the way. If I had future years left of undergrad school left I would probably do this every year. Although it was kind of a pain at the time, I am so glad I did it. It was a unique thing because of the smaller classes, knowing the professors personally, and getting a semester over in 8 weeks. I still feel like I had plenty of summer to enjoy once the semester was over, so I didn’t really feel like my summer got cut short. Basically, I am really glad I did it! (And the BYU Salt Lake center is beautiful, it was kind of fun to go downtown for school.) Anne Marie (the star in "That Girl") helped me get through the rough summer school days. I would watch 2 or 3 episodes everyday during the semester. I have just purchased Season 4 so she can help me through this coming Fall semester.
-I ran the Wasatch Back, Ragnar Relay. Loved it, but probably won't do it again. It was fun to get to know some of the cousins a little better, but I wasn't a fan of sitting in the car for two days, and live off 3 hours of sleep. It was fun to run at 4:00 in the morning in the pitch black. Sometimes I couldn't see anyone else...a little spooky, but that just kept me running! Good memories.
-I transferred stores and opened the new Smart Cookie in Fort Union (Midvale). I forgot about the initial stress that comes with opening a store: adjusting recipes, making little changes, and having all new employees. Although I learned to like it by the end, I missed the American Fork location (which I am transferring back to this week.) I will be at Smart Cookie for at least a few more months, but I am hoping to find something related to Speech Pathology.
-New York and D.C! Loved this trip and defiantly found it to be the highlight of the summer. I loved having the first few days be just our little family. I miss Rose tons and it was super fun to get her all to ourselves. There were lots of fun adventures that I will remember and cherish, such as spending 30 minutes trying to find a Wendy's at 1:00 in the morning because we were STARVING. It was also so fun to spend time with the big Bassett family in such a beautiful and spacious location.
-Just loving every day of summer. I swear that every year it takes longer and longer into the year for it to get warmer. I don't think it was warm enough to go "swimming" until the very end of June (the parentheses was in behalf of Margaret and Rosey who make fun of Gwen and me who say we are going swimming but really we jump in for two seconds, maybe get our hair wet, and then sit by the side of the pool the rest of the time). I am becoming more and more like Mom as I could now say that July is my favorite month. It's hot, the days are the longest of the year (sunlight from 6 am to 9 pm), it's patriotic, has a few holidays so there are lots of parties going on, and you can just go swimming every day. I really hope that I live close when I have kids so they can enjoy the Winder Pool too.
-I loved going to our home ward. I was in Primary substituting for somebody almost every week which I loved! I am excited to go back to a new student ward, but I will miss Primary!
-I didn't date much over the summer, but I loved having "girl's parties" on a regular basis with Gwen, Andrea, and Marg and Robyn (until Marg left). :( They were usually just chick flick movie nights, but I am sad to see those come to an end.
-Blaine and Kris move back to Utah…need I say more? :)
I think my only regret of the summer is we didn't do as many Sunday night homemade ice cream parties with Yorgy's. But, I have loved this summer and hope I did everything I was supposed to. I think I lived it up as much as I could!

Portion 3: “Thoughts As I Begin School Again”
This portion is me looking forward to/reflecting on school. School is always a new adventure, especially when you are single and you move to a new ward every year. It keeps life very interesting. You get new classes, new roommates, new ward, new boyfriends, :) new lots of things. I only have 12 credit hours this semester and then 6 the next. I graduate this year so I am preparing to take the GRE and apply to grad school. It all makes me a little nervous and I can’t believe I am really thinking/preparing for grad school, but I just need to keep moving in life. Life defiantly hasn't turned out the way I thought it would, but I know the Lord is in charge and this is the best thing for me to do.
As I have prepared for this new school year, it has been so fun to think back on my past 5 years since I have started college and realized how lucky I am to have been the middle child. Some people might complain about being the middle child, but I have found it to be one of the best spots in the family…and here’s why:

Highschool: Jumping back to before college, I have to address high school. I know I would have survived and had friends eventually in high school without any help. However, I owe the successful start of high school to Nick who didn’t care (or at least acted like he didn’t care) that his little Sophmore sister tagged along with him and his friends. Thanks for getting my social life in gear when I started high school, Nick. I appreciated the time we had together.

College:

Freshman Year: I didn’t really expect to like my freshman year very much. However, just the opposite happened. I LOVED it!!!!! It was probably my favorite year. Everything was new, I had tons of friends, I didn’t have a job so I tons of time to socialize and make cookies and then take them to each of the guys apts in the ward. Wow, I almost had too much time on my hands. However, one of my favorite things about this year was getting to know Blaine and Kristi. They were nice to invite me over for dinner and movie nights often, and allow me to do my laundry there. Blaine and I not only faithfully had lunch every day, but we also had American Heritage together. Blaine was nice to show me the ropes and get me off to a good start in my college career. Blaine was always just a little too old for me to really get to know before he moved out of the house, so this was a fun time to get to know Blaine. I loved getting to know Kristi better and really rely on her as a friend. I knew you guys would do anything to help me and I appreciated that so much. The other fun thing about that year was being among the first to invite Gwen into the world. I was the person they called when they needed her suitcase from their house. I loved that I got to see them not only just an hour or so after Gwen was born, but also while Kris was in labor. I just felt so loved and needed. Thanks for letting me be a part of that special time in your life. Also, it was fun to get to know Kris the following summer as we both worked for Aardvark. It was nice to have an excuse to have to call Kris nearly every day. What could have been a 2 minute conversation turned into a 20 minute conversation almost every time. Thanks Kris!

Sophomore Year: This was the year I lived with the Franklins and Maretta. It was fun to get to know these girls better and actually know my roommates before I moved into my apt. I’ll be honest, I am sure I saw Blaine and Kris some, but I think they might have been on an internship for one of the semesters because I can’t think of going over there as often. Oh wait, I just remembered, this is when you lived at that place you really didn’t like very much. Yeah, for some reason I just don’t think I made it over there quit as often as I did my freshman year. What was I thinking? By the end of this year I couldn’t wait to move home. I stayed the summer between my freshman and sophomore year in Provo. By the end of Winter semester I wanted to cry because I was so happy to be going home and getting out of Utah Valley!

Junior Year: This was another year I got to know Nick better…well, sort of. Nick and I lived in the same ward, which was WAY fun. It was fun to get to sit next to Nick and all of his roommates. Again, he was an awesome brother who let his little sister hang out with his friends. It is amazing how living in the same ward opens up windows of conversation. It was fun to be able to talk to Nick about all the drama or non drama in the ward. I loved walking to school with Nick most mornings and then meeting Blaine in the class we had together on Tues and Thurs. mornings. Although they both got better grades than me in that class, I loved being able to take a class with two of my brothers (I never dreamed that would happen.) The “bitter/sweet” thing of that year was having Nick’s attention and time become focused elsewhere..however, that elsewhere lead to a great something. I loved that I was one of the first to get to know Stef and in a way, be a part of that relationship. I loved that Nick would fill me in on how things were progressing, such as trying to text me to say he had kissed her…although that text didn’t go to me, it went to Stef on accident.…whoops (ask one Nick or I about the story, that was a good one!) Although I was sad that Nick and I’s days of “dating advice” and “rate the date” were coming to a close, I am so glad he found Stef. I love you Stef and I am glad he didn’t choose anyone else! That was also an interesting year as I prepared for a mission, something I never thought I would do. I got closer to the spirit and felt this was the right thing to do.

Year at Home: After returning from my mission I lived at home. I will forever be grateful for the love and support that was given to me from each of you (my siblings), but especially from Mom and Dad. I never could have made it through this difficult time without you guys. Although there were times when I wondered what in the heck my life was doing and where I was going, I knew that I had a loving family who supported me. The fun thing about this year (and all the summers I have lived at home) was that I got to be an adult and a kid. It was weird to work and not go to school. It was weird to be one of two children at home. It was a different time in life and one that I wasn’t used to, but I learned to love it in it’s own unique way. The thing I especially loved was getting to know and love and appreciate Mom and Dad more. They do so much and I am grateful for their examples. One of the many things that I miss when I go to school is having someone to come home to to spill my day, especially my frustrations. Mom and Dad were good to listen and give their advice. The other person I got to love more was Choninlostinchon, aka Max. Who would have thought I would get to live with and get to know my brother who is 7 ½ years younger than me. I love that I can tease him, he can try to tease me, he tells me about school, girls, and all the good stuff in life! Max is such a good kid and I am so glad I had that year and the past few summers to get to know him and watch him grow. I truly consider Max one of my best buddies (he even lets me get to know/hang out with his friends too!)

First Senior Year: This was the year that I unexpectedly lived at the Glenwood. Although I wasn’t super excited about the whole deal, I am very grateful it all happened because it gave me time to get to be closer to Rose. Rose is a very busy person as you all know. She has a lot of friends, and just a lot going on in her life. So, because of all she has going it is hard to schedule a play time with the girl…so you have to squeeze in little visits every now and then. Actually, my life was busy too so I can’t blame all the business on her. Anyway, it was great because I could just run downstairs for 30 minutes while she was making her dinner and visit with her while she ate. She was my neighbor who could supply a “cup or sugar” (or a can opener in my case). It was fun to drop by after school if I saw that her car was in the parking lot. It was fun to sit next to her at the few BYU games I managed to make it to that year. It was fun to hang out with her and her CRAZY friends…phew, lots of energy in that apt. Defiantly a memorable (and humbling) experience was playing on her soccer team; WOW! She was really desperate for someone to play if she was asking me to play. However, I again realized how very amazing she is at sports! I was proud to call her my sissy! And last but not least it was fun to share in our ‘first boyfriend’ experiences together. Lots of fun with Rosey! I loved getting to know her as a grown up person.

Second Senior Year: That is yet to come. For the first time in all of my college experience, I am living with some of the same roommates as I did last year. That will be the new experience.

Now you can all see why being the middle child is the best spot in the family…I got to be a part of everyone’s life and get to know you guys better! Thank you! Just as I said at the beginning of this letter, my life hasn’t turned out as I thought and planned it out. If I would have happened how I had it all planned out when I entered college, I wouldn’t have been able to have had these special individual times with each of you. I thought I would come to school and get married my freshman year. Although I am sure that would have worked out too, I am so grateful for the time I have had to develop my relationships with each of you. We have an amazing family and I love you all. Now that I have had my “special time” with each of you, I think the time has come that I can meet my husband, so if you could all keep your fingers crossed…here’s to a new and final (undergrad) school year!

I love you all!
Janey

Family News (mom)

Hi Everyone,

Hopefully you made it out to Kristi's blog to read about her major award. That is really fun! She is coming over in a few minutes for dinner so we will celebrate!

I thought I would update everyone on Rosey and ask for your prayers as she goes into surgery on Thursday. After we saw Dr. Rada a couple of weeks ago, she had an ultra sound and the radiologist suggest it be biopsied or removed since it is not a cyst but a tumor and it could grow. We went to a surgical consultation with Dr. Darrin Hansen at Alta View Hospital (right next to Kristi's old therapy workplace) and he repeated what others have said. It is most likely not cancer but we should get a biopsy or just have it removed so they can check it. So that is the plan. Rosey will have out-patient surgery on Thursday, Aug. 20. Hopefully all will go well but we always appreciate your prayers.

I had a great time last Thursday and Friday tending little Bret while Stef and her mom went to a Scentsy Convention. What a happy, fun, active little guy he is. We went on a long walk one morning and his favorite thing was to drag a big stick along side of him from the stroller. I learned that he really doesn't like dogs, or cats, or even stuffed animals for that matter. And he isn't too interested in eating. I'm thinking he is an "eat to live" kind of a person. He was a good sleeper down in the laundry room so that was good. And of course one of his favorite things is Uncle Max and the piano. They had a great time together.

Kristi and kids joined us for most of the day on Friday, and then she made us a delicious dinner while Bret, Blaine and Max all went to stake Father's and Sons. They camped for the first time in I don't know how many years. I know Nick was really jealous. There was lots of rain and a service project in the morning so no need to be jealous! But they had fun.

Saturday night was the Remington Reunion. B&K, Janey, Max, dad and I all went. We were celebrating Martha and Burdette's 100th birthday this year. Grandma Bassett went to lots of work planning it and all went well. It was fun that Blaine could go since I think he knows lots of those people from going to Remington FHE for all those years.

I keep hoping little Gwen will burst through the door any second. I haven't seen them since Friday and I miss them.

And I miss all of you. Remember to pray for Rosey. (Oh, you can pray for Max and I too as we are going school shopping tomorrow and he really wants to go to all the cool stores like Holister where they don't turn the lights on and the music gives me a headache. Yes, pray for me.)

Love, Mom