Thursday, July 31, 2014

Re: Love from Mom

Fun letter mom! My favorite line was: "I even got a roku stick and have no idea what it is!".  Classic husband birthday gifts :).  I do that to Stef more than I care to admit.  So glad you had such a great day.  I'm so sorry I wasn't able to come join anything, but I sure hope you're having fewer bugs around your house now :).  

Loves,

nick


On Sun, Jul 27, 2014 at 11:58 PM, Wendy Bassett <wendy.bassett@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Max,

What a blessed and wonderful life we have.  Heavenly Father blesses us in so many ways and your service is one of those great blessings.  As I get ready to write the check for the next couple months of your service I think about what a privilege it is to have you serve.  Thank you for your willingness and your example.  It strengthens me!

This past week has been great.  A highlight for me.  I love summer and I love this particular week.  Monday I worked a full day at Physical Therapy. (That wasn't a highlight) I admit I was dreading it but it went well and even though I'm not nearly as smart as his son Jordan, I keep that place looking great and tidy!  We had the most patients we have ever had in a day so they needed the extra hands!

Tuesday was my 56th birthday.  I decided ahead of time that I wanted to do two things - hike and go out to lunch.  So I emailed my hiking cousins - Sue and Kris and was delighted they could come (I didn't tell them it was my birthday!). Course I also invited Nanc and whoever else wanted to come.  I was up early and Nancy, Margaret and I met John and Sue Tanner and my cousin Kris Matthews at the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon and drove up to Brighton together.  We were all putting on our packs, etc, at the trailhead and who should we see but President and Sister Uchtdorf and their family.  Course Sue and John know them and went over to say hello and we all shook their hands.  No suit for president E but he did have slacks and a button down shirt on.  We figured they were hiking but the weird thing was is that we saw them four hours later, at the end of the hike, in the exact same place at the trailhead next to the lodge. The hike up to the Sunset Peak was beautiful and the wild flowers were fabulous.  And we saw two moose - a mom and a calf.  So cool.  They are huge animals.  On the top nice Sue surprised me with some birthday brownies and a candle and they even brought this big lighter to light it. You remember how windy the top is so that was quite a task.  It was such a perfect morning.  Nanc and I got home in time to pick up Karen and grandma and we went to lunch at Finns.  Yum.  When it was time for the check to come we learned that an anonymous person had called the restaurant and paid our bill.  (Pretty sure that was uncle B!)  Then that evening dad and I went to Michael Winder's Eagle Court and then to watch Rosey play softball with her YSA ward and then over to Janey and Warner's to open gifts.  Dad was so generous and got me lots of fun treats and gifts.  I even got a Roku stick and have no idea what it is!   It was just a wonderful day!

Then, as you know, the fun continues with Pioneer Day.  Karen, Nancy and I went up the day before and saved places in the hot, hot sun until Rosey and Caroline could get there after work to sleep over.  Kristi and kids spent the night at our house and the next morning Gwen and Ben went in at 5:30 with us to the parade.  It was a hot day but thankfully we were in the shade!  We only had 30 Winder family members but it was all fun.  That evening was swimming and hot dogs at the pool.

Dad and I had two wedding receptions this weekend.  That might be a record for dad and he didn't even complain.  Friday was our neighbor's Amy and Adam.  They finally got married!   Adam is actually taking the discussions and has a baptism date set for next month.  Then on Saturday we went to dad's friend, Tom Boyce's daughters reception.  Yummy food at that one.

So early this morning, like 4 am, dad took Blaine to the airport for his bar exam in Texas.  That is on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.  A three day test!  Pray for him!   Tonight we had everyone to dinner and then had a "Celestial Circle" party - aka we had the Swensons over for ice cream and visiting.  It was great because they ALL came.  We were missing you, Janey (in Hawaii) and Blaine.  We took a "first day of school" picture - youngest to oldest. Cute!  Anyway, it was fun to catch up.  At some point our Gwen connected that this was Kevin of the "Christmas Kevin" fame and I had to get out the silly poster and show all the Swensons.  They got a kick out of that.  It really was fun to catch up and think of all the great memories we have with that family.  I have to thank Rosey for planning that one.  She had the idea and made it happen!

You would not believe how big Tess is getting.  She looks so much like Bentley.  She gives such sweet little smiles!  And little Neddy is so big and doing somersault flips on the trampoline.  Gwen continues to be a big reader (third time through the Harry Potter books) Bret and Clay do flips on both the trampoline and on the diving board at the pool!  And Bentley is quoting movies.  Ivy is a great eater, which always surprises me because of her tiny size.  It's probably because she doesn't love treats like the rest of us.  Fun, fun grandkids!

Time to close.  I hope you know how much I love and miss you.  But I wouldn't want you anywhere else!  What blessings you bring to our family through this great service.  Have a wonderful week.

Love,
Mom

Sent from my iPad

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Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Re: Week 71 - Dad - Wow, what a week!

That is the plan! I know Kevin and Jacob were both really interested. We should probably set a date sooner rather than later. Once Blaine has re joined civilization, we can all find a day. 

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 30, 2014, at 1:45 PM, Nick Bassett <nick.w.bassett@gmail.com> wrote:

Great letter dad! It really has been a party and we've been enjoying every minute of it.  Thinking about the Swenson get-together, we really need to pull that group together for one last game of street hockey over at the church.  Great memories!!


On Wed, Jul 30, 2014 at 1:24 PM, Rosey <roseybassett@gmail.com> wrote:
Regarding comparison of me not telling you about watching fire works on the roof to Angelle not telling you about burning the popcorn ... We didn't do fireworks on the roof! So I think the comparison is a bit extreme :) love ya! 

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 28, 2014, at 1:12 AM, Janey Nielsen <janeybassett@gmail.com> wrote:

I loved reading about your whole week dad, that isn't usually your style! Glad we could share moms birthday with you guys.  Love ya. 

On Sunday, July 27, 2014, bret bassett <bretbassett@gmail.com> wrote:

Week 71(t-minus 33) - Dad - Wow, what a week.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

10:06 PM

 

Dear Max,

 

The party is non-stop around here.

 

It's been another busy sabbath day.  I woke up at 4:00 to take Blaine to the airport so he could get to Texas to prepare for the Bar exam which starts on Tuesday.  We are all praying for he and Kristi to live through the pressure and stress.

 

I came home and went to meetings from 7:00-2:30.  Meetings were great.  The YSA program is strong and the YSA are great.  I hope they are connecting with the Savior each day so they can move ahead with joy and confidence.

 

I then went into the basement where my Plex project continues.  I am copying all those thin white DVD discs down into my office to Digital Files.  I am then putting them out onto Plex.  I am about 3/4 of the way through that big old pile.  It's going quickly, and it is amazing.  The videos look pretty darn good, and the variety of video images are amazing.  It is so fun to see the life you have all lived here at home.  We are so blessed to have had you in our home to raise you.

 

We then had a wonderful "hawaiian haystack dinner (In honor of Janey and Warner who are in Hawaii this week at his family reunion.)  Everyone but J&W and Blaine and you were all here.  It is always so wonderful to have family over to visit and enjoy each other.  Mom is such a wonderful sport to prepare these mega meals.

 

We then went out to have dessert and to visit with the Swensons.  All of the Swensons were there including Rachel (who just got back from Poland from her mission) and Cobe who is still on his mission in Arizona.  IT was sooooo fun to reconnect with that great family.  And to do it on Brent and Nancy's beautiful new patio deck made it all the more fun.  We got pictures, I'll have to send one.

 

That was all just today!  And then there was Saturday.

 

Went to Tom Boyce's daughter's wedding reception in Lehi.  He is a good friend of mine, and has been a nemesis of Kristi's on Facebook.  Who they ever got connected I'll never know, but it's fun to visit with old friends. 

 

Also yesterday, Nick brought his boys over and took them swimming.  Bret and Clay both did flips off the diving board.  AMAZING!  I don't think I've ever reached that milestone in my life.  And Clay is just a little duker-dog.  Amazing.

 

I also cut the yard and cut my hair.  May not sound like a milestone worth reporting, but for me, where my hair was as long as the grass, it is amazing.

 

…and then there was Friday. 

 

This was the day after Thursday.  And so things were pretty slow at work as many had taken the long weekend off.  Slow is sometimes as good as a vacation.

 

We then went to the temple with the Granger YSA 1st Ward.  There is another new temple presentation (3rd in the last 12 months) which we enjoyed. Of course mom was already familiar with it because she works int eh temple and get's all the lastest temple news first.  But for me it was a neat experience (as it was for mom).  I love seeing how the same ceremony/words can carry such unique meaning with each video presentation.  The variety gives me additional thoughts to think about.

 

…and then there was Thursday.

 

What can you say about our wonderful Pioneer Day traditions.  All the regular fun.  Up early for the parade.  Enjoy seeing people you know going down the parade route.  This year it was Pres. Monson, Aimee Winder, Sherriff 'Jimmy' Winder, and Roger (dressed as a clown of course).  Great fun and great memories.

 

Then we went to the Pool where grandkids swam.  I cooked hot dogs.  Others brought yummy salads/cookies/fruit/ etc. and we ate tons of great fitness. 

 

Blaine had come over that night to spend the night, and we watched the Rise of Planet of the Apes movie looking forward to seeing the Planet of the Apes movie #2 which just recently came out.  It was fun.  But what we didn't know, was at the same time Mom and Blaine and I were watching monkeys take over the world, Rosey and her YSA friends had climbed up on the roof and watched fireworks from up there.  Ha, Ha.  Rosey didn't say a word about it, but one of the YSA in my ward told us about it in the Temple on Friday.  I had to laugh.  Reminded me of the time Angelle didn't tell us about the burnt popcorn and the firetrucks.

 

…and then there was Wednesday.

 

I went to lunch with Richie who has finished reading my book, and we discussed at length some of the fun ideas in it.  It was a great time.

 

Well, for me this was a busy evening.  I went to the church and met with people on my church calling.  Wow! 

 

Mom had saved places on the parade route, and rosey had gone down to give mom a break and to spend the night.   So I after my meetings at the church,  I kept working on the Plex Family Movies.  I've given my new service a new name… "BretFlix."  The grandkids love the name, so I think it will stick.  It is really fun.  I hope to have it all ready to go before B&K take their family to Texas in the next 3 weeks (ugh!!!)

 

And then there was Tuesday.

 

Mom's birthday!  What a wonderful, wonderful, lovely, dedicated, fabulous mom you have.  It's probably good that your investigators don't know mom, because if they did, they wouldn't believe that all that goodness could get wrapped in one little body.   She is my best friend, and after 34 years, I love her more now than every.  We are connected in every way, and there isn't anything bad in her bones.

 

We went to Janey and Warner's to open Mom's presents, and then to say goodbye to the two as they headed off to SLC.

 

 

…and then there was Monday

 

On this day, we got our last letters from you.  It is one of the highlights of each week to see what you're up to, and to rejoice in your great spirit and wonderful mission.  I work with a lot of return missionaries in the YSA ward, and I really need to figure out how to strengthen them so they can endure the crazy peer pressure after their mission.  I hope you're making personal commitments to stay strong and to continue to keep the great study, prayer, habits you're building on your mission.  You will make such a great example to the YSA you meet after your mission.  Work hard.

 

…and then there was Sunday and we wrote our last letters to you.

 

Thanks so much for your great comments and upbeat spirit in your weekly letters.

Did you get the pictures of your ancestors that I sent.  Do you need these are hard copies?  Let me know.

 

 

Spiritual thought:

 

This thought was shared during Priesthood.  I thought of all the people in Europe who have adopted this attitude about Christ.  May the Lord bless you to shake them to their roots as you help them see Christ for who is really is, the Savior of the World.  The one who sacrificed his life to help us CHANGE and become children of the eternal father.

 

"Sadly, much of modern Christianity does not acknowledge that God makes any real demands on those who believe in Him, seeing Him rather as a butler "who meets their needs when summoned" or a therapist whose role is to help people "feel good about themselves." It is a religious outlook that "makes no pretense at changing lives." "By contrast," as one author declares, "the God portrayed in both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures asks, not just for commitment, but for our very lives. The God of the Bible traffics in life and death, not niceness, and calls for sacrificial love, not benign whatever-ism."

 

I love you.

 

And I love the work you are engaged in.

 

Pray for your brothers this week.  They finish all their testing on Thursday July 31.

 

They are sweating big drops of their own this week.

 

Dad

 

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Re: Week 71 - Dad - Wow, what a week!

Great letter dad! It really has been a party and we've been enjoying every minute of it.  Thinking about the Swenson get-together, we really need to pull that group together for one last game of street hockey over at the church.  Great memories!!


On Wed, Jul 30, 2014 at 1:24 PM, Rosey <roseybassett@gmail.com> wrote:
Regarding comparison of me not telling you about watching fire works on the roof to Angelle not telling you about burning the popcorn ... We didn't do fireworks on the roof! So I think the comparison is a bit extreme :) love ya! 

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 28, 2014, at 1:12 AM, Janey Nielsen <janeybassett@gmail.com> wrote:

I loved reading about your whole week dad, that isn't usually your style! Glad we could share moms birthday with you guys.  Love ya. 

On Sunday, July 27, 2014, bret bassett <bretbassett@gmail.com> wrote:

Week 71(t-minus 33) - Dad - Wow, what a week.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

10:06 PM

 

Dear Max,

 

The party is non-stop around here.

 

It's been another busy sabbath day.  I woke up at 4:00 to take Blaine to the airport so he could get to Texas to prepare for the Bar exam which starts on Tuesday.  We are all praying for he and Kristi to live through the pressure and stress.

 

I came home and went to meetings from 7:00-2:30.  Meetings were great.  The YSA program is strong and the YSA are great.  I hope they are connecting with the Savior each day so they can move ahead with joy and confidence.

 

I then went into the basement where my Plex project continues.  I am copying all those thin white DVD discs down into my office to Digital Files.  I am then putting them out onto Plex.  I am about 3/4 of the way through that big old pile.  It's going quickly, and it is amazing.  The videos look pretty darn good, and the variety of video images are amazing.  It is so fun to see the life you have all lived here at home.  We are so blessed to have had you in our home to raise you.

 

We then had a wonderful "hawaiian haystack dinner (In honor of Janey and Warner who are in Hawaii this week at his family reunion.)  Everyone but J&W and Blaine and you were all here.  It is always so wonderful to have family over to visit and enjoy each other.  Mom is such a wonderful sport to prepare these mega meals.

 

We then went out to have dessert and to visit with the Swensons.  All of the Swensons were there including Rachel (who just got back from Poland from her mission) and Cobe who is still on his mission in Arizona.  IT was sooooo fun to reconnect with that great family.  And to do it on Brent and Nancy's beautiful new patio deck made it all the more fun.  We got pictures, I'll have to send one.

 

That was all just today!  And then there was Saturday.

 

Went to Tom Boyce's daughter's wedding reception in Lehi.  He is a good friend of mine, and has been a nemesis of Kristi's on Facebook.  Who they ever got connected I'll never know, but it's fun to visit with old friends. 

 

Also yesterday, Nick brought his boys over and took them swimming.  Bret and Clay both did flips off the diving board.  AMAZING!  I don't think I've ever reached that milestone in my life.  And Clay is just a little duker-dog.  Amazing.

 

I also cut the yard and cut my hair.  May not sound like a milestone worth reporting, but for me, where my hair was as long as the grass, it is amazing.

 

…and then there was Friday. 

 

This was the day after Thursday.  And so things were pretty slow at work as many had taken the long weekend off.  Slow is sometimes as good as a vacation.

 

We then went to the temple with the Granger YSA 1st Ward.  There is another new temple presentation (3rd in the last 12 months) which we enjoyed. Of course mom was already familiar with it because she works int eh temple and get's all the lastest temple news first.  But for me it was a neat experience (as it was for mom).  I love seeing how the same ceremony/words can carry such unique meaning with each video presentation.  The variety gives me additional thoughts to think about.

 

…and then there was Thursday.

 

What can you say about our wonderful Pioneer Day traditions.  All the regular fun.  Up early for the parade.  Enjoy seeing people you know going down the parade route.  This year it was Pres. Monson, Aimee Winder, Sherriff 'Jimmy' Winder, and Roger (dressed as a clown of course).  Great fun and great memories.

 

Then we went to the Pool where grandkids swam.  I cooked hot dogs.  Others brought yummy salads/cookies/fruit/ etc. and we ate tons of great fitness. 

 

Blaine had come over that night to spend the night, and we watched the Rise of Planet of the Apes movie looking forward to seeing the Planet of the Apes movie #2 which just recently came out.  It was fun.  But what we didn't know, was at the same time Mom and Blaine and I were watching monkeys take over the world, Rosey and her YSA friends had climbed up on the roof and watched fireworks from up there.  Ha, Ha.  Rosey didn't say a word about it, but one of the YSA in my ward told us about it in the Temple on Friday.  I had to laugh.  Reminded me of the time Angelle didn't tell us about the burnt popcorn and the firetrucks.

 

…and then there was Wednesday.

 

I went to lunch with Richie who has finished reading my book, and we discussed at length some of the fun ideas in it.  It was a great time.

 

Well, for me this was a busy evening.  I went to the church and met with people on my church calling.  Wow! 

 

Mom had saved places on the parade route, and rosey had gone down to give mom a break and to spend the night.   So I after my meetings at the church,  I kept working on the Plex Family Movies.  I've given my new service a new name… "BretFlix."  The grandkids love the name, so I think it will stick.  It is really fun.  I hope to have it all ready to go before B&K take their family to Texas in the next 3 weeks (ugh!!!)

 

And then there was Tuesday.

 

Mom's birthday!  What a wonderful, wonderful, lovely, dedicated, fabulous mom you have.  It's probably good that your investigators don't know mom, because if they did, they wouldn't believe that all that goodness could get wrapped in one little body.   She is my best friend, and after 34 years, I love her more now than every.  We are connected in every way, and there isn't anything bad in her bones.

 

We went to Janey and Warner's to open Mom's presents, and then to say goodbye to the two as they headed off to SLC.

 

 

…and then there was Monday

 

On this day, we got our last letters from you.  It is one of the highlights of each week to see what you're up to, and to rejoice in your great spirit and wonderful mission.  I work with a lot of return missionaries in the YSA ward, and I really need to figure out how to strengthen them so they can endure the crazy peer pressure after their mission.  I hope you're making personal commitments to stay strong and to continue to keep the great study, prayer, habits you're building on your mission.  You will make such a great example to the YSA you meet after your mission.  Work hard.

 

…and then there was Sunday and we wrote our last letters to you.

 

Thanks so much for your great comments and upbeat spirit in your weekly letters.

Did you get the pictures of your ancestors that I sent.  Do you need these are hard copies?  Let me know.

 

 

Spiritual thought:

 

This thought was shared during Priesthood.  I thought of all the people in Europe who have adopted this attitude about Christ.  May the Lord bless you to shake them to their roots as you help them see Christ for who is really is, the Savior of the World.  The one who sacrificed his life to help us CHANGE and become children of the eternal father.

 

"Sadly, much of modern Christianity does not acknowledge that God makes any real demands on those who believe in Him, seeing Him rather as a butler "who meets their needs when summoned" or a therapist whose role is to help people "feel good about themselves." It is a religious outlook that "makes no pretense at changing lives." "By contrast," as one author declares, "the God portrayed in both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures asks, not just for commitment, but for our very lives. The God of the Bible traffics in life and death, not niceness, and calls for sacrificial love, not benign whatever-ism."

 

I love you.

 

And I love the work you are engaged in.

 

Pray for your brothers this week.  They finish all their testing on Thursday July 31.

 

They are sweating big drops of their own this week.

 

Dad

 

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Re: Sleep Typing

Kris! The party will certainly decrease when y'all move. I contribute the increased partying to you guys coming to WVC more often. I'm gonna miss you! Thanks for writing, I really enjoyed your letter. Gwen is a babe isn't she!? I love the face she makes when I tell her that. She's hilarious. Also, I love your and Blaine's plan to do more regular small activities with your kids. It's brilliant and has scientific research to back it up. You should look up Filial Therapy when you have a minute, it's all about spending 1 hour a week alone with your child where there is no judgment placed on them. Meaning, it's different time spent than the rest of the week. It's super effective with kids who have behavioral problems, and really can benefit any child. Anyway , it's a great goal! 

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 28, 2014, at 1:12 AM, Kristi Bassett <kristi.bassett@gmail.com> wrote:

Hey there Max!

I think it has been a looooooong time since I have written, and I probably shouldn't be writing now since Tess is finally snoozing soundly. I've been functioning on about four hours of sleep for the last two months so generally I collapse in bed whenever she finally falls asleep and that is usually before I have had a chance to write you! 

I am up late tonight trying to prepare a list of houses for our realtor to go show Blaine on Friday. It is so tricky to try to decide what is the most important out of 1)commute time 2)price and 3)niceness of house/school, etc. If that makes any sense. It seems like you can usually get two of those three factors but not all three. I remember thinking that housing in Texas was cheaper and better than here in Utah, but that certainly doesn't seem true right now! Rental houses are so dang expensive. It's hard to imagine paying SO much per month for a house that we are not even that excited about. Oh well. My big hang up right now is the houses that are closest to work are also the most expensive. Which is fine, it's worth extra money to be able to spend more time with Blaine…but also in SouthWest Austin is also where there are the most bugs. I'm not a totally pansy, I can deal with bugs…but I am not entirely sure I can deal with scorpions and that is the main problem in that area. Oh yeah, and the rattlesnakes. I may need to stock up on some extra strength Xanax. Good gravy. I can't even imagine trying to kill a scorpion…it's like a spider with a machete, you know? But then if I look at houses over in good ol' safe Round Rock the prices are slightly better, and the risk of poisonous/venomous insects and snakes is lower but the commute is SO DANG far! UGH. I can't win I tell you. 

Maybe we should just stay here. Seriously, life is such a total party here right now. I don't get it. I have spent two years telling Nick that moving up to Salt Lake wouldn't be all that he has dreamed of, and I am trying to figure out why when he moved up all of the sudden it IS the party he has always dreamed of. I have a couple theories about it. One is that Nick just makes things happen. He's totally outgoing and just creates a party wherever he goes. And while this is true, I think my other theories also contribute. When we moved back to Utah things were a lot different than they are now. For one, no one else really had kids (well Nick and Stef did but they were in St. George). I think maybe Cannon was a baby, or maybe he wasn't even born yet. I don't know. But now there are lots of fun little kids running around Sherm Circle all the time, between the 7 Bassett grandkids and the now four Yorgason grandkids, there is tons of fun to be had! Also, when we moved back you and the twins were the only ones around, and you were busy with high school stuff. But Margaret, Richard, Janey, and Rosey were all single and away at school or on missions (or maybe Jane was at home, but working, I can't remember). Now Marg and Mark are nearby, Tori and Richard are nearby, Janey and Warner are nearby and Rosey is home. Of COURSE there is a party now. There is double the people and they all live in WVC. Perfect recipe for a party.  And thirdly of course, is because we chose to live further away. Who knows why we chose to live in Lehi. We were on a limited budget and found a good deal there. And then once we lived there law school became our goal and Lehi was about as CLOSE to WVC as we could possibly live while commuting to BYU everyday (okay, I know, Dad commuted from WVC but that just wasn't something we were willing to do, hats off to dad :). Anyway, I blame Warner ;) Ha ha, that's all I can figure as to why we were supposed to live in Lehi. Anyways. Can you tell I'm a little peeved to be moving right now when the stars have all aligned and living in Utah is like the most perfect situation ever? Who wouldn't want to move in to a scorpion infested house in Texas and get away from all this partying and family? Bah. I guess it just wasn't meant to be.

Wow, okay, I guess I am kind of in a grumpy mood (as is want to happen when you are closing in on 24 hours without sleep :). 

I was so happy when Blaine landed safely in Austin! He is off to take the bar on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday. He has worked SO DANG HARD for this. I am so proud of him and I know he is going to do so well. But he still has to actually take the tests and that is a lot of work, poor guy. I just can't wait for him to be done and have that burden off of his shoulders! I bet he will feel ten pounds lighter (hey speaking of, has anyone told you how Blaine has lost like 30lbs this year? He has and he looks amazing!). We have planned a little "staycation" for the week after the bar which is also the week before we have to pack up and move. We are going to hit up Lagoon, Crystal Hot Springs (swimming in a giant hot tub? What's not to love!), Park City, and the dentist (how lame is that for part of a staycation, ha ha). We wish we could have done something a little more grand (I had my eyes on a trip up the Pacific Coast Highway to see the Redwoods and the Oregon Coast), but it just wasn't in the cards. Plus there is so much to see and do here that we may as well save the gas money and use it for other activities. Hopefully we can get in some hikes and stuff too. I am excited. I am hoping that Blaine will be completely worry free for a week. No law school. No Bar. No work. It's perfect. Usually people take a "bar trip" and like… go to Europe for three weeks or something after the bar, but hopefully two days at lagoon will have the same cathartic effect :). 

The kids are doing good. It sounds weird to say, but I can't believe how fast Tess is growing up! It is incredibly unfair to have a nine week old and to already feel like she is growing too fast! Ha ha. She doesn't even look like a newborn anymore. She's huge (especially compared to Gwennie Yorgason's new baby!). She gives lots of sweet, big gummy smiles and is starting to coo and "talk" more. Her smiles just melt my heart and make everything worth it. I am so glad that she is here and healthy. What a wild ride. Yes, summer 2014… let's all hope there is never another summer quite so eventful :). 

Ivy has been riding her bike up a storm. Her legs are all bruised from all of her falls, but she just loves it. I find her out there in the morning in her nightgown and bare feet just riding away, and she will ride well past her bedtime. It's hard to get mad at her since I spend most of my day begging Gwen and Ben to go outside and play. She is excited to start kindergarten, mostly because of the ten pairs of new leggings that she will get to wear. That girl is just a giant fashion statement in person. I wonder if starting school will tone down her crazy outfits. Oh and I am starting to charge her $1 for every time she hits someone in a noble effort to get that horrible habit under control. And also $1 for talking in this annoying whiney screamy voice that she does. 
Money is just about the only thing that motivates my girls. 

Bentley is still so sweet and my big helper. I don't know what I would do without him. He's just so great. I love all of my kids equally but man, Bentley makes it easy. I am certain he will always get teased about being my favorite (ring any bells Jane? ha ha), and I love all my kids equally, but Bentley just gives me fewer headaches, and I'll love him forever for it. He had a blast at Cherry Hill the other day with my family. He was so scared to do the waterslides but he did it one time with me and then realized how fun it was and just loved every minute of it! I wished I had the GoPro with me to capture how excited he was about the whole thing. Oh yeah, and Bentley has taken to sleep walking, which is about the freaky deakiest thing ever. 

Gwen is just growing up. She feels like more of a teenager than a kid, for better or worse. It's nice that she can spend a whole day reading in her room and entertain herself, but the mood swings I could do without :) ha ha. She's so beautiful that it is almost scary. I thought nine year olds were supposed to look gawky and awkward, she is breathtaking. And as smart as she is beautiful. (and as grumpy as she is smart… but I digress). We are trying to make spending one on one time with Gwen (and each of the kids really) a priority. Instead of doing like one grand daddy or mommy daughter date a year we are going to try to do a smaller one with each kid like twice a month. Whether it is a late evening bike ride one on one, a quick trip for a frosty, or watching an episode of Phinneas and Ferb (that's Bentley's choice :). I'm hoping this will help resolve some of the behavior issues we have with the kids (a girl can dream). 

Oh my goodness. I am so tired, I don't even know what I am saying anymore. 

Love you Max and miss you! I can't wait to be writing you next week, with Blaine safely home and the bar behind us. Hoping this week flies by!

Love,

Kris

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Re: Week 71 - Dad - Wow, what a week!

Regarding comparison of me not telling you about watching fire works on the roof to Angelle not telling you about burning the popcorn ... We didn't do fireworks on the roof! So I think the comparison is a bit extreme :) love ya! 

Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 28, 2014, at 1:12 AM, Janey Nielsen <janeybassett@gmail.com> wrote:

I loved reading about your whole week dad, that isn't usually your style! Glad we could share moms birthday with you guys.  Love ya. 

On Sunday, July 27, 2014, bret bassett <bretbassett@gmail.com> wrote:

Week 71(t-minus 33) - Dad - Wow, what a week.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

10:06 PM

 

Dear Max,

 

The party is non-stop around here.

 

It's been another busy sabbath day.  I woke up at 4:00 to take Blaine to the airport so he could get to Texas to prepare for the Bar exam which starts on Tuesday.  We are all praying for he and Kristi to live through the pressure and stress.

 

I came home and went to meetings from 7:00-2:30.  Meetings were great.  The YSA program is strong and the YSA are great.  I hope they are connecting with the Savior each day so they can move ahead with joy and confidence.

 

I then went into the basement where my Plex project continues.  I am copying all those thin white DVD discs down into my office to Digital Files.  I am then putting them out onto Plex.  I am about 3/4 of the way through that big old pile.  It's going quickly, and it is amazing.  The videos look pretty darn good, and the variety of video images are amazing.  It is so fun to see the life you have all lived here at home.  We are so blessed to have had you in our home to raise you.

 

We then had a wonderful "hawaiian haystack dinner (In honor of Janey and Warner who are in Hawaii this week at his family reunion.)  Everyone but J&W and Blaine and you were all here.  It is always so wonderful to have family over to visit and enjoy each other.  Mom is such a wonderful sport to prepare these mega meals.

 

We then went out to have dessert and to visit with the Swensons.  All of the Swensons were there including Rachel (who just got back from Poland from her mission) and Cobe who is still on his mission in Arizona.  IT was sooooo fun to reconnect with that great family.  And to do it on Brent and Nancy's beautiful new patio deck made it all the more fun.  We got pictures, I'll have to send one.

 

That was all just today!  And then there was Saturday.

 

Went to Tom Boyce's daughter's wedding reception in Lehi.  He is a good friend of mine, and has been a nemesis of Kristi's on Facebook.  Who they ever got connected I'll never know, but it's fun to visit with old friends. 

 

Also yesterday, Nick brought his boys over and took them swimming.  Bret and Clay both did flips off the diving board.  AMAZING!  I don't think I've ever reached that milestone in my life.  And Clay is just a little duker-dog.  Amazing.

 

I also cut the yard and cut my hair.  May not sound like a milestone worth reporting, but for me, where my hair was as long as the grass, it is amazing.

 

…and then there was Friday. 

 

This was the day after Thursday.  And so things were pretty slow at work as many had taken the long weekend off.  Slow is sometimes as good as a vacation.

 

We then went to the temple with the Granger YSA 1st Ward.  There is another new temple presentation (3rd in the last 12 months) which we enjoyed. Of course mom was already familiar with it because she works int eh temple and get's all the lastest temple news first.  But for me it was a neat experience (as it was for mom).  I love seeing how the same ceremony/words can carry such unique meaning with each video presentation.  The variety gives me additional thoughts to think about.

 

…and then there was Thursday.

 

What can you say about our wonderful Pioneer Day traditions.  All the regular fun.  Up early for the parade.  Enjoy seeing people you know going down the parade route.  This year it was Pres. Monson, Aimee Winder, Sherriff 'Jimmy' Winder, and Roger (dressed as a clown of course).  Great fun and great memories.

 

Then we went to the Pool where grandkids swam.  I cooked hot dogs.  Others brought yummy salads/cookies/fruit/ etc. and we ate tons of great fitness. 

 

Blaine had come over that night to spend the night, and we watched the Rise of Planet of the Apes movie looking forward to seeing the Planet of the Apes movie #2 which just recently came out.  It was fun.  But what we didn't know, was at the same time Mom and Blaine and I were watching monkeys take over the world, Rosey and her YSA friends had climbed up on the roof and watched fireworks from up there.  Ha, Ha.  Rosey didn't say a word about it, but one of the YSA in my ward told us about it in the Temple on Friday.  I had to laugh.  Reminded me of the time Angelle didn't tell us about the burnt popcorn and the firetrucks.

 

…and then there was Wednesday.

 

I went to lunch with Richie who has finished reading my book, and we discussed at length some of the fun ideas in it.  It was a great time.

 

Well, for me this was a busy evening.  I went to the church and met with people on my church calling.  Wow! 

 

Mom had saved places on the parade route, and rosey had gone down to give mom a break and to spend the night.   So I after my meetings at the church,  I kept working on the Plex Family Movies.  I've given my new service a new name… "BretFlix."  The grandkids love the name, so I think it will stick.  It is really fun.  I hope to have it all ready to go before B&K take their family to Texas in the next 3 weeks (ugh!!!)

 

And then there was Tuesday.

 

Mom's birthday!  What a wonderful, wonderful, lovely, dedicated, fabulous mom you have.  It's probably good that your investigators don't know mom, because if they did, they wouldn't believe that all that goodness could get wrapped in one little body.   She is my best friend, and after 34 years, I love her more now than every.  We are connected in every way, and there isn't anything bad in her bones.

 

We went to Janey and Warner's to open Mom's presents, and then to say goodbye to the two as they headed off to SLC.

 

 

…and then there was Monday

 

On this day, we got our last letters from you.  It is one of the highlights of each week to see what you're up to, and to rejoice in your great spirit and wonderful mission.  I work with a lot of return missionaries in the YSA ward, and I really need to figure out how to strengthen them so they can endure the crazy peer pressure after their mission.  I hope you're making personal commitments to stay strong and to continue to keep the great study, prayer, habits you're building on your mission.  You will make such a great example to the YSA you meet after your mission.  Work hard.

 

…and then there was Sunday and we wrote our last letters to you.

 

Thanks so much for your great comments and upbeat spirit in your weekly letters.

Did you get the pictures of your ancestors that I sent.  Do you need these are hard copies?  Let me know.

 

 

Spiritual thought:

 

This thought was shared during Priesthood.  I thought of all the people in Europe who have adopted this attitude about Christ.  May the Lord bless you to shake them to their roots as you help them see Christ for who is really is, the Savior of the World.  The one who sacrificed his life to help us CHANGE and become children of the eternal father.

 

"Sadly, much of modern Christianity does not acknowledge that God makes any real demands on those who believe in Him, seeing Him rather as a butler "who meets their needs when summoned" or a therapist whose role is to help people "feel good about themselves." It is a religious outlook that "makes no pretense at changing lives." "By contrast," as one author declares, "the God portrayed in both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures asks, not just for commitment, but for our very lives. The God of the Bible traffics in life and death, not niceness, and calls for sacrificial love, not benign whatever-ism."

 

I love you.

 

And I love the work you are engaged in.

 

Pray for your brothers this week.  They finish all their testing on Thursday July 31.

 

They are sweating big drops of their own this week.

 

Dad

 

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Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Re: Sleep Typing

Great letter Kris! I know you probably don't feel like it was your most polished piece of writing but it sure covered a lot of ground and I loved it!

Stef and I can relate 100% to what you're saying about the move.  Ironically, that's exactly what we felt about our move.  We wanted to be in Holladay, but we wanted to be by family, and we wanted to be in something that would potentially be long-term but couldn't afford anything big.  We wanted to be in something pretty nice, but really couldn't afford that.  We wanted to be close to my work, but really wanted to be close to family.  Choices choices choices (see dad's prior email on this topic).  We finally had to settle in and make some compromises.  Ironically we aren't THAT close to family, or Bret's school, or my job, but the house is just the right size at the right price and the right niceness.  There are things we love about it and things we don't really care for.  I guess my reason for writing this is simply to illustrate that we really can empathize with what you're going through.  Nothing about our move made much sense to us but it's worked out great and we are so happy to be hear.  You guys are going to love being in Texas again and we look forward to getting to come visit once you're down there.  

I've been thinking about and praying for Blaine all day.  I'm sure part of him wishes he could walk out of the test and know his score right away so that if/when he passes he can really feel the burden lifted off of his shoulders.  

As for the partying...I think it's a combination of all the things you and Jane mentioned.  There are indeed more people around, more kids and adults.  It's summer time, etc. etc.  I'm not sure I/we can really take much of the credit but none-the-less, we are enjoying every minute of living up here.  It's great!

Well...hang in there.  I know it's been a rough couple of months with a couple of rough months ahead, but one day you'll be able to look back on this time and all the incredible ways you've grown!

Thanks for the update,

Nick


On Mon, Jul 28, 2014 at 8:13 PM, bret bassett <bretbassett@gmail.com> wrote:
HaHa.  I loved your description of Ivy.  It was perfect.  Now there is a girl who knows how to party.  She will keep you hopping and happy in Texas.  Take lots of video.  As I create BretFlix, I can't help but just be overjoyed with the video I took through those young kid years.  They are priceless, absolutely priceless.

Thanks.

Loves.
Dad


On Mon, Jul 28, 2014 at 8:14 AM, Wendy Bassett <wendy.bassett@gmail.com> wrote:
That was just the best letter Kris!  I love understanding your thoughts and joys and hopes and fears.  I love your perspective on your kids and their strengths and their weaknesses.  It's interesting to hear your reasoning on moving and what is important.  I'm praying hard for you guys with all these changes! 

Love you,
Mom

Sent from my iPad

On Jul 28, 2014, at 1:12 AM, Kristi Bassett <kristi.bassett@gmail.com> wrote:

Hey there Max!

I think it has been a looooooong time since I have written, and I probably shouldn't be writing now since Tess is finally snoozing soundly. I've been functioning on about four hours of sleep for the last two months so generally I collapse in bed whenever she finally falls asleep and that is usually before I have had a chance to write you! 

I am up late tonight trying to prepare a list of houses for our realtor to go show Blaine on Friday. It is so tricky to try to decide what is the most important out of 1)commute time 2)price and 3)niceness of house/school, etc. If that makes any sense. It seems like you can usually get two of those three factors but not all three. I remember thinking that housing in Texas was cheaper and better than here in Utah, but that certainly doesn't seem true right now! Rental houses are so dang expensive. It's hard to imagine paying SO much per month for a house that we are not even that excited about. Oh well. My big hang up right now is the houses that are closest to work are also the most expensive. Which is fine, it's worth extra money to be able to spend more time with Blaine…but also in SouthWest Austin is also where there are the most bugs. I'm not a totally pansy, I can deal with bugs…but I am not entirely sure I can deal with scorpions and that is the main problem in that area. Oh yeah, and the rattlesnakes. I may need to stock up on some extra strength Xanax. Good gravy. I can't even imagine trying to kill a scorpion…it's like a spider with a machete, you know? But then if I look at houses over in good ol' safe Round Rock the prices are slightly better, and the risk of poisonous/venomous insects and snakes is lower but the commute is SO DANG far! UGH. I can't win I tell you. 

Maybe we should just stay here. Seriously, life is such a total party here right now. I don't get it. I have spent two years telling Nick that moving up to Salt Lake wouldn't be all that he has dreamed of, and I am trying to figure out why when he moved up all of the sudden it IS the party he has always dreamed of. I have a couple theories about it. One is that Nick just makes things happen. He's totally outgoing and just creates a party wherever he goes. And while this is true, I think my other theories also contribute. When we moved back to Utah things were a lot different than they are now. For one, no one else really had kids (well Nick and Stef did but they were in St. George). I think maybe Cannon was a baby, or maybe he wasn't even born yet. I don't know. But now there are lots of fun little kids running around Sherm Circle all the time, between the 7 Bassett grandkids and the now four Yorgason grandkids, there is tons of fun to be had! Also, when we moved back you and the twins were the only ones around, and you were busy with high school stuff. But Margaret, Richard, Janey, and Rosey were all single and away at school or on missions (or maybe Jane was at home, but working, I can't remember). Now Marg and Mark are nearby, Tori and Richard are nearby, Janey and Warner are nearby and Rosey is home. Of COURSE there is a party now. There is double the people and they all live in WVC. Perfect recipe for a party.  And thirdly of course, is because we chose to live further away. Who knows why we chose to live in Lehi. We were on a limited budget and found a good deal there. And then once we lived there law school became our goal and Lehi was about as CLOSE to WVC as we could possibly live while commuting to BYU everyday (okay, I know, Dad commuted from WVC but that just wasn't something we were willing to do, hats off to dad :). Anyway, I blame Warner ;) Ha ha, that's all I can figure as to why we were supposed to live in Lehi. Anyways. Can you tell I'm a little peeved to be moving right now when the stars have all aligned and living in Utah is like the most perfect situation ever? Who wouldn't want to move in to a scorpion infested house in Texas and get away from all this partying and family? Bah. I guess it just wasn't meant to be.

Wow, okay, I guess I am kind of in a grumpy mood (as is want to happen when you are closing in on 24 hours without sleep :). 

I was so happy when Blaine landed safely in Austin! He is off to take the bar on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday. He has worked SO DANG HARD for this. I am so proud of him and I know he is going to do so well. But he still has to actually take the tests and that is a lot of work, poor guy. I just can't wait for him to be done and have that burden off of his shoulders! I bet he will feel ten pounds lighter (hey speaking of, has anyone told you how Blaine has lost like 30lbs this year? He has and he looks amazing!). We have planned a little "staycation" for the week after the bar which is also the week before we have to pack up and move. We are going to hit up Lagoon, Crystal Hot Springs (swimming in a giant hot tub? What's not to love!), Park City, and the dentist (how lame is that for part of a staycation, ha ha). We wish we could have done something a little more grand (I had my eyes on a trip up the Pacific Coast Highway to see the Redwoods and the Oregon Coast), but it just wasn't in the cards. Plus there is so much to see and do here that we may as well save the gas money and use it for other activities. Hopefully we can get in some hikes and stuff too. I am excited. I am hoping that Blaine will be completely worry free for a week. No law school. No Bar. No work. It's perfect. Usually people take a "bar trip" and like… go to Europe for three weeks or something after the bar, but hopefully two days at lagoon will have the same cathartic effect :). 

The kids are doing good. It sounds weird to say, but I can't believe how fast Tess is growing up! It is incredibly unfair to have a nine week old and to already feel like she is growing too fast! Ha ha. She doesn't even look like a newborn anymore. She's huge (especially compared to Gwennie Yorgason's new baby!). She gives lots of sweet, big gummy smiles and is starting to coo and "talk" more. Her smiles just melt my heart and make everything worth it. I am so glad that she is here and healthy. What a wild ride. Yes, summer 2014… let's all hope there is never another summer quite so eventful :). 

Ivy has been riding her bike up a storm. Her legs are all bruised from all of her falls, but she just loves it. I find her out there in the morning in her nightgown and bare feet just riding away, and she will ride well past her bedtime. It's hard to get mad at her since I spend most of my day begging Gwen and Ben to go outside and play. She is excited to start kindergarten, mostly because of the ten pairs of new leggings that she will get to wear. That girl is just a giant fashion statement in person. I wonder if starting school will tone down her crazy outfits. Oh and I am starting to charge her $1 for every time she hits someone in a noble effort to get that horrible habit under control. And also $1 for talking in this annoying whiney screamy voice that she does. 
Money is just about the only thing that motivates my girls. 

Bentley is still so sweet and my big helper. I don't know what I would do without him. He's just so great. I love all of my kids equally but man, Bentley makes it easy. I am certain he will always get teased about being my favorite (ring any bells Jane? ha ha), and I love all my kids equally, but Bentley just gives me fewer headaches, and I'll love him forever for it. He had a blast at Cherry Hill the other day with my family. He was so scared to do the waterslides but he did it one time with me and then realized how fun it was and just loved every minute of it! I wished I had the GoPro with me to capture how excited he was about the whole thing. Oh yeah, and Bentley has taken to sleep walking, which is about the freaky deakiest thing ever. 

Gwen is just growing up. She feels like more of a teenager than a kid, for better or worse. It's nice that she can spend a whole day reading in her room and entertain herself, but the mood swings I could do without :) ha ha. She's so beautiful that it is almost scary. I thought nine year olds were supposed to look gawky and awkward, she is breathtaking. And as smart as she is beautiful. (and as grumpy as she is smart… but I digress). We are trying to make spending one on one time with Gwen (and each of the kids really) a priority. Instead of doing like one grand daddy or mommy daughter date a year we are going to try to do a smaller one with each kid like twice a month. Whether it is a late evening bike ride one on one, a quick trip for a frosty, or watching an episode of Phinneas and Ferb (that's Bentley's choice :). I'm hoping this will help resolve some of the behavior issues we have with the kids (a girl can dream). 

Oh my goodness. I am so tired, I don't even know what I am saying anymore. 

Love you Max and miss you! I can't wait to be writing you next week, with Blaine safely home and the bar behind us. Hoping this week flies by!

Love,

Kris

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Monday, July 28, 2014

Re: Sleep Typing

HaHa.  I loved your description of Ivy.  It was perfect.  Now there is a girl who knows how to party.  She will keep you hopping and happy in Texas.  Take lots of video.  As I create BretFlix, I can't help but just be overjoyed with the video I took through those young kid years.  They are priceless, absolutely priceless.

Thanks.

Loves.
Dad


On Mon, Jul 28, 2014 at 8:14 AM, Wendy Bassett <wendy.bassett@gmail.com> wrote:
That was just the best letter Kris!  I love understanding your thoughts and joys and hopes and fears.  I love your perspective on your kids and their strengths and their weaknesses.  It's interesting to hear your reasoning on moving and what is important.  I'm praying hard for you guys with all these changes! 

Love you,
Mom

Sent from my iPad

On Jul 28, 2014, at 1:12 AM, Kristi Bassett <kristi.bassett@gmail.com> wrote:

Hey there Max!

I think it has been a looooooong time since I have written, and I probably shouldn't be writing now since Tess is finally snoozing soundly. I've been functioning on about four hours of sleep for the last two months so generally I collapse in bed whenever she finally falls asleep and that is usually before I have had a chance to write you! 

I am up late tonight trying to prepare a list of houses for our realtor to go show Blaine on Friday. It is so tricky to try to decide what is the most important out of 1)commute time 2)price and 3)niceness of house/school, etc. If that makes any sense. It seems like you can usually get two of those three factors but not all three. I remember thinking that housing in Texas was cheaper and better than here in Utah, but that certainly doesn't seem true right now! Rental houses are so dang expensive. It's hard to imagine paying SO much per month for a house that we are not even that excited about. Oh well. My big hang up right now is the houses that are closest to work are also the most expensive. Which is fine, it's worth extra money to be able to spend more time with Blaine…but also in SouthWest Austin is also where there are the most bugs. I'm not a totally pansy, I can deal with bugs…but I am not entirely sure I can deal with scorpions and that is the main problem in that area. Oh yeah, and the rattlesnakes. I may need to stock up on some extra strength Xanax. Good gravy. I can't even imagine trying to kill a scorpion…it's like a spider with a machete, you know? But then if I look at houses over in good ol' safe Round Rock the prices are slightly better, and the risk of poisonous/venomous insects and snakes is lower but the commute is SO DANG far! UGH. I can't win I tell you. 

Maybe we should just stay here. Seriously, life is such a total party here right now. I don't get it. I have spent two years telling Nick that moving up to Salt Lake wouldn't be all that he has dreamed of, and I am trying to figure out why when he moved up all of the sudden it IS the party he has always dreamed of. I have a couple theories about it. One is that Nick just makes things happen. He's totally outgoing and just creates a party wherever he goes. And while this is true, I think my other theories also contribute. When we moved back to Utah things were a lot different than they are now. For one, no one else really had kids (well Nick and Stef did but they were in St. George). I think maybe Cannon was a baby, or maybe he wasn't even born yet. I don't know. But now there are lots of fun little kids running around Sherm Circle all the time, between the 7 Bassett grandkids and the now four Yorgason grandkids, there is tons of fun to be had! Also, when we moved back you and the twins were the only ones around, and you were busy with high school stuff. But Margaret, Richard, Janey, and Rosey were all single and away at school or on missions (or maybe Jane was at home, but working, I can't remember). Now Marg and Mark are nearby, Tori and Richard are nearby, Janey and Warner are nearby and Rosey is home. Of COURSE there is a party now. There is double the people and they all live in WVC. Perfect recipe for a party.  And thirdly of course, is because we chose to live further away. Who knows why we chose to live in Lehi. We were on a limited budget and found a good deal there. And then once we lived there law school became our goal and Lehi was about as CLOSE to WVC as we could possibly live while commuting to BYU everyday (okay, I know, Dad commuted from WVC but that just wasn't something we were willing to do, hats off to dad :). Anyway, I blame Warner ;) Ha ha, that's all I can figure as to why we were supposed to live in Lehi. Anyways. Can you tell I'm a little peeved to be moving right now when the stars have all aligned and living in Utah is like the most perfect situation ever? Who wouldn't want to move in to a scorpion infested house in Texas and get away from all this partying and family? Bah. I guess it just wasn't meant to be.

Wow, okay, I guess I am kind of in a grumpy mood (as is want to happen when you are closing in on 24 hours without sleep :). 

I was so happy when Blaine landed safely in Austin! He is off to take the bar on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday. He has worked SO DANG HARD for this. I am so proud of him and I know he is going to do so well. But he still has to actually take the tests and that is a lot of work, poor guy. I just can't wait for him to be done and have that burden off of his shoulders! I bet he will feel ten pounds lighter (hey speaking of, has anyone told you how Blaine has lost like 30lbs this year? He has and he looks amazing!). We have planned a little "staycation" for the week after the bar which is also the week before we have to pack up and move. We are going to hit up Lagoon, Crystal Hot Springs (swimming in a giant hot tub? What's not to love!), Park City, and the dentist (how lame is that for part of a staycation, ha ha). We wish we could have done something a little more grand (I had my eyes on a trip up the Pacific Coast Highway to see the Redwoods and the Oregon Coast), but it just wasn't in the cards. Plus there is so much to see and do here that we may as well save the gas money and use it for other activities. Hopefully we can get in some hikes and stuff too. I am excited. I am hoping that Blaine will be completely worry free for a week. No law school. No Bar. No work. It's perfect. Usually people take a "bar trip" and like… go to Europe for three weeks or something after the bar, but hopefully two days at lagoon will have the same cathartic effect :). 

The kids are doing good. It sounds weird to say, but I can't believe how fast Tess is growing up! It is incredibly unfair to have a nine week old and to already feel like she is growing too fast! Ha ha. She doesn't even look like a newborn anymore. She's huge (especially compared to Gwennie Yorgason's new baby!). She gives lots of sweet, big gummy smiles and is starting to coo and "talk" more. Her smiles just melt my heart and make everything worth it. I am so glad that she is here and healthy. What a wild ride. Yes, summer 2014… let's all hope there is never another summer quite so eventful :). 

Ivy has been riding her bike up a storm. Her legs are all bruised from all of her falls, but she just loves it. I find her out there in the morning in her nightgown and bare feet just riding away, and she will ride well past her bedtime. It's hard to get mad at her since I spend most of my day begging Gwen and Ben to go outside and play. She is excited to start kindergarten, mostly because of the ten pairs of new leggings that she will get to wear. That girl is just a giant fashion statement in person. I wonder if starting school will tone down her crazy outfits. Oh and I am starting to charge her $1 for every time she hits someone in a noble effort to get that horrible habit under control. And also $1 for talking in this annoying whiney screamy voice that she does. 
Money is just about the only thing that motivates my girls. 

Bentley is still so sweet and my big helper. I don't know what I would do without him. He's just so great. I love all of my kids equally but man, Bentley makes it easy. I am certain he will always get teased about being my favorite (ring any bells Jane? ha ha), and I love all my kids equally, but Bentley just gives me fewer headaches, and I'll love him forever for it. He had a blast at Cherry Hill the other day with my family. He was so scared to do the waterslides but he did it one time with me and then realized how fun it was and just loved every minute of it! I wished I had the GoPro with me to capture how excited he was about the whole thing. Oh yeah, and Bentley has taken to sleep walking, which is about the freaky deakiest thing ever. 

Gwen is just growing up. She feels like more of a teenager than a kid, for better or worse. It's nice that she can spend a whole day reading in her room and entertain herself, but the mood swings I could do without :) ha ha. She's so beautiful that it is almost scary. I thought nine year olds were supposed to look gawky and awkward, she is breathtaking. And as smart as she is beautiful. (and as grumpy as she is smart… but I digress). We are trying to make spending one on one time with Gwen (and each of the kids really) a priority. Instead of doing like one grand daddy or mommy daughter date a year we are going to try to do a smaller one with each kid like twice a month. Whether it is a late evening bike ride one on one, a quick trip for a frosty, or watching an episode of Phinneas and Ferb (that's Bentley's choice :). I'm hoping this will help resolve some of the behavior issues we have with the kids (a girl can dream). 

Oh my goodness. I am so tired, I don't even know what I am saying anymore. 

Love you Max and miss you! I can't wait to be writing you next week, with Blaine safely home and the bar behind us. Hoping this week flies by!

Love,

Kris

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Re: Sleep Typing

That was just the best letter Kris!  I love understanding your thoughts and joys and hopes and fears.  I love your perspective on your kids and their strengths and their weaknesses.  It's interesting to hear your reasoning on moving and what is important.  I'm praying hard for you guys with all these changes! 

Love you,
Mom

Sent from my iPad

On Jul 28, 2014, at 1:12 AM, Kristi Bassett <kristi.bassett@gmail.com> wrote:

Hey there Max!

I think it has been a looooooong time since I have written, and I probably shouldn't be writing now since Tess is finally snoozing soundly. I've been functioning on about four hours of sleep for the last two months so generally I collapse in bed whenever she finally falls asleep and that is usually before I have had a chance to write you! 

I am up late tonight trying to prepare a list of houses for our realtor to go show Blaine on Friday. It is so tricky to try to decide what is the most important out of 1)commute time 2)price and 3)niceness of house/school, etc. If that makes any sense. It seems like you can usually get two of those three factors but not all three. I remember thinking that housing in Texas was cheaper and better than here in Utah, but that certainly doesn't seem true right now! Rental houses are so dang expensive. It's hard to imagine paying SO much per month for a house that we are not even that excited about. Oh well. My big hang up right now is the houses that are closest to work are also the most expensive. Which is fine, it's worth extra money to be able to spend more time with Blaine…but also in SouthWest Austin is also where there are the most bugs. I'm not a totally pansy, I can deal with bugs…but I am not entirely sure I can deal with scorpions and that is the main problem in that area. Oh yeah, and the rattlesnakes. I may need to stock up on some extra strength Xanax. Good gravy. I can't even imagine trying to kill a scorpion…it's like a spider with a machete, you know? But then if I look at houses over in good ol' safe Round Rock the prices are slightly better, and the risk of poisonous/venomous insects and snakes is lower but the commute is SO DANG far! UGH. I can't win I tell you. 

Maybe we should just stay here. Seriously, life is such a total party here right now. I don't get it. I have spent two years telling Nick that moving up to Salt Lake wouldn't be all that he has dreamed of, and I am trying to figure out why when he moved up all of the sudden it IS the party he has always dreamed of. I have a couple theories about it. One is that Nick just makes things happen. He's totally outgoing and just creates a party wherever he goes. And while this is true, I think my other theories also contribute. When we moved back to Utah things were a lot different than they are now. For one, no one else really had kids (well Nick and Stef did but they were in St. George). I think maybe Cannon was a baby, or maybe he wasn't even born yet. I don't know. But now there are lots of fun little kids running around Sherm Circle all the time, between the 7 Bassett grandkids and the now four Yorgason grandkids, there is tons of fun to be had! Also, when we moved back you and the twins were the only ones around, and you were busy with high school stuff. But Margaret, Richard, Janey, and Rosey were all single and away at school or on missions (or maybe Jane was at home, but working, I can't remember). Now Marg and Mark are nearby, Tori and Richard are nearby, Janey and Warner are nearby and Rosey is home. Of COURSE there is a party now. There is double the people and they all live in WVC. Perfect recipe for a party.  And thirdly of course, is because we chose to live further away. Who knows why we chose to live in Lehi. We were on a limited budget and found a good deal there. And then once we lived there law school became our goal and Lehi was about as CLOSE to WVC as we could possibly live while commuting to BYU everyday (okay, I know, Dad commuted from WVC but that just wasn't something we were willing to do, hats off to dad :). Anyway, I blame Warner ;) Ha ha, that's all I can figure as to why we were supposed to live in Lehi. Anyways. Can you tell I'm a little peeved to be moving right now when the stars have all aligned and living in Utah is like the most perfect situation ever? Who wouldn't want to move in to a scorpion infested house in Texas and get away from all this partying and family? Bah. I guess it just wasn't meant to be.

Wow, okay, I guess I am kind of in a grumpy mood (as is want to happen when you are closing in on 24 hours without sleep :). 

I was so happy when Blaine landed safely in Austin! He is off to take the bar on Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday. He has worked SO DANG HARD for this. I am so proud of him and I know he is going to do so well. But he still has to actually take the tests and that is a lot of work, poor guy. I just can't wait for him to be done and have that burden off of his shoulders! I bet he will feel ten pounds lighter (hey speaking of, has anyone told you how Blaine has lost like 30lbs this year? He has and he looks amazing!). We have planned a little "staycation" for the week after the bar which is also the week before we have to pack up and move. We are going to hit up Lagoon, Crystal Hot Springs (swimming in a giant hot tub? What's not to love!), Park City, and the dentist (how lame is that for part of a staycation, ha ha). We wish we could have done something a little more grand (I had my eyes on a trip up the Pacific Coast Highway to see the Redwoods and the Oregon Coast), but it just wasn't in the cards. Plus there is so much to see and do here that we may as well save the gas money and use it for other activities. Hopefully we can get in some hikes and stuff too. I am excited. I am hoping that Blaine will be completely worry free for a week. No law school. No Bar. No work. It's perfect. Usually people take a "bar trip" and like… go to Europe for three weeks or something after the bar, but hopefully two days at lagoon will have the same cathartic effect :). 

The kids are doing good. It sounds weird to say, but I can't believe how fast Tess is growing up! It is incredibly unfair to have a nine week old and to already feel like she is growing too fast! Ha ha. She doesn't even look like a newborn anymore. She's huge (especially compared to Gwennie Yorgason's new baby!). She gives lots of sweet, big gummy smiles and is starting to coo and "talk" more. Her smiles just melt my heart and make everything worth it. I am so glad that she is here and healthy. What a wild ride. Yes, summer 2014… let's all hope there is never another summer quite so eventful :). 

Ivy has been riding her bike up a storm. Her legs are all bruised from all of her falls, but she just loves it. I find her out there in the morning in her nightgown and bare feet just riding away, and she will ride well past her bedtime. It's hard to get mad at her since I spend most of my day begging Gwen and Ben to go outside and play. She is excited to start kindergarten, mostly because of the ten pairs of new leggings that she will get to wear. That girl is just a giant fashion statement in person. I wonder if starting school will tone down her crazy outfits. Oh and I am starting to charge her $1 for every time she hits someone in a noble effort to get that horrible habit under control. And also $1 for talking in this annoying whiney screamy voice that she does. 
Money is just about the only thing that motivates my girls. 

Bentley is still so sweet and my big helper. I don't know what I would do without him. He's just so great. I love all of my kids equally but man, Bentley makes it easy. I am certain he will always get teased about being my favorite (ring any bells Jane? ha ha), and I love all my kids equally, but Bentley just gives me fewer headaches, and I'll love him forever for it. He had a blast at Cherry Hill the other day with my family. He was so scared to do the waterslides but he did it one time with me and then realized how fun it was and just loved every minute of it! I wished I had the GoPro with me to capture how excited he was about the whole thing. Oh yeah, and Bentley has taken to sleep walking, which is about the freaky deakiest thing ever. 

Gwen is just growing up. She feels like more of a teenager than a kid, for better or worse. It's nice that she can spend a whole day reading in her room and entertain herself, but the mood swings I could do without :) ha ha. She's so beautiful that it is almost scary. I thought nine year olds were supposed to look gawky and awkward, she is breathtaking. And as smart as she is beautiful. (and as grumpy as she is smart… but I digress). We are trying to make spending one on one time with Gwen (and each of the kids really) a priority. Instead of doing like one grand daddy or mommy daughter date a year we are going to try to do a smaller one with each kid like twice a month. Whether it is a late evening bike ride one on one, a quick trip for a frosty, or watching an episode of Phinneas and Ferb (that's Bentley's choice :). I'm hoping this will help resolve some of the behavior issues we have with the kids (a girl can dream). 

Oh my goodness. I am so tired, I don't even know what I am saying anymore. 

Love you Max and miss you! I can't wait to be writing you next week, with Blaine safely home and the bar behind us. Hoping this week flies by!

Love,

Kris

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