I feel a need to post this as it is weighing heavily upon my mind as well as the rest of our families. The day before Joshy's birthday we found out that his dad has lung cancer. It was a sure shock to us and I think to everyone who knows Kurt. He is so strong, always on the go and pretty health conscious. It was through a string of interesting anomalies that he found out about this--actually a series of small miracles if you ask me. He had surgery on his knee and so his vitals were being monitored, which weren't normal, which lead to chest xrays and then later he had blood clots in his legs. After alot of tests and visits, the doctors found that he has lung cancer that is also in his lymph nodes. It sure shakes your world when something like this happens to someone so close. Kurt has lived a life of selfless service (from my perspective--which I know is limited because I have really only known him 5+ years but nevertheless). He is the fire captain and a paramedic, he is a self started, a builder, he is clever and smart, always working on some hairbrained project, he is super funny and giggly, he is so loving and patient and giving to his wife and his family. He's a little boy at heart when it comes to sweets, electronic toys and puppies. He is a worthy priesthood holder, a temple goer, a faithful servant of our Heavenly Father, how does this happen to someone like that! Seriously. But then through the fasting, the blessings and the prayers, the trips to and from their home, I have come to the realization and a small little bit of an understanding that maybe that is WAY it has happened to him. We are given trials and struggles to prefect us, to refine us, and maybe as a way to bless the lives around us--because it isn't just a trail and a struggle to the person who has the trial. From an eternal perspective I am sure that this will bring so many blessings with it. I am sure that by his example through this trying time the people around him will be bless and refined and perfected in some degree or another. Do you think that we picked our trails before me came? I wonder. It would not surprise me at all to find out that Kurt would be so self sacrificing as to pick a trial that would help his family unite and to help them keep an eternal perspective. I don't know if this is making any sense to any one but me but as I have talked several time to Josh about this he always say that this is in the Lords hands and that there is a purpose for it. And that it couldn't have happened to a better person, who has lived a good life and been a blessing to others. It amazes me the faith and positive attitudes, the blessings and the miracles that come from experiences like this. AND that is what I want my focus to be on. We don't know what will happen in the next couple of months or years, but I want to thank Kurt for the example that he already is and has been. He is a wonderful father and has a wonderful family that I am grateful everyday to be a part of. We love you Grandpa!

Hot and happening

Dec 18th 1981 a beautiful baby boy was born. This little bundle was wrapped up in a red stocking and given to his eager parents. I have been told that it was a very snowy Christmas and people were finding it very hard to survive because it was so cold and there was so much snow. The parents of this small child were worried about how they would get home. What were they to do. . . But when the parents, doctors and nurses got their first glimpse of this new babe, dimples and all, his looks were so striking, so cunning, and so handsome that every heart was warmed to the core and all was well. hee hee Beware women of all ages, race and denomination. Joshua Dee Aikele was born.
Hee hee

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSHY!

With Joshy's birthday so close to Christmas it is hard to properly celebrate it. Josh is alway so good about celebrating mine so I make great effort to try and make his day special. But this year was super hard. I tried to go do a thousand things but either things were closed or it just won't work out. I tried renting snowshoes or cross country skies but the place we used was closed. I tried going to Kelly's to go skiing or tubing--it didn't open until the 20th. I tried to take him to Red Robin--it wasn't opening until Jan. I tried going to lava but there was a storm coming that day, I scheduled a couples massage but there was only one therepist working that day!! Ahhh! So I finally just decided that we would go to Rexburg to a little outdoor ice skating pond. . . and have some hot cocoa in the hogi yogi igloo. But when we got there there was snow on the ice so we couldn't even skate. However, Joshy was still super good about it and just rolled with the punches. We went to check on one of his jobs and then we both went and got haircuts, we snuggled in the igloo and I gave him his presents.... which is a whole different story about Joshy feeling like he was out of style--so basically he got a makeover for his birthday! hee hee He is one fine mand and still suave as ever!!! It was actually super super fun. We did cake with our kiddos and then went out to dinner with some of his friends from high school and had a great game evening that night. I hope that he had a great birthday. He is my very very very best friend and I want to thank him for being my everything and more! Happy Birthday baby--next year I think we will celebrate in June! hee hee

Wow How sad and pathetic is that! I haven't posted anything since the first of December!! We have had such a busy couple of months though I just haven't had the time. . . .But now for my sake I will catch up on just a few little things so that I have a record of what has happened.

Count Down to Christmas. . . 3,2, 1.

We had a wonderful month of December. I love the whole hustle and bustle of Christmas. I love all the traditional things of Christmas. The lights, the tree, the wrapping, the singing, the snow, the giving, everything just makes me so happy! My cute mom has a family tradition of giving us a special Christmas countdown every year. It is always some special thing to do or have everyday that will remind us about the true meaning of Christmas. I think that she started doing these after I went to college. I think she might have felt bad because I wasn't home to do all of the traditional Christmas things that we do for the month of December so this was her way of helping feel apart of things. Now though it has become a great way for our family to celebrate We really really love this. I know that she goes to ALOT of work to do this and kinda laughs it off-- but I want her to know that we really appriciate it and it really brings the spirit of Christmas in our home and we really love it. Thanks mom! In years past it has been things like scripture hunts and things that are "light" or food storage or all sorts of creativity. This year she did a family recipe/craft book. Josie loved it! She made us holiday aprons and a book that has all sorts of kid treats and craft ideas. Every day we opened some sort of ingredient or supply that we as a family were supposed to make together. So we made chocolate molds and dogbone reindeer and icecream cone trees and snowflake cakes. It was really really fun. She is so clever! Thanks Grandma.

Christmas Tree

Well another year another tree. We decided to go get our tree this year the day before Thanksgiving. I just looked at our calendar and there was not a free weekend day until late Dec that we could go and get one. . and I think that if you are going to go cut a tree down you need to at least have it for a month or so to justify the death of a pine so that is when we went. hee hee
We usually go up to the cabin and get one, but we didn't leave until 2:00pm so we thought that we could get one a little closer than to go all the way up in the mountains. So we just pulled off the main road and got out and started looking. Josie and I walked and played in the snow for about 20 or so minutes before we decided to go back because I hadn't even seen one tree that I would even consider. So we met Joshy back at the Truck--well my parents had come with us and my dad had just disappeared into the forest. We decided to wait for him to come bck so we could drive farther in. We waited and waited until finally we were getting nervous. We then get a call on the phone. It is my dad and he is lost somewhere. He said that he could hear cars so he headed for the road. Luckly we found the road and him walking down it. It was pretty fun then, but I just keep thinking about what could have happened. Scary--
SO to avoid that senerio again we hustled up to the place where we ususally get our trees and cut one down there. It was pretty dark by then but we got it home. And it looks great!! I love love real trees. It was super fun.

Josie and Trooper helped me put up the lights and decorations. I went to Troops bedroom to get him some clothes and when I came back Trooper was at the top of the ladder having the time of his life. He was super super giggly so I couldn't help but snap a picture. Later Josie was helping me untangle some lights. I hear here in the corner say, "Oh no, OH Shoot" and kinda whining. I was like "Josie are you ok? Is something wrong?" She says "No mom, I am just having some DRAMA over here with the lights." ha ha She is so Drama herself, sometimes I have to remind myself that she is just 3 and not 15.
I think that they had a lot of fun playing in the lights and with the ornaments. So on to the Christmas season we go. It is crazy like at the top of the rollercoaster, the anticipations is awful but super fun. So from the shopping and baking and decorating and sewing and scraping, to parties for family, Church, work, friends and neighbors, to young woman and Elders quorum and then Joshy's birthday festivities we defiantly have a full plate but I love Christmas it is my favorite time of the year.

Gobble Gobble

Wow I haven't blogged for a while. Oops. Things just got super busy fun. Like the rest of you. Thanksgiving was really fun. We spent the day with Joshy's family. It was so fun for our kids to play with their cousins. And we really enjoyed being with almost (we missed you Sara and Daniel) all of his brothers and sisters. The day was absolutely gorgeous so the kids mostly spent the day outside. Dinner was wonderful. I love yams. I don't know why I didn't like them as a kid cause now I think that they are almost better than the pie. This year Joshys mom made them with apples and an oatmeal crispy stuff--ahh they were so good.

The boys played with guns after dinner for a while. Trooper, much to my dismay was super excited about that. We played a few games, looked at some Black Friday adds, ran out of gas (that is whole different story) and then had some pie. It was a great day. We did attempt to get a picture with all of the cousins and that was super super funny. Here is a fav:

The day after we packed up early and took our kids down to SLC. My parents like to take all their grandkids down to see Temple Square at Christmas. So they got hotel rooms downtown and we spent Friday and Saturday there. It was great. I asked Josie what her favorite part about the weekend was, thinking it would be something like the christmas lights or swimming or pizza or McDonalds or the Dino museum but she insisted that it was the "elagaters"--you know those huge elagaters in the conference center. hee hee She makes me laugh--we had to get special permission from the couple missionaries in the center so that she could go down them.

I was sooo soo soo impressed by the primary children's center in the Church History and Art center. They have a whole set up for kids to learn about being a child of God. It had a place for the kids to pretend like they were mommys and dadies with newborn babys (Josie was in heaven hee hee no pun intended), a place for them to go to church and lead the music, dress up clothes for a Christmas nativity, had puzzles on the walls about gospel topics (Troop loved that) lots and lots of art projects and activities. It was a lot of fun and I am so glad that we did it. Josh and I were talking in the primary room about how there really is just a great feeling there. Crazy that in the middle of a huge busy city on a crazy busy weekend there could be a place of such peace and contentment. Then again not crazy, wonderful and awesome! We had a great Thanksgiving--so much to be grateful for.

Sweetness

I should have posted this a long time ago but as things go we get busy and I forgot. Josie says funny things to me probably each and every day (like most kids do). You think that you will never forget them but I do. So I am going to try and be better about writing them down so I will remember them. Here are two things that just warmed my heart.
Josie and Trooper really really love each other most of the time. They are both getting big enough to really start to play with each other. It is so fun to see them play together. One morning Trooper and Josie were wrestling on the floor and Josie says to Josh and I, "Trooper is my good buddy, I really love him", One of us said something back to her like "I am so glad that you love him Josie" Then she got this excited look on her face jumped up next to us and said " Guys! Guys! I know something, when he gets bigger, bigger, bigger, I can marry him in in in the Church!!!" She was so excited that she came up with little plan. We talked about who we marry and why we marry and where we marry, but it made me smile and giggle that she loves him so much that she wanted to marry him.



The other super cute one was that the other day we were headed down to Gra'mas house for the afternoon. Josie almost everyday asks me if we can go to one or the other of her grandmas houses. And we really don't go that often--(well often compared to some people but not often enough for her), so she was super super excited. Josh and I were talking on the way down and I could hear Josie talking quietly in the back. So I asked her what she was saying. She said in the sweetest little voice " Mom, I was just thanking Jesus for letting us go to gra'mas house again." I wanted to cry. It was so sweet and tender. I love it when I am reminded of how sweet,and pure and how receptive little children are.

Cats and Dogs

Here are some fun Halloween pictures of the kids. Some from a carnival and some from a Trunk or Treat! I think that both kids had a great time this year for Halloween. I wanted some cute coordinating costumes for them--or for our whole family. Like Wendy, PeterPan and Tinkerbell and Capt Hook or a chicken, an egg and Farmers or a Flower and a Bee and bee keepers--but when it came down to it Josie wanted to be a kitty and I couldn't resist making Troop into a puppy. . . so here they are: