Goodbyes are always hard.

Today we had to help one of our family members complete their time here on earth. We had Mo put to sleep today. It was a hard decision and one we were hoping we could put off till after the holidays. She has been a wonderful dog and a great friend. We will miss her very much, but it was for the best. She was 13 or 14 yrs old. Her hearing and her vision were very bad. She was wandering away from home and then not being able to find her way back. Twice we found her on Main street, the second time she was almost hit by a car. She also started to throw-up. She has been a big part of our lives and we are very grateful for the time we had with her. Please keep Mike in your prayers it was very hard for him to part with his dog. Thanks
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We have a lot to be thankful for!

We had a fun and wonderful Thanksgiving time. Thank you Martin and Nicholas for the zipline. The kids had a great time. Thanks to all who paint balled and made it fun for Mike. Thanks Mom and Dad for the good fun and the good time. We enjoyed Thanksgiving Day with my family in Aberdeen. It was good to visit with two of my sisters and their families and two of my brothers and theirs, along with my parents and my grandparents. What many blessing we have and are thankful for.

Happy Birthday Alex!

Wow three years are gone. Time really does fly. Thursday Alex had his 3rd birthday. We celebrated Monday and Tuesday night because I had to work his birthday. Bad planning on my part. I can't believe how fast he is growing and changing. What a great blessing he is to our family.

Tooth Fairy

Mikatie had a wiggly tooth for about a month. Finally Monday she let me wiggle it. It fell out with no bleeding so I know it has been ready to come out for weeks.
She has been excited and told everyone she sees that she has lost her tooth. The tooth fairy left her money on her pillow.

Fall Leaves

The kids had fun playing in the leaves this year. The small pile is on our yard and the big one is the neighbors Nic and Crystal across the street. Crystal raked them a big pile to play in. They are great neighbors and watch the kids when we need them too. It is nice living in a small town where you know your neighbors and they help out.

Do you like green eggs and Ham?

Alex and Mikatie have watched Dr. Suess the last couple of nights before going to bed. They asked and asked to have green eggs and ham. So for family home evening last night we had green eggs and ham and read Sam-I-am.
I have green fingers now and am sure to get a lot of questions at work about them.

Pictures

This is a Picture of the kids in their new clothes for the Primary Program. Mikatie did a great job with her part. When she knew the words to the songs, she would sing at the top of her lungs. Half way through the program she relized that the plastic anti theft device was still on her dress and then tried to show me the rest of the program. Her part was The Prophet holds all the priesthood keys and leads the church.
It was a good day. Too bad we could only share it with one other person, but we understand.
This is an exhausted Alex taking a nap on my bed.

Primary Program

Pumpkin carving

As you can see we had fun this October, carving our pumpkins. Mike thought it would be fun to get a great big one and carve it with the kids. He cleaned I carved.
Thanks Grandpa and Grandma for the pumpkins!













Here is our Indiana Jones and Snow white all dressed and ready to go to the School Carnival.

One word tag.

Where is your cell phone? pocket
Where is your significant other? Work
Your hair color? blaaah
Your Mother? Beautiful
Your Father? Retired
Your favorite thing. sleep
Your dream last night? nothing
Your dream/goal? paid
The room your in? Front
Your hobby? Reading
Your fear? loss
Where do you want to be in 6 years? happy
Where were you last night? bed
What your not? skinny
One of your wish-list items? peace
Where you grew up? Aberdeen
Last thing you did? drink
What are you wearing? sweater
Your tv? basement
Your pet? frogs
Your computer? old
Your mood? lethargic
Missing someone? constantly
Your car? blue
Something your not wearing? hat
Favorite store? costco
Your summer? short
Love someone? always
Your favorite color? green
When is the last time you laughed? minutes
When is the last time you cried? hours

School Pic day!

Today at Kindergarten Mikatie had pictures taken. So we took some at home. We had to get a picture of the pumpkins with the kids before we cut them up. They had fun posing for the pictures.
I can't believe how fast this year has flown by. The kids just keep growing and time has just seemed to fly. Mikatie is loving school and has learned to skip in her PE class. She is now skipping here and there. We are working on jumping jacks and learning to jump in and out with her feet. She just likes to jump up and down. She is starting to read simple words like see and sam. She brings home


books that she reads to Mike and I. What a smart little lady we have.
Alex is growing and changing more and more. He loves to share his Dad's tools and is wanting to go with him to work. He enjoys his time with his sister, but is liking time with Mom. We have been to the library and just hanging around the house together. I wish he would get interested in potty training but he could care less about going in the toilet. Oh well. He is a big tease like his Dad.
Mike is hunting and dreaming of snowmobiling and snow. He is planning all the changes he can make to his and my snow machines.
He loves to play with the kids and I think even enjoys the days he gets them all to himself.

I have been busy with work. The hospital has been very busy so I have been working almost non stop and on different days. I start my rotation tomorrow and work four days. It has been hectic and
the house is a mess but oh well it will still be a mess in 4 days.
We are going to try to texture the stairwell and hallway downstairs. Right now I'm trying to get the old and loose paint off. IF anyone has free time I can put you to work. Just kidding.
Hope you all are doing well. I enjoy reading the updates and learning about what is going on in your lives.

The Olsens

Tagged by Rita

5 things I was doing 10 years ago.

1. Living at 422 Franklin in Pocatello
2. Working on the Medical floor at Bannock
3. Going to ISU Institue ward
4. Dating
5. Visiting with family lots

5 things on my to do list:

1. Pick Mikatie up from Kindergarten at 350pm
2. get the Laundry done
3. Finish cleaning the house
4. Finish paperwork
5. Get ready for work in the am

5 favorite snacks

1. Carrots
2. Buttered popcorn
3. Pretzels
4. nuts
5. chocolate

5 jobs I've had

1. Nursery teacher ( I had to put these I've been a nurse for 15 yrs. TCU, Medical, ICU
2. Young Women's Sec.
3. Gospel Principles teacher
4. Gospel Doctrine teacher
5. Relief Society Councilor

Things I would do with a Million

1. Pay off all debt in my family and Mike's
2. Get a 5 yr food storage
3. Help all my family to get food storage
4. Take all the family on a vacation
5. Help out those in my community (Like on Christmas Jars and Gathering Christmas)

Things that make me laugh
1. My Parents
2. My husband
3. My kids
4. My co workers
5. My friends
I'm tagging all who read this.

4th Picture of 4th folder

Here is my fourth picture in my fourth folder. It was a day I had the Tyler, Tyson and Mikatie together. It was cold outside so they were playing in the front room. They were excited to find that we had 3 chairs that were kids size. I can't believe how fast they have grown.

How much is that puppy in the Window

Well we have changed things here a little. Skeet has found a new home in Salt Lake City with a young family with 2 kids. They will be able to give her all the attention she was craving and not getting at our house. We have a new pup (joy joy). Her name is Kallie Rose. She is part Queensland red heeler and Australian Shepherd. We still have Mo and Zoie, but don't know how much longer Mo will be with us. She is hard of hearing and her eye sight is bad. Mike has to decide when enough is enough and schedule her a date with the vet. He is finally done with potato harvest and now is working on fixing fences and hunting. Mikatie starts back in Kindergarten Monday. She has learned her name and phone number in the 2 weeks break for harvest. Alex is your typical boy he loves to play in the dirt, collect rocks and sticks and tease his family. I'm still working at the hospital. It was a slow week which is ok but sometimes makes for long days. It will be interesting in November to see if Bannock County will vote to have Legacy become a partner and if they do the new changes that will occur.
Well need to clean the house.
The Olsens

Potato Harvest

Once again it is potato harvest in Grace. Long days and dirt everywhere. Mike comes home covered in it. Every year Miles Brothers beg him to come and work for him so he does. Alex loves to ride in the truck with Daddy but Mikatie hates getting dirty and the dust in her face. Long hot days have now turned into wet rainy cold days. Fall is finally here.
Mikatie is loving Kindergarten but is excited to have 2 weeks to play with her cousins again. She is growing more and more everyday. She loves to help with anything. She is keeping me busy with all the questions she asks.
Alex has gotten the flu bug that is going around and has a fever and diarrhea. I'm really looking forward to him being potty trained but he isn't interested in it at all.
Work is good and I love my new schedule. It is nice to have Monday nights with the family and to go to church each Sunday. We are truely blessed.

New addition

Hello everyone,
Just wanted to show off our newest addition. She is a grullo quarter horse. She is six months old. Her half brother is 5 months old. He belongs to Deborah and Joe. They are kind of shy just been taken from their moms. We are thinking of naming her Nutmeg, and calling her Meg for short. They are fun to watch. Mikatie and Alex are having lots of fun trying to feed them apples. However they don't know what an apple is so it is fun.
Mike will start potato harvest next week. He is busy trying to get
the last of the hay and straw baled and stacked. He went out Sunday to a guy that had two canoes he was giving away. Mike knew the man and visited forever. The kids and I sat in the truck and waited. We watched horseback riders through binoculars. He is real good to drop what he is doing and help out.

Mikatie is loving kindergarten. She is having a test today on her ABC's. Hopefully she will do well. She is going to be lost in two weeks when she is out for spud harvest.
Alex isn't sure what to make of his time with Mom. He misses Mikatie but enjoys doing what he wants when he wants. He has fun playing with Kota and Tyler when he gets home.
I start my new schedule tomorrow. I'm excited not to have to work on Sundays and Mondays. It will be interesting to get to know those that work this weekend. Well I better go see what Alex is doing. Just wanted to show off the horse.
Love you all. Hope all are well. Keep up the blogs.
The Olsens

Timber

This is what happens on Sundays. The first section fell 2 weeks ago with the big wind storm. It fell across the house and if you look at the ridge line of our house you can see the dent left behind. The second piece is the section that fell today when we were at Dad and Mom's house dropping off the kids for a sleep over. As you can see from the picture on the left there are 3 more sections that will probably end up breaking off and falling too. It is crazy to think that this is one of the oldest trees in Grace and it is falling bit by bit down. Oh well it lets Mike get to play with the chain saw.

Kindergarten: Ready or Not.

Wednesday was my little pirates first day of school. She as you can see is thrilled. Mom not so much. It was hard letting her go. I was excited for her to learn and grow, but sad that this is a big milestone in her life. Tuesday night we went to a back to school night. We listen to the Principal give instructions then went to Mrs. Wilson's class. Mikatie was excited since she got to take all her school supplies with her. Mike's cousin's son Christen is in her class and some of the kids from our ward. She was excited to go. I was good untill Alex and I got in the van and then the tears started
to fall. I had to call my mom and get reassurances from her that is is how it is suppose to be. I never knew that cutting the apron strings hurt so bad. Mikatie was all smiles when kindergarten was over and has been excited everyday to go.

Alex and Mom have fun just the two of them. He has decided he is too big for naps and wants mom's full attention the four hours we are together. He is wanting everyone to call him Indiana Jones. Not sure where that is coming from must be Rita's and Nich's house. Since we have never watched it with him. We are trying to get him excited about using his toilet, but he still like his diapers, so we will just have to keep trying.

Mike has finished cutting hay in Gray's Lake area and now has started on the second crop of hay in Grace. He loves his new swather. I like that it cuts faster and doesn't break down as often. The buddy seat is nice not as nice as his seat but at least you have a place to sit when we ride with him. He loves mutual and hanging out with the Priest.

I've just gotten the chance to change my schedule. I won't have to work any Sundays with the new one. YEA!!!!! So next week I work Monday and Tuesday then I have till next Wednesday off. Then work Wed, Thurs, Fri, and Sat, Have Sun Mon off then work Tue and Wed then off till the next Wed. I am excited to get the chance to go to church every Sunday now.
Well that is about all I know so Thanks for reading.
The Olsens Mike, Katie, Mikatie and Alexander.