It's Almost February...

Glen, Beth and the kids had such a wonderful time in Utah and Colorado visiting family.  We saw so many people and it was such a whirlwind of adventure!  Our highlights were:

• Seeing Beth's sister, who is expecting.  We love her cute little baby bump!
• Having a snowball fight at BYU with Glen's brother and sister-in-law.  The snow fell fast and was very thick on the ground...
• Visiting Beth's sweet aunt and cousins
• Driving in lots of blizzards...it's a good character-building exercise  ;)
• Sledding in Rocky Mountain National Park with Uncle Chris.
• Hanging out with Uncle David and Sheri
• Celebrating Christmas Eve with Grandma Betty
• Seeing our Grammy, who is almost 100 years old!
• Visiting Great Grandma and Grandpa Woods in their cozy house while a storm raged all around us
• Seeing Glen's parents in a beautiful part up of Colorado...almost way up in the clouds

Our time in Colorado went so well that we have decided that is the place for us to settle.  :)  Beth grew up there and Glen is impressed with the scenery and the entire "Colorful Colorado" scene each time we travel there.  Our goals to get there:

Glen will work really hard here and finish school.  It should take a year and half.  If we still need it, he'll start looking for jobs in Colorado in Fall 2011.

We also have a bit of house remodeling to do so we can sell our house.  We are blessed that we bought our house for a very low price and should come out a little ahead when it's time to go.

Beth is working on her business.  She has come up with some great plans and has hired a nanny to watch Esther part time while she researches, creates and builds in the office.  During Christmas break and shortly after, Beth did a lot of research for ad campaigns to start up, found some awesome places to outsource some of her work to, and narrowed down her focus to one niche.   

We are both very excited about this and it will help us get out of the "Rat Race" once and for all.  Good things are ahead of us.  :)  We have been prompted to do this for a long time and feel very good about building an Online/Offline business.  It's not network marketing or blogging, although one can always use these ways to earn residual income, as well.

Off to work now...be good and do well!  :)

Suitcase Muscles and Christmas Milk

Words are so much fun and I especially love to hear our children’s expressions about different things! Joseph, our son, started speaking early. Because of this, we have been privy to some of the greatest things we have ever heard before. In fact, many of the things we have learned recently are very wise sayings that have come from the mouths of some of the most innocent beings we know; our children. Glen and I used to joke around about how we’d write a blog and title it “Josephisms.” Joseph’s words could fill volumes and we believe that there may be more importance placed on his words in the future.

Grandma Otte came to visit a few weeks ago, and boy, were we excited!  The children especially love that the grandmas love to visit with and devote time to them.  It makes the children feel so special!  A grandma's or a grandpa's love is very significant.  So, for Grandma Otte's visit, we all cleaned and Joseph and Esther helped make up her bed.  In a moment of serious reflection, Joseph told us he would like to go the airport with me and help Grandma carry her luggage. He then posed in true bodybuilder fashion and told us all about his “suitcase muscles.” And he’s right! He’s super-powerful!

After Grandma Otte’s visit, we went to store and we saw it in the dairy case; eggnog!  That one great reminder of Christmas being just right around the corner. Joseph took one look at the milk carton with the picture of “Santa Cow” on it and we just had to buy it.  As soon as we got home and went through the front door with our grocery bags, Joseph called out to Glen, “Daddy, daddy! We got some Christmas milk at the store today!” Christmas milk indeed! The taste reminds me of every good thing in life. And it tasted really nice with our dinner that night! Esther’s little eyes were as big as moons when she tasted the “dessert in a glass.”

I expect that we will hear more and more from Esther very soon. She has some of her own special sayings and currently says these things with her unique baby-speak accent.

I believe children have minds that work well; their thoughts are exceptionally refined and they illuminate light and brightness in the world. Some of the bravest and the strongest are here with us and it is our privilege to have them in our homes and schools. It is our responsibility to use all of our sincere efforts to nurture and guide them. The rewards to them and to the future of our world and its people will be exponential. These little ones have a great work to do!

Our great beings love to talk as they play!

Joseph with one of his favorite dump trucks.

Esther learning to ride her tricycle.