The Breinholt Family Christmas Party 2011

Every year, the weekend before Christmas we gather at the Breinholt's for the annual Christmas party. Sadly, two of the families were unable to attend and their presence was missed. 

Logan and Kristy left the night before hitching a ride with Lynn and I left the morning of. I had a big choir practice that I needed to be at. Funny thing is even though I was running late and leaving from Logan, I still managed to beat most of the family to the party. And what was really strange is that the weather was perfect! In fact, driving through the canyon was the best part since it was so sunny and clear! That was definitely out of the ordinary.

Logan doing his best elephant impression.

Zade just lost his cookie.

The party was very nice with a ton of great food. After stuffing ourselves silly we went and played some Minute-To-Win-It games. We divided ourselves into four groups and played. The games were a lot of fun and it was nice to be in each other's company.

After the party. Kristy, Logan and I gave Steve a ride home since we were leaving for Logan. We were going to take off after but we decided to go and get some ice cream at this new Sub Zero place. It was some of the best ice cream I have ever had. It was Dr. Pepper flavored with bits of Twix and cherries in it. It was nice to spend a little time with Steve and his family. His little girls are just the sweetest. I wish I would have gotten some pictures while we were there. 

All in all I had a very nice time seeing my family. 

Familiar Faces

Logan brought home this free magazine from Aunt Lynn's house (which was from the grocery store Macey's) the other day. 

As we were flipping through it we found a few familiar faces.

Hey look! Some of my ol' fellow bloggers are here! It is a shame that this is the first time in months that I have seen them. And to see them I have to open up a magazine!

So Long Melton's!

My sister-in-law Sherry and her family are moving to Missouri today.

I will certainly miss them, especially the kids. I wish them all the best in Missouri and hopefully we will see each other soon. I have a lot of good memories of spending time with them. Thanks you guys! 

Naythan's Baptism

Last Saturday, my family and I had the privilege to go down to Salt Lake and see our nephew Naythan be baptized. We were going to go down Saturday morning but we still are without a car (ugh, I don't wanna talk about it) so we went Friday evening and hitched a ride with Lynn and Darrell.

The drive down was nice and hot but it was pretty quiet since my niece Jessica fell right asleep. I luckily remembered my iPod so I just leaned back and listened to music on the trip down. I am the one that usually drives so it was kinda strange not being in the driver's seat and especially being stuck in the back seat.

We finally arrived and after we put Logan to bed, Kristy and I took a walk to the gas station and to Reams to get some refreshment. I had to get me a Mountain Dew Livewire and Kristy had to get some ice cream. We tried the new Twix Ice Cream bars and they were wonderful. I think I like them more than the Snickers which has been a favorite of mine for years.

The next day we headed out for Naythan's baptism. Seeing him all excited (I think Zade was more excited than Naythan) and all dressed in white took me back to Logan's baptism. The service was great. The baptism was good, Gregg is a better dad than I since he got his kid under the first time! Logan was so sweet, he noticed that his cousin Addy was not upfront to watch the baptism so he went and grabbed her and took her over. After the service we ran back to mom's (where Renae gave us a special assignment) and then we headed up to the Young's home to enjoy some lunch and the pool. The weather was so nice, not very hot but then not cold at all. I ate way too much food and then hopped in the pool to cool off.

We had a very nice time. It was good to see everyone and to catch up with them. I have mentioned this before but I feel like I should mention it again. I have a fantastic set of in-laws. I have a fantastic set of brother and sisters in-laws. I am lucky to have them.

After a dip in the pool and some more cookies I decided to just sit by the pool and chit-chat with everyone. And I was lucky enough to spend time and hold my newest niece Stella. I could have taken her home with me, luckily for Steve and Andrea we had a packed car and wouldn't be able to fit her in!

We then headed back to mom's for some food and I was able to witness an epic tantrum courtesy of my niece Jessica and then we headed home. It was a great trip and I was glad that I was able to see Naythan be baptized and to spend time with family.

And I did take my camera but I totally forgot to take pictures. I hate it when I do that.

Random Ramblings: Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon

Sick: Wasn't I just getting over some strange stomach flu just last week? Now my allergies are kicking my rear. I am so congested and itchy.

Listening: Black Sheep by the Evil Exes. I love this song!

Lazing: Yesterday was such a nice day. Early in the morning we took a road trip down to Salt Lake for Stella's baby blessing. For those that don't know, in the LDS faith, fathers have the opportunity to bless their baby during church and it serves a couple of purposes. The main purpose is to give the infant a name which it will be known on the church records and then the father can give the infant a blessing. I really appreciated Andrea for going out of her way to make sure I meet Stella before the service began. I feel kinda bad that this was the first time I met my beautiful new niece. Steven (Stella's father) asked me if I would assist and I was happy to do it. It was a beautiful blessing and it was a wonderful church service. It was also nice to see some of my fellow bloggers even if I was not able to chat with them. But it was nice to be remembered. Afterwards we went to Kristy's mom house for some lunch and to relax. It was a nice and relaxing visit.

Giddy: So Steven and I were talking (about football of course) and he mentioned that he would really like to catch the Detroit Lions (his favorite team) when they play the Denver Broncos. He just doesn't have anyone to go with. Now I have been to Denver a few times and I would love to go to a cold weather game in Denver! The game is October 30th. Wheels are in motion!

Winning: I completed my 100 page ScriptFrenzy project! There were times that I didn't think I would make it but I persevered and made it! The next time I do it I will be better prepared and plot things out. It was still a learning experience and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND any wanna-be-writer to give this a whirl. You won't regret the time and hard work you put into it.

Kelli and Hunter's Wedding

I have had so much stuff going on lately, forgive me for not blogging the past few days. Yesterday I had the great privilege of attending my cousin Kelli's wedding down at the Mount Timpanogos Temple.

My family and I awoke very early in the morning to get down there in time for the ceremony. We were on the road at about 7:30 in the morning. The roads were very wet and it snowed/rained/snowed the whole trip down but the roads were relatively bare and traffic was at a minimum. We made it to Renae's house with plenty of time to get to the Temple. Renae and Gregg were kind enough to have Logan come over and play with their kids while Kristy and I were at the wedding.

We then hopped on the road and made our way to the Temple. The night before I used MapQuest to get directions but instead of printing out pages of useless directions, I copied down just the main turnoffs and points thinking that once we saw the large Temple we could find our way there. Well, it was real cloudy and we couldn't pinpoint where the Temple was and time was running out (we had to be there about a half an hour before). Just when we were about to hit the "panic" button, the Mount Timpanogos Temple popped into view.

What a gorgeous Temple! It was much larger than I thought it would be (I am used to the Logan Temple) and the closer you got the more impressive it became. We entered the Temple and we were greeted by my cousins Kyle and Brian (Kelli's brothers). Soon after my Uncle Kurt and his family arrived. Then we all went to one of the many Sealing Rooms and waited for Kelli and her soon-to-be husband Hunter. The Sealing Room was just so peaceful and beautiful. The reverence and silence was so thought-provoking and it made you reflect and think about life and what comes next. It reminded me of my own wedding, even though I hardly remember it. We waited for a few minutes and other guests came in. And then in walked my Aunt Julie and Uncle Jerry. I have not seen them in years and it was wonderful to see them smiling and in the Temple. As I looked around the room and looked at everyone, I felt this deep appreciation for my family and the support they give me. Soon my Uncle Mark and Aunt Barbara came in (Kelli's parents) and then shortly after that Kelli and Hunter came in. She looked unbelievable, so pretty and she was glowing. I may be biased here but I think I have the best looking cousins in any family.

The Sealing Ceremony was something you just have to see. Words cannot describe the feeling you feel there as you watch a couple be sealed for time and all eternity. For those that don't know, in the Latter Day Saint religion we believe that when you get married and if you are worthy to be married in the Temple, you can be married (sealed) together forever.

After the wedding it was great to catch up with family and chat. We waited outside (close to the Temple doors since it was cold outside) and finally the new couple came out and they looked so happy. They had a photographer to take some pictures. I felt bad for them since it was a little drizzly and cold but I remember the feeling of just being married. Kristy and I were married in the cold, cold winter and it was foggy. But it didn't matter to us since we were still on Cloud Nine.

I got all of my cousins in one shot. But minus the new guy.

Kelli had these bright green (it matched his tie) flipflops that you couldn't see because of the dress.

The Anhder Family. Brian and his wife Kari, Barbara, Mark, Kelli and Hunter, Kyle and Brian who was paying attention to someone else.

After taking pictures we were invited to attend a luncheon at Golden Corral down in Orem. There we ate a ton of food (mmm... liver*) and a ton of dessert and chatted it up with my family. I am so thankful for my aunts and uncles. It was great to sit with them and talk about family, life and pretty much everything in between (sorry Aunt Julie... I am just not a Stones guy). After killing ourselves with food, Kristy and I left to go back to Salt Lake and pick up Logan.

We visited with Renae and Gregg and the kids for a little bit and then we dropped in on Kristy's parents. Unfortunately we couldn't stay long because we had to leave already to make it to the reception. We were making good time that is until we tried to find the Bella Vista Reception Center. Funny thing is that both of Kristy's parents were there the night before at a reception. Good thing too since they told us what to look for because MapQuest sent us somewhere else. I am surprised that we actually found the place and if we weren't looking for an office building (like Kristy's mom said) we may not have found it at all. But we did! We went in and were greeted by Julie and Jerry so we sat with them and ate a ton of donuts and food. And get this, they had a lime drink. Right up my alley!

I didn't know a soul there outside of Mark and his family, Julie and Jerry.

But that changed when I met Jerry's older brother and his wife along with some other friends. I am horrible with names, I cannot remember Jerry's brother and wife's name but I remember Dave and Sue. (I think I got that right) It was fun meeting new "family". It was also nice to see my other cousin Wes too. Unfortunately I didn't get much of a chance to chat with him.

Aunt Julie was teaching Logan tricks here.

And there is the happy new couple!

Finally, it was time for us to go. We packed up our stuff and Mark made sure we got some extra donuts and we headed back to Logan. The drive was long but fortunately the weather was great. The roads were barely wet and the canyon was absolutely clear. I am so glad that I took the time to go down to the wedding and reception. I am seriously blessed with a great family. I appreciate Mark and his family for letting my family take part of the festivities and I appreciate Julie and Jerry for letting us hang out with them. Some day we will visit them in Colorado. And a special thanks to Kelli for inviting Kristy and I to the Sealing Ceremony at the Temple. We had a fantastic time and it means a lot.

Logan: The Good Omen

I have to say that I am very, very lucky to have Logan. Since the moment he was born he has been a good omen. Even though he splashed me when he was born, he has been a good thing in my life.

The first night, after he was born, I spent the evening at the hospital. I held him as I watched the New York Jets defeat the New England Patriots for the AFC East Title.

Fast forward 8 years (or so) and another big Logan milestone was on the same day as a big game for the Jets. Yesterday, on January 8th, Logan was baptized.

He was a little nervous. That might be putting it a little mildly, he was pretty nervous. He wouldn't be quiet all morning until we got to the church. And then he zipped up tighter than the white jumper I had to wear. I am sure he became even more nervous when he had to share the dressing room with two other boys and two other dads. But we got dressed in our white jumpers and made it to the chapel and sat on the front row. I can tell he was still nervous. My jumper was a little tight, I had to suck in my gut the whole time and I had to get up slowly from sitting since that thing rode up a road that is not travelled much. I know, I know, too much information. I am sorry but I want to remember this special experience.

"Hurry! Take the picture before my gut explodes!"

Some of my family took part in the program. Logan asked Grandma Breinholt to play a special musical number on the piano and it was beautiful. It certainly set the tone for the meeting. Aunt Lynn was asked to give a talk about the Holy Ghost and she did so well. I am not sure if she was nervous or if she was a little emotional but I have never heard Lynn speak so softly (it is not like she yells all the time or anything like that). The talks were perfect and then it was time for Logan to be dunked.

When I was baptized, I had to go under three times! I wore a belt that was way too long and it kept coming to the surface when my dad baptized me. Logan didn't have a belt with his jumper and we practiced a ton of times beforehand. But according to Aaron and Gregg, Logan didn't make it the first time. His knee poked out of the water so I had to do it again. Logan is definitely my son alright!

I whispered to him that we did a test run and we did it again and got it right. Afterwards we dressed (again nervously in a crowded dressing room) and we went to another room for the confirmation. I am so blessed and so glad that Logan chose me to do both. The confirmation went very well, I could feel the Spirit. I am so proud of my special little guy.

After the confirmation, Bishop Hebdon asked Kristy if she would bare her testimony. That didn't surprise me at all, I think the Bishopric likes to get Kristy to bear her testimony. Then the Primary President spoke to Logan and then the Bishop concluded the meeting after he spoke a few words. My Bishop always says the perfect things. I asked his Aunt Sherry to say the closing prayer and then we met over at our church to have some lunch.

I love pictures of people eating.

See?

Renae looks so happy eating.

Such cute nieces and nephews.

Breinholt Relief Society.

The Bishop and his illegal family (not sure I want to blog this inside joke, I don't want him to get into trouble!) came along with my dad and his family, Jennifer and her family, my mom and most of Kristy's family.

I am very grateful for my family and my extended (in-laws) family. They treat me so good and they are always so supportive. It was a perfect day. Mom and Dad came over for a short visit and Renae and Gregg came over (so Renae had a place to feed Ty) and it was nice to sit and relax and chat. We made a quick impromptu visit to get some Aggie Ice Cream and then we came home to watch the Jets game.

A perfect ending to a perfect day. The Jets did win in the last seconds of the game, so yes, Logan is a good omen for me. But I would trade all the Jet victories to have a special day like this with him and my family again.

The Breinholt Family Christmas Party

Every year, the weekend before Christmas the Breinholt family gathers for our annual Christmas party.

Merry Christmas!

And we almost didn't make it. It was very snowy and treacherous driving through the canyon but we made it and we even made it on time!

One of the things that I enjoy the most is watching all the cousins play and open the gifts from each other. Seeing their eyes light up when they rip the wrapping paper off and seeing how happy they are receiving a small but very thoughtful gift. It means much more to them that the gift was given to them from their cousin.

When the family was smaller, I used to participate in the gift exchange and I was surprised at the gifts that I got. Each one was extremely thoughtful, I remember getting a Green Bay Packer CD, a Jets crystal, a case of Mountain Dew Livewire, a bunch of Star Wars Pez Dispensers, Pictionary, a Princess Leia action figure from some of the past Christmas parties. I know I got many other things that I cannot think of from the top of my head. It is not the gift itself that made me happy, it was the thought behind it.

I thought it was so awesome that Cassie gathered all the cousins together in the front room.

Logan had Kellie this year and he made a pair of earrings and bracelet for her. She was so excited to get it. She went over to Logan to have him help her put the bracelet on. Her older sister Cassie told her that she should go and hug Logan and Kristy for giving her such a special gift. Cassie must still have some Anti-Matt Agenda still going. I snagged a hug from Kellie anyway.

Logan was quite happy with his gift. He got a science kit.

See how happy everyone is? You can tell that Cassie and Kellie are sisters. They giggle the same way.

I know that this Christmas party was a little more stressful than some of the past ones. I hope that I was not a cause for this stress. If I was, if I offended anyone, please forgive me. I apologize, it was definitely not my intent to offend anyone.

Thanks to Mom and Dad for hosting the party and for the gifts we received. I will make I put them all to good use!

Football Family Rivalry

Nothing like sports to stir up a wide variety of emotions. My family is into sports and I was very happy to hear that Kristy's little brother Steven liked football. At least I had someone in the family that I could talk football with even though he was only thirteen at the time.

I have to hand it to Steve. He is a Detroit Lions fan. I thought I had problems and issues being a Jets fan. At least I had another fan to commiserate with. I was used to losing (when I married into the family, my team was coming off a 1-15 season) and Steven's team had the great Barry Sanders.

And then one Sunday afternoon, things changed for both of us forever.

I was down in West Jordan staying over with Kristy just a week or so before we were married. I had to go to church with the family since their Bishop wanted to speak to me. After a quick visit, I ran back to Kristy's house to catch the last week of the NFL season. Steven's Lions were facing my New York Jets with the playoffs riding on the line. Win and you are in, lose and you go home.

During church I took the opportunity to pass this note to Steven:

And he of course sent me one back.

Ever since that day, I have carried these notes with me. We drew those notes back on Sunday, December 20th, 1997. Unfortunately the Lions intercepted the ball in the end zone and the Jets went on to lose that game. Barry Sanders ran for over 2,000 yards in a season that game. So Steven won that round.

But then I present this:

I may have the legacy of Rich Kotite with the Jets (only one season) but Steven has had to endure this man for eight long, sufferable years.

This blog is dedicated to my great brother-in-law Steve. He is a TRUE Lions fan.

Thanksgiving Leftovers

Thanksgiving was fantastic. My family and I had a wonderful time with family, food and football.

We woke up and drove down to Salt Lake in the morning and we almost turned back. The roads in Logan and all the way to Sardine Canyon were horrendous. I know we had just had the blizzard but it looked like the roads were not plowed. And I am not even talking about the local roads around my house, I am talking about the main highway to the canyon. It was covered in ice and we fishtailed it all the way down to Wellsville.

Surprisingly, the roads were better through the canyon and bone dry all the way down to Salt Lake. We only got stuck one time and that was pulling into the church's parking lot. And of course we were the first ones to show up (aside from Renae and Gregg who had to open the church) as always. I pride myself in being on time for everything, I do not like to inconvenience anyone. Their time, like mine, is valuable. Eventually most of our family finally rolled in and we played around until the rest came over an hour late. Thanksgiving is all about gratitude so I guess I should just be happy that I saw my family.

PieFest!(tm)

The food was great. Everything was so tasty and PieFest!(tm) was so yummy. Steve made this awesome eggnog pie that was to die for. The only problem with all the pies is that there are just too many to try and eat! After food we played some games and just hung around and chatted.

The New York Jets were played that evening and I made arrangements to watch the game with Steve. In fact, I made these arrangements the moment the schedule was put out months and months ago. They invited us over to Andrea's parents home to watch the game in HD and the big screen. So we went over there, I was planning on only watching the first half or so and then head home. But then I thought it wouldn't matter when I left since it was already dark and it was already freezing. So the roads would be bad anyway. That and Steve got hungry and I couldn't just let him eat alone. So he went out and got us all tacos from Del Taco. I would have thought that I would be eating turkey leftovers that night not fast food!

After we finished watching the Jets beat the Bengals we headed home. Thanks Steven and Andrea for hosting us and making us eat tacos. I am very lucky and blessed to have such a great set of in-laws.

Happy Thanksgiving 2010!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays and mainly because of the 3 F's.

Family:

I get to spend Thanksgiving "away" this year. Which means we spend it with the Breinholt Family. I have said this before but I have been blessed with great in-laws. I know a lot of people that absolutely hate their in-laws and I am so glad that I don't have to worry about that. It will be fun to catch up and see everyone.

Food:

"Good gravy."

"Thank you, it is just brown and water."

Kristy's family is loaded with people who know how to cook. So I am sure that the dinner will be fabulous. And PieFest! I am so looking to eating all that pie.

Football:

Three games! And my most-awesome brother-in-law is bringing in a television so we can watch the games! That shouldn't surprise me since the Lions are playing. And then I am heading over to his house to watch the night game which features my Jets!

I am really looking forward to driving down and spending time with the people that mean the most to me.

The New York Jets Flight Crew

Okay... lame joke, I really mean my fantastic family. The food and the football are just icing on the cake.

And speaking of football, here are my Thanksgiving picks.

New England at Detroit:
I hope Steve still lets me come over even though I am picking the Pats to win. But I will root for the Lions, nothing would make my Thanksgiving more enjoyable than by having the Pats lose. But I have to stay true to myself.
Winner: New England Patriots

New Orleans at Dallas:
This will be the biggest test for Dallas's new head coach. This will be a tight game but the Saints just have more firepower and will get after Kitna.
Winner: New Orleans Saints

Cincinnati at NY Jets:
This is a huge trap game for the Jets and they better not look past them. The Bengals will play tough and they know how to post points. But it is the Bengals... but these are the Jets... The Jets will avoid a letdown and beat this squad and hopefully will do it by halftime.
Winner: New York Jets

I hope everyone has a fantastic and safe Thanksgiving! We all have something to be thankful for.

Breinholt Halloween Party 2010

Day 352

Thanks Logan for blogging for me yesterday. I am still feeling under the weather, my body is so sore and cold and I am quite dizzy. But otherwise than that, I feel alright.

I was going to blog about the Annual (well, it has been two years in a row) Breinholt Halloween Party yesterday and while Kristy and Andrea have already blogged about it, I feel like I need to blog about it too since they missed a few major details.

But before I get to the party I have a special announcement for ALL fellow bloggers.

**Andrea and I got to talking and we would like to have a special meet-up for all fellow bloggers next month. We were thinking of meeting in Layton/Ogden area for dinner the first weekend in November (which would be the 5th or 6th). We don't have to do it on a weekend if during the evening works better. So comment on my blog where you would like to go and when would be the best time.**

We all headed out about 11:30 and got to the Renae's church (yeah, she has her own church) around 1:30 and got some food prepared and got the gym all set up. There was a TV where you can watch some Halloween movies, there was a couple of bouncy houses for the kids, there was a table of food (for the adults) and a couple of other tables for games. Unfortunately not everyone could make it and I cannot say that I missed them since I was having a lot of fun. It would have been nice to see everyone though.

We played Pictionary (girls vs boys) and the boys almost won. If I had not rolled a one five our of the six times we would have. I thought this was a costume party so I borrowed my mom's cat Snuggie and put a tail on the back and put on some cat ears. Man, I am getting old. The real reason I wanted to wear that Snuggie is because I was cold.

I noticed that when Kristy is around family or food she likes to dance.

The girls did win Pictionary even though Kristy had to draw with her eyes shut.

It was fun watching all my nieces and nephews play. I have said it before and I will say it again. I am very lucky to have the in-laws that I have.

Logan (and all the kids) loved the bouncy houses. Logan took down each one of his cousins. This was even after Uncle Steven threw him head over heels OVER the slide. Here Logan is taking Addy down.

Logan taking Monkey Jessica. You can tell he is totally posing, he is such a ham.

His cousin Zade sure had a rough time. I have never seen a kid get hurt so much! Notice the same smile on Logan? Yeah, he is going as a ham for Halloween.

Naythan and Logan sure had a good time.

This is what happens when a grown up attempts to go down. Steven started it and Lynn and Kristy just had to do it too.

What a kid.

We also played this game on the PS3 that was like a game show. You had a buzzer and everything. I love this game and that is because I am so darn good at it. While other bloggers neglected to blog about it, I won both games. Yeah, ol' Baldy is filled with useless information. This party also marked the one year anniversary of the blogging challenge. It was last year at our first Breinholt Halloween Party that I issued the yearly blogging challenge. It is amazing how fast the year has gone by.

It was fun catching up with everyone and it would have been nice if everyone could have shown up. A fun time was had by all. Thanks Renae and Steven for throwing it together! I hope this continues to be a yearly tradition.