Happy Birthday Jeffrey David Carlsen!

Here's Jeff's hospital ID tag - matches mine! Guess that make's him official.  Born December 11, 1977 (that must make you 32-yep!). Sorry this post is a couple days late - my Internet was broken - dad discovered an unplugged connection today.

This is your great-grandmother - Grandma Lee.  She made a trip to see every baby I had.  She was so much fun to chat with and had a ton of patience.  Grandma was always a help - folded clothes especially - and was always "game" for a candy bar or a pop or whatever. She insisted on sleeping on the floor - on a white furry area rug we had - maybe you remember.  I felt so bad giving the "floor" to grandma then - but now, some of you may know that I'm a "floor sleeper" - last night in fact when I couldn't get to sleep until 4:00 am I finally quit working on the computer and went to the living room and slept on the floor - barely made it to church on time as I didn't wake up until nearly 8:00. 

I love this little "gernel" (Journal) entry.  Check out the detail work on the colors of the writing! You were destined to be a CPA with all this intense detail!

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We've always thought that Jeff "WALKED ON WATER" and here's proof! This was taken at "Mrs. Timmons" swimming pool in Sandy, UT during July of 1986. Very cool kid! Lately Jeff has been trying to fly over water - Diamond Lake 2009.

I discovered that I don't have many pictures of Jeff as an adult. How sad! I think when we get together as a group there's so much chaos that the pictures get taken by others besides dad and I, so I had to steal this pic off of Jeff and Julies blog. Julie claims that Jeff is an amazing dad - and I'm a believer! He's always been accomplished and interested in learning.  During his Senior year at Mead High School
he was chosen to perform in Tacoma at an All State performance.  He played bari sax.  This Thanksgiving Jeff's sax playing,  along with Sean on electric guitar and dad on base guitar- "jamming" - was the background for some crazy dancing and plenty of fun!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRACI! WE LOVE YOU!!

Traci's life started in Bozeman, Montana.  Here is a 4 generation picture with her mom, her grandmother, Donna McCann and her great-grandmother, Willa Lee.  Her grandmother is near the end of her life now, but it is certain that both grandmothers were in love with this little darling girl from the very beginning!

Traci has a part of her that is reticent - I think you can see it here.  Also, the sweet trust that is such a precious part of childhood.

 Traci is a decisive, willful person.  She is fun-loving and fun! Traci is smart! She served a mission in the (unmodernized area) of Bacolod, Philipines, learning to speak the native language of Tagolog.

                     DESIGNING CIRCLES

“So much of life is spent in the designing of circles.  Many circles carefully keep other people out.  There are private rooms and houses, private clubs and offices, private roads and beaches - all with the same message: Stay Out! Not that circles that keep others out don't have their place. We are all porcupines, and our quills are less troublesome if there is a little space around us.” (Author unknown)

But sometimes that “little space” around us becomes it’s own exclusive circle. Too often they are designed to accommodate those that are too busy, too proud, or too afraid to draw a circle bigger than themselves.  Some circles with the best of intentions still draw lines at the edges of their own race, their own social and economic group, their own type or religion.

So Heavenly Father created the best designed of circles: family circles.  They're characterized by their ability to link one expanding circle to another.  Family circles have amazing powers of expansion.  They are eternal in nature and are particularly designed to cultivate love and service.  They try soooooo much harder than other circles, whose messages do often say "Stay Out".

Heavenly Father knew that in circling each other, some of us would become lost, discouraged, forgotten or overlooked.  So He took the best designed of circles - family circles - and empowered them with prayer.  These, now empowered family circles, have the strength to gather us in, regardless of who we've become or where we are.  They are inclusive and flexible, to allow opportunities for repentance and forgiveness and hope for a better day.  Their eternal nature makes it possible to send the spirit’s invitations to the lost, discouraged, forgotten or overlooked, saying, “come in, come back, you’re always welcome”.  Designing Circles you see, is quite a serious matter for you and me – link in, I’m here for you, are you here for me?   

1^st paragraph (Author Unknown) – Remaining thoughts (Cynthia Carlsen)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEAN THOMAS CARLSEN!

It's hard to determine from looking at the card, but Sean was born at 3:29 in the afternoon.  He was the baby that saved us from paying an anesthesiologist and delivery room charge because he surprised doctors and nurses by arriving in the (labor bed) directly after they said he "wasn't progressing".  For all you modern mothers, that was in the horse and buggy days when they still took the mom off to a delivery room without invitation to family and friends!

Here's Sean with early aspirations of becoming a piano virtuoso.

He was such a nice, nice, happy baby!

SEAN THOMAS CARLSEN 2009

Has he become a piano virtuoso? Well, who knows? God isn't finished with him yet!  Sean on the other hand has definitely become a "virtuoso" in numerous other things beginning with marrying Sadie July 12, 2003.  Following are the births of their sons Syler and Ryder - and a new baby next Spring.  These are the most important things.  There have been many other accomplishments everywhere from home and yard improvements to his current studies at Gonzaga University.  Dave and I are so thankful for Sean and wish him a very happy 29th birthday!  (P.S.  All other children: I'm just catching on to this blogging and in the future I plan on featuring your birthdays too - if I forget you can hold me hostage for a year and make me fold your laundry!)

Condensed Garden

25 quarts of green beans, 12 quarts pickles, 4 quarts corn,

5 quarts salsa, 4 quarts strawberry jam

and lots of fresh eating along the way!

LITTLE GIRLS, LITTLE GIRLS!

But, but, - HEY! We're not proud!
We can get down dirty with the best of 'em!
(notice Amelie is only dabbling in it though . . .)

AND! THE WINNER IS . . .

TAH DAH! Maya Noel Carlsen! Dirty Little Girl of the Day!

Well then Girls, let's just inspect this bench here . . .
. . . hmmm. . . termites maybe?

Amelie's practicing being in charge
- and it looks like Maya thinks she better pay attention to it!

Us girls here, just taking a sec to be beautiful and chill out!

Poem

The Soul of Children

By Cynthia Carlsen

October 3, 2009

Blessedly the sun creeps into our day;

Softened morning rays glow

On the heaven lit soul of children.

Beaming with love and unaltered acceptance,

We bask warmly on their devotion and worship.

Unapologetic of discovery

They are the ultimate

Explorers of joy.

Offering their souls humbly, yet surely

As strongly as our sun’s risings;

Bringing light into day.

Dancing upon life’s rays,

The souls of children play

Onward with disarming freedom,

From which they gather

Fun and conscience.

They are eager and fearful

Often in the same moment;

Exploring and searching for the calmness

Of our loving time.

Spinning about they look to us;

Seeing their dawn toward eternity.

Doors of discovery are set ajar

While our sun barely

Peeks above it’s horizon,

Inspiring the soul of children to

Fill our world with amazement.

Still beginning what they are,

What we once were,

What yet they will be,

The soul of children, unconsciously

Contribute to the expanding plan

Of Father above.

As brightest noonday shines forth

And bursts its rays upon our earth,

The soul of children is roused

To youthful anticipation;

Telescoping on a kaleidoscope

Of dreams . . . good dreams.

Treasuring friendships,

Discovering new hope,

They shower our world

With invigorating energy

And sparkle.

Softening, the sun settles;

The soul of children quiet.

The hush touches so sweetly our world;

Now charity and faith esteemed.

Through them, the circle of their light

Gathers us to them and

Elevates us.

Reaching, reaching, reaching

We, the beneficiaries

Thankfully discover love evermore;

Pulling us back to Father above.

Pray Always by Elder David A. Bednar

www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-947-14,00.html Well, it's around 1:30 am and I'm in a non-sleep state so I started looking at the newsroom of lds.org and one link after another sent me to this talk on prayer. It would be too personal for me to share with the Internet world my reason for adding this link to my blog, but - well - here it is!

Notice the first food from the garden - radishes. Trista was at the house while I picked them and she reminded me that Sean used to ask us to bring home radishes from the grocery store for him. I really don't remember that - but I called Sean and asked him if he'd like some radishes from my garden and he was very enthusiastic about it, so it must be so!

Now onto the tree. As you may recall, the tree in front of the house was very close to the driveway and the front steps. It was small when we moved in but has grown quite rapidly and it was reaching over into the driveway. Eventually there would be no choice but to remove it and so we decided to do it now while it was still possible to do it ourselves, rather than pay a tree removal company. It was hard to do though - we trimmed it was up to where it wouldn't be in the way of getting out of the car, etc. but we walked out into the street and looked objectively and it looked pretty pathetic so down it came. Now I have this lame bare spot out front to try to do something with. Not that the whole front yard isn't lame. It needs a total overhaul, but this year we're "into" "prioritizing" and the back yard, garage and food storage organization is winning prioritized placement

Well, here's an overview of my enlarged garden space this year! First, I had the fun of hand shoveling out all the grass sod. I rolled the sod into huge rolls that could barely be lifted onto a moving "dolly" so it could be re-used where we removed (previously oversized) decking. It's pretty lumpy grass - but, hey, it's better than dirt - and maybe next year we'll smooth it out!

Talia said she'd love to know where she could get the seeds for the Direct TV Dish. I'm keeping it a secret actually, as I consider it my most successful planting so far! (This was THE ONLY spot in the yard where we could get a signal . . . nice touch though, don't you think!)

And here's another baby in a bowl! Amelie Josephine -Papa Carlsen seems to favor calling her "Josephine".

O.K.! Time for baby to arrive? Here's Talia with a tummy looking like a big bowl! She's "due" on 5-27-09 but set for a C-section on Tuesday 5-19-09. What a doll!

Here's Ryley and Trevor also at Didier's - just ready to leave. They had been in the snow for quite a while longer than Brenna and I, so their wet clothes were bugging them so they left sooner than me and Brenna - but they were slow pokes because we easily caught up to them. Trevor, Doni and Vern were driving through Spokane to Pasco to deliver furniture to anxious homeowners. They'll drop back through here on Wednesday night and then on to their home in Great Falls by Thursday a.m. Really fun to have them drop by!

We took a snowy day walk to Didier's about a block from our house for frozen yogurt. Does that make sense? Cold treats on a cold day! Brenna reminds me of Trista and Tasha who used to refuse to go to the counter at a store and talk to the clerk about what they wanted - shyness seems to be a family trait. Brenna is a real good girl, loves to read, worries about the end of the world, the economy and other such ridiculous childhood topics! Frozen yogurt could actually cure all that though!

Ryley and the snow pack are about the same height here. Trevor was surprised to see his height next to Ryley's, not realizing how much taller he was than him. Most of us are surprised these days when we see Ryley's height! We think these are both very handsome boys!

Ryley, visiting cousin Trevor Kersey and Brenna just hanging out at the roofline!