Ingenuity of Twine...

Tonight we decided to really start pinchin' our pennies.

We have really horrid washers and driers here in our building. And what is no fun about them is they don't dry our clothes very well at all. So when we put in $.50 and they come out damp I'm not too happy. No Bueno!

So during family home evening I decided to make use of our TWINE and make-shift a clothes line in the living room. Wahoo! Our heater works really well, like really well so I know that we won't have a problem getting the clothes dry over night.

Some Firsts for this week...

Over the past week Matt and I have experienced some very cool things.

For weeks we had been getting excited for taking Larin to Salt Lake City, because we were planning on doing a session at the SL Temple. I was especially excited to go because we had just watched the church video of the stone cutter in institute. The temple had a new meaning to me because I was able to visually see what hardships people wen through in order to full fill their callings to the prophet.

During the session as we went room to room we were blown away at the wood work, and the extravagant detail that was put in to this creation. I thought the Manti Temp

le was spectacular--it still is--but I just fell in love with the SL Temple.

It is amazing.

I can't wait to go back and see the inside of it again.

The next new thing we got to do was go snowmobiling.

Our bishop is absolutely the most giving man. He inviting the ward to go up a near by canyon to go play on some toys. He brought 4 mobiles and as the couples were given rides to the "hangout spot" the bishops daughter told me how scary her dad was to ride with and,

"He goes REALLY fast." I thought, "OH great I'm next to get a ride, and its from the bishop." It wasn't that bad. :) Thank goodness. When we got to where we were going to spend our time,

Matt and I were pushed right on, and we just went for it. I was screaming the almost the whole way up the mountain. BUT It was a absolute THRILL.

When we got to the bottom I hopped off and Matt took off again to play, then he went toobing down the hill and had a BLAST. It was a good time accompanied by only three other couples not including the bishop and his family, and the second counselor's family, so everybody got a lot of turns.

As the day got later Matt and I started to walk to our car, and the bishop comes flying over and asked if I wanted a ride to the car. So I said yes and well he tricked me. lol He turned right around and said, "Are you sure you want to go home to do homework?? How 'bout just one more ride up the hill and I promise you will live to do your homework!" Well it is hard to tell bishop no so I said, "Okay...I'm kinda scared.." And we were off. His daughter was not lying, bishop is crazy. He was going really fast. I scram in his ear a little bit. Oops.

It was a good day.

We sure are blessed to have such a great bishop that is so giving.

Community Leaders

Today we had our final interview for the Community Leaders of the dorms for nest school year. I thought it went well, I hope it did at least.

This new opportunity/job will be so awesome for us to grow as leaders and we are going to have the opportunity to make an impact on new students of this amazing school.

We will know if we got this new job in about two weeks.

AND I CAN'T WAIT! ahhh! We shall see!

We're set for Summer

Today was an adventure. Matt and I had our first team meeting in Provo today. We showed up at the new office, and we were welcomed to the team and offered awesome jackets among other things like gift cards and lunch. :) Matt and I were both surprised at the sweet gifts and happy people. We got our pictures taken for Facebook, then we started our training for our new job. At the end of the training we were pumped about this great opportunity that we have to grow and become better leaders, and the knowledge we were given about the company and the pesticide product. I won't have a problem selling something I have such confidence in. It is going to be awesome.

With that Matt and I will officially be moving to the good ol' ranch and we will be working in the Closest office for Clark Pest Control.

"It's going to be OUR best summer!!"

Poetry Night

Tonight Matt and I were lucky enough to attend Poetry Night at our friend's house. It was awesome to sit with peers and listen to their deep poems or their absolutely hilarious poems. It was a great opportunity to visit with friends and grow closer to them. And of course gain memorable experiences. Such as Katie slipping off the bench, Erica acting out one of her poems, oh but the best yet was Erica's poem, "That's What Made the Smelly." It was hilarious.

These two poems below are our favorites from the night...

Matt's Favorite:

"Reincarnation" by Wallace McRae

"What does Reincarnation mean?"
A cowpoke asked his friend.
His pal replied, "It happens when
Yer life has reached its end.
They comb yer hair, and warsh yer neck,

And clean yer fingernails,
And lay you in a padded box
Away from life's travails."

"The box and you goes in a hole,
That's been dug into the ground.
Reincarnation starts in when
Yore planted 'neath a mound.
Them clods melt down, just like yer box,
And you who is inside.
And then yore just beginnin' on
Yer transformation ride."

"In a while, the grass'll grow
Upon yer rendered mound.
Till some day on yer moldered grave
A lonely flower is found.
And say a hoss should wander by
And graze upon this flower
That once wuz you, but now's become
Yer vegetative bower."

"The posy that the hoss done ate
Up, with his other feed,
Makes bone, and fat, and muscle
Essential to the steed,
But some is left that he can't use
And so it passes through,
And finally lays upon the ground
This thing, that once wuz you."

"Then say, by chance, I wanders by
And sees this upon the ground,
And I ponders, and I wonders at,
This object that I found.
I thinks of reincarnation,
Of life and death, and such,
And come away concludin': 'Slim,
You ain't changed, all that much.'"

Kiely's favorite:

"'Twas the Night Before Christmas" by

Clement Clarke Moore and Henry Livingston

(Please read this poem with a Spanish accent. It will make the experience so much better. Thank you.)

"‘Twas the night before Christmas y por toda la casa,
Not a creature was stirring-Caramba! Que pasa?

Los niños were tucked away in their camas,
Some in long underwear, some in pijamas,

While hanging the medias with mucho ciudado
In hopes that old Santa would feel obligado

To bring all children, both buenos y malos,
A nice batch of dulces y otros regalos.

Outside in the yard there arose such a grito
That I jumped to my pies like a frightened cabrito.

I ran to the window and looked out afuera,
And who in the world do you think that it era?

Saint Nick in a sleigh and a big red sombrero
Came dashing along like a crazy bombero.

And pulling his sleigh instead of venados
Were eight little burros approaching volados.

I watched as they came and this quaint little hombre
Was shouting and whistling and calling by nombre:

"Ay Pancho, ay Pepe, ay Cuco, ay Berto,
Ay Chato, ay Chopo, Macuco, y Nieto!"

Then standing erect with his hands on his pecho
He flew to the top of our very own techo.

With his round little belly like a bowl of jalea,
He struggled to squeeze down our old chiminea,

Then huffing and puffing at last in our sala,
With soot smeared all over his real suit de gala,

He filled all the medias with lovely regalos-
For none of the niños had been very malos.

Then chuckling aloud, seeming muy contento,
He turned like a flash and was gone como viento.

And I heard him exclaim, and this is verdad,
Merry Christmas to all, y Feliz Navidad!"

We had a day of buying.

Yesterday was full of a lot of things. We made breakfast for Grandpa Aitken, we went to Hobby Lobby-- I'm glad I could control myself yesterday, because I could have bought a lot of stuff. Then we went to Costco, in Orem with half of the world. We scored with a 10 pound of chicken breasts, I think the chicken's that they stole the meat from were godzilla chickens cause the chicken breasts where gi-normous. Or they are from Beverly Hills. LOL anyway. Next was a dance store where I got my tights for dance. It was great! I can't wait for jazz tomorrow! Then we ended the day at Wal Mart in Payson. We made my favorite purchase fo the day! A NEW COMPUTER! It's super nice. We are both really happy with it. Yahoo for buying, not shopping. Right Dad?

This computer is awesome because the tower is so bitty. It is maybe a foot tall and is super quiet. The monitor is great. I can't believe how clear the images on the screen are. Great buy.

Our First Christmas

Our first Christmas Tree.

Our first time with Christmas lights.

Our very first Christmas tree and our very first ornament.