It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

I am so excited for Christmas this year! Like I usually am every year but this year there will be a couple things that are different. First I'll get to spend all of it with my handsome husband! It's my family's year this year and I'm excited to show him exactly how Christmas works at our house. I'm also excited to have Christmas with my family. It will be so much fun to have little kids again. This Christmas we will also get a phone call from Braden and Ben! This will be Ben's last Christmas and Braden's first. My families first missionary phone call! We miss them both a ton but we are so so proud of them! Last night Mark and I got our Christmas decorations up. We have been given a lot of stuff from Mark's parents so we feel blessed that we even have stuff to decorate with. I love Christmas time, the lights, the music. It's just all so exciting!


A few months ago Mark heard some rumors that the varsity volleyball team this year was better than his team in high school. He wasn't very impressed and wanted to prove to them who the real champs were. He talked to a couple of his team mates about possibly doing a game during alumni here in Cardston. He heard back from a few people but it didn't really look like it was going to work. Well when the high school team lost in zones and ended up not being able to go to Provincials the smack talk started in the Olsen family. Brady played for the high school team and his older brother Mark played with Mark back in the day. This motivated both teams to actually make this game happen so Mark and Mark got most of their team together to play most of the high school team.

 It was so much fun to see how excited the alumni team was. They were just so happy to be playing together again. The alumni team actually won 2 sets out of 3, but I think everyone had fun:)

Chasing Birds!

Mark has a lot of people that are close to him and 4 of those people refer to themselves as the Blood Brothers. It all began in grade nine. From the sounds of it it started off as a kind of club-by invitation only. I know that I had lots of clubs when I was in Jr. High and not a one lasted more than a few months. These boys, James, Ryan, Johnny and Mark, somehow made it last years! I knew of this bond in High School and as I hung around these boys I understood that the Blood Brothers didn't hang out all the time, they didn't walk down the halls with matching leather jackets and they didn't hold regular meetings but they understood that they were there for each other. I have seen each of these boys get strength and confidence from the fact that they have brothers to lean on. The Blood Brothers are the koolest boys I know, and I was lucky enough to marry one of them! In their grade 12 year the Brothers added a fifth. Cody! What do I say more? He was definitely the completion to the group and I believe that like Sid he's the glue that has kept these boys together. The original 4 Blood Brothers all served honourable missions and got home and married within 7 months of each other. March 18, 2011-October 8, 2011. A couple weekends ago we all got together in Whitefish at Carly's cabin. It was soo much fun! It was awesome to be able to get to know the wives better and to catch up with everyone! These boys definitely picked some incredible women to spend eternity with. I hope retreats with this group happen often.

Carly LOVED Rook! I think it might have been the only reason she came:)

James and Allison making grilled cheese! Yum!

Yes we did play the dance game!

These boys turn into little kids again when they get together...but now they talk about politics too.

So the girls may have locked ourselves in a room for some girls talk for a bit. I'm not sure what their plan was with the pillows...? 

It was such a long day but in such a good way! We were all so tired but excited to be together.

This is Sunday morning before everyone started to head home. You can tell that make up didn't really make an appearance. It was one of those times when spending time getting ready was a waste of time when you could be out there hanging out with everyone else.
Thank you everyone for traveling just so we could all be together! I know Mark and I had so much fun! And we love you all very much!

Family Fun!

So I'm still playing catch up but these events are too important to miss!

Thanksgiving was a lot of fun, family and food. We had dinner with the Drews on the Saturday in between the temple and reception for Johnny and Jaqui's wedding. Sunday was dinner at the ranch with the Moojalsky's and then Monday we headed out to Taber to have dinner at Karen and Craig's. We did the annual Billy goats gruff, jumping in the leaves and the football game and as usual it was a whole lot of fun!

Cute Cousins!!
They really are I promise...You just can't tell in this picture:)

This is Mark telling Our story. 

The Newlyweds just being cute!

Cute!

Billy Goats Gruff.

Beautiful Em.

Crazy Nat!...and Grandpa.

Pushing the troll off the bridge.

My cute in-laws! They're pretty awesome! I'm a lucky girl to be apart of this family.

Football:)

 Fast forward to the end of October and this same family all gathered in the Lethbridge airport to welcome Elder Toth home. It as fun to be there in all the excitement and it was great to see Adam again. Adam and I graduated together and it's crazy that we are now family. I wouldn't have guessed it 2 years ago.

Soo excited!!

This isn't the greatest picture but the coolest thing is happening in it. As Adam walked into the airport everyone got to see him talking to the couple in the doorway and give them a pass along card! Way to be Adam! I don't think his parent's could have been more proud.

Mom's hug! :)

Dad's hug!

Welcome Home Elder!

A very proud Grandpa!

Family Photo!

I love this! O Mike!

And just for an extra smile...

How cute are they?! Obviously Ryenn is loving it, Landon not so much.

Ready?!

Well hello again! I apologize for the lack of blogging. It's been a little bit difficult to keep this up to date with out internet at home. Since I've been on here last lots and lots has happened. First off we have moved to CARDSTON! Yay! We are renting a small little house that Lauren and Cody own and we love it! It's so nice to be above ground and so much fun to be so close to family. We both are loving it...except for the commute into Lethbridge 5 days a week but that will come to an end soon. But lets go back to this summer for a second. Mark and I were able to save up and take a trip to Utah and California in August. We had so much fun! We were able to go to a wedding in Utah for one of Mark's favorite mission companions, Devin Lanier, and then we headed to Cali to attend James and Allison's wedding in Oakland. We stayed in California for about a week with Megan and Kyle and had a blast! Let me show you... (Get ready for picture overload!)

This is my handsome husband driving down to Utah. My wonderful father-in-law let us borrow his brand new car for the trip. It was so nice! Thank you Peter!

The Lanier's!

Drew, Lanier and Laurie. They love each other.
While in Utah we stayed with Melanie and Alex (my aunt and uncle) unfortunately I don't have any pictures but we had a lot of fun seeing my cousins and their spouses. And of course chatting into the night with Melanie and Alex and Shayla and Mike! I love my family:)

Dave N Busters! Soo much fun!

We got to go to 6 flags with Megan and Kyle. We had so much fun but realized that we aren't kids anymore. We were exhausted by the afternoon!

I love having in-laws that are this much fun:)

James and Allison had such an awesome wedding! It was a beautiful temple and a beautiful day with a gorgeous couple.

Cute!

3/5

The men.

This is on top of the Oakland Temple. Check out that view!

While we were in Oakland area we got to meet up with another one of Mark's mission companions, Liam. He actually came to the family dinner with us. Apparently we're going to name of our first son after him...I have to admit I liked the name better after meeting him:)

The happy couples!

While in California my wonderful Uncle Justin and Aunt Sandra offered to take us to San Francisco! It was so much fun! But also so weird to be in such a big, busy city. I'll admit this country girl was a little overwhelmed but we definitely enjoyed the day and ready to go back!

The windiest street in the world!

The Golden Gate Bridge!

The next few months we had 2 more important weddings. Ryan and Carly and Johnny and Jaqui!

These two looked great! It was so exciting to be at this wedding! Carly is one of my best friends and Mark and Ryan are even closer. Mark and I were able to help with some of the decorations at the reception which made for a bit of a busy, long day but it was so much fun! We danced ALL night long! With a special visit from Trevor Panczak.

3/5

Johnny and Jaqui got married in October. It was a beautiful day! This is another wedding were we danced all night! It definitely made up for the fact that we missed the dance at our wedding because the power went out!

Ryan and Carly showed up in the sealing room unexpectedly. Ryan called that morning to ask for the second time for the day off to come to the wedding and they rushed to Cardston from Calgary just in time. And we were glad they did. We definitely had fun spending the day with them.

We have fun!

And so do they:)

Aw cute!

March 18 2011-October 8, 2011
Way to go boys!

We had such a fun summer! It was filled with a lot of people that we love!