"Thuoride" & "Sloss"

Some of the things I love most about my kids are the things that only they do and they do best. Madelynisms and Carterisms if you will.

For my children I've made a point to be very vigilant in their oral hygiene. I did not have fluoride in my water when I was young and fluoride treatments or tablets weren't really something folks were conscious of at least not in Rural America where I spent my growing up. My kids got the advantage of fluoride in their water like their mom did. They've also had fluoride tablets like their mom which we've emphasized even more since moving to Maryland and having well water.

Anyway they've had trouble with the Fl sound so it was become a Th which makes Madelyn's request for "Thuoride" completely adorable. Carter likes to "Sloss" so I make sure he has access to the dental floss and thereby avoid the same problems I've had with my teeth over the years.

I'm grateful for modern medicine and science but I'm even more grateful that my kids constantly do things that make me smile.

Here's to your beautiful smiles!

An Exceptional Woman in the Making

My Sweet MEKO (Madelyn Elizabeth Kjar Olson) is going to be every bit as exceptional as her mother. She is so cute and will be just as gorgeous as her mother in due time. She has a sweet disposition and is already playing the piano.

We will no doubt have our challenges with her, the least of all which will be meeting the endless line of boys wanting to ask her out. I may need to make a road trip to Wyoming to collect all my firearms.

She is absolutely adorable and a complete joy in my life.

I love you Meko!

An Exceptional Woman

I am married to one of the most amazing women I've ever known. Now of course one might say, "Well duh, why would you marry anything less?" I am incredibly blessed to have her for my wife. She could have married anyone she wanted and you know what, she wanted to marry me. She's told me before that of all the moments in her life the one that she's felt most sure about was the moment when she and I knelt facing each other in the Temple.

Today she gave a wonderful talk in Sacrament meeting on free agency. She was so excited in fact that when I came out of my meeting with the Branch President she and the kids were already there. They were a full 30 minutes early as I saw it, and in fact they'd been there for 20 minutes already. She was so excited (and [perhaps a little nervous) that she thought church started at 9 instead of 9:30. We've never been in a place where it started on the bottom of the hour but after 18 months we're used to it, unless giving a talk apparently. She wondered where everyone was come 9 o'clock but quickly remembered and realized her mistake.

It's things like this though that truly endear her to me. A simple and very cute little mistake that reminds me that she's human despite all of her Angelic qualities. She's been so supportive of me in my calling as Elder's Quorum President and my success will be, in large part, a result of her support and encouragement.

I love you.

Missionary Moment

Today is Carter's Birthday! Wow 9 years old can you believe it. I remember it was a Sunday when Carter was born. I was sooooo excited, just ask my mother. Apparently when I left the message on my parents answering machine, letting them know that Liz was in labor and the baby was finally coming (for real this time), I guess Mom thought I was going to hyperventilate. Anyway he arrived about 6:21 pm if memory serves correctly. He's been an utter joy in my life.

Well yesterday he went with Liz and Madelyn to the Doctor so that Madelyn could have her cat bite examined. The Doctor lives in our neighborhood and gave Liz his wife's number and asked her to give her a call since she hasn't made many friends since moving here. Well it turns out they have a boy Carter's age and Carter didn't miss a beat. Carter said, "He can come to Cub Scouts with me at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!" What a great kid.

I love you Carter.

Let's try again in 2010

Well this year is shaping up to be a good one. Let's never mind that I haven't posted anything on here for over a year but I'm determined to try again in 2010.

Since the last post I've lost considerable weight and then gained a fair portion of it back again. We took our family photo at just the right time. I was almost at my lowest weight in 4 years and I was feeling great. Of course then I had a long string of weeks and months where I was traveling and not exercising or eating as well as I should have been. Then we hit the holidays and I added a little more Holiday Chub as I've decided to call it. Fortunately I only gained back a little over half of what I lost and I got some weights for Christmas so I can lift AND run now and I hope to have the weight off again and then some in time for our family reunion in late July.

Carter will be 9 tomorrow and I just can't believe how much he's grown and how far he's come. Hard to believe he'll be getting the Aaronic Priesthood in 3 short years. He's very small for his age but he makes up for it in moxie and I was small too and not nearly as self confident or assertive as he is so he'll do just fine. In the last year he took off in the Cub Scout program and earned all kinds of badges and awards and advanced to Bobcat and Wolf. This year it will be the Bear. Scouts is something he and I really enjoy doing together and when it's warm out we shoot hoops.

Madelyn is 4 and it was fun to have her fourth birthday on the 4th of July. She's a go getter and she plays the piano every chance she gets. She will be going to Julliard I'm certain of it, I just hope she gets scholarships :o) She told us more than once this year that it was the best Christmas ever and I think she is right. It was just the four of us but she and Carter were more excited than any other year so it was truly delightful.

Elizabeth is still the compassionate service leader and I was called as Elder's Quorum President just before Thanksgiving. I just got counselors so no more flying solo and time to get work done on building the kingdom.