We just got back from Eastern Idaho. What a trip! The roads up were very bad. The roads back were great, thanks too a little bit of a thaw. Things at my mothers were pretty loud. With 10 of the 29 grandkids present most of the time. But it was fun visiting with grandma, cousins, and Aunts.

Gaylen took the kids sledding yesterday. He is feeling it today. Just a little sore. They had fun and got very wet. When they got home we had hot soup ready for them. You could say it was the perfect snow day.

We also got a chance too visit with the kids' Grandma Pierson on Sunday. We enjoyed spending time with her also. The kids got a $10 bill from her and their Aunt Denise. The catch was that it was in a 3-D maze puzzle. They had too figure it out before they could open it and get their money out. That kept them busy for a little while. It was a challenge.

This year will start pretty crumby. I won't have anyone to kiss when the clock strikes midnight. Gaylen will be working that night. And the next and the next. But, There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Next week he gets to be on the day shift at least for 4 months. That will be a good change for at least a little while!

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I didn't get a Christmas card out this year. So I'm posting it on my blog.

The Piersons have been very blessed this year. It's years like this that confirms my testimony that God lives and he answers our prayers. Even to someone so undeserving as I.

Gaylen started to look for a new job last year. He had an offer from this place in Los Vegas. We just didn't feel good about taking that one. He also applied for one at the site in Eastern Idaho. That didn't go anywhere. At the first of Jan. he an interview with IMFLASH in Lehi. The company offered him a job and wanted him right away. But Gaylen wasn't available until the first part of March. So he went to take the job and left me to get the house ready for sale.

I think I got the shaft. Me doing all the work on the house and keeping the kids in check, and driving to and from all the concerts. But we actually the house sold in 3 weeks, from the time we put it on the market tell the time we signed the closing papers. We were moved out by the end of April.

A month latter we were going to close on the house we found here in Eagle Mountain, UT. We were driving with our realtor to check out some repair work that was done on the house. At that time we were in a car accident that could have been pretty bad. No one had serious injuries. That was a blessing in itself. A few minor bumps and some big bruises.

The car on the other hand, wasn't so lucky.

Things have been a hugh blessing. And the move was really an answer too my prays.

Alisa is a sophomore in high school and can't wait to get a job and get her driving lince. She has had a hard time with fitting in and feeling comfortable around new people. She is doing better and is making the adjustments. She is a strong girl who will do amazing things.

Alex is a freshman this year, and has been doing well. The only problem is the fact that this new school doesn't really have a good band or choir program. Music is his outlet. And when he doesn't have that, other things go down hill for him. But he does like it here.

Katherine is doing well in the 5th grade. We just have to keep her on track when doing homework. She is too much like her mom.

Emma is doing well and full of life. She keeps me on my toes. Boy she comes up with some very imaginative things sometimes

So we made it though with only a few bumps on the road. See what I mean by answering my prayers!

Everyone is enjoying opening Christmas presents. It's not the most flatering picture of me but I had to be fair and post one of myself, if I was going to put everyone elses pictures up.

We have been quite busy this holiday season. Alex was in a Shakeshpere play. A Midsummers night dream. That kept us going for a couple of weeks, between practices and the play its self. I got to help with the stage makeup each night and stayed to watch at least once. He did a pretty good job.

Katherine is involved in the school choir and was praticing hard and I really enjoyed watching her preform. Gaylen really hasn't had a chance to see the kids preform this year because of his work schedule. He has 1-1/2 more weks on nights and then he goes back to days.

Emma also had a first grade choir concert. I would have posted the little video I recorded but I haven't figured that part out yet. It was very cute!

Alisa hasn't been involved with the music program this year. The school they are attending doesn't have a very good music program. It was pretty disappointing for the kids. Infact Alex is switching to a public school this next semster because he needs music.

I'm still trying too keep up with the house. And every now and then, I will substitute for the high school.

Well I haven't kept up on my post lately. I've been torn between blogspot and facebook. I will try too do better.

I hope everyone is having a Merry Christmas! We have had fun this year. Here are a few pictures of this years festivities.

I'm washing the Christmas devotional on TV. I could use some real Christmas spirit! I love the season, but a lot of the time I worry about the commercial and that Santa does a good job for my children. Then after the presents are open, I sort of get what I call the Christmas let down. I really need to teach by example and teach the real meaning of the season, and what the season is really about. The gift Christ gave us and all that has been done so we can have joy. So at this time of the year I try to be positive and I'm going to be looking harder for how I can give gifts to others by service, and hopefully share this opportunity with my children also.

We did get our tree up and house decorated. We even have lights on the house, and they are lite up! (First time in about 6 years. I've had the lights for about 7 years.) I give the credit to Alisa and Alex. They are the ones who climbed up on the roof. Gaylen doesn't like latters or heights.

Thanksgiving was a quite one this year. Just our family and my younger sister's family. But after dinner we had the annual pie fest at my sister's house. Most all the family were there. Brother sisters nieces and nephews, lots of people. You name it we probably had the kind of pie you wanted. It was fun and very, very, VERY loud! After we had pie, we mapped out and made plans for the after Thanksgiving shopping insanity. It just started with my one of my older sisters and I going to Wal-Mart. Grabbing what we wanted and going home. We were back before anyone had gotten out of bed. Now pretty much everyone has an assignment. Grandma has the cushiest job of watching the grand kids. And we don't get back until after noon. It's pretty crazy.

Here are some of the photos of us decorating. Everyone helps and wee have a lot of fun.

You may be wondering about my post a couple posts ago, when I said Emma was a black cat for Halloween. But the picture is of Emma as a Hula girl. Well, At the time of our little neighborhood party the day before I had not gotten her costume done yet. So Emma being the girl that she is said she would deal with it. What a girl.

I wanted to can some pinto beans tonight, so I soaked them last night and boiled them and bottled them today. Then It came time to process them. I went to look for my pressure cooker and couldn't find it anywhere. In prefect Rhonda style, I forgot that I lent it out. So now I have to wait to process them until tomorrow. I can really be absent minded most of the time. Well, at least I have everything done and I can finish them tomorrow.

On another note we have snow in the Mountains, and quite a bit of it. I hope to get some pictures of my beautiful view that I get to see every morning. That is if I remember. I will post them as soon as possible. I love the look snow gives to the mountains. I'm just not so crazy about when it gets down to my house and I have to drive and walk in it. Such is life. When it comes I guess I will have to "deal" with it just like Emma. I guess you know by now, Emma has to "deal" quite a bit, that is if you ask her anyway.

Aghh!!! Obama won. Heaven help our country. Pray that he will do right by this country. I hope he prays, but I don't know if he even believes in God. Actually that part scares me to death. I hope everyone remembers, this country was founded as "One Nation Under God."

Craft fair bust!

I have been working hard for about a month trying to make things for this craft fair we had on Saturday. Well I made a total of -$10.00. Some would ask how is it possible to do that. With the cost of the both fee, it was really easy. And if you add in the money I spent, I was in deeper than that. On a more possitive note. The kids had a great Halloween. Emma was a black cat and Katherine was a Vampire. Emma kept a count down until Halloween day, and was very nerveous that I wouldn't get her costume finished in time. I couldn't let her down, so I ended up staying up till midnight, but I got it done. I really tried to find a cat tail and ears to buy, but no such luck. I got creative and made a tail out of a sock and stuffed it with polyfil. I got felt and cut them into the shape of ears and stitched them onto a head band. I guess all that matters is that a 6 year old got to dress up in what she wanted for Halloween.

Well, I have finally got it done. I acually started a blog all by myself. So far the blog is pretty boring, but I'm still tring to get grasp on everything. One of these days I wll have a great blog page. I figured since they are quite the rage aroung here that I might try to give it a chance. My next gool is to learn haw to get pictures from my computer to my blog so I will be able to share my pics. I'm hoping to get everything put together and then send the address out to family and friends. I could have a lot of fun with this one.

I've been very busy this week trying to get things made for the craft show I'm doing. I've been making thing like: beaded necklaces, beaded book marks, earrings, bracelets, beaded ponytail holders. I am also making cards. I really hope we get a good turnout at this show. We are trying to raise money to get Alisa to Italy for her study abroad program. It's quite expensive and So far I'm not too optimistic about being able to raise enough money. We are trying to come up with different fund raising ideas.

The kids have a long weekend, but my girls have been home all week because they have been sick with a cold and allergy problems. They are going a little stir crazy being stuck in the house all week. Especially Emma, she loves to spend time outdoors. I gave in a couple of times and let her spend a few minutes out playing with the dog. We all haven't been feeling too well, that is everyone but Alex. For some reason he as not been affected by everyone else's cold. I think we are on the mind. At least I sure hope so.

This year is passing so fast and I can't help but to look back and think about how blessed we have been. And that our Father in Heaven knows each one of us individually, and answers our prays in a way that will help us the most. It may not not be the answer we want at the time, but in the long run He knows what's best for us.

I thought since everyone around here is starting a blog I would try it out. I thought it would be a good way to keep everyone up to date on our family and let you know what is going on. It would also be a good way for you to respond and share everyone's callendar.

So here's an update on the Pierson family. We moved from Boise, ID to Eagle Mountain, UT the first part of May 2008. Gaylen moved to start his new job at IMFT the first of March. He is still working in the semi-conductor business, and Micron is still a big part of the company, but they share in this company with Intel. He is really enjoying his job. Except the part about rotating back and forth to nights. But we are grateful to be here. Our prays were answered, even though we weren't sure what the answer would be. Latest news is that the main Micron plant is going through yet another layoff. We could have easily lost our job, if we hadn't choose this move. We have been blessed. We thank our Heavenly Father daily for these blessings!

To stay busy and earn a little extra money I have started substituting at the charter high school Alisa and Alex are attending. I am also beading jewelry and making cards and trying to get some things ready for a craft sale. Between that, taking care of my family, and Gaylen and my church calling it keeps me going. But for those who think I do all the work in teaching the 6 year old class, you've got that wrong. Gaylen takes his turn every other week to teach the lesson. I just take care of any visual aides that might be needed for the lesson.

Alisa spent the summer at her grandma's house taking care of her cousins Morgan and Curtis. She didn't know that she was going to have to be responsible for her grandma too. Just ask her. The best part was getting to spend some one on one time with her. Grandma Steele even helped teach her how the sew her first pair of PJs. She is now a sophomore and goes to Rockwell High School. We decided to go to a charter high school for a couple of different reasons. She would have been going to school at Lehi high school and it is about 10 miles from where we live. The school district is building a new high school closer but it does not open until next school year. It will be the biggest high school in the district. We will see if she switches at that time. We have a lot of time for her to decide. Moving has been really hard on her, but she is doing well and finally making a few friends in the area. She is becoming quite the beautiful young woman.

Alex stayed with us this summer and was a great help to me. He did a great job when I needed him to watch the girls. He can be pretty responsible. He had a lot of fun going on camp outs and making friends with the kids around the neighborhood. He spent a week and scout camp in south east Idaho at the boy scout camp ground a Table Rock. He got home all dirty and smelly as usual when boys go to camp. He had a blast and made even more friends. He also was nominated to receive the Order of the Arrow by his scout troop. He was home for about 1 week before he was gone again. His friend from Boise had invited him to spend a week at Lake Powell in a house boat. All I can say is that he had a lot of fun, got a lot of sun, and received many mosquito bites. Alex is now taller than both Gaylen and I and is still growing. I think he has slowed down just a bit. I think he is just storing up the energy to shoot up one more major time before the next slow down. He is a freshman and also going to high school at Rockwell. The over-crowding in the schools is another reason we choose a charter school. He is doing really well in school. The only problem he has would be there lack of a good music program. When he signed up they were going to be taught by The Music School. They were a school that was accredited with schools like Stanford and Julliard. But this school pulled out at the last second before the first day of school. So he is having a problem with the class. They have students form beginning levels up through the more advanced level like Alex. This is hard for Alex to work with. But I think he will do fine.