Update

Hello everyone! I just thought I would let you all know what has been going on. Nothing singularly is worthy of its own post so I thought I would just catch you all up at once.

1.) Brent is currently engrossed in finals. I have not talked to him about just about anything else since before thanksgiving break. I have no doubt that he is doing amazinginly well but we will not officially find out until late january when grades and rankings come out. He has two more final exams. One on Tuesday and the other on thursday.

2.) I am also slowly finishing up this semester. I plan to submit one of my finals today, and then take one monday tuesday and wednesday. I think I will do fairly well on all of them, well I don't forsee any major issues but you never really know. I am hoping to achieve all A's this semester but honestly I am not sure I care if I recieve a B in one or two courses.

3.) So as most all of you know the company I work for is down sizing... well going out of business. This has been happening for a while now so I am not surprised and have been expecting to be let go for a while now, this, however, has not happened. Yesterday I was pulled into my supervisors office and she asked me to stay on through next January and increase my hours a little. Well I am kinda done with the job and have made arrangments to start T.A. ing for Prof. Lott 20 hours next semester which should cover all of our needs but I said yes. I figure it is better to use that extra money from that month to save up for a harder time or even better, put it towards brents law school fund. Regardless I will still be working with Icon until the mid or late January time.

4.) Brents football team did make it to the championship game but they lost. I did not go because it was ten degrees out and I am intelligent, but brent told me that to win the championship they would have had to beat the team twice because they were undefeated. He also told me that right before the game they over heard the officials saying that they had to make sure Brents team lost so they would not have to work on saturday. I think that would have been very demoralizing and I am sure Brents team would have had a much better shot if the refs had been decent.

5.) Ericas Wedding in on Saturday. I have been helping out here and there but not a ton. I am excited and this week should be really good for her! Brent is really excited that he gets to eat at Tacano's and that we get it all for free makes him even happier! It should be a great time but I am ready freeze for pictures!

6.) WE GET TO GO HOME! Brent and I are both getting very very antzy about leaving for christmas break. Thanks to somewonderful sisters in our ward we have substitutes for our class and then we have a friend who is willing to watch Caliah while we are in Arizona! Well I should get to homework but hope you all enjoyed this!

My blog!

Okay everyone! Mon suggested as a Personal Progress project I should blog every week. I think this is a great idea and I will start right now! SO as we all know today was Blairs birthday! Yay! But he isn't having his birthday dinner tonight so I'm not going to blog about it! Instead I want to blog about a funny e-mail I got and read to Mom, dad, Toren, Audrey, Blair and Cj. They were laughing so hard! It is really true. I think this story is true for Frisbee Baxter and Itty-Bitty (our dog, our other dog, and our cool cat) Here it is!

From a Dog's Diary

8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm - Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!



From a Cat's Daily Diary...

Day 983 of my captivity.
My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects.

They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet.

Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear in to their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates what I am capable of. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a 'good little hunter' I am. Bastards.

Th ere was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of 'allergies.' I must learn what this means and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow -- but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released - and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded.

The bird has got to be an informant. I observe him communicating with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now.......

That was funny wasn't it! I loved and I will start the blogging next week too!

Dear Braden

Dear Braden,

You were blessed in church today, and we just wanted to let you know how sad we are that we couldn't be there. I'm sure your mom has told you that we're living in Ohio right now (along with Aunt Mallory and Uncle Brent). The rise in gas prices made the cost of plane tickets skyrocket recently and we just couldn't afford it. Don't worry, though, we'll be at every big event in your life after this. Even though we haven't had a chance to meet you yet, we also want to let you know that we love you very much and you will be spoiled very well by us. Look forward to that!

Love,

Aunt Audrey, Uncle Toren and Cousin Bax

For proof of how sad we are, just check out the picture below:

Two New Additions to The Huntley Family

Hello All!!! Great News we have two new additions to our family! Both are equally loved, of course, and both were long over do! The first of our exciting additions is our brand new, used portable dishwasher!



It is a portable dishwasher that we got from a nice little couple that have been using it for a little under a year. It has a counter top on it so it will also provide it more places to cook. All we need to get is the proper hook to go on our faucet and then we will be all set to go. Hopefully this will make living in our tiny apartment more appealing.

Here is the outside of the diswasher. It is a pretty good size and now we are hopeful that our dishes will actually start looking clean again.

Finally our SECOND addition to the family is our brand new kitty cat! She is only 8 weeks old and is white with black accents. We went out and despite a lot of criticism we were able to purchase everything for her for only 15 dollars! This is her!!!

We haven't been able to name her yet, Brent is set on naming her after Felix Hernadez, A mariners pitcher, but then says that felix is "To catish" and I put my foot down when he came up with Hernia.

She is extremely playful, we were able to afford some toys. This is her cat nip toy which she cased all over the living room for at least twenty minutes. She is half seimese so she will stay very slender her whole life.

She is still pretty shy and timid around us but she is wasming up very quickly. We are playing with her a lot in hopes that she will sleep with us tonight. The girl who had her before us said she she likes sleeping under the covers so I am pretty excited about it! Infact I just looked over and she is cuddled up on brents shoulder... even though he acts like it was all my decisions he will end up having a special relationship with her... I have a feeling he will attempt to teach her baseball at some point! If you have any name suggestions just let me know!

Weekend in Pullman

Well, thought I'd better post a bit about our weekend at Blake and Maren's (and Braden) in Pullman, WA. Like all good Oregonians, we headed out the Wednesday of Spring Break to visit Blake, Maren, and Braden. It turned out to be about a 5 1/2 hour drive from Portland. The drive was worth every minute as the most adorable baby was waiting to greet us when we arrived.

Honestly, I've seen cute babies before, but Braden takes the cake. Easily the cutest baby I've ever seen! Probably the cutest I'll ever see...at least until the next grandchild is born. :) Each morning, I was fortunate enough to get some alone time with Braden as mom or dad brought him downstairs when Blake headed off to work which allowed Maren to get a little sleep. Needless to say, once everyone else got out of bed, I had to take turns with Braden. It was hard to leave after only a few days.

We really liked Blake and Maren's home. Virtually brand new and a nice size for their growing family. Kudos to Blake for picking out a complimentary yellow and blue to paint their family room. Who would have thought that he has the design savvy in the family?

I was 14 the last time I was in Pullman to visit Uncle Bill and Aunt Colleen when they were Bill was completing his undergraduate degree. I didn't remember much about the town and Washington State University. The school seems bigger than I remembered and the town smaller. Although it clearly has grown since the "old" days. We visited the WSU campus and went to the bookstore and Ferdinands which is the equivalent as the USU or BYU creamery. Delicious ice cream! During our stay, we drove over to Moscow Idaho which is only 6 miles away from Pullman. The University of Idaho is located in Moscow. Two state universities located just 6 miles apart.

Thanks to Blake and Maren (and Braden) for a great weekend. I look forward to going back sometime after it warms up a bit and the wheat is growing in the Palouse.

Dad

House Update

All the dry wall is up, the cabinets are in, and the paint is on the walls. We thought we would give you a little preview of the house. Things are on schedule to be done by the middle of May. The floors and carpets need to be put in, as well as the counter tops. We are waiting for the plumbing (toilets, sinks, etc). And finally the finish work. Enjoy the photos.

Pantry Door (used to be the old wash room)Pantry (there will be shelves throughout the whole thing)

Kitchen (looking into the family room- there will granite counters on top of

Kitchen (new lighting, one of three hanging lights)

Kitchen (taken from family room, looking at garage door)

Kitchen (closer look at cabinets)

Kitchen (taken from front door- notice there is no overhang)

Master Bathroom (separate toilet room)

Master Bathroom (shower)

Master Bathroom (one of two vanities)

Master Bathroom (recessed medicine cabinet that I installed above the sink)

New Master Bath (in Blairs old room- this is your moms dream soaking tub)

Master Closet (old master bath- obviously no shelves up yet)

New Cabinets on Towel Closet

Doors leading to the utility room (upstairs- part of Mallory's old room)

New Dining Room (Old Living Room- french doors leading into kitchen)

New Living Room (Old Den- we hope the flooring looks better installed than in the boxes)

Powder Room (Downstairs)

Family Room ( from kitchen)

Kitchen (taken from family room)

We're Getting a Puppy!

The Forsberg Family blog has been looking a little bare lately, so we've decided to spruce it up with our big news: we're getting a puppy!!

I've been begging Toren for months to let me get a puppy and he finally gave in.  Actually, since we aren't allowed to have pets at the apartment we're living in he always had a good excuse to tell me no, but our new place in Ohio is pet friendly and he had no other good arguments.  I'm thrilled!  I've really needed a companion while he's at school all day, and I think it will only get worse over the summer.

So, we decided on a Beagle (Toren really wanted a French Bulldog, but I think bulldogs usually look like angry toads).  We found an Amish family in Ohio that breeds dogs, including Beagles.  We put a down payment on the cutest male and we'll be able to pick it up once we get out there.

We haven't settled on a name yet, though Toren's offered up a few that just won't work (little killer, for example).  I guess we have a month to deliberate about it.

Here's a picture of the little guy.  Cute, isn't he?

And since that's not a very clear picture, here's a better picture of a Beagle.  This is what we hope he grows up to look like.

Maren's Blog

Just so you know, I have been posting new pictures of Braden on my blog. You can find the link to the right side of the screen. It is blakeandmaren.blogspot.com.

Arrival of Braden Blake Barnett

I just wanted all of you to know the Braden was born February 27th, 2008 at 8:23 AM or 9:23AM Utah time. He weighed 9 pounds and 2 onces and was 21 inches long. Here are some photos our newest edition to our family. More photos will follow.

Maren getting hooked up to the equipment.


If you look close you can see just how proud Maren is. (Tears in here eyes)


I guess he inherited the Barnett tongue.

Proud Father and First Bath

Very proud father with son who was very upset and just wanted his mom.

First bath and he seemed to like it for the most part. I was quite surprises as well as the nurse.

This photo makes him look huge but he was a big baby. 9 lbs 2 oz.

Closing on Monday

Well, we have gotten the official word that we will be closing on our house Monday, February 25th. That means the movers are coming on Tuesday. So next week I do have some plans, yeah!

Monday- close on house and move some stuff over
Tuesday- movers come and drop off stuff
Wednesday- unload boxes & get house in order
Thursday- have the baby
Friday- stay in hospital because I am exhausted

See, a full week ahead of me. The first full week since I have moved here. I just hope that Braden follows this schedule. I am letting him wait until Thursday. I am a pretty gracious mother. I promise to take pictures of the house once things are somewhat organized. Which, accodring to Blake (because he knows me), will be on Thurday morning, maybe before the baby comes.

Yucky Sprained Ankle

Toren sprained his ankle during basketball class on Monday. It swelled to the size of a large grapefruit and was (there's no other way to say it) nasty! Lucky for us it has progressively gotten more and more unattractive throughout the week, though the swelling has gone down. We thought you all might enjoy a few pictures. Other than this exciting news, life is pretty normal in Springville.

More Pictures Needed

Blake and I were just discussing that more pictures need to be posted of the house. You have said some stuff has happened and we want to see it. I guess it is worth waiting a couple more weeks when the drywall is up.

I can't wait until it is all finished. I hope that will be for Memorial Day Weekend and Braden's baby blessing. Just make sure you have a room for us (preferably sound proof for your benefit).

Offers in...

Blake and I have officially put an offer in on a home. This is a picture of the house we love. I have to be honest with you, I wasn't that interested when looking at the photos, but loved it when we toured it. It is a nice 3 (big) bedroom home.

If everything works out smoothly, we can be in the house as soon as Feb. 22. This would be a week before the baby comes. I would absolutely love it. I will make sure to keep you are all updated.

Here in Pullman...

We are officially in Pullman. To give you a quick rundown of our trek, our friends had us all freaked out because of the weather (snow storms and all). We woke up Friday morning to a blue sky and wet, not icy roads. We were excited and started out at 9:30am. The plow truck had not made it outside of Twin Falls, so we were forced to stop in traffic for an hour and a half. The roads weren't bad, but everyone had to go slow because the snow wasn't plowed. To make a long story short, what should have taken six hours took ten. I did so well in the car, no bathroom breaks except for lunch.

I guess it had snowed so bad here in Pullman that they cancelled WSU on Thursday and Friday. Only when mt. st. helen's blew was school closed before this. This worried us a little, but once again, we woke up to blue skies and clear roads. We pulled in around noon and opened the door to the apartment we'd be staying in for the next 4 weeks. I hate not having my own stuff. We are left to cook w/ a couple pans, 2 wine glass, and some plastic silverware. needless to say, I will not be cooking gourmet meals. And this makes me more anxious to get into a house. And yes, this is a retirement community. you just have to look at the bathrooms.

We did go out with a real estate agent and after spending 3 hours looking at homes, I think we are ready to put an offer on one. It is really nice and we are hoping and praying to get it. I promise to send photos if it becomes our next home. The great thing is it is move in ready, which means we could be in the home within two weeks (before the baby comes). This would be most ideal.We went to church today and love the ward. I even found out that my Ob and Family doctor is the stake mission leader. Not that it matters that he is LDS, but it just makes it really nice. Not only will he deliver braden, but will also be his doctor (and mine too). He came highly recommended from some young sister's with kids in the ward.

Everything is working out great. I am excited to keep you guys updated with how things are going out here. Buying a home, adjusting to the area, and MOST IMPORTANT, having this little guy.

Blake and Maren wandering in the wilderness...

Mom said that Maren called on Thursday to let her know that she and Blake just locked up there very first home in Logan as they begin their new adventure as a family in Pullman. By now, I hope they have actually made it to Pullman and are safe and warm in their temporary apartment. Apparently, the apartment is in a seniors community. Kind of ironic, being so close to her due date and there they'll be in a retirement community. I have a feeling they we be surrounded by a number of surrogate Grandmas and Grandpas. :)

Good luck Blake and Maren, life is truly an adventure. Hope you treat it that way.

Dad

Blair is an Eagle Scout!

It is official, Blair is now an Eagle Scout. He sat for his Eagle Board of Review last night and after
40 minutes of grueling interrogation, he was notified that he met all the requirements for the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America.

CONGRATULATIONS BLAIR!!!

The only thing that we need to wait for now is for the National office to record his rank advancement and then send his certificate.

I think Blair takes some pride in the fact that he matched his older brother in the regard.

Once again, Theota Burns was instrumental in helping Blair make it to the finish line. Believe it or not, she has helped (and not just minimal help) more than 50 young men receive their Eagle Rank. Toren might recall that he too was one of her "boys". The women is as good as gold and we love her for all that she does.

Tom Carlson sat in the review as Blair's Scoutmaster, even though it has been several years since he was actually his SM. Believe it or not, Blair was the first young man to ask Tom to sit in as his SM. Tom pulled me aside after the Board of Review and expressed how honored he was to finally get to represent one of his boys.

Well, it you all get a chance, don't hesitate in congratulating Blair.

What goes up....

...you know the rest. :)

I've been installing new canned lighting on both the main floor and then up in the second floor attic. The first floor went really well. However, after crawling around the attic to install the first couple of lights, I headed up to start doing the hallway lights. Well, one wrong step (darned bi-focal glasses) and through the ceiling I go. Ended up on my back dazed, arms cut a bit from hitting nails, and laying in a big pile of insulation. I just laid there a bit more embarassed than injured. It didn't help that I heard Kalen in a soft voice say, "Timbbberrrrr". I could have been laying there dead for all she knew. :) Other than a bruised ego and a sore back, it appears that I'm going to survive. After my little incident I started to wonder if I really really wanted canned lights in the upstairs hallway after all.

Things are progressing quite well with the house. Although, it is a huge mess. I'm estimating that we will not be done before April sometime. Unfortunately, we have to wait until the various contractors are available. All in all, it is going well and I think it is going to meet our expectations.

Dad

Home Sweet Home...3rd try.

Had to slide the garage door over about 20 inches to accomodate the new kitchen/pantry design. Can't see it, but the cement stairs had to be moved as well. Now I need to move the light switch and garage door openers over as well. Amazing how a change in one area leads to another and another change.









Looking from the side window in the bonus room to the new door. Notice the closet cut into the back of Kalen's closet. Two closets from one. Now we can officially claim the bonus room is a bedroom.











Not a good picture of the new utility room in what used the bonus room entry. The walls shows some of the plumbing that Dave Harris is doing. His dad, Darrell Harris is doing all the demo and structural changes.











The old Master Bath and now new Master Closet. We are removing the large window and replacing it with a smaller window to allow more wall space for the closet. The window goes in at the same time the family room windows go in...a couple of weeks.









Once in the Master Bath, you can see the new shower on the left and the toilet room on the right. Mom wanted the toilet to be out in the main part of the Master Bath. This way someone can use the privy while someone is taking a bath without being in the same room.






Looking from Master Bedroom into new Master Bathroom (Blairs old bedroom).








Looking to the right once at the top of the stairs. New door into Master Bedroom. Not more Blair's room, just one big haven for the king of the house and his queen.









Looking toward the bonus room once at the top of the stairs. The door leading into the bonus room was moved about 6 feet to make room for the new utility room on the right. This hallway now seems really loooonnnnggg.










Here is what you see when you walk in the front door. Welcoming isn't it. Again, notice how open the entry is once the pocket door leading into the nook/kitchen was removed.













The new living room sure seems a lot bigger than the old den. Getting rid of the wall and french doors really opened things up. The half wall will have a tapered pillar go to the ceiling.















(Below) No more long trips to the kitchen around the stairwell. Now it is a straight shot from the new dining room to the kitchen.












Is it a laundry or a pantry? Answer... it is a lantry! That's right, wash your clothes and organize your food storage all in the same room.



























A kitchen that every woman would die for. A hot plate, microwave, electric skillet, and hot and cold running water just out the garage door. Jealous girls? No need for fancy kitchen cabinet and appliances, the new trend is toward plastic tables and open plumbing. Move over Ty Pennington!








The small bathroom downstairs just got smaller. Corner were cut at 45 degrees. See paint outline on the floor. Notice the wide opening between nook area and the entry hallway. Makes the whole area feel much more open. Can see from the kitchen into the new living room (old den).








Family room ceiling had to come down to do the plumbing for the Master Bath.










Don't know how Frisbee ot in this blog...













This is example of the pendant lighting that Mom wants to use in the kitchen. Maybe we can get little elephant lights. :(