Greg and Brittany Rose

The Ceremony…Saying I do… and Exchanging of Rings

You may now Kiss the Bride

Adoring Looks

I now present to you… Greg and Brittany Rose

Family Pictures

Just Married!!!

Thanks for letting us be a part of your special day. We wish you guys many years of happiness.

Saying, “YES!”

My little brother Greg is getting married.

He officially proposed to Brittany (with just the two of them) while Brittany was here visiting from Idaho Falls. She said, “Yes”.

But because of a few different ring swaps with the jeweler the ring ended up back in Greg’s possession and what a better way to get it back on her finger than to “pop the question” again, in front of all the family at the rehearsal dinner. She said, Yes…again, and seemed just as excited the second time around. It was really sweet and fun to be a part of.  

“Mom, Look, The workers are taking the fence down!!!”

A couple of years ago we were told that a park was going in around the corner from our house. We were all really excited to have one so close to home. We watched them level out the ground, put in sprinklers, plant grass and trees and couldn’t wait to see the play structure, benches and picnic tables go in. But wait a minute… It’s been over a year now and our park still looks like this. My kids say it can’t really be called a park because it’s missing one very important item… THE TOYS!!!

Well guess what folks, the toys are in! After 2 years of waiting, we finally have a park. The kids have been watching and waiting for the last 3 weeks as the workers have been assembling this play structure. Today, as we pulled out of our street the kids all screamed, “MOM, LOOK, they’re taking down the fence from around the toys. We can play on them!!!”

I made a quick B-line across the street so that the kids could “officially” be the first to try them out. They had a blast!

Yea for our new park! 

Dear, Dad... Hugs & Kisses, Alaina

With the kind of work schedule Dan has had lately, as he runs the businesses, the kids have become extremely patient and understanding about his time availability. But it hasn't always been that way. They have had to learn that dad has other responsibilities in business that need to be taken care of in order to provide the lifestyle our family wants and needs. They have had to learn that their dad doesn't have summers off, or afternoons off, or even some Saturdays off. They have had to learn that dads who run businesses, especially in the start up phases, don't just work 9-5. This is sometimes tough on them, considering that they want their dads time and they "want it now!!!"

 

They have learned to value the time he is home, and respect and cheer him on for the time he is away. Whether he is away investing in real-estate, teaching seminars, selling security systems, training employees, bidding landscape jobs, or anything in between. The kids are learning to appreciate what "dad being gone" means and how it dovetails into his family and church life.

 

Fortunately, Dan does a great job of utilizing the time he does have at home with HIGH PRIORITY and QUALITY time with his kids and with me. He isn't watching TV or doing "guy things". He isn't getting into the next hobby or finding excuses why he can't "be with the fam". Instead, he goes out of his way to make sure that if he has some time at home, games are being played, trips are being taken, relationships are being built, scriptures are being read, and memories are being made.

 

Well, since his time at home is often limited, the kids eat up every moment they get of his time. AND, we have to make sure they are constantly being reminded of how cool it is that Dad or Mom are sacrificing there time and money to create stability and fun in the home.

 

So, after a fun little weekend trip away, Alaina went back to school and started thinking about how fun her weekend was. She took the initiative, on her own, to stay in from recess to write her "daddy" a love note. The fact that it was unprompted by anyone or anything other that her own thoughtfulness makes me appreciate her that much more. It is cool that the coaching we are giving, although we think it probably goes in one ear and out the other, is actually sinking in with our beautiful young children. 

Thanks Alaina for sharing such a loving note with your dad. I know it touched his heart and brought him to tears. Actually, it brought me to tears too. I love knowing that you see all that your dad does for you and that you are beginning to appreciate it. We both love you so much. Thanks! 

 

Lots of fun in Seattle, packed into two little days

Friday, DAY 1: Science Center, Carnival, Dinner at the Space Needle, and Swimming.

We had a great time in Seattle this weekend with the kids and our nephew Kayleb. Our first stop of the day was the Science Center. The kids always have a blast there with all of the interactive exhibits and games, dinosaurs, butterfly garden, fountains and much much more.

There main exhibit right now is Animal Grossology. It was hilarious! Each station had a different gross animal fact and an activity to do. The kids really liked this room.

 

We made it to an IMAX showing of Night at the Museum while we were there. The whole family loved it. (It’s BrUndon) Ha Ha!

On our walk over to the Space Needle we ran into all of the carnival rides and had a little time to kill before our dinner reservations so we stopped to play.

  

The Space Needle was super spendy for a family of eight but the experience was totally worth it. The kids loved looking out the window as the whole restaurant moved slowing in a circle during dinner. They wrote notes on their drink coasters and propped them up in the window sill  to see if we would make it back to them by the time our dinner was done.

One of the best parts of dinner was to watch the kids faces as their dessert was brought out to them. Oh, the excitement! They had lunar sundaes. The ice cream sundae dish sat suspended over dry ice which made smoke spill out of their desserts covering our whole table. It was quite the presentation.

By this picture you can tell we had done a lot of walking today. When stepping off the space needle elevator my flip flop broke. I tried to keep it on my foot by squeezing the middle piece of strap between my toes and sliding my shoe along the ground but it just wasn’t happening, so I got to finish our walk down the city street and to the parking garage like this :) Sweet!

A little hotel swimming to finish up our evening. 

Saturday, Day 2: The Aquarium, Puget Sound, Curiosity Shop, and the Woodland Park Zoo.

We headed down to Pike Place Market and the Sound to start out our adventures for today. We walked down to the Aquarium and had a lot of fun looking at all kinds of fish and underwater creatures. I think the family’s favorite was watching the octopus swim around.

We walked around down by the ocean, walked through a few shops and ate lunch at Ivars. (Here’s Kayleb’s purchase from the curiosity shop. A Whip. Like a real Indiana Jones Whip. I asked him what he was going to use it for and he told me, “ To keep his mom in line, make sure she doesn’t  give him any lip :) Yeah Right.

Dan kept all of our little ducks in a row down the busy Seattle streets. (Hut 234)

We finished out the rest of our day at the Zoo. The kids two favorite things at the zoo were feeding the giraffe’s (So Cool!) and playing inside of all of the different animals home’s. Lots of fun!

   

After all of this fun packed into two days it was time to head home. Great Vacation!

My little Nose Pickers :)

One of Hudson's favorite things to do these days is...pick his nose. I guess I wouldn't really call it "picking" because he actually just likes to stick his finger in his nose. The more I tell him to take it out and stop, or the louder I react (usually by laughing or telling him yucky & gross) the further he shoves his finger up his nose. He thinks it's hilarious!

He's even tried one-upping himself by throwing a second finger in the mix. I tell him, "Hudson, that's so YUCKY." And he replies back to me," No Mom, izzzz YUMMMMEEEE."

The other day he was calling me from his highchair for about 5 mins. while I was down the hall getting the kids ready and off to school. All I could hear was, "Mom look, Mom a funny. Mom look, a nose. A funny." So when I walked into the kitchen this is what he wanted to show me.

Again, he thought he was hilarious.

Immediately this picture I had received in an email a few years back, flashed through my head. Not so funny Hudson, Owieeeee!

Hudson's favorite time to stick his finger in his nose is when I get the camera out to take a picture. This pic is from a recent family vacation. Right before I snapped the shot there were no fingers in the nose. But, he's a quick one! He did it just for my picture.

Also on our trip, I tried taking a picture of him doing really silly things with his knees and feet, but when he saw the camera he stopped immediately and...

you guessed it. Did this! 

(We may be skipping family pictures this year)

I know exactly who to blame for this "finger in the nose" obsession...

His dad, Dan the "Nose Picker" Ostler.

 

I don't know if Hudson has actually ever seen his dad stick his finger up his nose, but it definitely runs in the genes.

In about 50% of Dan's pictures his finger is in his nose. I don't really know how it all began. It could have been his strong dislike for taking pictures, I think he actually thought that sticking his finger up his nose would ruin the picture and therefore not be used, but when he does that in all of them you end up having to keep a few. (Or hundreds) 

Maybe it's just something that has been past down from generation to generation in his family. Here's Uncle Mike and Uncle Scott teaching him the ropes.

And so the corruption begins.

Weddings weren't special enough to break away from tradition.

This habit continued on through his mission...

and then on into married life. Still picking away.

Dan likes to mix things up, and gets a little festive during the holidays.

"Well", you say, "surely those are all old pics. Certainly Dan has matured by now and changed his ways." 

OH NO!! This picture was taken last week while testing my camera out in our home office. "Pose for me", I asked him......And, here is what I got. 

So, from 1976-2009, Not a whole lot has changed. Therefore, I submit to all... My son is doomed for life to be a nose picker. It is most certainly in his genes. :(

(No boogers were eaten or harmed in the making of this blog post)