Top 25 (Non-Religious) best things about CHRISTMAS

Listed in no particular order...

1.  Santa Clause

2. Christmas Lights

3. Holiday Treats

4. Christmas Music

5. Presents

6. Christmas Tree

7. Family

8. Rudolph

9.  Christmas Cards/Letters

10. Friends

11. Parties

12. Anticipation

13. Christmas Breakfast

14. Making Snowmen

15. Sledding

16. Game Nights

17. Snow

18. Skiing

19. Christmas Movies

20. Children's Christmas Programs

21.  Hot Chocolate

22.  People are nicer (at least for a few days)

23.  New Pajamas

24.  Letters to Santa

25. Toys

If there are some critical things I have missed, please feel to "comment" below.  I welcome your input.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

The lights at Temple Square

We are excited to go to Temple Square as a family tonight with the Hansen family

This is our families annual tradition.

The lights are always so beautiful!

EXCITED for the HOLIDAYS!!!

I'm looking forward to gather with family to have a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner and catch up on everybody's busy lives.  It will be so good to see family.  Some will travel across states to get here.  I love to be with family.

One of our favorite things during the holidays is hot chocolate!  My girls seem to drink it about every day.  It is soooo good during the cold weather.  Something about it is very comforting.

Christmas can get a bit crazy for all of us.  I know that this time of year gets crazy for me at work.  As a result it is easy to forget what it's all about.  I have committed to try and keep my focus this year on the simple joys of the season.  Especially our Savior Jesus Christ in whom I am so greatful for.  Merry Christmas to all!

Super Heros are more interesting

I can speak with athority on this subject...

First off, let me say I truly love people in general. I think, for the most part, people are good by nature and mean well. I will say however, that there are those that make me question this general concept. As many of you readers know I work in an industry where occasionally we get in the "upper crust" of society so to speak. I will say I have only met a couple of times some of these people who think they are better than any of us. It is a rarity. The ones that seem to treat the "lower class" poorly are the "wannabe richies." What I mean by this is the people who want to appear wealthier than they really are. I believe the word here is "pretentious." These are the ones who are just barely avoiding bankruptcy. Their homes are close to foreclosure, their fancy cars are always leased, never owned. There are items in their wardrobe that still have all the tags on them even after they have had the items in their closet for a long time. Even all of these things are "OK" with me, the problem I have is how they treat people. I think some honestly believe we are here to serve them. I don't mean this in my business setting only. I have seen it at restaurants, at movie theaters, grocery stores, hotels, and other places. I wonder if they are so upset with the "lies of richness" they live on a daily basis it just makes them miserable and they take it out on others. This is a shame. It is so nice when you meet someone who is so pure and truthful and not truly after something else.

May we all strive to treat people as good as we possibly can. "Kindness is always remembered, meanness is never forgotten."

Thanks for letting me rant!

MIKKSOLO

GET SMART!

We just went and saw Get Smart last night with Tammy and Russ.  We loved it!  I haven't laughed out loud at a movie like that for quite a while.  Besides too many swear words, I would highly recommend it to ya' all.  "Missed it by that much!"

Shawn

I went to Disneyland 2 days ago. I had so much fun. Toy Story Mania was open for a sneak peek review. That ride is a keeper! 

-Victoria

WATCH YOUR STEP!

One of the people I work with had a close friend of theirs send these pictures to her after their Sunday afternoon hike.

These photos were taken in the foothills above Riverton.

I was A nice sunny day and all wanted to bask in the sun!

Say "hello" to my little friend.

Sweet Dreams!  I still have my feet pulled up off the floor.

Welcome to my site "Mikk Mermaid"

Due to recent activity on some email that we received for one of my daughters, we have deleted VICS WORLD and she will be a regular guest on Dads Blog.  Nothing too serious, but we didn't want to take any chances.  All you fellow bloggers can go ahead and delete VICS WORLD off of your links.  

Thank you,

Too bad we live in a crazy world!

Summer movies are finally here!

Finally,  the summer movie season is upon us!  We have all been biding our time, waiting

 for movies worth seeing to come to theaters again.  Well, the time is now here.  Starting with Iron Man, and this weekend Narnia:Prince Caspian, we now have some decent choices to spend our hard earned movie dollars on.  Indiana Jones 4 looks promising for May 22, (why release it on a Thursday?  Are they trying to cheat Memorial Day Weekend?)  Anyway, the summer movie season is off to a good start now.

Here is a list of promising movies for the rest of the Summer:

June 6

Kung Fu Panda (I laugh every time I see a teaser or a trailer, even though I don't want to.)

June 13

HULK (we'll see)

The Happening (New one from M. Night Shamalyananinan... you know the Sixth Sense guy)

June 20 

Get Smart (Steve Carell)

June 27

Wall-E (Disney)

July 2

Hancock (Will Smith, super hero gone bad then good again)

July 18th

The Dark Night (Batman, Christian Bale)

July 25th

X-Files: I want to believe 

August 1st

Mummy 4 

This is pretty much the end of the good summer movies.  The rest of August  looks like movies that are a waste of time.  Happy viewing!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

From just a little girl...

...to who you have become, Mother we love and honor you.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

Happy Birthday Ashley!

Remembering Ashley:

-First her smile.  It was always there.  She had the most contagious smile.  It would light up the room.

-She was my American Idol buddy.  She always new all the stuff about the contestants and would fill me in.  

-Best baby sitter in the world.  Never worried when Ashley had our kids.  They loved Friday afternoons with Ashley.  She would spoil them way too much.

-She was a big movie buff like me, only she liked romantic comedies way more that action packed super hero movies.  Go figure.

-She was a good cook.  She made Sunday dinners a few tines for our family.  Her roast was so yummy!  Her specialty was desserts.

-We had very fond memories of Family Home Evenings with Ashley.  She gave great lessons and her testimony strengthened ours.

-We loved to go out to Los Hermanos and Red Robin with Ashley.

-We loved to see her car parked in our driveway!  That meant she was home, which didn't seem like it was often enough.

-Can't remember a bad comment or mean word out of her mouth.

-She was crafty.

-She loved purple.  This is why her room was painted that way.

-It was so fun going to temple square with her to see the lights at Christmas time.

-Fun to have her friend Rom stay with us and go to Rodizio Grill with them.  She had great friends.

-She was the second best story teller ever (her mom being the first.)

-Our family is so blessed to have had her stay with us for so long.  We wish it could have been longer.  She is loved and greatly missed by all.

Here's the latest pics

Fuzz Head!

Dad mowed my name in the lawn

Check me out!

Here are me and my "sibs" right after I got home from the Hospital

This is my portable "suntan" bed to help me get rid of my jaundice

Hadley likes me!

Mom and me after our baths

My Dad thinks I'm pretty cool!

My dog lexy and I having a secret conversation.  ..."Yeah, I think those parent types are strange too!"

My "boxing gloves" in the Hospital.  I guess they didn't want anyone to get and eye poked out.

Ready to go Home!

I had to get my "Billy Reubin (what?)" count down before they would let me go home.

Ahhhhhh, Car seat.

GO JAZZ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Mikkelson Family Schedule for this week

Thank you one and all. We have already had so much help, and such wonderful meals. Please feel free to come and visit anytime now that we are all home. Just all before you come so we can make sure we are ready. We are once again reminded of what an amazing family we have.

Love,

Shawn, Rischelle and "VAHK" (Victoria, Annika, Hadley and Kale)

Wahooooo! a BABY BOY

Dad in his space suit right after I was born.

Dad, Mom and me... What a team!

Kale Shawn Mikkelson  9 pounds 7 ounces 22 inches long

I'm a BIG BOY (our biggest)!

I didn't even cry much when I was born.  Just kind of looked around a lot.

Mom is happy to have me even after the "ordeal" I put her through.

My big sister Victoria is going to be a great baby sitter!

Annika is going to keep me laughing!

Hadley's happy she's not the youngest anymore.

"Grandma Grams" thinks I'm pretty neat.  I get to be the latest grandchild she spoils too much!

Mom thinks the food here is awful... and it is!

Look! Grandpa Sam is helping me learn how to palm a basketball already.

Grandma "C" thinks I'm swell.  I'm probably her last grandchild.  You know what they say, "last the best of all the gang."         J/K!

Thanks to all of you who have shown me and my family so much love and concern!  You have been so much help already. I look forward to getting to know all of you a little bit better.