Ring out, Wild bells

As the the new year approaches, those wild bells begin to ring out. We come to anew our journey persue. And the fugitive moment refuses to stay. Indeed, the year is dying in the night. But not yet. We still have a few days left in 2007.

We hope that everyone had a fantastic holiday season. Our thoughts were with you, our family, and meanwhile Ashley's family was with us.
We are going to start posting our adventures on our other blog so friends, etc can stay informed as our family grows and our escapades continue. Thus I have added the quick links section on the right hand side of the page. Free to check it out when you long to know what is going on in Richmond, and to read about our holiday hi jinx. If there are any other links that you wish to be added, let me know.

Here for your viewing pleasure is a little place I call Times Square- ever heard of it? But thanks to everyone for making this holiday season so special. We felt love from everybody and appreciated gifts and phone calls.

As you can see, the blog template has been updated to the New Year/Winter edition. Lets see... anything else? Nope, I don't think so. Thanks bloggers for your participation, communication, and dedication. Mark Olsen out!

strictly business

On behalf of Kristi and myself, we would like to welcome everyone into the Christmas season of 2007. With Christmas nearly here, it's time to make a few announcements regarding the annual program that will take place on the eve of the 24th:
This year's program is going to be a little different, but don't worry, we will guide you through it. We are going to be asking for participation from more members of the family than in previous years. So far, here is who we believe will be joining us for this wonderful evening: Mom; Dad; Jeannette; Heidi, Jarom and fam (Heidi, are you expecting your inlaws to come?); (Me); Kristi and Cade; Kelli; Danny; Kurt. Please let us know if there are any mistakes here. We will be contacting you on an individual basis in the very near future to let you know your assignment. It would be very great if you could practice and prepare a little. But above all, please do not discuss or disclose any information regarding the program with anyone else.
Wishing you a very merry Christmas,
Mer and Kristi
Event planners

a hamburger is

Just in case our family of bloggers is interested, We are moving on saturday or monday to our new home, aka, still no door to our bedroom, but closer than our current house. also, we hope we sell our contract so we don't pay two rents. even though it would be like we had a really nice place, but really we'd just be paying for two different places not one nice one. (just like my camera i got for christmas last year, its like i got a really nice one, but i really just got two cheaper ones)
peace out one and all,
humbug humbug
MERRY CHRISTMAS

Happy Birthday, Jeannette

OK bloggers listen up. This is Mark Olsen, east coast correspondent, checking in with the latest news on music, fashion, and popular culture that my fans and followers have been anticipating:

First item of business- Happy Birthday, Jeannette. I thought of you today as your name entered our home in the form of a popular Christmas carol. (Bring a torch! Jeannette is a bell, uh...)

OK next: some chirstmas hints for us. Ashley just fell asleep, so I will go out on a limb and say we want..........socks. Yep, socks. Stripes, plaids, argyles, spots, you name it. Of course I refer to the thinner dress sock, not an athletic sock. Also, a harmonica, DVD surround sound system, antacids.... on second thought, bloggers, I think it would be best if I finished this list with a little supervision. This seems to be going downhill.

I have a job interview tomorrow. Ha. I'm hoping to make it big in the world of seasonal telemarketing. I'm so nervous-psych. I should be fine if I remeber all my loyal readers rooting for me.

We did have a busy week. Ashley hosted a small part at our house on thurs, I had my last exam on fri, we had ward christmas party that night where we were in charge of the Germany room for Christmas around the world (I made some "paperhosen"), then on Saturday we had a christmas breakfast/white elephant with all the ward mission leaders in the stake; it would have been good to brush up on our "old people" humor a little bit. Oh well. The gift we came away with was some lame picture frame. Taking a risk, we tried to return it to Bed Bath and Beyond and were pleased through some glitch in their system to get $20! To the victor go the spoils indeed.
Welp, as you can see, the blog has been updated with a hip holiday look to keep up with other internet giants such as Google, Myspace, and Ebay. We anticipate a great season for ratings.
Alright kids, you'll have to wait until next time to hear about our zany adventures, reflective musings, and sage advice. Thanks for tuning in to the olsen-est URL ever invented. Mark Olsen out!

Christmas/birthday list

I'm home sick today, and I was talking to mom (calling mom when your sick, and having her be there to talk to you is so great, by the way), and she reminded me to post my Christmas list. So, here it is, in no particular order. Feel free to give gifts in installments, if necessary! j/k

(ok, how sad is that, my first post is a Christmas list!)

earings/necklaces/rings --basically any jewelry
yummy smelling lotion
lip stuff (the cool kind from bath and body works)
a temple bag
scripture case
trip to disneyland :)
weekend getaway to Heidi's house
any exercise stuff (jacket/pants/socks/earwarmer)
Rascal Flat CD (the one I own is "me and my gang")
computer lessons :)
recipes/recipe books
a good(non rusty) 9x13 pan
a good book
time with any of my family members
a piano--j/k
a nice card with a nice note
peace on earth

oh one more thing, as most of you know I enjoy celebrating the season with Krandall the Christmas beard.... Here is your update.

The most wonderful time of the year

Well well well, this blogging seems to be going wonderfully. Andrea and I have our own good news to announce.... at work andrea won the contest of the day and received "Transformers" for her efforts. She also got the top grade in her class on a presentation and therefore is exempt from taking the final in class. Great news for everyone. With that said, one week of school left and then its party time. We will have a party in my honor on saturday Dec. 15 and as are true of all olsen parties a good time will be had by all. I think that is all for now. Blog on one and all

A contest

What should the caption be? Submit your ideas in the comments!
Winners will be announced sometime.

The Party Post Three-peat

Now all other bloggers have got to admit that the Olsens Blog parties the hardiest!

ps- a christmas miracle: we got our channels back- now digital!
pss- a christmas menace: static cling on clothes. yuck!

Katherine's Party

Well, as you can probably imagine, Katherine's Princess party at Grandma Ricks's house was amazing to behold.

There were Games:

(stick the tail on the donkey)(and drop the clothespin from the height of your nose)Katherine felt like the Queen of the Day!

Lets not forget the Presents!!



Or, The CAKE!!!



Also, there were more presents on Sunday!


Overall, I'd say a good time was had by all!
(although Kristi and Kelli weren't thrilled with playing games).
And sorry, I really tried to get the pictures to be side by side (they are when I edit it and preview it, just not when it posts) so any info on how to make it not really really long would be nice.

Jeannette's very surprise Birthday!

Well, for all of you who didn't come or know, we had a surprise birthday party for Jeannette on Sunday. She came with the family to my house for a Katherine birthday dinner. On the way home she was riding with dad and he "needed" to pick up a check from Aunt Sue. They also had to stop and get gas on the way. Well, right after they left, we gathered things and left and went on the freeway to get to aunt sue's before them. When Jeannette got there Sue's fam, Greg's fam, us, and the Niedfeldts were all waiting in the family room and kitchen. Uncle Mckay answered the door and said "Jeannette! What a surprise to see you!" She and dad came in and when we all
said "Surprise!!" and started singing, you could
see it processing that there were a lot of
people there and they were all sining to her! It was so great!! I wish I'd had a picture of her face, but I do have video, as does mom. Well, as you can see from the pictures, it was a great success.

Party Pics!

Well, as you can see, the party was a success!

Frrrrrrrosted Windowpanes...

Hi there bloggers. Mark Olsen here, the beast from the east with another edition of tips and tricks, haps and snaps from richmond, Va. I know everyone has been wondering: "Mark and Ashley, when in the heck are you going to put up that darn Christmas tree?" (pardon my french). We did. Yesterday we got an appropriately-sized tree that we named "Stubbs" and decorated him-I mean it- today before the devosh. Fantastic. He sure is a thirsty little guy. Ha. Also, I'm sure you have all heard the rumors about Ashley's baby shower. Yes, she had it on Friday night and yes, a good time was had by all. She had a lot of friends that were generous and gave some cute outfits, onesies, blankies, dipees, binkies, and stinkies. Because the circle of friends grows so large in this ward the girls had it the club house of our apartment complex, and there was plenty of hot chocolate, chicken salad on croissants, pasta salad, and bread salad. How neat! Actually, not enough for me to have left overs, so almost plenty of food :(

On a lighter note, I have 5 days of school left, which should be nice. I am trying to find some type of part time job for December (maybe Baby Gap), but I guess nobody appreciates true greatness. Too bad.

In other news, Ashley is back with her Beau after being away out west for 2 weeks, and Lanie, Beau's mom, is having a girl at the end of the month. Which reminds me: Ashley will be 33 weeks on friday. This is the real deal, folks. I mean, this is legit. For real.

As you can tell, things are picking up into full gear for holiday season, and we hope you all are doing well. Until next time, fans and followers, Mark Olsen out!

Oh one last thing: I was a migrant worker for Halloween. Sorry so many pics.

Don't you guys wish Kelli would participate in our family blog? I sure think it would be great if we could be informed on her social life... oh well. That would probably be a nice christmas gift to the family from Kelli-- the gift of blog.

this is us we are now happily married

we are awesome

in case anyone is curious about our christmas list(s)
a woman's pair of pants (chosen by kelli, just like some kelli has)
clothes of any kind
a woman's coat (just like kelli's also)
womens razor heads or new razor or electric womans razor
cade wants a really nice razor electric style
pots and pans
Sleeping bags/ tent
elf

also, life is going great as newly weds. nothing exciting to report.
kristi and buck

Hey bloggers, 2nd lieutenant Mark Olsen reporting for duty, once again, to keep my fans and the public informed and updated on critical issiues. I hope that everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving together. I know I did. I guess for me the best part was that I got to hold a little baby girl (Mckenna- 9 lbs, 3.5 month old) instead of helping with dishes. What a relief. I'm sure all of the Olsens in the blogging community would love to hear other Turkey-day stories of triumph and/or disaster, so get posting, bloggers.
In other news, our speakers at church today spoke on the "abundant life," obviously referring to blessings and not money, ipods, or cars. Somehow it was mentioned that we each have the potential to create a masterpiece out of our lives. It is impossible to create a masterpiece is without joy, sorrow, sufffering, sacrifice, and love. For Lance Armstrong, his masterpiece is his devotion to cycling. Beethoven's masterpiece was of course his music (and his temper, I guess) and Michaelangelo's masterpiece was his art. I was thinking that for some people, at the end of their life, their masterpiece may be the service they've given, or maybe the family they raised, or different people that have been touched by friendship throughout their life. I know that some people create a masterpiece of patience and humility. A life of sacrificing one's self for others would also be a beautiful masterpiece.
One last thought: my buddy Steve mentioned some quote from President Eyring in his priesthood lesson today. When writing in a journal, look back over the day and ask "How have I seen the hand of God in my life or the lives of those around me today?" I bet that whether the anwswer is written or not, this great question will cause reflection and appreciation and allow us to see the deeper meaning beyond seemingly meaningless events of the day.

Keep me posted.

Rant of the Week

Hi-dee-ho, boggers. Mark Olsen here again with the weekly rant. Normally I would like to post rants and raves, but I don't have a ton to rave about this week, just rant. Of course a "good time was had by all" at the Olsen-Buck wedding last week. Great food, a new brother, and still more food. I don't know about you guys, but it was great to see the family combined for such a joyous occaision; too bad it couldn't last... which brings me to my complaint: I came back to RVA (slang for richmond) for four reasons:
1. cutting crown practical exam on monday
2. Ortho rotation on tuesday
3. Patient on tuesday
4. Possible perio written test on wed.
Significant responsibilities, am I right bloggers? So of course my patient cancelled, the perio test got moved to next week, and the ortho director is gone so the residents let us eat donuts and leave. Which means I have basically nothing going on this week. If I had rescheduled the practical exam on mon I could have stayed with my wife for thanksgiving! What's worse than an easy week at school? an easy week at school with no reason to come home :(
unless cleaning the house is a reason to come home to. I may have so much free time that my fans will get to read alot about me on the blog. They (you) will like that. Ash if you are reading this, I love you.

On a lighter note, I put back the navbar on top of the page so you can log right in without going to blogger. Plus, new wider page for improved posting.

Great job everyone. keep up the good work. I think I deserve a quesodilla right now...
PS- a funny video about a dental school trend:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ6qdxN883w

My test

hi

I did very well on my science core test.

my teacher grades it so he puts in a 1 for possible when there are really 75. I got 73 out out of 1. I got a ton of extra credit and 7,300%!

Poopsies ahoy!

I was perusing my pictures and found this one. I liked it a lot and it reminds me of my Kurt of yesteryear. And Kurt, it probably brings back the ol' patch-day memories! Please don't be offended by this picture,but hey, the blog needs a little spice, huh??

Hi everyone
I just wanted to personally thank mark for helping me with my first post on this blog.

The shower was a success!

The food was great (thanks Jeannette, Heidi, and Mary Ann!)

The company was super! (Thanks Kristi and Friends)

And this has nothing to do with the shower, but my girls are very cute in their fuzzy jammies from grandma weibell!

my mistake

There was a slight malfunction--Kurt hadn't signed out and when I went to the blogger website it was still under kurt's name. I had to show that I can do it right!

Thank you for your time. Tonight for FHE we (Dad, mom, Kelli, Danny, Kurt) are going to the play, "Much ado about nothing" at the high school. Isn't that cultured?

love,
mom

Thanksgiving

Hey, everyone. This is mom. In the middle of all this wedding business people are wanting to know what we're doing for thanksgiving. Since it's our year to host all our kids (who are in the vicinity), I thought I'd get all your opinions on what we should do: 1)have just our family (and possibly gr. and gr. weibell & Aunt Carol Lee) here at our house; 2)go to Aunt Sue's and have thanksgiving with whatever Olsen's are around: 3)Call Aunt Ginger and see what her group is up to, and possibly go to their house.(turkey bowl would be included, I imagine). If we stay up here for thanksgiving day we could also go down to Orem area friday and/or Saturday and have dinner or desserts with relatives. We could also invite any relatives who want to come up here for thanksgiving.

Please let me know your preferences, what your schedules will allow, etc.

Thank you very much.

Wedding update: things are going well. I need to finish dipping a few more spoons, make cinnamon and sugar, and buy marshmallows. I think (and hope) that's about all I have left to do. Oh, and make and cut out the labels for a couple of items in the hot chocolate bars. And remove the store labels off of some of the glassware I purchased....maybe that's all.

See you all soon
love, mom

My Christmas List!

Hello, this is my Christmas list F.Y.I. thought you ought to know! I think everyone should do the same

Kurt’s Christmas List
1. Mp3 player
2. BMX Bike
3. wave skateboard
4. Eragon movie
5. Mario kart double dash for game cube(gc)
6. the legend of Zelda Ocarina of time (g.c.)
7. Super man Returns (movie)
8. Lego set
9. Book
10. flash drive
11. Game boy game
12. play station game
13. “Brazil” hoodie
14. Spider man 3 movie
15. digital camera
16. Dance Dance Revolution
17. Dr. Mario
18. Nintendo Wii
19. Eggnog
20. The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker

Week in Review

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY HEIDI!
A birthday should never pass unmentioned on a family blog.
Hello fellow bloggers and Olsens alike. Mark Olsen, signing in. I'm not trying to hog all the gigabytes, just keep our followers and fans updated. First item of business: Ashley passed her glucose tests with "flying colors". Whew. Can you say live-abetes? Secondly, we had a great week and played some soccer with friends yesterday; even I scored a couple goals. Last of all, if you ever feel like all your computer fonts are old, lame, and worn out (I used to), we found a great free font website www.dafont.com. We used fonts from this site to update the blog logo to make it more contemporary, in-your-face, and proactive. The blog is not sponsored by dafont.com yet, but if you need cute or proactive fonts, check it out. Isn't this a great way to share information, tips, and advice? See you soon, bloggers...

PS

check out the Ashton update to see pics from the old house.

Hey Guys

So, people. I have this crazy feeling that this will work. it is kinda fun. But I have no news to give this week, but it is late-start at school tomorrow. so, feel free to email me from 7:00-like, oh, i dunno, 9:00? So that will be an adventure. Bye-Bye

Well guys, this seems to bo working nicely. Of course we all still are waiting to hear from danny, kelli, and kurt. And Jeannette. Any rant and rave of the day will be fine. The point is to keep your family connected with your true self. For example:
Hey bloggers, Mark Olsen here, signing in. Weather is fair, morale is high, Ashley is pregnant. I took a small quiz today, details coming soon. Also I found out that I got a B in my Medical Emergencies class. fantastic. In other news, Ashley went to the doctor today after drinking some special orange glucose drink (it took all my power to resist drinking it for my breakfast). They did a blood sugar (aka diabetes- ever heard of it) test that was high, so more testing will be done on Thurs. We will let you know. Then Ash went off to spend the rest of her day with her littel Beau and I did some work at school (AM ortho rotat, PM mannequin fillings-blah). Time for a little R and R before we begin our wednesday routine, very similar to our tuesday routine, except Ashley has a card-making recipe-exchanging party with friends. Well fellow bloggers, keep on doing what you do in cyberspace. Until next time, olsens out!

Consider this your invite!!!

Varci's Cakes

These are the cakes I made for Varci Smeddly's (sp?) Birthday Party.

Princesses








"Little Orphan Annie"



The Loot

Halloween Pics

Trick or treating at the law library








Eating a pixi stick






Carving Pumpkins






Lizzy "smiling"