The Duerksen's

Wow, it has been a long time!

2009-12-01T05:39:00.000-08:00

We have had a lot go on since the last time I posted. Aiden healed fairly quickly from his tonsilectomy. The Fox family lost someone so very dear to us. We love you and miss you Debbie Fox! While we were in Lodi for the funeral, (at the funeral, I might add), Wyatt broke his nose! He is all better now but man, I am just getting used to having 2 boys! The boys started school late because we wanted to go down for the funeral (it was on the first day). So they started on Wednesday and here are the pictures:

The sun was in thier eyes, so not very good pictures. Wyatt loves kindergarten and has a wonderful teacher. Aiden loves preschool and his teacher, "Teacher Ria (Maria)". Let's see, they both got to go the pumpkin patch out in Milford:

Next up was Wyatt's birthday on October 20, he turned 5 years old! We had a combined birthday party for both Wyatt and Aiden, who turned 3 on November 16. This is the awesome cake Auntie Laura made!

For Holloween, Wyatt dressed up as Darth Vader and Aiden as Black Spiderman.

At the beginning of November, Devin hit a deer on the way to work, the car is totalled and it is one less payment which is very nice. I am very, very thankful that he is ok, I was a little stressed at first (it was a very economical car, when Devin drives at least 40 miles each way for work) but in the end it is just stuff that can always be replaced. I didn't take very good pictures, mainly pictures for insurance but you can see most of the damage in this one.

Which brings us to the present. Wyatt was circumcised the day before Thanksgiving in Reno. Long story, but he was unable to be circumcised at birth and started getting adhesions and infections so the urologist said he needed tobe circumcised and soon. Well he is getting better. Sunday and Monday were by far the worst for pain (his bandage came off, open wound, etc.) but hopefully he will start to get better soon. I can't really take him anywhere by car because his seat belt his right in that "spot", which is not good since we need to go back to Reno on Thursday so Devin can have a root canal.

As for Thanksgiving, we are so blessed. We were able to spend time on Thanksgiving day with my sister in law Kim and her family, it was such a wonderful time. Thanks Amy and Tom for inviting us with you. I love you and your family very much, you are so much like my own! The next day we went out to the in-laws house to have Thanksgiving with my father in law and those of the Duerksen's who stayed in town. We are so blessed to have so much family around and I am thankful to all our friends and family. I wish everyone a blessed holiday season!

We are home!

2009-06-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

Well the trip to Chico was quite an event. On our way out of town we found out that my sister in law (who was pregnant with twins) would be having a c-section in the morning, so we were way excited to know that the babies would be born soon. We love Hwy 32, it's so green but way to curvy, way too much for a baby in the back. Five miles outside of Chico, he had enough and threw up all over the back of the car. Way to break it in. We pulled over, cleaned up the mess and changed his clothes to be greeted with such a happy smiling child. We get to the hotel so happy that we had a clean nice room and even more thrilled that they had laundry services and free soap and dryer sheets. We decided to go to dinner first and then go back to the hotel and clean the car seat up. I forgot that I needed to go to Costco just about the time they closed. Oh well I could just go tomorrow, I thought. We went to bed early, but since I don't sleep well in strange places I fell asleep about 12:30-1:00am. My husbands weekly alarm on his phone went off at 3:30 and I was up for the day. Not good, because I am grumpy when tired. We leave for the surgery center at 6am. Aiden was actually in a good mood considering it was really early and that he could not eat or drink when he got up. We got to the surgery center and they did their thing of getting him prepped. He was starting to get antsy and nervous so they gave him medicine to call him down. We were laughing so hard, he was high as a kite. He was just laughing at everything and then when it can time for him to go back he went to the nurse and off he went. I went back to the hotel to check us out and to get breakfast. I was gone about 25 minutes and when I can back, Aiden was already out of surgery. Talk about fast! I went back to recovery and he was still sleeping. He eventually woke up and he kept saying "ouchy" over and over again so they gave him some Demerol. While I was holding him while he went back to sleep and Devin went to get his prescriptions. We were on the road by 9am, so no luck of going to Costco really quick. All I needed was chicken, oh well. He slept most of the way on Hwy 32 and that is saying something because Devin was going so slow, it took about an hour and a half to get to Hwy 36. Just before Chester, Aiden says that he wants fruit snacks. I tried to talk him out of it but he wouldn't have it. Everyone kept saying that he would let me know what he would want. Well he ate them and didn't have a problem. When we got home, I took Wyatt (who had stayed the night at Aunt Kim's the night before) out to lunch and to the store to get some soft foods and things to make chicken soup. When I got home, Devin tells me that Aiden had just ate a bowl of Cheerios. Nice. For dinner, he had chicken nuggets. He's actually doing pretty good. He even stayed with Aunt Misty while Devin and I went to see the new babies. They are so cute! He did start getting tired and whiney, so we left. He slept great last night and is already out for the evening. I think codine will do that to you. He was pretty ok today for not taking to much medicine. He won't drink a lot which is a big problem, he would rather eat. That's my boy, he LOVES food. But for not being on many drugs he's doing really good. He needs lots of cuddles but that is to be expected, my problem now is that I am sick. Not good. But thanks guys for those who have helped us and all your well wishes. We appreciate it.

Aiden's Tonsils

2009-06-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

Ok, so Aiden is getting his tonsils out this Friday. I am a little scared because my two year old is having surgery but I think the think I am most afraid of is, what is the kid going to eat and what am I going to make while he is recovering. Any ideas? I hear that he can't consume dairy products so thier goes the ice cream dinners. Anyone?

New Car!

2009-03-27T17:16:00.001-07:00

We were having too many problems with my old car (2003 Dodge Durango) so we traded it in and got a 2006 Jeep Liberty. I love it, it is cheaper on Insurance and the payment is lower.

Aiden loves his new car. He was hugging and kissing it and saying "My Car", but I missed it!

Food Storage

2009-03-07T22:28:00.000-08:00

Yeah, we finally went to get some more food storage today in Reno, that was a big shopping trip and required renting a trailer from UHaul. We now have a year of all of the basics and we are going to the cannery at the end of the month to get more wheat and dry milk, because the dry milk is best there and way cheaper then Costco. The kids think it is funny and too noisy when I grind wheat but I love it. I love the smell of it. I am excited that we are doing really good with using it and replenishing it also. Now to make sure I can most of the garden this year. That's always fun and I need to make sure I make more jam this year and I think we will be set!

Boring Life!

2009-01-18T22:01:00.000-08:00

I haven't had a whole lot of interesting things going on in my life right now. I just get up and take Wyatt to school, come home, hopefully exercise, shower and then go get Wyatt again. We have been getting together a lot with our families and let me just tell you how much I love being around so much family. I wish my family was around also but it's just as fun with Devin's family.

New Years Day

2009-01-01T22:07:00.001-08:00

I would like to say I slept in but I didn't. Our family likes to prepare for disasters and things like that, like making sure we are on top of our food storage and knowing how to use food storage. We also like to make sure we know how to cook our food outside if there came a time where we would have to live without power. Now we have a generator but we don't own our home so we don't have a transfer switch so it's kind of hard to hook it up to our home to power it. So today we had a dutch over dinner. Man the food was good, I made chili. Alicia made a peach cobbler which was really good. Kim make ribs and beans and cornbread and Aaron made Chicken soup. All was good. We went around tasting everything. Man we have some good cooks in this family.
And of course the kids love to love on thier Auntie Laura!

New Years Eve 2008

2009-01-01T22:03:00.000-08:00

Man was I bored. I did nothing. We were supposed to have the church but that fell though so we ended up doing nothing. I just sat on the computer looking through other peoples blogs. Which ended up being kind of fun. It made me realize how much some people mean to me and guilty because I haven't kept in touch. I think I need to work on that more this year. Here are my New Years Resolutions for 2009:

1) Lose weight!
2) Have family home evening
3) Keep in touch with people

I hope everyone had a good new years.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-01T21:49:00.000-08:00

We were lucky to be able to have Devin get Christmas and the day after Christmas off (he actually has Saturdays and Sundays off this quarter) so we were able to go down to visit my family which was great. The kids of course got way too much stuff, which was appreciated but it was a lot. Well we left as soon as Devin got off work, so we were on the road by 3pm. We took Hwy 36 to I5 because I didn't want to deal with the traffic going over Donner Summit. It was still snowing but I don't think it was near as bad if we would have gone over Donner. We were able to make it to Red Bluff in 3 hours, and there was hardly anyone on the road. We finally got to Manteca by 10pm.

Since we are broke all the time, I decided to make my girl cousins little purses (the oldest is like 8 or 9). I felt like I was sewing all the time.

I don't really have any pictures from Christmas because my camera wasn't working that morning but we had fun. We got up and opened presents. We then went out to breakfast with my dad and then like always we went over my Aunt Francine's for dinner and like always, it was good. I look forward to tamales all year long.

I am very thankful that we were able to travel safe and to be able to spend some time with my family this year.

2009-01-01T09:06:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how lazy, I have been about updating this blog. In my defense I did sew a lot of Christmas presents and still need to finish one. But I am back, and I will try to post some pictures from Christmas. We went to my mom's this year which was so fun. I miss my family and friends that I don't see a whole lot. It was fun but short and we are back now and I am already thinking about my next trip.

Captain Kirk "Shatner" on gun control!

2008-11-25T07:27:00.000-08:00

I never watch this show, but I love this clip!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AYG4y5et5g

Aiden's 2nd Birthday

2008-11-16T21:31:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that Aiden is already 2 years old. He is my little baby. We had a birthday party for him. My sister in law Laura made the cake and it turned out Awesome! He loved his presents but I think his favorite was his Deigo trike that his Grandpa got him!

Defending Prop 8

2008-11-14T11:31:00.000-08:00

I was a little shocked at this comment by Elton John, the full article is on www.protectmarriage.com

"I don't want to be married. I'm very happy with a civil partnership. If gay people want to get married, or get together, they should have a civil partnership," said John. "The word marriage, I think, puts a lot of people off. You get the same equal rights that we do when we have a civil partnership. Heterosexual people get married. We can have civil partnerships."

I am Esme

2008-11-05T09:57:00.000-08:00

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

Economy!!

2008-11-05T09:26:00.000-08:00

I think it is very funny that everyone tries to blame President Bush for the failure of the economy when yeah he has made some big mistakes but no one ever looks at themselves. People are saying that the middle class is feeling a big crunch and yes I feel it to, but everyone fails to look at the greediness of america. The economy is failing because peoples eyes were bigger then thier stomachs, or in this case thier wallets. People have been living too much on borrowed money. Credit cards like crazy, maxed out, new cars, more house then they can afford. That is what is causing this problem. The housing market was failing because people wanted these new massive houses and they couldn't really afford them. Yes I would love to have a brand new house and car but I know what I can afford and can't. When I want something and can't afford it, I don't use a credit card, I save money and buy it. To me credit cards are for major emergencies, not a I want that emergency. We need to look at ourselves to figure out how the economy fell. I would have so much more money to spend if I didn't have two car loans. That is the only real debt we have is car loans and I am kicking myself for those now.

Obamanation!

2008-11-04T20:53:00.000-08:00

How depressing! I knew he was the front runner but it was still depressing to here him declared the winner. I know how sidelined this country today is and all I have to compare it to is Sodom and Gommorah! It's depressing, I can't believe this baby killer is our president. We are for sure looking into moving to Cardston, Canada. I don't want to live in this country anymore that is how depressed I am. It might pass, it might now. We will see. Let's see how Prop 8 is doing.

Yes on Prop 8

2008-11-03T22:28:00.000-08:00

Well it's the night before Election Day and we crazy Duerksen's decided that for Family Home Evening we would go stand out on Main Street in Susanville and give it one last chance for "YES ON PROP 8". It was raining a little but after an hour out there we were cold and tired but if that gets a few more supporters it was worth it. Well off to bed so I can vote in the morning.

Halloween

2008-11-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

Yeah, the kids had so much fun for Halloween. Wyatt dressed up as Bumblebee the transformer and Aiden just ended up being a cat. I couldn't get him into his Lion costume so, we just went with a car which Devin hated. Said I dressed him up like a girl. Whatever thier are boy cats. Anyways, we took the kids uptown to the safe and sane halloween to the businesses. They had so much fun. The only thing that bugs me is some of the women out there where really short skirts or low cut tops and I am just thinking "Hello, you are around children!" Devin started thinking that he should have dressed up as a "Yes on 8" sign. I thought that was a good idea. We also went to the ward party which was pretty fun then we came home and had people over so the kids could play more. It was pretty fun and we got trick or treaters at the door and the kids had fun handing out candy.

Wyatt's 4th Birthday

2008-11-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Wyatt is 4 years old now. We had a birthday with all the family and this was the first time we invited a couple friends. We invited his "best friend" from the presc1hool he goes to and my friend Jackie with her son Jackson. Wyatt loves Jackson and Talan. We had a lot of fun. We had cupcakes and ice cream sundaes. He got some many toys. Thanks to all who came and thank you for his gifts.

Handbag Planet!

2008-10-14T13:13:00.000-07:00

Win a free handbag from a totally new company. They are knockoffs of designer bags and if you know me, you know I love bags and shoes. They are giving away a free handbag each hour for 24 hours the first day of thier launch, October 15.

http://www.handbagplanet.com/

Yeah!!!

2008-10-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

We got our new computer yesturday and we are up and running. Man, it's nice having some that moves really fast. This is awesome. I have to get some pictures on the computer and then I will be blogging again.

2008-09-26T19:17:00.000-07:00

Sorry that I haven't logged on in a couple of weeks our computer has crashed. I have ordered a new one and will start again when it comes in. I hope it is soon.

Ribs!

2008-09-11T21:25:00.000-07:00

Tara, this one is for you and thanks Robin for the recipe.

This is a great way to cook those pork ribs that go on sale a lot! I like to grill, but these come out so tender if you slow cook them for the 8-9 hours required. They were really saucy and GOOD. Days like these where we have scouts and we are gone from the house, putting something in the slow cooker helps out!

Saucy Barbecued Ribs

3 1/2 pounds pork loin back ribs or spare ribs ( I use the country style ribs too)

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 cup of water or we used 1/2 can of coke this gave a sweetness to the ribs

2/3 cup barbecue sauce

I threw in a bit of my favorite seasonings just to give it more flavor ...like garlic salt or powder. We also threw in the a special seasoning with peppercorns. You can add your favorite seasoning to this as well I don't think it will distract from the flavor.

Spray inside of 5-6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray

Cut ribs into 2-3 rib portions. Place Ribs in slow cooker; Sprinkle with salt, pepper and other optional seasonings. Pour water or Coke into slow cooker.

Cover and cook on LOW heat setting 8 hours or until the ribs are tender. Remove Ribs. Discard remaining liquid from the slow cooker.

Place ribs back in slow cooker. Pour Sauce over ribs to coat. (Depending on how many ribs you have we used 1/2 the bottle of BBQ sauce) Cover and cook on low for one more hour.

Labor Day and Ribs!

2008-09-04T21:23:00.000-07:00

Well, we didn't do too much because Devin usually works on holidays. This one was no different. My friend Jackie is the same way, so we got together for a BBQ at our house. Now we got daring and wanted to make Ribs. I have never made ribs and neither has she but we wanted them so we were going to cook them. I was looking up recipes for ribs but some are made in the oven, some on the grill and some in the slow cooker. Well we decided to make them in the slow cooker and finish off on the grill mainly because the grill recipes said to cook them for 2 hours on the grill and I have no idea how much propane we have left and of course we wanted to grill them, we were supposed to be having a BBQ. Well they turned out fantastic so of course make them again because, I am a meat girl. Well I made them today and again they turned out good. The funny part is watching my 1 year old eat them. I of course cut the meat off the bone and cut it up, he sees my plate, reaches over and grabs a rib and digs right in. I wish I look a picture of him covered in BBQ sauce. He loved them. It's so fun to see kids discover something new.

We actually made it to the....

2008-09-03T00:29:00.000-07:00

LAKE! We went last Thursday with our friends Jackie and Paul Moses and thier son Jackson. This is the first time we went all summer. Crazy. When I was pregnant with Aiden, it seemed like we were always at the lake. Of course I was really hot and with no air conditioner that lake was the only place to cool off. Now I have air conditioning so I guess why we haven't been going. The kids had fun. I always forget my camera but I have an OK one on my phone, so I took a video of the kids feeding the birds.

We made it.....

2008-08-30T15:56:00.001-07:00

through the first week of School. Well Wyatt may only be in preschool but he still has to be there at 8am. I have never been one to sleep in to late but this summer I have been sleeping in as long as the kids do, except on Sunday. Now I have to get up early to shower and get Wyatt fed and to school. I like that my morning is not wasted but man, it's taking a toll on me and my house has gone to pot because of it. Hopefully I can get used to this soon.

Bike Ride!

2008-08-25T23:20:00.000-07:00

Well, you all know that I need to regain my prebaby body. Which means, I'm fat and have to finally get my butt in gear. So, since I am just starting, I thought for my second workout, I should totally do a 7 mile bike ride down the Bizz Johnson. I am now sitting here hurting, wishing I had Ibprofen, asking myself "I thought my husband renewed the prescription while I was on vacation". I was wrong. I did have fun though, although, I don't know if Wyatt and Aiden did. I wish I had a picture but I don't.

Susanville Airshow!

2008-08-23T17:50:00.000-07:00

Yeah, even in Susanville, we have an Airshow. It was pretty neat and hot. They had a Japanese Zero from World War II

But even though I had fun, I don't think the kids did. Aiden is more interested in his stroller and Wyatt doesn't look interested in anything but the ground. Oh, well. Next week we are going to Eagle Lake so hopefully they will like that better.

Finally getting my feet wet!

2008-08-21T01:25:00.000-07:00

Well I must say, I have no idea on what to do with my page or to put a family picture at the top. I was reading my friend Denise's blog and found a website with layouts. So that is a start. I finally got a new layout so we will see what else I can do with this. Any help would be appreciated.

My first blog!

2008-08-19T20:14:00.000-07:00

Well since it seems like all my friends have blogs and I get to peek into thier lives, I thought maybe I should start one. Then I can also vent. Well about me and my family. My name is Christine and I am married to a wonderful man named Devin. We have been married 5 1/2 years and we have 2 kids. Wyatt is 3 1/2, turning 4 in October and Aiden is 1 1/2, turning 2 in November. They are something. Wyatt is starting preschool next monday and he is soooo excited. I wonder what Aiden will do without his brother here. Well hopefully I can kept up with this and not bore anyone either. I will get pictures posted on here as soon as possible.