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First-time Homebuyers At Last!

Hey all! Needless to say there has been silence on our communication end. It has been a hectic 6 months to say the least. Beginning with Cooper being born almost 3 weeks early in April to us moving in with Wendy and Ryan in Pleasant Grove the first of June to our finally buying a house in Eagle Mountain 9-9-09 and moving in 9-23 (yes we were living with them that whole time for which we are SOOO grateful!).

Now, I have taken pictures of the inside before and after we replaced the flooring. It is not completely done as of yet because I still need to put quarter-round and transition strips in, but you will get the point.

Unfortunately, I grabbed the camera and brought it to work but got the wrong USB cable (can anybody tell me why every camera company has to have their own size USB cable?). I will post the pictures tomorrow pending I can find the right cable.

Until then, here's some recent pictures of my boys (Christian, Braxton, and Cooper). Hope you enjoy!

Free At Last!

After 8 months of having somebody staying with us (for various reasons), we are finally free! It was good that we were able to help my brother, Katie's brother, my cousin, and Katie's friend from Russia. You know what they say though; there's no place like home. Well, there's no feeling like knowing you have your home all to your self again. Of course if somebody was in need we would definitely consider helping them out (family/friends, of course).

Branching and Specializing

In case you were wondering what happened to all of my bugling stuff, I have created a new blog for it all. The link is on the right hand side and close to the top of the page. Take a quick look! I have included several associated web sites for your pleasure. If you have any questions or comments, you can use the comments option in the blog or use my email address beneath my picture (copy & paste).

Lots more to come

Just in case you were wondering, there are a lot of pictures that I intend on putting on here. I just have not had the time to do so. Keep watching!

Here for a reason

Here's the latest update on our life in Bountiful, Utah:

Danny, Katie's brother moved in with us in January. My brother, Trent, moved in with us the end of April because his fiance lived in Ogden and they were getting married May 31. For 1.5 months we had my brother and Katie's brother, both baby's in our families, living with us. Needless to say it was hectic.

Trent got married and moved out (almost literally in that order too). Danny found a place with some friends and moved out just in time for Annie-may to move in.

Annie-may is a cousin on my side of the family. She decided to move in with us to be closer to other adults her age (early 20's). We don't mind at all. I don't mind the fact that Katie gets to "dress" her room up with girly colors. She has done an amazing job.

We received word that one, possibly two Russian girls will be coming sometime in July. They would be here until the end of September. So, in preparation for that we acquired a bunk bed.

Summary: we go from two adult males to potentially 3 adult females and all within 2 months. Needless to say we just happen to be in the right place at the right time. God blesses you and others in ways you don't expect.

International Assignment.... Still Waiting

This post is for those of you that know we are awaiting word on when and where we will be going for our international assignment. This is phase 3 of a training program I am piloting for the Church to train Facility Management graduates in managing Church facilities.

As of 3 weeks ago, the latest word was that we will wait until an opportunity presents itself. That could be 2 months, it could be another year. When we find out, I am guessing we will have about a month to get things in order. Good thing our housing contract is month-to-month.

When we do find out when and where, we will make sure to post on here as well as let everybody know through email.

If you are wondering how we can handle not knowing the future as it is decided by somebody else, the answer is simple. Are we not all puppets of sorts in the game of life, orchestrated by our Heavenly Father? God knows what our potential is; He knows our talents, our gifts, and our hearts. If we make correct choices throughout our lives, God will give us great opportunities. If we are doing what we are supposed to, you never know what opportunities may come our way.

Say hello to your new Cub Scout Master!

I guess it was finally going to catch up to me eventually. I was a cub scout myself; went through the boy scout program and received my eagle. I guess it is only fitting that I finally get called to be a cub scout master.

We have approximately 10 boys (includes Wolf's, Bears, and Webelos). I had my first Pack meeting the week before last; I think it was quite successful! That is saying a lot considering the scout program has lacked in MANY areas in our ward (up until now that is). It should be really fun. I am excited for this opportunity, and plan on making the most of it!

"WAAAAAAAA"

Yes, that is what we have heard a few times in the last week. Braxton has discovered that he can climb out of his crib and let himself 'gently' down. Well, not so gently, actually. It's more of a THUD than anything else. Funny thing is he continued to do it.

Last night we tried having him sleep on the floor in our room on a baby mattress. BIG mistake! He rolled off the mattress and found himself 5 feet from bed. He woke up crying because he didn't have the walls of comfort surrounding him. Needless to say, it was a rough night. Do we try again, or just take the bumper-pads (ladders) out of the crib? Only time will tell.

IN the city, but not OF the city

We live in a townhome. We are on the East end. There is an empty lot to the North of us, and 2 empty lots to the East of us. We are a mile from the mountains. With all of the snow the wildlife has been pushed further and further down the mountain. This picture is proof. There is typically a buck, a doe, and at least one or two other deer that have found refuge in the lots to the East of us. Lucky for them there are several fruit trees; the fruit of which was hardly touched last fall. Yum yum!

The Wedding Bells are Sounding!

On March 2, 2008 at 12:27pm, Trent sent a text message hoping we "all are ready to have another member in our family." I called him up to confirm that yes, he had proposed to his girlfriend and was getting married!

As of today, Trent and his fiance, Stacey, plan on getting married in the Bountiful Temple on May 31. After school gets out the 2nd week of April, Stacey will move back home with her parents in Ogden and Trent will come live with us in Bountiful. Let the good times roll!

CONGRATS TRENT & STACEY! WAY TO GO!

"Are you sleeping yet?"

After dropping Katie off with my sister Wendy for a night of scrapbooking, I drove the hour back home. In the process, both Christian and Braxton fell asleep, symmetrically. Since buying our van, I think our boys are able to fall asleep a little easier. Go figure!

Hanging Out

Katie brought the boys to see me at work last week. While Braxton was playing with my keys, Christian had found my tape measure and was seeing how far up he could get it to go. Christian will make a great Facility Manager someday. ;-)

Puppet Time!

Christian came back from pre-school a few weeks ago with this puppet he had made. He loves it! He would not go to sleep that night unless it was on his hand.

He's HERE!!

Katie sent me a picture message this afternoon letting me know that baby Romer had arrived at 12:27pm (Romer is the married name for one of Katie's sisters). He weighed 7 1bs-11 oz. As far as I know they don't have a name set in stone yet. Welcome to mortality!

It's time! It's time!

Katie is heading to Idaho this week to help her sister who is 9 months pregant and ready to be done with it. After two girls, they are finally getting their boy; they couldn't be happier!

For those that don't know, Katie has a heart the size of the Grand Canyon. She has proved that time and time again since we have been married. How lucky I am to have her (unlucky for the rest of you who). Although she might be in Idaho during Valentines, I promise I will NOT mess this one up. She deserves EVERYTHING coming to her.

Movie Time!

What's better than sitting to watch a movie with mom and dad? A movie AND popcorn! Lay the blanket down, pop a bag, grab some bowls, and everybody is content.

Story Time

Katie and I get really tired at night. Sometimes we don't feel like reading stories to our children. Our solution to that is simple: train Christian to read stories to Braxton! Kidding! Although Christian can't read yet, he has a really good memory and can recite certain pages of stories. When he can't do that, he will simply describe to Braxton what he is looking at. It is SOOO cute. Nobody is a better story teller than Christian is.

"Choo choooooooooo!"

Braxton discovered a second use for our toy baskets. Of course it wasn't long before Christian followed suit. All dad needs to do is install wheels, a pull chain, hook the two together, and OFF WE GO!!

Great Movies

Ok everybody. We rented these movies over the weekend and they were great! We thoroughly enjoyed them and plan on purchasing them at some point in the future (after we get our tax return, of course). If you are in the mood for some good movies that have great lessons to be learned, get them!

Of course we are usually behind in the movie scene so if you have already watched and/or bought either one, great job! Happy watching!

Up Close and CUTE!

Braxton is a ham. He is cute. He is fun and has a TON of personality. For those that have not gotten to know Braxton, these pictures should give you a tiny idea. And the worst part? He knows it and plays it as one of his strengths. In a good way, mostly.

PLAYTIME!!

Braxton is such a curious little boy. In this first picture, he is investigating a box that is supposed to be empty.

In the next picture, he discovers that Christian was the contents and is playing a game of hide-and-go-seek. When they play together, they usually have a lot of fun, even if it's with empty boxes.

Funeral for President Hinckley

For the funeral on Saturday, I was called to help direct traffic inside the cemetery. I did not get to see the proceedings because I was too far away. I was able to watch it on Sunday.

It was said that President Hinckley and countless others probably prayed for a day without precipitation. This picture is proof that God does answer prayers. It could NOT have been a prettier day for a funeral.

It was a sad, but great day. Sad because of the passing of a prophet of God; great because he has now gone on to a better place and the Church will continue to roll forth. - Travis

Woof..... Woof!!

Katie pulled out some animal back-packs she got at Downeast Homes last summer. Christian loves it! It was perfect because Thurseday they were learning different things that started with a "P." Christian is so attached to this pack, he got into his bed last night with it still on. After I took it off him, he made sure it was close by so when we woke up in the morning it was right there. Funny kid.

She Had It Coming

Katie does a lot for our family. To name a few things: cook, clean, watch/entertain the kids, read, scrapbook, file-folder games, pick up toys, laundry, bills, shop, exercise, have time for personal things, and care for everybody else in her family and those in my family that are close and in need.

I know I am not a perfect husband; in fact, far from it. However, I do try to help out whenever I can and, not often enough, let her know how much I appreciate her by giving her flowers. Anybody who knows Katie can attest to the fact that she is worth it, and has it coming (every time).

Having Fun

We don't know what it is, but our boys will be boys; and then some. We don't mind, especially if they are making a concerted effort to rid themselves of as much energy as possible right before bed-time.

In these pictures, Christian is doing who knows what! He is quite funny though, and he knows it. Braxton is Mr. Daredevil, standing on a little walker/'fourcicle.' All I have to say is he has pretty good balance. Needless to say, it's hardly ever a dull moment at the Gividen home, especially at night. - Travis

Morning Routine

"Yaaaawwwwnnnn." Yea, that's what we do every morning. It's not that we routinely get to bed late or that we get up multiple times a night (sometimes). No, it's our children's inability to sleep in past 6:30am. This morning Braxton woke up at 6:25am. I was getting ready for work (catch bus at 7am) and Katie was still sleeping. Not much I can do except give Braxton to Katie. After turning a light on, Braxton saw the books on the night stand by the rocking chair (which he loves). He wanted a book. I sat him on the chair and gave him a few to look at. The pictures speak for themselves.

AllData, Clock spring, and $100

If you read the blog written before this one, you will have read about a cool web site called AllData. I have used that web site extensively. Here's one example.

To the left is a very crucial piece of your car called a clock spring. It is what allows your steering wheel to have electronics like cruise control, radio controls, and a functioning airbag. If this goes bad, your car loses some of its fun. This was the state of our van when we bought it.

Using AllData, I was able to narrow down what the symptoms were. With the help of my father-in-law, we took the steering wheel apart and were able to verify this and determine that what was needed was a new clock spring. I knew from AllData that the part was going to be around $40. After getting one from a dealer for $50, we were set. I had looked at the diagram for accessing and replacing the clock spring. That, coupled with the fact that my father-in-law had already showed me once before, I was able to spend 1.5 hours replacing it myself.

End result: We saved $100 in labor (what the dealership would have charged), the cruise control works, the radio controls work, and the horn works.

By the way, before finding out the clock spring was causing the horn to not work, I was able to download and print roughly 8 pages of diagrams, step-by-step troubleshooting instructions, etc on how to fix the horn. Good thing it was easier than initially anticipated.

Auto Zone ROCKS!!

Ok everybody. I do not consider myself mechanically proficient when it comes to cars. Therefore, I tend to rely on others that ARE or pay the big bucks at the auto shop. I have discovered a very cool web site, done by Auto Zone, that puts you as an average every-day consumer back in the front seat of your car.

Here's how it works. You pay $25 for a 1-year subscription to your exact vehicle's mechanical EVERYTHING plans on how it works, how to take it apart, how to repair it, how much it is to replace it, what part to get, etc. You can drill down from what manufacturer recalls are out on your car to how to take the front panel off of your dash to replace light bulbs.

We have used this A LOT since getting our van. We have saved ourselves quite a bit of money just by being more self-educated. When I call repair shops I know exactly what to ask them, or I have an idea and can ask them direct questions instead of have them guess what the problem is based on the symptoms.

If anybody is interested, go to http://alldatadiy.com/ . Registration is easy. After one car is registered, you can add an additional car for only $15. If you like doing things yourself and aren't car-smart like me, this PLUS a Chilton manual will get you almost anywhere before you start forking out hundreds of dollars to put your trust in a mechanic.

Since we already have a 1-year membership, if you pay us the $15 we will go ahead and sign up for your vehicle's maintenance information and give you the username and password. Let us know (family only). - Travis

HOLY COW, UTAH! I think I'll just walk!

Talk about your eye-opening experience! Up until now, we have been able to register our vehicles in either Montana (where I'm from) or Idaho (where Katie is from). This was made possible because we were just students and could get away with it (depending on who you talked to). About a month ago we bought a 2001 Dodge Grand Caravan ES in Idaho. We finally got the title and were able to register it yesterday.

Previously when registering our vehicles in Montana and Idaho, we would spend no more than $150 for the whole sha-bang. Yesterday, to walk out of the DMV with license plates and vehicle registration in hand costed us $500 (includes Emissions/Safety)!! We got this van for a steal of a deal, paying 60% what the van was actually worth. I told Katie I will never buy a new vehicle in Utah as long as I live; the taxes alone would KILL us! What is wrong with this state!! I could not believe how much it costed us! I guess I should have had a more educated guess since it costed $170 the first time I registered the Moped we sold a year ago.

I am beginning to feel less and less sympathetic towards people who drive fancy-schmancy cars (who don't make the money to back it up) and end up getting into financial trouble. It seems to be the in-thing to drive a new and/or fancy car. When you purchase a $20,000 car you are going to be paying over $1000 just in taxes on the thing (if tax rate is >5%)!

Oh well. At least we are legal now. I am sure some of you who are reading this are thinking to yourselves, "We paid more than that on our car, and it's a junker compared to yours!" I am sure that will be true, especially if you live in California or New York.

After all is said and done, we love our van and our kids are worth it.

Sick, Sleepy, & Stressed

Needless to say it has been a very interesting weekend. To make it so you don't get bored with my ramblings, I will outline for you events of this weekend:

Saturday
- Katie and I got to bed around 11:30pm Friday
- 1:30am, Braxton starts to vomit
- 3am, Braxton finally goes back to sleep
- 4am, Braxton wakes up to vomit some more (we hadn't gone to bed since we were still cleaning things up from the first episodes and washing clothes and sheets)
- 5am, Braxton sleeps again
- 7am, Christian wakes up and wants to play
- 7:30am, Braxton wakes up and vomits some more
- Braxton vomits some more until around 9am
- Katie and I are exhausted. Katie naps with the boys while I monitor them
- For the rest of the day Braxton appears to be ok. In fact, we give him pears and chicken noodle soup Saturday night
- All day, I try to prepare for my talk in church the next day. Katie is supposed to talk with me, but one of us is going to stay home with the boys.
- Needless to say, we didn't get much done (by way of house chores)

Sunday
- 5:30am, I wake up to attend a training meeting at 6:30am
- 6:45am, Katie calls to tell me her eye has swollen again and has gotten worse (Braxton spooned her in the eye 5 weeks ago. She has a small cut that aparently has not completely healed yet)
- 6:50am, Katie sends me a text saying Braxton threw up again.
- 7am, I leave my meeting early to help Katie out. Braxton throws up several more times before he finally goes down for a nap.
- 8:40am, I head to church so I can give my talk.
- 10:20am, I come home to relieve Katie so she can get some rest
- For the rest of the day Braxton appears to do ok. Finally at 1pm, we give him some chicken noodle soup and canned pears. He keeps it down.
- 3:30pm, Katie and I went to the church for some interviews
- 6pm, Braxton seems to be doing much better. We give him some crackers, more Pedialite, pears, apple sauce, and a little macaroni (One of the hardest things as a parent of a small child is to see them suffer like this. We know Braxton is famished. All he wants is some food. We have had to keep him out of the kitchen when Christian is eating just so we don't have to disappoint him by saying no.)
- 8pm, Katie and I are watching the news and are told President Hinckley passed away not an hour ago (7pm).
- Katie and I call/text family to let them know. We were guessing not too many people were watching the news at 8pm on a Sunday.
- 10:30pm, I try to get caught up on dishes from the late week and weekend fiasco. I am exhausted and we decide to go to bed. Most of the dishes were done.

Needless to say, we did not get much done this weekend. As of this morning, Braxton appears to be doing well. He has already had pears and toast and is keeping it down.

If anybody else is having similar symptoms, the best thing to do is keep your child on a liquid diet for 10+ hours. Starve the bug. When you give them Pedialite (doctor recommended), only give them 1 tbsp every 10 minutes for however long you feel is necessary (or 1/2 tbsp every 5 minutes).

Since we had to tell the bishopric the day before church that Katie wasn't going to be speaking, a member of the bishopric spoke with me. For those of you are thinking Katie got out of speaking, think again (she wanted to speak, but just couldn't). She has been given a new assignment to speak: February 10.

Belnaps Join The Blogger Express

Hey everybody! The Bryce and Jenn Belnap family have also created a blog for your viewing pleasure. Check it out!

http://thebelnapfamilyblog.blogspot.com/

Remember; if you don't know what's going on in our lives, it's because you have not looked.

Not Our Kids!

You know when you are with friends, or even strangers, and the topic of your kids comes up? More often than not if you have kids under 2 years of age one of the first things you talk about is their sleeping habits. It always turns into a battle to see whose kids sleep better. It usually includes the famous words"NOT OUR KIDS" and follows somebody else's story of sleeping success.

Well, if we were ever in a conversation like that, we would lose. Big time. Granted our 2 perfect angels go to bed inbetween 7 and 8pm (Christian sometimes later, like 9 or 10), they seem to have no desire to sleep past a certain point (even if they get up multiple times a night). That point of no return (to dream land) is typically around 6:30am. This morning it was just after 6am. I know because my alarm had already woken me up so I heard our boys chatting away at that ungodly hour.

If there is anybody out there that could offer some suggestions, I think we would be open to them. They were in their own rooms 2 months ago, but we have since put them together. We have thought of separating them again, but are hesitant in taking away their opportunity to learn and live with each other. Anyway, we will see what unfolds as time passes. If they are getting up that early when it's still dark, I can't imagine what it will be like in July when the sun is actually shining.

Dad's Big Shoes

This picture was taken this last summer. We were cleaning the car out and Christian found dad's shoes and asked to try them on. Needless to say, they didn't fit but that did not stop him from having fun.

Flooding on a Saturday

Isn't it ironic how we say things in passing only to have them actually happen within the next day or two? We went to Wendy and Ryan's for dinner last night; Cafe Rio! Ryan and I were talking about having Monday off because of the holiday. Ryan was saying that he never really has a day off because his clients can call him at any time. I told him the same applied with me, except I will get calls (at ALL hours of the day depending on the situation) if there's a floor or fire alarm or break-in or something else that would warrant my presense.

At approximately 10am this morning I got a call saying there had been some flooding at the BYU Salt Lake Center (floors 3 & 4). The flooding started on the 5th floor and worked its way down to the 2nd floor. I hopped in the car (leaving Katie and the chores she had slated for me to do) and headed down to make sure everything was taken care of. It wasn't too bad. We required custodial services to come in and do some cleaning, but it was nothing compared to the 5th floor (where the flooding started) and 2nd floor (where the flood stopped).

After all is said and done, I'd say this weekend is starting out to be ok! I love my job simply for the fact that every day is new, different, and unpredictable. Would it be oxymoron-ish to say that the only constant at work is its unpredictable nature?

For those curious about what Facilities Management is, check this out: http://fmp.byu.edu/facilities-management.html

Danny, The New Gividen

On January 6, 2008 Katie's brother, Danny moved in with us. While in Idaho with Katie's parents over Christmas we talked about the possibility of Danny living with us if he decided to go to school. Living in Bountiful, we have Weber State, the University of Utah, Salt Lake Community College, LDS Business College, and the BYU Salt Lake Center ALL within 25 minutes.

I guess the prospect of hanging out with his coolest brother-in-law was enough for him to quit his job in Blackfoot and enroll at the LDS Business College. ;-) In one day he was able to register, enroll, start his classes, and move in.

Good thing we live in a larger apartment. He has taken our upstairs spare bedroom, leaving the basement for exercising, laundry, a play-place for the boys, and our little theatre. So far so good!

It's been good having Danny here. I run into him quite often at the LDS Business college; go figure, my office is on the 8th floor and I am constantly going from one location to the next within the building or between other buildings. I would have to say he is enjoying himself quite well. In fact, he went and started a dance club. Could not think of anybody at the college better to do it than him. I saw the sign-up sheet today. There had to be at least 30 names on it. Go Danny!

I think we are going to be having some good times ahead of us.

A Few More To Get Caught Up

While Katie and I have been trying to focus on what we eat and exercise, Christian has taken a different approach to the Food Pyramid; from inside and the bottom up. He literally took it apart and put it back together, keeping only those things he liked. If only it were that simple.

Based upon this picture, you would think we don't feed our children. Before you go call Child Services on us, let me assure you that our children are eating just fine. This is just a between-meal snack! "Hmm, tastes like Tide!"

This picture is of Christian in Montana at Canyon View Dental (where my sister and brother-in-law are dentists). As you can see, he loved the experience. Of course his teeth were in great condition and he left with an even bigger smile and a new toothbrush. - Travis

"BATH TIME!!"

This is quite funny. I started a bath the other day and turned around to screw the lid back on the shampoo. I am turned no more than 20 seconds and Braxton had crawled into the tub, fully clothed and ready for round 2. Needless to say we had to change his clothes and diaper after that; but hey, he enjoyed it! - Travis

Boys Will Be Boys

Christian will NOT go inside Lowe's or Home Depot unless he is able to spend a few minutes sitting on one of their lawn mowers on display. Yup, he'll be dad's reliable helper when we are in a house, have a yard, and a working lawn mower.

Christian takes after his dad who, while growing up, was also a "mudflap." Christian can't spend all day at Lowe's, so we got him a plastic lawn mower.

Braxton is really good at chilling, waving, making a mess, getting into things, and being cute.

We hope this isn't a sign of things to come. Even at an early age Braxton was putting the "cute puppie" face to work. He must have gotten it from his mom.

"Time Out" again? In this pose Braxton was showing what could very well be his favorite place to be. Isn't the second child usually the trouble-maker?

Our Beautiful Boys

Christian has one of those smiles that just proclaims to the world, "I am a ham." He is such a cute, personality-filled boy who loves life, learning, fries, and trapezoids.

Braxton's personality has exploded within the last few months. At 15 months, he is able to use sign language to communicate when he wants a drink, wants to eat or would like more, he says please and thank you, and has mastered sorry.

Christian and Braxton get along with each other most of the time. They are quite the pair when it comes to having fun. Christian is such a good big brother.

Braxton always seems to be crawling on Christian, who is usually a good sport about it.

First Day of Preschool

Katie and I talked about getting Christian into a preschool of some sort. Katie did all of the leg work and found a place close to our apartment AND was priced right. Christian seems to be excited about it. We asked him this morning, "Christian, do you want to go to school today?" And of course his reply was, "Oh yea! I LOVE school! Can I watch Ratatootie first? (we bought it last night)"

Needless to say, he is excited. Christian is very interesting in that he loves to play and be around other kids, but he likes his alone time as well. This should be a good experience for him; only 10 other kids his age AND he will be learning some pretty neat stuff. He already knows how to count to 20 (has for a while), can say his ABC's, sings songs with Katie, and is really good at having conversations with his stuffed animals (bear, elephant, dog, snake, Mater, Luigi, and Lightning McQueen).

The picture is of Christian getting ready to leave and Braxton wishing he were doing the same thing as his big brother. Soon enough Braxton, soon enough! - Travis

Just the beginning

Hello everybody! This is all new to us, but we thought we would try it out anyway. Hope it works, hope you like what we have to share, and we certainly will try to keep you updated. Stay tuned, there will be lots more to come! - Travis