Fiet 2013 Family Pictures

In case I ever make a book out of this blog, I will want these photos in it.  So here they are.

We usually take an entire family picture when we are home at Thanksgiving, but the last few years the photographer has left us a little unsatisfied with the end result.  No joke last year Kevin's head was practically cut off.  (Note to self never have someone take pictures of people who is a nature/bird photographer)!  This year we decided that we were not taking pictures, since they will be out of date in a few short months with Katherine getting married this summer and Rachel and Kevin having baby #4 in May.  The night before most of us were flying out Rachel and decided we should take a group photo and the others begrudgingly obliged to put it nicely.  hahah.  So in Mom and Dad's living room we piled and 5 minutes later this is what we got!  Until the next family photo this will be up in my house :)

The Fiet Family

Back row:  Katherine, Momma Terry, Daddy Jim, Kyle

Front Row:  Kevin with Tess (23 months) on lap, Rachel with Liam (4 yrs old) on lap, Bennett (6 years old), Jennifer, Domenic, Becky with Henrik (21 months)

The funny family photo.  Dad is always serious.  Love Bennett's crazy eyes!

 The Styer's..aging well I might add :)

Kentucky Trip: Thanskgiving

As usual we headed to Kentucky for Thanksgiving.  I just love that each year I can count on everyone being home for the holiday and mom and dad's house turns into craziness.  We spent Thanskgiving eating and playing games, but the highlight was playing freeze dance where six year old Bennett was the judge.  Nothing like a bunch of adults dancing to "Call me maybe" while a six year old tells you that you are out of the game for moving when the music stops playing!  

We made a trip to Churchill Downs to see the museum and do track backside tour to see all the horses.  Nick's dad and stepmom came down from Ohio for a day and we went to the Frazier Historical Arms Museum.  It was very interesting to see the special exhibit on Napoleon, but the rooms full of guns it's fair to say I didn't have an appreciation for :)

On the last night my mom gave us Christmas presents early and each of us kids got a book that she wrote in the first person about our pioneer ancestors on my dad's side.  It is so special to have this!  On the title page is a quote by Dallin H. Oaks that says, 

"It is not enough to study or reenact the accomplishments of our pioneers.  We need to identify the great, eternal principles they applied to achieve all they achieved for our benefit and then apply those principles to the challenges of our day.  In that way we honor their pioneering efforts."

Such a great trip. Now for all the pictures.

Tess is growing up!  She will be two this December.  Those big blue eyes are just perfect!

We were sure to get use of the hot tub each night, especially since the temperatures were in the 20's at night!

I was in charge of making rolls.  After I made the dough Bennett (six years old)  had fun helping me to shape them.  Such a great helper.

Henrik and Tess are only two months apart--here we are playing patty cake!

Mom has an inversion table...so great!  I used this thing every day while I was there.

A cold and sunny day at Churchill Downs

Henrik and Becky on one of the horses that simulated them being in a race

The historic twin spires behind us.

One of the perks of the backside tour is getting to see the horses going out to the track for a race

Back in the museum I rode a "horse" of my own

Dressing up like a jockey

Nick as one of the crazy infielders on Derby day

Gotta have the hat!

Our tour guide suggested eating lunch at Wagner's Pharmacy across the street from the racetrack.  It is in the original condition and scenes from Seabiscut where filmed here.  This is where back in the day everyone would come to talk horses!  

Truly this deserves it's own post!  We went to a Louisville Cardinal basketball game.  Ahhh, I loved it.  My whole family went and we were able to go early to see the National Championship Trophy that we won in April 2013.

Here IT is!

The Yum! Center where the Cards play is only a few years old.  It is beautiful!  There is a "hall of fame" with all the Louisville memorabilia on display.

Lots of this was happening.  The boys love having Uncle Nick to play with and push them on the swing.

My dad's latest hobby is his brick oven outside.  My parents have become quite the party hosts and find themselves having dozens of friends, co-workers, students, or church members over on any given weekend.  So of course we needed to have a family pizza night.

Kevin and I are rolling out the dough from scratch

The assembly of ingredients

Mom helping Nick make one of many that he ate

Into the 800+ degree oven

Two minutes later it is down and looks ready to cut and eat

Katherine and I went by our old stomping ground of Eastern High School!  haha!  We took a few silly pictures too.

Can't go home without a trip to Graeter's.  I have eaten a lot of icecream in my 30 years, but nothing can compare to this place!

These four!  Just love being an auntie to these kiddos.

Tess (almost 2), Liam (4), Bennett (6), Henrik (almost 2)

Too cute.  Henrik saw this picture from their wedding announcement of Kyle and Becky, grabbed it and was walking around saying, "mama, dadda"

"My Pioneer Heritage" from my Mom for Christmas.  So special.

My mom also gave me this silhouette picture from me as a kid.  Yes, it is me!

Uncle Nick and these two crack me up.

Cousins with their aunties!

Somebody tell these little kids to stop growing up so fast! So much to be thankful for :)

Fall time

After our meeting up in Denver, I flew with Nick back to NC for a week, before leaving to head back to AZ while he headed to TX.  Are you following??  Yay, me either!  hah, but this is our lives these days.  Just a few random things and pictures to share.

Halloween 2013:  Our NC friends Brett and Emily had us over for dinner and trick or treating.  Putting on orange shirts is about as festive as we got this year.  I did steel on of their kids Almonds Joys when she wasn't looking (delicious), I don't think she will miss is it :)

 Pretty funny that we have to be all the way out in NC to find a Chinese Restaurant that we love, and it has the best name--Double Happiness!   Love this fortune, so true.

 We decided to head down to the beach for date night.  What a nice night-windows down, sunroof open, feet on the dash, country music on the radio---maybe I'm starting to love Nick's truck too :)

Love Love Love that the Atlantic Ocean is always so warm.  Nick is wishing he had on sandals right about now.

Can't go to Wilmington and not stop for breakfast at Goody Goody.  I will never eat another biscuit without wanting them grilled.

Back in AZ, it was back to birthday celebrations of course!

Finally a night out to celebrate Kristina's birthday

 And another fun night out to celebrate Tara's birthday.

Phoenix was the first city ever that hosted a Time out for Women.  It is put on by Deseret Book and this year over 5,500 women came.  It was craziness, but I loved last year so much that I knew I wanted to go again.

 Caitlin and I decided that we are the TOFW orphans!  It seems like everyone goes with their mom, sisters, sister-in-laws, but what about those of us who have no family to go with!!??  That left the two of us, and what a great time we had together.

One of my favorite speakers (Richie Norton, who is actually from AZ) spoke about Authenticity and finding your TRUE self.  It really stuck out to me and here are the 10 things I want to remember:

1-Recognize authenticating moments-Look at trials as a way to grow

2-Know yourself by knowing Him- get to know the Lord

3-Don't be afraid of looking stupid-who cares!?!

4-Crush fear- sometimes it is safer to go with the fear than to run away from the fear

5-Destroy the waiting place- just do it now!  Don't way to the perfect time when you think, then it will be right.

6-Will I regret it when I'm 80?

7-Clear the Clutter-Make room for your dreams

8-Replenish-Clear out the extra commitments.  Set aside time for self.

9-Turn to the Lord

10-By Small and Simple things are Great things brought to pass- Don't let circumstance overcome you.

What does your husband do at work??

When people ask me what Nick does for work, I usually say "you're guess is as good as mine."  I cannot go on his job site because I don't have safety credentials, I've never seen his office (unless you count over Skype), and I think it's funny that some days he has to dress up in a nice button-down shirt and other days he is in his bright neon safety color t-shirts.  I really don't know what he does all day long, except he goes to a lot of meetings.

Big news:  Nick got into the the Leadership Succession Program at work!  Pretty much is recognizes employees who are in the top 10% and fast tracks them into more management positions.  It usually takes 3-5 years of being with the company to get into the program, but Nick got nominated and voted in after only 16 months!  Yes, his hard work is paying off!!  This has required Nick having to travel all over to go to different trainings.  He spent two weeks in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and a week in Corpus Christi, TX recently where he learned what all the craft (laborers) do for their jobs.  I guess they feel like if you are going to be telling these people what to do all day, you better know how to do their job to make sure things are going smoothly.  He has had a crash course on welding, electrical, pipe, and I'm sure a lot of other things I have never heard of.  

When I asked Nick for some pictures to put in the post, he must of sent me 50 with detailed descriptions of what he is doing!  Hah, it was really funny-but I love how much he loves his job.  Here are a few of my favorite pictures that he sent me minus the long boring descriptions :)

Pre-fabrication pipe school

 Grinding on the pipe

 Welding

 How romantic?!?!  I think.  He did "plasma cuts" of our names out of metal.

Torch cutting in Texas

Grinding on a metal pipe to smooth it out

Placing grout in a form

Oil Platform building yard in Corpus Christi, TX

This is a picture of the job that Nick is on in Wilmington, NC.  Big day, this was the first test run to have the plant make power!!!  Success

 Some of Nick's crew taking a moment to honor the veterans in the morning meeting on Veteran's day.

 From now on when people ask me, "What does your husband do all day?"  I'm going to respond with "he plays with grown up legos!" :)