We love our Prophet!

We just heard the news that President Gordon B. Hinckley passed away about an hour ago. Sunday, January 27, 2008 at age 97. What a dear prophet he was. By far, he is the prophet I can remember the most about, and who I have learned the most from. What an amazing, amazing man. I will always remember his sweet demeanor, his deep love for the saints, his sense of humor, his "matter of fact" attitude, his amazing strength, and his example. Although he was 84 when he was called as prophet, he has always seemed so young, has traveled so much, and given an estimated 2,000 talks around the world! I know I got chills each time he would come to the pulpit. Especially, recently, when he said he didn't know why the Lord kept sparing his life and that "my life belongs to the church". What an example of how we should all live our lives.

As I mentioned, he has been around my whole life. He has been in the First Presidency since the year I was born (having been a member of the 12 apostles for 20 years prior to that), and he has been Prophet since I was about 14 years old. I have a hard time thinking I'll ever forget him...or even "move on", although I love President Monson (assuming he'll become the next prophet), and he has been around forever too. He has always seemed so young to me, but he turns 81 this year. I guess life keeps going.

I know President Hinckley is probably so happy he is having a reunion with his sweetheart, and so relieved that he didn't have to have a long, drawn-out illness. He lived such an amazing life, and I love him so much. I am so grateful for his big push to build more temples. Because of him, the Spokane, WA "small" temple was built, which is where Andrew and I were sealed for eternity. It was so neat to hear him speak at the dedication. The temple is actually off the "Opportunity" exit in the Spokane Valley, and I remember him saying, "what a perfect place for a temple...there are great 'opportunities" to be had here". There were only 47 temples when he became Prophet, and now there are 124 working temples, with 12 more under construction. It has been amazing to visit all the newly restored church history sites, as we have lived in the NE, most of which were restored under his direction.

One last thought, I will never forget teaching my first two children, Cooper and Gunner about our Prophet, and hearing Cooper pray for President Hinckley.

Gunner hits the TERRIFIC (and terrible) 2's!!!!!!

Although this is a little late, I wanted to do a "tribute to Gunner" post. He turned 2 on December 29th. We were still in the Northwest visiting family. He got his first Happy Birthday song at the Gatten Reunion with all the December and January birthdays. Then, on his birthday, we went to Chuck E. Cheese with Grandpa and Grandma Larson and the Waite's (Andrew's sister's family). We had a "Cars" (the disney movie) themed table cloth and party hats. Artie made yummy lemon cupcakes, and Gunner had a blast!


From us he got a Mega Mack Playtown, and lots of the "Cars" hot wheels. He also got spoiled by grandparents and family. Cooper got him some Spiderman action figures.

Gunner is such a sweet boy (most of the time!). Everyone asks if he is always smiling. The answer is, he smiles all but about 1 hour of the day. He gets his daily fit in...usually around 10am...or when we have to leave somewhere where he is having fun. He definately does his best ot get his way when he wants to. :) He is such a talker, and makes it hard to say "no" to him because he almost always says please, thank-you, and your welcome. Here are a few more fun facts about Gunner at age 2!

* STATS: 30 lbs. 36 inches (98th percentile for height, and 50th for weight at 20 months)
* NICKNAMES: Cookie Monster, Gunner-face, mucker, Gunn-bunn, the Gunner, Mr. Moo, Buzz Lightyear, My Little Doggy
* BEST FRIENDS: Daddy, Mommy, COOPER, Ella, his nursery pals, and pretty much anyone that will play with him.
* FAVORITE TOYS: Cars, balls, bats, "guys" (little action figures), pirates, trains, light sabers, board games, the Leapster, Leap Frog letter magnets, empty water bottles to use for bowling.
* FAVORITE FOODS: cookies, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, cheese, eggs, pancakes, noodles, tacos, cinnamon and sugar bagels, juice, chocolate milk. bananas, fruit snacks, popcorn, marshmallows, salad, chips
* FAVORITE TV SHOWS: Tak and the Power of JuJu, The Wiggles, Spongebob, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Scooby Doo Where are You?, The Backyardigans
* FAVORITE MOVIES: Cars!!!!, The Mousekateers, Leap Frog Letter Factory, Everyone's Hero
* FAVORITE BOOKS: Cars books, Dr. Seuss books, Dinosaur Pop-up book, Let's Make Noise at the Ballpark, Little People flap books
* FAVORITE SONGS: ABC's, Take Me Out to the Ballgame, Twinkle Twinkle, Do as I'm Doing, Ring Around the Rosies, I Am a Child of God, All the Letters From A to Z
* FAVORITE THINGS TO DO: Play with his brother Cooper, play "fight" and "boxin'" with Dad and Cooper, watch Dad and Cooper play video games and pretend he's playing, cheer at baseball games, eat, go for walks, read books, say prayers, color, pretend he's a dog, dance, play board games, fight priates. When he wakes up in the morning he immediately is asking for eggs and bagels. He also loves to ORGANIZE! He is always lining his toys up and knocking them down...and will play by himself for a while. He always has something in each hand...or more. Loves nursery. Has to have his hat on before we walk out the door, but doesn't always keep it on. Loves making "baskets", hitting "home-runs!", bowling "strikes", and soccer.

Gunner, we love you SOOOOOOOO much! You always make us laugh, especially when you blow on mom's tummy to say hi to the baby! You are Cooper's best friend. He loves you so much too. Thanks for being such a fun boy.

2007 Christmas Memories!

Well, we're finally back in St. Louis (welcomed by a flood in our house I might add! Good thing we're renting!). We spent 3 weeks visiting family in Spokane and Coeur d'Alene. Andrew was with us for 2 of the weeks. It was TONS of fun, and we miss everyone already! Here are some of the highlights of our trip:

*GATTEN FAMILY REUNION 12/23-12/29: 7 of 8 of my siblings, and their families (my brother Spike is on a mission in Brazil) gathered at a Resort in Hope, Idaho. There were 32 of us in 4, 2-bedroom condos, which made for craziness and lots of fun! The men cut down Christmas trees for each room, and we painted ornaments and strung popcorn and cranberries to decorate them. We spent our time swimming, working out (including my first attempt at yoga dance!), playing raquetball and late-night wallyball (so fun!). We went sledding (Cooper loved the jump), skiing, watched movies, did crafts, played games, and ate a ton! We also celebrated December and January birthdays (which included Andrew's 30th and Gunner's 2nd). Family Home Evening and Christmas Eve were so spiritual and fun. It was especially fun for me to watch the boys interact with all their cousins and become even better friends.

The whole "Gatten Gang"


All the cousins (and there's 3 more on the way!)


Oldest (right) to Youngest (left) of the Gatten parents and kids (except Spike, the youngest, on a mission). I love my brothers and sisters!


The married siblings and their spouses






*COOPER'S FIRST TIME SKIING!: Cooper was so anxious to ski! He got a private lesson from his Uncle Dusty. He just took off! It was so fun. I skiied with him and his cousin Noah the 2nd half the day, and it was so much fun! The conversations on the chair-lift were priceless.
Cooper: "Mom, you pretend to be Santa Clause, and I'll pretend to be a kid."
Mom: "Ok kid, what do you want for Christmas?"
Cooper: "A snowboard, because I already have these skiis (pointing down to the rentals)"
Too bad it was already Christmas Eve! He did a total of 2 trips down the little bunny hill and 9 trips down the big bunny hill. He was zooming past teenagers and adults who were learning saying, "I'm so fast like a snowmobile!" His other favorite was jumping on his skiis so he could "go faster". The only time he cried the whole day was when the guy told him the chair-lift was closing. So fun! I am excited to live closer to skiing someday and have a ski partner. It melted my heart! That night, when we were talking about opening presents the next morning, he said, "And then, after we open our presents, we can go skiing again?!" So fun! Pictures will have to come later since I didn't have my own camera up there.

*CHRISTMAS MORNING: My brother took his family home for Christmas morning at their own house, so we had the condo to ourselves. It was so fun. Cooper loved putting cookies out for Santa and talking about him coming down the chimney. They both had so much fun Christmas morning! Cooper's favorites...his Cranium Carnival Clubhouse and Spiderman blow-up punching bag from Santa, his pinball game from Nana and Papa, his Wii game from Gma and Gpa, and his "Life Saver" (light saber). Gunner's favorites were Santa's leftover cookies (the first thing he ran to), his McQueen tent and pillow from Santa, his play piggy-bank and light saber from us, and his "Scooby-Doo Where Are You? cars" from Cooper.



*GUNNER'S 2ND BIRTHDAY PARTY!: Yes, he is now officially 2, although the fits started a couple months ago! We celebrated at Chuck E. Cheese with Gpa and Gma Larson and the Waite family (Andrew's sister). He loved his "Cars" party and playing all the games with cousins. He also loved the "bite" out of the cupcake after he blew out his candles (a family tradition). He has also started to create some mischeif with his best friend/cousin, Ella. They spilled a can of paint in my mom's basement, and Gunner broke a big glass bowl in my parents room! He also loves to boss people around and wrestle (which girls aren't that into, but he hasn't learned that yet). He is such a cutie though, and we'll post more about him later.




*FUN WITH THE WAITE'S AND GMA AND GPA: Our week in Spokane was filled with fun thanks to Andrew's parents and sister, Artie's family. Cooper loved going to his "friend's house". We went bowling, ate out, went to a movie, and more! Cooper also visited his cousin, Tate, at preschool and loved it!. It was a busy, fun week. We also got to be there for our nephew Tyler's baptism!



*OUR BELATED ANNIVERSARY: Part of my Christmas present from Andrew was an overnight to a jacuzzi suite in Coeurd'Alene, while his parents watched our kids. It was so fun to finally celebrate our 7th anniversary that was actually in July while Andrew was at officer's training. We went to dinner, a movie, relaxed!, and went to lunch the next day. What fun!

*EATING!: Between reunion meals together, junk food, neighbor treats, Hudson's Hamburgers, Cafe Chulo, PF Changs, Thrifty Scotts, Taco Time, Toro Viejo, Pau Pau's Kitchen, Gma's Ham and Prime Rib dinner's, etc. etc, we were NEVER HUNGRY!

*READING "TWILIGHT": Yes, I finally did it...in 2 days. Thanks everyone for the suggestion, and for watching my kids while I read! :) Now I'll have to neglect my family and read the next 2. :)

*SISTERS: Thanks Brynne for coloring and cutting my hair (I went dark!), and for the company. I love my sisters and sister-in-laws, and can't wait to live closer to them. Mikin, thanks for bringing your kiddos over to play too!

Baby Boy #3!!!!

We had our ultrasound yesterday and found out that we are expecting baby BOY #3. He is completely healthy...which was a big relief for me, because I still haven't felt him move! I had some wierd dreams...but now I know he is fine! My placenta is on the outside this time...so the doctor said I probably won't feel him move for a while.



On the way into the ultrasound I asked Cooper if he thought it would be a boy or girl, and he said, "Its a boy!". I said, "I think so too...do you want to bet your Dad (who thought it was a girl)". When they came into the ultrasound and the guy told him, "Well...it's a BOY!", Cooper said, "I just...I knew it!" It was really cute. I asked him later if he was sad he wasn't getting a baby sister, and he said, "No....don't worry mom...you can have a girl someday." It was cute. So Cooper is REALLY excited to have another baby brother.

Andrew said it was a "win-win" situation for him. He asked if I wanted to get pizza to celebrate, and I said, "sure, but you know we would be getting P.F.Chang if it was a girl, right?" He said, "Well good, cause we can't afford P.F. Chang!" And I said, "Probably good, because we can't really afford a girl right not either." :) It was funny. I know I would have gone crazy shopping...so it probably is a good thing during residency to have another boy.

When I told Andrew, "You know this means we're for sure having 4 kids right?!", he said, "I can't handle FOUR boys!" :)

Names right now: Easton, Beckett, Parker...but Andrew just informed me he hasn't ruled out all others too...so who knows!

Over the past few days I have thought about all the amazing women I know who have 3 or more boys in a row, and have made it look easy! Just to name a few....my mom, Aunt Paula, Luke and Janna, Brent and Jen, the Jones', the Wiers, the Landreth's, the Naylors, the Gees, the Wirigs...I hope I can just be half the mom most of these wonderful women are! It will be fun!

As he did the ultrasound I just had that overwhelming love for him come over me. It was SO fun! I am so excited to have another spirit from our Heavenly Father in our home!

Here are a few more pictures. The first is a feet picture. You can see the bottom of one foot, and the profile of the other.


Here is a profile picture with his hand in his mouth


Here's another profile


Finally, here is a 3D picture of the tummy and feet crossed at the ankles. I guess the head was too close to the placenta, and going through the placenta he couldn't get a good 3D head shot...but he did say I could come in at 26 weeks (the best time for 3D ultrasounds), and he would do one for free for fun. Don't ya love the military! :) We are excited because he showed us some he'd taken at 26-28 weeks of other babies, and they were amazing!

Way of Lights

So our ward has a weekly email update that is so great...and they give us tips on things going on in the area. They had information about the "Way of Lights" at a Shrine close by. We weren't completely sold, but for free...we thought it would be a good FHE...even with the 25 minute drive.

Well, we were AMAZED!!! You stayed in your car for about a 10-minute drive through tunnels and tons of lights! They had scriptures posted along the side of the road as you drove and you basically followed the story of Jesus' birth. You see the shepherds, the 3 wise men on their camels, the city of Bethlehem, and then you can pull over and get out at the nativity, where they had Christmas music playing. I have never seen so many lights in my life! The pictures don't do it justice (especially because I didn't get out my camera until the end). Besides bruising my foot on a prayer bench while trying to take a picture of the boys...it was an amazing family home evening. It makes me wish we were going to live here longer so we could do it every year!

Andrew is 30!!!

Can you believe all the fingers you need to make 30! Good thing we have a few kids around!

Andrew turned 30 on Saturday, and I just had to "take a moment and celebrate his age," as the Tim McGraw song puts it. It was fun to have his birthday on a Saturday, so we could have him to ourselves the whole day. The boys were so excited, especially Cooper, who gets so excited about anyone's birthday! As you can see from the pictures, he had to open his presents first thing in the morning...still in pajamas, because Cooper couldn't wait any longer. :)

For his gift we gave him different things (mostly the after-Thanksgiving specials:) ) to go along with the Tim McGraw song, "In my next 30 years". It was fun. The gifts were

"I'm gonna have some fun": PS2 NCAA Football '08
"Laugh a little more": DVD's Christmas Vacation & A Christmas Story
"I'm gonna watch my weight": winter workout clothes
"Eat a few more salads": Qdoba Gift Card
"Drink a little lemonade": Squirt Sparkling Lemonade
"Raise a little family": Bowling passes
"Hang out with my wife": chocolates
"Spend precious moments with the ones that I hold dear": digital picture frame/SD card

Cooper was so cute helping wrap the presents...and trying to keep them secret. The only one that got out was the "cool Christmas movie". We kept one present that was a surprise to Cooper too (a Wii video game), and he was pretty excited.

That afternoon, we went bowling at the alley on base and used some of our passes. The boys LOVE it, and it is so nice because it is less than a mile from our house and smoke free. Andrew won, and Gunner came in 2nd place with a 96 (with bumpers and a ramp...but still!)

For dinner, he picked J.Bucks. It was really yummy.

We love you Honey/Daddy! Can't wait to spend the "next 30 years" making more memories!

Christmas cards welcome!

So, I was just warned about posting addresses on your blog...so I had to remove ours. But if you want our address, or you want to give us your address without having to leave it in a comment...email me at cassielarson16@yahoo.com. We did write down the ones who commented previously, but then deleted your comment for your protection too. Thanks! Hope you're all "simply having a wonderful Christmastime!"

Welcome Winter!

Although it still doesn't feel like winter, as far as the weather goes, we are welcoming the holiday season! We had a great, relaxing Thanksgiving. The Pankratz family in our ward had us over, along with two women and their families whose husbands are deployed (Let me tell you, mingling with these families really makes you thankful for your husband being around, and for the free country we live in, and all the troops serving). It was really fun, and Cooper was playing for 5 hours straight! I did the after-Thanksgiving shopping with a few girls in the ward. We also had dinner with friends, went bowling, and really enjoyed having Andrew around for 4 days straight!


Another hightlight recently was "Breakfast with Santa" at Eckerts Farm. We had a super yummy breakfast (including scones!), decorated cookies, and sat on Santa's lap. Cooper asked for the "Cranium Carnival Clubhouse", so we'll see if he's a good boy. :)


We also put up the Christmas tree, got out the Christmas books, and the Little People Nativity, put up a few outdoor lights, and it has been fun to sing carols each evening. Cooper is like his mom, and loves holidays, so it is fun to notice all the Christmas lights and decorations with him. Hope you all are having fun bringing in the holidays. I am so thankful for this time of year, and the chance we have to celebrate our Savior!

Where did these kids come from??

We came home from a friends for dinner, and were getting jammies rounded up. We came back to the kitchen and found this! Cooper has been helping himself to quite a lot of things in the fridge lately...and the other day Andrew opened the door to find an open ziplock with 2 pieces of moldy cheese that our little mouse had been nibbling on. I asked him how it tasted, and he said, "mmm, mmm, yummy!" Gross!

Missing the big hunts!

So, as most of you know, the Gatten's are hunters. While growing up, I cherished spending time in the outdoors with my Dad and siblings. We grew so close, and it was so fun. My favorite part was getting out there really early in the morning, and then listening to the forest come alive. I dare to admit that I shot 5 deer growing up, but I am sad to admit I haven't shot any for a while! Living far from home is always hard during hunting season. Lucky for me, I still get to hear the stories and see pictures. Unlucky for me, we have had to buy our meat for most of our marriage. So, here is my Dad, who drew a tag in a specific area in Montana that has HUGE elk. And of course, being the expert hunter he is, he got this one.

This next picture is of my youngest brother, Spike. He took his "senior trip" to Canada with my brother Dusty, and they went goose and duck hunting. I am so proud of my little brother, who just left on his mission yesterday to Manaus, Brazil. He is in the San Paulo, Brazil MTC.

Here is a picture of the Montana hunt. I think they brought home 9 deer. Here are the big ones. From left to right, Tyler (married to my sister Mikin), Brett, Dad, Tom.

Although I can't shoot a bow (like the majority of my family), haven't shot a moose (like the majority of my family including my younger sister, Brynne), and haven't shot anything for 7 years, I still am proud to be a Gatten. We have talked often of creating a maternity camo line of clothing. :) Someday I will live close again, and Brynne and I can trade babysitting to go hunting. I'll never forget the day we had a half day of school, and decided to go hunting alone. I was 14, and she was 12. I shot a whitetail buck (deer), and her and I had to gut it and drag it down to my mom who was waiting to take me to piano lessons. :) Someday we can be hunting buddies again. :)