Annual Trip to Christmas Tree Farm to cut our tree....

Here is a link to a very beautiful video called

Joy to everyone!

http://joytoeveryone.com/

Hope you'll visit it and feel the joy of Christmas this season!

Here's some photos from the beginning of our Christmas Season this year....

Hans knew right away this wasn't the real Santa, but put up with it anyway for a picture!


John waiting patiently for Hans to come from petting the farm animals to cut our tree!
Hans couldn't get enough of petting the chickens and goats at the farm
(we are true city slickers!)

Wow...only one child to push in the wheelbarrow....we used to have 8 of them!

1991 With Trine, Mette and Steffen in the longgggg red wheelbarrows!


1993 Picture when we had the first 8 children all together still

Kirsten, Erik, Ditte, Else, Christian, Trine, Steffen and Mette(No Hans yet!)

Hans and his dad getting the job done in 2008

Two trees...one for our store and one for home

Oh...who is this we see coming after we got our trees? I know these cute children!
The tradition continues on for another generation...
Jeremy pushing Cozette, Atalie and Wyatt

Ditte is behind them with little Scotty

Hans loves riding this little horse at the tree farm

(we can afford to spend money on 1 pony ride...couldn't have done that with 8 of them!)

Later in the day...our newest band member, Hans, playing with his school band

he of course chose an instrument requiring long arms!

He'll grow....that I know from experience.

Hans putting on Steffen's ornaments for him since he is away on his mission.
(we miss him) Elder Steffen Lassen received Christmas Package from Young Women in our ward
Recent picture of Steffen and Elder Baldwin in D.C.

Sunday Activities at the Krueger Home

Mommy Trine and Daddy Larry

Gramps taking a Sunday nap
(he got a head cold the day we drove up to Utah...he's having to stay away from the baby)

Sunday afternoon

Sunday afternoon with Kayla, Trine and big sister, Leyna

Gramps bouncing Leyna on the air mattress this morning

Gracie and mommy Emily came to visit last night to see new baby Kayla

Posting from Trine and Larry's House in Provo, UT

Leyna and Uncle Hans this morning

Gramma and baby Kayla Mae

Baby Kayla Mae Krueger
Born November 12, 2008
4:53 PM
Orem, UT
7lb. 4oz 18 1/2 inches

New Granddaughter Born Today!

Trine called me this morning from Provo and said she had been having contractions for about an hour... 5 minutes apart. We talked about it and since John and I and Hans were planning on leaving for Provo to be with them this Friday afternoon, I asked her to call me in an hour or so.

She did and was still having them and they were coming more regular and a little harder.

Okay!

We stayed in touch back and forth through the day and when I tried to call her around 3:00 our time their phones didn't answer...I began to think they were busy having the baby and sure enough, she called when the baby was an hour old and said, "mom...I did it!...she's here!"

Yeah, Trine and Larry! Their 2nd little daughter has arrived, safe and healthy and Trine had a much better experience with the birth than her first. She had to push for 4 HOURS with Leyna...I was there for that experience....I can testify she went through an incredible pushing ordeal. This baby girl was facing the correct way and came after 3 or 4 pushes!

She weighs 7lbs 4 oz and is 18 1/2 inches with curly light hair! Can't wait to see and hold her! They aren't sure on her name at time of this posting so that will come later. We were sad to miss the birth experience since they are so far away, but we are so thankful all went well.

We are rushing around trying to change plans here and there so we can leave for Provo early in the morning to go up and be with them and lend support. John will fly back home next Tuesday and Hans and I will be staying with them until November 25th and then we'll drive home to be back in time for Thanksgiving.

I'll hopefully have some pictures of our 12th little grandchild to share soon.

Happy Veterans Day!

This morning Hans woke up, said his prayers and thanked Heavenly Father for all our Veterans who have served our country and then helped his dad put out our flag in front of the house.

We are trying to remember that today is not just a day off of school.....it's Veterans' Day....a day of patriotism and gratitude to all those who have helped and are helping to keep our country free.

Here's a picture of one of those special Veterans we remember today.....

John Lassen while serving in the Army during the Vietnam War

He was stationed in Germany during his 2 years of Service in the Military

Our Family Home Evening with the whole Stake!!!

Wendy and Ron Speakman

John and Ron

Stephan and Marnie and family

Candace, Tyler, Lizette, Diane Barton and Else

Kristy Hunter with some of her boys

Mette and Kevin Hager

Kirsten and kids

Our Stake President asked us to bring our families out to stand on streets all over the Stake tonight for 1 1/2 hours. It was wonderful. Camarillo 1st and 2nd and some from the Young Adult ward stood along Carmen next to Constitution Park. Ditte and her family were out in Mission Oaks area with Cam 3rd, 5th and 6th wards. The kids enjoyed chasing around with each other and it was like a party; balloons and glow stick necklaces and all thanks to Wendy Speakman! Lots of positive honks from cars. There was some opposition, but not too much.
Tomorrow night this election will be over....hmmmm what will we do with our extra time????

YES on 8!!!

YouTube Interview asking about Same Sex Marriage

Think, people, THINK! Proposition helps us Draw the Line!


http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=DofQsB0f1lM

Other Great Sign Wavers!

We are in good company as we have stood together to wave signs about Prop 8.

Sign Waving is an ancient practice and with the particular sign waver above,there was a great outpouring of support of the people. Hearts were changed for the cause of families, country and God.

(thanks to the talents of my son-in-law, Jonathan Kent, we can visually liken this story of Captian Moroni to what we are going through today).

African-American Pastors are offended that Same Sex Marriage being called their Civil Right!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=dRkHYD-RBcw

I Can Do Hard Things...even Wave Prop 8 Signs at our School!

Well, we had another morning of it.... Hans and John and I started out at the corner of Carmen and Daily for 1/2 hour with a big group of Yes on 8 supporters again and then I went to the school to join Marita who was given the assignment to get a group at some schools.......it is a LOT easier to wave at intersections in a big group. As just the two of us stood there...(she is my hero in this, by the way)........across from the school, we had a lot more personal confrontation. My heart was racing but I kept thinking about those who have gone before us and stood up for the right, despite the opposition.

One young mother that I like, and we see each other at school all the time, came up to us and said, "I respectfully, totally, disagree with you...I'm going to go get my NO on 8 sign." We thanked her for being kind and respectful and said it was great that we live in a country where we are free to speak out for what we believe."
She then got a group of about 4 young mothers and their NO on 8 signs and yelled and cheered across the street from us. Pretty soon, though, after Jonathan and then Ditte with her stroller and little ones saw us, they held up signs with us and we had a couple other women join us, too.Another woman with her granddaughter stopped and talked with us and told us we were promoting ill will and hatred and we calmly told her otherwise. My "favorite" argument from this lady was that if we don't allow homosexuals to get married, they are living in sin and adultery!!!!! Marita and I at the same time said, "they are still living in sin, even if they call it marriage." This woman (and she was a nice woman and probably a very good person) felt God made them that way and they just can't stop or change their lifestyle. I used the argument that we are all given things we must overcome in this life whether it is drug, alcohol, smoking or overeating tendencies, or how about tendencies toward dealing with pornography, gambling etc. We still work at overcoming those things because it is better for us and for society.......we are happier when we don't give into those tendencies. Marita told her that God made her skin brown but he does not make us homosexual. It is different!
It was interesting to talk with someone face to face there on the street corner and I was grateful to have stayed calm and kind and still be able to disagree. We didn't change each others opinions on the subject, but I hope that our being there may have helped someone vote yes on 8 that otherwise wasn't sure which way to vote.
I know without a doubt I am supporting what the Lord wants me to support and that is all that matters. Again, I do not hate anyone and I know God loves all his children, but he gives us commandments to protect us and help us be the happiest we can. I KNOW that the ideal family for a child is to have both a mother and a father. Because of death or divorce that isn't always possible, but a homosexual union is a choice and it should not be called the sacred name "marriage".

I can do hard things, as long as I am on the Lords' side, and I proved it to myself this morning!

Early Morning Sign Wavers in support of Prop 8

John, Hans, Haans and I out early this morning with friends on several corners to greet people on their way to work and school! Lots of support and thumbs up and honks of encouragement here in Camarillo....there are a few confused people who wave other things at us....even had an empty carton of cigarettes thrown at us, but we smile and wish them a good day anyway.

For those who feel we aren't very many....watch this YouTube Video taken along Pacific Coast Highway last Saturday in Orange County...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlDacmjDP8s

ABC News Coverage of the Camarillo Rally for Prop 8

Here's a link of video coverage of the rally we attended Sunday in favor of Proposition 8.

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/video?id=6471646

I'm glad the "Barot" guy didn't get any attention on this clip.

Yes on Prop 8-Protect Marriage

I don't know who photo shopped this picture of Samuel the Lamanite, but I thought it was great for this cause we are supporting right now!

We are going strong here in Camarillo with support for Proposition 8 to Protect Marriage. Sunday our family joined hundreds of other people at a rally at a nearby Baptist Church where a bus for Prop 8 was stopping by at noon on its way down through the whole state.

It was patriotic and uplifting. We unfortunately had a guy posing to do a documentary on this issue make his way to the pulpit and he kind of left a bad feeling with us at the end. He posed as a German (his accent was so strong and phony) and they finally had to turn off the microphone on him as we were leaving the rally. He came across in favor of Prop 8 but he was making fun and tried to change the mood to "anti-gay" instead of "pro-marriage". I was glad when the microphone was turned off.

But, for the most part, it was such a wonderful feeling being part of this cause with so many other people who understand that we don't hate the people who choose alternative lifestyles, but we love family and traditional marriage.

This morning we got up at 5:45 am and joined one group of many groups throughout town, on the corner of Carmen and Daily from 7:00 am-8:00 am with big banners and signs and waved and smiled at people as they were on their way to work and school. Hans enjoyed it too, but was cold. Tomorrow and Thursday we'll dress a little warmer!

Before we left home we read our scriptures and sang the hymn, "Who's on the Lords Side, Who?" What an appropriate hymn for such a cause as this. When people who don't understand this isn't about intolerance or bigotry, give us obscene gestures and yell unkind things, it only makes me realize more whose side we are on.

October Getaway Trip

Ever since our first child (Kirsten) graduated from high school, we decided to take our graduates on a little 3-4 day getaway trip for some special one on one time. I took our girls and John took the boys.

Well, Mette graduated in June 2007 and with so many things going on in our lives since then, especially last fall and winter with my mother's illness and passing and other relatives passing away and funerals to attend, we just never got her trip scheduled.

Then she began her Esthestician School program and that has kept her busy since early summer this year.

She just finished her 600-hour program this past Tuesday and she has a little window of time before she takes her State Boards Test for her license on October 29th, so the other evening I got online and looked to see what we could find to go do together next week. We discovered that the 4 day Cruise from Long Beach to Catalina Island to Ensenada and back to Long Beach was really inexpensive right now. So.....we are heading off for a 4 day getaway cruise Monday, October 20-24th.

Hans' school is off next week, also, for a Fall Break and Trine and Larry are letting him "fly" up to Utah and take care of him for me while I go off with Mette. (thank you!)

Hans is excited to be a big boy and fly all by himself. He did ask me the other morning, "what happens if Trine forgets to come pick me up?" I reassured him that I won't leave the airport until I see his plane in the air and I will be on the cell phone with Trine when it's supposed to land and she can let him say hi to me when she gets him from the flight attendant.

LAX......................................................................................................................................SLC

Mette and I will get off the ship on Friday morning in Long Beach pick up Hans at LAX and be home by noon!

Should be a fun Fall Break. And John can just enjoy a quiet, peaceful house all to himself when he's home and not have to worry about having a place for Hans to be when he works at the temple Tuesday night or on his Wednesday car night with Allen!

Hope it all works out for real like it has on paper! We'll let you know when we get back.