The Seversons

Jeff's Last Christmas before the Mish

2011-05-19T08:38:00.001-07:00

***Warning*** (I get wordy about Christmas in here so don't worry about skipping down to the pictures. Just walking down memory lane and doing some online journaling.)

We had one amazing Christmas! This was the last Christmas before little brother left on his mission so we wanted it to be fabulous! We decorated like crazy and for those of you who don't know our family all too well, the Sadler part of the family are extreme decorators. It stems from Mom and Dad Sadler (especially my Dad) and we always start decorating on November 1 for Christmas. Yes, we are "those" kind of people that skip decorating for Thanksgiving but we have so much Christmas to put up that it would be impossible to start after Turkey day. My dad loved to see our old house decorated. Growing up in the home in California we had 3 Christmas trees that had to be put up on November 1, without fail. The first tree was usually "Mom's" tree and it went right in the dining room and was decorated in all gold ornatments, beads, and bells. Dad could usually put this one up on his own but I always had to help with the lights. Then mom would be busy for about another 5-6 hours decorating it (believe me, we weren't allowed in the room when mom tried to do this! We always would break stuff). This is known as the 8' tree or the gold dining room tree. The next tree was usually the "BIG" tree. It was 15' tall and stood in the front room right when you open the door. For those of you that have seen the Nutcracker and the tree in the ballroom-this is about the same thing. Getting this thing downstairs was ridiculous because it came in about 10 boxes that were heavy and awkward. You see, this tree had to be put together branch by branch. My dad was the master of making sure that the branches were all unfolded from the boxes perfectly. It would take us about 2 minutes to "unmash" the branches and get them suitable for the tree. But even then, Dad would take the one we just finished and always tweak a couple of limbs so that they were perfect. You had to start at the top and go to the bottom so it got longer not shorter in time but it is one of the greatest memories I have. This process usually took about 8 hours and then Dad would do the lights and mom decorating the tree with flowers and gold ribbon. I have to say that I have never seen a prettier tree than this one and my dad loved it too. The last and final tree was known as the "kid" and "present" tree. This tree was 12' tall and went in by the other family room. I enjoyed putting this tree up the most because the kids got to decorate it! It had the old fashioned lights that always seemed to get hot so we couldn't put anything directly next to the lights or they would get a singed mark. (many teddy bears were harmed in this process) Mom and Dad had the old fashioned dough ornaments and each kid had their favorite. I loved my Strawberry Shortcake that was missing one of her arms and I think the boys liked the 3 wise men but I can't remember. One year I was upset because my family was debating putting up all the decorations. (This was the year my dad became really ill with cancer) I was heartbroken but decided that it was my time to take over the decorating. I put up the trees with help from Mom and Jeff and I was exhausted. My dad couldn't do very much but after I had come home from being out with friends, I walked into the family room and saw that at the top of the kids tree, my dad had put a picture of me at the top surrounded in lights. Greatest memory ever, even though the next year Jeff put himself on the tree instead of me. Dad always wanted a Christmas menu too. He wanted to know what we were having and we shopped constantly until we were positive that we weren't missing anything. Couple more memories: Orange Julius, stockings, Department 56 houses, nutcrackers, musicals, Johnny Mathis, waiting at the top of the stairs, Hearts, Who is Santa this year?, fireplace, VHS recorded Christmas cartoons, furry burry, forts under the bar, large outdoor wreathes, "Stefani, this is Dad. I'll be home in 5 min. All Christmas lights must be on.", Dad's fruit cake, See's candy from Dad's Clients, the video camera that we have yet to see one Christmas on-we actually don't think it ever worked, Scrooge, Caroling with the big bell, Dad's Christmas dinner plate (you normally couldn't see anything on it and it was piled high), mom's pies, the Christmas train on the bar, fighting over the Santa place mat, mom's dishes and goblets, Costco pork loin, shopping at Walnut Creek, Dad's Nordstrom Christmas, our specific places on the couch for Santa, Dad getting the biggest turkey known to man, Martinelli's sparkling cider, the 400 nutcrackers, dinners with Aunt Julie's family, acting out the Nativity Story, Luke 2, playing the "bells", singing around the piano, The 12 Days of Christmas-mainly Dad and Uncle Mike singing 5 golden rings, and many more I will probably think of once I've already posted this. I have amazing memories and we tried this year to replicate many of them.

***Out of Memory Lane a Little***
This year Clint wanted a really nice Camera so that it what we got him. He surprised me with something I have wanted ever since I moved out for college-a piano. We were on our way to do something in Salt Lake and he took a little detour and pulled into a piano gallery parking lot and said, "Go in a pick one out." Ya, what a stud. We had Clint's family over for Christmas Eve and it was great. We had a wonderful dinner and then did a couple of my family traditions like singing around the piano, playing the "bells", The 12 Days of Christmas in parts, and reading Luke 2. Such a great night. Pat and Beth were here and we had a great Christmas the next day. Lots of pictures too.

Cornbellys at Thanksgiving Point

2011-05-18T19:43:00.000-07:00

We loved going to Cornbellys this year, probably because it was the first time we had ever been! We invited our good friends Jordan and Jana and Brenton and Jen and we had a great time. Clint got us lost in the corn maze and we totally had to cheat to get out (I feel bad about that one) All in all we shared many laughs and definitely will be going back in October of this year.

We Suck at Blogging but We are Going to Catch Up---Starting with Hawaii!

2011-05-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

We went to Hawaii with Dev and Lauren back in August of 2010-yes, I am way over a year behind in blogging but don't worry, I will catch you all up on our lame lives! We had a great time at our condo and we are thankful that we have such great friends that can help enjoy Kona with us! We had a great time cliff jumping, swimming at Rainbow Falls, renting a Jeep and jeep'n it up in the King's Valley, snorkeling, getting awesome tattoos, eating, riding motorcycles across the island, and pretty much being beach bums. Towards the end of the trip Lauren, Clint, and I became pretty ill and we ended up having to go to the local hospital there. Crazy? Luckily Devan was there to nurse us all back to health. Being sick in paradise sucks but we will just have to have to go back to Hawaii again to make up for it.

Little Brother Graduated! WHAT?!

2010-09-12T22:25:00.000-07:00

Ok Ok I know, I know. Little Jeffrey has graduated?!! Yes, he is officially a college boy. I swear the years have just flown by. This sucks but I am happy. Pat came out and we all celebrated Jeff's accomplishment. Dad was totally missed but we got through it just fine. We were a little rambunctious at times but that's ok. Sometimes we just need to celebrate. Congrats to Jeff!

Disneyland For Easter

2010-09-12T22:21:00.000-07:00

We took Mom and Jeff and went to Disneyland for Easter...yes I am going out of order on some of these blog posts but who really cares, right? So we had a blast and here are the pictures.

Our Anniversary

2010-09-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

Hello again! Well we will be adding little bits and pieces as we kind of update you on our little lives. Clint and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary with him surprising me with a little getaway to Park City. We stayed at the Canyons, of course, and Clint got a pretty sweet deal because of all the things he does with the Canyons and snowboarding. We got massages, and pretty much relaxed a lot. We need it after the crazy summer we have had with the shave ice shack. Lots and Lots of fun.

What is going on now

2010-03-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

Alright so now that I have updated trips and Christmas lets move on to the new year. Clint and I decided we want to run a half marathon before we even start thinking about kids. So we are "training" for our half marathon in June. We might have to choose a different marathon because we might not be ready but we will see. Clint also got a new car. Yes, he traded my cute little Molly (Mazda 3) in for his little car mistress. Her name is Shelby and she is a 2010 WRX Subaru. I honestly wonder the order of women in his life now. I think it goes our dog-Sadie, his new car-Shelby, and then his wife.(If I'm lucky!!!)

My little brother Jeffrey is graduating high school in less than 2 months and I am freaking out. He will be on his mission before we know it and there will be a little void in our lives. We couldn't be more proud as "substitute" parents. We are taking him and my momma to Disneyland over Easter break/spring break so that we can celebrate his graduation and eat as many churros as possible. I still believe that 6 churros in one day is totally fine and Dole Whip and their Bread Bowls should be served everywhere.

Well that is it for now. We haven't done too much more in our lives that I feel is blog worthy so I will leave that for now. Hopefully not all of you have abandoned our blog, I promise that we will do better!

Family Time at Christmas

2010-03-24T09:25:00.000-07:00

Here is the family pic from this Christmas. We had a great Christmas Eve with Clint and my family all together. We played games, sang songs with the neighbors, and had a delicious meal. I love family. Clint and I decided not to do anything too special for each other for Christmas this year because 2009 was the year of spending...haha for all of you who know us you know that we did a lot of that. So we decided to be a little more frugal and give each other one nice gift. I got a really beautiful coat and wallet and Clint got some great cooking stuff, a new basketball, and a new lap top. (he loves it) Oh and we got a Wii finally...yes we joined the gaming world!

I know that we are sooooo lame...But here is Costa Rica

2010-03-24T09:08:00.000-07:00

K welcome back to the Severson blog! We have been so lame in our updates and we have no excuses. We are lame. So we are going to do a quick recap of what has been going on in our little lives...
We went to Costa Rica last September with our friends Brenton and Jen and their friend Tyna. We had so much fun!!! We went Scuba diving, white water rafting, surfing, cliff jumping, waterfall jumping, down a 2 mile long zip line, went to national parks, and had a blast. I have to say that it was one of the most exhausting and relaxing vacations I have ever gone on. SO fun!

Las Vegas- warning lots and lots of pictures

2009-08-17T09:04:00.000-07:00

Ok so Clint and I decided last minute- and I mean last minute. (we decided in 45 minutes to leave) We went to Las Vegas for a quick getaway and it was absolutely wonderful. We shopped, went to the Coke factory, M&M factory, the New York New York rollarcoaster, Carnagies Deli- Yum, saw Mystere and Blue Man Group, went up the Eiffel Tower at the Paris and ate a ton!!! It was a much needed getaway and we fell more in love with Vegas than ever before. Thanks Pokey for everything.

Camping at the ranch for my birthday!

2009-07-15T09:28:00.000-07:00

Clint and I went camping for my birthday-June 27. We didn't have anyone that could cover the Shave ice shack so we just closed down early Friday night and didn't open on Saturday. Ya-some people were kinda upset with that but they soon got over it. We took our quad and dirt bike down and our fishing rods. We were ready! We headed down to Clint's ranch around 8pm that night and pulled in around 11:30pm. It was really dark and I couldn't see the cabin. I kept asking Clint where the cabin was and he said, "Oh it's just up here." Well we got all the way to the end of the ranch and the cabin wasn't there! There was not a trace of it! We tried calling Clint's grandma but she didn't answer and we still have no idea what happened. Not one piece of wood or cement...seriously. lol So we just set up camp and had a blast. We went fishing- I kicked Clint's butt and caught 12 fish, we went 4-wheeling, shooting, swimming, hiking, played many games, and tons more. It was probably one of the best trips ever. We will keep you updated if we ever find out what happened to the cabin! Thanks Clint and Sadie for making my birthday so amazing!!!!

2009-05-18T07:17:00.000-07:00

I passed my motorcycle test! YES! So now I can finally drive my bike. Clint and I bought Shelley a little while ago but I've been kinda scared to ride her without going through a training course and getting my license. So I passed the course! Wahoo! Everyone, meet Shelley...

Hokulia Shave Ice!!!

2009-05-16T02:13:00.000-07:00

Ok guys- we did it! We are opening our shave ice (yes shave not shaved) shack today- Saturday May 16! I was going to post pictures but I haven't had time to take any. We have been painting the shack, buying the machine, tables, syrups, cups, straws, napkins, spoons, drinks, snow cap, ice cream, ice cream scoops, freezers, building materials, etc. SO MUCH STUFF! We finally finished making the syrups right now- 3a.m. -Ya all 53 flavors. So anyway- more to come but I'm going to bed! Come check us out- we are on Canyon road, right across from the BYU track and Helaman Halls. Look for the bright blue and pink building- no joke!

Uncle Clint and Aunt Stefani

2009-04-04T13:06:00.000-07:00

We love being Uncle Clint and Aunt Stefani! We had the kids come up one night with Clint's mom and we had so much fun. We had just bought our new 4-wheeler- Rambo- and they were so excited to come up and ride it. We also had a great dinner, played pool, played games, ran around with Sadie, and got into the hot tub. We crammed in a lot in just a couple of hours cause we never get to see these totally cute kids! Here are some pictures---Braxton, Trent, and Tenley!

Valentine's Day at Disney!

2009-02-26T20:58:00.000-08:00

Clint, Jeff, Brittney, my mom, and I all went to Disneyland for Valentine's Day. It was amazing. All together we had over 15 churros, 10 scoops of ice cream, 5 dole whips, 1 box of popcorn, 15 sodas, 4 bread bowls, 4 chicken dinners and 1 pasta dinner-Brittney, and awesome Mexican food in two days at Disneyland. We are fatties. We had so much fun running from line-to-line in the single riders line-best invention next to the fast pass. And just to let everyone know, Midway Mania (the Toy Story ride at California Adventure) is the best ride of all time. AMAZING. Clint had the highest score- 180,000 but we weren't far behind. It was so fun to have a break from the traditional Valentine's Day and to be with Mom. Thanks to Andy and Jen for letting us use their place and getting us tickets! We love you guys! Oh and yes, I went into my Castle for the first time...Sleeping Beauty is amazing.

These are the Days of Our Lives...

2009-01-29T09:00:00.000-08:00

Ok so I know we aren't the best at posting but that is because my computer is still down. We have bought three cords and none of them have worked! So, we are trying #4 cord this week and hopefully it will work. But here are a few updates in our life- without any pictures...

1. Clint and I both changed our majors...again. This is my 4th major change at BYU and I finally think I have found something perfect for me! (It's about time.) I am going to major in Teaching Social Science and minor in History Teaching and Business. I finally figured out that the corporate world is not the place for me. My dad always wanted me to get my teaching license and after praying about changing my major, I know that this was the best thing for me. So that constitutes me taking a ton of credits to catch up but that is ok! Clint switched to Spanish Literature with a Business minor and should be graduating next year. Clint is just excited to get out of school!

2. I started teaching violin again and I love it! It is fun to see the students get so excited and start to love the instrument. I teach on Friday afternoons to beginning students and I would love to teach full time but it will take a little while to get more students in this economy! So for right now, it is wonderful!

3. We bought a HOT TUB! Ok, I have wanted a hot tub forever. We never had one growing up and every time we were able to get in a hot tub, we loved it! So it has been a dream of mine to get a hot tub. Clint and I looked on KSL forever and every time we would find a hot tub that looked descent and was a good price, it would sell in about 1-2 hours after it was posted. We would call and the seller would tell us that if the first 6 people that called didn't take it then he would call us back. AH! Then about 2 weeks ago, I was at work- bored out of my mind- and I found a hot tub on KSL that I loved. I called Clint and asked him what he thought and he called the guy. K-really long story short- we got it! There are some pretty funny stories about how we got it to the house but that would take up the entire blog page! So here is a picture of a hot tub that looks quite similar to ours except ours has a gray outside.

Ugly Sweater Christmas Party

2009-01-10T16:34:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas holiday and we invited some good friends over for an Ugly Christmas party. My best friends Ryan and Jenna drove in from California and I was really excited that the could be there. We wanted to have a traditional Christmas dinner with some of our closest friends. We had turkey, amazing mashed potatoes, yams, Christmas cranberry fluff, creamed corn, bread, pies, and many more delicious things. We played games and laughed all night long. Thanks to everyone who came-especially Jenna and Ryan!!!

The Sweaters: I found my lovely outfit at D.I. The total was about $12. Amazing. We couldn't find Clint and Jeffrey sweaters so we had to make them. OH what a task. Check them out. You can do a lot with arts and crafts.

Broken Computer =(

2008-12-30T12:03:00.000-08:00

My sweet puppy has temporarily taken out my computer. The cord to charge my battery is dead. Thank you sweet Sadie. We have lots and lots to post and we will be putting it up as soon as we can. We love you all!

The Newest Member of the Severson Family

2008-11-05T18:47:00.000-08:00

This is the newest member of our family!!! It all started because I hadn't seen Lady and the Tramp, which is a big deal because anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge Disney fan. Clint rented it about a month ago and I totally fell in love with Lady, the Cocker Spaniel. So this weekend Mom and I were decorating for Christmas and Clint pulled in the driveway a little early from work. I went outside to meet him and asked him what he was doing home so early and he said, "There is someone here who wants to meet you." That was the first time I saw Sadie. She is so cute. I have turned into one of those Prima Donna-Paris Hilton types who dresses up their dog. I'm horrible. She has really added a lot to our family so far and she is definitely a Daddy's girl. She follows Clint everywhere. I am so grateful to have such a loving husband!!! Oh and a loving brother who helped get her and who decided on her name- Sadie.

Halloween!

2008-11-05T18:20:00.001-08:00

Clint and I had a Halloween party at our house in Highland. It was so much fun. Lots of thanks to Lauren and Dev and Ryan and Sierra for all their help! We played charades and mafia and had a blast. I think we had more sweets than anyone has ever seen! Clint was Iron man and I was Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's. This party will definitely be repeated next year. Can't wait for the Christmas party!

More Hawaii

2008-10-26T18:09:00.001-07:00

Hawaii-Love-Love-Love

2008-09-16T21:48:00.000-07:00

Ok so I am finally posting the pictures from our amazing trip to Hawaii. We had such a great time with our friends Lauren and Dev, relaxing in paradise. We are now back to school , work, and life but it was a great trip. Here are a few pictures--many more coming.

Jack Johnson Concert on our 1 year anni

2008-08-22T19:06:00.000-07:00

Bon Fire Time

2008-08-22T18:55:00.000-07:00

For Lauren: It wasn't a dream!

Jeff getting ready to break down the wood. Scary
The best friends anyone could ask for. Lauren and Dev
Aw, Jeff and cute girlfriend Brittney
Clint and a lion. Yes I left my hair curly which I never do. EVER. Oh well.

Clint and Marshmallow. Lovely

West Yellowstone on July 4 weekend

2008-08-22T18:38:00.000-07:00

The Playmill. Broadway has nothing on this place. We saw Hello Dolly! and Oklahoma! They were both amazing and this year's talent is great. Oklahoma was hilarious and we really loved it. Fourth of July weekend was the best time to go.

Mooseberry's ice cream- so good. Raspberry and Huckleberry.

The old hangout. The family favorite- The Gusher

West Yellowstone Cont.

2008-08-22T18:24:00.001-07:00

Dad and Mom at the Gusher. Dad was always good at balancing everything!
Dairy Queen on the main corner of West. This is the before picture...
...This is the after picture. Clint's is the one that still looks intact. I have to mix it all up!

West Yellowstone is the greatest place! I finally got to show Clint around the place I used to spend all of my summers. We went to the IMAX and saw Yellowstone, we went to Mooseberry Ice cream, Smith and Chandler, The Chiristmas Store and Candy store, Dairy Queen, The Gusher, the Playmill, etc! I love that I got to spend this time with my Dad, my husband, and the rest of my family. This was such a great experience to spend the last time in West Yellowstone with my father and the first time with my Husband.

2008-08-22T18:06:00.000-07:00

Island Park, ID- My second home

My favorite place in the world-besides Disneyland- is Island Park, ID. The cabin, fishing, Big Springs, Coffeepot, Bill's Island, Henry's Lake, Max Inn, Dean Green's, Phillips 66, Elk Creek, Robin's Roost, floating down the river, playing cards, etc.

This was the last trip we got to take with my Dad before he passed away. My Dad had just bought me a pink fishing pole for my birthday and we went fishing at coffeepot. My third cast out, I got snagged and pulled my rod to try and get my line free. At that moment, my rod snapped in half and floated down stream. I felt so bad that my Dad's gift to me broke-but he just laughed and said, "Don't worry, either you or the rod is defective!" I think I will always remember this time fishing with my dad.

2008-08-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

My Birthday Lunch: Gotta Love Costa.

DISNEYLAND!!!

2008-06-21T10:01:00.001-07:00

Clint and I went to Disneyland this past weekend -June 11-15. The whole family came down and the boys went to the U.S. Open on Wednesday and Thursday. We all went to Disneyland and California Adventure on Friday and Saturday and then drove back to Utah on Sunday. We had such a great time and it was so fun to be with the whole family! We found many hidden Mickey's and ate about 7-10 churros each! And no one worry...I ate many Dole whips and 2 New England Clam Chowder bowels! Oh my. I think our family's favorite ride has to be Pirates of the Caribbean. We went on it 4 times. This was a great time of year to go-hardly any wait in all the lines! We had a blast.

Buzz Lightyear- Clint got 411,00 points! Ya mom and I tried...=(
Mom and me at Thunder MountainThe fam on Thunder Mountain
The most perfect picture ever-Dad in a grumpy hat

Buzz Lightyear

DISNEYLAND

2008-06-21T09:42:00.001-07:00

Honey I Shrunk the Audience- We rock.

2008-05-14T20:04:00.000-07:00

Clint, Dev, Lauren, and I went camping down in Zion's. It was the most amazing trip. We left late Thursday night and set up camp right outside the park. The next day was Clint's birthday-he is 25! We went into the park and hiked to the Emerald Pools and went on our own little excursions through some pretty rough terrain-just being Bear Grillz! We then went up to Clint's ranch by Castle Dale. We went hiking, fishing, played horse shoes, cooked with the dutch oven, played cards, ate S'mores and did many more things! Such a fun time!

Our Blog

2008-05-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

So we finally got a blog so that we can keep up with our family and friends in our busy schedule! Clint and I have been married for about 9 months now and we are loving life! We were married August 18, 2007 in the Oakland Temple. We are living in Provo, finishing up school-only one year left! We are excited for the summer to finally get here but we did enjoy the winter.