Burkholder Thanksgiving 2012

On Friday we had our Burkholder family Thanksgiving dinner. We started off with tons of food. Followed by this funny game Bada bought. You spin the wheel to determine what color of Jelly Belly you have to choose. Each color had 2 flavors. I got Carmel Corn or Moldy Cheese. Levi's was: Rotten Egg or Buttered Popcorn. It was funny to see all the kids pick and watch their faces to see if it was gross or not! Zack kept looking around and when no one was looking he would steal one. I think he only got a really gross one once or twice:)

 Busted out the turkey hats!

 The next day we were supposed to stay at the Stevenson's since Dan was doing an electrical job for the neighbors, but Zack got the Croupe...again. So, we went home and to make the day better we put up Christmas decorations!

Grandma Marjorie Short

Dan's grandma passed away on Tuesday morning. He flew out on yesterday, Thursday, to be with his mom and all 8 kids. It has been a long time since they have all been together and even longer since they have all been together in their hometown, which they moved from in 2005. Under sad circumstances this is a unique time for his family and one I wish I could be there for. I only me grandma Short once when we went back to Ohio. Based on that one meeting and the many stories I have heard, I know she was a strong lady. She was a farmers wife and a tough one at that. She raised an amazing daughter. She always called Dan, "Danny." She was the only one who got away with it. I always laughed when he would call her and say, "Hi grandma! It's Danny!" I know she was proud of her family and hung her photos up of our kids and families for everyone to see. What a legacy she left! She will be missed.

MARJORIE SHORT

Published: November 7, 2012 12:00PM

ARCHBOLD -- Marjorie M. Short, 94, of Archbold, passed away November 6, 2012, at Fairlawn Haven Nursing Home in Archbold.

She was born February 25, 1918, near Pettisville, Ohio, to Daniel and Amanda (Wyse) Rupp. She married Oakley Short on September 17, 1938, and he preceded her in death on October 27, 1993. A lifelong resident of the Archbold area, she was a homemaker and helped her husband on the farm. She loved to cook, garden, mow lawn and drive tractor. She was a member of Lockport Mennonite Church, rural Stryker.

She is survived by three children, Rex (Dorothy) Short of Archbold, Jane Burkholder of Bountiful, Utah, and Jerry (Kathleen) Short of Tucson, Ariz.; 12 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and six great-stepgrandchildren; and one sister-in-law, Eileen Rupp of Wauseon.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; a son-in-law, Ernie Burkholder; brothers, Emerson, Ralph, Alfred and Virgil Rupp; sisters, Alta Schantz, Edith Stubbins, Leora Bachman and Doris Bachman.

Memorial services will be held on Friday at 11 a.m. at Lockport Mennonite Church with Pastor Steven Heatwole officiating. Interment will precede services in the Lockport Cemetery. Friends may call at Short Funeral Home in Archbold from 4-8 p.m. Thursday.

I decided to add these pics, since I don't have any from Dan's trip to Ohio yet. But, for documentation purposes here is the house Dan grew up in in Stryker, Ohio:

 This is the house Dan's mom built before they moved out to Utah. If you look super close the old house is in the background behind the field.

I wish I could find a picture of Grandma Short from our visit!

You Use It You Clean It

Saturday, October 27th we headed down the potty training trail of no return! I had my fears because Zack has a stubborn personality and likes to be very independent. However, he was SO easy! He just started going on Saturday and has done very well. His quirks: He had to be alone in the bathroom at first, he only liked a small toilet (his own potty), AND it took him awhile to go. Benefits: once he got it he only had 2 accidents, he can hold it forever, and picked up on it really really fast. So, my Zack is potty trained and I had to give him his certificate:)

We really don't make them clean the potty's, he really wanted to when I was! I won't complain since I really don't ever want to!

Stevenson Visit

This past Monday we had the Stevenson kids come play for a few hours. The boys had so much fun riding bikes, fishing, and playing playing playing. We were not super successful fishing, it is November:) But, they still had fun trying! We love our cousins and being close enough for play days!

Other Going Ons In The Burkholder House

On Saturday Dan and Levi changed the oil in the cars. Levi was so excited to hand Dan the tools! It was all going good until one of Dan's tools broke while in use causing Dan's hand to bang into a metal sheet on the car. He was VERY close to stitches and luckily the cuts on his knuckles are getting better and better everyday. Close call!

 Zack has officially started potty training. I test him every now and then to see how he will react to undies and attempting to go to the bathroom IN the potty. Saturday was the first time he actually went and it was number 2! For the last almost week he has been in undies, except an occasional outing in which he wears pull-ups. He has done VERY well. He can hold it so long and has quite the strong willed stubborn personality when he wants to. But, when bribed with candy and ice cream he finally decided he like the idea:) He is getting so good and soon we will start attempting to move to the BIG potty instead of his little potty!

 After doing a little reading lesson we started to do some art projects and writing lessons. Zack tends to join Levi and I on some of this. Well, when in use of markers they don't usually only stay on the paper. And when I laughed at Zack for the mark on his face, Levi drew one on his.
My silly boys who love to do everything together!

Halloween 2012 Festivities

This past Saturday we had our ward Trunk-Or-Treat. I love them! It makes it so easy for the kids to go to the ward members and we have a lot of fun! 

Pre-party pictures. Levi could not be more excited! Zack took some forcing to wear his outfit and made it about two minutes before it came off!

 Games at the Chili cookoff. Which by the way...I WON! Yup, best overall chili goes to me. With a first time ever recipe I tried and I am pretty sure I have never made chili before:)

 Zack finally after getting candy, put his costume on:)

 Their loot!

 Levi got these glasses and they were so funny!

 Last night for Halloween, we decided to go to Bountiful so the boys could trick-or-treat with their cousins. They had a blast last year and we thought it would be fun again. (Also Dan was looking at a house in their ward to put some can lights in soon)

 This guy scared the pants off of the kids. Along with another guy who sat still holding the candy on the porch and jumped out at them when they reached for it! Ya it took a little bit for them to feel comfortable going to other houses!

 Stopping off for some homeade root beer and hot chocolate at one house. Such a fun night and had some tired trick-or-treaters!

Happy Halloween!