The Mierins Family Chronicles

2012-02-11T12:47:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful week. Nikolas finished his science fair project. His project involved whether sand or gravel would hold more weight. He used tubes filed with both and then placed weight on top until the tubes collapsed. We are quite proud of his research.

Matthew was off to a merit badge pow-wow this week and accomplished several requirements. He is showing improvement in school and doing well.

Andy and Gail are busy as always. We hope all is well with you.

2012-02-05T14:42:00.000-08:00

The biggest news this week was Matthew participating in the Klondike Derby. Andy went along (although he did not camp). He and Matthew Saturday morning built a shelter and learned how to build fires without using matches. Andy even admitted it was fun. Other than the Klondike nothing out of the ordinary occurred. The boys went to school and Andy and Gail worked. We are all glad the coldest part of winter is past and we are starting to look forward to spring, although we understand from the forecast is for 6 more weeks of winter. We hope you are well.

2012-01-29T06:34:00.000-08:00

No sooner had I commented on the fact we had no snow on the ground, than we received a storm that as of today most has melted. The snow was welcomed though because it provides water in the mountains. The boys thought maybe snow day, but it was not that good of a storm.

Not much else happened this week out of the normal routine of school and work. So not much else to report. We hope all is well.

2012-01-22T15:56:00.001-08:00

We finally got a bit of snow this week, but mostly rain. We are happy about this because the mountains got the snow which is good for our water supply, but we do not have to deal with the shoveling and poorly plowed roads. We may actually go the whole winter without any sustained snow on the ground.

The week was fairly typical with nothing spectacular. We enjoyed being home together on Monday with the holiday. The boys went to school and Andy and Gail worked the remainder of the week. Andy did go to Wendover on Friday, otherwise it was a typical week.

We hope all is well.

2012-01-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

Another great week has gone by in the Mierins's family. Much the same as most weeks. The boys were in school, Gail and Andy worked. The most exciting thing to occur this week was Matthew starting guitar lessons. He says the first was great. Not much else to report. Hope all is well wherever you may be.

2012-01-08T06:09:00.000-08:00

It was back to our normal routine this week and the transition went smooth. Tuesday the boys went back to school, Andy went back to work and Gail threw a party Christmas break was over. We enjoyed the time we had together.

On Monday we went as a family to see "War Horse." We all thought it excellent. We are glad there are still good family movies being made. Everyone, but Gail, is excited we finally have morning church. The first two months we were here we had 9 am church, then either due to chnages or moving we had 11 am or 1pm, starting last week we now start at 9 am.

Not much else to report. We hope all is well.

2012-01-01T06:13:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year to all our friends and family. We hope 2012 is great for you.

The Mierins family had a great week. We were all home and enjoyed each others company. Matthew and Nikolas essentially played their respective video games all week, but did put them down long enough to go on an overnight trip to SLC with Andy. Gail relished in her time at home with peace and quiet. The boys went to the Clark Planetarium, did some shopping, ate sushi and spent the night at a friend's home we know from law school. They left Tuesday morning and came back Wednesday night.

We pretty much spent the week playing games, watching movies and spending time together. School starts again Tuesday and then it is back to the grind. Gail thinks Tuesday will not come soon enough and the boys think they were robbed by such a short vacation.

Friday evening we had the Mierins' Family Holiday Festival. It was great to gather with some of our friends. Andy spent the day cooking which he enjoyed and everyone seem to have a good time. We have plenty of left overs, so we are set for lunch and dinner for the next several days.

Saturday was clean up day and we managed to get all the decorations down, cleaned up and boxed up for next year. This has been a great Christmas. We hope all is well with you.

2011-12-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all of our friends and family.

I have had an incredibly difficult time sleeping this week, mostly because I have been so excited for Christmas. There is nothing particular that will happen like some cool present or surprise I have planned. I just have been so excited for this entire Christmas season. This morning when I awoke ( 4am, yikes) I had some time to reflect on how thankful I am for all I have been blessed. The first and foremost is my abiding and solid knowledge that Jesus is the Christ. He is my personal Savior and the Savior of the entire world. Perhaps this ever growing knowledge is contributing to my insomnia, as we are just one day from when we celebrate his birth into mortality. The much anticipated event to insure our ability to return to the father of our spirits.

Next I thought about the wonderful family I have, both that I have come from and the one I am working on. My father was a hard working man who came from a very difficult and trying childhood, something I neither can relate or understand. I thank him for the legacy of work he instilled into me. He passed away 14 years ago and not a day goes by I do not miss him. My mother is my role model. I have always felt great support from her, even when I know I disappointed her and did not live up to the potential she saw within me. I appreciate my near weekly time I have to talk with her. It makes me joyous to see how happy she is and am glad because she deserves to be. My sister is an incredibly bright person who I have always known was smarter and more talented. She provided great support to us when we adopted Matthew and I can never thank her enough for the kindness and hospitality she showed. Then there is my extended family which has been always a part of the fond memories I have of the holidays.

I cannot write about Gail without becoming emotional. I found the perfect partner for eternity. I love to hear her sing and she has helped me make my dreams come true with every "new" idea I have. My sons are my pride and joy. Matthew is a compassionate person who provides balance and grounding for what is most important. Nikolas brings me great joy when I hear him sing, play his flute or he shares his art with me. I am truly an blessed man with much to be thankful for.

Now on to our weekly report. Gail survived the week home with the boys, she is glad school starts up again in a week. Andy was home a bit more due to the semester being over freeing up his evenings. He did make one trip into Wendover to meet with clients. Overall is was a great week, although we were saddened by the passing Wednesday of Andy's uncle, Laimonis, whose art work graces the walls of our living room.

We hope you have a wonderful and enjoyable Christmas.

2011-12-17T07:38:00.001-08:00

Our tree is up and we will finish our decorating of the house today, just in time for Christmas. The boys are quite excited for they are out of school until January 3rd. Gail and Andy do not share in the enthusiasm, but are looking forward to Christmas.

This past week was fairly typical, we all went about our routines. Matthew was not feeling well so he missed a few days of school. Twice he went in and twice he was sent home by the school nurse. The nurse did not share with Gail and Andy the same level of sickness one must experience before becoming ineligible to be at school. The bar is much lower then what existed when we were in school. Andy was in Wendover one day this week. He was also notified he will argue a case at the Nevada Supreme Court in January. Gail is recovering from all of her signing.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hope during this next week you have opportunity to pause and reflect on the blessing the birth of Jesus Christ is for each of us. Have a great week.

2011-12-11T07:27:00.001-08:00

Wow what a busy week we have had. This was the week of "The Forgotten Carols." Gail and Matthew did a fantastic job. Each gave every spare minute this week. The show was a great success. We are now ready to get ourselves prepared for Christmas and we are looking forward to the time together with each other.

There is not much else to report. Hopefully this week our tree will go up, our house decorated and the annual letter composed. We are looking forward to entertaining and celebrating one of the best times of the year.

We hope you all have a great week.

2011-12-03T07:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday evening was the debut of "An Uncommon Bond" the trio Gail started with two other excellent singers in Elko. They sang last night at the Creche Festival and did a spectacular job. In the five years our family has attended the festival, last night was the first time we have ever seen a group get a standing ovation. The world will never be the same.

We were also glad to see some friends from Idaho and Utah come to hear Gail sing. It was a great evening.

Otherwise, all is the same at the Mierins' home. We hope you are enjoying this Christmas season. Have a wonderful week.

2011-11-26T08:04:00.000-08:00

We all hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We certainly did. Andy was in his prime being able to cook. He spent Tuesday and Wednesday evening and Thursday morning in the kitchen and managed to be able to put together quite a meal. We had 10 people. Gail's parents and sister, brother-in-law and nephew joined us, as well as a member of our ward. We were regaled with a thanksgiving poem which was quite entertaining. We had a wonderful day and considering all the wonderful things which have happened to us we have quite a bit to be thankful for.

We are also glad for a few days with nothing on our schedule the remainder of the week. It gave us time to catch up on a few things. Andy was quite excited because his birthday present arrived Friday, his Kindle Fire. He is enjoying it immensely.

We hope you all have a great week.

2011-11-20T08:37:00.000-08:00

We have all overcome the sickness as a family and are grateful to be healthy once again. This has been an incredibly busy week as we prepare for Thanksgiving next week. Matthew and Nikolas are doing well in school and keeping themselves busy; Matthew with his animals and science club, Nikolas with band.

Gail continues to build quite a reputation as a voice teacher and has more students than she has time. "The Forgotten Carols" is getting closer and Gail will be happy when the production is over. Additionally, her singing group is getting ready for some performances coming up in December. Gail has found her niche.

Andy was gone to Reno Tuesday and Wednesday attending a training for a Family Drug Court program. He was back home Thursday working in the office. Friday he was involved in the selection process for the two District Court judge positions in Elko. He found it to be a fascinating process and was honored to serve on the commission.

Saturday was a special day. Andy and Gail joined some friends from the ward in attending the Temple. It was wonderful.

We hope you have a wonderful week and wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

2011-11-12T10:57:00.000-08:00

We all spoke to soon last week. No sooner had last week's post gone up, then Gail began to feel the sickness Matthew and Andy dealt with. By Monday Nikolas was home from school, so we all ended up being sick. Thankfully, we are all healthy and better.

Once we all recovered things are going well. Nikolas is continuing with his band participation and enjoying the private flute lessons he is taking. Matthew continues to do well. He and Andy went on a youth temple trip to Salt Lake City on Friday and had a great time. Gail is busy as always with the "Forgotten Carols" and her musical group.

We are grateful for our many blessings and thankful for those who have served this nation in our military. We hope you all have a great week.

2011-11-06T08:07:00.000-08:00

This has been a rough week in the Mierins' household, all due to sickness. The plague began with Andy who woke up last Sunday not feeling particularly well. He made it to sacrament meeting, but after went home and got into bed. We did not see him again until 6 the next morning. Monday his fever had broken, but still had an upset stomach. He did go to work, but came home for a nap during the day. Tuesday he was feeling better, but then it began with Matthew. Thankfully, he is feeling much better as well. He spent Thursday afternoon until yesterday in bed. Nikolas seems to have been spared. Gail stayed as far away from Andy and Matthew as possible in hopes she does not get sick. Not much more to report on.

After a very late warm autumn, winter is beginning for us. We had snow Friday and this morning we are getting some flurries. Andy went to get our firewood yesterday so we had a fire last night in our newly cleaned wood stove. It was a great way to greet one of our coldest nights.

We hope all is well with you.

2011-10-29T06:13:00.000-07:00

The last two weeks have been quite busy. We are all doing well. The gerbils are still with us, but Salem is having a hard time understanding why every time he puts his paw on the glass he is unable to get the gerbil. We watched him several times last night bat the glass and I could swear each time the gerbil flexed one of its digits on the front paw.

Matthew and Nikolas survived parent teacher conferences. Matthew is doing so much better this year and we are glad. He has 2 A's so far, one of which is in PE, which is amazing in of itself. Nikolas has shown some improvements as well. We are proud of both of the boys. Nikolas continues to enjoy band and is showing improvement every day.

Gail remains busy with her students, singing and "The Forgotten Carols" all of which keep her busy. Andy is the same. He returned from a conference in Seattle last week and reported it was a beautiful place.

The big trip was a trip to Salt Lake City. It was a boys trip. Matthew had a doctor's appointment and Friday was Nevada Day, so Thursday after school the boys left. They went to a movie, did some shopping, had sushi for lunch (yes, Nikolas admitted he likes it) and spent several hours at the Clark Planetarium. All were exhausted when they got home.

2011-10-15T05:58:00.000-07:00

This weeks update begins with a report on the animals of the Mierins' Zoo. Vanilla and Garlic are still with us. Salem as assumed nearly all the "security" detail, diligently posting up on top of the cage. He reports no unusual activity, but seems quite confused by the gestures the gerbils give him. He was unaware gerbils have a middle digit on their paws.

The boys continue to do well in their activities and school, which keeps Andy and Gail happy. Parent/Teacher Conferences are in two weeks. Hopefully the reports match the increased effort we have seen at home.

Andy continues to be busy as always. He was appointed by the State Bar of Nevada as a temporary member of the Commission on Judicial Selection. This is the group which nominates candidates to the governor for vacant judicial positions. Elko County has two vacancies to fill. He is excited to serve.

Gail continues with the busy schedule she has. She and Andy are excited to celebrate their 18th anniversary tomorrow. How grateful both are for temple ordinances.

Overall, things are great in Nevada. We enjoyed some summer like weather the past few days. We are thankful for all our friends and family and hope all is well with you.

2011-10-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

The Mierins family's week was magnificent. Mother Nature mocked us for bragging about the beautiful weather we were experiencing by asserting herself with the first snowfall of the season. Tuesday to Friday it was cloudy outside, with occasional rain. Wednesday we saw our first snow fall in the mountains. Despite this the week went great.

Matthew's Zoo continues to prosper. Salem and Blizzard have volunteered to "watch" the gerbils for him while he is at school. Both take turns posting up on the screen covering the cage, reporting no unusual activity. Vanilla and garlic are not sure what to make of the security detail.

Nikolas is enjoying band and doing well progressing on learning the flute. He still sits on his island at school but has come to the conclusion maybe if he focused more on his work and less on socializing he may get to return to the mainland.

Gail and Andy remain busy as always and cannot believe in one week will celebrate their 18th anniversary.

We hope all is well.

2011-10-02T07:55:00.000-07:00

October is now here and it is amazing to think we have lived in Nevada for almost 4 years. We have had many trials, but at the same time we have enjoyed many blessings and when we look back upon how the Lord has blessed our family since we arrived, we all are coming to the realization this was a good change.

The past week saw some changes to our family. We have added two gerbils to our list of animals. "Vanilla" and "Garlic" joined us on Monday afternoon. While Matthew has been ecstatic, Salem has been licking his chops more frequently. We have caught Salem sitting on top of the screen cover looking down at the gerbils. It is quite amusing.

Matthew continues to have a great start to the school year and unlike in years past, he is doing well in all of his classes. His most recent grades show nothing less than a C, which is a great improvement. Matthew also enjoys being in school which makes Gail and Andy happy.

Nikolas started band practice this last week and is doing well practicing his flute. Gail is quite excited she has a child very interested in music. He is getting as much bike and rip stick riding in as he possibly can. The weather has been very warm, which he loves.

Gail and Andy continue to be their busy selves. Andy's job, teaching, community work and church service keep him away most of the week. He was glad to have General Conference this weekend as it has kept him home. Speaking of conference how grateful we have been to hear the uplifting messages of our leaders. Gail keeps busy with her students and "Forgotten Carols."

We hope all is well with you.

2011-09-24T06:18:00.000-07:00

Fall has now arrived in Northeastern Nevada and all continues to go well for the Mierins clan. We are enjoying the warm, not hot, beautiful blue skied days that fall brings. One of the things we love about living her are the cloudless blue sky days we enjoy. There is something exhilarating about these kind of days.

This is Andy's favorite time of year. His office is about to hire a new attorney so hopefully his schedule will not be as chaotic as it has been. He was in town for the entire week, which has not happened much since we returned from out summer vacation. It looks as if it will be a few weeks before he needs to be gone.

Gail is in full swing with the "Forgotten Carols." She is grateful to have an opportunity to do what she loves best, sing and work with people who appreciate music. Her singing group has also picked up some new performance dates and so things continue to go well. She has found that outlet she needed. She continues to be asked to take on new students.

Nikolas is still on his "island" and not sure why. He continues to do well in school and is excited to start band. Matthew has shown some great progress. He absolutely loves science club and he has been assisting the science teacher care for the animals in his class. He has even convinced his parents to let him have a gerbil at home. Thus this week we will probably be adding to the Mierins' Zoo, both literally and figuratively. We are so very proud of both the boys and count them a great blessing.

We hope all is well with you in your part of the world.

2011-09-17T14:36:00.000-07:00

The Mierins clan had a great week. We learned that except in math, Matthew has all A's in his classes so far. We are extremely proud of him and have seen some significant changes in him which has us all very happy. Nikolas continues to be on his "island" and while he hopefully will soon return to the "mainland", he has problems getting his assignments done. He is not sure why. Overall, the boys are doing well and Nikolas' new interest is being in the band, which has his Mother quite proud.

Gail has begun working on this year's production of "The Forgotten Carols." Auditions were this week so that kept her quite busy. Andy had both Municipal and Justice Court in Wendover, so he was gone all day Wednesday and Friday. Thankfully Saturday has come along and he has time to get caught up on the projects at home. He fixed Nikolas' bike using some of his Grandfather's tools which would have made him proud. Overall, life is good in northeastern Nevada. Until next week.

2011-09-11T20:34:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe our little Matthew is now a teenager, but it is true. Matthew turned 13 yesterday and we cannot believe it. He had a great day. He invited two friends over and had pizza and a movie. It was great seeing him have a great time.

The boys are continuing to have a great start to the school year which is a relief. Each has seemed to adapt to their new school.

Andy and Gail continue to keep themselves busy. Gail is the music director again this year for the "Forgotten Carols" which is getting ready to start up rehearsals soon. Andy was gone quite a bit this week. Wednesday he was in Wendover and then Thursday he left to attend a conference for public defenders put on by the American Bar Association in Las Vegas. He returned on Sunday and we were glad to have him home. He reported it was a great conference. While in Las Vegas Andy got to see a friend from law school which was great.

We hope you are all well.

2011-09-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

Elko County Fair weekend has arrived. This means one important thing....four day weekend. The boys had Friday and Monday off, while Andy had a half day on Friday. We enjoyed a great Friday afternoon together. The weather has cooled off a bit as well.

School continues to go well for Nikolas and Matthew. Nikolas still cannot understand why he is on an island in class (this means he has to sit at a desk by himself). Interestingly, there was clarity once Gail received an email from Nikolas' homeroom teacher. Matthew has had one of the strongest starts to a school year and after two weeks has shown an easy transition to his new school. We are all so glad.

Gail and Andy continue to be busy as always. Andy's first week of teaching went well and he thinks this is going to be a great semester.

We hope you all are well.

2011-08-27T21:12:00.001-07:00

School has begun and the first week has thus far been a success. There were no complaints and each boy reports he likes his respective new school which is a great relief. Matthew is excited about science club and Nikolas is talking about band. Hopefully, Week Two will go just as well.

The rest of the Mierins life is pretty much the same. Gail is enjoying the quiet of the day. She is still teaching voice and practicing with her singing group which takes up a good amount of her time. Andy's office had an attorney retire the end of August and thus his work has increased slightly. He also starts teaching his college classes this week and is excited to begin. Essentially it has been the same routine for both.

Matthew and Andy enjoyed a fun trip to the Twin Falls Temple Saturday. Each is looking for many more opportunities. The temple certainly serves as a strength and how grateful we are for them upon the earth.

We hope all is well.

2011-08-21T18:07:00.000-07:00

The end of summer for the boys has arrived. In about 12 hours Matthew begins 7th grade and Nikolas 5th Grade. Friday was spent touring schools, getting supplies and preparing for a new school year. It has been a quick summer, but we did quite a bit of fun things. The boys seem excited and ready to begin school.

Monday and Tuesday of this week were spent in SLC. Matthew had his annual checks ups with his doctors at Primary Children's. Everything seems good, which we are glad. We did get to go finish some last minute school shopping.

Gail continues to be quite busy with her singing and students. Andy is about to begin a new semester of teaching next week. He spent a good amount of time getting ready for his two classes; Introduction to American Politics and The Nevada Constitution.

We hope all is well.

2011-08-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a nice visit to Boise for a family reunion. We left Friday afternoon. The reunion was Saturday and it was nice to become acquainted with members of Gail's family. We then got together Saturday evening with Gail's brother and his family to do some swimming at our hotel and then some dinner.

Otherwise it was a normal work week for us. The boys start school in a week and it is hard to believe our summer is almost over.

We hope all is well.

2011-08-06T07:05:00.001-07:00

We had a fairly quiet week. Matthew spent the week in Idaho with his grandparents. He reported having a good time, but was glad to come home as well. The boys have had a busy summer and it is amazing to think that in two weeks school starts. Nikolas had a great week ruling the house. He will not admit to this, but he missed Matthew. Nikolas and Gail played about forty games of Yahtzee. Mom was the champ.

Andy and Nikolas continued projects around the house. Nikolas is a great assistant. Gail and Andy had typical weeks of work. Outside of work, nothing to spectacular occurred. We hope all is well wherever you may be.

2011-07-31T10:58:00.000-07:00

We need a vacation to recover from our vacation. We have wonderful friends who took great care of our home and cats, but Andy returned to quite a pile at his office. He spent Tuesday and Wednesday playing catch up. Then on Thursday discovered another attorney who was thought to be on vacation has retired, so now the workload got spread even more. By Friday he was on top of all assigned to him.

The boys were glad to be home as well and for the last 100 miles talked about how excited they were to see Salem, our older cat. Salem was not as glad his people came home.

Gail had a performance this week signing for the opening of the Elko Senior Games and the show went well. She received an invite to sing for a group that will perform on Temple Square at Christmas. This outlet has really helped.

Matthew was off to Idaho to spend a week with his grandparents. He and Gail left Friday. Nikolas and Andy stayed home. Saturday was a great day. Andy and Nikolas spent the day working in the yard, fixed a sprinkler, did chores around the house and ended the day going to a movie. Both report it was an excellent day.

We hope all is well with you.

2011-07-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

We returned last evening from a wonderful trip back to New Hampshire and Washington, DC. We left July 9th early in the morning and drove to Lincoln, Nebraska. Next stop was Cleveland, Ohio and we made it to NH on July 11th. We had good driving weather, no delays which made the trip easier.

Our stay in NH was wonderful. We spent time visiting with friends and family, did some shopping and just relaxed. Gail and Andy left for Washington on July 16th. Andy was attending a national conference on Drug Courts. Matthew and Nikolas stayed with Grandma Mierins and Jim. The conference was held at the Gaylord National Harbor side. Andy reports the conference was great with quite a few informative sessions. Gail enjoyed exploring the area and really enjoyed Mt. Vernon. While in DC, Andy and Gail sampled Korean, Pakistani, Ethiopian and Peruvian food. They also went on a tour of the Capital, FBI Building, the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress.

Matthew and Nikolas arrived on Thursday morning and the family went to explore the Museum of Natural History and Museum of American History. Friday we visited the Air and Space Museum located near Dulles Airport. One of the highlights was seeing a space shuttle. Friday afternoon we left for Nevada. We drove as far as Columbus, OH. We left early the next morning and made it to Omaha, Nebraska and the Rock Springs, Wyoming. We got back early evening on the 25th.

While a great trip we were glad to be home.

2011-07-03T10:01:00.000-07:00

We had an exciting week. Matthew returned from Camp Kostopolus on Friday. While he will not admit it, he had a good time. Gail dropped him off on Monday morning and within 2 hours Matthew called to say he wanted to come home. Gail convinced him to give it a day and we did not get any other calls. Gail and Andy went to pick him up on Friday and he was excited to see us. Matthew said the food was good and the best part of the week was riding the horses.

Nikolas spent the week at his grandparents in Idaho and he also reported a great week. He went to the YMCA and the zoo and got to spend the week with his cousin. Gail's parents brought Nikolas back on Friday and we enjoyed having them spend the weekend.

Gail and Andy had a fairly quiet week working each day. They did get to go out a couple of nights, but missed their boys and were glad to have them home.

We hope all is well.

2011-06-26T16:59:00.000-07:00

The house will be quite quiet this next week. Nikolas is in Idaho visiting his grandparents and Matthew in Utah attending camp for the week. The boys were very excited to go and Mom and Dad have mixed feelings. The week was spent getting ready for their departure. Matthew and Nikolas both had jobs to finish before leaving and the jobs did get done.

Gail and Andy continue to be busy. Gail's group sang Friday evening at a meet the candidates forum for an upcoming special election to fill the seat of our congressperson. Then on Saturday evening the group provided entertainment for the Relay for Life. The concerts both went well. Andy, thanks to Nikolas finishing his job, was able to finish the landscaping and planting in out flower beds. Unfortunately, for some reason all of our plants died. Oh well.

We hope all is well in your part of the world.

2011-06-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there. We had a great week. Gail, Matthew and Nikolas left for Idaho on Thursday for a visit with family. They all returned Saturday afternoon. Andy remained home, but was quite productive. While gone he attacked the jungle of weeds in the front yard, cleaning out many and planting flowers in its place. He also filed in the gaps with some mulch. The project was about a 1/3 done when everyone got home. We had a family project to continue and got another 1/3 done planting some vegetables on the way. We hope to have all the flower beds done by the end of next week. Andy was quite sore when done, but sure enjoyed sitting on the front porch and looking at the progress made.

Gail and the boys had a great visit with Gail's cousin and playing at the YMCA. Nikolas particularly enjoyed the climbing wall and Matthew was in heaven with the mega pool. We are looking forward to our remaining summer trips.

We hope all is well with you.

2011-06-12T12:33:00.000-07:00

We have survived the first week of summer vacation. Nikolas rides his bike and rip stick, while Matthew continues his exploration of the yard. Amazingly, neither has "time" this week to get a simple weeding project taken care of in the yard. This may change now the bike and rip stick are in time out until further notice. Matthew went on Youth Conference this week up to Twin Falls. He went to the Twin Falls Temple and camped at some hot springs. Unfortunately, he came home with a sun burn that blistered up. He reported it was a great trip. We are also getting some consistent warm summer like weather which has also been nice. Nikolas has now completed the baseball season and he received an award for being the most improved player on his time.

Gail and Andy continue to be quite busy and are looking forward to their various trips this summer.

We hope all is well.

2011-06-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

We have had a busy two weeks here in the Mierins' family. Yes, the boys are done with school for the year which is almost to hard to believe. Nikolas earned a Presidential Award for Academic Excellence. Matthew did pass all of his classes. He had a rough year, but with a new school year and new school next year hopefully things will be better. We are glad the summer is here and are looking forward our trip this summer back to NH, then to Washington, DC. We also have some weekend trips planned to Idaho and Matthew will be attending summer camp the end of June.

Nikolas had an exciting week in baseball. Last Thursday he had such a good game he was awarded the game ball after his team came from a 4 run deficit in the last inning to win the game. Nikolas is now glad to be able to ride his rip stick and bike for the rest of the summer. He and Andy joined some friends over the Memorial Day weekend at some cabins in Hanna, Utah and had a great time. They enjoyed the trout fishing which was great and it was nice to get away together.

Gail and Andy continue to be quite busy as usual. Gail has secured several singing opportunities with her group for the summer. We are very proud and excited for her.

We hope all is well with you wherever you may be.

2011-05-22T08:13:00.001-07:00

What a fast week this has been. Everything is about the same in the Mierins household. Busy, busy and busy. The boys are in the countdown to the end of school with 9 school days left. It does not seem possible, but is true. Matthew and Nikolas are ending strong and each got to visit the new school they will attend next year. Gail and Andy wonder how it is possible that Matthew begins middle school.

Nikolas continues to enjoy playing baseball and with the nicer weather likes riding his rip stick and bike. Matthew is glad to get back outside and collect bugs and rocks. Andy and Matthew had a trip to SLC Thursday for a doctor's appointment which went well. Matthew is doing much better on his new medication and the doctor even commented on a change since his last visit. We are all glad.

Gail and her singing group are tearing up the music world. They performed this weekend at the California Trail Center and have now been asked to sing at a 4th of July celebration. Gail continues to teach students and has found two great outlets to use her magnificent music talents.

Not much else to report. Hope all is well.

2011-05-15T07:22:00.000-07:00

We are certainly enjoying spring in Nevada. The trees all have leaves, the flowers are in full bloom and we need to water the lawn. The last several days have been absolutely beautiful. In addition to the warm weather, Gail recently celebrated a birthday. Andy tried to make her a special cake, but it did not come out the way he planned, thankfully it was the thought that counts.

Gail has been very busy the last several weeks with the 'Miracle Worker" which came together and the cast and crew did a fantastic job. Nikolas played the part of Jimmy and he was great. The only disappointing thing was how few people came, it was one of the best productions put on here. In addition to the play, Gail continues to be busy with her voice students and taking great pride as they are achieving some recognition.

We had a fantastic visit with Andy's Mom and Jim last weekend. Gail went off to Boise on Saturday to see "Wicked" and had a wonderful time. We enjoyed the Cinco De Mayo parade and celebration in Elko and Jim and Nikolas got to golf. We all were sad to see them leave, but grateful for the time we got to spend together.

Matthew continues to show some great improvements since we changed some of his medications. Since the change his effort and behavior at school has drastically improved. While he still has his challenges, we are glad he seems happier. Nikolas has had a good season in baseball and is playing better. The boys are both excited for school to end in a few weeks.

Andy continues to be busy as always. He spent quite a bit of time the last two weeks on finding a new home for the Family Resource Center and if all goes well, the Board of Directors will finalize the purchase of a new building which will enhance the service the organization can provide to the community. Over the last week he was in Reno on Tuesday and Wendover on Wednesday. He finished teaching his class this week. He is glad the summer is almost here.

We hope all is well in your part of the world.

2011-05-01T08:42:00.000-07:00

Mother Nature has been trying to trick us this last week. Typical of living in the high desert, we had cooler temperatures and some snow flurries this week. It looks to improve to spring like weather this week, meaning we can get back outside and work on our gardens and the yard.

The Mierins family had quite a busy week. Gail has been enjoying herself attending all 3 performances of "The Sound of Music" this week by the high school drama departments. She has several students performing and she had a great time attending. The boys were not as interested so they stayed home, meaning everyone was happy.

Matthew and Nikolas are doing well. Each is excited for summer with one month of school left. We had an IEP meeting for Matthew this week and he has shown some great progress since taking his new medication. All of us are glad he is shown some improvement. We have not seen a progress report, but each of his teachers reported he is more attentive and motivated.

Nikolas is in full swing of baseball season. He had 3 games this week and all went well. He is having adjustments going from coach pitch to facing a real pitcher, but he is doing well.

Andy is busy as always. He was in Carson City last Monday and Tuesday for some parole violation hearings. He reports the capital is beautiful. Andy was elected the President of the Board of Directors for a local social services non-profit and that has taken up even more of his time lately due to an immediate need to move. Overall he still enjoys what he does and with him happy all of us are happy.

We hope all is well.

2011-04-24T08:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter to our friends and family. Christ's birth was a magnificent event in human history, but his sacrifice and resurrection brought to pass the ability for each of us to enjoy eternal glory. Hopefully we all will take time and show appreciation for this event in human history.

We were so excited as a family to enjoy a nice spring day Saturday. We got the sprinkler system up, mowed the lawn, cleaned out our flower beds and ended with dinner cooked on the grill. We are glad warmer weather is upon us. Nikolas also had his first game and he did well. His team won 8-5 and he has shown great improvement over last year.

The past week was fairly typical. The boys went to school and Andy and Gail worked. Andy was on the road to Wendover and Wells this last week for Court and meeting with clients. He has been appointed to represent several "dancers" at a gentleman's club accused of prohibited acts. We will keep you posted. Gail is getting ready for "The Miracle Worker" as well as adding new voice students. She keeps busy.

All continues to go well and we hope is true for you. We wish you all a Happy Easter.

2011-04-17T16:46:00.001-07:00

We have just returned from a great weekend in Idaho. We travelled up Friday afternoon and stayed in Boise. We were up for a family get together to celebrate Gail's Grandmother's birthday. We had a nice time visiting with family. Andy went to the temple on Saturday morning while the boys went swimming at the pool. Once Andy got back we went to have Thai food and then went to visit one of Andy's mission companions who owns a car wash in Boise. He had a great time catching up. Once our visiting was done we did a bit of shopping and then went to the party. We all had an early night in bed. We got up Sunday morning and went to church before heading home. We attended a ward that meets next to the temple so after our meetings we went for a walk around the temple grounds. It was a great way to spend a sabbath day. We then went back to our room, packed up and were on our way back home. We are glad to be home. We hope all is well with you.

2011-04-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

We had one exciting week. It was the boy's spring break, so there was no school. Despite this unfortunate development, the boys managed to stay busy and generally out of trouble. Tuesday morning we were off to Salt Lake City for a doctor's appointment for Matthew. The appointment went well and we have a new medication for Matthew to use which will help. We tried a new place in SLC, Kaiser's BBQ, for lunch and it was good. Our good friend Irene met us and it was great to see her. She was kind enough to take the boys, so Gail and Andy could go to an alumni reception for his law school at Lamb's Cafe. We enjoyed seeing some of our good friends we made while in school. We were up early the next meeting and off to Elko. Andy went to work, Gail and the boy were off to Idaho. Gail was asked to sing at a funeral for a family friend. While in Idaho she went to a recital in which a friend of hers was performing. The boys got to spend time playing with their cousins which they enjoyed. Gail left Wednesday, because of an unusual snow storm on its way. It was a good decision because it snowed on and off from Thursday to early Saturday morning. Once it stopped and the sun came out, the entire amount melted. Gail and the boys returned late Saturday afternoon and we were glad to be back together as a family. We hope all is well wherever you may be.

2011-04-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

This is spring break week for the boys and they are excited. Interestingly the last three days of school were half days, so really the boys had half of one week off and then all of next week. Grades came out as well and Matthew has shown some improvement while Nikolas continues to do well. We are amazed that in 9 more weeks the boys will be done for the year. Matthew and Andy had a great experience in Salt Lake City Saturday. They were able to attend Priesthood Meeting at the Conference Center and what a wonderful spirit was present. This whole General Conference has been uplifting. How grateful we are as a family the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is upon the earth and we have the opportunity to hear prophets speak. Up until Sunday we had beautiful weather and then Saturday night we had some snow and the temps dropped back into the 30's. We all hope all is well with you.

2011-03-27T18:44:00.000-07:00

We have all returned safely from some fun weekend trips. Gail was up in Idaho to see a play at Boise State University on Saturday. She had the opportunity to do some shopping, visit family and have lunch with some friends. She left Friday morning and returned Sunday. The boys were off to Las Vegas. Andy had a meeting to attend Saturday morning, so he and the boys left on Friday. He met up in Las Vegas with his uncle who lives in California and had a great visit. The boys spent a good amount of time in the pool, but they also went to see a movie, had dinner at Five Guys Burger and Fries and introduced Matthew to sushi. It was great to spend time with Uncle Charlie. They returned on Sunday evening. We hope all is well with you.

2011-03-20T07:50:00.000-07:00

This week was pretty typical for the Mierins family. The boys went to school and Gail and Andy went to work. Gail continues to add voice students and she is getting better known in the community for her artistic skill, meaning she has found a way to get away from her cleaning business and make some extra cash. She is very happy to be teaching voice.

Andy settled back in after his trial and is gearing up for the next one in 4 weeks. The next one should not be as stressful. He is enjoying teaching and was approached about applying for the director of the criminal justice program at the local college. He is not sure this is the direction career wise he wants to go, but is glad to know he is appreciated for the work he is doing at the school.

Nikolas had try-outs for little league Saturday. He was selected to be a member of a team coached by one of Andy's friends and heard it is the Yankees. If true, Nikolas is not happy, but we are not sure that is the team's name. Practices start on March 28. Matthew decided he is not going to play an organized sport until Elko has a dodge ball league. He continues to be about the same.

We have began the clean-up of our yard and are getting ready to plant some flowers and a garden. We spent time Saturday picking up the sticks and twigs in the yard. The weather has been in the 50's and in a few weeks it will be time to start mowing the grass. Several of the perennial flowers around the house are coming up and starting to bloom.

We hope all is well.

2011-03-13T09:05:00.000-07:00

Another quick week has come and gone. The boys are gearing up for little league which starts next week. Matthew and Nikolas are both going to play and are excited. The boys continue to move along at school and are looking forward to their break coming up the beginning of April. Nikolas sang in a talent show this week at his school and was awarded a certificate for a free hamburger at Burger King. He was proud of his accomplishment.

We have Andy back after a very tiring week of trial. He was glad his client was not convicted of attempted murder, but was convicted of a lesser crime. The jury finally came back with a verdict Friday afternoon. Monday he gets back to the grind.

Gail added a new voice student this week and is gaining quite a reputation as a teacher in the community. One of her students was featured in the local paper for a performance she gave as part of a invitation only choir at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Gail was beaming.

We hope all is well wherever you may be.

2011-03-06T09:37:00.000-08:00

Matthew survived his first Klondike Derby this week. Gail and Andy were quite nervous about how he would do with camping in the snow. All reports were good and other than the tent collapsing there were no negative reports. Thankfully, it was also quite warm Friday evening. He and Nikolas continue to persevere at school. The school year has gone quickly. We are still amazed at the fact Nikolas is barely passing PE, until we discovered the reason is his inability to follow instructions and wait for instructions before beginning. Crystal clear now.

Gail has taken some time to recover from her sickness. This cold really has taken a toll out of her but she is almost back to full health. Andy also picked up the cold, but not as bad. He has been incredibly busy and starts a major jury trial on Tuesday. We have not seen much of him this last week. He did travel to Wendover on Wednesday to teach a class for the West Wendover Police on juvenile law that he says went well.

We all enjoyed a wonderful Stake Conference last Sunday. It was broadcast from Salt Lake City and heard from President Uchtdorf, Elder Andersen of the Quorum of the 12, Elder Duncan of the Seventy and Sister Stevens of the Primary Presidency. How blessed we are as a people for the advances in technology.

2011-02-26T14:39:00.000-08:00

We were excited to have the boy's mid semester progress reports come home this last week. Matthew has shown great improvement over the past nine weeks and we are so very proud of him. He approached Andy one morning and asked what he can do about his difficulty staying focused. They had a great conversation and Matthew is trying some of the ideas. Nikolas continues to do well in school with A's and B's except for PE. When asked why he is barely passing PE he said "I talk to much." Amazing.

This week the boys both signed up to play little league in the spring. This will be Nikolas' third year playing, while it will be Matthew's first. We hope for great success for both.

Andy had a new experience this last week. He was a judge for the Miss Elko County Pageant, which was held Monday. He said it was a great experience and he came away with a different view of the pageant. He found it to be a great organization and something which is positive in a young woman's life. He continues to be busy as always and is a week away from starting one of his biggest trials. He has spent a good amount of time preparing. In addition he continues to teach his class on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

Gail also had a busy week. The group she is performing with was asked to sing at Great Basin College this last week for one of the theater classes. All reports are that she did fantastic. She also began auditions for the "Miracle Worker." Needless to say her musical and theater talents continue to keep her quite busy. She still finds time to teach her voice students.

Well that about sums up our week.

2011-02-21T08:01:00.000-08:00

We are so very proud of both of our boys. The Blue and Gold Dinner was last week and Nikolas received his Bear award, as well as several belt loops. He now has them prominently displayed at home. He worked hard to earn the award. Matthew also had an exciting week. The Middle School Science Fair occurred and Matthew did a project on crystals. Gail and Andy were very proud of him for doing the whole thing on his own. He definitely had some encouragement, but when it came time to create the display, he completed it on his own.

Our unusually warm weather also continues, Tuesday it made it into the 60's which we all enjoyed. The boys especially enjoyed being able to get outside and run around. It wasn't to last, as Saturday we had some snow squalls, but they were not as bad as predicted.

Gail continues to be quite busy with her theater and voice students. She missed having Andy around as he was off to Reno for a training and to attend some meetings Tuesday to Thursday. He also had a chance to attend a concert and reported it was a great time. You will have to ask him of the details, but he said it took him back to his college days.

We hope all is well.

2011-02-12T05:46:00.000-08:00

Another week come and gone and most things stayed the same. The boys continue to be busy in various activities. Matthew completed day 2 of the merit badge powwow Saturday getting him closer to earning 3 merit badges for Boy Scouts. We are proud of him for his accomplishments. Nikolas took advantage of the warmer weather to get out on his rip stick. He has been riding and mastering the tricks one can do on the rip stick. He is excited for baseball season to begin so he can play. Andy is just excited for baseball season to begin so he can watch Nikolas play.

Gail continues to stay busy teaching voice lessons and working on her theater activities. The company is going to be doing a fund raiser of singing valentines and Gail is primed and ready to go. She has found great joy in being able to use the beautiful skill she is blessed with. She is also quite glad to be able to pare back he housecleaning accounts to devote more time to the music.

Andy continues his busy schedule. He was in Carson City Tuesday for some parole violation hearings at the state prison. Otherwise, it was in the office most of the week. He is getting ready for a jury trial in a few weeks and that takes up quite a bit of time. He is enjoying teaching his class, especially this semester. He has a smaller class and most of the students are engaged in the material. He will be off to Reno this week for some meetings and a training.

That about sums up the Mierins family's week. We hope all is well with you.

2011-02-06T07:56:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a quick week this has been. Unfortunately it was not as good as weeks past. First, we had cold weather return for a few days. While we cannot complain, it sure was nice to have it sunny and in the upper 40s for a while. Things cooled off, but then Saturday returned. More importantly, Gail was sick with a leg infection. We are grateful she was not as sick as in times past, it still kept her down for most of the week.

The boys are doing OK. We were able to attend a program Friday morning in which Nikolas was drumming. He did a great job. He was very excited and reminded Andy about 10 times of the program. We also were in several meetings for Matthew this week for his 3 year IEP plan. We think some good adjustments have been made and hopefully he will have a better experience.
Matthew had a great time at the merit badge powwow and is working on his horsemanship, woodcarving and pet care badges.

Andy continues to be busy as usual. His class this semester is much smaller and he reports so far is going really well. He is about the same. He and Gail were able to go out Saturday evening with some friends to try out a new BBQ restaurant in town. The food was good, service very slow, but they were glad to spend time with some friends and enjoy a night out.

That about wraps up our week. We hope all is well with you.

2011-01-29T15:19:00.000-08:00

We are excited because the nice warmer weather has continued this last week. We have hovered around 50 degrees for the last week and with the bright sunshine it has felt great.

Our warm weather is a reflection of this last week. All continues to go quite well for us here in northeast Nevada. Report cards came out and both boys are doing well. Nikolas especially has shown some great improvement over the last year. We are especially proud of him. Matthew proudly announced at dinner on Tuesday that he has straight A's (not bad for the 2nd day of the semester. We strongly encouraged him to keep up the great work).

Gail continues to add voice students and seems very excited about the opportunity to teach lessons. She spent time this week assisting the high school choir with an upcoming competition. There has been a different outlook at the Mierins' home since Gail found a musical outlet.

Matthew was off Saturday to a merit page powwow and reported he worked on his wood carving, pet care and horsemanship badges. He said it was great, especially getting to go to McDonald's for lunch.

Andy continue to be busy with all he is involved in. He started teaching an evening class again and so now Tuesday and Thursday evenings he is at the school. Friday night he went with his friend Brian to a Utah Jazz game. He said it was fun and enjoyed the opportunity to get out of town for the night.

Hope all is well where ever you may be.

2011-01-23T07:55:00.000-08:00

Another week has come and gone and all continues to be well for us. We had quite a turn in temps this week. Monday we hit a high of 55 and the rest of the week was in the mid to upper 40's. One of the things we like about living in the desert is the milder winter temps. Not much has changed for the family this last week. The boys had a short week of school. Monday was a holiday and Friday a teacher improvement day so only three days of school. Gail was a bit batty by the end of the week, but survived.

Andy was wrapped up in his trial prep, but then Friday the case came to a resolution and so we had him home for the weekend. Since he was planning to work all weekend in preparation for trial, his being home freed us up to work around the house all day Saturday. We ended up cleaning and organizing the garage, which was badly needed.

Not much else to report on this week. We hope all is well with you.

2011-01-15T16:39:00.000-08:00

This last week sure flew by. We are all doing quite well and have survived a bit of cold, well at least cold for Northeast Nevada. This afternoon it was in the lower 50's with the sun shining and Matthew was outside with his shorts. While that may be extreme, it sure felt much better than the cold temps we had been experiencing.

The boys continue to do well school wise. This week will mark the 1/2 point of the year and the boys are glad. Nikolas got a nice break this week. Andy had a meeting to attend in Reno Wednesday and Nikolas went along to keep him company. They hit some snow on the way which slowed them down a bit, but they made it safely and had a nice evening together. They stayed at Circus Circus and Nikolas cam home with quite a bit of loot won at the midway.

Andy is in trial mode so we will not see much of him until after next week. He starts trial next Tuesday so this week he will be cloistered getting ready. Gail continues to serve with her theater group and she is getting quite excited about some upcoming shows.

We are starting to work on our summer vacation plans and we are hoping to coincide a trip back to NH with a conference Andy will be attending in Washington DC. We will keep you posted.

That about sums up our week. We hope all is well wherever you may be.

2011-01-08T21:32:00.000-08:00

We cannot believe how quickly this last week has gone. It was back to school and work for everyone. Gail was glad to see the boys back to school after a two week break. It was great to be able to do things together as a family, but cannot say heartbroken over Christmas vacation being over. The boys seemed to adjust quite well to returning to school and it is hard to believe that half the school year is over.

Winter started off quite snowy for us, but lately it has been just cold. it appears we may get some snow this week. We shall see.

Gail and Andy were back to work this week and we barely saw Andy for much of it. He was in town, just extremely busy, leaving early and returning late. He did have a quick trip to Wendover Wednesday, but otherwise was in court quite a bit this week. Gail got back to her routine of cleaning, voice lessons and holding the fort down.

A closing thought. It is great to know that from now on until June the days will get longer. Hope this week is well for you wherever you may be.

2011-01-02T08:33:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all our friends and family. We know two weeks have passed since we last posted. The Mierins clan has been busy and enjoying the holiday. We had a trip to Idaho and then resurrected the Mierins Family Holiday Festival.

Christmas was spent with family in Idaho. We arrived on Christmas Eve and spent the evening with Gail's family at her Grandmother's house. We were able to attend a traditional Christmas Eve candlelight service that brought back many memories for Andy. We all got settled in for the evening and the boys made it to 8am before each discovered that Santa brought Nerf guns this year. Mom and Dad were not happy, but sure enjoyed the excitement. Once some presents were opened, it was off to Gail's parent's home and then to spend the afternoon with Gail's Grandmother. We enjoyed visiting with her and describing our neat trip to Georgia in November. The boys ended the evening at the movies, while Gail got some much needed quiet time back at the hotel room.

Monday was spent doing shopping and everyone picked out what they wanted. Tuesday it was time to return to Nevada. Tuesday morning it was raining/snowing in Boise, but by the time we got outside the city, the rain stopped and thankfully the roads were dry the remainder of the trip.

It was back to work for a few days until New Year's Eve. Nothing exciting happened that evening (Andy slept in the chair, Gail played on Facebook and the boys watched movies on their portable DVD players). New Year's Day was full of excitement as we had a party, the first official in the house. We cleaned and organized and cooked and then greeted 14 guests to our home. We had a holiday feast and it was wonderful. Andy was in his glory cooking away.

Tomorrow it is back to school and work. We are very grateful for a wonderful 2010. Heavenly Father has tremendously blessed us with health, jobs, a house and great friends. We look forward to opportunities to serve in 2011 and wish all of you a Happy New Year.

2010-12-19T07:15:00.000-08:00

Christmas is fast approaching and the Mierins family is quite excited. We are looking forward to spending time together as a family. The boys finished school on Friday and have the next two weeks off. Andy will be taking a week off of work as well and so we are glad we will have some much needed time together.

Gail enjoyed a bit of time on her own Saturday as she went with some friends to see the Nutcracker. She said it was wonderful. The show was done here in Elko and was a collaboration with Reno Ballet. Gail got to live her dream of being a ballet dancer.

The boys continue to do well. Matthew enjoyed spending time with his Dad on Friday. Andy had a meeting in Reno, so he took Matthew with him. They left Thursday evening and all reports are had a great time together. They played midway games at Circus Circus and Matthew came home with quite a haul of prizes. The drive home was a bit tricky as it started snowing Friday morning, but everyone got back safe and sound.

It appears we will have a white Christmas in northern Nevada. The snow started Friday and while it shifts from rain to sleet to snow and back, we have snow on the ground.

We want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. Please take time this time of year to seek out those who may be struggling or are lonely and offer what you can to lift their spirits. Despite what the world may say or do, this is the time we remember the birth of Jesus Christ, the exemplar of service to others. May you be blessed as you seek out those who are in need. Merry Christmas.

2010-12-12T16:32:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed a wonderful week. Gail finished up the "Forgotten Carols" and she did a wonderful job. Gail's parents came down for the Saturday afternoon show and we had a nice visit. Those that attended the show were in for a real treat and many raved about how wonderful it was. Gail also sang in the "Messiah" last Sunday and was by far the best soprano voice. We are so proud of her and the performances she has given. She will be gearing up for her next show in the spring. Nikolas was also in the show and he did a great job as well.

The boys continue to be excited about Christmas. It is hard to believe it is only two weeks away. Matthew and Nikolas continue to do well in school. Nikolas did a great job at his piano recital and is excited about continuing to study the piano.

Andy had a busy week. He was in Reno at a Drug Court training Thursday and Friday and so was gone. He has several trials coming up in January and February so he is getting ready.

Overall life is good and we hope the same is true for you.

2010-12-05T06:42:00.000-08:00

What a great week this has been. We had a bit more snow, but then towards the end of the week it warmed up and Saturday we were back to rain.

Blizzard, our new kitten, seems to be adapting well to her new home. She was sluggish the beginning of the week, but by the end she was chasing her tail and playing which is always a good sign. Salem still does not know what to make of this invasion of his home, but is adapting. He no longer hisses, just sort of lunges, then when Blizzard has no reaction, turns and walks the other way. We are taking her to the vet this week and will keep you posted.

The boys are excited for Christmas and so are we. This was the week of the annual Christmas Creche Exhibit. Nikolas participated in a piano recital and sang in a choir on Saturday. Gail will sing a solo this evening as part of the Messiah sing along. Nikolas did a great job and Mom and Dad were very proud of his effort. He was quite scared, but it did not come out during his performance.

We bought our Christmas tree Saturday. It is a Douglass Fir and has made the house smell wonderful. Gail and Andy got the tree up Saturday afternoon and were still speaking once it was done. They have come a long way. We are excited to decorate. The tree was pretty wet due to the rain so it has taken a day to dry before lights and decorations can go on. We will try and post a picture.

Gail and Andy are busy as always. This coming up week is the "Forgotten Carols" so Gail is in overdrive making sure everything gets done and the show is ready.

We hope you are all well.

2010-11-27T08:42:00.000-08:00

We had a fantastic week. We hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

We experienced a first this week in the 3 years we have lived in Nevada; a snow day. Tuesday a snow storm hit Elko and the boys did not have school, Andy had a half day as all county offices were closed. It was a nice break and we got much done in anticipation of Thanksgiving. Andy cooked most of the afternoon and so the house was nice a warm.

We left Wednesday afternoon and while there were some snowy parts on the roads had a safe trip and got to Boise in about 4 hours. We stopped at Five Guys Burgers and Fries for dinner and really enjoyed the food. Thanksgiving day was nice. Gail's parents hosted 26 people and we enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with family.

We left Friday afternoon and made it back to Elko safely. Unfortunately we had quite a bit to get done this weekend before school and work begins Monday.

Saturday we left for Salt Lake City to attend the baby blessing for our good friends Daniel and Irene. We had a nice dinner with them and then settled in for the night. We awoke to a snow storm. As we were getting ready to leave the hotel we heard the cry of a little kitten under our car. We rescued him and felt bad so we let the hotel know we had him in the event someone comes looking for it. As of now he is with us in Elko. We will keep you posted.

We hope all is well with you.

2010-11-21T15:41:00.000-08:00

We have received our first snow of the season this morning. As Andy left for church there were several inches of snow on the ground but by noon the sun was out and melted some, but not all of the snow. We are also suppose to be in for our first blast of cold weather this week. We will keep you posted.

Our week was fairly typical with no excitement out of the ordinary. Andy and Gail worked and the boys went to school. As a family we enjoyed the Ruby Mountain Symphony concert last night (Saturday). There was a jazz ensemble that was really good.

We are all looking forward to Thanksgiving this week and wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.

2010-11-14T19:22:00.000-08:00

We just returned from another trip to Salt Lake City. Gail and I were invited to a devotional held on the 5th floor of the SLC Temple. Elder Richard G. Scott, Bishop Keith B. McMullin, Elder William R Walker and President and Sister Childs were the devotional speakers I felt it was an inspirational meeting and was thankful to be in the Temple today. We drove in with some great friends and our even braver friends in Wendover watched the boys Gail and Andy could go together. Needless to say it was a fantastic sabbath day.

The rest of the week was fairly typical. Andy was gone to Wendover for Court on Wednesday, but then home the rest of the week. We enjoyed being home as a family on Veteran's Day. The boys continue to do well in school and Gail stays busy with the production of "The Forgotten Carols."

Matthew had an exciting day Saturday. He was invited to a birthday party and went bowling. He said it was a ton of fun.
That about wraps up our busy week. We hope all is well in your part of the world.

2010-11-09T18:25:00.000-08:00

I know this is a few days past when we normally post. Gail and Andy enjoyed a fantastic trip to Savannah, Georgia last week. They left on Tuesday evening and returned Sunday. The first night was spent in Salt Lake City, as they had a flight that left at 8 am the next morning. Wednesday evening after checking into their hotel they ventured into downtown to have pizza at Vinnie Van GoGo's. The restaurant has outdoor seating and it was quite nice enjoying some good pizza in the nice cool Savannah air. Andy started his conference the next morning at 8am, and while he was there Gail began he exploration of the city. She said it was a lovely place. The Conference ended Saturday and so after a quick trip to Hilton Head Island, it was time to pack and return home.

We are grateful Grandma and Grandpa Davis watched the boys while we were away. Everything was still in tact when we returned so we think it was a success all around. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

2010-11-01T09:54:00.001-07:00

Wow, two very quick weeks have gone by. Where to begin. Andy has been quite the traveler these last two weeks. He was in Reno on October 19 attending a State Bar of Nevada meeting, he got back Tuesday evening, made an appearance Wednesday and Thursday morning flew to New Hampshire to attend his 25th high school reunion. He said he was a bit nervous, but ended up having a great time. He spent a day with his Mom and then flew home Sunday. This last week he was in Wendover and this week he and Gail will be flying to Savannah, GA to attend a conference. Then he is grounded for a while.

The boys are doing well. Parent/Teacher Conferences occurred last week and while Matthew continues to have his struggles we got some feedback that will be helpful. Matthew's grades have dipped a bit, but with some adjustments he is doing better. Nikolas' teacher is amazed at the growth he has shown. She had him in second grade and said he has grown leaps and bounds. His first semester grades came out and his lowest was a B, with 3 A- mixed in. We are very proud of him.

Gail continues to add voice students as her reputation spreads. She is enjoying her involvement in local theater group. She is at rehearsals two nights a week for "The Forgotten Carols" and is excited for the performances in December. She is also enjoying being the choir director in our ward. She actually admitted, although Andy did not get it on tape, that she was starting to like living in Elko. Miracles never cease.

We enjoyed a nice long weekend, with Nevada Day Friday, Andy's office was closed and the boys did not have school. We invited our nephew Gareth to come for a visit and we had a wonderful visit. We carved pumpkins and went to Trick or Treat Street, which is a local fundraiser at the Convention Center where the kids go and walk around a maze of wooden facades trick or treating. This was the first year we went and it was fun.

We hope all of you are well.

2010-10-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

The Mierins family had an exciting week. We celebrated Andy's birthday Sunday in the way he wanted, being home. He appreciated the opportunity to spend the day with his family without any distractions. Saturday (October 16th) Gail and Andy celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary with an exciting date to the movies.

The regular routines of work, school and responsibilities around the house continue. The boys continue to do well. Nikolas has gotten interested again in the piano. He, on his one initiative, has been diligently practicing and getting better day by day. The boys are excited for fall and especially the chance to build fires with their Dad in the wood stove. We are still enjoying some beautiful fall weather. Not much else to report. We hope all is well where ever you may be.

2010-10-10T16:06:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic week this has been. It got cool and cloudy this week, but then for the weekend the sun came out and it warmed up into the 70's. One benefit was Andy finally got to have a fire in the wood stove. Gail, as difficult as it was, had to admit the wood stove actually was a great thing to have. She was not excited about it when we first moved in, but had so admit she enjoyed sitting in front of it in the rocking chair all toasty and warm. Andy was excited to spend Saturday morning getting and stacking wood for us to use in the wood stove. Our garage now has a good supply for us to use through the summer.

Gail and Andy had busy weeks. Andy has gotten himself involved in a cause to ban the sale of synthetic cannibinoids in the community. He participated in several presentations to various city councils considering a ban of the substance. He was mentioned in an article in our daily newspaper the Elko Daily Free Press. The cause continues this week as the group attempts to get out county to institute a ban.

Gail has remained busy with the production of the "Forgotten Carols." She is the music director and has rehearsals twice a week. She continues with her voice lessons and maintains her ever busy schedule.

Matthew went on his first scouting overnight camp out Friday evening and when he returned reported he had a great time. Nikolas was left at home with Andy Friday night and they enjoyed a good time together.

Saturday was a great day. Gail's sister and brother in law came for a visit. We had a nice time and benefited from the handyman skills of Gail's brother in law. Our front door is now fixed and we can no longer see the outside through the bottom of the door.

We hope you all have had a great week.

2010-10-03T20:51:00.000-07:00

How grateful as a family were are for General Conference. This one was particularly memorable both for the quantity of things spoken which touched our hearts, but also because Andy got to fulfill a dream begun 12 years ago when he decided he was going to take Matthew to his 1st Priesthood Meeting in the Conference Center. They both left Saturday morning and returned on Sunday. Andy got to spend time with one of his best friends and even saw a friend from law school he has not seen in several years. Matthew and Andy came home a very happy boys.

The rest of our week was fairly typical. We went to work and school and outside of the normal routines not much happened. We did continue to enjoy some wonderful weather. It continued to be in the 80's and 90's this week, but it looks like the nice weather is about to come to an end.

We hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

2010-09-26T16:29:00.000-07:00

We are all quite happy this week, due in part to having a great week and the amazing weather we are having. It continues to be clear and warm, the last several days in the upper 80's and the 30's in the evening.

The big news this week was Matthew's birthday party on Friday. Gail and Andy were a bit nervous as we had sent out 5 invites, but no RSVP had come back. Matthew decided he wanted to have pizza and watch a movie. We picked up "Robin Hood" and ordered several pizzas. Matthew ended up having 4 people come and it was quite a crazy evening at the Mierins' home. Gail had gone out with some friends. Andy was left alone at home with six 9-12 year old boys. There was a Nerf gun fight and general chaos. When all was done and cleaned up, Matthew gave Andy a big hug and said thank you. We were glad all went well.

We rolled out a new chore chart this week that showed we have one "the glass is half full" and one "the glass is half empty" child. The boys lost money for failing to do weekly or daily chores. On Saturday both boys earned roughly the same amount. One was excited to have some spending money and the other crying because he could have earned more. A very interesting experiment.

Over all it was a fairly typical week. We hope all is well.

2010-09-19T20:50:00.000-07:00

The excitement continues for Matthew. Today was his first Sunday to pass the sacrament. He said he was a bit scared at first, but then realized how easy it was. He did a great job. Andy gave him a bit of advice before hand, the best was that if you see Mom crying (which she did) it doesn't mean you are not doing a good job. After church he reiterated that being a Deacon rocks.

September chugs along. The boys continue to do well with school and playing. Nikolas has found a friend next door and enjoys riding his bike and playing with his new friend. We are having a bit of a time getting Matthew to do his homework, so any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Gail continues to do her thing and Andy is busy as always with work, school and now his new calling.

Andy was in Carson City this last week to do some parole violation hearings at the state prison. He said it was nice to be out there again. While in Carson City he met up with a friend and did a bit of shopping at Costco. We were glad to have him back Tuesday evening.

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.

2010-09-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

What a fantastic weekend we just had. Matthew turned 12 on Friday and we had a neat family gathering Saturday to celebrate his birthday as well as be together for his receiving the Priesthood and being ordained a Deacon on Sunday. Gail's parents arrived Friday and her sister arrived Saturday morning. Gail's Dad, her brother-in-law and Andy went golfing and all reports were they had a good time. Andy fired up the new grill (literally, it got so hot the paint caught fire) and we did ribs, which is what Matthew wanted. Matthew was excited to have all of the company. On Saturday evening some friends from NH arrived with their 2 kids and we had a full house.

Sunday morning was crazy at the Mierins' home. We did a big breakfast and then all headed for church. We had some friends join us from Wendover as well as Gail's brother in law and nephew from Tooele. There was a great showing in support of Matthew. Following Sacrament Meeting we did Matthew's ordination. Some of Gail's family left once we were done as they had a long ride home. Those that remained joined us for lunch and the celebrations continued. We were so excited to be able to entertain again and is was nice to have friends and family with us for the exciting day. We are grateful for the sacrifice made to be there and just wanted to thank everyone.

Sunday evening was Stake Priesthood Meeting and Andy was excited to be able to attend his first meeting with one of his sons. Matthew leaned over to Andy during the meeting to say he was glad he came and that being a Deacon rocked. Hopefully he keeps up the enthusiasm. By Sunday evening we were exhausted and all of us went to bed early and had a great night's sleep.

The rest of the week was fairly typical. Matthew and Nikolas continue to do well is school and are enjoying the new year thus far. Matthew and Andy are still doing their daily walks and enjoying the time together. Gail is still busy with her voice lessons and getting ready to be the musical director for another production in the fall.

Andy had some exciting news this week. He finally got a new calling. In addition to the excitement about Matthew, Andy was sustained and set apart as the new ward clerk.

We hope your week has gone well.

2010-09-05T07:56:00.000-07:00

We have had a fairly good week. While it took a while for summer to make its way to Northeastern Nevada, it certainly is in no hurry to leave. Most of the week was spent in the mid to upper 90's which is not typical. The area matched previous high records.

The boys continue to do well at school. Nikolas still enjoys walking to school. We shall see how long that lasts. Matthew has shown some great improvement as well. Still getting good reports. Matthew had an MRI last Tuesday and then some doctors appointments. All went well and after consulting with all of the doctors it has been decided to take him off of his meds. He will still take the aspirin and allergy pill. We all feel good about this decision. Matthew told Andy this week that he feels happier without his meds. While Matthew's distractability is up, the positive changes outweigh the minor drawback. We will continue to monitor and see how the year goes.

Gail and Andy continue to be busy with work. Gail has picked up a few additional voice students and the cleaning business is going well. Andy was in Wendover Wednesday and then back in seclusion getting ready for a jury trial that was suppose to begin Sept. 7th. Thursday afternoon due to some unforeseen circumstances the trial was continued, which freed him up Friday and for the long weekend.

This weekend is the Elko County Fair. While not as grand or big as the fairs in NH, it is still a fun time. County offices close early on Friday, so everyone can go and participate. Friday morning there is a big parade and we all enjoyed it this year.

With Andy free we spent Saturday cleaning and working on the house. Andy had been eyeing a new grill and it went on sale this weekend so we now have a grill. It was christened the "Man-B-Q" by the boys and is probably big enough to roast a pig (not really, but easily could do a couple of slabs of ribs). We are looking forward to entertaining and putting it to good use.

We hope all is well and hope you have a great week.

2010-08-29T15:05:00.000-07:00

The boys have survived the 1st week of school and all has gone well. Nikolas has enjoyed being able to walk or ride his scooter to school. He likes his new teacher who is actually his old teacher from 2nd grade. Overall he is glad to be back at the school he started when we first arrived in Nevada. It is hard to believe we are coming up on three years here. Matthew had an excellent week. He began the 6th grade and so far we have had excellent reports. We finally got his report card from last year to discover Matthew ended the year with 5 A or A-. We were very excited for him but he has no realized the expectation is high for this year. We will keep you posted as the year continues.

Unfortunately, Gail was very sick this week so was not able to enjoy the beginning of the school year. She is doing better but was up and off her feet for most of the week. Andy was back at work and did his best to help her, get the boys ready each day and get to work. Andy begins teaching his classes tomorrow and he is looking forward to teaching again. Overall, except for Gail it was a great week.

This morning at church our whole family spoke in sacrament meeting. Everyone did a great job and we are adjusting to our new ward.

We hope all is well.

2010-08-21T16:59:00.000-07:00

We have had a great week back from our trip to NH. It was back to work for Gail and Andy. Andy found out this week he will be teaching a second course at the local college this semester which he is excited. In addition to the Introduction to American Government class he will be doing an on-line Introduction to American History class. Needless to say we will not be seeing much of him between September and December. The pay off is we have some extra money to do some fun things. Classes begin for him on August 30th, so he has spent the week getting his materials ready.

Gail continues to do her cleaning, but also picked up some additional voice students. Andy was not exaggerating when he said she is very popular and sought after for her voice instruction.

Matthew had an exciting week. He spent most of it with his grandparents in Idaho. He went to the rodeo, a water park and even got to camp out in the backyard, sleeping in a tent. He reports he had a wonderful time. He left on Tuesday and returned Sunday. Just in time to return to school.

It is hard to believe but the summer is over and the boys start school on Monday the 23rd. Nikolas is returning to the elementary school he went to when we first moved. He is excited because he will have the same teacher he had for second grade. He is even more excited about the ability to walk to school. This idea does not excite Mom, but we did some training and did a trial run and he did OK. Nikolas enjoyed having the house all to himself this week, but admitted he misses Matthew. Andy and Gail will remind him at the appropriate time. Matthew begins 6th grade and we cannot believe our little boy is almost in middle school.

That about sums up our week. We hope all is well in your section of the globe.

2010-08-15T18:48:00.000-07:00

We have just returned from a wonderful vacation to New Hampshire. We ended up driving and the reasons are numerous, so to save the explanation it just was the best thing under the circumstances for us to do. It worked out great. Andy and Gail left on August 3 and made it to NH by the morning of the 6th.

We saw many friends, visited with family, went to the lake, did plenty of shopping and just had a wonderful time. We all left on our journey home on Aug. 12. Our first stop was in Palmyra, NY. We went to the Smith Farm, the Sacred Grove and the Hill Cumorah. The boys thought it was great and the walk in the Sacred Grove left lasting impressions. We drove as far as Cleveland, OH the first day. We discovered a chain restaurant Andy actually liked. It is called Shake and Steak and if you come across one make a stop. It serves good hamburgers and big shakes.

Day Two was the longest, or it seemed like the longest. We made it to Lincoln, Nebraska and on the way stopped at the worlds largest truck stop in Iowa. One more thing to check off we saw on the Travel Channel and said "hey, if we ever go by we should stop." Day Three we got as far as Salt Lake City. We arose Sunday morning to attend the Music & Spoken Word and then walked around Temple Square. Again, some great impressions were made. We all really liked the bag pipers during the performance. We are all glad to be home.

Hope all is well where ever you may be.

2010-08-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

Things have been very quiet at the Mierins' household this week. Monday afternoon Grandma Mierins met us in Salt Lake City and Tuesday took the boys back with her to New Hampshire. A few tears were shed at the airport and while Andy and Gail were a bit excited, by the time they got home each was missing the boys. Thankfully, we have been able to talk with the boys each evening and it seems they are having a fun time.

Monday we were in SLC for Matthew's annual doctor's appointments and everything seems well. Once the boys departed Tuesday, Gail and Andy went to visit a good friend in SLC and then had a nice dinner before heading home. We were greeted at home by a rain storm which has not happened for a while. It was nice as it helped water the grass.

The rest of our week was uneventful. Gail and Andy went to work and had several dates at night which was nice. We are looking forward to seeing the boys next week.

We hope all is well wherever you may be.

2010-07-25T07:34:00.000-07:00

All continues to go well in the Mierins household. During family council last week it was decided our cat's new name is "Salem". The discussion was long and after several suggestions, this is what was settled upon. Our new addition is showing more and more personality and likes to bring toys to you so you can play with him. We are glad to have him.

As summer is quickly coming to an end the boys are not anxious to get back to school. Matthew finished summer school this week. He now has 4 weeks until starting 6th grade. He is looking forward to visits with his Grandma in NH and Grandparents in Idaho. Nikolas had an exciting week. Tuesday was pack meeting and he was awarding 6 belt loops. We are certainly proud of him.

Gail and Andy continue to stay busy with work. Andy was off to Las Vegas Thursday for some Bar Association meetings. He reported the meeting was great, just very hot. He was glad to get back to the northern part of the state. While it has been in the upper 90's where we are, he said it was about 108 degrees in Las Vegas. Gail has continued to hang pictures and the house is coming together.

We hope all is well wherever you are. Until next week.

2010-07-18T15:24:00.000-07:00

Well, the big news of the week was the new addition to our family: Hunter. He is a two-year old cat we adopted from a person Andy knows from work. He joined us Monday evening and while it took a while for him to warm up to our family, he seems to be settling in well. He spent the first two days living under our wood stove, but then came out and now lives in Matthew's room. He wanders around at night keeping us safe from bugs and little critters. We are glad to have him and as soon as we can get him to sit still we will get a picture of him posted.

Otherwise our week was normal. Matthew has one more week of summer school and then will be off for a few weeks until the fall. The boys are enjoying having their own rooms and the attendant inability to blame the other for the messes made. We are slowly but surely getting pictures hung and set up around the house.

It was really warm this week. It hit 100 degrees twice this week and today looks to be about the same. Thankfully our nights get cool and with the huge ceiling fan we have it keeps the house nice and cool.

All goes well for Gail and Andy. Andy was off to Wendover Friday for Court and had a fairly quiet week otherwise. Gail is busy with her work and had time to do a Pampered Chef show Thursday evening. Each has commented on how quickly the summer has gone.

We are all doing quite well and hope the same for you.

2010-07-11T09:27:00.000-07:00

We have survived another week and there were no disasters or crises. After a sewer backup, the van catching fire and the invasion of earwigs and spiders we are glad to have a break.

Nikolas spent the week with his grandparents in Idaho and he reports he had a good time swimming, playing with cousins and going camping with his grandpa and uncle. The big news is he got a haircut and after much resistance gave in and allowed it to happen. Matthew enjoyed having the house to himself, but half way through the week admitted he missed Nikolas. Andy, Gail and Matthew used Monday the holiday to work around the house and got much done. We did enjoy this year's fireworks but it did not come close to the show for Old Home Days in Northfield when the fireworks went off in the park behind our house.

Andy and Gail continued their normal routine of work. Andy's homicide trial has settled so he is a bit more relaxed. He has some trials coming up in September and October that he can start worrying about. Gail is continuing with her cleaning and looking forward to her NH trip coming up. Not much else to report.

We hope all is well.

2010-07-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

Well, no exciting dilemmas this week, just a great trip to visit Gail's family. After week one's sewer back-up and last week's car fire, Gail and Andy were a bit apprehensive about this week. Thankfully no disasters. In fact it was a great week.

It was a fairly typical week for the summer. The boys are enjoying summer vacation, Gail and Andy continue to work. Andy was assigned a few months back to work with another public defender in his office on a homicide trial which was to begin in two weeks, but this week looks as if it has settled. This freed up him on some work and thus gave him reason to relax.

It got very warm in the 90's this week and we discovered our house has a great ceiling fan that sucks the warm air out of the house. It has helped to make the house much cooler. In addition, Gail and Andy got shades and some drapes up which has also helped keep the house cool.

Friday we left to go visit Gail's family and have a nice reunion in a Boise City Park. It was great to see family and we enjoyed the opportunity to get away. Gail and Andy did some car shopping and think they have found a replacement. We are just waiting to see what the insurance company is going to do about the Kia.

Nikolas is staying with Grandma and Grandpa this week and looking forward to some fun with his cousins, especially going camping.

We hope you all have a great week.

2010-06-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the photo it was an interesting week at the new Mierins household. Friday afternoon Gail called Andy at work to tell him the van was on fire. She was working in the kitchen, looked outside when she heard a clicking sound and saw the windshield wipers go on, then smoke started pouring out of the van. Andy arrived home to fire trucks and police cars and while the boys were very excited, Gail was less than enthusiastic. It appears it was an electrical fire that began in the dashboard. As you can see the fire melted most of the driver's side, but thankfully other than one CD, none of the other things in the van were damaged. We are waiting to hear from the insurance company, so for now the van sits in front of the house. Outside of this it was a fairly calm week.

Matthew started summer school this week and all reports thus far are good. Nikolas and Matthew are enjoying their new rooms. Nikolas got a "ripstick" for his birthday and spends a good part of the day riding it up and down the sidewalk and in the eever increasing empty sections of the garage. We have all worked very hard this week to unpack boxes and there only a few remain. Then the fun of moving our storage unit stuff begins. That about sums up the week

We hope all is well wherever you may be.

2010-06-20T18:24:00.000-07:00

We are slowly, but surely making a home. We are discovering it is a ton easier to pack up than to unpack. Despite a few setbacks, including a backed up sewer system, we are settling in. The boys enjoy having their own rooms and Andy was in his glory mowing the lawn Saturday. Gail did a fabulous job cleaning our apartment and cleaning the house so we could move in. Everyone is so glad to have a house and the room that comes with it. We were welcomed into our new ward by a cleaning committee that helped get the house clean so we could unpack boxes.

This morning was exciting. We travelled to Wendover to witness the sustaining and setting apart of our friend Brian as the new District President in Wendover. We are excited to have he and his family among our friends. The meeting was very spiritual and Andy was asked to participate in Brian's ordination as a High Priest. He was glad to be asked and to be a part of this wonderful event.

The boys are enjoying summer and especially having a yard to have water fights and play. Matthew will start summer school Monday, something he is not happy about.

We hope all is well wherever you may be.

2010-06-13T21:16:00.001-07:00

We have made it into our new home. Our move went very smooth and now the fun task of having to unpack everything begins. Thankfully, it was relatively cool out and it did not rain.
We are all very excited about our new home. After living cramped up for so long we think we are in a palace. We will post pictures as we take some.

We have all been very busy leading up to our move. Andy enjoyed his trip to NH/Boston. He got to see several friends, enjoyed spending time with his family and took in two Red Sox games. He also said the conference was good.

The boys have successfully finished another year of school and are looking forward to a fun summer.

Sorry this is so short, it is late, we just got the computer up and running and now need to get to bed.

We hope you all have a great week.

2010-05-23T10:46:00.001-07:00

What a fast week this has been. The boys are counting down the days until the end of this school year and the count is at 10. Each is excited to have summer here, now only if the weather would cooperate. We actually had snow flurries yesterday morning and it barely made it above 40 degrees. The boys (Andy, Matthew and Nikolas) braved the cold to attend the little league breakfast which was pretty good, except for the cold, blustery morning weather. Things did not get much better for Nikolas' game at 10:00 a.m. and both teams were so cold as the wind was really howling the coaches agreed to end by 11:00. Nikolas still had an excellent game.

Matthew and Andy had a great time Tuesday on a field trip to the California Trail Interpretive Center which is just outside of Elko. Matthew said he didn't learn anything, but it was still fun to have his Dad along. Andy said there was quite a bit about the flora and fauna of the area. He enjoyed the demonstration by the Nevada Department of Wildlife on the various animals which live here. He was shocked to find out there are raccoons here and then found out raccoons were brought here by the pioneers coming from the northeast who had them as pets.

Monday evening we visited our new home. It is crazy to think we will be moved in three weeks and we have a lot to do between now and then. Thankfully, we have some great support.

That about sums up our week. We hope all is well with our friends and family wherever you may be.

2010-05-16T15:46:00.000-07:00

The big news for the week, and it is big is, we are moving into a house finally. Monday afternoon we found out about a potential house in the neighborhood we are interested in and we liked it so much we decided to take it. We signed the lease on Saturday and we will be moving in June. We are all so excited. The boys will get their own rooms and we will have two bathrooms and a garage (firsts for our family).

We believe spring has finally arrived and have enjoyed two beautiful days. The forecast looks good for the rest of the week and we are excited to finally have some spring weather. We all had a wonderful week. Matthew and Nikolas are counting the days to the end of school (3 weeks) and are ending off strong. Matthew got his tennis racket and is excited to start playing. Nikolas continues to do quite well at baseball. He had a great game yesterday getting on base each time he was up, scoring runs and making some good defensive plays. Not only is he great on the field we found out he is quite the performer. Nikolas had his school choir concert this week and did a great job.

Andy and Gail continue to be their busy selves. Not much else to report. Hope you all have a great week.

2010-05-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to those mothers among our friends and family. We all hope you have a fantastic day.

We had quite another busy week. Nikolas and Matthew are doing really well. Matthew came home with the best report card he has ever had. He had an A- (in social studies making his Dad quite happy), 4 B's and one C+. We are very proud of the progress and effort he has made this year. Nikolas began piano lessons this week, which he is very excited about. He continues to do quite well at baseball. His defensive and batting skills have shown great improvement. This week he had 2 doubles and has not struck out once this season. Saturday as a family activity we went to practice together and we learned Matthew bats fairly well from the right side of the plate.

Gail continues to have voice students which keeps her busy. She enjoyed her Saturday. She and Andy went for lunch and ran some errands together while the boys were at respite. The afternoon was spent playing at the park and just having a great time together as a family.

Andy had a fairly intense beginning of the week. He had a prelim hearing Tuesday for a very serious case. He said the hearing went well and hopes the case works out in the end. The he was in Wendover Wednesday for juvenile hearings. The one nice thing was it gave him the opportunity to serve in the temple on Wednesday evening. He has enjoyed the assignment to work whenever he has the opportunity which is usually once a month.

That about sums up our week. We hope all is well wherever you may be.

2010-05-02T10:15:00.000-07:00

What a week we have had. Nikolas continues to play some great baseball. He had two games this week and went 6-6 at the plate and made two great defensive plays. We are proud of the way he is playing and improving. Nikolas had a choir performance on Wednesday night at his school and he did a great job. The school choir was performing during an art exhibition. They sang three songs and did a great job on each.

Gail and Nikolas went to performance of Oklahoma this week put on by the local high schools. Gail was beaming to have a son interested in musicals. Nikolas came home saying the play was great and he really liked it. Gail could not stop smiling.

Matthew continues to conquer the work of bakugan and pokemon. He is looking forward to the end of school and possibly playing tennis this summer. He asked about taking lessons and we are looking into seeing if the rec department offers any.

Gail and Andy have been quite busy as well. Gail is really looking forward to some warmer weather. After some teasing a few weeks ago the temp has not got above 50 since. Andy travelled to Reno this week to attend a meeting Thursday and had a great trip.

We hope all is well on your end of the world.

2010-04-24T22:01:00.000-07:00

The boys returned yesterday from a quick trip to Provo, UT to attend our Stake's Father and Son activity. It was a baseball game between BYU and the University of Utah. Each came home a bit sunburned but had a great time. I say quick because the boys arrived at noon for the game and were back to Elko by 7 pm. They stayed with our friends in Wendover Friday night and had a great time. Gail enjoyed the alone time at home and even managed to attack a few projects with an empty house.

While the boys were gone, Gail did attend the Ruby Mountain Symphony concert and helped with the artist reception after. She was glad to have her boys back but also enjoyed a day to herself.

Other than the exciting weekend it was a fairly typical week. Everyone was busy and made it through the week safely. Andy was in Jackpot Friday, then drove to meet clients in Wendover before meeting up with the boys.

Nikolas had a great 1st game this week. He hit a double and played some great defense. Maybe the Boston Red Sox could use his bat and glove, based on how they have been playing. In any event he and Andy enjoy practicing and we will keep you posted on his progress.

We had one last blast of winter thursday with a bit of snow failling. We did not let it get us down and the weekend turned out beautiful.

We hope all is well with our friends and family.

2010-04-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

We had quite a week. Everyone got through it safely, just all very busy. The past three days have reminded us that spring may actually arrive. We have enjoyed sunny skies and temps in the 70's. Hopefully this will keep up.

Matthew and Nikolas returned to school after an enjoyable break. Matthew had a PT evaluation this week and he has shown some great progress. Nikolas continues to prepare for his chorus concert and we are all excited to hear him sing. They are counting down the end of school in 8 weeks.

Nikolas had opening day for little league this week and Andy was especially proud to see him in his Red Sox uniform. Unfortunately, the major league team has been causing him some serious heartburn, but that aside he was excited to see Nikolas in the uniform. He and Andy both bought new gloves and have been practicing at the local park. Nikolas has quite an arm.

Saturday, Nikolas and Andy worked on moving things from our old storage unit to the new. Nikolas made the comment "Dad, look at all of those giant CD'S." Once Andy stopped laughing uncontrollably, he explained those are not CD's but records. Nikolas' response "Oh, what is that." Sad to admit, but times have certainly changed.

Gail had a busy week between her cleaning, voice lessons and board meetings. She has settled into quite a routine. She had a first this week-sushi. A new sushi restaurant opened in Elko this week. She and Andy went for lunch and she admitted it wasn't bad.

Overall it was a great week. We hope the same is true for you.

2010-04-10T14:51:00.000-07:00

We all had a busy, but exciting week. It was Spring Break so Gail and the boys went to Idaho to visit with Grandma and Grandpa and had a great trip. They visited the zoo, had a sleepover with their cousins and attended a birthday party for Gail's Grandmother. All returned safely on Sunday. Unfortunately, the fun had to end and the boys return to school Monday, ready to finish the last nine weeks of school.

Andy was gone as well this week. He was in Wendover on Wednesday for court and then was off to visit some juvenile programs in the southern part of the state. One of the programs was located on the edge of Death Valley. He spent the night in Las Vegas and then returned Friday. Andy travelled through some old mining towns and found Goldfield to be the most interesting. Virgil Earp was Sheriff at one time and from the looks of things not much has changed. There is a hotel being restored as well as an old stone courthouse which was neat. The one nice thing was the weather was great in Las Vegas, so he was glad to have some warm weather.

We hope all is well with our friends. Take care until next week.

2010-04-04T17:52:00.001-07:00

We have survived our wintry week. We started out thinking spring had arrived, but then once our hopes were high, Mother Nature sent us wind, snow and cold. We awoke several mornings to snow on the ground. It appears now that Mother Nature has had her fun, we shall have spring arrive this week. We shall see and we will keep you posted.

The boys are excited because this week is their spring break which means there are only 9 weeks of school left. The boys also received report cards and both showed great improvement. Nikolas had all A's & B's. Matthew brought his grades up and his teachers report he is doing better. We are proud of both of them

Gail and Andy continue to be busy as always.

We were excited about General Conference this weekend. Andy and Nikolas went into Salt Lake City. Andy was able to attend Priesthood Meeting and he and Nikolas went to the Sunday morning session. Nikolas said it was neat to hear President Monson speak. Despite wintry weather they travelled safely and were glad to have them home. Andy said what made conference especially special was celebrating Easter hearing the Lord's prophet testify of him. We wish you all a very Happy Easter and hope you have a great week.

2010-03-28T07:37:00.001-07:00

It is a beautiful spring morning here in Northeast Nevada. The Mierins family continues to do well and have made it through another week. With Spring comes baseball and Andy is anxious for this season to get underway. Nikolas began little league practice this week and it was with great excitement we learned he is on the Red Sox this year. Andy is just disappointed he could not coach.

Wednesday evening was the Blue and Gold Banquet and Nikolas earned a few more beads towards his advancement. Nikolas was also in a school production Thursday called the Mighty Minds Musical. He did a great job. We are very proud of him.

Gail was quite busy as usual. She continues her cleaning as well as giving voice lessons. We are so glad she brings great music into our home. She was off to Salt Lake City on Thursday to attend a funeral on Friday morning. Andy needed to be in Jackpot at 8 am on Friday morning for court. We were unable to find someone able to get the boys to school on Friday, so Andy took the boys with him. Matthew and Nikolas were well behaved and it all worked out. The boys realized Dad's job is pretty boring. Andy was glad to have them with him and even more glad both were on their best behavior.

Friday afternoon Andy, Matthew and Nikolas went to Reno to see the Reno Bighorns play the Maine Red Claws in an NBA Developmental League game at the Reno Events Center. The game was exciting, especially since the Maine Red Claws is affiliated with the Boston Celtics. The Celtics assigned Marcus Landry to the Red Claws and he played a good game. Andy and the boys were the only fans cheering for Maine. They stayed at Circus Circus, so before heading home they invaded the midway, bringing home several prizes.

We are glad it is Sunday and a day of rest. We hope all is well with you.

2010-03-21T18:02:00.000-07:00

What a busy week we all had. Gail has picked up a few voice students and she is enjoying teaching the 2 students she has. She continues to stay busy doing her cleaning and serving on various boards related to the arts. (She actually admitted to maybe, possibly liking it here a teeny tiny bit.)

The boys are doing well. Matthew received a lot of compliments for his Lego creation he brought to our ward talent show. He came home with a big beaming smile on his face and Mom and Dad were quite proud.

Nikolas is getting ready for his first choir concert this coming Thursday.

Andy was gone Friday working in Wendover and then he and some friends were off to Salt Lake City Saturday to attend a Utah Jazz game and have a boy's weekend away. Friday night was spent in Wendover watching NCAA Basketball Tournament games. He came back and reported how exciting it was to attend one of the wards he served in on his mission. He said he had a great weekend.

That sums up our week. We hope all is well with you wherever you may be.

2010-03-14T18:08:00.000-07:00

What a great week we have had. We returned this afternoon from a trip to Salt Lake City. It was the weekend of our stake temple trip. We all left on Friday afternoon and arrived in Salt Lake about 8pm. We decided to have pizza and ordered some pizzas from The Pie and they were good. It has been many years since Gail and Andy had a pizza from The Pie. Saturday morning the boys went to Daniel & Irene's and Gail and Andy went to the Salt Lake Temple. It was Andy's first chance to work in the temple and he reported he really enjoyed the opportunity. We enjoyed a nice lunch with Daniel and Irene at the Braza Grill and then started our trek home. We stopped off in Wendover to see the Boatmans and ended up staying the night. We had a great visit.

Nikolas had an interesting week. He had a dentist appointment on Thursday to get three cavities filled. He came home not feeling so well and saying he did not enjoy having to go to the dentist. Lo and behold he has decided to start brushing his teeth and today marks day four of doing so. He has now quadrupled his previous successive days doing so. Gail and Andy are pleased.

Andy and Gail continue to be quite busy with work. Andy made contact with an old college friend this week and was glad he did so. He is looking forward to getting back to New England to see some of his college mates. Overall things are great for the Mierins family and we hope the same is true for you.

2010-03-07T07:37:00.000-08:00

What a quick week this has been. We enjoyed having Andy's Mom and Jim here for a visit. They departed Monday evening on the train to Salt Lake City and found there way to the airport, arriving back in NH safely. We all enjoyed having them here and were sad when Monday evening came.

The boys continue to do well in school. Matthew has shown some great improvements this year and had his best report card yet. Nikolas keeps claiming "somebody" gets him in trouble at school, but when asked who somebody is he cannot remember. We have taken to now referring to Nikolas as "somebody." Nikolas is enjoying singing in the choir and was quite excited this week as he signed up to play little league again this year.

Gail keeps busy with her job. She and Andy spent a good amount of time on Saturday moving things between storage units. They found the bins which contained the stuff from their childhoods and schooling and had a blast looking at the things. What probably could have been a 1 hour job became a 3 hour job, but they had fun.

Andy continues to be busy as usual. Wednesday he was in Wendover again and once done meeting with clients and such he went into Salt Lake City to be set apart and trained as a worker in the Salt Lake Temple. He came home beaming and excited to serve.

That about sums up our week. We hope all is well with you.

2010-02-27T16:24:00.000-08:00

We have watched anxiously regarding the news in Chile and the pacific and hope our friends in those areas are safe and sound.

This was a pretty typical week for us in that Gail and Andy worked and the boys went to school. Andy was quite busy and out of town Wednesday. He continues to enjoy teaching his class while this semester seems to be going smoother than last. Gail was a judge this past week for the Miss Elko County competition and enjoyed the experience. She really enjoyed getting all dressed up.

What was exciting was Wednesday evening Matthew received his Arrow of Light. We are so proud of him for all the work he put into earning this award. Matthew also came in 2nd place at the Pinewood Derby this year. He did a good job working on his car. Not to leave Nikolas out, he earned two beads toward his advancement to the next rank in cub scouts.

We have enjoyed having Andy's Mom and Jim here for a visit. We are glad for the time we have had with them and look forward to our trip to NH this summer.

We hope all is well with you.

2010-02-21T18:46:00.000-08:00

We just returned from a nice trip to Idaho this weekend. We went up for a surprise birthday party for Gail's brother-in-law. All reports are he was surprised and it was nice to see family. We left on Friday afternoon and spent Saturday helping with preparations and running errands. The party was on Saturday evening and after helping to clean up we all went home and to bed. We got up this morning, went to church and then started the journey back home. Thankfully we had great weather both going up and coming back.

Outside of our trip, our week was fairly typical. Monday the boys and Andy were at home, but Gail did have to work. It turned out to be a Monopoly and Yahtzee day and we enjoyed staying in our PJ's and playing together. Tuesday it was back to work and school and before we knew it it was the weekend.

We are looking forward to this Wednesday which is the Pinewood Derby. Matthew will also receive his Arrow of Light which we are very proud of all the effort he put into. We will give a good report next week.

Hope all is well in your neck of the woods. Until next week.

2010-02-14T19:36:00.000-08:00

The weather continues to warm here in Northeast Nevada. The last 3 days it has been nearly 50 degrees during the day leading to quite a bit of snow melt and a smell of spring in the air. Our week was fairly typical. The boys went to school. Gail and Andy went to work and we all just look forward to spring.

Nikolas and Matthew continue to work hard in school. They enjoyed a Saturday with Andy. They worked around the apartment, did some shopping and got to go to see a movie. Gail had a nice Saturday shopping in Twin Falls with one of our neighbors. She got back in time for Andy and Gail to go on a nice Valentines Day date to dinner at one of the local Basque restaurants.

Not much else to report. We hope all is well.

2010-02-07T19:32:00.001-08:00

Wow. What an exciting Super Bowl game that was. We are all doing well and hope the same for you.

Our family experienced something wonderful today. During Sacrament Meeting Matthew leaned over to me to tell me he had a surprise. He then stood up and bore his testimony and I think it was the first time both Gail and I shed tears at the same time due to Matthew.........well at least out of joy and happiness. In all seriousness we were very proud of him and he said other than being really scared, it felt great.

The boys both had great weeks in school. Nikolas continues to participate in choir and is enjoying singing. Matthew has a new thing and it is "Tech Decks" so now the dining room table is set up as a mini skate park. He is quite creative and has made a pretty neat set up.

Gail continues to prepare to be a judge for the Miss Elko County contest. On top of work and trying to herd the three boys (this is not a mistake, Gail feels at times she has 3 little boys in her house) she keeps herself quite busy.

Andy was gone a good part of the week. He was in Wendover on Wednesday and then drove to Reno to complete a required class in order to practice in Nevada. He went from border to border. He did get back on Friday evening and are glad his travels went safely. He reported Reno was nice and he is looking forward to getting back.

Well that about sums up our week, until till next we we send our very best.

2010-01-31T09:51:00.000-08:00

Another week has come and gone and all continues to be well in Northeast Nevada. We are all anxiously awaiting Gail's return from Las Vegas. She went to the Miss America Pageant and sat 10 rows from the stage directly behind the judges. She called to give us the list of A-Listers in attendance. You will have to call her to find out who was around her. She is going to be a judge for the local version and went to some training in preparation. While there she got to attend the pageant as a 'filler" which fills in any empty seats in the front rows. She reported having a great time.

The boys did OK with Gail gone. Saturday was spent cleaning and organizing and we made quite a dent in the work needing to be done. It was very snowy so unfortunately we didn't get out which was the plan, but we still had a good time.

The boys got their report cards this week and both showed improvement. We are very proud of them.

Andy began teaching his class this last week and this semester has students on interactive video which creates some challenges on its own. All reports are week one went OK.

We hope all of you are doing well and until next week we wish you the best.

2010-01-24T10:25:00.000-08:00

What a short, but busy week. The boys did not have school Monday or Friday (Martin Luther King, Jr.. Day and "Teacher Development Day"). Nikolas had his first practice for choir and said it was OK. Teacher Development Day is actually the last day of the semester, so we think it was actually get grades done day. In any event, the boys spent Friday morning in Andy's office while Gail went to work.

The boys were at his office because Andy found out Tuesday his office was moving this upcoming Tuesday as opposed to in two weeks. Thus, on Friday the lads assisted in packing boxes and did a good job. Andy was quite busy with court appearances and trying to accelerate the move. He did enjoy the opportunity to go to his first Utah Jazz game Saturday evening with his friend Brian. They were playing the hapless New Jersey Nets and after watching the game he understands why the Nets are considered the worst basketball team.

Gail continues to be quite busy with work and her upcoming trip to Las Vegas. You will have to ask her why (gives everyone fodder for gossip). We hope all is well and wish you the best until next weeks update.

2010-01-17T19:19:00.001-08:00

We just returned from a great visit to Idaho to visit with Gail's family. We drove up on Friday afternoon. We stopped in Boise to have dinner and ate at a Thai restaurant one of Gail's friend's recommended. It was fantastic and what was amazing is we had no complaints from the kids. We spent the rest of the weekend doing some shopping and getting to see Gail's family. We came back Sunday afternoon. We were going to go sledding, but it got ward and melted the snow, then the plan was to play some golf, but it rained. Oh well, we still had a great visit.

The rest of our week was fairly typical. Andy and Gail were busy at work and the boys went to school. We were very proud of Nikolas because he was selected to sign in his school's choir. He starts his rehearsals this week. Otherwise not much else occurred other than the normal routine.

We hope all of you had a great week.

2010-01-10T08:13:00.001-08:00

Our first week back to the routine and it was a busy one. The boys were not excited about going back to school but seemed to do well. Nikolas reported he started off 2010 much better than 2009 because he had not talked, raised his hand and didn't shout out answers all week. He was also proud of his report card which showed improvement. Matthew is also doing well and he had a mid year assessment on his physical therapy where he showed some improvement and so his plan is going to be modified. We are proud of both of them.

Gail never got off her routine and she continued to work. The family missed Andy who was quite busy. He was appointed on a very serious adult and juvenile case and so beginning Tuesday we did not see much of him. He came back after 9:30 each night and was off to work early. He even put in some time Saturday, but it appears the cases have settled down. He does not cover juvenile cases this week so hopefully things will be a bit less hectic.

We hope all is well with our friends and family.