Brielle had her 5th birthday party at the beginning of August. She decided on a 'Fancy French Pink Poodle Party!'
We made dog ears for each of the kiddo's before the party, then had them decorate dog collars & paw bracelets.
Some of the kids LOVED wearing their 'dog stuff,' others were not interested at all...but they all liked the doggy relay race game...where they had to carry chew toys in their mouths and crawl around.
Then, it was time for a little snack...dog food for kids...the ALL loved eating with no hands!
Aunt Linda, Grace & Dean. It was so much fun having Aunt Linda here for the party. Brielle still thinks she came to town just for her party!
These pictures were taken last week on the kindergarten 'welcome day' (only 30 min long for them but the other grades started school). She met her teacher whom she loved, she is exactly what a kindergarten teacher should be...super sweet!
This morning was a HUGE adjustment for us...I don't think Brielle's ever had to be somewhere before 9am in her life! She was awake at 7am, telling me over and over that it was her first day of school but then things got moving a little too fast for her...after she got dressed I told her to come 'get her hair done' and she said, "Why is everything so fast, I don't want to go yet!"
She had a few butterflies, but for the most part she was very excited! I think her favorite thing of the day is putting on her backpack...she has to have it clipped together over her chest--at all times! She won't even take it off to ride in the car! 
Dean was so sad while she was at school, when we left her in her class and walked to our car he started whining ''Sissy, sissy" over and over...all the way home and for much of the next 3 hours! After I'd told him a hundred times that 'sissy was at school,' he started saying "sissy school, dean school, dean school!" Poor Dean...I think he's taking it the hardest!
She got lots of fun gifts...and even a little help opening them!
Brielle thinks that NO PARTY IS COMPLETE without a pinata.
Once again Dean was sporting his Pirate attire, Cash went for the superhero look & 
Who says superheros can't wear purple princess roller skates while throwing spider webs?!
We love spending time with the 
The funniest part was that he was SO serious when he was smearing it all over himself! Normally he wants me to wash/wipe stuff off of his hands...but for some reason (maybe sugar overload) he LOVED this chocolate/peanut butter/oatmeal face mask! Note to self--do not bathe child (especially Dean) and put on 
We spent Pioneer Day in Wallsburg! Our good family friends live up Provo Canyon (across the street from Deer Creek), they invited us to the Wallsburg Pioneer Day Celebration (just in case you are not familiar with Wallsburg it is a charming little town in the Wasatch mountains, not far from the Reservoir...where about 250 people live). Part of the 'Rodeo' was a kids chicken run & bunny run...you get to keep what you catch! 
These kids actually live across the street from us, their Grandma lives near Wallsburg. They caught a bunny...who now lives in their backyard.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Who holds a chicken/rooster/hen... (whatever it is) like this?
After the celebration we went to Losee's to cool off...and of course eat lots of good food! Dean has started saying ''I fish, I fish" when he wants to go swimming, he LOVES the water and has NO fear!
My grandmother used to tell my dad..."I hope you have a son just like you" (he was a bit of a pill)...lucky for him, he didn't...unlucky for me, I did!
Brielle & her best buddy Kastle playing 'blind man,' while Dean & my cousin Di's son throw wood chips on the trampoline...why are one & two year olds so naughty!?
We finished off the night roasting smores...while overlooking Deer Creek! It was another fantastic night with some of our favorite people! 
We had more visitors in July...this time it was one of Chris' best friends. Chris & Phil are friends from their LDS mission to the Canary Islands--when Chris came home he spent most of his time with Phil and Meiken. He was a 3rd wheel during their dating, engagement & early marriage! They all 3 cried when Phil & Meiken left for Law School! I thought Chris was obsessed with them when we first met...he even had their engagement picture framed in his apartment! I met them at our wedding, yet I felt like I'd known them forever...because Chris talked about them so much! We've seen them a handful of times over the last 7 years, but we both got pregnant at the same, so Meiken and I became 'email buddies'...emailing atleast once a day about the gripes of pregnancy & husbands! It had been too long since we'd seen them--we've missed them! We had such a GREAT TIME and we think they should forget about California and move to Utah, so we can play the marble game & rook every night!
Margaux, Brielle, Dean & Beatrix
The kids had a great time! Brielle and Margaux were born a couple of weeks apart...however they both inherited their fathers' size! Brielle cried when they left and has been asking for weeks when we can go visit Margaux.
