Flashback!

One of my friends from college (or 'girlie girls' as we called each other) emailed me these pictures today and I cannot stop smiling as I look back at this 1999 flashback! These girls mean so much to me because for a couple of years (before my mission) I felt for the first time in my life like I had real friends that really cared about me! It sounds silly, but it is true! I will forever have sweet memories of the crazy wonderful times we had! In the picture on top we are all wearing 'baseball shirts' (which were very 'in' at the time), we're headed to the BYU Fall Fling! We thought we looked so cute...we were not trying to attract attention or anything :) I think we wore hawaiian shirts to the spring fling! We were such geeks! I love these girls! Thanks for the best time of my single life!

Une Réunion Joyeuse!

A couple of weeks ago weeks ago we had the WONDERFUL opportunity to see a special friend from my mission! Nelly. Even saying her name does something crazy to my heart...it makes it feel so joyful! Nelly was a missionary's dream...the first day she came into the church (on her own) she asked how she could be baptized! Of course there were a few 'struggles' along the way but she was baptized after only a couple weeks...later went on a mission to Paris and was married & sealed last year in the Swiss Temple. She came to the US with her husband for a little vacation (they stayed North of SLC with her husbands brother) and we were able to get together in SLC for an afternoon. It was so wonderful to see her and I hope that Chris and I will be able to go to France soon and see her again! She is a very special woman!

The Apples Of My Eye!

I've posted so many pictures lately...but I could not resist posting these...they were just so sweet! Dean is making his troll face...usually when he makes this face he is also breathing REALLY fast...in-out-in-out-in-out through his nose almost like a snort but different...it is hilarious! One night Chris was telling Brielle a story before she went to sleep (as he does every night) and Dean was still in the room with them -- and his troll face and crazy breathing inspired the story...it was about a troll named Dean and a Princess named Brielle...when Chris said something about the troll Dean attacking, Dean came running at them making his troll face and breathing crazy...they all three giggled like crazy because it was so funny!
My first child/sissy came for Brielle's birthday. We were so happy to have her, it would not have been the same without her...she was after all my practice child, I spent a good 20 years bossing her around in preparation for now...luckily my kids actually listen to me :) I miss you nat snat! Anyway, before I start crying...lets move on! Brielle got this harp for her birthday last year and Aunt Nat's harp lessons did not really happen and then she moved! But she was able to get Brielle to sit still for a couple minutes and teach her Twinkle twinkle...Brielle did a great job, she has a pretty good ear...Nat only had to play it for/with her a few times and then she played it herself pretty well!
Brielle got this darling dress for her birthday from her Grandpa Dean, Grandma Inger and Aunt Amanda. She LOVES it! She told me she looked so pretty in it...oh brother! I'm trying to remember why she had these jelly shoes on with it...all I remember is that I told her she could not wear them to church...then she walked to church with Chris...and when I got there she said "Uh oh mommy, I forgot to change my shoes! These ones don't go to church."

FYI - I did NOT teach her to pose like this...I swear it was Chris!
Boys will be boys...I guess this pirate ship was just too tempting for Chris because he got in after Brielle and Dean moved on to something else...I've always said Chris is just a little boy in a REALLY big body...That is one of my favorite things about him!

More Birthday!

Brielle loved these roller skates her buddies Cash & baby Grace gave her! However, she likes to use them in the house better than outside!
Special card from France! Merci Danielle!
Funny that I did not get a picture after Brielle opened up the present we gave her...we gave her a rolling backpack and a bean bag (the pink one in this picture)
Nana & Bobpa got Brielle an American Doll...my mom has been asking me for two years if Brielle was old enough to get her an American Doll...she has been so excited for the Amer. Girl movie "Kit" and so my mom got it for her. She LOVED it! After we gave her the doll we went to the movie--she had been asking (nearly everyday) for 2 weeks if we could go to the movie! A lot of the movie was over her head but she loved the movie and afterwards I asked why she went and sat at the end of the row (by herself) and she said 'because you kept disturbing me mommy'...are you kidding? I thought I was trying to help her understand the movie a little more! I HIGHLY recommend this movie, it was really sweet!
Nana could not resist the matching outfits!

Tinkerbell Party!

For the first time in my life, I can honestly say...I am so glad we only have birthdays once a year! I'm all partied out for this year! Brielle and her friends all had a wonderful time, but I was exhausted by Eight 4 year olds...what was I thinking? Tinker Brielle's little Fairy Hideout

Fairy friends and Pirate pals...FYI--fairy wings hurt little girlies underarms and little boys don't want anything to do with pirate hats...but they do love swords! Brielle and her bestest buddies--Cash, Kastle & Ella
Chris is such a sport! I told him weeks ago that he was going to be the Indian at the party...I don't think it registered because a couple days before the party I mentioned it to him again and he laughed and wanted to know if I was joking! Luckily, he is such a great Dad and played the part perfectly...nice deep Indian voice, broken English and lots of 'How's'! FYI--the brown paper is supposed to be a Tee Pee!

Mini flower cakes--I had big plans for these to be covered in pink pourable frosting...but due to a few glitches...they were not frosted an hour before the party and when my sis. tried to make the frosting pourable--it just did not work out and we ended up with these cute little brown (chocolate) flower cakes with a dab of pink frosting under the Tinkerbell's...not quite what I had planned...but still darling!
"I'd really like to get my hands on that" said baby Dean!My darling little 4 year old! Gosh--I cannot believe it! I love this picture because this is exactly how Dean spent the entire party...following the kids as quickly as he could! We had a treasure hunt and he tried so hard to keep up with them as they ran up and down the stairs...he's such a doll!

Going CRAZY...

I've decided I'm going CRAZY! Here are a few reasons why...


Dean is obsessed with the dishwasher! Every single time I open it up he darts toward it and starts climbing up on it! One day I thought I was getting really smart because I told Brielle to grab Dean's rocket. I was so happy it worked and he walked away pushing his rocket. After a few minutes I thought 'Hmm, it is awfully quiet" I turned around and found Dean trying to scale the banister! He is barely 10 months old and he just started walking!!!! He is SO different then Brielle ever was at this age... he gets into everything! He is obsessed with the Toilet! He can even lift up the lid!
I have the Birthday bug! Brielle's birthday is coming up and I've been getting ready for a month now! My mom said I'm 'out of control', but as my sister pointed out that is the 'pot calling the kettle black'...where do you think we picked up this trait!? Anyway, I don't think it is out of control because I'm having so much fun! How many times is Brielle going to be such a cute fun age? Never again! Plus...my obsessiveness has saved me lots of money! I made these invitations with left over bottles from the 4th of July and paper I found at the dollar store; I bought the skits and wings on eBay for $2 and $3, I bought the flower wands & flower garland for the head wreaths for 10 cents each at the craft store! It was all so cheep and it is going to be so cute to have them all dressed up! On the flip side...I've spent a million hours doing all this & more....but I've had so much fun!
The little map invitations are rolled up inside the bottle's (message in a bottle). The Invitation says: "Fly with us... where dreams are born and children never grow up, where fairies roam and pirates plunder, and Tinker Brielle turns 4! You provide the faith & trust, we'll supply the Pixie Dust. Follow the map to Never Never Land, second star to the right (our address & the date of the party) for a teedle ee dum tee day!" At the bottom it says "Think of the happiest things. It's the same as having wings! Think of all the joy you'll find when you leave the world behind and bid your parents goodbye...You can fly, you can fly, you can fly! RSVP regrets only"
Each little girl gets one of these 'dress-ups' and the 2 little boys have pirate hats, swords and eye patches. Brielle wanted a Tinkerbell party, but she has a couple little boy friends..so we made it a never land/Tinkerbell/pirate party! It is going to be great!

Finally....these two kids are so cute it makes me crazy!

Flying by July...

I can't believe the summer is almost over! I cannot believe how fast time flies now...I must be getting really old! Here are a few of the 'goings on' at our house...

Aunt Amanda came to visit us! Brielle LOVED following her around for the couple of days she stayed with us (before and after she went to EFY)...we just wished she could have stayed longer...4 days was not enough...next time we want a week! Can you tell these two girls are related or what?!
Dean loves to cuddle! I'm always surprised when people say there kids don't like to cuddle, because mine love it! Dean wakes up at 6:30 or 7...I'm lazy, so I bring him into our room and put him in our bed to drink his bottle. Sometimes I'm still awake and I'll burp him and then we'll cuddle and snooze for another hour or so...other times I'm fast asleep when he finishes his bottle and he cuddles up to Chris. I woke up one morning to find them asleep like this, I love how Deans little arm is around Chris' neck! What a crack up!
Nat Snat & Ty came to visit for 3 days...don't get me started about how short of a visit it was...next time they need to stay for at least a week too! We miss you & Happy belated B.day Tyler!
Dean took his first bike ride in the trailer! He was not sure about the whole thing...luckily he had his big sissy there to take care of him. On the way home, I looked over at them and Brielle had her arm around Dean and he was leaning his head on her shoulder while he sucked his Binky!
We learned about the Pioneers...sometimes it is complicated to explain to an almost 4 year old that her ancestors (what's an ancestor?) walked all the way from Grandma Inger's house (so to speak) to Utah...(why didn't they drive? why did they want to come here? I want to go to Grandma Inger's house! Why did those people not want them to live by them? Why did they bury the dead people and leave them?) but at least we had a pioneer hat for her to wear while we sang pioneer songs! Dean was doing his own thing...as you can see!