Spring Fever!

We are ready for sunny beautiful days...no more snow or rain...we want sun! Brielle & Chris are both showing off their new bike's...poor Brielle--we talked her into the hot pink BMX bike that anyone can ride instead of the pink & purple girlie bike! The guy at the bike shop said tons of guys are buying hot pink bikes...huh, interesting! I think Chris just wanted to be able to ride this bike when we take the training wheels off!One of the best purchases I've ever made was this bike seat for Dean! He LOVES it! We have a regular bike trailer but he thinks this is so much better! Every time we go in the garage he runs to my bike and says "Peas, Peas" We've been on at least one bike ride everyday this week! I love Spring!Brielle went to a Fancy Nancy Birthday Party this weekend! The birthday girl gave her this outfit, so she went dressed like this to the party...I wish I would have had a camera when I dropped her off, it was darling to see all the little girls dressed in these matching fancy outfits!
Time Out -- Dean is SO good at sitting in 'Time Out,' he rarely does what we ask...but he NEVER gets up when we put him in Time Out....he just sits there looking adorable!A couple of mornings ago, I found Brielle & Dean like this...I love that Brielle finally has someone to play with!

Super Dean

(much needed) SPRING VACATION!

Brielle has been asking for months if we could go to Disneyland...Chris kept telling her that we could go when it was warmer in California...this held her off for about a month. My sister has also been asking for months when we were going to come visit her.

One day they ganged up on us, Nat called and asked to talk to Brielle...she told her that the weather was sunny & beautiful and she'd just been to Disneyland. This sent Brielle into high gear...so after months of begging (from my 2 favorite girls) we finally took our trip!

We left Friday night (with the intention of driving half way) but the kids stayed asleep...so we just kept driving. Nat was thrilled when we showed up on her door step at 3am! Sunday we went to visit Chris' sister...the kids had so much fun playing with their 5 boy cousins!

Elise (big sis) & Chris (little brother)...can you tell? Monday & Tuesday were our Disneyland days....we had lots & lots of fun...except the unexpected heatwave! It was 100 on Monday and 93 on Tuesday...I thought we were going to melt! Is that bad luck or what? On Monday we must have spent atleast $50 on water (at $3 a bottle) and I even spent $15 on a spray bottle w/a built in fan...to try to cool us off! Brielle spent the rest of the day & the following day asking "Are you hot?" Then she'd soak you.
Monday we had lots of fun with Uncle Tyler & Aunt Nat! Thanks for letting us stay with you and playing with us all week! Tuesday, our good friends the Lundquist's came to Disneyland and we all celebrated Lindsay's birthday together. We love every minute we spend with this family, they are some of the best friends you could ever ask for. Wednesday the temperature dropped 20 more degree's...which made it a little chilly for the beach, but we still had fun playing in the sand. Brielle does not like the ocean/waves at all...Dean on the other hand would have walked straight out into the ocean if Chris would have let him! By the time we left he & Chris had wet clothes...of course! Nat made the mistake of telling Brielle on Wednesday morning that we were leaving the next day...she was near tears all day! She told me Wed. night "Tomorrow, when I wake up the first thing I am going to do is scream...I don't want to go home." Sure enough te first thing she said to me was "I don't want to go home," then she started crying! We miss you Nat, Ty , Bryant Boys & (get you) Micah!

Easter Sunday!

It's amazing that I did not have time to take pictures before church...considering our church starts at 2pm!!!! Chris snapped a couple shots on the way to church for me, and they actually turned out pretty cute!

Dean loves to hold his sissy's hand, they are so sweet together!

We had Easter dinner at our house. Dean did not eat anything...but he did enjoy feeding Bobpa, what a big helper!

Grandpa, Grandma & Aunt Amanda!

April 1st was the beginning of a very busy and exciting month...including a visit from our favorite East Coast Grandparents! Brielle has been looking forward to this visit for months! We don't get to see them nearly enough!Brielle & Dean loved playing with their Grandpa! He spent most of his time sitting on little chairs in the playroom, reading books and being led around by baby Dean! Grandpa Dean & Baby Dean!

Dean LOVES to "get" people! Grandma looks terrified of our little maniac!

We took a little trip to the Salt Lake City Cemetery to visit the graves of Chris' grandparents & great grandparents...it was such a beautiful spot situated in the 'Avenues' overlooking the city...I think some of the Prophets have been buried here as well.

Easter Egg Hunts in April Showers bring May Flowers!

Happy Easter! Rain, rain go away...the highlight of the day for the kids was when Brielle looked outside and said "Hey, Bobpa is in our backyard and he has an Easter Egg." She was thrilled when my dad came inside and told her the Easter bunny had hidden eggs in our yard! There was no time to wait for the rain to stop...so out they went!This picture is blurry but it captured a perfect Dean moment...seconds before he stuffed one of these chocolate balls in his mouth, then he got the idea to start throwing them...just like he throws everything!

How cute are these two in their hats! Dean was not all that interested in the eggs...he just wanted to play with Bobpa!

Brielle had an Easter party on Friday afternoon...12 five year olds decorating cookies and searching for Easter Eggs is a very exciting way to kick off your weekend! Unfortunately I was a little too busy to take any pictures...I told Chris I'd be fine on my own, so he went on a bike ride. Ever since the party she has been making Chris hide empty eggs in our house, bobpa the Easter bunny made her rainy day fantastic! Thanks Bobpa and Nana for an awesome Easter egg hunt!

night night!

Deanie (how pathetic that we call him this all the time) loves to go 'night, night'! You would too if you got to wear this awesome sleep blanket and Swedish slippers (these are two of my all time favorite things)! Dean loves the idea of 'early to bed, early to rise...' he is exhausted by 8pm and ready to get movin' by 6:30 or 7 (nothing like Brielle who went to bed at 9 or 10 and slept until 8 or 9, I miss those days!) but the last hour before bed time is my favorite! He is so wild, crazy and busy all day but around 7pm he gets really sweet and sleepy. He likes to snuggle up on our laps and cuddle...that is my favorite time of day! Luckily, he is always up for 'posing' for a picture!
I had to include this picture of Brielle because I wanted her Grandma Inger to see how cute she looked today for church in the dress she gave her for Christmas. The cutest thing about this dress is that the first Sunday she wore it she said "Wow, I look just like a 'Holiday Princess', let's pretend I'm Cinderella, can you do my hair up like Cinderella?"..."No"..."Ok, I'll just be Belle and we can curl it."

"Mommy, Deanie is so so poor!"

Dean has been sick for the last week and Brielle keeps telling me "Mom, Deanie is so so poor" (she means 'poor Dean'), what a sweet big sister! He brings me this Sesame Street Sports DVD EVERYDAY and says "Peas, Peas" (please)...this particular day he was feeling really crummy and he sat for an entire hour in his chair watching the movie...if you know Dean you know this is a miracle...he normally sits still for about 2 seconds!

Because he's been sick he has not been sleeping, I don't think I've slept longer than a 2 hour stretch for at least 5 days! Saturday night he was crying in his crib and his cough/congestion was so bad that he threw up all over his crib bumper (which is dry clean only...of course), since then I have not had the heart to let him 'cry it out' but the problem is he wants to be held while he sleeps...constantly & he wakes up when I put him down...even on my bed! One night he was miserable and crying at 3am and he climbed out of my bed, took me by the finger and led me to the couch--where he wanted me to sit down and hold him in my arms...you've got to be kidding me...I'm so tired!

Tonight I'd had enough and I decided it was time to go back to the crib and cry it out...congestion or not! He cried and cried...then finally fell asleep....doesn't he look comfy? Notice the light is on too...when he does not want to go to sleep and he cries in his crib, he always turns on the light. One night he had turned it on, so I went in to turn it off...immediately he got up, turned it back on and lay back down! We repeated this twice (I waited 5 or 1o minutes in between each time) before I gave up & decided to wait at least an hour before coming back to turn it off!

Brielle & I often sing Primary songs while I do her hair. One day Dean brought the piano in and accompanied us...he looked so cute with his bed head & stylish outfit, I could not help but take a picture. These two sets of beautiful eyes have me mesmerized...even if they do make me nuts sometimes!