Fun with Football, Fairs & Family!

Chris' sister and her family came to stay with us for a week last month and it turned our quiet little house into a circus! She has 5 boys...8,6, twin 4 year olds and a 1 year old! Brielle and Dean had the time of their lives!!! We went to a BYU football game, I love this picture of all the kids ready to go...We went the game started at 1:00 and we were right on time...unfortunately it started at 1:30 and by the time the game started we were sweating to death and Dean was making me nuts...he wanted to get down and walk around so bad and he was dying to go up and down the stairs! Near the end of the 1st quarter, I looked at Chris fighting to keep Dean in his arms and said 'well, that was fun but I think our time is up'. Poor Chris was relieved to see us go...I don't blame him...plus Brielle and I were sweating to death!I love this picture of Dean....he makes this face a lot...usually when he is looking at me and waiting for me to say 'No' before he runs toward the toilet or something!She has the face of an angel...and she acts like one almost all of the time!I love that this picture 'shows off' Dean and his bow legs!We also went to the Utah State Fair. What an experience...animals are dirty!
This is how I feel at the end of the day too...I can't imagine how my Elise (my sis. in law) feels!

BIG NEWS!!! Baby Dean turns ONE!

I don't know where to start...the last couple weeks have been crazy! We've been on a marathon vacation, Dean turned 1, Chris' sister and her family came to stay with us, we went to the fair, we went to the pumpkin patch etc...! I have a million pictures to post...so I will post them all as fast as I can over the next few days...be prepared for more than you may want to see!

I cannot believe that my little baby Dean is 1! It sounds cliche but, I seriously don't know where the year has gone! He is getting so big but he is still so cuddly and sweet!Dean was lucky to have 5 of his 8 boy cousins in town for his party...add that to my cousins two boys and you have more boys than I know what to do with! Poor Brielle!I When I first gave him his cupcake and allowed him to eat it on his own (FYI--big step for me...I did not let Brielle get all messy on her 1st birthday. I 'helped' her eat her cake! I figured out this time that I just needed to turn away and not watch and I would not get as anxious about what a mess he was!...chris took the next few pictures!) it seems like he is looking at me saying "Are you sure about this mommy?"

Big sissy helped with the presents...of course!I remember OBSESSING over what to get Brielle for her 1st birthday for months...then buying a bunch of stuff and she could have cared less about any of it...this time I wised up...Brielle picked out this classic for Dean and this was our present for him...he LOVES it! Best $10 I ever spent for a birthday!

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!