Tagged by Kim

I am suppose to list six UNimportant things that make me Happy (with photos I think but I am not that blog savvy)

1. Flowers, and first blossoms of spring. I love cottage gardens with lots of varieties of flowers and greenery.

2. Storage containers! Silly I know, I love the aisles of Target with all the organizing bins and stuff to put your stuff in. A place for everything and everything in its place. Oh the JOY!

3. Cookies!!! A nice warm cookie with a glass of ice cold milk.

4. Autumn leaves and crisp autumn air! Favorite fall colors!!

5. Any homemade meal made by someone other than me!!!! Actually it doesn't even have to be homemade.

6. Hot coco with a peppermint stick and lots of whip cream! And looking back on my list exclamation points seem to make me happy, I use them a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I tag who ever wants to do this. Whoever is reading this!!!! That is a cop out I know.

kids photos

A friend of mine is starting to get serious about her photography and wanted to practice on my kids. I haven't seen all of them yet but these are some she posted on her blog. I think they turned out really good. So if you need some photos done call her!!!

ode to daddy take 2

video #2

Singing praises to DADDY!!!

It is very exciting to watch your children and all their firsts in life. The first time they roll over, crawl, those precious first steps.....and the first time they take off without their training wheels. With each of my kids I have tried to help them accomplish this new skill. I will work with them several times, running behind them, pushing them giving them encouraging words. But somehow with each of them thus far, Cory comes in and shortly there after they master the task. Daddy gets the credit.


Way back in September before we moved I decided to take off Aubrey's training wheels and start helping her ride her bike. This lasted a few times till she got very frustrated and wanted her training wheels back on. When we moved the bike went into storage. About a month ago I braved the storage unit and got the bike out. The tires were flat, so we (Aubrey and I) went to the bike shop to get them fixed. I found her training wheels and put them back on until Cory decided to take them off and start helping her.



After a few "lessons" as she calls them, we were waiting for Cory to come home from work and she wanted to try again with her bike. She quickly mastered it and was SO EXCITED, she could not wait for Daddy to come home so she could show him. Then she started singing what I will call "Ode to Daddy!" A little song in honor of him who taught her. I asked her "Hey what about me", she says "oh yeah well you did help a little ."



"ode to Daddy"
Daddy teached me so well
he is a good bike rider
I passed the test
he teached me very well

He is the strongest man
He teached me so well
and he's kind and he's loving
even though I suck. . . my thumb (this is my favorite line)

He just teached me so well
He teached me so well to ride my two wheel bike

(I prompt the next part with, how did he teach you?)

I take some lessons with him being as the teacher
He said balance, balance, don't lean to one side,
sit up straight I know you can do it!

Well maybe with Brinley I'll have better luck! In the mean time we will sing praises to DADDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beauty in the Morning?

Last week after getting the two older kids off to school I was reading the newspaper before getting ready for the day. Aubrey takes a break from her cartoon watching to glance over at me she says,
"mom I really don't like you in the morning, the way you look, your hair is so crazy and you aren't dressed yet. . . . But after you get all dressed and do your hair, and put your makeup on. . .I like you like that, you look really pretty"

So much for the all natural look! Oh kids they are so humbling!

Aubrey!!!

I put the song Aubrey on my playlist in honor of Aubrey and her birthday February 28th. . ."and Aubrey was her name a not so ordinary girl or name...but whose to blame!" Read her birthday tribute below.

Check it out!

http://vimeo.com/2120177

Awesome video of a 20 year old LDS Harvard student being interviewed about her faith. Here is how you answer tough questions, I wish I could be as elloquent, I guess that is why I didn't go to Harvard.

Happy Birthday Aubrey!!

February 28, 2009

Aubrey turned five on Saturday. As I always do with each birthday of each child I reminisce about the day they were born, reflect upon the last year, and sigh and think of how fast time flies.

When I found out my due date with Aubrey (March 10) I thought it would be cool if she was born on February 29th, I mean what are the odds. Looking back it would totally fit her personality as well!! IHowever she came a day earlier, my easiest delivery by far. I remember thinking right after she was born, wow I can't believe she is here already. So tiny and petite with lots of dark hair.

Some funny things she has said recently. . .

1. As I was trying to wake up and get out of bed at 6:30am (on a Saturday)

Aubrey comes to my side of the bed and proclaims "mom aren't you going to come feed the hungriest kids on earth...or what!!" I'm thinking no because there must be hungrier kids on earth somewhere...and it is 6:30!!

2."Mom, Braden just jumped up and hurt his tenders"

(thanks to Kung Fu Panda for the new terminology)

3. When I couldn't get Brinley's big chucky feet in a pair of shoes at Target.

"Mom you should really only have skinny babies cause they are a lot easier to dress and stuff. But don't weary (worry) Brinley will grow out skinny when she gets big.

4. She had some questions about after Jesus comes again. She says from the way back of the van "You know when the lamb and the lion will be friends and they won't eat each other, and we can play with snakes, when exactly is that going to be, when is Jesus going to come again"

I explained to her that nobody knows only Heavenly Father and that we just have to continue being good, and try to do better each day. That we have to be ready when he comes. So she shouts back "I AM READY right now, Today!!

5. When a man at church was teasing her a little she looked him right in the eye and said with gusto "you are a strange, Man!! . . . .just don't like me so much!"

When I took Aubrey and Brinley with me to Utah last spring and called home to see how Cory and the other two kids were doing I talked to Kendal on the phone. She said "well I have discovered that Aubrey is the one that brings a lot of excitement to our home." So true so true....in so many ways!!!!! WE love you Aubrey and glad you joined our family, we would be so BORING without you. I put the song Aubrey on my playlist...in her honor, but it does need to be jazzed up a bit for her personality and all!!

Dog Pile

On our return home the kids dog pile Cory. They missed us!!!

Birthday Get away

Happy Birthday Cory!! February 16

We were able to get away just the two of us to celebrate this year! Valentines and Cory's Birthday on the sixteenth. It has been way too long since we have been away with no kids. The weather was quite nice the first day, and slowly the clouds came in. When we left on Monday it was pretty stormy, and very windy. We walked out on this pier, I was very apprehensive since I could feel it moving beneath me. I ask Cory, "Can the waves get up this high?" His response "you can swim right".

This trip reminded me of the first time we went to the coast when we were dating. We would be walking along the little shops and Cory would keep switching which side of me he was walking on. I remember asking him why do you keep switching sides of where you are walking? His response was that his mom taught him to always walk between a lady and the traffic, so that he is a barrier between the cars and me. I remember being so impressed by that. So anyway he still does it! What a true gentleman. I have no doubt that if there was a puddle he would gladly throw his cape down for me so that I could get across. Oh wait he doesn't wear a cape.

Puddles of Fun!

Today we woke up to gloomy skies and rain. I was grateful because we really need the rain, we haven't had much this year. I thought we would just hunker in and be inside most of the day. But after awhile the clouds dispersed and out came the sun. I took the girls on a walk, they had to much fun jumping and dancing in all the puddles. Pure Joy!! I saw an old woman walking (hubbling) to her mailbox just staring at them she said "aren't they just precious". I said YES they are. As we made our way back home I was thankful for the reminder that time does not stand still, to strive each day to relish in these joyful moments. Make time for puddles of fun!

Sorry I accidently recorded this sideways with my digital camera, I was caught up in the moment. (Still cute though)

Birthday girl

Yesterday Brinley turned two. We celebrated with Grandma and Grandpa (visiting from St George), and Baubles. When we would ask her what she wanted for her birthday she would say apple, so we wrapped up a couple. She would have been content with just that. As soon as she opened it she just started eating it. Got to love 2 year olds, they love everything. I don't know who ever said terrible twos but I just love this age! We even had Baskin Robbins put some apples on her icecream cake. She did a good job blowing out her candles. She kept saying "one mo time", so we indulged her and let her blow them out 3 times. Brinley is so fun! Things I love about her!!



Her physique. . .chub, chub, chubby cheeks (98 percentile height, and 88 weight)

When I call her instead of answering "what", she says "why", "why mom"

She calls pony tails, "T tails"

When I tell her no more she starts bargaining "one mo time, one, one"
then when I say no again she says "Two, two, two"
She needs to learn you can't bargain up!


She loves to sing and will go through her whole repertoire of songs one after another, after another....


When anyone comes home she announces it "MOMMMEEES HOOOOME"
with her arms outstretched running toward you

Happy Birthday Brinley So glad you joined our family!!!

If Only

Today I was sorting some books and Aubrey comes in and picks up The Girl Friends Guide to Pregnancy and asks me "mom what is this book about?". I replied "Oh it is a book about having babies". Her response "OH did that book come with Brinley!"
Sadly I had to tell her babies don't come with instruction books!