Bear Lake

Bear Lake this year was a blast....it also was last year, but this year was better....Brison was older! We had the same group of people go up and the kids all get along so well...so do the adults! Thanks to the Martindale's for hosting!

Brooklyn had so much fun playing with all the kids that were there. She hardly ever stopped going! We went swimming and 4 wheeling and she had fun in the "club house" where all the kids had "meetings".

Brison could not get ENOUGH of the 4 wheeler! He would wake up in the morning and the first thing he would say was "FAST"! Then he would say, "Daddy, ride?" How cute is that? If he was ever missing...I would just have to check the 4 wheelers...he would be sitting on them waiting to go.

The adults had a leg-slappin' good time eating candy and playing games. That Boxers or Briefs game is pretty funny! It really was a good time and I hope we get to do it again!

P.S. My next post is # 100!!! Make sure you check back, I SMELL a give-a-way!

Free Chocolate? Are you serious!!!

I'm awake this morning, stalking my typical blogs. I was on my Aunt Connie's blog and her most recent post was very interesting to me.

It contained the words *free* and *chocolate* in the same sentence.

I thought i'd check it out.

Turns out to be true.

Apparently every friday you can register for a free coupon from the Mars Co.

(M&M and Snickers)

They give away 250,000 coupons a day.

Hey, that's a lot of coupons.

So, i'll pass it on to you!

https://secure.realchocolate.com/

Take the 2 minutes and fill out your info and forget about it until your coupon comes in the mail.

What a surprise!

Let me know if you register...

Remember, you can only do it on Fridays!

Give me 5

Our swingset that we have outside has a little mini "rock wall" on it. Brian spent some time showing Brison how to climb it at the beginning of the summer, but he really hasn't been on it that much since. Well, this morning, we went out and I told Brison to climb it, and he tackled it like a champ!

He was so proud of himself! He got to the top, turned around and said, "I did it mom!

Give me 5!"

Cute little Gus!

(where did he learn that?)

to listen and to play.

I attented the dedication of the Oquirrh Mountain Temple today. As I was sitting there, looking around at all the families that were there, I was jealous that my kids (and husband) were not able to be there. My mind started to think about the task ahead of me. The task that was assigned to me and that I willingly accepted, from my Heavenly Father, to raise and nurture my children in the ways of Him. It is a HUGE task...given the ways of the world today. I just try to think of things that I can do to instill in my children the knowledge that they are CHILDREN OF GOD. I believe, truly, that if they know that, and I mean, really KNOW that, that it should make life a little easier.

I am trying to be a good example to my children. I play the songs that Brooklyn is learning in primary, and Brison in nursery..(although you can only listen to The Wise Man and The Foolish Man soooo many times!) I love to listen to them and see them singing and dancing, and doing actions... It is fun for me and very fulfilling to watch them learning.

Brooklyn has grown in leaps and bounds from the first of the year, when she first went into primary. She has never been one to be shy and not want to go, so that was never a problem. Just the songs that she has learned has been an EYE opener to me. She came home one sunday and knew the words to "Baptism" and I didn't even know she was learning that. As we listen to the primary songs together, she will be singing along and then out of no where, she sings words that absolutely DO NOT belong in the song! It is just her way of learning, she sings what it sounds like, and then she tries to figure out what she is saying after.

For example:

I love to see the temple, i'm going there someday, to feel the holy spirit, to listen and to play. (pray)

Jesus came to John the Baptist, in Judea long ago, and was baptisted by immersion in the kingdom Jordan's flow. (it should be river...kingdom is the 2nd verse.)

How firm a dalmation (foundation), ye saints of the Lord.

All kidding aside, I am looking forward to the challenge of raising my kids in righteousness, and I hope that I do a good job.

A comment from the dedication, President Monson was talking about the opportunity that he and President Uchidorf had of taking the tour of President Obama's private plane. President Uchidorf was an airline pilot before he retired and was enjoying the tour and he took the opportunity to sit in the pilot seat of President Obama's plane. President Monson said that as President Uchidorf was touching the instruments, he (President Monson) told him..."don't do it Dieter!"

I LOVE my prophet. I LOVE that he is funny!

I don't EVER want to do this again!

I can't even tell you how long it's been since I've done this:

I remember trying to when I looked like this:

But got yelled at for going in a square....picky, picky, picky.

And I will not be doing this ever again!!!!!

Because of this:

don't be hatin' because my legs are HOT!

I am having to do this because of this:

Which happened because of this:

Yes, you are understanding this correctly...it's FLAG FOOTBALL.

To all you wives, or mom's, or ladies that currently have to do this, I only have ONE thing to say:

I'm Sorry!

If you are one of those "crazies" that enjoys the yard work...I admire you....well, not really, but I don't judge you for doing it. I guess secretly I wish that you had somebody to do it for you.

We have to give birth to children, we shouldn't have to MOW!

I always teased him about how meticulous he is with the lawn, and I know that he LOVES it when people compliment him about how nice the yard looks...but I honestly never knew how bad it SUCKED until I had to do it. I seriously think it's been about 8 or 9 years since I have mowed a lawn!

However, all you ladies that currently have somebody that does it for you...please go and give them a hug or a kiss, or something else that you deem appropriate...because I don't EVER want to do this again!

You might want to make sure that it is a significant other, rather than the neighbor boy!

Davis County....Petting Zoo?

Last Friday, a big group from the family decided to go check out the Davis County Fair. We didn't dare go to the rodeo...you know, because of our "last" experience. So, we just kept it low-key and went to the petting zoo. (Gretchen was there, but she was taking the picture!)



The kids were having a blast...Brison was enjoying the freedom and the opportunity he had of running through all the free space! The only way we could get him in the picture was to hold him down!

He was also a brave little turd...I like these series of pictures..notice how he is touching the snake in the first picture, and then the second his hand is withdrawn and close to his chest! He kinda freaked and got the shivers!

Once again, very brave! We went into another little tent that they had set up and they had a Tiranchula (totally don't know if I spelled that right..and I don't care to KNOW how to spell that word!) Gus was just looking at that spider and the guy asked if he wanted to hold it, and I immediately said "NO!" but then I realized it wasn't really my decision. So, I asked him if he wanted to, and he stuck out his hand. I am holding his arm because I didn't want him to freak and recoil his arm and have the stupid spider bite him or something! The second picture is Brooklyn and Brison getting brave and allowing the goats to lick their hands. Brison actually got some feed and was feeding the goats..it was cute. Brooklyn did it once, and then not again.

We took this little opportunity to laugh, all at the kids expense!

Brooklyn has been saying, ever since we got back, "Mom, my favorite part of the Fair was the ponies...what was your part?" I asked her what one she liked the best, and she said the pink one. How do you tell her that these aren't the REAL "My Little Pony's"? Little stinker! It was fun, and nice weather, and a very RELAXED evening! Brooklyn was very upset however, that they did not have pony rides. Dang!

Young Love

Yes, it's true.

4 is TOO young to be in love.

If you think that is the only problem I have...well, guess again.

What if the "in love" is with a family member?

Yes, it's true...Brooklyn is in love with Gavin.

The other day, while they were playing on the swingset...Brooklyn, innocently says to Gavin....

"Gavin, I love you." And Gavin, in true BOY fashion, sweetly IGNORES her. So, my daughter, being as nieve and cute as she is, says it again. "Gavin, I love you." to which he giggles....and then my daughter says to him,

"I want to MARRY you."

Oh...those two!

Is she too young to have her heart broken?

And what will they do when they break up? They will still see each other at family parties!

Let's take a look at the cute couple....

When they first met in 2005...this picture was taken on July 17....Brooklyn was 2 days old.

Christmas, 2006. Gavin pushing Brooklyn around in a doll stroller...they'll be able to look on this picture when they are older and Gavin will realize why he's so good at pushing Brooklyn around in her wheelchair.



Summer, 2007. Enjoying a popcicle after a day of riding the slip-n-slide.


December 2008. Preschool program. Not in the same class, but they had the same teacher.


July 4th, 2009. The awkwardness is starting to show. Brooklyn wants to tell him her feelings, but will have to wait another month before she gets the nerve.

These 2 CRACK ME UP! The things they say to each other are hillarious and I hope the stay as good of friends as well as cousins!

The cutest boy...

This little stinker has had the hardest time going to nursery. He finally turned 18 months and I was so excited to get to take him there instead of to Young Women's. We took him the first time and he cried, and screamed, and freaked out. Well, it was about 3 months of Brian taking him, and staying there until Brison seemed to be ok, then trying to sneak out. Brison would usually take about 5 minutes to realize that Dad wasn't in there anymore and start crying again. This last Sunday, I took Brison to nursery, bent down and gave him a kiss and opened the door and he walked right in! I couldn't believe it, so I quickly shut the door before he could realize what just happened and turn, screaming, back to me. He is learning things in nursery as well....below is a demonstration. He's a little confused on the sand part, and yes, Dad was coaching him on the sidelines!

***Don't forget to pause the music at the bottom! Sorry!***

In honor...

In honor of our 6th anniversary coming up...I thought i'd actually do a page of our 1st anniversary. Hey, like I said in the post below.....i'm a little behind. I haven't even done ANY pages for the family!

I think that I am going to start something new however. EVERY time I sit down at the computer...unless it is for 5 minutes or less, I will have to do a page. EVERY TIME! I should get caught up somehow!

Realizing just exactly HOW FAR BEHIND I am!

When you sit at the computer for so many hours a day, and when you are finally done with playing "bejeweled" and have checked everybody ELSE'S blogs...it's a time to check on your own progress. Just to check and see exactly where you are in the process of keeping up with all of your own family's stuff. That's EXACTLY what I did...and I discovered that i'm in trouble. The last scrapbook page I did for Brison was his 10 month page. Yeah, he's going to be 2 next month. So, over the last couple of days, I have been working on scrapbooking, and getting caught up. I don't think it's possible ever to be "caught up", but one can get close! That's what I am hoping for! Just to be close. Here's what i've done!