All grown up....(tear)

 

I can't believe my baby girl is one! It seems like just last week we brought her home. Like just last week I cried in the baby section of Target because I finally had my girl. (That really happened...)

I guess I have to get used to having a one year old, but when I finally do she will probably turn two.

 

Jeremy and I always throw a big party for our kids when they turn one. Brinley was no exception. We had big ideas for what to eat, but ended up just having hot dogs, deviled eggs, chips and Eegee slushies.

 

Brinley got lots and lots of presents. She got clothes, a Leap Frog cake that sings, a few babies (some kinda creepy) a car we get to push her in and lots of clothes. She was even pretty willing to help open her presents.

 

Of course there was plenty of cousins and friends that were ready to jump in and help at any time.

 

 

 

Brinleys cake was made by one of Jeremy's best friends' mom. I loved it! She did such a good job. She made it exactly how I asked for it. But a cold cake in a really warm room in August = a sticky mess. You can see the cake was even sweating.

 

When I went to get decorations for her party I couldn't find anything that I just "loved". But I kept seeing these awesome zebra print napkins. They were so cool. The only thing I could find to go with them was zebra print paper. So I had to get creative and found some great ideas online. I am very happy with how all the decorations turned out.

 

Those hung from my ceiling for like two weeks. They matched my curtains....how could I take them down?

 

She didn't blow out her candle. Has any one year old ever done it by themselves? So I had to blow it out for her.

Brinley has been such a joy in our lives. Its amazing how you can miss someone when you have never even met them. She was exactly what our family needed. She has brought out the sweetness in her brothers, and has them wrapped around her finger. I love her to pieces. She amazes me everyday. She is my baby even though she is one now.

Mudda's Day

Well another mothers day came and went. We are gradually getting better....or maybe my hopes get smaller each year. This year Jeremy went to the store saturday night instead of the usual sunday morning. (Maybe because we go at 9am) He said it was packed with dads and kids. Apparently he isnt the only procrastinator.
The good thing about having kids in school is they make you presents at school. Yey! Last year I got a visor that said "Best mom" and a necklace that said " I love you". Nice. I dont think anyone got my picture but I did wear them proudly.
But really the holiday isn't about what they got me.....its about them showing their love and appreciation for all I do for them each day. The things that get done that they dont even know about. Like the nights I stay up so their baseball uniforms are clean (ahem.....like right now). They are my children and without them I wouldn't be a mother.

Spring Crafts

I LOVE spring colors. Not the usual pastels you see in spring, but the pretty bright colors.
I still get together once a week with my good friend Andi to craft. Although we did expand to 3 of us now. These are some of the crafts we have done lately.....

Family Photos

We went and took family pictures a while back. My sister Jennifer was our photographer, and also edited the pictures.

I love getting alot of pictures taken, but what am I supposed to do with them all? I can't possibly hang up every picture.....I have thought about it but decided not to. So I guess I can put them on here instead, that way they can be seem more often then when our screen-saver slide show puts them up.

Honestly I do watch my kids....

I really do watch my kids but I do get distracted sometimes. Brinley has started playing with that sroller lately. So of course the boys have been DYING to put her in it. I keep saying no....but they keep asking. So I guess Grayson decided to take advantage of my being distracted and was pushing Brinley all over the house in it yesterday. She thought it was the best thing ever! She was laughing and screaming. When he would stop she would yell at him to start again.


So what did I say when I realized what they were doing? "Grayson! Get her out of there! Wait! Let me take a picture first because its really cute!".....I think it may of sent him mixed signals.

Grayson is an awesome big brother. When he plays the XBOX he sits Brinley next to him and gives her a broken controller to play with. (Might I add the controller is broken because she spit up on it when her let her play with it) He will take her out of her carseat when she is crying because mommy left her in it too long. He gives her cookies and snacks. He loves to carry her around. What a lucky girl to have a big brother that loves her AND will play with her.

Its an Easter miracle!

I know.....this is REALLY a miracle that I am actually doing a blog a few days after Easter. Can hardly believe it myself. The reason why is because we FINALLY have internet.

We continued our Easter tradition, we went out to Catalina where some of my family lives. We went friday afternoon and stayed until late sunday afternoon. We always have so much fun visiting. The kids are usually exhasted by the time we leave and this time was no exception.



My Aunt Peggy and Uncle Ted put SO much work into Easter and make it special for everyone. The boys were really looking forward to hunting for eggs. My Uncle Ted really knows how to do an egg hunt. He has various money eggs, 3 $20 eggs, some $10 eggs and some $5 eggs. He does 100 $1 eggs....I know because I filled them this year. They do candy eggs, and eggs with numbers where kids get to pick a small prize. Also the kid with the most hard-boiled eggs gets $20. They really put alot of work into this party and I don't think they get thanked enough. Jayden still falls into the 5 and under group so he got a 5 minute head start. He was all business. I guess Jeremy and I coaching him saying "Just grab them and keep going, don't stop to look in them" has really paid off. Colby was bummed because he is now too old for the head start. But still did pretty good coming home with lots of candy, $19, two prizes and a good sugar high. Grayson has been doing this for years....so he needed no coaching. I remember one year he had only gotten a few eggs before he tripped and got a leg FULL of jumping cactus. Poor kid. We had to use pliers to get them out.




This was Brinley's first Easter. So it was my first time buying an easter dress. It was alot of pressure. But I am happy with what I picked out. She spent most of the day being passed from person to person, and occasionally took naps on Jeremy and my cousin Amy. In her basket she got a little baby, a sippy cup, some binkies, a bib and a few pieces of candy.



I am so thankful for my family. I am thankful for Jeremy and all he does for us. For all our children and the joy they bring into our lives. I cannot imagine our life without any of them.


****Grayson said something funny I want to remember. Our hometeacher was over visiting us and gave a short lesson about Jesus, and the tomb being empty on the 3rd day. Then Grayson says, "Oh so he was just faking his death like on Megamind" thank goodness our home teacher has kids and laughed it off.

I am still here!

Wow it has been really long since I have written on here. So I am going to try harder, not making any promises, but I really need to keep this thing going.