Marathon Post... (no I didn't run one...this is just a long one)

Here is a rundown of the months of Sept and Oct... I'm sick of being behind with blogging so I'm clumping these months together. Lots of pictures...not a lot of writing! Enjoy!!

HALLOWEEN 2009...

As you can see... Brynlee is a ladybug and Halle a bumblebee. Two cute little bugs if you ask me! :)

Some silly faces...

Here are the girls with their cute neighbor Aislee at our ward Trunk or Treat! It was freezing that night so it didn't last very long! :(

"Trick or Treat" The girls had so much fun knocking on the doors together this year and scored some serious loot! Several large candy bars and lots lots more! We had to carry their buckets for them towards the end cuz their arms were getting tired!

We were so glad our friends the Harkers and the Harwoods came and joined us for trick or treating. We HATE the fact that they live a good 15-20 min away from us, but we are so grateful for their friendships! Poor Andrea was having some muscle pain issues so she got to ride around on the stroller! :) This pose didn't last long, but I had to take a picture cuz it was hilarious! Love ya Ann!!

Last year we were lame and didn't carve any pumpkins so we decided we better get it done this year. Nothing special but the girls thought it was pretty cool!
STAHELI FARM, 2009...

(I'm not sure why this pictures turned out like this!?! I'm assuming the lense was dusty...along with everything else)

This place is so much fun for kids this time of year. They were both in heaven!

The swing...

The Animals...

The Teeter-Toter...

The kids also enjoyed a hayride to the pumpkin patch, and a very fast train ride behind a tractor. This is such a fun place for fall and we will definitely return in the future!

THE HOGLE ZOO...

We had so much fun with Mimi, Sadie, Chels, Blake and their kids at the zoo. We couldn't have picked a better day to go! The kids loved seeing all of the animals and getting to ride around together in the wagon. Fitting all 4 of them was tricky but they seemed to make it work!

We were so lucky to get to see a baby Giraffe and baby Elephant while we were there. They were both SO cute and so fun to watch. They told us that a baby elephant hasn't been born at their zoo since 1918!! I thought that was crazy! We love spending time with family and the girls had so much fun with their cousins!

A FEW RANDOMS...

Dave and I have been trying to take pictures of the girls every Sunday when they are all dressed up. We thought this would be a good way to track their growth and see how much they are changing. We haven't done a very good job of it, but hope to get better in the future!

(Just a cute random pic of Halle)

This is Aislee...our little 5 year old neighbor. We have been so blessed with good neighbors in the past couple of years. I didn't think anyone would be able to replace the Rideouts, but thankfully the Websters moved in and these kids have kept each other entertained. Although both girls (Brynlee and Aislee...heck Halle for that matter) are strong willed, they have fun together and provide lots of fun playtime. Not pictured is 2 yr old Easton who plays regularly with the girls also!

CEDAR CITY BALLOON FESTIVAL...

We decided to get up at the crack of dawn (5:30am) to take the girls to the balloon festival. We were told that the balloons would launch at 7am so we didn't want to miss seeing them pre-launch. Well....lets just say we had plenty of time cuz they didn't launch until 8 or so. Although it was cold, we had a lot of fun!

(photo taken by Brynlee)

A story I want to remember... While I was standing in line for some hot chocolate there was a couple standing in front of me for some breakfast. When we got to the table to pay the man looked at me and said "We want breakfast for 3". I looked at him and said, I actually am just getting some hot choc. He gave me a wink and said... "we want breakfast for 3". I then noticed the sign that said 'Single breakfast $5.00' then 'Breakfast for 3 $10.00'. So either way...if he paid for just he and his wife or said I was their 3rd person he was paying $10.00. I know this seems so small and insignificant, but it meant so much to me. We all enjoyed a warm, yummy breakfast thanks to someone who did a random act of kindness. What a great example for me!!

SEPT 09 LAKE POWELL TRIP...

We love the fact that we live so close to Lake Powell and can drop in every time my family plans a trip. This trip we were lucky to have the Chapman's join us with their surfing boat and everyone had a great time! My dad loves the surfing and does a great job!! GOoooo Ricardo!! :)

Brynlee and Halle did a little surfing themselves!!

Nothin like a little tube ride....and a very bright sun! (didn't like this pic of me, but it was the best of the girls:)

These girls love their uncle Chris (aka Freddy)! He is such a character and showed up this trip with a mohawk and sidesteps. It was seriously funny, and seriously ugly! He and Dave had so much fun doing their Lake Powell "special olympics" which included being pulled as fast as they can behind a jet ski on a canoe, and just bareback. They were insane and lucky to be alive after some of their stunts. Dave loved it....keeps him young!

The only thing missing in this post is pictures from a Kansas City reunion and BYU Cheer Alumni get-together. Both were so much fun and I am waiting on the pics from friends so I can post about it. COMING SOON!

Halle Turns Two...

All of her fun presents...including the fun chair from Mimi!

On Sept 9th Halle turned 2 and I didn't know 2 years could fly by so fast! Isn't she supposed to still be my baby?? This little girl is such a character and keeps us laughing all the time. She is normally super happy and goofy and making silly faces at us....but when she is out of sorts...WATCH OUT! She can definitely be challenging some days but we couldn't imagine life without her!
Here are a few 2yr old facts about her:
*She still loves her binky and neither she nor I are ready to give it up yet....mainly just for bedtime and those times when she is super loud and I need to quiet time:)*
*She sleeps with two blankies...."pink" and "white"*
*She LOVES to sing and loves movies that have lots of singing... This was especially true when she was a little younger, but she is still very drawn to music*
*She LOVES to watch movies and TV, but is also very good to play with her toys and entertain herself*
*We often hear her say "Awesome" or "Are you serious?"
*She may be one of the world's worst eaters!! If she doesn't recognize a food then she WILL NOT try it! SO FRUSTRATING!! *
*She would live off junk food if I let her*
*She loves her big sister, but also likes to hit her on occasion*
* She is super good at saying please and thank you, and always says "bwesh you" everytime one of us sneezes*
*She gives the best BIG kisses and almost always grabs our faces in the process*
*She is a chatterbox and loves to talk our ears off!*



We were in Lake Powell on her actual birthday so we had some a cake and cupcakes while we were there. She and Brynlee had a great time blowing out the candles and I think we re-lit them about 10 times!

Speaking of Lake Powell... I will post a few more Lake pictures soon!

Sure love you Halle Rae Rae!

A Summer of Swimming...

We did A TON of swimming this summer and both of my girls have proven to be little fishes! We honestly went 3-4 times a week and all ended up with pretty nice tans! Brynlee loves to wear her goggles and has become a great little swimmer. She discovered she can swim without floaties and took off! She even swam the whole length of the lap pool a couple of times! It is so nice not having to worry about her...knowing that if she fell in she could definitely get herself to the side. (Don't worry...I still watch her close!)

Halle also LOVES to swim and is a little champ with her floaties on. She was totally low maintenance for me and was always happy in the water! It was so funny to see her bicycle pedal through the water to get to where she wanted to go. (Do you see the little something special I caught in this photo....can you say "snot bubble"! HA!!)
I always packed us a little lunch that the girls enjoyed snacking on poolside. Needless to say...we had a lot of PB and honey sandwiches this summer! Yum!
I'm really mad at myself that I didn't get any cute pics of Halle in the water. She was so cute to watch and usually floated with her little feel out of the water and crossed. She is such a little character!

Overall, we are so grateful to live next to a pool. I'm not really sure what we would have done all summer if we didn't! Can't beat something free and in walking distance. We definitely look forward to next years swimming season!

Brynlee's 1st Day of School...

The full outfit...

She loves her clogs and was so excited to wear this outfit!

Brynlee was SUPER excited to head back to preschool this year. After a lot of thought I decided to change her school from last year. We really loved her teachers and the things she was learning, but I decided to try a Montessori school this year. She is loving it and doing so well! It is right around the corner and very convenient...so nice for me. I can't believe how big she is getting!

A Little Get Away...

In the beginning of August I took a FUN trip with my mom and sisters to San Diego! It was a little graduation trip for my lil sis Sadie, who really isn't little anymore. It was such a fun trip and here are some of the highlights...

*Me missing my plane in Vegas, sitting at the wrong gate! Luckily there was another flight only an hour later....I was lucky!

*Sadie leaving my dad's laptop in our cab from the airport and Chels having to try to chase him down.... Luckily he was foreign and we knew the cab company, so later that night it was returned! Again...Lucky!!

*Two yummie lunches at Nordstrom Cafe

*A Chocolate Bag at McCormick and Schmicks....YUM!

*Getting my eyebrows threaded...that was a first!

*When buying some jeans at Nordstroms, being surprised to find a balance of $100 on a gift card rather than the $35 I thought was on there.. A GREAT SURPRISE!

*WICKED, WICKED, WICKED!! It was sooo good and Elphaba's voice was seriously amazing. Such a good show, and I hope to be able to go again soon!

*Purchasing a fake ponytail! Ha...

We decided that we definitely need to take a girls trip again soon. It was so much fun and such a good break! Thanks SO MUCH mom and dad for making it possible for me to go! Sure LOVE YA!!

JULY...

JULY 3RD....10 YEAR CLASS REUNION...

Oh the anticipation...Try to lose a few pounds....What to wear.....Who will be there....Will people be nice? Ha! Such a silly thing to anticipate. Since we didn't have a 5 year reunion it was fun to see people that I hadn't seen in such a long time. During the afternoon there was a picnic where people brought their families, and then that evening a dinner just for adults. There was a decent turnout, but I hope more people show for the 15 and 20 year. So fun to catch up with old classmates!

This was the evening group with the spouses.

________________________________

JULY 4TH...AMERICA'S BIRTHDAY!!

I didn't take any pictures, so these were thanks to my SIL Kate! 4th of July is such a fun holiday. It was fun dressing the girls in their red, white and blue! We made it just in time for the end of the parade and it was perfect for the kiddos, and then enjoyed the yummie Walker BBQ that has become a tradition in our family. We did some little sparklers with the kids that night and due to too many late nights decided to skip the big firework show. I'm so glad we are always able to make it home to Idaho for this holiday!

___________________________________________

LAKE POWELL 2009

We had a great trip to Powell this year....but seriously, I don't think Lake Powell is ever a bad trip! The last few years we have gone in June so the water was a little cold, but this year it was perfect!! We spent a lot of time in the water and the kids loved it! We went with a different group than the norm and it was a lot of fun. We didn't do a lot of boating, but I definitely got in a few late evening/nice water ski runs! Those are a must! Here is what we/the kids did for fun...

*Lots of jumping on the tramp*

*A little P90X yoga*

*What is daddy doing under the tramp*

*Played some fun card games* This is Halle with Grandma Great....it was pretty cute to watch. We were so glad Grandma made the trip with us!

*Some silly hat time*

*A little tubing*

*Lots of swimming*

*Say Cheese*

Oh this child brings so much fun....does this expression tell you anything about her personality?! Sure love her!

*A few jetski rides*

*I told him that b/c he dropped his drawers it was going on the blog! Ha Ha!!! Look at those hot white legs! :)*
Soon to come....Some August updates! I'm almost caught up! :)

June Happenings...

Here's a little recap of what we were up to during the month of June. Sadly I don't remember everything we did, but here are some highlights!

JUNE 4TH

We celebrated Dave's 32nd birthday! His parents and sister surprised him with a visit and we had a great time! Dave's mom cooked for us (which is always a treat for Dave after living with me) and we just hung out and let Brynlee, Halle and their cousins play. I am grateful daily for my hardworking husband who is such an awesome dad to our little girls. Love you Davey!

__________________________________

Later on in the month...

THE RIDEOUTS MOVED!!! :(

We have missed our sweet neighbors soo sooo much, and feel so blessed to have lived by them for a year. I miss seeing these sweet girls faces at my back door and my girls have gone through some major Sammi, Maci and Jeni withdrawls! To make matters worse, Jeni had her sweet baby girl Shayne about a week after moving and I haven't been able to hold and snuggle her yet! I cannot wait for our next trip up north when I can stop by and meet this beautiful baby girl!

(Jen I stole these pics from your blog...hope you don't mind)

____________________________
JUNE 29TH...
Brynlee celebrated her 4th birthday!! We took off to Idaho a couple days before it to celebrate birthday, the 4th of July and I had my 10 year class reunion. It was a great trip! We took Brynlee to Jackson to go swimming and get a burger and it was a lot of fun. She was a little hesitant at first after a couple rides with Dave she was going down the small slide on her own. She didn't do the big waterslide alone, but went about 100 times with Dave, my dad, Mimi and Sadie!

Chels, Blake, Crew, Remi and Cash joined us a few days later and that is when we did cake and ice cream and opened presents. Obviously I didn't get Brynlee all cleaned up for her pictures, but it was at the end of the day and I didn't really care! She told us she wanted a princess cake, so we delivered!

We took the girls to the Merry go round in Rexburg and they were loving life. They both rode 4 times in a row and Halle cried every time we had to get off to pay for the next ride. I wish we had one of these here cuz I would always have an easy form of entertainment!

Nate and Kate made a surprise visit to Idaho while we were there too, so we had a fun little reunion! This is little Hayden! He and Halle are about a month apart, and they were so cute playing together. The kids spent a ton of time outside riding bikes, riding scooters, jumping on the tramp, swinging on the swings, riding the fourwheelers, and playing a little golf on the putting green. I love that my parents have such an awesome yard and house that help keep my kids entertained while we are there. We love going to Mimi and Papa's house and always look forward to the next visit!

A LITTLE HIKE...

Bofore it got smoldering HOT here, we took the girls on a little hike. Brynlee asks almost daily when Dave is going to take her on a hike. Bryn had a great time, and Halle did most of the time. It was nothing intense, but had some beautiful scenery! We are really grateful for the beautiful area we have to live in!

A great view of the Temple

The girls...

One of the places called the "Narrows". I didn't believe that an adult could fit between the rocks, but apparently it happens.

TIME FOR SOME CATCH UP...

WOW!! Lots to catch up on. Although I am totally overwhelmed when I think about trying to get my blog up to date, I guess I have to start somewhere. I have come to the conclusion that I have done so bad with blogging this past year because there are a lot of things that I don't want to remember. That sounds terrible, but our family has faced some trials this past year and it has been tough. Although we are still dealing with trials, we are trying to keep a good attitude and be positive! We are so grateful for our health and for being a family. Anywhooo......back to catch up!

I guess we will start with Brynlee's preschool graduation! (Yes it was in May...better late than never) *sigh*! She definitely was a cute little (indian) graduate! She sang all of her songs and wasn't shy at all, so I was very proud of her! She really loved all of her teachers and I am sad that she won't be returning next year....we are going to try a Montessori preschool next year! Now for my indian comment....every summer she never ceases to amaze me with her tan skin! I am very strict about putting 50+ SPF on her every time we go to the pool, but she always comes home with new tan lines and a slightly darker shade of brown!

Our little graduate enjoying her after graduation snack! We are sure proud of her and love to see the new things she learns daily! She just turned 4 (future post) and keeps us smiling and on our toes! Speaking of toes...have I ever mentioned that she ALWAYS walks high up on her tippy toes? I get asked weekly if she is in dance class due to her toe walking. I just hope it is good prep for future dance/gymnastics/cheer/sports or whatever she/we decide she wants to do. She already has some rockin calf muscles! Love you Bryn!

FRUSTRATED!!! So I edited this video, along with a few others and was able to turn it on Picasa....but it won't uploud when I do it from Picasa! So I was able to upload it from Kodak, but now it is sideways! I was going to add a couple more videos, but turning your head while watching isn't much fun. SORRY!

This Happens A Lot Lately...

Our little Rae Rae has been loving puzzles lately. At least twice a day she heads for the puzzle drawer, and struggles to get it open so we hear "help pee (please), help pee!" She is getting pretty good too. She went through a phase that she got really upset when she couldn't make the pieces fit, but she has learned to just keep working at them.

She has also proven to be our little singer. It isn't very often that she isn't singing some little tune throughout the day. Right now her favorite is the Barney song and if I try to start singing something else, she interrupts me with it. She sings the alphabet really well, minus the L.M.N.O.P part. I'm hoping to get it on video soon. She also loves Twinkle Twinkle. Another fav of her's is Poker Face. She loves to sit in front of the computer and watch the video on YouTube. It is pretty funny. She is drawn to pretty much any show or anything that has music involved. She's sure a fun little squirt!