Christmas Traditions...start...now!!

Christmas Tradition #1: CHRISTMAS PAJAMAS!!

We decided to let the kids open their Christmas pajamas on Wednesday night, because the rest of the week we will be heading to parties, and enjoying family. So, here are the festive pictures of this years jammies!! And boy, were the kids excited!!

Brynlee LOVED with a capital L her slippers. We bought her some because she kept wearing Ethan's. So, she just loves her cute slippers. She just wanted to pose for pictures all night long.

Ethan was so funny! He loved his pajamas, but started screaming when he put on his slippers. We didn't really think about this very well this year, because last year he got Buzz and Woody slippers...so, the jammies go better with last year's slipper, but oh well!

5x7 Folded Card

With Love Christmas Card

Create Christmas cards for the 2011 holiday season.

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Fall Leaves

Now that we are in our house, we find that the two trees in our backyard are there for hours of entertainment in the fall, because we have so many leaves they cover our yard. So, each fall, Mike proceeds to take the kids out and rake up the leaves. Well, for about the first 2 hours it is more like playtime with daddy, because there isn't a whole lot of raking going on. Here are a few shots from this years attempt at cleaning up the leaves.

Ethan has always loved this game of jumping in the leaves. This year, Brynlee got in on the action. Let's just put it this way, she wasn't a fan!

Photo shot #2. If Ethan could have stopped playing in the leaves long enough for me to take 1 good photo of everyone looking at the camera. But, it didn't happen, so here are my attempts!

Brynlee cannot hide her excitement for this activity....can you tell?!

I'm 1!

Brynlee had a little birthday party on Sunday night with some friends and family. Cake and Ice Cream was the main course at this party, but Brynners didn't like it so much....

Happy 1st Birthday, Brynlee!

Today, my baby girl turns 1! Oh how the time flies when you are watching the world through the eyes of children! She has brought such a light and a sweetness to our family. We are so blessed to have her in our home! We love her so much!

Happy Birthday, Brynlee!

Brynlee arrived at 4:13 p.m. She weighed 6 lbs. 1 oz. and was 19 in. long! Tiny little lady!

Her blessing photo! She has the biggest and most beautiful eyes! Oh, and let's not forget about her infectious smile!

1 year old, a few teeth, walking, and fun pigtails! Oh, what a joy this little lady is!

May the Lord continue to bless this girl with a love for people and the gospel!

Halloween Festivities of 2011!

Can I just say that I forgot how excited we got as kids when we got our halloween costumes on. I didn't think this phenomenon was going to happen to us for a few years, but Ethan and Brynlee surprised us this year.

We had originally picked out a "Thomas the train" costume for Ethan and it has been sitting in his closet for weeks, but last week we went to Walmart and he saw this costume and went bizerk! It was hysterical! So, needless to say, we have changed our minds on our costume this year! Brynlee, because she is so cute, her mom couldn't decide which costume to go with, so she has two! Yep!

So, last night we had our ward Halloween Carnival. So, for Brynlee we decided to pick one outfit and Ethan got to choose his. Unfortunately, I think that Thomas the train is going to have to wait in the closet for another year, before he comes out again! So, this is the runway display before our Halloween Carnival...

Our Purple Butterfly & Buzz Lightyear

Our Purple Butterfly- so excited to show off! Buzz is a little preoccupied!

Butterfly showing us her back....which kept making her fall down!

Brynlee- so excited to wear her costume! She kept giggling and dancing around!

Ethan- giving us his best, "To Infinity and Beyond!"

More photos from our Halloween festivities to come...

Happy 6th Anniversary!

Wow! Can I just say that time flies when you are having fun doing all the things that life has in store for you! 6 years today, I knelt across the alter from my best friend and chose him to be my companion for eternity! It was a very nice day, sunny and pleasant. (Just like it is outside right now?!)

As a bride, I think we are always so naive of all the things that life will throw at you, but for that one day--your wedding day, life is perfect. Life is bliss! And you can't imagine anything but how awesome that day made you feel.

But, as we all know, the honeymoon ends and life just begins to transform the two of you into something much more wonderful than you had envisioned that day. That is how I view my marriage with my best friend, Mike. On that day, 6 years ago...I never would have imagined all the awesome, sacred, exciting and challenging experiences that we have gone through together. We truly have grown together as a couple, experiences each other's strengths and weaknesses.

I am so grateful to have him as my best friend, my lover, my children's father, my boyfriend, my listening ear, and especially my husband for eternity! Thank you for being the man that makes me a better woman. Thank you for being my other half, especially when my half is struggling! I love you more today, six years later than I did (or thought I did) on our wedding day!

May we continue to work together and strengthen one another throughout the trials and experiences that will come!