The Brian Family

Halloween

2011-10-31T22:40:00.000-07:00

We had another great Halloween. The pumpkin patch is one of the kids favorite traditions. Although is it weird we don't buy our pumpkins at the pumpkin patch? They make a good photo op though!

Eliza made it clear this year that she was not going to trick or treat with Brett. She insisted that she was going to go with her friends. Oh boy, are we at that age already? So I asked some of her friends to come over to our house. We have a long, flat street that I felt was safe for them to roam alone. Well kind of, since Brett was out there with the other kids. They felt all grown up and everyone had a great time. Emmy was so into it! Usually at this age our kids will go to two houses and then want to sit and eat their candy. Not this baby. She understood the game and Brett said she walked the entire street!Presenting our vampire, rockstar, batgirl and the cutest cat you will ever see...

Halloween happened to be on a school day this year. In order to let the kids feel festive the school hosted Literature Day. All of the kids were to dress up as a character from a book. Then the entire school participated in a parade. It was a fun way to celebrate.

Mia had her always adorable preschool party filled with great costumes and songs.

I love this holiday. I mean look at this...what is there not to love about this picture??

Tanaka Farms

2011-10-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

It is already that time of year for the Tanaka Farms fieldtrip. This year I kept Emmy at home so I could have some one on one time with Mia. It was a lot of fun and they are a great bunch of kids.

St. George Marathon

2011-10-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

The first weekend in October my brother ran the St. George marathon. My parents and two of my sisters and my brothers family were all going. So I took Eliza, Avery and Mia for a quick weekend away.

The kids were so cute holding signs for Jeff and then giving five to all of the runners. I love going to races.

Unfortunately, Jeff got super sick and had to stop at mile 23 before he passed out. Our family doesn't have much luck with this race. It was a great weekend though because we always have so much fun together.

This lady is who we really wanted to see.

Cancer sucks x5

2011-09-19T22:29:00.000-07:00

In spite of all the happy things happening in September, we also got some really sad news. My mom was diagnosed with stage 3b lung cancer. She is the 5th person in our family in the last five years to be diagnosed with cancer. Eliza, Darin (Brett's sister who was surgically cured of ovarian cancer), Sheri (my sister) and of course Brett's Dad. It has been a tough blow but we are determined to fight this.

My mom started feeling sick toward the end of their mission. When she came home she still was not feeling well. She went to the doctor and was told she had a serious case of pneumonia. After three rounds of antibiotics she was not feeling better. The doctor then ordered a CT scan and found a mass in her lungs. She is starting four rounds of chemo with a scan after two rounds to see how her body is responding to the chemo. There are MANY people praying for her and I totally believe that her body will be able to fight this.

My mom is a tough cookie and has been so patient and positive through this all. She is by far one of the greatest people to step foot on this earth.

The Twins Arrive!

2011-09-10T22:23:00.000-07:00

On September 10th my sister, Sheri, gave birth to the two cutest (and tiny) baby girls. Siena weiged 6 pounds and Aria weighed 4 pounds 5 ounces. Aria had to stay in the NICU for awhile so she could gain weight and learn to eat without holding her breath! As I'm typing this they are 6 weeks old and are both home and doing well. So are their parents I might add. It is fun to see how excited Sheri and Shane are at being parents. The four of them make a great team.

First Day of School

2011-09-07T21:48:00.000-07:00

Another school year is starting again?? I'm usually ready for the consistent schedule the school year brings. But not this year. We had a really great summer and it was way too fast. I'm not ready for early mornings and busy afternoons with homework and after school activities. But ready or not...school is here.

Eliza started at the new Oxford charter school. Since Avery was #46 on the waiting list, she is going to our neighborhood school. This year might be a little nuts. Eliza actually started the day before Avery and Mia. Here she is in her cute uniform. She is also in the same class as Zach. This is the fourth year they have been in the same class together.

My Fourth Grader!

Next is my cute 2nd grader. I was nervous about Avery going to school without Eliza or our neighbors but she was surprisingly totally fine with it.

Then it was Mia's turn to start her second year of preschool. Poor thing thought she was going to Kindergarten. It didn't make sense to her that she was going to preschool because she went last year. Once I explained that this was Pre-K and it was her same teacher and friends as last year she was really excited.

Can someone please tell me how to slow this down?

Santa Barbara Tri

2011-08-28T22:46:00.000-07:00

Before summer came to an end Brett and I took off to Santa Barbara for the weekend. Brett and some friends did the Santa Barbara triathlon so we made it a couples weekend. It was so fun! A perfect way to end the summer.

The boys are ready for the race...

The girls waiting at the finish line.

And they all finish with great times.

Reminiscing about the race and of course Wade making everyone laugh.

My friend, Clinton, from high school also did this race. It was fun to see him. He and Brett chatted about upcoming races.

After the race we went to lunch, hung out at the pool, shopped and then went to dinner. Like I said...an amazing weekend.

Happy Birthday, Avery!

2011-08-17T21:11:00.000-07:00

Avery Jane is 7. Avery is our energetic child and keeps us on our toes. She is smart, funny and responsible. I can always count on her to help me around the house or with her little sisters. In fact sometimes Eliza will ask me to help her with something and I will say, "ask Avery, she knows how to do that." There are times when she has a hard time keeping her emotions under control, but I feel like we are turning a corner with that. She tries so hard to do what is right and I love that about her.

Avery was so excited for her birthday this year because it was her year to have a party. On her actual birthday she spent part of the day at soccer camp with her friend Ella. Later that night we took her friend Londyn with us to dinner and then to Cherry on Top...Avery's most favorite place in the world.

Then it was home for presents. A new bike and a Justin Bieber doll. Score!

The following week she had friends over for a party filled with games, pizza and of course swimming. The kids did a freeze dance...check out these funny kids:

Mia turns 4!

2011-08-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

Our little Mia is 4. That is just too old for me. Mia is such a fun, cute kid. We are always laughing at her. My favorite thing about Mia is that she gets so excited about things. Brett took the girls bowling the other night and she is still talking about it. She enjoys life and it is contagious. We love you, Mia!

Mia turned four during the annual Brian Family Beach week. That called for a big pool party with all of the Brian cousins.

Singing to Mia and Beck (her cousin who also had a birthday).

Mia opening her presents with a lot of help. The tea set was a big hit!

Emmy with the big boys.

There is nothing better than a week with the beach and cousins. Although the sun would have been nice.

July 2011--part 2

2011-07-20T23:32:00.000-07:00

There are a few other reasons July was so perfect. Here is the rest...

#1. I was in Utah when my super, duper cute nephew, Max, was born. My brother and his lovely wife brought this perfect boy into the world. I was so lucky to see him brand spanking new.

#2. I saw one of my favorite people on this planet, Sara. We are friends from high school and she saved my life throughout college. It was fun to see her kids and her brother and his kids. Aaron has this awesome yard with a zip line. The kids were loving it!

#3. I helped give my sister, Sheri, a baby shower for her TWIN GIRLS! I was so happy that I could not only be there but help.

#4. One of the best memories for sure...taking the kids to Park City. We decided we needed some time with just our family. We headed to Park City for dinner and then took the kids on the Alpine slides. Well Brett did while I stayed down with Emmy. I couldn't believe it when I saw Eliza and Mia coming down together. They were both so excited and were not scared at all. Avery was a little more timid about it so she went with Brett.

July 2011--part 1

2011-07-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

This summer was the one of the best to date. We spent the month of July in Utah. At the ranch, at my parents, back to the ranch and then back to my parents again. Brett was able to take two weeks off to be with us. It was so much fun. The kids love being with their cousins and I love being with my family.

Fourth of July at the ranch and having lots of fun with the Brian cousins:

Up in Alpine we spent lots of time with the Goold cousins. Hanging out at BYU and temple square. Avery loved being at a real college. Although she said "this doesn't look like a college, it looks like the mall." Maybe she will like college after all!

Just Because

2011-06-30T22:57:00.000-07:00

I want to remember this cute girl and her cute faces as long as I can. She is growing up too fast.

Last Day of School!

2011-06-28T22:44:00.000-07:00

The last week of school is always a little crazy. This year Avery had her field trip the last week of school. Brett stayed home with Mia and Emmy so I could go with Avery to the Long Beach Aquarium. We had a great time!

The day before the last day of school, Eliza's grade had a field day. I showed up to say hi and to take some pictures of her and her friends. Luckily she is still happy to see me at school.

A new view

2011-06-05T22:52:00.000-07:00

Look who is 20 pounds and is forward facing in her carseat? I love turning around and looking at this face! Supposedly there is a new "recommendation" that you should keep your children backwards until they are 2. Good one. I told my pediatrician that I am ignoring that recommendation and he said that was fine.

Swim Lessons

2011-06-01T22:36:00.000-07:00

It is tradition by now for our children to take swim lessons from Ms. Barbara Campbell. She has such a sweet yet firm tone that my kids obey. She gives them the confidence they need to learn how to swim on their own after the lessons are over. Mia had a rough first few days but then got over it and loved it. So far we are 3 for 3!

My One Year Old

2011-05-25T22:20:00.000-07:00

Emmy turned one. I was in a little bit of denial about it. My friend asked me why I wasn't really talking about her birthday coming up. She said, "do you think it isn't going to come if you don't talk about it." I said, "kind of." Well it came and it was a super bittersweet day. I love this age. She is so cute and learning new things everyday. It is so fun to watch her observe her world. But it is always sad when your baby grows up so fast. We had a fun but mellow day. It first started with me trying to get a good picture of her in her cute birthday shirt. It was a little difficult...

Later that night we kept it simple. Just our family, In-N-Out and presents. Emmy was so cute with her presents. She would look at them until her sisters threw another gift or card at her.

Of course what it a one year old party without the cake. We made cupcakes and she LOVED it. Seriously, she barely made a mess because she devoured it so fast.

Later that night I held her a little bit longer before I laid her in her crib. I told her how much we all love her. She has been such a blessing to our family. I often think that she is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I was convinced for a little bit that I was done with three. I was so wrong. I love this little girl. It's amazing she doesn't have chapped cheeks from all the kisses and pinches she gets.
Happy Birthday, sweet Emmy!

Fieldtrip to the Farm

2011-05-11T22:02:00.000-07:00

Mia has had so many fun field trips this year. The farm was no exception. Mia was so excited about it because they talk in school about what they are going to see. She was so excited to see the animals, pet them and even go on a ride on a real horse! The best part was when she was feeding the animals. The goats go nuts and one even jumped on her to get a carrot. It didn't startle her at all and she loved it! Here are the pictures to document the day:

This cute girl loved the animals also.

The cute siblings stuck in their strollers watching everyone on the train ride:

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T15:38:00.000-07:00

The day after Eliza's birthday was Mother's Day. I can honestly say that I love being a mother and I love being home with my kids. It is by far the hardest job I have ever done, but I love it. And you couldn't pay me enough to be away from them. I think about how much I love my kids and how badly I want them to succeed in life. Being a mother has brought me the biggest joys in my life and the biggest heartaches. It is the hardest thing to watch a child struggle. But nothing brings me more joy when I see my children with genuine smiles and happiness on their face.
I love you, girls. And I love you, Brett, for making the day wonderful in every way.

The best part of Mother's Day was that I was able to be with my mother on this day. I have loved having my parents on their mission so close to us. My mom has been the best mom to me and so many others. In fact on Mother's Day so many missionaries called her to wish her a happy Mother's Day. That is just how my mom is. She is friendly and loving to everyone. So everyone feels really close to her. I had many friends who felt the same way towards my mom. My favorite thing about my mom is that she is so genuinely concerned about my life. She wants to know details about me and my family and is so generous to us. She tells so many people about her kids and grandkids. I tell her that nobody cares but she brags about us anyway. I love you, Mom! I love that we took this picture almost a year after Emmy was born. My mom and I love to talk about the weekend Emmy was born. It was just me, Emmy and my mom. It was so fun and we still talk about it.

Happy Birthday, Eliza!

2011-05-07T15:12:00.000-07:00

My oldest child is 9! I'm in total denial about it. I remember when she was first diagnosed with leukemia she was not quite 4. They said each year she remained in remission would be very significant but hitting 5 years would be the biggest deal. I remember thinking that she would be nine and that seemed so far away. I can specifically remember thinking that she would never be 9. So here she is NINE YEARS OLD!

Eliza is such a great girl. She loves to do what is right and is always trying her best. She is a great example to her sisters. She gets pretty possessive of her room and her stuff but maybe that is what happens when you have three little sisters. Eliza is a smart girl and loves school. She learned to write in cursive this year and was devastated when she didn't do well on her cursive test. She said, "that doesn't make sense that I missed so many because when I think in my head I think in cursive."

Her birthday was on a Saturday this year which I loved because then we were able to hang out as a family the entire day. She had a family only party this year and it was perfect.

Happy Birthday, Eliza. We love you LOTS!

More cousins!

2011-04-30T22:18:00.000-07:00

April was the month of visitors. The end of April my sister, Michelle, and her family came to stay with us. It was so much fun! The kids swam in the pool almost every day and we went to the beach. My parents came down on Saturday to see all of the kids. Michelle and her family went to Disneyland one day and they let me keep their youngest, Collin, with me. It was so fun and I am in love with that boy! Here are some pictures of the fun weekend.

Easter Weekend

2011-04-28T21:56:00.000-07:00

Easter weekend was filled with a ton of family and activities. Just how we like it.

It started off with Mia's preschool performance and Easter egg hunt. This little bunny is pretty cute!

Me and my little ones.

Mia with her preschool friends.

The Saturday before Easter we went to our ward Easter egg hunt and breakfast. We had family in town so some of the cousins came also. The kids scored with the candy!

The day turned out to be perfect. So we all hit the beach. Happy Easter to us!

Of course the best part of Easter is Easter Sunday. My girls had cute dresses on and I forgot to take a picutre! We had a wonderful day at church remembering the real meaning of this day. Some friends at our church lost their daughter in a tragic car accident the day before Easter. It definetely put the day in perspective.

Cousins

2011-04-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

Do these pictures look alike?

The first is of Mia and her cousin Crew about two years ago. The second is of Emmy and Beck (Crew's brother) over Easter weekend. We noticed that they were both wearing the hand-me-down suits of their siblings so we tried to stage the same picture. I cannot believe how much Mia and Emmy look like each other.
Cute, cute cousins!

Missing!

2011-04-06T16:11:00.000-07:00

So we had a little scare at Brett's race. There are always a lot of people at a race but I think an Ironman event brings out even more people. We were waiting for Brett to get his stuff and Eliza went to get something out of the stroller. When she came back she didn't have Mia with her. I just assumed Mia was with Eliza. All of the sudden I realize that she is nowhere around us and there are SO many people around. She was lost and I didn't know what to do. Luckily I had Brett's mom and my friend and her sister around to help. We all took turns looking up and down the beach. She was nowhere to be found. I actually felt pretty calm. I remember thinking to myself that I felt calm when I probably should be freaking out. I don't think that was my doing by the way--obviously that was a huge blessing. I was really worried about her being scared. After 10-15 minutes (which in mom time is about 150 minutes) I went up to a race volunteer and asked what I should do. I was pretty teary at this point. They told me to go to the booth where the announcers were and to make an announcement. I was on my way when Katelyn called and told me she was back and was with Brett the entire time. I was so happy. Brett just assumed I told her to go with him. Apparantely we need to have a family night on communication.

The rest of the day and since I keep looking at her and thinking that I am so glad she is here with us. I hate experiences like that but it does help you appreciate what you have.

Half Ironman

2011-04-06T15:58:00.000-07:00

Brett is at it again. As he likes to call it "race season." It started off with the Oceanside Half Ironman last weekend. He trained well for it. He even took a swim class with his friend, Wade, at the local Community College. His friend, Joe, from high school also signed up to do it. So Joe and his family came to stay with us for the weekend. It was so much fun. A total of 8 kids and everyone got along perfectly.

It was a little hot the days leading up to the race but luckily the day of the race was nice and cool with some clouds. Brett felt totally ready. We got there in time to see him in the run and then the finish. I was expecting him to come along the race course and he wasn't coming. I was a little worried but figured I had missed him. Then I saw Wade and Wade said Brett was struggling. I was worried his calf was crampinig because that has happened to him before. I then saw him on the run and he only said he was doing terrible. I had really never seen him run that slow before so I didn't know what was happening. He kept going and finished in 5:57. I still think that is amazing, but he isn't too happy about it. I was relieved after he finished that he wasn't injured. He simply said he didn't have it in him. I guess it was an off day and it happened to be race day as well. I think he is great and am so proud he finished. He is already planning his next race to redeem himself. Oh, brother.

Luckily Katelyn (Wade's wife) took some pictures for me. So I can document the day. It was a lot of fun and the kids did great. Well we had a little scare that I will post about later.

Daddy-Daughter Date

2011-03-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Brett took Eliza to the daddy-daughter 50's sock hop at our church. It is for girls between the ages of 8-11. Eliza was so excited she was finally old enough to go. All day she was asking how much longer until her date. Since the BYU basketball game was on before the activity we had some of her friends and their dad's over for pizza. They had a lot of fun. I asked Eliza if it was as fun as she thought it would be. She said, "No, it was more fun than I thought." This girl loves her dad!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T16:26:00.000-07:00

Another holiday...another reason to get junk. The girls were so excited to see that the leprechaun had visited our house. He (or she I guess) left a trail of gold that led to the pot of gold. Green bags for each of the girls filled with green and gold treats.

Eliza wanted to document the green milk. Crazy, leprechaun!

Mia came home from preschool like this. I laughed out loud!

Look at my cute, green baby.

Today is also Pat's birthday. Brett asked the girls this morning if they knew whose birthday it was today. They all yelled "Grandpa!" We think of him everyday but today I have been thinking of him even more so. Emmy was a month old when he passed away. I've been looking at her all day thinking of how old she is now. It makes me so sad that the time is going by so quickly. Too much is happening without him. I'm still not used to seeing Sherry alone. I love looking at pictures of him in action because I can just hear what he is saying. This is one of my favorites. We miss you, Pat.

Sea World

2011-03-07T16:44:00.000-08:00

Mia's preschool went to Sea World for her field trip. Since it was such a great deal we took the other kids out of school also. Brett also took the day off and his mom came to help us out. It was a great day. A little on the cold, rainy side but at least that kept the crowds away.

Helen Keller

2011-02-25T15:49:00.000-08:00

Eliza was assigned to pick a biography and to complete a written and oral report. So we went to the library and she chose Helen Keller. She read the book on the way home in the car and then continued to read it over and over again. In fact one day she followed Brett around the house reading it out loud it him. I went to her class to watch her oral presentation. She was the first one and did a great job. We are so proud of her for being such a good student and to take school so seriously. Her hard work paid off and she got a perfect score! Good job, Eliza!

11 years

2011-02-19T15:36:00.000-08:00

Brett and I celebrated our 11 year anniversary this year with a quick getaway to San Francisco. Brett's mom is living in Laguna for a few months and came to stay with the kids. We were planning it for about a month but knew it could be cancelled last minute because of Brett's work schedule. The day before we left Brett sent me a text that said, "pack your bags." I thought, my bags are packed! I'm going with or without you! Lucky for me it was with him. We love these little trips. My favorite thing in the world is when I am just with Brett. We went to the Farmer's Market, shopped, went to a movie, rented bikes and rode across the Golden Gate Bridge. It was nonstop fun and always so relaxing when we don't have four kids to tow around.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T15:30:00.000-08:00

Our traditional scavenger hunt was a hit. Avery and Eliza took turns reading the clues then they go RUNNING to the next one. The rule is they have to wait for everyone to be there before they can read the next clue. This tradition is a keeper.

Do you know Avery?

2011-01-31T15:19:00.000-08:00

If you do then it wouldn't surprise you that half of the pictures I upload from my camera are from her. She either takes them herself or gets her friend Chase to take them. This girl sure does keep my life interesting. I love her.

She is crawling.

2011-01-25T15:13:00.000-08:00

And I am not happy about it. Apparently she is anxious to keep up with her sisters because she is cruising all over the place at 8 months old. I would put her in time out if she wasn't so stinking cute.

Until I get caught up...

2011-01-05T17:21:00.000-08:00

...look at these cuties.

My niece, Perry, took these pictures last year and I love them. Thanks, Perry!

Christmas Day

2010-12-25T23:27:00.000-08:00

This year we actually spent Christmas at home. This was only the second time in our 10 years of marriage that we have been home for Christmas. It was wonderful. Good thing my sister and parents were with us so we didn't feel too lonely. We had a great Christmas eve dinner at our house with my parents, sister, my brother and his wife and then Brett's brother and his family. We had a full house and it was awesome.

Christmas morning wasn't too bad...the kids let us sleep until 7. Mia was super tired. Can you tell in this picture?

We had to get a picture of just Emmy on her first Christmas and today she was exactly 7 months old. She is such a cutie pie.

Eliza and Avery got American Girl dolls that looked just like them! They were pretty stoked.

Mia got her Dora house that she REALLY wanted. She plays with this thing non-stop.

Emmy got a few little toys but was mainly spoiled with Aunt Jennifer.

It was a very merry Christmas. Surrounded by the best family in the world. We are pretty lucky.

Christmas PJ's

2010-12-24T23:07:00.000-08:00

A Christmas Eve tradition. All four in matching pajamas!
I love these kids.

Santa

2010-12-22T22:59:00.000-08:00

We finally took the kids to see Santa at the Children's Museum the week before Christmas. I figured we had to get a picture with Emmy since it is her first Christmas. I only really cared about getting Emmy's picture. So the other girls were not dressed appropriately.

Mia will not get next to Santa unless I am holding her. She needs to get over that...I'm too old to get my picture with Santa.

The museum also had free cookie decorating. It was another fun family day. I love it when days turn out the way I plan them to be!

Happy Birthday, Brett!

2010-12-16T22:47:00.000-08:00

Brett's birthday was one of the best days this month. He took the day off and we headed to Knott's Berry Farm. We get discounted passes from his work each year and we never use them. So we decided to do it this year. The kids had early out day and then we pawned off Emmy with Aunt April. The kids had a blast and it had been so long since we did something fun like this. Knott's Berry Farm definitely does not have the budget as Disney but it is good enough. I think this might be a new tradition for us.

Mia and Avery went on this kid ride about 10 times in a row. They were laughing so hard and would put their arms up in the air. I love my little dare devils!

Eliza was old and tall enough to go on most of the rollercoasters. So Brett and I took turns taking her on some of them. She would look so scared during the entire ride but then she would say she loved it when it was over. She made us go on some of them over and over.

Decorating the Tree

2010-12-08T22:40:00.000-08:00

We got a little bit bigger tree this year. I love it. The only problem was nobody was tall enough to put the star on. Brett tried to lift each of the girls and they couldn't get it. So he had to do it himself.

Once the tree was decorated we had our family tradition of cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate.

Tangled

2010-12-04T17:40:00.000-08:00

I took Eliza and Avery up to L.A. to see Tangled at the El Capitan theater. It was such a fun day and such a cute movie. The girls were so excited all week. They kept saying, "when are we going to L.A?" or "how far away is Los Angeles?" You would think they were going to another country. The movie was darling and I might have enjoyed as much as they did.

On the way up Avery kept saying, "I hope I see Justin Bieber." Then when we got in the car to come home she said, "I didn't even get to see Justin Bieber." I asked her why she thought she would see him and she said "because all Rockstars live in Hollywood." Is Justin Bieber considered a rockstar? I don't think so.

Eliza and Avery with Owen and Pagie. Showing off their golden coins they got before the show.

6 months old!

2010-11-25T15:11:00.000-08:00

Guess what else happened on Thanksgiving day? My little, tiny baby turned 6 months old. Emmy is such a good baby. Seriously. She spits up and drools a TON, but that is the only thing I can complain about with her. In fact it doesn't bother me that much. Interesting when disgusting spit up comes from such a cute little thing that you don't really care. I guess that is true love. I can barely think about her and type this without getting teary. I am so happy she is here and a part of our family. I just told Brett the other day that my life is complete now that she is here. I love to watch her. I hold her and watch her observe the world. I love watching her laugh at her crazy sisters or smile and kick her legs when she sees Brett. We love you, Emmy. Now stop growing up so fast!

p.s. her cheeks are so red because we were in Utah. I swear our skin gets so dry the second we hit the Utah border.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-25T14:52:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving started out with a cute preschool performance at Mia's preschool. She sings the songs so loud at home and then won't sing a word in front of the parents. Oh well, she is still a cute little turkey if you ask me.

After school was out we loaded up and headed to Utah for the week. First stop was Alpine with my side of the family. It is always so fun to get together with everyone. One day we took the kids to the Children's museum. My kids love this place.

Abbey, Eliza and Ella

Avery Jane

Sweet Matthew

Mamma Mia

Cute Collin. Seriously this kid cracks me up!

Aunt Sheri and Emmy.

Me and Emmy. Have I told you how much I love this baby?

Next stop...the ranch. We ended up going down a day early because a storm (that never was) was coming. It was nice to get there early though.

Brett took the kids on 4-wheeler rides.

Eliza and Myla played ALL day long.

Brett watched a lot of football and basketball.

It was the best week. I was not ready for it to end.

Get mad..or get the camera?

2010-11-20T14:50:00.000-08:00

That was the thought when I saw this.

Rice Cereal

2010-11-15T14:46:00.000-08:00

Before Emmy turned 6 months I decided I better start feeding her rice cereal. I have been in denial that she is old enough to eat...but she is. She wasn't sure what to think the first time, but now she loves her baby food! She will kick her legs in between bites she loves it so much.

Halloween

2010-10-31T21:47:00.000-07:00

Halloween was pretty busy around here. My kids love this holidy though. I am glad it is over but it was worth all the stress.

The night before Halloween the kids dressed up for our church Halloween party.

Eliza was a witch (second year in a row)

Avery was a cowgirl

Mia was a cat

Emmy was a bumble bee

Then on Halloween day we had a neighborhood party. My neighbor, Lori, and I decided to volunteer to take it over. Don't ask me why. But we did and it was fun. We got to know some more of our neighbors which is always a good thing. It was a successful party with food, games, balloon animals and even a visit from the fire dept.

The best part of the day was that my parents came down and surprised us. My mom texted me to tell me she was coming but I didn't get it. All of the sudden they were at my door! I was so happy and the kids were screaming with excitement. It was perfect timing because I was rushing around getting things set up for our Halloween party. So of course they just took over with the kids. I love them.

After the party and before it was dark we hurried and carved pumpkins. Our week was so busy that we never got around to doing it until the very day (or evening) of Halloween.

It sure was a busy day but worth it all for these crazies. They are the best.

Preschool Halloween Party

2010-10-28T22:10:00.000-07:00

Mia was so excited to dress up for her preschool Halloween party. She decided to dress up as a witch even though she wants to be a cat for Halloween.

The kids were so cute coming out and being introduced.

Then they sang some great songs...although most of them were too shy to sing.

After the performance they enjoyed a great Halloween lunch. What a fun day!

Emmy...and the other three

2010-10-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

I am in love with this baby. I am trying to enjoy every second of her because I know how fast she will grow up. She is 5 months old and that is already too old for me. Although this is the best age. You just look at her and she lights up. She gives you the biggest smile and kicks her feet frantically to let you know she is excited. Here are some recent pictures of her...

And here are the other three. The other night Brett found them like this. They didn't go to bed this way but this is how they ended up. I love it.

Tanaka Farm

2010-10-15T15:12:00.000-07:00

Having a child in preschool again means we go to the annual Tanaka Farm field trip. The kids have such a blast. It is so crazy doing these things with my youngest two when it seems like yesterday I was doing this with my older two. Here are the highlights of the day:

Me with my little ones.

Mia feeding animals

Mia's preschool class. They are a fun group of kids.

Mia picking the vegetables. She picks carrots, onions, green beans and radishes. My kids only ate the carrots.

At the end of the day they get to pick their own pumpkin. Mia found a keeper.

My sweet preschooler. I love this girl.

Sentence #10

2010-09-29T20:37:00.000-07:00

Every week Eliza has to write 10 sentences using her spelling words. Her teacher tells her she expects good third grade sentences. Eliza takes this so seriously and writes the LONGEST sentences for each word. Tonight this was sentence #10 for the word "stitch" (in her spelling):

I used to have canser and something went wrong with my smile and the docters tried to fix it by doing surgry by my ear but it didn't work so that's why my smile looks weird. They had to put in a stitch.

I got a little teary when I read that. I immediately told her that her smile does NOT look weird and she said, "I know, just different. But you know what I mean." Yes, I do know what you mean. But I had to show her these two pictures to prove to her that she is getting better. It is just taking a LONG time.

Eliza, February 2008

Eliza, September 2010 (with her cute sister, Emmy).

Look who loves her Bumbo!

2010-09-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

I know I'm biased, but come on...she is the cutest!

Soccer Season

2010-09-20T14:58:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year...soccer season. This year Eliza and Avery are both playing. Avery played last year but not on an official team. So our Saturday's are busy with games but it is a lot of fun and the girls love it.

Eliza is on the pink panthers. She practices twice during the week and then she has a game each Saturday. Last week she played against her friend, Paige's, team.

Avery is on the Fighting Nemo's. Avery is a pretty good player this year. She is aggressive and has scored a goal at each game so far. Our bishop is one of her coaches and everytime someone scores a goal he picks them up and spins them. She thinks that is the best thing.

Before we know it all four of these girlies will be playing!

First Day of School!!

2010-09-09T20:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was officially the first day of school. However Avery was sick yesterday so today was really her first day of school. Mia also started her first day of preschool today. It was such an eventful day! After I dropped Mia off at preschool I got in the car and felt so weird. It was just me and Emmy. Of course Emmy was sleeping so it was totally quiet. I was feeling a little sad but got over it quick when I met some friends for breakfast!

Here is Eliza on her way to 3rd grade! That is seriously too old for me.

Here is Eliza, Zach and Tyler lining up for the flag ceremony. Zach and Tyler are our neighbors and in her class. In fact she has the same teacher and class as last year. The teacher moved up to 3rd grade and kept all of her kids except for four who moved. So no big changes for Eliza.

Here is Avery this morning on her way to 1st grade! I've been waiting for this day for a long time. The poor thing is crying because she is tired, her shoes hurt, etc, etc. She did manage to smile though.

My two big girls.

Avery lining up for the flag ceremony. She has the same 1st grade teacher Eliza had. And I LOVE her. So we are very excited for this year.

My little Mia on her way to preschool.

Ms. Shirley telling Mia how much fun school will be. I know she is not my baby but I feel like she is so it is a little sad seeing her so grown up.

Leadville 100

2010-09-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

Back in August, Brett rode in the Leadville 100 race in Colorado. It is a 100 mile mountain bike race. You start at almost 10,000 feet and climb to 13,000 feet. How someone can do this in this elevation is beyond me. We dropped the older kids off to Brett's mom at the ranch. Then we loaded up Emmy and headed to Colorado. We stayed in Copper Mountain which is a resort about 20 minutes away from Leadville. It was all so beautful! Leadville is the best little town. It was a mining town and not much has changed. I loved it. Our friends, Rob and Craig, had their company as one of the sponsors...which is how Brett got in. It ended up being 6 guys racing. You have to complete the race under 12 hours to get a belt buckle. If you finish under 9 you get an even BIGGER belt buckle. I was so nervous the entire day. So here is how the race went down:

6:30 am start time! All the racers getting in line...it was pretty cold out there.

The first stop was at mile 40. Annalee and I waited here for the boys to refill their water and to give them something to eat. After they leave this stop they do a crazy 10 mile climb (it gets so steep you hike 2 miles of it) and then come back down. So when they came back down it was at mile 60.

The crazy brothers, Rob and Jon. These boys were going fast and on track to get under 9 hours.

Brett at stop 1 (40 miles). This is where they say the race is just beginning. He still has a smile on his face and is doing well. He is on track to get under 12. Which is all we were hoping for!

Off he goes...up Columbine!

While we were waiting Annalee and I had to get our picture with the race director. This guy is classic and gives the best motivational speech the day before the race. He is at this pit stop cutting people off if they don't make it in a certain time. It was sad.

He survived the hardest climb! Here he is coming into mile 60. He had a flat going up. He was stopped for almost 20 minutes. He blew his CO2 cartridge and so did someone else who stopped to help him. Luckily Steve came along and stopped to help.

He is pretty sore so Annalee is nice enough to massage his back.

He sits down but I get after him to get going again. He is cutting it a little close.

After they left mile 60 we hurried to see them at mile 75. Brett stopped again to rest and get some nutrition. He was pretty tired and still cutting it close. We saw him again at mile 85 but he didn't stop. He had made up some time and it looked like he would for sure make it under 12 hours. I was pretty relieved. Annalee was also relieved because Steve was feeling pretty sick at mile 75 but he also looked so much better at 85.

After we left mile 85 we hurried to the finish. Here I am waiting for Brett. I was so excited and nervous at the same time.

HERE HE COMES! He finishes at 11:18!!

Steve finishes right after Brett at 11:30. Our friend, Scott, finishes at 11:55 and is casually riding in taking pictures with his camera. It was so funny.

Steve and Brett...FINISHERS!!

Annalee and I at the finish. We had such a fun day. We thought it would be a long day, but it went by fast and it was fun hanging out with everyone. When people think that all is lost in the world, they need to attend a race like this. Everyone is so friendly to one another and so quick to help out complete strangers. I loved it.

Annalee and I with our crew signs. We were awesome support if I do say so myself!

Emmy and I were so proud of Brett.

Steve and Brett at the award ceremony the next day to get their buckles.

Here are all 6 of the guys with their buckles. They all got a buckle which is a HUGE accomplishment. Check out Rob and Jon...they got under 9 hours so they got the big buckle. Way to go boys!!

Cheers to this baby. She was so good the entire day. Someone came up to me and said I was so brave to come out with a baby. I said "are you kidding? This is a vacation for me with just one. I have three others that are with their Grandma." It was fun to be with just her for a chance. She's the best!

Emmy's Blessing

2010-08-24T09:31:00.000-07:00

On Sunday Emmy was blessed at our church. Brett gave her a wonderful blessing. She cooperated and didn't cry. It was a special day with a lot of family around. We were just wrapping up the Brian family beach week so it was fun to have most of the Brian family around. Kurt and his family stayed for the blessing and then left after to drive back to Utah. It was so nice of them to be there.

Here is Emmy in her dress. She is such a doll!

With three sisters they each have to take a turn holding her for the picture.

My parents got permission to leave their mission boundaries and come to the blessing. They came the night before and helped me a ton with cooking dinner for everyone. I love having them here. I wish they could have stayed longer.

Our family of six...

Proud parents

Myla and Noah with their new little cousin

Ford and Maddy

Darin and Perry

Derik and April

We really miss Brett's dad. Especially at a special occasion like this. The closing song of our church service happened to be "How Great Thou Art." Pat's most favorite hymn and it was sung at his funeral. I thought that was a tender mercy to let us know he was there in spirit. I love this picture of Pat because this captures what he would have been doing to every grandchild. All 21 of them.

For my sister...

2010-08-23T22:06:00.000-07:00

Here is my adorable baby that looks just like her sister...Eliza that is. I just got out Eliza's baby book and they are twinners. Now let's hope she gets blond curls. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I will post about her blessing soon. I'm waiting for my brother-in-law to photoshop my HUGE cold sore off. Emmy is too cute to be in a picture with her mother that has a nasty cold sore. So, Sheri...what do you think?

Avery Jane turns 6!

2010-08-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Avery's birthday and we had a great day! It started at 7:30 am when Avery insisted she wanted to open all of her presents. We usually wait until later but she is the birthday girl so it was her call.

Then we went to the beach with all of the Brian cousins. Everyone is here for the annual beach week. After the beach everyone came to our house for a swim party.

Marnie made the most amazing homemade pizzas.

Then we had cake and more presents. Avery has the best cousins and they all got her some fun gifts.

My favorite thing about Avery is that she loves being with me. The other day I was running around the house trying to get it picked up. She was one step behind me following me around. Then I would ask her to put something away and she happily said okay. She loves to help me whether it is around the house or with the baby. If I have to run to the store I like to take just her with me. She loves one on one time. Happy Birthday, Avery Jane! We love you so much.

My 3 Year Old!!

2010-08-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

Mia is three today! I can't believe it. I still feel like calling her my baby even though she is now a middle child. I'm in love with this girl. She is so funny and I love having a conversation with her. I asked her what she wanted for her birthday and she said, "a motorcycle, a pink sword, a Dora toy and a Barbie." Needless to say she only got the Dora toy and a Barbie (and a sweet Barbie car). She also was so upset when I told her she was turning three. She said, "No, I four on my birthday. I be three on my next birthday." But today she woke up and was fine with turning three. I guess I talked her into it.

We celebrated her birthday by meeting a bunch friends at the park. We brought cookies for all the kids. Mia was stoked.

Getting ready to leave for the park....(I have to post this picture to show off Emmy)

When Brett got home we headed out to Ruby's for dinner.
Notice the cute birthday sign? Yes, I made that...I know, I'm proud of myself.

Mia loved her car and ice cream...

After dinner we came home and opened presents. Then the girls stayed up way too late and played with them all. Happy Birthday, Mia. You bring a smile to face!

Look who lost a tooth!

2010-08-01T11:17:00.000-07:00

Two Months Old & Grandma's Birthday

2010-07-27T13:50:00.000-07:00

My parents are serving a mission for our church in Arcadia, California. Intersting enough that is where I grew up! They will be here for a year and I am so excited to have California parents again. On Sunday we went up to see them to celebrate my mom's birthday.

Emmy is two months old! She smiles but is a little stingy with them. My mom was totally getting her to smile and talk. It was precious! She had her two month appointment and she is exactly 11 pounds. She is growing too fast. Somebody stop her!

We Skyped some of my sisters and brother while we were there. It was fun for the kids to see each other. Mia grabbed my camera becasue she wanted to take a picture of her cousin Aubrey. She kind of did it!

Cousin Cal

2010-07-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to have our nephew with us this last weekend. His parents were at a wedding so we got him all day on Saturday, which happened to be his birthday. We had a great day...donuts for breakfast, swimming, hitting the beach, then pizza and cupcakes. He left Sunday morning and I heard the kids say Sunday afternoon, "I miss Cal." Good thing he will be living close to us now!

More Cousins!

2010-07-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

Summer is the best beacause we get to see all of our cousins. The week we got back from Utah my two sisters, Jennifer and Michelle, came to stay at our house. We had a total of 11 kids and it was a blast. Good thing I still don't have living room furniture because all of the kids slept in the living room. One big sleepover every night. The weather at first was cold but then a heat wave came. Which was nice because we went to the beach and then went swimming every day. The kids were wiped out at the end of each day. It was so nice having my sisters here because they help out so much. I wasn't feeling well for most of the week so they just took over. They would even take care of Emmy for me. In fact one day I said, "When did we feed Emmy last?" It was a group effort all week. I can't wait for next year!

The funeral

2010-07-06T21:11:00.000-07:00

This is a copy of the program. Brett's sister, Darin, gave the eulogy and did an amazing job. Then each of the four boys gave a talk on different characteristics of their Dad. They all did so great. It is sweet to see grown men (who I have never seen cry) get very emotional when speaking about their father. It was a huge testament of how amazing he was.

All of the brothers and son-in-laws carrying the casket.

Presidnet Monson and Brett's mom. Brett's dad was a dear friend to the President of our church. He graciously called Sherry the day Pat died and said he would be at the funeral. He was the concluding speaker at the funeral and also stopped by the cemetery. It was an experience we will never forget.

President Monson and our older nieces and nephews.

The funeral and the entire week of Pat's death was a sad but spiritual experience. It is a time I will always cherish. It is neat to read all the comments on the blog from people who came in contact with Pat. He made everyone feel unique and special. It was a good reminder of how I should be treating those around me.

Cookout at the creek

2010-07-06T13:16:00.000-07:00

4th of July

2010-07-04T11:07:00.000-07:00

After the funeral (which I will post about later) we headed back down to the ranch for the 4th of July celebrations. There is nothing better than a small town 4th of July parade.

Brett and his mom

Mia scored some candy!

The kids love their cousins...

This year our family made a float in honor of Brett's dad. Since he was a judge all of the kids dressed up like judges. It was very sweet. Brett's cousin and aunt and uncle did all the work. Thank you!

After the parade the town had a fair with a bunch of games for the kids.

Told you this place is amazing!

My Amazing Father-in-Law

2010-06-28T21:29:00.000-07:00

Brett's dad, Pat, passed away on Monday, June 28th. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer over two years ago. So the fact that he lived this long is quite amazing. We miss him so much. We were lucky enough to be in Utah for my parents mission farewell. In fact we were going to bless Emmy at my parent's house before the farewell so Brett's dad could be there. Brett's parents were at the ranch and were planning on coming up Sunday morning. We got a call late Saturday night that he had taken a turn for the worse. So we packed up early Sunday morning (skipped the blessing and the farewell)and went to the ranch. All six siblings made it to the ranch by Sunday morning. We were all able to gather in his room where he talked to us all. He was in a lot of pain Sunday afternoon but was still very coherent and talking to everyone. Monday morning Sherry, Brett's mom, woke up and told us that he would more than likely pass that day. So all of the adults gathered in his room. He passed away at 10:30 that morning. It was a very sad but spiritual experience.

Pat and Sherry are one of the most amazing couples I know. I will miss seeing them together. I will miss Pat asking if the kids swam in the pool. I will miss him telling us that Eliza is his hero. I will miss him calling and asking, "how is that sweet, precious baby?" He was the most positive and energetic person. He was the true definition of being Christ-like. I'm so lucky to be a part of his family. I just wish he could have been here longer.

Pat and Sherry ~ Christmas 2009

Pat and Avery ~ Lake Powell 2005

Pat and Eliza ~ Lake Powell 2005

Photo Shoot

2010-06-25T21:05:00.000-07:00

Some of my friends gave me a gift certificate to get Emmy's picture taken as a newborn. I have never done pictures of a brand new baby before so I was very excited. They turned out AMAZING! Here are some of my favorites. Thank you Aynn Thurman (aynnthurmanphotography.com)!!

One Month Old

2010-06-25T20:58:00.000-07:00

We traveled to Utah the day before Emmy turned a month old. She was amazing! She slept in the car the entire trip. At each stop I would get her out to feed and change her then she would fall right back to sleep the second we started to drive again. What a dream!

Grandpa Goold

Grandma Goold

Last Day of School!

2010-06-23T20:32:00.000-07:00

Hip, hip horray! This was a great year for Avery and Eliza. They both loved school and did great. It was a crazy school year, with the teachers going on strike, so I think everyone was ready for it to come to an end. I always look forward to summer and to not have a strict schedule. Although we left for Utah literally the day after school got out.

I cannot believe Eliza is done with 2nd grade and Avery with Kindergarten. Time flies!!

Avery had the same Kindergarten teacher Eliza had. We love her! She was actually Teacher of the Year at our school this year.

Avery and her friend from school.

Father's Day Performance

2010-06-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

The kindergarten class did a Father's Day performance this year. In fact they were almost the same songs as the Mother's Day performance they just changed the words to fit Dad instead. Avery was so excited to have Brett come. Although she gets so shy and didn't sing a single word. After the songs we went back to her class where she gave him a gift. Happy Father's Day, Brett!

2 weeks old

2010-06-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

and she is still perfect.

and the kids are still obsessed with holding her.

The help arrives!

2010-06-07T17:24:00.000-07:00

I really could not have babies without the help I get. My mom was here for the first weekend and then she left to go to Hawaii with my dad for a week. So my sister, Sheri, was kind enough to take a week of her vacation time and come help me. The kids were in heaven with her here. She would walk Avery to school, take Mia to the park and then just help around the house. After she left my mom came back from Hawaii and stayed a few more days with me. Thank you Mom and Sheri...you save my life (or my kids life)!

Memorial Day Weekend...

2010-05-31T23:37:00.000-07:00

was a little different this year. The kids ended up having two extra days off of school. So what to do with all of the time? Head to the ranch! Brett was brave enough to load the kids up by himself and go see his family at the ranch in Utah. Brett's dad was sick and he really wanted to spend some more time with him while he was still doing well. Leaving the day after your baby is born was not ideal, but it was the only time they could go.

Brett in the car with the crazies.

Brett's mom reading to Mia.

Playing in the dirt. Please tell me Brett made them take a shower at some point?

Eliza's new passion...the 4 wheeler. She has already requested one from Santa.

The lovely kitchen. Thank goodness Katherine was there to help feed everyone.

Look at this view...I love this place.

So what did I do while they were gone? I checked out of the hospital a day early and came home to a QUIET, clean house. It was just me, Emmy and my mom. It was the best weekend. I'll always remember it!

The kids came home so anxious to see Emmy again. She was exactly a week old.

Emmy's Birth

2010-05-26T23:05:00.000-07:00

We are so happy to have our sweet Emmy here safe and sound. Everything went great with her birth. My fourth C-section and it went well. You know as great as getting your stomach sliced open can go! So here is how her birth went down with pictures (warning there are a lot of pictures)...

Brett cutting the cord

Look at that smile underneath Brett's mask. I think he likes her!

My biggest baby weighing in at 7 pounds 3 ounces!

Finally I get to meet her! She is perfect.

Proud parents!

Brett waiting for me to come to the recovery room. They always take the baby before I'm ready so I make Brett stay with the baby.

Her first bath. She hated it.

Brett can't get enough of this girl.

My mom was here to help. Thank goodness!

The girls meet their new sister. Everyone falls in love the second they see her.

Mia is a big sister. Props to this girl. She has been nothing but sweet to her little sister. I was a little worried how she would react but she has stepped up to the plate. Thank you, Mia! I love you.

We are a family of 6. Holy cow that's big!

Introducing...

2010-05-25T19:13:00.000-07:00

EMMY HALE BRIAN

Born Tuesday, May 25th at 6:02 p.m. Weighing in at 7 lbs. 3 oz. She is perfect.

Eliza's Baptism

2010-05-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

The day came for Eliza to be baptized. I can't believe it! She was so excited for this day. When she woke up Thursday morning the first thing she said was, "I get baptized the day after tomorrow." Then when she came home from school on Thursday she said, "This week is going by so fast. I think it is going by fast on purpose because I am getting baptized." I love it how excited she gets about things. Saturday finally came and it was a great day. I was so relieved I didn't have the baby early. Brett did a wonderful job baptizing and confirming her.

Paige and Eliza

Paige and Eliza with their Dad's.

Our family

Eliza with Grandma and Grandpa Goold

The three girls

Eliza and Avery with the Anderson's. The Anderson's are very close friends of the Brian's. It was special to have them come especially because Brett's dad was too sick to come.

Brett and Eliza

Eliza was ready! She said she was a little nervous and that she was so happy the water was warm.

Hannah, Paige, Cina and Eliza.

After the baptism we had family over for dinner. I had to take this picture because Mia loves her cousin Ford. He is so sweet to play with her when he is over. She wanted to eat her ice cream by herself with Ford. He was nice enough to accomodate her.

I love these three...

2010-05-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

and I can't wait to make it four!

Eliza's party

2010-05-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

Eliza and her good friend Paige were born just a day apart. So every couple years they have a combined party. This year we had the party at a really cute candy store called Powell's Sweet Shop. It was the best party ever...probably because I didn't have to do a thing!

When the kids arrived they got cotton candy

Then they played a cute game on the floor of the party room

Next, they each made a candy necklace

Then they went on a scavenger hunt around the store looking for specific pieces of candy. They collected the candy and these were the goody bags they went home with.

Then we decorated cupcakes and sang to the girls

It was a blast. A huge sugar overload, but it's a party!

Mother's Day Performance

2010-05-07T15:56:00.000-07:00

The entire Kindergarten put on a really cute Mother's day performance this year. They sang about four songs and then gave us a present. A cute bookmark with her picture on it. I really do not allow pictures of myself at this stage, but I made an exception for my cute Avery. p.s. She took that flower clip out and put it back in like that. Nice!

Eliza's Birthday Celebration

2010-05-07T15:43:00.000-07:00

Eliza's birthday started off with her getting a new bike. When she came down for breakfast it was sitting out waiting for her. It is a "real" bike (as Brett would put it) and she was pretty excited about it.

After school she opened the rest of her presents. Then we headed to Farrell's for dinner. Farrell's is a fun restaurant where it is really loud and they make a big scene when they sing to you.

Eliza loved watching them sing to everyone else.

When it was her turn, she was a little embarassed. But she loved it.

Eliza is 8!!

2010-05-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet Eliza! I cannot believe she is 8 already. Eliza is such a great girl. She has a good heart and always wants to do what is right. She is a great example to her younger sisters. I don't think I could survive without Eliza around. With Brett being in the bishopric I sit by myself during our first hour of church. I am usually in and out with Mia because she is so out of control. Avery follows me so there are many times she sits by herself. I know I don't need to worry about her. One time I was out in the hall until the meeting was over. When I came back in Eliza said she had picked up everything for me. Sure enough all of our books, crayons and paper were put away. I was so happy!

She is also so fun to be around. I love it when she is home. She will tell me about her day and usually in great detail. Her new thing is writing stories or notes. She just wrote me a note and this is what it said (in her exact words):

"Happy Mother's Day Mom. Since its my 8th birthday and Mother's Day I thought I should give you a present, some flowers! I just want to say thank you for everything you've done. Taking me to shcool, help me study for tests, and giving me a safe place to live. Just thank you for everything! Hope you like your present!"

This was on the counter with some flowers she picked. It was so sweet it made me cry. Eliza is a tough cookie and I don't know how she puts up with it. Between getting her blood drawn on a regular basis, acupuncture, and massage therapy (this lady massages her face so hard it makes her cry) she handles it so well. She may say she doesn't want to do it but she never puts up a fight and she handles it like a champ. She handles it a lot better than I do!

I love you, Eliza. Our family is so much better with you in it.

Showered with love

2010-05-05T15:38:00.000-07:00

Some friends of mine insisted that I have a "get together" for this new baby. It wasn't a shower because come on, my FOURTH girl! It was really sweet of them to put this together. It was really small and wonderful. Nicole put on a yummy cinco de mayo feast. Thanks, ladies!

Ear Piercing Party!

2010-05-01T15:28:00.000-07:00

So we let the girls get their ears pierced. Avery has wanted to for awhile but was too scared to do it. I don't really care how old they are, as long as I feel like they will be responsible for taking care of their ears. Eliza decided she wanted to also so we made a party out of it. We figured the peer pressure of having friends around would make them be brave and go through with it. I was super impressed with everyone because they all sat still and didn't even flinch. No tears! It was amazing. After we took the girls to Ruby's for lunch. It was such a fun, memorable day.

Here are Eliza and Avery before:

This is the group (positive peer pressure, I love it)

Avery goes before Eliza. You can tell she wants to cry, but she doesn't. She is so brave. Later in the car she says to me, "I really wanted to cry mom but I didn't." Cute girl!

Eliza's turn. This girl doesn't even blink. She's been poked so many times in her life this is nothing to her!

They did it and are so happy!!

Easter in AZ

2010-04-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

This year we spent Easter weekend in Arizona. Brett's sister lives there and they will be moving this summer. So we had to hurry and get a trip in before they left. It was a lot of fun especially because two of Brett's brothers came with their families. It was a fun little reunion.

On Easter morning the kids went on a hunt to find their baskets. It didn't take too long before they all found them.

Later in the day we did the Easter egg hunt. The kids sat around and ate as many sweets as they could!

Darin (Brett's sister) is always a perfect host. Here is the fantastic adult table for Easter dinner.

Easter weekend also happened to fall on my birthday and my nephew's Finn--we have the same birthday. So my wonderful sister-in-law, Katherine, made us a yummy cake.

On Monday before we left Darin and Perry took the girls to a park and train museum while Brett and I did some shopping. They had a blast.

I have the best family ever.

Spring Hat Parade

2010-04-01T15:05:00.000-07:00

The day before Spring break Avery had her Kindergarten Spring hat parade. Her hat was cute, but it did not stay on her head! She was a little annoyed but participated anyway. Thanks for being a good sport, Avery.

Friend weekend and Easter egg hunt

2010-03-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

The last weekend in March we were lucky enough to have two of our friends stay with us. Owen and Paige spent the weekend with us while their parents went on a weekend cruise. It was one big party the entire weekend. It was nice to have constant entertainment for the kids. On Saturday, we took the kids to our wards annual Easter egg hunt. It was a big success!

Mia was a little tired this morning. She would just look at the eggs instead of pick them up.

Avery got into the hunt

Paige, Eliza and Maren found their share

Owen was super happy with his treats

It was a party all weekend with these four

I told you Mia was tired. She hung out like this most of the morning.

Pizza with Dad

2010-03-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite things to do is to meet Brett after work for pizza. We usually go to Pat & Oscar's in Tustin because it is a good half way meeting point. The girls love the pizza and then always want to go to the bookstore after. It is always a fun night.

St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

Another holiday around here means another hunt for goodies. For St. Patrick's Day the leprechaun leaves a trail of gold candy that leads to a prize. It is pretty exciting. It is also exciting when the kids find that the milk has turned green along with the toilet water. That sneaky leprechaun!

The prize

Eliza and Avery loved the glasses

Mia loved the bag of candy

Girls Weekend

2010-03-15T10:28:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to have a girls weekend with my mom and sisters. I flew to Salt Lake then drove with all of them to St. George for the weekend. Then we drove back to Salt Lake so I could fly home. It was a lot of traveling but totally worth it. We slept in (there is nothing better than waking up to complete silence), shopped, went to movies, ate and talked...and cried. It was just what I needed! I am so lucky to have a mom and sisters that I am so close to. We are pretty involved in each others lives and I love it. Hopefully we can make this a yearly tradition. We missed my sister-in-law, Whitney, but I'm sure we will do this often and she will be able to come next time.

Jennifer and my mom

Lori, Michelle and Sheri

Lori is pregnant (with a boy) and is due 6 weeks after me.

Flag Ceremony

2010-03-10T10:24:00.000-08:00

This year Eliza was asked to raise the flag in the morning flag ceremony at school. She did this last year and was excited to do it again. She leads the entire school in the Pledge of Allegiance and then in a patriotic song. I'm always proud how she sings right into the microphone in front of the entire school.

I did it all by myself!

2010-03-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

One night everything was going great. I was making dinner for the missionaries, Avery was at the table quietly doing her homework. Eliza was up in her room doing her homework while Mia was quietly in her room playing. Sound too good to be true? Well, it was. Mia comes down and is so excited saying, "Look mom! I cut my hair all by myself in my room!" And this is what I see:

I SCREAMED, "We do NOT cut hair, ONLY PAPER!!" I feel bad (kind of) because she burst into tears and I put her in time out. But obviously she didn't care too much because she was excited to show Brett when he came home. Needless to say I texted my friend who cuts hair that I had an emergency. She came the next morning and cut her hair into this cute bob. I LOVE it! Actually I wanted to cut her hair anyway, but on my terms!

Quick Getaway

2010-02-20T07:55:00.000-08:00

Since Brett and I went on our cruise in September we thought we would go somewhere close and quick for our anniversary. But we've been married 10 years so we had to do something! So Palm Springs it was. We left Monday and came back Wednesday. Brett's parents were kind enough to stay with the kids and they did great. It was such a fun trip. So relaxing with great weather. We hung out at the pool, read, slept in, went out to eat and watched movies. It was the best! My favorite kind of vacation with my favorite person.

10 years!!!

2010-02-19T17:14:00.000-08:00

Today is our 10 year wedding anniversary! I can't believe it. We were able to celebrate with a quick Palm Springs getaway. I will post about that later. Until then...Happy Anniversary, Brett. You are my favorite person in the entire world.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T07:44:00.000-08:00

Holiday's are a big deal around here, including Valentine's Day. We have the same tradition each year. A scavenger hunt around the house with a prize at the end. This year Avery helped read the clues. It is a fun tradition that the girls get so excited about.

The goodies...luckily it doesn't take much to please these three.

I love these girls!

Prayers, please.

2010-02-12T16:52:00.000-08:00

Eliza started acupuncture today for her Bells Palsy. We were told this would be a good option. We found a great lady who works on kids and she is totally confident that this will work. In fact her husband is a neurosurgeon and he refers patients with nerve trama to her. She said to me a few times that this will work. I am totally skeptical about this but it is worth the try. How can sticking needles in your face fix this? I hope I am wrong but I have learned to not get my hopes up. I told Eliza that we all need to pray and ask Heavenly Father to help this work. That is something I can believe in!

Anyway, this is what it looked like today. The needles do not hurt. They tried one on me first and you cannot even feel it. Eliza was scared but was great. Once they were in we sat there for an hour. She was tense at first and started to smile and we played games on my phone. We will go back next week. I'll keep you posted.

January

2010-01-30T14:25:00.000-08:00

I was just going though my pictures and realized I did not take one single picture in the month of January. That is good news because January is usually a bad month in this family. I'm happy to report that this year January was a boring (or you could call it a normal) month. And I couldn't be happier about that!

More Utah

2009-12-28T14:14:00.000-08:00

After we spent Chrismtas at the ranch we headed up to Alpine to see my family. My kids played and played with cousins. The Christmas break was the best. Cousins, cousins and more cousins. We managed to get them outside to do some sledding. They had a blast!

Christmas at the Ranch

2009-12-25T13:52:00.000-08:00

We just couldn't get enough of our beautiful new ranch house so we decided to spend Christmas there as well. All of Brett's family made it also which was so fun.

Brett took Mia on a ride on the 4 wheeler. Mia loved getting bundled up.

For Christmas Eve we had all of the relatives from the other houses over for a Christmas Eve program and dinner. It was so much fun to see everyone and we all had plenty of room to socialize. Brett comes from a BIG family.

First the little cousins sang...

Then the older girls (I don't know what happened to the picture)...

And then the teenagers...

The Nativity program was wonderful. Avery was a shepherd and Eliza was Mary. We even had baby Beck as a real life baby Jesus!

After the Nativity program we all had a surprise visit from Santa. He had a small gift for each child.

Christmas Eve would not be the same without opening Christmas PJ's. Mia got these pajamas with penguins on them that she is obsessed with!

We woke up early on Christmas morning and all the kids came running down from the loft to find what Santa brought. They were happy to see that Santa found us at the ranch.

Avery checking out her stocking...

Eliza was stoked with some new stuffed animals. Because the 20 she has at home might not be enough :)

Mia loved her rocking horse...

It was another wonderful Christmas that we will always remember. Our first Christmas in the new ranch house. I can't wait for many more.

Santa at the Barber's

2009-12-21T10:03:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite traditions is going to the Barber's house to see Santa. We all bring a treat to share and we eat and eat! The best way to spend the Christmas season. Thanks Barber family for being so brave to have so many kids over at your house.

Eliza and Avery have no issues with Santa.

Mia was scared this time so I had to hold her.

Then she warmed up and I was able to get the three girls together.

Avery's Kindergarten Performance

2009-12-18T08:44:00.000-08:00

During the Christmas season the entire kindergarten performs a bunch of holiday songs. I'm talking about 12 songs! It was super cute.

Avery with her friend, Cali.

Mia wanted in on the action.

Happy Birthday, Brett!

2009-12-16T20:07:00.000-08:00

To the best dad and husband. We love you! Look at these girls, do they love their dad or what?

Ward Christmas Party

2009-12-12T19:58:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas breakfast at our church. The kids sang the Nativity songs and then we had a visit from Santa.

Here are Eliza and Mia waiting for Santa to arrive.

Eliza had to make sure she told him everything she wanted.

It is always so funny to me when I see Avery act shy. It is sweet, isn't it?

Mia actually sat on Santa's lap. She was terrified at first. Then as the crowd of kids thinned I took her up to say hello to Santa. Crazy enough, she recognized his voice and went right to him. The candy cane helped, of course.