The Brown’s

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

2010-10-29T09:35:00.002-06:00

Here is a little Halloween fun that Troy put together starring our family!

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/x17EOvbPTjM46qin

Happy Halloween.

Bear Lake with the Brown Family

2010-10-27T16:00:00.026-06:00

Every year, Troy's mom and dad are so nice and plan a family trip that we all look forward to and enjoy! This year, we were lucky enough to be able to stay and my sister-in-law Angela's parents cabin. I don't think there are words to describe how beautiful it was or how big it was.....let's just say it fit about 60 people quite comfortably!!!

Each day was filled with so much fun and activities! We had yummy food, treasure hunts, parades, obstacle courses, hot dog roasts, trips to the Bear Cave for shakes, peaceful runs in the mornings, the Minnetonka Caves, a spiritual lesson, movies, treats, swimming in the lake and so much more - can you believe we packed that all into 2 1/2 days! We had such a great time - thank you Grandma and Grandpa Brown for a fabulous time!

Grace - 1st Day of 1st Grade

2010-10-27T15:23:00.006-06:00

My little Grace started 1st Grade this year and is in school ALL day! She leaves for the bus at 8:30 every morning, eats school lunch every day and doesn't get home until 4:20! We miss having Grace around all day (and I miss her help), but we are glad that she loves school as much as she does. I talked to her teacher the other day and she said that Grace is at the top of the class! We love you Grace!

Pioneer Day

2010-10-27T15:09:00.008-06:00

Every year, our neighborhood has a breakfast and bike parade. This year it was on Pioneer Day. Our kids had so much fun helping decorate their bikes! That night, I took Grace and Carson to the Bees Game (Troy stayed home with the younger 2), but don't have any pic's. Here are some pic's of the parade:

Swimming Lessons - Grace and Carson

2010-10-27T14:51:00.007-06:00

Grace and Carson also took swimming lessons this year! They are past the "private lessons" stage and just need help perfecting their strokes! They both did really well in their classes and Grace is hoping to follow in her cute cousin's footsteps and do swim team in a couple of years!

Love you kids.....I am so proud of you....xoxo!

Swimming Lessons - Chloe

2010-10-27T14:35:00.008-06:00

Anyone who knows Chloe, will not question why I have her in private swimming lessons before she turned 2.....Chloe is an amazing child, who is not afraid of anything and loves a challenge! By her last swimming lesson, her teacher said that Chloe is the youngest student that she has had to master the "rollover from front to back and front again unassisted".....I told you that she loves a good challenge! Way to go Chloe.....we love you!!!

Summer Days at the Water Park

2010-10-27T14:11:00.006-06:00

We love lazy summer days! In our

neighborhood, we are lucky enough

to have a fun waterpark for the kids

to play and play and play at......did I

mention play?

We have spent countless hours at this park and I have drank many a diet coke while watching my kids play! This park has saved my sanity on numerous occassions when I just needed to get out of the house for a while with so many small kids.....when I get through this phase of life and look back, I will always hold a special place in my heart for this park....

Troy's Birthday Celebration at Storm Mountain

2010-10-27T13:37:00.015-06:00

Happy 33rd Birthday Daddy!

This year for Troy's birthday, we celebrated it up at one of our favorite places....Storm Mountain! We were there with a lot of Troy's family and had a great time. Our kids and cousins (we missed those of you who couldn't come) had so much fun exploring and it was fun to relax and enjoy the evening together!!

Happy Birthday Troy - I LOVE YOU! I am so grateful and lucky to have you in my life! Thanks for all you do for me and for our family....xoxo

Sawyer....

2010-08-18T14:43:00.006-06:00

Seriously......how can I ever be mad, sad or have a remotely bad day when I have this sweet face to look at ALL DAY long. He honestly is the sweetest, best, easiest baby. I have been lucky in the fact that all of my babies have been good, but maybe it is because I know he is my last baby that I am appreciating it a little more. Here are some of his cute expressions as of late. He is usually found with a smile and his mouth open as wide as possible.....too cute! I know I have a lot of blogging to catch up on...but today, I would rather play with my little buddy.

Holy Cow...Grace just got her ears pierced!!

2010-07-10T21:26:00.007-06:00

Grace just went to bed and told me

this is one of her BEST DAYS EVER!!

After A LOT of begging and discussions centered around Grace's ears for the past few days, Troy and I decided to let her FINALLY (in her mind) get her ears pierced....and she was SO brave - she didn't cry or act nervous!!!

Troy and I tricked her this afternoon and ended up at Claire's...and she was smiling from ear-to-ear! The workers were so nice and actually pierced BOTH her ears at the SAME time - (which I highly recommend to all mom's out there)!!

She has been so funny all night helping out and doing a lot of "extra's" around the house (which I will take all of the little "extra's" I can get), and she keeps telling me that she can "feel" her earrings sparkle.....SO CUTE! WE LOVE YOU GRACE!!!

4th of July

2010-07-09T14:28:00.021-06:00

I think this year's 4th of July went on for days and days....and we LOVED every minute of it! We started off with our town carnival on Thursday, a parade on Friday, swimming on Saturday, bbq, water games and fireworks on Saturday night, a bbq on Sunday, swimming on Monday, and another bbq Monday night.....did I miss anything in between?!

We love the month of July because the weather is perfect, school is out, it's Troy's birthday, corn-on-the cob, and so many other things we try to pack into one month! It's no wonder our kids are falling into bed at night and sleep later than usual in the mornings! Each day is packed with SOOO much fun! Here are some pic's from some of our 4th of July celebrations!

Moab & Dead Horse Point

2010-07-02T08:23:00.029-06:00

Last weekend, Troy, Grace, Carson, Grandpa & Grandma Brown, Aunt Brookie and Josh went camping to Moab & Dead Horse Point! I think saying that had a GREAT time is really an understatement!!! In the upcoming days before they left, every morning the first thing out of both Grace and Carson's mouth was the number of days they had left until it was time to CAMP! The left on Thursday and came home on Saturday late afternoon....the perfect amount of time for everyone to camp! They camped in a campground near Arches National Park, and they went on a couple of fun hikes, went swimming, went to Toy Story 3, ate smores and went to Dead Horse Point on the way home! Grace and Carson had so much fun and I hope they will retain some small memory from this trip! I got to stay home with Chloe and Sawyer.....and I hardly left the house! I soon realized how much Grace and Carson help me with Chloe!!! We went on lots of walks, my house was REALLY clean and I got a chance to relax....a little! I am so grateful for Troy for wanting my kids to have these kinds of experiences - I have said this before in a lot of posts, but....he really is an AMAZING dad! Here are some pics from the trip:

Happy Father's Day 2010

2010-06-23T16:12:00.011-06:00

Last Sunday was Father's Day! We had the best day spoiling our daddy! Instead of breakfast in bed, Troy opted for a family breakfast out on the patio! We had fresh fruit, bacon, pancakes, chocolate milk and apple juice.....YUM!! It was the perfect morning to be outside spending time together as a family. After breakfast and some wrestling on the trampoline, we got ready for church! After church, we let dad "relax" and had a yummy bbq dinner and then went to both of our dad's houses to honor them on this special day too! I feel bad we didn't break out the camera at Troy's parent's house.....I will have to take some pic's of Troy and his dad next time we are there and add them to this post. Troy and I are both so lucky to have such wonderful Father's. I love my dad more than words can say and am so grateful for his example and for what a wonderful grandpa he is to my kids - grandpa is always laughing and smiling and my kids are always excited to go to grandpa's house --I am so grateful for that!

I am so grateful for Troy...he truly is the best dad and husband a person could ask for. I admire the special relationship he has with each of the kids and thank him for all he does for our family! Happy Father's Day....WE LOVE YOU!!

Carson's Preschool Program

2010-06-15T20:38:00.008-06:00

We had Carson's end of year preschool program tonight. This is a picture of Carson with his teacher, Miss Kacie. He absolutely loves his teacher and she has made his first year of preschool THE BEST! Carson can already right his name (with a backwards "s") and knows all of his numbers and letters....we are so proud of Carson! Tonight, they sang lots of cute songs, had a fun slide show and were each presented with a special treat! Afterwards, we went for ice cream with Grandma and Grandpa Newbold....it was a really fun night! We love you Carson!

Grace and Carson - Soccer 2010

2010-06-12T15:22:00.020-06:00

Today, it was Grace and Carson's last soccer game! They both did awesome and we are SOOO proud of these two kiddos! They played on different teams (even though they were the same color) and they were both lucky enough to have their dad as their coach!!! We only had 1 week when the games were at the same time so it worked out! It was fun to watch both of them and see how their different personalities are reflected on the soccer field! Here are some "highlights" of the last couple of games:

Easter 2010

2010-06-12T14:46:00.013-06:00

Easter seems like such a LONG time ago! This year, our Easter was really fun watching the kids get more excited as they anticipated the FUN egg hunts. We had hunts at both grandma's house this year...and the kids had a BLAST at both houses! It was also fun to see Chloe running around experiencing everything for the 1st time this year. She had no clue what was going on, but really liked being out with all of the cousins running around! On Easter morning, the Easter Bunny left us a cute note with a treasure hunt attached. The kids had SOO much fun finding the different clues. Their baskets were found in the dryer, in with all the barbies, and in with all the diapers! It was especially fun to have Grace read the letter from the Easter Bunny and all of the clues. She is reading really well for kindergarten and we are SOO proud of her! Here are some pics:

Chloe....lovin' life and into EVERYTHING!!!

2010-06-09T21:27:00.016-06:00

Chloe NEVER stops moving! I am laughing at this post, because I think all of the picture's we have taken of Chloe over the past few month's are either because she has a dirty face, has gotten into something, has crazy hair.....or something like that! I think it is just her age, but this girl is definitely keeping my on my toes! She is definitely a daddy's girl, and they have a special bond that I think is so cute! We love our Chloe-bear.....

Sawyer's first few months....in a nutshell....

2010-06-09T18:14:00.018-06:00

As I begin writing this post, once again....I am wondering WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE?! I honestly can't believe that Sawyer is already 4 month's old! I just finished feeding him his oatmeal and sweet potatoes and can't believe that his "newborn stage" is over.....Sawyer is such a sweet baby. There really are no other words to describe him. He smiles all the time, sleeps, eats and that is pretty much it! I love this picture to the left, because since Sawyer has been born, his hands have been a very important part of his life. The are always close together and now spend quite a bit of time in his mouth! Grace, Carson and Chloe are all very sweet with him too. They are always willing to help with whatever I need when it comes to Sawyer. All I have to do is let them hold him, or give him a kiss and hug and they are up for pretty much any task. Let's hope this carries on for a while, because I know when they are bigger they won't be an easy bribe! I love our little family right now - all of the kids are growing and learning and changing so much each day. My days are busy and crazy, but I wouldn't change it for anything! Here are a few pic's of Sawyer over the past 4 month's:

Carson's 4th Birthday

2010-06-09T17:27:00.015-06:00

I can't believe that Carson is 4 years old!!! It seems like yesterday he was a baby and needed me for everything. Now it seems like there are days that I hardly see him (except for the occasional feeding and watering) and he is growing up way to fast!!! Someone once told me that the weeks go by slow and the years go by way too fast....and it is so true! Even though some days it is hard....I am really trying to cherish every moment because these kids are little for such a short period of time. For Carson's birthday, he wanted a "Magic Party"!! So we hired a magician and invited 20+ of his closest friends to celebrate! Here are some pic's of his special day:

It's snowing in April!!!

2010-06-09T17:18:00.005-06:00

We woke up one morning in April to snow! This is not unusual in April, but by now we are sick of the snow and ready for shorts, flip-flops and tank-tops! All of them were barefoot to get the newspaper, but Carson was the winner by running out in the snow in his "birthday suit"!!

Garden Planting - with help!

2010-06-09T17:06:00.009-06:00

Every winter, Troy anxiously anticipates early spring when he can get out in the garden and plant our peas!!! He has passed this tradition and love of gardening to our kids and this year they were excited to "help"!

The 6 Pack

2010-06-09T16:52:00.009-06:00

Carson is so lucky......he has 5 other boy cousins on Troy's side of the family that were all born within a little over a year of each other. Every once in a while, we try to get them all together in an organized manner to take a picture.....last year we went to Kiddie Kandids and all were in a sweat by the time we got through. This year we were at Troy's twin sisters beautiful house and tried to do it ourselves....which didn't work too great either....hopefully as they get older, this will get easier?! Here are some of the picture's:

Grace - Cheer Camp

2010-06-09T16:35:00.008-06:00

In February of this year, Grace signed up for a mini cheer camp with her cousin, and got to perform during half time at one of Riverton High School's Varsity Basketball Games. She absolutley loved every minute of it, and can't wait to start dance this fall. Sawyer was only a week old when she performed so I missed her big debut, but Troy took some pic's of her big night:

Valentines Day 2010

2010-06-09T16:19:00.008-06:00

Every year on Valentine's Day, we have a special candlelite dinner with all of the kids. It is really fun and we have special "toasts" about the things we LOVE about life. The kids really look forward to it and we always have chocolate fondue for dessert. Here are some cute pictures of the chocolate mustache's each one of the kids ended up with:

No mustache here....just cute at 2 1/2 weeks old!

Chloe's Little Break.....

2010-03-11T20:46:00.013-07:00

What a day!!! Just before noon today, Chloe was getting out of our mini van and fell and broke both bones in her left arm....my heart sank as I rushed her to the Instacare only to be told that I had to take her up to Primary Children's Hospital. Troy met me (in record time), and we rushed up to Primary Children's. Sure enough, they confirmed the break and told us that they needed to put her out to set one of the bones.....they quickly hooked her up to an IV and gave her some morphine which provided some immediate relief and 3 hours later we were on our way home. She is in a splint right now and will get a cast on next week after the swelling goes down. Troy and I feel so lucky that we have such wonderful hospitals and facilities that can provide assistance and relief so quickly.....we will never take that for granted. Here are some pic's of Chloe:

Sawyer's Blessing Day

2010-03-09T15:19:00.017-07:00

Last Sunday, March 7, 2010, was Sawyer's blessing day! It was a perfect day for his blessing and we had a nice lunch at our house afterwards. Troy and I both come from big families, so we had 60+ people at our house all at once!! I stressed and fretted on how we were going to fit everyone, but then I thought 'who has a house big enough to sit 60 people comfortably?' - answer: NOBODY....so we did the best we could! Everything turned out perfect and thanks to everyone to who contributed to Sawyer's special day....it wouldn't have been the same without you!

Here are some pic's....

Sawyer Call Brown

2010-02-04T16:43:00.014-07:00

Sawyer Call Brown came into this world last Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 12:52 p.m.. He weighed 7 lbs., 9.9 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long. He has 10 fingers, 10 toes, lots of black hair.....and is absolutely perfect! I can't believe he is finally here and our family is complete (we think)!! I was scheduled to be induced, but when I got to the hospital I was having regular contractions about 6 minutes apart and was dilated to a 4+....so they considered me in "active labor" and did not call it an inducement.....I am proud to say I went into labor all by myself! I have been induced with the other 3, so I considered this to be quite an accomplishment.....Troy was hoping for an ohmygoshmywaterjustbrokewehavetogettothehospitalNOW moment, but this was good enough for me :). Today, Sawyer is 1 week old and so far has been an absolute angel! He is sleeping well, eating well, and only cries a little when he has his bath. All of the kids have done really well....even Chloe. She was a little miffed when I got home and didn't want to have much to do with me. I think she was mad that I disappeared for a couple of days and came home with this other "thing" that everyone fusses over and calls "baby"......after all, she is still the "baby".....right?! Well, we have been re-bonding each day and things are almost back to normal (even though she prefers Troy over me EVERYTIME she gets the chance).....but we are working on it! Here are some pic's of Sawyer:

Baby Shower Love.....

2010-01-18T14:00:00.011-07:00

Last Thursday night, Troy's mom and my sisters-in-law on Troy's side of the family threw me a pre-baby party/shower. Tawny was so nice to host the party at her house and we had so much fun! No kids, just all of us girls...and Troy! He was so funny, when he heard about this party, he wanted to come and hang out with his sisters and mom too....and I was glad he did. We had a fabulous dinner of pistachio salad, breadsticks, Diet Coke and a yummy eclair dessert! I did get "showered" with a ton of cute clothes and warm, soft blankets for the baby - thanks to everyone for putting together a fun night and for all of the fun gifts!

Troy and I often talk about how grateful we are for our families and how nice it is to have a built-in support system - we wouldn't trade it for anything. We know our lives and our kids lives are blessed because of this!

10 days and counting until the big day......

Christmas Eve 2009

2010-01-12T17:13:00.014-07:00

This past Christmas Eve was full of fun and traditions! We spent the first part of the evening at my parents house where we had a nice dinner, yummy chocolate fountain, the nativity story put on by all of the grandkids, a special story about giving told by Grandma and a gift exchange followed by family prayer. It is a fun night that I have always looked forward to. It is really important to Troy and I that we try to take some time on Christmas Eve to focus on "true meaning" of Christmas that isn't filled with presents and things of monetary value; rather, we try to take a few minutes to talk to our kids about the things we are thankful for (with egg-nog toasts) and also take a few minutes to reflect on the birth of our Brother and Savior, Jesus Christ. We hope that somehow, somewhere, our actions will have a positive impact on our kids and that they will look for opportunities to serve other people and not solely focus on what materialistic things they have.....but to focus on the fact that giving is so much better than receiving. As our kids get older, we hope to make sure they are exposed to the wonderful world of service and to be able to experience firsthand the joy that service brings into our lives.

One of the traditions we have is for the kids to open Christmas jammies on Christmas Eve. Well this year, we did just that and (I have to blame this on the pregancy), BECAUSE this year they all had matching GIRL jammies! Yes, you will notice Carson sporting the jammies with the bow at the top and the reindeer with rosy little cheeks! I didn't notice this until a couple of days before Christmas when there was no time to try and fix this mess.....so Carson, when you read this and realize what your poor mom did to you when you were 3 years old the only thing I can say is that I am sorry.....but you were the cutest 3 year-old reindeer gal that mom and dad have ever seen!!! If this is the worst thing that your mom does to you during your childhood consider yourself lucky! Here are some pic's from our night:

Happy Birthday 6th Birthday Grace!

2010-01-12T13:35:00.017-07:00

I can't believe that Grace turned 6 years old December 19th, 2009! I feel like it was yesterday that I was anticipating her arrival, wishing I had a zipper on my stomache so I could peak and see what my precious Grace looked like! The day she was born is a day I will never forget.....it is the day I took on the much anticipated role of a mother! I had wanted to be a mom for so long and swore I would do everything right and be the "perfect mom".....well looking back, I did a lot of things right, but did so many things "wrong" and have learned so many things by practice and experience. I am grateful for Grace and what a thoughtful, loving, fun daughter she is! She is a great big sister to Carson and Chloe and is a great example to them. She is so excited to welcome Sawyer to our family and is constantly making sure he is included in any discussion that involves the kids :) Grace also loves kindergarten! She loves her teacher, Mrs. Hanna and I can't believe how her reading has taken off! She is starting to read chapter books and everywhere we go she tells me what every sign says.....it brings Troy and I so much happiness to see her growing and developing - we also have to come up with a new way of "code talking" since spelling words out is no longer an option. Grace also loves gymnastics and friends! Grace has a lot of friends, but she still makes sure Carson is included whenever she has a friend over....I love that she does this - hopefully Carson will learn from her example and make sure Chloe is included as friends become more important to him. This year, we had a friend/cousin birthday party for Grace - 22 friends and cousins her age to be exact! Grace loves Hannah Montana and so we did our best to put together a "Hannah Montana Party" and we had a great day! Here are some pic's of her big day:

Temple Square - Christmas Lights 2009

2010-01-12T13:24:00.016-07:00

Every year, we try to go to Temple Square and see all of the beautiful Christmas Lights. Our kids look forward to this every year and so do Troy and I. This year, we drove and parked at the Gateway - ate a GOURMET(McDonald's) dinner at the lovely food court and then took Trax from the Energy Solutions Center to Temple Square (one whole stop so our kids could have the "Trax experience"). We had a great time, except it was soooo COLD! About 1/2 way through, Chloe started to cry and we couldn't figure out why......until we felt her little hands....they were like icicles! She is at that age where she won't keep mittens on and won't stay covered up with a blanket, and as a result.....she was FREEZING! So we walked around as fast as we could and then Chloe and Troy took off and ran all the way from Temple Square to the Gateway Parking Garage. Me being almost 8 month's pregnant, tried to keep up a good pace with Grace and Carson....but we were not setting any records.......So this year's trip was fun, but short! (Note to self: Next year leave new baby at home with sitter in warm comfy house and duct tape mittens on Chloe).

Brown Cousin Christmas Party 2009

2010-01-12T13:18:00.010-07:00

Again...better late than never......On December 12, 2009 we had our annual Brown Cousin Christmas Party! This year it was at our church and we had all of the cousins there (except for Zach, Claire and Jackson who we all love and miss) and we had a great time! It was extra special this year because Grandpa and Grandma were back from serving as mission president's, and we are so glad to have them back! Each year we draw names so the cousin's can exchange gifts, and we split into groups and play fun games and then we sing christmas songs together as a family. We always have lots of treats to share and have fun talking, laughing and creating memories together! Here are some pic's from this year's party.....We misplaced our camera for most of the party....so sorry the pic's are a little sparse....

Grace's Gymnastics Performance - December 2009

2010-01-12T13:09:00.009-07:00

Better late than never.....right?! On Monday, December 14, 2009 Grace had her gymnastics performance at Hillcrest High School. The auditorium was completely filled, and I was nervous for Grace and all of the 300+ performers....BUT they all did awesome! Grace was AMAZING - in fact, she is the only one in her class with her side aerial so she got to do this fun trick and we were all so proud of her. Her performance song was Santa Claus is coming to town....here are some pic's from her big night!

It's been a while....

2010-01-05T14:09:00.002-07:00

It HAS definitely been a while since I have done a post. For the past couple of month's I have been really good at "blog stalking", but have really neglected our little blog. So for 2010, I am going to try and be better at blogging and capturing the sweet little moments in life.

We have had a few changes in our lives this past couple of months - the biggest one for me, is that I quit my job! For those of you that know me, know that this is a HUGE thing for me....I will be 36 in March and I have had some sort of a job (or two) since I was 13 years old! I think work is something that I have used to define who I am....so I am on day #5 without a job and to be honest, it is a little wierd! I do feel like something is missing, but I know it definitely isn't! I know I am doing exactly what I need to be doing right now with soon to be 4 kids under the age of 6 (3 under the age of 3). I found out today that baby boy #4 (Sawyer) will be arriving by inducement January 28th, 2010......unless he decides to make a sooner entrance!!! We are so excited for his arrival and are counting the days. For any of you pregnant mom's out there, I found out today that when I deliver the baby, children under the age of 12 are NOT ALLOWED to visit you in the hospital due to the H1N1 restrictions that most hospitals have in place. When I heard this I got tears in my eyes, because for me, part of the fun of having a new baby is watching your other kids react to seeing them for the first time. I guess this little introduction party will only be delayed by a couple of days....but I was still disappointed when I got this news. If anyone has any suggestions on how to make this news "positive" for my kids, send them my way....because right now, I only see tears and sadness when I deliver the news.

Troy and the kids and doing great! Grace turned 6 the week before Christmas and we had a fun birthday party for her! 22 little friends and cousins her age came over and we partied it up! She is really into Hannah Montana right now, so she wanted to have a "Hannah Montana" themed party....which we tried our best to put together. Christmas and New Year's were also fun and maybe I will do a post about them now that I am back to blogland ;)

Sorry no pic's with this post, I just switched to a new computer, so I need to get all my pic's organized and on this computer (yes, this is also on my list for 2010).... so it will happen hopefully sooner than later.....I also changed our header and background for 2010, and am going to try and beautify my blog to be more like your blog's that I enjoy reading/stalking :)

Pumpkins, Pizza & Caramel Apples

2009-10-30T19:27:00.012-06:00

So last night, Troy and I decided to have a fun filled night of pizza, pumpkin carving and caramel apple making.....We had a great time and the kids attention span lasted longer than we thought they would. We started the night with a Papa Murphy's "pumpkin shaped" pepperoni pizza - this was a huge hit with the kids (definitely a tradition we will start if Papa Murphy's keeps it up)! After the pizza, we got started on the caramel apples and pumpkin carving. The caramel apples were made pretty quick, BUT pumpkin carving just isn't what it used to be when I was little.....it used to consist of two triangles for the eyes, one for the nose and a mouth with a couple of square teeth (one always on top, and one always on the bottom)....20 minutes and you were done! Well after 20 minutes, we decided what "designs" we were going to do on each pumpkin (4 total) and got the designs taped to the pumpkins......2 hours later, Troy was finishing the last details on the FINAL pumpkin and we had both about had it! The kids had fun pulling out the pumpkin "guts", but kept asking when they were going to be done.....they were each proud of their pumpkin and loved it when we lit them up as the grand finale!

Miscellaneous Summer Fun 2009

2009-10-06T09:45:00.029-06:00

With summer ending and fall quickly on it's way, I realized that I have not posted some of our summer day-to-day fun! We have spent endless hours at parks, riding bikes, playing with cousins and friends, late night walks to get frozen yogurt from Maverik, Thrillin' Thursdays, late night movies on the tramp with dad, and eating endless amounts of otter pops and capri suns! Here are some of our pic's in no particular order....

Oceanside California - 2009

2009-10-04T11:30:00.040-06:00

I am definitely the biggest blog procrastinator! This post has been on my list of things to do since the day we got home (September 19th)....so here goes.....

This year our big family trip was to a beach house in Oceanside California for 1 week! We flew out early on a Saturday morning and came home late in the afternoon on the following Saturday. We had a total blast - here was our agenda:

Saturday: Arrive, Go straight to Legoland

Sunday: Beach

Monday: Beach

Tuesday: Disneyland - Carson's favorite ride - TOWER OF TERROR (he is only 3 and barely tall enough to ride, but loved every minute of it)...Grace's favorite rides - Matterhorn and Soarin'!!!

Wednesday: Beach

Thursday: Beach

Friday: Farmers Market in the am, Beach rest of day

Saturday: Pack, clean and cry as real life starts to settle back in....fly home.

As you can see, we didn't do a lot except for sit and eat! I feel like I ate and ate and ATE....good thing I am pregnant so I could blame my hand to mouth problem on "eating for two"!!! The kids had a total blast living in their swimsuits, playing with cousins and hanging out on the beach! Since we have been home, both Grace and Carson have asked me several times when we are going back to the beach! I was a little nervous wondering how Chloe would be, but she was AMAZING!!! She napped regularly, hung out in her stroller on the beach and the few times we let her down.....she headed straight for the ocean and LOVED every minute of it! You will see from some of the pic's below, she would have no problem being a California-girl! It was so fun to go with family and friends so our kids would entertain each other and we had the opportunity to spend time with family and create memories together. I hope we can make this work for next year....with baby #4 coming the end of January.....I don't know how "relaxing next year would be".....we are going to TRY, TRY, TRY to make it work next year......we'll see.....here are some pic's from our trip:

Dad, Grace and Chloe on the airplane!

Carson on the airplane!
Just arrived - waiting for dad and the rental car!
Locked up at Legoland (I need some of these at home)

Carson lovin' life!

On the log ride with dad!

Dinner for Misty's Birthday!!

View from our balconyCarsonPlease pass the Diet Coke!
Chloe's 1st time in the ocean!

Chloe getting "tossed" by her dad!

California Adventure with Mater and Lighning McQueen!

Chillin' with Minnie....
...and Goofy...

....and Jessie....

takin' five...

Castle pic...

Washin' off the sand...

Happy 1st Birthday Chloe!!!!

2009-09-07T20:58:00.037-06:00

Last Thursday (yes, I have been a slacker getting this post done)....Chloe had her 1st birthday! We waited until Friday to celebrate with lots of cousins and grandparents (thanks to all who came!!!) She had a great day and we decided that next year instead of presents, we will just get her some balloons! She absolutely loved the balloons, cake, presents, wrapping paper....and most of all being the center of attention! I can't believe a year has already gone by - it really is true to the saying "the days go by slow....but the years go by fast"! We are so proud of Chloe and are grateful to have her in our family! Here is to another year that will bring: first steps.....more words....more hair....more teeth.....a baby brother....and many other fun memories that we will hold close to our heart. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Chloe-Bear....we love you! Here are some pic's of this past year and her party(sorry about all of the picture's....this is for my journal)

Grace lost her 1st tooth!!!!

2009-09-01T15:49:00.005-06:00

Grace first realized her tooth was loose when we were eating corn on the cob and her tooth was bothering her. Troy asked Grace if her tooth might be loose and she disappeared as fast as she could to the bathroom to take a look in the mirror. When she came down the hall, she was so cute......smiling from ear to ear and her eyes as wide as they could possibly be, she asked me if I had her kindergarten teacher's home phone number because she HAD to call her and tell her that she had a loose tooth :).....

.....So for the past 3 1/2 weeks, Grace has been diligently wiggling, twisting and loosening her cute little tooth. On Sunday when we got home from church Grace came me a little upset because her tooth was bleeding......Troy was not home, so I got to do the honors! All it took was a little tug and it was out - Grace was so brave and so excited that she lost her first tooth! The tooth fairy doesn't come to our house on Sunday's so last night, she put it on her bedstand and when she woke up this morning, there was a $2 bill there....Grace was so excited and now you can find her trying to wiggle her other teeth to loosen them up so the tooth fairy can strike again......

It's a.......

2009-08-24T11:10:00.004-06:00

BOY!!!!! Grace, Carson and Chloe are having a little brother and are SOOOO excited! We had a great time at the gender check this morning! We took Grace, Carson and our darling niece Landri with us and they had fun telling me that their little brother looks like an "alien".....Everything looked great on the ultrasound, and the baby is measuring a little farther along than my due date of February 4, 2010.....so chances are pretty good that he will be born the end of January 2010! Check out our latest baby blog accessory to the right - kinda fun to have the baby countdown :)

Grace's 1st Day of Kindergarten!

2009-08-04T12:32:00.015-06:00

Today, was Grace's 1st day of Kindergarten! Wow, this day has been a day Grace has looked forward to for SO long, we have driven by her school endless times, with the her always asking how many more days until she gets to go. This morning, the whole family walked her to the bus-stop, and then we followed her to school to make sure she knew where to go. I have been so excited for her and didn't think I would be sad, but to be honest, when she walked through those big doors to school I got a little teary. We are so proud of you Grace, and know that Kindergarten will be full of fun, learning and the beginning of friendships that will last for years to come. Here are a few pic's of her big first day:

All set for her 1st big day!

At the bus-stop!

Hangin' out with some of her pals!

With her friend that helped her on the bus and find her class!

Only 17 kids at this bus-stop (and there is 1 other stop on our street)......

Here comes the bus!

We love you Grace!

Happy Birthday Troy!!

2009-07-22T11:21:00.014-06:00

Monday of this week was Troy's 32nd birthday! We had a great day filled with fun, presents, laughter and memories.....Troy did have to work most of the day so we started his birthday celebration on Saturday and went out with some friends on Saturday night for Sushi (Troy's favorite), Iceberg milkshakes (Troy's favorite) and games (another one of Troy's favorite things to do). On Monday, when Troy finished working, we opened presents and went to his parents for a bbq and birthday cake and ice cream. The kids had fun helping open the presents (Carson would tell him what each present was before he opened it) , and blowing out the candles. He got a flat screen TV for our bedroom, clothes, golf balls, and a few treats and other things. Troy, you are an amazing, father, husband and friend. You always put family first and sincerely care about others. You have a very compassionate heart and mind and look for opportunities to bring joy into other people's lives. I love you honey and am glad I have been able to celebrate the past 9 birthdays with you........here's to many, many more.......xoxo

Slip-n-Slide Fun!

2009-07-18T17:13:00.014-06:00

So today, things have been pretty low key around here. Troy did all of the yard-work, I went to Costco and after that, did some birthday shopping for Troy (2 more days til his birthday)! We are going out for Troy's birthday pre-celebration tonight so we were just hangin' around in the HOT, HOT, HOT!!! Troy decided to be a good dad and break out the slip-n-slide and the kids had a total Blast! Honestly, these pictures do not do Chloe justice.....she was so happy and squealing in delight while crawling down the slide with FREEZING cold water all around her. She was so fun to watch and Grace and Carson were really cute with her. Our fun neighbors came over and joined in the fun to0 - it is great to have awesome neighbors/friends live so close! BTW: Chloe is FINALLY cutting her 1st tooth at young 10 1/2 months - good job Chlo-Bear!!!!! Here are the slip-n-slide pics:

Bees Game

2009-07-13T13:52:00.011-06:00

Saturday night, my parents offered to take any of us kids who were interested to the Bees Game (thanks again Mom and Dad). The San Diego Chicken was scheduled to be there, so we thought the kids would really enjoy seeing her (which they did)!!! It was the most beautiful night at the ballpark with no wind and great seats, Troy and I were barely sitting down and already talking about when we were going to come back to another game! Our kids did great (I was a little worried about their attention span), but with cotton candy, snow cones, cousins to play with and the San Diego Chicken they had a great time! Chloe even did awesome - Troy sat with her in the Baby Bjorn and she was content and happy to be there as long as I gave her an occasional piece of licorice or taste of snow cone :) If you live in Utah and haven't been to a Bees Game yet, you should definitely put it on you "to do" list! Here are a few pic's:

Hangin' out at the ballpark

Snow Cones and Cotton Candy....YUM!!!

The San Diego Chicken......
....and her baby chick's!

4th of July Fun!!!!!

2009-07-06T14:34:00.030-06:00

Our family loves the 4th of July!! We have had several fun-filled days that have spilled over into late, late nights but wouldn't trade any of it for anything. We started celebrating on Friday morning with Troy taking all 3 kids on a hike while I got a pedicure and did some shopping! The kids had a blast (Thanks to the Monsen family for helping Troy)!! After the hike, we got ready for the Riverton Town Days Parade. I LOVE this parade and have gone since I was a little girl, so it has been fun to pass this tradition on to my family. The parade always throws a ton of candy which keeps the kids attention and we always have a good time. Troy also takes the kids to the parade in our bike trailer and they look forward to this each year. We always set out our chairs the day before and that usually works great, BUT this year when we got there, a huge family had taken over our spot and were sitting eating fried chicken and oblivious to the fact at how bugged we were. Troy luckily found us a small area that they hadn't taken over so we were still able able to enjoy ourselves (as long as I didn't focus on the chicken)....

After the parade, we went to our neighbors house and decorated the kids bikes for the big 4th of July Breakfast and Bike Parade the next morning - the kids had fun and we enjoyed some fireworks that night!! Saturday morning, we got up early and were so excited that the 4th of July was finally here! We went to our neighborhood breakfast and Grace and Carson had fun at the bike parade. Chloe was just happy to be there and smiled at anyone who would look her way. After the breakfast and parade, we went to one of our new favorite places.....it is the lake/beach/playground at Daybreak! Troy and the kids were there for about 3 hours and I brought Chloe over for about an hour. I swear this place is a little piece of heaven that is only 5 minutes from our house (Thanks Tawny for introducing us to this fun place). Carson who, cannot stand having his hands dirty, played on the beach in the sand the entire time.....he had so much fun and we can't wait to go back! After Daybreak, we headed to my mom and dad's for a fun night of bbq, slip-n-slide, homemade ice cream, BINGO and fireworks!!!! It was so fun (Thanks mom and dad for spoiling us)!!! At 9:15 p.m., we headed down to Riverton Park to lay on a big blanket and watch the fireworks that were set to music - it was a great way to wrap up the night. I am so grateful that we have our independence and for the freedom's that we have. Even though times seem tough, we have it so much better than if we lived anywhere else - we need to hold onto that thought when our outlook on life has a hard time finding that "silver lining"..... Here are some pic's from our fun weekend:

Fun at the hike

So beautiful and peaceful.....

Grace ready for the bike parade

Carson ready for the bike parade...

On your mark......get set......GO!!!

Troy and Chloe.....

Grace and Carson at the parade

Carson at the Daybreak beach

Grace playin at the lake.....

Chloe watchin the kids on the beach.....

Grace playin' on the slip-n-slide

Carson playin' on the slip-n-slide

Grace caught in the middle of a back flip!

Carson "inhaling" his homemade ice cream

Grace lovin' her cone....

Bingo fun!

More Bingo fun!!!

Cute Chloe.....

Carson and Grandpa Newbold watchin the fireworks!!!

More fireworks fun!!!

Moab Fun!!!

2009-06-25T10:48:00.021-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, we went on our 2nd annual trip to Moab with the Brown Family. There were sooooo many of us and we had a lot of fun! It was a quick trip, but packed with endless fun. We started on Friday and on our way to Moab, we took a detour to see a dinosaur footprint and some really cool petroglyph's that have been around for a VERY LONG TIME! We stopped by the San Rafael River and had a picnic lunch and I turned around and both Grace and Carson stripped down to their unders and wanted to play in the river.......they were actually pretty much in the river before I could object too loudly and I could not say no after seeing the smiles on their cute faces!!!! Once we arrived in Moab, we checked into our hotel and went swimming with all of the cousins......we decided to let Chloe have her first official swimming experience and she loved every second of it :) After swimming, we went to a park in Green River for a night of good food, fun games and lots of memories to cherish. Saturday morning, we got up and headed to Moab. We took our cute family of 5 and decided to hike Delicate Arch! I was a little worried about Carson, but he was a trooper!!! He hiked about 3/4 of the way up and tripped and hurt his knee.....so uncle Brett was nice enough to carry him on his shoulders the rest of the way up to the arch and most of the way down (thanks Brett!). Chloe was in our backpack on Troy's back and I am pretty sure she kicked her legs and squealed in delight the entire time. Grace was amazing......she did it all by herself and liked to be the "leader" whenever possible. You will see from the pictures how windy it was at the top of Delicate Arch, but it was still beautiful! After our hike, we ate lunch and hung out in the "music park" and headed for home.....thanks Grandma and Grandpa Brown for the memories....we had a blast!

The Dinosaur Footprint!

Pretty cactus flowers!

Looking at the petroglyph's

Family pic in the cave

Eatin lunch by the San Rafael River

Carson in the river.....

Grace in the river.....

Chloe lovin the pool!

Hangin' out in the hot tub!

Cute aunt's and cousin hangin' out at the park!

Playin' Red Rover

Dad and Carson roastin' marshmallows

Family pic at Delicate Arch!

Sister's at the Arch!

Grace doing gymnastics at the music park!

Grace and Chloe hangin' out at the Arch!

Summer Preschool

2009-06-24T14:54:00.005-06:00

Grace and Carson have had so much fun going to preschool for the month of June. Grace was nice enough to go back after she "graduated" so she could show Carson "the ropes"! It has been fun watching her take care of him.....not to mention he has been loving every second of it! The first pic is the morning of their 1st day and here is a picture of their backpacks - I LOVE pictures like this when their backpacks are larger than life :) They have learned about weather, seasons, nature and are going on a big picnic tomorrow! Thanks Grace for being such a nice big sister and thanks Carson for simply lovin' life ;).....

Baby Chloe Lovin' the Licorice!!!!

2009-06-07T11:06:00.012-06:00

Chloe has discovered a new leash on life....chocolate licorice!!! She is 9 months old and we are still waiting on teeth, but who needs teeth to enjoy a bag of licorice?! Yesterday we were out washing our car and she found the bag of licorice......so cute! I looked over at her and she was seriously trying to get as much out of the bag as fast as her little hands would let her. She was babbling as loud as she possibly could as she was enjoying her little feast! We love our little Chloe and are grateful to her for the happiness and love she brings to our home. She seriously is the best baby ever.....if I could get a dozen more babies just like her......I would (don't get any ideas Troy)......here are some more cute pics of her licorice moment.....we love you Chloe-bear!

Maybe I can fit the licorice AND my fist in my mouth......

Sister Love!!!!!

Grace's Soccer Fun

2009-05-31T11:41:00.010-06:00

Grace has been playing soccer this spring with a lot of kids from our neighborhood and has had a total Blast!!!! Troy was so excited to be her coach - sometimes I think HE is more excited about soccer than Grace is :)....They don't keep regular score, but I think our team has won most of their games. Grace hasn't scored a goal...yet, but she is really quick and aggressive and the most important part.....she is having FUN!!!

Yesterday was her last game...even though they have 2 more games left. Next Saturday we will be at her Gymnastics Performance and the following Saturday we will be out of town..... Here are some more pic's of this year's season.....

Getting ready......

Warming up.......

Pep-talk :)

After game treats (Grace's favorite part of soccer)

Grace & her best gal-pal

Bell Canyon Hike - Memorial Weekend Fun!!!!

2009-05-24T18:58:00.010-06:00

Yesterday, we went on a hike to Bell Canyon Reservoir. Troy had Carson on his back, I had Chloe in the Baby Bjorn and off we went with Grace leading the way. Troy said it was an "easy hike" but it was basically straight up the mountain for 1/2 mile.....you think 1/2 mile straight up is nothing until you have a child strapped to your front and carrying lunch for everyone on your back!!!! We finally made it and had a great time and the kids had a total blast!! Here are some more pic's:

Troy, Carson and Grace looking at the BEAUTIFUL waterfall (sorry the waterfall is not in the pic)Grace and Carson eating lunch

Me and Chloe hanging out......

Carson shaking his "booty" note: Grace's clean bum.......Chloe hangin out in Carson's backpack.....

Preschool Graduation

2009-05-24T12:03:00.011-06:00

We made it!!!! 2 years of preschool, field trips, snacks, playtime, learning letters, numbers, how to write first and last name, learning addresses, phone numbers, stranger danger, fire safety, how to set the table, making friends, talking about a cute boy in her class and reminding us that she knows that she isn't old enough to have a boyfriend.....yet!!! This list could go on and on......and I wouldn't trade it for anything. The past two years have been full of growth, learning and so much fun!!!!! Grace had her official graduation last week and it was so cute! All of the kids had graduation caps and gowns and they all had a speaking part. Grace actually had 2 speaking parts and she opened and closed the program. Her 1st part was "It's time to start our program, there isn't any curtain, we all know our places, of that we're very certain"......her 2nd part was "We've been sitting for a long, long time and have gone about our limit, if you want to take some pictures, we'll be still for one more minute"....so cute and she did a great job. Here are some pic's of her big day!!!!

Grace and Carson

Walking down the aisle

Saying her part (I don't know how to rotate)

Grace and Grandma Annie!

We are all so proud of Grace!!!

Miss Michelle

Miss Becky

Miss Vesta (owner of New Sunshine Preschool)

Gymnastics Competition

2009-05-24T11:39:00.009-06:00

Cute little Grace had her very 1st Gymnastics Competition last week.....and took 1st Place in her group!!!!! She had to do 3 different passes and was judged on each pass. The judge was Mac from Mac Gymnastics and the passes were: 6 connected cartwheels; roundoff back handspring-roundoff back handspring; 2 back walkovers-two one-hand cartwheels-2 front walkovers!! Grace did AWESOME and didn't seem nervous at all. We were so proud of her and are so happy that she is having fun doing gymnastics. She also just got her roundoff 4 back handsprings and was pretty excited to be able to write her name on the

"I DID IT" poster that hangs on a wall at the gymnastics studio. Here are some more pic's of her competition.....

Carson's 3rd Birthday Party

2009-05-14T15:46:00.011-06:00

Okay......Troy FINALLY made it home safe from the Philipines (YEAH) and little Carson could finally have his birthday party. Last Saturday was the "unofficial day" and we had a blast! He got a brand new Spiderman Bike with training wheels, more spiderman stuff, Transformers, Kung Fu Panda, play-dough, and other FUN things for his birthday. Right now, he is really into Spiderman, so we decided to have a Spiderman Party with all of his cousins.....Thanks to everyone for the presents and a fun party! I have to put a plug in for Nothing Bundt Cakes.....they have the best cakes ever.....so I made Spiderman cupcakes for the kids and the adults enjoyed this delicious cake!

Here are Carson's presents (minus the bike) and cakes!

Cute Cousins!!!!

Cute Carson (lovin every second......)

Did I mention he was lovin EVERY second?

Blowing out the candles......

Yummy!

Happy 3rd Birthday Carson

2009-05-01T11:58:00.010-06:00

Today is Carson's 3rd Birthday!!!! I can't believe he is already 3...it feels like yesterday he was as little as this precious picture.

The sad part of today is that we are not actually celebrating today.....we are waiting for Daddy to get home from the Philipines next Friday.....so his "unofficial birthday" will be next Saturday. This morning he was so cute - Grace and I tried to sing happy birthday to him and he said that we couldn't sing that to him until his daddy came home "in just a few more minutes"......I wish time passed for me the same way it does for him. So I will have to do another post that will include his celebration with all of his cousins.

This past year has been a great year for Carson. He is potty trained (YEAH!!!), speaks really well, and has so many things he loves to do. Right now he is really into Spiderman.....He and Grace play Spiderman a lot and he is "Petow Parkow" and Grace is "MJ" - it is so fun to hear what they say when they think no-one is listening. He is also really big into telling me about his dreams when he wakes up in the morning....I think he makes them up as he goes because the last dream he tells me about EVERYDAY is that he dreamed that Grace is the best sister in the whole world....(I wonder who has been coaching him on that one) :) He also loves to play outside, ride his scooter and follow Grace around and copy EVERYTHING that she does.

Here are a few more cute pictures of Carson over the past 3 years.....I LOVE YOU BUDDY.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

Little Nest.....Beautiful Flowers!

2009-04-23T16:00:00.016-06:00

Look at this picture! The other day we opened the door to find this cute little bird's nest! We are pretty sure it was constructed overnight, but has now been abandoned. I LOVE this time of year!!! It has been so nice to get outside and start working on the yard and most of all....my beautiful flowers that come up every spring that serve as a reminder that winter is mostly gone.

EXCEPT for this picture that was taken last

week in the early morning after it snowed

during the night......the snow cover

only lasted a few hours.....it looks so

peaceful.....

We tried our hardest to take some pictures of the kids in front of the flowers.

We can never get everyone to look at the camera at the same time.....oh well, they are still cute!!!

Here are some more random pictures:

2009-04-16T17:00:00.003-06:00

Okay, so I did it.....I finally joined the 21st Century and created this blog (something I said I would never do by the way), but I am going to give it a shot. I am not a good journal keeper so maybe blogging will make up for some of the guilt I have felt for being such a slacker on the journal writing thing. I have an amazing husband and 3 beautiful kids who are 5, almost 3 and 7 months....have I mentioned that life is a little crazy right now for us?

Until about 2 weeks ago, I worked as an Events Manager for a Fortune 400 Company and loved it until the travel became too much and I always told myself that I would always put my family first no-matter-what, so a change was needed after my baby was born last fall. Things seem to have a way of working themselves out and an amazing opportunity fell in my lap to help me create the balance I have been trying to find for so long. I now work part-time from home as an Office Manager for a Mentor Capital Company and love it! It is a lot less money, but who cares - - More time with my kids, less stress and more time for me......Life is Good!