Londyn Loves her baths!

Londyn is growing so fast. I can't believe it. I know everyone says that about their babies, but really, it has flown by SOOOO fast this time. She is such a different baby than our other two. She is already crawling like crazy. She LOVES rice cereal, which our other two didn't. She will also eat any vegetable. Our others would gag when we'd give them green beans, but Londyn LOVES them. She is so funny, she'll dive for the spoon. She has started to babble and days "MA MA MA MA" and "DA DA DA DA." I am so grateful for what a fun little person she is. Today we were all in the other room, and here she came crawling to find us down the hallway! Being a parent is the best!

Property Management

I am soon to be done with being the property manager in Cedar City. I have had some interesting experiences and I just want to speak my mind about this for a minute. I hope all the tenants of Sunset Ridge know that I have nothing personal against them. Today, I had an experience that I won't discuss in detail, but it upset me a lot. I try really hard to keep Sunset Ridge a nice place to live. I was hired to be strict, and to enforce the rules. If you have a problem with me as the manager, I understand. I understand because it is my job. I do, however, get my feelings hurt when you attack me personally. Do you know me? Do you know my hobbies? Do you have any idea who I am other than the manager? No. You don't. Until you get to know me as a person, please don't treat me horribly, talk bad about me behind my back, gossip about me at the mailbox...etc. I am not my job. I don't hate you, nor do I call you names. I seperate my job from my personal life.

I am not going to be the manager soon, so I guess this is a little late. But Makensy doesn't deserve this. Just know that she is doing her job. If you get a late fee, get charged a fee for your lawn or oil on your driveway, join the club. She is doing her job. She has been taught to be strict. I taught her to be that way. Please show her respect, because a handful of times over the past two years, I have had some really crappy days in this job. Today is one of them.

Graham Crackers and Ranch??

Oaklyn has been so funny lately. She LOVES to dip her food. Today I gave her a graham cracker, and she asked for some RANCH to dip it in. I gave it to her, and she couldn't stop talking about how good it was. I had to write this down! Funny.

High School Tag.

1. If you could go back and tell your teenage self one thing, what would it be? I would tell myself that my family is more important than my friends. Back then, I seemed to think the opposite.
2. Did you do any extra curricular activities in high school? Yes, I was really busy. I was on the drill team, and at my high school this was a HUGE commitment. We were a really close-knit team. I also ran track every spring. It was SOOO fun! I got to take state a few times with both my drill team and my track team. I was also the student body historian, and I was a sterling scholar my senior year. I was also boy crazy, I think this is considered an extra-curricular activity, right!?!?
3. What did you do with your free time? One of our favorite things was to go to Caroline Coat's house and have a "fry" party. Her dad owned a potato farm and we would make HUGE bowls of french fries and eat them. :)
4. Coolest thing you did as a teenager. This one is hard. I think the coolest thing would be when we went to Nationals in California with my drill team. My team took first place in every event. It was such a magical memory. When you work so hard, and then you finally get a reward for all your sweat and tears...priceless.
5. Did you have a boyfriend in high school? Yes, unfortunately the answer is yes. I was a little bit of a rebel because my parents didn't like him. I think that is why I dated him so long. Unfortunately, I dated him to rebel against them. Although, he did take me to the prom in a helicopter. It was sweet.
6. Songs that come to mind: Iris, Goo Goo Dolls. TITANIC, My heart will go on! Cotton Eye Joe, Macarena (the one with the dance that goes with it)
7. If you could change one thing, what would it be? I would be a better friend to a lot of people.
8. What did you think you would be when you grew up? I thought I would be a teacher. I wanted to be a high school English teacher. I guess I still want to be a teacher, but I think college is the right age for me to teach. I got to teach for 2 years at SUU, and I can honestly say that has been the best job I've ever had. I hope to continue teaching soon.
9. Picture of self. I'll have to get one out and scan it in. (give me a few days to find one) :)
10. Craziest thing you did in high school. Oh my gosh, please don't judge me. Me and my friends threw a RED slurpee on a girl in Delta. I also pretended to be deaf once and the boys totally believed me. We would go there and raise heck. Once, I even got punched in the face. For some reason, all the girls over there hated us.

Now I tag: Kallie, Shandie, Becky, and Kacey.

Happy Birthday Honey!

Happy Birthday Dan. You are so wonderful. I love you so much. You understand me like nobody else does. You can finish my thoughts. You can always tell when I need a hug. I hope you know how much we all love you.

When I first met you, we started out being friends and then our friendship grew into a wonderful relationship. I knew after only a few short weeks that you were the one for me. (Although it took you a little longer to decide I was the one for you...lol). You are still my best friend.

I love that you are so vibrant in life. You always wake up happy in the morning. You are the most wonderful daddy in the entire world. Not very many kids can say that their dads get up with them in the morning so that their mommy can sleep in. I can't even count how many times you have done this for me. Thank you.

I love how you are so willing to help others. You will drop everything at a minutes notice if someone needs you. You love to chat. You love hearing stories. You remember random facts. You are a joy to have at any party. You have a weird pride when it comes to your high school memories (Murray High).

Thank you for choosing me to be your wife. Thank you for being the best Daddy in the entire world to our kids. Thank you for honoring the priesthood so that you can give me and the kids blessings when we need them.

WE ALL LOVE YOUR GUTS! Love, Brooke, Oaklyn, Connelly, and Londyn.

The Jazz are done :(

So, before I begin, I just want to write a small disclaimer...my husband is WELL aware of this small crush I have...he says it's ok because he's in love with Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Kyle Korver is the NUMBER ONE reason why I am sad that the Jazz lost. Now I don't get to see him on TV until next season. Does anyone else share the same view? LOL.

Weekend of Fun!

Connelly got a new hair cut! Every summer we buzz his hair. I think it is so cute because you really get to see his amazingly huge brown eyes. As you can see from this picture, he has a new favorite cereal, dinobites (if you look closely, you can see the evidence!) Connelly is in such a funny stage. He tries to negotiate EVERYTHING. When it's bedtime, he seems to find an excuse. For example, he all the sudden needs a drink or a hug...you get picture.



Oaklyn had her dance recital this weekend. She did great. You should have seen me trying to get her hair into a low, side, bun. WOW, that was a feat. About a gallon of gel and hairspray later...ok not really, but her hair is really short, so it was pretty tricky. I loved watching her. It brought back lots of memories of sparkettes! She even let me put on a little bit of makeup on her.



Dan has been playing softball quite a bit lately. He plays on a league here in Cedar City, and then this weekend we went to Delta and he played in a tournament. I love watching him play, and the kids absolutely LOVE going to watch too. It's just a fun little outing that we have as a family.

What My Hubby's Name Means....

What Daniel Means

You are balanced, orderly, and organized. You like your ducks in a row. You are powerful and competent, especially in the workplace. People can see you as stubborn and headstrong. You definitely have a dominant personality. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

My name and what it means...

What Brooke Means

You are full of energy. You are spirited and boisterous. You are bold and daring. You are willing to do some pretty outrageous things. Your high energy sometimes gets you in trouble. You can have a pretty bad temper at times. You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You are well rounded, with a complete perspective on life. You are solid and dependable. You are loyal, and people can count on you. At times, you can be a bit too serious. You tend to put too much pressure on yourself. You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life. You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip. People sometimes think you're snobby or aloof, but you're just too deep in thought to pay attention to them. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Oaklyn's Dance Recital

First of all, I can't believe that I have a daughter that is old enough for kindergarten next year! WOW. I'm totally getting old. Our little red-head has grown up right before my eyes! Oaklyn has her second dance recital this Friday. I can't wait. Last time, she got up there and danced her little heart out. I laughed so hard I almost cried! She shook her little booty, and I loved every minute of it! I was pretty nervous because I didn't think she would do it. I'm so excited. I hope she doesn't get stage fright. It's this Friday. I'll report how she does!

Mother's Day

Ya know, being a mother is such a fun, crazy, frustrating, exciting, overwhelming, and important thing. Lately I can't stop thinking about how much I want to raise my kids in a way that they will learn the gospel. Every time I think about the role that I play in my kids' life I am excited and overwhelmed at the same time. I hope I can be good enough for them. I hope I can show them how to gain their own personal testimonies.

I remember talking about Mother's Day last year to my husband. I don't know why, but Mother's Day is a little overwhelming for me. Yesterday was a great day, don't get me wrong. My husband spoiled me, I enjoyed having a small break, and my kids gave me some cute gifts. I think I just put a lot of pressure on myself. I want to be the best mom I can possibly be.

Connelly on the round-up

 

I think Connelly had the best time out of all of us. He LOVES the outdoors. He ran around all day without a care in the world. His nose was running and by the end of the day his snot was black from all the dirt...if you know me, you'll know how bad I HATE THAT! Well, he rode with me on a horse for over an hour. He was so cute he kept saying "I'm a cowboy." He also helped a lot with his little yells of "HUP COW, HUP."

Little Londyn on the round-up

 

Although Londyn is too little to help on the round-up she had fun being there to support the rest of us! She hung out in her stroller, in the car with Mommy, and ventured out to see the excitement in between naps. :)

Oaklyn on the Round-up

 

Oaklyn had an absolute blast! She got so dirty! She played in the dirt, found lots of bugs, played at the Jacob Lake park, rode horses, played with some new friends, and loved every minute of it.

Riding Horses!

 

We went to Jacob Lake, AZ this weekend to help with a cattle round up. It's a family tradition to go a few times a year and we absolutely LOVE IT! Dan's dad started taking them when they were tiny, and we started going shortly after we got married. The kids had a blast, and we had fun helping with the cows. Even Londyn got on a horse (on daddy's lap)! We got home dirty and tired!