Charlie's Birthday party

I'm moving forward in time and hopefully I'll catch up before Christmas. Charlie's (Charla's youngest and only son)second birthday was in October (or was it November) and at the park. We all had lots of fun with pizza and playing at the park. I love the pictures Bill and Marianne took.

Happy Halloween

I was going to get these up sooner but I've had issues with Picasa. If your account is full of pictures then they don't let you put up anymore pictures in your blog either.

For Halloween Brielle ended up being a cheerleader and Brooke was Tinkerbell. Brielle was going to be Cinderella for a long time. We have a beautiful Cinderella dress just her size that we got from my aunt but when it came time to put it on she said it was too scratchy and wouldn't wear it. Then she realized that cheerleaders wear makeup too and went with that. I guess she just really wanted to wear makeup. Brookie switched all the time from a witch to different princesses. I wanted her to wear this nice Snow White costume we had but she didn't like it and went with Tinkerbell.

There were tons of parties. They went to a dress up birthday party on Friday and then Saturday afternoon a neighborhood halloween party and then in the evening to the ward trunk or treat. Then Sunday we went to my Aunt Carla's house for some soup in pumpkin bowls. Then Chad gave in and took them around the neighborhood trick or treating Sunday evening. I told them no, but I wasn't going to fight all of them.

We still have Halloween candy.

We're Off to Michigan

Jungle Java


Don't touch her pumpkin!













We were lucky enough to get plane tickets from my mom (courtesy of Bruce's points) to go to Michigan over Fall Break. Brielle, my mom, me, and Brookie left Sunday and we got back on Thursday. It was so much fun and I loved seeing Jenny's house and being in Michigan with the changing leaves. Brielle and Calli and Brookie were like the female three musketeers. Isaac played with them when he felt like but mostly just did his own thing. We went to an apple orchard, jungle java, and lots of parks. The weather was almost too warm when we got there but then cooled down. We were all sad to leave.

The Chocolate Monster!!!!!!

This is what happens when you give a two year old some chocolate on the care ride home.

Brielle's new school

She has to wear uniforms. I think they're cute.

Happy 6th Birthday Brielle

Okay, maybe her birthday was in August but I'm a slow blogger. Just pretend it's still August for a moment. Brielle turned six and had a birthday party at the splash pad in our neighborhood. We invited a bunch of friends and cousins. The kids ran around the splash pad and ate pizza, blew out candles, and Brielle opened presents. She loved it so I guess it was a success.

Brielle is a sweet, sensitive, gentle soul. She always minds and never gets in trouble. She continues to do very well at the piano. I started her with a different piano teacher (it used to be me) in the neighborhood and for her recital she is teaching herself Here Comes Santa Clause by ear and harmonizing it. She also reads notes very well. She excells at school and got almost straight A's last report card. She doesn't love school because she'd rather be at home but I know she enjoys it.

If you were to talk to her she would tell you that she has now lost four teeth. When she smiles there is a big hole in her smile. She worries about everything and is concerned, cautious, and careful. She is scared of almost everything and hates trying new things. In the evening she starts telling me that she will miss me at school. She says this all night and in the morning. Then she reminds me ten times to wait behind the gate until she has gone inside the school building. She is the second tallest in her class. She likes her new school and wants to stay there for every grade. (Unless I would consent to homeschool her and then she'd gladly stay home but I think she needs the new experiences.)

Her favorite foods are chicken nuggets, cheese crisps, and macaroni and cheese. She says she likes all the colorful colors in other words all colors except for black, brown, and gray. Her favorite things to do are go to the park, swim, watch Spongebob, play bomberman, color, listen and sing to music, play with friends, and go out to eat. Her favorite food places are Chick-fil-A, Carrabas, and Olive Garden.

That is Brielle. I love you Brielle. You are the best little girl a mother could ever ask for and such a big help to me. I love just hanging out with you.

Brielle

Brielle said the sweetest thing the other day. She just started First Grade and had been really struggling to adapt. The first day she cried and the second the day. The third day I picked her up and it was her first tear free day (while at school, home was a different matter). While home she said, "You know why I didn't cry at school today mom? The Holy Ghost helped me. I just heard a voice in my head say if I tried not to cry and thought of good things then I wouldn't cry and it worked. The Holy Ghost was just busy helping someone else the other two days and I just had to wait."

I thought it was so sweet and was glad that she could find help. Since then her anxiety and fears didn't go away but she was able to get through the day without crying. Eventually we changed schools and she says she is much happier in this new school.

What's Missing?

If you answered a few teeth then you are right.

Brooke's preschool and babysitting dogs

We babysat Bill and Marianne's dogs for a couple of weeks. The girls loved the dogs though Brielle was less enamored with them once she decided their breath stinks. It was fun and a good learning experience, like, I learned I didn't need a dog. I'm glad we did it though.



Brooke started a preschool. It's a co-op preschool where each of the five moms who are involved teach one week. It's been fun and the kids are all sweet.

New Babies

We've had three new babies sine I last posted. We went and visited Baby Drew, but I must have forgotten my camera because I have no pictures of it.

In July Buck and Nadia had their twins. Buck took these pictures while I was there.

July

Since I haven't blogged in a while I need to start back in July. One weekend me and the girls, Grandma, and Great Grandma went on an impromtu trip to Flagstaff to see my uncle Bill play bagpipes at the Celtic Highlands Festival. We had a nice drive up to a cool Flagstaff and stayed at the Embassy Suites. Here are the girls in their hide a bed.



The next day we headed over to the park where the festival was held. It was a lot of fun, especially when it started pouring rain and the temperature dropped to the 60's. When I asked Brielle what her favorite part of the trip was she said it was watching the musicians play the bagpipes. I was surprised that she enjoyed that part the most. I expected her to say the hotel room or something, but I guess she's just a music lover.