Thursday, April 28, 2011

My new camera phone





I got a new camera when we renewed our agreement with Verizon and I choose a phone with a better camera. Even though it's a camera phone I think it's better than our old camera which wasn't all that great when we bought it six years ago anyways. Besides it started doing funny things when I would take pictures. So until I get a new real camera my camera phone is what I used. I had to try it out when I got it so here are a few random pictures. The camera finicky so not all the pictures come out just right.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Katie's Wedding

Yay, now I have two sisters married. Katie got married on 1/11/11. I got to go to the ceremony and then I took Brielle to see her come out of the temple. Brookie got left behind. It was very beautiful and I'm happy to have a new brother-in-law.




Happy Brithday to Brookie

Christmas was over, the presents were stacked neatly in the toy room. All wrapping paper was thrown away, the parties were done and just as I was about to relax I remembered something. Brookie's birthday was one day away!!! I hadn't totally forgot. I was going to do a quiet get together at the park. Brookie had been planning it since August and had a list of people to invite but I was helping her to keep it short. So I called the short list of people and no one could come, except Grandma. Friends were in California and Idaho or driving to Utah and others were sick. So I quick called everyone of Brookie's friends and we got a few kids to come last minute. Then I had to change the party to inside since the weather turned freezing cold and we ended up with a very nice last minute party.
Brookie was happy and that's what counts.

A few high lights:
-Brookie made and decorated her own cake. This is fast becomming a tradition for my kids as Brielle is looking forward to doing it for her birthday again. (5 months and 2 days away she tells me the count down every day)

-Brookie got her own Leapster Explorer and a scooter.






Brookie is three now and I can't believe how fast she is maturing. Brookie is hilarious. She makes me laugh everyday and is so unpredictable. Today while I was accompanying the chior during sacrement meeting she bolted down the aisle and up the steps. All I heard were quick footsteps coming toward me and then much louder ones and when I got back to our bench Brooke and Chad were gone. I heard from others that a very red Chad and ran up there and got her just before she got to the piano. Who knows what she was going to do.
Brookie has a big immagination and a pretend kitty named Kitty Ally. Kitty Ally does everything naughty and if she sees a cat outside then that is Kitty Ally. Kitty Ally makes all the messes and if anything goes wrong then Kitty Ally did it. (even when Brookie didn't really do it) Brookie lives in a castle with Kitty Ally and spiders and a snake and anything else she thinks of like princess dresses and cars. (why spiders and a snake? I really don't know. She doesn't even like spiders and snakes) We hear about Kitty Ally everyday and Brielle's lifelong mission is to prove that Kitty Ally does not actually exist.
Brookie loves to sing, dance and tell stories. Her temper tantrums are subsiding a bit and she is becoming more reasonable with age, but once a temper tantrum actually starts there is no reasoning with her after that. All you can do then is stick in time out until it blows over. The good thing is that after that she is quite happy and reasonable. She is happy and good most every day and I love her. She is so fun and sweet and I love to just hear her talk and tell stories and dance and everything.
Oh one last thing. She gave her first talk in primary today and made me and everyone else laugh. As I was trying to tell her what to say she kept stopping and looking at me and commenting. "Mom you're not saying it loud enough." "No, I can't do that part."

Christmas Entertainment

I love this video both for Brielle's song and Brookie's dancing.

Christmas

I love Christmas and it's even more fun now that both kids know what's going on. This year Brookie knew what was coming and Brielle couldn't sleep the night before. They both got new bikes (well Brookie got Brielle's old one but she didn't care). Brielle got a Leapster Explorer and Brookie got a Baby Alive. They also got some new board games, a marble game, a kid mp3 music player and lots more. It was wonderful and I really should write about it sooner than the end of March, but better late than never.





Brielle's piano recital

Brielle played Christmas Day Secrets and did very well. I can't believe that she is only six and playing this song. She can still play very well by ear and also reads music. Sometimes she just sits at the piano and starts playing songs she can sing. I am alwasy amazed because she is better at it than I am. She doesn't have to stop and figure out the best chords to go with a melody she just plays it. If you sing a note she can hit it immediately on the piano.

She did two recitals this fall. I started her with a regular piano teacher now since she kept arguing with me everytime I sat with her. She would get mad everytime I tired to teach her something saying she could do it herself and then get frustrated when she couldn't. I like her teacher and I teach one of her kids so it's free. Plus she doesn't argue with her teacher and we get along a lot better.

Catch up

The end of November - I have my piano recital. I always try and do it before December because that month is crazy. Brielle played Christmas Day Secrets and all my students did so well that I got teary-eyed watching them all.

Then in the beginning of December Jenny surprised us by being able to fly down from Michigan. Grandma took all the cousins (all 4) to the Aquarium at Arizona Mills. Brooke still talks about it today. Then we had lunch and rode the carousel.





Brielle and Brooke

Brielle and Brooke