Four Years.

Four years and two days ago, Scott and I became parents for the first time. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. :) I still remember Brielle's birth like it was yesterday. I remember it vividly. Brielle came out of the womb with her big, bright, brown eyes...and from day one she had this inquisitive way about her. I would give everything to have been her and be in her little brain that first day of life. She looked around, so alert...so curious about the world around her...and things have not changed. She is still curious and so involved in her surroundings, so interested in discovering the world around her. She has most definitely given us a run for our money but truly, we wouldn't want her to be any different...for the way that she is, is what makes her Brielle.

On the 9th, we did what she wanted to do and this is how our day went:

First, I should mention our simple decorations. She, of course, LOVES pink! I only wish I would have made a pink pom pom but I still think the white looks cute. I had some extra fabric and I turned it into a table runner. I thought long and hard about throwing her a big princess party, I knew she would have been in heaven with all of her little friends. But I figured she's only turning 4 and may not even remember it, so I'm pretty sure we will go all out next year. Plus, I thought we better enjoy our little girl while she still wants to spend her birthday with her family and be fine with it!:)

I made a birthday banner for Brielle too...I really like how it turned out, again, like Braden's I didn't get around to putting the "happy birthday"...next year...

Brielle had a hard time on Braden's birthday when all of the attention was focused on him and she was devastated that I didn't make pink pancakes for her, so she of course, requested pink pancakes for breakfast on her birthday on her 'special' plate.

She put a LOT of syrup on her pancake! But how could I stop her! I guess the only day she gets THAT much syrup is on her birthday!

Then, came time for presents. She had been waiting and waiting to get them. She was so happy to finally be able to open them!:)

Brielle says thank you to Great-Grandma Jensen and Aunt Penny for the cards, stickers and money! She got a kick out Aunt Penny's Oscar the grouch card especially after I read it to her! She thought it was so funny! She got a couple of dolls with the money she got! She had such a blast going to the store and picking them out and then going to pay the cashier with her "own" money!

Brielle wanted to go to Olive Garden for lunch. We've only been a few times with the kids but I guess that's where she wanted to go...we gave her other options but she had made up her mind that Olive Garden was the place to go. So we did.

She was very concentrated on coloring...she's very good at it and Scott and I have been so impressed with her ability to stay inside the lines...she spends a lot of time at home coloring...I love that little expression on her face.

We told our waiter that it was her birthday, so he brought a bunch of other waiters and they sang the Olive Garden birthday song to her...he brought some ice cream and even put a little candle for her to blow out!

Our lunch was delicious...Brielle ate her whole bowl of Chicken and Gnocci soup, had lots of salad and breadsticks...

Brielle, specifically requested strawberry cake with strawberry frosting...and that's what we had.

Happy Birthday Brielle!

We used the trick candles on her too. She was so good, she blew all of them until they couldn't light again!

I think this is another tradition we have started this year on birthdays, taking a family picture:

We very seldom have pictures taken of the whole family...so I'm thinking is this a great new tradition we will have from now on...

Brielle requested a silly face picture of the family!

Again, we ate too many cupcakes and had such a fun day as a family doing activities and things that Brielle wanted...it was her day...all about her...

Scott and I can't believe our first-born is now four.

P.S. ...and what is a post about Brielle without a Brielle story? I have a couple for your entertainment:

Brielle runs to find her daddy and in a VERY desperate voice says:

Daddy, daddy! I have to tell you something!

This is a catastrophe!

I can't find Sleeping Beauty's pink shoe!!!

Then she turns to Braden and says (in a more calm voice):

Braden, come, help me look for clues!

Then they both go around the house saying:

Oh! There's a clue!

Sleeping Beauty's pink shoe is still missing.


Today, Brielle accidentally stepped on a toy dinosaur and really hurt her little foot. She was trying to be really good about not crying and just kept saying that it really hurt. Scott took a look at it and indeed, it was bleeding a little. He told her that it'd be okay. Then we started reading scriptures...we read about Jesus giving blessings to his disciples. After saying family prayers, she very humbly said:


"Daddy, I think you need to give me a blessing to make my foot feel better, it really hurts. You need to put your hands on my head, like this (as she does puts her hands on her little head) And I think you need that oil to put on my head. I think I will feel better if you do that."


How could a father deny the request of a humble child to get a blessing?


Scott granted his daughter's wish.


I cried like a baby. Brielle did too. I think we all felt that warm and fuzzy feeling inside, we felt the Spirit.


...and today and always, I'm grateful Brielle is my daughter forever.