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.

{No longer two}

As of yesterday, our Mr. Braden is no longer two. It is bittersweet for me. Three sounds so grown up and it means that I no longer have a baby...most of you know the story of how Scott and I found out we were expecting Braden...Brielle was only 3 months...the other day I thought about Braden's initials...Braden Scott...B.S. I thought that was pretty funny. We didn't do it purposely...it just happened that way...kind of the way that he was conceived...it kind of just happened! ha ha! And truthfully and in complete frankness I would not have it any other way. Braden is the most loving little boy, he still loves to cuddle with his mommy and still lets me love him and squeeze him almost every day. He says the cutest things and is always so helpful and willing to do anything I ask of him. He is now three...and while D.C Metropolitan area was getting the worst snow storm-snowmaggedon-as many are calling it around here...

We celebrated.

Our celebration began with blue pancakes for breakfast as he requested. He insisted in helping me flip them and how could I say no! After all, he was the birthday boy!

We started a tradition this year. It's not a new tradition but it's one that is dear to my heart. When I was little we had a "special" plate that we got to use on our birthday. Mine was a little dessert bowl that had belonged to my great-grandma. I felt so special when I got to use it on my birthday. So I decided to do the same with my kids. This plate belonged to Scott's late grandma Wood, who is Braden's great-grandma. He LOVED the idea. I could tell he felt special.

Getting ready to eat blue pancakes...silly boy.

This is a birthday banner I made for Braden's birthday...I still have to put on the "Happy Birthday"...I didn't get around to it this year but I still think it looks really cute without them!

After breakfast, Braden got to open his birthday presents. He was in heaven and loved all of them, but he especially LOVED his remote Lightning McQueen car from the movie Cars.

Braden says thank you to Great-grandma Jensen and Aunt Penny for the cute cards, stickers and money!

After presents...we went outside for a little bit and this is what it looked like...I will dedicate its own post to this "snowmaggedon" soon...all I can say is that we got almost 3 feet of snow within a 24 hour period!

For dinner, Braden wanted pizza. I thought it would so fun for us to make our own and have the kids help put the toppings. He looked so cute in his little apron and he kept saying he was the chef!

Cuddling with daddy and watching An American Tail...waiting for the pizza...

The pizza was yummy.

Then it was time for Spiderman chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting...Mr. Braden loves chocolate and anything sweet.

Happy Birthday Mr. Braden!

I got trick candles...he had fun blowing them...

...but after many attempts he asked for some help from his daddy and sister.

Our family

...the story of my life...Brielle wearing no pants...how do I make this girl wear pants?

Enjoying a chocolate cupcake.

After singing happy birthday and eating way too many cupcakes, we put on some music and danced to Braden's favorite song..."move it, move it"!!! I always have little parties with the kiddos just randomly during the week. But this time it was special...daddy was part of the party and even better it was Braden's birthday.

Then, they finished watching An American Tail. Scott was enjoying cuddling time with his two kiddos.

Another family picture.

Braden played with his little remote car all day long and later that night he couldn't part from it, so he HAD to bring it to his room with him...

Before Braden went to bed I said, "Happy Birthday buddy." He said, "thank you"

I asked, "did you have a good day?" he said, "it was good day mommy."

Hibernating.

Hi-ber-nate: [hi-ber-neyt]

-verb (used without object), -nat-ed, -nat-ing.

1. to spend the winter in close quarters in a dormant condition, as bears and certain other animals. 2. To withdraw or be in seclusion; retire.

{A picture sometimes is worth a thousand words}

Hibernating. That is what I feel we have been doing these last couple of weeks. My cold lingered for longer than I wanted. But thankfully I'm all better now. Life is definitely better when mom is feeling well.

But even when the mom is sick life goes on. We've managed to still try to have a good time indoors.

Children will always find ways to entertain themselves...sometimes a dirty clothes basket will do it!

One Saturday morning Brielle jumped in our bed and made her daddy read a book to her!

She's been into trying to read and spelling out words a lot lately...she loves this little Thomas computer because she is able to practice her letters. She can spend a long time playing with it.

What else can you do when you're indoors all day because it's too cold to go outside...play dress up! I feel like I'm getting my money's worth on their Halloween costumes...and of course the Princess always has to have at least one dance with her Prince...or Cowboy in this case...

Cute little princess.

...and after busting some dance moves with his sister, it's time to watch The Wiggles...they both LOVE that show...

One Sunday after Church, the kids and Scott played with the train set for a long time...even Scott LOVES playing with Braden's new toys...watching my husband play with our kids is one of my favorite things in this life.

He is so good with them and Brielle and Braden can't get enough of their daddy...they LOVE Sundays because they know that he won't be gone that day!

Braden was very engaged in conversation with Scott.

Now onto some very sad news. My brother Kem, who had been living with us since last June moved out. He is in a transitionary stage right now, trying to figure out his life. He is in the process of applying to graduate school (which is a real pain in the neck!)...the girl he was dating here broke his heart and he decided that while he waits to know what will happen with grad school he would go visit my mom and sister in Utah. So last week he loaded his Jeep and headed to Utah.

I bawled my eyes out.

We went to get ice cream at Dairy Queen right before he left...ice cream can make anyone feel better...

...enjoying some ice cream and trying not to think that I will have to say goodbye to my dear brother...

I think Heavenly Father knew that I would need the love and support of my family our first year here in Virginia. I have been spoiled to have my mom and sister here all of last year and then my brother. He and I are 11 months apart. I think we were meant to be twins but since that didn't happen he decided that he couldn't live without me for too long in the pre-existence so he decided to hurry down...just like Braden with Brielle.

Kem and I have always been close. We've had our share of fighting as children, teenagers and even as adults...but we are best friends. He is my favorite brother. He is my only brother...and I think I have the BEST brother in the world!

When he wasn't working, he kept me company when Scott was studying. He was our little garbage disposal (he'd eat all of the left overs in the fridge-I very seldom threw away food while he was here). He taught my children how to dance to Bob Marley's Jammin'. He taught us to eat good cheese. He'd watch our kids so Scott and I could go to a late night movie. He'd often have dinner ready for us when we'd get back from Church on Sundays...

this list is making me cry...

{Scott says he misses seeing you in your "pajamas"} (inside joke) :)

We miss you so much Kemchu!

I'm so glad the sun decided to shine this last week, at least on and off ...it brightened up my spirits from saying goodbye to my brother...going outside just makes us all happy!...

I decided to take our lunches and eat them outside...just to bring a little excitement to our life...

We packed our little lunches and enjoyed them at the playground.

It was nice to get some much needed vitamin D from the sun!

We had way too much fun!

Lastly:

{This little boy has been saying the funniest, cutest things...He must have heard Scott and I say this, he was a little frustrated with something, (I can't remember what it was) when I heard him say this}

Enjoy!