First Snowfall...

It is the last week of January and we just barely got our first snowfall of the whole winter today! I have to say that it looks so beautiful outside. We bundled up and went out to play in the snow. Brielle and Braden had so much fun! I don't think they remember our last winter in Rexburg...they were both so amused by the snow! After a little while, Braden took his gloves off and his hands were getting so cold he started to panic! Poor little guy! So...we had to come back inside. But I think we might be going out again after their naps...

They were both so intrigued by the snow they were eating it!

Braden's mischievous face..and Brielle eating the snow...yummy!

Look at this little boy...caught in the act of licking his "mocos"...GROSS!!!!

Braden got these blocks for Christmas and besides his little car I think they are his favorite toy! He can entertain himself with the blocks for a good 45 minutes to 1 hour. He loves them and he stores them inside his little car and wants to to take them wherever he goes...

I'm sure some of you remember that when we first got to Virginia we had the "nursery biting incident" with Braden...I don't think I've been that mortified in my life! We have been going in with him for months now and keeping an eye on him at ALL times...one of my friends got called to nursery and she is the nicest lady ever! She is so much fun! So, since she was there 2 Sundays ago Scott and I decided to leave him to see what would happen...Amy was so reassuring and told us that he'd be fine and that she'd keep her eye on him...okay...so every time someone would open the Relief Society room my heart would start beating so fast...I seriously thought I was going to have a heart attack! However, the end of the third hour of Church ended and Braden made it without any incidents!!!! I was soooooooo excited!!! We praised him the whole drive home and told him how proud we were of him! This last Sunday we took him and again I was so hesitant to leave him...he made it successfully again AND...this is the best part of all...when we went to get him, I asked one of the nursery leaders how he had done. She told me that Braden had actually been one of the best behaved kids in the whole nursery that day!!!!:) Oh my heck! I seriously wanted to throw a party! I was almost jumping up and down and couldn't stop kissing my little devil!!!!!!!:) I just hope it continues that way...

I'm so proud of Mr. Braden...

Brielle has been such a funny girl lately...she has been making all of us laugh...she has such a fun little personality...we LOVE being around her...well...most of the time...she continues to have an opinion about everything...but we would NOT trade her for anyone else...I hope you get a good laugh out of this video, especially the first part...

My kids don't look like me...

I've decided that Brielle and Braden don't really look a lot like me...I think they both look mostly like Scott. The only thing they have from me is my skin color and even then, their skin is lighter than mine. I promise that I did carry both them for 9 months and gave birth to both of them...:) What do you think?



Seriously...look at the shape of the eyes, the nose and the chin...

Wasn't Scott such a cute little boy? He was about to turn 4 in this picture.

The same with Brielle...the shape of the eyes...the nose...the chin...

Scott got this hat right when we got married and both kids have loved playing with it...they both think it's the coolest thing ever? Brielle was so little in this picture...

This is me in the first grade. I used to go to a catholic private school in Perú. I have so many fond memories of that time. My best friend, Michelle and I were the only Mormons in the whole school...I remember feeling so proud to be a Mormon and when we had formation at the beginning of the day the priest would recite the same prayer everyday and then everyone had to cross themselves and my friend and I wouldn't do it and I remember feeling that I was different...I don't think we felt we were better than anyone else but I knew that I was different. Anyway, I tend to reminisce sometimes...my childhood was such a happy time...my best friend, from then, passed away a couple of years ago from a brain tumor. We were both the same age, she was 10 days older than me. She was such an amazing woman...we kept in touch through the years, although the last time I saw her we were both 12 years old...I still can't believe she's gone...but going back to the the kiddos...I think I can see some of Brielle in that picture...:)

But in this picture...I just don't think Brielle looks like me as much...what do you think? She is my daughter I promise...

This is my brother Kem and I...I was 5 and he was 4. This was at a kindergarden presentation I had, that is the little outfit my mom made for it...I don't even remember the presentation that much and I don't remember much about kindergarden...Those little overalls my brother is wearing my mom also made. She was so good with the sewing machine. I think Braden looks a lot like my brother too. Kem was such a cute little boy. I love this picture for so many reasons, we are holding hands...I think that's so cute...AND my legs...oh my heck!!!! they look like chicken legs...:)

And...I already posted this one before, but I just LOVE this picture because it reminds me of the picture above of my brother and I...

After I originally wrote this post yesterday, I got an email from my brother this morning (January 24) with these pictures of Brielle and I attached and I just couldn't stop laughing!!! I guess he thinks that Brielle and I look A LOT alike!...She is definitely my daughter!!!:)

Like we say in Spanish...De tal palo tal astilla...if you don't know what that means google it...your Spanish phrase of the day!!!:)

What a geek!

Getting beaten up by my evil twin sister for being a geek...

Feeling better...

We have officially entered into the second week of January!!! Is that crazy or what? We have all been sick with colds around here...including me...it's not so fun taking care of kiddos while the mommy is sick...but we are surviving...first Scott got sick, then Brielle and then the rest of us...we have been having some rough nights with kids waking up in the middle of the night because they don't feel well, etc, etc. Scott and Brielle are pretty much over their colds and hopefully in a few more days Braden and I will be completely over ours!!!

Right before Scott started school again (and before we all got sick!) we took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese. It was our first time and I have to say, that at first I was a little hesitant to go because I always try to avoid those kinds of places...sometimes they can be really gross!!! I guess I can get grossed out easily...but I'm glad to report that all 4 of us had a blast! We spent about 2 hours there and it was definitely worth our money. Brielle and Braden loved all the games and Scott and I, as always, had so much fun watching them have fun...isn't that just the best part of parenthood? I love it when my kids are having fun.

Braden talking to Bob the Builder...

May be we need to invest in a keyboard...this was Braden's FAVORITE toy!

Braden's face cracks me up...what is this big purple thing???

Is it just me or is my little girl not looking like a baby anymore? She will turn 3 next month!!! She's looking too grown up lately and has been acting that way too...she is doing a lot better at listening to me when I ask her to do things...she is my big little helper...she of course has her moments...like this morning...I don't know what it is about my dear children but I'm pretty sure they are RED children (color personality test, do you know what I'm talking about?) They must just get it from Scott and I, we are both Blue-Red...there are times when I wish I had a WHITE child...at least one...may be someday...but then again I think I like feisty, they are just fun...but anyway...this morning I was picking out their outfits for the day and of course Miss Brielle has an opinion about EVERYTHING! She didn't want to wear what I picked out...and she went ahead and told me the following: "I don't like you" Can you believe this little girl??? But don't you just want to squeeeeeeze her when you see these pictures? I give her a squeeze at least once a day when she lets me...:)



Scott got me hooked on House M.D. during the Christmas break and man am I hooked!!!! We have watched seasons 2 and 3 and have started on the fourth one...if you haven't seen this show I HIGHLY recommend it...it is clever, witty and interesting! House, who is the main doctor, is definitely a jerk with vulnerability...if that makes sense?...and it is his vulnerability that makes him likable...The main guy (Hugh Laurie) is British but in the show he has an American accent, he is a brilliant actor, in my opinion. Scott and I find all of the medical stuff so intereting (may be because he is going to medical school)...and House is just such a complex character and I LOVE complex characters...So, if you're looking for a clever show to watch, House should definitely be your choice...you will not be disappointed!

Did you know that Picasa came out with a newer version? This new version has a movie maker and it's way easy to use...This was my first try...these two can entertain me for hours! Enjoy!

Oh! And...don't you just LOVE Scott's commentary? He's such a good man!!!:)

Christmas 2008

This Christmas has been one of the funnest Christmases of all time for our family. Brielle and Braden were both so fun on Christmas morning, we all had smiles on our faces the whole time we watched them and helped them open their presents. Brielle kept saying, "Santa brought me a pony!" She has been asking for ponies for months now and Santa was very generous to us all! It was so fun to see their little faces light up when they saw what they got. Christmas with children definitely is so much fun. (But, I have to say that I've had more than my share of Polar Express for 2008...both kids have requested it almost every day since November started...so until this coming November no more Polar Express!!!) We have been enjoying these last two weeks. It is so nice to have Scott home. He is such a good dad and husband. We sure miss him when he's in school all day almost everyday. We have been having so much fun relaxing at home, going out with the kids and enjoying our time as a family. I think the 3 of us are going to cry on Monday when Scott starts school again!

A few weeks ago, we had a ward Christmas party and Santa was there. I was curious to see how Brielle and Braden were going to react when they saw him. Braden was hesitant but he didn't cry and Brielle was NOT interested in him whatsoever, as you can see from the picture.

The Sunday before Christmas we went to the Festival of Lights at the Washington D.C. Temple. It was freezing cold but it was beautiful! There were LOTS of people everywhere mostly gathered inside the Visitor's Center. They had different things to do inside but the lines were so long we basically just went in to get warm. They had a live nativity outside and that was fun but it was sooooo cold...we felt sorry for the Mary and Joseph...they were probably freezing their butts off!

When we were at the Visitor's Center, Brielle specifically asked me, "take a picture of me mommy!" This is the picture in front of the Christus.

Then Braden joined her...and I have to say that I love this picture of both of them looking up...

Christmas Morning was a blast!

Braden got this little car for Christmas and when he went down for a nap on Christmas day he wanted to take a nap with his car!!! What a silly boy!!!:)

...not the best picture of me...BUT...this is how I feel about my Christmas present! I'm excited to put it to use...I have been wanting a sewing machine for a while now...Scott wanted to get it for me last Christmas but I felt guilty because we were so broke...we are still broke...BUT we got such a good deal I couldn't resist!!!:) I have a few projects in mind...I'm excited!!:)

After our Christmas dinner, which by the way was DELICIOUS!!!!!:)--Oh my heck we ate soooo much!!!!! We all definitely have to start working out after this holiday season!!! My gut is definitely not getting any smaller, let's just put it that way--...anyway, after dinner we decided to go to D.C. to look at The National Christmas Tree right in front of the White House. It was BEAUTIFUL and so worth going.

We have been having 60 degree weather here and there...we get 3 really cold days, in the 30's and then a day or two of warmer days. We check the weather everyday here because it is not predictable. When we do get 50 or 60 degree weather we try to spend at least one or two hours outside! The kids LOVE it and Scott and I do too! During this break we've been on walks, to the playground and we also went back to Clymyjontry Park, it was Scott's first time and we had a blast!

Oh! and we went back to the Museum of American History and saw the original Star-Spangled Banner. It was neat to see it and read about it. We weren't allowed to take pictures of the exhibit, so this picture is courtesy of the Internet!:)