My big 2nd grader!!

I can't believe summer is winding down and it's time to get back into a routine. I also can't believe that this guy is in 2nd grade. Time flies way too fast. This year he has 2 teachers Mrs Thomas in the morning and Mrs Staples in the afternoon. He seems pretty excited to start back and is really excited about having lots of his friends in his class.

Lake Powell

This year on our family trip to Lake Powell was another great year! We did so many fun things and made so many fun memories. The kids had a blast jumping off the back of the house boat, jumping off the top of the houseboat, sliding down the slide, playing in the sand, fishing, having dance parties at night on the top deck, going on hikes and sight seeing, going to the marina for ice cream, jumping off cliffs, riding the tube, playing with friends, catching frogs, eating yummy food, early morning skiing and wakeboarding, swimming across the bay, watching shooting stars and playing with uncle Jeff (who became everyone's favorite uncle)! This year in Lake Powell Jackson learned how to wakeboard. He did so great and loved it. Maggie learned how to water ski. I talked to Maggie before and told her that she might fall down when she tries but that it was ok. It was all part of learning. I told her not to be afraid and that we would be right there to help her. So her first attempt she tried to stand up and fell right away. It scared her so much that there was no way she was going to try again. I sat out in the water with her trying to calm her down but she wouldn't, she was too hysterical. Brandon finally decided to coast and head back toward the houseboat. Thinking we would just drag her back. As I held onto her ski's I finally convinced Maggie to at least hold onto the rope. Slowly I convinced her to try standing up so she did and she popped right up!! The little stinker was water skiiing. She did awesome but refused to smile. Getting her to try skiing a second time was a little harder but she did it and didn't even get wet. By the end of the trip she was doing laps around the bay. We didn't document this trip very well-I guess we were too busy having fun and playing but here are a few pics of the kids



Jacks jumping off the top- we had to do lots of convincing but once his friends Bree and Ash jumped with no problems he decided that it was ok for him to jump too!



this was Braden's way cool trick




Jacks wakeboarding




Maggie on ski's




The kids fishing off the back




Jackson's fish




Our little poser




Braden and Isaac Vance playing on the beach

Brooks family reunion

I feel like the end of July through August was a huge whirlwind. We did so many fun family things all in a short period of time! Every year usually the end of July we have a Brooks family reunion. It is so crazy but so much fun. It is the one time of year that my kids get to see their Brooks cousins and Brandon gets to catch up with his brothers. This year Brad and Sara were in charge of planning and putting together the reunion and they did a fabulous job. I have to admit that at first I was a little skeptical. We were going to be camping in Nevada in the middle of nowhere. I thought that it would be hot and not much to do there but I was way wrong. We camped in The Great Basin National Park for 3 days.

We arrived Thursday around lunch time set up camp had a quick lunch and headed off to explore the Lehman caves. There were two separate tours a 90 minute tour for the older kids and a 60 minute tour for the younger kids. I went on the shorter tour with Maggie and Braden. The caves were amazing.








Once we got back to camp Brad and Sara gave each of the kids a coin bag and told them that there was gold scattered around the camp. The smaller kids got to start looking for "gold" (dollar coins and quarters). Then the big kids were unleashed. They had so much fun searching every part of the camp ground. I think that they were searching for days and still finding a few treasures.






The next day the kids were able to do the metal detector and then we hiked the rest of the day. It was really a great time. It's always fun being together with cousins.



The end of our hike!!! We made it



Taking a rest on the trail



The whole gang

Charlie

Ok Brandon and I caved. We are NOT big dog people especially indoor dog people. Our kids asked for a puppy multiple times a day for about six months. We told the kids that having a puppy was a BIG responsibility and that they would be the ones taking care of it on top of their other jobs. They still asked. So we told them that they would have to prove they could be responsible by doing all their jobs without me having to ask twice. They did it. So we finally decided that having a dog does teach a lot of important lessons. And we both felt that every kid should grow up with a pet so after a long time looking at puppies and researching them online we surprised the kids. This is Charlie. (Jacks named him). Isn't he sooooo cute? And you know what's even cuter? Seeing your kids play with him and love him to pieces all day long!!



The first day we got Charlie. Note Braden's mean face



He is seriously about as big as a pop can. So fun and cute

Brady

Can I just say I LOVE this boy!! He makes me smile and giggle. He doesn't want to be left out of anything. If he sees his older brother or sister doing something he wants to be right in there doing it with them. He is really pretty coordinated and can do a lot of things most 2 year olds won't or can't do. So the other day I let the kids get their pool out. I knew that Braden needed a nap in the worst way but there was no way he was going to let me put him down- he didn't want to miss out! So I let him skip his nap and swim. He had so much fun with his big bro and sis and all their friends. When it came time to clean up I brought Brady in set him up to the bar and gave him a snack. I told him I would be outside cleaning up and I would be right back in. When I came in a few minutes later I saw this..........



It made me smile and giggle inside!! I love being a mom!!

Wasatch Back!!!

We did it!! Another year of riding in a car with 5 other people for over 24 hours!! Running at CRAZY times (morning, night, heat of the day), being a little sick to your stomach and having the time of your life!! This year I was super nervous to run the Wasatch Back Relay. I usually like to take my easy runs and kick back but this year I had one of the hardest runs on the coarse. I ran 3 different legs my first was an easy 3.5 miles the second run was at about 10:00 at night a little hilly and 9.6 miles my third run was INSANE!! 3.6 miles straight uphill. Not just a little climb but about 1400 feet worth!! I was so glad that I was able to finish. I was pretty proud of myself I stuck with it and never gave up. My team was awesome they were all there cheering me on. This year Brandon and Vance Barrett put together a Best Vinyl team. I only knew one other person in the car and the others I met on the coarse. They were all so nice and we all got along really well. It was fun to get to know them all a little better we laughed a lot and had a great time! Thanks to everyone on my team for making this year so much fun. I can't wait for next year!!




running you've got to be kidding me




Our team Stephanie, Dave, Marc, Brandon, me and Justin

One of the million reasons I love being a mom

it's late at night. Really late. I have let my kids stay up and play way to long. It's been a busy day of playing outside with friends. I am trying to get Maggie into bed. She is kneeling down ready to say prayers and I carefully tell her that since she stayed up late playing with friends she will not be getting stories. To which she burries her head in her hands hysterically crying and says "I'm just so sick of mean parents"!! A comment like that makes you feel like a million bucks. Not to mention she is saying it over and over!

Art City Days

Early Saturday morning my awesome hubby ran the Utah Valley Marathon. The race started in Wallsburg going all the way down Provo canyon and ended at the Provo towne center!! The race started at 5:30 and they had pretty good running conditions. The temperature was perfect for running overcast and in the 50's but the first 10 miles they got rained on. Brandon was hoping to finish the marathon in 3 hours 10 minutes and ended coming in 3 hours and 8 minutes!!! His personal best! I couldn't be happier for him he did awesome!! Way to go babe!!!



Coming down the stretch



Brandon and his running partner Joel Eves. They both tore it up!! Joel 3:00 Brandon 3:08 :)

After the race we headed down to main street for the Art City days parade the kids had a ball picking up all the candy and waving to all the people in the parade

Letting go!!

I decided a few weeks ago that this summer I was going to do at least one really fun spontaneous thing with my kids a day. The ideas I've come up with aren't always BIG things but it has to be something we don't do on a regular basis. Some days I have had to be a little creative because my kids have been super busy with karate, basketball camp, baseball games, dance camp and gymnastics but with some careful planning we have been able to spend some real quality time together. Some of the things we have come up with are: getting lunch at Wendy's and eating it upstairs in the playroom, painting rocks, going to the petting farm and then eating at Maggie Moo's ice cream shop, going on a 4 mile run (I pushed Maggs and Brady and Jacks rode his bike), story time at the library, having lots of picnics on the tramp, riding their bikes in the children's parade..........etc. But I think if you asked my kids what their favorite activity has been I think they would say their lemonade stand. My kids have asked me to do a lemonade stand since we've lived in our house (4 years) but I have always said no. We have lots of neighbor kids that sell things and my kids have been involved in helping. So when I told the kids if they finished all their jobs and if I didn't have to get after them we could do one. They were so excited and cute!! After they quickly did their jobs they came out and helped me make homemade chocolate chip cookies. Jacks read the recipe and they all helped dump the ing. in. While I put the dough on the tray they made signs and ate lunch. While I mixed up the punch Jacks set up the table, taped the signs up and got all ready for their customers to come. Our cute little neighbor Ellie came to help set up and sale too. After all that was said and done they ended up making $22!! Not bad for a half days work. Thanks to awesome friends and neighbors my kids are already asking when they could do another one!!!



As a mom doing all of these little activities with my kids has been so rewarding. Some days it has been a challenge for me because it has been hard to fit in the house cleaning, laundry and yard work but I have decided that I have to let some of those things go and realize that my kids aren't going to be little forever. I have loved every minute of the time we have spent together and I hope that as a result we will be closer as a family!

The Party

I have to admit that I have always felt a little guilty for not throwing Maggie a friend birthday party when she turned 3 (since I did one for Jacks when he was that age) so I new that my conscience wouldn't let me get away with not throwing her a birthday party this year. Besides Maggie has been talking about having a birthday party since December. To make up for being a slacker mom I knew that it had to be a hit. I had the thought of doing a princess party since she is my only daughter and it wouldn't be long before she grew out of the princess stage I also thought it would be fun for her friends to come over and get their hair and makeup done but I still didn't have everything together in my mind. I talked to one of my great friends Anna Kirby one morning and she gave me a fabulous idea of throwing a Cinderella party. The girls would come dressed in "rags" do chores, get ready for the ball and leave with a princess cd and tutu's. So the juices started flowing and I threw one of my most favorite birthday parties I have ever thrown! I have to also thank my wonderful mom, sister and mother in law for helping me throw this party I couldn't have done it without their help they are awesome and always so willing to help out I am truly blessed to have such wonderful family!

THE PARTY

We asked all of the girls to come dressed in rags. When the girls arrived we played stepmother says while we waited for everyone to arrive. Once all the girls arrived we fed them lunch. Just as they were finishing with their lunches the doorbell rang. Brandon's dad aka the paige was at the door with an official proclamation from the king himself. He declared that every eligable maiden and lass were to attend the royal ball in honor of princess Maggie. It was so cute to hear all the giggles coming from the kids as he read the proclamation he did a super cute job!





Before the kids could go to the ball they had to finish all their chores they had to:

Cook breakfast for their stepsisters

Sweep the bathroom floors

Iron their stepmothers dress

Mop the kitchen floor

Dust the music room

Feed the animals

I had Maggie's kitchen set up in Jacks' room where each friend could take turns cooking breakfast. We ate all kinds of delicious meals. A kids ironing board was set up in Maggie's room and each friend had to take a turn ironing a dress, they each got rags to mop my floor and we gave out feather dusters so they could dust the music room. Last they each got a cup filled with bread so they could go down to the basement and feed the animals it was really cute and they all had a blast doing their chores!





Once they finished their chores they had to get ready for the ball so we divided them into 3 different stations. My mom painted fingernails Ida Jean did their makeup and Tiff and I did hair. The girls were so cute and they loved every minute of being pampered. The boys even liked getting their fingernails painted dragon green and getting blue spikes put in their hair (we used colored spiking glue). While the kids were waiting for the last couple girls to get their hair finished they played a couple of games: one with different princess items placed on a tray such as comb, tiara, necklace etc... then someone would go out and we would take something off of the tray and they would come back in and try to figure out what was missing. We also played pin the lips on the frog. Once everyone was "ready" for the ball we told them that they would just have to go to the ball in their rags so we took them upstairs to the ball. Once they got upstairs there were tutu's for the girls and swords and shields for the boys. The kids got changed and danced, twirled and played. They were so cute and they felt so beautiful like real princesses!!


























After the ball we opened presents had cup cakes and ice cream and the kids got to bring their tutu's, swords and a CD we put together of Maggie's favorite princess songs. I don't know who had more fun me or the kids!

Customize your own invite card

Look who's riding without their training wheels!!!

I can't believe it today Maggie learned how to ride a two wheeler!! I couldn't be prouder. We have been practicing for a couple of days and everyday she got a little better. She set a goal to be riding before her 4th birthday and made it with a couple of weeks to go. YOU ARE AWESOME Maggie moo!!! I love you!


showing her daddy her big surprise!!


*sorry this picture is so blury, but I was running backwards to try and take a pic but look at that face....I love it!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BIRTHDAY BOY!!!!

My sweet sweet boy has turned seven! I can't believe it. Where has the time gone? We celebrated ALL day long. He woke up with his bedroom door decorated with signs, crepe paper and balloons and ate his favorite breakfast.....crepes. (I think he had about 5 of them)! After school he had a sports birthday party. It was really a lot of fun and a lot of work. But luckily the weather was nice enough to be outside. We had 4 different teams with about 4 kids on a team and competed in about 10 different relay events. Some of the events were: the quarter back toss, 3-legged race, balloon pop, unwraping bubble gum with gloves and blowing a bubble, gland slam, a treasure hunt and a basketball relay just to name a few. Thanks a ton to my mom and neighbor Melissa for all their help I couldn't have pulled it off without them! A week later we celebrated Jacks' birthday with grandma's and grandpa's, uncle Jeff and Jessie it was really great! I love you buddy!!












He asked if he could do the spanking machine and of course we were all for it!!


He wanted an ice cream birthday cake! And if I do say so myself it was one of the better ice cream cakes I have ever made!!