Congratulations Chase!

My cousin Chase was married this past Tuesday to Breanne Nebeker in the Salt Lake Temple. I loved being able to witness their beautiful sealing. Everyone shared advice at the luncheon which as something I wish I had done at my own wedding luncheon. I loved the advice from my cousin Brett. He said someone had recommended to them that during their couple prayer to find something to appreciate or be grateful for about your spouse each day. What a difference that would make to a couple's prayer and what a great way to end the day. Of course their were those jokesters who said things like if you ever think you picked the wrong person and should have held out for more just make a trip to the super wal-mart and take a look around and you'll realize you did make a good choice.

The reception was held at Lomond View Gardens and it was very beautiful with all the flowers, trees, ponds, etc. They had yummy ice cream in waffle bowls with toppings. Everything was very beautiful from the pictures to the cake and of course Breanne was stunning. However, what I thought was most beatiful was the love I could feel they had for each other. It was very touching.

I am so proud of Chase for all he has accomplished so far in his life. He has done well for himself. I hope I am not wrong, but I think he just barely turned 25 and he is a returned missionary, recent college graduate with a degree in economics, he is working hard to build his career as a financial planner (he does mortgages, investing, and even helps with wills and such), and he has now as the sealer put it "created a new family unit" and received the "highest priesthood blessing". It is obvious he is one to go out and make life happen for himself and not to wait for things to be put in his path. Thanks for including me in your special day and good luck in all your pursuits! Love ya!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to Eli's Dad, Rich Briscoe! We hope you have a great birthday on Sunday. Thanks for being such a fun "Papa" to Kate and Beck. We hope this next year is filled with all the things you enjoy!

Lagoon Day

Friday was Eli's work Lagoon Day. We took Shannon and Jimmy with us but I didn't get any pictures of them since they were with Eli going on the bigger rides while I spent most of the time in Kiddie Land. I am not much for Lagoon since I have a tendency toward motion sickness. I did relent and go on the Spider and Wild Mouse. That is about the most intense I can handle.

Eli and I both enjoy watching the kids go on the kiddie rides and Kate was quite brave. I don't think she is going to have the same motion sickness issues I have. She went on the dino drop and even the Tidal wave with Daddy and loved it. She said about the Tidal wave "I thought we were going to tip over then we went whoo".

Beck was a little nervous on the Baby Boats because of all the people around and he couldn't see mom at first.

Beck had a nervous unsure look on his face during most of the rides, so we were never sure if he was enjoying it or not. However, once the ride stopped he would jerk back and forth trying to get it to go again and when Eli would try to take him off he would cry. His very favorite ride was the carousel. Kate said that was her favorite as well.

Kate had fun on the bumper cars. Here is Kate with her road rage face.

It was a pretty hot day and we intended to go to Lagoona Beach, but the line was way too long. We decided to let Kate play in the fountain instead and she had a blast.

Beck fell asleep in the stroller and he looked so cute. I wish I had taken a picture of him then, but I didn't even think about it. It was a long tiring day for everyone. It was fun for the kids, but luckily for mom and dad it is only once a year.

Sad Farewell!

Dani and Tom will be moving to Denver, Colorado in less that 2 weeks. We are all very sad about that and I have been trying to prepare Kate to lose one of her best playmates: Brookie.

Kate and Brooke are exactly 5 months apart and they have been playing and fighting since they were born.

I am trying to help Kate understand that Brookie is moving far away and she won't see her very much because it is too far to drive. She asked me "How are they going to move Brookie's bed and I told her in a truck and she thought she had found a simple solution to the problem of not being able to see Brookie with this response, "Well we'll just take a truck to see Brookie then". I guess we are all in a little bit of denial that they are actually going to move away.

Kate is so attached to Brooke that she names flowers we see on our walks after her, she has named her baby dolls Brookie and anytime she wants to practice writing letters she always wants to write Brookie's name.

Beck has loved having Riley around to entertain him. He just loves to play with his boy cousins. He thinks they are so cool. Riley is like a big brother Kate never had. He is always watching out for and helping Brooke and Kate. We have enjoyed watching Brooke, Riley and Elle grow and learn so many new things. It is sad to think how much we will miss out on as they continue to grow. At least we have the blogs to help keep in touch.

I know guys don't really vocalize feelings well, but I know Eli will miss having Tom around to golf with, watch sports, and work together on projects. Tom and Dani are always willing to help out with projects like moving, building our shed, watching Kate while Beck was born and so much more.

I am going to miss hanging out with Dani while our husbands were gone for work during the evenings when Eli is out of town. I am also going to miss Dani involving me in various creative projects. Thanks so much for all the support, understanding, encouragement, and sharing so many fun times and memories. We are going to miss you so much and we hope to be able to visit and to be visited often.

We are really excited for Tom to have this career opportunity and for Dani to have a husband who has a normal work schedule. Congratulations Tom on finishing your degree and getting the job you have been preparing yourself for and working toward. We love you guys!

Happy Father's Day!

• "Life was a lot simpler when what we honored was father and mother rather than all major credit cards." -- Robert Orben

• "I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection." -- Sigmund Freud

I thought these words by Elder Richard L. Evans (1906–71) were perfect for describing what our fathers mean to us “First of all, fathers are giving a name and a heritage to their children—clean and honorable. Fathers are for long, hard work, mostly their own kind of work; … for trying to give their children things [their] fathers never had. Fathers are for talking with, for encouraging, for putting arms around; for understanding mistakes, but not condoning them; for disciplining when needed, then loving all the more; for being strong and forceful, and for being tender and gentle.”

I want to wish my dad Happy Father's Day! I appreciate all he did for me growing up and all he does for me now that I have my own family. I have a lot of admiration for my dad and all that he put up with raising four children. I know for myself I didn't always show him the respect or appreciation he deserved. I appreciate you dad for working so hard to provide for us, supporting all of our activities, teaching us values like hard work and honesty, taking time to play with us, and being protective and concerned through the teen years whiched helped me make good choices. You were always so encouraging of our goals and I know much of my success is because you believed in me and were proud of my accomplishments. Thanks Dad!

I also want to wish Eli's Dad Happy Father's Day as well. Eli was telling me the other day how grateful he was for little things like picking up all the kids (Eli's parents have eight) after school and taking them swimming. He also has fond memories as a young boy going with his mom to pick up his dad from college and how he loved to wear his Weber State T-shirt they had got for him. He also appreciated how they would have to drive two cars to fit all the kids and supplies for the camping trips they would take. It has taken Eli several years and taking his own small family camping to realize what an inconvenience it probably was and to be able to appreciate what really went into the "little things" he remembers as a child.

I can't forget to thank Eli for being such a great dad to Kate and Beck. They really love their dad and are so excited when he comes home from work each day. In Kate's own words one day when I asked her if she loved her mom her reply was, "yeah, but specially I love my daddy". This past Christmas Eli took about a week off work to spend more time with the family and Kate enjoyed every minute of it. The day he went back to work I found her sitting in the corner holding his hat. I told her she needed to come and have a snack or something and she informed me that she needed to hold daddy's hat so she could give it to him when he got home. Last night was the funniest because Kate asked daddy "how come you are so furry?" and then a few minutes later she informed Eli that he is old. He of course had to point out that momma is older. I am grateful to have such a wonderful dad for my children. He is so helpful with bath time, bed time, and even cooks on weekends. Many of you know how well he cooks and his sister even gave him the nickname "gabby gourmet", so it actually is quite a treat when daddy cooks. I especially appreciate the times he is willing to take the kids on his own so I can get some much needed personal time for exercise, scrapbooking and such.

I found this great talk, The Father Who Cares by President James E. Faust, which has some great insights on how we can support men in their role as fathers.

"In order to strengthen the father in the home, I make two simple suggestions: first, sustain and respect the father in his position; second, give him love, understanding, and some appreciation for his efforts.
Let every mother understand that if she does anything to diminish her children’s father or the father’s image in the eyes of the children, it may injure and do irreparable damage to the self-worth and personal security of the children themselves. How infinitely more productive and satisfying it is for a woman to build up her husband rather than tear him down.
In terms of giving fathers love and understanding, it should be remembered that fathers also have times of insecurity and doubt. Everyone knows fathers make mistakes—especially they themselves. Fathers need all the help they can get; mostly they need love, support, and understanding from their own. As fathers we need to set priorities to guide us in allocating our time. Some men forget that their “first priority should be to maintain their own spiritual and physical strength. Then comes their family, then the Church, and then their professions—"

President Faust concluded his talk in this beautiful way which I would like to echo.

"God bless you fathers to be equal to your overwhelming responsibilities and to have a father’s special caring for each one under your protective arms. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Bewitched

Today as I was glancing around my house at the ever present mess and wishing I could be Samantha from Bewitched. All I would have to do is wiggle my nose and the kitchen would be clean, wiggle my nose and the yard work is done, wiggle my nose and the kids are dressed, wiggle my nose and my muscles are toned and the flab is gone. Instead I struggle through my pilates DVD while Beck tries to drive his cars across my face and I feel like I am cleaning constantly but everything is still a mess. I keep reminding myself that when I am older and my kids are out of the house I am going to wish they were little again and still making noise and getting into stuff. I really do love being a mom to my two adorable children! They make life interesting and a little less mundane. Here are a few things that help me get past all the dull moments.

A few months ago Eli bought a new computer and Beck loved the packaging. After a while I tried to take him and and he threw a fit. He actually fell head first back into the box trying to get back in it to play. I wish I had a picture of that but he was pretty helpless burried head first in the peanuts with his legs flailing in the air so I had to help him right away.

Today I heard Kate say "I'm cathcing a whopper" I looked over to see her fishing for her big fish stuffed animal. I told her I thought she was funny and she said "Yeah, I'm funny". Then she proceeded to explain that a whopper is a really big fish you catch in a pond.

Here are Kate and Beck struggling to wake up from a nap. They are playing together more now which sometimes means more fights, but I love to see their growing sibling bond. This was another moment where they were seeking comfort from each other. They wanted to be right next to each other even when they were still half asleep.

Beck is growing so fast. I love pictures like this that capture how small they once were.

He is developing a facination with shoes. He runs and finds his shoes anytime I mention that we might take a walk or go outside. He loves being outside and the other day I told him to tell Kate to get ready to go and I heard as he walked away from me to find Kate "Go Go Bye Bye". That same day I was pulling out of the drive way and I forgot something so I pulled back in and he started crying and said "Go!"

Zoo Trip 2008

We try to take the kids to the zoo at least once a year. This year Eli was too sick to go, so I was glad we were lucky enough to coordiate the trip with Eli's parents and younger brother-Hyrum, his sister Candi and her kids and his sister Emma and her husband Brad, and his sister Dani and her husband Tom and their kids.

I thought it would be cute to take a picture of the kids each year at the Gorilla shape, so above is Kate last year and below is this year. I tried to do this for Beck to but he kept walking off and then my stroller started rolling down the hill so I guess maybe I'll try again next year.

Dani and Tom will be moving to Denver soon so we are trying to do some fun things with the cousins before they move at the end of the month. Elle was a good baby during the whole experience.

Emma and Brad were great helps with the little ones. Here is Emma helping Kate and Brooke to see the elephants.

Beck was only a few months old last year so this was basically his first zoo trip. He loved all the animals and thought the Bears were dogs. He kept saying "whoa Whoa" which is his word for dog or the sound he thinks they make when they bark. He also really liked the tiger show. He was growling/squealing at the tiger and almost jumped out of Hyrums arms out of excitement.

Poor Byron was sick and rode in the wagon most of the time with the little ones. Later we found out he had appendicitis. He had to have his appendix out the same night his parents planned to celebrate their anniversary. Bummer for Candi and Kelly to have to cancel their anniversary plans, but we are all glad Byron is okay.

Later in the evening, Kate made something out of Mega Blocks and wanted us to guess what it was. These were her clues........

It is something at the zoo.

It has a long tail.

It is colorful.

Any guesses yet?

Eli got it right. He guessed a peacock.

I guess you never know exactly what is going to leave the biggest impressions on your kids or what they will enjoy the most.

Perfect Day!

Eli had what I called the "perfect day" yesterday. He was able to go golfing in the morning, then he bought an air compressor and some other tools in the afternoon, then he had his favorite dinner and treat. We had Ribeye steaks on the grill with sweet potatoes and corn on the cob. We had his recent favorite chocolate covered cinnamon bears for a treat. Then following dinner he played his video game for a while. There were a few other highlights to the day as well and I think I was a little jealous that he had a day filled with so many of his favorite things and it is not even Father's Day yet.
Sometimes I feel like for me to have a day like that it would have to be the second coming or some other sort of major miracle. I have been a little stressed and hormonal and I think that is part of the reason I was so jealous. I desperately needed some "me time" just to get back into survival mode. I am sure some of you have been there where you feel like you past the fuctioning auto pilot survival mode hours or days ago and any second you are going to have a complete break down. Friday night I was able to go for a jog and that was very soothing. I needed the extra endorphins, fresh air, and time to my self. Saturday I took the kids for a walk and let them play outside which was also a little break since eventhough I was still taking care of them at least they were occupied and not fighting, pawing at each other or me, and had something to keep their interest.
On Saturday I was also a little sad because even though I needed a break from kids and being a mom I feel like my kids are growing up too fast. We moved Beck form his rear facing infant seat to Kate's old foward facing toddler car seat and we bought Kate a big girl car booster that she will use probably until she is like 10 years old. Then at dinner she didn't want daddy to cut the corn off her cob she wanted to eat it right off the cob like a big girl. I feel like I am losing my "baby Kate" a little bit each day.
Well now everybody in the family is sick except me, so it is a good thing I had a few "perfect moments" even if it wasn't the whole day to help me get back on track so I can help take care of everyone.

Here is what Eli used to marinade our steaks: Olive oil, a couple cloves of garlic minced, salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar.

Here is another marinade we like to use:
Fajita marinade
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/4 red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper