Farewell to ALEX.....

This post may seem a little strange to those of you who DO NOT know my husband well. Josh is very tender and compassionate. He is the guy who tries to catch the bugs and spider in a cup to take them outside, instead of killing them. That being said, read ahead to hear a story that ALMOST ended out marriage.

We have had a little friend spider that has hovered around the top of our bedroom for a few weeks. You may have just shuddered, and wondered how we could stand this. Well, I couldn't really reach it, I knew Josh wouldn't kill it, and it didn't seem to move too much. It really just hovered in the same spot. Josh grew found on the little lady (he assumes it a girl due to a theory that females kill male spiders while mating and it is alive so....) and names it ALEX! I just thought 'oh great, we named it.'

Alex went missing and come to find out, Josh prayed for Alex that she could find a safe haven. Today when I opened the shower door low and behold there was our little friend Alex. My first thought 'why couldn't you just stay up on the wall and out of way!' My second thought 'what do I do now, Josh will be so mad if I kill it!'

I called Josh. "Josh I'm in a little bit of a pickle" I explained the situation and he said

"PUT IT IN A CUP, and PUT IT ON MY DESK!" Yes, it is true. I tried to explain to you earlier and I knew you didn't believe it he is that serious about killing bugs and spiders.

So, I tried. I tried and failed. I killed our dear friend Alex, who moments before I killed her Josh described as his BEST FRIEND! Hopefully that was being dramatic. And yes, I was being a little dramatic when I said it was ALMOST the end of our marriage. But my sweet little husband was very sad.

4th of the 4th

When I saw this post on Amy's blog, I had to go see what my picture was. What you do is go to your pictures and take the 4th folder and the 4th picture in that folder. It was so funny, and I had to post it because it is BRIELLE! I honestly had to look at the date and I still did a double take! I TOTALLY THOUGHT IT WAS HOPE! Let me just mention I HAVE NEVER THOUGHT THEY LOOKED ALIKE!

This is one of the many times Brielle got into my make-up. I had a liquid blush, and she very obviously rubbed it all over her face!

THIS WAS SUCH A FUN TAG I HOPE EVERYONE DOES IT!

What A Crack Up!

Lately Hope REFUSES to go to sleep unless Josh or I lay by her. This is not my favorite thing, and I have never done this or wanted to do this, buy it is the only way she will stay in her bed, and i don't want to have regrets in 20 years. ANYWAYS- She not only likes me to be laying by her, but she likes to have her arm, or arms wrapped around my neck. Especially if I start to leave a little too early. Tonight there we were laying in the bottom bunk with our faces inches apart (since she had both arms wrapped tightly around my neck) and I am pretending to be asleep. I open my eyes and she has the biggest grin in the world on her cute little face. I close my eyes again and hope that she didn't notice I opened them. A minute later I peak through my eyes again and she is still cheesing it. I start cracking up! What on earth is she thinking. 'my mom is such a push over', 'I can get anything I want' 'HA HA HA, I got my way again'. I couldn't believe it. This process happened about 5 or 6 time all with the same results. I couldn't stop laughing and finally had to leave when I realized she was getting all riled up. Needless to say she is still awake, because I am now being stubborn and don't want to go in and lay by her. I can't let my 23 month old baby win, can I? What would you guys do?

Huge MILESTONE!

We had a huge milestone today for little Brielley. She wasn't afraid of the water, in fact she liked to swim, as long as she could touch the bottom. We took swimming lessons this summer and I had to fight her somedays to get her to go. I finally figured out it was because she couldn't touch and they made her go across where she couldn't touch.

Well, tonight after a rough night, we went swimming. We have been trying to encourage her that her life jacket will make her float and she never went for it. All of the sudden she just swam out and said "look at me the water is helping me float, it is my friend." We were stunned and just went with it. She had us laughing the whole time because she was in a whole new world. She would say "come on mom lets race. mark, set, go." Then she would start doggy paddling and really get nowhere, but she thought she was so amazing because she was swimming. It was so much fun to watch. At one point she was pretending to be a bird with her arms flapping under the water. Then later I said come on Brie let's swim like birds. She looked at me like I was so dumb and said "Mom I not have wings, I have arms." Oh, silly me, how could I mistake that!

What? I've been tagged?

ok, I don't really think I've ever actually been tagged, and if I have I chose to ignore it, BUT this time I was very excited to be tagged.

5 fears

MICE- Josh will tease me about this one until the day I die! He says it is an unnatural fear. I tell him that there are a lot of people out there afraid of mice.

THE DARK

WATCHING MY KIDS GET HURT

LOSING JOSH

ECONOMY CRASHING WHEN WE HAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF STUDENT LOANS!!!!!!YIKES!

5 Joys

Hearing my kids laugh!

Making love to my husband! (yes, I really did just say that!)

Chocolate- specifically REESES PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

Having a clean house, though it rarily happens.

Seeing my kids accomplish milestones, and surpass my expectations.

I have one extra! One of the things that makes me most happy about being a mother is when sweet little Hope puts her tiny, soft delicate little hand up on my face and tilts her head a just jabbers. She is, I'm sure of it, telling me the most important thing in her little world. All the while just gently stroking my cheek.

5 obsessions/collections

Taking LONG, HOT baths with 5 otter pops and a book. This obsession started when I was pregnant and with 3 otter. It has stuck and slowly the number of otter pops has been raised! hmmm.

Photography. I love to look at others photography. I love to take my own, and continue to become better, and I love to read about it and learn everything I can about it, most of which would bore anybody. I relate it to Josh's philosophy books. I would not make it through a page of those books that he seems to love.

Blogging OBVIOUSLY! I also love to get emails and comments! But who doesn't!


I do a lot of little craft things, I always have a project so I'm going to count scrapbooking, hair bows for my girls, bracelets for my girls, beanie and scarves, anything that I tend to do on a regular basis as one obsession! It could also count as a collection since I collect so much craft stuff.

Clothes and Shopping! I love to shop, but most of all I love cute clothes. I love to dress my girls in cute stylish clothes. I love to buy them shoes and purses right along with myself. I just love to shop!

After I finished I had to go back and add my obsession with reality TV, basically TV in general since there are quite a few shows I follow! The Bachelor, LOVED dance wars ( hoping they do that one again) So you think you can dance, lost, Heroes, Greys Anatomy, Private practice, BIGGEST LOSER, i ball every season, and the list goes on......

5 surprising facts about me

I used to LOVE the color yellow. I still like the color yellow, but after having 2 girls I LOVE the color PINK! No one ever said you couldn't change your mind!

I always have wished I was a funny person. Most of the time when people laugh at me it is because I am doing something totally stupid, not because I'm funny.

I think I have dyed my hair almost every color I possibly can much to my mom and dads horror. Now I am at a slump and have nothing new and exciting to try. Funny thing is, i can't even remember my last hair coloring. My sister had to remind me that at one time I had purple in it. I just forget what I have even done to it. It is also harder to dye now that I have kids. Something changed in my hair, and ever since I had Brie it hasn't dyed the same!

I often wonder what I will do with my days when all the kids are in school. I'm sure I will find something to occupy my time!

I have always wanted to work at a store in the mall. Yes, I know those jobs aren't all they are cracked up to be, but I have always wanted to do it!


I TAG: Katrina, Jennifer, Christy, and Aimee

Fall Carnival

Our apartment complex had a little fall carnival complete with blow up toys, a petting zoo, and pony rides! Which were, of course, Bries favorite, Hopes not so much! She was, of course, terrified! sorry this video is a little shaky, I was trying to keep up with the horse at a steady pace.



This picture was taken just second before she bailed, leaping into the safety of Joshs arms. How dare we put her on that pony.
She did however LOVE the billy goats. This is our little Hope trying to give the goat a kiss! She just couldn't quite reach!

Thanks so much Brie!

Last night Josh wore this pink shirt that I bought him for our all pink family pictures! I was sure he would NEVER wear it again, and was so happy when he came out dressed in it.

Brielle says "Daddy, you can't wear Mommy's shirt, that's Mommy's shirt."

I'm pretty sure he will never wear that shirt again. Thanks a bunch Brie!


After going grocery shopping she was trying to squeeze in between the cars, and I was in her way. She slapped my bum and said "Mommy you are too fat, move over!" Thanks again Brielle!

It does exist!

Have you ever seen those movies where they walk out in the rain and are soaked in like 10 sec.? Or when they get caught in a down pour, completely drenched. Being from Utah I thought these were Hollywood moments. Made up, completely false.

I was wrong.

Today it rained, and rained, and rained some more. And it was that kind of rain. The rain that drenched you in seconds, the rain that creates HUGE puddles in the grass. I was caught in my first down pour.

IT IS NOT HOLLYWOOD, IT DOES EXIST!

Preschool......

My neighbor and I have decided to start doing our own preschool with our girls. We started today. Brielle was very disappointed that she didn't get to ride on the school bus and take her backpack like her daddy. She started screaming in the middle "Mommy, your not my teacher, you're the Mommy. I need my teacher." Obviously she doesn't want to be home schooled.
We learned about the letter A, Circles, the color RED hence the red nails, and the number 1.
Hopefully she will get over the bus and her teacher when she goes to Lan's.

We have had an emotional and tough week, as one of our dear friends have lost their baby boy. Gavin was a sweet baby who put up a tough fight, but on Monday he returned to live with his Father in Heaven. We are so thankful for little Gavin and for the impact he had on our lives, even from a distance.
Andre and Bethany, we love you both so much! We have shed tears for you and can't imagine your hurt. Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers. I am so thankful for Eternal families, and the knowledge that you will be able to be with him again. Love you guys.