The Foster Family

Grandma & Grandpa Meet the Newest

2009-09-20T20:51:00.000-07:00

On August 27, Grandma Maureen and Grandpa Bill flew out for a visit. The weekend went by fast but we were still able to do some fun things. Maureen barely stepped foot through the front door before she had scissors in hand and was hard at work on Brielle's mangy hair. Then that night we went to Derrick and Lisa Dye's home for a tail-gate party before the big Shelley/Firth football game. I'm not sure that a high school football game was at the top of Grandma and Grandpa's must-do-lists, but they were good sports and seemed to have fun! Most of the weekend was spent taking LOTS of pictures, talking, and just hanging out. We love having our family from Oregon come for visits! MISS YOU GUYS!!!

Grandma and Grandpa enjoying sweet sleepy moments with Laney

One morning Ryan, Brielle, Bill, and Maureen went out for breakfast and spent some time at the playground and the greenbelt. Mom and baby stayed home catching up on some much needed (and much appreciated) sleep ;) After seeing all the fun pics I was sad we had missed out!

Ryan, Brielle and Grandma Maureen at the greenbelt

This picture was taken at the BBQ before the ball game. Brielle loved playing in this sand box. Before the night was through she was wearing a borrowed shirt because she accidentaly tackled one of the boys and walked away wearing his drink. My little football star;)

I loved this picture of Brielle and Grandpa Bill! He is helping her eat his leftover spaghetti from Olive Garden and she is having the time of her life!

Brielle did so great for her haircut and the end result was adorable--thanks Grandma!

Daddy, Grandma, and sweet Laney-girl

A picture-perfect moment with Daddy!

Our Stork Came Early!!

2009-08-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

Alayna Maureen Foster

Born August 5, 2008 at 8:55 am

7lbs 4oz & 20.5 in long

A HOME BIRTH!!

We could not have asked for a better birth experience! Labor and delivery went beautifully and Alayna was perfectly healthy. Originally we were going to deliver at the birthing center in Rigby, but after a kind offer from my sister Ryan and I decided that Amber and Jon's home (their master suite to be exact ;) would be the perfect place to have our little girl. Not too long ago I remember telling myself I could never do a hoe birth; but from the moment Ryan and I decided to do so, IT JUST FELT RIGHT!

On Wednesday morning I woke up around 3:45 having contractions. I tried to relax and time them for a while, but when I discovered they were already ranging 7-10 minutes apart and some over 60 seconds long we called the midwives, loaded the car made it to Amber's just after 6 am. Ryan, my mom, and Amber went to work transforming the room into a comfortable delivery room and soon Valery (the assisting mid-wife) arrived. She helped me from the couch to the large bed where I settled into a comfortable side-laying position and proceeded to work through one contraction at a time. It was a real team effort I tell ya--Ryan putting counter pressure on my lower back, mom rubbing my feet, and Valery talking me through each contraction. At some point I got too comfortable and the contractions began to space out. Valery suggested I stand up and find a new position off the bed to help speed things along. Crazy as it sounds, I found that draping my upper body over an exercise ball and slightly rocking side to side was very relaxing and labor sped up immediately. Soon my water broke, I worked through a couple more contractions and two pushes later Alayna was here. It was AMAZING!

Thank you Ryan for your confidence in my ability to do this. I leaned on your strength more than you could ever know.

Thank you mom, Valery, Kathy, and my sisters for making our home birth such a perfect experience. A very special thanks to Amber and Jon for opening their home to us!

Hope you enjoy all the pics ;)

Brielle was adorable. As soon as she saw the baby in my arms she left the room and came back with a baby of her own!

I haven't seen any major signs of jealousy from Brielle. She wants to hold her and love on her all the time. Sometimes she gets over excited and loves a little too hard.

OUR DANCING DIVA TURNS ONE!!

2009-04-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

Brielle is my April Fool's baby--born April 1st at 1:01 p.m. I absolutely LOVE that I have an April Fools Girl!! So Wednesday, April 1, we celebrated with a birthday party. I have to tell you, I so enjoyed planning and preparing for her special day. I decided early on that I wanted to make her a tutu and with the help of my talented friend Kamee, we made we the most adorable multi-colored pink tutu. Her colors were pink, black, and silver and her theme was 'Dancing Diva.' I could not bring myself to incorporate any TV or Disney characters into her birthday party because she just has not shown any real interest in any yet; however, she absolutely loves to dance!!! Her favorite part of every afternoon is when I break out the little floor radio and let her turn it on and control the volume. She likes the volume as loud as it can go and she goes to town with moves that even I envy. She giggles and squeals every now and then to let me know she is pretty pleased with herself! ADORABLE!!

I decided to split her birthday party into two parts--a play date with my girl friends and their kids in the afternoon and family in the evening. When all of my friends and the kids had arrived, I woke Brielle from her nap only to discover she was running a fever and feeling miserable. I was heart broken! Of all the days for her to get sick and without any kind of warning!! She wouldn't let me leave her sight and I spent most of the party trying to make her comfortable and happy. It wasn't until most of the group had gone and only a couple of my girl friends remained that she finally perked up. To my relief she started to play along with the three little ones that were still here and we were able to salvage what was left of the afternoon. All in all, it turned out pretty good. Thanks so much to all who came and for the fun new toys, books, and adorable clothes!!

In between parties I put Brielle down for another much needed nap and got things cleaned and ready for round two. I was so relieved to find my Elle-May quite the different little girl when she woke up. She let me dress her in her adorable tutu and waved to all the fam when I brought her out for her birthday debut. The night was so much fun! I loved having all of my family packed into my kitchen, dining room and living room. This was the large family get together that we have ever hosted, and I was a bit nervous about our small quarters. But it was GREAT!

Thanks to all of Brielle's aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and friends for making her first birthday special ;)

I made an attempt to put the pictures I have posted in some kind of an order, but all my efforts were wasted because they still ended up all over the place. SORRY. But hey, enjoy none-the-less ;)

This was my favorite pic of my sweet birthday girl enjoying her cake. You really should click on it to blow it up--WAY better bigger! She was a little bit timid at first until she discovered that all the little candies on the cake tasted like nothing she had ever had before. And to make it better mom and dad were not stopping her!

Like I said a little timid, shy. But she eventually caught the hang of it.

Miss Elle-May feeding her birthday cake to yours truly. This picture was taken at the friend party. Great shot Suikim--Thanks!

Pictured is Cydni with her little boy Hayden and Cilla with her son Carson. I have to take just a second and highlight the birthday banner hanging in back. It was my first attempt at anything like this and even though I spent way to much time on it, it turned out adorable!! I love that now I have something special to hang up for Brielle's birthday every year.

This is Brittnee with her two little girls, Abby and Aisha; Camee and her daughter Cavery; and Hayden and Carson again.

A cute shot of everyone enjoying the birthday cake.

And another . . .

Okay--this one is a little out of order. That morning Ryan and I got up early to decorate Brielle's cake. We had decided very early on that the perfect cake would be a pink, girly boom box because Brielle loves to shake her stuff while standing over my radio. I really can't take much credit for this adorable little masterpiece because Ryan did the majority of the work.

Brielle, I included this picture for you so that you will know how much your daddy loves you and wants so badly to be a part of your special days. He was so careful to make sure everything was absolutely perfect!!

Poor sick thing looks ready to puke!

This was the best picture that I got of her in her birthday get up. Her tutu looked adorable (Thanks again Kamee) and I found some leggins that matched perfectly. To top of her outfit, Cilla made her two of the cutest hair bows ever--Thanks Cilla!

All the fam gather 'round to watch Brielle open her gifts. From left to right is Ashely (sister), Amber and Jon (sister & bro-in-law), Jake, Katie, and Kinnley (Brother, sis-in-law, and niece), and Dad. Not pictured was Brittnie and Ryan (sis and bro-in law) and many of the nieces and nephews.

Sitting pretty while we all sang 'Happy Birthday.'

I Love you sweet girl!! Happy number one ;)

SUGAR & SPICE . . .

2009-04-05T21:01:00.000-07:00

AND all that's NICE . . . .

That's what LITTLE GIRLS are made of!! Yep, ultra sound showed we are expecting another baby girl--FUN! I guess my so called 'mother's intuition' was malfunctioning this time because I was quite confident it was a boy. A large part of me was hoping it was a girl though because she and Brielle will only be 16 months apart.

I LOVED this picture of her little foot. Precious ;)

We have decided to go with the Rigby Birthing Center for this pregnancy. And even though I took the Bradley Method birthing classes just before Brielle was born, I am going to start again this Wednesday. I know what natural child birth is like, but there is something about those classes that really builds my self-confidence and creates a special bond with this sweet baby growing in me. The women who teaches the classes (along with her husband) also acted as my Douala for Brielle's birth. She is now making my transition into the birthing center even easier because she is training as a mid-wife there.

It is still hard for me to believe that I am 21 weeks pregnant because my Elle-May (Brielle) is still such a BABY! And it doesn't help that this pregnancy is flying by!! To be quite honest, I am little scared. But I am also so, so excited to have another little one for Brielle's sake. Sometimes she just gets so lonely.

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone

2009-03-17T22:17:00.000-07:00

I just about let St. Patrick's Day come and go without doing anything special to celebrate it. But thanks to my mom, Brielle got a little taste of green and some new scenery for the afternoon. Grandma always goes the extra mile to make every holiday special for everyone and St. Patrick's Day is no exception. She starts out by taking all the grandkids on a leprechaun hunt outside where the kids find little golden nugget treasures that the little green men have left behind. Brielle and I were a bit late getting there so we missed the hunt this year. Then she breaks out crafts, movies, stories, and all kinds of good things to eat. She really is the kind of grandma every child dreams of --thanks mom!

I attempted to get a picture of Brielle and Kinnley, who is Brielle's closest cousin in age. But Kinnley was more interested in figuring out if Brielle was real or fake. Check out the way she is poking at her cheek. Too cute!

My sweet girl surrounded by her aunt Amber (Brielle's second mom) and aunt Katie (Kinnley's mom). Ah, precious moments.

Need an idea for some cheap fun? My Ryan is an expert in this area! Our canister vacuum sits on wheels so my ingenious husband removed the main vacuum part, set the highchair tray atop, and walla--instant rolling fun for Brielle!!

I had to include this picture because what you are seeing is a huge milestone for all of us. Brielle has graduated to a forward facing car seat. She was looking a bit ridiculous in the infant seat, but truth be told, I was reluctant to move her up because how I have loved sneaking through the drive thru's and enjoying my greasy fries and sinfully delicious shakes all by myself. Gone are those days because now she is a witness to everything I do (and a participant in everything I eat). I have to admit I love being able to interact with her while I drive down the road or watch her wave her little arm to the music on the radio.

Ryan's dad, Leland, sent a happy belated valentines package. It was filled with sweet treats that Brielle has never had the pleasure of trying. As you can tell, she was very cautious and timid about the whole experience. OR NOT! Thanks Grandpa!

JUST FOR MY HUBBY

2009-03-05T20:04:00.001-08:00

My living room is covered in toys. There is a LARGE pile of clothes sitting on my couch apparently not folding itself. The dinner dishes are only partially cleared. And Brielle is laying in bed repeating “da-da” rather than sleeping. And yet, I am blogging. But I feel extremely justified in my reasons. On Tuesday my hubby had a birthday and turned to big Three O. There was no time in the day for fun and celebration because he started work at 5:30 am and got home around 11:30pm. In hopes of making it kind of special, Brielle and I made him a card and baked him some super-duper delicious brownies. The three of us had big plans of slipping away for the weekend and celebrating his birthday in Boise, but just our luck Brielle got sick and Ryan is flying solo in Boise for the next few days. SAD! So babe, I hope you are having a good time, but hurry home because your girls are missing you

Brielle is making her best attempt to use this marker and tell dad "happy Birthday." When all was said and done, her hands and feet were covered in a beautiful mixture of color!

I have never been very vocal about how much I care about Ryan. He is such a hard worker and ensures that life for Brielle and me is very comfortable. He has such a drive and determination about him to succeed and he takes so much pride in everything he does. I am so proud to let others know that I am Ryan Foster's wife! I can't believe how much our relationship has grown since Brielle's birth. I always hoped the man I married would be a good dad, but good does not begin to describe the kind of father Ryan is. I don' t know many men who will stay up all night with there little girl when she is sick only to go to work at 5:30am; or change her diaper and make a bottle every morning so mom can stay in bed a little longer; or (my personal favorite) take his pride and joy out for a daddy-daughter ball game night while mom stays home and gets some much needed work done. Yep ladies, I caught a great one!!

Last weekend, one of Ryan's wholesalers put on a plumbing convention in Seattle. They flew us out, put us up in an awesome hotel, and took us out to an amazing dinner. We got the royal treatment! It was the first time I had ever spent a night away from Brielle and I missed her like crazy, but I loved having some alone time with Ryan. I love Brielle to death, but I have to admit sometimes it is hard to share him!

We spent a couple hours at the convention then set out with a group of six others to see a part of Seattle that many don't even know exists. We went on the underground tour of what was once the original Seattle. After a fire destroyed much of the main town area, they simply built over the top of the first floors of the buildings. It was so different than what I had expected!

Hard to explain what is pictured here, but we are standing under the existing sidewalks in downtown Seattle and you are looking at the original first floor of the building.

This toilet is one of the firsts and it's real name is 'the crapper' named after Thomas Crapper (I think). Ryan had to have a picture in front of an original 'crapper'. Um, plumbing thing, or guy thing?

I had to throw in a couple of pics of daddy and his little girl. A couple weeks ago we went down to Inkom with my family and Brielle experienced her first sled ride down the mountain.

Which one is enjoying the ball game more? Ryan and the crew we sit with always get the seats right on the floor and Brielle is Shelley's most enthusiastic cheer leader! These are special moments for Ryan when he gets to watch his baby girl get as excited about basketball as he is!!

Baby News!!

2009-02-20T10:53:00.000-08:00

This is my second post today, but I feel like this news deserves its very own. I'm pregnant! Okay, so I know that this news does not come as a surprise to many of you, but this is my official blog announcement. Yay! I'm a little over 16 weeks along (I think :) and how many times have I been to the doctor you ask? Once!! I am still debating as to whether I want to deliver at the hospital again with a doctor and a doula, or go to the birthing center in Rigby and use the mid-wives. One thing is for sure, I am freaking myself out because this pregnancy is going SOOO fast. I have a feeling it is a boy but only because I have been way more sick this time and getting fat way faster. Ryan thinks it is a boy because according to him I am mean this time. Sad! So what is it ladies, do boys really have these affects on us?

I finally got brave and chopped my hair again the other day. My hair seems to be the outward declaration of any big change in my life. I went lighter rather than doing my normal dark color and I am really happy with it! Ryan was all for me going boy short and bleaching it blond, but come month 8 my face will balloon up and I would rather not have any hair to hide it! I apologize for the awkward picture--there is a feeling of embarrassment turning the lens on only yourself ;)

February Hugh?

2009-02-20T10:28:00.000-08:00

Yep, I know Christmas is ancient news, but being that it was Brielle's FIRST CHRISTMAS I have to write a little blurb. Opening her presents was an event that was stretched across three days. Not because Santa brought a ton or anything, but she was content to open one or two and then had the time of her life exploring those. I felt too bad taking her things away and trying to divert her attention to something else. So we let her go at her own pace.

Since my last post in December (ugh, really not very good that this) Brielle is now crawling at the speed of light and walking along anything that can support her weight. Speaking of weight, my little chunk is around 21 lbs and we are reminded of this anytime someone picks her up. She doesn't look overweight, she is just a solid little girl. She is quite the gabber and I can't wait to understand all the exciting / funny things she is telling me all about. Her favorite word is "dadda" followed by "babba." And yes I am a little disappointed that "mamma" hasn't quite found its way into her vocabulary yet! She is proving to be a very talented entertainer. If she wants to be part of the conversations taking place around her, she just squishes up her face and does this adorable squeaky, fake laugh. That does the trick--immediately Brielle becomes the center of attention.

Not Just One . . . But Three!

2008-12-03T20:33:00.000-08:00

Our family is packing a little extra around the middle area these days. Thanksgiving began one week early with a glorious trip to the Oregon Coast. We spent the weekend at a HUGE beach house in Lincoln city celebrating the up-coming Holiday with Ryan's fam. Ryan, Brielle, and I got totally spoiled with the best room (or should I say suite) in the whole house--complete with a king size bed, jetted tub, personal TV, and Ocean view balcony. There are some awesome perks to having a baby and a wonderful Grandma who none-stop spoils!!

We are just taking off from the IF airport in this pic and Brielle was super fascinated with the quick changing view out her window.

Can you believe that she has been on 15 flights already?!

Our first night at the beach and Brielle is ready to get the party started!! SO this is the BEFORE picture . . . . . . . .

And this is the AFTER . . . . . . . . If you look closely her shirt says "Let's party in my room 2:00 am Bring your own bottle" A gift from Grandma Maureen picked up in Vegas.

Some football fun with Aunt Amy!

I was excited to introduce Brielle to the beach and the beautiful Ocean. I have always said I was born in the wrong state--I was supposed to grow up next to a warm beach. Maybe my dream of owning my own island will come true some day!

This is the view from our balcony. What a precious shot of the two of 'em hugh

We spent Thanksgiving day at my Grandma Bowman's house where we ate yet again of course.

After stuffing our faces we all went around and said what we are thankful for. I have to share with you what my Grandma Patterson said because I intend to make it into a bumper sticker and make my millions :) As she was expressing her love for my Grandpa she told us, "In all my years of marriage I've never considered divorce--murder maybe--but never divorce." My Grams should have been a stand up comedian. I would have paid good money to see her!

We caught Grandma eating hot chocolate from the package. This is her coaxing Grandpa into "just a bite." I missed the After pic of the face he pulled when he gave in--Oh it was PRICELESS!

A four-generation shot. Grandma Bowman, my mom, me, and my Bri-baby.

Our third and final Thanksgiving celebration was spent at Amber's home (Brielle's other home, or so she thinks). I am sad to say I only took a handful of pics there so I need to get better about breaking out my camera when we are with my family.

Thanks for some awesome Thanksgiving memories EVERYONE!!!

Why deprive you of these great ones!

2008-11-12T21:26:00.000-08:00

I was looking through some of my latest precious moments caught on camera and decided to share a few of my favs. And so for your enjoyment I give you the adorable, way-too-cute, little character we call Brielle Cynthia!!! (What an intro hugh?! I am watching the CMA awards while I blog--need I say more?

I was trying to prepare my lesson on Sunday and Brielle kept trying to punch the keys on my lap top. So my brilliant husband broke out our old one and let her go to town!

I laughed my butt off when I saw this pic!! It perfectly captures Brielle in her truest form--A LITTLE HAM!!

This is quite the innocent, can-do-no-wrong look. If she gets any better at it I am in real trouble!

"You mean pose like this mom?"

All dressed up for Church. This is actually her 12-month Christmas dress. But as all you mothers know their clothes NEVER fit when they are supposed to.

Real crawling action in the near future. She has mastered the rolling, rocking, and scooting. I tried to upload a video, but I think the clip was too long.

A Move In the Horizon

2008-11-12T20:36:00.000-08:00

Yep, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are literally hours away from being back in our home! For those of you who didn't know, we have been doing our "little" remodel job since January 1 of this year. We intended the project to take no longer than a couple of weeks. And eventually our deadline moved to my due date (April 7). Well my baby girl is now 7 and 1/2 months old and is a bit confused about her home and real family make-up! We have been living with my sister, her husband, and three fun children. As a result, Brielle is completely convinced that she is one of four children and call their 8,000 square foot home hers!! Uh-oh. Becoming an only child over night is going to be quite the shock for our little bug (and for me--I love all these built in baby sitters and constant entertainment!).

The pics you see here makeup our living area in the Jensen guest room. "Guest room" does not accurately describe what this room has provided for our small family the last 10 months. Um, lets see--master bedroom, nursery (take note of the pack-n-play Brielle STILL sleeps in!), office, study, storage room, and quiet hang out. Ya, I think that about covers it! Don't get me wrong--our living situation has been VERY comfortable. As I said before, 8000 square feet!!

Brielle-lee girl just adores her cousins. This is Tehya and Tanneyce--my great "little mommies." Not pictured is Treyce. He has a special way with Brielle--he just has to look at her and she laughs out loud!!

A HUGE thank you to the Amber, Jon, and kids for opening their home to us this year. We had some great times and now have some awesome memories!! WE LOVE YOU ALL

Still to come are the pics of our "NEW" old home. Stay tuned . . .

A Pumpkin Walk and an Adorable Lion

2008-11-02T21:49:00.000-08:00

On Friday Ryan took the afternoon off from work and met us in Shelley to go through the Pumpkin Walk. I was so impressed with all the fun, creative ideas that people had for all their pumkins scenes. One of my favorites was the Seseme Street one--cute, Hugh?! The Spider Man and bus cut-outs provided some adorable photo-ops!!

That night we dressed Brielle in her lion costume (curtesy of Cilla-Thanks!) and painted her face up. I wasn't thinking when I used thick, black halloween face paint and just as we were loading her in the car a very tired Brielle rubbed her eyes and nose and smeared the paint. So I washed it off and raced to the church for dinner and trunck-r-treat. I am half tempted to put her in her costume again tomorrow and take more pics becuase this one just doesn't do her justice. She was just yummy with her face all painted up!

A quick visit to Oregon

2008-11-02T21:02:00.001-08:00

We recently made a quick trip to Oregon on account of the passing of Ryan's grandpa. Initially Ryan flew out by himself with the intent of Brielle and me staying home. But after a couple of days, my mother-in-law (Grandma Maureen) called and wanted to fly us out as a surprise for Ryan. The surprise was a success!! We made it all the way from Idaho Falls to Woodburn, and were waiting at Maureen's house when a surprised Ryan walked through the door. He claimed that earlier in the day he had become suspicious when I wouldn't answer my phone, but then his hopes were dashed when I lied to him and told him I was getting Brielle's ears pierced and couldn't answer his call. My detailed story of the event distracted him enough to believe that we were still in Idaho when we were actually making the ride from the Portland airport to Grandma's house. Thanks for the fun Surprise Maureen!

A last minute item in daddy's suitcase as he packed for Oregon!

Mommy and Brielle-girl on our flight to Portland. She is such a little trooper when it comes to flying! Talk about a real people person; by the time we walk of the plane, Brielle has become very well acquainted with EVERYONE seated around us! What a ham!!

A family photo at the grave site.
Grandpa's funeral was a beautiful one! I learned what an incredible life Grandpa had led, experienced my first mass and then was honored when the family asked me to sing Amazing Grace at the grave site. I so wish I had a picture of Brielle with Grandpa to post, but we were disappointed when we discovered we never took a single pic of the two of them together.

I Will Spare You the Excuses . . .

2008-11-02T20:39:00.000-08:00

I will spare spare you the excuses because I have no great ones. I would tell you that I have been too busy, but we are all over-scheduled and stretched to our limits and yet you all still manage to post weekly (if not more). Way to be!! Sometimes I even avoid looking at your blogs because it only brings feelings of guilt--I have a problem, I know!:) So instead I will let you be my inspiration and consider this more of a family journal with the hope of printing it as a book. Perhaps with this intent in mind I will post more often. So we will give it another go . . .

Can't live without out it!!!!

2008-08-16T20:43:00.000-07:00

As a shower gift my sis-in-law- gave me a hand made 'minkee' to act as a comfort toy for my sweet baby girl. I had never seen anything like it and immediately fell in love with it. . . but I never knew how dependent I would become on in, or should I say how dependent Brielle would be on it. Our bedtime routine is never quite complete until I place this adorable little puppy in her arms. Instantly, her fingers go to work caressing and loving her soft friend. I'm sure each one of us can think back to a special something that we loved no matter how dirty, tattered, and disgusting it got. When I was small I had a handmade blanket that was for me what this minkee is for Brielle. I wish I knew where that blanket was because I would love to have it as a sweet childhood keepsake. My hope is that years down the road when Brielle has long outgrown the need for her minkee she will still treasure her little friend and cherish the memories that naturally attach themselves to such comfort toys.

To see some adorable minkees visit this link http://www.atouchofkami.blogspot.com/. Every little one needs one of these!!!

Below are a couple of my favorite pics of Brielle and her minkee. Sorry I tried and tried to get the first one flipped but alas still sideways.

A NOT SO HAPPY BRIELLE WITH HER FRIEND

WORK THE CAMERA SWEETHEART

WET AND WILD!!!

2008-08-08T23:19:00.001-07:00

Every year our ward holds a community party for everyone in the ward boundaries. It is always a huge hit! Great food, friends and fun!! This year the activities committee rented a gigantic blowup water slide for the KIDS. After the water fight (that the adults started :) we decided to give the water slide a try. I had no intentions of getting even a drop of water on me, but as the pics reveal the BIG KID in me came out. Luckily, I was not alone!!!

WE ARE ALL DRENCHED! This group of women kind of adopted me when I moved into the ward 4 years ago. I am so glad they did!!! What a kick in the pants they are!!

The guy on the slide is my brother-in-law, Jon. It is hard to see but I am actually standing at the top of the slide. We both agreed to take the plunge together (which was a much bigger deal for him because he was sporting his dressy work attire).

The sad saga of the night involves a little boy, a big water gun, and my precious Brielle--well, not all of her, just her face. I think you can put the parts together. She handled the first shot fine, but the second resulted in lots of tears and a very cute sad face. Sorry no pics!

THE LAKE, SOME PLANES, AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF "I DOs"

2008-08-02T19:45:00.000-07:00

I got my pictures back--Yea!!! And like I said, this summer has been a very busy and exciting one. I have tried to capture the gist of it in the photos below. SO here it goes. . .

We flew to Oregon for two weddings. First to Ryan's cousin's and then to his brother's. They were both absolutely beautiful!!

Ryan walking his mom down the isle at his brother's wedding

Ryan was the best man in his brother's wedding (Scott is far left and Ryan is standing next to him)

The minister wanted Ryan to pretend like he lost the rings just to make the whole ceremony a little more interesting and memorable. You make a gorgeous couple Scott and Amy! CONGRATS!

Daddy and his little girl lookin' pretty for the wedding.

Daddy and his little girl lookin' pretty for ANOTHER wedding ;) Don't tell me you can't see the resemblance in these two.

Ryan and his cousin Kelly at his wedding

Grandma and Grandpa Bill chillin' at the wedding

We have also been spending a lot of time in the camp trailer this summer. I have decided this is my favorite thing to do with my baby girl and my hubby.

Brielle is such a good sport! No bath tub in the camp trailer so she makes the best of the little kitchen sink instead. She loves being naked!!

Here we are hangin' out down at the beach at Bear Lake. We spent an entire week here doing nothing but playing beach volley ball, catching some sun, and eating junk food.

Despite my efforts Brielle still came home with a little sun kissed face. OOPS

This pic is out of order but we had to get one of Brielle going for her first plane ride to Oregon. This was a special moment for her daddy because flying planes is a love of his. Brielle has averaged one flight for every month-old she is (that means 4 plane rides ;)

Brielle's Famous Noise When She Is Getting MAD!

2008-08-02T17:56:00.000-07:00

This is Brielle's warning noise that she is about to get REALLY upset! I LOVE IT!! I am sure that most babies make noises like these but it is always WAY more cute when it is your own.

We are still here!

2008-07-27T22:03:00.000-07:00

Me and my girl enjoying the day outdoors.

I don't know how I caught this but I swear it looks like she is posing. How adorable is this pic! Sorry it is sideways!

Well , I have proved to be a poor blogger. Whenever I get a few minutes to update I get carried away blog hopping and then Brielle wakes up and needs my undivided attention. If you notice the time it is currently 11pm. These late night hours have become so precious as I am sure all you fellow mothers can agree. These last months have been busy and exciting for our small family. As a result, I have some fun events to blog about but all of my pictures are in the hands of another (long, scary story). I promise as soon as I have my pics back I will back track.

Brielle and I did have a fun relaxing afternoon yesterday (see pics above). I brought my camera along and got some mother-daughter photos. I felt a bit rediculous lying on the grass trying to get a decent pic of the two of us. It would be one thing if we were in our own secluded back yard, but it is quite another when you have people and cars passing by. We attempted to walk the green belt in Idaho Falls, but the bright sun got the best of Brielle so we parked under the shade of a big pine tree. I put her blanket on the grass and we laid down together. I can't remember the last time that I forgot all about time and my 'to do' lists the way I did yesterday! It was so great!! Brielle has never felt grass before--she was fascinated with the green prickly stuff.

I took her to the doctor last Monday. She now weighs 14lbs 5oz and she is 24.8 in long. She is in the 75th percentile for both height and weight. I am thrilled that she is growing so well, but so sad that she is doing it so fast. I have decided that I need more of those 'time-standing-still' moments so I don't miss out on these precious months. Definitely more time outdoors.

I am working on a daily routine for Brielle to help add more structure and predictability to both of our lives. I am more than ready to stop using the excuse that I have a newborn and start being more purposeful in my day. If any of you know some good resources (books or websites) that talk about infant routines PLEASE let me know.

Just a Few Fun Pics!!

2008-05-23T16:03:00.000-07:00

This is the pink container that Brielle was bathed in at the hospital when she was first born. I didn't have time to take her in the shower with me the other day so I broke out her tub for a quick bath. The expression on her face is priceless! I guess I am in complete denial about how big my bug is getting.

Sorry baby girl. I promise to retire the tub. But I will continue to stretch out your newborn onesies so I can still tell myself my baby is in newborns!

My girl friend Michelle taught me how to make these adorable bows -- this is my new favorite past time. The very talented Michelle made the yellow one Brielle is wearing. Thanks Shell!

Babies never seem to let a humerus moment go by without enjoying it. (I was making ridiculous faces and noises at her ;)

Showing off my beautiful big blues!

IT'S ONLY JUST BEGUN!

2008-05-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

Well is has taken me longer than I would like to admit, but I have finally learned to navigate this site well enough to put a blog together. It has actually been a lot of fun! HOPE YOU ENJOY!!!

BLESSING DAY

2008-05-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

We blessed baby Brie on May 4. She looked absolutely beautiful in her blessing dress that Grandma Patterson got her. Thanks grandma!

A weekend with Grandma, Uncle Scott & Aunt Amy

2008-05-16T09:24:00.000-07:00

On April 18, Grandma Maureen, Uncle Scott and Aunt Amy made the trip from Oregon to meet baby Brielle for the first time. It was such a great weekend!! Baby girl got spoiled with lots of gifts, love, and attention. Thanks you guys--we love you!

Proud Grandma holding her first grandchild for the first time!

Daddy lovin' his girl

Just a little one on one time with my grandma! And look, I am awake!!

Proud parents!

Time seems to stand still with her in my arms

How does it feel to have the new titles of Aunt and Uncle?

Feelin' a little lost without a baby in our arms!

Mother & Son; Father & Daughter; Grandma and Grandaughter

Grandma did a terrific job keeping baby Brie awake during the day so mom and dad could sleep at night

She looks great in your arms Scott! Any plans for the near future you two ;)?

Aunt Amy lovin' on the bug!

LIFE DOESN'T GET BETTER THAN THIS!

2008-05-16T08:50:00.000-07:00

I just decided to take advantage of a few photo ops while Brielle was playing on her activity center the other day. This is her favorite past time lately. Thanks for the great gift Scott and Amy!

SO PRECIOUS!

2008-05-15T10:20:00.000-07:00

Sleeping beauty! Unfortunately this picture was taken at 2:30 p.m. and not in the a.m. hours. Had it been the wee hours of the morning you would see a bright eyed little bug with a mischievous look on her face!