First Day of School and TWO TEETH!

       Brynn started KINDERGARTEN! She has been so excited to go to "Elementary School". She could barely sleep the night before school started because she was so excited.
       When she was tested the week before school started her teacher jokingly said that she could just skip kinderten and go to 1st grade! lol She is super smart and Daddy has been helping her learn how to read every night before bed this summer. They called me later and told me that they are putting her in a class with some other kids her same level so that she can be challenged this year. She really loves her teacher  and loves having LOTS of friends.
        Matt and I volunteer in her class so that we can make sure we know what's going on. I do it twice a month and Matt goes once a month for 2 hours. Needless to say, it makes Brynn very happy! :) When we asked her what her favorite part of her first day of school was she said, "When my Mommy and Daddy both came and picked me up from school!" hahaha (Matt snuck away from work for 15

 minutes and surprised us both!)
       When I dropped her off the first day she went up to the other kids and asked them what their names were and told them her name. She asked them all if they'd like to play with her and it just melted my heart. We are so proud of her for being friendly and doing her best at school!

       When we were on vacation to go see "Alladin" at the Tuacahn Theatre Brynnlie ate a half bag of carrots and then said, "My teeth are bleeding!" I of course said, "Then stop eating carrots!" When we got back to our hotel and got ready to go swimming, I looked at her teeth and tried to wiggle them and they both just fell right over... ka-plop! I almost cried and Matt was upset because she's only 5! She started Kindergarten and lost her first 2 teeth and her mommy and daddy want her to STOP GROWING UP SO FAST! :) She was excited and put her teeth under her pillow when she got home. The tooth fairy gave her $2 and an OFFICIAL CERTIFICATE with REAL FAIRY DUST ON IT! She has told everybody they can look at her certificate but not to touch it because she wants to keep the REAL FAIRY DUST on it! HAHAHA

The World Of Color

Last Sunday my friend Amy and I decided spur-of-the-moment (just our style ;)) to take our girls to Disneyland for the week. We left Monday afternoon and spent the most amazing SUNNY week in California and we loved every minute of it! We lucked out and had weather between 75-80 degrees the entire week. It did mama's body good....











Brynn surprised me by being 42 inches and could ride most of the rides in the park (she liked Thunder Mountain and Maderhorn the best I think and didn't really like pirates). We really enjoyed The World of Color show our second night there - it was amazing! We also took the kids to Ariel's Grotto one morning to have breakfast with the princesses. Brynn was in complete awe and was so adorable to watch with the princesses. She went right in for the hug and had them sign her autograph book. She was a little disappointed that she never got to see Jazmin and Princess Tiana on this trip but we'll have to go back another time to make sure to catch up with them.




I can't tell you how wonderful this week has been. It was totally worth it to soak up some rays and see the light of day for a week. After Amy and I put the kids to bed each night we ordered fruit smoothies and sat out in the warm night air on our awesome patio and talked and ate sunflower seeds. We walked to the park each morning and you couldn't wipe the smile off my face as we walked along in short sleeves underneath the palm trees... ahhhhh. I told Matt at the end of the week that he may just have to come down and drag me back to the cold dark valley cause I couldn't force myself to do it ;). We made it home all safe even though it ended up being quite the journey! Brynn & I were so excited to see Daddy & Gavin.

We hit Sea World the last day of our trip and Brynn loved the dolphin/diving/dancing bird show the very best (the frozen lemonade & popcorn topped it off). It was a wonderful trip & we can't wait for our next Sunny trip the end of February. This time we get to go with Daddy and Gavin along for extra amounts of fun.


Thanks Amy, Tia, & Kendall for sharing this awesome adventure with us~!
And Thank You Auntie Ellie & Grandma Miller for watching Gavers while we played!

Gaver's Sealing

We had the opportunity to have Gavin sealed into our eternal family the weekend before Thanksgiving. It ended up being the first snow storm of the year and we are so grateful that our entire family trekked into Logan to share this AMAZING experience with us regardless. It was an emotional weekend and I'm so grateful to be a part of this gospel and to have our children sealed to us forever.

Brynnlie sings "I Love to See the Temple" quite a bit and she was excited to go into the temple with her brother. Both Grandmas helped get the kids dressed in the nursery and played with them as they waited. Brynn and Gavin were amazing during the sealing (the chandelier gets em every time). Afterward, when our family & friends came to give us a hug, Brynn REALLY hammed it up and was making us all laugh.

Some of our family left to get ready for the dinner but here is a pic of the rest of us.




We are so glad that Gavin's birthmom and her family could also share this special time with us. They have been incredibly gracious and kind through the entire adoption experience and we are eternally grateful for each of them. Rachael has a strength and courage about her that we look up to. It was fun having her & her oldest brother spend the night with us so that they could attend Gavin's blessing the next day.


The snow was coming down pretty hard but it was the perfect time of night to take pictures and we got some good ones! (a couple of the temple workers told us that we probably shouldn't take our kids out in the cold but we figured the adoption was final so we can freeze them all we want now. ;) hahaha)




It was such a magical evening & we will never forget it. We are so incredibly blessed!

Pre-School

We have gone back & forth over the past year whether we are going to send Brynn to pre-school this year or not. The Momma Bear in me (who is REALLY LOUD & can be EXTREMELY scary) has been saying, "keep her home FOREVER!!!" But when Momma Bear quieted down ;) & I really thought of our Brynnlie and how she likes a good challenge and LOVES productive activities and wants each day to be NEW & different.... I knew she would love to get out & away for 2 afternoons a week. We found the best preschool & last Thursday was her first day! Needless to say - She LOVED IT. She talked all the way home about all sorts of wonderful things & I was grateful she had fun.







I did find out though that I have GOT to keep Momma Bear busy or she's going to sit outside the classroom every week waiting for any sign of trouble.

note: Daddy Bear still thinks I should have kept her home this year. :)

Best Buddies

Matt & I are so grateful for our 2 beautiful children. We share so many fun times together as a family & even though it's hard to catch them all with the camera... here are a few from this summer so far.

Night time readings of Harry Potter


DISCO Bowling - Brynn got a better score than I did by the way... (my college bowling professor would be very disappointed... HAHAHA!)



Sleeping out on the tramp with daddy. Brynn woke up with an even tighter bond with her daddy... and daddy woke up with really bad allergies. :) I could hear them out the open window talking about clouds, stars and Harry Potter until very late in the night. It's fun for me to watch Daddy and his Baby Girl.



Day Trip to Bear Lake






And LOTS of swimming in our back-yard



These two are getting closer & closer also. When Gavin cries she picks him up and carefully walks him around in circles and he calms right down. I hope they will become the best of friends and always watch out for each other.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY B!

Our daughter has officially turned two and the saying could never be truer - "Time flies when you are having fun!". We have had a blast and taken special care to enjoy every single minute since our precious angel was born and yet the time has FLOWN by in a whirlwind of her girly giggles and silly wiggles (I am in a cheesy mood ;)). She has been such an incredible blessing in our lives! Not a day passes that we don't thank our Heavenly Father for her and for our amazing birth mother who had incredible strength and faith by placing her in our arms. She is truly the light of each of my days and I know I can say the same for her daddy.





We threw two parties the day before her birthday, one for friends and one for family. We had a blast and thank you to all of you who came! Then we spent her birthday doing some of her favorite things - icecream, park with BIG slides and swings, jumping on grandma and grandpa's trampoline, long walk, sidewalk chalk, chicken and fries, "moo-moo doggy" (Bolt), bubble machine on the back porch, fo-feeding her stuffed animals Flopsy and Sully, dancing to music in her bedroom, and then of course ended the day with tons of snuggles and book reading in bed. It was an awesome day! I am so grateful for the opportunity Matt and I have to be the parents of our amazing little 2-year old. Happy Birthday B! We love you forever and always!