Lots of time has gone by since I posted! We welcomed baby Liam into our family on July 2013. He was born with a cleft so it was lots... ok TONS of work at first to get him fed. We still enjoyed every second snuggling and loving on him though! We made it through the initial surgeries and he is definitely getting his food intake now! He is 15 months old already! The time has flown by. Brynn and Gavin are still the best of friends and love their baby with all their hearts. We are so incredibly blessed!

Brynn is in 2nd grade! When did that happen? She is a rock star at everything she tries. She has been doing tumbling for 4 years now and can now do back flips, ariels, round-off back hand-springs... and does cartwheels everywhere she goes (instead of walking:)). She loves soccer and has gotten quite good! This was her third year and she scored lots of points and had tons of fun doing it. She is an AWESOME reader. She reads all of the time. She is an awesome singer! I told her she needs voice lessons because she was definitely blessed with an awesome voice. She said she will do that later but will NOT sing in front of people. :) Brynn is helpful, thoughtful, kind, full of energy, sassy, smart, and an incredibly great daughter and sister!


Gavin is in preschool and LOVES it. This was his first year in soccer and he was so funny. He was a lot younger than most of the kids so, even though he is really fast, he just couldn't keep up... and could care less. He would try to catch butterflies or floaty things in the air and jog up and down the field. LOL He had fun though! He is also in tumbling and absolutely loves it. He mostly does stretches and balance and somersaults into the "pit".  He loves to ride his "easy roller". He has learned all of his sounds to his letters and is trying to put them together to form words. Gavin is HILARIOUS! He giggles almost all day long. He loves his family and is very sweet, patient, and loves to play tricks on us. He is so gentle and gives the best hugs!


Liam is a walking/slobbering ball of love! He loves to eat! He enjoys being outside. He loves to play with his brother and sister. He has been a really good baby (as they all have). He is so so SO much fun to love on and that is what we all do!


This year we have grown a TON as a family and continue to learn each day how to meet each other's needs differently and in a more patient (still need work) way. We love being together, playing games, going on walks around the park, watching movies, eating yummy dinner together each night, going to all the college football games, and just snuggling up every night to read a good book. I can not even describe in words how much I love being "the mommy" of this awesome family of mine. I LOVE IT! We are incredibly blessed and so thankful for our loving Heavenly Father whom blesses us with small and tender mercies every single day.

Holidays 2012

We had such a fun time this Christmas! We spent a weekend in the country with Grandma & Grandpa Gibbles and my entire family. We had delicious food, fun games, snowmobile rides with sledding, and lots of good laughs. We love spending time with our family!

On Christmas Eve Brynn and I made Santa some cookies in the morning.The cousins spent the afternoon sledding and Daddy got off work early to take our kids. We spent Christmas Eve night at Grandma & Grandpa Mills and had the most delicious prime rib and Grandma made her famous cinnamon rolls. YUM! The kids watched movies and played and opened up their jammies. We came home and set out "Jumbo Kringle Cookies" for Santa and wrote him a note and the kids were off to dream land.

We spent Christmas morning at home. I woke up at 5:30 and figured since I was already up... everybody should be so I jumped on everyone's beds and yelled "SANTA CAME!" lol. I love the excitement in our children's eyes on Christmas morning. The kids came down to our Christmas tree on the main floor and opened their stockings by the fireplace while Daddy went down and lit a fire in the fireplace downstairs. We went down stairs and the kids were so much fun as they opened their gifts. They took their time with each present and we had a lot of fun playing and reading and just enjoying each other.

Brynn got McKenna! She has been begging for her all year and planning every detail of their lives together with each new American Girl Doll magazine she received in the mail. They are pretty cute together! They have the same color hair and eyes and they both do gymnastics!


Gavin got a new horse that he named "Horsie". The faster he rides him the faster the sound effects are and he LOVES that. He can also feed him a carrot and listen to him munching it. (Gavin also got these OBNOXIOUS teenage mutant ninja turtles that have sound and the longer you pull back their arms and legs.... the longer the sound effects last. I'm not quite sure what Santa was thinking on that one.)


Daddy made his delicious crepes with strawberries and chocolate and powdered sugar for breakfast on Christmas morning. We played all day and Grandma and Grandpa came by to see us. We all took a much needed nap that afternoon. When we woke up I made honey ham, cheesy potatoes and candied carrots. We set up our new TV and watched Brave with the new surround sound. It is definitely a much more fun experience and the kids were enthralled! I love my family with all of my heart and I'm grateful for these memories we get to make together~!

Before Christmas, we had a big snow storm and Daddy and the kids went out and built 5 snowmen/women/children! They had so much fun and our snow family turned out pretty cute!








Did you happen to notice the teeny tiny baby snowman in the picture on the left? We are expecting our third baby in July!!! YIPPEEE! I am pregnant! I never thought I'd say that, to be perfectly honest, but we couldn't be more shocked and excited! Brynn has been telling me for years to fix my belly and have more babies and we've told her that it doesn't quite work like that. We were perfectly happy with our daughter and our son and felt like our family was complete but God had other plans! We've had 2 ultrasounds and the baby is growing healthy and strong! We couldn't be more excited and it was super fun sharing the news with family over the holiday. We'll find out if it's a boy or girl in March so I will post more later.

We hope you all had a Merry Christmas and have a very joyous New Year! Love you!

Nightly readings of Christmas books!

Annual SLC trip!

The lights were AMAZING this year!

It was SUPER cold and the kids would rather be back swimming at the hotel ;)

Morning of Thanksgiving... I'm so thankful for my kids!

Cats and Mice

You know the saying... "While the cats are away the MICE SHALL PLAY!" That is what has been going on around here lately. While Matt and Brynnlie are gone... Gavin and Mommy PLAY!!! It has been SO MUCH FUN having time with just Gavin and I. We read books and The Friend, color, chase each other around the house, go to the park, snuggle, go shopping, and he helps me in the yard or clean up the house and make dinner. It is amazing what this 1 on 1 attention is doing! He seems be on an accelerated learning path. He is telling me all sorts of stories and saying words and sentences that I didn't even realize he knew. I am so absolutely in love with my little boy and I love spending quality time with him!
When we take out the camera and say, "SMILE GAVIN!" this is the face we get. LOL

THIS IS MY FAVORITE PICTURE! He is such a cutie and we LOVE watching him grow as his personality comes out! :)

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

Brynnlie's 5th Birthday

Brynnlie turned FIVE!!! I still can not believe it. Time flies way too fast! She told me that she wanted a strawberry shortcake birthday. She also said that she wanted her very own steak at sizzler and wanted to go miniature golfing. hahaha
 

I had to sneak in her room the night before and take a picture of her sleeping the last time as a 4 year old.... (crying)


She woke up to a vanity, stool, and mirror and was so excited that she got what she asked for. She can now put "make-up" and jewelry on 26 times a day. :) hahaha


She opened up a present every couple of hours all day so that she could take time to play with each item. She loved it!





Daddy got off work early and took us to Sizzler. Brynnlie loves Sizzler because of the salad bar. There is nothing she won't eat as far as vegetables go. She is the Vegetable Monster at our house. We didn't think she could eat an entire steak all by herself but she definitely did!

Afterward we went miniature golfing and we had a lot of fun! I actually beat Matthew by 2 points!!! (I still have the score card on the fridge to remind him. HAHA) Brynn really thinks she won the whole thing though. She actually did get a hole in one and we all jumped up and down and screamed. :)



 

We invited some family over for strawberry shortcake and Brynn opened a few more presents from her Grandma and Grandpa. She told us it was the best day ever!




We love you so much BrynnieBoo. You are incredibly smart, beautiful, funny, positive, brave, loving, compassionate, patient, and helpful. We can not imagine life without you. You are the light of each of our days. You are the greatest big sister in the world. You amaze your mommy and daddy every. single. day. You are SO VERY SPECIAL!!!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our Sweet Punkin Eater Baby Cakes!

Preschool Graduate

Our baby girl is finished with Preschool! I have to admit that I teared up a bit when I dropped her off for her last day of preschool this morning. Matt and I and Gavin came back to her school an hour later for graduation. She did a really great job with all of the songs, sign language, and stories.

I told her that she needs to stop growing up so fast and she said, "Mom, you knew when you had me, when I was a baby, that I would grow up!" hahaha. We are very proud of her. She is very excited for kindergarten. She and I went on a bike ride to her new school last night so she knows where she will be going in the fall. I can't believe that it's been 5 years since we were blessed with our beautiful daughter.  We love her with all of our hearts.

She is my best little girlfriend and we are very excited for this summer. Here is our list we made up this afternoon of our SUMMER ACTIVITIES.

o   Tumbling

o   Swimming lessons

o   Go on bike rides

o   Have a Tea Party with real food & Dolly, Harriott & Mommy

o   Princess Bubble Baths

o   Bake Cookies together (use sprinkles and icing)

o   Pop a big bowl of popcorn and watch a princess movie

o   Have a picnic

o   Go on a hike

o   Practice reading - Read books with Dolly

o   Pick out fabric and make matching skirts for Brynn & Dolly

o   Go to the library

o   Make Ice Cream Sundaes - Go get Ice cream

o   Write poems together

o   Play games on the computer

o   Start a journal and write in it every day

o   Do puzzles

o   Play a board game

o   Go up the canyon for a fire and smores

o   Complete the preschool-kindergarten workbooks

o   Make real juice popsicles

o   Make jewelry with beads

o   Sleep on the trampoline & watch the stars

o   Paint finger & toenails

o   Paint or Color pictures

o   Build a fort and read books with a flash light inside

o   Put the sprinkler under the tramp & jump

o   Fill pool in back yard and swim/slide

o   Have a friend over

o   Spend a couple of hours with Grandma

o   Go to the swim park

o   Play Hair Dresser with Mommy’s hair

o   Go Camping

o   Color With Side Walk Chalk

o   Go to the lake

Gavin's 2nd Birthday!

Gavin turned 2 today! He woke up to a bedroom full of balloons and Brynnlie and I sang Happy Birthday to him. He got out of bed and we danced around the room kicking the balloons up in the air. He giggled and immediately knew this was going to be a special day. I asked him how old he is and he put both of his pointer fingers up and said "TWO"! He ran into the kitchen and saw his birthday decorations and yelled, "BIRTHDAY!" (sounded more like BIR-DAY!) We took his new 4-wheeler off the table and he jumped on it and pushed all of the buttons and laughed.


We took Brynn to school and he sat in his chair and ate breakfast while I filled and iced his cake. (I made the layers last night and froze them so they'd be easier to ice... and it worked!) I kept singing happy birthday to him and after a few times he started singing happy birthday too. We picked Brynnlie up from school and ate lunch. Daddy came home early and we blew PURPLE bubbles outside (what a fun mess) and drew with his new side walk chalk all over the back porch.

You are a Cheeser Gavin!

This cake would win the Ugliest Cake Contest but it sure tasted Yummy!

Gavin and Daddy took a nap while Brynn went to her friends house to play and I went to get my hair cut. Gavin slept some more while daddy took Brynn to tumbling. After naps and tumbling we ate hamburgers at the park and played on the jungle gym and watched a soccer game. We came home and Gavin finished the dinner he didn't eat at the park. Every time he ate a bite he could get a sticker to stick on his face and arms. He loved that game. After dinner Grandma & Grandpa came over with a couple of aunts and uncles for presents and cake and ice cream. He LOVED his chocolate cake and ate the entire bowl! He played with his new toys while we talked. He got in his jammies and sat on Grandma's lap to read his favorite book "THE BIG RED TUB!" He laughed and laughed at all of her noises and expressions.

We washed his stinky feet and Matt and I took him in his room to go to bed. We said, "I LOVE YOU! and he said, "I WUV U!" We both kissed him on his cheeks at the same time and he smiled. We said a prayer as we held him between us and we thanked our Father in Heaven for this amazing miracle we have been blessed with. We could never have dreamed up this life of ours and how happy and blessed we are with our two beautiful children.

We LOVE YOU FOREVER & ALWAYS GAVIN! Happy 2nd Birthday! :)