Pink for the Princess...It's about turning 4 and being a girl!

Presents.  Birthday.  Cake.  Party.

Pure Excitment!

Makenzy's 4th Birthday!

Mom's Tree at the Utah Festival of Trees

Family Pictures

-2010-

-2011-

Almost 1 year ago, Becca Kidd was taking our family pictures in 18 degree weather.

It snowed.

School was cancelled.

The U-Dub was pretty much shut down too.

Randy was home from work.

So we decided since we were all home might as well do family pictures.

She was so great to accommodate.

20 minutes later we were done.

This year, we did it when the sun was shining.

So much better.

It was hard to coordinate our times, so it was mid-afternoon.

This was a fun shot, but the lighting was better under the trees.

Now, we have so many choices for the Christmas card.

Thank You Becca! 

You always have done such a great job for our family and always at the deeply discounted friend rate.  THANK YOU!

Pack 'Em Up...Head 'Em Out

 So this was a big part of our summer this year. 

MOVING! 

 Old house (above) to new house (below).

Kindergarten Music Concert

The cuteness factor of school choir events is magnified when you are only 6 or 7.  Cayleb and his freined Gabe, who was at our house ealrier, eagerly gave me a pre-concert concert replete with actions and funny faces that I video recorded.  They were both pretty excited to sing!

Happy Thoughts

Happy Birthday Dad!

Unless you know my dad pretty well, he pretty much comes across as the European raised stoic that he often is.
But once you break through that European professional demeanor, he is so much more. 

Super funny, car crazy, great rifle aim, super strong (yeah, even won an award) strong, totally honest, respectful, ultimate provider, deep testimony, genealogist, and a realist that believes in ugly babies but cute grand kids as long as they are not ultra-liberal ones ;)

I think I know my dad pretty well.  However, a few months ago I learned of a touching story that happened 34 years ago that unveils up the type of guy my dad is under his tough exterior.  Read below to find out the type of guy my dad is.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HUkOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JX8DAAAAIBAJ&dq=brusik&pg=2504%2C2106982

This is so sweet! 

 I've been an elephant fan since "Dumbo."

It would have been so spectacular to get a picture like that of my own kids in the womb.

Can they even do that, safely?

That would absolutely blow away ultrasounds!

Baby elephant in the womb as taken from the book In the Womb by Michael Sims

Ultimate Frisbee Husky Stadium

 Annually voted the most scenic football structure.

Ultimate frisbee

Hot dogs

Lemonade

Nachos

Bro. White

Bro. Knowles

No Rain

Absolutely great activity!

Maybe this little guy will play here, officially that is, one day!

It is Raining.....

If we don't hit 70 degrees between now and May 23, we will set the all-time record for longest wait for the first 70 degree day of the year. Sound familiar? It should. Last year, Seattle didn't make it to 75 degrees until June 23. That was the longest wait ever for the first 75 degree day. You could make a strong argument that the past two springs have been two of the coolest ever in Western Washington.

Today will be no exception.

Today is May 11.  Kids headed out the door wearing hooded jackets.  Ahh, more rain!

Randy's Fabulous Forty!

Randy turned 40!

April 12 that is.

And let me tell you, it looks good on him.  If this is mid-life, it looks great!

So I thought, if he is going to be "over the hill" we should head over the hill , mountain pass to a secret location.

Well for Randy it was. Secret.

The kids and I surprised him with a trip to Lake Chelan.  A pristine, glacier fed lake. Dark evergreens and vineyards cover the mountainside. We have been wanting to go for some time and his birthday was a great chance to just do it. Already, we can't wait to go back!

We stayed at the Grandview on the Lake, http://www.grandviewonthelake.com/
It literally was a grand view on the lake!

 Showing us at 40 he can still do front and back flips off the rock slide.  Such a show off!

 Makayla helped blow out the "candles"....oops forgot those!

Even helped clean up.....on his b-day trip!

When we got home, he had work the following day. However, while he was at work, the kids and I set up for a pre-planned get together with some friends and neighbors.  I casually had told him a few people might stop by.  He didn't want some big surprise party but 40 is a big deal.  Partying with the family is all good but sometimes it is nice to have just a party for you.  Aren't adults just older kids? 

He knew we were doing something, but not quite.  This is a theme than seems to run through our marriage.  I am up to something, he knows it, but not quite sure what "it" is. 

The kids helped revamp the signs, which actually were some his mom had made.  So in a small way, it was like Bon had helped decorate for her son's party. 

We sent him off to get a massage at Massage Envy.  Told the guy, deep tissue massage, this guy is a runner.  Later he called me from Costco.  What?  We were waiting for him at home with guests arriving and he thought he would stop by to grab some items and wanted to know what I needed.  Uhhh, trying not to sound too frantic I told him to head on home since we were hungry and wanted to eat.  Thankfully he got home just as his first guests arrived to the open house. 

Birthday well wishers came all night long!  He was really surprised that our few guests were an entire household and then some!  Thank you to everyone that made his birthday so memorable! 

One of my birthday gifts to him was a book I made about his Boston Marathon run.  It was nice, but with one typo.....argh!  But I was so touched by the video Makayla made for him.  We periodically played it throughout the evening.  See it here - http://animoto.com/play/SZpCm0FZU65fB6BZDYL6ZA

Note to self, have someone else take the pictures. 

I got so busy gabbing, I missed taking pics of a lot of our friends.

Happy Birthday Randog!

You Own 40!!! 

Happy Birthday Makayla!!!

I think it is funny when I come across a family blog and the

blogger, usually the mom, has a darling picture of her child and asks,

"Don't you think she is pretty?" or "Isn't she pretty?"

I think it is a little odd that there needs to be some outside affirmation that your child is beautiful.

Well I am not asking.

And if you know me,

you know I probably don't really care what you may think

(at least on this matter) anyhow.

I know my daughter is beautiful.

Inside and Out.

And birthdays always give me focus time to think that day, of the child, mostly all day long.

And I've bee thinking.

Yes, I have been blessed.

No, the teenage years haven't been too bad.

Just because she is "teen" she doesn't have to speak "teen" or act "teen."

She is self-motivated.

Clean freak!  So helpful when it comes time to clean the truck.

Amazing student.  Almost all her projects are confiscated as "examples of excellent work."

Spiritual.  She reads her scriptures without prompting. 

Works on her Personal Progress without nudging.

Perfect? No. That too would be weird.

She is a kid. 

14. 

 Learning to deal with 4 siblings,

And 2 parents that sometimes "bug" her. 

Only 4 years left.

Oh, it is so true.

They grow up so fast!

Love, Love, Love You!

Happy Birthday

 

At this age it isn't really a birthday party anymore.
More hanging out with friends.
So she had a few friends over for dinner, a photo shoot, and goofing off.
And girls love pictures.
So my friend, Becca, came and took pictures of the girls.
Which absolutely was the best part of the night!

 They all posed so natural...in the cold!

See more pics here: http://www.kiddphotography.blogspot.com/

Installing Spring

INSTALLING SPRING...
███████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 44% DONE.
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Yup, that sums it up.  Coldest April on record!!!