Snow!!!

We got some good sticky snow this week. So we headed outside to make our annual Snowman Family.

Brooke loves to look out the window but on this day it was not good enough. She wanted to be apart of the action.

Brindi doing her part.

Our snowman family minus dad. Brindi insisted that the one they are standing next to was Frosty and if dad wanted to be apart of the family we needed to make another snowman for him!

Tired of Playing Princess

As soon as Brindi wakes up she quickly changes into one of her many princess dresses and it seems from that point until she goes to bed that she is no longer Brin but either Snow White, Cinderella, Rapunzel, or her favorite princess Sleeping Beauty. We have started to miss our little goes as the princess constantly tells us she is not Brindi. Not to mention we are no longer Daddy or Mommy but the fairy God mother, Prince Phillip or Eric, the evil step mother, the good mother etc. It seems every day after work there is a wedding followed by a dance. However, on this particular day our Brindi returned as she came and said "daddy I am tired" and snuggled up to take a nap. We love our imaginative little girl but it sure does tire her out.

Bed Fun

Having some fun on the bed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukqGP2pBP0c

1 Year Stats...

We went to the doctor last week for Brooke's 1st year check up
Brooke...

Weighs....18lbs 7 oz (11%)

Is.....27 3/4 in. long (12%)

Has a head circumference of.... 44cm (19%)

Joe and I have both admitted we haven't written as much about Brooke, but that doesn't mean we love her any less. She is so much fun! She loves to laugh and loves to chase people around the house. She loves to give Brindi loves(hugs) and always wants to be included. She loves oatmeal with applesauce and cinnamon in it and can put it down like a heavy weight! She can say "mama", "dada", and will growl if you show her a tiger or lion in a book.

Brooke's 1st B-Day

Our little Brooke is ONE!!! We were just going to spend the day at home for her Birthday, but lucky for us Emily called the night before and asked us if we wanted to come over for dinner. I told her we would love to, if they didn't mind if we brought birthday cake for Brooke. So thanks to Emily and Kalvin Brooke got to celebrate her birthday with more than just Joe, Brindi, and I.
Brooke loves animals and gets so excited when she sees them so we made her a puppy dog cake. She loved the frosting and didn't really care for the cake. She was hilarious to watch. We were hoping she would dig her hands in it, but she instead just stuck her face in it and licked all the frosting off.
Brindi was a good little helper opening the presents. She had Brooke's opened from Grandma and Grandpa and Grammy and GrandDad before I had time to tell her no! She knew for sure some of those were for her and lucky for her she was right! We had to keep telling her to let Brooke try. Brooke and Brindi had so much fun playing with her new toys and books. Thanks everyone for the cards and gifts! Thanks for always remember, it means a lot especially because I never do!!!

Sunbeam

Brindi is a Sunbeam. She has been wanting to go up with the kids when they sing in church and I told her when she became a Sunbeam she would get it. So she was excited to leave nursery and go to Sunbeams. I have to admit I have gone in every week to check on her and she how she is doing. I just don't want her to grow up!
One week they were coming out to go to class and she was walking down the hall holding Kole's hand. It was so cute! The bishop walked out after then and asked if we had seen them. We all had a good laugh. Apparently Kole has decided that he is going to marry Brindi in the temple and Brindi is quite excited about the idea too! Kole is one of her favorite people to play with, which makes me and Emily laugh because he is all about superman and spiderman and Brin is all about dresses and princesses. I guess they've got it figured out...he's the knight in shining armor ready to take on the world and she is the princess patiently waiting!
Seriously though, Brindi we love you so much! I can't believe you are getting so big and wish the days would slow down, because I feel like we are racing through each moment way too fast.

1st and LAST....

Brin loves scissors....I know you all know where this story is going,but here is how it happened. About 3 weeks ago we were at the library for story time and there was a little girl probably about 4 with the worst haircut I have EVER seen in my life, I mean she had pieces that were no longer than a half an inch long. It was awful. I of course was thinking, "man am I glad Brindi hasn't done that", well not even a week later that is what our little girl did. I thought I had effectively scolded her about cutting hair.Since she had tried her hair cutting skills on both her Rapunzel baby and Rapunzel barbie, but apparently not. The funniest part about the whole thing is I didn't even notice she had done it (I am not observant at all...just ask Joe:)), until I went into the bathroom and saw the hair in the trash (such a stinker!). She would not answer me or look me in the eye when I asked her about it. After HOPEFULLY enough scolding Joe couldn't resist taking a few pictures. LUCKY for us, she did a pretty good job(not that I would EVER tell her that), and it really just looks like her mom did a bad job at cutting some bangs...and I HATE blunt cut bangs go figure!

Christmas 2011

Each Christmas just seem to get better and better as Brindi and Brooke get old, well actually in Brooke's case it's her 1st Christmas, but she is still fun :).We decorated the tree the day after Thanksgiving, but we never posted pictures so here are a couple of those...Joe broke down and let me get a real Blue Spruce this year, mostly because I threw out the half working fake one last summer so he didn't have much of a choice, but he even put up with the pokey needles just for me! Thanks, Love!

We spent Christmas Eve baking and getting ready for Santa to come. Brindi and I made cookies for Santa and Dr. Knotts while Brooke took a nap and Joe worked on the basement (hehe).Brindi was in her pajamas at 5:00 and was convinced it was time to go to bed so that Santa could come. She kept telling us to come read her Scriptures and stories, say prayers and sings songs because she needed to go to bed. We got a laugh out of that and the fact that the next morning when I went to check on her @ 7:30 am she was sitting on her bed reading books! She had forgotten that Santa came all together! She was so funny after we told her he came...hopefully by next year she'll have caught on that Santa comes on Christmas Eve and leaves you presents to open on Christmas day. We watched the little 5 minute Nativity video they have on lds.org and then Joe read the First Christmas Story while Brin, Brooke, and I acted it out with our little nativity set. Then it was time for Christmas Eve jammmies and off to bed. Christmas day was great! We were very spoiled or loved. Brin got a Rapunzel baby and dress and Brooke got a lulaby baby.The first thing Brooke did was give her baby a good hug or loves as we call it. Brindi had us reading her book she got from Grandma and Grandpa within 5 minutes of opening it and Brooke has learned to growl at the tiger in the book they got her(which is quite funny). After church Brin convinced Joe to set up the trampoline we got as a family gift from Grammy and Poppop...we are so glad it was a nice warm day! Brin and even Brooke couldn't get enough of the tramp and Brindi thought it would be fun to sleep on it and was sad when we had to come inside. For me the best part was having Joe home for a few days. I always hate when January is over just for the fact that he has to go back to work. The girls adore him and have a hard time when he starts going to work everyday again. These are random pictures from the month of December...in no particular order, sorry!

Brindi and Brooke on Christmas morning...waiting to see what Santa brought

Brooke helping play Christmas songs on Christmas Eve

Brin and Dad playing around Christmas Eve

Brindi and the Donkey at "Journey to Bethlehem"

Brooke and Brin Christmas Eve

Brin helping w/ Christmas goodies

Brindi's very own Nativity scene (pine needles and all)

Brin and the Christmas tree

Brooke doesn't seem too into decorating....

Brindi being a great helper

Brooke, Brin, and Mom with their new PJs

Daddy, Brooke, and Brin Christmas Eve

Getting Old

Celeste took good care of me as I continue on the path of growing not so much up but out. Another year and another belt loop or two. My day started off great with my hot cereal breakfast, opening presents, going to a movie, eating at five guys, having my homemade fruit pie (I am not a fan of cake), and homemade whipped cream, playing with the kids, and ending the night watching Christmas Vacation while eating a little bit of Bandana's BBQ. All in all it was a great day spent with my thoughtful wife and fun kids.

Fall Leaves