Hermana Brown

 

This is Haley.

She has been our favorite over-night babysitter & we ADORE her.

She's the one who got Caroline off her binkie habit when we went out of town. And I'm hoping she has time to potty-train her before she leaves! Haha!

Because Haley was called to serve a mission in Peru!!

She will be such a FABULOUS missionary, and we will miss her beautiful face.

 

 

Best wishes Hermana Brown!

 

We love you!!!

 

Sadies 2013

I volunteered to take pictures of Marlee's Sadies group.  Down by some railroad tracks in downtown Mesa.  Apparently it's against the law to be on railroad tracks, as we found out.  So we had to make it quick.

 

 

 

 

Here's Mars & her date, the studly neighbor & friend, Trevor.  They're being naughty and breaking the law. Criminals.

 

 

Some of her friends and their dates.

 

Love these girls!

 

 



cousin noah

 

This little muffin turned one.  So we had a little photoshoot.  And he was not a fan of the party hat. :)

 

 

 

 

Is he not the cutest little booger or what?!!

 

 

He looooves his blankie....

 

 

 

.....and Mommy.

 

Happy Birthday Noah!



My favorite 2-year-old

She loves her books.

She loves to dance.

She loves looking at herself in the mirror.

She loves stickers and markers.

She loves watching Peppa Pig.

She loves pretending she's a princess.

She says "sonch" for sandwich.

And "buffin" for muffin.

And asks me every day if she can go to school.

She plays with my jewelry.

She looooves swings and slides.

She ends up in bed with us most nights.

 

And I just can't get enough of her.

 

My little sunshine.



So ready.....

 

 

.....to bag the routine for awhile.

 

 

 

 

Because I swear, if I have to do the whole morning routine thing

 

ONE

 

 

MORE

 

 

TIME.......

 



 

Just

 

 

Get here already, Spring Break!

Marlee becomes an adult

My baby turned 18.

 

Crazy!!!

 

 



 

I made her a Reese's candybar cake & got her the first four seasons of Fringe, our latest obsession.

 

But what she wanted most for her birthday, was to go skydiving.

And somehow I ended up getting talked into doing it too!

 

 

It was insane! And we both want to do it again!

 

 

But on her actual birthday, she did this....

 

....on our way to Disneyland,

 

 

and had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory when we got there.

 

 

I try not to focus on the fact that she will be gone in a few short months. That the days of having all of my kids at home is coming to a close. Gone forever. Chapter closed. It's freaking me out!!!

 

Happy Birthday Mars!!

 

I'm SO proud of you & your many talents & accomplishments. You've set the bar high for your sibs & I'm glad. You are beautiful inside and out, and I'm going to miss you like crazy when you leave our nest. I love you!  Love, Mom

2012 Highlights and Lowlights

Let's start with the  Highlights:

 

 

Max gets contacts

 



Caroline finally grows enough hair for ponytails

 

We finally remodel the half-bath

 

Brian runs his first Ragnar & actually enjoyed himself

 

Brian loses 30 pounds

 

I realize my dream of seeing Monument Valley

 



Skiing in Telluride on St. Patrick's Day and making some new friends

Hiking in Zions

Going to see Brian Regan in St. George, and then running into him afterwards at Appleby's

 

Every day is a highlight with this girl

 

The Earth, Wind and Fire concert

Brian & I eat our way through Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee

I attend the JinkyArt workshop

 

 

Jake goes to his first EFY in Provo

 

 

The 4th of July at Coronado, of course

Marlee returns home to us parasite-free after spending 3 weeks doing humanitarian work in the Amazon jungles of Ecuador.

Sunday nights when The Walking Dead was on

When Jake was riding the bus home when Toro Camp was over

Haboobs

Brian becomes one of only three Board Certified Orthodontists in Mesa

 

Max moves on to Junior High

Max gets a cell phone

Jake moves on to High School

Jake plays in his first High School football game

I go on a girls beach trip with my mom & sisters

 

Marlee does a fabulous job in the Distinguished Young Women program/competition

Marlee is chosen as a National Merit Scholarship semi-finalist

We extend our attic storage space (life-changing)

Brian runs the St. George Marathon & manages to finish even though he pulls his hamstring at Mile 3

Our October Break Seattle trip with the older kids

Coming home to find that the babysitter had broken Caroline's binky habit

Finding some new additions to our Halloween collection

Thanksgiving with our Mason peeps

Brian's concert tour of a lifetime

 

Max's last day of A-hour

Watching Jake's face as he realizes his last Christmas gift is a trip to Japan with his Dad

Lighting up the neighborhood on New Years Eve

 

And now for.....

Biggest Disappointments of 2012:

Obama's win

 

My eyesight - I finally broke down & got a pair of cute reading glasses

 

My body in general

 

April Fools joke failure

 

Teenager chore participation

 

Pinewood Derby

 

shattered dreams

 



Marlee's Varsity volleyball coach

 

Lack of hot chicks at EFY

 

My garden

 

Our tooth fairy

 

I'm still in Scouts

 

Gus still can't get his urine stream IN the toilet

 

 

 

Most Annoying Pets of 2012:

 

 

Kitty - for reasons too many to mention

 

Turbo



His poops are huge & he does this...

 

to my garden

 

 

Cutest Things Caroline Does:

 

Rubs her silky blankie edges



Her careful coloring

 

 

Her drama queen faces

 

 

 

Kid with the most cavities in 2012:

 

Gus  -  9 cavities

 

 

 

Brian's 2012 Concert List:

 

Muse

 

Young The Giant (2)

 

The Cult

 

Death Cab For Cutie

 

Earth, Wind & Fire

 

OMD

 

Echo and The Bunnymen

 

China Crisis

 

The Cure

 

Roddy Frame (Aztec Camera)

 

Donny & Marie Osmond Christmas Show

 

 

 

Favorite TV Shows of 2012:

 

 

The Walking Dead

 

Downton Abbey

 

 

 

Favorite 2-year-old of 2012:

 

 





 Caroline!