Cowgirl Night

Emily's school had a 'special gal' night at school where each girl in school got to bring a girl grown-up with them for a fun night. We got dressed up in jeans, bandannas, hats and braids and had a great time. First we tried line dancing. The caller was really good and we tried our best. My brain was honestly having a hard time keeping up and although I was doing pretty good, my brain was tired when we done. Emily said it was boring dancing. Then we went and colored bandannas- Emily drew a horse on hers. Then we made bead bracelets and had popsicles. Fun night.

Hanks

Cam holding Aaron, Steph & Jam and Melody, Elasha & Matt and their 4 kids (one is hiding in the bottom left corner), Spencer and Bryan and Maegan and girls all looking good

Halloween

Halloween 2009 was absolutely great!
Ashley was a Butterfly Princess, Emily a black cat, Aaron a pumpkin and Bryan his pumpkin patch, and I was a pirate. Too bad we only got a movie of me because I was looking good- with a black beard and everything.

We carved all our pumpkins Halloween morning- Bryan of course gets out the power tools (the drill) to make his. Emily loved designing and naming her pumpkins (Jake was the little one and Punky the big one), and Ashley refused the carving but chose the permanent marker route for her 2 pumpkins (Jeni and Sarah) and loved it!

Trick-or-treating lastest all of us for an hour and then Aaron had enough so we all went home. I fed Aaron and then left the two men home and I took the girls out again.

We're rockin!

We are building a new recording studio in our basement. Part of this endeavor includes our new 8 piece drum kit. Party here we come!

More autumn fun

Emily had 'Backwards Day' at school for Red Ribbon Week (Drug & Alcohol Free Awareness). Ashley also wanted to dress backwards and then they got Bryan to switch his shirt backwards too. Then Emily pointed out that if Aaron and I wanted to be drug free, we needed to switch our clothes backwards too. So we all had backwards clothes day to support being drug free!

For my 29th birthday I had many days of celebrating. On Thursday the 15th I went to lunch with Spokane friends to the Cheesecake Factory. Yummy! Friday the 16th Bryan surprised me with flying my friend Jana in and the following 2 days were play days with her. Wednesday the 21st my neighborhood girlfriends took me out for treats. We ate at Village Inn and ordered breakfast for dinner and all got free pie. Yummy!

Thursday the 22nd (my actual birthday) I had a very relaxing nice day. It started with breakfast in bed of chocolate milk, cinnamon rolls and eggs. Yum! I got lots of phone calls and emails from friends. We ordered pizza for dinner and frosted cookies for treats. Emily made me a new purple necklace MOW (upside down M). I love it!

Friday Bryan took me out to The Roof restaurant- very fancy downtown place right across from the SLC temple. The buffet night went like this- salad, dessert, entrees, dessert, walk around, rolls, more dessert. They are known for their amazing selections of beautiful and extremely delicious desserts and we didn't want to miss out. Their pianist was also fantastic!

Then I thought I was so celebrated, Bryan surprised me again and flew my sister out for the weekend. I kind of thought she was coming, but then tricked myself into thinking she wasn't and so even when Bryan "took several wrong turns" and then "had to use the bathroom at the airport," I was still TOTALLY surprised when my sister Carlie walked out with him. We played Boggle that night and found out that even though we haven't hung out as friends too much since she is 8 years younger than I, we totally think alike. She and I went shopping Saturday at Platos Closet, followed by lunch at Olive Garden and then a day at the SPA. Yes my husband planned that too. We got a 1/2 hr massage, followed by an hour facial. Can your body really enjoy having your face rubbed for hour? oh YES! Loved it. Bryan and I went out later for some vietnamese food. Oh man- what a celebration. I already have planned for next year when I hit the big 30 I am getting lasik eye surjery so it will be a celebration then too!

While I was at the spa, Bryan went outside to ride bikes with the kids. Emily announced that today will be the day that I take off my training wheels. From our standpoint as parents, that day was years away. She is not super observant while steering, doesn't have great balance, and really doesn't bike that much. But she was insistant- "dad take my training wheels off!" Bryan had her borrow the next door neighbor's bike and helped her try it for a while but really didn't get anywhere. Bryan gave up trying while she headed off to do it herself. Two minutes later she was doing it- like biking all by herself with no help getting started or anything. The girl put her mind to it and did it! Bryan took off her training wheels and she biked around all that day, happy as could be! Emily and Bryan had a very special biking date the next day on a trail and she went 3 miles.

We are family!

We took these on Sunday afternoon at Mueller State Park. It was a gorgeous day and the best (easiest) family photos ever. Loved it! The perfect autumn day.

It's my birthday~for a week?

So if anyone rocks at celebrating my birthday, it is my sweet husband. Thanks to diligent training by his mother for years, the man knows how to give good gifts. Like the one you really wanted but forgot that you wanted until you get it? I don't know why I am surprised every time it happens, but I sure am. And not to disappoint here he is again this year...

Friday night I come home late from church craft night (which sounds terribly boring by the title but was actually kind of fun in a I-am-not-crafty-but-this-project-is-easy-so-yeah-me! kind of fun). When I walk in, Bryan rushes out the door with, "I am going to get a movie" and I finish putting the 3 kidlets to bed. In walks Bryan 40 minutes later with a very funny look on his face and then following him in was my old college roommate Jana Petersen! AHHH- TOTAL SURPRISE!!

Jana and I met our first term at BYU, were roommates for a year and another semester. She is my dear friend who I love and we got to play all weekend! Some fun memories of Jana include: dressing up as paper-airplane winners for Halloween (including a routine and medals), creating our own game show "The J Show," inventing songs, Big Booty game, etc- the best and cheesiest kind of good fun. The kind that drive a dear husband insane, but he is the best and invited her from her home in Vegas to play while he babysat the kids.

Saturday Jana and I went shopping at the Gateway mall and got manicures and I got my hair cut and colored. It's chocolate hair with fire- I wanted red and I got it!

We ate lunch with another college friend and then shopped with Aaron for 5 hours. It only felt long but not as long as it really was as we laughed at each other trying on funny jewelry and posing like mannequins. We tried to find a long skirt (they're not in season as we found out 10 stores later), but I ended up with several outfits including new shoes and I am a happy lady.

That night we looked at old pictures and looked found friends online and laughed all night long. Thank you Bryan!

What is catching my curiosity is that I have plans next Friday and Saturday too- What is Bryan up to??? Happy 29th to me!