Catching you up

I just learned how to put videos on my blog, so I guess I need to catch you all up on all the adorable videos we have of our wonderful girls! This first one is Katelyn's first dance recital from earlier this year. The class was mostly 3 year olds (Kate was the youngest one). You can tell it was their first time on stage. OH MY GOSH, it's hilarious. Some of them just stand there, one girl actually danced, and one girl starts to get naked. Us parents were all so proud. More to come!

Christmas (the abridged version)

We went to the Homer family Christmas party on Christmas Eve at my mom's church. We ate yummy food (including two of my favorite desserts: Maxine brownies and Grandma Homer's home made chocolate chip raisin cookies. Everyone knows not to leave me alone in a room with them!) Then the kids opened gifts.

Kate got an awesome Barbie with huge sparkly butterfly wings. We both love it.


Brookie loved her gifts, but loved chasing after my cousin's baby June even more. She kept giving her hugs. She is so sweet.


Katelyn was so fun Christmas morning. Brookie sleeps later than Kate does, so she got her own special time to open gifts. Katelyn loves singing to the Christmas tree. She makes up her own songs that are so cute and fun.


The girls got a Cinderella table that has two chairs. Brooklyn was so proud that she was sitting in a big girl chair next to sister! I wasn't completely happy with this picture, so I tried to take another one...


Uh-huh. I snapped the picture right as Brooklyn fell off the chair. I think this picture is hilarious. She's tough. She was upset for just a minute and then she wanted back up - that's my girl!


We had the Adams family Christmas party the day after Christmas this year. I got to hang out with my adorable newest nephew Matthew. He is so sweet! I'm all ready his favorite auntie...I can tell.

Jordan's here!

Jo and my girls...so cute!



Me and my "little" brother


Erin and Eric at the airport...they are so awesome!


All the kids waiting for Uncle Jo!

Are you guilty?

To all of you who bring your sick kids out and about, especially to special occasions and family gatherings: STOP THE FREAKING MADNESS! I promise that it will not hurt you to stay home with your sick kid and miss out on whatever it is the rest of us are doing! It does hurt my kids to get sick because you were too selfish and thoughtless to keep your germs at home. It does hurt when my husband gets sick and has to choose between working sick out in freezing temperatures, or cutting a chunk out of our only source of income to stay home and get better! Do I seriously have to start calling everyone before get togethers to ask, "Does anyone have a fever? Has anyone thrown up? Do you suspect that anyone in your family is getting sick? Has anyone been exposed to lice?" Now, I am a reasonable person. If your kid has no symptoms the night of a family gathering and then wakes up the next day puking their guts out, there's nothing you can do about that. You can't prevent ever taking germs around anyone if you don't know they're getting sick. However, if your kid has a fever, a runny nose (with the exception of allergies and teething), or a horrible hacking cough, KEEP THEM HOME! WE DON'T WANT THEIR GERMS, I DON'T WANT MY KIDS, MY HUSBAND, OR MYSELF TO GET SICK!!! For those of you who make the sacrifice and are considerate of others by keeping the nastiness to yourself: Thank you! I will continue to do the same, even if others choose not to offer the same respect.

Katelyn's 1st Haircut!!!

Katelyn had her first haircut yesterday at a salon in Layton. Jordan's beautiful friend Melissa did it for me...she does such a good job and is so sweet. And Katelyn loves her! I spent the day before the hair cut building it up...how cool the salon is, how fancy she would be in her own princess hair cutting chair and cape. By the time we got there, she was rearin' to go!

A couple before pictures:

When Katelyn first started getting hair, it kind of grew in the back/bottom first and the top eventually caught on. It was kind of mullet-ish when she was little, but as it grew out, it just looked layered!


As soon as Melissa started cutting, Katelyn got very still and serious. She wasn't upset, just concentrating REALLY hard.


I caught her yawning half way through


What a sweet face. Melissa washed Katelyn's hair after it was cut, which I was nervous for cause lately she freaks out when I wash her hair in the tub. She was perfectly fine for Melissa though. huh.


Another really intense concentration face.


Brookie was very good for the whole thing.


The finished product! Melissa asked Katelyn if she wanted her hair straight or curly. Of course she chose curly. This is Katelyn we're talking about. She spent the rest of the day telling everyone that would listen about her hair cut at the salon by Uncle Jo's friend Melissa.



Katelyn is such a beautiful girl and so much fun! I can't wait to do more fun girly things with her and Brookie as they get older.

Far Too Many Goodbyes

This last week, we were lucky enough to get to spend a lot of time with Steve's side of the family. Jeff and Denise arranged an awesome early Thanksgiving dinner and family photo session because, for the last time in who knows how long, we were all in the same place at the same time. Paul, Katie, and Lily came in for a visit from California where they are stationed because Paul is in the Navy. Travis was about to leave for the reserves, so we definitely needed to get together before everyone left. It was so nice to have everyone together. The next day was my nephew Matthew's blessing. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of that...Brooklyn and I had to miss out because she got sick. It was really cool though because Tiffany got to have all of her brothers in the circle to bless Matthew. What a neat miracle! Travis, Stacie, Kayla and Miles were up at our house the night before Travis left. It was so good to see him one more time before he left for boot camp. When it came time to leave, Steve and Paul gave Travis a blessing. It was so sad to say good bye to Travis, and I feel so bad for the family he's leaving behind! We also had to say good bye to Paul and Katie and Lily. I am so, so sad that they had to leave! I had such a great time getting to know Katie better and becoming friends with her. She is such a sweet and funny girl...I wish so bad we lived closer so we could hang out all the time! And then there's Lily. Oh. My. Goodness. That little girl is so amazingly sweet. I am so taken with her. It's always so much fun to have Paul around. He is freakin hilarious and such good friends with Steve. The only consolation I have about them moving is that they will be back for Christmas! I can't wait.



Travis, Steve, and Paul goofing off a few minutes before Travis had to leave.


Cute Katie and her beautiful Lily.


Paul and Steve freaking out about a football game. These two are hilarious.


Paul and Katie are so cute together. I am so glad they found each other and gave me my beautiful niece! lol


Brookie and Lily had so much fun playing together. They chased this balloon around for a while. It was so fun to watch them together!



These two cuties did a lot of kissing while they were together...it was so sweet. However, Brooklyn weighs about three times as much as Lily does, so poor Lily got knocked over a few times. She's just so dainty! Brooklyn, on the other hand, is the brute squad!


Such beautiful girls


Me and my sweet Lily. I couldn't get enough of her while they were here and I can't wait to see them again!

Kate's 3 Year Pictures