...and then we ATE ELMO...

Sunday was Brynlee's birthday. Can you believe she is already a year old? I sure am having a hard time believing. I think that this past year went super fast...which could be good or bad depending on how you look at it. She is our little sweetheart and we couldn't be more thankful for such a good girl!

We ended up celebrating her birthday on Monday, because of the Monsoon that we had on Sunday. We really wanted to have it outside since we were grilling kabobs. Plus, that is how I had it planned out in my head. It turned out really nice! Thanks to our family for coming and for being so nice to spoil Brynlee with gifts. She now has a different outfit to wear for each day this summer, and lots of fun toys to play with!

A nice Monday evening....very different from the night before!

These were pretty fun to make. Luckily Tyler's Mom had a bear mold that I used which made them a ton easier.

Dig in!

Want some????

Mmmmm.....Cake....



It's my party and I'll cry if I want to!....We pretty much reached her happiness limit by the end of the evening.

On Monday Brynlee also had her 1 year check up. She is 18.8 lbs, and 28.5 inches long, so we will be holding off on the front facing car seat for a little bit. Too bad for her because I'm pretty sure she would love it so much better. She also got her MMR, Hepatits, and Chicken pox shots, but no fever this time :) . I asked the doctor about her little tantrums when changing her diaper and she told me to just ignore her...and to make sure to emphasize the good things she does when she does them. You catch more bees with honey.

So, we are still not in our house like we had planned. Things are taking a little longer then we had expected. Hopefully within the next 3 or 4 weeks...hopefully.

Checklist:

_Soffit/Facia/Raingutters

_Garage floors

_Driveway (We're doing)

_Landscaping (We're doing)

_Taping on sheetrock

_Cabinets

_Painting (We're doing)

_Tile (We're doing...maybe)

_Carpet

_Finish work...moldings etc. (We're doing)

_And about 100 other little things (We're doing)

Do you think we can do this in 4 weeks??? We will see....

Here's a couple of pictures of the amazing brickwork! Tyler loved Augie Romero's work and his bid was right around everyone else's.

Take time to slow down!

Even if you are not religious I think that THIS is an article that can be appreciated.

President Hinckley recalled that his father “never ceased growing” because he made time for “thinking, meditating, and pondering.”

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin observed how easily we fill our lives with “appointments, meetings, and tasks” and then act frightened at the prospect of some quiet time. Why would that be? He feared that we might “feel that the busier we are, the more important we are—as though our busyness defines our worth.” On another occasion, he reminded us that “being busy is not necessarily being spiritual”—for in fact, noise and busyness can actually crowd out the still, small voice of the Spirit.

“When we put God first,” President Ezra Taft Benson promised, “all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives.” This is one reason President Spencer W. Kimball could say that “we will move faster if we hurry less.” Undistracted by other gods, we trust the Lord to help us allocate our time and talent to their very best uses each day. As a result, we do more good and we make real progress.

Life is SO busy! Sometimes it is so busy that we forget to appreciate and enjoy life. I am a partial failure at taking time to slow down. I want to work on this more and really enjoy everything that I am blessed with.

On Studio 5 this morning...(yes I watched studio 5 this morning)...they gave a summer parenting challenge part of that challenge included letting go of rigid expectations.

"Basically I am giving parents an excuse to relax; to have fun and enjoy their kids. I am allowing parents to "play hooky" from their regular schedule for 3 months, then to assess the aura in their home. Children who come from homes like this are happy. They have fewer illnesses.They are successful in school, successful in careers, and successful in relationships."

So, here's to a fun summer of 2010...They started on the insulation and sheetrock this morning, so hopefully we will be moving in within a few weeks :). Then we can relax and enjoy some fun times as a family.

ps This is more for my own benefit...I hope I'm not sounding preachy.