9 months

My sweet sweet baby is growing up! I can't believe that she is already nine months. Time flies when you are having fun and that is exactly what we are doing:O)

There are so many things that we love about L
here is a few of our favorites.

1. you wake up so happy. There is lots of kicking and squealing.
2. You love your baths. Who ever is in the bathroom is as wet as you are!
3. You love food. if anyone has food you want some.
4. Once you decided to crawl you took off. Super cute!
5. We love your smile and your big blue eyes!
6. You are a tactile baby. You want to touch everyone. You really like to get your pincher fingers out and pinch the skin off our necks. We don't love this but we still LOVE you!
7. You are super cuddly. I love that you snuggle right up to my neck and sigh. Personally I love that:O)
8. You are a smart baby. You like to see me when we drive so you crank you head to the right and push the hood part of your car seat down so that you can see me. Then when I look back you smile at me. This makes my heart just melt!

We love you L! We feel blessed to have you as part of our family!

good friends good food and fun!!!

This passed weekend we meet our good friends the Nelson's in Ceder City. Maryellen's sister built a beautiful cabin and allowed us to use it for the weekend(Thanks Pete and Teri). We got up on Friday morning and hit the road. We set the kids up with Dramamine, movies, and treat bags:O) Josh had some work to do so I drove down while he listened to a conference call and did some reading for school. When we arrived the phones went off and the book went away and we had some much needed down time. Josh and I both feel very blessed to have such wonderful friends. Not very often do you find friends that both you and your spouse feel a connection to. We have been blessed with a few of these rarities and cherish these relationships. One of those relationships is with Boyd and Mare. We have been friends for about 12 years or so and we love them like family. It doesn't matter how long it has been since we have been together we always pick up where we left off. We love spending time with them and couldn't imagine our lives with out them.

This weekend was no different. We had a great time.
Miss Gabi brought her friend Mayrn who Mckena thinks is her new best friend:O) Downstairs in the family room there was a big screen. So that became the kids hang out. They played WII and watched movies .
Is this not a beautiful kitchen? This is where we spent the majority of our time:O) Boyd and Mare made some really great food. Boyd always spoils us by doing the majority of the cooking. I think we may have eaten a whole pig. (shh... don't tell my diet buddy)

Ella enjoyed herself too. Josh thought she should get to add a little extra to her diet also. The sucker was a huge hit.

The kids found a hill to sled on. They had a super time and only ran into 2 trees! Yikes!

Josh couldn't miss out so he joined in on the fun:O)

It was such a wonderful weekend it was sad to see it end.

Thanks Boyd and Mare for a wonderful weekend. We are so lucky to have you as friends. We have learned so much from the both of you. You have been such great examples to us. You inspire us to be better people. Our best times are sitting around the table with a sack of treats and deck of cards. We love you and look forward to many more times like these!

LOVER'S DAY AND THE DRAPER TEMPLE

Happy Lover's Day to the ones that I love!!!!

Even though we decided to NOT do anything for each other for lovers day Josh brought me home these beauties!!! Thanks babe:O)

Since we have had kids we have had a tradition to have a candle light dinner together as a family. This year was no different except I let the kids pick what we ate. Well I learned my lesson. We had PIZZA. Yep on the fine china with sparkling cider in the goblets. They thought it was wonderful.
Then today since the kids were out of school and Josh was home we went to the Draper Temple open house. We were all so excited.
To share this experience with all of our children was incredible. We talked about how important the temple is and that we feel so blessed to have the opportunity to be together as a family forever.
When we were driving to lunch we asked the little people what part was their favorite. Preston's was the sealing room, Abbie loved the baptismal font and the mirrors in the sealing room that you can see forever in, and Mckena loved the bus ride and the cookies at the end. Go figure! At four I guess this would be a highlight:O) It really was a special weekend and I loved that we were together as a family making memories that will last forever!

Bye Car Car

Aunt Car Car has been in UT from AZ helping take care of Pappy.

Since Pappy has been so sick had to have open heart surgery Car Car came up to help out. She has been at the hospital and staying with Pappy to help him get his IV antibiotics. So sweet of her and her man Spence to have her stay so long. She really has been a blessing. Since Car will be leaving we invited her and Grandma out for 'chalads and rice. Yummy (thanks for the recipe Sarah!) The kids had BIG plans for their time with Car Car!

After eating we had a quick game of Gassy Gus ( I LOVE Preston laughing in this picture!)

Then some yummy brownies Car made and a happy birthday song for Grandma Brown
Then a little recital

Although McKena is to young for piano lessons she didn't want to miss out so she pulled out the children's song book and played her heart out. Everyone was sweet enough to sing along.

Thanks for coming Car Car! We LOVE you and hope to see you again soon:O)

So my morning started out a little crazy and then just kept on going! I started out at 6:30 with a quick shower and hair do. Then on to the kids. Breakfast, practicing the piano, chores, blah, blah blah.... Then out the door at 8:55 to car pool and then to Provo with the girls for Abbie's Diabetes appt. After 2 hours of books, coloring pages, 2 blood sugar checks, snacks and pump adjustments we headed back to Lehi to drop Abbie off to school. I stopped by the house to pick up an extra snack for Abs and the fire/carbon monx. dector was just a blaring. So I looked around. No smoke or big fat flames, I don't smell anything so I reset the alarm and out the door I go. Drop Abbie off to school and was on my way to run errands when Mckena informs me that she is going to pee her pants. I run home and sure enough the alarm is going off again. I decided that I should probably stay home a figure out what is going on. I call the non-emergency number of the fire dept and ask if they will come and test carbon monoxide level in my house. They inform me that I need to call 911 first. Crap! Seriously? So I make the call hoping that they don't come racing down my quite little street with the sirens blaring. The dispatcher tells me to leave my house immediately and wait outside for the fire dept. Now for those of you who knows me very well know that I usually have my house nice and shiny by about 10 but since I had to leave at the butt crack of dawn it wasn't quite up to snuff. Thank heavens the kids did their chores before they left. Hopefully they wont notice the 2 baskets of laundry, the dishes in the sink and the toys on the floor. Lame I know! Since we have to wait outside I send Mckena to the neighbors house. Before she goes she tell me that if any of the firemen want to hold Ella they need to wash their hands so she doesn't get germs ( girl after my own heart!) After waiting in my car for 10 minutes the fire truck shows ( no lights and sirens..Phew) but he brings along the paramedics, the fire chief in his red suburban, and the police. So much for a discreet come and check out my house. They head inside and my sweet neighbors come running. They thought something had happened to Abbie. I assured them we were all fine. After the fireman checked the house they informed me that there was a higher level of co in my upstairs and that the gas company was on their way. Then asked me to step to the Ambulance to have my oxygen checked. Great! Don't worry though just at that moment one of my neighbors drives by a member of the bishopric drives by and the mailman. I ask myself when did this street get so busy? Don't worry though all is well with my oxygen and they tell me wait in my car for Questar. He shows up with his carbon tester and his plumber butt crack (nice) to check out my house. He checks out the heater, h2o heater, the vents, and the garage and gives my house a clean bill of health. He figures that when I started my car the fumes came in and set off the alarm. Then as he pulls his pants up, much like Mr. Roper on three's company, he tells me I am lucky the fire dept. didn't bust down my door and break out my windows. " they over react " he says. Needless to say I am hoping that tomorrow morning we are all still alive. If not these are the instructions: No organ music at my funeral, someone please come and shave my legs before they come to take my body, and feel free to sue the pants off of the butt crack showing questar employee:O)

hail to the Chief

Some job changes for the Brown clan! Josh was offered the chief of social work at the VA! The chief is retiring and they have asked Josh to fill that position. It is only for the next 6 months until they find someone who is willing to take the job permanently. Josh is excited, overwhelmed, shocked, etc..... It will be TONS of work but in the end will be a great experience for him. Josh has worked so hard for the veterans and on every assignment that he has been given that I know he will do a great job. He will be over all the social workers for the VA which is about 75 and all the programs that fall under the "social work" department. It really says a lot about Josh that they passed up individuals that have been working at the VA for 10 plus years and offered it to him. I know this will make our lives extra crazy but we feel blessed to have things working out so well. Thanks Josh for working so hard for our family. We are behind you 100% XoXXooOOxx

Pappy

As many of you know Josh dad (aka Pappy) has been hospitalized for the past 10 days. Pappy went to the hospital last Monday. After numerous test they found out that his has meningitis and staph. The staph went to his heart and caused enough problems that he was in heart failure. They did open heart surgery to replace a valve and repair a hole. For as sick as he has been I am in amazement that he is doing so well. We really appreciate all the well wishes and prayers on his behalf.

At times like these you can't help but be grateful for the blessings that we each have in our own lives. This is the second time that Pappy's life has been spared and that we have seen miracles performed and for that we are incredibly grateful. We love you Pappy and wish you a fast recovery!