New blogging App

So I'm trying out a new blogging app so that I can blog from my iPad. I make no promises that it will actually happen or that the app will work, but we can hope! So I'm sorry for the previous post and upcoming posts. I'm just testing it out!

Here is a picture for your viewing pleasure.

Maddie and Raquel

Here are a couple of pictures of Maddie and Raquel with their matching outfits in Temecula.

The Snow Day

Well, I decided to turn my computer on for 5 minutes to prove that we really are still alive (why open the computer when you can do everything from your iPad?)! Today Brian came home from school for 3 hours to play in the snow. Luckily I brought the camera to document the adventure.


Ten minutes later I haven't been able to get any of the pictures from my camera to upload...

soooooo....if you'd like to see photos, you'll have to visit us and look at them on the camera!! But, who will need a camera when you'll be seeing us in person!! YEA!!! You'll just have to trust me that the kids are adorable and we're all healthy (Zachary Brian born June 29th and the sweetest almost 8 month old you'll ever meet!).

Sorry for the fake out! I will try to post again before 9 more months have gone by and hopefully there will be photos in that one!

Love you!!

5 years ago...

Before there was this

or even this

there was this

with them.

Its hard to believe that five years ago I was in the MTC meeting these beautiful girls! We spent the next 18 months working SUPER hard and playing hard as well! They and others quickly became some of my dearest friends! So, here by popular demand are a few video clips of our time together! :) Keep in mind that all of the clips are of us playing...I'm sure it was not appropriate to film us working in the visitors' centers.

We occasionally found a little time at night to dance. I'd just like to know what Buck, Round, and Hacker are talking about in the back because Buck keeps touching Hacker's hair.

We also made time for wrestling (also known as letting South beat up whomever she was up against).

This one is probably one of my favorites!

Finally, the sisters also made moving interesting! I love TyChico in this video.

Here are a few other random pictures that I hope you'll enjoy!

My second summer back, my trainer came to visit with the man she would later marry. I love this girl!!

I can't believe how young we all look in these pictures! I think we were squishing Round!

Occasionally my camera would disappear and I would later find little gems on it like this one!

Greeting at Rendezvous!

Doing the Nauvoo hoedown!

Meeting Julie Beck at Rendezvous!

Did I mention that I also learned how to drive a horse and buggy as a missionary?!

This was the only picture I could find with everyone from my second summer. Unfortunately I can't find ANY from my first summer.

Joel came to visit when he got home from Brazil! It was such a great surprise!

Finally, the beautiful temple that I would fall asleep looking at through the window of my bedroom.

Now, it looks like all I did was play, but my mission solidified my testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ and His gospel. Daily, I am grateful for the experience I had.

Colorado

I know I promised to have some photos from our stay in Colorado, but it just seems daunting to tell you everything that we did while we were there so here are just a few pictures to explain our time. Sorry!!

This first picture was taken before we left. I made the family do a good deep cleaning of our entire Provo apartment and Maddie especially enjoyed cleaning out the fridge! I just had to show you her sweet little smile!

Brian got an amazing birthday gift from Pops and Fay while we were there. They gave him this great backpack to take Maddie around. Additionally, they live near a large field with lots of hills for Brian and Maddie to hike. Maddie loves the backpack just as much as her dad!

Maddie loves her "Papa B" for many, many reasons. The fact that he was always ready to share his ice cream may have been a big one!

Maddie also loves Fay. She had a lot of fun being the boss in Fay's chair. I don't think Fay got much work done at home while we were there!

Maddie was frequently seen walking around the house in "Papa B's" hat.

Every morning and evening Pops would go out to feed the horses and Maddie ALWAYS made sure she was ready to go with him. She loves the horses and would stand by the door and cry "Neigh! Neigh!!" when we didn't let her go out with him.

One day she got lucky enough to ride on the "Ta Ta" with Pops. She still asks for "Papa" whenever we see a tractor in Provo.

She also got to ride the horses for real with Pops. I think this was the happiest day of her life!

In the end, she was brave enough to ride the horse all by herself! Brian and I are bracing ourselves for the day she tries to convince us she needs her own horse.

Each time she went to feed the horses she had to push this serving cart to the other end of the porch. Then, on the way back inside, she would push the cart back.


While in Denver, Maddie participated in Kindermusik. She LOVED it! If you have any children under 7, I strongly recommend enrolling them in one of the classes. They have them all over the country! Anyway, one of the things that we did in Kindermusik was take "hayrides" on blankets so here is a photo of Maddie and Brian practicing at home (Sorry that the photo is sideways)!


Pops and Fay own several acres of land in Cuchara, CO, which is in the mountains of southern Colorado. One weekend we drove down to their cabin and spent a very relaxing weekend. There was a lot of snow there still, but the view was beautiful as always. In the summer, the meadow is green and there are often elk and other wild animals roaming. Its a great place to go if you need a break from the bustle of the city.

Needless to say, we had a WONDERFUL experience in Denver. I wish I had a photo of Brian at work, but you'll just have to imagine it! We are so grateful to Pops and Fay for the hospitality they showed us.

Easter!

We have had such a great Easter weekend! First of all, we LOVED listening to General Conference. In between sessions on Saturday, Madelyn dyed Easter eggs. She had the time of her life! She wanted to put the eggs in one color and then take them out and put them in another. Needless to say, the eggs were quite original when she was done! Even better, everyone else had a great time as well!

If you look in the cups, you can see she would put MULTIPLE eggs in one cup because she was so excited!

Then today (Sunday) as soon as she got up, she got her Easter basket from Pops and Fay with MANY goodies. After spending time with her new treats she went on an egg hunt! Pops and Fay had put all of the dyed eggs around the living room and Madelyn LOVED finding them all!

Remember this was first thing in the morning which is why we're both in our PJs and why I look so gross!! Haha!

We had an amazing prime rib roast (with Pepsi gravy of course - thank you Sister Lewis!) for dinner! To top it all off, I forced my family (well, basically Brian because Madelyn doesn't have much say) to take a family photo. Because there was resistance, Madelyn wasn't wearing her cute bow and only four shots were snapped. Here are the best of the few I had to work with!

Maddie looks confused, but atleast she was looking at the camera!

Basically the weekend was amazing!! Can you even stand this little smile?!

He's In!!

A few weeks ago Brian got a phone call from the Dean of Admissions at BYU Law School to let him know he's been accepted! Because he's in the middle of his Masters of Accounting at BYU he'll do a joint law degree program. He will start his first year of law school in the fall and then finish two more years of both law and accounting classes. We're so excited that he got into BYU because, although it means three more years in Provo, it will cut one year off of school to do the JD/MAcc program. Brian is really excited about law school and spends a lot of time reading blogs and sites that talk about it!

The JD/MAcc program will allow Brian to either do accounting or law or a combination of the two (tax attorney, corporate law, etc.). So, instead of spending the rest of his days reading the newest version of this:


he will read these (or something similar):


Or who knows?! Maybe he'll keep reading both!