Wright now...

MY 5-YEAR OLD!

2011-11-09T21:24:00.000-08:00

OUR SON IS F-I-V-E!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh. I am the luckiest mom on the planet. As I am typing this, he is upstairs in his room...four...for the very last night. (tears are flowing everywhere.) I keep sneaking a peek through the crack in the door, as if I am going to miss something. And, I am going to miss something. I already miss four. This has been a great year, full of fun, and happiness in our family, because of our little four year old. He is growing up so fast, and I know it is cliche to say this when it comes to your child growing up, but THEY GROW UP WAY TOO FAST!

At five, Brooklyn's
Favorite food is: Spaghetti with meatballs
Favorite cereal is: "Mommy's cereal" as he calls is. (Quaker Oatmeal Squares)
Favorite movie is: Anything super hero-ish
Favorite snack is: strawberries
Favorite toy is: His action figures
Favorite song is: at the moment, BINGO
Favorite game is : Candy Land

At five, Brooklyn:
is Sweet,
loves music,
is Loving,
is Gentle, and a little shy,
is Wild,
is a good listener,
is Happy,
is already hilarious,
is (uh-oh) a flirt,

And Nathan and I are so grateful EVERY DAY that we have him! Happy birthday, to my sweet little 5-year old!

Black Island Farms

2011-10-16T20:54:00.001-07:00

We had a great time at Black Island Farms for Brooklyn's preschool field trip! What a fun place. Too bad they are putting the new strip of Legacy Highway right through the farm. It wont be around (at least the way it is now) for long. The owners say that they will continue operating the last full-working farm in the area as long as they can. I suggest you get out there with your kids, and enjoy it before it is gone!

A glimpse of our Vacation

2011-10-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

Poor Kitty!

2011-09-02T21:33:00.001-07:00

So, many of you know that we are cat people. When we see kittens while we are out-and-about, we almost always have to resist the temptation to pick them up and take them home. However, Nate was at the Ogden farmer's market and found this cute little guy. I wasn't there, but he sent me a few hundred texts, and a couple pictures and I was weak in the knees. He is SO ADORABLE...isn't he?? So Nate adopted him. Brooklyn named him Vader, and he is the sweetest thing ever.

At night, we keep the kitten in the downstairs bathroom, because he is too playful, and attacks our feet at night while we are sleeping! The other morning, (sniffle), Brooklyn woke up before anyone else and went downstairs to play with Vader, which he often does. Nothing really unusual. BUT... Brooklyn had just gotten his own fingerpaints and we had painted a bunch of pictures the night before. Sadly, he saw my box of fingernail polish in the bathroom where we keep the kitten, and yep. You know what happened. He "fingerpainted" the bathroom with 5 bottles of polish. (sniff sniff :( sniff.) And, he got it all over his hands. The kitty kept trying to run away, and so Brooklyn kept grabbing him, with nail polish-ie hands. And the kitty ended up looking like this...

It might not look too bad, but believe me, It was AWFUL! By the time Nate found him like this, the nail polish was almost dry. The kitty's ears and fur were completely stiff, and his whiskers were glued to his face in most spots. Nate didn't have time to clean him completely before he went to work, so when I came home from work that morning at about 8:30, I got to deal with it. Brooklyn's color palette consisted of pink, black, tan, silver glitter, and Sally Hansen's Hard as nails top coat. It was the saddest thing ever. I cried for the next 3 hours. Seriously. His toes were stuck together, He had cat litter stuck to the nail polish on his butt, and his eyes were getting stuck shut.

Anyway, I waited until the polish was a little more dry, called the vet for advice, and bathed him. The nail polish smell was overwhelming!) Then I cut off all his lovely kitten fuzz. (sniffle!) In some spots, the nail polish has dried to his skin, so I couldn't cut those off. After I cut the fur, I shaved the poor kitten with an electric shaver. He now is the most pittiful looking creature. So..so..sad. I couldn't shave his head, so it is just a mass of crustiness. I said to Brooklyn "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" He said that he was trying to paint a picture, but he didn't have any paper.

We had a LONG talk with Brooklyn about this. Don't worry. He loves his kitty, and we all learned a lesson! He loves his little Vader! Even though he looks like a crusty rat. He is still the sweetest thing on the planet.

Camping!

2011-08-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun camping this past weekend with the fam. We went with my mom, and Jesse and Melissa. It was a blast. Brooklyn is turning out to be a little camper! When it got late, he was the one who wanted to go to bed. So, he went to bed in the tent, all by himself, while the rest of us played games and hung out. He slept all night, and I was afraid that he would be the first one awake, which he was, but it wasn't too early! We actually got some sleep, and Nate said that it was the best sleep he has ever had while camping.
Jesse either hid his face, or made a nasty face for my camera, so this is his punishment. Mwah-ha-ha Jesse!

Our camp site was right next to the river, it was so peaceful to fall asleep to the sound of the water.
Toasted marshmallows. A perfect end to a perfect night camping. I hope we get the time to do it again soon!

Where did the summer go?

2011-08-04T21:06:00.000-07:00

Shame on me. I have been a lame blogger this summer. BUT...we have been so busy having fun that I feel like this tired little boy down here...
I will eventually get back to it.......SOON!

2011-06-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

Whaat?? Another Blog...yep.

2011-06-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

Whoa. Blog OVERLOAD! I am going to make myself insane. BUT...this is a neighborhood blog, where us Talented Terrace Girls showcase our talents and hobbies. I am merely a contributor. So...not a huge commitment right? Don't forget to follow us..because there are already some amazing-looking recipes on there!
Just click on this here linky-button......

Dam Day!

2011-06-12T15:41:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday ( I know..I know..I'm a blogging slacker) We went to Pineview with my friend Audrey and her son Wyatt. It had been raining all day, but the weather cleared in perfect time for us to go! They waited for me to get off of work, then we headed straight up there.The kids had a great time. Brooklyn mostly enjoyed throwing sticks and rocks into the water. Even though there is still snow on the mountains, the water was to our surprise, not too cold. We were pretty much the only ones on the beach.

Wyatt and Brooklyn are both so blonde...Sometimes people mistake them for brothers. It is easy to see why! They get along so well, and always have fun together.

We hope to make it up there more often. I can't believe we haven't taken advantage of the dam in past years. I think we went there once last year. Shame!

First year of preschool...over!

2011-06-05T21:43:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn's first year preschool graduation was on Thursday! I can't believe it! We have LOVED his preschool, and His teacher was the greatest. He loved every day, and learned so much this year. He is so grown up already!

First, all the kids played a piano song that they learned. Brooklyn played "Starlight".

This is Brooklyn's friend Timmy. They were cute little friends this past year.
This is Brooklyn with his teacher Ms. Hill. I am sad that he wont have her for a teacher next year! She was great...and Brooklyn loved her.

Life is Dandy...

2011-05-24T18:40:00.000-07:00

Today, Brooklyn and I took a little stroll from our house down to where Nate works to visit him. It was such a nice walk! As we were walking, I was getting frustrated with Brooklyn stopping to observe every little pebble and bug he saw. Then I thought, what am I in such a hurry for??

Now that I am on my summer break, slowing down to observe the everyday stuff is taking some practice. I am so used to running around, and not having time to do little fun things...that I am now realizing what I may have missed.

The LITTLE THINGS!!!! And sometimes, (for want of a better word) those are the FUNNEST!

Gosh...it feels good to be a kid again...even if it is just for a sec. I pledge to myself, that I will SSSSLLLOOOWWW down in the future.

Rainy-day adventures!

2011-05-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

We had a SOGGY photo adventure on Sunday! We went exploring in the rain...in the wet-muddy grass! We went with My friend Audrey, from The Daily Wyatt, and her son...Wyatt! Brooklyn and Wyatt had a great time together. And what boy doesn't like to get dirty? They had too much fun.

I TOTALLY wore the wrong shoes. They were full of water and my feet were freezing...but it was all worth it.

Let's Go Fly A Kite...

2011-05-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

It was the PERFECT day to fly a kite today! After I got off work, Nathan and I took Brooklyn to Romer Park, and flew his kite that he got for Easter. Brooklyn, (well and Nate too) had a blast! It was so hilarious to see how excited Brooklyn was.

Eatster...

2011-04-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter Sunday! We were able to spend it with family and friends, and Brooklyn had a great time egg-hunting...and eating his candy, which lead to super-hyperactivity later on in the day...and a sugar crash for mom. All in all, today was lovely.

Saving the World, One Playground at a Time...

2011-03-05T18:32:00.001-08:00

Today was...A GREAT DAY!!!! I went to school early this morning, (school on a Saturday, YUCK) and got an A on my math test! Wa-hoo! Then came home and ate lunch with the boys, then took a much needed almost 2-hour nap! Yay! But the highlight of my day was taking Brooklyn (a.k.a. SUPERMAN) to the park. It was so nice to be outside!

I don't know what is with the tongue, but it appears in almost all the pictures I take of him. Ha!

Spring is almost here! Can't wait to be outside more!

Crazy Hair Day

2011-02-17T16:23:00.001-08:00

Today was Brooklyn's Crazy hair Day at pre-school! He had so much fun, but he didn't want to see himself in the mirror at first. He was a little embarrased by his reflection! So funny.

Photo-A-Day

2010-12-15T17:14:00.000-08:00

Ok. On my photography blog...I have started a 365 project. I have been inspired by a few friends to start one, and also, to keep my camera from collecting dust while I am out of school. Click HERE to see it.

Preschool parents day!

2010-11-23T10:55:00.000-08:00

Recently Brooklyn's Preschool had a parent's day, where we got to go and see what Brooklyn has learned this year so far. It was so fun! The kids all showed that they knew all their colors, shapes, numbers, and some of their letters.

We also made a turkey craft, and inside it were three strips of paper...

Brooklyn told me what to write, and for the orange one, he actually said he was thankful for Jenna, and Lucy, which are my cousin Daniel's kids! It was so sweet, since I don't think he has actually seen them since this summer!

It was great to see how much he has learned in school. He is growing up way too fast for us!!!

Brooky turns 4!!!

2010-11-20T20:34:00.001-08:00

Wow. Four Years. So much has happened in FOUR YEARS! Brooklyn has grown, and he is such a smart, sweet little boy. He has overcome so many obsticles, and defied the odds. He is happy, healthy, and wants to be everyone's friend. He is truly a blessing to us, and we have learned so much from him. Nathan and I are so thankful for him every-day. (sniffle x 5)

What a BUSY fall!

2010-11-14T11:43:00.000-08:00

This Fall has been absolutely INSANE around here! Homework is coming by the truck-load and fall activities have been crazy! Forgive me for not updating sooner!!! Anyway...Brooklyn was Harry Potter for Halloween, Here he is (I can't get the kid to just be normal in pictures these days! haha!) in his costume, with a milk-mustache.

Here we are carving pumpkins. Brooklyn wouldn't touch the pumpkin-goo, unless he had this scoop. He called in pumpkin ickies.

Hopefully now that the semester is winding down, I will be able to update more often!!!

My NEW Blog

2010-10-31T21:24:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! My SUPER-AWESOME friend Heidi and I started a NEW BLOG! Click here or on the button above to visit. This blog is about crafting, cooking and basically everything we love to do! I KNOW that there's only one post so far...BUT JUST WAIT. Its gonna be awesome! Head over and check it out.

Den-Va!

2010-09-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

We just got back from Denver on Monday night. We were lucky enough to be able to stay with Nate's Aunt Teresa. We had so much fun! We went to a Rockies game, did a lot of shopping, went to a bunch of museums, and the Denver Mint. But the highlight of our vacation was the Denver Broncos/Colts game! We splurged on really great seats, 19th row above the end-zone. I am really not that into football, but it was so awesome to be there in person!

Nate was SO HAPPY! here he is by our seats. It was so incredibly hot! Luckily we were in the shade for most of the game.

OH MY FREAK!!! Its Peyton Manning!!!! Right there!

There was over 75,000 people there!! It was crazy! I don't think I have ever been somewhere with that many people before.

All-in-all it was a great trip. We had a great time with Nate's aunt and we hope to be able to go back next year!

Something fun!

2010-09-05T17:18:00.003-07:00

We went to the International Sheepdog Championship & Festival this year! It was actually so much fun, and something new to do. It is so amazing how well trained those sheepdogs are! They have this huge obstacle course and they have to guide 5 sheep all the way through it, without loosing any of them. When they're through herding them down the course on the mountain, they have to bring them into a large ring, and separate them (what they call "shedding") into a group of two sheep, and a group of three.

After they separate them they have to lead them into a pen, and the dog's handler has to close the gate of the pen before any of the sheep have to escape. It is not easy, there were a lot of dogs that didn't finish because the sheep wouldn't go in. The dogs respond to a series of whistles that their handlers whistle, and that is how they know where to guide the sheep. It was amazing.

The handlers spend years training their dogs, and they have great relationships with them.

They also had a ton of fun things to do for the kiddo too! Besides the dogs, they had PONY RIDES!!! Brooklyn was so excited! They also had good food, a dog splashing competition, a weird animals show, and a petting zoo. Well worth the entrance fee!!

All in all, it was a fun day. We will definitely go back next September and watch it again!!

Doughnut Falls

2010-07-30T21:00:00.001-07:00

We went on the coolest hike! It's called Doughnut Falls, in Big Cottonwood Canyon. It was such a pretty hike...wildflowers EVERYWHERE! Brooklyn didn't have as much fun as Nate and I. He was running on a partial-in-the-hot-car-Nap, and .so, he was a teency bit ornery.

Me! In front of the falls...

The falls were great, and the scenery was b-e-a-utiful! There were A TON of bugs up there however, But it was definitley worth it.

Fireworks & Football

2010-07-12T21:45:00.000-07:00

So Sunday evening, Doreen had us over for a birthday dinner for me (thanks Doreen! You're the best!)...and then it was the Annual Weber State Fireworks! We love going to these every year, it's always fun to just sit & Play games and see people you haven't seen in a while.
The Two LOVEBIRDS!!! It was fun to hang with Jess & Melissa!

I couldn't resist taking these pictures! Brooklyn's facial expressions were hilarious. He is such an athlete, and suprisingly coordinated for a 3-and-one-half year old!

Family reunion!!

2010-07-03T00:04:00.001-07:00

We just got back from my family reunion at Bear Lake! It was SO FUN!! I haven't been there forever...and Brooklyn loved it. He keeps asking to go back! It was so great to see all my family together, it has been so long since we have all seen each other.

My uncles suprised us with a Boat! We got to use it for the day, and we borrowed a water-weenie from Nate's uncle, so it was pretty much awesome.

This was the view of the lake from the cabin we rented. It was so beautiful!

On Thursday we went to Minnetonka cave with Jesse & Melissa, and my
aunt and uncle Jeff & Annette and their grandkids Jacey and Evan. It was so fun, and not too hard but there was A LOT of stairs in that cave.

We had such a great time, I hope we get to do it more often.

The Beeeeech

2010-06-25T17:48:00.000-07:00

Nate and I were feeling particularly "summer-timey" the other day, so we decided to drive up to Pineview for a little sand and water. Ok, it was actually SO FUN! I know that Pineview isn't really the best place for that, but it is the closest. Brooklyn had so much fun in the water!

He has told us EVERYDAY...MULTIPLE TIMES, "I wanna go beeeeeech!" He had too much fun. He actually was a little too brave in the water sometimes. He would get in up to his shoulders, which freaked me out a little.

Pineview is SO full right now! There was hardly a beach where we were. The trees are practically floating in the water. But it made for some pretty cool pictures.

Oh My Heck. If you are up in Huntsville anytime soon...you MUST go to this BBQ place we went to. I think it was called "Texas Pride". It was DELISH!! Seriously though, I would drive up there just for that. YUM!

Farmer's Market

2010-06-19T17:38:00.000-07:00

The SLC Farmer's Market is one of our favorite places to be on Saturday mornings during the summer. There is always so much to see, and the freshest good things to buy and eat. We LOVE IT! ONE of our FAVORITES is.....Kettle Corn!!!!! Oh my heck, one of the greatest foods known to man. Yum!

There is always somebody that makes baloon animals for *tips. Brooklyn loves them! This time he got a horse...which miraculously lasted ALMOST our entire day in Salt Lake.

Another one of our FAVE's is all the different bakeries that are there. There's about 5 that come every Saturday, and the all have delicious baked goods!

This is the first time we haven't driven to the market...we rode the Front Runner down, and then walked there. Then we spent the rest of the day riding Trax to different parts of town, and going to fun shops.

Frogglesworth

2010-06-17T19:05:00.000-07:00

THIS...is Frogglesworth...

A.K.A Froggy, Froggy-Buttcheeks, Froggles, and Frog. Frogglesworth is Brooklyn's FAVORITE toy. He goes everywhere with Brooklyn...and Froggy brought along a piece of "everywhere" with Brooklyn, meaning, HE WAS FILTHY. I say "WAS" because we gave him a bath. Brooklyn wasn't too happy about that. He kept wanting to play with him but he was wet all day. So he visited him, while he drip-dried in the bathtub. And occasionally, while Brooklyn was playing, he would talk in the high-pitched tone he uses as his Froggy's voice and say:

Froggy's voice: "Brooklyn, Brooklyn, Come say hi to me!"

Brooklyn: "Ok, coooommmming!" and he would open up the bathroom door...

Froggy's voice: "I not dirty nanymore!"

Brooklyn: "OK, you can come play with me in the morning. Bye Bye!"

And so it went throughout the day. It was hilarious!

Summer is HERE!!!!

2010-06-07T17:16:00.001-07:00

Oh MY HECK! We are so excited for Summer! Today we went to the Splash Pad with Heidi and Claire. The kids had a BLAST!!!! Even though it was pretty warm outside, a wind came up and Brooklyn was Shivering, and practically purple by the time we left. It's funny how kids don't notice those things, he was completely oblivious to the cold.

Great Granny Smith

2010-05-10T19:33:00.000-07:00

This year, my Grandma came and spent the winter at my mom's house. She lives in Logan, and so unfortunately, we don't get to see her that often, so having her so close was a treat!

Brooklyn LOVES my grandma. He calls her "Geat Gamma Fiff". (Fiff means Smith in case you were wondering...He calls my mom "Gamma Fiff", and Smiths the grocery store is "Fiffs", naturally.) Every time we would walk in the door at my moms, he would call out "Hi Geat Gammy!", and still does even though she has gone back up to her house now that the weather is warmer.

We loved visiting her while she was here. She rarely lets me take photos of her, so ones like these are a rarity, and they will definitely be treasured!

On the Farm

2010-05-07T18:37:00.000-07:00

We went to Wheeler Farm on Wednesday. We had never been there before, and Katie, (The BEST babysitter ever) invited us to go with her and her son Josh. Brooklyn and Josh are the cutest little friends, they had a blast together!! The weather was perfect and beautiful. They loved all the animals, but Brooklyn especially loved the ducks. You'd think he would be more excited to see all the other animals, but he was most exicted about was feeding the ducks!

It was fun, and I hope we can go again soon, its practically FREE-ninety-nine! It only cost fifty cents for duck food. Nice.

Where??

2010-04-25T07:33:00.000-07:00

Recently, we had a small "marker incident" at our house. Brooklyn decided to be a little artist on my kitchen wall, which he hasn't done before, so I was suprised. It was just a small little line, and yes it was my fault I had left a marker in the Junk Drawer. Oops! I learned my lesson right??

Much to my dismay, over the past few days he somehow has been finding markers and pens around that I don't even know about! It's like he is determined to finish his masterpiece. This is what it looks like now. AT LEAST its only in one spot. Ha!

What a Beatiful Day!

2010-03-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

This is Brooklyn after we planted our pansies! This little one is his.

My FIRST tulips to emerge this year!

It was gorgeous outside today! I was itchin' to work outside, so I took a little trip to my favorite nusery, J&J (I used to work there, so ya, I am a teency-bit biased) to feast on garden goodness. Actually, I meant to just get pre-emergent fertilizer for my lawn, and ended up wasting a lot of time in the gift shop. I could spend my entire paycheck, and plus, at the giftshop. Most of the decor in my house has come from there. I am obsessed. Lucky for Nate, I didn't lose control today, I ended up just buying a flat of pansies. When we got home, Brooklyn wanted to help me plant the flowers, and he loved it! I can't wait for the upcoming planting season! I've got so many ideas for my garden this year. Can't wait! Happy Spring Everone!

The Park!

2010-03-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

We went to the Park for the first time this year the other day, with Heidi & Claire. IT WAS FREEZING! We thought we would have a little picnic in the sun, with our Subway Sandwiches. However, turns out that it looked warmer outside than it actually was, and, it was insanely windy. Brooklyn and Claire had fun, and the crazy wind didn't seem to bother them as much as Heidi and me. We sat in the warm car, and talked while the kids played. We got some cute pics out of it though. Enjoy!

I {heart} fall!

2009-11-17T18:43:00.000-08:00

We had a little fall-time (the best season ever) photo shoot at the begining of October. Brooklyn is usually super uncooperative when I am taking pictures of him. He either is completey distracted, or angry, because he thinks that he has to look at the picture (on the camera screen) after we take every one. The camera clicks, and he says automatically "I see it, PLEASE?" So it's hard to have any kind of formal shoot with him. and it is next to impossible to get Brooky to just smile normally! He either does the wierd face(above) or the extra cheesy, almost painful-looking ultra smile (below). I guess it doesn't matter, they are both adorable.

My personal FAVE! I love this one. (below)

Brooky's 3rd Birthday

2009-11-14T18:04:00.000-08:00

Brooklyn's Birthday Party was today. Wow. I can't believe that he turned 3 this past Tuesday. I can't even believe that we have had him that long. It almost seems like yesterday that he came to our house. He was so tiny, and it was so weird, that we were parents. Now, Nathan and I can't imagine our lives any different. We are so happy that we have him. I DON'T like the growing-up part, however, I do at the same time. He was SO adorable at his party today. Enjoy the pics!

BAKE AWAY!

2009-09-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

That nasty cold that everyone has finally hit our little family. We're over it, and now feeling anxious! But the weather is supposed to turn cold and ugly! UGH! Now, we are heading into baking season, and I have the best of intentions to bake something delish twice a week, at least.
Today we made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, a family fave. Brooklyn insisted on helping, so I let him dump the chocolate chips in at the end. He sneakily kept some in the bag, and right after I took this picture, I looked up and he had a mouthful of chocolate! It seems like I always bake the same stuff, and I do so, because I know those recipes are good. But I want to branch out, so if you have a good recipe, E-mail it to me! Happy Baking!

Meatloaf Massacre

2009-09-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

Today, I was craving meatloaf (for some unknown reason) all day. So I decided to make it. I bought everything for it, and didn't forget a thing. I mixed up all the nasty ingredients into a usual pre-meatloaf meat-slime, and just as it was ready to be put in a pan, I realized that I had packed away my loaf pan!!!!! ARGHHH! So this is what I ended up with. Yea, you all know what it looks like, but it was the best that I could do without a loaf pan. Sigh. BUT, IT WAS DELICIOUS, thank you very much. Brooklyn loved it, and he doesn't love any food. Any ideas on how to cure such a picky eater? It would be much appreciated.

Anyway, after dinner Brooklyn wanted a nectarine for dessert, and I just couldn't resist taking these oh-so-juicy pictures.

2009-09-24T20:23:00.000-07:00

Wow! I actually got sucked into the whole blog thing. I am really excited actually. There is so much that happens in our everyday lives that we forget to share with family members and friends. Hope you enjoy, and keep in touch!