The Blaine Burnett Family

2012-02-04T19:07:00.000-08:00

Just thought I would say hello from Florida! It is good to be with my parents and sister, though Janet left yesterday. The sun has been hiding behind the clouds most of the time, but the temperatures are in the 70's and low 80's so I am not going to complain. Life is good!

Happy Belated Birthday, Elise!

2012-01-29T17:38:00.000-08:00

Hello Elise...
We are very sorry we missed your birthday a week ago Friday. You were in our thoughts last week.
Can't wait to see you again someday.
Sorry we don't have a picture to post of you...all I could think of that we had handy is one of Bekah when she was almost one. Any resemblance?

We love you!
Jason, Nikki, Bekah, and JJ

2012-01-28T09:42:00.001-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRENNA!! We sure do love and miss you 'round these parts!

Walking!

2012-01-06T09:17:00.001-08:00

This was the first attempt at filming and about the 5th time she walked. The camera is way cooler than Dad.

She’s basically already running!

2011Christmas in Canby

2012-01-05T13:55:00.000-08:00

Angela and Elise helped us get our tree this year

While Angie cuts, Papa plays

Famous Christmas lights in Colton

Brenna reading to Papa

Dancing with Papa while Nana was at work

Lunch at McDonalds before The Nutcracker

Thank you, Russ & Anne for the tickets. We loved it!

Beautiful ballerinas

More fun at home with Papa... yep, Nana's at work!

I think Russ is enjoying his vacation!

Gingerbread houses with Uncle Brandon

Camels, wise women, donkeys... oh my!

Christmas Eve traditions

Church in the morning...

Nana & Papa's gift... jammies & stuffed animals. They were a hit!

Presents afterward.

A bear from Aunt Janet

Grandma & Grandpa sent money and we had fun spending it!

The Aquatic Park with wave pool, baby pool, whirlpool & more

Kaylee said it was her best day ever!

Brenna loved the water & the guys loved the slides

Elise took right to the water as well

Ashlyn was her usual fearless self

Horsing around!

Carrots for the horses

Kaylee wasn't so sure about the horse, but there she is!

We made lots of memories and had so much fun, but of course, missed those who were not able to come. Merry Christmas!

Janet's New Kitchen

2011-11-29T03:40:00.000-08:00

Here's the tour that Mom requested of Janet's new kitchen:

Janet's Kitchen Tour

“ These are a few of his favorite things” Happy Birthday, Doug!

2011-11-02T13:14:00.001-07:00

Photo Sharing Site

2011-10-19T12:08:00.000-07:00

I've decided to try out a new photo sharing site, since the one we used in the past is no longer in existence.

I couldn't find a way to do sub-folders, which is something I dislike. I have all our September photos loaded on, in different folders. Let me know if you'd prefer to have them all lumped together in one folder for the month in the future.

Anyway, here's the link:

http://russanneburnettfamily.shutterfly.com/

Just click on the "Pictures & Videos" tab under the heading and you'll be able to see all the albums I've added so far.

(P.S. This post is mostly for Mom, since I don't think anyone else really follows all of the photos we take.)

Pass Times

2011-10-13T12:15:00.001-07:00

I used to know how to edit videos and now I don't. This means that for our lovely viewers you get the entire video which is too long to hold excited attention instead of a shorter version.

These are some of Elise's favorite pass-times. She loves spinning and singing in her supersaucer. She also loves...

growling. She is our little animal, who is starting to imitate a lot! Very fun.

Happy Birthday, Russ!

2011-09-28T11:36:00.001-07:00

I thought I would post some pictures from the past that were taken at about the same ages as the girls are now. Who looks the most like Russ?

This one was taken in Hoffman Estates, IL when Russ was a year and 10 months old. See any of Brenna is this face?!

This was taken on Russ’ 4th birthday. See any Ashlyn there?

And this was taken just after Russ’ 6th birthday. What do you think?

Happy Birthday Emily!

2011-09-10T11:58:00.001-07:00

We love you Emily! Thanks for the yummy lunch yesterday and for taking us swimming. Can't wait to see you again. Have a wonderful birthday!
Love,
Nikki, Bekah, and JJ

WE MISS YOU!

2011-08-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

It was wonderful to have time with my sister.

We took Grandma and Grandpa to the airport this morning. Fortunately, they are not headed into Hurricane Irene's path! We had a great time with them and miss them already. Hope you had a good flight home, Mom and Dad. Here are some memories of our time together...

Aunt Janet entertaining Elise with one of our garage sale finds... "This little piggy..."

Our centerpiece of fun and entertainment!

Our tradional stop 1/2 to the coast. Yeah for Dairy Queen!

Their second night in Oregon was spent in downtown Portland to see Les Miserables. A long but memorable night!


We had just one night at the coast and were treated to a beautiful sunset and were reminded how beautiful are all of God's creations!

The traditional picture of Grandpa in his recliner... this time with the next generation!

Janet, Grandma, and Susan enjoyed our first visit to Canby's theatre to see The Help. Fun times!

A fun day at the Taggart's picking blueberries and playing with Elise

Happy Birthday Brandon!

2011-08-22T21:28:00.000-07:00

We've thoughts about you lots today. The kids wanted to call but I said it wasn't a good idea since you'd be busy working. But they both said they wished we lived closer since "Brandon is fun. He's my friend." (JJ)
We love you!

2011-08-16T12:03:00.001-07:00

Yay! Happy 2nd Anniversary to us two days ago!

WOW! IT'S BEEN ELEVEN YEARS...

2011-08-10T23:09:00.000-07:00

and congratulations to Nikki and Jason on their eleventh anniversary !!!

FOUR YEARS CLOSER TO ETERNITY

2011-08-04T17:39:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Doug and Emily on their fourth anniversary!

Funny Things

2011-07-03T16:53:00.000-07:00

We finished our first homeschooling year on Friday! Thus the reason for dropping out of the blogging world unintentionally. It really took a lot of time out of my life (and still will) but there are some wonderful things that have made it all worth it, some of which are the funniest things I've heard in a long time. (You will understand the rest better if you know that we studied Ancient History, including a long section on Egypt, and the Human Body this year.)

First Funny Thing
Several weeks ago, in the car, been a very long day, all tired, kids picking on each other. I say in my stern voice to the back seat "Bekah! Stop getting on JJ's nerves!"

Within two seconds, JJ quipped back to Bekah, "Yeah, and stay off my bones too!"

Needless to say I laughed til almost crying. I would never have thought of putting that together!

Second Funny Thing
Last week, JJ at the breakfast table with dad. Still early in the morn. (None of us are thrilled with JJ's lack of sleeping lately and constant climbing in bed with others, so it's hard for us to be happy with him in the morning.)

JJ starts eating. Says, "Dad, my food is going down to my sarcophagus!"
(Did you get he was trying to say esophagus?)

Third Funny Thing
Bekah decided to make books this week. One book was on Cleopatra and trying to be a spy for her father when she was young. Back of the book she wrote (I used her spelling): "read this book! cleaptra finds two guys trying to poinz (poison) her fater! will she get her fater in time or will he die? read this book to find out."
Inside the book says:
"Table of Contents
capter 1
Then the end."

"nine year old cleaapachra looked down of the bakarey. she spyed on the two peploe she had been wathing then for howrs. They wroe planing to pozin the King her Father. Suddly the two men left and Cleapachra ran for her father's throe room she quickly told the story. He called for his gurads he told them to aresstd the
(and here there is a page break)
two men. Since Cleaapachra kewe (knew) six lageges (languages) she could spy good. Sudnely the gurads came back with the men iteruping cleaapachra thothgs (thoughts). The King aste them questins. Then the King throg them in jial. Then he turned to cleaapachra. "You have saved me" he said.
The end."

I love the way she wrote her story. But hang on for the best part.
Bekah says, "Did you notice how on one of the pages I wrote 'the' and then 'two men' on the next page? I did that on purpose so the reader would just HAVE to turn the page to find out what was coming next."

Nothing goes past that girl...watch out advertisers, she already knows your tricks!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

2011-06-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Dad, for always helping me live my dreams. Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day from some very cute kids

2011-06-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

Check out this Father's Day present for Jason...

The Easy Way

2011-06-17T09:28:00.001-07:00

Perhaps you all already know about this, but I recently learned about Windows Live Writer. It’s a program that you can download onto your computer – for free. With this program, you create all your blog posts entirely in the program and then push a button and it publishes it straight to your blog! It’s amazing because you avoid using the awful, not user-friendly blogspot.com process, and there are no draw backs, at least that I’ve found anyway. Blogging can go much faster and smoother.

So, seriously, give it a try!

Windows Live Writer

2011-06-08T15:58:00.000-07:00

Susan

by Brandon Roses

I remember the day

When I crossed ways

With an amazing woman

Who has the charm of May

She invited me in

This was no mistake

She gave me that last

Of her husband’s cheesecake

As we talk a little while

I could tell

She was someone great

I need to know well

As I peeked and peered

Around her home

I was piecing a puzzle

Of a Susan unknown

I saw books of horses

Riding boots that don’t fit

In the bathroom the towel holder

Was a D-ring snaffle bit

In a book I saw pictures

Of a pretty, young rider

Sailing over the jumps

Like a calm, smoth hang glider

On the shelf sits a treasure

That makes me weak in the knuckle

The name Mary Sue

On a champion belt buckle

In the garage I saw something

That made my heart hollow

A dusty wood stall plaque

With the name Caro Regalo

I then saw Susan as

Someone tougher than leather

But when she opens her mouth

Her soft words are soft like a feather

When I pieced it together

I was dead like an opossum

I realized quickly that

Susan is legitimately awesome

BEST MOM ON EARTH!

2011-06-06T14:22:00.000-07:00

Thanks Mom for being born! HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!!! We love you sooooo much!

Happy 34th Anniversary To Us!

2011-06-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

Today marks 34 years together... now there is something to celebrate! Happy Anniversary Blaine! I love you forever.

New Blog

2011-05-27T04:24:00.000-07:00

So, as much as I enjoy putting up all of my posts twice (once on this blog and once on the Walton family blog), I've finally decided to start our own family blog. I still plan to post on here occasionally if there's something meant only for family members.

Here's the link:

http://russanneburnettfamily.blogspot.com/

2011-05-18T05:49:00.000-07:00

Ashlyn is always full of questions. Recently many of her questions have been about Jesus. It's obvious that she is really beginning to think about Him more. She often requests to hear the story about "when Jesus died" and she'll make statements like, "We believe in Jesus, don't we, Mom."

This morning she asked me when we get to live with Jesus. I told her we get to live with him in heaven after we die. Then she said, "I'm so excited to live with Jesus! Jesus will say, 'Hello, Ashlyn.' And I will be one of the children."

It's very rewarding, as a parent, to observe these seeds of testimony beginning to grow.

Good Manners

2011-05-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

Brenna Updates

2011-04-29T18:49:00.001-07:00

Brenna turned 15 months yesterday and got to visit the doctor and get three shots in celebration! At her 12 months visit she weighed 18 lbs 11 oz. Yesterday she weighed in at 19 lbs 3 oz. A gain of 8 oz over 3 months is not so good. Her weight was up in the 50th percentile until the 12 month visit, when it had dropped to the 20th. Now it's down in the 5-10% range. The pediatrician was ready to send her to a GI specialist, until I mentioned that Brenna has been sick almost constantly for the past month. So, we'll hold off on too much worry for now. She'll be adding one can of PediaSure to her daily diet for the next three months, at which point we'll re-evaluate where she's at.

Last week we picked up Brenna's very first pair of braces. They are called DAFOs, which stands for Dynamic Ankle Foot Orthosis. The point of the braces is to stabilize her ankles when she's standing and walking (which only happens with adult support at this point) and to make sure she's positioned correctly. She usually puts up a fuss when I'm strapping them on, but doesn't seem to mind once they're in place.

When I took her in to get cast for the braces we got to choose the padding color, the velcro color, and the strap pattern.

Brenna has recently begun folding her arms for prayers (and at various other times throughout the day as well). It's basically the cutest thing you've ever seen.

Easter Weekend

2011-04-25T12:44:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous Easter weekend here in Delaware!

Saturday morning the girls found all the goodies the Easter bunny had left for them.

Brenna got some tasty Froot Loops in her eggs.

New outfits!

After the Easter basket fun we drove to DC so Mom & Dad could go to the temple (on their anniversary). The girls had fun playing with cousins Kelly and Ashley.

Brenna had fun smearing a partially eaten M&M all over her face on the way home.

The girls looked lovely on Sunday morning (though Brenna, who was getting over a cold, wasn't too thrilled about taking pictures.)

But Kaylee and Ashlyn cooperated nicely. :)

Two Weeks of Fun

2011-04-07T10:16:00.001-07:00

Day 1 Brenna: throws up 4 times during the night

Day 3 Kaylee: feels sick, stays home from church

Day 4 Kaylee: wakes up coughing hoarsely, high fever, visits the doctor

Day 5 Kaylee: coughs constantly, stays home from school

Day 6 Kaylee: coughs constantly, stays home from school

Day 9 Brenna: feverish, fussy, won't eat, won't sleep

Day 10 Brenna: feverish, fussy, won't eat, won't sleep, visits the walk-in clinic = ear infection

Day 11 Brenna: feverish, fussy, won't eat, won't sleep, hates amoxicillin

Ashlyn: falls asleep on floor, head aches, throws up (during Pres. Monson's talk)

Day 12 Ashlyn: head aches, mouth hurts, throws up

Day 13 Brenna: teething, fussy, won't sleep

Ashlyn: diarrhea

Day 14 Brenna: teething, fussy, won't sleep, runny nose, congestion, coughing

Ashlyn: runny nose, congestion, coughing

Someone PLEASE tell me they'll all be healthy and normal again soon!

2011-03-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

Kaylee LOVES to draw and color and write.

Here is a paper she did while she was home sick this week.

Front: Mom & Dad getting married

Back: "Dear Mom and Dad I LOVE you and Ashlyn and Brenna and God and JjCc (Jesus Christ) and I LOVE Me"

shingles update

2011-03-27T14:08:00.000-07:00

For your viewing pleasure...
this was how it looked last Wednesday.

and on Friday...

and today...

The cellphone photos don't make it look nearly as gross as it has been, but the blisters are healing over now. I've still got headaches, and blahs, but am able to keep normal food down, and am finally sleeping through most of the night. There's no way to know how this condition will proceed, since it seems to vary for everyone. I have to believe that since we caught it early, I will get ovet this sooner.

I appreciate the prayers you have offered in my behalf.
Love, Dad

all these things shall give thee experience...

2011-03-22T13:07:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful birthday celebration, and noticed a bit of a sore throat and aches in my neck and head towards the end of the day. We went to an all-day seminar on Monday, served in the temple Tuesday morning, and worked in the office that afternoon. All the while, I felt yucky, but I didn't know what else to do. So I plodded along, working in the office on Wednesday. My skin became tender, and my teeth became very sensitive on the right side, both signs of a sinus infection. I attended a board meeting Thursday night, but other than that, I was pretty worthless through Sunday. It was Ward Conference, and the choir was supposed to sing, so I endured through that, and went home right afterwards. Sunday afternoon, the blotches started forming. I did not want to endure another night without good rest, so we went into emergency. The doctor asked lots of questions, and then admitted she was concerned about the possibility of shingles.

Monday morning, I read up on shingles and found a definite match:

"The earliest symptoms of herpes zoster, which include headache, fever, and malaise, are nonspecific, and may result in an incorrect diagnosis. These symptoms are commonly followed by sensations of burning pain, itching, hyperesthesia (oversensitivity), or paresthesia ("pins and needles": tingling, pricking, or numbness). The pain may be mild to extreme in the affected dermatome, with sensations that are often described as stinging, tingling, aching, numbing or throbbing, and can be interspersed with quick stabs of agonizing pain."

"Eye involvement - trigeminal nerve involvement (as seen in herpes ophthalmicus) should be treated early and aggressively as it may lead to blindness. Involvement of the tip of the nose in the zoster rash is a strong predictor of herpes ophthalmicus"

Since by now, the rash had spread to from my right eye to the tip of my nose, I was convinced I needed to act quickly. (My nose, as you know, was already large enough without the added swelling ;-) We saw a doctor Monday afternoon, she prescribed acyclovir, and warned me to watch carefully for eye pain, light sensitivity, or blurred vision. If that develops, I will need an IV immediately.

Poor Susan -- about all she has done for a week is tend to my needs. What a blessing it is to have such a wonderful helpmeet for almost 34 years.

Sorry for the long diatribe, but I thought it would enhance your understanding of my situation. I humbly request your prayers in my behalf.

She Can Find a Way

2011-03-18T05:42:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Brenna gets frustrated about her inability to do the things she wants to do, but she can usually find a way to make it happen.

She is slowly working her way toward crawling and walking, but in the meantime she has her own way to get where she wants to go.

Green gathering

2011-03-14T06:54:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome time chillin (literally) together! We braved the drunk (or pretending to be) college kids and watched the St Patty's Day Parade in Chicago. Then we walked to the river and we couldn't tell exactly what but there was something very different about it!

It sure is awesome living close to the Jason, Nikki, Bekah and James!

Brenna Loves PAPA

2011-03-13T12:27:00.000-07:00

Elise's Blessing Day

2011-03-08T23:01:00.000-08:00

I have been so amazed at how alert little Elise has been since her first day on earth. It seems to be the first comment most people make when they first meet her. Here are some pictures from January 24th when she is 4 days old...

On the day of the blessing, Dad and I drove down to Corvallis to witness this special event. I had made a few changes to the little smocked dress I had made for Angela when she was blessed, but was worried it would be too small for Elise since she was older than her mom on her blessing day. No worries... it fit Elise even better! Will it someday be worn when Elise has a baby girl? That was a happy thought. It was a wonderful day and just made us wish we could experience these moments with each of our grandchildren. Remind me... why is living far away a good idea?!

Susan's Sunny Adventure

2011-03-08T22:33:00.000-08:00

I had such a wonderful visit with my parents and my sister. We celebrated my dad's 8th birthday, swam, walked, shopped, ate great food, played Rummikub, and just had a great time being together.

The height of Saturday night entertainment at our house . . .

2011-03-07T11:23:00.000-08:00

(at least for some people)

Mahler 3 on DVD

Look Who's Talking!

2011-03-02T06:13:00.001-08:00

Brenna Can Say:

Mama

Daddy

Hi/Bye (accompanied by an adorable wave)

Milk

Nap

Fotos!

2011-02-20T21:41:00.000-08:00

Here are the latest pictures of Elise!

I finally got some of her many frequent smiles.

I just thought this one was particularly darling.

She is so sweet.

She looks like an innocent school girl in this one.

our "Milky Way"

2011-02-18T09:31:00.000-08:00

Wow! Check out these amazing photos of our Milky Way galaxy.
http://www.astropics.com/

3 Weeks!

2011-02-11T13:27:00.000-08:00

Last night, to celebrate Elise's three-week birthday, she got another bath! Lest you be fooled, she doesn't actually like baths. Too bad.

Her hair is curly when wet. And if I let it dry like this it remains crazy.

I cannot believe that I have been a mom for 3 weeks already, and that she has been in our lives for 3 weeks. A week ago I couldn't believe that it had already been that long, but now it seems like it's been longer. It's a natural role for me, it feels very right, which makes me happy. She makes me happy. She is so darling.

We're struggling with milk supply, so she wasn't gaining weight for a bit there. We've been formula supplementing while I get my supply up; she gained a pound in the last week! She has plenty of smiling sessions. I'll get a picture of that up soon.

Elise!

2011-02-05T15:36:00.000-08:00

I'm guessing you all would enjoy more pictures of Elise. She is absolutely perfect! (of course)

Brenna Loves . . .

2011-01-29T18:35:00.001-08:00

Yogurt

Books

Babies

Blueberries

and Birthday Cake

2011-01-28T22:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthing Day, Brenna!! We love you!

Guessing Game

2011-01-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

In honor of Brenna's 1st Birthday, here's a little guessing game. Below are 12 pictures of the birthday princess, one for each month of the year. Your task is to determine which picture was taken in which month. So, submit your guesses via email or blog comment. (I didn't number the pictures, but just pretend they are numbered top to bottom.)

a future Sir Neville Marriner?

2011-01-13T10:49:00.000-08:00

Here's a delightful and impressive job of conducting by a 3-yr-old. He isn't just waving his arms, but clearly anticipates. I wonder if his Dad put headphones on his mother's belly, too? Be sure to watch until the end...

http://www.choralnet.org/268945.html

(You may have to cut-and-paste the link. I tried to use the"link" feature, but it doesn't seem to work.)

Scripture Stories

2011-01-10T05:53:00.000-08:00

Me: "Lehi and his wife, Sariah, had four sons." Kaylee and Ashlyn, do you know the names of Lehi's sons?

Ashlyn: I know! Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego!

Me: That's a good guess. But what about Nnnnn . . .

Ashlyn: Nebuchadnezzar!

So let it be written...

2010-12-25T19:22:00.000-08:00

So let it be done. A long-ago family tradition has been updated.

Merry Christmas one and all.

Bekah LOVED this song the first time she heard me talk about it and sing it. Since then we've been planning how to make it a happy tradition for ALL family members. :)
Some of the words may not be right, but we did our best to remember them all.

They’re creepy and they’re cooky,
Mysterious and spooky.
They’re altogether ookey,
The Burnett family.

Our dad likes his computer,
And he’s a trumpet tooter.
For what is he a rooter?
The Burnett family.

Our mom comes next, of courses,
She finally has horses.
But what she most endorses,
The Burnett family.

Duh, duh, duh, duh…neat!
Duh, duh, duh, duh…sweet!
Duh, duh, duh, duh,
Duh, duh, duh, duh
Duh, duh, duh, duh…petite.

First we have our Nikki,
Her piano is tricky.
Her art is never icky.
The Burnett family.

Next we have our Russell,
In baseball he will hustle.
He’s more than brains and muscle.
The Burnett family.

Duh, duh, duh, duh…proud!
Duh, duh, duh, duh…endowed!
Duh, duh, duh, duh,
Duh, duh, duh, duh
Duh, duh, duh, duh…too loud!

For laughs we go to Dougy,
Big smiles and a huggy.
His jokes will drive you buggy.
The Burnett family.

You’ll notice Angie’s smile.
She triple jumps a mile.
Adventure is her style.
The Burnett family.

Duh, duh, duh, duh…neat!
Duh, duh, duh, duh…sweet!
Duh, duh, duh, duh,
Duh, duh, duh, duh
Duh, duh, duh, duh…complete.

So get a bus to haul on,
A truck to fit y’all on,
We hope you’ll pay a call on,
The Burnett family.

The Burnett family.

The tradition branched

2010-12-24T10:58:00.000-08:00

"Celebrities"

2010-12-17T16:19:00.000-08:00

Remember when you all responded to Mom's request to get tickets for the Tabernacle Choir Christmas program of 2009 (with Natalie Cole and David McCullough)? Nikki was successful in "winning" four tickets for us, and we drove down to it with our very good friends, Marlin and Cindy Harker.

Well, it's a year later, so the program is now available on DVD, and is being shown on public television and BYU-TV. We first got a call from Joe & Kim Fiske (in Tennessee) to say that they saw us during the broadcast of the program. We also got an email from Karie Brooks saying that she saw us, too.

Before anybody gets too excited, it is all of .87 seconds long, and we're just politely clapping. The big moment happens at about 12 1/2 minutes into the broadcast, right after "For Unto Us a Child is Born". (That was fantastic, and we should have been on our feet wildly clapping!)

I guess we'll HAVE to buy the DVD now... ;-)

Thanksgiving

2010-12-03T18:53:00.001-08:00

For the fifth year in a row, we enjoyed a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving vacation at Janet and Allen's house in Tennessee.

This year Russ even got Uncle Allen to stay up "late" (10:00 PM) one night learning how to play "Ticket to Ride".

The girls watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV.

The weather on Thanksgiving was perfect, so Kaylee and Ashlyn spent a lot of time outside.

Ashlyn and Allen had a little heart-to-heart.

Russ got a much needed rest.

The poor kitties were chased around a lot (but they got their revenge this year).

Ashlyn and Kaylee made spice drop turkeys.

Sort of.

The turkey was grilled to perfection.

And enjoyed by all.

Brenna had a particularly nice 'do the morning after.

And Janet won Kaylee and Ashlyn's undying love (if that was ever in doubt before) when she presented them with new Barbies.

We hope everyone else enjoyed an equally wonderful holiday!

Oh-oh, here she comes . . .

2010-11-24T01:35:00.000-08:00

She's a maneater

Watch out boy she'll chew you up

Thank you, Dad

2010-11-11T10:32:00.000-08:00

Dear Dad,

As today is Veteran's Day, I wanted to thank you for your service in the Navy and helping to defend our freedom in this wonderful land. I know the memories are difficult, but where would we be without those men and women who sacrifice so much to keep this nation free? I am grateful for a father who did his duty and made the most of very difficult circumstances. Though it wasn't easy, I can't help but think the experiences gained in the Navy helped you become who you are today. Bless you for the man you are the and wonderful father you are and have always been!

I love you,

Mary Sue

"And God Said It Was Good"

2010-11-07T22:35:00.000-08:00

'Twas a beautiful Summer Sabbath Day,
when first he saw her hair so golden.
But alas, he was sure she was saying "no way!"

He thought that, to another, she was beholden.

On a glorious Sabbath Day in November, (7th, 1976)

he found himself next to this lady in white.

Her roommates arranged a dinner to remember,

knowing their hearts would take to flight.

He hinted of a dance

for a Hawkins named Sadie,

She took a chance

for she was a brave lady.

Selecting music for the next Ward dance,

he decided he, too, would take a chance.

He asked her to come check out a 'rock band' --

when his car 'broke down', 'twas placed on her hand!

There 'neath the lights of a temple so rare,

they basked in the glow of that sacred sight.

A passerby asked "Did they need any care?"

They smiled and said "everything's ALL-right".

Across an altar in Salt Lake City,

their vows were sealed by a prophet of God.

And as they pondered eternity,

they embraced each other... and the iron rod.

2010-11-07T16:15:00.000-08:00

I know there are several viewers out there who have been most patiently waiting for this post.

But, first of all, can we all guess who/what this is??

Humpty Dumpty!
(NOT Peeping Tom, like a sister missionary thought at our ward party!)

Sadly, I cannot take credit for the origin of this costume idea. I found it on Google. But, I did take the time to realize that I needed to take advantage of my belly when thinking of a Halloween costume for this year. But I must say, this idea is incredibly creative. The brick wall, at one point, was better positioned but the other suspender broke off.

This is the best belly picture I could get Brandon to take. He is not too keen on taking these (which is mostly fitting since I am not too keen on having them taken). I am about 33 weeks along. So, in theory, this little fish inside of me will come out in 7 weeks (give or take 2 or 3). Kind of weird to put it like that. Mom and kid are still doing real well. Sadly, kid is probably more active than mom. There is no pattern or cycle that this girl lives by, she kicks and moves whenever she wants, which is very often. Though I have nothing to really gauge this with, I am confident that on an activity scale she ranks very high.

I have to refrain from bending over too much (which is inconvenient); that tends not to feel good. I have a difficult time getting up from our couch that sits real low. I have to sit up and back so my rib cage isn't sitting on my uterus, since that tends to not feel good either. Sleeping hasn't been too bad. Overall, I still feel real good and active.

Brandon and I recently received callings: Relief Society Instructor and Priest Quorum Advisor. We are both very pleased to have these callings.

Unfortunately . . .

2010-11-04T07:20:00.000-07:00

. . . this is not a rubber snake.

A few weeks ago I was in my bedroom with Brenna while Kaylee and Ashlyn played in the livingroom. Ashlyn came back and said, "Mom, come and see something." I was thinking she must have made some sort of mess or something. But then she said, "There are snakes!" I was thinking, no way is there a snake in our house - it's probably just a worm or something.

I was wrong. She was right.

I glanced toward the livingroom and saw something long and black slithering next to the front door. I put Brenna down and grabbed some shoes and gloves. By the time I got to the front door it was gone. I cautiously looked around and moved a few items, but found no snake. At that point I assumed (hoped) it had gone back outside.

Wrong.

A little while later I saw it again, near the dining room table. I put on my gloves (I had kept my shoes on - too afraid to take them off) and watched it move into a corner. At that point Ashlyn came out and saw it and made some sort of loud noise, which scared it into crawling under the door of the coat closet. I called Russ then, making sure I kept an eye on the closet, and we decided it would be best to trap it inside the closet and deal with it later (like when Russ got home from school). I shoved a big towel next to the door and hoped that would do the trick.

Fast forward a few hours - Russ is home and the girls are all in bed. Time to get rid of the snake. Russ moved things out of the closet while I cautiously watched from behind the couch. He found it near the back of the closet and tried to shoo it out with a broom, which only made the snake mad. We would have let it live, if it would have been more cooperative. But in the end, Russ killed it.

This is the book he smashed it with. Thank you "Don Quixote".

My hero. He said he wasn't scared of it, but I don't believe him, since he wouldn't touch it, even with gloves on.

And this is what our house looked like after the fiasco was over.

IT'S BIRTHDAY TIME FOR DOUG!

2010-11-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DOUG! Just thought you might enjoy a fun memory of early claymation creations. I particularly like the slug! Have a very fun day and know that you are loved VERY MUCH! (Isn't it wonderful that now you get paid to do such work?)

Tradition!

2010-10-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

Fall is the time to be a Roses. Roses love the fall season. It probably helps that Laurel's favorite color is orange, holiday: Halloween. Brandon's especially favorite tradition is making cider with his great great grandmother's cider press. No joke. This thing is the real deal and very old. I finally got to participate this year.

It begins with picking a ton of apples. Brandon drove around and found random apple trees on property lining the roads in our Corvallis area, asked the owners if we could pick the apples and then we cleaned the tree dropping the apples straight into the truck.

Next, we cut the apples in half to make the crushing process easier. We picked the perfect day to do it this year; it was warm and sunny, which is a rare find mid-October in Oregon.

The apples are then dumped into the top part while someone hand cranks the crusher, turning the apples into mush/pulp.

When the unit is full of crushings, a round wooden disc, attached to a screw-like rod, is placed on top and pressed down by twisting the rod. Here, Dave is using a long board as a handle to twist.

The juice is then pressed out of the mush and sweet apple nectar goodness (called Apple Cider) comes out and is stored in 16 milk jugs or given as gifts. And let me tell you, home made is even better than the store bought stuff (and not just because it cost nothing but labor).

Mom and Dad got to help out, as well; they had a lot of fun. As did we all!

Pumpkins!

2010-10-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

For FHE on Monday, Brandon and I carved our pumpkins! Yay! Brandon carved the pirate one on the right and I carved the one in the middle. Brandon's mom gave us a pumpkin (the one on the left), which I carved the following day. It was pretty fun.

The black tree in the middle is a Halloween decoration I am very fond and proud of :) I painted it and I like it a lot. It makes me feel very crafty.

This is the first time I've done something other than just the most basic face for a pumpkin; I'm not the most creative. So, I feel pretty good about my work.

A Chain of Gratitude

2010-10-24T08:52:00.000-07:00

While working on my Primary lesson this morning I came across the following idea that I wanted to pass on. So while I am thinking of it... here it is!

Amy writes, "I wanted to share an idea I heard last year. This is a Thanksgiving idea and it is lots of fun. You take strips of 8"x1" ish colored paper and put them in a jar or can. Each day every family member takes turns writing down something that they are thankful for that day on their own strip of paper. Put the strips in a seperate container. On Thanksgiving day you take turns pulling out random strips and reading aloud the things that your family members are thankful for. As you read them you tape them and make a paper chain. This chain when complete then goes around your Christmas tree so you can remember through the holiday season that we are all thankful for so many things and you can see all of the blessing that God has given us."

2010-10-22T15:19:00.000-07:00

I discovered a very handy tool for capturing screen images. It's called "SnapIt", and after a quick and easy install, it's ready to be used anytime without any extra steps.

Perhaps you have used that "Prnt Scrn" button on your keyboard to capture screen images. Whenever I do that, I have to use one of several applications to crop the image down to what I really wanted to capture.

With "SnapIt", anytime I want to capture something on the display, I just press the "Prnt Scrn" button, draw a box around what I want, and it's saved just that fast. It's also stored in the clipboard, so you can immediately paste the image wherever you want.

"SnapIt" allows you to change the default settings to your liking, so there are no extra steps required -- a real productivity booster!

You can go to this link to try it for free: Screen Capture Software

Birthday Pictures

2010-10-15T19:22:00.001-07:00

These are a little late, but here are some pictures from Russ' birthday last month:

He wanted to take the kids to Chuck E. Cheese on his birthday (can you imagine a better Dad?)

Opening the gift he practically requested (which was not a CD - gasp!)

Birthday kisses

Russ doesn't really care for cake, so this year we made a "donut cake" (he does care for donuts, particularly apple fritters)

Hooray for the big 3 0!!!

Therapy Update

2010-10-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

This video has nothing to do with therapy, it just shows a really cute and happy baby.

Brenna did meet with both her therapists for the first time this week. The occupational therapist came on Monday to do her evaluation. Brenna wasn't in a particularly good mood, but she made it through the poking and prodding and checking. The OT gave me a series of 8 stretches to do with her each day, 10 reps each. The stretches work her shoulder, elbow, forearm, wrist, fingers, and thumb. Two of the shoulder stretches are pretty uncomfortable for her, but she tolerates everything else really well.

The physical therapist came on Wednesday and did her evaluation. She was very positive about Brenna's prospects for improvement as she checked her strength and weight-shifting and "helping" and I don't even know what else. She just gave me one additional stretch for Brenna's leg. It stretches out her calf muscle and is supposed to be held for 20 seconds several times a day (like whenever she gets her diaper changed). She mentioned the possibility of bracing her left leg at night to keep her toes from curling under so much.

Both therapists will be making weekly in-home visits. I am very thankful Brenna's condition was known so early, and that she is able to get as much help and see as many competent specialists as she does. We adore this sweet little girl, and are so thankful to have her in our family!

2010-09-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

Happy 30th birthday, Russ! This candle should look familiar to you all... it was first used on Russ' first birthday cake. I guess by then we also knew he loved baseball! I have made better looking birthday cakes, but this one is special because it reminds me of that wonderful little boy that has grown into such an amazing man. Have a wonderful day. Never forget how much you are loved.

Good Things To Come

2010-09-19T08:46:00.000-07:00

On this day when we are fasting for family, I wanted to share this Mormon Message. I know the conference address is familiar, but it is beautifully portrayed in the video. It is a message for all of us and applicable in every situation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nczw6xHJ0I&feature=channel

Love to you all.

2010-09-18T10:26:00.001-07:00

Also, sorry for another post, but I figure there are some (only a few) who would want to see a picture. We took this a few days ago and I already feel like I am bigger now. Everything is still going great. It is starting to get in the way a bit, but not too bad yet. It is nice being decidedly pregnant; no one hesitates to consider whether I'm pregnant or just abnormally fat anymore. Our new place is going well and we are liking Corvallis!

Celebration!

2010-09-18T00:17:00.001-07:00

Preface: I really did try to keep this short but still interesting. Sorry. Long-worded is my nature.

Well, I suppose it is about time for me to share with ya'll about our trip home to Oregon. After the family reunion, Brandon and I both finishing classes, finals, working, my graduation, packing, cleaning, moving, and Brandon's brother's wedding in Salt Lake City, we left for a trip to celebrate my graduating, Brandon's 25th birthday and our one year anniversary! We had a grand ole' time driving about 2,000 miles, throughout 6 states, over the course of 7 days.
On Saturday, 14 August, we headed up to Yellowstone and saw several of the more than 10,000 geothermal pools (geysers, ponds and puddles of hot water). We also saw many waterfalls and much wildlife. We even saw a real bear in the "wild".

Old Faithful

A geothermal pool area. This was Brandon's favorite part.

Despite the fact that we saved $25 on an entrance fee by rushing to arrive on a no-fee day, we were too cheap to spend $15 on a campsite. Instead, we drove around the town of West Yellowstone, just outside the park, until we found an awesome spot...a grassy patch directly behind the LDS church building! We got some weird looks from early morning meeting attenders.

This is at the crest of a humongous waterfall. This was my favorite part of Yellowstone, located within the "Grand Canyon" of Yellowstone and the only place we saw yellow stone.

Sunday afternoon was spent in the park and Sunday night was spent in the car. We intended to drive through the night but didn't make it. We napped in a gas station parking lot and woke up next to a street sign: Roses Lane!

Monday: We then drove to Crater Lake which was absolutely gorgeous! Though there isn't a whole lot to do unless you are geared up for really intense hiking, it is definitely worth seeing.

Turns out it's hard to take a good photo in a dark cave.

After, we drove to Cave Junction area and camped at a site at the foothills of the Oregon Caves. The following day (Tuesday), we toured Oregon Caves and Redwood National Forest. The Oregon Caves are just incredible! I'd been there before and I would gladly go many more times. They were just awesome. I suggest everyone go there.
Redwoods were awesome and we had some real good times taking pictures and walking around exploring.
On our way back, we stopped at an RV campsite and showered. 8 minutes of hot water for $0.25! Sweet!

We slept in the same campsite that night, then packed up and headed off the following morning. (Wednesday) First we stopped at the Oregon Vortex. It's this crazy cool place that they place naturally warps weight, height and other such things. You should look it up for a better explanation. It was actually really really cool. Just a teaser: they push a glass bottle downhill and when it loses momentum it rolls back up the hill. Backwards.

White Fallow Deer (I think they originate in Asia)

Our trek continued up the I-5 corridor to Winston, Oregon where we stopped at Wildlife Safari. Totally rad. You get to drive around this large area filled with animals from all over the world! Sparing the bears, lions, tigers and cheetahs, all are roaming free on a large plot of land and can potentially walk right up to your car. Antelope, lions, ostrich, rhinos, zebras, giraffes, bears, elephants, emu, alpaca, white deer, cheetahs, tigers, turkeys and a ton more that we'd never heard of! They also had a petting zoo and small-cage animals so you could see them up-close.

Dude, this emu was scary looking. I thought he would peck right through the window!

You can't actually tell from this but the giraffe got about 18" from our car. I thought for sure he was going to walk right on top of it and crush our little chevy!

Taking HWY 42, we journeyed to the Coast and camped at a side just outside Florence. That night, Brandon cooked us some way delicious chicken alfredo. Camping is great. Thursday was spent slowly. Upon my request, we did basically nothing. I was tired of the go-go-go approach, so we just chilled. We ate at Mo's (and claimed it was in commemoration of our honeymoon, since we did it then, as well).

This is actually the last picture we took with this camera. It broke right after.

Friday morning, we ate, packed up and drove to Mulino and a few hours later were at Brandon's brother's second reception/most red-neck night his brother's in-law's had ever seen. It was held at the bottom of an intense gravel road, next to the Molalla River were the night included swimming, shooting guns, horse shoes, badminton, riding around in a Gator, bonfire, bbq pulled-pork, baked beans, watermelon, tiki torches, OFF!, and personalized Jones Soda.

Our trip ended with a night spent at the padres, but only to begin another adventure in the book of our lives.

Neurology Notes

2010-09-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

I just got a copy of the neurologist's report from Brenna's last visit (September 3rd). I thought some of you might be interested to read it. (You'll probably have to enlarge the image to read it easily.)

Happy Birthday Emily!

2010-09-10T17:57:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday Emily! We sent you an email but we thought you'd enjoy a blog post dedicated just to you, too!
Here's a recent fam photo...wish you could be in it too!

We love you!

First Day of School

2010-09-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

1st Day of Kindergarten (2010)

1st Day of Preschool (2009)

Russ and I can hardly believe we have a kindergarten student (who rides the bus all by herself). These kiddos just keep growing up!

Happy Birthday, BRANDON!

2010-08-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

Midway Memories continued

2010-08-19T12:48:00.001-07:00

Nana Skirts

(and trying to get 4 girls to look and smile at the same time)

James and Baby Brenna
Dad's Caterpillar

(who was surprisingly hard to shake)

Midway Memories

2010-08-19T12:39:00.001-07:00

Reading the "M&M Story" with Nana

Dad's Rendition of "Shadrach"
Swimming in the Pool
The Alpine Slide in Park City
Angela's Baby Shower

(which didn't actually take place in Midway, but I thought I'd add it anyway)

SIX MONTHS

2010-07-30T04:42:00.000-07:00

Weight: 15 lbs 1.3 oz

Length: 27 in.

Thus far, Brenna is our longest and our leanest baby. She's doing great, aside from a little lagging development on her left side (due to the dilated brain ventricle that was found just prior to her birth). Her two bottom front teeth have already come in. She can't wait to see all of you NEXT WEEK!

Fun at the Fair

2010-07-27T11:59:00.001-07:00

Entrance Fee: $10

Ride Tickets: $15

Popcorn & Cotton Candy: $5

Children's Smiles: Priceless

Ya gotta love family

2010-07-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

Emily and I just had a fantastic day having fun with the Russ and Anne Clan. While there, the girls had fun watching the fun little rain and wind storm that went through. We drove home last night to find stop lights messed up, power lines hanging in the street, and a mass of tree limps strewn through our apartment complex.

The apartment building behind us had it's roof blown off. Our cell phones didn't and still don't have reception at home. And there was a mid-sized tree that feel right in the area where we were parked before we left to visit Russ and Anne. So if we hadn't gone, we might have been without a car! Thanks Russ and Anne!

2010-07-25T22:11:00.000-07:00

Brandon and I went on a quick trip a few days ago. After work on Thursday evening, we headed for Colorado to check out the Native American cliff dwellings from hundreds of years ago. We slept in the car that night and just cooked breakfast on a little camper's stove then headed for...Four Corners! It actually wasn't all that cool. For 3 bucks a person you can park in a plain parking lot with a bathroom and an "authentic" Indian frybread stand and look out at more dessert (the likes of which you have been looking at the entire drive out there). Or, you can just park, walk up to the sign, take a picture and call it good - for free.
After that, we headed to the Mesa Verde National Park to see this incredible cliff dwellings. Beginning around 1100's, some Native Americans began building small dwellings in alcoves just with bricks and mud. They were really cool to go and see.

We took a guided tour which was really informative. It's just amazing what people will do and have done. We both had work Saturday morning, so we headed back that night but it was certainly worth the trip!

Just in case

2010-07-22T18:25:00.000-07:00

Just in case anyone was worried about my last post, it is a joke. I was searching around the web to see what other people have done with Mom's email situation and came across this funny way to respond to this kind of email. I thought I would share it.

Doug

Dear "Susan"

2010-07-22T08:53:00.001-07:00

What a terrible predicament to be in. I understand your plight as I too experienced the same thing while visiting Wales, my family was mugged by a pack of skinheads and we lost everything except our passports. Please tell me what I can do to help, how much money do you need to get home safely including limousine fare to get you home from the airport, meals, snacks on the plane etc. Advise me where to send the cash.

Doug

Beach Day

2010-07-21T17:46:00.001-07:00

Kaylee has been asking for a beach trip for months and months now, and we finally made it there last Saturday. Delaware is famous for its beautiful beaches, which are about 2 hours South of our home in Newark.

The water was lovely, and we spent a lot of time playing in the waves.

It looks like Russ is throwing Ashlyn into the waves, but he was really just spinning her around.

Kaylee's turn to play in the bigger waves with Dad.

Mom held Brenna on the beach while she slept.

And Brenna had really nice hair when she woke up.

We LOVE the beach!!!

Sleeping Beauty

2010-07-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

2010-07-07T18:56:00.001-07:00

In case any of you were wondering......it's a WONDERFUL movie. Toy Story 3 is just as good as 1 and 2! I was quite impressed.

My employer gave me movie tickets for my birthday, so Brandon and I saw this movie. I was skeptical that it would any good, seeing as how it is a third sequel and it has been so long. However, I was very pleasantly surprised. I strongly suggest that ya'll see this movie, particularly when it comes out on video.

Celebrate

2010-07-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

Our ward sponsors an annual 4th (or 5th) of July pancake breakfast . . .

and kids parade.

Every good parade includes a few treats.

We hope everyone else enjoyed celebrating as much as we did!

Blueberry Memories

2010-06-28T15:23:00.000-07:00

Nikki just called asking for the blueberry sauce recipe. Since it is blueberry season, I thought I would post it for all. I thought about typing it in, but part of the memory is seeing the recipe card. How many of you remember picking blueberries at Carus Hill Farms? We may have only done that 2 or 3 years since they closed their u-pick after that. This was the place just past the Mikkelsen's first house - further down on the left. Where do you remember going blueberry picking? One memory I have is picking at the place by the Hill's home with Russ just after he got home from EFY. I loved hearing of his experiences that seemed to come out even more in that setting. That is what I loved about picking fruit together... talking and working together. AND coming home with pounds and pounds of fruit and seeing how much we could eat before making jam or freezing them for future use. Yeah for Oregon fruit and Oregon memories!

Don't Eat PETE!

2010-06-28T12:18:00.001-07:00

We got to spend a fun day in DC with Doug and Emily last Saturday. After going to the zoo and the temple visitor's center we went back to their apartment for a few hours. While Brenna napped, inventive Aunt Emily came up with activities to entertain Kaylee and Ashlyn, including a game of "Don't Eat Pete!".

The in-house artist designed a custom game board while Emily popped the game pieces.

Everyone took a turn.

And Ashlyn spent a lot of time sitting on her hands so she wouldn't give away Pete's position. :)

My Horse Adventure Gone Awry

2010-06-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

Well, my Wamic trip proved more challenging this time. Linnell, Matthew, Miriam and her 4 children and I left Sunday evening to spend 2 glorious days riding and enjoying the beautiful Oregon high desert. Monday morning we took the kids on a horse walk, tied the horses at the cabin for lunch, then Linnell, Matthew, and I went on a "real" ride into the wilderness area. What a beautiful day and a fun ride... until... we were galloping our way home and my horse and I got out of sync (for you horse people, he was cross leading). So I pulled him up to regroup, but I pulled him up too fast and then we were really out of sync and at some point my right ankle got twisted around in the stirrup. Anyway, I was coming off and couldn't get him to stop since I was hanging on his neck to the side. Linnell heard my plea to hold up, so when we all came to a stop I slid off landing softly on my back. That was when I realized I had injured my right ankle. Anyway, nothing broken, just lots of color and some swelling. Not so bad if I didn't have a job to show up for! Hopefully I will back at it soon. I guess if I had to sprain my ankle, I am glad to have an exciting story to tell, though it does hurt my ego that it includes coming off a horse!

The 2010 Burnett Reunion - Keeping Traditions Alive

2010-06-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

Despite the weather, we had a wonderful reunion in a beautiful location and facility. I won't try to give the details here, but I did want to share some videos to help our children and grandchildren have a feel for the experience. Of course, we missed you all dearly and hope that 2 years from now we can figure out a way to all be together for that event. Who knows where some of you will be living by then!

Memorial Day

2010-06-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

Though Memorial Day is past and gone, I still wanted you to see that we are keeping the tradition alive. This year we started at Bill and Lorna's with a wonderful breakfast where we met Matt and Louise's new baby, Zoe. What a cutie! Then we headed to the cemetery and directly to the coast for our anniversary. 33 years and counting!

2010-06-21T15:51:00.000-07:00

This is the kid at 10 weeks 2 days. It measures at about 1.5 inches, with a strong, healthy heart beat of 180 per minute. Its head is on the right, tail at the left. I am 12 weeks today. Just thought ya'll would enjoy looking at this.

Happy Father's Day to my dear dad

2010-06-20T15:57:00.000-07:00

More memories

2010-06-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day, Dad

2010-06-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

Brenna Likes to Eat . . .

2010-06-19T11:16:00.001-07:00

Kaylee's Toes

Russ's Hair

(and this one's just really cute)

Birthday Girls!

2010-06-08T12:49:00.000-07:00

The girls both got scooters (which they opened on Saturday.)

"Oh, I always wanted a pink jacket!"

Ashlyn requested a chocolate butterfly cake this year.

Before

During

After

Happy, Happy Birthday KAYLEE and ASHLYN!!!

Four Month Stats

2010-06-08T12:22:00.001-07:00

Weight: 14 lbs. 3.5 oz.

Length: 26.7 in.

(Don't be alarmed about the state of Russ' hair - his cut was a few weeks overdue.)

2010-06-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

Does it get any happier, any better than these two?

Happy 33rd Anniversary, Mom and Dad!
Thanks for all the great years, the great examples and the closest to perfect home and raising possible.

Movin' On Up

2010-05-26T12:04:00.000-07:00

Kaylee graduated from preschool on Monday! She says her favorite things about preschool were painting, bringing the snack, and playing with the toys. She had an awesome year and will miss her teachers and classmates, but (as the children chanted at the ceremony) . . .

I don't know but I've been told

KINDERGARTEN is the place to go!

Kaylee with her fabulous teachers - Miss Terry and Miss Chris

Boy! Do we love Utah!

2010-05-24T09:54:00.001-07:00

These were taken just an hour ago. A week from June...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANGELA!

2010-05-23T21:47:00.000-07:00

This says it all... we love you!
(Look at that beautiful hair. Some things never change!)