how time flies!

I really can't believe it has been a year...well, a year and a week since little Brinley Anne entered this world. I have kinda put off writing this entry because I am in slight denial of the whole thing! We had a little party of family and a few friends to celebrate this milestone. Brinley was such a little star. Always smiling and running around like a big girl. What a bittersweet day. It is awesome to see her growing into such a happy and curious child, but so sad that she isn't my little baby anymore.

We are looking forward to the next few years. We can't wait to be able to take the girls places and not have to worry about naps and bottles and packing diapers and baby food and all the other little things that go with itty bitty children. We can't wait to do the big family vacations and outtings around the valley with them as they get older. We have so many years of fun times ahead of us!

Until then, I am going to hold onto these little girls as long as I can and hope that I can stop time temporarily. To hold a sleeping Brinley a few minutes longer or carry Peyton a few steps further are the moments that I look for. One day they will both be running out the door fighting over the car keys and deciding which classes to take at college. That day will come sooner than I think! Lucky for me we are building memories every day.


This toy was the winner of the day! Thanks Auntie Andi and Uncle Kendall for picking the best toy ever! Look at the kids all gathered around waiting for me to pry it out of the box and free it from the plastic bindings!




Yummy! No major messes at this birthday party. She was pretty determined to eat it with spoon since Peyton was eating hers with one! Silly little girl!!!



Cute, cute, cute!

Vacation!

So much has been going on these past few months! The highlight of the summer was going to OC and witnessing a beautiful wedding of our childhood friend Simone and then spending the week at a beach house. The little ones had the best time together at the beach and the ventures we had. We spent a day at the LA zoo (which was a pretty sad zoo in the 95 degree heat!) and we went to Disneyland where Cheryl joined us for the fun! The girls played on the beach daily and loved every minute of it. Peyton started really hesitant about the ocean, but by the end of the week she was running into the waves full speed ahead! Brinley wasn't the biggest fan of the beach since she was still a little unsteady on her feet. Peyton and Aubrey were hilarious together. They love each other so much, but they are so bossy to each other! They would seek each other out as soon as they would wake up, but as soon as they found each other they were arguing over anything they could! Two year old attitudes!


A rare photo of the four of us!!! Thank you Cheryl for taking the picture! Peyton was ok with Mickey Mouse. No hysterical screams when she saw the costumed rodent coming our way. She wasn't thrilled, but at least we got our cliche Disney picture!


Another rare photo op! What a beautiful beach and fun times we had during the week.


Our super model in the making! Doesn't she look at home on the beach? Next time I have a feeling she is going to love it! Dang that sand for making her footing a little unsteady!


My other beach baby! I swear these girls were born to run and play on the beach. Hours of fun Peyton and Aubrey had in the sand.

The one ride at Disneyland that Peyton requested to go on more than once! The irony is she HATED the merry-go-round in San Diego. I have a feeling she loved this ride because her beloved cousin was on it too! Fun times and fabulous memories.

the one who started it all...

I love this handsome face. It was love at first sight. Six years ago Mr. B (aka BJ, Mr. Bojangles, Big Pug) bounced his little six pound self into our hearts and home. SIx years ago we were on the hunt for the dog that would chose us...little did we know it was going to be this silly pug. What a fantastic dog he has been. B is always by my side or knows where I am in the house. He allows the girls to climb around him and play with him. There isn't a treat he would turn his nose up at. What a funny guy he is. The six pound baby pug has grown into a twenty-eight pound, gray faced six year old approaching middle age (in dog years, mind you!) I really can't imagine our home without him. I adore my old man.

Move over George Lucas!

My newest favorite picture of our littlest peanut. I walked into the computer room, aka Tim's room, and found Miss Brinley happily browsing her daddy's Star Wars books. Could this picture make a Star Wars nerd any happier? I doubt it. She is starting young taking after her parents' love of literature. (Can I call Star Wars literature?) But she is a little young to start on my Sookie Stackhouse and Jodi Picoult. I will settle for Star Wars for now. :)

30 days to a shredded me

Ha ha. I like the claim that Jillian Michaels will created a shredded me, but I doubt a 20 minute video everyday is going to make that happen. But I need to start making some changes to my daily life and this seems like a good place to start...20 minutes of high intensity exercise plus some changes to my diet and hopefully I will see a difference in a month. I have a gym membership, but that hasn't been dusted off since last summer! It is waaaaaay too hot to drag the girls outside for long walks or jogs, so here I am doing something I always said I couldn't or wouldn't do...gasp...follow a video! Now that the summer is here and I am outta school I can concentrate more on me and less on the world around me. Better food choices and more movement. Bring it on Jillian Michaels!

We will see what happens in 30 days. Perhaps a few pounds gone? Let's hope!

Birthday fun

So today I realized that although I have two little girls, I also have a little boy on my hands! I thought I would never experience the boy things in life with two girls, but alas...I am proven wrong.

The little boy I am referring to is my beloved husband who turned 32 today. We started our morning with Star Wars pancakes thanks to Williams Sonoma for such molds...now if only I could get mine to look like theirs!!! Peyton had a great time eating the "bad guys" and she calls them. She had a Yoda all to herself and shared her daddy's Darth Vader (aka Bad Guy)

Then Timmy went off to help Kendall with his new room addition so Peyton and I made a birthday cake for the birthday boy. More fun times! My little helper poured and mixed and taste tested the cake for me. What fun it will be next year having two helpers! My littlest helper was sleeping through the fun times today, but soon enough she will be wrestling her sister for the spoon!

Future tattoo artist

Peyton, Brinley, the pugs and I are enjoying a quiet morning while daddy sleeps in today. Peyton is coloring pictures at the table for everyone in the family and hanging them on the fridge. While she is coloring, we have the following dialog while I am cleaning up the kitchen.

Peyton: Mommy, I colored a picture for Peyton!
Me: For Peyton?
Peyton: Yes! It is on my arm!

Yikes! Now I have to look up from the dishes and Peyton is proudly showing me her arm. It made me laugh and smile at her silliness. And thankfully I thought to grab my camera instead of my first instinct of washing it off! Perhaps my dreams of her being a doctor or teacher is being replaced with her being a tattoo artist?