She's Patriotic

Brinley says the Pledge of Allegiance every day at school.  I love that they do this, it seems our “system” is so backwards sometimes.  She randomly says the pledge, but I cracked up with I listened to the words, “one dalmatian under God..”

A Pretty Good Worst Day Ever

Sending my little girl to school was H.A.R.D. I really wasn't ready for Brinley to go to Kindergarten.  I really don't see her any less than I did before, it's just that she's growing up too fast and I don't know if I have taught her everything I should have, I'm sure I haven't.  I hate that I don't have any control over her environment and her influences. No, I don't want to "control" her for the rest of her life.  I just felt like I was throwing my baby out into the world and I'm just wasn't ready for that.  That being said, I really wanted to make her first day special for her.  She wasn't too excited when I work her up!

 But when I told her I had a present for her she took the pillow off her head and started to wake up.  I made her favorite breakfast, crapes!

 And here she is all ready for her first day of kindergarten.  I dropped her off and didn't even cry when I left. She had a great day!  Brinley, you have so much to offer this great big world, go get em girl!

TOU Half Round Two

So... My work offered to sponsor me for the Top Of Utah Half Marathon so of course I signed right up.  Long story short, I wasn't able to train for this hardly at all, no long runs.  My knee has just really been bugging me since I hurt it in the TOU full marathon 2 years ago.  And since my work sponsored me I had to wear their shirt.  It's hard to run in clothes you aren't comfortable in or used to.  I was really nervous for this race, but it ended up being fine.  My knee really hurt around miles 2 and 3 and for some miraculous reason I was bless with minor to no pain for the remainder of the race.  I finished.  My time wasn't great (2:06), but it was a time and I suppose I earned it.  

I ran into my cute little family around mile 10.  My parents were there too.  Their support and encouragement always means so much to me!  

 The last 3 miles were way harder than they should have been!  I just didn't feel "good".  I thought I was sick from running, I wouldn't say that it's normal, but it happens. Dustin and the girls along with my parents where waiting for me at the finish line.  My poor Mom had to run a marathon herself to make it since they had to park so stinking far away.  I have the best parents in the whole world!  They even got me these fun, bright, flowers.  When I finished I really didn't feel good and as the day went on I realized I was not just sick from running, I had the flu, probably just got whatever London had while we were in Bear Lake.  No fun! 

A Little Family Trip

Last month Troy and Sabra came to visit.  My parents planned a little trip to Bear Lake.  We stayed in a gorgeous cabin for 4 days, it was the first time our family was all together in... I don't even know how long.  It was really fun!  

We played in the water and boated.  I attempted wake boarding for the first time, but mainly I just swallowed a bunch of lake water.  The first time Brinley went on the tube she went under and got scared.  I was so proud of her the next day when she faced her fear and tried it again.  Looks like she was worn right out.

Poor Lunnie got sick!  She threw up and thanks to my sister for cleaning it up before Dustin and I even found out she was sick.

We had a lot of fun and my parents went to so much work for us!  Thanks parents!

"Houses are built, homes are made"

You know how each year there seems to be one thing that defines the entire year?  Like one thing that pretty much sums it all up?  I remember one year felt like a year of vacation for us, it was really fun.  Well this year (or well over a year) definitely feels like the year of  projects.  I feel like I'm ALWAYS working and NEVER accomplishing.  Well, here's a fun little project we have been working on.  It's a step in the right direction... I think.  

Turned this...

Into this...

The Dog Days Of Summer

Brinley wanted to play in the sprinkler one day and she ran right in and got her umbrella.  I thought it was funny that she wanted to "play in the sprinkler" but didn't really want to get wet so I just grabbed my camera, but she just started posing.  And now I think the posing is funnier than her umbrella idea.  

Oh Summer, we're sure going to miss you.  I feel like we didn't get enough in this Summer, but when I look back we were ALWAYS gone!  ALWAYS playing!  I guess you just can't ever spend "enough"  time with your kids and right now I'm, well I'l just be honest... I'm really really sad.  I'm sad that Brinley's going to kindergarten and I'm sad that you only get 5 years with your kids and just like that, it's gone.  I'm sad because I remember crying when Brinley turned 2 because my time with her was half up.  I'm sad because that feels like just a few months ago.  I'm scared that I haven't taught her enough.  Not so much about school, but about life.  I read a blog the other day of a girl that we grew up with.  Her name is Alisa.  She's fighting cancer.  She just had to send her three perfect little boys to school and she wrote, "Days like this, I have to wonder if what I told them is what I've taught them.  I hope they are kind to the world even when I'm not there to prompt them."    I thought, that is exactly how I feel! 

 I'm not really a jealous person, I'm pretty content with who I am and what I have, but I'm so jealous of the moms that get to walk their kids to school, so jealous!  And I'm jealous of the moms that get to greet their kids after school with a fresh batch of homemade cookies.  Now I can go into all of the reasons I work and the fact that I really do like my job and have a great job and how me working does not mean that my husband can't or doesn't provide for our family on his own and it doesn't mean that because I work by choice I want other people to "raise" my kids or that I don't want to be there for them or that I'm not there for them or that I care about money and things more than them.  It does not mean that I don't love being a Mom and love my kids more than anything else in the world.  It doesn't mean that I'm not a good mom.    All it means, is that I recognize that my job is a blessing and it feels like the right choice right now, but that doesn't go to say that I never get tears in my eyes at work because of what I'm missing out on. Yes, sometimes I feel guilty about my choice.  Sometimes I cry to my Mom.  Sometimes I cry to my husband, but in the end I love my girls as much as humanly possible whether I'm at work or at home.

I don't let Brinley pick up on the fact that I don't want her to go to school.  She's really excited so I try to be excited for her.  When I look at these pictures of her, I realize she's probably more ready than I think.  She looks confident, she looks friendly, but most of all she just looks happy.  What more can we ask?  Really, I just want her to be happy.  So even if she doesn't know how to tie her shoe, I believe she is ready.  Even if I'm not.

Yeah, we're dirty

Dustin promised me he would run a 5K with me... he hates to run!  My work sponsored us for the Stomp The Mud out of Child Abuse Mud Run on Saturday.  I had fun getting dirty with you Husband.

Little Fish

Today was Brinley's last day of swimming.  She's doing great!  So proud of the little fish and thanks so much to my sisters for being Brinley's "Mom" when I can't.  

Canoeing

The other Caziers invited us to go canoeing with them at Tony's Grove. So fun!  We roasted hot dogs, ate way too much of Whitney's yummy fruit salad and got home too late, but had a blast.  

More Camping

Our trailer is almost completely re-modeled.  YAY!  I've really missed camping with my family and honestly didn't think we would ever be able to camp together again.  We we all able to go to Emigration (except for Troy).  I was glad my parents could go.  We spent a day at Bear Lake.  The kids had fun.  Nuff said.