West Haven Days

We went to the parade for West Haven Days for the first time this year, because Brielle was in it! She rode a float with her cheer team and dance studio and she loved it. They had learned a few cheers but they didn't work on the float so when she passed us we just got a wave and a big smile. It was so cute. 

After the parade we made our way over to the pickle-ball fields because Tim was playing in the tournament with Ryan Nichols. They actually did pretty good considering they had never played together and Tim has only ever played a handful of times.

That evening we went back to the park for the Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band concert and fireworks. We ended up going to watch part of the rodeo for a while and I think next year we'll have to go to the whole thing. Then we went back to the concert to dance and watch the fireworks.

While we were sitting with our little clutch of kids in front of us, Tim leaned over and pointed out that this is it - everything that matters fit right on that little blanket. And its true. 

 

Brielle turns 11

 Bri has been so excited for her birthday this year. As soon as Christmas was over she started planning what she wanted to do and thinking about what she would ask for. In the week leading up to her birthday she finally narrowed it down to asking for a desk and chair for her room, and going to Chuck A Rama for dinner. She also wanted to do something with her friends. Since it was going to be the Kanesville skate night at Classic Fun Center on her birthday we went to dinner a couple of days early and she invited her friends to the skate night.

During school on her birthday she thought that since Ava and Mason didn't really want to go to the skate night, and only one invited friend would make it, that we would probably say we weren't going to do that. Then she decided that would be for the best because she really wanted to just stay home and have family come over to visit and have cake and ice cream. 

When she got home and realized we were going to the fun center she put on her happy face and got excited. First she decorated her birthday cake like a beautiful garden (one of the many things she wants to be when she grows up is a baker). Then off we went. We stayed there for almost three hours and everyone had a great time! When we got home I think everyone was a little overstimulated because the night ended in tears for everyone but Bus, but I think they'll all have good memories of the day in the morning.

Brielle is so tender. Her emotions are getting the better of her lately. The mood swings are driving her crazy. She doesn't want to grow up, she's having a hard time with friends at school, the world is a weird, scary place right now. It's been a rough year for her, but she's shown a lot of growth and resilience. She looks at the world in such a detailed way and she doesn't miss a thing. She is very smart and loves to read and does well in school.

Brielle is also tells me all the time that she loves me. She gives the sweetest cuddles and loves to open up an talk. She loves one on one time with Tim or I, but I have been the clear favorite for talk time lately. She makes me feel like a good mom, it doesn't hurt that she tells me all the time that I'm the best mom. She's my sweet little best friend and I hope she still loves me for the next few years!

A Haircut

 Mason and Eric both needed haircuts last week, so while I picked up the girls from tumbling in Clearfield, he cut their hair. When I came home, Mason had a completely buzzed head! I was totally shocked because he takes his hair pretty seriously. He was really second guessing his decision once the hair started coming off. It looks really nice on him though, he can totally pull it off. 

The funny part was Bus' reaction. He was so upset, he was inconsolable. Crying and screaming at anyone that tried to talk him down. For nearly two hours he was absolutely devastated. It was weird. We got some of it on video and it's pretty funny. When he finally calmed down enough to talk and I asked him why he was so upset, he said, "There are so many spirits in heaven waiting to come down and now Mason will never get married!"

I tried to convince him that Mason's hair would grow back in a few weeks and that he is only 12 anyway and can't even date yet. It wasn't until I convinced him that some girls like boys with buzzed heads that he decided it wasn't the end of the world. 

By the next day he was totally over it and let Mason make a YouTube video out of all the footage they had of the haircut and the reactions. Unfortunately, it's not getting nearly the number of views that Mason was hoping for and he's regretting the haircut.

A Trip and a Birthday

 Kelson and Lexie had a new baby girl in early in September and I really wanted to go to Dallas and visit them and meet her. So we planned a trip for the first week in November and it finally came! 

We had really good time considering Dallas in the fall isn't much of a vacation destination. We visited the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, which was very cool. We went to the the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. We took the kids to a trampoline park and they had the place to themselves. Lots of tacos, some burgers, and the best barbecue any of us have ever had. 

There were lots of nice simple things like letting the kids swim in the freezing pool. We took them to a cool park and went for a nice walk along river to see the mansions. It was so fun seeing Kelson and Lexie try to wrangle Luke - he is the most adorable menace. 

We also got to go see Kelson bless baby Jane at their church on Sunday. He did a great job and it was a sweet day. 

One highlight of the trip was celebrating our Buster Boy on his 7th birthday. He had been asking for a Grinch cake for several weeks, so I found a lady in the area to make a cake and we picked it up straight from the airport. It was a bit of a disappointment. A for effort, I guess! He also got a stuffed Grinch as one of his presents and he loves it. He is terrified of the Grinch, but also obsessed with him. 

Bus is the best kid. He is so loving and affectionate. He still starts every day by crawling in our bed for a cuddle and a million kisses and tells us he loves us a hundred times. He loves playing games and is a totally homebody. He's not a big fan of doing things that require him to leave the house or yard. But when he's here he is down to do whatever anyone wants to do. There aren't a lot of close friends in the neighborhood, but he will join in with whatever friends are over and they usually don't mind because he is so fun and easygoing. 

He is completely guileless. He is so comfortable in his own skin. He's not embarrassed to tell us his crush or the silly mistake he made in school or the funny thing he did to show off. And that's just what he'll say - he did it to show off. He is so super smart, he's one of two kids in his class that are allowed to check out chapter books at school and his teacher says she knows he is so bored because he'll turn over his math worksheet and practice his multiplication. 

Basically, we all love him and wouldn't change a thing. It has been a total joy to watch him grow up, but I wish I could freeze this time. It's perfect.

Field Trip with Bri

All school year, the Brielle's class has been working with Junior Achievement to learn about running a business. Then they got to go on a field trip to JA City at The Gateway in Salt Lake and put what they've learned into practice. Each kid got assigned a role in a different business and the parents mostly just made sure they knew what they were doing and got them where they needed to be. 

Brielle has been so exited. So excited. So of course she got the flu the week of the field trip, and right before we are set to leave for a family trip. She has been so worried that she was going to miss the field trip, but this morning she said she felt good enough, so we put a mask on her and got her on the bus. I had to be in Salt Lake at 8:30 for the volunteer training. It was a very cool field trip and she loved it. And I love watching her love things, so it was a great day.