Straight Up Downtown

Vegas Baby!

2011-03-24T20:40:00.000-07:00

So I am no longer a Vegas Virgin! Doug and I had the opportunity to go to Vegas for a business meeting... well Doug had a meeting and my only meeting was relaxing in our hotel room. I had fun walking the strip during the day and doing some shopping. We enjoyed relaxing away from our normal life and sight seeing. Next trip to Vegas I would like to stay at the Paris Hotel. It was so stinkin' cute! I ate breakfast at a little cafe there one morning. Fun!

Papa's Helper

2011-03-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

My dad is such an amazing man! He has helped us so much with all our projects with the "new" house. Landen is the best helper ever! He helped Papa put together the pantry one day. It was so awesome watching them work together. I am so blessed!!

Family Fun

2011-03-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

My cousin Natalie came to Turlock for a visit from Oregon with her 4 kids. My kids had the best time playing outside and running around at Great Grandma's house. They all tried grapefruit straight off Grandma's tree, sour faces all around. Parker loved following 3 year old Ashely around. They played for about an hour and then we needed to head back to Fresno. They are still talking about their cousins and all the fun they had.

St. Patrick's Day Breakfast for Dinner

2011-03-24T20:33:00.000-07:00

We celebrated St. Patrick's Day with a yummy and fun dinner! Green pancakes with chocolate chips, green milk with a shamrock straw, green eggs, bacon, and for dessert was a cookie brownie... the kids loved it!

Parker turns 2!

2011-03-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe my baby is 2! Time is just flying by. We had a few people over to help us celebrate. Parker was a little under the weather, but still managed to scarf down some cupcake, play the wii with the boys, and bowl a few games in the entry way. Parker is such an absolute joy! We all love him so much!

The Huber Cabin for New Years

2011-01-18T17:15:00.000-08:00

We were lucky enough to get invited back to the Huber cabin to what has turned into an annual New Year's Funcation! The kids LOVE LOVE LOVE going to the cabin and we think it is pretty sweet too. A snow playground is a few steps outside the backdoor and then the hot tub is where to be after the snowball fight. The kids also love playing games and hanging out inside too. It was so much fun. This is one of those trips that the kids talk about the whole year. Thank you Kris and Dawna for sharing your amazing cabin and thanks to everyone else for making the cabin so amazing!

Our 10 year Anniversary

2010-12-19T21:40:00.000-08:00

Doug and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary on November 25th! It's crazy how fast the past 10 years has flown by. My parents watched the kids for a couple of days and we shopped for Christmas, ate lots of yummy food at some of our favorite restaurants... El Jardin, Yosemite Ranch, and Casa Carona. We enjoyed spending time together and catching up on some sleep. I am so blessed to have such an amazing man for my eternal companion.

P-DAWG

2010-12-19T21:30:00.000-08:00

To say that Parker has personality would be an understatement. This kid cracks us up! He could be upset and crying and you pull out a camera and he does the hugest, over dramatic cheese ever. We were out to dinner with my mom and he was getting a little fussy. Landen got my camera and Parker said "Cheeeeese" then Landen put the camera down and Parker got all serious and pouty then Landen pulled it out again and big cheeser again. At Serentiy's birthday party he wanted to be part of the action too. The girls were sitting in a circle and he started going around the circle and patting each one's head (trying to play duck duck goose). He loved the boxes that Ren's toys came in, especially this one that had a clear front, a perfect helmet. Our Parker is the sweetest thing ever!!

A few more of the DL

2010-11-05T19:18:00.000-07:00

BTW every ride home from the DL I look back and my kiddos have devised some get up to entertain themselves. This trip it was some headwear using those handy dandy pillow cases.

Disneyland

2010-11-05T19:13:00.000-07:00

We were happy to return to the happiest place on earth to celebrate the halloween festivities. All of Main Street was decorated in fall colors and lots of pumpkins. The kids had a blast seeing the characters and riding their favorite rides. Landen's favorite ride was the Go Gadget coaster in Toontown. It is a super short ride but a good little roller coaster. Serenity's favorite ride is still California Screamin' - crazy girl! Parker was content with just about everything however we rode the ferris wheel in California Adventure (the one with the rocking car) he wasn't too sure if he should be happy and frightened, he had the whole laugh/cry thing going on :)

Girl Scouts visit Cobb Ranch

2010-11-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

Serenity is in Girl Scouts and it has been super fun! This is the last year for Cobb Ranch so the girl's decided to go to the pumpkin patch for one of our meetings. They had fun looking for pumpkins, petting the animals, and eating the yummy pudding that Hannah brought.

Bowling Lessons

2010-11-05T19:05:00.000-07:00

I signed the kids up for bowling lessons! It was an AWESOME deal! 4 weeks 2 games each week with shoes, then each week we got an email for 2 free games that week all for $40 for both of them. No one else signed up so it was just the coach and my kiddos. Landen LOVED it! Parker would sit in the stroller and watch the whole time without complaining. He would even clap and cheer for his big brother and big sister, so cute!

Deborah and Marshall's Wedding

2010-11-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

My friend since kindergarten, Deborah, got hitched this last weekend! My best friend Cindy and I were in the wedding :) Marshall is a huge SF Giants fan so the theme of baseball and all the glory of orange and black were scattered throughout the night. The favors were cracker jacks, big league bubble gum, and peanuts. The flower girls carried old catching gloves with petals and instead of a guest book the guests signed 2 wooden bats and 2 baseballs. They even had a big screen to show the World Series game after the ceremony, but the game was already over. It was a really nice evening and I enjoyed hanging out with Cin without any kids :)

Landen's First Day

2010-09-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

Landen is in the transitional kindergarten class at Children's Activity Center this year. His teacher's are wonderful, Mrs. Lewis and Mrs. Whalen. Serenity had the same teachers her second year of pre-school so Landen already knows them so that always helps. In fact the day we went to meet the teachers and visit the school he said, "I already know all of this, I just want to go out and play on the playground." I guess technically this is his 4th year of being involved with CAC since Serenity attended CAC for 2 years and now this is Landen's second year. He loves singing songs and of course playing outside.

Serenity's 1st day of 1st Grade

2010-09-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

Serenity was very excited to start school, but that first week was killer. Such long days, in fact one day after school she got in trouble and it seriously was not a big deal and she started crying and was so emotional. She said, "Daddy, but I've had such a LONG day!" She seems to love it and loves her teacher, Mrs. Jackson! Here is to a wonderful year!

Book of Mormon Read-a-thon

2010-08-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

I had an AMAZING experience this past week that I will NEVER forget! Thanks to my mommy who came and watched my kiddos, I had the opportunity to join the Young Women of our ward and read the Book of Mormon cover to cover in just over 29 hours. We started on Thursday, August, 12 at 4pm and ended with a testimony meeting around a fire at 9:00pm on Friday, August 13. The Young Women are crazy but amazing girls and I am so happy I could be a part of this wonderful experience. My testimony of the Book of Mormon grew so much. It is such an inspiring book that changes people's lives. It is most definitely another testament of Jesus Christ and how blessed we are to have it in our lives. I was humbled by the stories and sad that i have taken it for granted for so long. Thank you Kolette for inviting me... I had so much fun!

What happens when my kids get a hold of the camera...

2010-08-15T09:53:00.000-07:00

My kids LOVE to take pictures. And you never know what pictures will show up on the camera. But I LOVE to see the world from their perspective. Sometimes I see their little fingers in front of the lens or their toys lined up or every wall in the room that surrounds them. My FAVORITE pictures that they take are of each other. Here are a few of the most recent pics from my little photographers.

Pioneer Day - July 24, 2010

2010-08-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

As usual every year we go to the Stake Center and celebrate pioneer day! There is a yummy breakfast, parade, water slides, dunk booth, and of course gigormous cotton candy! There was a little breeze and it wasn't too hot this year so it made festivities a lot more enjoyable. Serenity and Parker rode in the Robertson's wagon while Ali and Amy pulled them along. Now Serenity's good friend, Alleeda, is in our stake so we get to see her at stake activities. We had fun hanging out and playing with friends.

Bowling

2010-08-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

One of the things on our "Summer Fun" list was to go bowling. Sierra Lanes had an awesome summer bowling coupon... 2 hours of bowling for $8.99 and that includes shoes. So the kids had a blast bowling 6 games! Parker was perfectly content in the stroller most of the time clapping when Serenity and Landen with roll their bowling ball down the lane.

Serneity the shell finder

2010-07-16T12:45:00.000-07:00

Serenity on the other hand was all about the sea shells. She could spend hours on the beach just looking for sea shells. At one time I looked over and saw 3 booties sticking up the air, Serenity, Aunt Dee Dee, and Papa looking for sea shells in the water. She collected quite a few and loved spending time with her Aunt Dee Dee.

Landen the Boogie Board King

2010-07-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

We visited Aunt Dee Dee, Keanu, and Jordan (Uncle Danny was off on a surfing trip for his 50th) in Pismo awhile back. Even though the weatherman predicted foggy and cold weather.... the weather was AMAZING and we had such a wonderful time!! Landen loved playing on this little boogie board. We took turns pulling him on it but he loved just running and skimming the water all by himself. He had such a blast!!

Parker AKA: The Faker

2010-07-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

Don't let this sad pathetic little chubby face fool you. Parker has conquered the art of fakerness. Anytime he wants to melt the heart of bystanders he puts out the lip, squeezes his big brown eyes shut tight, and lets out a little whine. Even though I know he is faking it still melts my heart as well and makes me want to give him a big hug and kiss :) Ahh the life of a baby!

4th of July

2010-07-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

We went up to Kris and Dawna's to celebrate the 4th. We made it just in time to watch the fireworks in Auburn. Parker had a love hate relationship with the fireworks. He was so excited that his body would shake and he would giggle but then he would be nervously chewing on Taryn's sweatshirt. The next day we spent lounging by the pool and spending time with family. Minus the car trouble and having to get our car jumped every time we turned it off we had a fabulous time! Thanks Dawna and Kris!!

Cousins Visit

2010-07-16T08:43:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to have Isabella, Chase, and Auntie MIsty come visit us the first part of July. (My kiddos missed Uncle Danny, aka the Blanket Monster) The kids had so much fun playing together. We went to pump it up one morning and the rest of the time they pretty much just played. The girls went shopping with me and Misty while the boys stayed home with Doug and played the wii. Thanks for coming down guys we loved having you and can't wait to see you again!!

Disneyland

2010-07-16T08:38:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day in Disneyland

2010-07-16T08:29:00.000-07:00

This year we decided to spend Mother's Day in Disneyland. Disneyland gave flowers to all the mommies when we entered the park. Like always we had so much fun!! Landen is tall enough to ride pretty much all the rides that sissy can ride with the exception of a couple. Serenity was dying to ride the big roller coaster in California Adventure - California Screamin so Daddy took her on it. She LOVED it!! She went 8 - 10 times the day we were there. Landen loved the "bump" ride also known as Mollaholland Madness. Parker was amazing the entire time, laughing, sleeping, and absorbing the happiness at the happiest place on earth.

Swim Lessons

2010-05-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

Serenity and Landen took swim lessons at Break the Barriers this year. They had awesome and patient coaches! Since Landen hurt his thumb he was able to go to his last two classes, but Serenity was able to receive her certificate of completion.

Parker turns 1

2010-05-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

WOW is all I can say! That was the fastest year ever! I can't believe my little Parker-poo is 1! He LOVED his cake if you couldn't tell! I will post pics of his party at Auntie Cindy's house soon.

Kindergarten Field Trip

2010-05-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

Serenity's class along with the other two kindergarten classes got to go to the Fresno State Farm for their field trip. They have been learning all about farm animals for over a month. Thanks to my mommy I was able to go on the field trip too. It was fun seeing all the animals... dairy cows, beef, horses, and sheep. The highlight of the trip for most of the kids was riding the school bus!

Fun Times

2010-04-13T14:49:00.000-07:00

There have been lots of exciting things happening at the Brandow home... Parker turned 1! Serenity and Landen started gymnastics and swim lessons! Serenity is doing an amazing job reading! Landen is enjoying learning to cook! Serenity is in Girl Scouts! One of my besties, Deborah is getting married in October and I'm in her wedding! On a sad note we've had our share of heart break... January - My Uncle John passed away from Cancer, February - My Great Uncle Alfred passed away, March - My Grammie passed away from Cancer (no words can express how sad this has been), and April - my cousin's 1 1/2 year old little boy passed away in his sleep (they are still trying to figure out why). I'm praying that the months to come will bring more happiness. Hopefully I will get to post some pics soon of all the fun stuff!

Disneyland

2010-02-10T08:59:00.000-08:00

We were able to go to Disneyland in January. It was such a fun trip! It was Parker's first time and he LOVED it! His first ride was Finding Nemo, which he loved. He was pounding on the window and squealing with delight!

The Cabin

2010-02-10T08:55:00.000-08:00

Dawna and Kris were so wonderful to invite us to their AMAZING cabin for new year's. It was soooo much fun! We just had to open the back door and the kids could go play in the snow and then jump in the hot tub when they were done. The girls had a blast playing go fish with Uncle Kris. The older kids watched all the little ones while we went out to dinner and hung out at North Star! We had a fabulous time! Thank you Dawna and Kris!!

New Year's at the Huber Cabin

2010-02-10T08:46:00.000-08:00

Our Tradition

2010-01-08T08:34:00.001-08:00

Every year since we moved to Fresno 5 years ago (wow, has it really been that long?) we go to Cobb Ranch to pick out our Christmas tree. The Ranch always has fun things for the kids. This year they had a huge blow up slide and bounce houses for the kids to play on. We also had yummy cinnamon rolls, visited with the horses, and of course picked out our tree.

Serenity celebrates 6 Scooby Style

2010-01-06T09:01:00.001-08:00

Serenity wanted a Scooby-Doo party this year so we decided to have a Groovy Sooby Movie party. All the kids came dressed in their pajamas. We started off with some freeze dance moves to the tune of he Scooby Doo theme song. Then we ate some sandwiches, scooby snacks, and other yummies. We spread out blankets in the living room so the kids could sit on the floor. Ren opened her presents and then we had cake. My friend Karen did an amazing job decorating a scooby cake (I got the pan at Michael's)! Then we busted out the popcorn and watched a Scooby Doo movie! The goody bags were a popcorn bag with microwave popcorn, candy, and a scooby fruit snack. It was a fun day!!

Halloween

2009-11-11T08:12:00.000-08:00

Trick-or-Treat give us something good to eat! Super Mario, Daphne (from Scooby Doo, and our Little Chicken had fun
trick-or-treating this year!

Halloween

2009-11-11T08:09:00.000-08:00

This year we traveled to T-town to celebrate halloween. We were able to visit with Great Grammie, Great Grandma, Great Aunt Myra, Great Uncle Delbert, Great Great Aunt Florence, and Great Great Aunt Maggie. The kids had fun visiting with everyone and especially giving Aunt Myra a hard time :) Of course they got soooo much candy, money, games, and other fun things from everyone.

Fang boy

2009-11-09T10:44:00.000-08:00

Just in time for New Moon, Parker is sporting his vampire look. His first tooth was his right fang, then his two bottom, and the left fang should be sticking out any day.

End of the Soccer Season

2009-11-09T10:39:00.000-08:00

The last game of the season was AWESOME! Both kids had such a blast and were aggressive and into the game! Ren wanted to stay in the whole game, which is quite an improvement from crying and sitting in the car for the first few games. Landen scored a goal!!! The picture of him with thumbs up is right after he scored. The picture of Ren with her thumb up is after Landen scored. After that she was bound and determined to score a goal. She was SOOOO close, but not quite! Next year for sure!

Serenity's Tooth

2009-11-09T10:31:00.000-08:00

The Tooth Fairy visited our home this month. Serenity lost her first tooth at school. She was so excited and had a million questions about the tooth fairy, like what she ate and how she got into our house. We went to the store and got some supplies so she could decorate a little treasure box where she could keep her tooth. The tooth fairy was very generous because it was her first tooth and it was extra clean... $5!

Pioneer Day

2009-10-19T11:20:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Pioneer day back in August, but I never got the pics posted. The kids had fun on the water slides, riding their bikes in the parade, eating pancakes, and of course eating cotton candy.

Parker's Eyelashes

2009-10-19T11:14:00.001-07:00

Parker's eyelashes are absolutely beautiful. Oh, what a girl would give for those lashes. They are long and yes they curl. He is such a cutie-patootie!

Soccer

2009-10-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

The kids wanted to play soccer this year... however now they are counting the days until it is over. Here is a couple of pictures from their first game. Ren still starts off each game crying and not wanting to play and then gets over it and has a fun time playing. This last game Landen was all over the field kicking the ball. I will get some more action shot pictures soon :)

Landen's turns 4!

2009-10-18T16:56:00.000-07:00

Landen wanted a Super Mario Bros. party this year! To say he loves the Mario and the Wii is an understatement! We put up the water slide, which was a little crazy with 12 kids, but they loved it! We decorated cupcakes and opened presents. I can't believe Mr. Landen-poo is already 4!!

Landen's First Day of Pre-school

2009-09-03T13:29:00.000-07:00

Landen started pre-school at Children's Activity Center on Tuesday, September 1st! His teachers are Mrs. Shelton and Ms. Collins. He was so excited about the first day, however he limited me to 3 pictures, but I got a couple more out of him. When we went into his classroom he headed straight for the table with the morning project, ready to go. He did tell me he wanted me to stay, but then he got side tracked by some toys and I was off. When I picked him up he had a huge smile and came running to me with an apple he made and his calendar. He told me he sang the pizza song, read a book about a puppy going to school, talked about his birthday, and he played basketball, swung on the swings, and rode the bikes. WOW! He was too cute!

Landen meets his Teacher

2009-08-30T18:28:00.000-07:00

Landen starts pre-school at Children's Activity Center this Tuesday. Last Thursday he was able to meet his teachers, Mrs. Shelton (who was also Serenity's teacher at CAC) and Ms. Collins. Right now there are only 5 kids in his class and three of them are siblings to kids that Serenity went to pre-school with so he already knows them and has been playing with them for 2 years, so hopefully Tuesday will be easier for him. However, he already told me he was going to cry when I dropped him off :(

Serenity's First Day of Kindergarten

2009-08-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

What an exciting day! Full of different emotions! Happy, Excited, Nervous, Scared! She had a great first day. I made a sign just like Grammie did for me every year Kindergarten through College. Serenity complained of her tummy hurting in the morning (a little nervous I think). Since she has afternoon kindergarten from 11:45-3:15 it was a long morning of anticipation. Her teacher Mrs. Sagouspe is super sweet and Serenity is warming up to her quickly. The second day of school was a different story, she cried and said she wanted to go back to pre-school, but the rest of the week was good:)

Landen's Dentist Appointment

2009-08-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

Unlike Serenity, Landen loved going to the dentist. He wasn't too sure at first, but the hygienist was amazing and so sweet that it put him at ease right away. He did everything she asked him. He loved holding Mr. Thirsty (the straw). When she put the pokey thing in his mouth to look at his teeth Landen's eyes got kind of big and he was staring down the hook end of the instrument. The dentist said he has fabulous teeth with amazing spacing. Landen told the dentist he had 20 teeth and then he got to pick out of the treasure chest.

A few more from the lake...

2009-08-10T15:34:00.000-07:00

We had such an awesome time on the boat! We can't wait to go again!!

Fishing

2009-08-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

While out on the lake the kids wanted to try out their new fishing poles that Papa gave them. My kids had no idea how patient you have to be to fish. It lasted a total of 15 minutes and that included the time it took Papa to bait the hook. This brought back so many wonderful memories of my childhood. I remember going out on the boat with my dad countless times and fishing. I also remember getting my line caught in a tree or two. I got choked up watching my dad bait my kids hooks just like he did for me when I was little. Awesome day!

Out on Papa's Boat

2009-08-10T15:25:00.000-07:00

We finally made it out to the lake with Papa. We went to Pine Flats Lake. It was a huge lake and not too busy! The kids had a fabulous time on the tube! Parker laughed and laughed as the wind hit his cute little face. Serenity wanted to swim in the lake all day and Landen was very content watching from the boat until Daddy threw him in.

The kiddos got a hold of the Camera

2009-08-10T15:22:00.000-07:00

So one of the kids' favorite things to do is to get the camera and take pictures. Here are a few of the poses. Usually it is Ren directing Landen to take pics of her and her striking a pose. And yes, that is Ren doing the "tree" yoga pose that she learned from the wii.

Parker's chair

2009-08-10T15:20:00.000-07:00

Parker loves sitting in his little chair and playing with a spoon as I get his dinner ready. He is growing up way too fast!

Parker's 1st Food

2009-08-10T15:17:00.000-07:00

At about 4 1/2 months Parker had his first taste of rice cereal! His face doesn't look too sure, but now he can't get enough of the cereal, vegetables, and fruit. He gets so excited when I am preparing his food. He makes this fake coughing sound and opens his mouth and starts moving that little tongue. When he is done he spits... trying to stop that habit super fast.

Summer Time Fun Update

2009-08-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

We have been trying to have as much fun as we can this summer and I am way behind on the blogging. So here we go...

Recital

2009-07-10T16:05:00.000-07:00

Serenity took ballet and tap this year at The Dance Studio of Fresno. Her teacher was Diane, who I absolutely loved and so did Serenity. She was exactly the kind of teacher Ren needed! Back in August when she started she I literally had to throw her into the class and it took a good 4 months until she would go in by herself. Then it got to the point where she couldn't wait for Tuesdays so she could go dance. I wasn't sure if she would go out on stage for recital. But she did and she did wonderful. When she came off stage she said, "I did AWESOME!" "I want to do that again!" WOW! I would of bet money that I would never have heard those words come out of her mouth. Her cousin, Isabella and Grandma Cookie, Grandpa, Rassie, Great Grammie, and Uncle Matt were able to attend the performance. Thank you so much for coming and supporting her it meant the world to her, especially Isabella!!! The pic I took of the three kids after the recital is horrible and I wish I would have listened to my husband and taken another one, but we were in a hurry and it was hot and everyone was hungry! :( So, this was a great learning experience for me. I NEVER want to be one of those moms who pushes their kids to do things that they don't want to do, but if I hadn't pushed her at the beginning, ie. throwing into the dance studio and then quickly closing the door behind me, then she never would have had the "AWESOME" experience that she had. I want my kids to try as many different things while they are young so they can choose what they like best. I think we will try gymnastics and soccer next...

Happy 4th!

2009-07-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

So we went to the 33rd annual Roger Family 4th of July Party! The kids had a blast swimming, bouncing in the bounce house, playing volleyball, and swinging. These two pics are hilarious!!! They are my new favorites! I will post more pics from the 4th later, but I had to get these up asap. The one of Parker by himself pretty much sums up his feelings about fireworks... actually he didn't cry or anything, but they were definitely startling!

Kaiaking

2009-07-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

The kids, especially Landen, would not stop talking about kaiaking. So on our last day in Pismo, Aunt DeeDee and Uncle Danny took Doug, Landen, and Serenity out. They got to go into the caves and see baby seals and crabs. They got to hold a starfish. They had so much fun and were bubbling with excitement when they got back almost 3 hours later! There was one incident where Doug and Landen's kaiak hit a rock and they both fell into the ocean. Landen went under, but he said, "I held onto the boat and to Daddy!" He was so brave!

Roasting Marshmallows

2009-07-08T09:39:00.000-07:00

BONFIRE

2009-07-07T16:00:00.000-07:00

This time we were able to have a bonfire on the beach which was so much fun! It was a first for me ever roasting marshmallows (or at least that I can remember)!

Pismo Day 2

2009-07-07T15:55:00.000-07:00

The Avila Barn is one of the many things the kids love about visiting Aunt DeeDee! They love feeding vegetables to all the farm animals and this time we went on the hay ride! We ended our day at Avila Barn with ice cream and salt water taffy. MMMMM!

Pismo Day 1

2009-06-29T17:13:00.000-07:00

After a rocky start.... we were half way to Pismo to visit Aunt Dee Dee and Doug got called into work so we had to turn around. Eventually, we made it! The weather was amazing and the kids had a fab time with Aunt Dee Dee, of course.We went to the beach on Friday evening. Landen was a crack up... the water was flippin' freezing, but he was dancing around in his undies. They built a sand castle with Dee Dee, although Landen preferred crushing the sand castle with his feet.

Zoo

2009-06-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

We went to the zoo a couple of Fridays ago with a group of friends. Even though it was disgustingly HOT... we had a fabulous time looking at the animals. The kids had fun with all their little friends. It was Parker's first zoo trip and he was lovin' it!

Serenity's Pre-school graduation

2009-06-16T22:18:00.000-07:00

Serenity is officially in kindergarten! I can't believe how fast this year flew by and I know it is just going to go by faster once she starts school in August. CAC had a little program. Last year she cried during the program, but this year she did a wonderful job of singing! We are so proud of her! She got a couple of graduation gifts... one being a spirit shirt for her elementary school Copper Hills. Miss Sortini, her pre-school teacher last year, made the cutest bows for us. They even have her name and the school name on them. She was so excited!

Flash Back

2009-06-16T22:02:00.000-07:00

I was going through some old pics and I thought I would post a couple. It is just crazy how fast the kiddos grow up. Ren is 3 in her picture and Landen is 1 in his picture. Mr. Parker is already growing so fast. Before we know it we will be at his first birthday party! I've been trying really hard to enjoy the everyday moments with my kids. It is a struggle some days when I am ready to pull my hair out because they are fighting with each other or saying, "Oh, Man!" when I tell them no. They are growing so fast that I have to enjoy every moment!

Brotherly Love

2009-05-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

I came into the living room a couple of days ago and found this... It was too cute! Landen was talking to Parker and showing all the different toys in Parker's little gym. Landen is such an awesome BIG brother!

Last Game of the Season

2009-05-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

So T-Ball was definitely something that we would do again. It was so much fun! Both kids really enjoyed it, Ren liked it more than Landen. Great Grandma and Great Grammie along with Papa, Rassie, and Uncle Matt came to watch the last game. It was soooo HOT! Landen was donezo from the beginning. He wasn't really paying attention, however he did get 3 balls in the outfield the most he had gotten ever in a single game. Landen also tackled a couple of his own players for the ball... and yes I am talking both arms wrapped around the other kid tumbling to the ground... I'm thinking a more contact sport may be up his alley. Ren got a total of 6 balls in the outfield so she was way excited and yes she keeps track and after every ball she looks our way and holds up her fingers in the amount she has caught... so proud! I think the kids can play one more year on the same team so that will be fun... until next year!

Parker is 2 months old

2009-05-27T21:34:00.000-07:00

I love this pic of Parker because it is a huge smile and all you see is gums! Parker is so sweet! What a blessing he is in our lives. He has learned to roll over from his tummy to his back... he mostly does this when he is mad, but he has learned to do it as soon as he is on his tummy so he is avoiding the getting mad part. He is full of smiles and making all sorts of fun noises. He "talks" to each of us and has lots to say. Serenity and Landen still can't get enough of him. They are so helpful. They do not like the baby crying... as soon as he starts one of them is right there with his paci or talking to him. A couple of days ago, I was trying to get something finished for Serenity and Landen outside and the baby was crying in his crib for a total of 5 minutes and Ren told me that I was not a nice mommy to let my baby cry like that.

Skateboarding with Dad

2009-05-27T19:29:00.000-07:00

Doug is doing a skateboard trip with the Young Men so he has been practicing. The kids love riding on the board with him. They each have their own skateboard now... just in time for the new skateboard park that is being built within walking distance to our house.

I love to see the temple...

2009-05-26T00:11:00.000-07:00

Our Primary put on an amazing activity last weekend. The kids got to go to the Fresno Temple and do all sorts of fun stuff. One that all the kids were excited about was that they got to touch the temple! They sang to the President and his wife, they did a bunch of activities that taught them about the temple, and had a picnic. The best part was that Doug and I got to go to a session while the kids were out with the primary leaders. It was so AWESOME to be with a people from our ward. The kids had a blast and Doug and I enjoyed some peace and quiet!

3 Ring Circus Baby Shower

2009-05-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun with this shower theme. We had cotton candy, circus peanut candy, animal crackers, fruit, chocolate fountain, and lemon cake to eat. There was also popcorn with little popcorn bags that were a hit too. The favor was a box of circus animal cookies and attached a tag with a ticket to it. The invite was red and I made it look like a those little raffle tickets. It read, "Step right up to the greatest show on earth... Under the big top come and see a circus awaits to celebrate baby #3!" I made little place cards with circus stickers to label the different foods and a pennant banner with my cricut machine. We played 3 games very simple: Guess how much candy was in the jar - winner got the jar of candy and someone guessed the exact amount... Tray Memory game (walk around with tray filled with baby items and then guests write down as many items as they can remember) - winner got a flower to plant in their yard... lastly, the person with a birth date closest to the baby's birth date won a flower to plant too. Everyone seemed to have a great time.

Copper Hills Carnival

2009-05-12T20:53:00.000-07:00

The kids and I went to the Copper Hills Carnival last Friday. We were only there for an hour because I was throwing a baby shower that night, but the kids had so much fun in the short amount of time we were there. There was soooo much to do. Next year will be even more fun because Ren will be in kindergarten and her class will have a booth of some sort. She was already excited this year talking about how "this" is where she was going to be going to kindergarten.

Cinco De Mayo

2009-05-09T07:58:00.000-07:00

A few of us mommies decided to have a little Cinco de Mayo lunch! Everyone brought some yummy Mexican food. The kids had fun playing outside and loved pulling the strings on the pinata. It was such a fun way to spend the afternoon with friends.

May Pole Dance

2009-05-05T18:27:00.000-07:00

So at CAC it is tradition to do a May Pole Dance the first of May. Serenity had a fabulous time walking in a circle wrapping the ribbon around the pole. Each class made bonnets for the girls and ties for the boys. It was so colorful!

Parker's Blessing

2009-05-04T17:09:00.000-07:00

Sunday was Parker's blessing. Doug gave a beautiful and sweet blessing. We are so blessed to have been given such a sweet spirit. It was a lot of fun having family over. Thank you to all who traveled so far and so early to share this special day with us.

So proud of Miss California

2009-04-20T21:39:00.000-07:00

Miss USA was crowned the other night and unfortunately it was not Miss California. Perez Hilton (one of the judges) says she lost the crown because of the answer to his question. His question was, "Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?" This was Miss California's answer, "Well I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. Um, we live in a land that you can choose same sex marriage or opposite marriage and, you know what, in my country and in, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman," Carrie said to a mix of boos and applause. "No offense to anybody out there. But that's how I was raised and that's how I think that it should be between a man and a woman."

I know that if this question was asked of many other contestants they would undoubtedly give the politically correct statement. So, even though Miss California didn't get the Miss USA crown she is definitely royalty. I am glad to have a such a good role model who stands up for what she believes in, representing our state!!

Parker is 1 month old

2009-04-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

WOW!!! How time flies when you add another kid to the mix. I can't believe that Mr. P is already 1 month old. At his appointment he weighed 10 pounds 10 ounces and was 21 3/4 inches long. Dr. Bergdahl is posing with Mr. P. He's a growin'!!! Parker is so sweet and patient! We love him soooo much!

Tee Ball

2009-04-16T22:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the kids' first tee ball game. Of course our team's coach was MIA so another Dad and I will be sharing that responsibility, but it won't be too bad because it is so kick back and everyone's parents are involved. The kids had a fabulous time. The best is when we are in the outfield and the batter hits the ball and all the kids run for the ball. It was seriously soooo much fun! Can't wait for next week! Go Mariners!

Hoppy Easter

2009-04-13T23:38:00.000-07:00

This year we spent Saturday celebrating Easter at my parent's house. We had a great time spending time with family. The kiddos had a fabulous time hunting the Easter eggs that Aunt Myra and I hid. Landen was all about the plastic eggs... he would not put any of the real eggs in his basket. Aunt Maggie and Aunt Florence are queens of the plastic eggs which hold dollar bills and quarters. Landen was surprised to find money in his plastic eggs, he was hoping for candy. Landen told Doug that he could have his money. Ren was collected any egg she spotted! Parker had an enjoyable time being passed around... everyone wanted to hold him... he slept most of the day.

Coloring Easter Eggs

2009-04-13T23:35:00.000-07:00

First off, we actually did not spill the dye this year... Yeah us! The kids had a fun time coloring Easter eggs. Serenity had an especially good time getting all crafty with her stickers and such. Landen was all about the dye not so much about the stickers.

Read my shirt...

2009-04-08T23:30:00.000-07:00

Enough said.

Easter Party

2009-04-08T23:27:00.000-07:00

Serenity helped make these cute little birds nests for her class at pre-school. She had so much fun! We used Rice Crispes for the nest, we used food coloring to color coconut for the grass, little candy speckled eggs, and a Peep. The kids in her class thought they were so "cool". My mommy made these for one of my class parties way back when.

Our Little Guy

2009-04-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

Here is some more pics of Mr. Parker. A couple are from his first bath which he loved when I was putting warm water on him, but not so thrilled with the washing. I love the pic of the three kids... Ren was mad because she didn't want Landen in the pic... Landen has his perfect little dimple smile, and it looks like Parker is looking for some food.

Big Brother and Big Sister

2009-03-25T09:57:00.000-07:00

Serenity and Landen want to hold Parker all the time. We have to set a timer so that they each get the same amount of time. Landen is so cute, he read the baby a book the other day and Serenity does a great job of tending to his every need whether it be putting his paci in his mouth, "petting" his head to calm him, or talking to him. I am so blessed to have such sweet and kind kids.

Introducing Mr. Parker Douglas

2009-03-24T13:40:00.000-07:00

Parker arrived on Tuesday, March 10th at 5:07 pm. He weighed 8 pounds 12 ounces and was 20 inches long! Serenity and Landen are amazing with him and can't get enough of Parker. Parker is so sweet... we are enjoying every moment! Pictures taken by Misty's Portraits

Fingers Crossed

2009-03-09T08:55:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the DAY!!! I am supposed to call at 6:30am to be sure the labor and delivery staff has enough staff to induce me and if they do then I will be going in at 7am to start the induction process. I was induced 2 weeks early with Serenity so I know what to expect... my only fear is that they won't have enough staff and I will still be pregnant. I've been walking my bum off trying to get things going on their own. There are some other things like Castor oil, etc. that I can try, but I'm not really wanting to go to that extreme. We are heading from my parents to my in-laws this evening (they live 5 minutes from the hospital :) So, hopefully next time I post it will be pictures of our new little guy. Love to all!

Happy Heart Day!

2009-02-19T19:17:00.001-08:00

Serenity had a Valentine's party at school and we signed up to bring finger sandwiches. Serenity helped me make them and she wrote her name on 21 Valentine's (she had to write so small that it took a little while). For the teacher gifts I bought a little jar from Target and put a vinyl letter of the teacher's last name on it and then we filled it with candy and a pair of socks! I tried to get a picture of Landen all day and every single one is blurry because he wouldn't sit still :)

DONE!!

2009-02-19T18:20:00.000-08:00

I am officially done with my taxes... YEAH! I had to finish before the baby and I am down to 19 days so I finished early :)

Surprise!

2009-02-02T15:15:00.000-08:00

So I was supposed to have a girl's night on Saturday with some of my friends from high school, but everyone ended up canceling... or so I thought :) I arrived at my bff's for what I thought was going to be just me and her eating dinner and hanging out. When I opened the door there was everyone, yelling surprise! I was totally SURPRISED! The last time I was surprised like that was when Dougie proposed. So the 6 girls took me out to dinner to a Japanese restaurant where they cook in front of you and then we hung out and talked and LAUGHED the rest of the night! They all brought my favorite snack foods, along with purple balloons, purple and white flowers, and a yummy white cake with purple flowers. Cindy had been planning this for months... I don't know how she didn't slip ;) Thanks everyone! I will be posting pictures once I get them from Cindy! :)

Lists

2009-01-23T12:43:00.000-08:00

So, according to my little gadget on the right there... baby is due in 56 days, but I am being induced 10 days early which means there are actually 46 days and then there is always the chance that the baby can come before that, especially since I am reading 5 1/2 weeks ahead. No, that is not a typo... as of my last appointment my uterus was a little on the large side. Therefore, I am inundated with lists and becoming quite overwhelmed. There is so much to do in so many different parts of my life that I don't know where to start. So today I am going to make a Gi-gormous list of everything and then put it in order of importance and then into day by day lists. Doug and I are giving talks in Sacrament on Sunday and Ren has a primary talk on Sunday too so I think I better put those at the top of my list. :)

Landen's Gymnastics Show Day

2009-01-13T19:38:00.000-08:00

Today was Landen's last day of fall/winter sports gymnastics! Landen got to show us all the sports he learned this semester... Football, Basketball, Bowling, and Soccer. He was so excited and proud. Next semester is golf, hockey, baseball, and something else... he is way excited about GOLF!!!

Disneyland

2009-01-13T19:18:00.000-08:00

We were able to go to Disneyland once last time before our season passes expired and the baby gets here. And as an added bonus Grandma Cookie and Grandpa were able to join us. We had a wonderful time!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

We rang in the new year in true "we are getting older and are too tired to stay up until 12am" fashion. We watched the ball drop at 9pm our time. The kids had fun blowing horns, popping poppers, and laughing. We had a nice evening at home, eating pizza and playing the Wii!! Here is to a fabulous 2009!

Christmas Morning

2009-01-06T14:58:00.000-08:00

Serenity and Landen received more toys than should be legal. We had a wonderful day with Uncle Matt, Rassie, and Great Grammie.

Christmas Eve at the Brandow's

2009-01-05T23:49:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve at the Brandow's is always...fun, interesting, huge, and a flurry of chaos. Every year we have a little program. Serenity, Isabella, and Tucker are really the only one's that attempted to be a part of it this year... we were a little unorganized, but not for the lack of Danicia trying to put together a program, just everyone backed out at the last minute. The kids had fun opening their presents, which was the flurry of chaos that I was referring too. I've never seen so many presents opened so fast! But, when you have 15 grandchildren, 7 kids and their spouses, and a couple extras it gets a little crazy.

Big Brother and Big Sister Practice

2009-01-04T22:43:00.000-08:00

We went by Auntie Cindy's house to see Baby Dylan on Christmas Eve. Serenity and Landen were getting good practice for when their little brother arrives! Serenity just wants to eat Baby Dylan up and Landen always makes sure that Baby Dylan has plenty of toys to play with :)

Ward Christmas Party

2009-01-04T22:38:00.000-08:00

Here is Serenity and Landen with Santa at our Ward Christmas party. They were so excited!! After they gave Santa a hug, Serenity came up to me and says, "Is Santa our Home Teacher?" Sure enough, Brother Mears, the best Home Teacher in the whole world was dressed as Santa and of course my daughter noticed :)

Meet Your Primary Teacher Pancake Breakfast

2009-01-03T11:54:00.000-08:00

O.K. this was seriously the cutest thing ever!! What a great idea, props to our Primary Presidency. Serenity and our new little sunbeam, Landen went to the 1st annual Meet Your Primary Teacher Pancake Breakfast. Everyone, including the teachers, showed up in their p.j.s and were fed a yummy pancake breakfast, cooked by none other that our wonderful Bishopric. They each sat with their class and new teacher and played a game. Then it was off to see their new classroom. What a great way to start the year! I can't believe my little boy is going to be in BIG primary and my little girl is in the CTR 6 class... WOW time flies!

Happy 5th Birthday Serenity!

2008-12-31T20:27:00.000-08:00

My baby girl is 5! I can't believe it!!! She celebrated her birthday at Pump It Up with friends and family. It was so much fun and worth every penny!! Auntie Misty, Uncle Danny, Izzy, and Chase spent the night which made her birthday extra special. She is so happy and proud that she is 5. When she meets someone she says "I'm 5!"

Playing in the leaves

2008-12-31T20:15:00.000-08:00

Serenity and Landen have been obsessed with making leaf piles and jumping in the leaves. Friends came over one day to join in the fun. They played outside for an hour just playing in the leaves. What fun it is to be a kid!