Happy 1st Bday Brenna!

My little baby is walking! She beat her brother by walking a few weeks before her birthday.

Yes mom, I can walk...stop following me!

I just thought is was funny to see Biscuit playing dead in the background

Since we didn't really have a party planned, I thought it would fun for Brenna to run through balloons and streamers. She didnt like it much but Jace did.

Balloons minus the streamers. Bingo! Brenna had a blast blowing spit bubbles on the balloons.

Thats right....1 years old baby

On your mark, get set......

5 minutes after we put a whole beautiful cake in front of her. Yes my baby girl can really put em down.

If you read this someday Brenna, the day you were born was one of the happiest of my whole life. I have always felt a special connection to my sweet baby girl. We'll be best friends forever. Happy birthday!!

Love me some Jace

There are just too many funny moments I want to remember this year. Jace is 3, turning 4 in September. Jace also knows how to sign onto our blog and this will make him feel super special having all these pictures of himself. I love my little "bubbas!"

"I know I'm too cute to yell at mom"

Best buddies hanging out in the dryer...Jace is not allowing Brenna to get out

We love our sandbox! Everytime I look over, Jace is trying to get Brenna to eat sand. He is always successful. This is Jace's new smile everytime the camera comes on as well.

Jace eating his "trees" (broccoli) He gets dads special drink(dr pepper) if he swallows it.

Better luck next time Jace

His new thing is playing Noggin on the computer. He has figured out every single game without my help. This morning he painted and printed off a Diego picture before I even made it downstairs with Brenna. Who needs preschool?

Jace has chocolate all over his lips. He was suppose to go over and kiss daddy all over but went in front of the mirror instead pretending he was a vampire.

I'm a proud parent :) Seriously though, he loves all things Twilight and begs me to play the Twilight music in the car and on the piano all the time. He loves that magazine and the behind the scenes movie book. It will keep him entertained forever. Dad is getting worried....

Here is a scratch that he got from who knows where. He was very concerned that a vampire bit him.

6 years down!

I got a wonderful suprise last Friday when Chad called up and said "Pack your bags, we are leaving in 30 min!". Valentine's day plus anniversary equals a great excuse to celebrate!! Chad suprised me this year by taking me up to Virginia Beach and Portsmouth. His sister Blair stayed with the kids. We were in no rush all weekend- taking in a movie, shopping, eating WAY too much, sleeping in- everything we used to do before kids. I'm lucky to have such a cute husband who I LOVE hanging out with.

We did random things like visiting the retired navy ship Wisconsin. We kept trying to decide if we would survive a 60+ feet jump off the boat. Chad says yes, I say no.

Here I am FREEZING on Virginia beach. It was honestly 20 degrees out. Good thing Chad had an extra coat in his truck because I didnt think to bring one. We are definately making a trip back out there this summer. It was a really sweet spot.

The view from our room. It made up for the choice of 5 channels we had to watch from. It was Mathew McConaughey movie marathon ugh! At least we had the All Star game to watch as well, minus Jason Kidd.

Here is our bed, broken frame and all. I will say here and now that it was broken before we got there despite what Chad might say or brag about! It took a few phonebooks to keep us from sinking to the middle. We did get a free night out of it :)

Thank you Chad for a wonderful weekend! I love you!

A Recommendation

In honor of our 6th year anniversary week, I wanted to write how much I love being married and how sacred and valuable sharing a life and eternity with someone really is. I want my kids to know how in much in love we are 6 years and counting!!
Chad and I watched this awesome movie last night called Fireproof(rent from Blockbuster). I heard a lot of good reviews and thought that it would be a good Sunday movie after the kids went to bed. A must see for everyone. I thought it really captured what a lot of married couple go through and what the number one thing they need to make a marriage work. It is not an LDS film but has such a great gospel message. Here's to "never leaving your partner behind.." Enjoy!

Toddlers make you smile :)

Sunday evening bath time. Jace and Brenna are splashing and having fun. Brenna accidentally tips over in all of the bubble madness and goes under for the first time. Mom to the rescue. She is of course traumatized and crying hard. Jace is overwhelmingly concerned and rushes over to kiss and rub her back. He says "Dont worry Brenna, you just got baptized!"

Aloha and Happy New Year!

After braving the cold and snow in Utah, Chad and I got to meet up with my family in Hawaii! Chad's mom and sisters so graciously accepted to watch the kids even though they were both sick. Everything was just perfect. Laying out, reading books(the hunger games by Collins..I recommend), golfing, drinking Lava Flows, getting in a good 10 hour Benjamin Button movie-sorry dad!, eating at Dukes, late night runs to the ABC store, taking pics of anything and everything with Chads new Christmas present, searching for dinosaurs, chasing each other with giant snails, listening to moms words of wisdom, boating along the Na Pali coast, going to bed early and waking up late!

The view from our room

We stayed at the Kauai Marriot and it had this huge garden right in the middle of the hotel. Here we are just walking down one of the paths in the lobby.

The pool here in famous. It is huge!! and takes forever to get a lap around.

The girls- Me, Shannon(who is way taller than me now!), mom, and Diana

Getting a great sacrament meeting in at the LDS church

Hot girls on the beach

Here we are zip lining through the trees. It was a blast!

Here I am pretending I'm Bella flying across the tree tops.

If anyone knows my dad, he is SO afraid of heights. He decided to face his fears and hang out with the family. Didn't mean he had to enjoy it though- here he is hanging onto the tree in between turns. hahahaha!!!

Who is that hot Hawaiian stud! woo woo!

We played a vicious game of keep a way football from the boys. We kept throwing it to Diana so we could watch Brett try and drown her.

Chad and Shannon getting in some yoga before a prime rib buffet

What a great vacation to celebrate the new year. We spent New Year's on the beach(excluding Chad who went to bed at 10 grandpa!) dancing and writing down goals for our family time capsule. The goal is to open it 5 years from now on the same beach hoping that one of us did something with our lives :)

Family vacation in Utah

So I've never seen this before. Chad's sister tied a tube onto the back of the car to drag Jace and I through the snow. Next time I'll try sitting up on the tube like everyone else. Jace and I basically swam through the snow banks face first.

Visiting with Great Grandma and Grandpa Hutchings- glad Jace and Brenna looked so thrilled to see their Greats.

Eating lunch with grandma and Blair in her first grade classroom. Jace was on cloud nine..way too much to see and touch.

Jace's new and ONLY love- Chad's Iphone. As soon as Chad walks in the room- "Dad can I play on your gone(phone)?" He loves Jelly car and bowling.

This is Jace after his Jellycar died. We have some anger management issues to work out.

Jace, Poppa Clint, Brenna- Chad's dad fed us an amazing christmas dinner. I gain 10 lbs just walking into his house. We are always well fed when Clints around.

Wonderful couple of weeks in Utah! We love Chad's family and wished that we lived closer!