crazy week

t- was relieved when friday night came! for his class (egypt project) they sat all in the front row and went slide by slide through their 1100+ slide power point looking for corrections. this was the final product they were handing over to the charity to allow them to go through and improve their foundation massive amounts. the class requested cinnamon rolls tuesday-friday to snack on and keep them focused! after a lot of hours and lots of people looking over his portion of the presentation he finally got a compliment instead of a rejection. they liked what was done and there were no changes to be made! now there is a 12 day break before he starts the semester. he is excited!!!!!

a-made 3 pans of cinnamon rolls every morning while joggling with preschool ideas and kids. the letters this week were d and h. for h we talked about houses and made one from popcicle sticks. on thursday there was a couple from our ward that who are from mongolia who were blessed to be sealed for time and all eternity as a family. we were invited to go to a reception after at 11. taylor arranged his schedule so he could go with us and i took the thursday group of kids to the 'house of the lord' the temple. it all worked out ... 3 pans of cinnamon rolls, preschool, reception and taylor joining us! friday was wild too! 3 pans of cinnamon rolls, 100 pigs in a blanket, and a quick nap for brooke all before 11 to be at a party for a coworker of taylors. then it was back to the house for an afternoon nap, prep for a baby shower ... veggie try decorations and a few games. it was a fun shower and lauren was extremely happy to see so much support.

b-loved having his friends from school come each morning. on friday when no one comes he satrts going through the liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Aug 29th

its late so this will be short ...

t-went to do homework and then headed to class. had a rough 2 hours plus because everything he and his group had present was not what the teacher was expecting so it has to be redone and the website is not the way he wants it. did home work until he went to work where they started the new online survey incentive program. just got home (11pm).

a-did school - letter d- made doughnuts,ballon dogs and a dinosaur puppet. organized brookes clothes with ones that fit and ones that do and made bracelts for 2 new little babies born to friends as well as finished a lei from lauren's baby. skyped with taylor's ever so supportive grandparents and then visited montse (her husband is in taylor's class and not home much either) got the kids ready for bed and then talked with lauren who come to visit.

b- had an awesome day at school. played on his own allowing me to get a few things done. found a box and filled it with cans of soup, bags of beans and rice, and random serving spoons. this looked like fun to brooke so she climbed and started to play. nrenna then flipped the box upside down and sat on it ... all the stuff had flipped on top of her and she couldnt get free. she will one day be big enough to hold her own. brennan fell asleep eating dinner because he had no nap!

b-slept all the way through the loud balloons and excited kids with the dinosaur. loved playing with brennan until she was stuck! after we visited montse brennan decided he wanted to ride a bike. i had my arms full so i took brooke up to the house to drop her and the food montse shared with us. i emptied my hands which included my phone and key to the door. she was so upset i set her down and walked up way she some how flipped the stopper and shut the door. by the time i realised this i had brennan in hand walking up the stairs ... more riding for him because now i have to locate someone to open my door. luckly my neighbor is our ra but he was at work. he boarded over and got to give his wife a kiss! we were in and both were screaming!!!!! good times just before bed :-)

weekend

friday - our usual friday - taylor went to class we went to costco anf then met up again for pizza and a movie around 6 so the kids can go to bed around 7:30 and i fall soon there after to get up 2 for cinnamon rolls. this time brennan fell asleep for about 30 min in the car which kept him up until 11 and atylor so kindly stayed up with him as well as made the kitchen spotless for me to make a mess of until 9 am the next morninng.

saturday- cinnamon rolls until 11 and then we tried to geta hold of a few friends that live by a pool but all of them were busy or not home so we couldnt join them so we all ended up asleep! it was then time to make a dessert and head to a seminar one of taylors classmates was putting together as part od his peace builing certificate. it was suppose to be a 2 session event but we sqeezed into 1 6 hour setting! the kids were great until 9 when brooke broke down and couldnt be consoled. i took her outside and she calmed down and went to sleep but as soon as i headed back to the classroom she screamed. i dont know if it was the ac that was freezing or the fact that she was done with the same 4 walls. anyway we satyed outside for a bit more until it was over. it was a great presentation! we did eat in the middle a delicious taco salad with enchiladas that i now have the recipe for. the bean/corn salsa is to die for. come to find out it is from a restaurant in arizona :-) we then played settlers with the millers and taylor won both times!

sunday- taylor went to meetings and i got ready hoping to squeeze it in before the kids woke up ... that was easy because they were so tired from the night before they didnt wake up until after 9 and church starts at 10. put the kids in the tube and brennan decided to add some fregrance and floaties to the water. thank goodness taylor was able to come back after the meeting so i wasnt dealing with 2 poopy bathtub kids on my own! he took brooke and i took brennan because he required more ;-) i did gag once while cleaning! it seems there is always something he likes to add to keep me on my toes and use up a little time and patience before church!!!!! i have started calling them 'my adventurers'. after church taylor went home teaching and i put the kids down for a much need nap because brooke didnt get her usual morning nap and brennan hadnt taken a nap much at all during the week. then it was my turn to go visiting teaching and taylor to hang out with the kids. we then had our home teachers come over. they are new ones so it was a bit longer because we got to know them a bit. they gave a good lesson on love at home. one is from korea and the other is from somoa and niether of them come from a culture where love is expressed openly much less verbally. they said though as the church grows in their countries the expession of love has increased. the younger generations are adpting it so its not as akward when it happens. brooke then went to bed at her usual time but brennan decided it would be fun to stay up until 11 so it was my turn to stay up with him so taylor could get up when he needed to to finish a few things before class.

Aug 25th

t- was enjoying his morning when a frined walked by so thay started talking and he asked if taylor was going to the group meeting ... uh yeah give me a sec! he was gone until 6 when we skyped with his family (his sister is now home from her mission). then went to meet a person for sife but the guy didnt show so he started laundry and finished his night with a presidency meeting.

a- did school same as yesterday ...contacted some people about different things and then ran lunch over to taylor. brennan walked and brooke rode in the backpack. we took our time walking back because the kids love to be out and about. we finally made it back and brooke was ready for a nap so i put her down and went back out with bennan. i worked more on the lei until i got a text saying the shower is postpone to next friday so i have more time. some how half of us mom were out watching our kids. there was play dough, balls, bikes. dolls, running, snacks, homework, stuffed animals all going on

Aug 24th

t- went to figure out his classes for the rest of the time we are here and forgot he had a research group meeting ... no biggy because he had done and talked to the leader prior. worked more on the website before class. he didnt have to go into work because his boss wasnt there so he worked on stuff and then had meetings until 5 when he came home and made dinner. the reason for that was he had the option to change a poopy diaper or make dinner :-) he then had a cool down for game and then hit up his homework unil late.

a- taught the letter c and shapes. we made camera cards, cookies and created a car with cicles for wheels, squares for windows, and triangles for bumpers. the kids are getting more and more comfortable with eachother. there is a boy and a girl who are a like a couple ... he started to cry as his mom left so i grabbed him to distract him and had him help me decide where everyone should sit (i make the letter of the day out of tape on the floor and then write their name on it so they have a spot to call theirs .. you know 2 year olds) he pointed where he wanted to sit and the i asked where this little girl should sit and to no surprise he said ... by me! she chimed in and said i want to sit here (the oppoiste end of the letter) he was crushed. as time went on they were cuddled up like a couple as they sat on their buckets in the kitcken waiting for the mixer to mix the dough. there is another boy who likes this same girl but she just pushes him away and doesnt give him the time of day but he is persistant and wants to be at her side or in her face all the time. its entertaining and like i've mentioned before ... i wonder if anything information gets passed their little ears. the rest of the day was our usual ... play outside. there is a baby shower i am trying to get a crochet lei finished for so i did that as i watched brennan play and brooke napped. then it was dinner and bed time for the kids.

b- had an awesome day ... because most of it was spend outside. he loves riding a bike. he cant go down stairs without sitting on one. i got some fun videos and pics of the kids ... brennan riding and brooke playing in the grass. taylor took 20 or so to spend with us before he went back to the computer. he alsp loves to play with our nieghbor hola who is 10. he is from tonga and only here until december. hola and his friend play rough and thats what brennan loves so everytime he sees them he stops what he is doing and runs to them. brennan calls him wa ... mom where is wa... what is wa doing...

b- started a runny nose today. i cant tell if its from being sick or teething because she does have 2 top teeth coming in. im hoping its teething! poor thing had to cry herself to sleep during my little class because she wouldnt take her bottle because couldnt breathe. brennan was very cute with her while he was riding his bike and taylor was out with us ...dad its brooke's turn ... she sat on the seat which was also standing on the bar. they sure love each other but she does have her moments of ... i need my space so back off brennan!

Aug 23rd

t- he had more work he needed to do for the egypt project (homework) and then class to present what he had prepared. he is a group leader for the media group which means he has other helping him so they all have collaborate and then he presents. he now has been given the assignment to make his mock website fully fuctional. he is stress because it has to be complete by friday and there is so much he doesnt know how to do. he has to learn and the apply his knowledge and he is worried its not possible. they have created a 800 slide powerpoint to present to the charity they are helping of things to improve ... plans have now chaged and they are doing it for them so taylor now has to take all the information and make it functional for them. yikes! he then went to sife where he had 2 couples approch him about a business plan for our cinnamon rolls/bakery idea because they have people wanting to donate their money to something so it might happen after all the 10+ other attempts we have made.

a-made taylor breakfast in bed because he works hard so we can have food, clothes and a roof over our head as well as school and a calling at church that keeps him on his toes. then i took the kids to a wic appointment. played with the kids and then helped plan a baby shower for lauren. bathed the kids and then off to bed.

b-saw a bible on the table at the wic appointment (its held at a baptist church) so he started pointing at the letters and saying random letters. i then asked him to find a b ... is ther another b? ... h ... he pointed to all of them as i said them. it over joyed me to know the preschool is paying off for him as well. i have had several comments from other parents but hadnt seen a difference in him. i huge relief for me to know he is listening occationally :-) he decided to climb on the outside of the railing tonight while i was talking to a neighbor i never see. as she looked up and saw him i turn to run for him and scold him, once again decided to move faster and lost his grip. his feet slipped and he was holding on to the bars and our other neighbor ran out of his house to grab him before i could with brooke in my arms. that was honestly the first time i have been scared for my monkey. i hope it scared him enough to not do it again. he later got a bike and begin peddling, which i didnt know he could do. i can handle a bike fall not a 15 foot fall to concrete stairs!

b- had an emotional day ... my guess is from her lack of sleep yesterday. she wanted to be held or touched and if brennan got close she cried. taylor had a bit of time before class so he played with the kids on the bed and brooke loved jumping (with assistance) so hopefully now he jumper will be more enjoyable for her. she laughed the entire time with him. she has become an extremely light sleeper so its extra challenging to discipline brennan without him sceaming and waking her up. its all a part of raising kids and im not the first mom to deal with it nor the last. its only a period and then there will be new challenges :-) i am constantly thinking of heavenly father and how he must feel as i disobey or achieve something new. how would he treat/teach the child because after all these are his spirits we have been entrusted with.

ps 2 people within 2 days had dreams about us with more children so if anyone else has been blessed with this information please share :-) we can take hints

Aug 22nd

t- had a meeting with a project leader from sife and then went to class and work. he came home earlier than planned ready to eat so he made the family quesidillas! he then went back to do more with his homework.

a-did the letter b for school and the number 10. we bowled, blew bubbles with our super duper bubble blower (10 straws), made pom pom bears, made thumb print bumble bees ...it was a greta day for all the kids. i had one extra because i have an appointment tomorrow so cruz came to join our monday group. brennan didnt nap and brooke had a short one so we spend most of the day outside to keep smile on everyones face.

b- had a good day at school but a rough time while brooke was napping. some of our tongan neighbors made his evening because they played rough with him, chased him, got his run away balls from the street ... he loved every minute of it he asked to go bed because he was so tired. he didnt even want to read scripture (we did it anyway) and he fell asleep during the prayer :-)

b- woke up half way through scholl so she joined in the fun. her naps were short but she seemed happy for the most part. while we were visiting our frineds the oborns and their new baby she decided to let go of the coach and show them how she stands on her own. i now have witnesses because she only does it when she wants to. she knows already what she wants and doesnt want ... thanks gigi ... baskin robins i want it! i am amazed at the traits children aquire without being around a relative.

weekend

friday -taylor and i had an learning/growing occation ... we have yet to be perfect yet we arei perfect for eachother! i tooke the kids to costco while he was being busy and then we had our growing tradition of pizza and a new movie. this week was dispicable me ... brennan watched 5 times in the 24 hours we had it and laughed every time. this kid gets humor and it makes us as parents extremely happy to know he can find joy in anything at such a young age.

saturday- we had an amazing selling day! we were done with 24 pans in an hour 45. that gave us time to play at the pool before the kids turned blue and brennan asked to go home because he was so cold. the rest of the after noon we relaxed until the millers came over for bbq and games. after dinner the kids went to bed and we played 3 rounds of settlers ... tayloe0r one the first and then tyler smoked us the other 2 games. lauren and i decided we are going to try a new game that us females will dominate.

sunday-church ... brennan had a rough day in nursery ... he threw toys constantly and pushed people for no reason over and over again. we have to come up with a plan so the leaders can control the wild man. i am thinking it was just the day but we will see what happens next week after a big crack down at home. it is exhausting me but i am doing my best to stay consistant with him and his throwing or mistreating others. after church we put the kids to bed and taylor slept too ... i organized what we needed to take to the potluck. the elders quorum was in charge and decided to do breakfast for dinner. it was the best turn out we have had! the bishop and taylor made it very clear that it was a men's activity they needed to participate so they were the ones that cooked. we went through 15 dozen eggs or more an entire bag of pancake mix from costco.

Aug 18th

t- went to a meeting before class. then went to work for a few hours before he came home changed clothes and went to the ward farm. he then stayed with the kids while i went to a relief society activity.

a-walked taylor to his meeting before school kids came. we had fun again with the letter e and number 9. played with the kids doing summersalts, head stands, wheel barrow with brennan and making brooke giggle uncontrolable by tickling her under her chin. brooke then went to sleep and i made brennan play on his own whiile i started a crochet lei for my firends baby blessing. walked over to walk taylor home because we needed to get out and then we headed up to the farm with him for a bit. gave baths and then headed to the activity ... minute to win it!

b-got to ride his friend tricycle to drop off taylor at his meeting. he then did awesome at school until the last 20 min when we went outside to do excersises. so he didnt get to watch his most recent favorite movie ... rio. when i made him play by himself he was entertained for about 10 min and then he turned into a monster so i took him outside. he rode the tricycle around for a while and then he found a stick and ditched the wheels. he climbed on the top of a table and i asked him to get down 3 times and he just started at me so i started to get up. thats when he moved a little too fast and fell off, hitting below his eye on the bench and finishing the fall on his head as the concrete stopped his momentum. he now has a cut on his eye and its turning black in addition to a knot on his hairline. some of us just have to learn to listen to mom the hard way.

b- she woke up earl from her morning nap and did exercises with us again but to she didnt become a horse! he has been standing a lot more on her own. i have noticed its as long as ther is an object in her hand she will stay up otherwise she just sits down. so many things i want to catch on camera but cant for one reason or another. i can feel a top tooth coming in but hasnt broken skin yet. when we went to the farm i put her in the hiking backpack we were given and she was silent the entire time. she is an observer! taylor asked me today if i thought she would be shy or social. he said he has paid extra attention to that the past few days and things she will be. she might be like me ... likes to be aroound people but doesnt say much unless spoken too. brennan sure loves to tease her so sometimes i have to seperate them becuase she gets so frustrated. when brennan is being brennan it is fun to watch them play but he has been a monster lately and she cant take any more.

Aug 17th

t- went to a research meeting and found out that his teacher has been plotted against. there were several other scholls that came in april to interview several of the members from different research groups to see what they do. they are now saying that he is a tyrant and trying to disperse of all groups and projects here. it will be interesting to see how this all plays out because he has helped countless number of students get into top schools such as oxford, brown, berkley ... taylor is currently part of 5 of those groups! what a shame ... someone helping others achieve more than they ever dreamed of and others trying to put a stop to it. after his meeting he copied stuff for my little class and then it was off to another group meeting before class and then work. he was able to come home at 5 today so we took a walk and then had dinner and relaxed as we watched the results to agt.

a- i am so proud of myself because today for school all of the things we did i came up with on my own with no help from websites. we did the letter e ... colored and decorated eggs, pinned the ear on the elephant (that i drew on my own), went outside to use energy by exercising and matched all the number 9 dominos. after school we had lunch and then it was time for a much needed nap. i didnt realize i was so tired until i laid down with brennan and fell asleep before he did i think. tonight for dinner i decided to use up some of our wheat macoroni noodles but lasgna sounded yummy so instead of the layered dish we had elbow noodles with everything else from lasagna. it turned out awesome and much faster!

b- had a very energetic morning and was sick of his little buddy pushing him around so he tackled him to the ground. his planned failed because the kid continued to push and push everyone. i finally had to put on buckets in the corner until his mom came. had a long nap and loved the walk with dad and the girls. just before i started typing i looked at my sister ann's blog to see who had updated theirs and as soon as he saw the picture of ann he said ... grandma? ... he knows that i always show him her picture from the blog. it brought so much joy to know he knows her picture and will on day put that with all the other feelings and moments they have shared without him knowing her on this earth. it melted my heart and the frustrations i have with him subside because he is just as christ taught ... be as a little child. he is my constant reminder and helps put things in perspective of how my heavenly father might feel about me as his daughter. i disobey and he tells me over and over how to improve yet i am hard headed and its frustrating to him im sure ... yet he still loves me and picks me up with open arms to hug me .

b- had a rough morning. she woke up 45 min before my class was over but we had things out that i didnt want her into so i left her in her bed which made her super mad. when we went outside i took her with us and she cried most of the time because she wanted to be held from having to stay in her bed. when we went back inside she fell victim to the pusher and they he tried to ride her like a horse. i then put her in her jump to keep her off the floor and brennan decided it would be fun to swing her. nothing was going to calm her down accpet being held by me. she was so traumitized and distraught that her face was red 10 min after i held her. the rest of the day was awesome. she woke up from her nap long before brennan so she was thr happiest little girl playing with a book while i cleaned up the kitchen and living room. she loved the walk just as much as brennan. she was so content at 7:30 her usual bed time i didnt even realize it was so late but after she ate she went right to bed and happy to do so.

Aug 16th

t- slept in and for some wild reason thought i was still in bed with him. he went to class and then work as usual. he was given something at work that he could do from home so he surprised me at the house! he allowed me to take a nap while entertaining the kids and working. once i woke up headed to a research group meeting and then sife. he then came home to enjoy our show together ... agt.

a- had a fun little group at school and one boy cried uncontrolable for his mom for while but we continued on and he didnt want to leave by the end. it was wierd because is not a crier at all but other boy was crying so that might have been the cause. put the kids to bed and then planned for school tomorrow. i was then blessed with the wonderful presence of my busy husband. after my nap i took the kids to play outside and we ended up going over to a friends house who i was suppose to go swimming with this morning but she was sick. she is a young womens leader so was busily working to put decorations and things togerther for the new beginings program they have tomorrow so while all the kids were entertained i helped her so she would feel so neglectful to her 2 boys. we then came back had dinner and bath time. finishing in time to enjoy time with taylor.

b-woke up at 6 so was ready for a nap when school was done. he loved doing potatoe painting which then became a puzzle of the number 4. tuesday thursday is a smaller group so we gat more accomplished and this is one of those things. he has his friends and constantly asked where they are so we went searching today. that is when we went over to miggy house to play and i ended up helping his mom. he didnt want to leave even when i said we would be eating because montse his mom is the most amazing cook and snack giver.

b- she woke up before sxhool was over but taylor was gone for class already so she played with boys and they all asked for her as soon as they heard her cry. she played for about an hour all on her own while i was napping because taylor left her on one side of the baby gate and brennan on the other so he wouldnt pester her and i could stay asleep. she loved it so much there were times taylor had to get up to make sure everything was ok because he didnt hear any sounds from her playing or talking. she was helping brennan and i pick up toys and stood on her own again for a good 30 seconds and then sat down because we were watching and cheering.

aug 15th

t- printed some little booklets for my preschool kids and then headed back campus for class follwed by work. at 4 we met him to go to pcc for some tickets to give to my brother in laws coworker who was here on his honeymoon. for some reason taylors new debit card wouldnt work so we walked him back to work and continued back the house for my purse. once he finished work he went to get help with making a mirror image of his website because they are making a portion of it in ariabic and they read right to left.

a- had a wild and out of control preschool class. usually there are a few that cry because they want their moms but not today they were bouncibg off the walls and i wonder if they even heard a work i said. i know they surprise you with what they actually hear while being 2 and 3 year olds so hopefully they told their parents something good! played with the kids until it was time to take taylor food and get the tickets. it was quite sweaty speed walking with 2 kids back and forth to pcc twice but we made it just in time. when we got back the other kids from the building were out playing so we stayed out there until it was dinner and bed time. neither one of them afternoon naps so it was quick to bed after they ate.

b- i forgot to mention ... on sunday as i was doing my hair he decided our white walls were boring and climbed up on the tv stand (which is a 5 drawer dresser) and grabbed a marker one of the preschool kids left and wrote all over the walls, table, frig and kitchen floor. before that he and brooke had gotten out the boggy borad. brooke ended up on the board and brennan pulled her around. the funniest part to me was the fact that she was naked because i was letting her aweful stbborned diaper rash dry out a bit. back to today ... he was his usual wild boy during school but the other kids were just as crazy and picking fights with each other. he did have to sit on buckets in the corner for a bit becuse he wouldnt follow directions. his energy continued the rest of the day until he finally stopped moving at 7:30. he ended up walking all but the second trip to pcc. we took out time coming back the second time because he stopped for rocks or a stick or to pick me a flower to put by my ear ...

b- broke down at 9 so she was put in bed for her nap. she stayed asleep until the kids left at 12 which was perfect timing. she is becoming a climber. once again i forgot to mention on saturday while we were waiting in the car she figured out how to turn around and clim over her seat into the front passenger seat. too bad i dont have eyes that go in two different directions at the same time because it would make it easier to watch my t2 monkeys. her favorite is to climb on me when i sit on the floor to play with them. she is also becoming more and more a fan of being flipped and twirled by her dada. she leans into the twist or flip now which is entertaining to watch. she played with our friends the tapias baby on a blanket outside and then played with her new best friend rythm before she lost it from no afternoon nap.

weekend

friday - the kids had fun playing with dad while i cleaned in the morning and then he went to class at 12. when brooke woke up from her nap we the kids and i headed to costco because taylor had a research group meeting from 3-6. once we returnedwe had pizza and a movie as a family. we barrowed the movie rio from our friends and brennan ended up watching it 5 times before we returned it the next morning before we went out for cinnamon rolls.

saturday - we passed our cleaning inspection! brooke fell asleep before we went out to do cinnamon rolls so i stayed with her while the boys went to sell. brennan had a exteremely exploritory attitude so he pull things off, wrote on himself, ran faster when taylor called his name ... needless to say ... he was buckeled down when brooke and i got there. poor guy had to stay there for a bit more because we have up graded our cardboard signs for a snadwhich board. a friend of ours is the head of a huge construction project at pcc extremely good at what he does plus he has the tools so we asked him to make us one. i was paining it so taylor held brooke and brennan had to stay where he was until it was dry. after cinnamon rolls we helped a friend with his car ... it ended up being a new battery that cured the issue. while we were at the mall taylor decided a new wallet would be a great idea because all of his magnetic strips on his cards were being ruined within a day of getting a new one. he is a fun person to watch as he gets something new!

sunday - taylor went to his meeting while the kids and i showered and got ready. brooke is starting to change her nap time to 9 and church starts at 10 so it was a tearful morning because i didnt want to have wake her up instead my hope was she would go to sleep during church. she didnt give in until the last hour. oh well atleast she was good because there were lots of people and she was out of the house. my kids are outdoor social crazies! after church we had lunch and had some family time just relaxing. our close firends the millers came over and asked if we wanted to do dinner and games later. of course we did! they made twiced baked potatoes and we put a ground turkey tomatoe corn and bell pepper mixture together and it was awesome together. then it was time to put the kids to bed so while we did that they went on a walk. the sunset was absolutly amazing so we turned the lights off as we set up the game and the room turned a purply pink color! once they came back we played settlers of catan ... 3 games later we decided we were all tired and it was best if we called it quits.

Aug 11th

t- had no meetings before class or homeworks so he got to hang out with us. he took brennan out to play and went on a walk. went to class and then work. he finished what he needed to for his class yesterday so he got to come home after work at 8. he hung out with brooke and made sure she stayed asleep.

a- wanted to sleep longer than 6 but brennan did want to. pu the kitchen bacl together before school. had lunch with the kids and then laid down with them. once they were both asleep i paid bills and relaxed a min or two because then it was curtain screen and window time. i made a deal with our neighbor whose wife has been in the hospital for 6 days with their new baby, the oborn family, that if we used their detergent (i was out) that we would pay for their curtains to be washed. he agreed and it only made sence to do all of their window stuff too. baby was released from the hospital today so it was perfect that i was able to do it while no one was home. i was finishing the last window when they returned. oh well it was fun to see their reaction.

b-had a rough late morning from waking up so early so school was not fun until dad pulled him out and had a chat. took a short nap and then played outside while mom did window cleaning stuff. he is always asking to help. he would bring me the screens as i need to put them back on or hand me what i needed or pour cups of water on the screen as i scubbed (i forgot to mention my brillant idea ... use the car brush on the screen instead of a sponge ... it was so much faster because it attached on to the hose). once it got dark he played with bannock's toys while i was doing their windows.

b- slept a total of 2 hours today so she was very tearful. she is one that knows what she wants and will do nothing else. taylor was trying to play with her as he does brennan on the bed but she wanted the floor and to crawl around. she doesnt like to be alone either. its hard to take a shower while she is up because she just cries. she loves people ... especially here daddy. everytime she sees him there is the biggest brightest smile on her face so full of love and joy. went to bed quickly and easy because she was so tired.

Aug 10th

t- had a neuroscience meeting then printed off stuff for my little preschool kids and then it was off to another research group meeting, this one was for pcc. after that he headed for class then directly to work. he was able to sneek home for an hour before he met up with the website tutors. we were able to fit in a walk to the store and back before he grabbed food and left.

a- had a relaxing morning because the kids slept in until 8. there were alot of criers today at school. bannock our little neighbor who never whines or cries cried because i didnt get him water the second he asked for it. poor little guys has had to be without his mom and new baby brother for 6 days now and its getting to him that things are not as they normally are. his grandma came yesterday so that is another out of the norm thing for him. oh well we made it through and the whale puppet show turned into all the little whales swiming in the ocean - i covered the table with a blue blanket and after all the kids had a turn to show their puppet they went under the table like a fort with their whales we just made for the letter 'w'. put brennan to sleep and then started cleaning ang brooke woke up but so kindly played with all the tuberware and lids. she played long enough to be tired again and brennan still wasnt up so i was able to clear out all the cupboards and pull out the stove as well spay the inside of the oven to let it soak over night. finally both kids were up so we played outside and thats when taylor surprised us with his presence. we had to grab food from the store because the kitchen is torn apart or sprayed with chemical. we had a picnic in the living room and then went back outside until the kids were ready for bed.

b- had a very fisty day until he slept for 3+ hours. he spent most of school time on the buckets, our spot he cant get down or bother anything else. he did help me figure out how to put up 7 fingure when you arent able to do the normal 2 plus 5. we did a shaka on one hand and all 5 fingers on the other. he says that to taylor as he walks out the door in the mornings and most of the time when people leave the house or saturday morning with cinnamon rolls. he started it on his own and we have since encouraged it because it is so stink'n cute. rode our neighbor kai's bike all evening long and then kindly returned when he was done without me asking him to. i didnt even telling him it was time to go inside. he wanted water and a movie.

b- played in her bed until brennan woke up. there has only been one morning that she cried during preschool because she fought sleep knowing big kids were here. it has been a huge blessing to have her sleep the entire time. i planned it around her nap and it has worked so far. loved the new toys - tuberware as i cleaned. while playing outside the last 2 evenings she has aquired a new admirer. rhythm the little girl down stairs who will have a baby sister in november has wanted to carry her and have her at her side the entire time we are out. tonight she but brooke in a little car that floats around the complex and pushed her down a little hill. they both loved it. brooke would hold her hands in the air like she was on a disneyland ride. i wish i would have had a camera close. it sure wore her out because she went right to sleep.

ps taylor's sister returned from her mission today and we were blessed with picture messages from both his mom and dad. congrats darcie and job well done.

Aug 9th

t- helped a friend whose 2 day old baby had a seizure and had to return to the hospital for 6 days. today was the day he was suppose to come home but he was put on oxygen lastnight so they are keeping the little guy one more night. the baby's grandma flew in today as well so she will be able to fill in as well. they have a another little boy who is 3 months older than brennan and they live in our same building so we have become like family to each other. sean ... the dad is the brother taylor never had and i am the sister ashley ... the mom never had. was asked to go to class even though he was going to be over an hour late because the work he had done on the website was amazing and their excitment drove them to add more. he then went to work where he found out he is only alotted 19 hours a week because they hired another person and dont have the budget to have them all work 25 hours a week. its all good though because that means we might get to spend a little more time with him. he then had a meeting for sife ... the business club ... and finally made it home at 8 to watch our show ... americas got talent. we have only ever watched one other show week to week and that was with his parents ... deadliest catch when we lived with them. we have started watching it this season as something to do together as the kids are in bed. it has allowed us to sit on the couch together and enjoy eachother company for an hour instead of worrying about homework or housework. he is now touch up some of the requests on the website.

a- got to sleep until 6:30 when brooke wanted a bottle. i felt like it was too much sleep because it has been a rough week plus for one reason or another. had 2 preschool boys come and we enjoyed the number 2 and letter k more so than yesterday because of the smaller group we got to go outside and actually try to fly our kites. i was blessed with a surprise lunch from taylor ... southwest chicken salad. started on my cleaning list ... light fixtures, walls, behind the frig ... played with kids until it was dinner time and then bathed them when we were done. we finished just in time to put the little ones down before thhe show started.

b- is such a sweet boy to give mom a kiss to get her up instead of his pillow like other mornings. had fun with his little school buddies. one in particular he really loves is jack. anything jack says or does brennan copies. the first day kack said he needed to go patty so i helped him and when he was done brennan was right there telling me he had to go potty too. if he gets anything out of our little class it might be going potty is cool not a diaper. oh i forgot ... before atylor left a friend from his class stopped by to see if the taylor could email him some info and before he could say hi brennan was asking where miggy was ... our friends son miguel. he is one social kid and always wants someone besides mom dad or brooke. although if he had to pick from the 3 of us it would be brooke. they love each other and it warms a heart to watch them ... most of the time. he didnt take a nap today so after the bath he was everywhere doing everything trying to keep himself going because the moment he stops he is asleep.

b- had an awesome night. i hope she is over her 2 am waking. she played in her bed for awhile allowing me to have a lazy morning until brennan got up. she loves an food i have offered her so we are hoping it continues as it has with brennan. it was awesome to be able to put her in her bed before the other kids came and have her sleep for an hour after they left. brennan tried to share his dinner with her ... not because he didnt want it but that what he does when he has food. it takes a very watchful eye when they eat or they have to be on opposite long ends of the table. she has an obsession with anything paper so before i can let her out of bed after class the floor and everything whith in her reach has to be cleared. i missed on piece of a blue colored one today and she ended up with a blue mouth. poor thing had to be woken up from her second nap today because it was getting late if i wanterd her to keep her 7pm bedtime. i brought her out to the living room and brennan growled in her face causing her to shake in fear. she is becoming more and more talerant of brennan poring water on her head in the bath. they have made it a game now.

Aug 8th

we are back. it has been a while due to the fact that we were computerless for about a month because the motherbaord died. we took it in and it had to be shipped back to the mainland to be worked on and then shipped back. it works great now ... taylor is back at work and school so the computer goes with him at 9ish and returns between 11:30 and midnight. i decided to do it all from my phone because there is so much i am missing.

t- had to wake up and take a nebulizer at 4am because they gave him the wrong solution and it is short acting so after 6 hors he feels like he is breathing through a cofee stirer. it gives him the gitters so it took a bit before he could go back to sleep but he was out until almost 9 when he showered and headed off to a training for a research group he is part of ... neuroscience and they will be publishing an article soon that will have his name on as one of the contributors. he then had class until 2:30 and continued on to work until 6 when he snuck a bit to eat with the family and then off to do homework. he is part a huge research project supposed to be done in eygpt but with everything that has happened there there are doing what they can from here. his task is to build a web site for the charity group they are doing the research for. he is learning alot because he new nothing to start. our friend tyler is a tutor for all the computer classes so thats who he goes to and they love spending the time sharing passions. he will be ther until the lab closes at 11pm.

a- woke up with brooke at 2:30am and when she finally went back to sleep at 5 so did i for an hour when brennan woke me up. she has started waking up at this same time the last couple nights and she has been good about going back to bed within a decent time but she wouldnt have it this morning. prepared for my little preschool class i have started for 2-3 year olds in our ward. there are 10 of them so i have divided it into 2 sections ... one monday and wednesday and the other is tuesday thursday. we talked about the letter k and the number 2 today. we made kites and crowns while reading a k story and played 2 games. today was a rough day for several of them. 2 of them had siblings added to their family over the weekend another missed a day and didnt want to come back today another had an early morning but by the end they didnt want to leave so we did something right. made lunch and then played with the kids outside before they fell asleep. i worked on little books for the preschool kids while they were asleep and organized myself foe a cleaning check we have on saturday. made dinner and then played outside again with my kids and 2 others joined us while their mom made dinner. it was fun had by all ... rolling races, running races, summersalts, princess dances, hide and seek, bike ridding ... just as brooke started to get tired we walked over to say goodnight to taylor. put brooke to bed and then watched a movie with brennan.

b- woke up asking for a banana as usual. he ate breakfast and then played by himself as i tried to sneek in a few more zzzz before brooke was up. when it was time for the other kids to come for school he opened the door for everyone. he was done wear his crown about half way through the class so he put it on my head. i forgot about it until someone came over and asked about it. loved his kite and wanted to play outside with it before eating. lately i give him a nap only if he falls asleep on his own and since brooke was out and his friend who we were watch was out he decided sleeping was a good idea because mom is boring. he needed it because he didnt wake up until 4:45. not eating his lunch made his super hungry for dinner which i couldnt make fast enough for him. adored the fact that dad got to eat with us. wanted to walk with him to the lab so we went later. he will be up for atleast another hour because of his nap.

b- might be having a growth spurt because he isnt sleeping through the night and is eating more than usual. loves playing and wrestling with her brother. her only defence as of now is to pull his hair. she made him cry for the first time a week ago. i was a bad mom and laughed along with telling her to keep it up. he teases her so much but there will be one day that she can tease back and i will laugh then too. its funny to watch the other boys brennans age who have sister and they play with dolls and dress up like princesses but brooke plays with cars and balls or wrestles. she slept for the most part during preschool and then was the happiest girl on the planet playing outside. she puts every tiny thing in her mouth for a taste test ... yuck. i end up holding her most of the time because there is too many things but she loves being outside and watching the older kids. taylor put her in the window the other day when she would stop crying and just as brennan did ... stood there with a huge smile for as long as we let him. they want to be big too fast. she stands on her own for about 20 sec until she realizes she no one is helping her so she sits down. she loves stand up but as for monuvering she is content to crawl. she started crawling at the begining of june when the computer died. she also sprouted 2 teeth around then too. i keep waiting for more but nothing yet.

i am going to do my best at daily updates again. as of now there will be no pics because i cant do that from my phone. boring i know.

May 24th

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRENNAN!!!!!!!! he is 2 now : )

taylor

this was a full day for him! (for all of us for that matter) he went to class at 7:30 and then went to Turtle Bay to hopefully pick up data for their project. they had to present the faollowing thursday with thier 60 slide of a power point showing the improvemnt they have tried to make if the company follows these new steps. this class is usually offered during a semester and we are in a term, 6 weeks, so there was less time to work as it was but they had even less time because they still didnt have the information they needed. then it was off to class again. he did get permission to miss his sife meeting because there was a retreat saturday an this meeting was in prep for it. he is basically the program manager over all the project mangers they have for the different projects the club does.

May 23rd

taylor

played raquetball and then came home and did the dishes. he then had work at 2 with a work training meeting at 3. he finished around 5 and then we had dinner before going around to peopels houses to invite them to brennan birthday. we debated for several weeks what to do because he didnt even realize it was his brithday so would it make a difference if we did a family thing or firends. we decided to do a water play date mid afternoon while taylor was in class and then cake at 7 when he was done so he could be a part of the celebration dispight having 2 classes that are 3 and a halk hours long and a sife meeting. he was given permission to not go to sife because they are having a retreat on saturday so the tuesday meeting will be prep for it and he would have much to do until saturday. otherwise he would have been at sife until after 8 and would have bot been home since 730 in the morning. in between classes he works on the project with cole because the last day for it is the 31st.

amy

worked out and then got the kids ready before starting a much needed house clean. we do our best to keep sand out of the bathroom but there is aways some that makes it there so ever time i sweep its mostly sand. intermittely i would play with the kids or feed brooke so they stayed happy while taylor and i tighty up the house. i should do better on saturdays but after cinnamon rolls i am pooped so monday has become our cleaning day. by the time i finished what needed attention the most it was nap time so while the kids napped i played brennan bithday and fisnished up some of the putting away of random thing we had used throughout the weekend. then it was dinner and family home evening which was to go around and invite people and then end with a scripture. perfect timing for bed too.

brennan

was a good sporot about staying out of the way and entertaining himself and brooke while we cleaned. at times like these i wish i had a yard with a fence to let him run and play but we have a street after a grass patch and thats where he likes to head. i do have to say though he is much better than even just a few eeks ago about going there which makes me feel better. a lot of parent here can just let their kids roam and they take an occasionaly glanse out the window but not my case. if my child is out im out. i loving watching him but there are times when i would like to be more productive inside than i am. oh well, he will remember the time we sent outside more than he will the pictures i put up on the wall.

brooke

she too was a good sport and didnt fight sleep too bad which meant we could get more done.

May 22nd

taylor

went to his morning meeting then came home and entertained a guest that surprised us with a visit because her husband had meetings and she didnt want to be home alone. we went back to church earlier than the rest of us were ready so he went alone this time. after church he went home teaching, which is where him and another man go and share a spiritual message with other families he has been assigned to. in addition to the message he keeps a watchful eye on the family for anything they might need help with. once he was back home he started working on the lesson he is going to give in priesthood in 2 weeks. this will be his first lesson as the president and he gets to choose the topic. once the rest of us woke up we skyped with papa and gigi. we then took a family walk but ended up staying at monses, our friend that came over on saturday to watch a movie, because her husband nate was at a meeting and she was hoping for some company to help calm her 1 year old who wanted his dad. then it was off to bed.

amy

got the kids and myself ready for church with 15 mintes to spare but we didnt leave the house until 5 til beacue we found that if brennan goes to early he wants to run around and then during the actual meeting he doesnt want to sit still like he does so well every sunday. even then with 5 minutes to spare he wanted all the books and snacks out which he knows arent suppose to come out until after the sacrament. this meant a fit and i was sitting alone because taylor was helping bless the sacramnet again so a senior couple motioned to him and he looked at a book on temples with jaw dropped like he does when he is concentrating. once again ... a bit frustrating because that what i didnt want to give so he threw a fit but it was grandparent time like brooke a had the week before. i guess i just need to relax because is so good on a regular basis and peopel comment all the time how he can sit so calmly yet be a crazy man once the meeting ends. after church while taylor was home teaching and the kids were finally asleep i joined them. the rest of the day was the same as taylors.

brennan

was exellent during nursery this week which makes us think its his teachers that he loves and they werent there the previous 2 weeks and so he had bad days and had to taken to dada. the bummer part about that is they just got released from that position and wont be with him anymore. he will just have to learn to be good and enjoy another couple which is good for him ... little stinker.

brooke

fought sleep again during sacrament meeting but ended up loosing the battle before the meeting was over and folded in half in taylor lap. she was sitting up and calapsed from pure exhaustion. she woke up as i was walking to sunday school and then was awake until i feed her during the last 15 minutes of relief society.

May 21st

taylor

played racquetball and then came back to laod up cinnamon rolls. he headed out to set up and had it all ready just as it started to pour sideways. he quickly text me for the umbrella but it wasnt going to be nuch help because it was coming from the side. there were puddle starting to form on the tops of the tins so he ran into the lady whos front yard we use to ask if he could pull a car up in the grass and sell from there. she was kind enough to do so and that is when the rest of us made it to him. it sprinkled a bit the rest of the time we were out there so we set up the table again. he then showered and went to a training for his new job, which might not be what he was told. once he got back we made plans to watch a movie with another family, the haws. they have 2 boys mikey 3 and andy 1. nate was taylor stats tutor and now they have several classes together. monse is from mexico so i get to practice spanish every once and a while when she doesnt understand something. she likes to practice her english so that what we speak most of the time. they brought over mochi icecream balls and we watched how to train your dragon.

amy

made 24 pans 21 od cinnamon rolls/citris rolls and 3 of pani popo. taylor said the first 3 pans gone were the pani popo so i will be making more of those now. after selling taylor allowed me to take a nap so i could be some what coherant for our guests. after a 2 hour nap i made dinner and we finished just before the haws came over.

brennan

got wat on the wagon ride over to meet up with taylor and the cinnamon rolls but loved every minute of the rain hitting him in the face. he has been so good for the last 10 months we have been doing them. he knows that saturday morning consist of sitting in the stroller or wagon until they are gone. he is a fan of the less than an hour days. be is a wonderful sport about it for the most part. as long as ther are enough snacks bubbles books cardbaord boxes for forts ... he is set. he is usually pretty rough with the other kids we have xome over but for some reson with mikey and andy he is very polite and gentle. my guess is ... thats the way those boys are so he doesnt rough house with them but is playful in other ways.

brooke

had a hard time sitting in one spot during cinnamon rolls so i picked up her seat and we walked and bounced. she is a bigger fighter of sleep than brennan was. she goes and goes until she completely calaspes from exhaustion. she does it aleast 2 times a day. she loved having more peopel to play with and observe.

May 20th

taylor

played racquetball until 930 and then showered and make contact with several people he needed to for different thing he has going. read and wrote a paper until we left for costco for cinnamon roll stuff. we made it back just in time for him to change and go stunt.

amy

worked out with lauren and then got the kids ready and went to the beach with too. she watches a little boy named izak who joined us as well. we went to aligator pond which is perfect for little kids because there is a huge piece of coral that breaks the wave so it really is like a pond. the tide was way out so it was almost a wast deep puddle. it was still a lot of fun and wonderful to be out. there were little fish that did end up biting me. they were cool to see when they went under the coral where the water was darker from the showed it was as if they were glowing the dark. they were yellow and black stripped. after the beqch we cleaned up and took naps. i took one because i had to do cinnamon rolls later that night and wanted to be able to last a bit on saturday. once brennan woke up at 5 we headed to costco and then i put the kids to bed. it was easy because they had fallen asleep in the car.

brennan

has not been in the water for a long while and he was afraid to get in. i dont know if it was because of the fish but he was hesitant. this hole turing 2 thing has got him acting different. i dont know what it is but its an easy excuse. he did have fun but once he was cold that was the end of his fun. he went and stood by all the stuff hinting that he had had enough. he then took a forever long nap and the loved his car ride as usual.

brooke

loved every minute we were outside. she gets so excited when she sees her swim suite because knows that means water. she kicks and squirms with a sqeal or 5 to let you know just how much she loves it. she laughed at brennan for being afraid. they are fun to watch and love to be around eachother as of now. she does have moments when she has had enough smuthering or steam roller but is starting to play back which brennan has been wanting for a long time.

May 19th

taylor

went to class and then had a meeting for a new reasch group he has been invited to be a part of. he had an hour break or so before he left for turtle bay to hopefully retrive the data they need for their project. then it was off to class straight from there. he got home changed clothes and went to the store for snacks. the women in the ward had a spa night while the men played with the kids ... they watched the movie up had snacks and got a balloon. they are trying to get more people to the activities and it worked. then it was bed time so we read scriptures and said prayers before taylor laid with brennan.

amy

got the kids ready for the day and a there was a knock at the door ... it was kai. he lives down stairs and is brennans twin ... they have the same birthday blonde hair and blue eyes. i opened the door and he came in while brennan went out. we ended up staying outside the rest of the morning and early afternoon with bannock. i finally got a shower and went to the spa night.

brennan

played with friend outside and had the best day ever. they played on bikes, spray bottles, water balloons, balls, ran around chasing eahcother ... bannock joined at 12 when his parents went to class. we finally went in and ate something but even then he wanted to stay outside and forget about food. all this play meant no nap so before the movie with dada i had to keep him awake. we played with playdough and took a bath but once i sat down to feed brooke he leaned on my leg and fell asleep. i shook my leg, moved it around and he still stayed asleep. i had to carry him most of the way to the church because he was trying to wake up and wouldnt walk. i finally got him to help me carry the snacks. he was happy and loved the reast of the night. there was no fight to go to sleep because dada laid with him.

brooke

loved sitting in the grass while the rest of the kids ran around her. she can be pretty unstable when she gets excited but not today. she was stable the entire time we were out there. the kids loved spraying her feet and toes even though they really wanted her face.

she loved hanging out with the kids for the movie but once she fell asleep they wont leave her alone thinking she was a little doll. she then joined me and ended up waking up just before we left. once taylor laid with brennan her and i went to eat a banana to have her sleep through the night.

May 18th

Today is the day my mom passed away 8 years ago! I miss her dearly but have been blessed with wonderful friends and family to lift me up when I have hard days. My youngest brother, Brad, told me this year was a hard one for him and I wish I was there to hold him as I did once I got home from my mission just months after her passing. He was 12 at the time and would lay in my arms and cry so hard his body would shake (if you have ever do this you know how exhausting it is and hard to regroup). He has come a long way and had several experiences to help him grow but there are always times that are harder than others. For me, attending the temple has been a blessing on those harder days as well as to watch my children and imagine the joy she has as she mothered us on here. Trust me, she is still mothering : ) One thing I have learned from this experience is ... Heavenly Father has a reason for having us forget what it was like to be in His presence before this life! I long to be with my mother because I remember what it was like to have her at my side. It has only been 8 years and it still hurts at times to have her gone. It has been 30 years since I left our Heavenly Father's presence ... do i have the same longing to be with Him? If I could remember what it was like I wouldn't let silly temptations get in my way or my natural person get the best of me. I definitely have had experiences in my life that have given me glimpses of what it might have been like, being in the temple is one of those, and they pick me back up and encourage me to push on and live as He would have me live in order to return to Him after this life. I can't say THANK YOU enough to those that have been there through thick and thin : ) I miss you Mom and love you a lot!!!!!!!

Taylor: played racquetball and then went to the store to get his neb : ) that was forgotten yesterday. He then went to talk to people about a job interview!!!! There was a job presented to him about a week or so ago and he has been filling out papers and getting more information on the job until today. Last semester he had the opportunity to work and the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) as part of a research group and this is a continuation of that. he was just the one to had out the surveys, but now he is going to be using the skills he learned at Microsoft in the program of Excel to help them with the information they receive. There were several hours before his interview and we needed to drop off some paper work in Kaneohe (about 30 min south) so we headed down there. Little did we know that Sears was having a huge sale on their men's dress shirts and pants. Since Taylor has lost 30 lbs (6 lbs away from his high school weight) he needs new clothes. He is having to dress up a lot doing this project for Turtle Bay and he only has one pair of pants that he wears to church, he found a really nice pair for $10!!!!!! and a shirt and tie combo for $20!!!!!!! He is looking good, but back off he is MINE! We got back from there with an hour to spare so we played as a family before he left. He GOT THE JOB! there is a few more paperwork type stuff he has to do on Friday and then its official. He came home and played with Brennan for about 2 hours while Brooke and I took a nap. Then it was dinner and off to stunt. He has been stunting for a while because one of the girls went to her brother's wedding.

Amy: went to meet Lauren but she didn't feel good so I worked out at home and man did it feel GOOD!!!! There was a few days I missed blogging because I was sick or I typed something and wanted to add a picture so I am trying to catch up. I am only missing 2 days now so that's the goal for tomorrow : ) I have had some pretty intense headaches lately and today was one of them. It wasn't as bad as they have been but it was enough to be a nuisance. My guess is they are from not sleeping consistent and not as much water as I have been with our new eating habits. Once we got back from the mall I laid on the bed and didn't want to move. That's why Taylor allowed me to sleep once he got back!!!!!! It felt so good to sleep : ) I woke up we had dinner and then it was bed time for the kids.

Brennan:had a better day today because dada was around more!!! He loves his bananas and would eat one every 5 minutes if I let him, but one is enough for his poor little system. The question of the day has become ... did Brennan have a banana yet today? Good thing we live in Hawaii where they are grown : ) Tonight while I was making dinner the boys went a walk to talk to some of the Elders who signed up to help play with kids during a Relief Society activity tomorrow and one of those was Sean, Bannock's dad, and the 2 of them had melt downs because they didn't get to play. Funny boys will see each other tomorrow! He put up a 15 minute fight tonight before falling asleep.

Brooke: woke up while I was working out but played and squealed in her bed for an hour or so. Thank goodness because Taylor was playing so I was able to finish my workout. I need to get video of her rolling all over the floor and getting pinned in all kids of funny places. I left her clothes off for a little bit this afternoon and Brennan found her belly. He had the juiciest raspberries I have ever heard and Taylor and I laughing so heard we teared up only egged him on more. He gets so much pleasure from simply clapping so after every one he would clap and laugh with us. I wish I had video if not just the audio from that but we were laughing too hard to do anything : ) Tonight she played on the floor while Brennan fought and then she still played more while I started this. She finally is out after I put her in the swing. She doesn't like to be held when falling asleep : (

May 17th

Taylor: finished a paper for class and then went at 7:30. After class he ran to the store for me and was going to get more solution for his neb but forgot : ( by the time he remembered the pharmacy had already closed so he is kicking himself. he will just have to be careful with what he does and have his inhaler close! Once he came back from the store he read and worked on homework for his next class. Then he went over to Cole's to work on their project. Their class is from 3:30 to 6:40 and with our new eating habits he eats every 2-3 hours. He always has food with him and the class has picked up on it and teases him about what he will bring for next class. He decided to take pizza, so that was his distraction at the store earlier, frozen pizza! After class he come home for a bit and played with Brooke while I was outside with Brennan before going to a SIFE meeting. This is a group of business people who are wanting to practice their skills before going to the real world. They do go to competitions and things with their projects so Taylor had been asked to head up all Project Managers of those projects. This is what he loves to do so he is adding to his resume!!!!!

Amy: had a rough night with the kids. I don't know what is going on but they are not being my good sleepers lately : ( As many times as I had gotten up I thought for sure it was around 5 so I looked at the clock and it was only 1:45!!!!!! After being sick Brooke has her appetite back and so doesn't make it through the night without wanting to eat ... its real food time again : ) I didn't go work out again. I feel like I have had a lack of sleep headache for a week now and didn't have the energy to move. Things will get better and they will sleep again so I'm not worried! I played with the kids and organized a bit before Bannock came over. The boys played for about an hour and then Brennan needed a serious nap so we all went and laid down. This time it was Brennan that fell asleep first and Bannock never went to sleep. Him and Brooke just played until Brennan woke up. After he left we ate and then it was outside time. I haven't taken Brennan out much lately because he has fevers that come and go which make him extremely cryish (all he does is cry for dada). After dinner we played on the floor ... summer salts, airplane/superman, flips, horse hides ... The kids were laughing so hard we had to take breathers so they could recover : ) I miss the good ole days when I would do that with my dad, yet it brings joy to see my own kids light up doing the same thing. Then it was bath time and bed!

Brennan: played around the house, mostly with his big orange ball (one of the big ones from Wal-Mart). Had a fever moment which meant we just laid on the bed and read books trying to calm him down because Dada was not home. I tried to get him to take a nap then but it was too early (10am). I gave him some medicine because he got to 100 and that was the end of the fever and crying. Thank goodness for medicine!! He colored and started the trowing the crayons just as bannock was walking up the steps. He got woken up by Bannock throwing the ball at him : ( so it was not a happy time for about 15 minutes until he fully woke up. He and Brooke both love their baths. he infact was the one that reminded me it was bath night! He started to take off his shirt and say bath bath bath standing in the doorway of the bathroom. I grabbed Brooke and she did her excited kicking until I could get her in the tub. He loves playing with her now that she is not as fragile! He will copy her for the longest time and get the biggest kick out of it. To be little and be entertained by such simple acts : )

Brooke: took an extra long nap this morning allowing me to give Brennan some much needed attention and play time. She is back to her happy laughing self after being sick! She loves to roll all over the floor and see where she can end up : ) I put her in the jumper today and she is starting to get the idea a bit more. Brennan wanted to help her so I convinced him it was best to just jump next to her instead of swinging her or pulling on the rope to make the spring extend and then let go. He is a good helper, he just needs some guidance ; ) During her bath tonight she got up on to her knees while on her stomach, so she will be crawling here soon. That will make her even more happy!!!!! She moves on her back but not her stomach which frustrates her.


they aren't the best quality because they are from my phone!

May 16th

taylor

played racquetball with cole then worked on a consumer behavior test. read and started a paper for that class as well. he did take a small break to talk to his new boss about when to start paper work. he will be helping organize and keep data for the polyesian cultural center as well as crunch the number and make sence of them. we went to walmart and costco with cole and richelle to get us out of the house today. once we got back he read to be able tofinish up his paper after family home evening. he laid with brennan and fell asleep himself.

amy

cleaned up the house after a come and go weekend. i also cleared of our dresser that seems to be the collection area. then i laid down with brooke and ended up sleeping until taylor woke me to go to walmart. once we got back i got the kids ready for bed and taylor took brennan while i took brooke. we were doing family home evening with another family but they came later than they said so the kids didnt get to join unfortunately but the needed their sleep instead. we played games and had yummy treats with a spiritual message.

brennan

had the best morning ... dad got him breakfast and spent a bit of the morning so mom could get a tad more sleep and he woke up 3 times 2 of which he only wanted dad. dad doesnt wake up so he laid in bed with us. i will take him back to bed usually but after the second time i was too tired. after brooke got her diaper changed they two of them played on the floor and this is what i came back to after leave the room to grab pjs ...

brooke

is a good sport and mostly patient with a wild older brother. slept the majority of the day because she fought her naps yesterday. she went to sleep about 6pm and she was out for the night.

May 15th

Taylor: went to his morning meeting at church and then came home to get the last minutes things together that we needed for church. He then headed back to make sure the sacrament was being set up and people were there to pass and bless it. Come to find out Brennan didn't allow him to finish all of Priesthood meeting. He had an emotional meltdown and the only thing that would calm him down was to lay on Taylor's chest on the couch. So once I got home he ran to talk to some people and see if he could grab tables for the ward potluck. We did Hawaiian Haystacks so he had to hand out the rice to be cooked by other members and found a giant pot to make the chicken gravy. When he got back we started the gravy and 2 pans of rice. Just before we needed to leave we Skyped with Papa and Gigi. While at the potluck he found out there was a training meeting at 6:30 that he and his presidency were suppose to be at. Some how the message never got to him so the 3 of them went as is (shorts and t-shirts). That meant no clean up for them!!!! After the meeting, the Millers came over and we played Settlers.

Amy: gave the kids baths and got myself ready for church. After church I started the food for the ward potluck (every other week the Elders Quorum is in charge so that means a lot of prep on our part). After talking with Papa and Gigi we headed off in the wagon for the potluck. The wagon is the best way to get both of the kids and it allows Brennan a place to be strapped in until he is done eating. It then becomes the ride every little person wants to try : ) there are some of the slightly older kids that will pull it around or other adults who have no kids and need to use energy ; ) Taylor asked Tyler and Cole to help clean up so it was the 3 of us and it went fast surprisingly! The kids were so happy to be outside (Brennan more or less because Brooke was asleep) and i forgot to grab a key, not knowing Taylor wouldn't be going to the house when we did, I was locked out. We walked up to the door the same time Taylor did so it was perfect timing : ) Then it was game time!

Brennan: did better in sacrament meeting than last week but nursery was another story. I guess he was taken out during Sunday School and so in order for Taylor to be able to start Elders Quorum other people had to take him. He was just screaming "dada dada dada' do they took him to him. After he calmed down and the lesson started, Taylor took him back to nursery. It was about 20 minutes and then he was back with Taylor (this time I heard him screaming as they walked down the hall). It was so bad they ended up going home. After being home with me for an hour or so he finally calmed down enough to fall asleep. Taylor's voice woke him up and it was crying all over again : ( He was good once we went outside for the potluck because he got to play. He fell asleep finally wile we were playing games.

Brooke: had a great morning until church. She went with Taylor a bit earlier than Brennan and I so someone had taken her and wouldn't give her back. She was fussy, fighting sleep, so they took her to the back. This work for a while so they sat back down. just like the week before when everyone was trying to feel the Spirit during the sacrament, she lost it and had to go outside. All this time I am trying to ignore what is happening and let the person do what they think is best, but it was extremely hard to sit there!! Oh well, she was having a grandma moment which she doesn't get often. This didn't stop the rest of the time at church. During Sunday school I took her to the mother lounge and let her cry to see if that would help her fall asleep. She just got more worked up, so I ended up rocking her and she fell asleep. I went back into Sunday School for 10 minutes and then it was time to move to Relief Society ... you can guess where this is going ... she woke up and I had to do the same thing again. Once at home she took a 15 min and then was up again until she passed out during the potluck for the night.

May 14th

Taylor: played racquetball with Cole until 8:30 and then came home to set up for cinnamon rolls. Cole graciously came back at 9 to grab the kids so that Taylor could sell and I could make 10 pans of Pani Popo. He sold until 12:30 and then we got ready to go to the beach. We had been invited to go with Cole, Richelle, James and Ashley to Bellows Beach in Kailua. It is on the list as one of the world's prettiest beaches. It was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!! Not only was the sand soft and white, the water was warm, less salty, and a beautiful teal color. Richelle was the photographer for the day so when we get the pictures from her I will post them. We had BBQ ribs with baked beans and grilled asparagus!!!!!!! It was a wonderful time had by all. We stayed the rest of the day there. On our way back home we stopped at Borders to see if they have a book Taylor has been looking for. We also stopped for Baskin Robins (Gigi this is for you ... Richelle said 'is there a 31 favors? I want it!!!!')

Amy: started making cinnamon rolls at 3 am and finished at 1:30 pm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That was a long time and 34 pans later they were all sold : )

Brennan: was ornery for Cole and Richelle, but they don't put up with it which I love! He melted Richelle's heart after she told him to sit down because he wasn't listening, after sitting down he reached up for a hug : ) this is his way of saying I'm sorry! She still made him sit there for longer time!!!!!! He loved being around people and doing this for a change on Saturday morning.

Brooke: gave Richelle and Cole a run for their money too!!! She refused to eat or sleep. Before Richelle's niece was born a little over a year ago she would have no idea what to do, but she spent a lot of time with her so now she can handle 2 stinker pants : ) Richelle and Cole are wonderful!!!!!!!! and we can't say enough about them!! Face planted in the sand and those are some of the pictures Richelle got : )

May 13th

Taylor: played racquetball with Cole for an hour and a half and man will they feel it bad later : ) He then worked on homework until we had to go to a meeting in another city about financial assistance. We have to pass through this city to get to Costco so we decided to do our weekly run after the meeting. It only ended up being that he had to sign paper work :( oh well we can't complain for the little bit they ask on our part compared to the HUGE help we get. We have been on an eating plan for 10 weeks now and it is very specific for 12 weeks what you eat so we have made it a family trip to get us out of the house. Some times we do it on Saturday after cinnamon rolls sales but this week we were booked already. Once we got home we played Settlers with Cole and Richelle and then ran to the store for me after looking up how to make Pani Popo.

Amy: got things ready to go and the house somewhat organized before leaving for the rest of the afternoon and early evening. While playing Settlers I got a call from Lauren, who gave me a number to call for an order of cinnamon rolls. Come to find out the way she got the persons info, was he was walking around TVA (the name or our apartment complex) yelling 'cinnamon rolls, cinnamon rolls, cinnamon rolls'. He and his wife buy from us all the time but they didn't know how to get a hold of us. It was a friend of Lauren Tyler's that heard him so they ran up to have them call me. Needless to say ... the order was 10 pans of Pani Popo (a hawaii dessert, a dinner roll baked in a coconut sauce) I have never tasted it nor tried to make it so the deal we made was ... i would make a pan for her to try in the morning and if she liked it then she would order 10 pans, but if not then she would order her usual, wheat flour cinnamon rolls with nut. Either way I was making 10 additional pan from my usual 24 for the street (our little lemonade stand type set up : ) )As you can tell after the game I was in bed!!!!

Brennan: loves to go to Costco and see all the people and take the car ride. He can't wait until he is tall enough to see out the window (or he gets a new seat that is higher). There is a lot to see on our drive along the North Shore and then through the middle of the island. Depending on the time we go he usually falls asleep, and this was the time today : ) since his nap was short he went to bed early and we could play our game without little hands and I didn't have wait for him to fall asleep before I took my few hour nap for the night.

Brooke: she too loves the car and falls asleep most of the time. Only if she is hungry does she throw a fit, as long as the car is moving ; ) that is. She has started a new schedule and I am not sure I like it : ( She takes a nap and then doesn't go to sleep until 10ish. I am hoping it will fade soon, because if not then I will have to force her to change! No more late naps!!!! i remember having to do the same thing with Brennan so i can do it again! WITH A LOT A PATIENCE!!!

May 12th

taylor

went to class after taking a neb again. he is starting to play racketball 4 days a week so he can get back in shape so that will help him not have to take them as often. after his class he stayed at the house with brooke and did home work until his class at 330. this class usually gets out super early so we were hoping to go to the temple at 6 with cole and richelle but they were done until after 7 because they stayed after to talk to the teaxher about their project at turtle bay. we did get to go to the temple just later so it all worked out. it always does but satan has to put a road block in the way of doing what is best for our family. our friends ashley and sean watched the kids in exchange for watching bannock 2 days during the week while they are in class. we went to pick them up and the kids were out. they bought a new game so they said it was a good excuse to open it so they did and we played until midnight.

amy

had an aweful night up and down with either kid and then both at 4. i had to let lauren know i wasnt going to workout because i didnt even have the energy to walk over the baby gate in the bathroom. i tried to occupy the kids so i could take a nap but that never really happened. bannock came and i thought i would with the kids but his parents had given him an earlier nap so the boys could play during that time. once again my plan was shot. i some home managed to make it throught the rest of the day. since the boys werent going to nap i took them to the laie park to run around the open feild and benches. they had the best time and didnt play with any of the balls or toys i took for them. they just followed eachother climbing and running goofy. it was a warmer day so once they were all sweaty i took them back. taylor and cole needed to do some stuff for class in the library before so they left and that gave us another reason to head home. while taylor was in class i to ok a shower bathed the kids and made dinner so that when he got home we could drop the kids off and walk to the temple. i hardly ever win any game we play and this night just proved it even more because we played several rouds of fluxx but i was the only one who didnt win. i was ready to fall out of my chair i was so tired.

brennan

had a wh iney morning so i was trying to come up with different thing to keep him entertained. i remember darcie had given brennan a spiderman coloring book so i got that out with some crayons that someone gaven us when they moved. so we colored and thats when dada walked in the door. he then began coloring with brennan and i could help but take a picture. brennen has picked up cheese when he wants his picture taken.

he was excited to have bannock over again so he bear hugged him as he came in the door. they funny typical boys. hug a nd then fight. the boys loved running and being goofy at the feild. once we came back he tried to stay awake after his bath but with no nap he lost the battle. he walked up to the couch and folded in half, with his torso on the cushions. i didnt want him to sleep so he would sleep in the morning again. being the mean mom that i am i made him cook dinner with me to wake up. it was a great help . i thought he would fall asleep soon after dropping him with ashley and sean but he didnt because bannock was awake. they played hard and the it was bed time for both so sean read a book to him called wales tales and turtle trails.

brooke

she slept most of the day and if wasnt asleep she was ahnging out in her chair next to taylor testing his frustration channel

May 10th

taylor

went to class and immediately after he and cole went turtle bay to begin work on thier project. it was a huge success for them and they are wanting to do their other project with tem too. there are 2 have to do for the six sigma certificate, one during class and the other outside of class because it is so intensive. thier class was then cancelled so they stayed a bit longer than they normally would have. once he was home he did the dishes and then we ate with cole and richelle. we then finished the night with a game of settlers and cole won his second game ever. his first was a speed game we did on saturday because we were short on time. while i was laying with brennan taylor read his book untill brooke fell asleep.

amy

had a very unproductive day. the clouds had their faucet on high all morning and brooke was sick so we read several books and watch a couple movies. bannock came over and while the kids napped i did too. once taylor got back i checked the mail and there was a package from gigi so went to the office to pick it up. on my way over there i did have brennan in hand until we got to the stairs where bannock lives. he headed right to his house and sean, bannocks dad, let him in. i continued on and got the package. it was a book called the mothers mite. im excited to see what its about. im not a pleasure reader but this is small so i can handle it. i made dinner and then it was game time. we then read scriptures and said prayer before each taking a child.

brennan

jumped all over the place as bannock walked up the steps because he loves to have someone more his size. later when he left with me to pick up the package but got side tracked he ended up staying at bannocks until 8ish when bannock was going to bed. they went on a walk together, both in one stroller. bannock sat in it and brennan sat on him. ashley, bannocks mom said she thought he would push brennan off but he didnt and they rode like that the entire time as happy as could be. she then made mac and cheese and brennan ate a ton but bannock didnt eat much. ashley was so happy to have brennan there to show bannock eating is a good thing. i guess all he eats are pbjs, aka honey in bannock speak. once agin he didnt put up a fight to go to bed. he did lay there for a long time before going to sleep but he eventually did with no screaming. at nap time he didnt either because bannock was crying so he didnt.

brooke

slept and slept and slept. we cant say that without mentioning how much she sweats. she has a sweat ring on her sheet and on her pillow. her pj are soaked every morning and i have to whci out her blankets ever time too. its a good thing right now that she is sick but normally its not so fun. it makes for a lot of laundry. he is doing better so thats a good thing for all of us. she still has a little cough but her nose is clearing up. in the evening she was not so lathargic and more of her happy go lucky self who wants to have her fingers in/on everything. she didnt want to go to bed so taylor just read his shannara book until she was out.

May 9th

taylor

got up earlier than he had planned because brooke wokr up 5 minutes after i left to workout. read several books and wrote papers on those books. for his consumer behavior class he is reading 2 books and has to write a 3 page single spaced summary paper for every chapter he reads. last semester he had 4 books he was doing this for so half as much is a relief. he is half way through the term already. he took brennan to the park to play while brooke and i took a little snooze. he tooka nap after reading some more and then we went to the store for vick vapor rub for the kids. after putting brennan to bed he finished his last paper due tomorrow and then worked on a process map for his six sigma class with cole.

amy

went to workout and sweat so bad while riding the bike i had wet shorts and lauren laughed at me the whole way home. took a little snooze with brooke while the boys were playing at the park. then i did the dishes and made lunch. then it was my turn to take brennan outside so we played with a tennis ball. behind our house are 2 pavilions with lots of tables so we ran all around and threw the ball on the roof and let it roll off. after the store i made dinner and then tried to calm a sick little girl.

brennan

slept in until almost 10. he must be growing because he never sleeps that long. we had to change his clothes every time he ate today because he made such a big mess with every meal. good thing he has lots of clothes. that is thanks to many friends and gigi, because i havent bought him but 5 outfits since he was born. he has been wearing his 2t shirts for a while now because his belly was showing but his 18 month shorts still fit. he is built like me unfortuately in that area because he is all torso. hopefully he gets some of taylors height later on. i was looking at some of my familys pictures and he looks a lot like my youbgest brother brad when he was the same age. they both have darker skin and blonde blonde hair with gorgeous blue eyes. he didnt take a nap today so after he refused to eat dinner taylor took him to bed and he was out within 10 minutes jsut after 7pm.

brooke

poor thing is sick. her stuffy nose got worse and worse as the day went on and her eyes started to weep. we found baby vapor rub so we were excited to try it. it is not as strong as the real stuff but it worked wonders on her. within 5 minutes she was cough more and her nose was running like crazy but she could breath better. she is just uncomfortable so she was fussy and wanted to be held. that was pretty much her day.

May 8th

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all you mothers that have influenced us in anyway!!!!! It was 8 years ago I had my last conversation here in this life with my mom and I miss her a lot! My life has since been filled with many other examples, I know she is grateful for your love and support in helping me be the mom that I am today. I was keeping my emotions under control this morning until I got a text from my brother Tod and then I lost it for about 10 minutes and was good the rest of the day. All he said was I miss Mom a lot ... lame I know!!!!!!!

Taylor: went to PEC (Priesthood Executive Counsel) because he is the Elder's Quorum President now (he is over all the men in our ward since we are in a married student ward). Ran home afterward so I could go back to have a chat with the bishop and he bathed and dressed Brennan. then it was off to church. For some reason even though our ward starts at 10 people still don't come on time so as they were getting ready to start there were any men to bless the sacrament so he made eye contact with a few and they filled the spots. Since we have no youth in the ward for deacons to pass, teachers to set up, and priests to bless, the elders get the opportunity and Taylor loves it because it has been awhile and once we go back to a usual family ward he most likely won't because the Aaronic Priesthood will take over those duties. After church he and Brennan went home to take a nap and start the beans for dinner. After talking to Darcie for a bit, we Skyped with Papa and Gigi. Then it was time to eat!!!!!!! We went with our friends, the Millers, Tyler and Lauren, to the Taylor's house to eat. Zach Taylor was the Elder's Quorum President before Taylor was and they lived in our same building. We miss them now that they have moved to a house. He is a BBQ master so we had teri chicken : ) Once we got home he read his book by Terri Brooks, the Shannara series.

Amy: fed Brooke and then jumped in the shower in order to allow time for preparing myself and the kids. I have been late the last few weeks because I was expecting Taylor to come back after his meeting and help a bit but he has to take care of different things up until church starts. I was not going to repeat it again this week so I jumped in as soon as I could : ) While getting ready I got the news that bishop wanted to see me. I got a new calling at church! I am now a Visiting Teaching Supervisor, meaning I over see a group of sisters and their report if the have made their visits, as well as encourage them to do so : ) This is new for me because I am usually a teacher of some sort or since I have been married a ward missionary accompanying Taylor. I am happy to report we made it to church with 10 minutes to spear and Taylor was there to help! It will take some getting used to doing it all on my own. After church I had a meeting with all the Visiting Teaching Supervisors and the Coordinator to get the month going. After I finished up the beans Taylor started as dip and then fell asleep for a bit with Brooke. It was so nice not to have to worry about dinner or the clean up!!!!!

Brennan: woke up and laid with dada for a while as they both tired to wake up fully : ) He has broken the straps on his eating chair (it lasted almost a year after only paying $2 for so I'm not complaining in the least!!!!!) from throwing himself back during a time out (its the only place we have that he will stay ... we tried putting him on 2 stacked buckets but he started climbing off). This now means the chair sits on the floor instead of a chair! After he finished breakfast he got up, yes with the chair still attached, and waddled into our room looking for Taylor but he had left for his meeting already so he sat down in the hall and watched my do my hair. During church he had a melt down during the sacrament hymn, but I was stuck in a position trying to figure out what to do with Brooke while I took him out so people could feel the Spirit (Taylor was blessing the sacrament). I started to stand up with both kids in my arms and our friend Rouie offered to take her (I didn't ask her in the first place because she too had 2 kids sitting by herself as her husband was helping was the sacrament too). All Brennan wanted was his dada! After the sacrament Taylor went to sit down and he didn't see Brooke so he went to find us. Brennan ran with open arms to him and was AMAZING the rest of the time. He loved nursery and was nice this week!!!!! I think his favorite part of the day was getting to play with the Taylor's kids, whom he misses A LOT (Jackson, Alex (a girl) and Donavon). He wouldn't eat his dinner so I tried to have him sit with me and not at the kid table but still nothing, he just wanted to play. I let him go and said he would have to go hungry because he has his chance to eat. As the other kids were eating their brownies, he sat down and ate his dinner. Jackson who is 8 but loves little kids played airplane with his fork and afterward he came to me extremely proud because Brennan had eaten everything on his plate. I saw Brennan eating but I thought he had been given a brownie, nope it was his dinner! It was fun to watch Jackson try to get him to eat after i did the first time. He said Amy, I don't think he understands what I want him to do. He is such a sweetheart and has loved Brennan from day one. He put up no fight tonight when going to bed!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brooke: did her squeal during the announcements at the start of church and the fell asleep after the Brennan fit so I was relieved : ) She did do it again as we sang the opening song in Relief Society which was fun because it was "Called to Serve". She can be a fighter of sleep just like Brennan when there are people so as soon as the closing prayer was over for sacrament meeting she was wake until we got home but needed a longer nap so got fussy the last 10 minutes of Relief Society. At the Taylor's she loved playing with Alex, who is just now starting to play with babies and girls. She has 2 brothers and loves to do what they do, so this was exciting for her mom to see. She was so sweet with Brooke and shared her new blanket she made with her and then played peek a boo with it. For the last 3 nights she fallen asleep at her usual bed time (7:30) but we have been out and about she she gets woken up and it becomes a nap, so she was up until 11 again. I hope this isn't becoming her new habit!!!!!!