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!!!!!!

May 7th

today was a lot of family stuff so i wont do individuals.

because of the rain we have had for the last 4 days we didnt do cinnamon rolls because for one people arent out unless they have to be and we dont have cover more than an umbrella. it comes from all angles and speeds so we decided it best not to risk it.

it was different to have an entire saturday to do things and not have my house a mess because im too tired to up keep it. we had planned to go with 2 families, the rogers and rieben to one of the top beautiful beaches in the world and then to a place that was on man vs food for their pancakes, but again the rain kept us at home. brennan and i were going crazy and needed to go outside so while brooke was asleep and taylor was doing his thing we took a walk during a break. we ended up running climbing walking chasing ... he loves to climb poles or trees so i give his feet a base and he does the rest. bird dont stand a chance if brennan is around because he chases them until they use their wings, even then he still gives it his best attempt. at the front of the school they have flag poles where they fly flags from all the country from where students orginate. on the inside circle around the flags is a 2 foot wall and brennan discovered he can keep his balance and run on it so he did for about 10 until he spotted a bug. he then followed the bug until he lost it in a crack. when we got back cole and richelle came over to play settlers before they went to dinner and a movie. after they left we headed for the mall play place because it would allow for more energy to be released and a non napped almost 2 year old to be happy not whiney. there is a pet store next to the play area so we explored it as well as the toy store on the other side. the kids were put in their pjs and away went for home, about 30 min. away. brooke once again woke up after getting home and is up with taylor as i write this. brennan stayed asleep which was the plan. im excited to see what is in store for tomorrow as a part of mothers day. taylor knows i love surprises so he hasnt said or shown anything but its not like him to do something small just read about my birthday this passed monday.

May 6th

taylor

woke up to me handing brooke off so i could go work out. ate breakfast with brennan and then took a neb as he checked his email. in doing so he found out that his finacialization research group meeting was canceled and the guy from turtle bay was on campus and wanted to talk to him and cole about their project. hung out with us for the rest of the afternoon before making the treck to walmart and costco. he then went to stunt.

amy

woke up at the usual time but lauren, the girl i work out with said she didnt have to babysit and wanted to go later. i fell back to sleep and had a bad dream to which i woke up emotioally drained. oh well. i went to work out and felt good the rest of the day until about 830pm. after about 9 months of not sleeping on friday night due to making cinnamon rolls my body is used to taking a nap around 9. before our costco trip we cleaned the house up a bit and gave brennan a bath. i made a batch of mini cinnamon rolls for our friend hannah and hung out with richelle because she was bored at work.

brennan

was very patient as we cleaned the house and was having the time of life while the vaccum was going. i need to take video so i can show him leter when he is a teenager and doesnt want to do any house work. it has been pouring rain from all directions for the last 2 days so he has been cooped up in the house. it is nice that our screen door has been replaced and i can have our door open so he feels more outside. on our way to costco all he would saw was apple. i dont know where he picked it up from but we made sure to get some while we were there. he didnt fall asleep in the car like i was hoping so when we got home and put the food away he brooke and i read scriptures said prayer and attempted to go to sleep. he wanted none of it so he screamed and screamed. this in turn made it so brooke couldnt sleep so i called taylor so he could hear what i was hearing ... 2 screaming and i mean screaming kids. he said is this you saying you want me home. i told him i just wanted him to enjoy what he was doing even more. i really couldnt take it any more and neither could the neighnors im sure so i told him he needed to come home now. he did and brennan went right to sleep with him. dadas boy more and more everyday.

brooke

continues to explore her voice ... im just waiting for church to see what she does. she is trying to figure out how to move on her stomach. she is a pro at scooting on her back but will get to her stomach and be frustated because she just goes in a circle. she is very much like her dad in that she needs to be doing something all the time and only for a little bit or she gets bored of the same thing. i have start to give her different things around the house depending on what im doing. i was doing cinnamon rolls so i gave her a measuring cup and then hung the string that i cut them with over her and we played for a bit while they rose. she loves her dada too. i have never seen a bigger smile ... accept when she sees her dad. we are thinking she is going to be an adrenaline junky just like brennan because she loves to be tossed and loves the feeling of falling. she will throw her head back when you hold her just so have the feeling. taylor grabbed both kids the other day, one in one hand and the other one in the other arm ... then spun around ... they looked at each other and just laughed histarically. they are learning to play together ... brennan more so ... and they enjoy every minute. she fell asleep in the car on the way home from costco but was woken up before she made it to her bed so she didnt got to sleep again until 11ish.

May 5th

taylor

went to class late because he needed to take a neb. since we have been here he has had to take them almost everyday and there are some days that he takes 2. all the more reson for him to love seattle area. after class he and cole went to turtle bay to work on thier project for their six sigma class. they got done early which was an answer to my prayer. put brennan to sleep and then played with brooke so i could finish cinnamon rolls for his class at 330. got out of class an hour and a half early and came home to an empty house. talked with greg several times as they usually do because one has to go do something so they call back and so it goes. nade the kids laugh while i made dinner. we then played 2 games of settlers and he won the second.

amy

got the most amazing night sleep. made breakfast for the kids and i. while brooke finished her bottle brennan and i sang songs and he did the actions. read book after book that brennan brought me to read to them. made birthday cards with brennan while brooke took a nap. now i am starting to watch bannoch on thursdays too so he came just as i need to start making the cinnamon rolls. i need to get a package in the mail before 230,give the boys a nap and finish the cinnamon rolls ... i was thinking and thinking how all this was going to happen and thats when taylor called to say he was on his way home. i am more and more gratful my heavenly father knows me and watches out for me. he does give me challeneges but there is always a way to overcome yet he make me work for it to make me stronger. i know he answers prayers but apon our faithfulness. after both kids were awake we went on a walk with richelle, coles wife, to foodland and we decided to do dinner together.

brennan

he is getting better and better at talking. he still is stubborn and will only say something once just to let us know he can but what he says is clearer and clearer everyday. he says words that we have no idea he knew such as grey. he loves animals and his favorite book right now is about a sea turtle and his adventures with his sea friends. it is an extremely colorful book and fun to look at so i can stand to read it 5 times if not more with him taking his turn. when bannock came all brennan wanted to do was wrestle but that is the last thing bannock wanted. brennan then decided to see if brooke was game. that was a negative too. he has been mr. aggressive this past week. after his nap he was so happy to go on a walk. he asks about 10 times a day for a walk even if that means to take the trash out. he has become very particular about what he wants to eat and when he wants to eat it. he didnt agree with pork chops for dinner so he pushed his plate a way and then pushed his chair away from the table. he will be super hungry in the morning because i dont make seperate dishes for kids and adults. he can eat what we eat. he put up a fight for about an hour before he fell asleep because there were people over.

brooke

slept through the night with out a beep ... not even for her pacifier. her and brennan are alot alike but there is one differnec that i have noticed so far and that is ... she doesnt like to be held or cuddled when falling asleep. i can put her in bed and out she goes on her own. it make it nice when im trying to do 5 things at once. today she dicovered that she can scream ... not a cry type scream ... just a loud happy squeal. as we were eating dinner richelle asked if we could turn on american idol because she is a big fan, the only one i know that actually votes. as one of the performaces was going on brooke tried her best to mimic the sound ... taylors reaction was ... you need some work girl. one day she will make her dada proud. tonight she didnt want to eat solid food so im hoping she will sleep good.

May 4th

taylor

went to a neroscience research meeting. he is part of 2 different groups this term and this particular group has published an article ever other week so he is excited to be a part of it. there are 5 new people that have joined a good friend of his, hannah, is the leader of the group. he wrote 3 papers for consumer behavior and one for six sigma a long as read the assignments that go with those papers. from 830 to 10 was his stress relief activity for the day ... stunting with 3 friends, sone,tori and laura.

amy

had an extremely long night between brooke 3 times brennan once and the rain once i didnt get much sleep. i am going to experiment tonight and give brooke a little bit of solid food and see if that keeps her asleep all night. brenna doesnt like pajamas or covers so he got cold and wanted to cuddle to get warm. as for the rain ... i was getting misted on but there wasnt any rain that i could see in the feild behind us... it was coming from aleast 200 yards away carried by the wind. we have had some crazy thing happen weather wise lately. needless to say i wanted to sleep in and go work out. i was able to work on gigis mothers day gift which i will have to explain after she gets it. played and laughed with the kids until bed time. read scriptures and said prayer with an upset brennan because dada was gone.

brennan

played with my phone while i was working on the project. i looked over and he had it on google typing in random letters and the next thing i know he was talking and there was a a voice talking back. he had called papa. i have no idea how he does it but this is the second time he has done that. i dont have papa in my phone as adam either ... he is papa in my phone so he has to search for him. he is the only one has has ever done that too and they both love it. after his nap he played ouside with some of the bigger kids. one of the has down syndrome and is from tonga so the bigger ones never play with him or talk to him ... not brennan. he loves to speak his jibberish to him and play ball with him. after doing so the other kids came over and were talking to him too. they thought he was mean and scary. brennan then got to go to his friend bannocks house for a few hours where they played and hugged pushed and hugged just like typical boys.

brooke

she has gotten to the point of not wanting to be swaddled, i know most babies dont like it very long at all mine are wierd. she doesnt like to be held while falling asleep either, most of the time. this is one difference from brennan ... he still wants to cuddled with. in fact he put his head on the pillow and then patted the spot where he wanted me to lay to night. brooke had a laughing day again. she loves laughing at brennan fall. he makes he giggle all the time but his goofiness maked her laugh hard. this of course eggs him on and before long they are both hardly breathing from so much laughter. she even laughs when he sits on her so it has made it ever so hard to make him stop because she doesnt mind it. i ask several time but her giggle has him hooked and he wont stop until she cried. i am ever so blessed with happy fun good kids. just before she went to bed i smashed a small portion of bannan and mixed it with cereal in hopes that she will not wake up. wish me luck.

May 3rd

Last night was a crazy night! As we learned today it is not normal for bolts of lighting to actually hit ground here, but light night was it sure did and right by us! As we were finishing up our birthday dinner it began to sprinkle, which led to lightening and thunder for a good portion of the night. Brennan had come in to our room about 30 minutes before it got extremely loud and bright. I tried to put him back in his bed but wanted something else. I was half asleep at the time but soon woke up when he jumped off his bed and said 'dada dada dada'! He didn't want me!!!! I put him in bed with Taylor and he snuggled right up to him and fell asleep. I had shut the windows because the rain was coming in, but I wanted to see how close the lightening actually was. Just as I opened the window a bolt struck about 100 yards from us and I was BLIND! The thunder made me jump it was so loud. this went on for hours and Brennan became closer and closer to Taylor as if he was a leech : ) Brooke hadn't made a beep during all of this so I went to check on her. She was out!!!!! I put my hand on her chest and she didn't even flinch so she must have had too much fun the day before : ) From what we have been told there one of the faculty houses' was hit just a couple buildings from us and the next street over one of the power transformers was also hit. All safe and prepared for the same tonight! I love rolling thunder and lightening storms but that one was a bit close and I wanted to be asleep : (

Taylor: slept in and could barely make an understandable sentence when I asked if he was going to class. He has a group of 3 that have asked him to help them get to where they need to be in order to make the BYU Provo cheer quad so they stunt 4 days a week. Today was one of the days! He took the time to titey up the house for me!!!!!! (A kitchen full of dishes, an out of place living room from games the night before and put away beach stuff) Then it was off to class for almost 4 hours (they always get out early and today was super early). We went on a walk to the store and then had dinner (tuna melts : ) ) The rest of the evening was spent together as a family watching the kids play with some NCIS and then trying out the new show 'The Voice'.

Amy:had a lazy day after an action packed long day and very little sleep!!!! On Tuesdays I watch a neighbor boy who is 2 months older than Brennan named Bannock. His parents have class so we get to hang out! After his long night he fell asleep before coming over but when he heard Brennan's voice he woke up!!!!! After playing for a bit, I put them down for a nap. They are entertaining to say the least because they are copiers!!!! I took full advantage of them finally falling asleep and did so my self! I wake up just in time for Taylor to leave for class and a clean house, which makes me most happy! A friend, Richelle came over and spend some times with us because her husband and Taylor are in the same class. She left about 10 minutes before they got out : ) The rest of the night was the same as Taylor's.

Brennan:woke up to see he was at his dad's side and couldn't have been happier!!!!! He played in the living room and had a blast because it was all out of place, not the normal! Ate and ate and ate ... He must be growing because I can't seem to give him enough food. He woke up from his nap and couldn't stop crying ... he wanted a banana and I would let him have one (we have to limit him to one a day or his system gets blocked and we want to tear up with him as he tries to push it out). It is heart breaking to not understand so he just cried until I put Tarzan on for him! He was so into it I don't think he even blinked for the first 45 min. Richelle didn't even get a look when she came :( Oh well at least he wasn't crying any more!!!!!!!! Our neighbors are from Tonga and get bananas straight from the tree all the time from different friends, so when they are almost to go bad they will bring a bunch over because they know Brennan's love for them. About 2 weeks ago they had a 6 foot (at least) limb of bananas and they brought some to us on Sunday. All he wants to do is open the frig and eat one!!!!!!!!!!!!! or get a drink of water!!!!!!!

Brooke: slept for the majority of the day!!!! Tonight just before she went to bed, I was holding her and turned my head ... this apparently was the most hilarious thing to her. She LAUGHED loud and long!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was almost louder than Brennan's laughs! We continued to play for 10 minutes or so but I couldn't get the same reaction again. She did her usual little giggle though so it was fun. The comments that we get about her are ... she is so happy or she has a doll face and is beautiful!

May 2nd

Wow what a day!!!!! It started at 4 and ended at 11. Its hard to get older!!!YES I AM 30 NOW!!!!

Taylor: he has the hardest time waking up early but before bed last night he asked what time I was going to work out. The reason behind his question was he wanted to do breakfast in bed for me. His alarm went off at 5:30 and he jumped out of bed. He prepared a protein bar and strawberries!!! He then stayed with the kids while I worked out. Once I got back we packed the car and headed to Waiamea Falls, snorkled at Sharks Cove and then ate the most amazing kabobs ever!!! He had been planning and contimplating for weeks and weeks. It turned out superb and there were so many helpers.

Amy: turned 30 today!!!!! It doesn't feel any different than I did yesterday. I have the perfect man for me who put an extreme amount of thought and effort into making the day special. I fed brooke at 4 and then never really fell back to sleep. I got to swim with Brennan and Taylor at the falls, snorkle with my sweetheart (swim with a turtle for about 20 minutes), eat with amazing friends and play a game of settlers. It was the best birthday ever and so many people made it special including text or calls or emails. I was given a hand carved paddle, hand picked and made lei and crown, beach bag with mat, book and lotions as well as gift cards and cards in the mail.

Brennan: woke up and took Taylor a bottle and formula because Brooke was crying. Enjoyed every moment outside. He had several friends join us for the hike so they took pictures together! I didn't get any with our camera because I was the attention getter for 5 kids. He wore a life jacket for the first time today at the falls because the rule is under 12 wear them. After he figured out the you float he never put his feet down. Taylor and I would push him toward the fall and the current would push him back to us. He wasn't too fond of the idea of being out of our reach but then when he realized he was getting closer the biggest smile and giggle came from him! While the adults snorkeled he found the perfect rocks to throw in the water and then discovered a rock slide just his size! Once again there were many of his little friends at the dinner so he got to enjoy their company while the adults did their adult stuff.

Brooke: wants to solid food so desperately!!!! Every time we eat she stares at Taylor, spits out her pacifier and mimics his mouth as he chews! This is why she woke up at 4 to eat : ( she was hungry. most of the time she can make until after 6 but those mornings are becoming less and less. She is amazing at going back to sleep after she eats to that makes it nice because I can at least try to go back to sleep. She is an outdoor, water baby just like her brother and mom so yesterday was WONDERFUL!! She is too little to swim at the falls so she decided to take a nap instead! We forgot to grab the umbrella for the beach but she was a good sport about hanging out in her car seat or the stroller underneath the shade. At the BBQ she laughed and laughed with one our friends, Hannah for about 45 min and then it was time for her last bottle and bed.

Pictures will come soon!!!

May 1st

i have 2 friend that have inspired me to do better about blogging so im going to follow thier example. the goal is to write everyday because there are things the kids do that i dont remeber from one to the other but would be fun to look back at.

taylor

now that he is elders quorum president sundays have become very busy. he started at 8 and ended at 4 but we were able to have a combined familt dinner with awesome friend who feel like family, cole and richelle rieben, tyler and lauren miller, and james and ashley rogers.

amy

bathed the kids because we had a late night the night before and didnt get them bathed. went to church and met taylor half way as he was coming to help with the kids. helped brennan call papa for his birthday and then put the kids down to nap. while they napped i got food ready for the bbq.

brennan

had a rough morning that bled into the rest of the day. he is getting close to 2 so has adopted the typical attitude yet he is his happy self when he wants to be. as soon as amen was said in sacrament meeting he ran to nursery which he always does. while i was in relief society i heard him scream so i went to check on him and they had taken him to the other door so missed them. he had fallen and hit his head but had calmed down quick. i let him go back in and he didnt want to go. i talked to him a bit and a little girl came up to him and wanted to play, but he didnt so he punched her. i took him with me. after a while he wanted to go back to i took him back. after church i went to get him and they said he was with taylor. what happened is he pushed another girl so they took him to his dad this time. after his nap he did better and had the best time with his dad at the bbq. they found a big wheel and atylor pushed him around and around. they game the became ...make sharp enough turns to throw him out. he held on as he was ran over, drug ... everyone got a good laugh from it and he got nice grass burns that has hasnt complained about but look painful. we decided he is going to be one of those that will be on a tube behind a boat and never get pulled off even while flipping just like his uncle brian.

brooke

loves her baths but it was cut short this morning because i had to get ready too. enjoyed being taken by firends during sunday school and relief society. she thinks her name is cute or beautiful because so many people say that to her. cole told her she had a doll face as have several other little girls and moms. loved playing on a blanket while the rest of us ate. she wants to eat so bad she will stare at taylor and mimic his mouth as he chews. just before we left for the bbq brennan decided she would make a good step stool so he stood on her and balanced himslef on the couch. he also wanted to share his water with her so put the water bottle up to her mouth and poured. he has good intentions most of the time.

ps im still working on putting picture together for my earlier post.