What a Year!

Brielle a year ago - still no hair


Brielle May '11 - notice a full head of hair!

So we have officially been living in California for a complete year. I am just blown away at how quickly that year flew by because so many changes happened to us in such a short amount of time. So, I'm writing this to reflect back on and count the bounteous blessings that we received this year in California!

- we moved to Palm Desert

- Jake started a great job at Merrill Lynch

- Brielle never crawled again

- we became Disneyland annual passholders

- Jake took way too many financial advisor tests

- we took a lot of beach excursions

- Jake was in the elder's quorum presidency and I was in the primary presidency

- we decided to join a team in the Riverside office

- we moved 3 months later to Corona

- Jake became the elder's quorum pres and I'm the miamaid advisor

- we welcomed little Colt into our family

- Jake got into two pretty major car accidents

- we took our first official family vacation to San Francisco

-we traveled to UT a lot...kids are troopers in the car

- I flew to UT twice - alone with the kiddos

- family came to visit us A LOT (we saw family 11 out of 12 months!)

- Jake has been hitting his work goals

- we are teaching a "golden" investigator

- and there is much more

I can't believe how much we have grown over this past year as we've gone out away from family (even though we saw them so often :). Our family has grown stronger and closer together because we are always just hanging out with each other. My best friends are my beautiful children. I've realized how amazing my husband is. He manages to balance a very demanding job, calling, and wife. I am so grateful for the Lord and his guidance in our lives. We would seriously be lost without His help. We are so grateful for the adventures we've had here in California, and look forward to another great...but maybe not as crazy...year!

Easter Weekend

Brielle was so excited because she got to do 3 easter egg hunts. There was a big city one that Becka and Brian did with us, and then both families did one as well. It took a little warming up, but she ended up loving it (especially when she found out there was candy inside!)

Utah Fun!

So, now that three months have flown by, I figured it's about time that I blog again. Looking back it's amazing how much can happen in a couple of months.

So, I'll just hopefully give the highlights.

This past month I had the insane idea to fly to UT.

Alone.

With two children under the age of 2.

CRAZY IDEA!!!

Picture a young, frantic mother, a crying baby in a frontal carrier, a backpack, an extremely heavy carseat, and a cute little toddler carrying her own backpack in the other hand.

Then think of what goes on during security checks, and boarding a small plane...anyway, I would not have survived if it wasn't for the help of very nice strangers who took pity on me :)

Well, the hours of insanity were all worth it when we turned the corner and there was my family waiting to greet me; as Brielle ran down into the outstretched arms of my little brother Dallin (to my mother's dismay ;)

I was in desperate need of a little break from my solitary, little apartment lifestyle, and going to UT was the perfect get-away. Not only did I have actual people to talk to, the kids were able to run around an actual house, and they loved spending time with family!

We went to Kangaroo Zoo with my Aunt Jenny and her family. Brielle and all the kids loved the bouncy toys. She would just throw herself around and love being able to go crazy without getting hurt at all.

The kids all loved going to the Bean Museum and seeing all of the animals. Brielle and her cousin Trey are quite the duo. They never left each other's sides, and they were constantly chasing each other all over the place.

We were able to see a lot of family because it was my cousin's wedding and Jake's mom's graduation. The kids loved spending time with their fun uncles Trent and Dallin. We love and miss our family!