the Bryan Family

Opportunity Village 2010

2011-01-23T15:22:00.000-08:00

Ethan and Blake played in a recital at Opportunity Village this year. Lucky for us this meant free admission to the festivities....

Red Rock Hike over Thanksgiving Wknd 2010

2011-01-08T21:22:00.000-08:00

Excuse the camera blur. I took the boys hiking with friends (Darren stayed home with a napping Nash) over Thanksgiving weekend. The kids had a ton of fun scrambling over the rocks and making it to the top of a canyon in Red Rock. Even Keaton was a trooper and saved complaining (and it was only a little) for the very end of the return trip out of the canyon. It's so nice to be surrounded by friends who enjoy the same things that we do and make it work to do these kind of outings together!

Blake meditating...

Santa Train, Dec 2010

2011-01-04T21:24:00.000-08:00

We got to be passengers on the Santa Train in Boulder City this Christmas season. It's always fun to do this- and even better to do with great friends. If you go on this expecting a great view, you are in for a big let-down. For the first half of the ride you see mostly drainage ditches and garbage stuck in the Nevada state flower- the sagebrush. But it was this view that gave us a good chuckle and we had a great time!

Christmas Card 2010

2010-12-21T21:17:00.001-08:00

Personalize a digital ecard

Disney at Christmas 2010

2010-12-20T21:49:00.000-08:00

Christmas time is always fun at Disneyland... and this year was even funner as my sister Jill and her family joined us. The first two days we were there the weather was so warm that we wore shorts and t-shirts. Good times!

A few family pictures-

Riding a roller coaster with the boys and some friends-

Visiting Mini Mouse's house in Toon Town-

A few random shots-

San Clemente 2010

2010-11-21T21:10:00.000-08:00

This summer was a bit unusual when it comes to beach trips. We usually go with Darren's family for a week to Newport but that didn't work out this year. So, we found a place for ourselves in San Clemente and had a great time forming unique memories with just the six of us. My favorite part about this trip is that it was just us and our schedule...we did whatever we wanted and we were together the whole time. We definitely missed the entire Bryan family experience, though!

We took a few day excursions and the following photos tell a bit about two of those- a trip to the Rainbow flip flop store and a trip to a really fun pirate park...

One of my all time favorite memories of this trip is the swing set on the beach. We always set our stuff up near one of the sets so that the kids could go back and forth between the water, the sand, and the swings. The kids were crazy as they tried to launch themselves as high as possible on the dismount. It was fun to walk to the swings and get an ice cream along the way after our dinner but before the sun went down...

The boys love to find sand crabs and at this beach there were tons of them. I'm not going to lie, it can be addicting to dig and search for the mama of all crabs. This was my fave sand activity this year...

The view from out condo balcony... It was only a few minutes walk to get there. There is a great 6 mile path along the beach that I got to run along every day that we were there. There's also a train the runs along this section of the beach. It was fun for Nash to hear it and run to the window to watch it.

Good times...

Ethan and one of the many friends that he made at the beach this year. I love that the kids have the courage to just walk up to people and make a new bud. I wish adults were that way...

The boys and their remote control cars. We would take them down to the big empty parking lot in the morning before the crowds showed up. This usually ended up in a bit of a fight as they all would "accidentally" ram each other...

Sand, sand, and more sand...

The sunburned, tired, disheveled face tells the beach story the best...

What's For Dessert?

2010-10-24T21:46:00.000-07:00

Do you think Nash could have pica? I thought that was only something that some pregnant women deal with. This child eats dirt by the spoonfuls...literally. He will eat it from a spoon. He will get down on the ground like he is doing a push up and lick it up! Which is what he did when I took these pictures. Hence, the extra dirt around the eyes and nose regions. My favorite is when we get to deal with it coming out the other side.

Keaton Turning 4

2010-10-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

Keaton turned 4 on July 3rd. This little guy is such a great kid. There are lots and lots of things that I could list about what makes Keaton lovable. I'll name my fave: He is a great friend- he likes to play with friends and he is (most of the time) kind. He is a laugher- he laughs when he's in a good mood, when he's teasing, when he's nervous. He has gorgeous blue eyes- seriously, they are dreamy. He loves to learn- he loves school and he is already learning to read. He's into his muscles- he likes to flex for us, especially after he's eaten a good meal. He "gets it"- sometimes Keaton will tell me something or interpret something that seems difficult and he will be right on about it. We celebrated his birthday for several days...we just couldn't get enough...

We had a pool party at our house with the families of some of his favorite friends. He chose a race car cake. Crazy story- we had to postpone the pool party a few days cause the original date ended up being crazy busy as I ended up at the ER with Nash and at a radiology lab with Blake for a bone scan. Yikes!

Then we went to a swim party at our cousin's house and all of the Bryan cousins were there! We ate a yummy cake and sang to the birthday boy.

And we, of course, unwrapped presents first thing in the morning of July 3rd! I love that Keaton didn't mind that his brothers helped him unwrap the gifts.

Bear Lake, Summer 2010

2010-10-08T13:13:00.000-07:00

Once again, Mama and Papa Bailey brought on a great family reunion. This summer Gr Bailey found an awesome house in Bear Lake that was big enough for our ever-growing family. We had such a great time. My kids are still talking about it. The grandkid picture was taken outside the front of the house. The inside was very nice and included a basement full of fun: pool table, foosball, ping pong, games, playroom, and movie theater. We played outside all day and saved the basement fun for the evenings and nights when the mosquitos were in full force.

There was a park across the street from the house we stayed at. We spent lots of time over there playing capture the flag, launching water balloons, having water fights, kickball, obstacle courses, and ole fashion park stuff. I think that some of the adults were into the capture the flag games as the kids. That game was definitely one of my most favorite memories of this reunion. After the obstacle course, Gr Bailey had a treasure box full of loot for the kiddos to pick from. Yum, yum- rootbeer flavored chapstick!

The house had a huge backyard. It was the perfect place for catch, frisbee, and letting the kids run without worrying about someone straying. Gr Bailey had packed a gi-normous box of fun things. The kids got to set off little rockets and blow up rocket balloons. The little guys played with bubbles. The perfect day includes playing outside all day long with best friends...I love that my boys think of all of their cousins as best buds even when we don't see them as often as we'd like.

We spent very little time at the actual lake. It was chilly that morning and the water is c-c-c-cold. That didn't throw the kids off at first, but it wasn't long until they were ready to dry off and just play in the sand by the picnic tables.

The area was beautiful to bike and run through. Our family had such a fabulous time and we are grateful for a fabulous family to share time with. We look forward to next summer...

Summer Fun Part I

2010-09-30T13:34:00.000-07:00

While I was running Ragnar, Darren and my parents spoiled the kids in Park City. We stayed in the Marriott that is next to the alpine slide. They got all day passes and spent the day going on the alpine slide and coaster, mini golfing, bungee tramp, rock climbing, and riding the small rides. The resort was great- it had an arts/craft/play room for the kids and an arcade (Blake was in heaven). The pool was a bit cold but there were several hot tubs that made up for it.

After Park City, I took the kids to Jill's house (Darren went back to Vegas to work). Before this part of our trip was over, the boys wanted to move to Draper. Not only did they get to play with cousins, but Jill's neighborhood has a fun group of boys and they have formed a "Boy's Club". The kids were outside all day long- we'd have to take them drinks and snacks. It was so fun to let them run around like that in the middle of summer. The pictures below are of the kids at a jumpy place and at the Thanksgiving Point farm. Ethan got to go off on a little adventure and stay with our cousin Kaden in Logan for a couple of days on his own. It was a first and it turned out to be a great time for him. We also got to see G & G Bryan's new condo that they are staying in while serving a mission in SLC at the Family History Center.

Wasatch Back 2010 * Lucky Ladies

2010-09-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

This race was just the beginning of one of the funnest two weeks of the summer. Ragnar- Wasatch Back- 2010. The name of our team was the Lucky Ladies and it consisted of 12 gals from Vegas. I was in the second car with Myndi, Joanna, Jen, Brenda, and Michelle. We had such a great time! I was surprised at how rested I felt after 30 hours of relay running * sleeping in a sleeping bag on a cold morning * running 10 miles in the middle of the night * running the first leg of Guardsman Pass * encountering barbed wire * no true showers * etc. The scenery during the day was AWESOME and it is one of the things that would draw me to this race again. Also, I would do it again if I was guaranteed to run with these awesome Ladies!

Looking out over Guardsman Pass

Car #2

Joanna coming down after her long climb. Her view was the following picture- Snow Basin.

Diamond Kid Triathlon 2010

2010-09-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

Ethan, Blake, and Keaton completed the Diamond Kid Triathlon at the beginning of the summer. This was the 4th year in a row that Ethan and Blake did this race! It was Keaton's first tri and he did fabulous. All three boys really gave it their all- they were genuinely exhausted after the race, especially Ethan. (The first photo was taken after they had finished all that hard work.) Blake seems to have a strength in running. Ethan did awesome with the swimming! I helped Keaton with the swim and then Darren followed him on the bike and run. I have to mention our sweet little Nash. He's an awesome cheerer for his big bros. It is such a fun race. I love for the kids to be involved and see all the other determined kiddos out there. I hope the boys are up for keeping this a summer tradition for our family.

Engineer Ethan

2010-08-26T21:36:00.000-07:00

Ethan has an a.m.a.z.i.n.g ability to follow lego/k'nex/bionicles instructions. He does the most difficult assemblies without help. This summer my dining room table has been a permanent place for housing finished products and current projects. I love legos! I love that when Ethan is working on his things, the other kids get into the mood and work along side him doing their own works and creations. This includes Nash! I will snap some more pictures of all the finished works later. For now, enjoy this fine piece of work. PS- I have a home video of this k'nex masterpiece but I can't get it to download. It moves like a double ferris wheel. Pretty cool!

Boy Genius

2010-08-26T21:25:00.000-07:00

Keaton just happens to be a genius...as are his brothers. What can I say? You say the same things about your kids! He made some great friends at preschool this year. He was always excited to go to Miss Kristina's, knock on the door, and then hide behind his hands until the door opened. Then he'd laugh and walk in without looking back for a second. Every day he skipped to the car when getting picked up...I'm so glad he had a fun place to learn where he also felt safe and comfy-wumfy (as he'd say). He is returning to the same preschool with mostly the same kids this year.

These pix are taken at his graduation. When it was his turn to stand next to Miss Kristina and have a few words said about him, I wasn't surprised to hear that he was class clown- always getting a laugh. He is a bright boy and he really does amaze me with his memory and his ability to absorb new things. Well done, Mr. Keaton!

Easter 2010

2010-08-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

What? So school is about to start and I haven't even posted any pictures of our wicked-fun summer! As usual, I am so sad to see another summer end and send the kids away for half of the day. You know, I'll miss the near-constant teasing/whining. And if it's not a loud "not get along" moment, then it's a loud "get along" moment. Not to mention the awesome forts, traps made of mile-long yarn, lizards living in my house, wet swim suits on the carpet, going through 20 towels a day... ahhh, I can go on and on. So I will try and post a few things each week until I catch up. "Why do I even blog?", I ask myself. To preserve my memories and share them with those who care (thanks for reading, mom!).

Easter is so great here in the middle of the vast desert. The weather is great and there are a lot of community events to enjoy. We decided to go to an outdoor mall and play. There was no way we were waiting in line for the egg hunt- 3 hours! Luckily, the kids were happy with putt-putt, climbing walls, petting bunnies, and eating a picnic. We also fit in a quick trip to Red Rock. I had to show the kids all the worms that were plastered on every living plant. They would soon be moths/butterflies.

Boston Marathon 2010

2010-06-30T14:48:00.001-07:00

Darren and I had a great time at Boston this year. This is my fastest marathon time so far- 3:13. It was also the hardest race I've ever done. And the coolest. We traveled this year with several couples- both Threshers, Fellows, Olsens. Everyone trained hard and did well. Will I do it again? Probably. But it might be fun to do another city- like Chicago or New York. Or anywhere in Hawaii.

First five pictures are taken in the Boston Commons park/garden.

Next four pictures are taken of the Charles River. This was the view outside of our hotel room.

Following two pictures are of the whole group out to eat/play the night after the marathon. The first picture is of all the runners in our group.

Me at the final turn just before the finish line appears. Probably one of the hardest points of any race that I have ever done. I think there was about a 1/4 to 1/2 mile left at this point.

JFK Memorial Museum (or something like that). I just wanted a nap!

Red Sox game.

Street performers. I'm spacing the area of town we were in. I can tell you that it was cold, though.

Expo. I think we visited here three different times. It's a fun place to go in anticipation for the event.

Ethan is 9

2010-06-10T21:35:00.000-07:00

Ethan is one AWESOME kid. I missed part of his birthday because Darren and I were traveling back to Vegas from Boston on that day. But, lucky for all of us, G&G Bailey were taking fabulous care of the kids and they made sure to make our birthday guy feel special. He woke up to presents, a yummy cake that grandma made, and decorations. Grandma took donuts to the school for Ethan to share with his class. Then we were home later to top off the day. Ethan's birthday party was fun- the weather was perfect for the jumpie and pinata. His friends stayed late and played wall ball and football in the street. Our neighbor's father had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance just as the sun was going down. The firemen that had responded let the kids tour the fire truck. Exciting and fun! (ps- her father is okay) We love you, E-Train!

I Love This Face- Nash- May 2010

2010-06-03T23:07:00.000-07:00

Thank heavens for skin. Easy to wipe off...fixes itself if needed...protects everything beneath...fairly stain-resistant...

I love this boy, messes and all.

Ripe 'Ole Age of 7- Blakers

2010-05-25T14:52:00.000-07:00

Blake turned the BIG 7. I can't believe how much personality he has acquired in that short of time. His moods can range from super lovey-dovey to confident and cool. He seems to be the ring leader of "ideas" with friends at school and in the neighborhood. I'd probably worry more about him if he wasn't so smart. (Maybe that is why I should worry!) We were watching him in a flag football game recently and one of our friends asked if Darren or I were as confident as a 2nd grader as Blakers. I don't recall making friends as easily or smooth talking my mom quite so well. I don't remember making money selling rocks or outwitting older neighbor friends. Come to think of it, I'm not sure where the charisma comes from. That makes sense, though, because Blakers is unique and that's what we love, LOVE, L.O.V.E. about him. Happy birthday, Bud!
We celebrated *serious* on Blake's birthday. April 2nd happened to fall on spring break. We slept over at Red Rock Resort so that Blake woke up to presents at the hotel. Better mention that we had already eaten out, hit the arcade, and gone to a movie the night before. That morning took us to breakfast, bowling, Kid Quest, and the pool/hot tub (f-f-f-freeezing), another movie, more food...
We threw a friend party a few weeks later. Ethan and Blake both celebrated with friends on the same day. We rented a giant jumpie and did a pinata. That was a recipe for fun in their minds and they were satisfied with just that. Yeah! Two seperate birthday parties in one day!

Fun to Run April 10, 2010

2010-05-23T20:15:00.000-07:00

So... the original plan was for Darren to push Nash in the running stroller while he ran with Keaton and Blake in a 1K race. Then Ethan and I were going to run a 5K. As our luck would have it, both Nash and Keaton were up all night with a sudden case of the croup. Here's what really went down- Darren stayed home with the sicklings. I ran the 1K with Blake while Ethan hung out at the start line. Blake did fabulous and was proud of his finisher's medal. Then Blake got a free ride in the running stroller while Ethan and I ran/walk/complained the 5K. I was glad that my boys were excited about doing the race. I hope I can talk them into another one...

Never-ending Spoil

2010-04-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

My mom always did special things for us on holidays. Green eggs and ham on April Fool's, coloring placemats on St. Patrick's Day, door bell ditch on Valentine's Day, etc... I am finding that I am doing these things now and I have come up with a very serious question: Does it ever end? I was going through photos to post and I had to seriously think about why on earth the kids were unwrapping presents at the end of a treasure hunt earlier this year. What were we celebrating in these photos? I finally realized that the pictures were of the the loot that Cupid had stashed. This was after a jack-pot Christmas and followed by a generous Leprachaun and friendly Easter Bunny. I write this as I am planning their birthday parties that will be held on the SAME day (different times) so that we can take advantage of the ginormous bouncie/slide/obstacle course that we rented for the celebrations. I am to blame for this madness. Some day- and I feel it coming on soon- I will gently wean my little ones off of this spoil coaster and settle in for simple stuff. Wish me luck.

2010-03-11T22:07:00.000-08:00

Has one year SERIOUSLY gone by?

I am a slacker. Nash is now 14 months old and I have yet to show him off in an updated post. What can I say about the world's most fabulous baby? This is a child who can bring a smile to my face no. matter. what! He is a smarty pants and a heart breaker already. I can count on a snuggle with is head on my shoulder. Nash loves to blow kisses, play with his brothers, read books, go outside, play with/look at/mimic doggies, check out birds, throw balls, eat chocolate chips, jump on the "jump jump", and laugh in a devilish tone. He says doggy, book, bye bye, ball, ma ma, da da, blankie, what's that (whas tha) and supercalifragilisticexpealidocious (I told you he was smart)! We love, love, love him.

Emerging Hoops Star

2010-03-11T21:59:00.000-08:00

Blake played basketball for the first time this past winter. He had a great time and he did well. The Summerlin league has a great ref that works with the younger players to really teach them, even if it means doing some teaching in the middle of a game. Check out the middle picture of Blake. His entire team is turned, listening to the coach and ref. Blake is looking in the complete opposite direction. There's probably a claw machine in the corner that he is eyeing!

RaNdomNess 2010

2010-03-11T21:40:00.000-08:00

A bit of RaNdomNeSs...

I took the kids hiking on President's Day break. Darren had to work so we joined a group of friends and had a great time.

We celebrated Nash's birthday with a trip to California Pizza Kitchen at Town Square (Nash likes the split pea soup there!). This picture is taken at the park at the outdoor mall.

Ethan received his Wolf Badge. Darren took this picture. I think that look on Ethan's face is toward me because they were announcing for me to come forward to get the "Mommy pin" and I wasn't hearing them because I was busy playing with Nash in the audience. Ooops!

FHE at our house is a mix of a bit of singing and prayer, a short and very interrupted lesson/game, and a whole lot of rough housing.

Better Late Than Never...

2010-02-08T20:58:00.000-08:00

Sledding: We spent a few days with Jill and Justin. The kids had fun just playing at the house...we couldn't even get them to get excited about going out and about. The highlight of our stay revolved around the basketball game that Jackson and Bowen got for Christmas. Everyone got a good laugh out of J-Dog and his announcing skills. The kids did get out for some sledding and a trip to Jump On It. Good memories.

Christmas Eve nativity scene. Darren's family traditionally gathers on Christmas Eve for dinner, the nativity, and presents. It's always fun...

Bethlehem Dinner: We got together with friends and had a Bethlehem dinner and then re -enacted the nativity. It was so fun to eat a unique dinner all dressed for the occasion. I hope it becomes a tradition.

Vegas Beauty

2010-01-23T22:51:00.000-08:00

We took the kids hiking at Calico Canyon a few weekends ago. We went with out friends and neighbors, the Dijkmans. Their boys are Blake's and Keaton's ages. I love going here because I can backpack Nash in and then he can get down and explore while the kids scramble around. We don't have to go far- Calico and Red Rock are like an extension of our backyard. I feel lucky to live close to all of this stuff!

The sunset was awesome for a few days in a row last week. Keaton came running in to the house to get me to show me this particular night. The picture doesn't do it justice!

Nashers

2010-01-23T22:43:00.000-08:00

This gorgeous boy is nothing but happiness... Hearing him, seeing him, smelling him (most of the time) can make me smile and forget about everything and anything for a while. He loves to cuddle, look for and call doggies, play with the boys, and be outside. He is our best cheerer at basketball games, our best bath splasher, and our best boogie maker. Nash is especially skilled at finding small objects and crumbs. He is the world's cutest giggler and has a very sweet cheesy grin. He turns 1 in a few weeks... more pictures and bragging to follow. ps- His eye isn't usually smaller and slanted like that. The hat was just doing it's job! :)

The Happiest Place on Earth- Christmas 2009

2010-01-17T20:56:00.000-08:00

You Can't Go Wrong if you plan a trip to DL at Christmas time. The Happiest Place on Earth gets even more gleeful this time of year...

FAMILY SHOTS:

In order- by the reindeer forest, by the ginormous tree on Main Street USA, with santa in the Grand California Hotel. (Check out Nash in the family photos. He's having a great time, eh!)

A SNIPPET OF EACH BOY:

Ethan on his newly acclaimed favorite ride- the Maliboomer. Do NOT get him talking about this unless you have a few hours to spare.

Blake and Darren on California Screamin'.

Keaton on the tea cups. I spend part of the day with Keaton and Nash doing Fantasy Land rides while the older boys go on rides that Keaton isn't tall enough for. But, we hit a few new DL milestones with Keaton. He got to ride splash mountain, big thunder railroad, the jelly fish, and soarin over California. We couldn't get him to go on Hollywood tower of terror.

Nash is my sweet parasite. What I mean is the poor kid has to stay with me all day in the baby bjorn. He actually seems to like it. Plus, it gives me a chance to stretch his neck a little without him even noticing. He is super easy-going and enjoys the fun chaos that DL provides.

I had to include this picture. Keaton was having a panic attack in the back of the boat because he thought we were being swallowed by a whale. This is one of those rides that you do once every five years. Can you say "boring"?!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-17T20:34:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning was exciting and fun this year. Santa was right on with fulfilling the wish lists... what an amazing guy.

The crew as they were walking into the gift zone:

Nash was super pumped about his doggie that he got. Too bad we had to retire it early- he kept biting the fur off.

The top two things on Ethan's list this year: a remote control airplane and LEGO city.

Keaton asked for a race track. We now have the complete collection of all shake-and-go tracks. Enough is enough.

Blake asked- for the second year in a row- for a claw machine. He also wanted golf clubs. Check. He got a sweet set, if I do say so myself.

Christmas Day was so relaxing! The kids were content to play with all of the gifts that were given. I had to beg them to come outside with me. The weather was gorgeous. Enjoy the "after" pictures:

Soup's On...

2010-01-03T20:39:00.001-08:00

The other night Keaton went to the kitchen to get a drink of water while the rest of us finished getting our teeth brushed. I swear that he was only in there for 2 minutes before I went to get him and found the little rascal on the counter top "making soup" (picture him making a stirring motion with big, innocent eyes). The recipe follows:

1 bottle of Mexican Oregano
1 bottle of almond extract
1 bottle of rosemary
a dash of minced garlic
a dash of cumin
3/4 bottle of onion salt
1 cup (of so) of water

Mmmm.

Stinky Cheese Man and other December Stuff 2009

2009-12-28T15:43:00.000-08:00

Blake and River after a basketball game.

Keaton outside Ober ES. This statue is irresistible for a cutie his size!

Blake was in two plays the day before Christmas break. Here he is pictured as Jack Horner in the Run Away Pizza play. The poor little guy sat in a corner eating a plum pie. Then he was chased by a wolf...all the while holding onto his precious pie and that plum on his thumb. It was pretty funny. We made the plum out of play doh. (Look closely at the picture for it!) For anyone who knows Blake, you'd expect him to ham it up. Nope. He acted shy. Shy! SHY! Ha Ha.

Blake was the little boy in the Stinky Cheese Man play.

Nashers enjoying the left-overs of the box of gifts that Grandma and Grandpa Bailey sent.

A fun day at the park. Las Vegas is just now enjoying the fallen leaves. And there are lots of them!

Christmas Funnies 2009

2009-12-21T21:29:00.000-08:00

A few Christmas funnies to send your way...

Blake has been obsessed with the gift-giving this year. He has wrapped and unwrapped many-a-presents...AKA: toys from the playroom. He has even done a dry run of the stocking placements this year. (Where we put our stocking on Christmas Eve so santa will know where to leave the loot.) Once he noticed that Nash's stocking wasn't there (Grandma Bryan is working on it), he decided to take this yule-tide matter into his own busy hands. Check out the results...

Keaton has a great time with the nativity scene. Always rearranging it "just so". Usually Mary and baby Jesus are tucked behind inside the stable. I totally missed the part of the story that includes a chubby yellow duck in the nativity. I stand corrected.

I need these pictures to look at and realize that even though we have our moments, for the most part life is just fun and crazy in a GOOD way!

Fall-ing 2009

2009-12-19T21:54:00.000-08:00

What's there not to love about Fall in Vegas? The weather is such a treat after the sizzling summer. Here are a few highlights of the season...

Myndi and I took our boys to Floyd Lamb State Park when the kids were out of school for Veteran's Day. Wow. Wow. The birds, ducks, geese are not afraid of humans. I had to include the picture of Colton because of the look of sheer terror on his face. It was actually a really good time and I hope that we make it back there with Darren to fish and picnic some more...

It was so fun to spend Saturday mornings watching Blake play soccer. He is a hard worker and does really well with soccer. His team had a great season and won all of their games. Check out the over-sized goalie get-up...

I love that my kids still like to go to parks. Being outside is so soothing for me. We spend a lot of time outside doing all sorts of stuff, including trying out all of the many parks we are surrounded by...

Ethan, Blake, and Keaton catching bees to "sell" at their stand...

Pinewood Derby. Ethan and Darren did a great job with Ethan's car. In the picture it is the dark blue one (number 4) on the far left. I don't know what place he took. They ran each group 4 times each so that all the cars could have a turn on each lane. Ethan's car took 1st or 2nd each time...

Camping with the Threshers, Bennions, Francis', and Grandpa Thresher. I went up for the evening so that Keaton and Nash could partake of the festivities. It was a great campground that I hope we go to again in the spring...

Future Red Burro racer...

Halloween 2009

2009-11-23T21:12:00.000-08:00

All my buddies in their 2009 Halloween costumes!

Could he be the cutest shark baby? Ever?

Ethan and his award winning pumpkin. He took first in the third grade category of the pumpkin carving contest. It's a sick pumpkin- including thermometer, ice bag, spots, and a sad face. Ethan made the sign to go along with it. Sweet.

Blake drew his pumpkin face and I cut it. Then to spruce it up we spray painted it gold. It was pretty dang sweet and it was definitely a match to Blake's imagination.

What a great day we had. I took the boys to the park for a picnic. They raced on their bikes, rode down steep grassy hills, and tore the place up a bit. It was fun and I enjoyed getting to take the two older kids and play with them (Keaton, Nash, and I always get to go to the park). Then that night we went to two parties. This picture is of me and the girls at the Francis' party where awesome chili was served and then we trick-or-treated. We love our friends.

Keaton HAD to be the green power ranger. Check out the neck line. If you look closely enough you can see that the fabric is frayed. He didn't even notice and I didn't point it out... he was happy with it. Ah, my little rag muffin.

Ethan at the school parade. If you can't tell, he is an astronaut.

The school was playing Halloween music over the loud speaker and I guess Blake felt an itching in his soul. He started busting out the dance moves out of no where! I have the funniest movie of it and if I ever figure out how to download, I will. It's a treat.

Oh, so Blake. He is such a friendly, class-clowny kind of guy.

No Autumn/Halloween season can go by without a trip to the pumpkin patch- Vegas style.

October 2009

2009-10-31T14:07:00.000-07:00

As much as I have loved the changing seasons, I have to say that October has been an exhausting month. We started it off with two trips in a row (marathon and Disneyland). Then, one week later, I had a few procedures on my veins. Mix in all 4 boys getting sick and you've got yourself a bit of chaos. Thanks to my mom and good friends for taking care of us. It's a good thing that we don't live close to my mom...I'd be way too needy for her help.

Halloween, Disney Style 2009

2009-10-24T15:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, we went again. One of my favorite things about this trip was how cute Nash is with the characters. He is at the stage where he is fascinated and not scared. When the bears in the pictures below sat next to him he looked, stared, and then did a funny chuckle. Another important milestone- Blake got to ride California Screamin'. He thought that day would never come...

Tide Pool- So. Cal.- 2009

2009-10-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

A few catch-up pictures to share...

Darren and I took the boys and a few cousins to a tide pool when we were in So. Cal. this summer. There were lots of awesome shells and plants to check out. There were more creatures this year, too! Crabs of different sizes, fish, and tad poles to name a few. It's a perfect spot to take the yung-uns on a beautiful beach morning.

Piano Team

2009-10-18T20:35:00.001-07:00

Ethan was asked to be on a piano team this summer. He and four other kids his age played a duet-of-sorts (except five kids at the same time) of the classic "Mary Had A Little Lamb". It was a lot of extra team practices but it ended up being a fun experience. They got a superior rating at the recital. Not Baaaaaa-d!

I can't get the video of the performance to download, so here are a few pix...

Ethan's a Ladies Man....are Ewe?

Showing off the bling...

I had to include this for a good laugh. It's not hard to see who Ethan would mess around with during practices...

St. George Marathon 2009

2009-10-10T20:03:00.001-07:00

You think that pictures scary? Imagine what I looked like AFTER the race! Seriously, do I have cute friends or what! This picture was taken at 5:00 am just as we were boarding the bus ride out to the start line of the St. George Marathon. This began what turned out to be a perfect day for a race! It was so much fun to have friends to bum around with at the start line...good laughs...time flew by and before I knew it we were lining up to go! I forgot my headphones (had the ipod) so I ran without my tunes. Guess what- it was actually kind of nice. I made a few new friends on the go and I think that without music I was forced to enjoy the basics of running. Even though I started to feel my quads and hamstrings around mile 22, I still really enjoyed this race! It was fun knowing that there were lots of close friends and family out there pounding the pavement with me this year. I finished the race with a personal best of 3:15:17. This qualified me for Boston and the plan is to go and race Boston in 2010 with 5 other couples that we love to hang with. I told Darren at the end of the St. George Marathon that I must really like to run because even though I was sore and tired I could honestly say that I love to run and I had lots of fun doing this race. I think he may have caught the bug, too, because I think I have him toying with the idea of doing a half marathon early next year! Yeah!

Boomers- Aug. 2009

2009-10-05T20:51:00.000-07:00

The boys love Boomers- a little amusement park that we go to in CA. These pictures are of our trip to this place when we were at the Bryan reunion. The older kids ride go-karts and basically get kicked out for ignoring rules while the little ones ride smaller rides and play mini golf. Honestly, this place is a rip off but we always get suckered into going. This year we got in a bit cheaper- Ethan fell on a puddle of water outside the restrooms. I talked to the manager and he asked if I wanted to fill out an injury report. I said no, but I'd take free tickets. Cha-ching. That's how it's done, sista.

Best of Both Worlds

2009-09-17T15:39:00.000-07:00

I thought this was a pretty cool... One night I went out to the beach with Blake and Keaton. If you looked toward San Diego you would see the moon coming up. If you looked toward Huntington Beach, you could still see the sun as it was starting to set.

Newport Beach 2009

2009-09-17T15:26:00.000-07:00

Another fabulous year on the Newport sand with the Bryan family. We stayed in the same beach house, went to our (same) favorite destinations, and had our SAME fun! *Southern California = Summer* for our family. We get to play with our cousins and enjoy the GooD life! Why isn't Darren in any pictures, you ask? We took turns going out to the beach (Nash napped) and I usually had the camera.

Mr. Blake

2009-09-06T22:02:00.000-07:00

Nothing. And I mean nothing. NOTHING is safe from being sold by my Blake. He sells candy, sea shells, lemonade, toys, ROCKS. And the scary thing is this: they sell! His latest sale featured all the goods he got from a birthday party that he went to last weekend. When we went to pick him up he was filling (FILLING) his gallon ziploc full of birthday garb. And don't think he wasn't planning his sale all along as he rummaged for more stuff. The next day he wasted no time getting going as he filled the candy stand with candy, the Halloween bucket with toys, and prepped the cash register. He was getting ready to top the $4.50 he made the previous weekend selling candy from the pantry. I don't know what he ended up with, but I'll tell you that he had several patrons and made some dough. I feel like I should issue a heart-felt "sorry" to all the moms on this street who have kids begging them for quarters so they can buy something from Blake. Which brings me to another point. If you are going to come to this store, please bring quarters. Blake prefers those...

ps- the car seat was not for sale. Blake decided it was a good seat to perch on while I washed the cover. Check out the simple set up, though.

Disneyland - August 2009

2009-09-06T21:46:00.000-07:00

Another fun-filled DL trip for the Bryans. We make great memories here...it's where Blake broke his arm, Darren got his first official Disney t-shirt after being thrown-up on, Blake getting on all fours to drink from a puddle (few years ago- he likes fresh water now), Ethan going single rider on Cali Screamin', bunk beds, churros...just to name a few.

Married 50 Years- June 2009

2009-08-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

How did I miss these? I was going through pictures and came across the snaps I took at G and G Bryan's 50th anniversary celebration. We stayed in a fun condo complex where the kids swam, played shuffle board, mini golfed. We hit Pirate Island Pizza and went out for ice cream with cousins. The boys would be happy just sitting with their cousins...they love them! One night we all got together for family photos. With the exception of one mishap (yes, my kids were part of it), the white shirts with red rock background looked nice. Good idea, Gr. Bryan! We're lucky to have such awesome grandparents who raised awesome kids. I was lucky to snag one of them...

Angelic?! Of course.

Sitting still for just...one...moment... (taken just before the "grass stain incident").

Will I ever get enough of this sweet boy?

You won't find a more handsome, on-the-ball group of boys...

The adult table!

Cousins...

...cousins....

...and more cousins.

OUT. Just like that!

Yoga Man

2009-08-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

I can't get the video to upload! Here are a few still shots of the man in action...
Check out his "downward dog" in the third picture! His new trick is to get into that position and then lift one of his legs!

Video Clip of Nash- Aug 2009

2009-08-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

Are you kidding me with how awesome this baby is!!!??? Nash is very content to play on the floor, in his bouncy saucer, in the johnny jumper, and in the high chair. We try to keep him out of the swing or bouncy seat because they don't require him to use his neck muscles as much as the other toys. He is getting stronger and stronger as he's getting older and as we work on his physical therapy. His torticollis is mild- music to our ears!

Stop #3: G and G Bailey

2009-08-09T14:18:00.000-07:00

Trip to Utah, part III. After Jill's house and Homestead, the boys and I drove to Price to spend the week. The kids were excited to go there to spend time with G and G Bailey. We spent our days outside in the backyard playing croquet and petting Sandy, getting slim and trim with Wii Fit, bowling, catching some eastern Utah sun at the wave pool (had to go there twice!), playing at the dinosaur park, riding bikes at the dirt track, and playing games (huskerdu is our fave). I love that all memories of my home town are so positive for the boys. The icing on the cake for this trip was that cousin Maelynn was there to sweeten up all the fun. She's awesome.

Under-where?

2009-07-26T21:53:00.000-07:00

Keaton has made friends with the potty- Yeah! (Or should I say "YES" along with a fist pump and scrunched up face like he does.) Once he decided he was ready, there was no looking back. My mom and I were talking about "laugh-out-loud" moments the other day. I had one today with Keaton. I was pulling clothes out of the dryer and sorting them while he stood by me playing. He spotted a pair of his superman undies and put them up to his face and said in a gentle whisper "Oh...(tender pause) sweet underwear" while giving them a nice nuzzle. There's something extra cute about a little guy in his tighty-whiteys.

Stop #2: Homestead 2009

2009-07-21T17:53:00.001-07:00

The whole crew.

4th of July. Playing sports...

...and roasting smores before watching fireworks from our balcony.

Blake enjoying some fanta that he bought with money he received from the tooth fairy. (See picture below!)

Uh, okay?! (He's going to kill me.)

Lots of good times with cousins. I'm always impressed that kids can pick up where they left off with cousins and friends that they haven't seen in a long time. It's a great quality, don't you think!?

Uncle Markie and Auntie Katie.

The mastermind of this awesome reunion (the one on the right). Check out Joanna playing Chris in a game of tether ball in the background.

The tooth fairy was nice enough to drop by the Homestead when Blake lost two teeth in two days- his first!

Family relay. We broke out the big guns for these watermelon racers. I think it was a tie.

Raisin' them proud. Watermelon interns.

More...

...fun...

...relay.

This dragonfly that Ethan caught was gorgeous! We decided it was best to let something this cool fly away safely.

The kids played kickball a lot in the cul-de-sac outside of our condos. It was a great set up.

In the back of grandpa's truck.

We got to go swimming in the crater. Darren, Blake, and Ethan snorkeled. I took Keaton and Nash to the swimming pool because they weren't old enough to go into the crater water.

The Bailey reunion was awesome...again. We love to see all of our family that we don't get to play with often enough! We are looking forward to the boys being old enough to have cousins come and stay with us during summer break. Bring on the fun! Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa for planning such a great, memorable time!

2009-07-17T21:27:00.000-07:00

After celebrating Grandma and Grandpa Bryan's 50th wedding anniversary, I took the kids up to northern Utah to visit family. Our first stop was at Jill and J-Dog's house. We went non-stop for a few days as we went to Cowabunga Bay (new water park in Sandy), the Hogle Zoo, and Murray pool.

The world's shortest train ride happens to be at the Hogle Zoo. Who knew.

Posers at the zoo. It's probably worth mentioning that you will see Keaton in swim shorts in most- if not all- pictures. He insists on wearing his swim suit every day. Under his pj's is no exception.

Cowabunga Bay was a hit with the kids. We ended up going back for a second helping when Darren joined us a week later!

Nashers- All Growed Up

2009-07-16T21:23:00.000-07:00

Nash continues to be the world's most awesome baby. Just one look at him on a crazy day and I'm smiling! He is happy medicine. He is rolling around now and he likes to put all toys in his mouth. It's funny when I hold him and he gets all crazy as he is trying to eat my chin. The older boys love to hold him and talk to him. He is very loved.

With Dad at the reunion at Homestead.

With Aunt Katie at the pool.

This personal play land is the BEST! Nash is so good to play and kick in this dome. We take it everywhere.

Diamond Kid Triathlon 2009

2009-07-16T21:10:00.000-07:00

I forget that when I upload photos they will be in reverse order- the first one uploaded is the last in line in the end. In the interest of my small chunk of time I will not be putting these photos in the order that they should be in: swim, bike, run... You get it.

* My favorite picture from this day. Ethan reaching out to give Blake a "high five" as he finishes the race. I know that most of you have perfect children who get along day in and day out. My kids have their moments along the hate-to-love spectrum. This is a precious moment on the right wing. Yeah!

The thing I love most about this new tradition is that my kids love to do it and they have fabulous memories of it. How many young 'uns can say they are triathletes? Bring it!

Nash's First Swim

2009-06-21T15:06:00.000-07:00

Nash's First Swim * May 2009

Easter 2009

2009-06-21T14:56:00.000-07:00

Better late than never...
We spent Easter in St. George with G and G Bryan and David, Tami, and their boys. I love how my boys look up to their older cousins- and they are great examples! Highlights of the weekend: renting a condo with stairs, swimming a the SHAC, candy, Pirate Island Pizza, and playing with the Logan Bryan Boys!

Summerlin Seals

2009-06-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

I was a little worried about Blake's and Ethan's reactions to having to wear speedo swim shorts and swim caps for swim team this year. I really thought that they'd refuse...especially Blake. To my pleasant surprise, they were pumped. The video is pretty funny- a bit of a SNL spoof. Go Summerlin Seals!

That's My Blakers!

2009-05-31T16:42:00.000-07:00

THAT'S my Blakers...He turned 6 on April 2nd.

Blake wanted a race track cake for his birthday cake this year. Don't laugh. I don't claim to be an expert cake decorator!

Keaton at Blake's park party.

Blake and some of his buddies at his birthday party. We played baseball, rode the green machines, and ran around. It seems that is what little boys like!

We talked them out of doing expensive friend parties (they wanted to go to laser tag, the grand prix park, etc) in exchange for getting Rockband for their big gift. Yeah, baby. It worked!

Blake is a nice mix of coordinated dare devil meets bashful softy. Many of you don't see his sweet side because he is too busy being busy. It is there, though. I can always count on him to play with Nash in a sweet way. Blake's personality will take him far!

Some of Blake's current favorites include:
Movie: Hotel for Dogs (we just finished watching this 20 minutes ago)
Color: Blue
Sport: swimming
Food: pizza
Dessert: cake
Game: Mario Bros
Book: Dinosaur Cove
What do you want to be when you grow up? A police officer.
Do you want to get married? (giggle giggle) "Yes. I want to marry (thought for a minute) Lauryn Quinn. Okay. I'm done. Click."

Spring 2009 Family Photos

2009-05-23T23:25:00.000-07:00

A few more family photos that were taken in April...

Rub a Dub

2009-05-21T15:24:00.000-07:00

Nash's cord finally fell off after he was about 6 weeks old! Yeah for real baths! These are photos of his first meeting with the blue tub. He didn't complain (and he still never does). As you can see, the whole family gathered for this very important event. Don't you just want to hold that baby and kiss him!

Businessman Blake

2009-05-21T15:16:00.000-07:00

Blake LOVES to make "sales". He is always collecting things for his store (the red wagon). Rocks are no exception to his fine merchandise. Check out this particular rock. Look closely at the sales prices. Apparently the economy is effecting everything!

First Price:

Final Price: (and not budging!)

Thanks, Mom

2009-05-17T20:17:00.000-07:00

This post is long overdue... My mom just left after surviving with us for 10 days. If you know my mom then you know how awesome the past 10 days have been for us. We've had yummy meals, up-to-date laundry, a live-in nanny, a personal grocery shopper, a house cleaner, and best of all- a good friend. My mom is such a giver. She even slept in my room the night after my surgery so that she could change Nash and bring him to me when he was ready to eat. I've had a good time sleeping in and taking naps- both of which I hope my mom will now do for herself now that she is back home. Oh ya, and you should see the book she made for Ethan when he was baptized. It is an awesome keep-sake and she spent a lot of time putting it together for his special day. Thanks for making everyone feel special, Mom. Basically what I'm trying to say is this...my mom is better than yours!

Fun With Fam

2009-05-15T12:24:00.000-07:00

Jill and Justin and their boys stayed in Vegas for an extra day after most of the visitors had left on the baptism/blessing weekend. Why do I always feel like I need to apologize to guests after they spend time at my house? Is it the teasing from Keaton or the sudden pelt from Blake? Maybe it's the extra hard shove by Ethan during the "game" on the trampoline. Oh, I know why...because no 2-year-old deserves to have their favorite toy thrown into the pool only to be ruined. (Sorry Bo Bo. Good news, though. Elmo is talking again after he dried out!) Needless to say, we had a good time jumping, riding bikes, going to parks, eating, and doing any other boy thing we could shove into a day. Most of these pictures are taken out at Blue Diamond (aka Fountain Green, NV) while the boys played at the skate park and the new community park.

From the Oldest to the Youngest

2009-05-03T21:22:00.000-07:00

We had such a great weekend. Nash was blessed on Friday, May 1. Ethan was baptized on Saturday, May 2. Grandma and Grandpa Bailey, Joanna and Jill and their families, all of Darren's siblings that live in Vegas, and Gr. and Gr. Bryan were all here to us celebrate along with lots of close friend families.
Nash continues to be such a wonderful baby. I feel so lucky to have him. This baby even smiles in the middle of the night when I'm changing his diaper. Time is going by so fast with our little guy and I found myself becoming sad as I boxed up his 0-3 month outfits because he has outgrown them. I hope that I will find all of the time I can to cuddle with him and love him and play with him. I actually love picking him up in the middle of the night because he is so warm a cozy and I can't help but think of a yummy chocolate candy with an ooey-gooey middle. Just thinking of this baby makes me smile. He is so happy!
Darren gave him a great blessing. I know that Nash has so much to offer this world!

Ethan was baptized after YEARS of waiting. I remember that he asked me when he was 5-years-old when he would have a chance to be baptized. He has been eagerly waiting and the anticipation was just getting greater and greater as the day approached. He was thrilled to get new scriptures with his name on them and I heard him telling some friends to try and scratch his name off the scriptures. A-ha! He'd tell them that the name doesn't come off- "it's permanent!" One day when he was told to start his daily reading time I went back to check on him and he was reading the scriptures. He informed me that this was his book of choice and he has read that many times since. He keeps his scouting book in the scripture bag that he chose. That is another huge deal for him. Scouts! Yeah. We got in there just in time for the raingutter regatta. That's another post.
There are so many things that I love about Ethan. One that stands out is his desire to make new friends, be social, and give everything a test run. He makes a new friends every where that we go. He chit-chats constantly when friends are around (uh, that might not be a favorite trait according to his school teachers). He likes to be involved- class representative, trying out for things like the talent show, etc. I don't tell him to do these things but I'm thrilled that he suggests them and then follows through! Sometimes when I look at Ethan I think that he is glowing with goodness. Sounds cheesy, but he is just a good boy. (And he has great skin- maybe that's what is glowing.) Ethan is a great big brother and is a good example for the three following.

How proud does he look!?

He wanted a picture of him doing the "wave" with is arms.

After the baptism we met at the park with family and friends and had a fun picnic. I forgot to break the camera out until the end of the festivities. Thanks, Chris and JoJo for sticking around for a picture!

We're Back!

2009-05-03T21:18:00.000-07:00

When you mix three curious boys and this computer, you never know what will happen. My computer iphoto option mysteriously disappeared 6 weeks ago. It took a little time to get some help over here. I'm just glad that the photos saved were recovered! I will spend the next weeks trying to catch up on my pictures so that I don't forget what I want to journal about them when I finally place these memories in an actual book!

2009-03-29T14:52:00.000-07:00

Go to heathermagliarditiphotography.com...
Click onto "client proofing"...
Type Nash

They are awesome!

Nash's Debut Photo Shoot

2009-03-09T20:37:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine told me about a local photographer who likes to work with newborns. I called her and she came to our house and snapped some photos of Nash. I love, love, love them! They show how precious he is. I snapped this photo with my camera while Heather was working. She has a lot more poses and her camera is way better...so check out Nash on her blog. The site is: www.heathermagliarditiphotography.com/blog/ For now, there are only a few pictures of him because her computer is having some troubles. Check back soon, though, because she did some really cute things that aren't shown yet. Thanks, Heather!

Can't Get Enough

2009-03-08T15:40:00.001-07:00

We just can't get enough of Nash. Getting up 4-5 times a night? Endless poopy diapers? Eating non-stop? BRING IT ON! This kid is so cute, we can look past all of this and just enjoy him. He is so sweet and everyone is still excited about Nash. * Ethan always says that this is the cutest baby ever. He had his chest stuck out in pride when I was at the school and all of his class gathered to adore the baby. * Keaton continues to bear kiss the baby NONSTOP! Seriously, picture this. Keaton has a self-soothing habit of sucking the inside of his bottom lip- almost like he has a pacifier in his mouth but he doesn't. So, he leans into Nash's face from all angles and just hums a little tune while sucking his lip and brushing his face within centimeters of Nash's head. * Blake was sitting by me today while Nash was eating and he said "I just can't leave. He is so cute. I just want to keep looking at him." What do you say to that?!

Spring Time

2009-03-08T15:30:00.001-07:00

A few things that I love about Spring...

The kids playing outside for hours... a new love: street hockey. Ethan is practicing on his rollerblades so he can skate and play hockey soon. Darren says that just to watch Ethan skate makes his own tailbone hurt!

The flowers are blooming and the skies are such a bold blue. I love trees and the ones growing in our yard are getting so big. It made me nervous when it snowed last year- we kept trying to shake the snow off the leaves for fear that the branches would get heavy and break. We can't have that! Where would the kids climb?

All three boys are getting into baseball mode. More pictures to come of the older two who are on teams this year.

Ice Cream!!!

2009-02-28T19:29:00.000-08:00

Hmmm.... wonder who's going to be on the bottom of the Dog Pile?! Something tells me that it won't be Blake.

2009-02-28T19:20:00.000-08:00

There are many things that I'd like to remember about this pregnancy- I will try and write those down later. As for this post, I want to single out one of my favorite moments leading up to Nash joining our family.
On Sunday morning, when Blake and Ethan were at church with friends, Keaton and I got to spend some 1:1 time together. He's my buddy! We went on a walk, went to the park, and came home and got cleaned up together as I could tell that it was time for our baby to come. When I'd have a contraction, I'd lean over and try and breath through it. After Keaton had watched me do this a couple of time, he became my labor partner! I bent over with a contraction and all the sudden I hear Keaton doing lamaze breathing! I wasn't aware that he had been so observant! Then he asked me "are you okay?" and I told him that the baby was going to come today. You know what he said!? He patted my belly and said in his coo-ing baby talk voice: "I'm so proud of you baby. It's okay, don't be scared." Already a great big brother...

Our Newest Addition...Nash Bailey Bryan

2009-02-23T17:29:00.000-08:00

Our Newest Addition...How It All Went Down

2009-02-20T14:26:00.000-08:00

So dang cute!

We were followed by a perinatologist for most of the pregnancy due (mostly) to a hole in the heart and an arrhythmia. This is a follow-up EKG.

Look at that beautiful hair.

Weighing in at 7.1 lbs and measuring 18 3/4 inches. He's a little one.

Little bit of oxygen after the tight nuchal. (It's funny to say that...I feel so official.)

Ready to roll.

Triage...take two.

When we were on our way to ward temple night on Valentine's Day, I told Darren that my contractions were a bit more painful than usual. They started coming every ten minutes and it was funny to watch Darren look over at me and keep motioning for us to leave. We finished and headed home, only to have the contractions space themselves out a bit. I couldn't decide what we should do but we did end up at the hospital around mid-night. After two hours of no progress, they sent me home with a sleeping pill. The next morning I took a walk with Keaton while some friends took Ethan and Blake to church. By the time church was over, we were sending Keaton with those friends and Darren and I headed over to the hospital again. We got there at 1:00 and they let me stay this time.
We had awesome nurses and my doctor came in to deliver even though he was not on call that weekend. He's an awesome guy and he did a great job making this a great experience. We all made bets on what gender we thought the baby was. I bet on boy and Darren bet on girl. The nurses loved our name selections and one of them just might use Nash, too. (We had chosen Shae as our girl name.)
When it was show time, Darren told the doc he didn't want to cut the cord because he was afraid of chopping off the babies toes. The doc assured him that he could do it fine. However, when Nash's head was out the doc told the nurses that there was a tight nuchal (basically the cord around the neck) and the doc had to clip the cord before the babies body was even out! It was amazing to see them all work and keep calm even though our sweet baby was almost grey at this point. I got to move the cord out of the way and that's when we found out we were adding to our personal basketball team- it's a boy. Yeah! After a quick hug from me he was whisked away to get some screams out and have a bath. He was born at 3:54.
I love this time. For those first life moments I feel a closeness to heaven that only babies can deliver. I have bonded quicker than I thought possible with this little baby and I know he was meant to be a Bryan Boy!

Our Newest Addition...Brotherly Love

2009-02-19T11:13:00.000-08:00

Ethan is the Protector. He is the one that wants to hold him right when he gets home from school and right before he leaves. He also reminds the kids to be careful!

Blakers is the Giddy brother. He laughs at everything that Nash does. His laugh is so contagious because you can tell he is sincerely entertained by yawns, squeals, the tongue...

Keaton is the Coo-er. He likes to pet Nash's head and say cute things while he puckers his lips and talks baby talk. He will say "he loves me".

I can't believe how awesome everyone has been with Nash. Ethan, Blake, and Keaton all can not get enough of this baby! If I am trying to feed Nash, I usually have Keaton by one side with Blake laying on the other side...and if Ethan is around then he's in the mix, too. They are constantly asking to hold him even if he's already busy eating or sleeping. All of this brotherly love has made this new addition to our family more smooth than I expected. Yeah!

37 Weeks and Counting

2009-02-05T21:06:00.000-08:00

Okay, so the photo isn't super flattering. I had Darren take this picture when I was 37 weeks prego. Truthfully, I didn't plan to ride my bike along with the kiddos this long into the pregnancy. It has just become our tradition every school morning. It is fun for everyone and will be a good laugh when we look back on our pictures in 20 years. Keaton has the best seat in the house...

The picture is a bit blurry but it shows my nice full profile...

The boys kissing my belly. We did this pose when I was pregnant with Keaton and I thought it would be fun to do another one...

Even though it's a little weird handing your body over to the pregnancy process, I have to admit that for the most part I love being pregnant. I will miss the kicks and body movements coming from within. I will miss the anticipation of when our little one arrives. I will miss the boys' excitement when they feel and see the baby move. I will miss all the stomach kisses I get from my kids and when Keatons says "Oh, little baby!" in a cutsie voice while hugging me.

Our New Addition Has Arrived- Part 1

2009-02-02T21:16:00.000-08:00

We are so excited and we couldn't be more proud. Our long awaited new-additions have arrived safely. They are already such an important part of our family.

I can't even describe to you the shrilling screams that we had piercing through our house last week. The UPS dude seriously made 3 little boys so happy. After three months of being back ordered, the go karts that we bought for Ethan and Blake finally made their way into our garage that is already over-flowing with toys on wheels. Merry Christmas! They have been a lot of fun but we have had to learn the hard way that there are at least two important rules. 1- go slow over even the smallest bumps because the karts are so close to the ground. 2- keep your feet inside the vehicle at all times. If you try and use your feet as brakes by dragging them, you might break your toes like Ethan's friend did a couple of days ago. We look forward to good times with these babies!!!

ps- this Christmas gift idea originated because we have listened to Blake ask us to help him make a go kart (that is the way it is spelled, by the way) for almost 2 years. Every night we went through the same scenario- "I want to give you a hug and a kiss and tell you something." What do you think that something was? Go Kart! I thought that this would end the requests so we could move on to something else. We were wondering what would replace this obsession. I guess we shouldn't have been too surprised when this crazy kid popped this question: "How much would it cost to build a motorcycle?" Seriously.

Things I Love...

2009-02-02T21:02:00.000-08:00

Just a few things that make me smile...

...Keaton going through the "orifice" stage. You know, the "where should I put this corn kernal/pebble/berry" stage. This particular day he got the mini chess pieces and chose his ears to place them in.

...the trampoline. It has been so fun for the kids! They add balloons, balls, bean bags to their games and have tons of fun with each other and friends. Keaton is getting good at doing bummers and landing back on his feet.

...hearing Ethan play the piano. He does so well! This is him playing a couple of jazz pieces at the Jazz Festival at UNLV.

...watching my kids play sports. I especially love Ethan's great attitude. He is just as happy with one of his teammates scoring as he is if he scores (okay, he's a bit more pumped about his own points). He accepts our encouragement and "good job" remarks even after a loss (and this season there have been a lot of them!)

...kids getting creative together. Blake and Keaton are playing in the Christmas tree box with life jackets and that orange pool basketball net. That kept them busy for quite a while!

2009-01-27T21:05:00.000-08:00

I am cleaning out my email and I found some pictures that friends have sent me. Some may be repeats, others are new to the blog. The following are from August 2008.

Swim party at our house in August. The kids were getting ready to race.

Blakers in the kid's race at the Mt. Charleston Hill Climb

Ethan in the same kid's race.

Lovin' My Big Bros

2009-01-18T19:48:00.000-08:00

Keaton loves creamy tomato soup, just like Ethan.

In a pair of Blaker's shorts.

Ethan's soccer shorts.

Keaton loves to play with the big boys. He asks where they are every day...and answers his own questions every time. School! He can't wait to play with Blake and eat lunch with him. He tries to sooth his older brothers when they are hurt by saying "it's okay" in a very sympathetic voice. Keaton is also one of his brothers' biggest fans by encouraging them and saying "Good job. I'm proud of you." He has been dressing in their clothes by himself- I think it's a good predictor that he has some neat shoes to fill as he grows up behind some pretty awesome brothers.

Christmas Break

2009-01-13T20:23:00.000-08:00

I was so sorry to see Christmas break come to an end. It's so nice to let the kids just be kids (okay, they still had to endure my designated reading and writing time each day) but then there was nothing but playing with friends and family. I now know what size of bowling shoe to get for the whole family- we became regulars there as we went 3 different times (twice with the Threshers!). We had such fabulous weather! The parks became our friends- imagine me riding my bike with trailer and two older kids on bikes by my side to the park down the street...belly and all. (My mom is going to kill me when she reads that.) I couldn't help but wonder if the people in the cars at the intersections were staring/laughing. One day Ethan spent 6 hours at the park! Joanna and Chris came to Vegas and spent time with many adoring nephews! We hiked, partied (Chris' birthday was the 31st), bbq'ed with the U football game, shopped, and went to Golden Spoon. I'm grateful for an awesome family and great friends!

2009-01-11T20:29:00.000-08:00

After I finished saying the prayer at church, I was walking back to Darren and the boys when Keaton pipes up loud and clear and says: "Good job mom! You did it!"

Then he put his hand up and waited for a high-five.

Usually I feel bad for other people trying to listen and sit by us at the same time. Today Keaton got some chuckles...

Christmas 2008

2009-01-03T21:33:00.000-08:00

I could hear a little pitter patter early in the morning on Christmas. Ethan was up at 3:15 and we told him to go back to bed. "Should I wake everyone else up for the presents?" Uh, no. Seriously, come back at 9:00. We were lucky to make it to 6:30- actually we made the two older boys lay in bed with us until 7:00 so that Keaton could sleep a little longer. It didn't take long to blaze through the presents...From the Jolly Guy Ethan got Guitar Hero, Blake got Mario Kart for the Wii, and Keaton got a tool set. Man, that Santa is one talented craftsman. Darren and I gave Keaton a trampoline for the backyard and Blake and Ethan got electric go karts. Unfortunately, the go karts are back ordered so we had to wrap some hot wheel cars and explain. Besides these things, our house is flanked in nerf guns and darts, remote control cars, and lots of balls...thanks to grams and gramps and other family members. We had a great day of just being together. This time of year is so addicting!

Ice Skating Vegas Style

2008-12-30T18:09:00.000-08:00

I took the boys ice skating...I guess I should have known that if there was suddenly an "ice rink" in a parking lot then it wasn't going to be the real deal. They didn't care, though. Synthetic or not, it was a great time for Ethan and Blake. Ethan took off right away and was nothing but smiles. I had to walk back and forth with Blake for a while until he got the hang of it and then he was off. In fact, we left and went home and they talked Darren into taking them back for another spin! Keaton was too little but he got over it when I told him that I'd give him a piece of gum when we got home. (Gum- a love/hate relationship. That's another blog.) As we left the rink, Blake said "My wish came true. I got to ice skate." Ditto from Ethan. (Note- neither of them have EVER mentioned ice skating before.)

Getting Crazy With My Sidebar

2008-12-21T21:14:00.000-08:00

I'm finding all sorts of things to do on this blog...even if I am the only one who reads it. For the few who follow, take a few seconds to vote...

Snow Dang Fun...

2008-12-21T20:31:00.001-08:00

Here in Vegas I guess we get to have our cake and eat it too... enough snow to sled at our park, yet winters that let us still enjoy the great outdoors! The boys and I took advantage of the two days of good snow and we went sledding! The first day was warm enough for Keaton and I to go gloveless since we didn't do a ton of sledding. The second day was a bit cooler, though. Some bigger kids built two jumps in a row down the side of a hill and Ethan and Blake were able to steer the sled and hit both. They were pretty pumped. Keaton was happy with a few times down the hill and the rest of the time singing and playing and watching.

A bit of synthetic snow, I guess. G and G Bryan sent their gifts in boxes filled with peanuts.

Hugging Frosty.

Blake getting tired from all the sledding. Keaton- never too young to try catching snowflakes in your mouth.

Hard to get a good picture of a moving sled in the falling snow. Notice all the grass that is getting exposed. Sledding was still fun since the grass had turned to ice.

Train Ride with Santa

2008-12-19T22:40:00.000-08:00

I took the boys out to Boulder City to go on a train ride with Santa. It's a bit more popular this year so when we got there at 12:00 in hopes of hitting the 1:00 train I was surprised that they were selling tickets for the 5:00 ride. Yikes. I thought I was toast- Blake and Keaton were so pumped about going on a train but I was not about to wait around. Luckily they had a tram that looked a lot like a train that was giving free rides and the line was short! We jumped on that and they got their train fix. The best part of the day ended up being a big toy train exhibit- tunnels, mountains, caves, and a bunch of trains going everywhere. They watched that and had hot cocoa and donuts and were as happy as can be. (Sadly, no pictures of this. Too busy keeping up with three boys all trying to watch different trains.) This will become one of our new traditions, I think...

Summerlin Winter 2008

2008-12-19T22:31:00.000-08:00

Just a few pictures from the Home for the Holidays celebration that Summerlin does every year...
Face painting, cookies decorating...and eating, train rides, horse-drawn carriage, jumpy.

Twiners

2008-12-18T20:32:00.000-08:00

It was "Twin Day" at our elementary school and Ethan really wanted to participate. I thought he'd want to call a friend from class to do this with him but instead he told me he wanted to match Blake. I thought that was pretty darn nice of him. They wore matching T's...

Blakers- Fall Soccer 2008

2008-12-18T20:25:00.000-08:00

Blake did such a great job with soccer this season! He really has a natural talent for being on the defense. If he was in the game, there were few if any goals scored. Once he was out was when the other team made their move. It was fun to hear the other parents on the team make comments about how aggressive he was- they'd tell their kids to watch how he does things. He was always excited to see his friends when they were on the opposing team. I am looking forward to watching him continue to work at this sport- he's so fun to watch!

Christmas at DL 2008

2008-12-16T21:26:00.000-08:00

Ethan with his Dad on his favorite ride- California Screamin'.

The boys at the end of the Indiana Jones ride.

The crew at the end of Keaton's first ride on the Matterhorn. In case you are wondering, Keaton says he kicked the monster inside and now it's not scary anymore!

Blake... Love that kid.

Keaton still talks about the rockets.

Nemo ride- looking out at the sea life.

It's a family tradition to go to Disneyland at Christmas time. That place is decked out! This was an exceptional trip because Blake and Keaton moved up on the ole totem pole...Blakers got to ride the swings at Cal Ad and the Indiana Jones ride at DL. Keaton got to ride the Matterhorn. If you ask Keaton what his favorite ride was he'll say "Matterhorn!" Taking after his big bros.

CHECK OUT MY SIDEBAR...

2008-11-24T14:48:00.001-08:00

Check out my sidebar. ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS?

Chocolate

2008-11-24T14:24:00.000-08:00

Ethan did a book report on a book called The Chocolate Touch. He had to create a diorama- he had to pick a favorite scene and then recreate it in a box. The book is about a boy who is selfish and who likes chocolate so much that eventually everything that his lips touch turns to chocolate. Now don't get your hopes up- this isn't common and you have to eat a magic piece of candy from an imaginary candy store. The scene he recreated is when the boys wakes up and brushes his teeth and the paste turns to chocolate. I tracked down a doll house toilet/sink/etc from a friend but Ethan would have nothing to do with "Barbie" stuff. He wouldn't even carry the bag of furniture in from the car! So, since Halloween had just ended, we decided to make the furniture using candy and cupcakes that a good friend had just brought by (thanks, Rachel!). It turned out cute and his teacher was pleased. He did come home a bit upset since his diorama had to be graded first and sent home so that ants wouldn't come! Oh, the price you pay for chocolate...

Them Boots

2008-11-13T13:56:00.001-08:00

Who can resist this guy!?

Take A Hike

2008-11-07T21:49:00.000-08:00

I was getting the car packed for a Halloween day hike up at Red Rock when Ethan came to me and told me that he felt like something had bit him on the neck. The kids are always trying to catch bees and bugs so it didn't surprise me. I looked, though, and didn't see anything. He kept grabbing his neck and within 10 minutes he was beside himself is pain. He couldn't even get him into the car when I was trying to get him to the doctor's office. We were sent by our doc to the ER for testing...his doc later called me and said that she had been really worried since Ethan could barely move his neck when we got to her. After a long morning/afternoon at the hospital we were released with some codein and a really sad boy...all due to a serious neck spasm. Who even knows what set it off! Ethan sat all day holding his neck and crying. We had invited some friends over for a chili dinner and trick-or-treating, so his mind was diverted a bit that night. Darren pushed him around in a stroller so that he could be part of the festivities. The next day he was still in pain and crying on and off until dinner time. At that point things seemed to get less sore so that by the third day he was just stiff. I should have gotten a picture of him from behind. His shoulders sloped and his upper back bone was curved off to the side. Luckily, now a week later, he is back to riding his bike and playing like before. Curse you, neck spasm.

Howlloween 2008

2008-11-07T21:13:00.000-08:00

Halloween is quickly becoming one of my most favorite holidays. Here are a few of our highlights- in random order.

Ober had it's annual pumpkin carving contest. I'm not kidding when I say that I've had an idea in my head since last year's contest. Neither kiddo went for it, though. Ethan did GI Joe since he was dressing in army garb. Blakers chose the UFO idea. Both boys took home a prize- first (Ethan) and third (Blake). Keaton had to get in on the deal and paint a pumpkin. He had to pose on the counter like that after he saw Blake do it. Ethan's got the gun cocked and ready to fire...

I only posted these after being bugged by all of the elaborate things that my friends bake/cook/sew. I'm sick of it. How do you like my border-line WT cooking. There's nothing wrong with canned croissant rolls wrapping a hot dot like a mummy...the 5 and 7-year-olds like them.

Halloween-Eve was a busy day...Keaton's music class costume party and the school parade. Ethan came walking out of his room in full salute. I swear he planned that on his own. I love that Blake was happy being a soccer player...without shin guards, socks, or cleats. Keaton reported that he was a nice spider- as opposed to a spooky one.

Ward Trunk-or-Treat. Blake is with his good friend River. Ethan is with Sam and Steven. Keaton was as cute as ever telling everyone "happy Halloween" while getting the goods.

I totally know what I want to be next year already. I'm not kidding. And, I have a few ideas for the pumpkin carving contest.

2008-11-01T20:47:00.000-07:00

I won't give too much detail here, but this is Blake getting prepped (picture below) for his special procedure last month. I've said it before and I'll say it again...out of my three boys he is the one that takes sickness with serious strength. I have to say that when he woke up from the anesthesia he looked and acted so sweet. I wanted to bottle it all up because it is rare that he wants to hug and be cuddled. He has given us frequent updates on his healing and is proud of his body for getting better. The above picture is of him in the car when leaving the hospital showing off his IV bandaid.

2008-11-01T20:29:00.000-07:00

Blakes first field trip!!! He was so excited to ride the school bus to the Gilcrease pumpkin patch. I was helping Ethan's class that day so Darren went with him on this outing! What a great pops! He picked out a great pumpkin and also got some home made apple cidar from the gardens there. If you look closely you can see his sweetness black eye. Just getting ready for Halloween, I guess.
Side note: Look at the third picture of Blake standing in line. Check out the prego in the background. Are you kidding me with that lady's belly? I know that I should keep my mouth closed considering my current state but, yikes. Maybe she's just smuggling a pumpkin out of the garden.

2008-10-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

Um, not sure what to say. Gotta love this kid- showing off some serious camera skills.

LOTOJA 2008

2008-10-30T21:01:00.001-07:00

Lotoja was oh-so relaxing for me this year. All the crazy race day prep was replaced with Darren and I just sort of hanging out since both of us were stopping in Preston. It was fun to watch the race. I didn't miss the riding until I saw everyone finish- it is such a great accomplishment. In a sick way I enjoy being tired and sore since it represents hard work and a challenge! I hope the little guy/gal inside of me will enjoy being outside on bikes, hikes, runs...etc. I guess doing his/her first race 4 months in utero is a good start!

Sealed the Deal

2008-10-25T22:26:00.000-07:00

JoJo and Chris got married last weekend. We went up to Price on Thursday night so that we could spend the day playing there before the reception. We packed the kids' bikes and they spent some time at the BMX race track. We had a fun picnic at the dino park and then spent a good part of the afternoon keeping Darren and Grandpa busy giving 4-wheeler rides. We spent most of the night at the reception chasing after crazy kids or at least pretending like we were keeping track of them. Check out the picture of the bride and groom- if you look closely at the cake you can see the cyclist on top. Joanna surprised Chris with that.

The next day was great. All of the siblings from both sides were at the ceremony in the SLC temple. Then there was a nice dinner at the Joseph Smith Memorial bldg. Once again, chasing kids or at least pretending like we were.

Joanna looked awesome and the new couple make a great pair. We are so happy that Chris is in our family now. The Threshers are great. Happy life!