preschool and stake conference pictures

Brinlee started preschool at the start of this month. I can't believe she is already that old. She is going to be 4 in less than one month and she is so excited. We weren't sure whether to put her in preschool this year, but we are so glad that we did. She loves it and is learning so much! These pictures are from her orientation and her first day.

Brinlee and Ms. Pett...

First day of Preschool...
We took pictures by the Ogden Temple after stake conference and the Tabernacle last April and I loved them. We just had stake conference again a few weeks ago so I thought we'd take some more. I don't think I've ever realized how beautiful the Odgen Temple grounds are.

These girls have daddy wrapped around their little fingers. They love him so much...

Brin and Raigen...

Taylor's Blessing

Taylor got blessed last Sunday. She was good and Kyle did a great job. It was fun to have all the family over. I can't wait until we have a house big enough for all of them to be comfortable in. Crowded or not, I thought it was still fun. Thanks to everyone who brought food and treats. I couldn't have done it without you.

Backyard set up (should of got a picture while everyone was eating (oh well)...
Hallie...

Dave and Annie (sorry dave, funny face)

Uncle David and Hallie (Hallie's not quite sure what to think :)

Shannon and Brinlee (Shannon became Brinlee's best friend at Swiss Days this year. She thinks she is pretty cool)

cute Taylor and Brinlee...

Notice Raigen's swollen right eye in the picture below? She got bit by something on Saturday night and woke up Sunday morning with a swollen eye. When she woke up Monday morning it was even worse. Her eye was swollen shut and really red. I finally took her to a doctor and they put her on an antibiotic. It is slowly getting better which we are happy about, but doesn't she look cute...

Here's another pic. It just doesn't do her eye justice. It looked so bad.

Mike, Si Si, Kenna, and Cheyenne....

Grandma Hamblin with Tay...

Cool guys (Bill and Mike)...

Joni, Nate, Kennedi, and baby (joni's tummy which still isn't showing at like 15 weeks. No fair)...

Brinlee, Kennedi, Trav, and Sugar in the back...

Papa and Taylor...

Long Day :)

HAIR

Cassidy came over yesterday and had her hair all krimpy. Brinlee really liked it and asked Cass if she would braid her hair. Cassidy was sweet enough to braid it for her. Then she went to sleep and this morning we took it out. It actually looks really cute.

Before... Taking out all the rubberbands and braids...After...
About a month ago the girls were playing outside while I was making dinner. I walked out to check on them and raigen had her hand in the drawer of a little plastic dresser we have outside. I asked her what she was doing and she wouldn't take her hand out. Finally I had to pry her hand out and she had a pair of scissors in her hands. I said, "Rai Rai you aren't supposed to play with scissors. What are you doing with them?" She said, "Mom, Brinlee cut my hair." I hadn't even noticed, but when I saw it I started to cry. I looked on the patio and there were little clumps of blonde hair all over it. I was so sad because Raigen has awful hair and I have been working on getting it thick by trimming it frequently and being really careful with rubberbands, etc. It was just starting to look like pretty little girl hair, then this. Check it out! Luckily because of where it is I think I will just let it grow out and not cut the rest of her hair. We just keep it in a little ponytail.See, you can't even tell :)...Brinlee was in big trouble and still to this day she asks me, "Mom, are you still mad at me for cutting Rai Rai's hair?" I explain to her that I was mad and that it was naughty, but that I have forgiven her. Kids are really so innocent.

Brinlee is an awesome daughter. She is only 3 1/2 and she can vacuum, fold clothes, put clothes away and change Taylor's diapers (potty only). She's a great little helper.

I always hang dry the girls clothes, instead of drying them in the dryer, because I don't always have time to check for stains. Anyway, Brinlee is great at hanging up clothes. The other day I asked her to hang up the clothes while I did dishes. This is what I found ten minutes later. She had even organized them into colors (so cute)...

BIKER AND NUNY (and benji)

Biker and Nuny (the girls great grandparents on my mom's side) came up this week. If you're wondering why we call them that this is why... My grandpa was a bike rider in his younger years. In fact, he was still riding until a fall and knee surgery about a year ago. When we were little we called him Bike Papa. We shortened it and decided to call him "BIKER". My grandma is from England and when she was little there was a little boy who used to call her Nuny Tator (her name is Eunice Taylor) because he couldn't say her real name. She used to always tell us that story so we decided to have the girls call her "NUNY"! It's so cute to hear them call them by those names. My grandma and grandpa even made their license plate say BKRNUNY (so cute). It's just too hard to call them grandma and grandpa when they have so many of them. Anyway, the girls hardly ever see them because they live in St. George, so we loved the visit. They came over to our house last night for dinner, dessert, a movie, and just to hang out. It was a lot of fun!

This was their first time seeing Taylor (she was named after Nuny whose maiden name was
Taylor...remember Nuny Tator :)
Biker and Tay... Brinlee and Nuny...

Rai Rai, Brin and Benji (Biker and Nuny's dog) in the back yard...
Close up of Benj (by Brinlee the photographer)
Group shot...I think one day it will be easy to get everyone to look and smile, but for now we'll just have to realize that every picture can't be perfect. This is the best out of like 5 pictures. Aren't they all so cute!

Family Night at Lagoon

It was stake Lagoon Day last Thursday and, because most of us are in the same stake, it was kinda like family Lagoon Day (sierra and mike came to0 because they just can't get enough of us :) and we love having them around). Brinlee loved the rides and Raigen liked most of them (she's not really the roller coaster type...she gets that from her daddy:) Hallie absolutely hated every ride except the train and Taylor was just fine to sit in her stroller and see all the pretty lights (she did go on the merry-go-round with cass). It's so fun being so close to our family. We love doing stuff together and the girls love their aunts and uncles so much. I don't know if I could ever move away. Anyway, here's some pics...

Everyone in line waiting for the merry-go-round...

Cass and Ms. Taylor...Daddy, Brinlee, and Rai Rai on the chicken...

Next was Musik Express...

Raigen was barely 36 inches tall (thanks to her ponytail :). She liked it, but you can see that unsure look in her eyes...

Waiting in line for the train...

Si Si and Brin...

Aunt Janae and Raigen...Kyle and Hal (they're singing 5 little monkeys swingin' in a tree...)Teasin' Mr. Alligator can't catch me...Along came Mr. Alligator quiet as can be and snap that monkey right outta that tree!

On the train... Kyle and Hallie...Sugar and Cheyenne...Kenna and T...Janae, Cass, and Raigen...Mike and Brin (I don't think we ever got mike to look at the camera :)

It was so much fun and FREE! Can't wait until next year!