The end of August was a whirlwind of activity, I'm not quite sure if we got a chance to breathe or not. Besides all the craziness Brandon usually does for film, he also wanted to host a neighborhood BBQ on the 31st. He didn't just want to do a lunch or dinner BBQ, oh no, he wanted to do BOTH! A friend from the ward provided the meat for dinner and we did hamburgers and hotdogs for lunch. It turned into an all-day event. The turn-out was good and we had a lot of fun times. But the craziness didn't stop there. Brandon had the crazy idea to set up Rock Band in the back yard so we could play when the sun went down. We had a surprising number of people stay so they could do that. I'm glad it turned out, but I'm sorry for all the neighbors who wanted sleep that night...I had fun, but I'm glad it's over (until next time).
On top of all that planning for the BBQ, I was planning with Katherine for our annual HoBo birthday party for the twins (Kayla and Amy) the next day (Sept 1). We decided to do lasagna and french bread and have family bring side dishes. I think it turned out really yummy. I was so full I almost didn't have room for the amazing cake Katherine and I made! It was Katherine's idea to do a flower, and we both thought doing cupcakes would work really well. I think it turned out fantastic!
Katherine bought the dresses so they could match. So cute!
If you want to see more super cute pictures, Katherine put some up on Facebook. I just love these girls so much!
Yesterday was Labor Day, so Brandon and I were both off work. We decided to go to his grandparent's place and swim in their pool. Once she got used to the water, she had a lot of fun playing in it. Eventually I'm going to teach her how to swim; then she'll be our little fish.
Grandma and Grandpa had some friends over, and they brought their new puppy. She was so friendly! She came right up to us and started sniffing and licking us. (The licking may be due to the salt water from the pool). Kayla instantly fell in love with her.
In addition to this crazy, fun weekend, Brandon got a new calling in our Ward. He's the new Elder's Quorum President. It's the same calling that gave Brandon's dad his peppery hair. I think it's a very selfless calling. Brandon will be fantastic. I think it's going to give us a lot of opportunities to serve and love our neighbors more. Brandon's charitable nature has already blessed our family, and I think this will open up the windows of Heaven and bless our lives even more.
We went to see Brandon's grandparents last weekend and got to visit with his cousin and new fiance. We're super excited to see her part of our family. And while we were there some friends brought over their 6 month old puppy named Toby. He's the cutest ball of white fluff we've ever seen, and Kayla absolutely adored him. In my mind she viewed him as a moving stuffed animal, and so she treated him like one. The best way to illustrate this is with a video.
This week has been pretty crazy but lots of fun. It was Brandon's birthday on Tuesday. We had some friends offer to babysit Kayla so we could go out which was really nice of them. So we went to PF Changs (yum) and I gave Brandon a fedora to go with his tux he'll be wearing next Friday. Then we came back to have bread pudding and play games with our friends. It was nice and relaxing.
Brandon's grandma went into the hospital for a knee replacement and Brandon's mom and uncle made a surprise visit to see her and help out during the week. That meant that we made every opportunity to go up and see them. Grandma's surgery went pretty well and will be in recovery for the next 8 weeks. Kayla and I went up Thursday and Friday to the hospital and had as much fun as you can at a hospital, but it was good to see all the family.
Saturday Mom and Uncle Damon came down to visit us and Brandon's friend Adam Collet with his wife, Ashley, came down, too and had a BBQ. And of course with most gatherings at our house, it ends with Rock Band.
And today is Easter. We didn't do too much to celebrate but it's been a good Easter. The choir sang a couple songs in Sacrament meeting and the Primary Presidency each spoke and then gave a musical number. It was a lot of fun. I then gave the sharing time lesson and the kids were really good as they listened to the Easter story. I was grateful for that. It's a good and important story.
My mom gave Kayla a dress at Christmas and we thought it would be a good dress for Easter, and I found a cute hat to put her in. Surprisingly, she liked the hat and kept in on most of the day. Let me illustrate.
We gave her a small Easter egg hunt in the afternoon, and I think she had a lot of fun hunting for them. Hopefully we'll be able to do more of that next year. I'm grateful for this holiday we have to remember all that Christ did for us. I'm also grateful that the weather in Utah fit the season for once.
Happy Easter!
So Brandon and I have finally decided to begin the journey that every responsible adult has to one day. It's a graduation of sorts. We thought we were doing pretty good when we got married and then when we had Kayla.
But this is a completely different ballgame. With the score set back to zero, and the players are people we haven't even seen but we know are real competition. We have a fantastic team that will help us as best they can, but the final decision will ultimately be ours.
It's the biggest thing that will tie us down in Utah. It's definitely the biggest thing we'll have purchased. The biggest responsibility we'll have and the biggest risk if we can't make it. It will be our biggest adventure yet.
Yes, my friends, we have decided to buy a house.
We went down this road a few years ago, but things fell through when I lost my job. It's all for the better now. I have a great job with awesome people. Brandon's done with school and is working on building his filming reputation. I believe he's in a good spot to do that here. Kayla's the joy of our lives and we want to find a home that will be best for her grow up in (for a while anyway). And the housing market is better now than it was. It's a great time to find a good deal.
We still have the same realtor that we used before. He's great, and we know he'll find something great for us preferably out of Provo. I've lived in Provo for 8 years now, and I feel a move is a bit overdue.
We'll find a home with a yard so I can finally get a puppy that I've always wanted:
A cute sheltie puppy that will one day turn into:
For something that will keep us in Utah for the foreseeable future, I feel like we're finally moving forward. I can't wait to get started.
And so The Hunt begins again...
Wish us luck!
