Brianna and the Terrible. No Good. Very Bad Day.

Today is not a good day.

I worked last night so I am exhausted, my house is a mess, and I really need a shower (or long bath). I awoke from sleeping today only to hear that Farrah Fawcett had died. So sad about that. Cancer has a deeper meaning to my life, so I think it's so sad when it takes a previously-healthy life. Then, John comes home and tell me to turn on the news- only to find that Michael Jackson had died! Like an Elvis to our generation- he was a legend. I don't have a particularly strong connection to him, but I still feel a weird emptiness and sadness about it. He was only 50- and he has like 4 kids! And it was so sudden....so shocking.

Then comes a double whammy to my poor little heart....Shaq has been traded. Stoudemire is next.

Yes Amare, it is true.
What??!! I have been a Suns fan for only 8 years- which is when I met John of course. Here's a little known fact for some of you....our first date was to a pre-season Suns game at the San Diego Sports Arena! It's been love ever since. With the Suns that is (OK, and John too). So I have agonized right alongside John as we watch the Suns peak and then slowly crumble to a non-playoff making mess of politics and egos. I still have a flame burning for my beloved Steve Nash (who by the way said hi to me at the gym!..OK, I said hi first, and I probably looked neurotic with a big ol' goofy smile on my face. But I like to think that the moment was special). And another side note- when we moved to Scottsdale, I celebrated my love for the Suns by buying my first jersey ever....yup- Shawn Marion. That didn't turn out so well either.

I was devastated when we traded him for Shaq. The era of "run n' gun" Suns was officially over.

We all knew this was how it would turn out. **Sigh** But I still hung in there with a glimmer of hope in my eye. A true fan sticks by their side even during really dumb decisions. Now we've traded our old, ready-to-retire, expensive player for.....drum roll please.....a player who is also old, also ready to retire, and didn't even put up the kind of numbers Shaq put up this season! As my eye begins to twitch and I'm fuming out of half exhaustion and half frustration with the Suns....John announces that he hears Amare will be gone tomorrow. Dagger to my soul. Even worse- there is a possibility Barbosa will be gone too. What is happening here?! Just who are The Phoenix Suns going to be??

I should wrap this up before I digress any further. I have a house to clean, kids to put to bed, a shower to take, a Shawn Marion jersey to sell on eBay....and now I suppose I should also go get rid of my favorite Shaq underwear.
Gotcha for a minute :-)

New Friends :-)

Actually, they aren't new to me, but they are new to the blogging world!

Two very cute girlfriends of mine have created family blogs of their own, and so I am giving them a little shout-out for you to go and visit their family sites!

First is Amanda Robinson. You may remember me talking about her for her birthday post. She is married to Lance "Bus" Robinson, and if you can sit in their presence for 30 minutes without laughing- then you get some very special prize. They are hilarious, they love life, they are both kind and giving, they are hard workers (and just recently started their own business! If anyone in Arizona is looking for landscape maintenance/work, look up ACLS!) and they are good friends of John and I. Amanda is finishing up her Masters in Counseling, and Lance is busy growing his new business venture. You will notice they are labeled "Robinson Family Part 2" on my sidebar and that's because there is another Robinson family- which happens to be Lance's brother Blake and his wife Alison (who is also a close friend in our inner circle), it's so confusing....I know :-) So pop over to their new family blog and get to know them!

The second is a good friend of mine from college. We spent hours together studying and getting through nursing school- and now we are both working as NICU nurses! Her name is Monique Sawyer, and like John and I- she married her college sweetheart, Brandon. They married one year after John and I, and then moved around where Brandon finished his Masters and pursued his PhD (is that right Monique? I can't remember if he finished that). They are currently back in good ol' SD where Brandon teaches at PLNU, and they recently welcomed their first-born- little Soren Gabriel Sawyer! You will love reading Monique's writings because she is an honest, introspective, deep-thinking, sweet soul.

These girls have given me wonderful memories through our friendships, so I hope you enjoy reading about them as well!

Papa Knows Best.

So, many of you may not know this- but my dad is an amazing swimmer. He started swimming when he was probably around Bella's age, and he swam competitively his entire childhood and into his adult years. He was ranked All-American many times over, and got offers from colleges and universities (one of which from Pepperdine! How can you say no to that?!) but all's well that ends well- because his decision not to go to Pepperdine led to him meeting my mom in a calculus class one day...and the rest is history. Anyway, he continued swimming in leagues and Master's swim teams as an adult- even completing triathlons and various organized ocean swims. Most importantly, he taught Emily and I how to swim as toddlers. While in SD this past weekend, I watched an old home video of myself just before my 3rd birthday, and I was swimming all alone- like a little fish!! I can't believe how young I was! So this past weekend Papa played in the spa with Bella a little, and with the "magic of his ways" he somehow got her to get over her fear of submerging her head in the water. We have been working on that in her swim lessons, but she just picked it right up with Papa! Forget spending money at her swim lessons...I should just get my dad to come out here for a week and teach her to swim! So here is a little clip of their progress together :-)

Happy Father's Day!

To my two favorite men in the whole world- I love you and don't know what I would do without either of you! Examining all the things I love about John, I have come to realize that those are the traits I love about my dad! Calm, strong, good leaders humble, kind, patient with the kids, hilarious sense of humor, good handymen...the list goes on and on. I have the best memories of my childhood with my dad. Memories that just can't ever be replaced. And I literally get teary sometimes when I see my own kids wrestling, cuddling and playing with John because I know how lucky (blessed) they are to have a dad like John. John- you are an incredible dad to Isabella and Tyler. And in case I don't tell you often enough- I fall more and more in love with you every time I see the ways you love our kids. I am so proud to be your wife, and even more proud of the father you have become to our own family. Bella and Tyler don't know how good they've got it

:-)

PLNU Basketball

Yes, we used to go to college here. And no- I didn't appreciate how awesome it was until I graduated and left my protected ocean-view bubble.

Point Loma Nazarene University means a lot to John and I. For the first obvious reason being that we met there and fell in love during college. **Sidenote: I even remember what John was wearing the first time I saw him at freshman orientation! Sappy, I know :-) ** But this place also strengthened our character, our career goals, our life mission statements and our work ethic. John is the hardest worker I know. He hates when things are done mediocre, so you can imagine how difficult it is to maintain honor roll and be a leader on the university basketball team. I spent countless hours in that gym (and away games!) cheering him on, celebrating with him, and being his silent listener when he needed to vent. And he was awesome. He was quiet and humble- but a force on the court, breaking and setting all-time school records while he was at it. The sport is important to him, and his team was twice as important to him. The guys on the court were his best friends, and to this day- they are still a part of our lives. Weddings, new jobs, babies- all the guys have grown up and started new lives, but the friendship and team still remains.

So this weekend we attended Coach Wimore's retirement party at the university. It was such a joy to see old friends and get to catch up with the guys (and wives and babies! We feel so old!) Being on campus brings back floods of emotions, and we drove around after the party, just to remember old times. So here are a few pictures of some of the guys and their former coach all together again. Some things just get better with time :-) Future PLNU student? You never know!....

Long-Lost Loves.

Warning: This is a long one! Please bear with me with all the pictures..I couldn't pick just a few!!
This is the story of Isabella Jade & Micah Bradley.

Born only 11 weeks apart, they were destined for love right from the start. They did everything together, and (much to their parents' amusement) spent most of their time sitting and cuddling up to one another.

Bella tried to play hard to get at first- and pretended she didn't like him putting on the moves..

She even looked surprised at times when he tried to put his arm around her....

But eventually, she gave in to his charm and sweet-talking romantic style....

Pretty soon they started falling in love. And they enjoyed things like walks in their strollers together, playdates before their morning naps, and playing at the park....

They even picked up habits of old lovers, like dressing alike and teasing each other.....

But sadly, one day Bella broke the news that her parents were moving to Scottsdale, and that they would not be able to see each other anymore. Micah did not take this news very well....

So after 3 very long years apart, the day finally arrived for their love to be rekindled! They spent a glorious weekend together in San Diego and it was as if no time had ever passed between these two lovebirds!

And now, Isabella doesn't mind it so much when her handsome prince puts his arm around her...

And they strolled hand in hand...happy to be together at last.

Is this finally happily ever after? We know just yet- but how can you deny the love on these little faces?!

To Be Continued......

(more pictures here: http://picasaweb.google.com/Bri.and.John/SummerFun2009#)

A Sunday Afternoon

Just a quick post to share a few pictures of my beautiful daughter this morning. How would I ever begin to describe Isabella?....She's a ray of sunshine everywhere she goes, and she's a perfect example of the way God gives us things we could never deserve.

Hope you are having a wonderful Sunday!

Happy Birthday to My Dad!

So my dad tells me this morning that he was thinking about going fishing for his birthday.... I'm so jealous! I LOVE fishing. And I got that from my dad. One of my favorite memories from childhood was a particular camping trip we took with a big group of friends, and my dad and I got up before anyone else one morning and went fishing together (was I 4 or 5 dad? I can't remember) but we ended up coming back with a huge line of little sunfish and I felt so proud and excited about our morning catch! Ever since- I was hooked.

And Dad, remember when I was in high school and we went to Tahoe and you and I went fishing one more time before heading home..and while you had to run to the bathroom real quick, I reeled in that HUGE trout all by myself?!! That was awesome.

Good memories :-)

Love you Dad! Hope you went fishing and had a blast

(although not nearly as much fun since I wasn't there)

Baby Dave...Not So Much A Baby Anymore.

This morning we celebrated David's 2nd birthday with a small party of family. Well, it's never exactly small when all of us get together (9 of the 10 cousins were present) but the little man of honor had fun and that's all that counts.

Nothing like pizza and cake at 11:00 in the morning.

Here, the boys are enjoying a leisurely carousal ride-

And the two older girls ran around squealing and hugging each other. Lexi (Alexis) is only about 7 months older than Isabella, and since their family moved to Minnesota, the girls don't get to see each other that much. It was adorable to watch the two of them go on rides together and play games, and of course Bella had to sit right next to her wherever she sat. Little girls this age are just precious.

So happy birthday sweet little guy! And for more pictures,

click here : http://picasaweb.google.com/Bri.and.John/SummerFun2009#

Keepin' Active

Well, summer has officially started in full swing around here. Although I must admit, the weather has not been nearly as bad as it has before..we have been enjoying a relatively cool June thus far. But even so- it's just a matter of time before I wake up and am reminded of where I live when my iPhone tells me it's 90 outside at 7:00 in the morning. But since this will be my 4th summer here in Scottsdale, I have learned a few tricks of the trade...for one, inside activities are my new best friend. Working out at our gym while the kids play at the Tot Stop, enrolling the kids in gymnastics and dance classes (for Bella, mind you. You won't be seeing Tyler in a dance class anytime soon...but the boy can shake his thing when asked!) tumbling classes, seeing movies, shopping, taking advantage of open gym, indoor bounce houses, playing at every splash pad, swimming in our pool...you get the idea. Anythings that keeps us cool and entertained. Plus, I believe that kids should be moving. Don't get me wrong- I see nothing wrong with cartoons and watching movies (trust me- Noggin and Disney channel are staples in our house), but there are limits to everything. So I've done some research and explored new ways to get out of the house and do fun stuff with my two cuties this summer.

Here is Bella at her new "Move n' Tumble" class. It's perfect for her because it's just 3 & 4 year olds, so she has lots of kids her own age to run around with.

And here we are at open gym at our gymnastics place, where Ty loves this fun little car swing. He loves it when I push him, but then loses interest after about a minute..and then he's off and running to the next thing. Typical little boy, right?

On Thursday I took the kids to one of the libraries around here for a "Shake Rattle & Roll" class at their children's center and although Bella clung to my leg for the first 5 minutes- they were both dancing and giggling by the end of the class. And, again, Ty sure can dance!

Random tid-bits

I know- it's been a little while since I've added a new post! What's up with my lack of organization skills lately? Normally I'm so on top of things...but we have been jamming so many things into our schedule lately, that computer time is low on the list. So here I am again- promising to do better.....again :-) I had a hectic morning this morning- Bella went off to see a movie with my sister, and I had to get a sitter and rush myself out the door to a baby shower for a girlfriend (beautifully done Julie! The shower was gorgeous) at Olive & Ivy downtown...which pretty much meant I had to be on top of my game this morning in order to get it all done on time! Now, the kids are napping and I can relax with my sister and catch up on some TiVo'd shows...which of course takes priority over blogging. But I promise to add some new stuff soon! I've got some great pictures and videos that I'm excited to share. Until then, here are some random pictures of Ty hanging out with Dad...(if John is 6' 7'', how tall does that make Ty when he's on his shoulders??) and a cute pic of Bella at her new tumble class.
Until later- hope you're having a great day!

Just A Night With The Guys.

When they boys are 14, they will not appreciate all of the embarrassing pictures we have of them.

Like I mentioned before in the earlier post, Tyler's awesome Aunt Heidi and Uncle David took him for one of the nights that we were away for our anniversary. Tyler and Little Dave are only a little less than 6 months apart, so now as the boys get older- the real fun begins.

What does a guys' night consist of when you are one year old you ask?

Well, it starts with some fun on the teeter-totter....

...Followed by a bath and then some good ol' sitting in front of the TV, watching sports with no shirts on, doing manly things like picking their nose....
...cleaning out your cousins' belly button :-)..... ...And then celebrate when your team wins!!
Ahhh, boys will be boys :-)

Thank you David and Heidi (and Little Dave!) We love you!

Thank You, Thank You!

A very BIG and heart-filled shout-out to my sweet little sister Emily and wonderful sister-in-law Heidi! These women were kind enough to care for my kids (and spoil them rotten!) so that John and I could enjoy a weekend away for our anniversary. Emily was even brave enough to take both kids for an entire day- and man, did she wear them out! Well, lets be honest- I'm sure they wore her out just as well :-) But seriously, I couldn't ask for a better sister. She loves them, dotes on them, spoils them, nurtures them and best of all- she truly enjoys them. The joy and happiness when she is playing with the kids puts my heart at ease, which makes it easier to leave them with her because I know that she loves them as if they were her own!

Here is a cute flashback picture of Emily and Bella right before Bella turned 1...So precious!

And just to brag a bit more...when John and I got home today, the house was immaculate, the dirty laundry was already in the laundry room, and Bella had two new dresses laid out on her bed (courtesy of Aunt Emily of course). Thank you, thank you, thank you Em!!! I just can't thank you enough!

Of course with thank-you's being handed out tonight, I have to also give a huge one to Heidi. Tyler had so much fun playing with his cousin Little Dave (family nickname for those of you who don't know my sweet little nephew). Heidi always inspires me to see the joy in the little things because she kept thanking me for letting Ty stay at their house! Who does that?! Here she was- doing us a huge favor by taking Tyler for a night while we relaxed out by the resorts' pool for two days- and she was thanking me?? But that's Heidi. She not only cares and unconditionally loves everyone in this family, she genuinely appreciates and cherishes every moment. She has the ultimate servants' heart, and I love that about her.

So here's another little flashback picture- this is Heidi holding Tyler at one day old!

If it's true that you can tell a lot about someone by the company that they keep- then I must be one blessed woman.

Love you both!

My Love.

"Young love is like a small flame; very pretty, very hot and fierce, but still it is only light and flickering. The love of the older, mature and disciplined heart is like hot coals, deep-burning and unquenchable."

-Henry Ward Beecher

Happy 6th wedding anniversary Babe.
I love you deeply.

My Oh My!

Look who's getting soooo big!

Ok, don't let the picture fool you- I would like to think that I'm such a fantastic potty trainer that I already have my 18 month-old baby boy all grown up and out of diapers....but that just hasn't happened. But what we have done, is get out Bella's old potty-training potty and start introducing him to it. Bella was so easy...that girl was potty trained in a matter of a few days. But I've heard boys take a little longer....so I'm starting to just ease myself into the process. He's actually really interested, and he'll even go over by himself and sit down. So I bought him some big boy underwear (more for my enjoyment and giggles than for actual practical use) and I just couldn't believe how much he is starting to look like a big boy! They are a little big in the tush (my kids have no butts....they are such skinny-minnies) but he ran around the playroom and kept looking down trying to figure out what they were :-)

And then, as if right on cue- Tyler peed in his pants.

Oh well.

I probably have a long road ahead, so I'm getting the carpet cleaner out now!

One More!

Boy, oh boy! See what happens when I don't blog for a few days? This is my fourth blog today! Lucky little readers :-) So I realized that Ty hasn't gotten any screen-time (blog-time) today, so here is a cute little clip of him and I playing around at open gym today. His favorite thing to do is run up and down one of the trampolines, throwing foam blocks into the foam pit. I don't know why, but he loves it!

I realize that this may not be that interesting to all of you...but I know the grandparents enjoy it!

Without further ado- here is my little man having fun today.

Lessons Learned from Sesame Street.

Isn't it crazy that that show is still on?!

It's been a while since I had seen an episode of the classic show, but even with new puppets and characters, the formula hasn't changed a bit. A while back, I was looking through iTunes to find new cartoons to download on my iPhone for the kids.

**Yes, I'm a terrible parent who gives her phone to her kids while grocery shopping, so that they will watch cartoons and not grab things off the shelves or ask me "whats that?" every 2 seconds.....shameful***

So I ran across a set of Sesame Street cartoons that were free downloads! Great idea! I thought to myself. It shows the descriptions of each episode, and I found one that talked about Telly falling off his pogo stick and was too scared to get back on. All the Sesame Street characters encouraged him to try again, telling him, "when you fall off, you have to get right back on!"

Bingo!!!

Bella had gotten a Princess bike for Christmas and LOVED it. But one day she fell off and scraped her knee- which had left her traumatized (not as traumatized as the day the person in the bird costume scared the boogers out of her at Red Robin...but that's another story). Ever since, she didn't want to get back on the bike. So I downloaded the cartoon and she watched it over and over in the car, or while we were out running errands. I waited for my sneaky plan to take flight.....

And low and behold....it worked! She told me she wanted to get back on the bike!!

Here's a clip of her enjoying her biking freedom once again. Gotta love Sesame Street!

You Wish You Knew These Girls.

OK, like I said in the first post below, I am aware that I have been absent lately from my usual writing ans postings- but it's never to late to share with you a very special DOUBLE birthday shout-out to two very wonderful women in my life
Meet Heather and Amanda.
Both shared birthdays recently (not the same day, but close enough to share this special blog post), and so it's only fitting that I brag on my friends a little bit :-)

Heather is a complete joy and blessing to my life. She and I have shared some pretty dark moments in each others' lives, and we have weathered through some deep valleys together. But there is no one better to walk through those valleys with than Heather. She is kind, slow to speak and slow to become angry, listens with all her heart, and truly loves people as they are. She is fiercely loyal and has put my best interest before her own on multiple occasions. You know when you can just sit with someone and not have to say anything at all and its completely comfortable and at ease? That's Heather. We share a (shameful) obsession for reality shows and celebrity magazines and we both relish in our roles as moms together. She's my sidekick, my sister-in-Christ, my daughters' Godmother, my therapist, my shopping companion and my daily "just-calling-you-to-check-in-today" friend. How amazing is that?!

Amanda brings honesty and laughter to my life. You never have to beat around the bush with Amanda, and you know that she won't either! She's genuine to the bone, and when she laughs- I just dare you to try not to laugh along with her. Her spirit is contagious, and she will always be the first one to reach out and introduce to herself to someone new. I appreciate her for so many reasons. I like to think that she's the official "group counselor" to us all...after all, what good is a friend with her Masters in Counseling if you can't use her?! :-) And I think one of the best qualities about Amanda is her willingness and desire to meet people where they are at. I can't tell you how many times she has brought me lunch to my house just so that I can have 30 minutes of girl-talk, or the way she is so loving and welcoming of my kids (and every one's kids!)- because with Amanda, if something is important to you- then its important to Amanda. I'm inspired by her.

So there you have it! Thanks for letting me gush a little about these women :-) Girls, you keep me grounded, keep me laughing, keep me encouraged and help me keep my eyes on Jesus. And for that, I thank you and love you.

I Know- I Know!!

It's very unlike me to be absent from blogging for a few days....I try my hardest, but some days just when I get the kids down for their naps, get the house cleaned up, work on any miscellaneous items on my ever-growing to-do list, make phone calls to friends, and plan something for dinner....... it's at that very moment when I hear one of my munchkins waking up! How do 2 hours fly by so fast?

I have am trying to come to terms with the fact that I will never be able to do it all. My house may never be "magazine-cover-ready", my meals may not be as creative and organic as I would like them to be (although I have been trying some new things lately, and my picky eater seems to be responding well! Yes, I'm talking about John) , and don't even get me started on the whole "appearance" thing. I really admire the women who never start their day or leave their house without all their make-up on and hair done just right. I really do.

**Good for them** (just a hint of sarcasm)

Sigh. Nope- there will probably never be enough hours in my day to do it all.

A while back, a friend of mine sent me a sweet card for no reason at all. I still have the card because I loved the quote written on the inside- it read:

"To the world, you may be one person. But to one person, you may be the world."

Love it! On that day (and still today) it reminds me of my daily job. I've got two little sets of eyes watching me, so I just keep plugging along and doing my best.

And in the words of McKMama, what's a post without a picture??....

And today's your lucky day, I happen to have a little video to post as well! Here is Bella at her gymnastics class- just look for the cute little girl in the shiny pink leotard (for the record- I made the mistake of telling her she could pick out any one she wanted, and so of course we got the most obnoxiously pink one she could find)

Enjoy!