you get what you.... well you know!

I have not had the best last two weeks.  It has been ROUGH!!  Olivia and Braxton seem to be teaming up on me and doing whatever they can to get me to have a breakdown.  Braxton is now to the height where he can reach everything that I think he can't.  So I am constantly rearranging my house to accommodate for the growth spurt.   All the while, Olivia turned 4, Ben turned 29, we had Halloween, and our 6 yr anniversary.  I am still going to school, and training for a 1/2 marathon.  Things are getting a little crazy around here.  And just the other day, my VT supervisor came to me and church and insisted there was something wrong with the report that I haven't don't VT since June.  NOPE!  That is correct.  I am the worst VT in the world.  But I just don't have time right now.  I know that is not an excuse, but that is mine right now.  I am barely nice to my kids because I feel so stressed out.  PLUS we just certified for Foster Care.  It has been quite the last few months.  So I have decided that I am going to take quite an easy semester next one.  

Olivia started ABCmouse.com in sept.  I was looking for something to give her some direction on learning time here at home and also give her activities.  Until we can hopefully get her in preschool in Jan.  Lets cross our fingers!  Meanwhile, we started this.  IT IS AMAZING!  Olivia loves it.  She is constantly begging to do it.  It is really great.  She just passed level 1 in Preschool and moved on to harder things.  She is doing great, and learning so much.

   I have really been trying to run every morning on the treadmill.  I have made it a goal to run a 1/2 marathon this next summer, and I AM GOING TO DO IT!  I need this.

Anywho, it is getting hard as to what to feed the kids for breakfast.  I try to get up at 7, they sleep until 730 usually, and make them breakfast.  Sometimes that doesn't work, so i give them what we have.  I usually give Braxton cereal, but we don't have any lately.  It is just too expensive.  AND I haven't made it to Walmart in a while.  So this morning was oatmeal.  He DESTROYED it!

Glad he got it on himself and not all over the carpet.

Yesterday was especially hard with the kids.  I have had a LOT of homework lately, and I can't seem to get ahead.  So today I have summoned one of the YW to come and babysit for a few hours so I can get a head.  Ben is gone all day for a football game.  

Yesterday was hard, and something yesterday morning stuck with me really hard while looking at pinterest.  

As I have read this so many times, I really felt that this is not just with my workouts, but with life.  I will only get what I put in.  So I have a new found motivation to hopefully finish the semester, and I will not pile my load so high next semester.

After we ate lunch yesterday with Ben at this school, the kids were awful in the morning, we got home,and went to ballet, then they both were AMAZING!  I know it was Heavenly Father giving me a tender mercy.  He knew that if they were any worse, I might kill one of them or have a mental breakdown.  I am so thankful that He knows how much I can handle.  The kids were so sweet and Braxton just wanted to play with me and cuddle and kiss.  It made me feel so much better, and loved from them.  It is hard to be a mom with a husband that is gone ALL THE TIME!  But I am grateful for my faith and testimony and knowing that my Savior loves me, and keeps a look out for me.

what a visit!

LaNell and Aaron came to visit.  It was fun.  They were only here for a few days and we didn't get to spend as much time with them as we wanted to due to football practice and me doing homework as well as kids naps.  It is always busy.  But for the time they were here, it was fun!

 I can't believe this girl is going to be 4 in about 2 weeks!  She is getting so big and such a little sass!  She has such a mouth, and will try to negotiate whenever possible.  But she is so fun!

Right after they left, Olivia got sick.  Then I got sick.  Ben has been off school this week, and the first 3 days we barely left the house due to sickies.  But we did enjoy having the fire going all day and just laying around watching movies.  

I love fall.

The leaves are starting to change colors...well, lets be honest!  All there really is here are Evergreen and Pine trees.  The Pine "leaves" are starting to die.  They are turning an ugly brown, but that is the closest we are going to get here in FB.  So I am just going to enjoy it.  School has been SO grueling.  I just don't have time for anything else.  I barely have time for the kids.  It is sad, and I feel like I just wasn't ready to start school just yet.  Or at least, not full time.  It is too late though, so it is going to be a rough semester.  I will be taking a lighter load next semester.  

The kids have been kind of driving me crazy lately.  Braxton has just been so needy, but it probably has to do with the fact that i am at the computer every chance i get to get some HW done.

This is after lunch.  Braxton seems to think it is necessary to rub his hands that are covered in Peanut Butter and Jelly all through out his hair.  After this picture, I felt like it might be getting close to time for his first haircut... i think i will keep thinking about it.  

 Bubba was in the bathtub and just having a ball!  His sister has been getting really snotty lately!  I am hoping that it is just a phase, but this particular night, she decided to tell me to shut up!  I don't even know where she heard that, but she was upset when i told her to get to time out, and she told me to shut up!  Needless to say, Braxton took a bath alone.  He is loving just all the room!

 Here is the little miss attitude.  We took her to ballet.  She is loving it.  This was the first week, where the teacher said she did just amazing!  Well last week, i left her there, and the teacher said that she didn't listen at all and that if she kept that way, she would not be allowed in the class for another year.  WELL!  So, we are going to try it again this week.  I am hoping she will get things together, or we are out of luck, since that is the only ballet class in FB.

 Braxton really is a boy.  The other day, he was trying to climb into Olivia's grocery cart, and slipped and smacked his forehead on the side of the desk.  It cut open and he was screaming!  Luckily, it looked worse than it was.  It was gone in a few days.

 A few weeks ago, we went to the first FB game in FB.  It was fun and it lasted for about 10 minutes, before they were both driving me crazy.  We left and decided to not do that again.  But fun while it lasted.  As you can see, bubba has discovered how to say cheese for pictures!

Can't wait for the holidays.  It is coming soon, and we are heading to Texas for Thanksgiving.  This is the first time we are going to Texas and on an airplane with both kids.  I am excited to see my brothers new house.
Hopefully we can figure out something so we can do thing annually!
We are also trying to get foster kids.  We are really excited and it will be a new and fun chapter for our family!

Paul Bunyan Days

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8igQwfe5r5U

I love this movie!

This weekend we had Paul Bunyan days.  It was really fun.  We had a parade and Ben was in it with the football team.  I forgot my camera, so i didn't get any actual pictures.  This is from the paper.  But it was fun and the kids had fun.  Bens parents came and visited.  We went to the craft fair on saturday.  It was fun.  I wanted to do more, but we are so limited with the kids and nap times and all.  We have been QUITE busy this summer.  Ben started helping coach the football team.  he has had so much fun with that.  Football is kind of a big deal in this town.  Everyone goes to the football games on friday nights.  

One thing i did do this summer was visit with some of the girls i did cheerleading with in High school.  It was good to see all of them and catch up, although it was not long enough and it was too long since we had all seen eachother.  I hope we can get together every few years.

I started school.  I decided to go back to school.  It is really hard and time consuming, but i am really enjoying learning.  

We got moved. FINALLY!  it took us sometime to actually unpack everything, but we moved all of our stuff in one day.  it was nice.  I don't actually have a whole lot of time since i have a ton of HW to do, but i noticed that i haven't updated our blog in a really long time!  I did want to catch you all up and say hi. 

I will try to post some more pictures of everyone and things going on here at the coast.

its been a while....

Well to start off, Ben didn't finish school this year until June 14... SOOOO LATE!!!  Right after school was out, i mean litterally, we headed to Oroville.  We were there for one night and the next morning we headed to McCloud, CA.  We rented a cabin up there and it was SO much fun!!  The whole Brown family was together before Caleb left on his mission.  This is one of the new family pictures we got while being up there.  

 We also got a whole group shot.  it is always fun to be a little silly.  It was nice, but it was warm.  since we have been on the coast for a year now, we have not been used to the heat.  my kids did ok...but not great.

 When we got home, the following Monday, 6/24, we didn't get home until like 11pm.  it was a long and late drive.  the next morning, we hung out and went to the beach.  Wednesday, Ben left for Football camp for 3 days in Yuba City.  it was long. that friday was Braxton's first bday.  He is such a big boy.  we celebrated at Ben's Parents house, we bought him a ice cream cake, and he didn't like how cold it was.  so we decided to celebrate when we got back.  Just our little family, but it was fun.  He still cried about the hats...what a baby!

 He calmed down as soon as i gave him some cake.

 Devoured the cake and of course rubbed in all over his hair.

 Olivia was so excited all day.  we went to the store in the morning and got the party stuff, and she couldn't stop talking about it all day until it was time.

 Happy Birthday Braxton!!

 Bath time after the cake.  Daddy came home just in time for cake.

 This is the little families of deer we have in the yard.  There is one mama by the tree and one baby behind the tree, then another mama to the far right, and her two babies in the center.  super cute.

 Olivia getting a taste of my high heels... she was doing pretty good.

 This last weekend was the 4th.  We had a ton of things planned, and NOTHING WORKED OUT!!!  we drove to Willits for the parade, and on the way Olivia puked ALL OVER the back seat...like 4 times.  we had to stop and clean everything up.  and we had another 20 minutes to drive with the car smelling like puke until we got to safeway to get some resolve.

 Finally at the parade, it was like 95 and NO SHADE!  so hot.  then afterward, we headed to lumberjacks for lunch.  it seemed to be great, until the waitress brought our drinks and dumped Mt. Dew all over Braxton and soaked him.  Then she was kind of rude after that, so Ben had a talk with the manager and they covered the bill.  that sucked!! needless to say, we skipped the firework show and there is one here in FB tonight, but after we went to Walmart today, we are skipping that and heading to bed early.

Well this weekend, was packed.  Ben headed to Oroville for a endowment and sealing session with the Cherry's.  Ben and Kevin grew up together and Kevin's dad went through the temple and then his parents were sealed.  Ben's quote " The Cherry's did a lot for me growing up, I really want to be there and support them."  I wish i could have gone, but i stayed with the kids.  Then on Monday he has an interview with a school that we really want to end up at.  So  we will be fasting for that and praying like crazy that he gets it.  it is a great area, it is at a high school, and we are much closer to family.
All we know is that Heavenly Father is in charge, and last week when i fasted for this interview and job offer, about 2 days later, Ben got a call for the interview.  So lets all keep our faith up!

the valley

Braxton looking at Olivia playing outside.  he wants to be out there so badly with her, but he can't.  it isn't fenced in...poor baby.  He sure is getting big!

ps..we are going to the valley for 2 weeks this friday!  CANT WAIT!!!

24 days

in just 24 days, Braxton will be 1.  I can't believe that he is almost 1.  man, time goes by fast.  here is Olivia right before her 1st bday.  She and B dont look a whole lot like eachother here.  but i thought it was funny that i have pictures of them both in an umbrella stroller at the same age.  I think his bday will be more eventful.  i am pretty sure he will be much more messy that Olivia was with her bday cake.

shoveling sand in the mouth!

Ben and i got a chance to go on a much needed date last weekend.  we went to star-trek and to ice cream.  it was really fun and i actually took time to get my hair and makeup done.  it is a rare occasion when that happens, especially both hair AND makeup.  it was nice to spend some one on one time with him.  usually our time is spend in bed after the kids are asleep with our door shut because if Olivia hears us talking, she will  yell and want to come out.  so we have to be quite for a while until they are both asleep.  it is the same in the mornings.  if we get up later than 5 to go to the bathroom, she hears us and wants to come out.  super frustrating.  my kids are early risers.

 mothers day...  these are just too cute.  i love it how Braxton looks like he can smile on command...not there yet, but he is getting better at it.

 my mom came to visit this weekend.  it was really fun to have her here.  we went to glass beach and then to pudding creek bridge.  Friday was really windy and cold when we went to glass beach.  Olivia loved being able to collect shells though.

 the terrain was a little rough for this guy and his stroller.  we stayed up top while the two above went below to get treasures.

 it sure was a pretty day though.

 the next day we went to pudding creek and played in the sand.  Olivia loved it.

 this was Braxtons first time in the sand.  i was a little nervous but after a while of me just convincing myself that sand would be EVERYWHERE and we couldn't  control it, i let go and it was super fun.  he loved just being able to play in the sand.

 we had fun and it got closer and closer to his nap time.  i was thinking about how nice it was and how good he was being, then when i looked  at his face, he was shoveling sand in his mouth with that spoon in his hand.  once i took that from him, it all went sour QUICK!!  it then was obvious that he was tired and absolutely ready for nap time.

 Olivia stealing the toys from Braxton...  it has started already.

i took this this morning.  he is just getting so big.  he is trying to walk now and when he pulls himself up, he hits his head on the bottom of the dinning table.  it is so fun to watch how big he is getting.

 not to mention he LOVES Olivia's cartoons.

nothing special today.  i am just glad track is over and Ben is ours for the summer.  we are going to Ukiah today for our monthly Walmart trip and maybe going to Ross.  it is raining here so there is not much else to do.  plus daddy is home today!!