Family of Friends

I have amazing friends who have stood by me through thick and thin!! I am so grateful for the late night outings, the mid day rescues, the laughter, and the safe place to bear ones soul!!

The last 4 years have been a roller coaster and a few have been there no matter what!! I am glad for the love and trust that has been built! While at times I wish I hadn't experiences some of the things over the last 4 years, they have made me stronger and given me a foundation of friends that has become my family! In the last few months, I am grateful that these same friends have trusted me to be there for them! I have found a new appreciation for the choices and consequences in my life because they have allowed me to find a new deeper and more understanding compassion, empathy, and charity for all people. It has also given me the ability to see the amazing strength within the trials of people! I am grateful for all the blessings and learning that free agency with consequences has brought to me.

Words and bouncing

Want to update on the words Gizzy says now .... 

Hel - help 

(make me giggle when I hear "hel, hel, hel" as she runs to me and drags me to where she needs me! Silly cute stinker!) 

Purpa - purple

Now, my mind has drawn a blank! LoL!! Will keep thinking!! 

Grandma Palmer gave her an adorable ten little monkeys book for her birthday that we live to read. My monkey has taken up bouncing on her bed, which just makes her giggle in glee! She loves to bounce away when I am trying to change her! Last week,  Mama got smart and asked if she could bounce into her new diaper! Sure enough she bounced to the end of the bed and fell on her little bum right into her diaper. She thought that was the best thing ever! Now every time we change her bum she bounces back by her head board and then bounces down till she finally plops down in her diaper! Then, she giggles and giggles!! Her giggle is infectiously fun!!! 

Little Ringlet Girl

OGiving Gizzy a back tonight and her little curls just were adorable! We washed her hair and put conditioner in it. While the conditioner did its job, her hair did ringlets all on its own!! Stinking adorable!! I had to document!! 

Kaelani went fishing with her toy holder ... Look at the adorable fish she caught

Silly girl loves putting stuff on her head!! 

When it was time to get out she spoke her first two word sentence

"No mom! No mom! No mom!" 

She did not want to get out of the bath! 

Peter Piper Pizza

KWe went to Peter Piper Pizza last night for a fundraiser. It was a ton of fun! We ate lots of pizza and then played games to our hearts content! Kaiya loved attempting to get the most tickets in anyway possible! Kaelani was content to wackamole, ride the merry go round, ride in mighty mouses rocket, and climb in the climber!

We had so much fun and were so worn out by the end of the night!!

Gizzy and her little "I got some tickets" dance!! 

Puppy Gizzy

I have the most adorable little lap puppy that likes to curl up in the space between my legs and the back if the couch!! Occasionally my little puppy will lick my face. She is an adorable puppy!! 

Rainy Fountain Fun

We went to lunch with all our friends ... It rained really hard! The kids all went out and played in it and the fountain!! They had so much fun!! 

Book hat

A book hat .... Sound wonderful doesn't it? Gizzy decided last night a hat book was in order ... It did not work so well. 

Friends

Gizzy and Tanman have become great little friends!! Kaelani likes to hug Tanman, and Tan will usually lift her up in the process. They are adorable little friends!! She has definitely developed a love of Batman because of Mr. Tanman. 

Hide and Seek

We got home from Church today and Kaelani said, "hide, hide, hide" so, we played a few games of hide and go seek! She would "count" and jibberish "ready or not!" It was darn cute!! We had lots of fun!!! 

An Uncle and a Hero

The last of the Brown Brothers passed away on September 13, 2013. This man was a reminder of my granddad, he walk the same way my granddad did. He carried himself in a humble ranchers way, and the same sense of humor. 

He was the son of a cattle rancher, and went on to own his own dairy farm. I will always remember visiting as a kid and having (great) Uncle Jack take me to do chores and milk the cows. He had a sense of humor of teasing. He slipped one of the milking machines on my thumb during that visit. I didn't think I was gonna have a thumb left. Drank my first unpasteurized milk from a cow at this great man's table. 

He was more than a reminder of my granddad and more than a rancher, he was a hero.  Unless you knew Uncle jack, you would not know he was a war hero. He served in WWII, and rarely discussed his experience there. He never gave full stories, or told of his acts of heroism. I am proud to be his great niece. Proud of the simple, honest, and loving life he created for himself and his family. He did all of this while keeping so much to himself. I am certain he lived with many of the horrors of war, coped, overcame, and lived an upstanding life. I have one regret, on July 4 2010, he was honored at the flag raising ceremony in Grantsville. I sat proudly behind him honored to know he was my uncle. Later that day, he invited me to my cousins home to hear him talk about his experiences in WWII. It was the first and only time he would ever discuss it openly, and no one remembered to record it. I had Kaiya, and she was enthralled with the small town activities of the 4th of July. I couldn't tear her away and had no one to watch her. I will always regret not being able to hear his personal account of WWII, or his acts of heroism. I am proud to be an American and proud to be a Brown descendant because of my Uncle Jack, and his brothers and sisters. 

I did not see him often, but when I did it was sure nice to hear that voice and see that walk that seemed to belong to more than one Brown Brother.  I thought of my Granddad each time I saw him and wondered what it would be like to still have him there. But, Uncle Jack was there and I enjoyed his gentle and kind words always. My Granddad, a sister, and my other great uncles greeted him on the other side. I am certain that reunion was wonderful, and I feel sorry for those of us that missed it because it was sure to be a good time! Soon enough, and what a sweet reunion it will be to see him again. I am blessed with amazing ancestors. 

Silly Girls!!

Kaelani cracks me up! She loves to play in mama's cupboards and is always finding new fun hats!! Mama is always the tester of choice!! Love that silly monkey of mine!! 

So, tonight mama got to test out the "bowl hat!" She was told she is beautiful even with a bowl hat! And then,  Kaelani decided it was her turn, and she took it from me!! 

Love FALL!

We arrived home this evening to the delicious smell of a roast! I love the aroma of a cooking roast with onions, potatoes, and carrots! Yum!!! After getting homework done, it was time to eat!! 

Kaiya helped to set the table on the patio, she is an amazing helper! Kaelani helped carry out the cups! We got dinner all served up and enjoyed an evening of talking, playing, and sitting in awe of the super full moon!!  This is the best time of year because the evenings cool and it makes the patio a perfect get away! 

After dinner, we cleaned up and got the girls into bed. Then, enjoyed the rest of the night sitting on the patio. 

The moon was so bright! I couldn't stop commenting how beautiful it was and how bright it lit up the yard! 

An amazing evening, so grateful that fall is here!! 

September 11, 2013

We did our traditional visit of "The Healing Field" in Tempe today. This is a tradition we have come to totally love! The girls love the flags, and I love that they get to experience and a visual of a sad day in history. 

We changed it up a bit and went for the ceremony at 7 p.m. It was a very touching ceremony. Several speakers stood out, but particularly a Marine who survived the attacks on the Pentagon. After the ceremony, we were each given a tea light, and we placed it at the base of a flag. It was very sombering experience. The girls were so good during the whole even. Both placing their hand on their hearts and listening. Kaelani "singing" during the songs. 

I love how alike these two are . . . watching them is entertaining! When one does something, she other one does too!! Love them! A plane flew overhead, and their mannerisms are so much the same!! 

Kaelani waving to the camera!! Sweet GIRL!! 

Gorgeous Girls!

Sisters! Need I say more!!

Kaiya placing her candle

Kaelani pointing . . . but she wasn't gonna leave her battery light!!