Brennan's steps

Well, he is taking his first steps! Just a few, but wow is he proud of himself. He loves to stand up, smile, get a reaction and then almost throw himself back down. And then look up and smile again! All of my kids were late walkers, and Brennan definitely is! And he doesn't even say mama! But, he says Dada (of course) and baba (bottle). He is just a wonderful little child! His last molar made it's first poke yesterday, and it is hurting him something bad! Poor kid. And poor me! I have to hold him all the time! He won't let me set him down. Love the contact, hate not getting anything done!

Cough guide

With my kids being sick, I have been thinking and reading about being sick, and came across this helpful little ditty (in Parenting magazine):

If your kids cough is : the likely cuase is -- for relief:

wet and productive : an infection or allergies -- saline drops and fluids

dry and raspy : an infection, allergen -- same, limit exposure to allergen

barking dog or seal : croup (worse at night) -- hot steam 15 min then fresh air

with wheezing : asthma or bronchitis -- see doctor

severe cough and whoop: whooping cough -- see doctor ASAP

What's on my mind...

I haven't posted my thoughts lately, so you'll get just a little look into my mind right now. I have been thinking about my mission --TEN years I have been home! Argh. That seems so long ago, yet I still think I am young. It was great. I loved my mission. I loved my companions (yes, all of you), and I love that I am still in contact with so many of them. I love the people I met --Familia Canales, Familia Cabrera, Jorge and Luz Parodi, and her mother ("ya vienen las chicas), Jenny, and so many more. I loved that I was immersed in the gospel every day. I loved that I had an actual HOUR (at least) to STUDY (escudrinar) the scriptures. I loved the time that I learned what FAITH actually was. How it worked, the real, deep, stuff. Doctrine and Covenants 93. What an eye opener. I loved it all. I am so glad I was able to go. I would like to go again--knowing the things I know now, and serve better.
I'd like to be a missionary now. And I can. I can share with my neighbors. We are actually taking our neighbors, the Juarez family, to the Draper Open House tomorrow. That will be great. I think I'll feel like a missionary again.
I would also like the time to study that I had before.
When I was up in Idaho for Christmas, Brother Smyth taught the Sunday School lesson and he mentioned that in his mission, his president challenged all new missionaries --in the first six weeks of their mission, to read the Book of Mormon THREE times! WOW. But he said it was so nice because he could easily recall and cite things since he had just read it three times. Well, I was inspired. Not to read it three times in six weeks, but I challenged myself to read it one time through in the month of January. I thought it would be nice to start off the year having read the BOM. I am proud to say that I have kept on task. Halfway through the month and halfway through the book! It has been nice. I have noticed a change. I think I am more calm, less angry, happier. I hope it has made a difference. It has been hard. I am interrupted often. I haven't been to exercise cause the kids have been sick, so I have a bit more time to read (Unfortunately, I realize that exercising at 9 a.m. (Jazzercize) is hard, and I get lots more done if I don't go. Now I have to find a new exercise routine earlier in the morning). In any case, I am happy with it all. I hope I keep up with it throughout the month, and then continue reading daily though the year!

Three wise boys

Christmas vacation was full of parties and many things to do! We had many Daw and Blair family parties, and then Scott's own family party. We had our first Ron and Tracey Daw grandkids nativity. Weston was a bit too shy to by Joseph so Aidan took over that part, Weston was a wise man, and Brennan was a sleep (no, not a sheep-- asleep... sleeping--it was a bit late for him to take part, but let's pretend he was a sheep so he was a part of it all). Anyway, they were darling.

We continued with the nativity theme this year and did our own little nativity. We were just going to read the story, but they wanted all the clothes on, too. Then on Christmas evening we went to my Uncle Matt and Aunt Barbara's for a Brown gathering and had yet ANOTHER nativity. I thik we got the "point of Christmas" across...

On Christmas eve we went to dinner with Scott's family, then headed home for our "traditions". We opened Christmas pajamas, made pretzel "cookies" (pretzels dipped in chocolate) for santa, left a carrot for Rudolph, read the Christmas story, hung up our stockings and told if we were "good" this year and told what we wanted for Christmas. I like our traditions. It is fun cause some of it comes from my family, some from Scott's and then we have created our own. Christmas morning the boys each rang a bell and they came down the stairs, and then found their stockings (filled with a suprisingly small amount of candy this year... yeah!) and we opened presents. Then the visits began.

We visited Grandma Nancy, Grandma Daw (glad we saw her one last time before she died), Grandma Bea, and then to Mom and Dad Daw's. We gave Dad his "Heritage Makers" book about his parents that we made him. He loved it. I am so glad we had it for him before Grandma died. He then asked if we could get one for each of his siblings. So I made five more (not too hard, just a few pics to change out).
In the evening we had the extended Brown family get together. The next morning we woke up and SLOWLY drove through storm residue up to Idaho to visit my family. We had a great time (for some reason I have NOOO photos!!??!). Devan made a ice skating rink the kids played on, and they got to see the baby goats, and I went shopping with my sisters!

It was a great Christmas vacation and now let's get back on with life!

Finally, Christmas: Snow Fun!

I am finally going to post our Christmas activities. I am so behind. This week both of my kids were sicker than they have ever been before (has anyone else had a kid who had a fever for FIVE days??? it is terrible!)

I'll start with "Snow Fun". It has been so great to have slightly older kids this year so I can bundle them up and shove them outside! They love playing in the snow (we'll just the older two) and Weston is finally really brave and will sled down the hills without hesitation. Yeah! We have a retention pond just kitty corner from our house, so they just pop over for some fun. We had some great snowfall this year so far and we made a great snowman (Thanks Kim and Val for the "snowman kit").

Brennan loved his first time out in the snow. He really just sat there, but loved watching the boys play.

I made some frosting for Weston's class and it didn't turn out. I was wayyy to thick, so the boys made frosting snowmen out of it instead. I think they turned out really cute!

Happy Birthday Husband!

We really tried to make Scott's birthday a good one this year. It has been crazy with the holidays, family parties, going up to Idaho, grandma dying and her funeral, and the kids being sick, so I didn't think it would turn out very well. We really tried! For a week before his birthday we gave him a small present every day (peanuts, root beer, etc), and I had some fun surprises planned for last Saturday. We were going to the temple in Bountiful (for my bro-and sis-in law's sealing to their third adopted child), and I planned a pants shopping trip after that. Then, we were going to his parents house and they would watch the kids while I took him to Ruth's Chris (a famous, REALLY nice steak house that was going out of business. I had made a reservation online), and then I was going to rent Eagle Eye for us to watch in the evening. Doesn't that all sound like fun for a a 32 year old? I was excited for all of these surprises for him... Then, on Wednesday, he came home with two new pair of pants... On Thursday, he came home with Eagle Eye... On Friday, Ruth's Chris called to say that Friday was there last day open (so if we showed up Saturday, no food). Everything fell through!!!! How can it ALL fall apart? And I was trying so hard. But, it still worked out. We went shoe shopping instead and then went to Brazagrill. And we still had fun. It just makes for quite a story.

For his little "party" today, I made an amazing Coconut cake for him that everyone liked and wrapped up all the presents he bought himself... :) The boys made a big sign and made some interesting homemade gifts. His parents were able to come out for a few minutes and we sang Happy Birthday and ate cake. I think it turned out to be good. I hope he liked it all!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful Scott! I wish I could adequately tell you how great you are, but I am no good with words. But know that I think you are the best! You are my favorite and I love you more than a snowblower.

Catch up

I didn't post for so long about what we've been up to, so now I have got a lot of catching up to do!
My friend and companion from my mission, Cari Smith, came to visit me! It was so fun to see her and meet Ragan, her man... and the boys just loved her! Weston is very attached to his "Aunt Cari."

We took a trip downtown to visit temple square. We had to make it quick because we needed to pick up my mom from the airport, so it was a fast walk around, but fortunately, and amazingly, we got a parking place right across the street from TS! Scott's photography skills on the beautiful Salt Lake temple.

My not so great skills, but what cute boys (all four of them!)