Wedding Bells

Last Friday my brother Bryce married his sweetheart Danielle!!!!! I love weddings! He couldn't have picked a better girl, I love her to death!

Here are the snapshots of our day:

*Us driving up the huge hill to the Bountiful temple during a BLIZZARD in our 10 year old van we bought off KSL (I was definitely questioning THAT decision) with my eyes about to pop out of my head and my heart nearly stopping cause I thought we were gonna die, either by sliding down the hill or being inches away from crashing into a car. BUT WE MADE IT!!

*Watching Bryce and Danielle gaze into each other's eyes as they are sealed together forever. *SIGH! Awesome.

*Nursing in a bathroom stall sitting on a toilet not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES cause I am wearing a dress and people probably wouldn't appreciate me lifting it up over my head in public. Still pushing the bottle for times like those... and she is almost getting it...

*Tearing up as my mom read a letter from my brother Kenny (who is on a mission) to Bryce and Danielle. Kenny, we missed you!!!!!

*Introducing myself to everyone as Bryce's "brother." I have some LOOSE SCREWS UP THERE! It was funny though.

*Two minutes before we are about to leave the wedding luncheon without ANY SPILLS FROM 4 KIDS WHATSOEVER Logan spills a huge glass of root beer all over. Nice.

*Undressing the kids out of their nice clothes and into comfy clothes and back into their nice clothes within an hour. Hey we had a little bit of down time, we took advantage.

*Trying to control my wild animals, I mean, children at the wedding reception so they wouldn't knock over the cake or something. I'm relieved to say: Disaster averted! Although Logan did have fun with the drink dispensers as he poured like a gallon of lemonade all over the floor.

Honestly the kids were pretty good the whole day, hauling them to all the events (with the help of Nate's and my exhausted efforts). It was such a fun day though, I love watching the newlywed "glow" and I'd like to think Nate and I still glow sometimes. :) Congrats Bryce and Danielle! ! !

Irish step dancing. but wait! there's more!

Just getting caught up on pictures! So in no particular order...

Jenna had a dance recital last week and her class did Irish step dancing. I KNOW, RIGHT!!! It was the most adorable thing I've ever seen. So far all of her little dance recitals bring this warm feeling to my soul and I get this urge to cry. I don't know why. Good job Jenna!!!






Some cousins came to watch (and Carter looks a little demon-ish here.)



I totally forgot to landmark a very important day in the life of Kaitlyn. After WEEKS of rocking on all fours...


And practicing her planks...


this princess of mine...


Crawls all over the place!
(imagine a VIDEO on March 8 of her first crawls that I am too lazy to wait and wait for it to upload on here, GO KAITLYN GO!) And she has 2 teeth. She just turned 8 months yesterday. Holy cow! She is a happy little thing, my Katie-baby.

One day when we were outside the kids found centipedes (yeah the ones that ended up in my rice can) They were so cute (the kids, not the centipedes). Jenna found her third one and she exclaims, "Mom, there are a LOT of centipedes in this world!!"






Picnicking on the porch a couple weeks ago while the rain came down. Good times.



I just love these pictures of my dad playing with the kids. They crack me up. I don't know how much longer he'll be able to carry all three like that!!




HMMM what else is new. OKAY so I think this time in my life is not the time to be marathon training. SERIOUSLY I'm doing AWFUL! NO TIME! I did run 10 miles last Saturday and felt awesome, I did not think I could do it. This Saturday I am going to attempt 12. Saturday running is not the problem, it is the running during the week. Saturdays Nate is home and I have all glorious day to get my run in. But during the week is crazy. Like this week I have run a total of 3.5 miles. That is it. I really have no excuse cause I have a treadmill. But I personally think WHAT is the point of running if you are on a treadmill though!!! Then I remember oh yeah the point is you need to be consistent and if the treadmill adds miles to your week then you have to. Cause thinking of running 12 on Saturday when I've only ran 3.5 miles this week is not fun.

Lets see what other random thoughts do I have. Lately Jenna and Carter have been SO competitive with each other. They compare who gets the biggest piece of ANYTHING, who has the biggest CUP, who has the most WATER in their CUP, who can go the fastest on their bike, seriously. So yesterday I was getting fed up and really tried to hype up how AWESOME "MEDIUM" is!!!!!! I did a little dance and sang a little song about the greatness of just being MEDIUM, NOT the biggest or fastest or best and how much I, personally, LOVE being medium. I don't think they bought it.

Today Carter told me I looked "stinkin' cute." I laughed hard.

Watched the BYU game tonight. WHAT A BUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe I CARE!!!!!!!!!

You know what I love? Rice Chex, but they have to be SOGGY!! Yep I love love love soggy Rice Chex. (it goes without saying that I add a bunch of sugar.)

The other day I was craving that green bean casserole with the cream of mushroom soup and the french fried onions on top, so I made it and I ate almost the whole thing BY MYSELF. It was so weird. I know what you are thinking and the answer is NOOO.

Okay well I am done rambling about nothing.

A bridal shower

So last night I threw my future sister-in-law a shower!! (well I use the term "I threw" loosely since my mom did a lot AND my head's not on cause I left the games I had prepared at home.) I'm so excited for my little brother, they're the cutest couple.

I snagged Bryce for a minute and he ended up staying the whole time, so here they are telling the story of how they met.

It's a great story. Just picture it... a boy glimpses a beautiful girl across the room... their eyes meet... palms sweating, hearts beating, heads dizzy, arms stuck with needles!! Yeah they met donating plasma. True story! And I love it! He actually didn't meet her that first time, but she made such an impression he vowed to himself he would find her and meet her. He looked for her all over campus and every time he donated plasma ("If I have to track down every plasma center on earth...!!!" ha ha) and what do you know, he found her there again. :) :) it's a cute story.

Here is Bryce using a bathroom rug as a bib.

She's so cute!








So I did forget the games, but I did remember my gift. I got this idea off the internet, and then did my own thing from that. I bought a bunch of products I thought I could use and then wrote a letter:
Dear Danielle,
You are entering a new LIFE. I am sure it will be full of much SNUGGLEing until DAWN. But let me tell you a little SECRET. Bryce will probably not always be Mr. CLEAN. In fact I'm not going to LY(SOL), things won't always be full of CHEER. SNICKER SNICKER. But that's okay, don't get too SENSITIVE (toothpaste). When things do get hard just DIAL him on the phone and RESOLVE it. Cause you guys made a PLEDGE to each other and although it won't be perfect it will be RICH and MOISTURIZING (shea butter soap) and you guys are BUTTER together. So after giving him the third DEGREE make sure to you give him BIG WET ONES and CARESS your HONEY BUNCHES OF OATS and everything will be fine.
Love Erika

I'm excited to have Danielle join the fam!

Afterwards my family and I were comparing our heights so we lined up like the Von Trapp family and were being silly. Missing my 2 other brothers.


Then I got home and a thoughtful "leprechaun" (not even gonna check that spelling) had left me something!! Seriously, thank you. I don't know who you are but it meant a lot. In the back of my mind I am like, I know it is someone who went by my house and heard me yelling at my kids this week and thought, yikes she needs help. :)

So this has nothing to do with anything, but yesterday Logan would not nap. He sleeps at night in the big boy bed but during the day I lay him down in the crib for naps... which worked great until he learned how to climb out. yesterday I was so fed up, I tried tying it shut with a jumprope, I tried shoving a towel under the door, nope, and then I swear someone told me about shoving a washcloth somewhere, well I must have done it wrong cause I popped the door off its hinges!!!


I was so mad! This kid was GOING TO NAP! Cause when he gets out he just ruins the other kids "nap/quiet" times and believe me I am NOT ready to give THOSE up. So I wedged the door there (don't worry it wasn't gonna fall). And let me tell you I am BRILLIANT I TELL YOU! I laughed and laughed as Logan tried everything he could to open it!!!! Then I'd look over and his one eye would be staring me down through the crack (horror movie right there) well within 10 minutes he was asleep on the floor.


I KNOW this is not a permanent solution and I will probably fix the door tomorrow... but seriously not a bad idea.