{Looking Back...}

I've been scanning some old pictures onto my computer, and it's been so fun to look back at how much our family has changed these last 8 (9 in July!) years. Here are some old family pictures...I've been laughing at how bad my roots are in most of the pictures! Oops, guess it's no secret that I am not a true blond :o)!!

July 2000

2002 (Rhett is 4 months)

Rhett is 2

Rhett is 3, Ethan is 9 months

Rhett is 3, Ethan is 1

Rhett is 4, Ethan is 20 months


Rhett is 4, Ethan is 2, and I am 7 months pregnant with Kade
Rhett is 5, Ethan is 2, and Kade is 1 month

Rhett is 5, Ethan is almost 3, Kade is 6 months


Rhett is 6, Ethan is 3, and Kade is 1

{WHAT?!?}

You are a fool. That is all.

{The Latest}

I love holidays...and Valentine's Day is no exception! Holidays are so fun to celebrate with young children....I love the traditions and acts of kindness we can incorporate into the week before Valentine's Day!

We made sugar cookies, and although I usually bake and cook without my children's help, I let them help this time! It resulted in abnormally shaped hearts and not the best cookies - but they loved every minute and I had fun watching them cook. They loved running the cookies to neighbors and shouting "Happy Valentine's Day!".


The weather has been a little cooler, but we still play outside riding bikes almost every day. We live across the street from a park, so Rhett and Ethan ride over there while Kade rides his bike by me on the driveway. The big boys are still in eyesight, but feel like they are on their own over at the park :o).

This is a picture I took to document what Kade is doing to me whenever I am taking pictures:

"I wanna do it! I take picture! PLEASE!" he begs....so I relent and this is his Kodak moment:

Funny, huh?

Rhett and Ethan had fun Valentine's Day parties at school. Rhett and I made this Darth Vader box for his Valentines.

Rhett and Ethan both wanted to make some special Valentines for Grandma and Grandpa Flake, and I thought their drawings were cute (especially the girl's hair)

Rhett's:

Ethan's:

I hope everyone had a nice week as well :o)

XOXO

Brooke

{Visitors}

This weekend we were lucky enough to have Cody's parents (Gene and Cassie) and his grandparents (Jean and Ivan) come for a visit! His parents live in Logan, UT and his grandparents are from Lyman, WY.





They arrived Thursday night and we had dinner with Gene and Cassie. Then Dustin, April, & family as well and Gma and Gpa Bluemel came over for Cody's famous Mint Chocolate Chip shakes. The adults talked late into the night while the kids all played upstairs, mainly on the Wii :o). We loved hearing Grandma and Grandpa Bluemel tell us about their childhood and what life what like when they were newlyweds.

Hearing about how hard they worked, and what little they had makes me feel guilty for all that I have. They are such sweet, giving people and we enjoyed every minute spent with them!!

Friday night the adults all went to dinner at a local Chinese Restaurant. We got lots of different dishes to share and had a good time. Dustin was dared to eat 1/2 of a hot pepper....



Saturday they came to Ethan's basketball game and then later we went to a park and had a picnic. After that we toured some beautiful model homes and just about had Grandma and Grandpa B convinced that they should buy a home here for winter visits!! It was a fabulous visit and we are so glad they made the long drive down to AZ!

They headed back this morning before we left for church. I want to add a proud mommy moment..this morning in Sacrament Meeting Ethan went up and bore his testimony all by himself :o). It made us so proud and he had the biggest smile on his face when he walked down the aisle towards us. Moments like that make all the FHE lessons and family scripture stories at night seem worthwhile!!

I hope everyone is having a nice weekend... XOXO - Brooke