Our Family: September 2008

Monday, September 22, 2008

Little Man

Brinley loves to go on bike rides and so that means Matthew does as well. We got him his own "ha mit" (helmet) and some cool sunglasses at a garage sale. He thought he was pretty cool. He wouldn't smile....He just had on this tough, oh yeah, I am riding my bike face the whole time. He is sooooooo cute! I just want to squeeze him!

This is Brin and Matt and our really nice neighbor who has Panda and Milo, the kids favorite dogs!

What we've been up to....

We LOVE to find good deals at garage sales. It's pretty much become a family hobby! We go every Saturday we can!

Little Buddy fell asleep on the way home. We unloaded Brinley and all our goods from the bike trailer and he slept the entire time.

We got some nice ties for $1, lots of nice kids clothes for .25 cents, really cheap toys, and other random things for really cheap. I seriously cant buy kids clothes at the store anymore because I am used to getting them for a quarter!

Brinley and Matt love to help Daddy work around the house.

I am notorious for burning things. This was one of those precooked chickens that I put in the oven to keep warm. Well, I started to fix the rest of dinner and a little while later I turned the oven up to 400 degrees to make hard bread (Brinley's favorite). I smelled plastic but thought it was just the tupperware dish that got melted a couple of weeks ago. I opened the oven to put in my bread and this is what I have found.......

Monday, September 15, 2008

Brinley's First Day of Preschool

We made it back from Utah at about 5:00 a.m.! Brinley was so cute. She was surprisingly really homesick the last day in Utah. As soon as we pulled up she told us that she wanted to hug all her toys. She started hugging everything in the garage then made her way to the couches, her dolls and then the carpet in her room!

Brinley was so excited to get home to go to preschool. We woke up after noon and had to hurry and eat breakfast and get Brinley ready for her big day at 1:00! She looked so darling!!

This was Brinley on her second day of school. I love her going to school because she actually lets me do her hair.

Monday, September 8, 2008

The Subway

Definitely the highlight of our trip was going down to St. George with our awesome friends, Chris and Melanie. We drove down to Zion National Park Thursday night to get permits to hike the Subway. We got in line around 12:30 am to wait for the backcountry office to open at 7:00 am. Chris was our hero and stayed there all night while Brian, Mel and I slept in the car. It was a good thing we got in line when we did because all the permits for the Subway were gone by 7:05 am!

Chris, Melanie, Brian, Jami at the beginning of the hike.

We probably saw at least a hundred frogs!!

Brian, Jami, Chris and Melanie.
This is where you would NOT want to be sitting during a flash flood!

In several places we had to swim because there was no way around! Sometimes if we were lucky we had the boys give us shoulder rides. Even though it was over 100 degrees at Zion it was pretty cold in the subway because there was no sunlight.

Melanie walking in one of the most beautiful spots in the subway.

Brian showing off his muscles.....

There was one part we had to rappel down the side of the canyon.

Brian climbing down a tree stump over a little waterfall.

Along the trail you come across some dinosaur tracks that are pretty distinct. It was really awesome to see them. There were a whole bunch across two big slabs.

Along the way we (meaning Brian) caught 3 different snakes. This one was the most unique and beautiful with its black and white stripes.

This is the damage from a flash flood that happened a couple of weeks ago.

The last part was a 400 ft incline up the side of the canyon. Definitely the most difficult part... it reminded me a lot of the French Alps.

Yeah, we made it alive! It only took us 10.5 hours start to finish! That night all of us went to bed at midnight and didn't wake up until 10:00 a.m.!

Both us and Chris and Melanie are avid Settlers players. We both have the game and somehow we both forgot our games. After asking everyone we met if they had settlers, Melanie and I decided to make the game ourselves with some notecards and paper plates!!

I have to say that this trip within a trip was one of the best we have ever had! We have never laughed so hard or cried so hard or stayed up so late! Thanks Ray and Jen and Chris and Mel for being the best friends we could ever ask for! Hopefully we can get together sooner than next year!!

Up North

One night Brian and I went up to Salt Lake and ate at the Roof Restaurant with Brian's Dad and Uncle and a lender as well as all their wives. I have always wanted to eat there, however, I don't know that I will go again. The best part was the amazing view especially of the Salt Lake Temple. Brian took the picture below from where we were sitting.

One day we also went to the dentist...no cavities for anyone! Yeah! After we went up to the Treehouse Museum in Ogden with our great friends the Vernon's. The kids had a lot of fun together. After the museum we went to a BBQ at our other friends house the Wren's. Jay sure knows how to make a great burger and Cyndi makes the most delicious desserts!

Bestest Friends Brindy (3) and Brinley (3)

Tate (2)

Daddy and Matt (1) playing with the horses.

Cyndi said that for some reason their Nemo screen saver always attracts the kids. I thought it was hilarious that all 6 kids were just standing around the computer giggling at the Nemo screen saver!

Timberlakes

We spent the first weekend in Utah with all of Brian's family except for one brother up at his parent's cabin in Timberlakes. It was so much fun! They put up a zip line which was the hit of the weekend. All the kids LOVED it! Brinley even rode it all by herself. You can't beat a weekend full of great food, games and late night talks!

Maleah (5), Brian (29) and Matthew (1) reading bedtime stories. Maleah was reading to Matt from her chapter book!

Almost the whole group.

All of the McDonald grandkids and kids (minus one brother).

rinley (3), Uncle Jared (22), Caitlin (5)

Sippy, sunglasses and a nerf gun....what else do you need?

Bampa's Boat

One day we went boating at Utah Lake with my parents and Kenzie. My Mom and Dad were kind enough to take us on their boat. Brian's sister Jamie and her 5 kiddos came as well. We had a lot of fun tubing and jumping off the boat. Matthew liked to ride on the tube and jump to Brian but Brinley would not even go near the water!