Splish Splash

Life is good. But, life is great in a kiddie pool!
This was Konnor's first time in a pool! And as you can tell by the look on his face, he is having the time of his life.
If you are wondering why he is in regular clothes, there are two reasons for that.
1. I wasn't sure I was going to put him in the pool.
2. I PACKED HIS SWIM TRUNKS!
I mean come on, it is April, and there were 6 inches of snow on the ground last week.
So, I packed it all!
Below: Is Kaylee laughing and splashing!

Below: Is Ayden, Claire, and Kaylee.
They always have so much fun together.
Especially, in Kate's backyard! :)

Hard at work

Kaylee loves to be a part of the action! Kyle decided to mow the lawn (or all of our dandy lions), and Kaylee wanted to be the big girl helper that she is, and decided to grab her lawn mower too!
Kaylee was following him everywhere with her mini-mower.
P.S. If you are wondering why Kyle is wearing those headphones, he is listening to Harry Potter!

Cul-de-sac BBQ

Our Cul-de-sac loves to have BBQ's!
It is a bring your own meat and a side to share. Everyone has a great time laughing and eating! The kids have a blast playing and laughing. If we are lucky, we can get them to calm down enough to actually eat.
Here is the kiddie table.
Mason is the life of the party at this ladies table!
Konnor is enjoying being the "center" of attention, watching everyone talk and laugh.
He is our "chill" boy.


THE MEN at the BBQ, goofin' off. (Jeremy, Curtis, and Kyle)
Random crowd shot.
This was our last sac-bbq here. :(
We are really going to miss these Sac Parties! This is the best group of people to have as neighbors! We always have so much fun together. (Mostly just listening to Mark tell funny stories! ha ha)

They sure love the swings!

There is no greater joy, than to hear your children laughing!Konnor laughing on the swings.



Kaylee always wants an "under-dog"!


Aunt Kim came with us, and we all had a blast!We LOVE the park!

My favorite view!

It may not seem like much to you, but this sight brings a smile to my face. Kaylee loves to ride her tricycle! She laughs and smiles the whole way to the park. I love my little girl. She brings so much joy to my life.

What is that?!!!!!!

Welcome to the Brothersen's Guessing game.
(Pictures taken April 16th, 2009)
1. Can you guess what this pic is of?
Drum roll please. It is Kaylee's Tricycle!
It is totally swallowed up in the unwanted blanket of snow!

2. Can you guess what this is? ......
It is my flower bed. Yes, the one that was looking so pretty
a couple of weeks ago.
The one with the TALL tulips and daffodils! Yes, that one.

Below: This is a pic of my backyard, grill, and apple tree.
You would never know that it is seriously the middle of APRIL! P.S. I sure love GLOBAL WARMING, don't you?

Our Easter Dinner

Since we have been married, Kyle and I have had a formal Easter Dinner at our house every year. Growing up, my dad would have a HUGE Easter celebration at our house with about 300 people coming over all day. We have decided to keep up the tradition, but on a MUCH smaller scale. So, each year we have different family and friends come. This year was a lot of fun. I cooked my very first turkey at home! Here are some of the highlights from this years formal Easter dinner.

This pic below is the Easter guests this year. Back row: Paul, Kathie, Noell, Kalli, Baby
Middle row: Kyle, Karen holding Konnor, Nana, Janae holding Chase.
Front row: Kaylee, Miles, Taylor, Noa

Easter triple chocolate cake. Green coconut and chocolate glaze.
My 2 handsome men! I love Konnor's tie, if I don't say so myself. :)
Here are the place settings. (lovely folding chairs from my neighbors)
Here are the name place settings. Peanut butter eggs with frosting names.Kaylee with candy mouth, drooling at the chocolate cake. (She is trying to show her innocence and plead her case of why she needs a piece of cake) :)
Thanks to everyone that came. It was a lot of fun!

Cul-de-sac Easter Egg Hunt

It has been our tradition in our little cul-de-sac to host an Easter Egg Hunt the day before Easter. Each house in our sac puts out eggs in their own front yard, and then we invite a few friends in the neighborhood to accompany our little ones for the hunt. It has been a fun tradition. (I will miss it!)
Here are a couple pics of it.
And they are off!!!! GO Kaylee, GO!
Best friends always stick together!After all the yards have been cleared out, we all meet in my backyard for one more big hunt.
There are many more eggs in my back yard, but ONE IS EMPTY. The empty egg represents Jesus' tomb being empty on the 3rd day, Easter morning. Whomever finds the "empty" egg wins a huge basket of prizes! This year it was Dillan Ramirez, (he is a 2nd year winner!) This pic is of him holding the clear and empty egg, and in the background is
Kyle coming with his prize basket.
Our lil' family after the hunt!

Happy Easter!

Hope all of you have a wonderful Easter Sunday!

Here is a beautiful video about the Savior. Enjoy!

Click on: Son of Man

We are buying a house!!!!

We have been renting for over 5 years, and now we are taking the big step into the world of home-ownership. We have been seriously looking a few months and found this home. It is in Saratoga Springs, Ut. It has 4 beds and 2 1/2 baths. We are excited for the move, and sad to leave all of our good friends and ward members. It has been awesome being in the neighborhood and this ward. What a blessing it has been to start our marriage and family around such wonderful people. Kaylee had fun posing throughout the house too!

Pay It Forward

I got this idea from my good friend Heather. She is SO creative and has such great style and creativity. I am really looking forward to this. "Paying It Forward" is a wonderful concept and makes everyone feel good.

This is how it works..... The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a hand made gift from me during this year. When and what will be a surprise. BUT, in order for you to leave a comment on my blog, you have to post this on your blog first. (That means that sometime during this year you will send a gift to 3 people as well.) Get it? So, the first 3 people to comment on this post will be the lucky ones! Take Luck! And don't be scared, it doesn't have to be the most spectacular thing you've ever done or anything.. it can just be something simple. It'll be fun!

Signs of Spring...

THE FLOWERS ARE BLOOMING!
I was impressed at this picture. I feel like a pro! ha ha
This is my flower garden. I love flowers, I love the bright happy colors and the feel of new life! So, now that my flowers are starting to bloom and there is a small sign of spring, I thought I would document it! Also, my companion in "Spanish Crime" (Sachi) reminded me that spring-time is a great time to think about the Savior and the real meaning of Easter. Christ is our hope for new life. Through His Atonement, we can be made clean, whole, and new again! All we have to do is put our trust and faith in Him. So during this week of Easter, take time to remember our Savior, who was and is perfect, who died on the cross for each of us, who loves us more than we can comprehend!
This is my first tulip of the year! It opened so big!

First you see it, then you don't

Kaylee and I made strawberry muffins (Jiffy) the other day, and Kaylee thought Konnor would like one. She was a good big sister and pulled the paper off so he wouldn't choke. I was a little uncertain about him having a whole muffin to himself, but I allowed it anyway. She wanted to teach him how to eat it like a big boy. He seemed to like licking it and inspecting it closely. So, I started to do the dishes right beside him. And the next thing I know is

Konnor had eaten theWHOLE thing!

(apart from the crumbs shown below)

He was a happy boy, and Kaylee was so proud of herself for teaching Konnor the fun world of Jiffy muffins

Recipe

So, a few people have asked me to post some of my favorite recipes. And I have decided to post one every now and then. Maybe weekly, who knows. We will see how much time I am left at the end of the day. But to start things off... Here is one of my favorite soup recipes.

Mostly because it takes only 12 min. to prepare. YIPPEE! We are all busy moms right!

Pasta Fagioli Soup

2 cans of beef broth

1 can of Great Northern beans, drained.

1 can of diced tomatoes, undrained. (I used Italian Tomatoes)

2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced.

1 tbs. olive oil

1 ½ tsp. minced garlic

½ tsp. dried basil leaves

½ tsp. dried oregano leaves

½ c. uncooked tubetti, ditali pasta

½ c. garlic croutons

½ Parmesan cheese

1. combine broth, beans, tomatoes with juice, zucchini, oil, garlic, basil, and oregano in slow cooker. Mix well. Cover; cook on low for 3-4 hours.
2. 2. Stir in pasta. Cover; cook on low 1 hour or until pasta is tender. (just threw pasta in to begin with)
3. Serve soup with croutons and cheese. Garnish with fresh basil if desired. Makes 5 – 6 servings. Prep time: 12 minutes Cook time: 4-5 hours

FYI: I added this recipe on "My Girls' Kitchen" blog that Heather started.

Pretty Princesses!

Every Princess needs good friends!

Here is Ayden, Kaylee, & Claire.

They are such adorable little girls. They love to get dressed up in their princess dresses and wear as many pieces of jewelry as they can possibly find! I had to get a picture!

I am so happy that Kaylee has such good friends.