My twins?

So I have been joking that Tom and I need to have twin boys next so that we can be done and fill the need for some more testosterine in our house. Well this got me thinking about Brooke and Elle after Suzannes comment I thought about how much they look like each other so here our my twins now.
Brookie at 14 months:

This is Brookie at 15 months:

Elle at 14 months:

Elle at 14 months:

This is my girls today...notice the cheeto lips?

I just noticed how dark Elles eyebrows are compared to Brookes at the same age. She also has less hair than Brookie did. I didn't even think that was possible I guess it all went to her eyebrows huh? Needless to say they are so fun and I am so glad they are close in age, hopefully they will survive teenagehood and still be close.

Homesick...

So I have been pretty homesick this week. I think it's the natural let down from having visitors and just talking to everyone from home and wishing we were there. Tom and I have both been extra homesick this week because Tom's parents are both having a few health issues and we wish we were close enough to run up to Bear Lake on the weekends to help out. I guess that is the hardest part is feeling like we are just far enough away that we can't run home whenever the desire or need hits. We are liking our ward and our area and I have to say the ward is very close knit I think in part to the fact that there are so many people away from there families. I swear 1/3 of our ward is from Utah and moved here for work just like Tom and I so that is comforting in a way. I helped start a babysitting swap group that has been fun and a good way to get to know other couples. I don't think I posted about our new callings. Tom got called to be the Home Teaching Coordinator, and also is the Sunday school teacher to the 12/13 year olds. About 4 weeks ago the whole primary presidency was reorganized and I was called to be the 2nd counselor. I was a little shocked considering at that point I didn't know anyone in the ward. I am really starting to enjoy it and really like the girls that I am in the presidency with. I love being in primary and often feel like it is so easy to feel the spirit in there. The only problem I am now facing is the fact that Brooke as a Sunbeam wants to talk to me and "help" me whenever I am conducting so that should be interesting but I do love being in there with them.

Anyways that's about it not much else very exciting has happened this week just the usual school stuff.

I have been sooooooooooo tired and can only figure that is the, going to bed too late and the waking up too early that is killing me. Also I wanted to give a shout out to Josh and Steffany, they are getting married Dec. 7th and we are so excited and happy for them. Josh is lucky to get a girl like Steffany and I am very excited to add her to my list of awesome sister-in-laws. I thought I would put up some pictures of the babies as they are growing up so fast.

Riley is loving school, but he always has and has adjusted good to the school thing. I am actually loving the early start early out schedule because he is home by 2:45 so we still have a lot of time together. OK, enough of the ramblings...and this was going to be a "short" post. Until I post again.....

A 2 week blitz.... *warning extremely long post*

So I am going to attempt to go over the past two weeks in one post....yes this could be long. The week before the Lutz family came and visited us Tom left for Georgia on that Sunday. I had been feeling under the weather for nearly a week already but didn't think much of it. Tom was gone to Atlanta from Sunday morning till Wednesday night. He was out there for training and from what he has told me it sounds like he had a good time. All week that Tom was gone I was busy working on getting the house ready for our visitors. I felt progressively sicker but figured I would get over it before Thursday as I had already been sick for almost 2 weeks. Tom got home Wednesday and we almost went to the doctor that night but I thought....one more day. Well Thursday came and we were crazy busy getting ready for Candi and Kelly to come. I was so happy that morning as was the whole family. Tom told me to not clean and just sleep so I could get better. I tried to just rest but that turned out to be a bad idea. Tom was suppose to get home around 6:00pm but he stayed to help with a BBQ and he didn't get home until 8:15pm. The house was a mess, and so was I. Tom came home, sent me to a insta care type clinic and got to cleaning. I went to the doctors found out I had a lovely case of bronchitis and was sent home with some meds. I actually was so happy that I had something that I could actually take medicine for. I came home and Tom and I finished the rest of the house and waited patiently or rather impatiently for the Lutz family to arrive. We had put the kids to bed like normal but promised them we would wake them up when the cousins arrived. They got here a little after midnight and we were so happy. When I saw them it felt like home. I was so glad to have familiar faces in my house. I was so happy and so were the kids. We all stayed up, visited and, watched an awesome Hawaii video Kelly made for us. We didn't go to bed until after 2:00am but it was worth it. The next day was Friday and the boys went golfing. Tom was so happy to have his golfing buddy back. Then we went to Old Chicago Pizza (Yummy) to pay homage to the pic of Candi, and then went to a nature and science museum.

Its so funny how it just felt like normal with everyone again. It felt like no time had passed at all and like this is how it should always be. That night Nate watched the kids for us and Candi, Kelly, Tom and I went downtown to The Cheesecake Factory. Tom ordered some nasty pasta dish that tasted like vomit, and Kelly ordered to weird pasta dish without the pasta. My salad and Candi's sandwich were good though I don't think I would go back to eat. The cheesecake was the redeeming factor though next time we will go straight for dessert. On Saturday we woke up packed a picnic lunch and went to a neat park near downtown. It has a stream running through it so we let the kids wade through it and it also has a train and a petting zoo. The turkey was so funny, it would let the kids pet it and just kept puffing up it's chest. It made me wonder what they had done to it to make it so docile.

Elle loved the animals. The hubbys were party poopers and wouldn't come in the petting zoo with us, but they did ride on the train with us. I guess they were too tired after there awesome basketball game. Tom was so stinking sweaty after that, he was wearing a black polo shirt, not the best idea for a hot day. It was so fun to just let the kids play and visit. After we got home we all went swimming in the pool. We had some nice diving contests and even had some chicken fights.




We had BBQ that night with some corn Candi and Kelly had brought, it made us even more homesick. On Sunday we went to Estes Park, and took a little hike in the mountains. It was beautiful. Everyone kept think Jennie and Brooke were twins with there matching outfits.




Erik managed to drop his sunglasses in the toilet and Candi, yes our germaphobic Candi, fished them out washed them and gave them back. I was so surprised and still laugh about it. The best part is Erik lost his glasses and we still haven't found them yet but we are still looking.



On Monday we woke up and the guys went golfing again, Kelly may or may not have shattered a window on a house, and then we all went to a big mall by our house. We had lunch, Candi got chewed out by a security guard for not watching the kids close enough, and Tom found his dream cell phone (a watch). It all ended much to fast and we were so said to see them leave. It's like I told Tom the pain of being away from everyone had turned into a dull ache and then when they left it ripped it wide open again. Luckily we are going to see everyone for Josh's wedding and hopefully we will have some visitors in October (Eli and Asia? Jed and Suzanne?) This week has just be the usual so far, getting back into the swing of things. I promise to update more often now that we are all feeling better (knock on wood).

Still here....

Yes, we are still here. With Tom gone to Georgia and then The Lutz Family visiting us on top of me having Bronchitis we have just been crazy busy! I will update more tomorrow.

The birthday boy!!!

Happy Birthday to Tom's favorite "Home Boy"














We are glad you are our friend even if we have
to put up with violent outbursts....
















We are still your friends even when you are a
disgrace on the boogie board, not enough body
fat for buoyancy right? (Just keep telling yourself that!)

















We even still like you when you get all snotty
and think you are better than everyone...
















But most of all we like you when you are sipping
on a lava flow....















Happy Birthday Kelly, what would we do without
such an awesome travel buddy? We love you!!!
See you on Thursday!!

Back to School!

Well the dreaded and blessed day has arrived and we are officially back to school. Riley was so excited to go to school today and it seems like he has a good teacher. His school starts at 7:45 am so we are having quite the adjustment to this new (extremely early) schedule but I did love the fact that he was home by 2:45. Brooke cried today because she missed Riley and I had to agree. I am excited to have him back in school and to have a more structured schedule but on the same hand I miss having my whole little family home with me. Anyways I have been horrible at updating my blog we have just been busy. I will post more pictures and updates tomorrow....hopefully! Off to bed, I am soooooo tired!!!









(We were so excited to pick Riley up after school!)

Our first Visitors...

Well today has just been a good mail day, we received 2 packages. The first is the long awaited new moon book from the twilight series. Yeah, I'm a little behind, but my dear sweet Suzanne sent me it for my birthday. Yeah my dishes are not done if that lets you know what I have been doing all day!!! Thanks Suz!! Our second package was our first visitors. Candi and Kelly and gang decided to come visit a little early so we are so happy to have them now residing on our wall. Only 14 more days till they are REALLY here!! Yippee! When we opened up the package and Brookie saw her clippies she almost started crying she was so excited. I imagine there will be some tears shed when she actually gets to see Jennie in "REAL LIFE." Anyway thanks again for the fun packages. I'm off to read some more New Moon....