The Bunker Bunch

A few of my favorite Sessions women!

2011-12-04T20:01:00.000-08:00

The first week of November my three sisters came out to visit (my Mom was already here) for our annual sister's weekend. Unfortunately Kara and Celeste couldn't make it this time, but we hope they will next year! I was so happy to have them come - just what I needed after the craziness of having Christian and adjusting to our new life with three kids. They made me feel so loved and kind of grounded me back to who I am. Not sure if that makes sense, but it's one of those things that family can do for you. Plus, we talked until late at night, cooked and shared recipes (we all love food a little too much!), they were able to come to my baby shower, and they even helped me with some cleaning! It was so great to have them here. We had photos taken by Jill while they were here. They turned out great!

At the baby shower. . .

I love my Mom and sisters!

We all loved having them here (especially Justin :)...), but Sydney really loved their attention and was so excited to be one of the girls. She really wanted a picture with all of them - she was so happy here!

My 2011 Thankful List

2011-11-25T19:17:00.000-08:00

I know Thanksgiving was yesterday, but who has time to sit down to blog on Thanksgiving? And really, I haven't had time to blog much since Christian was born. He is sleeping soundly right now, so I am seizing the moment!

I am grateful for FAMILY - my wonderful husband who loves me, supports me, and puts up with all my faults, three sweet children who bring me more happiness than I can express. I love being a mother - it truly is my joy. I'm so grateful for my wonderful parents, parents-in-law, and all of our extended family. They give me love, support, joy, memories. I hope I give them the same.

I am grateful for the GOSPEL - my testimony, my Savior Jesus Christ, His Atonement, a loving Heavenly Father - I'm so glad to know that I am a daughter of God, the plan of salvation and the hope it brings, a living prophet, the scriptures, guidance and peace that comes from living right. I fall short but I'm doing my best!

I am grateful for my HOME - we try to protect our home from the world and make it a haven. I have been home a lot more lately and I can honestly say I love being home. I hope my children will always want to come home, no matter what stage in life they are in. Even though parts of our home are always needing to be fixed, I still love the comfort and peace that I feel when I'm home. Today our washer broke - we knew it was coming, but it's still not fun to have to buy a new one. Unfortunately it's kind of essential! I've been doing laundry almost every day since Christian was born. How does one little baby do that? Last week our oven broke, luckily parts just need to be replaced instead of the whole oven. Unfortunately it didn't get fixed in time for Thanksgiving, but we were still able to combine with friends to make Thanksgiving dinner happen. Thanks to Nicole for making the turkey and bringing it over!

I am grateful for my FRIENDS - I have lived away from my family for 10 1/2 years now and one reason that it has been bearable is because I have been blessed with many great friends throughout the years. We have been lucky to have some family come and go and we are so grateful for them! But we have also relied on some wonderful people that have been our support system, our go to people to celebrate holidays with, friends that I can call on when I need a babysitter or help at the last minute. This fall we have had so many friends bring us meals that were delicious and help out with the girls - it has really eased the pressure for me.

There are many more things that I could add, but these are the things that are at the top of my Thankful List. I am filled with gratitude!

Our Happy Hallloween

2011-11-25T13:05:00.000-08:00

We had a great Halloween! The day before we had to take a few pictures of the girls after church because they wanted to match and they looked so cute!

Brooklyn's preschool class Halloween parade - what a cute little cheerleader!

Sydney's class parade - she is always the tallest in the class. Wonder if that will last?

At the class party the kids played pin the eye on the ghost and Sydney honestly went the wrong way and pinned the eye on her teacher. Everyone got a good laugh!

Christian was being wide-eyed all day - it was fun to see him waking up and looking around.

Carving pumpkins on Halloween - love Brooklyn's excited face!

Finishing up with Daddy while Grandma makes dinner.

SOOO excited!

SOOO cute!

Grandma Tish made pumpkin pancakes with jack-o-lantern faces - too fun and delicious, too!

Prepping for trick or treating - the cheerleaders and their little football brother looked adorable.

Getting ready to head out!

I was just about to put the camera away when Christian smiled! I cut him off, but still got one of his first smiles. So sweet!

Returning with the loot - they did awesome!

All in all it was a great night!

Fun With Grandma Tish!

2011-11-25T12:56:00.000-08:00

I'm just going to say it - my Mom is amazing. I cannot imagine having a baby without her here to help us out. She is so good with our kids and so great about doing everything that I just can't think about doing right after having a baby, especially a c-section. It is so comforting to know that she is taking care of everything. The fact that Justin feels the same way, too, says a lot about how helpful and wonderful she is. One of the things that I appreciated most this time around was how she took the time to play with the kids and made it real quality time. I'm so grateful for her example and for the love that she gives to us through giving her time and service. I love you Mom!

Grandma helped Sydney sew a blanket for her doll. AMAZING!
Now Sydney wants a sewing machine for Christmas!

She is no doubt great with the babies - she better be after raising 6 kids who have now given her 23 grandchildren!

She taught Sydney some fun tricks - head stands were the favorite. Although Sydney and Brooklyn still do their bicycle stretches, too!

Who can beat airplane rides given by Grandma? Brooklyn gave Grandma a run for her money at first, but Grandma won her over eventually. She still yells "bushel peck! Hug-a-neck!" because of Grandma.

FUN!

Mom made applesauce for us, too. I had every intention of helping her out, but with nursing and picking Sydney up at school, and all the other incidentals that happen she ended up doing it herself (with a little help from the girls at the end). Thank you so much, Mom!

We had some really nice weather days, so the girls got to spend some time outside with Grandma. They LOVED jumping on the trampoline and playing horsey!

Mom also prepped our raspberries for winter and pruned our bushes in the front yard - it was a big job that really needed to be done! Mom, we so appreciate your inability to sit still! We benefited in so many ways. We did have some great conversations, too, and I'm grateful to have you as my Mom and friend. I love you!

Christian - One Week Old!

2011-11-25T12:37:00.000-08:00

Finally getting around to sharing a few of my favorite photos of Christian taken by my good friend Jill of Jillyn Photography...

One week old sweetheart

Such a handsome boy

Adoring {and adorable} older sisters

LOVE

EXCITEMENT

Daddy of Three

Mommy of Three

All so HAPPY!

Happy to have our little man home!

2011-11-23T14:39:00.000-08:00

After four days in the hospital I was ready to go home and figure out our new "normal." Believe me, I tried to take advantage of every moment in the hospital to heal, rest, and relax without the craziness of home. But it felt good to leave the hospital and feel the fresh air and see the leaves that had started to change while we were there. One thing that made going home seem more doable was the knowledge that Nicole would be there to help out and my Mom would be coming in a few days. I can't say enough how grateful I am for the help that they both gave to us. We could not have done life without them! It is so comforting to know that the laundry is being done, the house is staying clean, meals are being cooked, and Sydney and Brooklyn (and Justin) are being taken care of without me having to do it all on my own. Oh, how I miss them!

Aunt 'Cole still made time to cuddle with Christian.

Both Sydney and Brooklyn were very excited about helping out with everything. They love to get diapers and wipes, put out the changing pad when we are downstairs, and they were especially excited about giving Christian a bath.

Isn't he so sweet?!? Love that little angel face and those dark eyes. Justin was very sweet to say that it didn't feel right to give him a bath without my Mom there - she has always been there to help. So I just gave him a little sponge bath and saved the real thing for Grandma Tish.

Grandma Tish came one week after Christian was born - it was so nice to have her here.

Our helpers getting ready for the real first bath - this was so exciting for them.

Such sweetness in those newborn eyes. I love how calm he looks in this picture.

Bath time helpers!

When I said that the girls love to help that is definitely true, but Sydney is especially helpful, which is appropriate since she has a few more years of experience than Brooklyn. When we first got home, she and Brooklyn seemed to trade places. Brooklyn was finally calm and happy now that we were home - I think before it was like she couldn't handle things being out of balance with Mommy being gone. Thankfully she adjusted very quickly without any major issues. She always made us laugh because she would come up and say "Can I hold it?" After awhile she started calling him "Chwistian" or "baby bwudda." She is pretty darn cute. Sydney, on the other hand, seemed to retract a bit when we got home. She became very controlling of things and situations. It was quite a struggle with lots of tantrums and timeouts that were not really age-appropriate. But thankfully she settled in after about a week - I feel like she found her place as the helper to the nth degree and that made her feel in control and safe. I have to laugh because she notices everything and copies my every move. When I need to nurse Christian she is right there offering to hold him while I "get situated." Then she stands there and asks if it hurts (probably because of my expressions - it really does hurt!) and if I'm okay. One day she made me laugh because she asked, "Is Christian ready to milk you?" Pretty funny! She also carries around her doll Bella and does everything that I do - I feel like I am constantly in a game of copycat!

Christian is a joy to have in our family - we love our little man! His birth really went well. By the third c-section I feel like I was very ready for what was coming my way...almost too ready at times because I was a little impatient. When I was on the operating table I felt so antsy! I just wanted to move and get on with meeting my baby. I wondered how it would be being a mom of a little boy - I was a little nervous because I haven't really done much with boys. (I was a nanny for two families that only had girls and then to this point I've only had girls.) After the nurses cleaned him and wrapped him up they brought him over to Justin and I. They laid him on my chest and he calmed down a little bit. I was no longer worried - the love I felt for my little boy right then was amazing. I really do love being a mother - there is nothing like it! I couldn't stop kissing his little cheeks - I still can't - they are so soft and sweet. I love that he looks just like his Daddy - it even looks like he might have a little dimple in his chin, too. There is nothing better than seeing a little miniature version of my wonderful husband.

All in all, we are adjusting to our new normal as a family of five. Here's to lots more great memories!

Time at the Hospital and Going Home

2011-11-16T14:24:00.000-08:00

A few more pictures of our sweet little guy at the hospital...
Proud Papa.

So handsome...like his Daddy!

It was so fun to have some of my girlfriends visit us in the hospital!

Such a cute, proud big sister!

That makes two!

Love this face...happily fed little guy.

Getting ready to go home. Brooklyn was falling apart during our hospital stay - I think she just didn't like her world being turned upside down.

All seemed to be better once we were home.

So happy together!

It's Apple Pickin' Time!

2011-10-24T22:01:00.000-07:00

Did you hear? It's apple pickin' time!

Mmm, they are delish! We couldn't wait to try them -
we all enjoyed a fuji right there in the orchard.

Sydney was a great apple picker!

Our little family - probably the last picture as a family of four.

Aunt 'Cole with Andrew.

Daddy makes a good ladder!

So cute - Mom and her little guy.

Not only did we get to pick delicious apples, but we had fun playing on the playground, and the kids LOVED the cow train. Again, Andrew couldn't get enough - I think they rode the train at least three or four times.

We ended the day with yummy apple cider donuts from the market. They were a hit!

Fall Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-22T14:52:00.000-07:00

The week before Christian was born we had some fun visitors - Aunt Nicole, Aunt Kristiann, and cousin Andrew came. It was fun to have them here and it gave me a burst of energy to do the fun fall activities that we love here in Virginia. We had to show them a great time, Virginia style!

We spent an afternoon at Great Country Farm. The kids loved feeding the goats and seeing all the other animals. Brooklyn and Sydney amazed us with their lack of fear!

The main highlight of our trip to the farm was the hayride. Andrew was SO ecstatic to see the tractor and watch it drive us out to the pumpkin patch. (He is a fanatic for all things that go - the girls thought it was great fun to play with all of his cars and trains. I figure it's good preparation for their little brother!)

The girls loved picking pumpkins to take home with us.

Cute Kristiann and Andrew on the hayride!

Mommy and my girls!

Overall it was a great day at the farm!

Finally Introducing . . .

2011-10-13T17:48:00.000-07:00

Christian Coleman Bunker - our first little boy!

The stats:
Birthday - October 13, 2011 (that makes 3 on the 13th!)
Time - 8:03am
Weight - 7lb 4oz
Height - 20 inches

He calmed right down as soon as they brought him to me - it melted my heart.

Our family of five Bunkers...

Sydney and Brooklyn were so excited to meet him! They loved giving him kisses and hugs.

This one has a shadow, but I still had to share it. Brooklyn was so excited!

Sydney is already trying to be a huge helper - every time they visit she wants to check his diaper and make sure his blanket is wrapped tightly.

Another perk of being big sisters - they get popsicles when they come to visit!

Toucan Class Field Trip

2011-10-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

Sydney's preschool class went on a field trip to the Loudoun County Heritage Farm Museum a few weeks ago. The Toucans learned a lot about apples and had a great time!

Sydney, Michael an Emily - they have bonded and love playing together at school.

This is an old-fashioned apple cider press. The kids each got to put their apple inside and watch it be crushed.

Once they were all crushed, the apples were pressed into apple cider. It was really cool to watch!

Then the kids got to taste apple cider - they all loved it.

The class then got to play some relays and games together.

Then they got to play in the museum - this is the Old Waxpool store that was transferred to the museum.

This is a little play barn where kids got to "milk" a cow and gather eggs.

It was a very fun and educational field trip -
I'm glad the parents were invited to go along and be a part of it.

A Cookie Tradition!

2011-10-03T20:21:00.000-07:00

A few years back we decorated Halloween cookies with our friends, the Jacobs and Boswells. At this point James, Nicholas, and Sydney were 2ish (give or take a few months), and Jackson and Jackson were both babies. Don't they kids look tiny?

We have kept up the tradition each year on most holidays. This year it was crazy to think that there are now eight children and one on the way between Michelle, Andrea, and I. The kids all love decorating and always have fun together!

Jackson's smile is perfect, isn't it?

Brooklyn was very concentrated in her work.

Nicholas was, too.

Sydney was all about the candy corns on top - just like her Mommy!

Nicholas and Jackson having fun decorating.

Vienna was very happy to be participating in the fun this time around!

We love our tradition and our friends!

Fall is finally here!

2011-10-03T20:19:00.000-07:00

The first weekend of October we loved staying home to watch General Conference and listen to our prophet and apostles speak to our church. It was very chilly outside so Justin built our first fire of the season. The girls loved it! They pulled up their rocking chairs and just watched the fire burn. We were able to capture this sweet moment of cuddling between them.
They really do love each other!

Final, Actually Only, Camping Trip of the Summer

2011-09-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

Back in May we planned a few camping trips throughout the summer, but they were all cancelled for various reasons. We had to make this one happen because the girls (Sydney especially) were very excited about going camping. I was a little nervous about going a month before my due date, but all worked out! The campground we went to was full of all kinds of fun things for the kids to do. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate, so we couldn't use the pool or water slide, but the jumping pillows were a huge hit!

Justin bouncing with the girls...

Brooklyn loving running back and forth!

Sydney loved jumping - she caught some great air!

Roasting hotdogs around the campfire - so fun!

Our good friends joined us a little later - the girls love Joey and Jackson!

The next morning it really started raining, and we were on the fence about what to do. Well, Brooklyn knew that she didn't want to put up with the rain so she got in the car and buckled herself in her car seat. She wasn't going to have anything to do with the rain! It took us an hour to pack up and she stayed there the whole time. We decided to pack up and check out the caves at Luray Caverns nearby.

It was well worth the trip!
Our little family...

Thuesons...

This was probably one of the coolest parts of the cave. This is a trick on the eye - it is actually a little lake that is so still that it causes a reflection that actually looks like more stalactites are growing upward.

A place to make a wish...

The caves also have a pipe organ that works - it was really cool to listen to it play. There are a lot of awesome formations to see and interesting facts to learn. One interesting thing is that there have been 500 weddings down in the great hall inside the caves.

All in all, we had a fun trip! Brooklyn has talked about it pretty consistently and asks to go camping all the time. We have two little girls that will definitely help us keep up the tradition of camping - it was great fun!

Sad to see our great friends go...

2011-09-19T06:56:00.000-07:00

A lot of our time this summer was spent with our friends, the Morans, before they moved overseas. Sydney and John Patrick are two months apart in age and Brooklyn and Brian are just four days apart. They have always played well together and been great friends. It helps that I really like their Mom, too! We were sad to see them go, but happy to know that they will be back in a few years.

Sydney and JP playing at the park one hot summer day.

Brooklyn and Brian driving the firetruck at the park - they look more like they are getting ready to say a prayer! Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of their cute baby brother, Aaron. Brooklyn has a special place in her heart for him. They left over two months ago and she still talks about "Baby Awun" all the time.

Well Morans, know you are missed and there are two (actually three) girls counting down the months until you come back!

First Day of School!

2011-09-18T17:22:00.000-07:00

Sydney and Brooklyn had their first days of school last week!
Sydney was excited to get back into the swing of things, and Brooklyn was so excited to finally go to school like her big sister. Aren't they so cute? Little posers. :)

Sydney is a Toucan this year . . .

Back in school with Emily - they are great friends.

Now Brooklyn is off to her class - doesn't she look so cute wearing her backpack?

Brooklyn and her friend Chance - so happy to be Kangaroos together at school!

Now she's off to her first day!

Pool Days of Summer With Friends

2011-09-13T18:35:00.000-07:00

This summer my goal was to relax at the pool as much as possible and enjoy my time with the girls before our life gets a little busier with the arrival of our baby brother. We did pretty well - we made it at least once, sometimes twice a week. It worked really well that we had a standing pool play date with our friends, the Jacobs and Boswells.

Michelle and her three kiddos - Nicholas, Jackson, and Aubrey

Sydney and Nicholas are great friends! Have been since birth.

Andrea with her three kiddos - James, Jackson, Vienna . . . and Brooklyn, too!

Sydney made so much progress at the pool this year - it was so great to see her comfort level go up. She was afraid to completely go under water in early Spring, by the end of summer her favorite game was to throw toys in the water and "dive" in to get them with her goggles on. She is getting better at her basic freestyle stroke, too. I'm so proud of her!

The kiddos taking a break for a snack.

Cute little Aubrey loved watching all the fun!

Brooklyn was a big fan of the pool this year - she became more comfortable in the water, too. She asks to go to the pool almost every day still.

Just a great picture of the kids having fun!

Happy 70th Birthday Grandpa Bob!

2011-09-07T18:05:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Bob turned 70 this month! While we were in Utah Kristiann, Erik, and Nicole hosted a birthday party to celebrate a little early. It was fun to celebrate together!

Sydney and Caroline were very excited to help blow out the candles!

Andrew was adorable as ever and happy to share all of his toys and things.
Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of our hosts - shows what great hosts they were - always running around making sure everyone had everything they needed. You guys are great!

Colin, Katie and Caroline (somehow I didn't get Stephen in the picture).

Some of the extended family made it to the party - it was fun to see them.

Our little family enjoying the party. Unfortunately Brooklyn got sick right after this.

It was so fun to have Bob come out for his actual birthday - September 7th. The kids were so excited to sing to him and help blow out the candles!

Strawberry Picking

2011-07-13T19:05:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite springtime rituals is strawberry picking. This year we went with some of our friends and had a great time!

It was so bright outside Brooklyn insisted on wearing my sunglasses. Cutie pie.

In the strawberry fields with our friends . . .

Sydney and JP showing off some of the pickings.

Taking a break - turned over buckets make a good chair.

The kids got bored of picking after awhile so they started a rousing game of duck, duck, goose.

The fruits of our labors - homemade strawberry jam and fresh strawberry shortcake. Yum!

Our Sweetest Day of the Year!

2011-07-12T17:41:00.000-07:00

We went up to Hershey Park for our annual trip - it was awesome as usual! The weather was cooler than normal for mid-June (we barely hit 80 degrees). We went with our great friends, the Bennions, and had a very sweet time.

Sydney and Garrett were excited to meet Mr. Hershey bar himself.

The kids loved the rides. Sydney was so excited that she was tall enough to ride the roller coasters. We didn't get many pictures of her because she was so busy riding the coasters with Daddy and Jeff and Garrett.

We also found Mr. Reese's - Sydney was excited, Brooklyn wasn't too sure.

Kari and Chance were the first to get Brooklyn to ride one of the rides. She thought it was pretty great and then she was hooked!

The froghopper is always a favorite.

For once Brooklyn got to drive Mommy around.

There were lots of favorite rides . . .

And lots of delicious treats, too . . . cotton candy is one of our favorites.

Brooklyn found a few at Chocolate World.

And Sydney found the world's largest candy bar!

I'm so glad we got to go to Hershey again this year!

Fun on the Fourth with Family and Friends!

2011-07-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

We couldn't have asked for a better 4th of July - we had a great time with our family earlier in the day at the pool, then hosted a fun barbeque with our friends.

Some of our friends brought some sparklers and fireworks to share.

The kids all had a great time!

Glad to have great friends!

So are the kiddos . . .

Great friends got to stay up late and enjoy a fun fireworks show!

Staying Busy at the Bunker Household

2011-07-06T19:24:00.000-07:00

I've been a little absent from the blog lately - life has just been way too busy the last couple of months! But I am feeling the need to catch up and get back to keeping a record of our life. In April and May we stayed busy with school, enjoyed the spring weather, visited our family in Oklahoma, and just stayed busy with every day family life. Sydney has kept us involved with preschool, swimming lessons, lots of play dates, etc. She is growing up so fast and becoming so responsible and continues to be a great helper. Doesn't she look so old? It's hard to believe she is 4 1/2.

Brooklyn has been up to her usual antics, making us laugh, being very independent, and getting into some little bits of trouble here and there. Her language has taken off the last few months. It was a sad day when she stopped calling Sydney "Cece" and started calling her Sydney. She has also started asking to watch Barbie, which pretty much means anything princess. It's crazy to think she is heading into that phase already. She is a cutie and we love her. It's hard to believe she is already 2!

This year I was one of the room moms in Sydney's class and we did a class project for the yearly school auction. The room moms all thought a bookshelf decoupaged with children's book covers would be a fun project to do with the kids. It was fun at first, but after the first try at decoupage didn't work we were back at square one. So, we tried glue which didn't work. Then I did a little research and finally found that spray adhesive would work. It took a long time, but the project turned out. The best part that made it all worth it was that the bookshelf went for $150 at the auction!

We finished out the school year with mixed feelings - happy for the summer to be coming, but so sad to be finishing up a great school year with wonderful teachers. Sydney loved Ms. Kathy and Ms. Judy - they taught her so many great things both academically and socially and were perfect teachers for Sydney!

Sydney's class was a fun group - she loved playing with them a couple times a week.

We celebrated our 8th anniversary in June by going to see Wicked at the Kennedy Center. It was our first time seeing it and we loved the show! We went to dinner beforehand in Georgetown at Sequoia. It was delicious and fun to go out with some of our friends.

Probably the biggest thing that has been keeping me busy is this little guy. . .

He is due mid-October and we are very excited! I'm feeling great now, but the first few months I was extremely exhausted . . . growing a baby while chasing after two busy girls is hard work!

These pictures show some of the big things that have kept us busy the last few months - but we didn't mention planting a garden in grow boxes (amazing pictures to come), strawberry picking, making jam, Memorial Day fun, a visit from Bob and Diane, teaching piano lessons, Justin staying very busy with deadlines at work, lots of yard work, leading the stake choir for stake conference (yes, VERY nerve wracking!), and a fun 4th of July. I'll be working on some more catch up posts very soon . . .

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T18:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to our awesome Daddy!
We love and appreciate you so much -
you do so much for us and we truly love you.

The girls and I made these fun tie-wearing treat containers filled with candy.
They also "helped" make yummy brownies and homemade ice cream to celebrate Daddy's big day. I think they had fun...

Happy Father's Day to the best Dad and Husband ever!

2 and 4

2011-05-18T20:30:00.000-07:00

Life has been busy lately, not a lot of time to blog. But that doesn't stop me from thinking about things that I should be writing down - cute things the girls are doing and saying, changes in our life, an account of our fun trip to visit family in Oklahoma. But, not sure when that is going to happen (hopefully sooner than later). Until then, here is my favorite picture of the girls together - just got it last night from my friend, Jill. Stay tuned for more . . . she really knows how to capture my girls. Thanks Jill!

"I Just Can't Wait To Dye!"

2011-04-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

Dye eggs, that is. It took awhile to get all the eggs hard-boiled and Sydney kept saying "I just can't wait to dye!" I couldn't help but laugh.

Brooklyn was the fastest egg dyer (is that a word?) that I have ever seen. She was concentrating so hard and dying eggs faster than I could hand them to her, and she finally just stuck her hand in the dye to get them out faster. In her haste she even dropped a few on the floor. It was interesting and funny to watch the differences in our girl's personalities come out. Sydney was the exact opposite of Brooklyn - very careful, calculated, and not at all messy. She got very upset and worried when Brooklyn kept dropping eggs.

It all worked out even with the egg dropping! We ended up with lots of beautiful eggs and one very dyed hand - look at Brooklyn's left - it took about three days for it to get back to normal.

Easter Sunday rolled around - it was a beautiful day! This is my attempt at pictures of the girls in their Easter dresses. Sydney was all about it - cutie pie.

Brooklyn was not - I think she was practicing for the egg hunt.

We're lucky the egg hunt happened - after a beautiful, sunny day the storm clouds started rolling in. Right at 4:00pm as we were gathering with our friends the rain drops started falling and the thunder and lightning began. We waited for about 45 minutes and we were able to get the kids out for the hunt.

It's on!

Brooklyn's total excitement!

Our two cute girls...

We ended our day with a little lesson about Jesus Christ and the reason we celebrate Easter. We had talked about it throughout the day, but it was nice to finish up the day with the great Mormon messages video on www.lds.org. It made it very easy to talk about all that our Savior did for us and how grateful we are for His atoning sacrifice for us and most especially His resurrection.

The Bunker Cousins Together

2011-04-22T18:05:00.000-07:00

We were so lucky to have Kristiann and cousin Andrew come visit for a week. Sydney and Brooklyn loved having a new little friend to play with - they hated waiting to go downstairs in the morning to see Andrew. Plus, Kristiann and Nicole are great aunts - so they loved having all the extra attention from them, too.

It was fun to get together with Colin and Katie before they went out of town for Spring Break. We had to take advantage and take a picture of the five Bunker cousins together.
Aren't they all adorable?

We celebrated Stephen's 8th birthday with everyone - he was very cute about everyone singing to him. He plugged his ears because it was loud, but he was one of the loudest ones singing "Happy Birthday!"

The whole group together - wish BJ could have been there.

There is just something fun about having bath time with your cousins - they all loved it.

We went down to Clemyjontri Park (a great playground) and achieved our goal of wearing the kids out. We met Justin for lunch on the way home.

It was pretty funny having two toddlers around - they did pretty well considering they are only 7 months apart. We realized how much we rely on Sydney to be our interpreter - we think she speaks Toddler. So many times throughout the week one of the little ones was crying or upset and Sydney would tell us in a matter of fact way what they wanted and 9 times out of 10 she was right! It was pretty funny to see it with both Brooklyn and Andrew. What would we do without you Sydney?

We also spent a day at the National Zoo - the kids loved seeing all the animals! Their favorites were the lions - there are four new cubs that are so fun to watch, the gorillas - they were in rare playing form, and the pandas.

They also loved the small mammal house - who knew? Brooklyn especially loved them. She could not stop laughing at all the little animals digging and running around. She was quite the entertainment for everyone around us!

It was a beautiful, fun, and exhausting day!

We had a great time with our family coming to town - more pictures will follow of some of our other adventures. Thanks for the visit - you guys are always welcome!

If you give Brooklyn a book . . .

2011-03-19T18:52:00.000-07:00

She'll want you to read it . . .

Again . . . and again . . . and again.

And then she'll ask for another one - If You Give a Pig a Pancake,
Mouse a Cookie,
Moose a Muffin,
Cat a Cupcake,
Mouse to School,
and her favorite - Pig a Party.

And chances are, if you read her one of these stories . . .
she's going to ask you to read another one.

There is always fun to be had . . .

2011-03-19T18:18:00.000-07:00

When Grandpa Bob comes to town!

Grandpa is always tons of fun and always up for anything - at least that's what he says! So we take his word for it. :) We took Grandpa shopping, played a lot at home with all the cousins, and even braved an hour at Chuck E Cheese for Brooklyn's birthday. There is a reason we don't go there very often, but the kids did have a great time playing games.

Yee-haw!

Exciting rides!

Thanks for coming to visit Grandpa Bob - we love having you here!
Brooklyn walked around for a few days asking "Where Bapa?"
The girls love and miss you!

Our Little Birthday Girl!

2011-03-16T18:25:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn turned two on Sunday! She had a great day even with a little cold that kept her home from church. I think she was pretty lucky - she stayed in her jammies until 4pm, played with Grandpa Bob, watched her favorite buddy "Curious George," and had a fun family party with pizza and cake. She was one happy girl.

Here she is coloring George while we finished dinner. So excited!

We made homemade pizza - thanks Nicole and Katie for your help.
It was so delicious!

The girls loved it - can you tell with their full mouths? This is the first of many pictures of Brooklyn's new "closed eyes smile." She thinks it is so funny. Hmmm.

Opening presents - Sydney was a big "helper" with this.

One of the many favorite gifts - an ironing board. Brooklyn is very into doing what Mommy does, so she was very excited about her cleaning kit and ironing board. That night the girls had every dish towel pulled out so they could "iron" them.

Ready for cake! Brooklyn folded her arms for prayer as soon as we started bringing in the cake. She is too cute!

Closed eyes again? Sheesh. And this was the best one!
Isn't that Curious George figure cute? She was VERY excited about it. She also loved the banana cake!

Happy Birthday sweet girl! Can't wait for the next year to come!

Two Emotional Little Girls (in a good way!)

2011-02-27T17:17:00.000-08:00

What started as a dress up game of playing fire fighter . . .

Quickly turned into quite a display of an array of emotions.

Huh?!? What?!?

What is that scary thing?

Funny!

Oh, so cute.

I didn't do it.

But I'll blow you a kiss after I make this monkey face!

These girls are too funny!

It's Magic!

2011-02-25T10:46:00.000-08:00

What can turn this freshly popped popcorn from this . . .

. . . to this deliciousness?

Four kids, a grocery bag, and a "magic" microwave!
If you want this very kid-friendly recipe
(and learning experience - math, coking, motor skills, etc) look here.

JP and Sydney thoroughly enjoyed it! Isn't our oldest is SO polite?

These two are so funny together - Brooklyn loves Brian (they both loved the popcorn)!

It was so fun to have two of our favorite boys spend the day with us!

Although I will say I don't think I'll ever be ready for two sets of twins.

The oldest two are 2 months are apart, the youngest two are 4 days apart!

Our Happy Happy V-Day

2011-02-20T17:59:00.000-08:00

We're a little late on this, but . . .
Most important, Happy Valentine's to my handsome Valentine!

Happy Valentine's Day from Sydney and Brooklyn!

We celebrated by decorating cookies with some of our best friends (unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of my cute friend, Andrea, and her kids. I think they were playing in the other room. But we had a great time with them, too!)

The kids enjoying their heart pb&j sandwiches, fruit, and goldfish.

One of my cute Valentines decorating cookies (and eating lots of candy)!

My other Valentine enjoying her X's, O's, and hearts breakfast made by her Daddy. Yum!

Little Mischief Makers

2011-02-11T17:04:00.000-08:00

See those cute little pajamas Brooklyn is wearing? I don't think she'll be wearing them again after tonight. I just went up to her room because she was yelling for me at the top of her lungs (this was half an hour after she went to bed) and she had taken her pajamas off and thrown them on the floor along with her blankets and books that she had pulled into her bed. I couldn't help but laugh - she was so proud of herself standing there in just a diaper. But then I put new pajamas (with buttons) on and told her it was bedtime and she had to go to bed. She gets the rules, she just likes to push the limits and get a reaction. Silly little girl!

The girls are always doing things to make us all laugh . . .

. . . silly faces, jokes, giggles, and whatever else they can think of.

Brooklyn is generally the ring leader (not always, but often). I think we should rename her Curious Brooklyn (a la Curious George - "he was a good little monkey, and always VERY curious) because she is always getting into things and checking things out. Here she thought she was so funny because she got into the flour. I always know she is getting into trouble when it gets really quiet. Luckily we found her before she got too far!

I'm sure it's just beginning, too. Wish us luck!

The Big Game!

2011-02-07T16:45:00.000-08:00

We had a fun time with the Super Bowl on Sunday - I embraced it and made lots of football food. We tried a few new recipes that I'm pretty sure will be a tradition every year.

We had ribs, and mac and cheese. Justin LOVES buffalo anything, so I made a buffalo chicken dip that he was incredibly happy with. I also made a yummy chili con queso that I was incredibly happy with. I couldn't stop eating it! I admit that I had it for lunch for a few days after. It was so good! If you want the recipe, just leave me a comment. You know you want it . . .

Justin sitting back and enjoying the game.

We also made our traditional rice krispie treat footballs.
They are so easy and cute!

They were a huge hit with Brooklyn . . .

And Sydney!

We all enjoyed the evening at home with our family. When it was time for bed Sydney unknowingly pulled on Justin's heartstrings by saying "But I don't want to go to bed - I just don't want to miss the big game!" We did not teach her that phrase, she just knows her Daddy.

A Little Bit of Christmas Spirit Hanging On

2011-02-02T18:19:00.000-08:00

I just came across this funny video that showcases our funny Brooklyn's cute personality. When we put away our Christmas decorations Brooklyn was not ready to let go of Christmas - she could not stop singing her version of Jingle Bells. I captured a bit of her excitement here. Enjoy our little firecracker!

The long anticipated Movie Night Birthday Party!

2011-01-31T17:12:00.000-08:00

Sydney has been talking about having a movie night birthday party since September. I was curious to see if her thoughts would change, but she stayed consistent. I was up for the idea and the planning was pretty simple. On the day of I loved that Sydney was able to help with all the preparations, and she was so excited to be involved!

A movie night would not be complete without popcorn!
We tried out our friend's whirly-pop poppers and the popcorn was delish.

Sydney mixed the popcorn with butter and salt and filled the popcorn buckets...

We decorated the cupcakes to look like miniature popcorn holders thanks to these adorable cupcake wrappers.

Let's get the party started!

The kids were all great, they loved munching on popcorn and pizza while watching our special feature "Barbie Swan Lake".

About halfway through the kids were getting ants in their pants, so we played some rousing games of Simon Says, Freeze Dance, and Duck Duck Goose (Brooklyn calls it "Du Du GOO!").

Then we sang to the birthday girl - she was beyond excited - and had cupcakes!

Make a Wish!!!

Then we sat back down to finish the movie.

Before we knew it the party was at it's end and it was time for the kids to head home with this party favor in hand (Tangled or Toy Story 3 coloring book, ring pop, and microwave popcorn!).

It was a fun-filled party - the most important thing is that Sydney loved it!
The second most important thing is that it wasn't too stressful for us. Although I don't think we'll be hosting another party for 16 3-5 year-olds at our house!

It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To...

2011-01-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

Today was supposed to be Sydney's 4th Birthday party. She has been super excited about her movie night party - she has been talking about it for months. Well, after many issues with the invitations and changes of time and date, the party was finally going to happen today. Sydney has been so excited! Unfortunately at midnight last night she started throwing up and has continued off and on since then. So we had to cancel the party. We felt so bad! Hopefully nothing will keep us from having the party next week, now our 4th change of date/time. Crazy! And most important, let's hope Sydney gets better quickly and the rest of us don't get it.

This was on Sydney's birthday - just a cute picture!

Budding Artist

2011-01-18T05:29:00.000-08:00

Sydney loves to draw and do anything artsy. In fact, as I am typing she and Brooklyn have been pulling everything out of the art cupboard and creating new masterpieces. These are two of her latest takes on our family. Enjoy!

Aren't they sweet? I love them (the pictures and my family!)

Happy 4th Birthday Sydney!

2011-01-13T19:20:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to our Sydney girl!
I can't believe it has been four years - I can still remember your birthday (and the crazy and emotional 24 hours before) like it was yesterday. It was all worth it!

This was such a precious moment for Justin - Sydney was crying and upset right after she was born. He held out his finger and she reached out and grabbed it and immediately stopped crying. I think it cemented their bond right from the start. She is her Daddy's girl.

Sydney - you are a kind, loving, beautiful, creative, and thoughtful little girl. We have loved the last four years and can't wait to experience the rest of your life with you.

Happy Birthday!

A Few New Hairdos

2011-01-10T18:43:00.000-08:00

Right before Christmas we went to get Sydney's hair cut - I can't even count how many times we have cut her hair. Her first haircut was at 6 months and it has continued to grow like weeds! While she was getting hers done I decided it was time for Brooklyn to have her first haircut.

I was worried she would be scared or unhappy, but she sat very bravely on my lap. She did awesome!

I think it helped that Sydney was getting her hair cut in the next chair.
Her hair was getting very unruly and hard to brush and we were sad to see it go but it is much easier to handle now.

The after picture = cute new hairdos and lollipops!

Christmas Day!

2010-12-28T18:31:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day was awesome!

Sydney and Brooklyn both had a wonderful time opening presents and were so happy with the simplest things. I think Brooklyn would have been happy with her little car and nothing else! Sydney was just excited that she got the alarm clock she asked Santa to bring her. She loved opening her other presents - she gets it much more than Brooklyn - but she was very happy and grateful for her new presents.

Justin and I were grateful that the girls slept in a little and then we were able to relax. We stayed in our pajamas all day! We watched the new Christmas Curious George and I was able to watch my favorite, White Christmas. The girls loved playing with their new toys and talking to family on the phone. Justin had the great idea to order Thai Food for dinner (in "A Christmas Story" fashion) - we were in luck that our local restaurant was open! So we enjoyed some "festive" pad thai and panang curry. It was delicious and I didn't have to cook all day!

All in all, it was a great day! Merry Christmas!

The Night Before Christmas

2010-12-27T19:29:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy our Christmas Eve came together this year! Last year we had to cancel our Nazarene Supper because of illness, and Justin did end up with a cold this year but he said he was well enough to do the party. I was willing to cancel, but I'm so happy it worked out! Over the years we have done various things on Christmas Eve - but the last few years I have felt the need to really establish our Christmas Eve tradition. I want to take from both of our childhoods and combine to make our own personal tradition.

So . . . we did a very simplified version of the Nazarene Supper . . . the kids put on the Nativity (or "Activity" as Sydney kept calling it). Sydney was Mary - she was super excited about it. Brooklyn was the angel - for about 10 seconds - just enough time to do her part. Our friends filled in all the other parts - Garrett was a great Joseph, Chance was the Innkeeper, Henry was a shepherd, the Dads (Joe and Jeff) were the Wisemen, and the Moms (Kari and Robyn) were shepherds. Unfortunately Colin and Katie were delayed, but they joined us later! Thanks everyone for helping me keep up my childhood tradition. It meant a lot to me!

We then had a yummy supper in the style of the people of Nazareth (or what we imagine it would have been). We had fish, bread sticks, salad, a cheese/fruit/crackers platter, veggies, and Martinelli's. It was a pretty kid friendly meal and it seemed like everyone enjoyed it!

After dinner Kari helped the kids make reindeer food and read a great story called "I Believe in Santa Claus". Then we had yummy Peppermint Crunch dessert - a Bunker family tradition! While we were eating, the doorbell rang and the kids were delighted to find a bag of pajamas with letters to each of them from Santa. They quickly got their pajamas on and everyone headed home to get ready for Christmas!

A few moments to remember - Sydney and Brooklyn's pajama tops got switched and Justin and I could not figure out why Brooklyn's was so big and Sydney's was so small - until we asked each other. It was pretty funny! We had a horrible time trying to get the kids to all sit down and look at the camera. If any of you got a better one, please let me know! Garrett brought his old piano book and we played "Up on the Housetop" as a duet. He was so excited and I was so proud of him!

We really are grateful for our family and friends that we can celebrate with on special days like this. It makes it a little easier to not be with all of our extended family. I wish we could celebrate with all of our friends on every holiday - I'm just glad there are so many holidays!

Our Merry Christmas Card

2010-12-26T19:32:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas card and letter . . .

Dear Family and Friends,

This year has been all about learning and growing, and Sydney (4 in January) and Brooklyn (2 in March) have had a lot of fun with the ABC’s. If you read our blog you will know that we focused our summer and fall by assigning activities to each letter of the alphabet, so in that fashion we decided to give you a list of our favorite things of 2010 – “ABC style.”

A – Art projects, Apples – picking, making applesauce, dehydrating apples slices – yum!

B – Blogging about our adventures, Bow making nights

C – Candy canes, Curious George, Carousels, Cox Farm - pumpkins, hay slides, kettle corn

D – Dancing as a family – the current favorite is Black Eyed Peas “I Gotta Feeling”

E – Evenings out/date nights

F – Friday movie and pizza nights, Football!

G – Girl’s Nights Out with good friends

H – Hershey Park, Hawaii family vacation

I – Ice cream cones

J – Jumping day at the Sport Bounce

K – Kansas trip to visit Grandpa & Grandma Sessions

L – Library story time

M – Mall trips (especially when it’s cold!), Michael Buble concert – Justin’s surprise for Heidi!

N – Nursery (Brooklyn started this fall – all of us are happier at church!)

O – “Outside?” – Brooklyn’s favorite phrase, OZ – Dorothy & the Wicked Witch for Halloween

P – Preschool, Pool days, Primary (Heidi is the Primary secretary), Play-dates

Q – Quiet time (aka nap time – it brings sanity to our home)

R – Raspberries fresh from our garden

S – Sessions family reunion, Swimming lessons, Snow – Heidi wants a lot! Justin doesn’t.

T – Tents made out of blankets, Trailside Park, Target – need I say more?

U – Utah family vacation – mountains, 4-wheeling, waterskiing . . . we miss you!

V – Visits from friends and family - we always welcome more!

W – Wyoming family reunion, “What are we doing tomorrow?” – Sydney’s favorite phrase.

X – X-rays – unfortunately we’ve had a few this year - no broken bones!

Y – Yard work – Justin’s nemesis

Z – Zoo days – in Washington DC, Honolulu, and Salt Lake City

At this time of year we are filled with gratitude for the birth and life of Jesus Christ. We hope you are able to find peace, joy and happiness during this wonderful time of year. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

The Bunker Family – Justin, Heidi, Sydney and Brooklyn

COOKIES!

2010-12-23T18:40:00.000-08:00

One of the best parts of the Christmas season is making cookies. We put in tons of baking time this month and the girls loved it! Sydney especially enjoyed manning the rolling pin.

Brooklyn loved it, too -
although I think she loved eating the dough more than anything.
While rolling out the dough we captured some of her many expressive faces. She is too funny!

I also hosted my first cookie exchange, and it went great! I think I might do it every year. I was able to make lots of treat plates for our neighbors and friends.

Ducks Christmas Party Playdate

2010-12-23T18:10:00.000-08:00

I decided to host a Christmas play-date for Sydney's preschool class this year because I am one of the room moms. I'm so glad because school was canceled the last day before Christmas, so the class party was canceled, too. So it was great to get the kids together to play and celebrate together! The kids loved decorating popcorn ball ornaments and munching on Christmas snacks (thanks to the other room moms for helping). I tried a new recipe from Family Fun for the popcorn balls and they turned out so great!

I was so proud of Sydney because she made a party favor for her friends called "Snowman Soup." She made them herself! I just provided all the supplies.
The bag of "soup" consists of:
1 packet of hot cocoa
10-15 mini marshmallows
3 Hershey's kisses
1 mini candy cane

She was really excited to give them to her friends, too! It was a fun party for all the kids (Brooklyn included - she loved having so many friends at our house.)

Let it Snow . . . Finally!

2010-12-17T17:47:00.000-08:00

It finally snowed!!!

The girls were so excited - Sydney could not wait until after nap time, when the snow had accumulated enough and Brooklyn was rested enough to go out. But we finally made it out to our neighbor's backyard where there is a small hill that is the perfect size for our girls.
They had a blast!

Snow angel heaven!

And a cute video of the girls going down the hill . . . enjoy! They sure did.

Little (Actually Big) Gingerbread Boys

2010-12-12T18:23:00.000-08:00

Our friends, the Bishops, invited us over for a great Christmas party for the XOR guys that still live in the area. It was just our two families but we all had a great time! Our lives seem to be pretty parallel - and our kids are just a few months apart from each other. They all played very well together - Nolan and Carson are such sweet boys. Lauren made a delicious dinner and even had a fun craft for the kids. They each made their own gingerbread boys - the girls loved that they were so big!

All four kids decorating their own gingerbread boys.

A great time was had by all.

Lauren and Chris were such gracious hosts - we had a wonderful time!

Decking the Halls

2010-12-07T19:09:00.000-08:00

Sydney kept singing "Deck the halls . . . without us . . . fa la la la la . . .". She didn't like us laughing about it either - she kept telling us "that's how it goes!" It would be an understatement to say that the girls loved trimming the tree.

Brooklyn was all about the lights - she even tried wearing them.

Sydney loved dancing around wearing the red berry garland.

Brooklyn was fixated on this one spot on the tree - she kept putting ornaments on in the same place over and over.

See what I mean?

Too much fun!

I think it turned out pretty! Sydney is really into patterns so we did the lights in a red/white pattern. She loved it!

Now the season can begin!

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

2010-12-07T18:53:00.000-08:00

This whole month has been freezing cold, but that didn't stop us from going outside to look for a tree. After a long search we ended up at Home Depot and found quite a great tree. It is really tall and very full and it was only $30! Sydney was SO excited to look for the perfect one.

Brooklyn just thought it was fun to run around!

This one actually didn't work out (we found a hole) but I still like the picture because the girls were laughing after I dropped the tree. Whoops!

Taking it to be trimmed...

Sydney was super excited to put the tree on our car's roof - not sure why. But she had noticed every car on the road that had trees on top and she thought it was so cool.

Now we get to go home and decorate!

A Great Surprise!

2010-12-02T17:55:00.000-08:00

Justin outdid himself this week. A few weeks ago I noticed a block of time on the calendar that said "Surprise for Heidi". Well, November 30th rolled around and the surprise was revealed . . . he gave me tickets to the Michael Buble concert! It was so nice to go downtown and have an adult dinner and then watch the concert together. It would be an understatement to say that the concert was awesome. Michael Buble is a great performer!

The two of us waiting for the show to start . . .
thanks for a great surprise honey!!!

Our Family Thankful List

2010-12-01T18:17:00.000-08:00

My parents suggested this Thankful list progression that helps us think about the different aspects of our life that we are thankful for. We did one each week in November for Family Home Evening. Here is the result: (Notice how Sydney wrote Jesus by herself - it melted our hearts!)

Our 2010 Thanksgiving

2010-11-27T19:45:00.000-08:00

This year we had a very low-key Thanksgiving. I was feeling a little sad that we wouldn't be spending the day with any extended family, but in the end it worked out. We had a very nice weekend with our little family.

Poor Sydney was exhausted after her sprained ankle incident and fell asleep on the couch while watching movies.

Justin put in a double header and got up early to play basketball, then hit the turkey bowl put on by some ward friends. He had a great time - the mud proves it - but he definitely paid for it a little with aches and pains.

He said it was worth it.

Brooklyn was my little helper in the kitchen - I say that very liberally - she just wanted to be in the middle of everything I was doing. She sure is cute in this picture, though!

While I was finishing up the cooking, the girls made turkey centerpieces with apples and marshmallows. They turned out pretty cute!

I am pretty proud of myself for tackling the whole dinner. Nothing went wrong . . . and we had turkey dinner for days! Here was the menu (more for my sake than yours, so I can look back and remember what worked):

Turkey - I tried this brine recipe and it was fabulous!
Mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry marshmallow salad
Apple-cranberry sauce
Homemade rolls - yummy crescent recipe by the Food Nanny
Pies - banana, dutch apple, pumpkin layer sheet pie
(we also had some friends over who brought their leftover pies -
it was fun to try so many different kinds!)

Brooklyn just couldn't wait for dinner to start - she had to try a spoonful of fruit salad.
All in all, it was a nice and relaxing weekend. I fit in some Black Friday shopping, we watched movies, decorated for Christmas, and just relaxed as a family. There is much to be thankful for!

My Thankful List

2010-11-25T17:45:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about the things I am grateful for this month, I think we all have been. But with this gratitude I have also been thinking about "keeping it real". I have to admit, I hear people talking about all the sweet, cute, great things their kids are doing and I compare my life to theirs. Especially when my sweet girls are not being so sweet as they fight over the toy of the moment. :) But I was telling these thoughts to some friends the other day and one of them said "Well, your blog is that way - it seems like you are living the perfect life." I hadn't thought about it that way. I guess I try to be optimistic and focus on positive things. But this year I am going to record my "realistic" thankful list.

I'm grateful that...
- Brooklyn has a voice and is starting to talk, even when that voice is the loudest one in the store as she is having a temper tantrum.
- Sydney is very curious and can think for herself, even if that means she puts up a fuss when she doesn't want to do something.
- Justin comes home early enough to play with the girls and help with dinner and whatever else I might need, even if he has to go to bed way too early for my taste!
- I am able to stay home and take care of my family and home, even on cleaning and laundry days!
- We are currently in a morning routine that allows me to have a few minutes to get ready, read my scriptures, etc, even if it means the girls are watching a show in my bed first thing in the morning (I try not to feel guilty because they love it!).
- I have many wonderful friends, even when I stay out too late on girl's nights out and pay for it the next day!
- I am able to serve in Primary, even though most of my time at church is spent running around.
- We have wonderful families - parents, siblings and their spouses, nieces and nephews. Even if we don't get to see them all as often as we would like. I'm really sad about that this week.
- Most of all, I'm grateful for a loving Heavenly Father and my Savior that died for me, especially because I am filled with so many imperfections.

When all is said and done, I am just thankful for my many blessings - I have truly been blessed - and I hope to live up to the Lord's expectation for me.

Our Poor Invalid

2010-11-24T20:16:00.000-08:00

Today was quite an adventure for Sydney. We went to Trader Joe's this morning to get some last minute shopping and stocking up done (we don't make it there often). While we were in the produce section Sydney saw the pirate's booty and asked if she could get some - I said yes and turned to get some pomegranates. The next thing I knew the grocery cart was crashing to the ground! Sydney had stepped on the low bar of the cart while putting the booty inside and with the weight of Brooklyn, the cart toppled right over on top of her. Luckily Brooklyn was okay, but the cart had landed on Sydney. There was no blood and no obvious issues, thankfully. It took a few minutes for her to calm down, but once she did she told me her ankle hurt. She said she could walk on it, but as we walked through the store she kept telling me it hurt more and more. So we quickly checked out and left - when we got in the car I helped her take off her tights and looked a little closer. Her ankle was swollen and I could already see a bruise forming. So I called Justin, then the doctor, then headed to the ER. I was so grateful that we got right in and they immediately helped Sydney get comfortable. After a ride in a mini wheelchair and some x-rays, the doctor said it was just a sprain. I was so glad nothing was broken! The nurses wrapped her ankle and put an air brace (not sure of the technical term) on it and said she should not walk for the rest of the day. I didn't think much of it at the time, but that was a huge challenge! Luckily Sydney has been a wonderful patient - she was so brave at the hospital and has been really great the rest of the day. She has not liked having the brace on, and has realized how much she appreciates her normal mobility. But she has been very good at following the directions of the doctor. We hope her recovery is a quick one!

Our little invalid in the wheelchair - she wasn't very happy here because she had just had her x-rays done, but she thought the little wheelchair was pretty cool.

Thanks to Alison for watching Brooklyn - your help made it much easier to be there for Sydney!

Sydney and the Guys Weekend!

2010-11-15T19:19:00.000-08:00

The Big Green at Dartmouth...

Justin and his Dad took Sydney on her first weekend trip away.
They went up to New Hampshire for a Dartmouth football game. They had a great time at the game - her favorite part of the game was drinking hot chocolate and eating candy! Justin and Bob just loved the game - they can't do without their football!

The other two favorites of the weekend? The hotel and eating at Friendly's. They both made quite an impression on Sydney - she couldn't stop talking about them! A few weeks after this trip we got a tv for our bedroom and Sydney kept insisting to me that our bedroom was now a hotel "because it has a bathroom and a bed and even a tv!". She is too funny.

We took advantage of Grandpa being in town and had a family party with Colin, Katie, Stephen and Caroline. I wish I had taken more pictures!

Our Halloween in OZ

2010-11-01T17:32:00.001-07:00

First, Sydney (aka Dorothy) had to click her heals to get us to OZ!
After watching The Wizard of Oz (except the scary parts) Sydney was so excited to be Dorothy. About a week before Halloween she started saying "I just can't WAIT to be Dorothy!" at least once a day.

Meet Scarecrow, Dorothy, and
the Wicked Witch of the West aka "A Cute, Good Little Witch" according to Sydney

(hats weren't really working for some of us).

The girls had to make time for a pre-trick or treating treat. . .

We did make it to visit some of our neighbors - Bear is one of our favorites!

Linda is, too - Brooklyn was ready to go right inside.

Earlier in the week we made it to our ward's trunk or treat - the girls had a great time with their friends!

We also made it to Sydney's school Halloween parade - she is the cutest Dorothy!

The class party was tons of fun - Sydney loved partying with her friends and Brooklyn loved that she actually got to stay at school with Sydney.

Brooklyn made herself right at home - she thinks she is SO big!

Halloween stories with friends are the best.

We were also lucky to go to a fun Birthday/Halloween bash - the kids had an awesome time!
I love that Brooklyn could care less that we were taking a picture - she just wanted to peek in Red Riding Hood (aka Joey's) basket!

Hope it was a Happy Halloween for all!!!

Applesauce Season

2010-10-21T17:24:00.000-07:00

I wish you could smell these apples cooking . . . it's a smell coming straight from my childhood.

I grew up making applesauce every year, but it's been years and I couldn't remember how to do it. Luckily I have some great visiting teachers! Alison brought her Victoria strainer over and helped us make applesauce. Stefanie was sweet enough to come over to help and share the message even though she has family in town.

Sydney got in on the action toward the end of our project. She and Brooklyn both stole spoonfuls right after the applesauce was strained. Yum, there is nothing like warm, fresh applesauce.

So excited to have this applesauce so we can enjoy our apples for much longer. (Justin, consider this your hint - I want a Victoria strainer.)

This one is for my sisters - my house does get messy!
All the applesauce tools, jars, and boxes pulled out.
Plus, crayons, paper, and stickers strewn all over the floor from the kids.
And the floor was sticky (that brought back memories, too!).

And yes, the mess was totally worth it after tasting the applesauce.

"A" is for Apples (It's our final ABC of Summer!)

2010-10-13T17:24:00.000-07:00

We made it! We are finally done with our ABC's of Summer (and Fall). We have been enjoying the fruit of the season - apples! We went apple picking last week at a great orchard in Winchester. The apples were amazing and so delicious. We could not get enough of them as we were picking. The girls loved being able to reach up in the tree to pick apples and Sydney learned how to climb trees for the first time. The girls also had a fun time picking with Garrett and Chance - good friends of our family.

Brooklyn was an especially big fan of the apples - every time we turned around she had a new apple that she was munching on. She also loved holding the bag and carrying it out to the orchard. She got pretty upset once it became to heavy to carry (see above). Below in one of the pictures she didn't even bother to take the apple out of the bag - she just knelt down and started eating. I can't blame her! We all loved munching - I was especially happy that they had an abundance of fuji apples - my favorites! We also picked Stayman and Nittany apples. Stay tuned for how the apple sauce turns out . . .

A few weeks ago we made apple crisp to celebrate the season as well. The girls LOVE helping in the kitchen. Any time that I am in the kitchen for more than a few minutes, they push chairs over to our tiny counter space and we all crowd in and they "help" me with cooking, dishes, cleaning, etc. Sydney was a great apple peeler, Brooklyn was a great stirrer this time.
The apple crisp was delicious!

"X" is for coX farm

2010-10-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

I'm just going to say it, I LOVE the fall season. I know most people feel the same, and that's okay. I won't try to be different, I'm just embracing it. One of my favorite places to take the kids during this season is Cox Farm. There are a lot of farms in our area that get decked out with fall fun, but this one is the best.

So, yes it is October and I'm still not done with our ABC's of summer, but I only have one left! Yes, this one is kind of a stretch - I tried to plan a few "X" activities, but they all fell through. So we settled on Cox Farm because it has an "X" in it's name. We used some Groupon coupons that were half off which made it possible to go twice. Sydney and Brooklyn were in heaven!

Our cute girls in the pumpkin patch - they were so excited about all the pumpkins everywhere!

Our first day at the farm = fun with the Jacobs, a hayride, weighing in at the pumpkin scale, and lots of cute photo moments. (Click on the collage to view it larger.)

And the best thing about coX farm? The slides!!!
I knew Sydney would love them, but it surprised me when Brooklyn got to the bottom after our first ride and immediately started running back up the hill. She didn't care if I was there to help her or not! Our second day at the farm we had fun with the Thuesons and Andersons. Thanks for meeting us guys, it was so fun! We especially loved racing down the dinosaur slide - tons of fun!

Girl's Weekend / Weekend 'O Daddy Fun

2010-10-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was so lucky to join two of my sisters, Maria and Anita, at my parent's house in Kansas for a Girl's Weekend. We were so sad that LaDawn couldn't make it because she is pregnant and has high risk pregnancies. We also missed Kara and Celeste because of scheduling issues. Justin was so sweet to stay home with Sydney and Brooklyn so I could have a weekend away. The whole weekend was so great!

We pampered ourselves with pedicures, shopping, and we had to stop for a yummy cherry limeade cream slush treat from Sonic. Delicious! We also had some home cookin' at the Amish Carriage Crossing restaurant in Yoder. It was also delicious, but there is a reason I don't eat that way every day!

One of the highlights was going to the Relief Society Broadcast with my family. That was a rare treat and the meeting was wonderful. President Monson's talk about being understanding of others and not judging was especially good.

With a sister who is a Mary Kay director we couldn't have a girl's weekend without doing facials and trying out some new products. It was fun and very girlish. :)

One thing was definitely decided, we are going to have a girl's weekend every year, and hopefully it will last longer than a weekend. By the end I had mixed feelings - the time with my parents and sisters went by way too fast, but I was looking forward to seeing my family when I got home. Thanks for all the great talks and bonding time - I had a great weekend Mom, Dad, Maria and Anita!

"H" is for Hershey Park

2010-09-29T18:39:00.000-07:00

We love going to Hershey Park every year - it is the perfect place for kids and families to have fun together. The girls both loved all the kiddie rides this year and I loved going with them! Poor Justin gets sick on the rides that spin and go in circles - that's pretty much all of the kiddie rides. So he took lots of pictures and watched, but later in the afternoon he did get away to ride a few roller coasters. It would be an understatement to say that the girls had fun. They loved the trains, roller coasters, swings, helicopters, frog hopper, slides, and so many more. They also loved the ride and chocolate at Chocolate World - I think it was Brooklyn's favorite. Notice the cotton candy? Yes, my girls love it as much as I do! All our lips were bright blue.

We had tons of fun with our friends, the Bennions and Morans! Sydney and Brooklyn loved being able to ride and have fun with their friends.

"H" is also for Happy Birthday to me!
Hershey Park is becoming a birthday tradition that I'm totally in favor of - who wouldn't love chocolate, ice cream, and cotton candy for a birthday treat?
(This was the next day.)

Ode to Quiet Time (Our "Q")

2010-09-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

I promise we are almost done with our ABC's of Summer. We have a few left to post, but we're almost done, just a little bit late! "Q" for quiet time is actually something that happens all year 'round, but it was especially needed during our busy summer. Even though Sydney doesn't nap much anymore, I still insist that she have quiet time so she can take a break and relax. She used to fight me on this but she doesn't anymore. I think she realizes that she needs the down time. Brooklyn still naps and I plan on that continuing for a very long time. Not only do I like quiet time for the purpose of rest, but it is a good time for me to get things done without interruption or sit and relax for a minute. It's a Mom's golden time!

But even better than the golden time is the few moments that I have with my girls right before "QT" starts. I LOVE reading to them and I know the feeling is mutual. Over the last few months Brooklyn has developed a huge love for books. She constantly brings me books to read, and it sometimes becomes a tiny bit of a battle over how many books get read before she goes to bed. Her current favorites are the "If You Give A . . ." books, her absolute favorite is "If You Give A Moose A Muffin." I can't blame her, they are darn cute books! Sydney also loves our reading time. After Brooklyn is asleep we settle in on Sydney's bed with a few books and read away. I can't really explain it, but I just love the bonding time that this gives us. It's one of those precious Mom moments.

I had to include a few pictures. This is a picture of Sydney on one of the rare days when she fell asleep. She must have gone in my room and laid down on the floor, hoping quiet time would be over soon. While waiting she fell asleep with her arm on the door. She was exhausted!

Every so often our morning activities and errands go long and Brooklyn falls asleep in the car. I had to capture this cute sleepy face! I had given Brooklyn a piece of licorice (a first time treat for her!) - she was a huge fan as you can see in the picture. But she couldn't quite stay awake to finish it - she had a tiny piece in her hand.

Another school year has begun . . .

2010-09-18T07:57:00.000-07:00

I can't believe another year of preschool has started! We are so glad Sydney got one of her teachers from last year, Ms. Judy. We hear her other teacher, Ms. Kathy, is really great, too. After the short meet the teacher class on Tuesday Sydney told me she was afraid. It broke my heart, but I assured her that I will always be close by if she needs me and that she will love her class once she gets to know everyone. She was nervous going into school on Thursday, but once she saw her friend Emily she went right in and didn't even look back. That is the hardest part for me! I can't wait for her to get completely comfortable in her classroom again like she was last year, but it's hard to see her go. It means she is growing up and sometimes it feels like it is happening too fast!

Finding her hook for her backpack.

Meeting up with Emily.

The most surprising part of the day was when Brooklyn g0t so upset as soon as Sydney went in her classroom. She started wailing because her best friend was leaving her! I felt so bad.

Here we are waiting in the carpool line - Brooklyn is looking for her Sydney.

Here she comes with Ms. Judy!

The feeling is mutual - as soon as Sydney got in the car she went straight to Brooklyn and gave her a kiss. She was worried that Brooklyn missed her. I love how happy Brooklyn looks!

Hoping it's a great year!

"O" is for Old McDonald Had a Farm

2010-09-17T18:27:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like a day at the farm, checking out the pigs, goats, and cows among many other animals. We are lucky to have a really fun farm nearby that we visit occasionally. Every time we go the girls love it!

We got to the barn just in time for feeding time in the pig pen for about a dozen little piglets. All I can say is crazy! And I am so glad I have only had one baby come at a time.

That's all I'm sayin' . . .

This goat had a staring contest with Brooklyn - they were very interested in each other.

All the kids were excited when this cow came over to say hello, especially Brooklyn, until the cow licked her arm. Then she was freaked out!

Sydney and JP going for a ride on the tractor.

Brooklyn is oh so serious, but having fun!

We had a great day at the farm!

"D" is for Digital Camera Day

2010-09-12T18:09:00.000-07:00

Last week we let Sydney use an old digital camera that we don't use anymore to capture a day in her life. It was fun to see the world through her eyes. Here is a smattering of some fo the pictures that she took. There were a lot of pictures of her feet and different parts of the car that I didn't include, but the rest were pretty good for a three-year-old!

Heading out for the day . . .

Brooklyn watching in curiosity.

The library for storytime . . .

Cute J.P. after the fun . . .

Sydney wanted me to take this one - my cute, cute girls!

A pretty good shot of Wegman's, our favorite grocery store.

A view from the car cart of yummy Hershey's.

I guess Sydney is excited about Halloween!

Sydney wanted me to take this one, too. Funny!

This picture is very typical of dinner time at our house - Brooklyn tugging at my legs unhappily while I'm trying to get something on the table for dinner!

The next few are cute because they are all on Sydney's level.

Her class picture from last year.

Sydney loves our new prayer chart.

Brooklyn loves our slide.

We ended the day witha walk around the lake and Sydney snapped this before she lost interest. It's a pretty good one if you ask me.

Hope you enjoyed Sydney's day in pictures! She definitely did.

"R" is for Rocknoceros!

2010-09-11T19:36:00.000-07:00

Rocknoceros is a local kids entertainment band that makes the rounds to all kinds of events, including our nearby mall every Thursday morning. They have some unique songs and are quite entertaining. We finally made it to their concert this week with some of our ward friends. We started out with high hopes. I was feeling pretty good - Sydney and Brooklyn had a snack in the car, we made it a little early so we could get a good seat, and the girls were happily sitting and anticipating the start of the concert.

Then snacks started coming out around us and you'd think my girls hadn't eaten in days! They could not think of anything else but eating a snack, and of course I didn't have any because I had given it to them in the car. I would love to say that they settled down and enjoyed the show, but they were really out of sorts for most of the concert!

Brooklyn kept trying to leave, and this is what finally appeased her - playing with the escalator railing . . . who knew?

Luckily Sydney went back to the concert and joined in the fun with Joey.

It made me feel a little better. I guess I can't expect every ABC of summer activity to go perfectly.

At least we ended things right -
lunch and ice cream cones with JP and Joey always make a girl feel better!
(Brooklyn enjoyed a few bites, too!)

"V" is for View from the Udvar Hazy & Visit from our Texan Friends

2010-09-11T10:08:00.000-07:00

This post really should be a second "J" because our friends Joel, Jessica, Jaeden, Jayce, and Jaxon came to visit us from Texas. We had a great time visiting with them and Justin and Joel had a good time reminiscing all their high school memories. It would be an understatement to say that the kids got along - they LOVED playing together! The only downside was that Brooklyn got frustrated with not being able to keep up with the big kids. Joel and Jessica were here for a conference during the week, so we had them with us the weekend before and Labor Day weekend.

We thought the boys would love the Udvar Hazy Air & Space Museum and they definitely loved seeing all the planes and space shuttle. But I think their favorite part was when they saw this R2D2 mailbox - they are die hard Star Wars fans. A funny note I thought was so funny - Jessica has a rule that they can't hum Star Wars songs at the dinner table. Having boys is a totally different world than having girls!

Joel bought space ice cream for everyone to try - it was a hit with the kids!

This is our "V" - and it was mainly for Brooklyn. She loves watching for airplanes and picks them out in the sky everywhere we go. When we got up to the air traffic control tower there was a plane just going by - the kids were so excited! Unfortunately we didn't get to see anymore so close, but all the kids had a fun time looking at the airport and spotting planes that were taking off.

Justin and Joel

Watching for airplanes

We also went downtown to the zoo to meet them - as usual a trip downtown is crazy, but fun!The meerkats were performing, the kids all had fun watching, but Brooklyn was especially entertained. She was giggling and laughing - it was adorable.

Checking out the panda - it was enjoying a yummy lunch of bamboo leaves.

There's nothing like popsicles with your friends - you can tell here that the kids loved being together.

Thanks for a great visit, guys! We had a great time!

Goodbye Pool . . . Hello School

2010-09-08T18:12:00.000-07:00

We spent some awesome days at the pool this summer - it really made the heat of the summer bearable. Our pool is great because it has a beach entry that makes it so kid friendly, especially for Brooklyn. We had a standing playdate every Friday with my friends, Andrea and Michelle, and their kids. It was great to have a standing playdate for the girls to look forward to each week. My only regret is that I wish we had made it to the pool with more of our friends.

Sydney is already a poser . . . at 3!

Brooklyn loved watching for planes and gets so excited because they are very visible at the pool.

On Labor Day we enjoyed the last day of the pool season with Andrea, Jonny, and their family. We decided we need to make it a tradition to close the pool every year! It was so sad that it was the last day, the girls are still asking to go back. It's good that the weather has been cooler this week, so it's been easier to explain.

Brooklyn just wanted to cuddle up in a towel and stay warm.

Sydney and Nicholas really had a great time together at the pool. They loved jumping off the edge together.

They are great friends!

Aren't they cute?! They love each other, too!

Brooklyn was a cutie pie in her little sun hat.

Michelle and Jackson - he has the best dimples and smile!

Earlier this summer we went to Katie and Colin's pool with all the cousins and Aunt Nicole. We got there early, so they were just waiting for the swimming lessons to end before they could jump in.

Brooklyn thought the swimming bars were her new toys - she looks like she is trying to lift weights!

So cute! Caroline and Sydney love playing in the water with Aunt 'Cole.

Aren't they adorable in their matching suits?!

Goodbye pool - we'll miss you! But there's always school - we're excited for you to start!

"G" is for Games at Chuck E. Cheese

2010-09-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

We have only been to Chuck E. Cheese once and it was a big hit, so when our friends invited us to go for a morning of games we decided to join in the fun. Sydney and Joey are great friends and they had an awesome time trying all the games and using their tokens however they wanted.

Ride 'em cowgirl!

Brooklyn had a fun time, too! She loved the carousel and the slide. I would have to say her absolute favorite was being a ticket thief! The tickets that come out at the end of the games were right on her level and she kept finding them all over. I made sure she wasn't taking them from people who were still playing, but I figure if other kids left them, they are fair game for the little ones! Sydney was very appreciative - Brooklyn's loot added up to get them a few prizes.

Jackson had a fun time, too!

"Y" is for "You have to stand on your head."

2010-08-27T07:08:00.000-07:00

Growing up we always had a large garden and all six of us kids helped out with the weeding, watering, and my favorite part - harvesting the fruits and vegetables. We have started small in growing our own garden over the last few years. Unfortunately our squash and pumpkins were devoured by my new enemy - squash bugs! But our raspberries are still going strong. Yay! Which leads me to the title of this blog post. When my Mom would send us kids out to pick raspberries she would always tell us "Remember, you have to stand on your head to get all of the raspberries!"

This year I found myself passing on this wisdom from my mother . . .

. . . to our girls!

And we have had a lot of success!

"U" is for Utah - Part 2

2010-08-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

After our family reunion we went back to Utah and spent the rest of our time in Heber and Midway with Grandma Bonnie and the rest of the family. I know I'm sounding redundant, but we had a great time!

We went up to Bonnie's house to see the progress on her rebuilding (she had a serious fire last June) - it is coming along slowly but nicely. We really enjoyed being in the mountains for a fun barbeque and some four wheeling.

Here we are right before our tame four wheeler ride with our girls. They really liked it! They weren't asking for more, but we can't ask for too much at their ages. We were able to go on a longer ride and Justin was able to have some of his kind of four wheeling fun!

What a cute family.

Uncle BJ was so nice to push Sydney on Grandma's swing that is right next to the stream.
This swing is awesome!

Brooklyn really liked taking her turn to swing.

Sydney loved swinging with Daddy! (He took her pretty high.)

The grandkids checking out Grandma Bonnie's new swings.

Sorry Bonnie and Nicole - I wasn't paying attention and didn't get any pictures of either of you.

On another day we enjoyed a cute little park in Midway - making these crazy balloon bubbly things and playing on the playground.

The girls loved feeding the ducks, too. These ducks were very friendly and easy to feed!

One of Justin's favorite things to do in Utah is boating. Unfortunately we only went out one day, but everyone had a super time! After everyone had a turn waterskiing we went to shore and played in the sand and had lunch.

Grandma showing Sydney how to use her cool watergun.

I don't know any 66 year old Grandma's (or anyone else for that matter) that can ski as well as Grandma Bonbon. She makes it look effortless - like it's just another dance step that she has done all her life.

Daddy and Sydney on the boat.

Justin skiing - he would give a lot to be able to go water skiing more.

It always comes back to him - no problem!

Dear Utah,

We love you...

We miss you...

Thanks for a great time!

Too Many Favorite Moments - 2010 Sessions Family Reunion

2010-08-20T19:17:00.000-07:00

I look forward to my family's reunion every year because I grew up creating so many great memories at the family reunions we had each year. I want the same thing for me kids - I want them to look forward to their time with our extended family all year long and treasure the memories that they make. I loved this pictures because you can tell all the kids are having a wonderful time together. That is what it's all about!

There were a lot of fun moments at our family reunion this year and there were ten times that many pictures to sift through. My brother's family (Ben and Kara) hosted our reunion and planned it with my sister's family (LaDawn and David). They pulled off a really fun reunion that was especially geared towards the kids having a great time. They definitely pulled it off - I think our girls were in heaven being able to run free in the open air and play with all of the 20 cousins. Who could ask for more? I have picked a few of our favorite moments and showcased them in pictures. For all my blog friends (all two of you that are left!), this might be a boring post. But the purpose of my blog is to keep a record of our life. Here are some of our absolute favorites memories!

Fun in the Great Outdoors!

Boys vs. Girls Waterfight!

We played all day at a lake in the nearby mountains.

And had lots of fun four wheeling.

Ethan on a "ride ride" with David and Madison out on one of the trails.

Anita with Gracie, Lydia with Chuck and Maria having fun!

Canoeing in the lake - Sydney was pretty nervous about it, but she and Brooklyn ended up really enjoying going out on the lake.

On one of our rides Justin and I found this pretty stream worthy of a picture.

Uncle Danny found this water snake and had all the kids fascinated. Brooklyn had no fear -
she definitely didn't get that from me!

Family Picture Moment!

Idaho Falls Temple Trip

Some of my absolute favorite people! My Mom, Dad, Brothers & Sisters (l-r):

LaDawn, Me, Anita, Dan, Mom, Dad, Ben, Maria, and Chuck

This year is my parent's 40th Anniversary and their one gift request was that we would all go to the temple and do family names on our own so we could do the final work for our ancestors as a family. Unfortunately when it came down to it, the logistics didn't work out with so many grandkids that needed to be taken care of. So we decided that the inlaws would stay home and watch the kids while my parents and the Sessions kids would all go to the temple. The only negative part of this day was not having some of my other favorite people there: Justin (of course!), David, Celeste, Kara, and Douglas. We had some really meaningful conversations during the two hour drive to Idaho Falls. Below is a picture of us all squished in LaDawn's suburban.

Memories!

Fun with Grandpa Gary & Grandma Tish

Yes, it's hard to capture the fun. Sydney and Lydia have funny looks on their faces, but I promise these three girls were having lots of fun with Grandpa!

This picture was too cute not to include - only Grandpa and Grandma can make a two-year-old fall asleep during a four wheeler ride!

Mmmmm . . . dutch oven meals make my mouth water.

Nobody does 'em like my Dad.

Nobody can entertain the grandkids like my Mom . . . they're goin' on a bearhunt!

Birthday Party for All!

All the grandkids after the cake decorating contest with their certificates.

Sydney is still talking about Jonathan getting cake all over his face - too funny that she doesn't remember that her Daddy did it to him!

Pinatas are so much fun! Maria and Sadie made one of Grandpa's bald head - the kids loved it! It didn't stay hung up for long, so Dan drop kicked it and sent the candy flying. The kids were in candy heaven.

Lilly, Sadie and Sydney decorated their cake with a castle on it and got a certificate for "The Most Enchanted Cake."

Crazy Cousin Fun!

A lot of our time was spent on the swing set - Brooklyn sat in the swing for an hour one day . . . and was completely happy about it! Above the girls are swinging with Charlie and Harper. Ben relayed this story to me that is too cute. Sydney and Harper were swinging away and Harper (who is not quite three) says "Sydney, I like your skirt . . . where did you get it?" Sydney says very matter of factly "Thank you . . . my Grandma made it for me." Harper replies wistfully, "Oh, its' SO pretty." I just thought it was so funny that my brother, who is very outdoorsy, has a girly daughter that is just like my girly girl!

Sydney and Lydia always bond whenever we get together.

Sometimes they get into trouble, but they always have fun!

Brooklyn and Colette enjoying watermelon like it is meant to be enjoyed! Juicy, messy, and delicious! These two are only two months apart. I think when they are older we'll look back and love this fun memory.

"U" is for Utah - Part 1

2010-08-20T17:12:00.000-07:00

Isn't this picture beautiful?

This is one of the biggest parts of Utah that I miss.

We were able to spend a lot of time in the mountains doing the things we love with the ones we love. Justin will probably say it wasn't enough, but we did what we could!

We spent the first few days of our Utah vacation with Bob and Diane. We had a fun time visiting with them. Brooklyn and Sydney especially loved playing with their dog, Hildy.

We spent one afternoon in Midway with Kristiann, Erik, cousin Andrew, and Nicole. Justin went golfing with the guys - he couldn't believe how cheap it was! It was a definite plus that they were near the beautiful mountains. While the guys were out the girls and Andrew hit the pool at the Homestead. Afterward we had a delicious barbeque at K and E's house.

Here is cute little Andrew drumming with his Daddy.

Sydney loved playing in the pool - especially shooting waterguns with Aunt 'Cole.

Look at those blue eyes! Andrew was happy playing with Mommy on the stairs.

Happy Brooklyn! I love this picture of our sweet girl.

And I love this picture of Sydney - it's so sweet and contemplative.

All the cousins at Bob and Diane's for a barbeque. For some reason I didn't take any other pictures at the barbeque, but we did have a great time with everyone!

Too much fun! Popping popcorn with Grandpa Bob. Thanks Grandpa and Grandma for watching the girls while we went to the temple. It was a nice treat!

"C" is for Children's Museum

2010-08-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

There is a great Children's Museum in Salt Lake and the kids had a fun time exploring it with my sister, Anita and her kids Gracie and Marley, and her mil, Darlene. It is such a cute museum! The kids loved it.

The girls loved the ball area - it had all kinds of fun games you could play with balls. Brooklyn was especially fascinated with this ball shoot that you opened and air would suck the ball upward.

Too cute driving in the play cars!

They had a cute house that is perfect kid's size - Sydney loved the kitchen.

Cute Brooklyn playing in the construction zone.

The grocery store was the real hit - Sydney spent almost the whole time playing there. She was loving walking around pushing her grocery cart, filling up baskets, and being the cashier.

Brooklyn checking out the meat department.

Gracie being adorable and funny - just like her mommy!

A girl on a mission - don't forget the nana's!

Sydney "being the pay" as she called it. I never realized that's what she thought it was called, but it makes sense. When we are finishing up our shopping I always say "we need to go pay, then we'll be done." Funny how kids think!

Cute Marley fascinated with the water play area.

Sisters!

I wish we had had more time to spend together.

Thanks Anita for going with us to the museum!

"Z" is for Zoo Day

2010-08-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

We had a super day at the Hogle Zoo with Grandpa Bob and all five Bunker cousins to achieve our "Z". I felt kind of nostalgic since it was a tradition when I was little to go to Hogle Zoo for my birthday. I wish they still did elephant rides - that was awesome!

Grandpa Bob with (l-r) Stephen, Caroline, Andrew, Brooklyn, and Sydney.

The group (without Nicole - she was the photographer).

Caroline and Andrew on the elephant that spits water.

Our girls were not fans - it really scared them!

Cute girls having too much fun on the "Z"ebras!

Stephen was obviously having a great time with Katie!

Brooklyn had so much fun she did not want to get off! This was after the carousel had stopped - she was trying to get as far away from me as possible. Too funny!

Three cute girls!

Somewhere I have a picture of me in almost this exact same position. Ah, nostalgia!

We had a great "Z" day at the zoo - we were hot, sweaty, and tired, but happy.

"I" is for Idaho

2010-08-15T16:34:00.000-07:00

"I" is also for "I want parade candy!" We went back to Grandpa Bob's roots in Idaho for Preston Days. We went to the parade and family get together at Reid and Linda's home (Grandpa Bob's cousin). We spent the afternoon with lots of extended family members - it was fun to get to know them all better. Then we went to the parade, which was definitely the highlight of the day for Sydney and Brooklyn.

Walking back from the sidewalk sale. When Justin was a kid he couldn't wait for the sidewalk sale to see what treasures he would find. Unfortunately his idea of treasures has changed, but it was still fun to see the main street and shops in Preston.

The parade begins. Sydney and Sophie (her new "cousin" three+ times removed) standing for the flag. They had a great time playing all afternoon.

Brooklyn was on a high running around excitedly waiting for the parade to start.

CANDY!!!

It is too much fun to have people throw candy at you!

One of the highlights of the parade was the milk truck - they handed out chocolate, strawberry, and white milk - we got milk!

"W" is for Wyoming

2010-08-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

We've been on vacation for a few weeks and we had a great time visiting almost every family member that we have. We had a great time at the Sessions family reunion in Star Valley, Wyoming at Ben and Kara's house. The setting was beautiful and we had a great time with all of our family. More pictures and stories to come . . .

We had family pictures taken by Kara's friend. They turned out great! Yes, the look on Brooklyn's face is the closest we could get to a smile. :)

Our trip was great, although the girls were both incredibly sleep deprived. The morning after we got back they slept until 9:30. Last night Sydney slept 12 1/2 hours and Brooklyn slept 14 hours. Crazy! They are much happier now that they are catching up on their sleep. And so are we!

"B" is for Butterflies

2010-07-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

Today we fulfilled our "B" by going down to the Natural History Museum to the butterflies exhibit. We had a great time with Andrea and her kids, James, Jackson, and Vienna! We got our tickets and then went out to the fountain in the sculpture garden next door until our time slot.

Isn't Vienna adorable?

The big kids playing in the fountain . . .

And the main event - isn't this butterfly beautiful?!

Our first close-up look at the butterflies. Sydney was a little freaked out at first by the butterflies flying around her (400 flying around!), but she got used to it.

Checking out the info screens. Brooklyn kept walking around saying "Wa-ow" in an awed tone.

Andrea and the kiddos!

The Bunker girls.

Sydney's favorites? The big blue butterflies, the black ones with white polka dots, and the cocoons.

Brooklyn's favorites? Not sure, she just loved walking around free of the stroller. She also loved trying to catch the butterflies. Luckily she is not fast enough!

My favorites? Definitely the blue butterflies - they were beautiful! Unfortunately they were very actively flying around - I couldn't find one that would stop for a photo op.

Uh - Oh!

2010-07-26T17:59:00.000-07:00

"Uh - Oh!" This is Brooklyn's favorite word this week and it is incredibly cute when she says it. Unfortunately it is the perfect word for the trouble that Sydney and Brooklyn got into this morning with their friend Connor. See that white stuff all over the floor? Yeah, it's baking soda from Mauree's food storage. Trouble trouble trouble!

Thanks Mauree for just laughing and thinking it was funny instead of getting mad! Because I can guarantee that Connor would not have gotten into this trouble himself!

"E" is for Ethan's Waterslide

2010-07-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

This week Sydney was invited over to our new friend, Ethan's, house to play on their waterslide. Lucky for us, we've been in search of an "E" for ABC's of summer and this one just fell into our laps. I knew the kids would like the waterslide, I just didn't know how much Sydney would love it!

So much fun!

The kids loved sliding down two at a time - this picture made me laugh because JP got turned around and Sydney just didn't let go. Don't worry, he didn't seem to mind.

Ethan and Joey sliding down together.

Then they all decided to slide down together . . .

Big splash!

Way too much fun!

Don't worry, we didn't forget about Brooklyn.

Or the other "Littles" - they were having a great time playing in the sand, sliding on the little slide, and swinging on the swing.

"N" is for Nighttime Concert

2010-07-22T19:09:00.000-07:00

The other night we went back to the fountains where they had a live band playing. We took dinner to eat and then the kids played in the fountains with a bunch of friends that we saw there. It was the perfect time to go to the fountains because it wasn't quite so hot, plus it was fun to have a live band playing in the background. It was very enjoyable for kids and adults!

Brooklyn had a great time walking around like she owned the place. What else is new?

Sydney and her friends, Ethan and Joey, having a great time.

"What will happen if we trap the water under this bucket?"

The water comes shooting up!

And it sprays everyone! So exciting!

Now for the concert . . .

Thanks Jill for taking such a cute picture of Sydney and I.

Brooklyn pointing to the band playing.

Sydney had a great time playing with her friends - Joey and Imani and another little girl that joined the fun. They danced and danced until the band stopped playing.

You can't tell, but Sydney is running back to us with a cd that one of the band members gave her. She was pretty excited!

Another picture from Jill - such cute girls having fun together!

We'll definitely be going back for another concert - the night made it feel like summer!

"M" is for Music With Milkshake

2010-07-21T18:59:00.000-07:00

We went to Wolf Trap's Theater in the Woods (another W!) for two shows. We fulfilled our "M" with Music with Milkshake and Diane Macklin's Animal Tail Tales. Both shows were great - Diane Macklin is a great story teller, but the music show was especially great for the kids. The band was fun and very entertaining - they danced through the crowd, batted inflatable baseballs into the crowd, and sang some really creative original songs. The girls loved it! Unfortunately it was SO hot and humid, but luckily it was overcast so the sun wasn't beating down on us.

The three of us before the show...

Sydney twirling to the music before the concert started...

Dancing and having a great time!

By the end we were hot and sticky, but Brooklyn's adorable curls were going crazy and both girls had a great time. I asked Sydney what her favorite part was and she said she loved the singer that wore a tutu, the bottle full of sunshine song, and the inflatable baseballs.

"L" is for Lazy River

2010-07-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

I had to get a little creative with this one - who knew there are so many "W" options? So, instead of filling our "W" at the Water Mine, we chose to do "L" for Lazy River. It's a little ironic because the lazy river was probably the most difficult part of our outing. It was anything but lazy! It started with trying to get Sydney and Brooklyn on the tube - they were not very excited about it. Then the current that keeps you moving on the river completely freaked Sydney out - which then freaked Brooklyn out. We made it around the river once and decided to try it again to make it more positive. Well, it didn't go so well - Sydney wanted to do "spider man" like she does at swimming lessons. I decided to ditch the tube and just hold Brooklyn while Sydney did her thing. Then the water jets shot me forward and Sydney started yelling for me and crying. Have you ever tried going against the current in a lazy river? It's not easy! Luckily someone helped her catch up to me and we made it around to the next stop. And we were done with that - check! By the way, Kimberly came with us to help out and I am so glad! I could not have done it without her. (She is the photographer, too.)

We went with our friends, the Morans, and had a great time! Thanks Alison for letting us use your guest passes. Here, all the kiddos having a snack during break time.

Sydney actually went on a few of the big waterslides - she did awesome! Knowingly letting water splash in her face is huge - it has been a big challenge during swimming lessons. But she did really great once she got used to the idea.

I think this is one of my favorite pictures of late - Brooklyn had a butterfly land on her swimsuit (it's at the bottom of her left sleeve) and it stayed there for a few minutes. She was so excited about it! She kept pointing to it and giving her biggest smile.

One of the few happy moments on the lazy river...

JP, Alison, and Brian - having a great time!

Even though the lazy river wasn't what we expected, we still had a great time at the waterpark. It is a great experience for families. I hope we'll go back to Lake Fairfax Park soon - it is beautiful! I didn't include pictures, but after swimming we went on the carousel. The kids had a great time!

"J" is for Jump!

2010-07-19T18:09:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to pj and silly socks day at the Sport Bounce. It is one of Sydney's favorite days - she loves to jump, slide, and run around with her friends. It's one of my favorite days that wears the girls out. :) Brooklyn is not old enough to jump yet, but there are a few rooms with toys for "the littles" to play on. It lasts for a little while before she tries to escape to play with the big kids.

Brooklyn and Jackson drumming and playing together.

Action shot!

Sydney and Joey jumping and sliding.

I took pictures of some of our other friends, but none of them turned out. Sorry guys.

We had a great "J" day!