Oh I can’t believe it…my little brother just bought his first house! CONGRATS AUSTIN! It looks darling and has such a nice yard. I’m so excited for you! I can’t wait to hang out there and see it myself this summer. Nothing like your first home!
I’m having a bit of a hard time with this though because it means my little bro is growing up. Austin and I are seven years apart (he and Carly are five) so he has always been the baby of the family. It’s hard for me to picture him old enough to own his own home! I still remember him so well like this…how cute is this little guy!!??
Aside from getting a home, Austin is dating a darling girl named Dayna (another sign of his recent maturity!). It’s funny because when my mom first told Car and I that Austin was dating someone and really liking her, we were a little skeptical. We kept talking on the phone about it wondering if anyone could ever be good enough for our Austin. Then we met Dayna. What a doll! She is the sweetest girl! Smart, funny, beautiful and SO CUTE with Austin. We’ve completely flipped now and keep warning Austin that he better not screw this up because WE LOVE HER! What a cute couple!!!
I know I’ve been posting a lot of older pics lately (I’ve been trying to organize my childhood photos) but I came across this picture and couldn’t resist. This is one of my favorite memories. Carly, Austin and I loved to play “court” when we were little. The three of us played this all the time. Austin made an amazing judge pounding anything in sight with his gavel. Carly always wanted to type super fast so she played the role of the court reporter (using a calculator to record everything said). I of course was always the dramatic and slightly neurotic attorney/witness on the stand defending and protecting the very rights we all enjoy. Good times…
AND NOW…
I had a great Mothers Day today. We didn’t do anything too special – (celebrated last weekend on my girls trip :) but it was so fun because Ellie is finally old enough to understand this beloved holiday and she was so cute. Kept telling me “Happy Mothers Day” all day – giving me kisses – picking me flowers. Best present ever. This picture was on our way to church today…
Last night I enjoyed a “moms’ night out” with my cute neighborhood friends. Thanks for organizing this Kendra! It was so nice to visit uninterrupted without our little ones around. 
In April when Car and Shawn came to visit we planned a photo shoot so we could get a picture of our daughters together for my mom for Mothers Day (all three granddaughters). My cute friend Autumn took the pictures and did an amazing job! We framed this picture below and gave it to my mom last week in Salt Lake. She loved it! Pretty sweet girls. Mission accomplished. :)
I have to share some of the other “not so great pictures” during our photo shoot. As you all know, getting pictures taken with kids can be so frustrating! The pose our girls are in in the above picture lasted two seconds! We were so grateful Autumn caught it on film! The first four pictures below are as precious to me as the one above. Carly and I were shouting out so many orders “Ellie, hold Claire up – you’re dropping her!” “Addison, look at us.” “SMILE!” “Claire is falling again!”… These show how hard they were trying for us! 
Sure sign of Spring in San Diego…
Just got back from our girls weekend in Salt Lake. So much fun! Total girl time…we shopped, got pedicures, shopped, ate WAY too much junk food, shopped, stayed up too late talking, shopped, caught up on recent Oprah shows (something is SO off with Tom Cruise), laughed so hard, did I mention that we did a little shopping? We had a great time and I’m already looking forward to doing it again next year! Thanks for the fun weekend mom and Car! Car – your house is beautiful! Also thanks to my cute husband – he spent the weekend entertaining the girls…took them to Sea World and enjoyed some fun daddy/daughter time so that I could enjoy some fun “no kid” time. :)
Added bonus: Getting to also spend time with my adorable niece. How cute is she!!!
Now for my latest and greatest obsession…
So today is my dad’s birthday – Happy Birthday Dad! I’ve been thinking a lot this week about all of the things I love about my dad and although I could write a novel on the subject, I’m going to try to share just a few things. When Car and I were little, my mom worked nights at a restaurant and my dad was in charge of the kids. Some of my earliest memories are of him playing with us in the evenings. He would bathe us and put curlers in our hair and then it was our turn to put curlers and barrettes in his hair. We would do his hair and then laugh and laugh at our creation. We put him through so much abuse! I remember loving that time every night with my dad.
My dad loves the outdoors – camping, hunting, fishing – all of it. We went camping and fishing all the time. He owned an Archery Shop aside from his job at the college and I have so many fun memories of camping and hanging out in the shop with my dad.
When I got older and so involved in dancing my dad never missed anything! He came to every recital, High School drill team competition, and every football and basketball game we performed at. When I was on the drill team at Dixie College he even came to all of those games to see me dance. I can’t believe all of the performances and games he sat through for me (aside from all of the stuff my sister and brother were involved in). He was always so supportive and proud of us. He was also always the calm voice of reason. I remember when I turned 16 and got my driver’s licence. A couple of weeks later I got in my first accident! I came home so nervous to tell my parents about it but explained to them that it could have been worse…I didn’t get a ticket…just a “citation.” My mom was so mad at me! (“Dang it Erin! A ticket IS a citation!”) She wanted to ground me from the car for awhile but my dad’s calm response was “No…the best thing for Erin is to get right back out on the road. Accidents happen…all part of the learning process.” Loved ya for that one dad!
My dad has a silly, fun side that a lot of people don’t get to see. He was always saying and doing stupid things to get me and Car and Austin laughing. We’re always rolling our eyes and trying to suppress a smile around my dad. I have great memories of the holidays because he always made Christmas SO FUN for us. On Christmas Eve morning he would wake us up playing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on his Guitar or Saxophone (he plays both!).
My dad is extremely intelligent and always really stressed the importance of education. School and homework ALWAYS came first when we were growing up. He was the Dean of the Business Department of a college and I remember as a little girl thinking my dad was SO smart and SO important. I always wanted to marry someone who was smart and worked in an office like my dad. (Got my wish there!) When I was little I loved to go visit my dad in his big office. Then Car and I would go home and pretend that we were secretaries working for him. We would answer our pretend phones “Hello, Business and Technology…would you like to speak to the Dean?” :) Today my dad is the President of a different college that he helped get up and running and I’m so proud of him. He is a hard worker and loved and respected by everyone in the community. 
One of the things I love most about my dad is the way he loves my mom. He is an amazing husband to her. He is extremely patient and caring and always puts her needs first. My mom is….well my mom! She is over the top social, spends too much money, stresses over everything and generally creates a lot of drama and excitement for them both. My dad is the best thing for her (the calm of the storm!) and we all wonder how he does it sometimes! This picture is of him proposing to her again on their 29th Wedding Anniversary (didn’t want to do it on the 30th because she would be expecting something big!). He sent her new diamond to me early because they were coming to San Diego and he wanted to surprise her. So cute! They have an amazing relationship. 
Since I’ve had Ellie, it has been so fun to see my dad as a grandpa. He is so darling with my kids! He plays with them for hours! Ellie gets so excited to go to Utah to see Grandpa Van. They have a special routine for just the two of them called “feeding the fish.” My dad takes her out to his garage (which is more like a little house!) and they feed the fish in his aquarium. Then they play all sorts of made up games. Ellie really looks forward to all of her time with grandpa and so do I! I love seeing the special relationship my dad is forming with each of my kids. I know they will cherish those memories forever. (This pic is of my dad with Ellie and my sister’s baby Claire). Cute grandpa!
Dad – I could go on forever about all the things I love about you. You have been the best dad a girl could ask for and I’ve always felt so lucky to be your daughter! Thanks for all you have done and continue to do for me. I love you so much! Hope your birthday is the best!!! 
Addie had to join in the fun too! 
Ohhh…Thursday night. What a treat! When Kenny and I woke up this morning he looked at me in bed and smiled and said “It’s Thursday – The Office is on tonight.” Of all the shows we record and watch this is the only one that gets our full attention. No laptops during The Office. We pop popcorn and settle in for a good laugh. Love Thursday nights.
Nothing like a girls night out! Just got back from dinner with my cute friends. Great food, great company, lots of laughs. We always have so much fun together. Love you guys! Happy Birthday Darci!
You’re all invited to dinner! Just got a new dining room set – what a fun pick me up. Makes me smile every time I walk into the kitchen. The best part about it is that it has a leaf and eight chairs so I can make it larger when I want to have friends over, which is the main reason I needed a new table. So…there is room to seat you all! I can’t guarantee that dinner will be much more than a frozen Lean Cuisine, but at least we will be dining on a cute table! (Speaking of my frozen dinners…the other day at the grocery store I won two free movie tickets because I spent over a certain amount on frozen food. Guess there are some advantages to not cooking!)
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