The Bohn Family

Christmas Night 2011

2011-12-31T13:04:00.002-07:00

The kids wore their PJ's home on the plane. When we pulled into the driveway I made the kids stay in the car while I went inside to see if Santa really did come.

Berlynn was SO excited for her legos.

Ezra was SO excited for a new Wii remote.

"Yes! Just what I wanted"

Berlynn loves reading and is really into reading this fairy book series. She was happy she got the Christmas pack.

Nixon got a pillow pet and some bath toys. Also, Santa glued his train track together for him.

New bike/skateboard helmet

He found some more chocolate.

Berlynn, did you get a guitar or a skateboard?

Christmas Morning 2011

2011-12-31T12:55:00.001-07:00

Santa left the kids a note that basically said the rest of your toys are in Colorado.

Berlynn got a doll and salon chair for her doll.

All Nixon wanted was chocolate.

Ezra got a Nerf gun and a remote control truck. I know his face doesn't show it, but he really did like it.

Nixon got a batman car.

more chocolate

After a fun filled morning it was time to catch our flight back home. Berlynn and Ezra were so excited to get home and see the rest of their Christmas.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-31T12:41:00.001-07:00

Annie, Berlynn, Cate, Ezra

Since our family was flying home on Christmas, both families decided to have their parties on Christmas Eve. This made for a fun and busy day.

Nixon loved unwrapping presents.

Brandon's parents always have the best stockings for us.

The girls took over the boys robots.

Then it was time for the Moosman Christmas Eve party. Here are all the prizes from the Jingo game.

I know these pictures are blurry, but Nixon would not stay out of the tree. Whenever I wasn't looking he would slowly back up into the tree until it almost fell over.

After a long day of parties, we went back to Oma and Papas to open our Christmas PJ's and go to bed. The kids went right to bed and fell asleep fast. If only it was that easy everyday.

Return to Bethlehem

2011-12-31T12:37:00.001-07:00

On Christmas Eve my Mom planned a party for my siblings and their families. We all were suppose to come dressed in clothing from the time that Christ was born. We had to make due with what we could find around my parents house.

When the kids arrived we kept them entertained by playing stick the nose on the snowman until all the kids were there.

Brandon was not excited about having to dress up, but I think he looks great.

Then the older kids figured out how to write their names with the symbols they used at the time of Christ.

Listening to Nephi (Uncle B)

Watching the nativity movie

each kid got a star and a picture of baby Jesus

After our trek to Bethlehem, it was time to open presents.

First Friend

2011-12-31T12:23:00.003-07:00

We always try to stop by to see our Philly friends the Millard's whenever we are in town. They live less than 5 min. from my parents house and it is always a good time. On our way over Mia's house Berlynn said, "Mom, I just am so excited to see my very first friend in the whole universe." It's true, they have been friends since they were about 2. I am hoping one day we will live close again so we can see them more.

Cousin Time

2011-12-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

We made our trip back to Kangaroo Zoo with cousin Annie and Cate. I think the kids could spend the entire day at that place.

Annie, Berlynn and Cate. Poor little Cate tried so hard to keep up with the older girls, but her cute little legs were having a rough time.

Ugly Sweaters

2011-12-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

For the Menlove family Christmas party we decided to have an ugly Christmas sweater party. My mom decorated her playhouse for Christmas. It turned out so cute! We played the white elephant game, Santa came for a visit and we ate Cafe Rio Salads. yummy!

Our family minus one sleeping baby

Jessie won the trophie for the white elephant game

Ezra asked Santa for a Wii game

Berlynn asked for a skateboard.

Singing songs with Santa

This was the kids reaction when Santa came down the stairs.

Camren and Berlynn

Mom and Grandma + their awesome sweaters. Grandma actually won the ugly sweater contest.

You would have thought me and my cousin Collie coordinated our outfits.

Nixon and B

Little B came in at 2nd place with his sweater.

Eternal Families

2011-12-21T11:34:00.000-07:00

While in Utah we had the opportunity to go to the Bountiful temple. My little brother is preparing to go on his misson and we were able to go with for the first time. Not only was it neat to be with him but it was the first time that my parents and ALL of their 6 kids were in the temple together. It was a really neat experience.

Christmas Decor

2011-12-20T11:28:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to start to decorating for the holidays that I started the day before Thanksgiving. Brandon did a great job on the lights outside. All those years of roofing really paid off. (pictures to come)

This was our second year having our elf on the shelf. It has been so much fun and the kids were always on their best behavior. Our elf Joey was a little mischievous at times.

Joey the elf

Joey was zip lining across the living room.

Joey thought it was funny to draw on the kids pictures

He even made a snow angel.

Nativity

2011-12-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

We were invited over to our friends home for FHE to act out the nativity scene. There were a lot of kids, so it was a little crazy but cute.

Ezra was a shepard

Berlynn was an angel

Nixon was one of the sheep

Comfort Christmas Party

2011-12-18T08:54:00.000-07:00

We went to the corporate Christmas party last night. All of the franchise owners and their families were invited. The food was fabulous the kids had a blast and venue was amazing. They really know how to throw a party.

Nix wanted nothing to do with Santa;D

Ezra wanted his face painted as Super Mario. The painter didn't have any ideas so he chose Spider man.

Berlynn's face was painted as Rudolph.

Christmas Dance

2011-12-18T08:45:00.000-07:00

This year the RS was in charge of the ward Christmas party, which meant I got to head it up. We decided we would skip the traditional dinner and have a family Christmas dance. Our ward has a bazillion kids so it was fun to see the kids out dancing. (the adults didn't really get into it) I think it was a lot of fun but not sure if it was worth all the effort.

Berlynn asked Santa for a skateboard. Ezra would not sit on Santa's lap and Nixon was too busy to even try.

Berlynn was the life of the party. She started all the kids with a conga line.

The primary kids sang some songs and Ezra looks really grumpy for this picture but he was just trying to be funny. He is standing by his cute friend Brody.

Here is Ezra and his BFF Joshua. They are inseparable. They enjoyed the dance but REALLY enjoyed the cookies.

Pippi for the Day

2011-12-18T08:30:00.002-07:00

Berlynn's class just finished reading Pippi Longstocking. To celebrate the Christmas break the teacher let everyone dress up as their favorite character. I think Berlynn made the cutest little Pippi. Now she is obsessed with the books and can't put them down.

Advent Calendar

2011-12-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

The kids are loving the advent calendar Grandma Moosman made for our family. It is truly priceless. This is the first Christmas without her and it is a nice way to remember her and the Christmas season.

Nutcracker

2011-12-10T09:04:00.000-07:00

I took Berlynn to see the Nutcracker with about 20 other friends from the neighborhood. I have only been to the one in SLC so it was nice to see a different version. I think I have finally convinced Berlynn to take ballet. Right now she is only in tap and jazz but I told her that if she wants to become a good dancer she has to take ballet. I am glad she finally gave in.

Friends

2011-12-08T09:13:00.000-07:00

The kids had a play date with some of their best buddies. I thought I would capture what they like to play at this stage in their lives.

Josh and Ezra were playing hide and seek.

Berb and Halle were playing beauty spa.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-04T19:05:00.001-07:00

I am bummed that I didn't take any pictures of Thanksgiving. Even though we weren't with our families we still had a wonderful Thanksgiving and we have so much to be thankful for.
We started our day off with Brandon playing in the ward Turkey Bowl. We he got home we decided to have a family workout. We went running as a family around the neighborhood. At first I didn't think Ezra would be able to keep up but he actually ended up being one of the first ones done. After our running lap we decided to get out the bikes and go for a ride. Once we were done Berlynn suggested that we make it a family tradition. I think we will do that.

We were invited over to our friends the Asay's for dinner. Everything was so yummy! The weather was extremly nice and so we went outside and watched the kids play and play. Next it was time to burn off some of our dinner so we played the dance game on the Kinect.

Halloween 2011

2011-12-04T18:34:00.001-07:00

We had another great Halloween. Once again I was in charge of Berlynn's class party and I went into to help with Ezra's. I really enjoy helping out in the classroom and hope that one day I will be able teach again.

Berlynn was adamant she be a vampire for Halloween. At first I thought it would be cute but she went on to tell me she wanted to be a scary vampire with blood dripping down her face. I am not sure where she comes up with this stuff. Brandon made her some vampire teeth and all the kids thought they were super cool.

Ezra started off wanting to be the black Angry bird. Once we got to the store he saw the Mario costume and he quickly changed his mind. He is pretty much obsessed with Super Mario right. If I didn't hide the Wii remotes while he is asleep he would play all day long.

Poor little Nixon gets the hand me down costumes. I do have to admit, he is a pretty cute lion.

We had a blast trick or treating. I LOVE my neighborhood. There are a ton of kids and everyone is extremely nice. Unfortunately, Brandon was working so I took the kids around with our friends the Asay's. All of our kids are the same age and we always have a good time with them.

Once we got home the kids wanted to answer the door. Berlynn and Ezra would sit on the stairs and wait until someone knocked on the door. Berlynn kept calling them her costumers. "Mom, when will our next costumers come?" Once Brandon got home from work they were ready for round 2, so he took them to a few more houses.

By the end of the night both kids had collected so much candy. We decided to let the kids pick their top 10 and if they gave us the rest we would take them to Target to get a toy. Berlynn chose a Barbie and Ezra chose a Zhu Zhu Pet. Brandon took the rest of the candy to work to give to his employee's.

Ezra's Preschool Class

Berlynn's 2nd grade class

Mummy Pizzas for dinner

Berlynn and Jade

Called to Serve

2011-11-16T19:11:00.000-07:00

Little Brandon got his mission call today. I was having such a hard day knowing that I couldn't be there to watch him open his call. One of friends mentioned that we should Skype. You would think after living away from our families we would have already figured out how to skype, but no. Well, in about one hour we were up and running and ready to watch Little B open his mission call.

Big Brandon was working but Berlynn, Ezra and I were huddled around the ipad watching Brandon read, "Dear Elder Menlove, you are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the South Africa Durban Mission English speaking." The whole room went crazy with people screaming and jumping up and down. We are all so excited for him.

With all this mission talk Berlynn has been asking lots of questions and really wants to go on a mission too. She has started to make a book about missionaries. I am so grateful for the wonderful example that Little B is setting for my kids. They look up to him and I know that he will be a fabulous missionary.

Ragnar Vegas Style

2011-11-14T10:50:00.001-07:00

Back in April I ran a Ragnar race with some friends from Colorado. After having such a great time I knew that it would be a blast to get a group of my dental school friends to run one with me. After a few emails of explaining what a crazy fun adventure it was going to be, we had a team of 12.

When deciding which race we would run I knew that I would be in Vegas in October so I voted agaist that one. Well, that ended up being the best time for everyone else so I was headed back for round two of Vegas.

Kim had a friend design our logo. I love it!

Cheesecake Factory

Being a little crazy at 1am.

Again, getting a little crazy. We finished around 4pm on Saturday. I was really proud of our team. We came in 11th place for the women and kept a pace of 10:10.

Van #2. Jordan, Alyssa, me, Megan, Kim, Holly

Getting ready for my night run.

Las Vegas

2011-11-14T10:16:00.001-07:00

Brandon and I took a little get away to Las Vegas for the ADA conference. Thanks to our amazing family for watching our kids we were able to spend 4 days kid free. Now, I am not a fan of Vegas, but when you throw in some friends we love and miss, then I am all about it.

The first night we saw Jersey Boys. We showed up a few minutes late and I guess you could say it was our lucky night. They upgraded us to the 3rd row! We enjoyed the show but their was a lot of "Jersey" language used:(

The next night we saw Beatles Love. We love Cirque du Soleil shows and this one did not disappoint.

We ate dinner at my new favorite restaurant. Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill. I really want to go back!

While the boys went away to talk dental, the girls played. We shopped, ate, talked and went to the spa. It was fun to catch up.

We had lunch at the the Cosmopolitan's Wicked Spoon. This was by far the best buffet I have been to.

Grandma Moosman

2011-11-02T13:47:00.000-06:00

Vauna Loree Fairbourn Moosman

January 18, 1931 - October 21, 2011

After a long and difficult journey our sweet wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother passed away at home surrounded by four generations of family. Vauna was born January 18, 1931 to Leslie D. and Harriet “Rose” Smith Fairbourn in Crescent, Utah; she was the 7th of 9 children. Vauna was a proud graduate of Jordan High School where she met and later married her eternal companion Fred E. Moosman on November 21, 1952 in the Salt Lake Temple.

She was a valiant member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where she served faithfully in many positions for each of the auxiliaries. She loved and cherished her family, was a wonderful example of motherhood and truly led a Christ-like life. Survived by her devoted husband Fred, son Steven (Wendy), daughters Marcia (Richard), Kathy (Barry), Karen (Jason), 13 grandchildren, 22.5 great grandchildren, sister Ila and brother Jerry. She was preceded in death by her parents and several siblings. Our family wishes to express our heartfelt gratitude to the loving care given by South Davis Hospice, and especially to her compassionate nurse Rosemary.

Services will be held on Thursday, October 27, 2011, 11:00 a.m., at the Orchard Stake Center, 3599 South Orchard Drive, Bountiful, Utah. Viewings will be held on Wednesday, October 26, 2011, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Orchard Stake Center and from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. prior to services on Thursday.

2011-11-01T13:38:00.000-06:00

I took Berlynn with me to the SYTYCD tour this year. She loves to dance and watch it, which makes me super happy. Our friends Jade and Tiffany Asay and Tiegan and Amber Martinez came too. It was a fun date night with my darling little girl.

Little Nix

2011-10-01T21:06:00.001-06:00

Nixon is 14 months old. He is still a very happy kid. In fact when he does cry I know something is really wrong. He has his 4 top teeth, 4 bottom teeth and 2 molars. Nixon loves to eat and will out eat the other two kids. I would say his favorite food is strawberries. He hates bananas, which I think is strange. He can say Da da, Mama, and think he tries to say Ezra. He loves to be outside and LOVES to be where his siblings are. Everyone keeps asking me if he is walking. I am not sure how to answer this. He can walk, but mostly crawls. He usually takes about 5 steps and drops to the floor and takes off crawling.

Sweet Littte Girl

2011-10-01T20:43:00.000-06:00

It is funny how you get to know your kids and the things they like by the books they bring home from the school library. Usually Berlynn checks out books about fairies or puppies. This week she branched out and checked out a book on Taylor Swift.

This is a note Berlynn wrote to Brandon. I thought it was so sweet.

Ezra's First Game

2011-10-01T20:26:00.001-06:00

Josh and Ezra

Ezra is #1

Today was Ezra's first soccer game of the season. All of these pictures were taken while he was warming up. Poor kid, on the very first play of the game he hit heads with another little boy. He came crying to the sidelines. He was so upset and sat out basically the rest of the game. After he calmed down we bribed him with 7/11 if he would go back into the game. With about 5 minutes left of the game he went back in to play goalie. He really enjoys soccer hopefully his next game will go a little better for him.

Vail

2011-09-27T20:47:00.000-06:00

For Labor Day we took a little getaway to Vail. It was beautiful. We swam in the pool, went to the farmer's market, and watched the BYU game. The best thing about Vail is all of the bike trails. We rode our bike everywhere we went.

1st day of Preschool

2011-09-09T21:46:00.004-06:00

Ezra was so excited to start preschool. He goes 4 days a week and is going to the same school as Berlynn. That makes my life as the driver a lot easier. He has such a wonderful teacher and loves going to school with his best buddy Joshua.

1st day of 2nd grade

2011-09-09T21:38:00.003-06:00

Berlynn was extremely excited to become a 2nd grader. She was nervous that she still looks like a 1st grader, and kept asking me if I thought she looked like a 2nd grader. She LOVES her teacher and so do I. She gave me a bit of grief about doing her hair on the first day so we settled for a pony tail. Love you Berlynn!

Nixon's First Birthday

2011-09-09T21:21:00.000-06:00

Nixon Turns One

2011-09-09T21:16:00.000-06:00

Nixon's First Birthday

2011-09-09T21:10:00.001-06:00

We celebrated Nixon's first birthday while we were in Lake Powell.

Showing us that he is one.

I have never seen a kid dig into a cupcake as fast as he did.

We love you Nixon. You are such a joy to have in our family.

Powell Trip

2011-08-20T14:59:00.006-06:00

We had another great year at Powell. The kids were at a great age and loved every minute. Ezra had to get his video game fix. When he wasn't playing in the water he was usually playing on the Xoom.

Relaxing in the sun.

We trapped the babies in the pack and play. At first it was fun.

Once they realized they couldn't get out it was not so fun.

This is was the first offical year that we called our trip a family reunion. Papa and Oma even had T-shirts made. We had family olympics, played minute to win it, watched movies projected onto the canyon walls, and ate Papa's famous homemade ice cream.

These two put A LOT of work into these Powell trips. Thanks so much!!

All of the grandkids minus Ava. Breck, Brynlie, Camren, Berlynn, McAllen, Ezra and Nixon

Ezra age 4

Knee Boarding

2011-08-20T14:48:00.003-06:00

I feel like I repeat the same posts year after year. I guess that is because we have some fun family traditions. Our favorite tradition is going to Lake Powell. This year we could not get Berlynn off the knee board. She bugged Papa the whole trip to keep taking her out. I am glad that she likes it. She was getting to where she can control the board and made some attempts to get out of the wake. Ezra being the flag boy.

4th of July

2011-08-20T14:09:00.007-06:00

We spent the 4th of July in Breckenridge. It reminded us of Park City so we felt right at home. The kids loved the parade and they came away with TONS of goodies.

Waiting for the parade to start.

Nixon fell asleep during the parade. You gotta love those chubby cheeks!

It was nice to get away and spend some quality time as a family.

Ezra was pretending to be a spy and would hide from us frequently.

We went to Bubba Gump's for dinner. Berlynn really wanted her picture taken with these Forest Gump's shoes.

Another crazy pose by Berber.

We took a day and spent it at the resort. Berlynn loves rock climbing and gets tons of practice from the gym we go to.

They rode the ponies.

Nixon was a trooper and loved riding on Dads shoulders.

Riding the gondola.

We stopped at the Silverthorne Outlets and did some shopping.

Ezra jumped right in bed the minute we walked through the hotel door.

Berlynn is our little shrimp girl. We took her to Bubba Gumps and she loved it!

Nixon liked it too.

Ezra is our ice cream boy! If we ask him what he wants for dinner, he will often request ice cream.

1st Hair Cut

2011-08-11T21:10:00.000-06:00

Aunt Cookie gave Nixon his first hair cut. As you can see from the picture he didn't mind a bit. I am always hesitant to cut my babies hair because I know how grown up they look after. Isn't he such a cutie?

Happy 1st

2011-07-22T21:25:00.000-06:00

Oma and Papa bought Nixon a train for his birthday! He can't get enough of it.

Grandma and Grandpa B sent Nix cars and planes. Just what he loves! Also, Grandma B made Nixon the cutest fabric turtle you have ever seen. Happy Birthday little dude!

Double Hat Day

2011-07-01T21:18:00.000-06:00

Ezra has been cracking me up. He was such a late talker that I feel like I am still getting to know his personality. Our sweet neighbor gave us this Buzz Light year hat. Ezra LOVES it and has not taken it off since he got it. Usually I don't let my kids wear character clothing, (I know, I mean) but Ezra LOVES this hat and insists that he wears it. Now, if that is not bad enough, he thinks it is cool to wear two hats. For the last 3 days he has been wearing these two hats around town. I think tonight one might go missing:)

Summer Pictures

2011-06-30T13:05:00.004-06:00

We are having a great Summer. I love having the kids home all day. These are just some random pictures of our Summer time fun.
The kids (and Brandon) are loving the new trampoline. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa B!

We have been spending lots of time at the pool.

We are definitely keeping 7-11 in business.

Birthday Day 2

2011-06-30T13:00:00.001-06:00

Since we didn't have a big party for Ezra, we decided to invite some neighbors over for a BBQ and to help us hit the Cars pinata'.

Ezra Turns 4

2011-06-30T12:45:00.007-06:00

Ezra birthday was so much fun. This year he chose a Cars cake.

We took him to see the new Cars 2 movie. It was a super cute movie.
He chose Red Robin for his birthday lunch. (those stinkers would not look at the camera)
We bounced the day away at Monkey Business.
Nixon loved it too.

He got a DS, frog aquarium, DS game, and Cars squinkies.

Since most of Ezra's friends were out of town, we decided not to have a party. Instead we brought cupcakes to the park play date. Ezra was pretty excited to share his cupcakes with his friends.
Ezra even helped me bake the cupcakes.

Ezra is the sweetest boy. We are so lucky to have him in our family. Here are some things about Ezra
-He loves to cuddle and give hugs. He is constantly saying, "Mom, I wub our whole family."
-He always volunteers to say the prayer.
-He loves video games, movies and anything with a screen.
-He likes to play soccer and T-ball.
-He loves the color green and hates anything pink.
-He loves to tease his sister.
-He looks out for his little brother and is always makes sure he is safe.
-His favorite TV shows are, Jake and the Neverland Pirates and he still loves Little Einsteins.
Happy Birthday Ezra. We love you!

T-ball

2011-06-30T12:43:00.002-06:00

Ezra is in T-ball this year. He is having a good time with his buddies, Josh and Nate. He loves to go out into the backyard to practice his hitting.

Sewing Class

2011-06-30T12:41:00.001-06:00

Berlynn just finished a summer sewing camp. This bag is her first finished product. She is now working on a skirt and a nightgown.

Tub of Fun

2011-06-30T12:39:00.001-06:00

Nixon also loves to be outside with the kids. I found a great way to keep him happy but also safe. We fill this tub up with water and he will be happy for hours.

Backyard Fun

2011-06-30T12:34:00.002-06:00

Summer has been a little crazy with the move and all. We are started to feel settled and we are enjoying our new space. The kids love the backyard. They will play outside all day, which I love.

Oma's Turn

2011-06-17T13:54:00.004-06:00

Once school let out for the summer, it was my Mom's turn to come and visit. Again we are so lucky to have such amazing parents. I was able to get boxes unpacked and all of the bedrooms painted while she was here. Since most of the work was done, we were able to sneak away and do a couple of fun things. We went to the zoo.We ate at the aquarium.We went to the Children's Museum.

Dance Recital

2011-06-17T13:47:00.002-06:00

Berlynn's dance recital has come and gone. She is such a performer. She kept a smile on her face the whole time. At the end of the performance they lift Berlynn up. That was her favorite part. Even though her performance was cute, I was very dissapointed with the studio she danced at. We are going to try a new one next year. We sure do miss CAA.

Moving Day

2011-06-17T13:32:00.004-06:00

Out of our 10 years of marriage we have moved 6 times. This was by far the hardest move. Even though it was only a 5 min. move, a move is a move. Three kids really make thing difficult.

This is how you get work done with a baby. How do you get any work done with the other two? Send them with the Grandparents!!!!!

We were lucky enough to have Brandon's parents fly out to help. They whisked the kids away for a fun weekend adventure. Thanks so much!!!!! You can read about their adventures
here

Moving day came quick. We were not all the way ready with our home renovations to move our stuff into our house, but we had to be out of the rental house. We set up beds but then put everything else into the garage. Seeing all of our stuff made me realize how much crap we own. Actually, most of it is preschool supplies. I can't seem to get rid of it. I keeping thinking one day I will teach again. My Goal: Don't buy any more toys!

Aloha Party

2011-06-17T07:32:00.007-06:00

This year Berlynn decided to have a Hawaiian party. Berlynn, Jade, Riley, Halle, Jenna, Autumn, Hailey

We started off with the Limbo.

Next, the girls learned how to hula.

Our family

The Tiki Bar (aka the present hut)

The girls made sand art

They drank out of coconut cups.

Jenna

Riley

Hailey

Halle

Jade

Autumn Ezra thought it was fun to scare and chase the girls.

Jade was the first to arrive.

Last Day of School

2011-05-25T07:29:00.000-06:00

Berlynn loved 1st grade, but she is super excited to be a big second grader next year.

Happy Birthday Berlynn!

2011-05-24T23:31:00.004-06:00

Today Berlynn turned 7 years old. Where has the time gone? She is becoming such a little lady. Dad gave her flowers and made her silly face pancakes before he went to work. Roller Blades!!! She also got her new outfit from Grandma and Grandpa B. We took her Chick-Fil-a for lunch. She was excited to have us with her at school.

About Berlynn

-We have nick named her peanut, because she is the smallest one in her class.

-We also call her Berb, Berlynie and Berbaloo.

-She is obsessed with becoming a teenager one day

-She loves to plan parties
-She is taking dance and gymnastics
-She is a great artist

-Her favorite food is cheeseburgers

-She makes friends easily

-She is helpful around the house

-She likes to eat with chopsticks

-She is a great reader and enjoys reading chapter books

-She is a night owl and has a hard time going to sleep

-She likes fashion
-She talks about wanting to go to Paris with her Dad

10 Months Old

2011-05-22T23:27:00.001-06:00

Nixon is 10 months old!!! He has his two bottom teeth and is crawling faster and faster each day. He is starting to pull himself up to standing while holding onto furniture. He is still a easy going happy baby.

Ezra's Preschool Graduation

2011-05-16T23:05:00.001-06:00

Ezra, Joshua, Teya and Morgan

Ezra did it! He graduated from his 1st year of preschool. This year he learned all of his letters and their sounds. He also learned how to write his name. We had a little party/program on the last day of school. It was pretty dang cute.

Birthday Dinner

2011-05-14T23:23:00.001-06:00

While my Dad was in town, we went out to celebrate Berlynn's 7th birthday. She picked Texas Road House for dinner. She was excited to sit on the saddle and kept asking me to ask the waiter if she was going to get to sit on it. Berlynn opened her gift from Papa and Oma and was excited to get Super Mario Brothers DS game.

House in Progress

2011-05-13T23:11:00.000-06:00

On Friday May 13th, we closed on our new home. (Yes we closed on Friday the 13th) After 10 years of marriage, it is so nice to finally feel settled. We love our new home but wanted to change some things. We convinced my Dad to come out and help lay new hardwood floors and also refinished the existing ones. They turned out fabulous. (pictures to come) sanding the floors

We are finding that three kids and home projects don't mix. We stuck the kids in this room so we could get to work.

Painters and carpet will be next.

Bed Time

2011-04-21T23:02:00.000-06:00

Before bed the other night I found Ezra in Nixon's crib and Berlynn reading a story to them. Too cute!

Egg Hunt

2011-04-21T22:46:00.000-06:00

We took the kids to the neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt. They loved every minute.

Nixon loved swinging

Jade and Berlynn

Halle and BerlynnEzra and Brody

Easter Sunday

2011-04-20T22:59:00.000-06:00

The boys were not happy when it came time to take our Easter picture. Berlynn didn't mind posing for the camera.

Easter Morning

2011-04-20T22:55:00.000-06:00

Easter morning was a blast. The kiddos were excited to find their baskets.

Nixon loved playing with the plastic eggs.

Ragnar So. Cal

2011-04-16T22:12:00.000-06:00

Soon after moving to Colorado I received an email from a friend asking if anyone was interested in running a 200 relay race. I immediately knew this was something that I wanted to do. I was extremely nervous since I hadn't ran more than 3 miles since my whole marathon fiasco. I immediately started going to physical therapy to try to get my IT-Band figured out. With the PT's help I trained with mild pain, and was able to run 16 miles pain free.

Our team was named the Mile High Runners Club. We had flight attendant costumes and handed out peanuts and pretzels to fellow runners. I had such a great time with all of the girls. Our start time was 7am. I was runner #10, which meant I didn't start running until about 2pm. My first run was really tough. I had two huge hills and it was extremely hot. My next run started at 2am. It was such a blast to run that early in the morning . Everyone is required to wear a reflective vest, head lamp and butt lamp. My last leg started at about 4pm. It felt good on the run, but the scenery wasn't that great. (I ran by the Naval Yard) As I finished my last leg, I became very emotional. I had missed running for over 2 year and finally felt like I was back. I am not even close to the pace that I once was, but I am just happy to be running.

Our antenna ball

Ragnar Van

We ran from LA to San Diego. One of the pit stops was in La Jolla. This was such a beautiful place.

We crossed the finish line right as the sun was setting

My van checking out New Port Beach

We decorated the van with marker paint. It was fun until it came time to wash it off.

More photos to come...

I am waiting for our team photographer to send me the rest of the pictures.

A Moment in Time

2011-04-10T23:23:00.002-06:00

Nixon is growing way too fast. Since I can't stop time, I need to take more pictures. Nixon loves to crawl around the house and find things to play with.

Spring Break 2011

2011-04-10T23:11:00.004-06:00

We spent Spring Break in Utah visiting with family. It was a little cold but we had plenty of fun. All of the Menlove grandkids took a trip to the zoo.

Ezra was using his map to tell us what animals to see.

We went to see Uncle B play baseball.

We made a quick stop to Grandma and Grandpa Moosman.

Nixon found their mirrors.

Take a Moment

2011-04-01T23:19:00.001-06:00

I got home late the other night and found Brandon reading the kids a story. It seems like lately we have been extremely busy. I took this picture to remind me to enjoy the moments we have together.

Disney on Ice

2011-03-25T23:05:00.000-06:00

We had the opportunity to go with a group of friends to see Disney Princess on Ice. It was such a fun girls night out. I think there was about 20 of us.We started the night out at Red Robin. (Berlynn's favorite restaurant)

8 Months

2011-03-22T23:03:00.000-06:00

Nixon is 8 months old. He is sitting up and crawling all over the place. He is having a hardtime sleeping and now has 2 teeth.

For the Love of Food

2011-03-21T22:59:00.001-06:00

This kids LOVES to eat! Nixon is 8 months old.

St. Patty's Day

2011-03-17T22:56:00.000-06:00

The Leprechauns came to our house and left green sugar all over the kitchen counter. They also turned the milk green and wrote on the bathroom mirror.

I Can Do It

2011-03-10T22:54:00.000-07:00

Ezra is in that stage where he wants to do everything himself. Today he did his own hair.

Silly Kids

2011-03-10T22:52:00.000-07:00

The kids love to be wrapped up like burritos.

My Kids

2011-03-10T22:41:00.002-07:00

It seems like time goes by faster and faster. I wish I could stop time. I love these little ones!

-note

Berlynn's glasses are fake, but she loves them and wears them ALL the time.

Vistors Come to Town

2011-02-27T22:45:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Grandpa B came to visit us. They brought a special surprise with them. Cousin Annie!!! Berlynn and Annie were inseparable all weekend.We went to Dave and Busters

The Butterfly Pavilion

These two are such good friends. Berlynn is so lucky to have such a fun cousin to play with.

Baby Bath

2011-02-26T22:38:00.000-07:00

Art Work

2011-02-23T22:35:00.000-07:00

The kids drew pictures of themselves today and I thought they were just too cute.Ezra-age 3

Berlynn-age6

7 Months Old

2011-02-22T22:33:00.000-07:00

Valentines Party

2011-02-14T22:29:00.001-07:00

I was able to go into Berlynn's classroom and help with the class Valentines Party. We decorated gingerbread houses. Ezra came with me and he was so excited to be with the big kids.

Hitting the Slopes

2011-02-10T22:23:00.001-07:00

Brandon took Berlynn skiing for the first time. We were a little nervous about how she would do. He put her into ski school for half of the day and then hit the slopes with his friends. She had such a great time and keeps asking if she can go again.

Ezra's Writings

2011-01-23T22:20:00.000-07:00

Ezra has started to take off with his writing. He is getting pretty good at writing his name.

6 months old

2011-01-22T22:27:00.000-07:00

Nixon is 6 months old and is starting to sit up.

Nixon is 6 months old

2011-01-22T22:19:00.000-07:00

This boy is so happy!

Ice Skating

2011-01-10T21:57:00.000-07:00

Brandon took Berlynn and Ezra ice skating. It was Ezra's first time. He soon discovered that Ezra does not like the cold. He complained the whole time and wanted to go home. He did enjoy riding in the sled.

Berlynn is getting pretty good on the ice.

Looking Back and Forward

2011-01-07T14:04:00.003-07:00

Highlights of 2010

We started the year off right with a cruise to Mexico.
Jamie turned the big 30!
Brandon went on a dental service trip to Colonial Juarez, Mexico.
Took the kids to Disneyland.
Berlynn performed in her first ballet recital.
Celebrated Berlynn turning 6.
Moved our family to Colorado.
Brandon bought into a group dental practice in Boulder Colorado.
Celebrated Ezra turning 3.
Menlove Family Lake Powell trip.
Welcomed Nixon into our family. (3 weeks early)
Berlynn started 1^st grade at her new school.
Ezra and Mom started into a co-op preschool.
Berlynn and Ezra started playing soccer.
Spent Thanksgiving in Utah with our wonderful family.
Spent our first Christmas away from our family.

2010 felt like we were on a roller coaster ride. It was full of ups, downs, changes we didn't expect and it went by way too fast. We are looking forward to what 2011 has in store.

New Year Eve 2010

2011-01-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

New Year's Eve was such a blast. We hired a babysitter for the night and went to with a group of friends. After stuffing our faces we headed over to the Lorch's house to play games. The boys played a board game and the girls played This game was a blast. I think we are going to have to add it to our collection.

Nixon's first Christmas (5 months old)

2010-12-26T12:06:00.001-07:00

This cute little guy is 5 months old. It is always extra special to have a baby around at Christmas.
5 months
-He is rolling his way around the house.
-He puts everything into his mouth.
-He is a drooling all over the place.
-He is sleeping very well.
-He goes to bed around 8pm and is up at 5am to eat. He then goes back to sleep until 8am.
-He is a joy to have in our family

Christmas Video 2010

2010-12-25T22:24:00.001-07:00

Christmas Morning 2010

2010-12-25T11:45:00.002-07:00

This year Buddy the Elf traveled all the way from the North Pole to watch over our kids. Each night he would fly back to the North Pole to let Santa know if the kids had been naughty or nice. Buddy must have reported nice things about each of the kids. They got spoiled!
Nixon was the nicest of all, but you wouldn't know it by the amount of presents he got;)

Nixon's favorite

Ezra's giftsEzra was so happy with his Zhu Zhu pet. His Zhu Zhu 'Nutty Corn' died about 6 months ago. He has been sad ever since. Santa brought him a brand new 'Nutty Corn'.

Berlynn's giftsThis picture says it all. She loved her American Girl Doll. She has named her Berlynn and she goes EVERYWHERE we go.
Even though Ezra really loved his camera, Brandon's favorite gift is in the background of the picture.
I have had my eye on this bad boy for a couple of year's now. I was so excited to see it under the tree. Thanks Santa!

Christmas Eve 2010

2010-12-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

We started Christmas Eve off with cleaning and getting the house ready for Santa's arrival. The kids were great helpers and willing to do just about anything. While we were preparing the house Brandon's was off at work. On Christmas Eve they give back to the community by doing free dental work. This is like the black friday for dentistry. People line up for hours to make sure they get a spot. Their office saw 80 patients in about 4 hours. Brandon said it was super crazy but it was fun. You can read more about Care Day here. When Brandon got home, we went to see our Christmas Eve movie. We didn't have much to choose from. We had seen most of the the other family movies, so we went to see Yogi Bear. Not, our first choice but Berlynn and Ezra LOVED it! I am not sure I have ever heard Berlynn laugh that hard at a movie.
For dinner we were invited over to the Yates' home for a delicious prime rib dinner. We ate and visited and then the kids acted out the nativity scene. Berlynn was Mary, Ezra Joseph, and Nixon little Jesus. I didn't have my camera so, I will get some pictures up soon.

After dinner we went home to open our Christmas PJ's.

Berlynn and Ezra set some cookies out for Santa. I love the sign that Berlynn made. She wanted to make sure Santa knew to give the carrots to the reindeer.

North Pole Colorado

2010-12-22T10:55:00.000-07:00

The Monday before Christmas we took the kids to the Colorado North Pole. It is this cute little amusement park decorated as the North Pole. We all had a great time especially because we didn't have to wait in any lines. I think has become one of our family Christmas traditions. These are the only pictures I have before my camera died. I will post my phone pictures soon.

Hammond's Candy Factory

2010-12-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

We were invited to go with some friends to the Hammond's Candy Factory. They give free tours of their factory. It was quite interesting to learn how they make their candy. The kids had a blast in the candy store. I bought a few candy canes, but they are too pretty to eat.

We Are Ready!

2010-12-21T16:03:00.004-07:00

The tree is trimmed.
The stockings are hung.
Our family is getting excited for Christmas. This will be our first Christmas away from our families. We are ready to start our own traditions, but we will miss all of our family.
Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Parties!

2010-12-21T15:53:00.003-07:00

Brandon teaches the 8 year olds in church. Last Saturday he invited them all over for a little Christmas party. They played JINGO, ate pizza, and decorated reindeer cupcakes.

Later that night we had Brandon's office party at Cinzetti's. He has about 20 employee's and they each brought a guest. That made for a fun party. It is always fun to get to know his staff. He also scored a pretty sweet gold tooth key chain. (pictures to come)

First Food

2010-12-18T15:37:00.001-07:00

Nixon just experienced his first solid food. After the first bite he wasn't sure what to think. He then realized that it was food and that he liked it. He is going to be a great eater.

Ballet Class

2010-12-17T15:20:00.002-07:00

Before Christmas break I was able to go into Berlynn's ballet class and watch her dance. All of the girls were so cute. Berlynn loves going to dance with her friends, Halle, Jenna and Ainsley.

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Dancing Kids

2010-12-12T23:54:00.002-07:00

Lately the kids they have been dancing to all the commercials that come on TV. Their favorite one is the Kia commercial with the Hamsters. They laugh and laugh and rewind to watch it over and over again.

Berlynn Update

2010-12-12T23:44:00.006-07:00

Berlynn is loving being in first grade. She is becoming a wonderful reader and is such a fun girl to have around. She is constantly making us laugh. The other day she told me she wants to be a Kung Fu Girl when she grows up. She then went on to show me her Kung Fu moves.

She has been stealing my camera to make movies. Here is a piece of her first masterpiece.

The other day I found her like this on the couch. She told me this is a "Chinese prayer".

BR Gives Back

2010-12-08T23:30:00.000-07:00

Berlynn's school held a food drive the other night. They prepared some Christmas songs to sing while the community came and brought canned food. It was a great event and they were able to collect a lot of food. I am really impressed with the community we live in. There is always some form of service project going on.

Ward Christmas Party

2010-12-04T23:17:00.000-07:00

Our ward Christmas party was so much fun. The kids were able to sit on Santa's lap. Berlynn still wants an American Girl Doll and Ezra still wants a train.

The primary sang some Christmas songs. Even though Ezra is in nursery he wanted to go up and sing with the primary kids. When they opened the curtain he had a huge smile on his face and was giving me the thumbs up. He was really excited to perform. He didn't know any of the words but he made up for it with his dance moves.
Our ward primary is HUGE! Again, we love our ward.

North Pole Express

2010-11-30T23:09:00.000-07:00

While in Utah we took the kids on the Heber Valley Railroad North Pole Express. Ezra loves anything to do with trains so we thought this would be the perfect year to go. When we arrived to the North Pole Santa came aboard the train. Berlynn told him that she wants an American Girl Doll for Christmas. "It has to have red hair, light skin and blue eyes. " Ezra told him he wants a train. We had a great time and loved the hot coco and cookies.

Thanksgiving 2010-part 1

2010-11-27T22:44:00.001-07:00

We traveled to Utah to be with our families for Thanksgiving. Most of the drive is pretty boring but I did capture this beautiful picture on our way out.

The Sunday before Thanksgiving my Mom makes a yummy turkey dinner for all of the family. I thought it was awesome that me and Grandma Eddi dressed like twins. I had to get a picture of our sweet sweat outfits. I love this lady. She always has something nice to say and is constantly giving compliments to others. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving day spent with family. We started off with an amazing lunch at Grand America with Brandon's family. It really was grand!! Just look at the kids buffet.
It was fun to see Uncle T working is little tail off. Who needs turkey when you can have king crab legs?

Later that night we headed to Grandma Barbs to have our traditional Thanksgiving dinner. It was so delicious and fun to see everyone. I didn't have my camera:(

More of the Grand

2010-11-26T23:01:00.000-07:00

Cooing Nixon

2010-11-22T23:43:00.000-07:00

Nixon is starting to find his voice. This isn't the best video of it but I still think it is cute.