Background

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Celebrating Brynne!

The last week of May we had the chance to celebrate my sister Brynne! On May 26, the day after Memorial Day it was her birthday. My sisters and I all surprised her by coming down during school and saying hi to her kids and bringing her little gifts. Her husband Blake also made a sign that spelled out her name using crayons from her classroom and had all of her kids sign the frame. It was her first year teaching and she absolutely loved it!

Kaycee loved looking out the window of the classroom with Aunt Jeannene!

She kept pointing out the window and saying "PUPPY!" every time she saw any little kids. She thinks everything is a puppy right now! 

Being a big kid at Kindergarten. 
Two days later we were able to come back for kindergarten graduation! It was so cute, the kids did such a great job with their program. Brynne is a wonderful teacher and I am so happy that she is such a wonderful influence on so many little lives! She's planning on starting a preschool and I can't wait to have her teach some of my littles ones!

Kindergarten graduation with Mrs. Wise!
I'm so grateful for Brynne and for the relationship she and I have. I'm also so grateful that she loves Kaycee so much and that they have such a fun relationship!

Winner winner!

About a month ago, Jake sent me a screenshot from Facebook about the baby contest that was happening for Pony Express Days. I told him I didn't really believe in baby contests and didn't want to do it.  While that is true, more importantly I was scared about her losing and didn't want to subject her to that since there's more to life than "being cute". However, a few weeks later my sister Lauryl told me that there wasn't enough contestants so there'd be pretty slim competition. I decided to enter her even if she lost because it would be a good opportunity {for later, since she's too little right now!} that even if you lose you should still try things.  You can still learn things and the fear of losing shouldn't prevent you from trying.

I was a little stressed about the event leading up to it but that morning I prayed I would just have fun with her and not be worried about it. I picked out a cute patriotic outfit she already had and did her hair in her normal cute way. I didn't want to do anything different from normal because I think she's as beautiful as can be just the way she is - she doesn't need fancy clothes or crazy up do's or make up to make her pretty.


Standing up all by herself for the picture! 
Love her little grin
We got there around 10:30, thinking it would be best to go at the beginning of the judging window (10:00 - 1:00) and turns out that was a good thing - because they didn't have many contestants they ended up doing all the judging and announcing everything in the first hour!

When it was our turn, I went back with her and the Miss Eagle Mountain royalty to the judges.  I stood her up on table and she stood by herself almost the whole time.  She said hi once or twice and was smiling and waving and just jabbering away in her little voice. The judges kept complimenting her hair and laughing as she kept trying to reach for Miss Eagle Mountain's crown and sash. When we left, one of my old young women Ella {who happens to be Miss Eagle Mountain} told me Kaycee was the only one who had talked so far! I was proud of Kaycee for not being shy even around strangers!

We came out and waited for the results.  They came out and read them and Kaycee won her age group! There wasn't a lot of contestants but there were other contestants in her age that she still beat! I was so proud of her! She won a beautiful Elsa dress up dress for her baby doll, a cardboard book of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and a $150.00 gift certificate to get her pictures taken by a photographer in Eagle Mountain! I was so excited!

We went back to our seats and were getting ready to go when they announced there were overall winners.  The categories were best eyes, best smile, best personality, best hair and best outfit.  Not going to lie, I immediately started running the categories through my head trying to think of which one she could win.  She hadn't been super smiley so I wasn't holding my breath there but she had talked a ton so maybe best personality?

They said her name for best personality and I was pretty dang excited. As we walked up to get her award {with her clapping for herself in my arms}, they also announced she won best hair too! I was so flattered and excited! She won 2 additional $150.00 gift certificates to get her picture taken, adding up to $450.00 worth of photos - for free!! As they read the remaining contestant winners she clapped for everyone and just was smiling away. Even though she didn't understand I was proud of her for clapping when she heard everyone else doing it and picking up on that social cue.

I was so excited for her I could barely suppress my grin.  Of all the contestants, no one else won 3 categories! It may have been my imagination but I felt like I had some moms giving me the stink eye as we walked to the car. I buckled her up and immediately handed her the new book she won - she loves to read and she contentedly read her book the rest of the way home.


When we got home I got her Elsa dress out and put it on her baby doll. That doll is now her favorite of her 3 babies and she carries her Elsa everywhere!


So proud of her!! 
A few minutes later I saw on a Facebook yard sale page a $5.00 Winnie the Pooh kids chair. She had a hard time in Nursery getting up and down from the chair because she doesn't have anything that size at home to practice on so I got it for her - every princess needs a throne right? 


Reading a different book in her throne
I am very proud of her for how well she behaved at the judging, how happy she was during the results and that she clapped for others and of course I'm proud of her for winning.  I'm also glad that I got over my fear of her not winning and that we tried it anyway.  I'm sure it would have still been a good experience had she not won but it sure helps that she did win!

Way to go babe, mom and dad think you're just the cutest little girl in the whole universe!

Memorial Day Weekend

Jake and I both had Memorial Day weekend off so we got to spend some time together! Jake worked at the rodeo in Eagle Mountain with the VIPS crew Friday and Saturday.  We spent Sunday evening with my family while we did the May birthday party for Rick, Sarah and Brynne and had BBQ and talked.  The next day we woke up, had a yummy breakfast and got ready to go visit some family grave sites.

Kaycee had strawberries for the first time and loved them! 
Visting my Grammy and Beebaw in the Orem Cemetery

Visting Jake's Grandpa Kay {who Kaycee was named after} in Pleasant Grove Cemetery 


We came home and took a nice nap afterwards and then had a late lunch. Kayc looked super cute after her nap!


Jake worked at the rodeo again with the VIPS crew so Kaycee and I spent the night together watching TV and hanging out together.


It rained pretty hard and Max wasn't a fan - he had his leash on and sat in the house not wanting to go out.


It was a wonderful 3 day weekend, I'm grateful we were able to spend time together as a family and celebrate those who have passed on, specifically those who have fought for our country.

Payson Temple Open House

Last month we had the chance to go to the Payson Temple Open House not once but twice! My family and Jake's family both tickets on 2 separate days so we had the chance to go with both of them!

Kaycee loved looking at the lights both times we came through, especially the lights in the Celestial Room and the Sealing Room's.

We went with my family first the weekend of Mother's Day. It was very rainy but thanks to some umbrellas it wasn't too bad.

My mom and Rick
Popper & Kaycee
Me and my handsome guy
The 3 of us at the Christus replica statue 
We had a hard time getting Kaycee to focus on the camera, she was very interested in looking at the statue of Jesus and could barely take her eyes off of it. 
Everyone who came from my family! 
Beautiful temple! 
A week later we went with Jake's family. The weather was much better the second time!

Everyone who came from Jake's family.
Beautiful temple
The 3 of us!

I am so grateful we were able to go not once but twice and were able to go with both families. I am so grateful for temples!