Birchell Family: July 2009

7/30/09

California Visitors

Last week GGMA, GGPA, and Aunt Jackie came to visit us! We had so much fun with them. We were able to go on nice walks, spend lots of time visiting, spend time at the cabin, haul hay, and most importantly play with Brilee. Brilee loves being with her GGMA and listening to her sing. She loved being the center of attention, and 'ole Bri Bear got some NEAT toys from them! She got a bouncer to keep at Grandma Dickson, a cute doll, and a cool train that has animals in it that cruises around the house and sings. Thank you guys for coming, thank you for all the help with the hay(AJ) and dogs(GGPA), and thank you thank you thank you for baby-sitting Brilee all weekend GGMA!!!! We love you and can't wait to see you again.

GGMA did a lot of singing and rocking Brilee. On my way to work Monday Brilee started singing and now she does all the time! I LOVE it!!!

We gathered rocks for my parents patio on our walk. We kicked them to the road and then my Dad drove us and we sat on the tail gate and jumped off to get the rocks. The plan was great, the execution of the plan not so great!

After a walk by Ice Cave Peak

GGMA and Brilee while we were walking

We have never really let Brilee see the dogs until last weekend. She went CRAZY for them. She would start laughing a deep belly laugh, reach for them, and try to kiss them whenever she saw them. I don't know if I have ever seen her as happy as she was Saturday playing with Cali.

This is her new bouncer! She loves it. It has so many things to look at and play with. She really starts jumping in it too!

GGMA was trying to get Brilee to bed, but Bri Bear was way to interested in the doll.

New Refrigerator

Out with the old!

In with the new!

I am sad all these pictures are blurry.

Our fridge was thirty-one years old and Sunday while we were cooking dinner for my family it decided it was done! Luckily I caught it early and was able to save all of our food. Jake and I went to Lowe's the next day and after much debate and thought we decided to go with a fridge almost the same as our old one! We picked it out and were excited about it, and then the salesman told us they didn't have it in stock. So we asked for the floor model, and they gave it to us with a 10% discount! We have had it almost five days and there are no complaints!

Six Months Old

Brilee is half of a year. I cannot believe she is six months old, where does the time go? She is such a fun baby and adds so much joy to our life. She is learning so many new things and impresses her family every day. Today she started saying Dada, Sunday she finally started to actually roll over to get to her toys, she finally understands the solid foods are good foods, and she recently has begun to scream when I am not in her sight.

Six things we love about Brilee:

Her beautiful smile.

Her ability to brighten EVERYONE'S day

Her adorable giggle

Her sweet kisses

Her amazingly happy personality

Her awesome jumping skills in the bouncer

Six things we hope never change about Brilee

Her happy and content self

Her Mommy and Daddy always being the ones who make her the happiest

Her love for her Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc...

Her fearless attitude towards the dogs

Her huge smile every time she wakes up

Her beautiful singing voice as she listens to the radio in the car and tries to sing along

Six things we want to change

Her ear infections (we will find out about the tubes and 8/5/09)

Her sharp nails and the fear we have of clipping them

Her sleeping in our room (she is half of a year old... I think we will have to move her to her crib soon.)

That's all I can think of!

WE LOVE YOU BRI BEAR!

7/22/09

Summer Happenings!

In March Jake started telling me that he thought I should put Brilee in the baby show. I debated doing it and then thought "oh what the heck!" So we came down from the family reunion Friday got her all dressed in her best western (this years theme), and took her to the baby show. Poor Brilee was exhausted from the reunion and all she wanted was to sleep. I had to wake her up when we got there and sing to her to keep her awake. We went in to see the baby judge and Brilee gave her a little grin but nothing else. I tickled her a little and got a squeal and then Jake put her in her bouncy horse. She jumped like mad! When it was time to leave the room Brilee must have known in order to win she must do something drastic because she reached for the judge and gave her a big kiss. I know what her kisses are like and so I told Jake well that may have cost it for us! Saturday I got a call saying Brilee won her age group. Today I had to take her to get pictures for the paper, and then next week we get to ride in the UBIC Parade!

Bri Bear getting ready to get her picture taken for the newspaper.

We were able to cut our hay for the first time! It looks awesome! Last year we raised about 200 bails of hay, and this year off our first cutting we should get around fifteen hundred bails! We WILL be hauling all of this by hand... LUCKY US!

Chazzy got to come play with Brilee this evening. Brilee loves her so much! I love watching them figure out how to play. As fun as it is I do not know how ANYONE could have children this close together. Every time I wasn't looking at them Brilee was pulling Chazlynn's hair or Chaz was trying to pick Brilee up. It was wild!

Chazzy was trying to teach Brilee how to make the toy sing.

Cute girls!

7/19/09

Family Reunion #2

Jake's family reunion was last weekend. It was a blast! We played lots of games, ate way TOO MUCH, made watches, and laughed at all the silly things kids do. Unfortunately Jake had to work so he was only there for a day, but Brilee and I still throughly enjoyed ourselves. Ben and Andre let us stay in their camper (we can't thank you enough!) so we were camping in luxury. I am lucky to have so many wonderful nieces who all love Brilee so much! She and Cy were definitely well cared for and entertained! We had such a great weekend... thanks for all your hard work Granny.

Bri Bear and Papa watching the raffle.

Andre, Cy, MiKayla, and Brilee enjoying the shade.

These two girls were such a big help to Andre and me! They pushed the babies in the strollers for hours. One thing we were not lacking at the reunion was good baby-sitters.

LoriAnn and her dog Kinsly. I love the carrier. This dog also had a puppy pack-n-play and a super cute hat.

Grayson learned how to pedal and balance his bike without training wheels at the reunion, and we all hope for his safety the steering and braking will come soon!

Leeber got a DS for her b-day and she and Ashlynn had a good time playing games.

Cute little Marley in the bumbo chair.

Caleb and Whazzer watching Brilee play.

Brilee isn't a big fan of her bows and she must have told Chazzy because every time Chazzy saw one on her head she went and took it off for her.

I have a feeling these sweet little girls will be causing trouble at next years reunion!

Picking out the beads for our watches... SO FUN!

The birthday girl! Annalee was lucky and turned eight while we were camping!

Cute boys (I don't know how I got the three of them to sit still for the picture... unfortunately Grayson wanted nothing to do with it.)

So fun!

The fire pit is a little scary with 20+ kids running around

Swimming

Brilee went swimming for the first time last week. She loves bath time, and so I have been curious to see what she would be like in a pool. I put her in and her little legs started kicking as fast and hard as the could, she had a huge smile on her face, and she kept splashing with her hands. It was so cute. Unfortunately the water was cold and it was getting close to bed time so we couldn't stay long. I can't wait to take her swimming again... I think we may have another water baby in the family.

7/14/09

Big Week!

Bri Bear is now sitting by herself, and giving lots of kisses! I am loving this stage. She is such a happy baby and so much fun to be around. When she wants to give someone a kiss she reaches up and grabs their face and pulls them into her and she starts sucking on their face. It is so sweet, but really only a kiss a mom could love!