What Brinley thinks about being an Aunt!

The cutest conversation took place just a little bit after Brit and Scott shared the news with us. Considering...This new grandchild of ours and Brinley will practically be contemporaries....Brinley leans over to me and Brit and says "So what exactly does an Aunt do?"....we just explained that...all you have to do is love her, just like her Aunts do.

She is so thrilled that Brit is expecting. Our Stake President Haynie challenged us to write letters of gratitude and thankfulness to someone and Brinley chose her Sister.

We are going to be grandparents!

Brittany and Scott decided to share the news to us a few Fridays nights ago....that she is officially expecting!!!! She had a gift for me...and when I opened it...it was a onsie that said "What happens and grandma's stays at grandma's." I wish that could be the truth!!!

Brit's due date is the 15th of June....and then Scott's first year will be up in August at Avery...where he works. They will then most likely move across the other side of the country to a very far, far away land...and take my only grandchild away from me. JK....but I knew this would happen. Just cherishing every moment we can while we have them in Southern California. We are so excited for them. They will be the best parents.

Sibling Yearbook Pic

Which one did we pick? For all of you to find out, once the year book comes out. They have had a fun year of being sibs at school this year. Blake razzes Brooke all the time. Brooke has had some admirers...and Blake finds a way to sick his football player friends on them... and say" Do you see that guy over there (which is Blake looking really tough).....and they continue on saying if you do anything....I mean anything to make this girl cry you are essentially dead meat...that was my own words to keep it mild" Hee-heee!!!! Brooke will be on her own next year and have to take care of her sister Bailey on campus next year.

Stake Halloween Party

The Stake Halloween Party was a real blast. Kevin was in charge of the photo booth....so he was in hog heaven. Blake was a hippie, Brinley was a zombie/vampiress, Bailey, dressed up as a bad girl from the 50's in a black leather jacket and crop pants, while her best buds dressed up in the other era's. Each had their own!

We enjoyed having the Olsens's over a few nights earlier to help do the traditional pumpkin carving. Brinley was so anxious to do hers. Everyday...she would ask if today was the day she could carve. Lots of fun memories.

I am His Daughter

Bailey was encouraged by her Aunt Kelee to sing the song, "I am His Daughter" from a EFY program a few years back. She really practiced and studied the words. The song has a powerful message. She used this as a 10 hour project for Divine Nature in her Personal Progress Book. The microphones are not cooperating as well as we would of like...thus you hear her voice come in and out. I am so very proud of her using her talents. She did a great job.

Blake...."Our Senior"

Blake had the chance at the beginning of his Senior year to have his photos done with Dawn Nicoli at Nicoli Productions. It was an amazing house around the corner from us with great locations to take fun photos. He took some great photos....and I wanted to share. He is having the time of his life his senior year. He has stayed busy with finishing his Eagle project, school, ASB assemblies, Showtime, Water polo and a social life....just to name a few. He is the major spark plug around here....can't think of sending him off to college just yet.

Best Motivation Video Ever

Teresita Pines Escondido South Stake Youth Conference

I had the wonderful chance of being in charge of our Stake Youth Conference this year. We held the conference up in Wrightwood, Ca....only 2 hours away, although you felt as if you had been transported to another state once you arrived. The pine trees and the views were breathtaking.

This year we worked alot with implementing the Stake Youth Council’s ideas for how the whole thing would run. The kids really took ownership and we as the adult leaders, worked with them to accomplish great things. Our theme this year was the “The Hero Within”. We had all the life games and devotionals and speakers all work from this angle.

The conference lasted three full days....but it was jam packed with memorable experiences.

The kids loved the speaker and the dance the first night. It was a great way to get to know everyone. The second day was full of life games. The ones that were very challenging were the blind walk and the leap of faith games. The A frame stilts was also a very eye opening team building workshop. The kids really did a good job coming up with these ideas.

A highlight of the final day was the the beautiful lake just minutes away. There was a rope swing that scared me to death....but the kids loved it. The water was perfect to cool off in and the canoes were perfect.

The conference was a great success, lots of work, but worth the fun times and smiling faces of youth that really need to feel the spirit is such a gorgeous setting. I know they really drew strength and courage from one another....and they know that they are not alone. I am the luckiest person to get to work with such amazing Stake leaders and great y

Memorial Day Visit

We had lots of fun with a visit from the Moon’s for the Memorial Day Weekend. This meant Seaworld, having a hot juicy hamburger from Hodads’s in OB, a walk along the eye opening boardwalk and pier, and fun memorial car rides. A fun summer visit would not be complete with out a b-bque and a game of volley ball. We were so in to it. The girls were the Scandenavian team “Bobutskas” and we always disputed the calls. Way funn!!!!

Kelee is always so good to my girls. She got them all organized for the summer to get their personal progress in line....and it was so much fun watching the season finale of “Grey’s Anatomy”....very riviting...and can’t wait for the next season!!!!!

We always seem to break out the board games....and it is way fun to see the kids enjoying each other and getting along. Way to cute to watch Ryan and Brinley play together....we never have to worry about them because they are always together and in their own world. Brinley was crying today....and wishes her cousins lived closer!!!!

Justin Bieber....newest heartthrob!

It is true....I went to the Justin Bieber concert with the cutest girls in Escondido (my girls and Sam Haynie, Danielle Knox and Claudia Rodriquez) ....along with a sold out Kick Off Summer Concert put on by the radio station 933 at the Cricket Theater in Chula Vista.

It was a sold out crowd of 20,000 screaming teens mainly under the age of 16 and their mothers. The girls would start screaming for no reason and everyone in the crowd would think he was coming out to do a sound check. He really was a cutie and lets just hope the young man can keep it all together as he rises to the top.

I was grateful to have ear plugs....the type people use at the airport so they don’t hear the engine start up??? It was way loud, but an overall great first concert for my girls.

Brooke's SPHS Softball Experience!

Softball was a great experience for Brooke her freshman year. She was selected to play on the JV team....and played at second. She enjoyed playing with team mates Allison Ricker, Kelley Parry, Jasmine Nava and Erin Perko, all of who had played with her in past rec seasons.

The JV Coach, Adam Martinez managed the girls really well and Brooke even played a funny April Fools joke on him. In other words, she got along well with him too. They won the majority of the games this season. The most thrilling wins was against Torrey Pines. We came from behind....and both games were legit wins.

Brooke had the opportunity to pitch for her team against Poway during the year, because Brooke Langeloh was pulled up to pitch for Varsity. Brooke persevered, and kept a smile on her face, even when it got tough. By the end of the season she was nick named Smiley.

We knew Brooke was having a great season, but did not exactly know all the stats. She ended up batting 471, receiving the MVP award and Best Offensive Player. She was pulled up to Varsity for the last CIF game. Did not get to play, but it was a honor. She will need to keep up her skills next year and work really hard. We know how hard it can be going it to a fresh season after ending one as good as this one. She will most likely be playing on a travel team and start athletic training this summer.

Exciting!!!!

Braces finally off!

After four years of braces...the day finally came to get them off! We are happy that her hard efforts of wearing bands, mouthguards and and waiting and having teeth pulled paid off.
Dr. Brad Baker, her orthodontist gives them a goodie bag of all the treats that were forbidden for so many years.
Her new nickname is "Smiley".....given to her by her softball coaches. So now between hearing Brooke giggle and smile.....she is never that hard to find. She is mostly enjoying eating popcorn, whole apples and corn on the cob!

Crazy Hair Day!!!

Here is my cutie patooti....she was so excited to finally have a crazy hair day at preschool, just like her sisters have done for school spirit days. She had it all planned out in her own mind as to how it would look. It stayed like this for most of the day. She asked her preschool teacher if they could start having spirit days at her school. I have a feeling she will be in ASB when she is older!

Junior Prom

Blake had a lot of fun with his first prom experience! He decided to ask Nicki Efenberger, a sophomore at SPHS. He decide to get a teddy bear from “Build A Bear” in the mall. We dressed it...and doctored him up in blue and gold. His friend, Jacob Clingo helped him compose a song asking Nikki to go to prom with him. I will have to post the song...very catchy tune. Within 10 minutes of asking her.....her facebook stated “I am the luckiest girl at SP”. This gave Blake a little boost of confidence.

We got him all decked out in his tux and it was nice meeting Nicki’s family. Kevin took great pictures of the couple and they headed to dinner in a party bus. They went with 22 other couples and had dinner at Carvers Steak House in Rancho Bernardo. After a great dinner they went down to the waterfront in San Diego and boarded a hornblower cruise.

After the dance the party bus brought them back to Escondido to a friends house were they had waffles and played games til the we morning hours.

We are glad he has good friends and had a blast!!!!!

Shamu Stadium....in our backyard?

This is the cute little invite that Brittany made for Brinley's Party! It is so good to have someone really computer literate and knows graphics and all!!!!

We had a “Whale of a Time” planning and having Brinley’s 5th Birthday party in our own backyard. My teens had a lot of help from their friends and they themselves came up with a show to present to Brinely. We lined the kids all up by our baja step and they waited for the show to begin. The music started and the dolphins and Shamu made it to to the step.

The funniest thing that happened was when a child yelled out “ Is that all Shamu can do”!!! We want to see him dive under the water” I was gut laughing!!! The trainers even had them come feel them....and ride on them.

For lunch we served octopus, which was actually hot dogs split into 8 legs. We had blue jello cups with gummy sharks inside and whip cream as sea foam. We served fishy crackers and blue punch. The kids thought it was the best.

Bailey red the story “A Fish Out of Water” to all the kids in the jacuzzi and as they left we handed each guest a gold fish in a small fish bowl. We have since heard most of the fish barely made it home alive....but it sure was cute.

Bailey, Brin and Mom Celebrate B-days!

It was a busy week for us with Birthdays. Bailey turned 13, Brin 5 and Mom...an age we don't need to mention. It is sort of fun that mom's b-days now take on less meaning, which is a good thing.

We had a yummy family dinner, and celebrated with gifts and creme brulee prepared by Nanny! We had fun celebrating and wondering where the time has gone. I now have another official teenager and the baby will start Kindergarten this August.

Meet Lloyd

Do you see the resemblance? Mom picked up Blake from baseball practice to find Lloyd waiting along the roadside with his baseball buddies. Blake flashed his pearly whites...and that is when I was awakened with such fright. Now....I wish I could tell you that he was at short, a hard line drive had been hit, he sacrificed the body...to make an incredible play to the mouth and then it ricocheted off his teeth and into his mitt. But the true story is that I packed him a new water bottle and he used his teeth to open the bottle. The moral of the story, and to save parents from huge dental bills.....is do not use your teeth for anything other than eating! Blake is now scheduled to get two crowns on his two front teeth. We won't even mention price!!! But this is hopefully a lesson he will not forget????

What is a Wargle?

What is a Wargle? Well..... it is a bunch of really cute 7th and 8th grade young ladies at Bear Valley Middle School in Escondido. Their logo is warrior/eagle....thus the name Wargle was created. The field hockey program is a good one, with San Pasqual High School Students coaching the girls. It is a feeder program for the high school.

We went to her last game last night in Valley Center. They won, but don’t ask me the score? Bailey asked her dad if she scored would he pay her $10. She kept telling me to watch her and not yap with all the moms. All the moms chuckled at her. She is a lot of fun to watch grow up. She plans to play in High School.