Long-awaited Part 3...for reals :)

These pics are from our fun hike up Usery Pass...great views, great hike, great company :) My cousin Meg hiked with us and Tammy and Graham staked out a picnic spot. Aubrey ran just about the whole way up! And Spencer did a lot of walking...in fact, he didn't have to be carried until about halfway back down. Fun time!

Aubrey, Joe, and Dave went all the way to the top...hung out a bit in these wind caves

This is one of my most favorites...Spencer got up on this big rock and turned around to look out...and said "Take a picture of me, I'm thinking!" :) so here he is, pondering the view

Sisters

The kids and Meg...best cousin ever! Spencer is still nursing a little crush on her :)

Gotta have a shot by the big saguaro! Classic Arizona :)

pinky promise

this is a promise post...

a promise to blog again soon...

starting with the rest of our magnificent spring break trip!!

and in case you were wondering, our summer is awesome...lots of swimming and grilling and sleepovers...just what summer should be! :)

Part 2

Uncle Dave (the fire chief!) treated all the kids to hats and fun with his fire truck! And look at little cutie Graham! We had fun with that little boy...

Fire-fightin' Brown kids

Fun at the park!

One of my most favorite pictures of Aubrey ever!!

Joe catching some serious air!

Gracie goose

Ellie on the swings

Spencer digging...he loves him some dirt/sand and a pail and shovel! Can anyone say "boy"?! :)

Tammy had a fun park just up the road from her house...Dave and the kids had a lot of fun there more than once! The kids also spent a good amount of time in the pool, eventhough the water was cold! Also...picking vegetables from the garden and watching the cousins try to get a blow dart out of the rear end of a mother dove! :) There's a story there, but I won't rat on Colin. :) Speaking of Colin, we got no pictures! :( He's an awesome guy and I do believe he was the first of a few crushes Gracie developed on this trip...

Arizona Spring Break...Part 1

Okay, it's been almost a month and I'm finally coming out of my post-spring-break depression enough to finally talk about it! :) We had a WONDERFUL time on our trip out west, full of "firsts" and many happy, happy memories!

I have no idea how many posts it will take to document this trip, so we'll just start at the beginning and see where it takes us! :)

We started our Spring Break by celebrating Gracie's 6th birthday! We had her little celebration at home before jetting off to the airport! She is the happy owner of jewelry, a new bag, cowboy boots, and riding lessons! :)

Just a picture of my elementary school...when I was a student here (kindergarten through 3rd grade) we were the Hartford Hurricanes. Now they are the Hartford Huskies--and the sign is in Spanish.

I almost hesitated posting this picture because it's so sad to me...this is my childhood home at 883 W. Del Rio in Chandler...it looks so run-down...bars on the windows?! Our neighborhood is a little ghetto now, very strange feeling.

My kids enjoying some ELMER'S!!!! This place makes the YUMMIEST green chile burros you will ever feast on...for reals, we dig it!

Ellie is her daddy's baby, chugging horchata at Elmer's!

So this pretty much takes you through day 1...things we don't have pictures of are all 7 of us on the airplane--we carried on all our luggage and 2 car seats. :) The kids did awesome on the ride out and when we landed in Mesa we had the BEST surprise waiting for us...Aunt Tammy and Uncle Dave and Chelsea!!! :) They were waiting at the gate with a big sign and balloons...it was awesome and I'm really sad we don't have a picture of that! We got to Tammy and Dave's about 11:30pm and Tammy filled everyone's tummy with yummy cinnamon toast and it was off to bed!

Sigh

It's getting close to Mother's Day...I know this because at Wal-Mart last night they had a huge display of Mother's Day cards. Cute ones. Pretty ones. Sweet and sentimental ones. Funny ones.

I wanted to read them.

I wanted to BUY them.

I really want to buy a Mother's Day card this year.

Aubrey

She did it!! Aubrey got baptized Sunday, March 7, 2010. It was an awesome night...she shared her baptism with Amber Lorenc! Amber's mom, Jamie, and I have been best friends since we were 12...and we had our first baby girls a day apart! It was really fun and really special for these girls to share their special day, they are great friends and I am so proud of them both!!

Aubrey and her daddy...Dave got a great birthday present in being able to baptize Aubrey on his birthday! I think she's one lucky little girl to have such a great dad!

Aubrey and her proud mom and dad...

Aubrey Vernene...isn't she gorgeous?!

Okay, this picture is just so classic Aubrey! She's a free spirit...just gotta get that cake in, who cares about the mess?! :)

It was a great birthday weekend for all of us...Grandma and Grandpa Brown came out from Utah to be here for the special occasion and we just partied non-stop! Saturday (mine and Aubrey's birthday) we had a big pizza and cupcake party with family and friends...the house was full but what a fun time we had with our dance off!! Even Grandma Brown did it!!! Sunday (Dave's birthday) was more food and the baptism and a fun time with family!

We are so glad to have Aubrey in our family. She is the best birthday present I ever received, we have so much fun together! Aubrey is very kind and tender-hearted, but she can be silly and giggle with the best of them! There's not a mean bone in her body and she believes that everyone is good...she is very often the one that befriends the "bullies" or "outcasts" at school and has a sweet and gentle manner with them. She has no shortage of friends and never had anything bad to say about anyone...she gets that from her namesake. :) She is an excellent reader and speller and has the neatest handwriting, it's so pretty! Although she is not an attention hog at all, she does love to perform and sing...she's Broadway material!

WE LOVE AUBREY!!

8

Veggies. Fruit. I feel really lucky that I like most all of them. But I'm facing a new, although self-imposed, challenge...eating 8 a day!

I cannot diet. Nor do I really want to...I want to make better choices that I can live with my whole life. I want to lose weight in a healthy way and never be where I am now again. So, I have chosen to focus more on what I CAN eat than what I CAN'T eat...it's a mental thing. Instead of telling myself I can't have Dr. Pepper, I tell myself I can have 8 glasses of water a day...and I naturally have very little room for the nectar of the gods. :) I don't tell myself I can't have dessert or chips, but after I have eaten the fresh stuff I need to, I am too full to even think about a chocolate cupcake! I know, it's very weird...

So this is the second week of trying to get in 8 servings every day, and although I have done pretty well, each day seems to be more of a challenge. I think I am bored...so I need suggestions!! Already I add multiple fruits to my smoothies, drink V8, add more veggies to my eggs or casseroles, always eat 2-3 with dinner...but I'm sort of stuck in a rut.

What are some easy and delicious ways you vamp up the fruits and veggies in your diet?