Bringhurst Family

L.O.V.E.

2010-03-08T14:08:00.004-07:00

LOVE is what I tell my family every day, it is what Olivia says about Seth and how Carley and Ty feel about their blankets. It is what makes my heart melt when I think of my husband and how I describe my feelings for my extended family. LOVE encompasses so much of my life.

Have you ever watched someone fall in LOVE? It is a special thing. A few days ago I watched Eric fall in LOVE with his son. Eric, of course, has always loved Ty...but this was a different love. It is a love between Father and Son, a bond that is unbreakable.

I took the kids to Erics office the other day for lunch. While we were there Eric took the kids outside to play on one of his cranes. Ty fell in LOVE. He loved the noise, how it moved, the steering wheel and gear shifter, he LOVED it all! Eric LOVED that Ty LOVED it! It was magic to watch.

The Devil

2010-03-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

Cadbury mini Eggs

soo good
soo addicting
sooooooo bad for me!

Doing the Dishes.

2010-03-03T18:30:00.002-07:00

It goes like this:
Ty is a boy.
He is a boy that like to make lots of noise.
He likes to bang things together and crash them around.

Carley is a girl.
She knows what she wants.
She does not want to listen to Ty while trying to listen to sponge bob.

Ty likes the diswasher.
Carley knows that Ty likes to play in the dishwasher.
This is what I find.

Ty is playing with a metal can and hard plastic balls.
It is loud!
Carley does not like it.
Carley takes the balls, opens the diswasher and places them on the door.
Carley shows Ty the balls.
Ty crawls in the dishwasher.
Carley takes the can and hides it.
Carley watches sponge bob.

Who doesn't like a girl who knows what she wants!?

A bit of Olivia (wishing I had downloaded some pictures to add to this!)

Olivia is growing to be such a sweet and thoughtful little girl. I love her! She is doing great in Kindergarten and looks forward to it each day. She is learning to read and loves to write sentences. I love how she spells! She often writes "sentences" for people and they are full of how much she loves them and thinks they are sweet. She is so good to her little brother. She loves him. She is mostly good to her little sister, but we know she loves her too! Olivia is beautiful. She is proud of her "long" hair. Olivia loves to be tickled and cuddled. She is just like her daddy. She is always happy in the morning and gets up early. She does not love to takes naps, but does it anyway. Olivia does not like to be alone. She is excited for her birthday. It is 7 months away! We love Olivia!

Just when I thought I had it figured out.

2010-02-26T12:49:00.002-07:00

After 5 1/2 years of being a mother I had it figured out. If I woke up early, 5:30 am, I could excersice and take a shower and I would still have enough time to get Olivia ready for school. I figured out how to have a little bit of me time. Time without having to stop and be a mom for any reason, time to not think about what the kids were into or why they were crying or who hit who. I had time to collect my thoughts before I had to change a diaper or fix breakfast .I HAD TIME......until the kids figured it out. Now for the past 2 days they are up at 5:15 in the morning. Not just one of them all THREE of them! Now I have 3 super tired and cranky kids, I did not excersice today ( I did yesterday but hopping on one foot on the treadmill while trying to kick the stuffed animal your child just threw at you out of your way is not exactly safe), I did not get to think before the poop and the cereal and the tears bombarded me and now it is only 1:00pm and I am done! I want my time back!

ps. I love, love, love, love ,love ,love my kids and being a mom...I am just done for this moment!

I can do this! I know I can!

2010-02-25T09:55:00.004-07:00

I am not quite sure why I have such a hard time keeping up with this blog. I want to a really, really want to! So I have decided that I am going to blog but I might not always include pictures ( I am pretty sure that is where I get lazy about blogging!). So here's to trying!

I have been trying to make some changes in my life recently. As a family we are on a new budget ( I grumble a little, but really it is a good thing!), I am trying to be healthier by working out at least 5 times a week, I am TRYING to be more organized although I am not to sure I am much different in this area yet, I am trying to have a little more patience for my kids ( after all they are children! I cannot expect adult behaviors from them yet!), and I have decided that I can make all the bread our family needs, which is really not as hard as it sounds. So far so good.

Lately I have been amazed by my darling, sweet, Carley. She is a fire cracker! She knows what she wants, how she will get it, when she wants it and nothing will stand in her way. Her new favorite thing to do is trick people. She does not care who it is or if she knows them....she will trick anyone! Her favorite method is this :
Carley- You don't know what is in my hand?
Me- is it your blanket ( it is her blanket, I can clearly see that she is hiding behind her back) Carley - No - its not. Its a toy.
Me- well I can see your blanket
Carley - how do you know ?

This recently happened while Carley was doing some tests. She was asked by the lady testing her to pick the pennies off the table and put them in the box and then hand the box to the lady. Carley picked up six pennies with one hand and then quietly slid 2 pennies off the table into her other hand. She put the 6 pennies in the box and handed it to the lady.
Lady- good job Carley, but we are missing 2 pennies
Carley- no we are not!
Lady- let me see your hand Carley (shows her the hand with out the pennies) Lady - let me see the other hand Carley( shows her other fist)
Lady - are the pennies in your hand?
Carley- no
Lady- then open your hand
Carley - I cant, someone put glue on the pennies and now my hand is glued shut! (opens her hand and pennies fall out) Ha ha I tricked you!

Ty is 1!

2009-12-30T19:15:00.004-07:00

Can you believe my little man is now one! I can't! Here are somethings we love about him:

- He is calm and collected (most of the time)

- He is a snuggler

- He LOVES his sisters

- He LOVES his blankie, which he sucks on until it stinks so bad no one want to be around it!

- He has the cutest smile ever

- He is starting to talk...he says "WOW" a lot

We celebrated his birthday with a little party. He had a fun barn cake....and a little barn cake for him. He dug right in and ate a ton!

picutres

2009-08-31T09:32:00.002-06:00

Carley and Oliva

they thought it was so fun that the grass was taller than them

Fishin' with Granddad

4 generations of Bringhurst Hands
Great Grandpa Gordon, Grandpa Roger, Eric and Ty

Melissa and Ty

(one of the few time I am not behind the camera)

We're Back!

2009-08-23T08:46:00.003-06:00

I am not even sure if anyone looks at our blog anymore...after a 6 month gap, who would?! Lots has happened in the past 6 months and I won't be able to update you on everything but here are a few highlights:

The house is "finished"! It has been such a long process, but the house is finally done! It is beautiful and we absolutly love it! I will definatly post some before and after pictures!

We have done a bit of camping this summer. We LOVE to camp and have added a "new to us" trailer to the family. It sure makes it much easier to camp with the kids and it is nice to have all our camping stuff ready to go.

Carley is 3! She celebrated her 3rd birthday on July 30th. She loves being three and is such a sweet,cute girl.

Olivia is a Kinddie! She started her first day of school on August 7th! She is so big and even rides the bus to school...which is her very favorite part.

Carley also started pre-school. She LOVES it and looks forward to it all week! It is good for her to do something that is all her own!

Ty is getting so big! He 8 months old now, has 2 teeth and rolls all over the place. He loves his sister and in no time will be running right along with them.

We got a Puppy! "Rusty" joined our family in the middle of August. He is a very good puppy and is a great addition to the family.

Our cat "cowboy" had kittens! Who knew, she was a "cowgirl". She had 2 adorable kittens, which have been lovingly named "Bella" and "Spencer" by the girls.

Eric has been super busy at work, often working 10 hour days then going to the office to do the "boss" stuff and working on Saturday. We sure love him for all of his hard work but do miss him when he is so busy.....We are truly blessed to have him as our husband and father.

Melissa is busy just keeping up with everyone! The remodel was tough on her and the kids, however, she loves the results and had fun throwing a big party to show her new house off!

We PROMISE to be better at updating!

Blessing Day

2009-02-04T13:25:00.002-07:00

Ty on his blessing day.
His aunties got him the hat! We love it!

Our first family picture

We blessed Ty this last Sunday. Almost my entire family, with the exception of Amanda and Anthony, and half of Erics family was there. We really missed those who could not make it! Eric did a great job , I couldn't even tell that he was nervous.

Typical Saturday

2009-02-03T15:42:00.003-07:00

Starts of with a little cuddling in the morning

On this saturday Olivia had a super hero party
She is super girl!

Carley is ready to do some "ranching" with her daddy

And the day ususally ends like this...asleep in the chair

Lions, Tigers and Bears

2009-02-03T14:45:00.004-07:00

The weather has been so nice here in Colorado...so we headed to the Zoo! I met up with my sister Shauna, her two girls and the little girl she watches and her friend Melissa and her little girl and little boy that she watches. We almost had the zoo to ourselves! Olivia loved the bears and Carley loved the pink birds, but I think mostly they loved running around with their cousins and friends. Oh yeah! Ty was there and he just loved to sleep! Melissa and Ty!

I love those eyes!

The monkies at the zoo!

Shauna and Ty

Little Man

2009-01-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

We're seeing blue!

2008-12-26T16:04:00.003-07:00

Ty Bringhurst was born 12-18-08 at 10:13 PM.

He weighed 6 lbs 13 oz and measures 20 inches long.

We were induced bright and early Thursday morning, expecting to have our little boy by early afternoon. Our plans, however, did not go as we thought. After laboring for 12 hours with an epidural that worked everywhere but in one spot, dialating to a 9.5 and stalling , and the baby was still kicking me in the ribs, meaning he had not dropped a bit, the doctor decided on a c -section. We sure are glad she did because the cord was wrapped around Ty 3 times. The doctor told us that I could have labored for days and he would never have come naturally. We are all doing well. Melissa is sore, tired and in love with her new baby boy, Eric is happy for a boy and can't wait to take him hunting, Olivia is full of kisses for her new baby brother, and Carley is not sure what to think, but will give him a kiss if you ask her to. We are so blessed to be able to raise this little boy and have him for our very own.

PS - Thanks for the pictures Auntie Erin- we stole them off her blog!

Time to update!

2008-12-12T13:22:00.002-07:00

Time to update! I am sooooooo bad about updating!

Well the official baby count down is now 6 days! I cannot wait to hold our little man in my arms! Too bad we still haven't agreed on a name. The rules now are 1. we have a name before we go to the hospital 2. No discussions of names while I am in labor 3. or we pick a name shortly after he is born...we will have to see how this all plays out!

We had a nice Thanksgiving with Erics family here in Colorado this year. It was nice not to have to travel for a change...it sure is easier to have the 3 of them travel to us than the 10, soon to be 11 in the Colorado bunch travel to Utah! I really did not have to do much of the cooking thanks to my mother in law, who came prepared to cook. Being 9 months pregnant and doing a dinner was just not an option this year. As always, the food was great and so was the company!

There is some progress on the house! The fireplace is finally finished and our bedroom and bathroom are so close to being done! All we are waiting on is the counter top in the bathroom and for us to move our bed into the room. I promise pictures soon!

The next update will hopefully include some good news about the baby!

Let the Count Down Begin!

2008-11-03T15:59:00.002-07:00

I cannot believe how fast this pregnancy has gone! The doctor has agreed to induce labor on December 18th! I don't and ,I don't think she wants to ,be tied up in the hospital on Christmas. I still have SOOO much to do to be ready for a new baby in the house, but I am sure as the days creep by it will all get done eventually! The girls are more excited as my belly grows and I think Carley is a little afraid that the new baby will get her bed and blanket. We went and bought the new baby his own blanket so that Carley could have a little piece of mind. Every time she would see her blanket she would remind us all that it was hers and not for the baby! We still have yet to officially decide on a name, but if it is left totally up to me it will be Ty Ealey Bringhurst.....I don't have all of the say of course....just pray that Eric will forget about the name Otis!

Halloween

2008-11-03T15:29:00.002-07:00

Olivia was a beautiful flower fairy
Carley sportin' her knee socks (she loves theses socks) and Halloween shirt at Olivias school

The Parade

Carley the Chicken. (she hated this costume because it tickled and this was probably the only smile!)

"EWWW, it stinks!"

2008-11-01T09:03:00.004-06:00

So excited about carving pumpkins!

That was the girls reaction to pumpkin guts! At first they both wanted nothing to do with the insides of the pumkins, but after seeing Mom and Dad do it they both dove right in and loved it. Unfortunatly we don't have any pictures of it because we were all covered in pumpkin guts!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-11-01T08:32:00.004-06:00

The weather this October has been wonderful! A few weeks ago the girls and I ventured out to a "pumpkin patch". Really it was a large field that they brought pumpkins too, but the girls did not care. The girls loved it, but were not in picture taking moods, so here are the best shots of the day! Olivia and a goat

Carley at the end of the slide

"look at me girls"

Olivia, ready to slide

Labor of Love

2008-10-16T17:09:00.004-06:00

As many of you know, one of my good friends lost her husband just a little over a year ago. He had a TON of Wrangler jeans that she was not sure what to do with, so I offered her the idea of turning them, along with his flannel shirts, into memory quilts. So together we cut the jeans into squares, she and her children each picked out a flannel for the back that reminded them of him, and I sewed it all into 3 quilts. I finished one of them completely and let my friend put the finishing touches on the other two herself. It kind of turned into a family affair as Olivia and Eric stacked the jean squares as I cut them and Eric and I reminisced about the good times we had with our friend and guessed about the different stains and tears on the jeans. It was an honor to be able to do this for such a great family. As I put the quilts together I couldn't help but think about all the times their family had spent together, him wearing those Wranglers, and I wrote a little poem to keep with the quilts:

Behind the Squares

Behind the squares of this ratty ol’ quilt
The first time they met, the relationship they built
The love that they shared, how much he cared
Behind the squares of this ratty ol’ quilt

Behind the squares of this ratty ol’ quilt
The rodeos he rode, the ground that he hit
The ground in dirt and the ground in cow sh*!
Behind the squares of this ratty ol’ quilt

Behind the squares of this ratty ol’ quilt
The miles he drove, the chew that he spit
Behind 18 wheels - that bumpy old seat - her waiting for him, he tired and beat
Behind the squares of this ratty ol’ quilt

Behind the squares of this ratty ol’ quilt
A daddy and daughter - a love that is truly felt
A precious jewel in her daddy’s eyes - to her he’s and amazing hero on the rise
Behind the squares of this ratty ol’ quilt

Behind the squares of this ratty ol’ quilt
A dad and his boy - their Wranglers a perfect fit
He wants to be just like his dad - A father and husband, the best any ever had
Behind the squares of this ratty ol’ quilt

In the Dumps about Dinner

2008-10-09T15:15:00.003-06:00

I love to cook! I enjoy planning out meals and making the grocery list, lately, however, I am in the Dinner Dumps. Nothing sounds appealing to eat or make...so if you have any great ideas for dinner...PLEASE HELP!

more moments

2008-10-08T09:42:00.002-06:00

Carley, enjoying her ice cream in Estes Park.
Eric and Melissa
Eric, Olivia, Carley, and Melissa in Estes Park
Olivia
Carley

Memorable Moments

2008-10-07T14:17:00.004-06:00

A big girl riding her BIG bike!
Carley found my lipstick! She loved it...I did not!

Olivia on her first day of Pre- K!

Time Out!

2008-09-19T22:49:00.002-06:00

Time out!

No, its not what you think. Its not the " time out!" that I am constantly yelling at my kids.....today I realized how important it is to take a time out for me.

Life has been nothing short of crazy around here lately. I have been home alone with a 2 year old and a 4 year old for over a week. The "new" house is a wreck with no end in sight and I am freaking out because our new little baby will be here in just a couple of months. These things have absolutely consumed my life, making me that "mean mommy" who is short on patience and always yelling at her kids. So, today I decided that I have had enough! While talking to a good friend today...in my freak out mode...she reminded me of what I have. I have a loving husband who would do anything for our family, 2 precious girls who are active and healthy, and roof over my head. Honestly, what more could I ask for? How selfish I have been for stressing out about these things. Yes it is hard to be alone with the girls...but they are little for only a short time and then they will grow up and want nothing to do with mom. Yes, the house is a wreck, but it is still livable and who cares if the floors are concrete and the fireplace is STILL half done...the beds are warm, the food is good, and roof keeps us dry. And yes ,the baby is coming soon....but all he needs to know is that his family loves him and can care for him, he will not care what the house looks like.

Today the girls and I took a walk to the mail box. We filled our pockets with "ear corns" (Acorns), looked at every pretty rock, watered all the wild flowers we saw, looked for snakes, and just enjoyed each other. I did not hurry the girls along or worry that we were taking too much time because I had things to do...I just enjoyed them. What a blessing!

Playing Catch Up!

2008-08-07T13:53:00.002-06:00

June - We celebrated fathers day with a fun camping trip up at the "shed", near my home town of Rye. We brought the 4 wheelers and had a fun time riding and just relaxing with our girls.

July - Whew! What a busy month!

4th - We celebrated the fourth by attending the town parade in Monument. It was 2 hours long! The girls loved it, but were exhausted by the time we were done! Then we headed over to our good friends house for a BBQ. It is always fun to sit and catch up with friends! After a good long nap we all headed back into town for the firework show. Olivia has always loved the fireworks and Carley seems to enjoy them too. Carley now ask to see "popits" in the sky.

WE MOVED! WE are now residence of Castle Rock Colorado! It has been a long time coming and the house still has a long way to go, but we are here and working hard to make it home. We loved Monument, especially our neighbors, but I think we will love Castle Rock too!

We had a fun visit from my cousin Stephanie and her family. I was able to take the girls down to Pueblo so that we could have a picnic with them. It is fun to see every one "grown up"!

We took a little trip to Utah to visit my sisters Stacy and Amanda and then to attend a family reunion at Erics parents house. We had a great time at Stacys house! The girls loved swimming with the dogs and playing with baby Amy. They also loved to see aunt Mandy and dig in her purse for gum. The reunion was a ton of fun, especially since the kids are getting old enough to run around and have fun with their cousins. Plus it helps to have older cousins there who enjoy entertaining the younger ones!

Carley celebrated her 2nd birthday on July 30th. She is at such a fun stage! She still insists she is a baby but her tag line would have to be " I do it!" We all went out to Red Robin to celebrate. They brought her a huge ice cream covered in whipped cream and sprinkles and then sang her a song. You should have seen the smile on her face when they put that ice cream in front of her! She and Olivia will share a "flip flop" birthday party sometime this month.

August - For those of you counting I am now 20 weeks pregnant! It sure has gone fast! Last Friday we were able to get our 20 week ultra sound. After lots of waiting for the baby to show us the "goods" we learned that a new little BABY BOY will be joining our family sometime around Christmas! It is going to be different shopping for boy things! WE are excited an truly blessed to adding this little guy to our family.

Big News!

2008-06-06T17:02:00.002-06:00

Baby Bringhurst #3 is on its way! We are excited to be welcoming a new little one to the family ( a little suprised, but still excited)! We are due December 23! So far I have not been sick like I was with the girls, so my vote is that it is a boy, but who knows!

What have we been doing!!!

2008-06-06T16:37:00.004-06:00

Time sure does fly! The Bringhursts have been a busy bunch this past month. We celebrated Mothers Day and Memorial Day, we have been slowly moving things to the new house, and we have been busy trying to remodel the new house. All of this equals no time and no energy to update the blog. Enjoy the pictures from the past month!

My Mothers day presents!
Granma "doe doe" and Carley (look at that belly!)
Olivia and her teacher Mrs. Wendy. They were sad to see Olivia go!
Olivia and Carley enjoying the last day of school ice cream!
Olivia, Carley, and cousin Chloe enjoying the "house" we made for them over Memorial day weekend.

Tagged!

2008-05-07T17:36:00.002-06:00

3 Joys
1. Nice Weather
2. My kiddos
3. My husband

3 Fears
1. My kids and power tools ( ok, so I just had a horrible dream and with the remodel it was way too real!)
2. Losing my loved ones
3. Snakes

3 Goals
1. Move in to the new house!
2. Finish the new house!
3. Sell the "old house

3 Obsessions/Collections
1. My kids must take naps!
2. I love ACE of Cakes
3. I/we collect old tin cups

3 Random facts
1. Once an owl flew through my windshield on Halloween night.
2. I was a park ranger
3. I cant stand the sound of someone running their hands on the material on the roof of the car.

I tag: Shannon, Erin, Alysa, and Erica

Its been too long!

2008-05-07T17:22:00.002-06:00

I can't believe that it has been over a month since my last post! We have had a ton going on!
Eric is still working in Aspen during the week, so the new home remodel is going slower than we had hoped. We try to give it our best every weekend though! We would like to move in by Memorial weekend....No, things will not be completed, we just think that they may go a little faster if we are up there all the time and may be a little easier on the girls if they have all the comforts of home. Our "old" house has been on the market for almost a month now and we have only had one showing (ugh) Hopefully things will pick up! This past month was full of birthday celebrations. April breaks the bank as far as birthdays go! We celebrated my bro-in-law Ryan and nephew Preston on the 1st, my sis-in -law Alysa on the 3rd, My Dad Howie on the 8th, my nephew Parker on the 24th, my si-in-law Erin on the 27th and My wonderful husband Eric on the 29th (whew!) It was fun to eat cake and party with the family!
The weather is finally starting to look like spring! Yea! The girls love to be outside. We have spent many an afternoon digging in the sand, going on walks, or playing at the park. You would think I would have a picture (which I did take some) but when I turned on the camera I found that Olivia got a hold of it! There were lots of pictures of her feet, or the mess on the floor, a couple of the dogs, but none of the pictures I had previously taken. Lucky for me I dont keep a lot of pictures on the camera!
I am sure that May will bring us lots of adventures ( I promise pictures too)!

Cake any one?!

2008-04-01T19:56:00.002-06:00

I love April fools day! It is one time of the year that you can do those silly things you normally wouldn't dare. This year is no exception! Since Eric is out of town and my little ones just don't understand the concept of April fools day, I had to look beyond the walls of my home for a good prank. I am good friends with a lady who is 9 months pregnant and already has 6 children, so I approached her on Sunday and asked her if I could bring her a meal on Tuesday April 1. She of course was delighted. So, I made them some Orange Chicken, Rice, a salad, and a very special cake! (see the picture below!) Yes, it really is cake... I think the paper lined box and scooper put this one over the top!

Denver Zoo

2008-03-28T11:02:00.002-06:00

It was such a beautiful day that we decided to put on the shorts and visit the zoo! We had a fun time with Shauna, Chloe, Emily, Erin, Ellie, and Benson.
Here is the group stopping to enjoy a snack at the zoo. Emily, Olivia, Chloe, Ellie, Carley, and Benson. No trip to the zoo would be complete with out an ice cream cone!

Tagged (continued)

2008-03-28T10:55:00.002-06:00

Favorite Song: Wave on Wave by Pat Green, he is not my favorite artist, but I love this song!
My Job: Mommy Favorite Author: I don't really have a favorite author, but I love to read western history and apparently this guy is a western history writer.

Favorite Dessert: Chocolate Eclair Cake Picture of Me: This is me after a long day of traveling, holding my new niece Amy.

Tagged

2008-03-28T10:40:00.003-06:00

I have been tagged! Shannon tagged me with this fun get to know you with pictures. but because I am computer illiterate I have to post this in 2 posts because I dont know how to make it let me put more than 5 pictures. So if you know how help me please!

Any way, here it goes!

Favorite Color: Green
Favorite Animal: Well if you know me you know that I like animals, I just don't love them touching me or licking me or climbing on me. But I do think that all puppies are cute and will even hold one! Bad Habit: Procrastination

Favorite Food: Tamale, although I would not eat this one!
Favorite Hobby: Anything Crafty

More Easter fun!

2008-03-28T10:31:00.002-06:00

I was a super slacker with the camera this weekend...I missed so many opportunities for a cute picture.
Erics parents and little sister Lindsay came out for the weekend. Although I didn't take a single picture to prove it, we had a fun time! We started by going out to dinner at Beau Joes pizza on Friday night and then attending a Eater Egg hunt (we missed the hunt part which caused a ton of tears on Olivias part) on Saturday morning. We did our own things for most of the afternoon, which included a super long nap for the girls while Eric and I worked on the new house remodel. The family gathered together at the new house for dinner and relaxing later that evening. It was a nice visit. Olivia and Carley always look forward to a visit from their "Grandma Chicken", Grandpa Twinkie, and Auntie Lou Lou.
Easter dinner was held at our house. Even though it was freezing we had a great Easter Egg hunt. Carley, Emily and Benson aren't in this picture because they just can't stand still for that long!

Easter

2008-03-28T10:08:00.003-06:00

I can't believe that I didn't get any pictures of my girls in their Easter dresses. They were so cute!
Easter morning started with the hunt for the baskets. It was so cute to see how excited they were as they came down the stairs!
Olivia was the first to reach her basket. She got a new pair of "puddle boots" or at our house they are MUD boots. She absolutely loves them and even had to wear them with her Easter dress to church! It was too cute! Carley loved that she got an entire basket of candy. She would put a piece in her mouth and say "mmm mmm Yummy!"
Olivia is modeling her new boots.
I asked Eric to watch the girls and make sure they didn't eat too much candy while I fixed a nice breakfast. Eric dozed in his chair while Carley ate almost her entire chocolate bunny! Needless to say, she was a bit wild at church!

Easter Eggs (or balls if you are Carley)

2008-03-18T19:02:00.002-06:00

We decided that tonight would be a great time to color our Easter Eggs. Olivia and Carley loved it! Olivia loved to experiment with double dipping the colors and Carley loved to watch us take them out of the color and she loved to THROW them into the color. It was a little bit messy, but so much fun!

Utah

2008-03-18T18:50:00.003-06:00

My twin sister and I had the opportunity to go visit our little sisters, and new niece in Utah over the weekend. It was a nice break from the regular routine. Thanks to Eric for stepping up and watching the girls over the weekend, he did a great job!
Our new niece, Amy, is way too cute! She was 2 1/2 weeks old and is an amazing baby! She already follows your voice or face around the room, holds her head up, and intentionally smiles!

Stacy and Amy
We could not resist having a little "photo shoot" with Amy. This one is cute!
One of the many attempts to get the smile on camera...it's blurry, but there is a smile!

No more Mud!

2008-03-18T18:39:00.003-06:00

Well at least on the walk from the car to the door! As the weather is getting warmer, the ground here is getting muddier and there was a good size mud pit right in the path to get to the house. So, on a nicer day, I decided to make a new path. I started with a shovel, removing about 4 inches of dirt, 2 feet wide, but was quickly reduced to using an old spade that I had found because the ground was still pretty frozen. It was a work out! In my work I discovered an old path that had been covered and there were some nice rocks that I could use for my new walk way, so I didn't have to use the pavers I had bought from Home Depot. I am not completly done yet, but I like the results so far!

Our new niece!

2008-02-26T18:56:00.002-07:00

My sister Stacy finally had her little baby today! Her name is Amy Marie and she is a doll! She weighs in at 8lb 2 oz and is 21.5 inches long. I can't wait to see her in a couple of weeks!

I'm 30!!!!!

2008-02-24T20:04:00.002-07:00

February 21 was my birthday! I turned 30! I really cannot believe that I could be 30. I can remember when I was like 12 and I thought that when I would be 17 that I would be old. If I only knew! The birthday celebrations this year have been put on hold until at least next weekend. Eric is working out of town in Aspen and was MIA for the big day, and I had a 104 degree fever and a diagnosis of the FLU and bronchitis! YUCK! I just hope it is not a precursor for the next 30 years! Luckily I have the BEST dad in the world, who came up, medical mask and all, to help me out with the kiddos so that I could get a little rest! Thanks Dad, I love you!

Today I am feeling better, not totally recovered but better. The girls have been running fevers for the last 2 days so I am treating them to their doses of Motrin. Kids are tough! Both of the girls whine only when the medicine wears off and then run around like normal when the fever is down. It reminds me that I am not as tough as I used to be!

I have officially banned scissors!

2008-02-24T19:47:00.002-07:00

I love my Olivia, I really really do.......I do not love her obsession with scissors! Olivia and scissors have quite a history together they have cut a blanket I was making for a gift, numerous papers (bills etc), her own hair, her barbies hair, her stuffed animals, a patch of carpet, her little sisters hair, and last but not least, today she cut a pair of jeans off of herself. Yes, that is right ...she cut a pair of jeans off of her self! I promise I have been a responsible adult with the scissors. I have hid them, locked them, put them up high , all to no avail. Olivia, as it turns out is also a monkey, a locksmith, and has the super power to see scissors anywhere they are hidden. They have been retrieved in the back of the cabinet, that is over the fridge, which you have to scale across the stove to get to; they were broken out of the craft room by using a broom handle to unlatch the high lock I thought would do the trick, and they have been seen and taken from the top of the bathroom mirror, where they were totally out of sight! So back to the jeans. I was getting ready for my day (which means shower and get dressed as fast as you can so that nothing crazy happens) when Olivia comes to me, jeans hanging, and tells me she cut her jeans. I look down and to my surprise Olivia had cut both legs of her jeans lengthwise from her hips to her ankles! Not that it is OK, but I am relieved that they were an old junker pair.

On a side note I was talking to my sister tonight asking her advise on a 2 day or 4 day pre - K program....we talked about it a bit and then I told her of our latest scissor incident....she suggested the 4 day!

Olivia, the Diva

2008-02-12T10:52:00.001-07:00

Olivia is now 3 1/2 and has become quite the little diva! She is a great little girl, we love her energy (most of the time) and have fun with her imagination and her new found love of anything princess. Here are a few recent pictures of my little divas in the bath.

Childrens Museum

2008-02-12T10:44:00.001-07:00

Denver has a really great childrens museum. This is the 2nd time I have taken the girls and they have loved it each time. Everything is just their size and they are allowed to touch anything they want. It is great to let them explore like that and experienc things that would normally be off limits. We love it so much that we bought a season pass, so if you want to go call us, we are always up for a visit!

A real first haircut

2008-02-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

I couldn't take it anymore! We had to do something with the bad hair do, so I took Carley for her first real haircut...to fix her first haircut. I had the lady trim up the top and even things out. I did have her leave the length on the back, but when I got home realized that we had more of a mullet...so I got the scissors out and trimmed up the back. It is not the hair cut I would have choosen if given the chance, but it is the first "real" haircut.

Let the work begin!

2008-02-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

Kitchen, looking in from dining room
looking into dining room from kitchen (and cute litte carley!)
Formal living room ( dont you love the lava rock!)
looking from the formal dining room into living room, where Eric has already started the demolition of the lava wall
This picture is sideways, it is just another view of the lovley fireplace

The house (in all its 70's glory) is officially ours! Although we are not living there yet, we are excited to start making it our home. Here are a few before pictures of the kitchen and living rooms. We will have to take some pictures of the shag carpet bedrooms and the wild bathrooms later!

Carley Dirt..Joe Dirts Sister

2008-01-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

Carleys 1st Hair cut!

2008-01-28T17:17:00.000-07:00

Before

After

I know what you are thinking "who in the world did she pay to cut her hair!" No one! Only her big sister, Olivia, could do such a wonderful job! Your childs first haircut should be the one that you are so proud of, take pictures of, and save hair from, not one like this...one where you shriek with anger, pick hair off the floor, and cry tears of saddness as you try to put a bow in, only to have it fall out from the lack of hair to hold onto. This picture really does not do the hair cut justice. Carley used to have longer hair on top, enough to put a little pony tail in. Now she has some spikes, bald spots, and a few long hairs, but deffinitly not enough for a pony tail!

Oh well I guess it is hair and I should be grateful it wasn't fingers!

I am a horrible blogger!

2008-01-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know that I should update my blog, but everytime I get on the computer to do it I get wrapped up in reading all of my family and friends blogs and never get around to updating my own!
Well the last blog was about Thanksgiving, so I guess I will pick up with Christmas. This year we traveled to Utah to spend the holiday with Erics family. It was a fun time and the kids really enjoyed playing with their cousins and new toys. Olivia got a new easel and Carley got a new baby doll. ( I would post pictures...but the battery on the camera is dead.....I am charging it now!)

Now for the fun news! We are Moving! We are purchasing a home in Castle Rock, just a short 20 minutes north of where we live now. The home that sits on 20 acres just west of I-25. The drive is going to be a ton better for Eric and we will be much closer to family. Since the home is a blast from the past we will be spending a lot of our time remodeling and updating it! We are excited about this home and what the future will bring!

In other news, Carley has had another stay at the hospital :( She got bronchiolitis and it went bad fast! She has Reactive Lungs so any small cold can put her in the hospital. We are learning that we will have to be very proactive in keeping her healthy until she (hopefully) out grows this. As for now we are home with oxygen and she is doing well. We will see if she can get off the O2 this afternoon.

We hope everyone is having a great new year and I promise to be better with my blogging habits!

(read below post first) Thanksgiving, Christmas, and a Baby Shower

2007-12-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

Olivia waiting to open the Christmas gifts.
Showing us her new cowgirl boots and princess jammies.
Carley and Emily. Carley is wearing her new jammies, holding her new puppy and sitting in a shoe box! She fit just right and loved for her aunt Melanie to push her around in it!
Finally to the Baby Shower! Stacy, who is my younger sister by 17 months, is due with her first baby (a girl..Amy) on Feb. 21 (my birthday!) Since we were all together (minus my youngest sister Amanda and her husband), we decided now would be the time for a baby shower.
We had a good time and all the little nieces and nephews thought that Stacy was going to have the baby at the shower!

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and a Baby Shower!

2007-12-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the bi-annual the Ealey Family Thanksmas! This is the year when the Ealey Family gets together for Thanksgiving and also celebrates Christmas, since most of us will be spending it in other places. We spent the day at "Gammys" house, which was a little sad since she has recently passed, but it was also nice because we know that she would have loved to have us all there! Eric, Carley and cousin Emily playing and waiting for the yummy food!
Olivia, Emily, and Chloe "It it ready yet?!"
It is a tradition in our family to have homemade noodles ( with broth) on top of mashed potoatoes. We have had these as long as I can remember, and I still love them, they are really a highlight of the year for me! Olivia enjoyed helping her aunt Melanie while she made the noodles. Olivias' cousin Parker kept getting long noodles during dinner and would tell us it was an Olivia noodle, because she stretched them out while she was "helping".
Eric enjoyed the time and relaxed.

Too Elfin Funny!

2007-12-04T09:37:00.000-07:00

Check it out!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1161249212

I've been tagged!!!!

2007-11-17T20:25:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged....so here are the 6 things about me!

1. I love to bake...anything really, cakes, cookies, breads. I don't know why I just love it. The only real problem is that I have no self-control, so what ever I bake I tend to eat!

2. I am afraid of doing things wrong or not following the rules. I will wait forever for someone to help me, instead of just finding someone to help...I don't want to go anywhere I am not supposed to and get in trouble. (crazy, I know!)

3. I am a control freak.....not a super organized one, just one that feels like to world is ending when I am not in control. For example, when my oldest daughter won't take her nap and I have been looking forward to her nap all day, I need to be in control of the situation at that moment and I am not,,,it really feels like the world is ending.

4. I am not afraid of driving on bad ( 4 wheel drive type) roads. In fact I am proud of how well I drive on them!

5. I love to be artistic and creative. I think of things all the time that I would like to do, but unfortunately I lack the motivation to do most of them.

6. I love to kiss my little girls right between their eyes, on the bridge of their noses! Try it, it really is the sweetest place to kiss a little kid!

So now I tag . . . Erin , Shauna, Shannon

Good luck!

Fun at the zoo!

2007-11-16T07:33:00.000-07:00

You wouldn't believe the weather this November! Typically November is the 2nd snowiest month for Colorado, but this year we have had only a little skiff of snow and the rest of the days have mostly been in the 70's! We took advantage of the beautiful days and headed for the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs with my sister in-law Erin and her kids Ellie and Benson. The highlight of the day was being able to feed the giraffes. Carley LOVED it and as you can see, she would stick her tongue out as far as she could! I was surprised that she was not one bit scared to feed them!
Olivia on the other hand was a little shy at first, but I think she did manage to get one cracker in their mouths!
The Cheyenne Mountain zoo is really a great place. It is smaller than most other zoos and is nestled in the mountain. It is a perfect place to take small kiddos! (picture: Carley and Olivia checking out the meerkats)
Look at those eyes! Watch out boys!
The Bringhurst Cousins!

Carley, Ellie, Benson, Olivia

more continue

2007-11-06T19:52:00.001-07:00

Carley
Olivia washing toys for her preschool
my Mom and I at the Air Force v Army football game.
our friend Zed cheering at the game.

Continue

2007-11-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

Carley really loved the Children's Museum! There were so many things that she could touch and do!
We had a really fun Halloween this year! Olivia decided that she wanted to be the same chicken she was last year and Carley was a little skunk. We celebrated Halloween by going to the Larkspur Elementary school (this is where the girls will go when they are older) carnival. They hold it each year and the Renaissance festival park...so it is really fun. They held a costume contest and Olivia won a prize for the funniest costume!

Has it really been almost 2 months?!

2007-11-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

I love to make cakes and had the opportunity to make a Spider man cake for one of our good friends son, Seth. It was his 4th birthday and he was very excited! The birthday party was held at a local bowling alley and every one had a blast, especially when spider man himself (aka Steve Hillman, Seth's dad) showed up to the party! Tragically Steve was in a horrible ATV accident later that evening and passed away the following day. He was a great friend and we miss him very much. We consider ourselves very lucky to have known him and to have been his friend.
The Hillman Family ( Steve, Andrea, Seth and Amber)
Sadly, we also lost our Gammy on October 15. She had been sick in the hospital since the end of June. Although she is missed dearly, we know she is in a better place and out of pain now. October also greeted us with a trip to the hospital with Carley. I thought she just had another run of the mill virus and really wasn't too worried, but took her to the doctor anyway because it was Friday. I am so glad I went! Carley had pneumonia and could barley breath by the time we got to the hospital. We spent 3 days and 2 long nights! We were both very glad that when she got to come home, even though she was still on oxygen. You would think that a baby her age would hate that thing being up her nose and pull it out. Not Carley, she was very protective of her oxygen and did not want any one to touch it. She stayed on the oxygen for a week and is now back to her normal, busy self.
We made our first trip to the Children's Museum of Denver with Melanie and her boys. The kids had a blast...too bad we had to hurry back home for a doctors appointment :( Next time I promise to make a whole day of it.

More Camping Pictures

2007-09-07T16:02:00.000-06:00

This is how Olivia and her cousin Chloe like to fish!
Olivia has had her fill of camping!
Carley and her papa!
Flying!

Camping we will go!

2007-09-07T15:57:00.001-06:00

Getting ready to est some yummy camping food!
Olivia held a dead grouse!
Carley loves to camp!
Carley loves her aunt Mel!
Olivia and her 1st fish! Grandad helped her!

Our family went camping for labor day. We went up to the "shed" near my home town of Rye, Colorado, we had tons of fun and it was nice to relax a bit.

3 years old!

2007-09-07T15:47:00.001-06:00

On August 28th Olivia turned 3! My girls are getting so big! For her birthday, Olivia requested a Strawberry Shortcake party with mule rides, so that is just what she got. I made her a cute little Strawberry shortcake cake and we invited family and friends over for the mule rides. She had a fun birthday!

Olivia is a BIG Girl!

2007-09-07T15:40:00.001-06:00

Olivia is a big girl! She recently decided that she is big enough to use the potty all the time! (sighs of relief from her mom) For months I would try to play potty games, give rewards, do the potty dance, and give stickers to try and convice her to go potty on the toilet all with no luck. Then, one day the lady who lives above our garage, and who Olivia adores, took her potty and gave her some stickers (the exact ones I had been giving her) and she was potty trained!

Oliva also started her 1st day of preschool. She absolutly adores her teacher Mrs. Wendy! She came home the other day and told me that " A is for apple, A is for Ant, A is for Crocodille!" I think she meant alligator!

Oliva and Carley love to play together!

2007-09-07T15:34:00.000-06:00

Oliva likes to feed her little sister hot chocolate while Mommy takes a shower! FUN FUN

"Hey Mommy! Look where I put Carley!"

Olivia really loves to "play" with her little sister Carley. I think that Carley loves is too....well most of the time.

Carley is ONE!

2007-09-07T15:25:00.000-06:00

On July 30th Carley turned 1! I really can't believe that she is already one, the time has gone so quickly. We celebrated her birthday with a fun party attended by family and friends. I think that Carleys favorite part was the cake, she ate almost half of hers!

More summertime fun!

2007-07-17T19:02:00.000-06:00

Olivia and her "Grandma Chicken" and cousin Ellie, at the Renniassance Festival.

Olivia and Ellie waiting to ride the elephant!
Auntie Erin, Olivia, and Ellie on the elephant!

Olivia and the purple fairy. She gave olivia a fairy bubble and it made her day!
Carley, not too sure about the purple fairy.

summertime fun

2007-07-17T18:48:00.001-06:00

Olivia had her first day of preschool this summer! We signed her up for 2 week long sessions to see if she would like it. She loved it!

A huge tree fell on the "barn" this summer, so a bunch of the guys spent Fathers Day weekend removing the tree and making the repairs. We just couldn't not see Eric on Fathers day so we brought the group lunch. Carley wan't sure what to think of Eric in this get up!

Carley sitting with daddy while waiting for the fireworks on the 4th of July.

Olivia waiting for fireworks to start!

Olivia and Carley at the renniassance festival.

2007-06-29T10:44:00.000-06:00

We spent the weekend in Vail a few weeks ago, it was nice to relax with the girls. So far our summer has been good. We are taking it one day at a time and enjoying the warm weather.

2007-04-20T09:15:00.000-06:00

Shauna told me that I started the blog trend but fell off the band wagon because I never update! So I guess I will try a little harder.
We are doing pretty well as a family. We are enjoying the warmer weather and the days spent outside. Olivia loves to swing with Carley and Carley loves it too!
We had a nice Easter, even though it was freezing. Olivia was excited to put out some carrots for the Easter Bunny and the next morning when she saw that he ate them and left her a basket she was elated! Erics family was down for Easter as well as my parents. We ate a ton and had a lot of fun just talking.
So I thought that I had put all the permanent markers far from Olivias reach...I was wrong. The other day I went up stairs long enough to sort a load of laundry and came back down to find Carley COVERED in permanent marker! Carley was loving that her sister was "playing" with her. I of course was a little upset, but had to take the pictures. The girls are growing up so fast. Olivia is 2 1/2 and Carley is 8 months. We just registered Olivia for her first year of preschool next year and that is all that she talks about! Every morning she wakes up and asks if she can go to school today. Too bad it doesn't start until August! Carley is growing and learning so much everyday. We really get a good laugh when she starts to babble to her self. She has the gruffest little voice. You would think she is a boy!
I recently took a trip to Utah. I drove by myself with the girls! They really did good...we just had to stop a lot! Olivia loved to play with all the cousins and says she misses stacy and mandy.
Well I guess that about covers it for now!

another update

2007-01-31T12:53:00.000-07:00

It has really been a while since I updated! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Utah with Erics family, where we also blessed Carley, and a nice Christmas with my family. Inbetween, we had a wedding for Amanda! Here are just some fun pics of the family!

Family update

2006-12-06T13:52:00.000-07:00

Well I have not posted here in a while so I thought I would update! We are doing great, Carley just turned 4 months old and is full of energy, as is Olivia who is 2 and never, never stops. We spent Thanksgiving in New Harmony Utah with my in-laws. It was a fun time and Olivia loved the 4 wheeler.

Trick or Treat

2006-11-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

The girls had a great Halloween! Olivia was a little chicken and Carley was a chick in and egg. Olivia had a blast running around in all those feathers! I have to say I did a pretty good job making their costumes this year!

2006-09-26T16:32:00.000-06:00

This is the tractor cake that I made for a little boy down the road!

The funny things kids say

2006-09-22T10:43:00.000-06:00

Olivia loves with the show Blues Clues. Today she was taking a bath while i was fixing my hair:

Olivia: A Clue!
Me: A clue? ( not sure if that is what she said)
Oliva: Yah, a clue!
Me: where?
Olivia: (pointing to a scratch on her leg) there!
Me: really a clue?
Olivia: ( hands at the side of her head, just like the show) Blue's Clues!

So Sleepy

2006-09-21T14:04:00.000-06:00

Olivia fell asleep at the dinner table the other night! I guess she had just had enough of the day!

Erics Goat

2006-09-08T13:47:00.000-06:00

Eric got his Colorado mountain Goat on opening day.Here are a few pictures. Olivia says that "Papa is hunting goaps"!

more camping pictures

2006-09-06T20:39:00.000-06:00

There were 3 sets of identical twins at the camp out!

"Happy 2, happy too you!"

2006-09-06T20:29:00.000-06:00

Olivia celebrated her second birthday on August 28th. We had a few friends and family over for the celebration. She really loved her Elmo cake and the mule rides. She was so excited she went around saying "Happy 2, happy to you! then she would pretend to blow out the candles.

We just got back from camping over Labor Day weekend. Carley did really well for only being a month old!

Santas Workshop

2006-08-23T12:17:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday Grandma and Grandad Ealey took all of their grandkids to the Northpole! They all had a great time! Grandma even rode a roller coaster with Parker!

2006-08-22T18:27:00.000-06:00

Our Girls!

Sisters and Cousins

2006-08-09T11:55:00.000-06:00

We have had a fun time getting to visit with all of our visitors and introducing them to Carley. Here are a few pictures of Carley and Olivia with their cousins Chloe and Emily, Carley getting her first bath, the girls and Gammy, and there are some really cute pictures of Olivia loving on her new baby sister.

Family of Four!

2006-08-04T12:27:00.000-06:00

I thought that this would be a great way to share our family news with everyone. It is easier than e-mail and this way you can check it out when ever you want! So come back often to see if there are any new pictures!

Carley Rae Bringhurst was born on July 30th at 8:10 pm. She weighed 6lb 10 oz and was 19.5 in long. We are officially a family of four! Olivia absolutley adores her new little sister and can't seem to keep her hands off of her. Carley is getting a good initiation into being a sister! Olivia just better hope that Carley is always a little smaller because Olivia will have some payback to receve!