Tuesday, February 21, 2012

What I'm Loving Right Now

I'm loving Instagram. A super fun app with cool editing options.

My boys looking out for their baby sister.  Love this one of Wes carrying her to the car after school.
Valentines day came and went. Love the excuse to eat these yummy candies.  Also love that I had the discipline to eat just one bag the whole season!
Speaking of seasons, I love that my ski season has finally started!
I love that I can finally appreciate a beautiful powder day!
I love that skiing gives me the opportunity to have some good one on one time with my kids.

While I didn't love the realization that I am a stinky ski instructor, I did love that Brynne enjoyed skiing just as much as the rest of us.
I am totally loving all the recipe ideas I'm finding on Pinerest! 
Reading has recently just clicked with Brynne, and she is reading everything! I love that she is reading me the bedtime stories now!
I'm soooo thoroughly loving this show and don't know how I can possibly wait 6 months for the next season to begin!
And last of all I'm loving this new game and can finally say I'm over Words With Friends.

50 Years and Counting

Fifty years ago these two decided to take on forever together.
They were responsible for these 5
Who in turn took on another 5
Which to date accounts for 17 grandchildren, and 10 of their spouses, which brought about another 29 great grandchildren!
About 35 of us gathered this last weekend to celebrate their 50 years together.  We presented them with a video of pictures through the years as our family has grown, and a family album with letters and pictures from their kids and grandkids.  It was a fun evening and a great excuse for all of us to get together.
 If there is one thing our family would all agree on, it's the fact that we all love being together!  
We love to play
We always love a good debate or a little healthy competition 
We love to tease
And we love these two for all that they have done and continue to do to bring us all together.  
Happy 50th Anniversary Grandma and Grandpa!

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Our Little Dancing Star

I loved watching Brynne at her Dance Showcase this year!
Not only does she love being front and center,
 she also had a couple of special parts in the dance
Their song was a cute upbeat version of Away in a Manger, and Brynne got to play the part of the sleeping Jesus!
And later she leapt across the stage throwing white rose petals from a basket while the girls danced around her.
 She talked about the showcase for weeks before hand 
She wanted everyone she knew to come and watch her
One night I even came home to find she had cut 20 pieces of paper into circles and had hand written in phonetically  correct grammar invitations for everyone in her class at school to come watch her perform.  Then she wrote out a sign in sheet for everyone who wanted to come!
 I knew it would be a tough sell to get kids from her class to come all the way to the Fresno State Rec center to watch her on a Saturday morning, so admit I was a little relieved that she forgot to bring the invites to school.  I couldn't bear to see her little heart crushed.
In the end she had plenty of fans cheering her on.  In addition to our family, her cousins Ashlyn and Lauren were there and also performed.  Tara and Jason even got really good seats and helped with the picture taking!
Her BFF Claira performed with her
and Nan made it just in time!!  Brynne was thrilled!
And that made for a happy Mom!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

The Blur That Was December

The month of December is like magic.  Somehow the days and weeks seem to be shorter, yet we are able to cram more events, parties, activities and travel into them than any other.  No matter how hard I try to slow down, be more organized or commit to less, the month goes by in a blur of busy-ness.   Wrestling meets each week were on Friday's for Drew and Thursdays for Garrett.  They were both so stinkin' tough and had great seasons.  At Drew's last meet I watched him win 5 matches in a row, 4 of them by pinning his opponent.
One of the best moments from Garrett's season came when after wrestling a kid for a round and a half Garrett finally turned on the power and handily pinned the other guy.  I took this picture of him just as he was walking up to tell me under his breath "mom, that was so fun, I was totally messing with that kid!" I love his sense of humor!
I also had my annual activity with all my activity day girls coming to the house.  We finished up sewing pajama bottoms and then went out to  see all the lights.  I love spending time with my girls!!
We got great seats at Brynnes  "Winter Program" this year.  Regardless of how lame I think it is that they try so hard to be politically correct, I do enjoy watching these little kids get up there and perform so seriously.  
Brynne was adorable of course, and was even more enthusiastic about having her picture taken with EVERYONE after the performance!
One with all the girlfriends
One with her adorable teacher and good friend of mine
A pic with mom and dad
And a sassy pose with her favorite friend!
Garrett kept busy with his friends and had blast going ice skating with a big group one Saturday and to an ugly sweater party at Kylie's one night!  
I somehow managed to get in a run every Saturday quite literally, at the crack of dawn.
While December lacked even the smallest trace of snow, the freezing temperatures put a crunchy white layer over everything along the trails we ran on.
 Keeping up with my running helped me keep perspective during all of the hustle and bustle
I just love watching the sun come up as I'm with good friends in a pretty place
December also brought us a visit from Jeff's parents!  Brynne especially loved having Grandma Sherry and Grandpa Teddy with us.
They brought so many darling little gifts Brynne was opening a new one (or two) every day they were here!
The week before Christmas all of my siblings came to spend the holidays with us.  The girls had a blast making all sorts of goodies at grandmas house.  
The sugar cookies are always a favorite!
The kitchen counters have always been a gathering place for us Hurds, and as everyone came home, it was nice to see that some things never change!
It was so fun sitting around and catching up with everyone while most of the kids slept.
We couldn't let the opportunity pass to tease mom about her pseudo gang signs she was throwing in our mud run pictures. 
 Peter was happy to re live the moment with Mom, while the rest of us died in fits of laughter all over again!  I can't begin to tell you how fun my siblings and their spouses are!
Countless hours were also spent shopping and wrapping, lunching with friends, attending book club, and assisting with classroom parties.  It was a crazy/busy/ fun month and I still have Brynne's dance recital, my annual white elephant party, and of course Christmas itself to report on, but not to worry, I'm getting there. I'm just exhausted remembering it all!