A Trip to the Sunshine State!

Talk about needing a "Vacation from your Vacation!" This trip was jam-packed with non-stop fun. We were all exhausted by the end of the week. However, I'm already itching to go back. I think Jody is fine to wait awhile! :)




My Favorite part of the entire trip was watching Gracie with the Characters. She was beyond excited.

It was so cute!!




She wanted to wear her Princess Dress to meet Sleeping Beauty. (Can you tell by this picture HOW hot it was?! We are just a couple of Puddles and a Princess...)




A much-needed nap for both of them!!





We traveled to Orlando with my parents for an entire week. Michael was strong-willed that he did NOT want to go. We all felt pretty bad about that...until we spent a day in the 94 degree heat and humidity. Michael would have been so hot - stuck in his wheelchair. We missed him, but we know he was much more comfortable back at home.


We spent a few days with Kerry, Stacy & their kids. They were so good to us and showed us all around SeaWorld.

Sienna was such a great baby on this trip. And she cut her first tooth while we were hopping from theme parks and the beach. (What a trooper!) Gracie...well...I think the poor thing is about done in this picture!


We did sneak in some lounging by the pool and lake.






We met Baby Lindsey for the first time on this trip! Sienna and Lindsey are only nine days apart. Both babies spent some weeks in the transverse position before being born. And both decided to move on their own saving Stacy and I a C-Section. I think these two were good friends in Heaven. And it was wonderful for them to meet up again here on this earth!


Cocoa Beach


What a trip! It was so much fun!! We saved up our Sky Miles and money to travel to Orlando, and we waited eagerly for May to arrive. Now it has come and gone! It will be a long time before we make it back to Florida, so we are glad we have so many great, enjoyable (and hilarious) memories.

Senior Moments

It's that time of the year when high-school Seniors graduate...however, that's not the type of Senior Moment I'm talking about. I'm talking about my brain going to mush. This week I've had my share of senior moments.

Going to the store can be like getting lost in the Bermuda Triangle. We go into the store...and it's hours before we come out! After finishing our weekly grocery shopping, I'm pushing one of those ridiculous carts with the cars attached in front. I say ridiculous because they are the Semi Truck of Shopping Carts. Trying to turn, in one of those, takes some serious skills. We walk out into the parking lot and through an entire row of cars. Our Jeep is nowhere in sight.

Hmmmmm. Down another row. No Jeep.

That's weird. I know I parked on the east side of the store. Again up one row.

Nothing.

I call Jody. "I can't find the Jeep!" His response, "Have you thought about where you parked it?"

"Really??!! Yes, that's all I'm thinking about!" (And I'm also thinking a little about the fact that this might be one of those practical joke shows where silly things happen to random people...so just in case secret cameras are rolling; I'm smiling and trying to look composed.)

But now the lady waiting in her SUV for her husband, who is in the store, is laughing at me. And one of the Smith's Employees comes and asks me if I lost my car. And the whole time Gracie is yelling from her little cart-car "What Happened To Our Car?"

So I go to the west side of the store, even though my brain is telling me we parked on the east side. And Yes! There it is.

Senior Moment #2
(The "Wow! You're So Old" Situation)

The young salesclerk at Children's Place rings me up.

Her: "Cute Shirt! I like that."

Me: "Thanks it reminds me of a shirt Kelly Kapowski would wear."

Her: Silence. Confused. Blank Stare.

Me: "You know...From Saved By the Bell."

Her: Still Nothing. She didn't know.

I hope this made you laugh!

Happy Easter!!

We had the annual Easter Egg Hunt at Papa and Grandma Wiscombe's house.
Here are all of the Egg-Finders! :)


Notice the boots. We were going for comfort and warmth instead of Springtime Fashion.


Some 'Egg-stra' Special little girls!


It was so much fun to watch Gracie hunt for the eggs. She was super excited!



When I was pregnant and found out we were having another GIRL...I immediately started thinking of all the matching dresses and clothes the girls could have.
Here are the Easter Dresses from Grandma & Papa Wiscombe. (Fully accessorized with the matching gloves and purse!)


We discovered our camera takes THREE pictures instead of just one, when it is set on the timer mode. We got some silly shots because of it!
*Here's the first one - Normal.


*Second One. Not sure what's happening here...


*Third One. Just having some Fun!


Happy Easter everyone. It's such a wonderful reminder of the Resurrection.
We are truly blessed.

I Keep Telling Her "Less is More..."

If "Hoarding: Buried Alive" ever has a Child Hoarders episode....Gracie might just make her television debut.

All Types of Wonderful...

This wooden sign sits above our stairs. Jody and I were given a gift card, to a home decor store, for our wedding. And we put the money toward this.

At the time, it just seemed right. As a newlywed - life seemed Wonderful. And over the years, this piece of art has hung in our first apartment...and dotted the walls of our different homes. I have walked past this sign thousands of times over the years; Walking out the door for my first day of work at a new job...Rubbing my eyes at three in the morning to feed a crying, hungry baby...Carrying a defiant toddler to her room for a 'Time-Out'...Running to the oven to retrieve burnt cookies...

Recently, after carrying some soiled clothes to the laundry room, I was scrubbing the carpet with one hand, baby Sienna in the other, while cleaning up an 'accident'. (The third one that day.) I looked up to see the words blaring, "It's a Wonderful Life." I smiled to myself and snickered a little. "Really?", I thought.

Yes...Really.

Even lousy days possess hidden wonder. Life is about perspective. We all know this. Life is what we make it. And this day wasn't even that lousy. Goodness Brittany, get it together. You have two healthy kids, a hardworking husband, a roof over your head and so much more for which to be grateful! So maybe this wedding gift is meant to serve as a gratitude reminder of what Wonderful really means. Over the years I have experienced all types of Wonderful. Most of them are simple accomplishments and joys. The 'I tried a new recipe, and it actually tasted good' sort of Wonderful. The 'My laundry room doesn't look like an episode of Hoarders anymore' type of Wonderful. And the 'My baby gives me the best gummy grins' kind of Wonderful!!


And really, the most magnificent type of wonderful for me right now is found in these big eyes and chubby cheeks!!

The Things She Says...

Gracie makes me laugh. Yesterday while saying a prayer she "Blessed the Machines."

(Instead of the Missionaries.)

She is usually the one who wakes me up in the morning. (Picture the beginning of "Date Night" where Tina Fey gets slammed by a child jumping through the air & onto the bed!) The other day, she lifted up the covers and kindly announced, "Mom - Your Head Looks Like a Coconut." (Have you seen a good picture of a coconut lately??... Yikes. This is not a compliment...)

Gracie loves to sing songs. She does quite the version of Pants on the Ground!



Since beginning Primary in January, she has really caught on to many of the songs in the Children's Songbook. For weeks she would sing "I am a Child of God", and instead of singing 'With Parents Kind and Dear' - she sang 'With Parents Kind-of Here' :)



Little ones teach the most valuable lessons. Last week Jody and I were trying to hush Gracie so we could say a family prayer. The task seemed impossible. When we finally gave up on waiting and just said the prayer, Gracie continued to hum, tap her feet and play with her toys. Once Amen was said, I turned to Gracie and told her Heavenly Father was watching and wishing she would have folded her arms and listened during the prayer. In an instant; one simple moment - she asked,

"Can I try again? Can I have a do-over?"

And we prayed again. This time she looked like a poster child for the 'Friend Magazine' - folding her arms, bowing her head and quietly listening.

Now I'm not saying a little reminder that Heavenly Father wants us to do what is right, works every time. We say many prayers at our house where eyes are wide open and Gracie is poking Sienna or waving her pretend magic wand. But what stuck with me is that, in one moment, she made it seem so easy to change her ways and choose a better path.

It's a lesson I need to learn often; and a sweet reminder that a glorious way has been provided for us, through our Savior Jesus Christ...so that we can have those much needed 'do-overs'.

"Can I Try Again?"

And if we have a sincere heart - the answer from our Father in Heaven will always be YES.

Hard Work...

Today Sienna rolled over, from her back to her tummy, for the FIRST time!

It was exhausting.

What are Little Girls Made of?

Sugar

and Spice

And Everything Nice,

That's What Little Girls Are Made Of.

Celebrating 6 Years!

As a new and excited bride, six years down the road seemed like a very VERY long time away. And now it's here - an apartment, three homes, two kids and lots of memories later - Jody and I celebrate 6 years of marriage!


I'm a lucky girl. Jodes is an incredible husband. (Here comes another story.) While we were dating, I won the title of Miss Deseret and then went on to compete at the Miss Utah Pageant. When I wasn't going to school, studying or spending time with Jody - I was completely devoted to my service platform. The title of Miss Deseret gave me that extra boost of credibility I needed, and Celebrating Abilities and Advocating for those with Special Needs filled hundreds of hours during my reign. I was ready to be Miss Utah. I had started a variety of programs across the state, and I knew if I won the state title - getting funding for the continuation of those programs and the overall growth of awareness...could explode. During these months of preparation, Jody and I grew closer...and I realized he was really something exceptional. The more time I spent with him - the more I understood I wanted to be with him forever and ever.

So it's the Final Night of the Pageant. The Top Ten are called, and I'm one of them. I'm about to perform my vocal selection for the talent competition. Jody is sitting next to my family in the audience. As the emcee announces my name and the lights are about to come up; Jody turns to my mom and says:

"Let's say a prayer for Brittany."

He then went on to pray that I would sing my very best and feel good about my performance.

Jody wanted to marry me. But he also knew I had worked so hard for a dream where I believed I could make a huge difference. A dream - that would have put off marriage for another year. It may seem simple, but his genuine willingness to want me to succeed means the world to me.

I didn't win the crown that night. But I did win something much greater.

Walking side by side with Jody still makes me feel so special! I used to think it was cheesy when people would comment that they were so much MORE in love after years of marriage - compared to their wedding day. But it's TRUE. As time passes, Jody finds a way to make me laugh harder, care more deeply and just love him that much more.

“One of the most satisfying rewards of a good marriage is the sense of being the most important person in the world to one other person.”

Sienna at 4 Months!

Sienna had her Four-Month Check Up this week. Here are her growth stats:

Length: 23 1/2 inches (22.5 %tile)
Weight: 12 pounds 12 oz. (31 %tile)Head: 16 inches (41 %tile)
The Doctor says she's right on track. She's smaller than Gracie was at this age.

Goodness! I love this girl. She gives us the BEST smiles! She is fascinated with her hands. About one month ago, she decided the pacifier wasn't such a bad idea. (Yay) Sienna sleeps a 4 or 5 hour stretch at night usually. We are still up in between the 3:00 and 5:00 a.m. hours every morning. She's a burper. A loud burper. Her hair has lightened up so much from the dark hair she had when she was a newborn. The poor thing has struggled with acid reflux, and we are still trying to get that under control. I'm nursing her, which is great. Those first few weeks are always really difficult for me, but sharing that time with her is priceless. And there is a certain scent that will forever "smell" like Sienna to me.

When I was in labor in the hospital, Jody rubbed my feet with Bath and Body Works Lemon Vanilla Lotion. When the nurse walked in to check me, she asked, "Is someone eating Froot Loops in here?" I love the scent of this lotion. And now every time I wear it, I will think of my sweet baby!

This one makes me giggle.
Maybe she was trying for an Elvis Impersonation...