Use Your Head

Madi and I were cooking together in the kitchen. I had made a mistake with an ingredient. Madi asked me what was wrong. I responded, "I wasn't using my head and put in the wrong ingredient." So we started over and began mixing the recipe. As we got into it some more Madi asked me, "Mommy, are you using your head this time?" I guess I was because the recipe turned out OK. Good thing she's looking out for me.

Summer Highlights

I guess since it is officially fall, I can bid summer farewell. Since a picture is worth thousand words, I will let them do most of the talking.

Swimming...



Friends, Family, and Fun Moments...


Lagoon...


Madi's Birthday...


Kitten Frenzy...
Our neighbors had some cute kittens. Tyli LOVED them. She would giggle and squeal like crazy. She squeezed, petted, tickled, chased, and choked them all.





Madi's First Dance Recital...



Other Highlights...

• Ward Campout- We spent a night camping with our new ward. We all had a blast despite the cold and rain. It was fun getting to know everyone. We loved Darin's story's around the campfire, roasting starbursts with the Hoaglands, and hearing Natalie's conversion story.
  
• Visiting Sweet's Candy Factory- Who wouldn't want to see how cinnamon bears are made? It was a very interesting and yummy experience.
• Outdoor Peter Breinholdt Concert- The girls first concert. They loved the music and dancing around.
• Jon and Jodi's Birthday- Do we have to be another year older?
• Dates with Jon- We enjoyed some "alone" time during our busy summer. We also had some fun group dates with a few couples in our ward.
  
• Hangin' With the Chamberlains-Many afternoons were spent visiting with Natalie while the kids played. We are lucky to have such wonderful neighbors

We had a fantastic summer and we didn't even go on a single vacation. We had so much fun with all of our family and friends that summer just flew by too quickly!!

The Invisible Crayon

Red, violet, orange, green, purple, pink all bright happy colors you find in a box of crayons. You open the box and these scream, "Pick me! Pick me!" Tyli always ignores the screaming and looks for the quieter, lonely crayon that isn't picked as often. That would be WHITE. The problem with this is the frustration that occurs when her favorite crayon isn't working. She just doesn't get it. She's drawing a beautiful picture, but where is it? I have even tried hiding the crayon, but somehow she finds it. She loves the white crayon, now I just need to purchase some colored paper so we can actually see what she is drawing.

Ty coloring with her favorite crayon.

Out of all the colors she has to choose from, she chooses white.

Tyli frustrated because she can't see her picture.

This is a beautiful picture Tyli drew with her WHITE crayon.

Want some change? Thanks, but no thanks!

Out of all the different flavors of ice cream, I love vanilla. Always have. I have my top five favorite restaurants that I enjoy visiting and at each of them I have my favorite meal that I get EVERY time I visit. After years of driving to school over the train tracks and hating every frustrating time I was delayed because of them, the first time I drove over the new overpass I was actually sad that I would never stop for a train again. I get sad over minor changes I see occurring in the world, my life, and especially my children. I wouldn't say that my life doesn't lack for adventure, but it is all grounded from the constants that stay the same. So today I visited the park for the first time in four years without Madi. It was just one of those moments, like riding over the overpass, when you realize things are going to change. One little baby step towards all the changes that I'll one day be faced with. I know not all changes will be for the worse, but I'm perfectly happy with my vanilla ice cream, thank you.

Timpanogas Cave

We decided to squeeze in one last hurrah before it gets too cold so we headed up American Fork canyon for the weekend. It was gorgeous! The leaves are just starting to turn to yellow, orange and red. The temperature was nice and cool. It was the perfect camping weekend.

Our adventure started with the purchase of a new tent, which turned out to be a portable house complete with an opening and closing door. It was much bigger than we expected, but we would rather have that than be too cramped.

We headed out Friday with a stop at the ginormous Cabella's store. The girls loved it! Tyli couldn't get enough of the animals, and the waterfall, and the fish. Jon just kept saying, "Look how many dead animals their are!" I chose NOT to focus on the "dead" part and just enjoy it all. Madi was most excited about her new flashlight.

My sisters Jill and Jami were suppose to meet us that evening, but by 10:15 they hadn't shown up. Finally we got a hold of them. Apparently my directions of "just go up the mountain and then come down the other side and you'll run into our campground" were not clear enough for them. They were perfect to me. I mean, how can you get lost with such straight forward directions really?

Saturday we hiked up to Timpanogas Cave. It was beautiful! The cave was exciting. Madi was a true explorer with her own flashlight. Our tour guide/motivational speaker was a little strange, but other than that it was perfect. Tyli loved it! She squealed and giggled and tried to grab everything she wasn't suppose to touch. Jon loved trying to maneuver through the tight spots holding Ty. Jami and Jill were great sports with the kids. Madi was an awesome hiker! She did the entire 3 1/2 miles by herself, without a complaint.

That night we cooked tinfoil dinners in the campfire and made smores. It was a little chilly at night, but we just bundled up and it didn't bother us too much. Jon said the Gabberts are the coldest people he knows, so we might have complained once, but I'm pretty sure that's all. :)

Sunday we cleaned up camp then headed to Cascade Springs. The girls loved looking for fish and walking the boardwalk trails. We had a picnic off of the path that wasn't crowded before we sat down for lunch, but once we started eating somehow our spot became a main attraction. Hope people enjoyed watching us eat.

This weekend was the perfect farewell summer, hello fall expedition! Our favorite moments were:
Jon-Spending time with family and the long silences around the campfire while Jodi read. (Seriously! Am I the only person that can carry a conversation?)
Jodi-The hike to and through the cave. It was awesome and beautiful and other better descriptive words I can't think of.
Madi-Going on a hike down the rock river with Jami.
Tyli-Playing in the car every chance she got, reading to everyone around the campfire and being doted upon by her aunts.

Tyli all bundled up. Gabberts aren't cold, just smart.

This is how I found Jon, Jami, and Jill. Aren't we an exciting group?

Lovin my sisters!

In the cave.

Definitely a "Daddy's Girl"!

OK, a "Mommy's Girl" too!

Enjoying the view.

Tyli can't get enough of her aunts!

Madi's kickin' it with her dad.

Tyli's entertaining everyone by reading to us.

Isn't it beautiful?

Lovin it all!

Christian The Lion

My friend had this video posted on her blog (thanks Jordan!) and I wanted to share it with my friends. It's incredible. See for yourself.:)

A Beautiful Day

As we were buckling up in the car for Madison's first day of preschool she said to me, "Mommy, today is a beautiful day! It is my first day of school, you and Tyli get to stay home, go to the store, and relax, and the birds are chirping!" I stopped to listen, the birds really were chirping. Is it normal for a four year old to think the day is beautiful and notice the birds? I'm so glad Madi does! It's good to be reminded of beautiful things now and again.


Madi had a wonderful first day of school. She loves her teacher Miss Heather. She gets to attend with some of her best friends, Kate and Kennedy, and her cousin, Bryson. The other kids in her class are darling! Most of them are returning from last year so Madi already loves them. She had fun coloring, cutting and playing. The day was recorded by a newspaper photographer who is doing an article on Heather's school. We might be famous!


I had no idea a one year old could be devastated about not going to school with her sister. She was so upset! I have to admit I shed a few tears myself. I never imagined I would be one of those crying parents, but Madi is just growing up too fast! I know Tyli and I will adjust. Soon we will be loving our "alone" time.

A Four Year Old's Solution

The other day Madi approached me after she had been coloring. "Mommy," she said. "I know what will make the Browns feel better, a pattern."

Wow! I had never thought of that. Nothing to make you feel better like a good pattern.

If Life Gives You Lemons...

"If life gives you lemons, take the juice and squirt it in your enemies eyes."

This quote makes me happy. I'm not bitter at all. :)