life in general

old, new, borrowed, blue

While all things wedding are still fresh on the brain, I couldn't help but use this to create a theme for this post.

After the wedding we spent a week at Scott's parents' house in Idaho.  Here is the run-down.

something old. . . . We have certain traditions, routines, must-do items that happen just about every trip to Idaho.  Like,

Washing the cars

This means pulling the cars into the garage to spray, soap up, rinse, and dry.  I think they do this to keep the sun or dust in the air from interfering.  I think after years and years of the Brown boys doing this, it has become a finely tuned process.  And our kids are always happy to help.

Playing lots of games with Grammer

Sticker books

Visiting with Grandma Mona.  Or as Anna says, "Grandma Moroni".

A four-generation shot.  (I was sooo excited - and surprised - to get this smile out of Conner!  I've spent years dealing with awkward, goofy, or half-smiles from him every time the camera appears.  Then to get this . . . . a million dollar smile.  Let's hope it stays.)

Pizza subs at Papa Kelsey's, extra thick rootbeer shakes at the Shake Out

Golf.  Scott and his dad managed to make it out for 2 rounds of 18 holes during the week. Then on Friday they participated in a golf tournament, with guest Johnny Miller there to give a golf clinic mingled with a few valuable life lessons.  You could consider this "Time Out for Men" and they had a great time.  One evening we all went to the driving range to hit some balls and then had dinner at the clubhouse, followed by some chipping and putting.

I love how my golf pictures turned out so I'm sharing a bunch.

Do you see the tee and the ball flying?  How cool!

Scott and Dennis with dual shots

something new . . . .

Eating at Cafe Rio.  A first for me.

Walking across the street to do a session in the temple.  

Fun, crazy, slightly disturbing looking punch balloons from Grammer. 

The kids loved these.  They loved them so much that during the drive home, Conner & Payton began a balloon blowing contest in the back seat (unbeknownst to us).  As we were rolling into Ontario the balloons popped simultaneously.  Gave me quite a jump as I'm driving along at 70 mph.

A fun park and picnic day in Kimberly.

Bags and bags of Uncle Randy's old Star Wars lego sets to be assembled.

I have one more "something new", but it will be a separate post.  Your clue:  Nat Soo Pah.

something borrowed . . . . 

Hunger Games from Valerie.  I've heard good reviews from a variety of people.  I delved into the first few chapters on the drive home and cannot wait to get back into it!

Scott "Sherman-ed" a few Star Wars books to read during our upcoming Hawaii trip.

And we adopted Scott's Eagle Scout awards and Boy Scout patches and merit badges -- they are all nicely displayed in a frame with a photo of him at age 15 or 16, in full Scout uniform.

something blue . . . . 

Anna's eyeball!  I have no idea how this one got started, but all week long we heard, 

    "Hey!  Are you looking at my eyeball?!"

She said it for the first time on the drive there, and she continued to say it 20 times a day.  Soon it was followed up by, "You are a very bad kitty."  Total, complete randomness, that girl.

Funny thing, since we've been home I think I've heard her say it once.

if you squeeze it . . . .

My little brother Denver got married a week and a half ago in the Salt Lake Temple to a beautiful girl from Nebraska.  It was a great event.  Wonderful words of advice from the sealer, a sweet couple, a nice reception in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, and a romantic (surprise) getaway on a white horse-drawn carriage. 

And now for the wedding weekend highlights:

the flower girls

Anna had a great time in her flower girl dress (I'm not sure what else to call it), matching with her cousin Carlee.

 

And I have to tell you that I am showing much restraint by only posting 2 pictures!

family dinner

Thursday night before the wedding we had a family dinner (Denver & Bree's immediate family, a grandma, and a cousin/maid of honor) at The Roof.  Such good food.  And it's a buffet.  So you can go back for seconds, and thirds, and . . . . 

Before the trip we told the kids that we were going to a really nice restaurant that had lots of food spread out on a table and you could pick anything you wanted to eat.  This, of course, had Hoover Conner licking his chops.  One night I found a piece of notebook paper laying by my bedroom door (this happens a lot).  It said:  "Is there:  pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, frys, chicken nugets, chicken burgers."  Below was pictured a stick man with a big thought bubble floating above his head.  In the thought bubble was a another stick man, rubbing his hands together, standing before a loooong table piled with all the foods he listed above.  And some milk.  Next to the first stick man it said, "I can just amagin it."

At the actual dinner, Conner did not find any of the items on his list.  But he was in heaven.  He filled his plate with ham, rolls, carrots and dip and proclaimed it, "The best dinner ever!"  Give the kid some ham and he is happy.  The best part, of course was the fact that he could repeatedly go back to the ham-carver man and request another slice or two.

The best part, for me, was the dessert bar.  Talk about sensory overload!  Too many good things to choose from.  The mini creme brulee was a definite favorite.

Excitement and reason for applause came in the form of Payton losing his first tooth!

We're sitting there eating, when out of the blue Payton's tooth is sitting on the table in front of him and he {slightly bewildered} announces to us what happened.  He was so happy to finally enter the toothless grin club.  When we got back to the hotel we made sure to send an e-mail to the tooth fairy so she would know where we were.

bachelor party

We have a tradition in my family of taking each of my brothers out, the day or night before their wedding and treating them to a prize-filled event complete with public embarrassment.  The girl always gets a bridal shower so the guy should deserve a few toys too, right?  And we like to see the boys squirm a bit.  

Because of location, time constraints, etc. this party was a little bit different than the previous two but I think we were able to capture the spirit of it all.

First we made sure Denver had "the sign" to wear during the public portion of the event.  "I'm getting married tomorrow, wish me luck."  It's always fun to see how many and what type of people actually say "good luck."

Public embarrassment fueled by good intentions:  Denver had to Build A Bear.  For Bree.  He was a good sport.  And went through ALL the motions, including touching the heart to his heart and making a wish, waving it around his head, touching his nose, and finally giving it a kiss.  He also selected a sound device to be placed inside the bear, on which he recorded a personal message to Bree.  Awww.

He chose the perfect outfit for the bear.  (Their honeymoon was in Hawaii).  Conner thought it was a crack-up.

Back at the hotel we changed into pj's and whipped out all our laptops for an Amazon.com bachelor party shopping spectacular.  Each couple was given a budget.  Then I also had each individual pull a slip of paper from an envelope that listed one set of criteria that one of their purchased items had to fit under.  Things like "something that is purple" or "something that can open" or "something that can be used in the dark" or "is smaller than your hand".  I think most all couples were able to combine both of their requirements into one item.  Scott and I had something "that starts with the letter 'B'" and "something furry".  We found a cozy, faux fur blanket.

The other fun part was including Kent & Becca in the festivities through Skype.  They live in Texas and Becca was in her last month of pregnancy.  Good thing they did not attempt the trip because baby Nicholas was born 3 days later!

The following morning we enjoyed doughnuts & milk in the hotel room while Scott and Sam set out to deliver the stuffed dog (Bailey) to Bree.  We pre-arranged things with her mom, but it was a total surprise to Bree when they showed up at her aunt's door at 9am with a special delivery.

After she opened it Sam said, "If you squeeze it in a special spot, it plays a message from Denver."  So they started squeezing the arms.  Nothing.  The feet.  Nothing.  Almost all parts of the dog were pushed, and squeezed and mauled but still no message from Denver.  Soon all minds went to the gutter ("if you squeeze it in a special spot . . . .") and the scene became quite comical (I'm told).  All because of Sam's innocent comment, which we teased him about for the rest of the weekend.

the reception

Scott is not one for events where he had to sit and "be good" for long periods of time.  He can do it, and he usually finds some creative coping strategy to power through it.  Knowing this about him, I usually just smile and let him do his thing.

So they had these cute clear favor boxes filled with yummy chocolates, tied with a bow of tulle and a tag labeled "DB".  We collected our favor boxes, took them apart, and the boys (that includes Scott) decided to start tying their tulle together.  After they got 4 of 5 strands together, I commented "is that your escape rope".  And an idea was sparked.  Scott easily convinced the boys that they should go around the room and politely ask the other guests if they could have their ribbon.  And pretty much everybody said yes.  They proceeded to gather and tie this tulle together during the rest of the reception.  You can just imagine how long it got.  At one point they decided to measure and Payton almost made it to the other end of the reception hall.

Payton also collected little "thank you" charms from everyone.  Cuteness helps.  Currently they are in a pile on the kitchen counter and nestled in the carpet in just about every room of the house.  Tomorrow is vacuuming day.

And to prove I was at the wedding . . . 

The end.

essentials

{from an interview with the Hinckleys on their 60th wedding anniversary}

Church News, 19 April 1997, 3

President and Sister Hinckley talked about some of the essentials for a happy marriage.

"Live the gospel,"  President Hinckley admonished.  "That is so important.  That means a lot of things.  That means sacrifice in some circumstances. That means love and appreciation and respect. That means self-discipline. That means curbing your temper and your tongue and being careful of what you say because words can wound just as deeply and just as seriously as can anything that inflicts bodily harm.

"And you have to look on the bright side of things; you have to be optimistic and say, 'We can make it!'"

Develop and maintain respect for one another, he counseled. "You have to give and take in marriage. Another thing is a soft answer, keeping your voice down. Don't lose your temper. Speak quietly. There will be differences," President Hinckley continued, "but don't get stirred up over them.  Just be quiet and calm and speak softly one to another."

Sister Hinckley added:  "You cannot be selfish in marriage. You have to have as your first priority the happiness and comfort of your spouse. If you work on that, then you are happy, too."

"Selfishness," said President Hinckley, "brings about conflict and all of these difficulties that afflict so very, very many marriages.  Being plain, downright selfish is the problem."

Continuing, he said, "[Marriage] requires a very substantial measure of self-discipline. Marriage is not all romance. Marriage is work. Marriage is effort. You have to accommodate one another. You have to look after one another. Another thing is to do everything you can to develop the talents, the resources, the opportunities of your companion."

"Some people," said Sister Hinckley, "try to remake their spouse."

"Recognize your differences," said President Hinckley. "You will find that is a very wholesome and stimulating thing."

President Hinckley also counseled husbands and wives to get out of debt. "Debt is a terrible thing. Anybody who lived through the Depression knows that debt is an enslaving thing. Stay out of debt and pay your bills promptly.

"There is another thing; we have always talked together. There has been no lack of communication between us. I hear so many, many cases of unhappy marriages, of people who say 'we can't communicate with one another.'

"There has been no lack of communication between us," President Hinckley said.

"We have had a very happy marriage," he continued. "When I look back, I have no regrets. Through the years we have been blessed beyond any measure that we ever dreamed of. We have been so richly blessed. We have never lacked, I can honestly say. We have paid our tithing. That came first. We have lived modestly but comfortably and reasonably well. We have plowed our little furrow and enlarged it and gone forward with our lives."

"There is nothing really extraordinary about our lives," he maintained.

As the interview was ending, President Hinckley turned to his wife and said: "What she did as a parent she is doing as a grandmother and a great-grandmother. Now we, after 60 years of marriage, are smaller; we don't stand as tall, we have shrunken a little."

"We move slower," added Sister Hinckley.

"We move slower," said President Hinckley, "but we are happy and love one another."

Congratulations to Denver and Bree!  We wish you all the happiness in the world and are so excited that you get to enjoy this new adventure together.

wedding day

a slideshow - details of the weekend's events to come later.

 

See more pictures here - a group I started on Flickr to make the sharing process easy.  Anyone can view the photos, but only members can add photos.  If you were at the wedding and would like to contribute to the pool, send me your e-mail address so I can send you an invite.  :)

I {heart} faces: bubbles

This is my first ever entry . . . . but when I read the theme, and remembered that I snapped this photo just a few days ago, I had to join in.

Denver and Bree leaving their wedding reception on Friday, August 14th in Salt Lake City.  A bubble-blowing farewell from family and friends and a white horse-drawn carriage waiting to whisk them away. 

You can't help but smile and be happy for them, remembering those feelings: the excitement over a new life *together*, that giddy/happy feeling, the big cleansing sigh of relief & contentment knowing you've made it and now it's just you+me . . .  a team.  Ready to set out on an adventure.

Click on the button to see more entries.

this one's about me

tagged by Leigh

What is your current obsession?

Oh my.  Bejeweled on facebook has got me wrapped around it's horribly addicting finger.  Discovered it just last week after I asked for some mindless game recommendations.  Have you played it?  I loooove the guy's voice:  "Gooo."  (That's supposed to be "go" not "goo").  And when the points are flying and he says "Good.  Excellent.  Amazing." . . . I just want to keep swapping those jewels to make him happy . . . to hear his voice.  Like when Bella does crazy, dangerous things just so she can hear his voice in her head.  Did I just compare Bejeweled to New Moon?  Yep, darn right I did.

So, if you'd like to have a productive day, stay far far away from this game.  

What do you hate the most that everybody else seems to love?

Hate is a strong word so let's change this . . . 

A few popular things that just aren't for me:  texting, school bus, skinny jeans, 

What are you wearing today?

If this outfit looks familiar, you're not crazy.  Scroll down and I'm wearing it a couple posts ago.  I love this Gap body sweatshirt - so comfy and perfect for a cool, grey day like today.  I made the necklace (remember this post) with some KI Memories lace cardstock.  Blue Gap tee, white Shade tank, grey capris, blue flip flops.

What's for dinner?

marinating shrimp, boneless skinless chicken thighs, and zucchini in teriyaki sauce for grilling later.  White rice, asian salad, and maybe some cantaloupe.

What would you eat for your last meal?

I don't have a favorite dish that I cook over and over again but this would work for me . . . . cedar plank grilled salmon, lots of good roasted vegetables, and big baked potato loaded with lots of butter and cheese.  Add a really good pineapple smoothie and a hot brownie topped with vanilla ice cream. Then I could die a happy woman.

What's the last thing you bought?

Sunday shoes for Anna & Conner.  Two pairs of shoes for $27.  Not too bad.

Last thing I bought for me?  Also shoes, and I can't wait to get an opportunity to wear them.

What are you listening to right now?

The kids playing Lego Star Wars on the Wii.

What do you think of the person that tagged you?

Well, Leigh has got to be one of the most gorgeous girls I have ever known.  A fashionista and trendsetter.  But not too hung up on everything being perfect all the time, as she often graced early-morning seminary classes in pj's and a towel wrapped over her wet hair.  (her mom was the teacher, and seminary was held in their living room).  Thanks for tagging me, Leigh.  :)

If you could have a house, fully paid for, and totally furnished anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Hmmm.  Scott and I have often asked each other, if we had to move or if we chose to move, where would we go?  And we always come up with a big blank.  No idea.  So in this little fantasy land we'll say we keep our current home/location and I could very easily handle having a second home on the coast somewhere.  The Oregon coast is beautiful, but I also love Monterey.  Just somewhere near the beach!

If you could go anywhere for the next hour, where would it be?

go to sleep

What is one of your hobbies?

photography
 

What are 3 things that annoy you most?

1. People who try to "one-up" everyone else.  Like this, but I LOVE watching Penelope sketches.
2. when my boys stick their hands in their pants.  Sorry, pretend you didn't read that.
3. zits

What is your favorite color?

My favorite color this summer is cardinal blue.  
 And yellow comes in with a close second.

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your wardrobe?

Practical?  For the summer . . . . this black skirt.  I just got it, but I think I'll be wearing it a lot in the upcoming weeks. Perfect length, breezy, just throw it on and go.

Impractical?  I don't go for the impractical very often.  I like to know that the clothes I purchase can be worn more than one way and more than one time.  But every once in a while I'll pick up something that just makes me smile, not really knowing how or when I'll wear it or if I'm brave enough to pull it off.  I have this dress in cream/ivory:

and when I saw it it screamed "Hawaii!!" to me.  And it was on clearance.  So I had to buy it.  I have a coral tee to wear underneath it (modesty police, never fear).  And the camel heels above will finish off the ensemble.  I tried it all on one day and Anna said, "mommy, I love your dots."

What is your dream job?

Can I get paid for playing Bejeweled?

What are you going to do after this?

Finish up baby Nicholas' baby book.  Becca I will let you know when I get it in the mail!

What is your favorite fruit?

Watermelon.  Or cantaloupe.  Or peaches.

What inspires you?

I have to share my mom's answer to this question because I love it:  People that share their talents, art, cooking, design, and compassion and want nothing in return.

Ditto.

Who was the last person you kissed?

Anna.  She gave me lots of hugs and kisses at the park.  Which means she was having a great time. When she's happy she will shower you with affection.

What are you currently reading?

Well, I'm 150 pages into City of Bones, but I got side-tracked a few weeks ago so I think I'll have to start from the beginning when I pick it up again.

The boys and I are reading The Penderwicks.  Very enjoyable read.

What delighted you most today?

Talking with women from my ward at the park while the kids played together so nicely.

Tag 8 people:

• Jenn
• Paige
• Sheila
• Nicole
• Tamra
• Heidi
• Rochelle K.
• anyone else who needs a blog topic!

Feel free to omit/add questions as you wish!

swimming the days away

Summer Swim 2009 from Shannon on Vimeo.

highlights

•  the big step  
• • sliding around on your belly so much that you end up with a hole in your swimsuit, scraped knees & feet, and not minding a bit.
• night swimming
• big squirt guns
• taunting Uncle Denver
• • and getting thrown into the pool
• taunting Uncle Sam
• • and getting thrown into the pool
  • hating it, but you keep coming back for more
• trying to jump off the diving board like the big boys
• hosing off the hot hot cement
• taking a break to pick a not-so-ripe peach or pluot from the garden
• water balloons
• being 3 years old and calling Denver "Uncle Mason" all week long

cute story:

We were sitting out by the pool watching the kids (me, mom, dad). . . . My dad says to Anna, "bonita senorita - you're a pretty girl."  She walks up to him, real close, and says, "Do you know Dora?"

monterey bay aquarium

or

"where are the turtles?"

The last time I visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium was in 1994.  I don't know why, but I remember it vividly.  Somewhere in the family vault is a photo of us all there.  Me with a super short bob, Sam with his trademark fanny pack, it was an overcast coastal day, and even dad was there (self-employment makes for a busy life).  I think I'm wearing my BYU sweatshirt in the photo.  And I think we were driving a station wagon at the time.  I remember sitting in the "way back" and I remember mocking Sam's fanny pack.  Sorry Sam.  Like I said, I don't know why, but I remember the trip vividly.

And my how the aquarium has grown.  

Be prepared for an onslaught of photos.  I had fun with my camera(s) that day.

First, lunch at Bubba Gump shrimp.  I always get the coconut shrimp.  Mmmm.

Once inside the aquarium the kids went ga-ga over the sea otters.  I think the old couples there were more entertained by our kids than the fish.  Then, the very first fish tank we came upon . . . 

and the fish is floating upside down.  I hope this isn't bad sign.  The second fish, which Anna loved, gave kisses through the glass.

Now onto the good stuff. The seahorse exhibit was very cool.

Are you noticing a trend with the fingers on the glass?

This one was taken from behind.  I love its fluttering "wings".

The jellyfish . . . . simply gorgeous.

Nemo and friends

And now for my three little clams . . . . 

Conner doing what he does best.

So, they had this really cool walk-through room with glass walls and ceilings and every 20 seconds a huge tidal wave would come crashing over.  The kids had a great time counting down from 20, screaming, and doing it all over again.  Here's us on in the inside . . . 

and again on the outside.  I LOVE Payton's face!

and

finally

onto

the

beach.

There is this tiny beach alcove at Lover's Point and it is just perfect.  The water is pretty calm and you're protected from the wind.  Which was very nice considering this was a very cold day.

fun day.

As for the alternate post title, "where are the turtles?"

That morning Anna began informing us, "turtles can hold their breath for a really really long time."  Just randomly she'd come up to someone and tell them this.  I asked her where she learned about turtles:  "In primary class."  They also learned about temples and people.  (This is after visiting my parents' ward).

As soon as we enter the aquarium she asks "where are the turtles?" and throughout the day we hear, "I want to see the turtles" over and over.  After walking past every tank and exhibit, sadly, there were no turtles.  As we stood there about to leave she says disappointed, "but what about the turtles?"  We felt so bad for her.  So Papa snuck into a gift shop and bought her a little stuffed sea turtle.  Big smiles and a content little girl.

we are the champions

we made it, we did it, woot, woot, woot!

Here's the kids as we're exiting the Chevron during our lunch pit-stop yesterday in Weed, California.  I've always wanted to stop in Weed, and now I can say that I have.

All the little prizes came in very handy.  I think we have 4 or 5 unopened ones.  The map was the biggest hit of all.  Definitely doing that again.  We listened to the entire book of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.  We used many public toilets.  We yelled "Hay!!!" every time we passed a hay truck.  And for the most part, the driving part of the trip was uneventful.  

As for the playing part of the trip . . . I have lots to share later.  But just know that we came home with 2 octupus', a turtle, an outfit for me to wear to Denver & Bree's wedding in 2 weeks, a real-live tadpole, fun home-decor hand-me-downs, pool toys, and a California tan.

I came home to find a sparkling clean house, zero laundry, vacuumed floors, a clutter free kitchen and bedroom, freshly mowed lawn, and this baby from my garden

12 inches in length and about 6 inches around.  It's huge!  I'm thinking zucchini bread and grilled zucchini.