this & that

6 mo.. already?

2012-01-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

Scarlotta on her 6 month birthday.

{scarlet}

6 months used to drag on forever, this time I feel like I blinked and I'd been in a time warp that took me from the hospital in July to Christmas in Vancouver and now suddenly my newborn isn't a newborn, but a 6 month old, chubby, squishy, lovable baby girl.

She has 2 teeth.. TWO! Crying may or may not have ensued when the tooth discovery was made. The last baby with teeth at four months, it seems unfair.. an injustice so to say, her siblings waited until 8 months, much nicer.

She can sit up for a short amount of time, she sucks her two middle fingers to soothe herself, she lights up anytime Stella, Finn or Lily comes around, she laughs (though it's a hard sell to get her going) she smiles at anyone and everyone.. She squeals with delight and is generally a very happy baby.

If I could freeze her little had reaching back to touch my cheek every chance she gets I would. It's the sweetest part of every day.

We love her more than iPhones and hot chocolate. She has the sweetest little spirit and has brought an incredible amount of love and happiness into our home.

Here's hoping the next six months crawl along. I'm not ready for a 1 year old and if it goes as fast as the first six months... Ryan's really going to have to work hard to make sure I don't trick him into number 5... but really.. keep breathing Ryan, she IS the end :)

Happy 6 months Scarlybug!

January 12x12.

2012-01-17T10:31:00.002-07:00

My sister texted me on the 11th and reminded me to do my 12x12. Maybe because I haven't blogged in 4 weeks. Where has the time gone? I really did take all the pictures on the 12th it has just taken me until the 17th to upload them to the computer. So here it is, January's 12x12.

1. Breakfast = Coach's oats with peanut butter 2. A little Jake and the Neverland Pirates to start our day 3. Cleaning up after playing "Gold Fish" with Finn 4. Scarlybug all sacked out in her carseat 5. Scarly and Me for photo a day challenge 6. Music Practice 7. Homework 8. Dance class 9. Daddy's home and we are so happy to see him 10. Dinner experiment... gone bad 11. someone (Finn) snuck into bed with the girls.. do you love how close Lily and Stella are sleeping? 12. Finishing the night with a little Grey's.

There you have it, a day in the exciting life of the Birnel family. Perhaps I'll be a little better blogger this year!

Penguin Party

2011-12-19T09:23:00.001-07:00

Last night Grandma Karen and Aunt Cami threw a penguin party for all the "Hill" cousins.

They all got a pair of new pajamas and penguin slippers. They had pizza and popcorn and watched Mr. Poppers Penguins. The kids LOVED it!! Thanks Cami and Gram!

The girls in their matching jammies.

All the cousins in their penguin attire. Despite our best efforts of singing, dancing, clapping and making funny faces, we could not get a single picture (we only took about 27) of all the kids looking and smiling, they're still cute even if they aren't looking :)

12x12

2011-12-12T20:50:00.000-07:00

1. Me and Scarlet 2. Scarlet taking a bath 3. Finn watching a movie in the car 4. A very healthy meal for the kids 5. Christmas cards in the mail (my favorite!) 6. Finn helping to make frosting 7. Stella busy frosting cookies 8. Remnants for the kids trip to the dentist this morning 9. ~~Taylor Swift~~ Lily walking around with the laptop belting out "Our Song" 10. Stella hiding in the laundry Bin 11. Our Christmas cards in the works 12. Ryan putting the kiddos to bed

Nature Walk.

2011-11-21T09:11:00.001-07:00

I know I have said it before, but I love where we live. I couldn't have hand picked a better place to raise my family. It is perfect for us, maybe not for everyone, but for us right now it truly is the right place to be. One of my very favorite things about the area is the ability to be out in nature either by walking or driving no more than 5-10 minutes. Last night we headed out on a Nature walk to complete a homework assignment of Stella's. It reminded me just how thankful I am to live in such a beautiful place, surrounded by these amazing little people and one amazing husband. It's hard to believe that we created each of these little beings, but I'm sure glad (most days) that we did!

Little miss scarly bug. She's started this new finger sucking thing. Its very odd. Always those fingers and always at an angle. She's a cute one!

Mr. Finn. He's big into wearing the girls sunglasses and always upside down. He thinks it's funny and almost everyone who sees him doing it agrees.

Stella Bella. Look at that face. When she's happy, she is so happy. She loves to go on hikes more so than any of the other kids. Last night was especially fun for her since she was doing her "homework".

Lily B. What would we do without her? She is as helpful and kind to her siblings as they come. We sure do love her!

We're almost to the top!

Run Lily Run.

Run Finn Run.

They made it. How cute are those little faces? Love them.

We have visitors trickling in starting tonight until Wednesday. We are especially excited to see Uncle Buff coming all the way from Maui! It's going to be a fun week.

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

a shower.

2011-11-14T13:39:00.001-07:00

This weekend some friends and I threw a shower to celebrate one of my favorite people and her soon to arrive baby boy.

It was two hours that I wish could have lasted the entire weekend.

Bite size caramel apple favors. Don't let appearances fool you, these were a labor of love and not as easy to whip out as we'd anticipated. If you decide to try them, email me for tips.

There was a point in time where we almost abandoned ship, but I am so glad we didn't. They turned out really cute and were definitely worth it.

Wishes for Baby.. I loved this idea. Lauren talked about how in the original sleeping beauty there were 12 fairies who each gave a wish for the baby as we handed them out. We thought these would be perfect for the baby book and a great way to document all the people that were there and are so excited for his arrival.

We made this crepe paper. Super easy and although the pictures don't show it well it added a dramatic effect! I loved it.

Setting up and arranging :)

Pom Pom/Lantern cluster hanging above the main food table

We did a yogurt bar (Vanilla, Strawberry and Mango yogurt with multiple toppings and suggestion ideas)

The menu board/parfait suggestions

mini pumpkin muffins and cinnamon cream cheese frosting

chocolate dipped strawberries… someone's very favorite..

baked brie and crackers (and not pictured because they disappeared so fast were the blt bites and also mini quiches that I missed getting a picture of)

mock mimosas or orange juice and ginger ale

I couldn't resist. Scarly bug in her hang out spot for the shower. She was an angel baby.

Some of the party planning crew and the guest of honor.

The aftermath. Look at all those beautiful dishes.

Thanks to everyone who brought food, donated dishes and helped to make this shower one we won't soon forget!

October.

2011-11-02T16:48:00.001-06:00

A glimpse into October.

Dance classes, Soccer and Music take up most afternoons/evenings.

October has been full of sunny days, bike rides and family walks, we are loving every minute of the nice weather.

We've been admiring and playing in all the beautiful fall leaves.

gathering all the apples from our apple trees

digging sweet potatoes out of the flower beds

dressing up and heading to church (3 months old!)

Riding Ponies

at the pumpkin patch

Trying to find a pumpkin that isn't too heavy or too dirty

Scarly bug at 14 weeks.

Now that I've caught up in one long post, maybe I'll do a better job of staying on top of the blog.

Here's hoping anyway. Happy November!

(Halloween costume photos below)

halloween 2011.

2011-11-01T12:36:00.003-06:00

Scarlet the ~~chunk~~ Witch

Finn the alligator, turned Rex from Toy Story, turned Frog due to the placement of the eyes.

No individuals of the girls, but they were originally both Asian Princesses or China dolls until the morning of Halloween when Stella decided she didn't want to wear that costume. We threw together a fairy costume just in time for the school parade.

We had pizza in the cul de sac with all the neighbors. Check out Blue from Rio. Didn't my neighbor do an amazing job! I loved it.

Some of the girls from the neighborhood (and Finn) all ready for trick or treating.

We had a great Halloween. The weather was perfect! Very mild and we sat out in the driveway handing out candy and chatting with all the neighbors. My kind of Halloween.

kitchen.

2011-10-05T13:54:00.006-06:00

These first four pictures are the ones Ryan sent me when we were looking for a house: before we ever moved to Colorado. This is the house we would eventually buy. The kitchen was not my favorite but it had tons of storage, and the backyard and location won out over a "dream kitchen".

From the day I moved in, I had big plans for the kitchen… They are finally coming to fruition.

I don't know how well you can tell, but this was a two step island. The sink was on one level and then there was a narrow bar up higher. It made the kitchen feel more like a row of cabinets and appliances rather than an actual kitchen.

As you can see, we have accomplished a lot, but it is not completed.. here is the list:

*Remove three of the cabinet doors and have glass inserts put in

*add crown moulding at the top and bottom of cabinets

*hang pendant lights above island

*take down weird oak piece above cabinets

*remove pictures and lunch box from the top of the cupboards

*paint kitchen a different color, perhaps a light gray

*paint all cabinets, island and moulding to match

*add accessories to make it more my own

Then it will officially be done and I will share more pictures. For now, we have come a long way from the oak cabinets and green formica and it makes me happy every day!

a few things… or maybe a lot.

2011-09-29T14:32:00.004-06:00

Miss Scarlet a couple weeks ago (6 weeks)

Over Labor Day weekend we headed to Colorado Springs with some friends to see some hot air balloons. We stopped at Cracker Barrel on our way down. The kids loved it… let's be honest the parents loved it too.

The hot air balloons were cancelled due to high winds, so we headed to the Olympic Training Center instead.

Future Olympian in training!!

We've been enjoying our garden. Check out that canteloupe!

Grandma and Grandpa Taylor came for a visit, the kids loved having them here.

Ryan and Stella took them up to Evergreen for an afternoon of fun and Beau Jo's of course!

We had fun shopping, eating, playing, watching soccer games, movies, trips to the wild life experience and hiking. We were sad to see them go.

Cute Lily working on something very important I'm sure.

I missed my 6 week appt. (oops), but have since cleared myself to begin my daily uphill climb. Scarlet recently graduated from the front pack to the burley trailer. Ryan and I did the hike one morning and found the kids arms linked and both sacked out when we returned home. How cute is that?

And finally, if you are still with me, here's a recent picture of Miss Scarlet. She's surely growing up fast.

8 weeks.

2011-09-20T22:42:00.002-06:00

Scarlet is 8 weeks old! I can't believe it. She is bald as can be, but cute as can be too! She has started smiling, and is relaxing a little bit.

We've even had a few car rides that were peaceful and quiet. I think my carseat therapy has been working on her.

While we were taking pictures Finn kept asking to hold her. Then he wanted his picture taken with her, and then he wanted to "see it".

Stella was not to be left out.

and here is cute Lily.. just because.

life.

2011-09-07T21:23:00.003-06:00

My blogging has become more and more sparse, I blame it mostly on the fact that photoshop hasn't worked since our computer crashed. Ryan keeps insisting he'll fix it, but he's busy, so for today I've given up hope, and have resigned to just posting pictures straight out of the camera.

She might be the cutest thing I've ever laid eyes on, however, while she's adorable, she's my most difficult baby to date. I love her dearly and she's probably my last, so I've gotten really good at plie-ing with the front pack on. She's happy as a clam as long as someone is holding her, so I rarely get dressed any more and am pretty much sweating all day long due to hormones and her little heater of a body up against me all the time.

I can't really complain though, because she's a good sleeper. Typically she sleeps from about 10:30 to 5:30, eats and sacks out until it's time to take the kiddos to school.

They are the best things in my life. Look at those faces. How could you not love them? While there are days they make me crazy they mostly bring happiness and lots of laughs.

for fun.

2011-08-29T10:40:00.004-06:00

*post edit: the first picture is Lily, the second Stella and the third is Scarlet.

first day of school.

2011-08-17T14:00:00.005-06:00

I can't believe I have a second grader and a kindergartener! They are growing up so fast. Both girls were really excited for school. So far they are loving it (we are in the middle of our second week).

Unfortunately, Ryan couldn't be here in the morning to take pictures, so he took them after school. They looked a little more polished on the actual morning of, but I didn't have it together enough to get good pics.

I am excited to see what this year holds for both girls. It already seems to be off to a great start, with the teachers we wanted and plenty of friends in both classes!

garden.

2011-08-15T22:29:00.002-06:00

While the days are still relatively hot, the evenings seem to be the perfect temperature. There is a lot of time spent outside on the patio watching the kids play. The other night the sprinklers were on and we were cracking up as Finn soaked himself drinking from them over and over.

I love it!

blessing.

2011-08-14T23:31:00.002-06:00

Ryan gave Scarlet a name and a blessing last sunday. That is pretty early considering she wasn't even two weeks old, but that was when Gramps was going to be in town and we wanted him to be a part of it. Ryan gave a wonderful blessing.. and even remembered to say her name correctly, despite my dream the night before where he said Charlotte instead of Scarlet.

We attempted photos after church (having 4 kids and yourself looking presentable and being somewhere before 9am, less than 2 weeks after having a c-section is quite a task, so no time for photos!). The pictures were less than successful, and Ryan has promised a re-shoot of just Scarlet in her dress… coming soon.

Take 1: Trying to get the three older ones ready before handing off the baby.. decent aside from the hideous background, however, that was the only place there wasn't blazing sun.

Take 2: Let Finn hold Scarlet so the girls don't fight/cry over the other one holding Scarlet first. Not great, not terrible.

Take 3: We'll go youngest to oldest… Lily is much less likely to throw a fit.

Take 4: I think Scarlet was getting tired of being passed around.

While our pictures may not be priceless, having grandpa come and meet Scarlet was. They are only in the "newborn" stage for such a small window of time, I'm so glad he got to see her and experience her before she grows out of it. She already seems SO much bigger and older. I hate how fast it goes!! Especially considering this is probably the last time I will hold a newborn that is mine :(

We've had a busy few weeks since Scarlet was born. I'm hoping to catch up on posts this week including the girls first day back to school, I can't believe they're starting their second week tomorrow! Stay tuned..

a couple pics.

2011-08-02T17:10:00.002-06:00

Ryan took some pictures of our last day with three kids. It was after church and playing in the yard, hence the sleeveless dresses and messy hair, but I love that it captures their little personalities and they are all looking at the camera and smiling (well if you can call what Finn is doing smiling).

and one more of miss Scarlet.. just because.

scarlet.

2011-07-31T10:42:00.003-06:00

She arrived.

Monday July 25th at 10:36 am

7 lbs 10 oz

21 inches long

We are so in love.

July 12x12

2011-07-13T08:13:00.003-06:00

(a). my surprise breakfast Stella made me (notice the prizes in the cereal) (b). the latest purchase for baby's room (c). Stella hurt and crying (it was about the 8th time) (d). Lily reading during quiet time (e). afternoon storm clouds rolling in (f). Stella sacked out during quiet time (g). trying to get the baby's room put together (h). playing trains with Finn (i). some of my favorite people all together (j). flowers from Michelle's (k). my baby name book that I consult daily.. falling apart at the seams (l). some weird prison show Ryan was watching

I remembered 12x12 all by myself this month.. and I blogged two days in a row. It's a miracle!

the 4th.

2011-07-12T08:00:00.002-06:00

I love living in Colorado. I love our home and our life and our friends, our schools and parks..

but there are a few days each year where I really really wish I was somewhere else.

The 4th is one of those times.

I love to be at the beach. I crave it and long for it.

We have spent every 4th of Lily's life there until last year.

It's been a hard adjustment.

This year was no exception. I'm pretty sure my pregnant hormonal self cried for a week leading up to the big day. I tried to convince Ryan to drive us there, he wasn't having any of it.

And in all honesty, we had a really great fourth. I didn't even cry at all on the actual day.

Even when my dad sent me a picture of haystack rock saying wish you were here.

Here's Finn getting ready for the parade (he's practicing his flag waving skills).

The kids rode their bikes in the children's parade, but the camera man was with the kids and the camera was with me, and I somehow missed them when they went by. oops.

The kids at the actual 4th of July parade.

Lily and Stella waiting eagerly for all the candy that is still sitting in my purse making it look like a garbage can rather than a purse.

After the parade we went to a BBQ with some friends. It was really fun and the kids had a great time. We do not have any pictures though. Serious slackers.. I know.

After the BBQ we met up to watch the fireworks. Ryan got Finn some blue ice cream and then ran off to play catch. Wasn't it nice of him to leave Finn with me and the melting blue ice cream?? I thought so :)

The girls waiting patiently for it to get dark.

Sometimes, now that I am an adult, I think watching the kids faces is the best part of the firework show. I love how they light up when each one goes off.

Stella and her cute friend discussing the fireworks.

Finn at a rare moment when the fireworks were more interesting than the Backyardigans he was watching on my phone.

The end!

I survived yet another fourth away from the beach. It really was a great day, we spent it with our little family, good friends, good food and fun activities. My favorite kind of day!

Mr. Finn.

2011-06-20T08:59:00.008-06:00

Ryan got Finn a strider rider sometime this winter.

He is determined to have Finn riding a two wheel bike - no training wheels -

before he turns three.

We first had to hide all the trikes and bikes with more than two wheels,

and since those have all disappeared, Finn really does love his strider rider.

He's awfully happy every time we go on a family walk and he gets to ride/scoot along.

His level of concentration is serious.

Let's hope he meets his dad's first goal for him,

I'm not hopeful.

But I sure do love my Finn!

Recital Time!

2011-06-15T07:52:00.009-06:00

Awhile ago, our hard drive gave out.

We lost all our pictures and info from January to May.

Ryan installed a new hard drive, however,

photoshop has yet to work since.

SO, it is making blogging significantly more difficult

No resizing, editing, collages, etc

Please excuse the slightly fuzzy, slightly washed out pictures.. blogger tends to do that.

Lily recently performed in her dance "showcase".

She was very excited about it, loved her costume and couldn't wait to wear make-up and be on stage. She took ballet all year with three of her friends. I have to say I was highly impressed with their technique and improvement over the coarse of the year.

After the performance. She was very concerned that we would forget to bring her flowers. It's possible, the flowers are what make her want to perform.

You can't have one without the other, right? Stella was adamant that Ryan take pictures of her too.

Her favorite person ever. She was worried he wouldn't make it (he had Finn and came late since their dance was at the very end of the show) he made it though!

Lily and one of her friends.

Watching her dance made me realize how grown up she is, it feels like it was not that long ago that she was lost on the big stage, making up her own dance moves. That is no longer the case. I love watching her grow, I love watching her determination and her confidence grow. This was a fun year with Miss Lily!

it's official.

2011-05-31T08:11:00.009-06:00

How is it possible an entire school year has passed since we took this picture?

Her hair is longer, she's lost and grown in her two front teeth,

she's a tiny bit taller, but she still wears the same shoe size...

However, she is far more experienced in life.

Just ask her.

She's about to become a second grader.

She had a year end performance on the last day, so she needed to look her best,

she wanted extra sparkle. I think between the shoes,

the darling necklace Aunt Cami brought her,

and the jeweled headband we had her covered in sparkle.

Their year end performance had nearly every mom in the room tearing up.

Lily had a speaking part and they sang multiple songs

and then we watched an imovie their teacher had made.

If I was teary watching the movie, the flood gates opened when Lily turned around and ran back for one last big hug from Mrs. O. She loves her so much. I can't believe it's already over.

By the time we got home, she was clearly over the end of her first grade year, and was bouncing off the walls talking about all her big summer plans.

I'm hoping to follow suit one of these days, but I'm still convinced summer starts way to early here in CO.

Congrats Miss Lily on completing your first grade year,

You are proving to be an amazing student and friend.

We are so proud of you!!

field day.

2011-05-27T07:52:00.008-06:00

I'm having a hard time blogging about the wrap up of Lily's first grade year.
I am really really sad about it.
In fact just typing this is making me teary eyed.
I LOVE Lily's teacher. She might be the most amazing teacher there ever was.
I'm not exaggerating.
She is that good.
I wish Lily could stay in 1st grade forever,
and if not, that Mrs. O could move up and be her teacher every year.

Onto the year end festivities though... We planned a fun picnic for all the first graders this year.
We went to a nearby park and had pizza, grapes, juice boxes and popsicles for lunch.

We had three different game stations set up for the kids, parachutes and chicken flinging at one.
I think the kids loved flinging the chickens. We used giant exercise bands and rubber chickens. It was hilarious. They got really into it.

She looks like a pro.. no?

We had a water balloon station. Here is Lily participating in the water balloon toss.
She and her partner were very focused.

and here she is winning one of the rounds. She was pretty excited.

Lily and one of her cute friends.

We also had an obstacle course set up for the kids as their third station... apparently I was chatting with other moms and slacking off on my picture taking duties.

Maybe I'll work my way up to the last day before 2nd grade starts :)

stella's graduation.

2011-05-24T21:38:00.008-06:00

We've had some crazy weather going on around here and Stella was very worried her graduation would be cancelled. Luckily the weather held out, and it took place as planned.

Waiting to receive her certificate, she was really excited

She is officially a preschool graduate. I can't even believe she is going to Kindergarten in the fall. What happened to my baby?? She is so grown up and SO ready to go, but it still makes me teary eyed to think about it. At least I have the next 10 weeks to prepare myself.

Stella and Miss Kim. I'm pretty sure Miss Kim was Stella's best friend at preschool. No joke, she hung out more with her teacher than she did the other kids. Stella was constantly informing me that she and Miss Kim were"good buddies". Good thing she'll still get to see her "good buddy" every Sunday at church!

Stella had some unexpected visitors at her graduation this year! Grandma and Grandpa Hill (and Aunt Cami) made a very last minute trip to Denver. We were so happy to have them!

Here she is, all grown up and graduated from preschool. We couldn't love her more or be more proud of her. She is a delight and such a fun addition to our family.

Congratulations Miss Stella Belle!!

the happiest place on earth?

2011-05-16T13:30:00.006-06:00

We spent four days last week at Disneyland. The kids loved it..

Ryan and I thought it felt significantly harder this time than previous visits.

The kids loved all the typical rides - Peter-pan, the Teacups, Dumbo, Pirates of the Caribbean, Nemo etc.

They posed with different characters

This is the second time we've been there that they haven't asked to see the princesses. I can't believe they are already coming out of that stage. Where is the time going?

Stella was a trooper with her fractured arm and didn't let it slow her down one bit.

Grandma and Grandpa met us there to help out, seeing as I'm 3o weeks pregnant and Ryan and I are outnumbered. They have joined us every time we've gone and it's the best way to do DL!

I think one of the best parts for Ryan and I is watching the girls go on the big rides with absolutely no fear. They love anything fast, anything scary, you name it, they will do it. Space Mountain, California Screamin', Thunder Mountain Railroad.. they even put their hands in the air and say "Look.. NO HANDS!".

Finn's favorite ride: It's a small world

Finn was slightly under the weather during our trip.. poor buddy!

Stella's Favorite Ride: Dumbo

Lily's favorite ride: Soarin' Over California

(she's pictured here in the toy story ride)

By the end of the four days we were exhausted and glad to touch down in Denver!

*all photos courtesy of the iphone.. we forgot the camera, and the laptop and Finn's car-seat.. oops!

May 12x12

2011-05-13T14:56:00.003-06:00

I have so much to blog about, but I'll start with yesterday's 12x12 to get the ball rolling.

All photos were taken with my phone.. yes, I'm lazy like that!

1. Snow on May 12th.. we weren't too excited to wake up to this our first morning back from California

2. Trying to wake Lily up after getting home at 1 am

3. Finn was happy to see me when he woke up

4. Checking Lily in late to school

5. Look what happened while we were away.. we got DRYWALL!!

6. Taking care of a speeding ticket

7. Stella showing off her amazing talents

8. Homework catch-up.. 4 math worksheets

9. Dance carpool

10. Catching up on mail and catalogs

11. Ryan painting the new family room ceiling

12. Our garden starts, can't wait to get them in the ground!

we're off to see the wizard.

2011-05-03T12:12:00.005-06:00

The wonderful wizard of ...

Stella's birthday party was Saturday. I don't know what I was thinking when I scheduled it, our house is torn to shreds (literally) there is a fine layer of dust covering everything.. it's awesome. I was banking on nice weather but we woke up to SNOW on Saturday morning and by the time the party started it was a balmy 39 degrees. In the end, it all worked out, and Stella was happy, which is what is most important.

We decorated everything green, to look like the Emerald City.

My mom painted a mural on our mirror, it was quite a hit!

On the menu, Stella's choice of macaroni (to look like the yellow brick road) pb&j on WHITE bread, rainbow jell-o. She wanted rainbow chip cupcakes.. I tried to doctor them a bit, but they still tasted like rainbow chip. Oh well.

Here's Dorothy, pre - having her hair done (thanks Jenni for loaning the dress!)

Grandma read the Wizard of Oz to the girls so they knew the story before we started the games and favors.

Pin the heart on the tinman (this is the only game we have a picture of, we also did freeze dances, memory quiz, we made rainbow bracelets out of twizzlers, etc).

We had Dorothy baskets for all the girls. After each game they collected something that represented a different character in the Wizard of Oz.

The basket was for Toto, the napkin was for Dorothy

The courage medal was for the Lion, the diploma for the Scarecrow, the Lollipops for the Munchkins, the green ring pop for the Wizard, bubbles for Glinda, and the heart necklace for the Tinman.

I didn't get everything done, that I'd wanted to, but considering all the circumstances, and all the help from multiple people I think it turned out really well!

Happy Birthday to the best five year old I know!

Lily's Birthday "Egg"stravaganza.

2011-04-25T20:53:00.007-06:00

Lily's party started with the tablescape

We decorated balloons and hung them upside down to make them look like easter eggs

We decked out the entry way with Easter decor

The beginnings of the crepe bar (we didn't get a picture of it all the way done… oops). Unfortunately with the 7 year olds the good toppings went to waste and the whip cream, nutella and sprinkles were well used and liked.

Making their own crepes

A guest appearance from the Easter Bunny who read "The Country Bunny and The Little Gold Shoes"

Once the story was over, we handed out personalized buckets and bunny ears for the big hunt. The girls were so excited, it was really cute. There was a gold egg and a silver egg hidden that would win them a prize, the girls wanted to find them so bad that some of them weren't even picking up the regular eggs.

Ryan ended up in serious trouble for giving hints to girls as they walked passed him about the placement of the golden egg, because not everyone received a hint before it was found.

Lesson learned: Don't mess with competitive 7 year olds!

The games: We had some different egg relays, bunny sack hop and crack the egg

All the girls with the Easter Bunny

The cupcakes

and my attempt at the Martha Stewart ruffle cake

The cute birthday girl. She loved her party and spending time with so many of her friends. This was the first party I've ever thrown where we ran out of time, she didn't even get to open her presents before the guests left. Crazy!

I don't have a picture of the cute washcloth bunnies we made, but I think overall the girls had fun and Lily thought it was "the best day ever" and that sure does make it worth all the effort!

happy easter.

2011-04-24T20:56:00.005-06:00

Happy Easter from the Birnels!!

once upon a time...

2011-04-20T07:58:00.005-06:00

Once upon a time, I was feeling slightly overwhelmed and homesick for the beach. Ryan thought a trip to Cannon Beach was in order to cure my pregnancy moodiness. With the help of Ryan, my parents and some friends we were able to make it happen the weekend before my birthday. A birthday beach trip with four friends from Denver and one from the 'Couv, It was just what the doctor ordered.. so to speak.

After some late night LOOOONG and windy detours we were exhausted upon arrival. We headed straight to bed but began Lauren's birthday (we were actually there on her bday) at Pig N' Pancake. There is no other way to start off a trip to the beach. I am still dreaming about the marionberry syrup. Why didn't I buy any of that to bring home? I'm not sure about that one.

It was a pretty rainy day on Friday, we did some shopping, some relaxing, chatting and laughing before our big event that night. I think that this was single handedly the highlight of the trip for everyone. Our beach neighbor is the owner of the local cooking school, he puts on a four course meal/show many nights a week, we were lucky enough to get in and it was a night to remember for so many reasons.

If you're ever in the area, it is definitely worth the $$ to spend a night with Chef Bob and dine on his amazing menu!

Here we are waiting for dinner to begin! (Happy Birthday to Lauren!!!)

Course 1: Curried risotto with cauliflower, apple and fennel salad with micro beet greens.

Course 2: Buttermilk fried rockfish with chili pepper remoulade, sweet and sour slaw; sesame biscuit

Course 3: Grilled tenderloin of beef brochettes with fenugreek, peppers and onions, tzatziki sauce

Dessert: Lemon sabayon pine nut tart with creme fraiche cream and sour cherry sauce

I'm pretty sure of all the people attending that night, we were the only ones not drinking alcohol and we were the ones having the most fun of any of them. It was perfect! *I realize the menu sounds awfully gourmet, let me assure you, this was some of the best food I have ever eaten, and I'm not that into to fancy food.

No beach trip would be complete without a visit to the crazy hat store.. I can give you the number if you're hoping for any of the hats pictured.

The weather cooperated and we had some beautiful days. One of my favorite parts was walking on the beach to the bakery, clearly this trip had a lot to do with food.

We took a spin through seaside on a suri bike.. even got pulled over. No I'm not kidding, lights and everything. Apparently we weren't allowed to turn on the red light. We followed our bike ride with a visit to the candyman for a little tillamook ice-cream.. see, it really was all about the food.

This was definitely one of my favorite birthdays. Thanks to all who made it possible and to those who came along for the ride.. even if the ride getting there wasn't the greatest, I hope in the end it was worth it! I know it was for me!

As for the next time I'll see my beloved Oregon Coast.. I'm not so sure about that. Trust me, I'm always trying to conjure up some way to get there, but this baby is really throwing a loop in my efforts.

April 12x12

2011-04-13T09:03:00.004-06:00

I've discovered I am not so good at this whole 12x12 thing, but I will continue to try! Tuesdays are crazy for us and we spend most the day running around. Pictures this month come courtesy of the iphone.

1. Test pots of wheat grass for Easter/Lily's birthday decor

2. The beginnings of Stella's Ruby Slipper birthday invitations

3. Trying to coordinate Easter attire

4. Finn's current favorite book that we spend a lot of time reading

5. Little miss dancer girl on our way dance class

6. Pregnant and jugs of water… they go hand in hand, right?

7. Finn shopping at Target

8. Soccer girl!

9. Taco Salad for dinner

10. Coloring before bedtime

11. Tuesday night TV… LOVE!

12. The pile of jewelry at bedtime

Lily's Birthday Invites.

2011-04-10T19:25:00.005-06:00

I'm so happy with the end result of Lily's birthday invitations.

We had an original plan but decided with her birthday being within a day of Easter it would be fun

to have a big breakfast and egg hunt instead.

I saw an idea in blogland and ran with it, I think these invitations are so fun, and I'm hoping the kids love them!

I blew out real eggs, put water and drops of soap back in and shook and shook them to clean them out. Let them dry, spray painted the eggs and hand dotted them with acrylic paint. Once they were dry we stuffed them with the actual invite.

This was the invite rolled up inside the egg that they found once they cracked it.

Stay tuned for more fun party details! We can't wait.

dance recital.

2011-04-09T22:43:00.003-06:00

Stella has been watching her sister in the spotlight for quite some time.

She finally had her opportunity to be on stage,

and she ate it up!

She recently performed in her dance recital. I don't remember the last time I've seen her so excited about something. We tried her costumes on multiple times, she would twirl and spin and look at herself in the mirror.

She loved having her hair curled and putting on mascara and lipgloss, and when it was her turn to dance, she stood up and gave it all she had. She was so pleased with herself at the end.. and even happier when her dad handed her her very own roses.

Is that not the cutest face you've ever seen?

It was so much fun to watch her do her own thing, she tends to live in the shadows of Lily and I love seeing her light up when something is all about her. She did a great job on her three dances and the recital was darling. I think it's safe to say, we all loved it and we certainly love little miss Stella!

Like It's 80's Day!

2011-04-01T08:54:00.004-06:00

She's been waiting for this day for over a month.

I have heard 895,773 times that 80's day is on April 1st.

There is nothing quite like winning the spirit stick.

A little mom guilt from a not so stellar morning yesterday resulted in her 80's attire.

Check out those scrunchies. The girls think they are the greatest thing ever.

"Soft rubberbands? MOM, Why have you never gotten these before?"

I may be in trouble now!

Do you love the crimped hair? I can't believe it ever went out of style...

Scrunchy socks in alternating colors, checkered vans.. ahh the good ol' 80's and it's just so nice that it's all coming back in style and easy to find.

jelly bracelets, I think she's in love and this won't be the end of these.

She went to school happy today, I'm feeling like a much better mom than I did dropping her off yesterday and it only cost me an arm and a leg.

*I wish the master photographer had been here to really document how she looked, it was pretty great.

oh baby!

2011-03-16T20:34:00.001-06:00

boy or girl? girl or boy?

2011-03-14T19:01:00.005-06:00

photo credit

Pink or Blue? Green or Purple? Tomorrow is the big day. We'll find out what our fourth and presumably final Birnel will be. I'd love to hear your guesses. If you're right, I'll put your name in a bowl and draw for a prize! A package hand selected by yours truly. I can't wait to hear your guesses.

*I do not have any "gut" feelings, though Ryan is certain it's a boy. Either one is perfectly fine with me, I'm not leaning one way or another, just hoping for healthy :)

march 12x12.

2011-03-13T22:40:00.002-06:00

We can once again thank Natalie for my participation in 12x12!

1. Healthy breakfast provided by daddy

2. logo from kitchen proposal

3. lots of college b-ball on tv around here

4. 3 cute kids reading on the bed

5. piece of tooth Ryan extracted from Lily's gums

6. Showing Lily the piece of tooth

7. Finn jumping off the coffee table to Lily

8. Stella and the neighborhood girls

9. Raking leaves in the spring like weather

10. Costco run and dinner for the kids

11. Takeout for Ryan and I

12. 12-layer (rainbow) Jell-O for St. Patrick's day BBQ

roller coaster.

2011-03-02T19:42:00.005-07:00

image source

This whole buying a house thing is overrated. I'm trying to process so bare with me:

*disclosure: yards here are hard to come by.. so having a decent/good backyard weighs heavily in the decision making process.

House A: We already live here, we have to add a fourth bedroom, we need to put a bathroom in the basement, and update the kitchen. Originally we didn't think we could get it for the price we wanted, which sent us out looking for other houses. We have now come to an agreement on a price. The yard is awesome, beautiful mature fruit trees, a fire pit, hammock, drip line in raised beds, we love our neighbors and the school our kids go to, we love the main floor, but the upstairs leaves a little to be desired.

House B: An inside deal, we found out about the house from friends. Our FAVORITE floor plan, beautiful upgrades, great price, love love love the house… NO and I do mean NO backyard other than a patio (albeit a nice patio). We hem and haw and hem and haw and in the end decide you can change a house, but never a yard. So, B is out.

House C: House C is introduced in the final hour from a realtor we went through a house with 6 months ago. He texted Ryan out of the blue. It was a fast moving deal. We had about 2 days to get an offer in. It has everything we've been looking for, the main floor is functional. Not our favorite but it does have a guest bedroom and full bath, the upstairs is awesome, exactly what we want, it's on a cul-de-sac and the backyard is decent. The price is well below market. We know other offers are going in, so we send in an offer above list price, and we come in second, losing the house.

We are seriously disappointed, frustrated, but we switch gears. House A it is. We make plans for a fourth bedroom, meet with a kitchen designer, lock in financing, have an appraisal… everything is moving forward smoothly, until today…

When House C calls and says financing fell through for the original buyers, they wants us to write a new offer.

Once again, we don't have much time, and here I sit not having a clue what to do. Do I go with the bigger house and move, do I stay in this house, customize it, not move, but live through a remodel? Neither one is a bad choice, it's just a matter of what is the right choice.

A total emotional roller coaster.

*post edit: House A is in the same position as House C on a cul-de-sac.

number 2.

2011-02-25T07:31:00.005-07:00

We had a birthday at our house this week. Mr. Finn turned 2 years old.

He started his day off by taking off his diaper and finger painting his bed and blankets for me. I was ready to cancel his whole day, but managed to pull it together in the end.

Here is the birthday boy and his cake coming around the corner.

I think it's safe to say he liked it. It was a true act of love. Blueberry yogurt cake. The boy loves blueberry yogurt.

The big cake with "beautiful blue" sprinkles at the girls request.

Opening presents. He was pretty cute to watch, He's gotten the hang of it significantly more than he did at Christmas.

Some things about Finn:

Favorite shows: Backyardigans and Little Einsteins

Favorite food: shaaaaaaaake (as in fruity healthy shakes)

Favorite treat: coooooookie, coookie, cooooooooookie

Favorite toys: balls, cars and trains, radio flyer scoot car

Favorite friend: whatever neighborhood boy is outside playing ball (lacrosse, hockey, football etc)

Favorite book: Duck on a bike

He's an angel baby (aside from the finger painting incident), he takes long naps and sleeps good at night. He loves reading books and pretending he's reading. He runs nearly everywhere he goes, he loves bubbles and riding his strider rider. He likes to wear his helmet whenever he's outside. He's happy most of the time, he's truly funny, so much so he's earned the nickname funny Finn from multiple people. He prefers jibberish to actual talking, though he can actually talk pretty well if he wants too. Even though he's far from extended family he's loved and adored by a lot of people.

We sure are glad he's part of our family!

stale blog.

2011-02-21T09:39:00.002-07:00

This blog is a little stale, so what better time than to announce baby #4 is on the way.

I'm 17ish weeks, and will have the baby sometime the week of July 25th.

Could you expect anything less from the Birnels… buying a house, adding a room to it, having babies.. we like to do stressful things in multiples.

pulling teeth.

2011-02-16T12:12:00.002-07:00

Last night Lily lost a tooth.

This wouldn't normally be that big of a deal; however, she has this top front tooth that won't fall out.

(I don't know if you can see in the picture but she has an adult top tooth and a baby one).

Her adult tooth is almost all the way grown in behind her baby tooth.

So when the incisor fell out last night and left a gaping hole meaning the

double tooth was staring you in the face, and looking a little weird,

I finally called the dentist.

She is getting her front tooth pulled today at 2:00.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't freaking out.

I'm not good at this kind of stuff,

and she doesn't even know it's coming.

it's been snowing.

2011-02-07T10:26:00.006-07:00

Finally, the frigid temperatures are gone,

we had two days of pretty much

non-stop snow, the accumulation was enough

to cancel church meetings Sunday.

At least we can enjoy the snow…

I'll take snow over negative temps any day.

Our attempt at three kids together this week.. ahh it's always a success.

Can you tell how happy we are to be out of the house? Okay aside from the Finn picture anyway.

100th day of school.

2011-02-04T11:20:00.002-07:00

Today was the 100th day of school for Lily.

She thought the day would never get here.

She had to wait two days longer than she would have otherwise

due to the "extreme weather days".

For 100 day we were supposed to make a shirt.

Gram to the rescue.

How cute did this turn out?

Lucky for Lily, her Gram must have ESP because

100 day also fell on Spirit day…

which was wear RED.

She's got it covered and she was thrilled.

Happy 100 day!

this week.

2011-01-31T11:25:00.002-07:00

I'm hoping to make this gumdrop tree with the girls

Try out this new recipe

Make this tried and true recipe

Take a night off cooking and go to Pasquini's with the fam

Convert these amazing chocolate and salted caramel cupcakes to mini size for recipe night

Finish decorating for Valentine's day

Find a snack to send with Lily for her 100 day at school

Make these Valentine's for the girls to give out

Finish planning my birthday trip to one of my very favorite places.

Here's hoping I get it all done.

What's on your to-do list this week?

weekend and some pictures i love.

2011-01-27T12:46:00.006-07:00

My parents flew out here at the last minute this weekend,

Mostly to appease their emotional, stressed out daughter (that's me ;) )

The whole house hunting thing is really getting to me.

So many decisions, so many choices..

I desperately needed non-emotional bystanders

(thanks m&d for coming!!)

I love this picture, and it is significant. I have not seen Finn fall asleep on anyone since he

was a baby, baby. He loves Gramps though,

and to sleep he went watching a very exciting

sporting event, I'm sure

(yes that is a bottle, yes he is almost two, yes I know he should drink from a sippy, he does 90% of the time)

I love this picture too, it perfectly captures Ryan and the kids. Whenever he is home they are glued to him. It's like a magnetic force. They need to be next to him. He is very good about letting them crawl and climb all over him. Far better than I am!

And finally, our feeble attempt to capture all the kids on Sunday (we've already missed two weeks and it's still January). As you can see it was a huge success... but I'm still happy we did it. phew!

Here's hoping our housing decisions become more final very soon.

read.

2011-01-15T20:05:00.002-07:00

My little six year old has turned into a crazy reader,

I frequently find her curled up in a chair

or on the couch with her nose

in a book.

She's reading through books faster than I

can find new ones for her.

Tonight before dinner, she brought home a new book from one of her friends.

She's already a good 5 chapters into it.

She pulled her chair out in the hallway to get away from the noise of me and Stella.

She wasn't happy I was trying to take her picture,

but I did get one smile.

It makes me happy to see her love reading so much,

and I think it encourages her imagination

which I love almost as much.

Any great book suggestions for me?

January 12x12.

2011-01-13T09:35:00.003-07:00

Let's all take a moment to say Thank You…

to my cute friend Natalie,

who texted me yesterday morning

and told me to do 12x12 with her.

Without her, who knows how long it would have been

before I posted something new.

Thank You Natalie!!

1. kindergarten registration.. oh the joys. We had no birth certificate or immunization records, we have one of the two now, still working on the other.

2. The girls beauty salon they make in their bathroom on a regular basis.

3. my favorite snack.

4. The girls bed all made. It makes me happy.

5. my favorite boy playing with his new train table our friends gave him.

6. preparing for my cute little activity day girls.

7. making homemade Oreos with Stella.

8. A chapter book Lily and her cute friends have been working very hard on.

9. The house Ryan wants to buy that I drive past 8 times a day trying to decide if we should or not.

10. Heading to Zumba, my favorite night of the week.

11. Two cute girls that always try to wear matching outfits.

12. Ryan watching TV with me? or not.

snow.

2011-01-07T09:37:00.005-07:00

The kids have been hearing about the snow here in Denver since we moved, but they had yet to see anything more than a dusting. They've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of a big enough snow
to actually go sledding. We finally got enough snow right after returning from Christmas.
They were so excited.

This is Finn's first experience in snow and I think it's safe to say he is a huge fan.

Miss Stella.

The Lily.

After we got home from sledding Finn did not want to go inside. He kept throwing little tiny wads of snow at Ryan and laughing hysterically. It might have been the funniest thing ever.

He laughed so hard he fell right over.

While we enjoyed riding our bikes and scooters outside yesterday in the 50 degree weather,
We are ready for our next snow storm!!

2010 Christmas Highlights.

2011-01-06T10:12:00.006-07:00

It all began with a 3 hour plane ride,

to see some of their very favorite people

and have the most magical Christmas ever.

First stop, Shawna's Zumba class at 24 hour fitness. If you live in the Couv' you should check her out. She's awesome!

No Christmas would be complete without a stop at Peacock lane.

This year we went with Grams and Pops

and some of our favorite friends.

Christmas Sunday in our old ward. The girls were excited to see all their friends.

Just Dance and hours of playing with cousins.

Homemade matching jammies at Ryan's dad's house Christmas Eve. Always a favorite of the kids.

Christmas Story via Grandpa's new ipad. I think there were a few

in the Birnel family guilty of coveting the new ipad.

Christmas morning!!

New boots for Stella!

A diary with a LOCK for little miss secretive. (Thanks Aunt Cami!)

Finn's favorite gift by far: the car from Aunt Cami.

I think he liked grandpa's bopit too.

A trip to see Ryan's extended family.

So fun to see all of them, especially the GG's!

(Ryan's mom, aunt, and uncle)

We could never forget the hot breakfasts grandpa cooks up for us nearly every morning.

and of course TV time with our favorite uncle buff.

Other highlights that we have no pictures of…

date night out with the Gillespie's and MOONSTRUCK!

Tangled with Grandpa

Cousin Sleepover at Grandma Debbie's

Just Dance 2 with the Hill family

Just Dance 2 and the name game with the Birnel siblings

Extended Hill family pictures.. can't wait to see those ;)

Watching the missionaries dance their hearts out Christmas night

Pinestreet Biscuits and touring Downtown Portland with Grandma Debbie

Shopping with my brothers and the Target Security man yelling at them and Ryan

Playing dolls and games with Grandma

Grandpa/Granddaughter shopping date Christmas Eve

It was a busy trip. I can't believe how fast the two weeks flew by. We mostly saw and spent time with family. Hopefully next time we'll see a few more of our friends!

The Christmas Miracle.

2010-12-13T22:06:00.006-07:00

What do you do when your six year old daughter has made it a habit of praying to the Elf on the Shelf?

You consider Family Home Evening nights about worshipping false idols, discussions about how pleading with Elfie won't necessarily warrant what you are asking for, and then you hide quietly and listen to just what exactly it is she appears to be praying to the elf for.

What she is pleading for happens to be a $250 dollar beach cruiser bike. As a parent, you want your child's every Christmas wish to come true, however, coughing up that kind of cash for only one present seems slightly extreme.

So, we are left with the dilemma, crush her Christmas dreams or buy her the bike?

We scour craigslist for weeks, we get so desperate we start emailing people in California (where beach cruisers are a dime a dozen) asking if they'll ship.. they all think we're crazy scammers.

Ryan calls every bike shop he has ever known, asking for last years models, discount codes, coupons… NOTHING. There is NO deal on this bike in any store.

I am losing hope… Lily is still praying… Ryan is caving, he'll spend the money.

Saturday morning Ryan wakes up and decides to put an old bike of the girls on craigslist and what pops up? The exact bike we are looking for… crap it's 16" not 20". We start comparing the models online.. the tires match the 20" not the 16". We email. We notice the date it was listed was a week prior. There's no way.

Luckily we live in the great state of Colorado, because let me tell you.. anywhere else this bike would have been GONE (in CO everyone is looking for Mt. Bikes) praying to elfie apparently works and the bike is the correct size we are looking for and is still available for a mere $35.

Christmas wish granted here at the Birnel house.. and we didn't have to go on welfare.

Thank You Elfie, I guess you really are magic.. our very own Christmas miracle.

the list 2010.

2010-12-07T13:16:00.011-07:00

I have been hounded daily for about the last week about my list of 2010. Husbands, parents, friends, who knew this was so important ;)

I've made it extra long this year... and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.. just kidding.

I like to send cards to friends randomly. I love these mustache cards from papers edge, in fact I love everything Emily does.

I received this desk calendar from one of my friends last year, and it has to be one of my very favorite gifts. It has been a bright addition to my kitchen all year long.

I think these earrings are perfect, and if you hurry, they are on sale today for only $15.

Some friends introduced this game to us and it's right up there with Settlers of Catan.

I have been wanting these shoes since I saw the green ones on my friend Natalie's blog early summer or maybe spring? I think the eggplant would be perfect for the season.

This shirt was my favorite at the finish line in Vegas, I'm sure hoping one husband of mine is thoughtful enough to purchase it for me since we participated in the race together (hint, hint)

Downeast always has a great variety of accessories. I quite like this grey scarf.

I have been hearing rave reviews about this heal cream, and with the dry weather here in Denver, I think it could work wonders for me.

My friend Lauren always has the best food at her house, and I have been privy to quite a few delicious sandwiches via her panini maker, I think it's time to have one of my own.

How I would love to read to the girls out of these beautiful books, and then display them on bookshelves for all to see and admire.

Love the Nie Nie Calendar, and it supports a good cause.

These are a major wish, but I haven't stopped thinking about them since I first saw them. Perfection in a boot, in my opinion.

Love this apron

I have been wanting one of these insulated cups ALL summer long, but they sell out fast, hoping to snag one before they are gone for the Christmas season.

Another major wish, my mom was nice enough to pass along her bosch to me, however, it has a tendency to walk off the counter if you're not standing right there with it. Would love a brand new machine someday.

You can never have too many cardigans right? I really like this one.

What are you hoping for this Christmas? And for those of you I need to shop for, how about YOU publish a list of your own. Please and Thank you!

an unwelcome visitor.

2010-12-01T09:02:00.003-07:00

Do you know me?

If you do, than you know that I am deathly afraid of wild animals. Coyotes at the bottom of my parents property… heart palpitations, The seemingly "half deer, half lion" I saw earlier in the summer while running… fervent prayer like you've never heard before, along with adrenaline fueled sprinting.

We live on the edge of suburbia. Just beyond our house are miles and miles of trails and back country, wild animals live there (think mountain lions, bobcats, foxes, coyotes… etc.) I have nightmares about coming in contact with these animals.

Fast forward to this morning, I'm walking down the stairs, Ryan says in an excited whisper "Brittany, Brittany" it scares me so much so that I practically fall down the stairs. He's looking for the camera. Why you may wonder is he looking for the camera at the crack of dawn...

oh yes, this lovely little wild animal is sleeping in my back yard. Just steps from my back door. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? No wild animals are welcome here.. No really.

Ryan keeps informing me it's a harmless little fox, it would just run away and hide if we headed out the door. I don't care, what if by chance it was Finn that stepped out the back door and the fox was hungry…

ok probably not likely, but still.

The fox did run away when Ryan stepped out to get a better "shot", and there it is on the neighbors back fence. I'm sure they were all thrilled we scared it away into multiple neighbors backyards in an attempt to get away from the camera. I hope no small dogs/children were encountered during his escape.

Birnel's according to the iphone.

2010-11-28T17:08:00.005-07:00

We had to send our main camera lens off to be repaired. It's taking a LONG time to get it back.

So here's what we've been up to…

The Cougar Chase. Lily's school does one every year. Each child participates by running around the building as many times as they can in a half hour. Lily did awesome! She ran 2 miles. I was so proud of her.

Soccer season came to an end. The girls had a great season, we were lucky enough to have good weather the whole way through which isn't typically the case.

Scouting a place for family pictures, we ran into this buck. Quite an impressive rack..

We went to the book fair dressed in our jammies and had stories read to us by the principal, such a fun idea.

The Mr. has been busy putting lights on the house.

Mommy daughter date to the "highlights" of the nutcracker. It was great. One hour was the perfect amount of time. We followed the nutcracker with a fancy dessert at the Grand Lux. A great night all the way around.

The most handsome Christmas Tree hunter of all

and two cute girl Christmas Tree hunters,

way up high in the mountains… with NO snow??!?!

Sawing the winning Charlie Brown tree down.

Oh it sure is a beauty.. you know you're jealous of our awesome tree.

thanksgiving line-up.

2010-11-24T21:05:00.003-07:00

The house is quiet. I'm used to lots of noise, laughing and game playing the night before Thanksgiving. It feels weird.

12 layer jell-o is complete

peanut butter pie is complete

2 pie crusts baked and cooling

waiting for chocolate filling

roll dough in the fridge until tomorrow morning

10 lbs potatoes boiling on the stove for make-ahead mashed potatoes

I think I've got it all covered and on schedule. phew!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

really wishing..

2010-11-20T18:04:00.003-07:00

I'm really wishing I had something profound to say.

The blog is a little stale.

This holiday season I'm focusing on trying to be the best version of me,

I'm trying to really consider all I have to be Thankful for,

love more, criticize less, practice patience, increase my spirituality and enjoy

my family, my friends and this wonderful time of year.

*I saw over on Erica's blog that she is trying to capture her three kids every Sunday, I loved the idea and now we are trying to do the same. Care to join in?

visits are the best.

2010-11-07T21:50:00.004-07:00

We recently had a long visit from gram. She came to watch the kids while Ryan and I ran Ragnar. She extended her visit twice. The kids were thrilled! So was I.. free babysitting, freshly made beds every morning, laundry completely caught up, project helper and non-stop entertainer.

She couldn't have come at a more opportune time, while she was here she saw Lily's final soccer game and award ceremony, Lily's Cougar Chase, the Halloween parade at school, Trunk or Treat, Stella's Halloween songs performance, she went to music class, watched the primary program (Lily was one of the 7 or so kids chosen to speak). She went to lunch time with Lily, played cars and kicked balls with Finn and made our home a happier place to be.

We love Visitors (hint hint…) family and friends of ours!

Happy Halloween from the Birnel Zoo!!

2010-10-31T19:35:00.002-06:00

This year for Halloween we had an assortment of zoo animals/birds.

For our trunk or treat at church Ryan dressed up as a zookeeper (sorry no pics)

and I was a patron of the zoo… I know so original.

Allow me to introduce you to the animals in our zoo.

Let me begin with our very own pink flamingo

She can even stand like a flamingo, such talent here at our zoo.

Next we have our resident owl.

A fancy, shimmery owl.. perhaps the cutest owl in the whole world (according to her)

She can even whoooooooo like a real owl.

We round out our zoo this year with our roaring rhino.

He really does roar and it's the cutest thing ever.

Hope you had a wonderful Halloween!!!!!

Love, The Birnels

Ragnar Vegas.

2010-10-30T12:05:00.003-06:00

For a long time, Ryan has been leaving me to run these races. He's done some with my family, some with our brother in law Jesse and some a combination of the two. Ragnar was started by my uncle and cousin. It's been a huge success, one I've watched grow since it's beginning year in Utah. Every year, Ryan comes home with amazing stories and inside jokes, I see the pictures, and I always think… "someday I'll run a Ragnar Relay"

That day finally came. I still can't believe it. I tried extreme methods in multiple attempts to get out of the race.. guilt free, none of them worked. I would run with Finn three mornings a week. It always felt hard. I didn't think I was ready, I didn't believe that I could do it. My only hope was the lower altitude Vegas promised and running without a child and the so called adrenaline everyone speaks of.

We arrived in Vegas early the morning of the race. We met up with the fam, caught up on how van 1 was doing, changed into our clothes, attended the race safety coarse and saw Ryan off on his first run. I was surprisingly calm. I'm not sure why. No race jitters. The weather was perfect. Cool with a slight breeze. My first run was in the early evening. We got to my exchange and standing in front of me was quite an incline. I told Ryan I couldn't do it, there was no way I could run up that hill, but I took that bracelet and I ran.. slowly up that hill. When I got to the top I felt like nothing could stop me. I finished leg 1 feeling great!

When we passed off to Van 1 at exchange 12 we were at an incredible hotel. Pools, cabanas, food. The mood was infectious. Everyone was feeling good, their first legs behind them, "This is SO fun" was what was running through my mind.

Fast forward to running at 3 am 5 miles on a highway with the cold wind blowing in my face. All my extremities were numb and aching, I survived. I was happy and tired but still feeling pretty good.

We showed up to a desert wasteland for our final exchange point. We had nothing but piles of rocks to sleep on. We tried to get some rest, but I don't know that we had much success. It was cold and uncomfortable. The realities of the race were setting in, van 1 was done and celebrating, they could shower and rest, we still had to run, my Aunt Tauni promised me that even when you felt like you had given everything you had there was a tiny bit more you could give. I don't know that I believed her. My body felt cold and tired and achy.

We sent Ryan off on his final run. 10.1 miles with the first 6.5 being a 1200 foot incline. He was running over a mountain pass. I was worried about him, it was a non-support leg, we made my Uncle Steve pull over anyway, when he exclaimed "THIS IS FREAKING SCARY" the van lost it, we were cracking up laughing and I realized this is what it's all about, seeing personalities come out, the fun of the race comes in the memories that are made, in that moment I knew that I could finish my third leg, no matter how hard it was.

Running this race with my uncle was an incredible experience. He had the vision of Ragnar, he is the man behind the scenes, but has never been able to run one until now. He was amazing! It was great to watch him accomplish his dream, all the while finishing a goal of my own.

This is the wild mule that almost got me killed on my third leg, drivers were watching the donkeys and not the runners on the road and a car had to slam on their breaks to avoid hitting me, such an awesome way to start your final leg. Everything hurt, I was tired, exhausted, running on nothing. 3.5 miles of this 4.6 mile leg were going up, up, up. It was hard, I almost gave up when the runner in front of me crossed the street and got in her van and drove away, but I remembered what Tauni told me, when you think nothing is left, you've still got a little, so I put challenged myself and nothing felt better than seeing THIS

The awesome sign my team made me after I'd complained that the last mile sign was deceiving, you felt like you were almost done, and then secretly the last mile lasted forever. I finished my third leg. I felt like crying, but I held it together, way to go me.

Ryan and I at the finish line. I have to say, as hard as I tried to get out of this thing, there was nothing better than doing it with Ryan, to share in the pain and the excitement together. To work hard and accomplish something big.

The whole team (minus my cousin Renee) at the finish line. This was a Ragnar first for at least half of us running. It was fun to share in the first race excitement and jitters with all of them!

Driving away the next morning, I felt sore and I felt good. I'm so glad none of my extreme methods worked. I proved to myself that I can do things that I never thought possible. There's nothing better than that. Here's to my next Ragnar Relay and being an experienced Ragnar runner!!

first attempt of many...

2010-10-19T17:40:00.003-06:00

Today was our first attempt at a family picture for our Christmas card. Ryan wants a picture that screams Colorado.. whatever that means. While this isn't horrible, It's not screaming and I do have some constructive criticism.. Ryan should leave his sweater on, Lily should smile and my hair might look better down..

Tis the season for picture taking!

a post.

2010-10-16T21:51:00.002-06:00

I took this picture today, on a horse drawn hay ride. The scenery was enough to take your breath away. Clear blue sky, the colors of autumn all around us, good friends, the babbling of happy kids. I wanted to freeze the moment in time. I wanted to soak it all in, to continue to feel.. today was a great day.

soccer star in training.

2010-09-20T15:05:00.005-06:00

Saturday as Lily took the soccer field, I couldn't help but feel sad that my dad wasn't there to watch her. He's one of few people in life that thinks our kids are as great as we do.

I wanted him to enjoy her heart and determination, which far out-weighed her skill..

He always told us to give it everything we had and the rest would come,

this week her team won, she was one of three girls that all kicked the ball in the goal at the same time and she ran after that ball like her life depended on it.

The rest will come, but for now I'm looking forward to many more soccer games in her future.

Go Lily Go!

a day in the mountains.

2010-09-12T21:49:00.001-06:00

Typically Labor day weekend is spent at the beach in our family. This year we spent a day in the mountains instead. It was breathtaking up there.

We found a fun little stream for the kids to wade in.

The men played some tennis

We rode the gondola up the mountain

and Ryan took Lily down the alpine slide, she was a little uncertain,

but all smiles by the end.

The anticipation for Stella was almost more than she could bare

look at this kid, she has NO fear. Ryan said she was screaming "faster daddy, faster" the whole way down.

She was all smiles from beginning to end. Love this girl!

It was definitely a fun day full of good memories. I'm so glad we were able to go!

finally.

2010-09-08T10:09:00.006-06:00

Someone has been waiting and waiting for this day.

4 LONG weeks after her sister started..

Miss Stella finally had her first day of school.

She picked out her gold flowered flip-flops

and one of her favorite new shirts.

She put on her new backpack that is "basically just like Lily's.. so I actually love it"

had her hair curled, chose her cream flower clip,

and announced she was ready for pictures.

I think she looks like the perfect preschooler if I do say so myself,

and the long days of no sister complaining are finally over for me… YEEHAW!

We're looking forward to an awesome year with Miss Kim.

block party.

2010-09-01T22:52:00.004-06:00

We experienced our first of what we hope to be many block parties here on our cul-de-sac.

It was a perfect night. The sunset was beautiful.

The kids loved the piñata, I think it was the main attraction of the night.

or maybe it was the water games. I'll call it a toss-up.

Check out all those kids.. do we have an awesome street or what?

*there are at least 6 kids missing from this picture (including Finn who we'd put to bed)

he makes my world go round.

2010-08-30T21:48:00.008-06:00

Mr. Finn, he's 18 months old.

This boy makes my life complete. I love him different, not more and not less than the girls, but different. It's a good different. A kind of love I've never experienced.

He's funny. Genuinely funny. He's earned the nickname funny Finn from the neighbor boys. He tries hard to be a big boy. He's physical, not so much verbal and he's exactly what our family was in need of.

*while it would be very easy to photoshop out the bruise on his forehead, I wanted to document reality, and the bruises, they are a never ending reality around here.

yogurt land… you rule.

2010-08-21T07:10:00.006-06:00

Step by step guide for making your child's afternoon...

Pull up here. They have never experienced anything like this, they have no idea what is in store.

They wait in line. Wondering why so many people are there.

As they grab their own cup they start to show a little more excitement. It is donning on them, they may be in control of their own yogurt creations.

The wall of flavors is a little intimidating at first, but they each choose a flavor or two.

Choosing and applying their own toppings might be the highlight of the week. The choices are endless.

I cross my fingers and hope they haven't overdone it as we drop the yogurts on the scale. 30 cents an ounce, and we don't do too bad.

Their final creations.

They eat...

They slurp...

They're happy we came with friends to show them the ropes,

and in the end we all agree...

first day of first grade.

2010-08-11T13:52:00.003-06:00

It's hard to believe it's that time again.

Lily's first day of first grade.

She was SO ready, excited, giddy even.

Her daddy stayed home and made her a big breakfast

blueberry pancakes, eggs, bacon and orange juice.

Trying to take pictures of the little lady was quite a task,

her friends were filing out of their houses and she could hardly

contain her excitement.

She kept running off to talk to them, hug them all while doing a little jumping kind of dance.

She does think I'm the meanest mom ever, making her use the same backpack from last year,

it is still in perfect condition, and I think it's cute, so mean mom it is.

We're almost there!

This was a hard day for Stella. She cried multiple times leading up to it.. "who am I going to play with? what am I going to do without my best friend?"

Lily was so sweet to her, gave her a big hug and off she went. She didn't even look back, she is ready!

I'm so excited for her.

recap.

2010-08-03T22:36:00.003-06:00

While in the Couv' we did a LOT of swimming,

and learned new ways to go to the bathroom.

The freezers were stocked with popsicles.

and we were surrounded by cousins galore.

There was a big "Hill" family gathering bidding farewell to Uncle Scott..

who's leaving us for two years to serve in the Minneapolis, Minnesota mission.

Back to school shopping was in order for two upcoming first graders.

grandpa took us for a day at the zoo, we had two cousins birthdays to celebrate, a sleepover with cousins, swim parties with our friends, lots and lots of crafting.

grandma debbie stopped by on our last night, the girls were really excited to see her.

Overall it was a great trip. 20 hours and 6 states there and then back again, an amazing dad who drove all through the night BOTH ways and kept us alive. I'm sure glad we made our last minute trip.

*iphone photos don't look so good on the blog.

we're on vacation.

2010-07-24T09:21:00.003-06:00

If ever there was a last minute vacation this is it.

We left at 7:30 pm the day after Ryan's big birthday.

We drove all through the night

and most of the next day.

To spend some time at the beach

and see some of our favorite people.

We got reacquainted with some second cousins,

and had sand in more places than I ever thought possible.

We flew kites

and enjoyed the lazy days of summer (i mean freezing northwest mist).

Now we're back in the couv' preparing for a big BBQ and my little bro's mission farewell that is tomorrow. Kids and I will be hanging out all next week as well.

We're loving seeing all our family and friends

we've missed so much!

stay tuned for more vacation fun.

The Old Man is 30!!!

2010-07-18T17:23:00.010-06:00

This might have been the greatest party ever. Only because of some friends, who put everything they had into making this a birthday to remember.

8:00 AM: some grumpy old men show up at the door to welcome Ryan into his life as an old man. (I have clothes ready and waiting for him, but he doesn't know it)

These grumpy old men are not so great at taking pictures, but they sweep Ryan off to breakfast at the Village Inn, and then to a round of golf.

Yes, they really golfed dressed in their old man gear.

For dinner the wives dress up as old women, and we head off to where else but…

The Country Buffet, where these hot old women are waiting for us.

(how could you not love these two? thank you girls for your efforts in making this a night to remember.)

John and Shauna were so smart and reserved the banquet room, because there is no where better to celebrate, and a feast we had. mmm mmm good. I'm sure it was Ryans' idea of the perfect birthday dinner.

(Shauna was the crowd favorite at the Country Buffet with her sponge curlers)

We finally finished off the night, with BINGO of course...

Yes, we even had a real bingo cage and it was awesome. I wish you could have seen the prizes. We didn't take pictures of those. (denture cream, lysol, depends, personal hair trimmer, jumbo crosswords, kleenex..)

The cake was amazing. The pictures don't even do it justice, check out those layers of pure deliciousness.

Thanks to all our amazing friends (some who even traveled to be here for the event) for making it so special. It was the perfect birthday, according to me.

neighborhood tea party.

2010-07-12T11:42:00.002-06:00

Last week the girls were invited to a tea party.

The invitation read:

"Wear your prettiest dress and bring your favorite doll."

Stella was thrilled to be included in the big girl tea party

I have to admit, their idea of their prettiest dresses and my idea of their prettiest dresses differs, we went with their idea..

Place settings, flowers and princess shaped bracelets were waiting on the tables for the guests.

The dolls even had places to sit.

Enjoying their tea and cookies.

This was definitely a highlight of the week for the girls and the hostesses did such a great job.

4 of July

2010-07-10T14:47:00.008-06:00

This fourth of July felt a little different. It was the first year of Lily's entire life we haven't spent on the Oregon coast. So while I was sad the night before, we had a lot of fun things planned for the next two days and it ended up being really fun.

We took the girls to the local parade. It was your typical fourth of July parade.

The bag of goodies they look forward to every year.

Daddy and Finn

The girls.

After the parade and church we headed over to some friends house for a bbq. They made tri-tip and it was amazing. Cooked over a wood bbq and seasoned to perfection. (sorry no pics).

We then headed to our first attempt at fireworks which ended up being rained out. I mean torrential downpour, running to your car rain.

So the next night we met up with four or five families and played kickball at the park and then headed over for take II for the fireworks.

They were worth the wait. Awesome! Finn LOVED them, he clapped and clapped, he kept pointing at the sky and singing wow wow wow. The weather was perfect and it was a great way to celebrate this beautiful country we live in.

tiny town.

2010-07-09T07:36:00.003-06:00

Last Friday when I should have been home scouring my bathrooms and changing sheets for our campout, we headed up into the foothills to see the famous "tiny town".

My favorite part of the whole day was watching Finn peer into house after house. They were just his size. This is quite possibly the first activity that he has felt part of.

Finn and his soulmate Elisabeth. She gets to start nursery this week.. I'm totally jealous. 6 more weeks for us.

Lily and Finn at the library.

The one picture I have proving Stella was with us. Some of us were having a good day, others not so much.

Now that we have experienced "tiny town" I am pretty sure that was enough for this lifetime. It was fun, but probably not somewhere we'll be visiting regularly.

backyard campout.

2010-07-06T21:54:00.004-06:00

Genius is what happens when you take a little of this..

along with some of this...

and then some of this...

around this…

right next to this.

I don't know who had more fun, the kids or the adults.

Laughing and playing games until three a.m. while the kids slept, the moms and babies inside in warm beds, yummy late night snacks and breakfast made in a real kitchen, an actual toilet, and the kids wrote it off as real camping. Genius.

splash park.

2010-07-01T10:25:00.002-06:00

The splash park (as named by the girls) is one of our favorite places to go.

We usually go about once a week.

There's a playground,

wading stream,

and two sets of fountains.

This week we went with a group of our neighbors.

The girls were loving having so many kids there.

I was loving a permanent helper for Finn.

It was a good morning.

our day in pictures.

2010-06-26T22:36:00.008-06:00

This is how we spent our Saturday.

The kids were troopers. The climb was steep! (9748 ft)

They were thrilled to see this sign,

We made it to the end.

well almost..

200 vertical feet up the rickety old stairs,

To literally be on top of the world. Lily and I went, then Stella and Ryan. We even got a blue card from the ranger saying we'd made it all the way up.

Finally a yummy lunch at this delicious sandwich shop. Have you tried Which Wich? Yum!

PS.. Today is my favorite sisters bday. Happy birthday. We love you!!