This year we spent the 4th of July back in Boise with Russell's family. We enjoyed lots of Brunson family time since pretty much everyone was there (minus Heidi, Doug and Bradley). We got to meet Russell and Collette's sweet new baby Norah and see Russell's new enormous house. Such a fun weekend!
Corbin;
Corbin who is 10 is our quiet thinker. He is quite shy and introverted. He loves to read, play video games, design video games, and watch cartoons on Cartoon Network. He still takes piano lessons from Grandma Marde and is doing really well. He continues to be intelligent beyond his years and is still my easiest child. He's so helpful with the little kids with all the small things they need help with and is always very patient when they get a little too demanding. Corbin is seriously an awesome kid and I wouldn't know how to work my cable ON DEMAND feature without him!
Some Corbin Favorites:
Food: Taco Salad
Color: Blue
School subject: Science
Tv Show: Teen Titans Go!
Dexter:
Dex is 8 years old now. He is also really helpful with the smaller kids. He actually plays really good with Ivy, they are like best buds. He's very creative and loves playing pretend (but doesn't like other people to make up any rules, only he gets to). He enjoys music, especially while he's sleeping, watching cartoons, playing with his buddy Eli, and playing video games. He continues to push boundaries (like his mother), but is always such a loving kid. Dex is independent and more and more like me everyday. He's a smart and fantastic kid and I wouldn't be this patient without him!
Some Dex Favorites:
Food: Pizza
Color: Blue
School subject: Reading
Tv Show: The Amazing World of Gumball
Ivy:
Ivy is 6 years old, which is so crazy to me. She just finished kindergarten and will be at school all day next year which gives me unbelievable amounts of anxiety. Ivy is an artist. She loves to draw, color, and create. The girl goes through a rain forest of paper a day, I swear. She is super funny and loves to make us all laugh at the dinner table. She also loves to wear dresses, pick out her own clothes (not to mention Echo's clothes too), wear boots, and put bows and flowers in her hair. In other words she is very girly and strange to me! She is a cute funny girl and I wouldn't own any pink clothes if it weren't for her!
Some Ivy Favorites;
Food: Mac and Cheese
Color: Pink
School Subject:Math
Tv Show:The Amazing world of Gumball
Echo:
Echo just turned 4 in May. Echo is CRAZY! She is so strong willed and stubborn but also sweet and cute and funny. She loves to boss Malcolm around and teach him her evil ways (just kidding) and is usually good with him, but picks on him a little bit. She loves playing in water (whether its in the bathtub, a pool or the gutter), playing outside and playing the ipad. She has had glasses for over a year and recently stopped breaking them every five seconds (its been like 4 months, which is amazing). keeps things around here exciting, or at least not boring! I love Echo and probably wouldn't hear, "Mom, I love you!" 700 times a day if it weren't for her (because she says it all the time).
Some Echo Favorites:
Food: Pizza
Color: Green
Activity: Swimming
Tv Show: Peppa Pig
Malcolm:
Malcolm is almost 3. I can't believe how big he is. Where did the time go? He loves Echo and would follow her to the ends of the Earth. He loves getting into stuff with her and sometimes on his own. He hates getting haircuts, having his diaper changed, and getting dressed. He loves snacks, playing on the phone, and playing with his siblings. He's surprisingly opinionated about what clothes he has to wear, and can be a little stubborn at times. He walks with my sister and I most days and loves listening to our gossip while watching birds and squirrels. Malcolm is a sweet and funny and I wouldn't be complete without him.
Some Malcolm Favorites:
Food: EVERYTHING!
Color: Blue
Activity: playing with his siblings
Tv Show: Peppa Pig
WARNING: THIS POST CONTAINS VERY SENSITIVE SUBJECT MATTER REGARDING RELIGION. IF YOU ARE AT ALL UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT STOP READING NOW.
I've been thinking about writing about something for quite some time. I haven't because it is sensitive subject matter and I don't enjoy confrontation. Especially from people I love, admire, and respect. I know that many people react to such things with sadness and even anger as I too have been on the other side of it. However, in my attempt to be my newly found authentic self I have decided to let the world (or the very small amount of people who still read my blog) know the truth. How you choose to accept this information is up to you, but ultimately it is our decision to make for our family. This path of life was chosen after much soul searching and is what makes sense for our individual family. Believe me, this decision was not taken lightly and only came after years of struggling.
Back in August of 2014 our family decided to leave the LDS church. It had been an especially hard year before coming to this decision, with many realizations, shed tears, sleepless nights, and fear. I don't want to get into details as it is a slippery slope, but it was a devastating time for Scott and myself as the foundation upon which we built our lives crumbled beneath our feet.
We have nothing against any members of the church. We actually love and adore more members than we can count, and don't believe that being member of the LDS church is wrong. It is just best for our family to no longer be associated with it because of some things that don't align with our own moral character.
It is not our intention to "lead others astray", cause any hurt feelings or make situations with our LDS friends and families awkward. This is just where we are in life. Take it or leave it. In the end we have to make decisions that we feel are best for our family, and this decision has definitely made our family happier. It is my hope that those we love can respect our decisions and love us despite being disappointed. Because we still love you all like we always have.
Good luck on your own journey!
This Sunday will mark the two year anniversary of our family moving back to Utah. I can't believe its been two years! Time goes by so quickly. I'm still really happy with the decision we made to come back. Here are a few reasons why, in no particular order:
1. I walk with my sister, Maxine, five days a week. I look forward to our walk everyday. It is the one and only thing that I really do just for me (and Max). I do it for a release that as a stay at home mom, I otherwise would not get. Maxine and I chat our worries away. We make each other laugh when we've had a bad day, or cry together when we've had a really bad day, and can always count on each other to vent our frustrations to. Its amazingly therapeutic and I think we both feel good at the end of the 3.4 miles (at least I do). It is one of the very best things to come out of this move.
2. We get to spend a lot more time with Scott's parents. They literally live about 5 minutes from us and it has been great. Marde gives Corbin piano lessons on Mondays and the two of them have a strong bond. She and Ross have also been able to attend many school events with the kids because they are just so close and the kids always feel very loved and supported by them. Not to mention the babysitting Marde does for us quite regularly. Scott and I didn't go out much living in Boise, now we actually get to spend alone time together and it is so appreciated! Such a fantastic perk to living 5 minutes apart.
3. Having most of our friends minutes away. I don't know if its widely known or not, but we have stayed good friends with the same set of people for years and years. Everyone gets along so great, even spouses and children. Its an awesome set up. It seems like we can always find a reason to get together and we love just talking and laughing and hanging out. I'm so grateful for such amazing friends.
4. We get to see my parents more. They still live far away in St. George, but its now just a couple of hours instead of several. Plus since all my siblings but one live in the area, we get to see them whenever they come to visit someone else. We even get them for Thanksgiving this year! We love getting to see them more often.
5. Those freaking mountains! Utah is amazingly gorgeous. I didn't realize how much I missed the mountains until after we came back. And now they are practically in our yard! They look like a painting and take my breath away. I love getting to see them everyday.
Those are just the reasons I could think of off the top of my head. There really are a million reasons why this was a good decision, though. We are so happy here in Utah, and grateful that Scott has a job that allows us to live in the place we love.
