Independence Day.

For the 4th of July this year I went up to Idaho. I got to see some of my favorite people and two of them recently had babies. Welcome to the work Lenna Rue Schaat and Miles Wesley Wheeldon!

Being back in Rexberg is always fun and very nostalgic. I had a good couple years up there. Its fun to visit and make a Horkley’s run too!

I stayed the weekend at the Schaat’s home out in Menan which is always such a treat! We spent lots of time reminiscing of our good times back in Longview and sharing new stories. Their home is always filled with so much laughter and love. Their home is really like no other. Gavin and Rauland also made us some of the best burgers I have ever had. It was relaxing to be out in farmland again… well except for the farm style wake up call from Les early in the morning! : )

The whole Buel Family was in town staying at KC’s so I went out there to play with them and see Amber!!! She just got home from her mission in Colorado and I am so happy she is home! It was so fun to catch up and now we are still counting down the days for Heather and Jen to get back too!

Me and Miles... Yeah we're tight like that already. NBD

LOVE.

Amber. KC. Me.

Les showing off the amazing cheesecake Gavin made

GLEE!

Last night was fabulous! In celebration of the finale my new friend Racheal threw a great party here are a few pics!

Gleeks!

Cheerios!

Quinn and PuckMs. Pillsburry (cleaning off her popcorn)Sue, Brittany, and Santana-They have some work to do... "Hot Cheerios have been proven to raise endorphins and make happy kids, and I can't have that"

Playin' in the South

Well this has just turned into a travel blog!

Last week I went on a little trip to visit my brother Spencer, His awesome wife Bonnie, and their super cute kids Audrey and Ian! I took a week off work and headed out to Atlanta! We spent some time hanging out together in the ATL then headed down to Florida to spend the weekend at Disney World! We had a great time! We met Princesses, ate lunch with Winnie the Pooh and Friends, rode lots of rides, saw some great parades and awesome fireworks! And Spencer and I got the Turkey Legs we had been drooling for!

This trip once again made me realize how much my family means to me. Spencer has always been an amazing example to me. He has always worked so hard at everything he does in life and really put those things that matter most in life first, no matter what. We had a great time reminiscing about life growing up in the Brien Home. It's always so interesting to me how in the same family life was much different for each child and in our fam definetley a big difference between us. He being the oldest and Me the youngest. We always learn so much from each other. I have been so blessed with such a great family. I kind of love them A LOT. I can't wait for my brothers to move back west like they always say they will!!! Hurry up boys!

WARNING: Picture Explosion Below!

This is Audrey showing off her "Sad Broken TuTu"

She is 3!

Ian!

Spencer and Bonnie!

Together We Have Fun
Snack time!Lunch at the Crystal PalaceHappiest Baby I knowSometimes if you make a wish...It WILL Come TRUE!!!

Mmmm GOOD!

Next Stop: LA to visit this Boy and I can't wait!

Don't Mess with Texas.

This post is a little late oops! But I am finally catching up with life and ready to recap this adventure!

Spencer is from Katy, Texas and he went home for couple weeks after this semester ended at BYU. So I took a day off work and went down to visit for a weekend.

This was a wonderfully fun adventure. We went down to Galveston with his parents one day to the beach and walked around the shops in town. We had a little unexpected rain just when we were about to leave the beach, we got soaked. But that didn’t stop us! Fortunately it was hot out so we dried fast. I found a cool new purse at the Army surplus store. Mom would definitely approve! We also went to the Houston Aquarium which was really fun! We got to touch sharks! I think I would like one for a pet now. (Note to Parents: Amanda would STILL like a pony this Christmas and a little baby shark would be just fine for me.)

Now one of the most anticipated activities of the weekend came on Saturday: Houston Astros vs Pittsburg Pirates. This was not just any ole baseball game. It was “Bobble Head Day” at Minute Maid Park! Spencer’s dad had been collecting bobble heads for over 30 years! So it was kind of a BIG DEAL and awesome to see his excitement of getting that Jose Cruz bobble head! And the Astros won the game!

Now I will admit I was very naïve, Texas was not at all what I expected. Spencer tried to warn me of this but maybe it was all those cartoons and episodes of Walker Texas Ranger that really made me think I was going to see something completely different! I saw no cactus, no cowboys, no desert. What I did see was green, and beautiful, and very nice people. I loved it! I always thought the one and only time I would go to Texas it was going to be to see the South by Southwest Music Festival. Hopfully I will go in the future. Texas isn’t such a bad place : )

PS) Sorry for the lack of pictures turns out I need to be a lot better about using that camera I always carry!

Addicted.

Officer Dave would be disappointed, but D.A.R.E. didn't help me. I said no for soo long but finally caved!

I heard this song on the radio last week driving to work and it's been in my head ever since!

Great Flick

The other night Spencer and I watched "Akeelah and the Bee" and it was sooo good! Watch it. I heard this quote by Marianne Williamson in the movie "Coach Carter" and it was in this movie too. Love it.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Rainbow Cake!

Slow days at work usually mean a lot of wasted time on the internet for me. Today was slow. My productivity level: very low! I found this super cool Rainbow Cake on a cooking blog. I got so excited that I even went to the grocery store on my lunch break just to buy the things I needed to try it tonight!

Overall I was very pleased with it. The recipe was made for someone who follows the weight watchers plan. Since I clearly don’t, I didn’t follow the recipe just used their coloring technique and made it with a regular yellow cake. Next time I won’t use so much batter and will learn to make a better purple. My cake was HUGE! Spencer and Alex tell me it tasted okay though!

Earth Day is only 21 Days away so I will make it again but with a few modifications. : )