my boys

**I wrote this when Bryan was in Utah for a football game (he left Thursday from work and got home about 6:30pm Sunday). This is for me to remember that I was a football widow yet again and that I have help/company when Bryan does leave.

I have been feeling very grateful for my boys, especially the last few days. Blessed to be able to have them in our home, to raise them, to love them. Each one is so different and they remind me of me in such different ways, it is almost scary. I try to remember how I would have wanted (or even now, how I would want) to be treated or talked to and that is how I try to treat them.

Friday, after Mike took my mom to the airport he came back to our house and hung out all day. We ran errands, had In-n-Out for lunch, ran more errands, hung out at our house and while Mike stayed with the boys while they ate their quesadillas, I ran to Chipotle to get burritos for Mike and me. Mike left after we finished our burritos and after we watched a few cartoon theme songs from the 80s, good times.

Saturday, we hung out at home. Well, I mopped (it took me HOURS to get it done) and vacuumed and did laundry.

Sunday, I took all 3 kids to church by myself. Big A needed to practice for the Primary program. Lisa helped with baby i. It was actually easier for me to be at church during Primary than it would have been to be at home since Big A was in Primary and Lil A is in Nursery and Lisa held baby i. I was glad when Bryan got home, even if I did have to make room in my freezer for all the beef we have.

my happy baby

My little baby is very happy in the excersaucer, which means I am very happy. I can finish dinner (or start dinner) and not have a screaming baby. I can play with the other boys while he plays in the same room as us. I didn't really think he was old enough to really enjoy it but we put him in it the day Melissa brought it over and he loved it. Thanks again Melissa, it is has made my month.

WOO-HOO!!!

**Warning: bragging wife post**

I really wish I had a cheesy/happy photo of him but all he seems to let me take these days are ones like this...

Bryan trying to watch football while I am playing with my little camera (thanks again honey).

On Thursday, October 9th, we found out that Bryan passed the Colorado Bar. With the lack of studying we were a little worried, okay, not really, but we, no he would not have been surprised if he didn't pass. I would have been a little surprised because Bryan doesn't fail anything. Even with him making dinner and putting the boys to bed and grocery shopping and helping with housework and working a full day at the office and helping with the baby, he managed to study enough for him to pass (which I can tell you wasn't a lot). When Bryan first told me he was going to take the Bar this summer, I thought (and told him) that this was a bad time because we would have a newborn and I wasn't really sure how well I would be handling 3 kids. And then when my parents and Matt and Jill went to Germany and they would be there while Bryan was taking the Bar, I was really worried. But Bryan assured me that I would be fine and I was. And I think that is why I am okay sending him off to Utah for a few days, because I know that he knows that I can handle it and he helped me so much when he should have been studying- and I am getting beef.

Here is a cheesy photo of us together (see, he really does smile).

Karin & Bryan at Shoguns in Bakersfield on Oct 3, 2008.

When Bryan is gone, I stay up late and post. I bet some of you wish he was gone more. More posts to come about what we did while he was away.

More Disney

We went to Disneyland 3 times with Beebe and kids when they were here. These photos are from Thursday night with Dad and Bryan and Friday with Jill and Kevin. Good thing we had great helpers with the 5 kids between us (2 of them babies needing more attention than the other 3).

I LOVED this picture of Big A.

Papa with Big A and C-rad on Haunted Mansion.

The 3 "older" boys waiting in line for Autopia.

Papa with the babies while we were getting on Autopia.

Lil A was my driver on Autopia, he kept saying, "my car broken," every time it would bump into the center thing that keeps the car on the road. Hilarious.

Bryan took this photo. Aren't we funny?

We are on Haunted Mansion. This is the closest thing to a family photo we have.

Lil A picked out the boys' shirts and Bryan is wearing his 'Y' hat, Papa, baby g and I were the only ones not representing the 'Y.' Tons of people kept shouting "GO COUGS!" as they would pass by.

This is at the end of Haunted Mansion, I LOVED C-rad's hands on his ears.

What cute cousins. baby i wide awake and baby g sound asleep.

On our way out of the park, Bryan and Big A were ahead of me. C-rad is the back of the sit-n-stand stroller.

Jill and I with the babies on the caterpillar ride in Bug's Land in CA.

We loved their shirt colors together. This lady gave us so much bread, it was AWESOME!

baby i is awake here and kept adjusting his feet on the stroller tray. baby g is (obviously) asleep.
We are loving the new Toy Story ride. Bryan still has not gone on it and really, I think I need to go a few more times so I can be better than him.
C-rad was cracking me up with his glasses. He saw Kevin with his glasses up and had to have his glasses up too.

**There are 2 more Disney trips after this (one with Beebe, one without) that I need to post about, I know you are so excited but remember this is my journal and if I don't post about it, it didn't happen and I want to remember that I did all of these trips to Disneyland with 3 kids! (and helpers).

yum.

We had grilled cheese sandwiches (on homemade bread) for lunch last week and they were de.lic.ious.

Tag from Melissa

1. We don't buy bread anymore. We make bread.
2. I LOVE Trader Joe's Ice Cream.
3. I like systems. I take after my dad and like things to have a system. I load the dishwasher with a system. I do things on certain days. I do things in a certain order. Bryan tells me I am OCD but I think I am only a little OCD.
4. I like watching TV with Bryan, even if it is something that I don't like but it is better when we both like it (The Office and Pushing Daisies and House and Wipeout).
5. I enjoy swimming but I don't like "after-swimming" so I don't do it very often.
6. I LOVE getting emails. It is so much easier to communicate (with kids) through email.
7. I love quesadillas. They are so easy to make and so good (and it helps that the boys like they too).
Tagged: Emily, Abby, Lisa, Darci, Kelly, Cambrea, Misty (I chose these 7 because I think they will do it but feel free to do it even if I didn't tag you).