Halloween and Church Dances

I feel bad for Tyler and Whitney that church dances in high school here in AZ were not fun (so I was told). Our church Dances in CA were the place to be. They were every other weekend(2 stakes) and soo much fun!! Every year for Halloween we had a huge dance and haunted house party at one of the McKeon's houses. I HATE haunted house things-even if they are not scary to others, I just hate being scared. One year they had a part where there was a small ditch where someone was hiding by and jumped out at me and I tripped and fell in the ditch. I was so scared I jumped right back out and ran. My friends were laughing so hard, so too not be such a wimp I laughed too. HAHA, not really. To this day I have never been to a haunted house. And it has been YEARS since I've seen a scary movie. Thats a whole other story that ends with sleeping with the lights on for days(maybe weeks;)
I was a farmer (see pic-and side note-why were overalls ever in!!!) and ash was all about the 1920's. Fun times with Ash!!xoxo
I really have tons of great memories from those fun dances!

Church talks

Oh this is a memory I can now laugh at...
You know when you have something important to do the next day you always have a nightmare that you wake up late or miss it....yaaa
About three years ago we had just moved into our ward that we are in now and were asked to give talks in Sacrament meeting. Our meetings started at 8am. For those of you who know us well that was early. Caden spoiled us rotten and slept until 9:30 sometimes 10am back then. I know those days are LONG gone now:) So Caden was 6 months old at this time. Okay so Saturday was a special day, it was the day we got ready for Sunday:)(primary song) Thank goodness we really did get everything ready, our clothes ironed and layed out, and we went over our talks together. So we get to bed around 11pm and feel pretty good about the next day. Well I wake up on my own thinking its maybe 6am....NO it is 7:55am. No Really, church started in 5 minutes. It was seriously like the scene in home alone where they are late for the airport. I yell "BRIAN we are so LATE!!!" He jumps out of bed and I am freaking out. He had a plan. He gets ready and goes to church to let then know we were still giving our talks and to sit on the stand and I hurry and get Caden and myself ready fast and go second. Ready set go! He gets ready in 5 minutes due to our prep the night before;) and I hop in the shower get out, get dressed and give caden a bath and get him dressed. Do my hair and make-up..get this...all in 35 minutes. That has never happened and probably never will again! So I get to church at 8:35. Brian is a fourth through his talk as I walk in. My mom, grandma B and sister were there to listen to our talks and handed Caden to her and walked up to the stand and sat down. My face was bright red and wouldn't make eye contact with my mom. I just know what she was thinking. The Bishop looks over and gives me a smile and a look like "so glad you could make it". So my heart is finally slowing down as Brian finishes his talk.-side note-Brian gives the best talks, always so uplifting and testimony strengthening, it is one of the things I love most about him-So Brian closed on such an inspiring note and I get up and say "Well I usually like to be fashionably late, but I think I crossed the line". So I give my talk and it goes really well. After the meeting people are coming up and just laughing WITH me and telling me only I could get away with something like that. What does that mean, only I could get away with that. I was never one to get away with ANYTHING. So my mom was so embarrassed for us and said how could we not wake up in time. I seriosly do not know..... But like I said I can laugh at this now, and we do. Oh and we havent been asked to speak since. Thats ok:)

three years ago today.....

Three years ago today we were at the court house and Caden's adoption was being finalized. It took 6 months for it to be finalized and it was such an amazing day! We found out just a week before that september 22 was the day we needed to be at court! When we got there we saw so many families who were just as excited as we were to have our families legally bound! My family and Brian's parents were there to support us on that special day. I remember crying as the judge was asking us all the questions like will you take care of every need he has... It felt so great to look at Brian and have us say "YES, we will" together. Look how cute caden is!! Oh I loved those cheeks!! He is such a big boy now! I'll say it again..Time goes by too fast!!!

Then on september 24 we were sealed as a forever family in the temple, I wrote a post about it last year and you can read it here.
I look back on those days with such a humble heart and so happy that Caden is my first son and he will be such a great example to his brothers!!!! We Love You Caden!!!!!!

Monday's with Mom

Me and My hot mama in 2003

Back before we had kids I worked, yes I worked. I was a leasing consultant and loved my job(well most of the time and not as much as I love my mom job now, diapers and all) but I worked with fun girls and worked hard. My days off were Sunday and Monday, and every Monday I spent with my mom, and that was the best.
For quite a few years, every Monday my mom would come and pick me up in the mornings and we'd spend the whole day together. Whether it was running errands, shopping, or watching movies, we would have so much fun. Nothing would interfere with our Monday's. I could and still can talk with her about anything. I have so many wonderful memories of those days and will forever treasure them. Love you mom!!

How I met your Father

July 24, 1999 was the day I met my Brian. It was the day our lives changed. I'm gonna share some details of that great day. I had just moved here from California 3 weeks before. I made some super cute friends and they invited me up north for the pioneer celebration. I love roadtrips so I was in. It was a Saturday night and we were deciding what to do and one of the girls said she heard there was a party at some guys house she had a crush on. So off we went. When we got there we walk in and everyone is just kind of sitting around (boring) There is also no where to sit except for one dining room chair in the corner so me and emily share the chair. Thats when I heard a cute voice say "you can come sit by me" I looked up and saw him. He was so so cute. Then I see him sitting on a love seat with a girl next to him. I say no I'm fine. A second later he said "come on that doesn't look comfortable, come sit by me" The peer pressure was too much so I stand up and sit on the love seat with this cute guy. He starts talking to me and I'm just answering one word answers back and no eye contact. VISUAL: it's 1999 so overalls were cool and I was still 17 with clear braces. I guess he senses my awkwardness and says "don't worry, I think braces are sexy". Ok those are famous words in our house:) I ate that right up and started smiling braces and all.

Infertility

This is a memory that in part makes me who I am and what makes me a better mom. As I look at my children now and think back at what it took to get them here, I felt I needed to share a short version of our journey.
I have had two very serious miscarriages which really should have taken my life (dramatic ,i know but true). I have had two ectopic pregnancies which with both I have been rushed into surgery and each time one of my tubes had ruptured. That was the reason for our infertility struggles.. My first one was in 2001,I was just 19 and had been married only 15 months. We were excited to be expecting our first baby, due September 24,2001, but knew from the beginning something wasn't right. After my surgery, Brian was so scared he slept in a chair next to my hospital bed the whole week I was there. The second was just last year after our first IVF. We were totally taken by this one. I had no clue..didn't even think it was possible to have two, but i did. I never thought I would recover emotionally from either one, and it was the lowest I have ever been. My last one, Caden had just turned two and I couldn't just lay around and be depressed. I had to me a mommy and that's what got me through. Also you know my due date from my first miscarriage was September 24, 2001, well that same date but in 2005 was the day Caden was sealed to us in the temple. It is just another confirmation that the lord knows what he is doing.
I don't share this for sympathy, I share this because there are so many women suffering through miscarriages and infertility. I felt very alone going through mine.I mean it is such a righteous desire to be a mom and for it to be so impossible for some makes it that much harder.
I feel that going through all that makes me a better mom. I wanted this for so long so all the good times and the bad..I'll take it all!

old school:)

We finally cleaned out my "monica closet" (if you watch friends you know) and I found my "high school" box. Pretty much everything was Blue/silver/white cheer stuff, all my pictures, uniforms...brought back a TON of memories! Good times:)

These pictures will bring a smile to the saugus girls:) Here are just a few
Laurel Luncheon at my moms houseremember tiff "my house is bigger than your houses:)
Girls camp

Football game

happy bday to me & ash!!

with today being my birthday, and my sister Ashley's birthday was on the 11th I thought I'd do a little tribute to her and I growing up! When I was younger like 4 or 5 I would get so jelous and upset that ashleys birthday came first, "But I am older".... I would cry. Too funny.
Then growing up we were really close. We shared the same room, did cheer together, shared all our clothes. It was fun! She is a great aunt to my boys and I wish she wasn't so far away! I hate that! But she is loving life with her posh job in Washington DC and I am proud that she is doing good on her own. Love you ash!!!

I don't want to be a boy!!!

K so here's the story!! This one is for the Brown cousins:) We were just talking about this and then I came across the pictures with Mark and jacki!! I am laughing so hard as I type this!
One halloween us and the browns got together and drew names to see who would wear what costume. Who's idea was it....I don't know, connie or my mom's probably. So Tanner got to be the bride, Jordan got to be..umm i don't know what jordans costume was. It was my tiger dance costume and a wig (so pretty jordy). I drew the karate kid uniform. Now I was the biggest girly girl ever so I threw the biggest fit because i didn't want to dress up like a boy!! Seriously look at the picture my eyes are bright red from crying! It didn't make sense that tanner and jordan got to be girls and I was a boy!! I remember my mom having to take me outside and talk me into just wearing it for a little while. I finally was ok about it when I saw that ashley had to wear a boy costume too! By far tanner and jordan win the prize of best costume!!!
These pictures crack me up!! Good times!! I am so glad I have always been so close to all my cousins!! Love you guys!!

6/23/08

With it being Fathers day last week I was thinking of some great memories I have of my dad.
He is so much fun to be around and always makes us laugh!
He and Tyler were in Nauvoo when Caden was born and they came back when he was 4 days old. Their flight came in at midnight and he was so excited to meet his first grandson they came over right then. It was really great to see him holding caden for the first time! He is such a fun grandpa!!!
I was so proud to have him on my arm when I was on homecoming court my senior year.
My parents have always thought it was so important to make memories and so we have been on great vacations with them!! It is so great to be in beautiful places with the ones you love most, but really just being together is what makes it memorable!!! My dad makes that happen!!
Thank you dad for always being there for me and making me feel important!! All through my life I have looked up to you and still do!! I Love you Dad!!!

Memory Lane Monday Blog!!!

I thought it would be fun to do a whole blog with my Memory Lane Monday posts. I haven't done them in a long while and want to start up again. Now with the twins coming home soon we will see if I can keep up but it is always fun to look back on all my great memories!!!
I put on all my previous Memory Lane Monday posts below and can't wait to do more!!

12/10/2007 post

"Christmas 1984" picture

Christmas was always such a fun time for our family. We had fun traditions. One was we would all sleep in the same room christmas eve. We would wake up usually around 4am and my parents would make us wait till like 6. So we had a couple hours to talk about what we thought we were getting, all the excitement was almost too much so we would crack open the door and send Tyler to go peek downstairs and then run back in and tell us what he saw. Sneaky kids I know!! I have wonderful memories of every Christmas growing up.
Also I remember one christmas we got a trampoline, just to later find out my mom and dad putting it together christmas eve in the rain. The thought of that makes me crack up every time i think about it!
Another great memory was one christmas my parents decided to give some families money and just to leave it on the door step and run. I think I was like 10 that year and my dad said I could go with him. I was so nervous and excited. The whole time walking up to the door my dad was saying "Lynds, as soon as I ring the door bell you have to run AS FAST AS YOU CAN , okay" I was like ok... so he rang the door bell and my little legs have never gone so fast! I remember for every stride my dad took was like 3 of mine. Good times. My parents were always very giving! They are great examples of service! Thanks mom and dad for all you did for us growing up!!

12/3/2007

-1999-

Our first Christmas was only like a month and a half after we got married.

So the funny story- So again it was our first Christmas and we were newly newlyweds and I was so excited to open our gifts!! I was thinking jewelry or something like that. Christmas morning we go to open all our gifts and Brian saved the "BIG" one for last. I was so excited!! I was taking the paper off and kept looking at him smiling, then my smile turned to a "what the crap" look. He got me a BREAD MAKER!! What, seriously. ya. Some might think that was nice but as an 18 year old newlywed making bread was the last thing I wanted to do. Anyways I started crying and he felt horrible and then I felt like a spoiled brat(which i was way back then).

It is now our 9th Christmas together and to this day he has not bought me any house hold appliances as a gift. I even asked for a dust buster this year and he laughed. So i bought myself one and it is wrapped under our tree right now:)
BUT.... he did learn and since then I have never ever been disappointed about any gift he has given me and actually have LOVED every gift since!!

11/19/07

Life has been pretty crazy lately and I'll post about that soon, but first I just want to share a memory for now! I Love the Holiday's mostly because I love parties and being with my Family and Friends!! Well Thanksgiving is not always a relaxing day being that both families live in town, but it is definitely a party day! A tradition since I was young has been to take kernels of corn and each kernel represents something we are thankful for. It is a great tradition and so great to hear everyones.

I wanted to share some things I am most grateful for!

1. Of course my little family. I am so glad to be married to my best friend! I could not be more proud of him, he is the greatest man and supporter. I am most grateful for him! He is also hilarious!! He would be a great stand-up comic!!
2. My little monkey!! I just love this kid so much! He is my entertainer! He is so funny and very creative! I love watching him grow and want to be just like his daddy!! I am thankful he was sent to our family first!!
3. My family. We have the most supportive and loving parents and siblings ever!! I love my sisters so much! They are always there for me when I need them!! And my brothers, they are so funny and make me laugh all the time! I have the most fun with them and we have so many great memories of growing up, it is fun as adults to look back and laugh and reminisce of those times.
4.I am so lucky to have wonderful in-laws. My sisters-in laws and brothers-in laws are so dang fun!!! I wish we could see them more often but it always makes the holidays better to get all together!!!
5. Great friends!! I have the greatest friends!! They are so fun to be with and always know when you need a little pick me up!!! I'm lucky that we all live pretty close by and when we get together whether its just to chill or do something big, we have the greatest time!! Thanks girls!
6.Prayer. I am so grateful for the power of prayer. I have a close relationship with my heavenly father and know I can always turn to him. Through the toughest times in my life I have never felt abandoned by him.
7.Eternal families. Without temple work I would not have an eternal family. It is the most comforting to know I will be with my family forever. No matter what happens here on earth we will see each other again, how great is that!

11/5/2007 8th anniversary

8 years ago today I married my best friend. Looking back over the 8 years we have been through a lot! I couldn't imagine going through the trials or celebrating the greatest times with anyone else!
I Love you Bri and it has been the best 8 years-here's to a million more!!!!

10/29/2007

So this is one of our engagement pictures.
Our anniversary is next Monday and I was just thinking back on
how fun(and short) our engagement was.
Brian and I met July, 24 1999 and were engaged three weeks later.

It pretty much started when Brian and I were shopping at the mall and we were walking through Dillards and we thought it would be funny(ok I thought it would be funny) to tell everyone we were engaged, so Brian bought a fake ring and we went to my parents house. Umm... we were the only ones who thought it was a funny joke. My dad asked Brian what his intentions were with his 18 year old daughter:) and Brian said "I'm not planning on proposing tomorrow or anything" well later that night we started talking about how we felt, future plans, and then we started talking about it as an "US" and it felt..right.
So 3 days later we were engaged!!
I know we were soo young and probably naive but we just knew,
it was that simple and just that sweet.

Dating pics

10/22/07

so this isnt halloween related but i was looking through our childhood pictures and was pretty much dying laughing at these. I have no front teeth and my half side pony tail rocks with matching scrunchie and brians pants are way too cool for words!
Enjoy!!!

10/18/07

Lets see....

With it being Halloween month and all I thought I'd share some Halloween memories!! So My mom is the best!! She would make our costumes and we always looked so cute!! We just said what we wanted to be and she created the look!! Thanks mom!!!xoxo

This one is when I was maybe 4 and a cheerleader and Ashley was a clown!

I laugh at this one because the real thing
was only like 10 years later!! haha


Oh yes, I was Miss America! I was so cool!
I had my sash, tiara, cape and pumpkin basket
so I was ready to greet all my fans!!
oh and I did not forget my puffy sleeves, don't worry!!

10/15/07

Halloween 2005

This was Cadens first Halloween,
he was the cutest little dinosaur or dragon
(we never could figure out which one)

Halloween 2006
My little brother carson thought it would be so cool
if caden was yoda because he was hans solo.
He was so funny with the sword thing(light saber??)
and he kept the ears on all night, It was so cute!!

10/1/07

Today it is really overcast outside and looks like rain! I love this weather!! I remember growing up in California and once in a while when it would get overcast and rainy my mom would let me stay home from school and she would make her homemade cookie bars and we'd curl up in big blankets on the couch and we would watch old school classic movies. My favorites were the Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire old school dancing ones!! Also loved Withering Heights and the Shirley Temple ones!! Oh and the...just kidding but I could go on!!
So to this day, this weather always puts me in the best mood!! It also makes me crave an old movie and some cookie bars:)