First hike of the summer...

Here are some Photo's from our fist adventure of the summer....The Dinosaur Discovery Park! Or like we like to call it...The Dino Debacle. First of all we thought it was only 2 hrs to Vernal.....the picture above was taken during the 3rd hour of driving. Paul was giving Nick scratches.
When we got there the Museum/fossil exhibit was closed down for renovations ( I wish they would have posted that on their web site) but we could still take the hike.
Here are the kids setting off on the adventure....
Grace is already tuckered out.....it's been about 2 min.


Cactus are cool...
Grace and Jonas showing off a bone (rock) they found in the trail...
Grace showing everyone another bone she found.....it went on and on like that for a mile.

We stumbled upon a huge mud slide, so we made clay creations....even Paul joined in on the fun.

AHhhhh love!
It started to poor on the way back to the car....no one was too happy about it. I was wearing a white T-shirt so a picture of me would have been x-rated.

Luckily I had dry cleaning in the back of the car...so the kids all drove home in silk shirts.....doesn't Nick look pretty!

Are you only young once?

Paul and I were laying in bed the other night, he was reading one of his DEPRESSING novels and I was lying there with my book on my chest...staring at the ceiling fan. Paul looked at me and said "do you want to talk about something?". " No, I'm just thinking..." I replied. "sigh...Although, Do you think I have lost all my ambition....or have my opportunities to be ambitious just dwindled." All Paul could really say was ..."What?!"

You see, as I was staring at that terribly ugly ceiling fan, I was reminiscing on the girl I was in high school. Earlier that day I had stumbled across an old photo album. I couldn't help but marvel at all the photos of me staring at the camera with total confidence....a complete love of self! So that night as I lay in my bed I thought of the girl I used to be. I was ambitious....I had dreams. For example when I was young I wanted to be in a musical more then anything....so when I got to high school I tried out every year and, didn't make it...until my senior year...I was Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. I sang in front of hundreds of people! How the hell did I do THAT? You can't even get me to sing karaoke now! I also can't believe I kept trying and year after year I didn't even make the chorus ....but I never gave up.

I was Jr Class President...I remember the day I signed up to run for the office. I was asleep in my algebra class, something startled me, so when I woke up all my books fell on the floor. There was drool on my face...I laughed. The boy next to me was picking up my books..( he was new, but was very popular already) he noticed my registration form and asked me what I was running for, I told him I was running for Jr class president......he said he was too. Then he Laughed, and said (in a very snide tone) "good luck". You see I fell asleep in algebra every day..I had fallen out of my seat on multiple occasions and drool was no stranger. So this guy thought that I was no competition.....I wiped the floor with him. ( on a side note, he ran against me for student body president and won by a land slide). But what I marvel at more then winning, is the fact that I knew I was going too...even when he laughed at me, inside I was thinking he was such an idiot and that he didn't know who he was up against.

Really that story epitomizes who I was back then....A total nerd, with a butt load of confidence. In PE I had to bat at the same (special) spot as the down syndrome girl in the class. They used to call me "fall down girl" because I was constantly tripping on my shoes...the reason was I had to wear shoes that were a size to big, because of my super wide hobbit feet. I would blast my footloose soundtrack as Annie and I would belt it out at the top of our lungs in the school parking lot.....but I didn't care. I NEVER cared what other people thought of me. I didn't care that I had no rhythm....I would dance my heart out. I didn't care that my boyfriend went to another high school. I didn't care that all the "popular" kids hated me when I put "mods" and "nerd" in charge of events, when I was in student government. I Loved who I was!

Now the question is....do I still love who I am?................Yes. I can say that with complete confidence. I may not want my picture taken all the time. I also may want my pose to be just right...no more head on......face forward shots for me. (At least not for now). But I do like who I am.

With that being said, I do worry that I ( as a lot of mothers do) get so lost in caring for my lovely, loud babies.....that I don't take the time to go after my dreams. Those dreams that find me in my quiet moments. The ones that whisper....go back to school, study photography. ....Or...open your own bakery......Or....put that doughnut down, and go to the gym and get the body you deserve. I love myself but I have lost that drive and confidence of my youth...I have to get it back! For heavens sake I'm only 32!!!!

Romatic Getaway?

Paul and I recently decided to go on a "romantic" getaway to beautiful Malibu California. Unfortunately the couple's trip we had planed....turned into a boys trip, plus me. Now I was raised with 8 brother, so being around men is fun for me. But this trip just didn't turn out like I thought it would.
Instead of romantic walks on the beach with Paul......I was forced to take photos of all their tom foolery.

I did get to see my husband without his shirt..(that was on my 'Romantic Getaway' list of things to do)
But I also had to see him without his shirt.....
And him.....
We were able to go out to fancy sea side restaurants.....All five of us...
You might be wondering were Paul is.......wait for it.........
Oh yeah he is arm wrestling the Russian at the next table.....lovely!
We listened to romantic music......wait did I say we.....I mean they.
I thought that maybe Paul and I would get a little physical in the bed room (if you know what I mean....wink wink)
But the boys just got physical in the kitchen.....I really didn't get this one.

At least one of my dreams were fulfilled....I was serenaded , beach side by 4 thirty year old men......It was a dream come true.
Don't feel to bad for me.....in all sincerity I love these guys. Even when Paul and I broke up when we were dating ....they stuck by me. It really was a fun trip, but Paul owes me one romantic getaway! ( And Idaho doesn't count)

Jonas.....my loverboy and Saturday swinging

It’s a typical Sunday at the Bryson house….we are all sitting around chatting about this and that. I was sitting on the couch next to my sister Liz, Jonas was laying his head in my lap and my mom was sitting on the coffee table. Liz was telling a funny story about how she was at a Jazz game with a group of people ( mostly boys) and she was complaining because she had kissed almost everyone in the group….The point of the story was she needed a new group of people too hang out with (fresh meat). Well throughout the story Jonas had just listened quietly….and while my mother was voicing her disapproval of all the kissing, Jonas cried out “What a lucky group”!!!

That is my Jonas….he is defiantly a lover not a fighter. I am going to have to watch this one closely, he is ALWAYS in love (have I mentioned he’s only 8). Here are some Jonas Quotes on love…..

“I can’t wait to get married, so me and my wife can kiss for like 5 hrs at a time.”

“Mom, today at school there was a ballroom dance assembly, and some of the kids got to go up on stage and practice the Cha Cha Cha….I looked to see if Britney was up there but I didn’t see her, if I saw her, I would have ran up there in a heartbeat. But I wouldn’t have wanted to dance the Cha Cha Cha…I would have wanted to dance to a song that had the word LOVE in it.”

Jonas “When I’m sixteen I am going to invited lots of girls to my birthday party, and I’m going to kiss them all.”

Mom “Honey I know I said that I wanted you to wait until your 16 to kiss anyone, but you really should only kiss the girls who are your girlfriends”

Jonas “OK, then I will make all those girls my girlfriends BEFORE the party”

“Mom I told Britney today that we needed to go to the same Jr. Highschool…highschool and collage so that we can make sure we get married some day.”

When Jonas was in 1^st grade I got a call from the principal, he informed me that Jonas was kissing a girl every day after lunch…..when I asked Jonas about it he said “Well I didn’t want to be rude.”

So that’s my Jones…he is in love with love. But he is always dedicated to one woman and for the last TWO years it’s been Britney.. ….According to him she is “the love of his life” Well we will see about that.

Grace informed all of us this afternoon that she wanted to have a "Dance Party"......Well there is nothing us Warners love more than a good old family dance off!! The pictures arn't the greatest, but you get the gist I'm sure.

Grace is ready for summer!!!

Grace got a new swimsuit from Grandma...her 4th this month!!! I know.. I know.. I spoil "The Princess". But in my defense all her old swimsuits were so last season....and 2 sizes too small!! These poses are her own...she looks a little like one of those crazy baby beauty pageant girls...but still too cute!

Stop being so perfect

I was in relief society, when a friend of mine came in and plopped down next to me. She let out a big sigh and said something like…..”My biggest problem is that I compare my self to people….I look around this room and I feel so blah.” I took a look around the room and saw nothing but geriatrics. But I told her that you can’t know who a person is by what they seem like at church. We are all dressed up… behaving our best. We shower are kids for the first time that week. She went on to tell me that she feels overlooked in our ward. She was bothered that a new girl in the ward (who was only like 22) was called to be a relief society teacher…she said she had been on a mission and was older, yet she was not even considered. I told her she didn’t know that….maybe she was considered but she had a new baby…ect ..ect. Well the class started and the relief society president stood up and was introducing all the visitors ….she looked at my friend and asked her if she was new in the ward (she has been in the ward for about 2 years). I leaned over and said “I don’t think you were considered”

I felt bad for this friend, but the more I thought about it, I realized that I feel bad for woman in general. We do this to ourselves far too often….we compares ourselves to each other. I remember when I was in relief society in my San Diego ward, and a lady stood up and said she had visited a friend who home schooled her 7 children ….she said that her friend never raised her voice or got angry at her kids…and now because of her friends example she never raises her voice either. I remember thinking that that story was ridiculous….even if it was true that this lady NEVER raised her voice….do we really need to hear about it. Do we need to feel guilty that we yell at our kids from time to time? As Dr Phil would say “Let’s get real”! We are all flawed. Even our friend who seems to always have perfect parenting stories on her blog….is a brat sometimes. No matter how much facebook flirting someone does with their husband….they probably fight as much as you do with yours.

Take me for example…..here are some of my deep dark secrets that you can’t see when I am dressed up in my Sunday best.

1. My kids say that after 8:30 that I turn into “MAD MOMMY”
2. I feed my daughter dino nuggets far too often
3. My left breast hangs a good inch lower than my right one.
4. On any given Saturday you can find my oldest son in tighty whities and a red robe until about 1:00 in the afternoon. ( the robe isn’t always a part of this lovely lounge ware)
5. I go to weight watchers.
6. I sometimes turn a blind eye to the hours of Spongbob being watched.
7. Cereal is considered an acceptable dinner.
8. My sons fingernails sometimes look like the dragon lady.
9. I have shoved chips under the couch when I heard my husband come home.
10. I have taken a nap in the gym parking lot. (more that once)
11. I roll my eyes at my husband WAY too often.
12. I give crusties to skinny girls.

I know you all thought I was perfect….well the cats out of the bag now. So let’s all just chill out….lets embrace what we love about ourselves and not stress so much about the things we are trying to change. I also would like it if some of you ladies who read my blog could change some thing about yourselves to make me feel better.

Annie-Please stop keeping your house so clean, not one room in my house has ever been ½ as clean as your whole house on any given day. Also if you could try not to be such a talented singer, writer and anything else you try. ….that would be great. Ohh and stop making friends …it just puts a spot light on how socially retarded I am.

Lori- Please stop loosing weight and running all the time. If you run that marathon with Paul I will have to kill myself….Love ya.

Kristi- Please stop writing books….I mean really who does that.

Alisha- Please stop being the cutest pregnant lady on the planet. Oh and if you could stop being so charming all the time ….I have never known anyone so delightfully fun. One more thing no more pre pregnancy bikini pictures you look far to perfect.

Auntie Donna- Please stop being so on top of everything. If you could also stop taking such fantastic pictures that would be great….they just but my photo to shame….and you don’t want that, do you?

And to anyone else who reads my blog….just stop being too great. Gain a little weight, be a little lazy…..let things go a bit. Do it for me. ……Of course I don’t mean any of this, I want you all to stay just as you are, because you all inspire me. Your talents blow my mind and make me want to be better.

Here is one more flaw of mine, I never know how to end my blogs…..so good by!

Nicholas is 7.....Hallelujah!

My Nicholas......where do I begin? I guess the best way to explain the essence that is Nick is to start at the beginning. One night Paul and I were feeling frisky and.......just kidding. I do, however, want to tell you the story of his birth. At 11:30 on January 30th I was laying in my bed, feeling my stomach tighten and release. The contractions were not that consistent but they were painful. As I sat there feeling the excitement that only comes when you are about to have a baby.....Nick started kicking, not little cute kicks but strong hard soccer like kicks. Then after one particularly painful kick, I felt the strangest feeling in my stomach, it was like a ripping sensation....and then trickle of water. I thought I might be peeing myself (as pregnant woman do from time to time) but when I stood up there was a huge gush of water. Needless to say, we were at the hospital 30 min later. I was in labor for about 6 hours, without progressing very much. The nurse came in and checked me, I was almost 8 centimeters dilated. The nurse thought it would probably be another 2 hours and she left the call the dr. Well not 15 min later I felt unbelevable pressure...I told my husband I thought that Nick was coming out and that he would have to check. Finally Paul was persuaded and he ventured down to have a look at that dark and dreadful place....and guess what he saw...Nicholas' head! He ran out into the hall screeming for a dr....but there was none to be found. The nurse had to call a code white ( while begging me not to push) soon a dr showed up....he was a PODIATRIST! But he caught Nick just in time....though fear was all over the poor mans face!

That is my Nick.....he loves every second of life! He pushed his way into this world, so he could live every second of it. I love my sweet Nick. Two of the first words he learned as a Baby was "out" and "go"! When he was about 11 months he would point at doors and shout "OUT" or "GO". He just hated or should I say hates sitting still. Not in a out of control way, he is just a guy who loves activities! That is why, when I asked him what he wanted to do for his B-day I was not supprised when he said he wanted to go to Idaho and visit his "best" cousen Shelby.

He wanted to have a snowbording cake......we couldn't find a snowborder so Paul bought a GI joe to go into the snowbord we had. If you look closelly he has blood on his face. So funny.


After we opened presents, we went bolling...here is Nicholas getting a good stretch in before he conquers the lanes!

Not everyone had as good of a time as Nick. Shelby threw her ball into the gutter 3 lanes over, and got a little embaressed, but in the end she had a great time. The Princess just didn't get enough sleep the whole weekend, and was a mess the entire time.
Well here are my top ten things I LOVE about my Nick!
1. He dives wholeheartidly into any and every activity (besides cleaning his room...he hates it....I can't even describe how much he hates it... but I love that too it is so him)
2. He can do a fantastic flip...he flips off diving boards, tramps(the playground equipment), couches..you name it!
3. He taught himself to hoola hoop and jump rope! His hoola hooping skills really are amazing!
4. He is so kind to his sister. I get emotional just thinking about it. He holds her hand when they cross the streat to go on thier walks around the col-de- sac. He teaches her how to play games and write her letters. He will even play dolls with her when she needs a playmate. He has a great heart!
5. He is hilarous...his favorite jokes are poo poo jokes, of course.
6. He has my feet! It was one of the first things Paul said when he came flying out of my belly!
7.He puts together some fantastic outfits.....he loves getting dressed up!
8.He is a great dancer....for a ward tallent show he sang "Schools out for summer" and danced and did cartwheels ...it was Awesome!!!!
9.He loves being outside...especially when he is throwing a ball around with his dad (He has his Dad's looks with his Mother's sensibilities).
10.His big brown eyes and huge warm smile.

p.s. I also love his boney hugs. He has no fat on his body so when you hug him it is like hugging bones and muscle.."he has big muscles"