Luke Moments

It is so hard to express the feelings. Nothing can change how much we miss Luke. No words can comfort enough. No amount of hugs can heal the hurt. There are times I just have to take time out to cry. I call them "Luke Moments".

During one of my "Luke Moments" late at night, I decided I just wanted to see his face. I looked through some pictures I have of him and put together this little "Luke Moment" for me. Seeing his beautiful face helped. I was comforted.

Luke is just so precious. He is not gone. He is always with us, and he reminds us every day that Families are Forever and we will see him again.

That is a "Luke Moment" I have a hard time waiting patiently for.

Until then.... We love you and miss you, Luke!!

My Sister is A BAYWATCH BEAUTY!!!

This is my ever so talented sister, Jan, the first time on the wakeboard.

Okay, actually, this was the 4th try, and she just perfectly pops up out of the water!!

BAYWATCH must run in our family....okay, the gene skipped me.

Pamela Anderson, blondes are not the only ones having fun in the waves!!!

Small detail: Notice Jan does not don a wet suit. Check out what Tim has on in the post below. Not judging, just...you know...observing. I was wise enough to stay DRY IN THE BOAT!!

You make it look easy, Jan!! Way to show us all up!!!

My BAYWATCH BROTHER Gots Skills!!

Tim took us in his boat on the lake in UTAH!!

He is SOOO BAYWATCH!!

Eat your heart out, David Hasselhoff!!

First Day of School 2010

8-30-10

School started today. Kendal is beginning second grade, Avery is tackling two preschools three days a week each, Drew will be starting 3 year old preschool after Christmas vacation, and Edyn learns something new every day!!

Our schedule is full of school, soccer, dance, gymnastics, playdates, and caring for our new puppy, Zoe. We are picking up and dropping off someone to somewhere most of every single day. We have learned to pack snacks for on-the-go and do reading, spelling, colors, letters and counting in the car. We are a busy little family, and I have to say... it is great.

Kendal and Avery recieved father's blessings to start the school year right. Kendal's included his strong mind, curiosity of learning, ability to make friends, and kind heart. Avery's was about her ability to be helpful, her love for others, and being a teacher and example.

As a mom, I couldn't be more blessed. My children are the joy of my life. I hope for them all the very good things in life, and an education will give them the world.

Good Luck, my littles!! I love you!!

Edyn's First Tooth

7-29-10

Edyn, at 8 months, decided to get her first tooth this week. It goes in and out, in and out, in and out. We actually got her to hold still long enough to get a glimpse of it. What a beauty!!

What can I say? The girl can sure cut a first tooth!! She is a complete natural at letting nature take it's course. That is an inspiring talent!!

Way to go, Edy-Bel!! I am certain you will be just as incredible cutting the rest of 'em!!

Rigby Lake...and "Oh, my BACK!"

Josh on the Pirate ship: SS Rigby Lake

Sondi and Kaylee catching some rays.

Jan and her rockin' sunglasses.

Mike sporting the wet look.

Avery is such a Beach Beauty.

Kaylee+Drew= cute cousins.

Lexie, Tari, and Edyn like it best in the SHADE and completly DRY!!

Kaleb, Kendal, Drew, and Cameron: Staying afloat.

7-29-10

The Bryans, Butikofers, and Taylors all set out for a lovely day in the sun at

Rigby Lake. We had a marvelous time. And then, Cameron dove into the water, twisted his back and couldn't do anything the rest of the weekend.

Thanks to our gorgeous family for all your help and support. Thanks to Sondi who got us in to a chiropractor on a FRIDAY afternoon to get Cameron set up with portable electric stim and adjustment. And thanks Rigby Lake for the scenic place to injure oneself.

Flying With the BLUE ANGELS

July 24th, 2010

What a great show!! The Blue Angels came to Idaho Falls Regional Airport and we got tickets!! We were a few out of 38,000 people to attend!! There were airshows most of the day and there were many airplanes to look at on the ground. (Right to Left Top: Cameron Bryan, Soldier, Tari Bryan, Steve Lasley, Lynette Lasley, Jake Lasley. Bottom: Ciarra Lasley, Avery Bryan, Edyn Bryan (in stroller, left), Aaron Lasley (in fathers arms) Ginny Lasley (in stroller, right)

We saw soldiers and stopped to thank them for being willing to serve the country and fight to keep America safe.


...Then, it happened....the theme song from "Top Gun" (Danger Zone), and then.... BLUE ANGELS EVERYWHERE!!!




Steve Lasley, our neighbor took all these great pictures. I had no idea my camera could do this well.

We went home sunburned, dusty, and thirsty....but I am sure when we went to sleep that night, we all dreamed the same dream...

Flying With the Blue Angels!!

Greenbelt Memories

July 23rd, 2010
Summer wouldn't be summer without a picnic on the Greenbelt. The Snake River runs though a piece of Idaho Falls. Around the river is a blacktop pathway surrounded by trees and grass. Many people come to walk around the Greenbelt, eat on the picnic tables and watch the river. Others come to feed the groups of ducks and geese that flock there every year.


And then there is the temple that sits right on the bend of the river. It is a beautiful sight. This night the moon was just above it and the stars were just coming out. It was such a thing to see.

I remember this very scene from my childhood. Now my children will remember it. I love that I can create and relive precious memories like this.

Edyn Rocks!

JULY 20th, 2010

Edyn has been my sweet "Pet Rock" for 8 months. When I say "Pet Rock", I mean it in the most loving way. I just mean I pick her up and carry her everywhere I go. She doesn't do much there in my arms but look around and watch what I am doing. If I put her down, she starts to cry, because she would much rather be in my arms wherever I am. I do love that she loves me, but I also love to get things done with both of my hands free. One handed laundry is a slow process. One handed dinner making and dish washing seem to be a little beyond my patience level. So, I put her in the living room where she can see me and go about my day. She isn't always happy about that, though.

So she has decided that to be where I am, she needs to move. She has figured out the crawling thing pretty quickly and as you can see, she is mighty proud of herself.

We all are proud of her.

Love you, Edy-Bel!!You Rock!!

Happy #34 Birthday, Cameron!!

JULY 15th, 2010

Cameron is another year older... and hopefully wiser, too. What a great person to live with, laugh with, and love!! We had his family over for ice cream cake. Thirty four years old is a great number to be, huh, Dear!! Here's to MANY more!! Love you!!

Love and Logic Magic

Oh, if you haven't taken a "LOVE AND LOGIC" class I would totally recommend it.

One of the classes talked about "Making Your Words Into Gold". The concept is to stop making empty threats and follow through with consequences. There is also some logic in what you now make into consequences. Let me illustrate.

The mom yells down the stairs, for the twelfth time, " Kendal, if you don't get dressed for school, you are going in your PAJAMAS....and I MEAN IT."

Enter boy wandering up the stairs...in his DINOSAUR PAJAMA ENSEMBLE that his grandmother gave him for Christmas.

Now....Do I seem like the kind of parent who would send her child off to school in those fuzzy, cuddly, dinosaur pajamas???

Did you see the picture?

Now, in my defense, they were clean, matching, and appropriate for the weather.

He was extremely upset that I would not let him change after he realized I meant what I said. A fit ensued, but I lovingly put his backpack over his shoulders and wished him a wonderful day. I also called his teacher to prepare her for what was coming her way.

When he returned home, still in his pajamas, he was incredibly calm. He had worried that everyone would make fun of him, and then his teacher took him aside and told him that if he acted like those pajamas were his regular clothes, no one would even notice. To his absolute relief, nobody bugged him about them.

I was hoping for SOMETHING to get him to understand the concept of responsibility for his actions...or lack of action in this case.

We haven't had a pajama incident since, and that is GOLDEN MAGIC to me!!

Drippy Puddles...

Apparently, when we retiled our upstairs master bath about a year and a half ago, we didn't fix the problem. We knew there was an issue when a nice drippy puddle ended up in our basement bathroom one morning after showers.

The reason for the drippy puddle became clear when the cleaning and restoration people who cut into the wall said, "Huh, your tub doesn't have an upward facing phlange." The plumber came and said, "Huh, your tub should have an upward facing phlange, and it doesn't." Then the tile guy also mentioned that he would not EVER tile around this kind of tub because....yep, no upward facing phlange. Now, the guy who contracted and built our home SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS!! In fact, when we came to look at the house, there was this unmatching tile in the shower area. His reasoning was that he and his wife were "BATH PEOPLE, NOT SHOWER PEOPLE". Oh yeah, that wasn't a red flag or anything. Being first time home buyers, we completely just loved the house and bought it anyway.

Well, as you may have guessed, if the tub has a downward facing phlange, the tub is designed to be a free standing tub that sits on a tiled frame. Because we tiled on top of it, the water can still wick behind the tile. Water accumulates and viola: instant drippy puddle! That is our problem. The restoration people were very impressed with the tile job Cameron and Rodney did. The tiles were spaced properly. The grout was intact. The silicon caulk was in great condition. The problem was the silly PHLANGE!!

So out came all the tile and wet sheet rock in the master bathroom and basement bathroom, too. We have gone from a 3 bathroom home to a ONE bathroom home. Needless to say, togetherness takes on a whole new meaning and the close quarters continues for what we have been told will take up to and perhaps longer than an entire month.

Kendal's New Room

Oh, how times change. When we moved into this house, there were just three of us: Cameron, Tari, and Kendal. We had moved from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, where we rented a 2 bedroom 1 1/2 bath second floor apartment. We had plenty of room in that tiny flat, and all our belongings fit easily in a 20 foot trailer. We looked at many houses and the ones we wanted didn't fit our budget. Then we found our home.

This 5 bedroom, 3 bath, 2800 sq. ft. house seemed gigantic and we thought we would never be able to fill all the rooms. We have loved this house and have made many memories here. We have filled all the upstairs rooms with babies and toddlers and preschoolers. Kendal was getting a little cramped.

So...the newest memory of our home is the exclusion of the toy room and the new funishings for Kendal's new bedroom downstairs. He is in first grade, and now thinks he needs his own room.

To make sure he loved it, and would stick with the new arrangement, he got to choose his bedding and curtains. It is all about "How to Train Your Dragon". He was completely excited to have his new room.

The first couple nights were a little bit of an adjustment. Kendal felt that he was far away from us (mom and dad) and that he was lonely (without his siblings) but he has really been happy having a place to read and put his own things where others won't break or move them.

It has taken some time, but the rooms are full. Hopefully they are full of love, fun, friendship, life lessons, and family ties!! It doesn't matter where you are, the love of a family always follows you, even if it only down a flight of stairs.

Progress in Pooping

Drew is SLOWLY deciding that diapers are OUT!! He takes them off whenever we are not looking and TRIES to lounge about the house with his bottom half just ...uh,...out there.

Yes, you are seeing what you think you are seeing. That is his first poop in the potty!! Every proud parent should have a picture of each child at this momentous occasion. It is a milestone that should not be forgotten. Now, Drew will never miss the opportunity to relive this grand moment.

I vow this day, as your doting mother, that every girl that shall come through our door to date this fine youth shall not leave without partaking of the spirit of this day.

It is my gift to you, My Son, as you have given me such a gift.

Love you, Kid!! You are growing too fast!!

The Bryan Four

Grandma Bryan has an eye for beautiful Easter dress clothes. The kids looked so adorable in them, we had to book a photo shoot with JC Penney to capture it properly. I think they did great considering Drew was completely against it. Enjoy!
See Drew's arm around his baby sister? Cute, huh?

Could sisters be any happier to be sisters?

They completely love each other!!

This kid has my heart!! He is the BEST big brother ever!!

The only way to get Drew to smile in situations like this is to get him to think he is doing something naughty. Peek-a-Boo did the trick. Look at the delight on his face!!

Heaven bless the sweet photographer at JC Penney for not giving up when I was ready to.
Thanks again, Grandma Bryan!!I'll treasure these pictures forever!!

Avery Takes A Stand

I know it is all about the journey, and not arriving at the destination. I know it gives her experience and exposes her to learning opportunities and interaction with people, music, culture....





We put Avery in dance class @ 2 1/2 years old AND SHE LOVED IT!! So, we have kept her in because she is so pretty in her costumes and SHE KNOWS EVERY STEP!! Well, it seems when she is on stage and cannot see the audience, she does well, BUT when it comes to the assisted living facilities where everyone is visible...well, you can see.





I have to say though, she has a great talent for standing there, looking pretty!!

Don't worry...we still went out for ice cream!!

Bryan Babes!!

Thank Heaven for little girls!! I completely love mine!!

Boise Zoo And Swimming Too

April 17th, 2010. Jan Taylor, for her 32nd birthday, ran a half marathon, the most difficult half marathon in the area!! I would've done it with her, if I didn't have this trick knee from an old high school, army, extreme waterfall jumping injury. But because of my severe handicap, we (Cameron, Grandpa Butikofer, and Tari)decided to take all the kids to the Boise Zoo.

It was a perfect day!! The kids were awesome. Even the zoo food tasted good. We saw penquins, zebras, tigers, owls, goats, insects, monkeys, snakes, bats, rats, and ring-tailed lemurs. It was a fun zoo. We had a blast!!








We then headed to our hotel for some swimming, pizza, and movie!! This was the only swimming picture IN FOCUS!! Needless to say we had a great time!! Thanks Boise!! Thanks, Taylors!! Thanks to Team Bryan for a pretty good first family trip as a team of six!! I am almost ready for another big trip!!