Life with the Brudfam

Celebrating the holidays

Ham and potatoes baking in the oven, I cleaned up the house in preparation for our annual Christmas Potluck/Gift Exchange with my Girl Night Group last week.  We have been getting together monthly for about 12 years, and I adore these amazing

{and beautiful, talented, funny & wise} ladies.

Husbands were invited too, but we banished them to the dining room, and we hung out in the kitchen (so we could be closer to the food!).

 

There were dozens (literally--42 to be exact) of gifts under the tree.

{Laurie was very good at statistics that night...she kept us up to date on the number of gifts exchanged and the number of children between all 7 of us (29!!!)}

and we spoiled eachother with gifts from the heart, including these handmade, 

one-of-a-kind aprons sewn and painted by Laurie!

And while we exchanged gifts, the men got a little rowdy--thanks to Ben, who brought Apple Beer* for the guys.  {*sparkling apple soda pop}.

We had so much fun being together and celebrating the holidays!

{Although there were a few minor mishaps, including someone slipping painfully on the ice, and a fender bender involving a suburban and a BMW.  But we don't want to talk about that.}  

Girl Night

I'm a little s-l-o-w to get this posted {life has been crazy busy}, but had to post these pics of my darling girlfriends who hosted lunch for me on my birthday last month.  Lunch from Hagerman's (thanks Heidi!) and hanging out for the afternoon was the best way to spend my birthday afternoon...except for one thing--Brenda had to leave early, and I was a bit late {got confused as to whether it was 12 or 12:30 and guessed wrong}.  So as I walked in the door, sweet Brenda was walking out the door to go teach ice skating.  But she drove all the way out to 102nd South just to wish me a happy birthday and drop off my present!  Thanks Brenda!  We missed you!

We have been getting together nearly every month for years and years.  But we rarely take any pictures.  So thanks to Liv, we had the camera set up on the timer so we could get some shots all together.  

Here is beautiful Olivia and her son L.  And Liv has another one on the way.  Wahoo!  That'll make five for her!  And doesn't she have a great name?

 

Me and Laurie...the whole reason that I know all of these amazing ladies is because Laurie and I worked together at Children's Miracle Network and invited me into her group of friends....and I'll always be grateful!  That's her youngest S; at least her youngest for now--Laurie is pregnant with her 7th baby. Yes, I did say 7th!  She's amazing!

 

Carol and little baby S.  Isn't he adorable?  All these babies are making me want one of my own.  Darn! Carol is the newest member of our group, but it feels like she's been here all along.

 

Kelli and sweet baby J...how cute are these pictures? And Kelli doesn't look old enough to have 5 kids!  I'm getting more and more baby hungry....

And our gracious and beautiful host, Heidi, who organized the whole day and picked up our food!  I only got one over-exposed shot of you.  Next time....

Thank you, girls, for making my day so special!

**all the nicely exposed pics are from Heidi.  The rest are from my iPhone.  I really need a small camera for Christmas!

Saturday is a special day

Saturday was a special day because I got to hang out my my lifelong friend Megen.  She lives in Vernal, so I don't get to see her as often as I'd like to.

We met in Provo and she brought her 3-week old baby, Jamie, who happens to be the most adorable little fella.  Seriously I fell in love with him.

See what I mean?  adorable.

We went and saw The Secret Life of Bees.  Loved it.  Loved the book more, but loved it. (I can't really think of any movies that are better than the book, though.)

After we walked over to HogiYogi for some fro-yo, and then sat and chatted under a tree on the grass. It was a beautiful and sunny fall day.  Perfect for catching up and giggling like two school girls.

 

I had trouble getting my head in the photo, so Meg had to take control of the camera.  And now that I look at these pics, I realize I look like a freakish fly with those sunglasses on.