Instagram caption: When your mean mom makes you skip a family dinner because your lingering cough is, well, lingering- just get her back by playing a two person version of Apples to Apples where you get to look at her cards and also pick the winner each round. {Carma is currently up 14-3 🧐🍏🤨🍎}
Spent a couple hours at Defy which was super fun - thanks Grandma and Grandpa!
Best way to celebrate your kids getting older is to stack them all upon your back at once... amiright?
First order of business, meeting this sweet new baby nephew Zeke:
Will was especially excited to hold his new baby cousin:
Ahhhh hotel swimming pools. Living the high life.
Quick picture to send to Chuck who had to stay home and work.
We were so excited to be able to be at Hazel's baptism. All of the siblings/cousins of the three little girls being baptized that day provided a somewhat impromptu musical number which was adorable:
Post baptism gathering at Maglebys, yummm. I sent Hazel around with a photographer and my phone to get pictures of her with everyone:
Grandpa Braden! and Carma.
Normal faces haha.
Braden family gatherings generally need a few specific things....
Oh ya, this is Chuck and me. I'm sorry that his weather and camera apps are in THE ABSOLUTE WRONG SPOTS.
I have literally no remembrance of this picture... looks like Chuck took it to be honest... but clearly Carma wanted this preserved for generations to come, so there you go!
Middle schoolers can be the sweetest - here's an incredible picture that a cute 7th grader drew for me:
Aaaand this. Oh my heck. One of my students went to Mexico for a few weeks and before she left I completely JOKINGLY told her to bring something back for me - like, I made sure she knew it was a joke.
Random selfie! On the way to work? Way home? Who knows.
Genuinely no idea what was happening or why Clyde was dressed up on a Wednesday night? Maybe it was Will's first night going to Young Mens? Dunno, but I took a picture of these two adorable boys and I love them.
Random school selfie with my desk and co-worker in the background. NO idea the point to this picture but it's a nice record!
Joys of home ownership - something about the floor underneath the master bathroom tub wasn't good. New shower and tub was necessary.
Another afternoon at DEFY! Chuck's parents left the kiddos with a short-term membership and we gladly took advantage of it a lot in January.
Screenshots from my random instagram wanderings:
Cousin shenanigans, aka cardboard box fort.
Not thrilled that I ended up this splashed, grrr.
Insta caption: I mean, if your brothers take this selfie on your phone and you don’t post it, are you even a compulsive social media oversharer? Couldn’t take the risk, so here you go. Stand by my plan to never live in Utah, also stand by my plan to drive there a million times to keep seeing people I love.
Ohhh how I love this sweet Hazel girl. So smart and thoughtful and darling.
Ha, better picture without Quinn in the background ;).
Uncle Quinnnnn!
Aunt Eden
Grammy Pam and baby Zeke!
The trio of 7/8 year olds! Cute little group of cousins.
Clyde and Hazel!
Okay, Bailey and I had to have a picture too because after we realized how similar our navy blue dresses were, Bailey made me a cute little rainbow accessory so that our dresses would match almost exactly! Cutest.
lots of space to run around and be crazy...
and an updated picture of Grandma with all of her grandchildren! Thirteen pretty adorable kiddos here.
Sammy was thrilled to see our coordinating Toy Story shirts!!
Less thrilled when he realized he was sitting with Aunt Jana haha.
Aunt Terri listening carefully to Will talking about ... something. I love watching my brothers and sisters-in-law with my kids.
A busy row of cousins during church under Grandpa's watchful and very indulgent eye ;).
Jackers enjoying one of his birthday gifts - invisible ink!
I have literally no remembrance of this picture... looks like Chuck took it to be honest... but clearly Carma wanted this preserved for generations to come, so there you go!
This beautiful and personalized coin purse? Not a joke, just the sweetest thing ever. Like, tears were shed... at which point Lizbeth probably regretted the gift haha.
Random selfie! On the way to work? Way home? Who knows.
Love this.
Ya, not a clue. Was this Carma's coat? And most of it was behind her? I think so?
Selfies by Carma while I'm in the background doing my hair... maybe I could have taken a minute to get the... peanut butter? off Carma's face haha.
Yiiiikes. This slightly alarming version of Jack will probably haunt my dreams.
Got that purple coat at Costco on a fantastic clearance deal. Alas, wasn't enough of a good deal to wear a coat that was def too small so I returned it. Ahhh memories.
Ooohhh I love all five of these.
Yessss, this.
Pictures with Grandpa Braden after being ordained a deacon:
Pictures with Grandma Pam too!
Tub and shower project moving along. With little to no thanks to meeeee!
Cody came home! Here are two very excited kiddos to see and hug their uncle:
Outfit of the day out at the crosswalk:
Wore lashes to work. Obviously had to take loads of selfies:
Clyde and Will racing for the front seat is a daily highlight in my life:
K that's January part one. Part two is hopefully on its way soon.
Will as a deacon this year!
And this.
And speaking of my boys growing up! Insta caption: Daaaang there’s a whole lotta handsome in this picture! Pretty proud of the three wee Izatt boys for their church milestones today and pretty grateful for their dad who sets such a stellar example for them (also he made me cookie dough today without me asking which tells you two things: a) I was hecka crazy and b) we’ve been married a long time). My relationship with God is a constant source of comfort and safety when life is overwhelming and I hope these boys continue to develop and benefit from that relationship too.
and a teacher.
And a picture with Carma Junie too. Pretty happy they're all mine for the moment.
In honor of this reunion, Cody and I obviously spent quite a long time quoting West Wing back and forth. Here are some of our favorites, legit taken from an old blog post haha:
And that evening Uncle Cody got to hang out with all the older boys as well at Grandma's house!
Walking out from school...
And getting home a few minutes later. Legit looks like styrofoam haha.
Another Relief Society activity I was in charge of, continuing with our school theme:
Grace did SO good teaching/leading us all in a zumba-esque workout.
Insta caption: My desk may be a slight disaster, but how beautiful are the orange roses my parents-in-law had delivered to me today at work?! Perfect way to kick off my birthday weekend extravaganza 🟠🔸🎉3️⃣5️⃣🟧🔶🧡 thank you so much Dave and Terri; I LOVE them!!
We were doing interviews at work and one of the questions was to describe yourself at work in three words. I picked these as mine.
Ignore that they're coming off at the sides ;).
Insta caption: Feeling nostalgic for ‘back in the day’ when I dressed these two in coordinating (ok sometime legit identical) outfits all the time and everyone thought they were twins 😍. I miss those little matching best brothers... but these two big matching best brothers are pretty cute too 🙃😎😍
K that's January part one. Part two is hopefully on its way soon.
