Things Lately

William

• Has figured out how to take off his clothes by himself.  Many of times I will get him out of his bed and he'll just be bouncing side to side in nothing but a diaper thinking he is the funniest thing in the world.
• Loves climbing on our bed and cuddling for two seconds, wiggling around, injuring one of us in the process then cuddling again for two seconds then starting the process over and over.  He really loves running his fingers through my hair- though it does hurt, he kind does more of a pull than a soft touch.  He also loves hitting John on the stomach and laughing.
• is BITING. When he gets really upset he will start shaking all over and grab the person closest to him and clench!  The first couple times it was kind of funny because John and I have never seen him angry before, but now we are working on it.
• thinks getting dressed is a game of chase. As soon as he sees me coming, he streaks down the hallway, hands flung in the air like he just don't care, and bums cheeks clenched, laughing hysterically.
• Is trying to talk more.  He says, "hello" with rolling his tongue.  I love hearing him imitate our voice influxes and try to talk to us.
• is a pill at church. Oh, church is long these days!
• is the funnest to wrestle and play cars with.

Johnny

• has been Mr. Christmas Spirit at our house. He loves the Christmas songs and books and lives for special time (when we do advent calendars.)  The other day he sang, "Deck the hall with owls of holly falllalalala (repeat two more times then in the same Deck the Halls tune ...) And a partridge in a partridge in a pear tree, falalalalalalala!
• Is beyond excited that his birthday is coming up.  He has the most elaborate ideas of what is going to take place.  So far, we are going to have a real t-rex, so I am sure it will be a rockin party.
• Is my morning person, always the first awake and always the one to wake e v e r y o n e else up.  We are all cranky and he is as chipper as can be. 
• takes about three baths a day because he likes to pretend he is a turtle or a water dinosaur.
• Keeps telling everyone he is getting coal because he keeps making bad choices.  Usually when I get upset with something he does I will say, "that was a bad choice, Johnny." I guess he can put two and two together.
• Loves PB&J sandwiches.
• Likes to pretend to be Kevin from Home Alone.  Has laid out cars by my entry way, made dental floss traps- all the while saying "Those bad guys aren't going to get me! Yeah, I'm Kevin."
• Calls William Baby Boo Boo.

Caity

• Lives for ballet each Tuesday night.
• Has yet to hop off the Frozen bandwagon #pleasedisneycomeupwithanewprincess
• Is stressing out about gifts she is giving others for Christmas
• Made the cutest snowman yesterday on her own and hung it on our front door so people would know that we like to have fun.
• Is dreading vacation from school, she loves school.
• Is reading on her own very well, it finally just clicked and it is the weirdest thing. Now, she will just ask about hard words.  Though I have been waiting for this, I am surprised at how sad I am that she is growing so fast.  Excited for her all the same.
• Has a new friend at church, Maddie.
• Likes playing with dolls and her disney princess clip-dress dolls.
• Is the best, seriously, THE BEST helper in the whole world. She loves cleaning, and is awesome at getting things even her dad misses!

John

• Sold his "drug truck" (as I call it) and 80's three wheeler yesterday so he can go down to Twin Falls tomorrow and purchase a suburban to either sell or keep, we are not sure.
• Is filling out an application for an LLM program (masters you get once you have a law degree to specialize) in Counter-Terrorism and National Security.  If he does get in a program, we will be east-bound.
• Has loved his time at the US Attorney's office. He has gotten to work on a lot of cool cases, a blog post I have been working on forever- will post soon hopefully.  He will continue interning there through next semester as he starts taking classes again next semester- then graduation in MAY!
• Is seriously the best husband in the world, like seriously...don't know how I would do anything with out that guy.
• still plays basketball three mornings a week. 
• teaches Sunday School with me. We teach 12/13 year-olds. So fun. Though, they are so, so, so chatty. 
• Is on a thai food kick these days and keeps trying new recipes.

Mary

• Is way ahead of the ball game for Christmas shopping- go me!
• Finished her 102nd semester (though not really) of school, and is registered for Adolescent Development and Foundations Capstone (a research course) for Winter 2015. After winter, I will have 13 more credits and plan to graduate next May (2015). Like for real this time.
• Hmmm, what else is new with me? Been on a huge mashed potatoes and gravy kick.  Yeah, that is how exciting my life is.
• Is planning Caity's class party today. Every time I go help out, I am amazed at how effortless kindergarten teachers make it look.
• Is determined to get some reading in this Christmas break. My first is "Call the Midwife." Then from there, I don't know there are so many...we'll have to see.
• Has been a rockstar about family dinners- like, I know that isn't that big of deal, but I really feel like I deserve a patch on my motherhood sash or something.

Mostly, things are just going and going pretty well.  I feel lucky and blessed to live this life and hope I don't take it for granted, because I am sure I do.

Sappy, Happy, and Sally.

Feeling sappy these days, and it is the most random things that set me off: Johnny sleeping, William laughing as I push him on the swing, Caity skip-running from my car to the school play ground, listening to the voicemails John leaves me, even the messes the kids create playing together.  It is just these weird little moments that make me smile from the inside.

I don't really know how to describe it, but lately I am just getting all emotional over these every-day quiet moments.

Speaking of sappy, we sold Sally on Monday.  Everyone was pretty devastated. This was our last family picture.  At Family Night later, I was telling Johnny that our family was going to be together forever and he corrected me and said, "No, because Sally is gone. She is a part of our family." Oh, the memories we created driving that Land Cruiser.  We are still in mourning, if only rent came free. 

An Update on the Brassells

John- the big one.

Has officially signed up for the LSAT- whoo hoo! Still playing early morning basketball and is still coaching Rigby's special olympics basketball team, we are going to state in a week! He just bought another truck and is working to sell our most recent one. Yes, yes- ANOTHER vehicle to

mark up on our tally board. We made a list on the way to practice today- 22 cars in 4 years! Crazy- huh? Grateful for John's handyman skills- they have really helped us pay it to the man (or the bills.) This MAY not seem like a big deal to all of you, but if you know John you know that him allowing me to go shopping for him is NEWS- like front page kind of news, and I must say he looks handsome in my taste! :) (and in clothes that don't have any leftover manure/paint/spit-

up/oh you know.)

Caity

Miss Caity had her first run in with the ER about 2 weeks ago- split open her chin falling off the stake center stage (our little graceful one, she is...) Where was I as she plummeted to her possible death- oh just being a bad mother the other side of the stage. She was very brave and

informed the nurses and doctor that "shhhh...my chin is sleeping." while they stitched her up. She has discovered her love for the city's splash park (even if it took me getting soaked to assure her that the water was not flesh eating acid.) She had an overnighter with her Brassell Grandparents and John and I just weren't sure what to do with ourselves- coming home just isn't as fun without Caity running to the door and exclaiming "Your home! I been missin you!! Mommy(or)Daddy! They home!" I especially laugh when I come home and Caity's lit up face tells me excitedly that "I no listen to daddy! And I had time out and I said sorry and daddy said clean up the milk!! I said OK! (giggle and shrug)" And john is standing behind her looking like I couldn't have come home any later. On the 4th I asked Caity if she could hear the fireworks to which she responded "No, its not fireworks, mom, its guns!" Thanks, Brit. She is crazy, but She makes us happy.

Our Apartment.

(Yes, it deserves an update since it has quite the personality.)

Apartment is feeling more like home every day. She is quite the conversationalist with all her pipe gurgling and wall creaking and I love the company. She still needs to work on that paisley carpeted kitchen and the termites we have recently discovered her hoarding- but she's working on it, so we love her the same. I haven't been able to spend much time on her since we are in school and all but I am hoping the 7 week break will allow plenty of one on one time (more that 3 on 1- counting the kids, but Blue's Clues is on my side making the odds a little better on my side.) Apartment is looking better with her little garden and hanging flowers- even if the flowers are

looking more and more ill daily. Apartment has been a good home to us this first month. We love her (on non-hormonal-the world is out to vex me- days.)

Me- Mary

I am just finishing up this semester and SOOOOO excited for the 7 week

break!! For my English class, I am doing a project on Jane Austin and am falling in love with her writings all over again- such a talented writer. I am hitting the gym at bedtime and it has been a really nice get away. Believe it or not world, Math has not killed me yet. My parents are in the process of moving to Salt Lake- really excited for them, they will live only an hour from John's family- I can't wait. I kind of wish my sewing machine worked...and a friend I have had since my first ward up here (as a newly wed) is moving in a few days across the country- I am pretty sad about it- not sure how I will function without her a couple blocks away. I guess that was college is for though- you come only to go (if only we could get that memo...)

JohnnyBoy

Johnny is eating like a big boy now and has like an autoclock as to when it is time to eat, he is good at making sure we don't forget. It has been fun watching him explore the world more and more every day. Yesterday we went to Egin Lake (a lake that gets not deeper than 1.5 ft and he had so much fun splashing around- and he looked so cute in his swimsuit! Him and Caity usually spend car rides laughing at eachother (or both of them laughing at Caity.) It is fun to see them become such good friends.