Three Times a Lady

Bri and her cousin Lachelle raced today in the LUNA All Women’s Sprint Triathlon. This was Bri's first go at one of these and with the Christmas Eve-like anticipation , only got 5 hours sleep. When morning finally arrrived she wasn't quite sure what she had got herself into. When all was said and done, however, Bri did spectacularly and finished in 1:26, coming in 36th out of 306. Not too shabby for someone who decided two days before hand to join in. What a woman. We are planning on doing another sprint triathlon on Sept 1st. I'm getting pretty good at the elementary backstroke and doggy paddle but have decided that the most important training I can do right now is see how long I can tread water and compare that with how long on average it takes a rescue boat to reach swimmers in need. Anyone have a snorkle?

Bri had the 25th fastest run... This made up a lot of time for her since the bike she used only had one working gear and a brake that once you broke...well, IT broke. (but that was better than no bike, thanks Nick)

Just another jog in the park for triathlon veteran Lachelle

What's surprising about this picture? They're smiling after a gruelling triathlon. What's not surprising? Dallas is eating.

Calves of Steel

My training for our upcoming triathlon

Does this count as studying?

Dave will be taking his first set of boards at some point in the next couple of months. I walked in on him "studying" one night last week and couldn't resist taking a picture. Hopefully some of his other study sessions prove to be a little more effective.

Brotherly Love

When they're not fighting, the boys do have quite a bit of fun together. Dallas, the typical little brother, has a great time following Trenton around and copying him. The boys beat the heat jumping into our pool . .only 3 feet in diamter and 6 inches deep, the pool may not be large in size, but it's still big on fun!
Proof that there really are similarities in raising children and raising a pet. This is how they chose to eat their ice cream on a warm Sunday evening.
Happy Fourth of July! Checking out their loot from the ward bike parade.Nothing like free summer movies and microwave popcorn from home. Trenton and Brooklyn lasted the whole movie, obviously Trenton watched it and Brooklyn slept. Dallas, on the other hand, got all stir crazy about halfway through- so my sister took him cruising around the mall for the duration of the film. We love when "Auntie" comes to visit!

The Brown Family Together Again

All of my siblings came to town for Kevin's "homecoming"talk in May and we took a trip to the Oregon Coast for a little family reunion. We also snapped our first family photos since Margaret and Seth's wedding nearly three years earlier. The bigger the family gets, the more difficult it is to get a decent picture . . .good thing we have Dave's photoshop skills to help us out.

Daughters. . .better than I expected

So, I must admit that I have had more fun with the whole girl thing than I anticipated. The bows, ribbons, dresses, bracelets and painting nails throws a whole new element into motherhood. That, and that fact that she just sits there nice and calm while her brothers beat the heck out of each other. Either way, it is bringing me a new source of joy in life.

We failed to take any family pictures on Sunday when Brooklyn was blessed, but here is one of just her from that evening so we can remember how she looked on her big day.

Such a big girl!

No, she's not really sitting up yet. This is one of those quick move your hand, take a picture and grab her again before she topples over, but doesn't she look cute? Thanks to Shannon for supplying the outfit . .still one of my favorites.

Dr. Dave

We came back from Shasta early to attend Dave's "White Coat Ceremony" for school. As the name suggests, this is where the second year Dental Students receive their white coats in preparation for clinic, where they will spend the majority of their time until graduation. I have a fascination with weird pictures (like the one above of Brooklyn and me above). Below is a good representation of how any family picture goes these days. Our family photos tend to leave something to be desired. Congrats to Dave anyway on being halfway there!