Our new addition

So I am on a major roll. Already 3 blog posts in one week. I really have missed doing it. It's good to be back!

This little beauty is the newest member of our family. Our lease on the Pilot was coming to an end in February, and we needed to decide if we were going to keep her, turn her in, or trade for something else. I told Tim when we first started talking about it in October or so that I would really love to have a minivan since our kids are larger than they were 3 years ago and the Pilot was getting tight. But I didn't think he would really entertain the idea. When will I ever learn? That boy basically gives me whatever I want. For reals. So we test-drove several minivans and went back and forth on what we really needed and what is just extra crap that we didn't really want to pay for. In the end (about a month ago), we got a BRAND NEW 2011 black Honda Odyssey and I love it! It is so much roomier than the Pilot was! We took out the middle -middle seat completely so that no one is sitting directly next to anyone else--hallelujah! We went with a pretty basic model--no leather, sunroof or DVD system--and I'm so glad we did. I would have had serious buyer's remorse.

I think she will be around for many years to come...hopefully til we have the 2 oldest boys out of the house! (Not that I'm trying to get rid of them--I just want to have this car for like 10 years, at least!) I love it and love that even Tim is coming around and said, "It's not that bad," which is a big turnaround for him!

A little reminder...

Yesterday I was reminded just how amazing my man is. He called in the early afternoon and our conversation went something like this:

T: Hey, you didn't get me anything for Valentine's Day, did you?
C: Don't worry, I didn't get you a gift, so that you don't have to get me anything either, o.k.?
T: Just making sure. Are you o.k.?
C: I'm fine...

Of course, I can't put my tone of voice into this post, but I was a little annoyed after I hung up, thinking, "This is why I don't get him things, so that I won't be disappointed when he shows up w/ nothing and I was thoughtful." I was kind of on my high horse and felt so justified that I hadn't gotten him anything and wouldn't have to have that awkward "Look what I got you...oh, you didn't get me anything...???" awkward moment later in the day.

I did, however, plan an amazing menu of rib eye steaks, baked potatoes, homemade brown bread, salad, and for dessert--homemade chocolate lava cakes w/ ice cream, Magic Shell, and whipped cream. Basically, calorie overload, but whatever...

So as I'm setting the table and getting things ready for our special dinner w/ the kids, he walks in the door from work w/ flowers AND Andes mints--my fav! Be still my heart! I was genuinely surprised! AND he also gave me a card, which he wrote in--which he knows is my favorite thing--AND had put 2 "coupons" inside. (That's 3 "AND"s...)

The first one said "GOOD FOR ONE TEMPLE TRIP WITH YOUR HUSBAND" and had an expiration date of Feb. 12, 2011. Haha--we had gone on Saturday night and then to Olive Garden for our pre-Valentine's Day date.

The second one said "2 tickets to Wicked valid for May 4, 2011 @ 7:30pm." That's right--we're going to see it in May! Uber-excited!!!

So we did have that awkward moment after all, only completely reversed! Talk about feeling like crap! But feeling so fantastic all at the same time! He definitely got me!

So what's the moral of this Love-Day story? That Tim is amazing and the best thing that has ever happened to me. That he can still surprise me after 16 years, and that he just keeps getting better. He really is the perfect person for me. I don't know how I ever tricked him into falling for me, but I don't care. Point is, he's mine. And that couldn't make me happier. And I love that he knows to be afraid of the phrase "I'm fine."

And next year, I will definitely be getting him something amazing. :)

Yellow Belts

First off, a disclaimer as to why there have been no blog posts from me in a month: I repainted the entryway, family room, kitchen, and dining area over the last several weeks. It's something I've wanted to do for a long time now, but just never took the time or jumped in. Well, as part of my New Year's resolutions, I jumped in! It looks awesome and I'll post about it soon, but for now, I need to play catch up on what we've been up to over the last few months.

Ryan and Sydney had their first karate belt advancement tests in December. Pretty much nothing cuter than those 2 in their uniforms...especially Sydney with the bow in her hair... They are both doing an awesome job in their after-school class and love it. In fact last week, I asked Sydney if she still thought karate was better than dance, and she just rolled her eyes like she does and said, "DUH, of course!!!" (No offense, Ashley, if you're reading this...that's just Syd!) So I guess the lessons will continue. This is the 2 of them when we first got to the gym. Here is Ryan doing a kick. So focused.

Sydney preparing to knock this guy's socks off.

I love this shot of her side kick!

Another kick from Ryan.

We found out once we were there that each child was going to be able to try and break boards that night. That made Syd pretty nervous since they had never tried that before. It just made Ryan super-anxious! Here he is getting instructions on just how to do it. I remember something about it being very important to have your thumb on the outside of your fist...

Here's his practice, just to make sure he has the form down.

He did it!

Now my girlie gets a little instruction...

And of course, has to bow.

I love her expression in this one!

I didn't get a good shot of the break, but she did it! None of the other kids as little as her were able to break their boards with their fists. I wish I could say I was surprised, but she is just one tough cookie! She's so satisfied with herself in this photo!

Now to try and break one with a kick...she was successful in that too, as was Ryan. They both pretty much rocked!

Not the best angle, but this is Sydney being presented with her new yellow belt. Gotta love the guys covered in tats. And here's Ryan getting his new belt. He can't wait to advance again and break more boards!

Christmas letter 2010

I meant to post this like 2 weeks ago, but today will have to do. For any of you who did not receive a personal Christmas letter from our family, here is yours. Hope your holiday was great!


Happy Holidays from the Brysons!


What a great year it has been! Some of our favorite memories from this year are lots of camping trips to Grandjean in our trailer, lots of Boise State football games, and just living the dream and enjoying time together as a family. Here's our yearly recap:

Jake turned 2 in September. He is not your typical 2 year old--he is so easy! I hate to actually put that in writing, but it's true! He is a true joy to have around and is learning something new every day. His favorite things are Buzz, Woody, and Mickey Mouse, chocolate milk, nursery, and horses (especially the BSU mascot).

Sydney is 6 and in 1st grade. Her reading is out of control and she loves school. She quit dance lessons this year to take karate instead, which suits her feisty personality to a tee. She is an awesome swimmer and loves to do anything crafty like her mom. She definitely holds her own around all these boys! She can't wait to be old enough to go hunting.

Ryan is 10 and in 5th grade. He is a Webelo in scouts and will be a boy scout next summer. He was elected vice president of his school last month and is in the gifted and talented program. He is also taking karate lessons and is doing fantastic at piano, too. I almost cried with joy when he asked for new piano books for Christmas!

Brandon is 13 now and in 7th grade--we have entered the teenage years! He still gets amazing grades and is a Life scout, so he is working on his Eagle now. He got a guitar for his birthday and has been teaching himself to play. This year he shot his first big game animals--2 antelope and a deer. He's living up to his middle name.

I (Cathy) am just trying to soak up my time with our last little one at home. I have been bitten by the crafting bug lately and have painted several rooms and done some redecorating. I am now the Primary chorister in our ward and that's been fun! I also shot my first deer last week and made my husband proud!

Tim is in his 12th year at Albertsons and still counting the years to retirement… He has had a successful hunting year, the highlight being the mountain goat he shot in October. When he has time, he enjoys working in the garden, college football (big sigh for BSU), and lots of hunting. He is currently serving on the Stake High Council.

We have been truly blessed this year as always and are grateful for family and friends who make life so full of joy! To keep up with our family throughout the year, you can visit our blog at timandcathybryson.blogspot.com. We love you all and wish you the very best!

Love, The Brysons
Tim, Cathy, Brandon, Ryan, Sydney and Jake

New Year, New Goals...

Well, a new year has come. Of course, I should be updating this blog with pictures from Christmas, etc. Later... But I wanted to first put down in "writing" some goals I've been thinking of for this new year. I hope to look back from time to time (or at least once later this year...) to check on how I'm doing. Some goals will be easy and some may just kill me...or never happen...whatever. But at least I'm going to try.

Easy goals:

• Scrapbook at least one page...this will be an improvement for me versus the last two years.
• Buy my last-ever package of diapers...potty training will also be involved (not-so-easy).

Spiritual goals:

• Write 50 journal entries this year...last year I got to 35, which I was pretty proud of.
• 100 % visiting teaching...no more excuses!
• Visit the temple twice a month.

Fitness goals: (ugggghh)

• FINALLY lose the baby weight from my 2-year-old...it's time, o.k. it's past time...
• Wake up at 5am on weekdays for my workouts...my days just go so much better when I start early!
• Actually keep track of what I eat.
• No calories after 7pm.

Goals involving my house:

• Paint all remaining white walls in my house.
• Organize my recipe "drawer"...it's so bad...
• Organize my master bathroom cupboards...also, soooo bad...
• Go to bed at night w/ a clean kitchen and family room, which will be a challenge for me, for sure...

Misc. goals/wish list:

• See Brandon get his Eagle scout.
• Trim my grocery shopping to every OTHER week in an attempt to cut back on spending.
• Install crown molding in master and master bath??

I'd better stop before this list gets too long. I'm just so ready to make some changes and improvements in several areas. I really love the new year and the chance to reassess where I'm at and where I want to be. This list is going on my fridge. I know probably EVERYTHING won't happen, but for today, I'm motivated...that counts for something, right??

My new BFF

Isn't she beautiful?!?! She's called a Silhouette, and Santa delivered her to my door last week. I'll wrap her back up on Christmas Eve and be super-excited on Christmas morning, and even pretend to be shocked and surprised. But until then, I am going to play. :) This is the very first thing I made with her. It took maybe 3 minutes. I changed out the plates on the plate rack in my kitchen with red ones (they were less than $2 each) and printed out JOY and stuck on the vinyl...it was real hard, haha! I love how it turned out, and once Christmas is over, I'm going to put EAT on plates to match my kitchen for the rest of the year. I'm thinking I could do BOO or EEK for Halloween...so many ideas spinning in my head... This pic totally reminds me of how tired I am of my mustard-colored walls, though. They will be changing REAL soon.

Project #2...I cut out snowflakes from white vinyl and stuck them on the glass panes of the office French doors. Again, so easy and so fast. It would have been even easier if I had make one huge snowflake for each door, though. Next year...

This picture is a craft I did before I had a new BFF. It's just an idea I saw online and decided to try. It's a coffee filter wreath, and cost me about $4. I still can't decide where I want to put it, so for now it's on the inside of the front door, but I think it will move to the entryway once I get it repainted...soon!

Project #3 with the Silhouette...new Christmas throw pillows. I only used my machine to cut out the template for my Heat and Bond, but that helped a lot! It was more work than I thought it would be, since I had to sew around each snowflake once I ironed them on to make sure they'll last, but I'm so happy with the results, it was worth it. Especially since I can reuse them year after year.

Here are two pillows on one of the couches. I made 4 total, and I love them. And yet more walls that need painting...I can't believe I was this boring when we built our house...

I have so many more ideas spinning in my head to make with my new BFF, but I also still have wrapping, baking, and last-minute Christmas stuff to do, so I don't know that I'll get to have any more fun with her til after Christmas.

And whoever says happiness doesn't come from a store, they're right...the UPS man brings it to you! Just kidding! Well...mostly, anyway. :)

For Carolyn...

My sister Carolyn asked me to post about this like months ago...better late than never, I always say. :)

This is what my master bathroom used to look like. I can't believe I lived in it for 7 years... When we built this house, I was scared to paint different rooms different colors, because, "What if I get tired of it...?" Well, I'm definitely tired of beige... Sure, I changed the color of the towels or rugs once or twice, but I never tackled the wall color...

until a couple of months ago, that is.
Oh, and this beauty was a gift from my MIL years ago. I was sure I could find some way to make it less awful...I finally decided to spray-paint it to match my new bathroom decor.

{Dear spray paint inventor, I love you.}


Ahhhhh, MUCH better!

I went w/ white towels and sewed on blue and brown ribbon to match the room as a detail at the bottom. Pretty happy w/ the results!

Here it is all done--or at least as done as it's going to be, for now. It could still use a few accessories, but for now, it's a big enough improvement to make me happy.