Straightening Makenzie Out

Her teeth that is. Makenzie got her braces this morning. Before the braces
With her braces

Jacob's Vacation

Jacob was able to go on a trip to South Padre Island last week with his friend Thomas. He really had a great time and can't stop talking about his trip. He had a dentist appointment yesterday and the dentist said he talked more in that visit(all about his trip) than all the visits combined. I'm glad he was invited and had fun! He's been missing Matthew and this was a nice distraction from his brother being away at college. Here is a sampling of what he did. Mostly hung out at the beach and went to a water park, but no picture from there. Digging a hole and going to build a sand castle

Little surfer dudes

Feeding the birds

mine, mine, mine, mine

Some of the sand castles people were building. Not sure which one was theirs.

The condo they stayed in

When they weren't at the beach they were inside playing poker.

My friend said she was watching a Mormon go wild.

Exhausted after many days at the beach!

Visiting Erica

This weekend I took the girls up to Dallas to see their cousin Erica. We had fun staying up late watching movies, shopping and going to Medieval Times.

Getting comfortable to watch a movie

Shopping and we scored!!


Their Knight in Shiny Armor

Erica and Makenzie

Marti and Brittney

My chicken at Medieval Times

Didn't finish it

With the Princess

Happy Birthday Little Sis

Happy Birthday to my little sister, Becky. Just thought I'd go through my albums and share a few pictures from the past. Be grateful I was very selective. Hope you have a great day.

Becky and our dog, Pat
Christmas. Don't you love the paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling.

Becky and I with our dog.

Another Christmas. We are wearing our Rangely Spartan sweatshirts our brother Jerry brought home from college.

watering the lawn

On Trail Ridge Road in the back of our truck. This was of course when you were allowed to ride in the back of trucks.

This was taken when I came home for Thanksgiving my freshman year at BYU

Graduation....Class of 1984

Trip to California 1982

At Becky's wedding

Mid 80's Don't you love the hair and pants?

Easter 1987....Becky was prego with #3

Summer 2009

I still act younger than her!

Love you little sister!

Marti

Fruits of Your Labors

Matthew received this sweet thank you note from a parent of a baby who received one the blankets he made for his Eagle Project. I was impressed that someone would take the time to write such a sweet note. Hope all will be well with her son, Austin!

Happy Birthday Becky Washburn

Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law Becky. She is Dale's oldest sister, he has 4 older sisters so he had many "moms". I could only find a few pictures in my albums, I know I probably have some not in albums. Becky is a mom to 4 wonderful kids and has 4 grandkids and one on the was. She is also a History Teacher which fits her well, since she has always had a love for history.

Hope you have a great birthday Becky! Becky along with her husband, Dan and 3 of her kids.

This was taken the day Makenzie was blessed.

Becky along with my parents and Dale and myself,

also taken the day Makenzie was blessed

Becky with our girls.

This was taken when Becky was here in Houston for a teacher's convention.

Makenzie was in the school musical, that's a costume Makenzie has on

and not the way she really dresses

Fun Young Women Leaders

What do Young Women leaders do when they are accused of Facebook Stalking? They stalk those that accuse them. After Mutual Wednesday night a few of the girls went to TGIFridays. Two of the YW Leaders (my good friends)followed and brought their window chalk. They didn't get Brittney's car there because they weren't sure it was actually her car(actually it is ours, she just drives it.) They came to do the neighbor girl's car and then they decided they had to do mine and Dale's car. While writing on the cars, Brittney got home, but didn't say a word to us. After Brittney went in the house they got her car also. I didn't get a pictures of Dale's since he wiped it off before he went to work, but hey wrote Hottie on the front passenger window and a bubble around the driver front window. They also put hearts on the side windows. I had to give them a hard time about hitting on my husband. I also found out my friend Melanie, one of the window artists was waving and making faces at our security camera's, unfortunately it wasn't recording at the time. That would have been a funny YouTube video.

Here is the back of my Suburban.

This is what my friend Liz called me up at Girls Camp last year.

What fun Young Women's leaders and friends!!

Outdoor Theater

Last Friday night, the youth from church went to the Miller Outdoor Theater in Downtown Houston. Jacob and I went since we had nothing else to do and Dale had been out of town most of the week and just got home and I wanted to see him. There was a Tribute to the Bee Gee's. Talk about flashback to my teen years. Here are a few pictures of the kids and their friends and a beautiful night sky in Houston. Makenzie ready to enjoy the show
Smile Brittney

Isn't this a great skyline!

Jacob being cool in sunglasses

We were way on top of the hill. You could hardly see the stage, but you could hear the music

Makenzie with her friends

Brittney with her friends

Another sky picture

Jacob getting into the music.

Actually he stopped performing when I started to video him.

CTR and CFC

I really shouldn't share this, but it has been a joke in our home for a few days. In a recent email telling about upcoming youth activities, there was a reminder about dressing modest for the upcoming dance. This reminder had a whole new twist to it. This is what it said:
" knee-length shorts, skirts, or dresses or capri's are appropriate. Modest tops are also in order. To make sure that they are modest, bend down in front of a mirror to make sure that you are not showing cleavage."

Our new family motto is CTR(Choose the Right) and CFC(Check for Cleavage).

Ode to Texas

It has been extremely hot here this summer, more so than normal. My sister did not appreciate the weather when she came to visit last week so she sent me a poem about Summer in Texas and it reminded me of this poem.



Ode To Texas



The devil wanted a place on earth
Sort of a summer home
A place to spend his vacation
Whenever he wanted to roam.
So he picked out Texas
A place both wretched and rough
Where the climate was to his liking
And the cowboys hardened and tough.


He dried up the streams in the canyons
And ordered no rain to fall
He dried up the lakes in the valleys
Then baked and scorched it all.


Then over his barren country
He transplanted shrubs from hell.
The cactus, thistle and prickly pear
The climate suited them well.


Now the home was much to his liking
But animal life, he had none.
So he created crawling creatures
That all mankind would shun.


First he made the rattlesnake
With it's forked and poisonous tongue.
Taught it to strike and rattle
And how to swallow it's young.


Then he made scorpions and lizards
And the ugly old horned toad.
He placed spiders of every description
Under rocks by the side of the road.


Then he ordered the sun to shine hotter,
Hotter and hotter still.
Until even the cactus wilted
And the old horned toad took ill.


Then he gazed on his earthly kingdom
As any creator would
He chuckled a little up his sleeve
And admitted that it was good.


'Twas summer now and Satan lay
By a prickly pear to rest.
The sweat rolled off his swarthy brow
So he took off his coat and vest.


"By Golly." he finally panted,
"I did my job to well,
I'm going back to where I came from,
Texas is hotter than Hell."

Happy 58th Anniversary to My Parents

Fifty-eight years ago today, Robert Irving Brink and Elizabeth May Israel were married, my parents. They have 6 children, 26 grandchildren and 28 great grandchildren and counting(twins are on the way in December ). I know I have the number of children are correct, but may be off in counting the grandchildren, there are some step grand kids in there I hope I counted correctly. Happy Anniversary to you Mom and Dad. I love you and the example that you have been to all of us through out the years!

Hope you have many more happy years together!!!