Our Blog Has Moved!

I've decided blogger and i don't get along. So instead of throwing in the towel i've created a new blog. The new address is  www.sethandbrandi.com.

Why are you still reading this? GO!  =)

Throwing Away Sister is Not the Answer

Have you ever in your life seen such a beautiful little girl? (Note: i did not pose her.) This is typical sweet little Gracie loving her Minnie.

(Both pictures were taken on my phone, so they're a bit fuzzy)

Ok moving on from the insane degree of cuteness...

I am a very neat and clean person. People who know me call me OCD on crack. So even though Nicci is 4 years old i still expect her to keep her room very neat and clean after the day is done. Today i was in there making sure she was cleaning up correctly (rather than hiding stuff in Gracie's bed) and i picked up a mound of blankets to find suckers. Sticky, half eaten suckers just WAITING to be devoured by ants and roaches. This was our conversation.

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Me- Nicci! What the heck is this?!
Nicci- (puts on fake shocked look) I have NO idea! Who in the world?!
Me- (oh please.) You were eating these the other day. Did you put these under here?

Nicci- Mommy. I'm a big girl. I don't do that. (flips her head and walks off)

Me- Nicole! This is not ok. First, i know you're lieing and that makes me sad, and second, you're being rude.
Nicci- Sorry. It's not my fault friends make me do things.
Me- (ohhhhh here we go) Oh, ok. So let me get this straight. Your friends MADE you put half eaten suckers under your blankets?
Nicci- Yes mommy! And they made me put the gum on the curtains too! ...Those are some bad friends Mommy.
Me- (Excuse me?!! Gum on the curtains?!  And sidenote- her friends are very GOOD kids)
Nicole....I will give you to the count of 5 to tell me the truth. If you lie about the suckers OR the gum i will throw away your princess tent. (her tent is her life.) 
Nicci- (staring blankly at me) ....
Me- 1 ... 2... 3...
Nicci- ok... so there's a small possibility....
Me- (loudly) 4 ....
Nicci- FINE! It was me! I sucked the suckers and put them under the blanket and stole gum from your purse and made a Christmas tree on the curtains! (tears were flowing) Don't throw away my tent Mommy. Throw Gracie away!!
Me- (trying very hard not to laugh hysterically.) Wait a second...why would i throw your sister away?
Nicci- Because she makes me crazy! I wouldn't be so bad if she wasn't here.
Me- Don't blame your baby sister! Besides, I think that'd make Gracie really sad if she heard you say that.
Nicci- Ya. Good point, (sniffling) i'll keep her, don't worry.
Me- This room needs to stay clean Nicci or you'll have bugs all over in here.
Nicci- Well if Gracie wasn't in here it wouldn't smell stinky. Tell her that k? Or i'll count to 5 and throw her away!
Me- (Deep breath. It's time for a talk. and a nap.)

Needless to say we had a very long talk about taking responsibility for our actions and how lieing hurts people. I really think she understood and genuinely felt bad for lieing. It's progress! I love Nicci. She has such a huge heart and loves to no end, but she can also be the biggest stinker!! And i love it. :)

Nicci really does adore her little sister. I promise. *-)

Mother, i love you.

My friend posted this on her blog and it touched me so deeply i felt the need to share it.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHDvxPjsm8E&feature=player_embedded

Nicci sang "Mother, i Love You" with the primary in church today for her very first time - it literally made my Mother's Day. Also, Seth and Nicci (and Gracie!) made a very special gift for me that i will treasure forever. Seth has spoiled me all weekend and has not only made sure i felt pampered but more importantly he really helped me understand his real love for me. We had some very sacred moments that i will cherish in my heart for the rest of my life. ... I'm undeserving of the life i'm living, but so grateful for the unconditional love i'm shown as a mother. It is by far the single most important thing i will ever do, and it brings me more joy than i know how to express. I am so thankful for these two beautiful angels who make every day a perfect one.

I am the luckiest mom.

AND, i am the luckiest daughter.

 

Today i thought a lot about how much i love and deeply admire my mother. I am thankful for my mom who was home every day when i got home from school, who played the piano for hours with me by her side singing along, who taught me that being honest is far more important than anything else, who showed me through example that service is the road to true happiness, who would comfort me with the song "You are My Sunshine" (and still does), who i would find in a special spot behind the couch praying to our Father in Heaven in the late hours of the night, who read Christmas stories with me by candlelight every night in December, who loves God first then others, who was worried more about paying a full tithe than having money,  ...who loved me when no one else in the world did. I am thankful for who my mom is. For who she stands for. And for the love she shows without having to say a single word.

Happy Mother's Day to me (and you)! And Happy Mother's Day to the most beautiful (inside and out) mother and special grandmother there ever was, MY MOM.

She said YES.

Five years ago today this handsome man woke me up at 4am and had me hike to the very top of Sunrise mountain, directly above the temple (where we were married three months later) where he knelt on one knee with tears in his eyes and asked me to spend the rest of eternity by his side. I'll never forget how sure and confident he was...his hand didn't have the slightest shake and surprisingly enough my heart wasn't fluttering in nervousness. Instead, my heart was racing with excitement and his smile was bigger than i'd ever seen it. I was happier at that moment than i ever had been up until that very second. I couldn't believe that the man i loved more than life would share his entire life and beyond with little ol' me. BEST decision i ever made was saying yes.

We have not only been so blessed with each other, but we have also been blessed with these two beautiful girls who have brought us closer together and happier than we ever thought possible.

         
I married my best friend. And i'm so glad.

          The greatest blessings in our lives are right here.

"She said YES, and I said WOW, she said when, and I said how about right now! Love can't wait, then i asked if she believed in fate, and she said YES!"

4 Going on 14

My little Nicci is quite the character. She turns 4 next month and she thinks she's got the world all figured out. 95% of the time the things she will do and say are absolutely hilarious. But the other 5% can be a bit scary...

Nicci- Mommy, do i have to live here forever?

Me- Absolutely not! When you graduate high school you can go away to college if you want.

Nicci- But i want to go to high school now.

Me- Trust me Nicci. You do not want to go to high school.

Nicci- Why?

Me- Because...(thinking of a way to explain in 4 year old language) ... you just don't. Enjoy being little sweetheart, you'll grow up way too fast, and one day you will want to be 4 again.

Nicci- Mommy it's ok. (gives me a huge hug and a kiss on my arm)

Me- Thanks Nicci. It does make mommy a little sad you're growing up so fast.

Nicci- (Rolling her eyes and walking away)

Me- What?

Nicci- Mommy. I'm not sorry i'm growing into a big girl. I'm sorry you don't have friends. But i will be different. I love so many friends! They will all live here when i go to college!

Me- UM. First of all. Who said i don't have friends...I have friends... (a bit hesitated, lets be honest) and second, your friends will not be living here when you go to college sweetheart.

Nicci- Remember mommy. We don't lie. Telling the truth makes Grandma and Jesus happy. Remember that? I need to go to high school to learn how to be a mommy.

Me- They don't teach you that in high school. You learn that in church, and at home...and from Grandma and from me!

Nicci- Oh boy...

Me- (Walking downstairs and under my breath) Oh Nicci. You will be my little girl forever...

Nicci- Sorry Mom. (oh, so i'm mom now?) Hey. I got a dea! (that's how she says 'idea')

Me- What's that?

Nicci- I could go live with Grandma in high school! And my friends could stay here! Sounds like a plan Mommy! (gives me a huge smile)

Me- Haha. You should tell Grandma your "dea". (lol)

Nicci- Ok! She'll be so happy! (squealing in delight)

The funny thing is she went and got the house phone and i had no idea. I walked upstairs a little while later to find the phone on the floor. I picked it up and it said 21:18. She had hit redial and left a 21 minute message on my mom's answering machine. lol. I'm so sorry Mom. My daughter is 4 going on 14. :(

On the other hand. This beautiful creature is being held A LOT lately. Maybe if i hold her forever she won't grow up so fast.

I can dream right?

Girls. Girls. and more Girls.

We love our girls in this house, it's no secret.

Mommy-Daughter DATE! Pedicure/Manicures & BJ's Pizookies

Oh, i absolutely love my girls. I can not imagine being any happier than i am right now. 

my obsession.

I've always had a passion for photography. Seth told me a while ago he wanted to get me a nice camera so i could really take pictures. It finally happened. And i'm in love.

{Here's some practice pictures i've taken lately.}

I think she's precious when she cries.

Typical sweet little Nicci. When she gets in trouble she gives this look and it melts.your.heart.

I only have one complaint about my beautiful camera. It can't seem to capture how cute these girls really are.

It just might be... impossible.

Hello.

I'm not a very good blogger i've decided. My apologies.

Many people have been asking for updates on Gracie. Let me just say, she is the definition of perfection. She and Nicci have such an incredible bond that continues to melt my heart. Now we understand why we felt so strongly to have her when we did...these girls need each other. Gracie has been having seizures daily since she was born. The doctor found out that her thyroid is present and functioning, so her Congenital Hypothyroidism could quite possibly be stemming from her brain. (This also may be connected to her seizures.) To be honest, we don't have any comforting or concrete answers yet, but over the duration of the next couple weeks she will have extensive testing and hopefully we will get some answers. In the meantime, we are just loving and enjoying having each other and such a beautiful family. There are a million pictures i need to post, but as usual i don't have the energy or the time to do that right now (Although i promise that i will soon)... But here are just a couple sweet moments captured during our wonderful lives lately...

Gracie Lyn Rasmussen- blessed on March 21, 2010

The girls were getting ready for bed and sweet Aunt Kaity brought over some cute hair accessories, and Nicci insisted on taking a picture with her sister. So tender.

This is a picture of the greatest big sister there ever was.

And SHE has surpassed cute. She's just edible.

Three generations of beautiful.

"I'm going to have to chew on the side of my binky since no one will put it in my mouth the right way..."

I'm a little bias but i think we're the cutest couple around. :)

We are so blessed. There are no words.