My kids in a nutshell:

Merry Christmas from the Braithwaite's!

St. George in August, why not?

Jason had to go to St. George to check on one of his properties for work so we decided to tag along and go visit Grandma and Grandpa Braithwaite.  We spent some time at Sand Hollow Reservoir water skiing, wake boarding, and tubing.

For whatever reason, Cole will happily say "Cheese!" for about 5 minutes over and over again, but he refuses to look at the camera....Stinker!  Alex and Cole had a lot of fun floating around on the tube. 

Brian got a Go Pro for his birthday this year and brought it along.  It's actually pretty entertaining seeing the footage taken while being pulled on the tube, diving in the water, and wake boarding.  Jason couldn't resist giving it a try!

 Grandpa likes to come along for the ride.  He has a hard time getting in and out of the boat so he would just get his shirt wet and that kept him cool.

 Cole was begging to go for a ride on the tube so Jason decided we could pull him slowly and he LOVED it!  Jason said he kept repeating "Water splash in my face."

 Alex finally got up on the skis this year.  He actually popped up the first try but it took him a few tries to figure out how to stay up.  I'm so proud of him!

 Here's my man with his awesome wake boarding skillz!

 Rachel loves to swim, jump off the swim platform and go tubing.  She kept saying how "wicked" it was....where did she get that from?  I blame Uncle Brian!

 I think this is the first time these 2 have sat so close to each other without fighting....EVER!

Swimming in the lake with my chillins....they love swimming by me because I make warm spots (haha, just kidding!) 

 After boating Saturday night we headed over to the new St. George carousel.  Here's Cole with his Grandma.

 Rachel posing for the camera....

 Alex acted too cool for school when I tried to wave to him while it was going.....whatever, you're on a carousel for crying out loud!

We ended our trip Sunday afternoon with a little early birthday celebration for Jason....soon to be turning 36! 

Right after our little birthday celebration we had to hit the road so that I could be to work by 7pm - and right back into the daily grind.

Friends are Friends Forever...

Cami Jo Bunnell Oborn 5/2/1977 ~ 6/27/2011

Everyone's favorite, Cami Jo Bunnell Oborn, 34, passed away in a tragic rafting accident on June 27, 2011. Cami was born May 2, 1977 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Mike and Toni Bunnell. Raised in a close knit, loving family who shared their lives and time together from childhood until the present day. Cami graduated from Brighton High School in 1995 surrounded by a group of incredible girls who remain her closest BFFs to this day. She met Thom just before her senior year and has loved him as her best friend, sweetheart and adoring husband ever since. Along with their two darling boys they have established a family unit to be admired and emulated. A dedicated member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Cami has served in many capacities, blessing countless people with her steadfast testimony and faith in Jesus Christ. She especially loved serving in the Young Women's organization and cherished the strength and quality of the young women she dearly loved. Cami was naturally drawn to the medical field by her innate sense of serving others and her nurturing spirit. She graduated from Certified Careers Institute as a Medical Assistant in 2005 where she later returned to work as an instructor. Cami was currently working at the Utah Heart Clinic and After Hours Medical where she diligently rendered care to her patients who were blessed not only with her knowledge and exceptional skills but her true compassion as well. Cami loved the outdoors, appreciated nature and God's creations with a reverence that will never be forgotten. Her happiest times were those spent at Scofield and Green Valley Ranch surrounded by those she loved, revered and appreciated most, her family. Cami's legacy will live on through her precious boys. Her beautiful smile, contagious laugh and pure unconditional love for all will be reflected in their eyes and through their spirits as they always remember their mom who loved and adored them. Cami is survived by her husband, Thom Oborn, and two sons, Ashton and Duston. Parents: Mike and Toni Bunnell; sisters: Cindy (Scott) Warner, Chris (Jason) Halling; brother: Zach Bunnell; grandparents: Louis and Jo Bunnell; loving in-laws: Clark and Carolyn Oborn and Family, nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. Preceded in death by Grandpa Leslie, Grandma Mary and Grandpa and Grandma Gregerson. A viewing will be held at Wasatch Lawn Mortuary, 3401 South Highland Drive on Friday, July 1, 2011 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be Saturday, July 2, 2011, 11:00 a.m. at the Brookwood Ward, 11970 South 1900 West in Riverton where family and friends may visit from 9:00-10:45 a.m. A graveside service will follow at Mountain View Memorial Estates, 3115 East 7800 South. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made on Ashton's and Duston's behalf at any Key Bank branch. The family would like to express sincere gratitude for family members, friends and rescue workers who risked their lives on Cami's behalf. "Cam Jo, we love you, we miss you and Babe you're our Firework!"

I still can't believe that any of this is real.  I became friends with Cami when I was 15 years old.  She was in my neighborhood/ward when I moved to Utah.  There were 5 of us(Jamie, Jessica, Cami, Lindsay, and Me) that became fast friends and stayed BFF's from 9th grade on.  Of course many other friends joined our group along the way, but we were a really close group of friends.  It didn't matter that some of us would have boyfriends, some of us got married young and started having kids....we were always BFF's and would get together several times throughout the year to spend time together. 

Me and Cami at EFY 1992



Me and Cami Skiing
(maybe sometimes we skipped school on Wednesdays and went to Brighton 4-for-1 skiing....shhhh, don't tell our parents!)



Jamie, Jessica, Cami, Me

Seminary Graduation 1995

One thing Cami and I liked to do in high school was call each other and "watch TV" together. We wouldn't really talk to each other....just make comments here and there about the show we were watching. And as adults some of our most stimulating conversations were about "American Idol", "The Bachelor", "The Bachelorette", and "So You Think You Can Dance"....ya know, the important stuff.



Cami and I worked at Payless Drug together in High School.  If it weren't for Cami I probably wouldn't be married to Jason because in true Cami fashion, she FORCED him to ask me out (Jason also worked there, he was the "tree lot boy" during Christmas time).  We had good times stocking shelves together and singing "....that's what friends are for...." in our ugly gray smocks.

Later, Cami, Jessica, JoRae and I worked at CrossLand Mortgage.  We had a lot of good times there too.  How lucky for BFF's to work at the same place.  We got to see each other all day 5 days a week.  We got to go to lunch together everyday.  It was while we worked at CrossLand that Cami and I both got married.  Cami was the first of us to have a baby....sweet Ashton. We all loved and adored him. We couldn't wait to get together and see him, hold him, and gush over him.



Cami and I at CrossLand

 

JoRae, Jessica, Cami, Ashton, Jamie


Of course Cami was one of my Bridesmaids when I got married....
 

Me and Cami





My Wedding 1997
Jamie, Me, Jessica, Lindsay
Cami

You can't really tell from this picture, but Cami tackled everyone to catch my bouquet.  She just so happened to be the next one of us to get married....

  

Many people have commented about this and it's true...Cami had the BEST memory.  She would bring up stories that happened 15 years ago and know the small minute details about how things happened.  We had so many laughs about the "good old days" and the dumb things we did as teenagers.

Cami had the most infectious laugh and a real zest for life.  She was always up for anything whether it be performing in a flash mob or dancing around on a strangers front porch with a nylon on her head....she was always laughing and having a good time.  I always wished that Cami would be surprised by Oprah or Ellen with something like a new car.  She would have been hilarious.  She would have been one of those people that make you laugh even though you don't know her.  I can't even tell you how much I miss her laugh. 

You can't see really well here because it was dark outside, but the camera was on Cami most of the time.  You can hear her laughing and having a good time!  She told me after she did this flash mob that it was one of the funnest things she's ever done.



One quality that I really admired about her is that she never gossiped.  She never joined in the conversation if people were talking unkindly about others.  She never spoke badly about her husband, kids, or other family members when other people were.  She was a very loyal wife/daughter/sister/friend/cousin/aunt!

Her funeral was one of the hardest days I've ever had to endure.  Singing at her funeral was next to impossible, especially singing "Friends Are Friends Forever".  





Saying our final goodbye

Jessica, Lindsay, JoRae, Me, Jamie



JoRae, Jessica, Jamie, Lindsay, Me



At the graveside Thom played one of Cami's newly discovered favorite artists/songs "In Case I Go Again" by Mikey Wax.  It was such a touching moment.



I'm grateful that I know I will see her again. I am also grateful for the best friends and family to help me get through this. I feel at peace that it was her time to go and that it was part of God's plan for her. Cami Jo, you will be missed more that you can imagine. I love you!

Totally Unrelated Pictures

Do you ever flip through the pictures on your cell phone and think to yourself, "hmmmm, how random!"? Well, I do. Here is a glimpse of what is on my phone right now (note: these are cell phone pictures....not the greatest quality):

 Jason gearing up to go plunge down the gigantic turd (randomly left by some kid)!

This is the jello that I made for Christmas day.  Very Pretty, don't you think?

Sometimes I catch myself doing very OCD things and just have to laugh at myself.  I get really bugged when my IKEA cups and bowls aren't in the same order.  My other plastic bowls and cups need to be grouped by color.  Nothing irritates me more than when someone else (who, to their credit is just trying to help....and I'm not talking about my husband) "helps me out" by loading and unloading my dishwasher.  Nobody understand how to load my dishwasher except for me and I will ALWAYS rearrange it when you aren't looking.  If you unload my dishwasher I will just have to follow behind you and rearrange my dishes to the way they were intended to sit in my cupboard.  Wow, it feels good to vent.  Moving on...

Rachel taking a picture of herself, taking a picture of her toothbrush....enough said!

Oh, I could just kiss this boy....so much like his mama!

Lovely hives Alex got from the adhesive on his band aid.....talk about random!

 Rachel during her first cheer class....which I didn't continue past 4 weeks....because she's not coordinated....shhhh, don't tell her I said that!

This is a picture of the cake and cupcakes I made for my Grandma's 85th birthday party.  Yes, I am fully aware that it looks like it says 8S....whatevs....

Dear Gigantor Strawberry,

I am going to eat you even though you are about as big as my face.  And I will thoroughly enjoy you.  And I will probably drive all the way back to Costco to get more of your friends that look just like you....because you're just that good!

Love, Nanci

My Little Dare Devil

I was outside one evening talking to Jason when I looked over to see Cole racing towards the street on his little ride toy....and he wasn't sitting on it, he was STANDING on the dang thing.  My heart sank as I sprinted for him knowing that I probably wouldn't be able to reach him before he reached the street.  I was imagining him hitting the end of the driveway and flying into the street.  Just then, he miraculously turned and started heading down the sidewalk.  I was perplexed because this ride toy doesn't have a way of steering it....hmmmm.  He MUST have a guardian angel watching over him.  When Alex saw my reaction he started laughing.  He told me that Cole had been doing that all evening.  I'm not quite sure how these two figured out how to maneuver it, but then Cole repeated it over and over again.  Each time he would turn and head down the sidewalk.  Our driveway has just enough of a slant to get going pretty fast...smart, BRAVE little bugger!

Alex's first day of snowboarding

Alex got all the gear he needed to go snowboarding for Christmas and the poor guy hasn't had a chance to use any of it....until yesterday.  He had so much fun and told me it wasn't that hard to get the hang of it (he must get that "oh, I'm good at everything the first time I try" gene from Jason).  He can't wait to go again!

Project: FINISH THE BASEMENT has begun!

Right after we moved into our new house it became very apparent that we needed more spaced.  Moving from a house that had more room than we needed to a much smaller home is not an easy adjustment to make.  My boys share a room, which really is fine, but the room itself can't handle the space.  They are VERY crammed in there.  So, we decided the basement needed to be finished ASAP!  I'm so glad I married a handyman that can do everything he puts his mind to.  It helps that he worked as a project manager for a home builder because he observed and figured out how to do a lot of the stuff.  The best part of this project is that Jason is LOVING every second of it!!!  I don't think he's ever been happier (and that makes us all happier).

Here's my man at work....tool belt and all!

I personally love the safety glasses/ear plugs look!

Someday this space will be 2 more bedrooms, a bathroom, a workout room, a kitchenette, and a family/theater room.  I can't wait!!!

Rachel gets her ears pierced!

I can't even tell you how excited Rachel was when she got an empty box for Christmas from her Grandma....with a note saying she was going to take her to get her ears pierced (of course she got permission from me first).  So, the whole Braithwaite Gang met at the mall a few days after Christmas to get it done.

She kept saying that she couldn't wait to "look like a princess"!

Finally it was her turn!

Marking the right spot

I think she's a little nervous, who wouldn't be with a gun to their ear!

And Done!!!!

Okay, not done.  About an hour after we got home she came up to me and her right earring was sticking half way out and the back had come off.  I tried to gently push it back through the hole but the sucker had already closed up.  I couldn't believe it!!!!  So, I called the next morning to see how long we had to wait to get it re-pierced and they said they could do it that day (OUCH!!!)  Rachel was so distraught because now she didn't look like a princess anymore with just ONE earring that I decided to just do it that morning.

She's still smiling even though she knows what is to come....

AND DONE!!!!!