MIXER LICKING GOOD

Dear Brooklyn,

There hasn't been a lot of baking going on at our house lately. Or for the last 7.5 months.

I think you forgot how awesome licking the mixers could be.

Good thing grandma and grandpa had a bit of a sweet tooth.

You were in heaven and Molly carried hers around for hours.

With that and all the candy grandma keeps around the house, you are going to be on a sugar high for weeks by the time we get home.

Sincerely, Mom

OPEN DOORS

Dear Brooklyn,

You have learned to open doors.

Which wouldn't be a big deal except the only doors you can consistently get open is the front door and the pantry door.

The first time you opened the front door it almost scared me to death. I thought "who just walked into my house?!"

Now I always dead bolt the door since the bottom lock only locks from the outside.

As for the pantry... I might have you convinced the handle is hot....

By the way: lying is bad.

Sincerely, Lori

REXBURG RAPIDS

Dear Brooklyn,

When we went to Rexburg Rapids today I wasn't expecting much because you usually hate getting splashed.

But after the first ten minutes you loved it!

It was so much fun. We went around and around the lazy river. We played in the kids splash area. I taught you how to jump into the pool. I would throw you up and catch you over and over again.

I'm beginning to have hope that you will grow up to love the water like your mom.

Sincerely, Lori

ROARING YOUTH JAM

Dear Brooklyn,

We strolled around the Greenbelt this afternoon during the Snake River Roaring Youth Jam.

Aunt Christina was volunteering at a booth and you and I walked around and had some fun.

Your dad even joined in on the fun during his lunch break.

I was kind of lame and only let you do the art projects and activities that didn't involve paint.

Maybe next year I will put you in something other than white and let you have at it.

You still had fun and I was loving the weather.

Good times. I love you.

Sincerely, Lori

A BIRTHDAY PARTY BASH

Dear Brooklyn,

Once upon a time you turned two.

So we threw you a beautiful birthday party.

We invited lots of friends.

Grandma, Richard, Amy, Isabelle, Wendell, and Mary even got to come.

We ate lots of food.

And hung out outside.

And talked and played.

And had lots of fun.

And you were a very happy two year old.

The End.

Sincerely, Lori

BIRTHDAY AT THE ZOO

Dear Brooklyn,

We decided to do most of your birthday celebrations on Friday this year.

Lame, I know, but you are two and wouldn't know the difference.

But we still wanted to make the day a little special, so your dad and Christina both took long lunches and we went to the zoo!

You weren't as excited about the whole thing as I thought you would be.

You just kind of stared at some of the animals and then walked away.

You did like the monkeys, though. One monkey sat right against the window for us. It was pretty cool.

You liked to talk to some of the animals. To the penguins you said "Eat fish. Eat fish." To the lion you said "kitty, come." To the pig you said "Pig, water." and to a monkey you said "Monkey eat grass. Eat grass."

It was a nice birthday afternoon treat.

Happy Birthday my little two year old!

I love you.

Sincerely, Lori

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY!

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA

Dear Brooklyn,

Happy 2nd Birthday!

I can't believe you are two.

Time flies.

You have grown so much in last year and I love the little person you are becoming.

You are sweet and funny and happy and sometimes a little cranky, but I love you so much.

I can't wait to see what this next year will bring for you.

Just know that your dad and I will always be there for you and love you like crazy.

Sincerely, Lori

WORD FIND LOVE

CARS 2

Dear Brooklyn,

You LOVE the movie Cars.

You probably love Cars more than you love me.

If the tv is on, you think it should be playing Cars.

Well, this evening your dad and I decided to take you to see Cars 2.

We woke you up from your nap, stuck you in the truck and off we went with you in the back seat as happy as can be and saying "Cars! Cars! Cars!" the whole way there.

You were so excited!

I think you might have been a little confused and distracted by all the kids in the theater but as soon as Mater came on the screen you were hooked!

At least for a good 45 minutes.

And then you wanted run around in the lobby and drink your dad's soda and pop the seat up and down and rummage through my purse.

I'm not sure it was an extremely successful trip, but your excitement in the beginning was worth the craziness at the end.

Now I think we will wait until you are 3 before we take you to another movie.

I love you.

Sincerely, Lori

A PERFECT SUMMER MOMENT

Dear Brooklyn,

I woke up early this morning and the house was already at 74 degrees.

Usually I would shout for joy because I'm a 100 degree weather type of girl, but I was worried that you would over heat while running around outside again, so we made our way up the street to Walgreens and bought ourselves a little 16 dollar pool.

Combine that with some freezing hose water and bring on the heat!

So there we sat, you with your chair in the middle of the pool and me lounging in my chair to the side, splashing each other and squealing with delight.

Once our toes turned to raisens, we gathered our stuff, sat on the swing, and fought over towels.

While I fed us yogurt covered pretzels I explained to you that the moon was not an airplane, and then I tried to figure out why the moon was out in the middle of the day... I still don't know.

While we sat there and told each other "this is fun" about 50 times, I thought about how content I was in that perfect moment with you.

I can't wait to do this every day all summer long.

I love you.

Sincerely, Lori

CAREERS TO NOT CONSIDER

Dear Brooklyn,

I think this should go down as one of the professions you should NOT consider going into when you grow up.

Capeesh?

Sincerely, Lori

TWO SIZES TOO SMALL

Dear Brooklyn,

After an exceptionally messy lunch that left your shirt unwearable for the rest of the day I told you to go to your room and get another shirt.

First you came back with some red pants. Nope. Go try again.

Then you cam back with some snowflake pants that should have made it to the "too small" bin a long time ago. Nope, try again.

Then you came back with some pink leggings. By now you were getting a little frustrated and almost insisted that I should at least try to put them over your head.

One more try.

Then you came back with a pink onsie that was two sizes too small.

And that is what you have been wearing ever since.

All well if someone comes over and thinks we are too poor to buy clothes that fit you.

Little will they know that you are actually spoiled rotten by your grandma's and have too many clothes to count.

And you are too short to reach your shirts that are hanging up in your closet.

Tomorrow I will stop being lazy and will help you pick out clothes that fit.

Or better yet I will pack away all your clothes that are too small.

And I will teach you what a shirt is.

Sincerely, Lori

A NEW ADDITION

Dear Brooklyn,

We are temporarily housing (or should I say garaging) Aunt Mia and Shania's pregnant cat, Fluffy, until she has her kittens.

She has only been with us for a couple days and we are afraid she would run away if we opened the garage door, so when your dad needed to move the trash can, he put Fluffy inside for a while.

You immediately pounced.

You followed her around the kitchen saying "kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty..."

Finally, Fluffy laid down in the living room and you sat down right next to her.

Soon you were trying to share your Cheerios and Gold Fish with her.

When that didn't work you brought her some of your favorite toys.

Soon you gave up and just stared at her.

It was so adorable.

Then I kicked her out of the house.

It'll be nice when it is warmer and you can go outside to play with her because I am obviously turning into my dad and hate having pets inside.

Until then I'm sure your dad will sneak her back inside for you when I'm not looking.

Sincerely, Lori

PRE-EASTER DAY FUN

Dear Brooklyn,

This morning we woke you up early (which was our first mistake of the day) to go to a ward breakfast and Easter egg hunt.

You "found" three eggs that a nice lady gave to you.

Then you were super grumpy so we took you home and put you back to bed.

You woke up by the time one o'clock rolled around.

Then after shopping and web-camming with Grandma and Grandpa Brooksby, you were grumpy enough for another nap.

An hour and half passed and you woke up just in time to dye easter eggs.

Actually you only dyed half an egg and slowly picked apart two others.

Then a few friends came over, you found eggs, we ate Golden Rod (one of our only Easter traditions so don't forget it), watched Cars, and talked.

Now you are in bed and have no idea that tomorrow is Easter!

You will love it.... if you ever get your "vacation lag" and being sick and start eating again.

But I think you will love it either way.

And I will love you either way.

Sincerely, Lori