The Mills Wedding

The weekend we've been waiting for for the past year has finally arrived! It's the weekend my sister Karlene marries her fantastic fiance Richard! Preston,Ethan, my Mom and I drove to Santa Cruz early Thursday morning to start the festivities. My other sister Ashlee was already there with her two girls. The cousins hit it off and played their little hearts out. There was a lot of chasing around the house, laughing, drawing fake moles on themselves (they like to look like their Aunt Karlene) and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.



Ethan stole my dinner our first night there and Sydney was really interested in watching him eat (Ethan was not so interested in being watched:) ).



Friday was the rehearsal and then afterwards we had a fantastic dinner in the backyard of the incredible house we were all staying at. Here are a few shots from dinner:

The breads, fruits, veggies and cheeses (i could not get enough of the cheese and I think Ethan ate more than half of the crackers)...


The tables in the HUGE back yard...never have i been to a house with so many different colors on the exterior and interior, but it TOTALLY worked! I loved this house!


The groomsmen with the Groom and their gifts, sweater vests and Makers Mark!


Sahara, Karlene's best friend since childhood giving her speech(i don't remember when they met, but she has been in Karlene's life for as long as i can remember). She is a fantastic writer and it is clear how much she loves Karlene and the bond they have. Her speech totally made me cry! It was beautiful.


The siblings (and my three best friends). I love them all so much and I hate how little i get to see them, but LOVE the times we have together.


My sister Ashlee and her husband Jeff with their two daughters Sydney Lyn and Nora Grace. They are a beautiful family. I love those little girls. I really hope they all move back to California soon so I can be in their lives more. I want to be that cool Aunt who always feeds them too much sugar and lets them stay up too late watching movies.


Here is my little family!! Price flew in the night before and was only able to stay until the next morning. Even though it was less than 36 hours of a visit, it was so wonderful to get to spend time together as a complete family. I can't wait for December when he'll get to move back home!


Karlene's dress!! It was so classic and had a vintage feel to it. She looked absolutely amazing! I was so honored to go dress shopping with her. I felt really special being involved in such a big decision. I remember when she tried this dress on and our (her mom and I) reactions and the reactions of the other women in the boutique. I'm so glad this is the dress she choose, I can't have imagined something more fitting!


The wedding location had a great little house on it where the bridesmaids and the bride were all able to get ready. We spend the morning munching on salad and sandwiches and getting our hair and makeup done. Then the dresses went on and the show was ready to begin...


Karlene wore these fantastic green heals with her dress. Not only did i love the shoes, but this is one of my favorite pictures of her getting ready...


Our flowers...


A toast before she walks down the aisle...


Our Dad and Karlene making her grand entrance...


Part of the wedding party during the "I do's". Please excuse my hugeness :( ...


The newly wed's being announced into the reception...


The table settings...


Here is the dessert table that was set up in the barn. I only tried the cookies (which were um, um GOOD) because it was all I could manage to shove in my face as I chased our boys around, but the pies and carrot cake looked fantastic.


The husband and wife sitting down for dinner (tri tip, chicken, rice, grilled veggies, fresh bread...)


Ashlee giving her speech, I couldn't hear any of the speeches because Ethan was crying so I had to keep a pretty good distance away.


Our Dad giving his speech...


The barn and dance floor and Richards brother and his wife...


1ST dance as the happy married couple. I love this picture for a few reasons, 1: The smile on Karlene's moms face as she looks on in the background, 2: the beautiful setting, and 3: just how perfect these two are together and knowing they will now officially be spending the rest of their lives together :)


Richard added a little flare in the dance...


Preston made a few buddies and got his groove on too...


So did my Aunt Mary and Uncle Tom...


And, just about everyone else! The guests seemed to be having such a great time. I love seeing so many wonderful people so happy...


Here is Price and I with my sister.


My mom and brother Martin. It's hard not to notice the family resemblance :)


Sunday we hit the road back to San Diego. We stopped for lunch at Mcdonalds and the boys were REALLY happy. I don't know if it was the food or getting out of the car that made them happier. Notice the black dots on Preston's face?...Those are some left over fake moles Karlene let him drawl on himself that morning.


This is probably mildly inappropriate to post online, but I just think it is so dang funny that I had too. It is one of the great benefits of having boys, they can go the bathroom anywhere, no mater how much traffic or how far we are from a bathroom! :)



Congratulations to the Karlene and Richard Mills. Enjoy 8 days in Hawaii and a long and happy life together! I love you both!

XOXO Brogan Lee

Ethan is Two years old!!!

AAHHHH!! Where have the past two years gone?!? On July 29, 2009 we welcomed our second little Walling man, Ethan Jefferson, into the world. Now, he's all grown up! Ethan is quite the little bully, but also such a cuddle bug. He is now at the age where he is copying EVERYTHING Preston does. This has been both hilarious and scary since Preston is not the most fearless 4 year old. Those boys have a fantastic bond and I love watching their adventures everyday!

I've made an oath to myself not to buy anymore birthday cakes and to try to be a little more creative every year. Since Ethan is VERY much OBSESSED with Mickey Mouse, I bought my first cake pan and took a crack at it. It was much easier than i thought! Granted, I bought a very basic cake pan, but having mastered that (at least in my eyes) I feel like i can move onto something more difficult for the next birthday/family event.



I tried to do things in stages so I wasn't rushed and didn't half ass it like I usually do when I'm tired (please excuse my language). So I made the frosting (I refuse to buy tub frosting unless it will be used to dip Oreo's into) a day before and mixed in the colors and separated it. This was the 1st occasion I have used shortening in frosting, I usually just double the butter. It wasn't bad doing it the correct way :) And I refrigerated it overnight. Then I made the cake and sat down to start decorating. I like to keep a ton of frosting bags around but regular Zip locks (with the tip taped off) work as well. I was lazy (I couldn't escape a complete half-ass job) and didn't go back to Michael's to buy the proper size frosting tips, so I used what I had and it worked.



Here is the end result! With the exception of the weird eye, I really liked it. So did Ethan! YAY!! Success! Because we left for Santa Cruz the day before his birthday for my sister Karlene's wedding, we didn't have a party, but we took the cake along and let the kiddo's (and some adults) enjoy the sugary treat.



Ethan, with Preston's help of course, opened a few gifts from his Amma before we left.



The Mickey Mouse sleeping bag/nap blanket was a big hit. Especially with Sydney. Her birthday is in a few short weeks (she and Ethan are 5 weeks apart) and I'm on the hunt for a Minnie Mouse one.



The "I'll cry if i want to" birthday boy also got a lot of gifts while we were in Santa Cruz, but because of his attitude, we decided to have him open them in increments to try to make him as happy as often as possible. Preston also helped with each of those gifts...what are big brothers for, right?!?



I really hope the next few years go by much slower. The two's to four's are not the easiest, but I'm sure I'm going to miss these days when my boys are big and grown :( Happy Birthday Ethan, we love you VERY MUCH!

XOXO Brogan Lee (a.k.a. Mommy)

Baby #3: 24 weeks

I am now 6 months along in this pregnancy! I can't make up my mind as to whether it is going by quickly or slowly? When I think that it has already been 6 months since I got pregnant, the time seems to have flown by, but when i think about the fact that I still have 4 more months to go, it seems to be dragging. I really don't mind being pregnant so I'm fine with it either way. The last month has not only been super busy and filled with lots of traveling, but the boys have been sick and we have had a few really hot weeks in San Diego which has made things that much more tiring. Because of all the travel and events, I haven't been very good about my eating or exercising and have put on a whopping 6 lbs in 4 weeks! YIKES! I don't think my midwife was very happy with me last week. I'm starting to get a little frustrated because i feel like I'm working so much harder to stay healthy this time than I did with Ethan, but i have not seen any difference. I have acquired a few new lovely additions to my body: a double chin, twice the butt i used to have (it's not hott like Kim Kardashians), arm wings (ladies you know what I'm talking about) and super swollen hands and feet. The positive is that my skin has FINALLY cleared up! I was able to go a whole week with nothing more than some baby powder, blush and mascara on my face and babies didn't scream and people didn't point and run the opposite direction! That's progress!! :)I think that i just have to own up to the fact that I'm never going to be one of those cute little pregnant woman. You know the type who only gain 10 pounds in the belly and 8 of it is baby and the rest is water and then they walk out of the hospital in regular clothes! NOPE, Not I! I'll look like an ogre for 10 months and then have to literally work my ass off for a year to get in one size larger than my regular clothes. Oh well. Its all in the name of cute, little Walling babies! For that, it is totally worth sacrificing my body!



Only three more days and the family and I are headed to Santa Cruz for my sister Karlene's wedding. Price is flying in for the weekend (or 1 day of it at least) and the whole rest of the Barrett brood will be there. It should be a blast! I'll keep you all posted on the festivities and I'll be sure to include a ton of pictures! OH, and it will be Ethan's 2ND birthday on Friday! AHHH how time has flown!

Lots of Love and Bunches of Hugs,
XOXO Brogan Lee

Kar's Bridal Shower Weekend

Well, I'm finally back from the Central Valley. 1st, it was a loooooot of driving and 2ND, it was totally worth it! The boys and I were able to spend a little time with my dad, sisters, their mom, my two beautiful nieces and everyone that came to Modesto to celebrate Karlene's impending nuptials. Preston, Ethan and I left San Diego on Friday night at about 7pm when I got off of work and finally made it to Fresno at about 1am Saturday morning. They of course wanted to play with Papa for a while so we didn't get to bed until about 2:30am and then we were up at 6:30am just like normal. (This was the beginning of the lack of sleep for me). It was HOT outside but that didn't stop the kids from heading outside and playing baseball with their Grandpa.






Preston was REALLY excited to help his Papa pick some veggies out of the garden. Of course he wouldn't eat any of then, but he was a good picker! I've already enjoyed my fair share of tomatoes. I had a heaping bowl of bruschetta last night for dinner! By the way...like that big cheesy smile? He's totally my kid :)


I know a lot of people may find it corny, but I think it is just soooo stinkin' cute to dress the boys alike. In fact, i did it everyday!


After some playing, baths, and a run to the grocery store, we hit the road for the next leg of our drive to Modesto. I was so impressed by how well Ethan took to the new environment. (The suckers and brownies may have helped). He and Sydney spend the next few hours playing while Ashlee ran some errands and Preston was out with Papa. I can't believe how long they were entertained by simply looking out the windows at the dogs.


Preston finally joined us, and all the kids sat down for some pizza. It's amazing to me how hard it is to get kids to eat! You would think with how hard they play, and how fast they are growing, that they would be stuffing their faces! But NOPE, Ashlee and I had to beg, bribe and plead with the kids to eat their food. "Come on kiddos, it's pizza, get munching!!"


Also, this weekend I finally got to meet my newest little niece Nora Grace Brown! She is already 6 weeks old and has almost doubled in weight from birth! I l-o-v-e-d her! Nora is already smiling and doing little laughs! I couldn't get enough of her, but now i have to wait another 3 weeks before i get to see her and little Miss Sydney Lyn again :(


Sydney really did not want her picture taken with "Aunt Bacon" and was a little distracted by Ethan taking off with her wheel barrel, but this was the only picture I was able to get of the three of us.


Preston was DYING to get into the pool, but we had a little floaty trouble. One broke completely and the other had a hole in one side of it. Despite the lack of floatation devices, he still insisted on getting in the water. He was told to stay on the edge of the pool because he still hasn't learned to swim yet, but seems to think he knows how. Jax and Hoss (the dogs) wanted to swim with him which made it a little more difficult for him to stay were i told him to stay. After two drowning experiences and a lot of tears and not listening, Aunt Ashlee and I decided enough was enough and I had to drag Preston back into the house kicking and screaming. You'd think going under several times would make a kid scared of the water, but NOPE, not this stubborn little man. UGH...


After a long Saturday of getting things cooked and decorated and another short night of sleep, it was time to PARTY!! My camera was on its last leg of battery power and I was not able to find my charger, so i spent the day turning it on and off really fast trying to snap a few shots. When all was said and done, I realized I didn't get pictures with guests or even of me and the bride :( Hopefully I'll be able to steal some pics from Ashlee. Anyway...Here are a few highlights of the day:

One of the flower arrangements Ashlee made along with the Bridal Ring Game (which nobody really got into :( I think Karlene is the biggest fan of this particular game and without her as a player, I think others lost the their competitiveness)...


The guest book. The idea was to take a self pic and put it into the book along with a personal message or a bit of relationship advice. The problem was 1: I didn't stand there and explain it to everyone and 2: I had bought a Polaroid camera to set out but the film never came and Polaroid stopped selling the film to retailers a few years ago. We put a digital camera out but i think without an example already done in the book, it was confusing. Oh well...


Here are all the tables and center pieces (minus the cake pops, Ashlee was still making them when i took the picture)...


The flower arrangements Ashlee made. I made about 3 but let's just say I don't have a future in the floral industry. So I left it up to her. I think she did GREAT!...


The hor d'oeuvres table. Thank you "O" Magazine for the yummy Blood Orange,pomegranate and avacado salsa recipe and Butter Toffee and Sea Salt nut mix recipe. Also, I had started off the day really wanting a mojito, but after making 5 pitchers (over 20 drinks worth which required an entire Costco bag of limes, 2 bottles of rum and a ton of mint muddling) I think it is going to be a very long time until I can handle the smell of them again...


Lunch is served! Fruit salad,rolls,greek chicken,bruschetta,corn tomatoe and avacado salad, asparagus salad and a few more summery salads I didn;t have the time to get around to munching on...


Here is a close of of some of the food....


The cake!! Karlene and Richard are not going to have a traditional wedding cake on their big day, so Ashlee had one made for the shower so that they could keep the top tier for their 1st anniversary. She sent the cake lady one of the shower invitations and had the design around the cake made to resemble the invitation. It turned out AMAZING!...


The top layer is a lemon creme, the second layer was a white cake with some type of nut crushed up in the frosting and the bottom layer (my favorite) was chocolate cake the raspberries in the frosting. Preston ate 2 slices and I know of at least 2 slices that Ethan ate, but i saw him walking from table to table, climbing up onto chairs and eating the deserted remains :)


All the guests eating...


Our Aunt Kelley brought a game for Karlene. The idea was she and Richard were about to go out for a fance dinner on their honeymoon but the power goes out, so she has to get ready in the dark (which is why she is blind folded)...


She has a few layers on...


The end "date night" result!...Richard is one lucky man! ...


Presents!...


While the shower was going on, our dad and Tim (Ashlee's father in law) took the kids out for some pizza. Sydney Lyn was just so stinkin cute in the picture, I HAD to post it! I can't get over those strawberry blond curls!


Yet again the boys are matching (and looking for candy)...



Preston and Ava were good little helpers and handed Karlene all her gifts...


She got some pretty awesome stuff...


At about 4:30pm the boys and I climbed back into the car to start the final 500 mile treck back home. Within about 5 minutes of us getting onto the freeway they were passed out!


Here is me driving (probably not the best time to take a self pic) at the beginning of my 8 hour drive :(


Finally at about 12:30 am we pulled into the driveway. I don't think i have ever been so happy to see our home! Preston, Ethan and I walked straight in the door and to our beds, no unloading, no changing into pj's, NOTHING. We were D-O-N-E!! Thank you to everyone for a great weekend! We can't wait to see u again in less than 3 weeks up in Santa Cruz for Karlene and Richard's BIG DAY!!

Lots of Love and Bunches of Hugs
XOXO Brogan Lee