The FASTest Frogs
Taylin and Tanner have successfully finished their second year with the neighborhood swim team, the F.A.S.T. (Forest Area Swim Team) Frogs! They were both very dedicated, making it to practice everyday after school for the month of May and then every morning, bright and early, 7:45 a.m. to be exact, all of June. There were some cold mornings, but they were brave and did it with a smile!

Tanner was only able to compete in one meet because of our family vacation and because of some football games. He did very well though. He swam...
25 Freestyle in 18.82 sec,
25 Back Stroke in 26.51 sec, and the
25 Breast Stroke in 28.42 sec.
That's a personal best in each stroke.




Taylin had an awesome year too. She added two new strokes to her list, the breast and butterfly. She was able to compete in both, as well as be an important part of the freestyle relay, placing first many times. Her stack of ribbons is amazing! She swam...
25 Freestyle in 25.56 sec,
25 Back Stroke in 29.16 sec,
25 Breast Stroke she is still working on to qualify, and the
25 Butterfly in 35.81 sec.


Check out her arm (that's how they list them so they can get them to their event, heat, and lane for the right stroke). At this particular meet, she placed in the top six in each event she was in! Way to go Taylin!!

She was very happy and worked very hard! Congratulations to both Tanner and Taylin for a job super well done!!

Da Binky!

And so ends the days of Kaylie with a binky. It's about time right? I mean, she is three and a quarter months old so it is about time, but sometimes, especially with the third child, there are battles you'd rather not fight and taking her binky away was one of them.

One day I just started cutting a little bit off (better that than have her bite a chunk off and choke on it, right?) in hopes she wouldn't really notice. Well, she noticed. She told me that her binky was "broken" and she wanted a different one. But I couldn't get her another one because this was the last one that somehow we held onto for about six months when we lost all the "extras" regularly. She didn't seem to mind too much when I told her this was the last one and so she continued to suck/chew it. Each week I tried to cut just a little more off, until last week - I guess I cut a little too much off. She put it in her mouth for a few seconds, gave me this puzzled look, and took it out and handed it to me. She said it was broken and then she didn't want to have anything to do with it. She hardly fussed that first night and it is now, finally, over.

Tanner's summer hairdo!

We decided to try something new for the summer. Our sweaty-head boy needed to somehow keep cool so we shaved his head. Well... most of it anyway! He looks mean and tough now and feels oh so COOL!

Fish or Mermaid??

It depends on who you ask. Kaylie has decided she is too big for her lifevest this year and so she started swimming around with Huy one day in a hottub. Then she started jumping into the big pool and hasn't quit. She hardly comes up for a breath before she is jumping back in and swimming around. You have to keep an eye on her constantly because she doesn't wait for you.

We had the following little conversation with her on that first day she started swimming...

"You're just like a little fish Bubbas!"
"No, I just like a mermaid!!"

We had a good laugh. Now we tell her she swims like a fish and she promptly corrects us, "No, I'n a mermaid!" She swims underwater with her eyes open too and we can't get her to wear goggles. She is one determined little girl!

Happy 7th Birthday Taylin!!

It was a special birthday for Taylin this year. We were in Utah just before her actual birthday so she was able to celebrate with some family there. We decided to go to Boondocks, a play center with an arcade, miniature golf, go-carts, and bumper boats, which is near the point of the mountain. (Tanner thought it was called Hoon Ducks which cracked me up!)

Taylin got to drive her first car, but she is far from getting her drivers license! She and Tanner had such a rush driving the go-carts that they did it several times, round and round this mini track, but they had it "cornering like it was on rails." (Name the movie and I'll give you a candybar!)










On this hot day, it was quite refreshing to cool off at the bumper boats. Tanner and Taylin didn't hesitate to spray each other and also the other stangers around them. One must save themselves at all costs. Their dad, of course, had the boats figured out down to a science in minutes. He quickly informed us when his first turn was over that if you rock the boat back and forth with your feet at the front, the sprayer would aim directly into other people's faces and actually drench them. Yes, he's one of the kids and that's why they love him so much!










Miniature golf was fun, but it was just too darn hot that day to really enjoy it. However, Noah showed us all how it needed to be done... wearing shades!










When we returned to our Austin home, Taylin had a party with her friends Logan and Marcos from her class, Synde and Brooke from church, and of course, her best friends Tanner and Kaylie. It was a High School Musical party where we played Musical Chairs, Charades with movie titles, and then the girls karaoked to the High School Musical CD. We enjoyed a yellow cake that I decorated with the movie's logo, and then Taylin opened her presents. She got things like water balloons, sidewalk chalk, Cheetah Girls 2 soundtrack, Cheetah Girls poster, the Gabriella High School Musical doll, the High School Musical DVD game, a Razor, a gift card to Target! We took Taylin and her friends to see the newly released movie, Surf's Up. It was pretty cute and the girls enjoyed sitting at he very top of the theater - their choice! She loved being the center of attention and what little girl wouldn't on her 7th birthday?

We love you Pooks and can't believe our little girl is 7. I'm going to have to send you off to NeverneverLand!!

Mr. and Mrs. Adam Koenig

married June 2nd, 2007

Crazy as it is, I didn't get a picture of the beautiful bride with the handsome groom, but don't worry, I got the best half! Just kidding Adam. But talk about a beautiful couple, Cindy and Adam are very happy to be married. The whole day was just beautiful! It was fun for the girls to be apart of it.
By the way, Cindy is Huy's cousin and is the daughter of Le (and Danh) who is the sister of Huy's mother, Lien. Got all that?!

This is Huy's sister Linh with the bride. You wouldn't know it, but Linh was expecting baby number two any day when this picture was taken.

Taylin was quite excited to be a flower girl. We got her a new pretty white dress, she put make-up on and she even let me do ringlets in her hair. She looked so pretty. She knew exactly how to toss the rose pedals from her basket and she was a great example to the other girls.

Kaylie was asked to be a flower girl too, but when it came time to put the dress on, do her hair, and wear the flowers in her hair, she was going to have no part of it. I wasn't about to push her so she sat with us as the wedding procession began. But when she saw her big sister and the other little girls, she pretty much hopped out of my arms, grabbed her flower piece and little basket and tackled everyone out of the way on her way up to stand with the others.

See how happy she is now!

The girls love their Aunt Linh.

Taylin loves the new baby too. She's already giving him kisses!

They loved seeing their Uncle Vu too. They shared some fun moments while we were waiting for pictures to be taken.

At the reception that night...
We enjoyed a wonderful dinner followed by some moments of karaoke with whatever microphone we could find, beautiful songs sung by Nathan, Elisha, and Tiffany (Huy's cousins, his Uncle Son's kids), and some dancing.

Congratulations Cindy and Adam. Thank you for sharing your special day with us!!

Mr. and Mrs. Cameron Barrett

married June 1st, 2007

Salt Lake City Temple

"I do!"

Don't they look happy?! This is my cousin Natalie Brown, now Barrett, and her husband Cameron. (FYI - Natalie is my Dad's sister's daughter - got all that? - from Bountiful.) We were lucky to be in Utah for both Huy's cousin's wedding and Natalie's wedding. We were excited to be a part of it all. They are a beautiful couple, and she was a gorgeous bride.

It was fun to be reminded of young love!

This is the entire Brown family on Natalie's very special day.

I was able to attend the temple with my parents and Huy.
It was nice to spend some "uninterupted" time with them (if you know what I mean).

At the reception, the kids thought the candy bar was the best. Natalie's colors were brown and pink so all the candy was just that. You could fill your own little bag of Whoppers, Salt Water Taffy, Rootbeer hard candies, and Neopolitan Coconut squares. I'll admit, I enjoyed it too!

"Mom, Mom. I love stawberries!" says Kaylie.
"See, it's sooo yummy in my tummy!"

Throughout the weekend we were reminded

of how beautiful it is this time of year in Utah!

All the girls love Grandpa! It's so fun to be with cousins and family.

Maybe we'll have to consider a move to Utah one day! : )

Congratulations Natalie and Cam!! Thanks for letting us be apart of your wedding day!

(This picture is for you Tammy.)
My mom made this quilt for Natalie out of her wedding colors.

Football Fanatic

Tanner played yet another season of flag football and I know he'll be playing many more.
He is so awesome and we are so proud of his efforts.
He is a great QB, but he also likes to be the receiver. Who wouldn't?

Down...Set...Hike!
His team had a great season. They lost in the semi-finals to the team that ended up winning it all, but their game was way better than the final one. It went into over-time and they missed the win by a few, measly inches.

Currently he is playing in an Arena flag football league and the games are played at the High School stadium where he loves running on the cool turf grass.

Our little "Ladybug"

Taylin was a star soccer player this spring in her 2nd season as a "Ladybug!" She played aggressive and improved so much. We are so proud of her. Her best game was when Grandma, Aunt Tammy, Nic and Megan came to watch. I think she made all the goals totaling four! Way to go Pooks!!

She was a great team player. Check her out!

This is Taylin with her best friend Sarah. It was their last season playing soccer together because Sarah moved to Arizona. (That was a sad day full of tears, but they'll always be friends!!) And who knows, maybe when they see each other again, they can get a game of soccer played!

Ahh, the pose-able trophy! Taylin is getting quite the collection. Congratulations Taylin!!
Check out her video below.