2009

This year has been crazy.

Highlights:

January: Moved to Rexburg to start school. We spent our time inside due to unbearable weather conditions. Side note: never move in the winter.

February: Got Pregnant! Drove up to Canada for my cousin Craig's Wedding. It was great for Ryan to meet most of the extended Steele side.

March: Tried to survive morning sickness... Not much happened in March. School, being cold, throwing up...ya know the usual ;-) Watched a whole lot of Basketball! Go Tarheels!

April: Finish the semester with almost perfect grades. Spent a weekend in Jackson Hole, WY with our bff's Scott and Ashley Hardy. We had our first ultrasound and celebrated with the news of our little gummy bear!

May: Started Summer semester. Flew to Charlotte, NC for the first weekend in May to celebrate the Wedding of Stu and Julie Briggs! We had a blast being home for just a few days. Saw my parents and Sophie and took our first ride on the lake!

June: Had our Second Ultrasound and Cheered with the news that we were having a GIRL and that she was perfect in the womb. My belly was growing by the day and we were preparing as much as we could!

July: Finish our semester. Prepared for our long get-away trip to Charlotte, NC to spend 10 days with my family. Also, we prepared to move to a different apartment.

August: Spent 10 days with my fam. Lots of sun, lake, and food! Celebrated our 1 YEAR anniversary! I celebrated my 23rd birthday. My mom and sister/sis in law threw me an awesome Baby Shower! We got tons of cute stuff and I got more and more excited for our little BGB! We moved. and Ryan did lots and LOTS of LSAT study.

September: Ryan started his LAST semester at BYU-Idaho (thank goodness!) and he also took the LSAT! We did more and more preparing for the BGB. I was feeling bigger and bigger by the second. I honestly didn't believe my belly could get any bigger!

October: Ryan got his LSAT score back! Good news! He did great and he started sending in applications. We welcomed, Brinley Kaethe on October 31st after my water broke at 4:30am. It was a long day at the hospital but we were so excited when she finally arrived at 7:28pm.

November: My mom came for a week. I cried when she left not knowing how I was going to handle everything without her! Moved AGAIN due to white trash neighbors.

December: Ryan Graduated!! Ryan turned 27. Brinley's first Christmas! Spent Christmas with Ryan's family in Driggs, ID. My brother, Jared is half way done his mission in Arcadia, CA. We currently have 10 law school applications in:

University of North Carolina

University of Oregon

Lewis and Clark

Chicago-Kent

William and Mary

University of Georgia

Georgia State

Case-Western

University of Cincinnati

University of Miami

We have been SO blessed this year and I am so grateful for my wonderful family. Heavenly Father has truly blessed us and I am so grateful for that!

Bring it on 2010!

Brinley's First Christmas

She was sound asleep the WHOLE MORNING!

Reasons why not to get newborns any presents...they won't remember anything!

But somehow, she got the most presents! Lots of new clothes from Grandma Briggs, fun new toys and rattles, baby Beethoven music cd that she already loves and new books from Grandma Steele.

This Christmas was so much fun! We didn't get going with opening gifts until about 11am. That is the latest I have ever opened presents! We all enjoyed breakfast and took our time. Ryan and I decided that our budget didn't need to be large because we already got the best gift...Brinley! (cheesy I know). Ryan of couse, went over on our budget and got me the new iPod Shuffle to help motivate me to start working out and to jam out to when I'm walking around campus alone and COLD! He also got me a beautiful sweater from Target and some treats. Thanks baby! I got him some new under armour for working out, The Village dvd, some new cologne, and the new Spanish Bible.

I love watching Ryan's little sister Hayley open her gifts because it totally reminded me of mine Christmas mornings when I was in High School. Every gift she knew what it was! She would say, Mom...how did you know!? Hayley is my bff. I am so lucky to have such wonderful in-laws. My parents and Ryan's parents just gave us some $$ and so we are going to get a new digital camera and some clothes. I need some in-between jeans because I'm not quite down to my preprego weight...only 10-15 pounds to go.

We found this adorable shop in Driggs that had hand made gifts. Come on, a mini sock monkey! Hand made by some genius woman. We were obsessed and didn't care we spent way too much on it!

Sleeping angel during the opening of gifts

YAY! My iPod! So cute! It is smaller than a stick of gum!

Our fav books from Grandma Steele. If you're looking for a gift, the book Mommy's Best Kisses is soooooo cute!

Ryan's Birthday!

On December 23rd, we celebrated Ryan's

{27th}

BIRTHDAY!!

We went out for Breakfast to celebrate! Ryan is such a wonderful husband and father. I am so grateful for his goodness and willingness to help everyone with anything. This next year is B-I-G and I can't wait to see what happens!! I love you baby.

Seeing Red on Christmas Eve

This past week, we have been up in Driggs, Idaho. It is only a 45 minute drive from Rexburg.  It was nice to get away from the Rexburg scene and enjoy some vaycay time with the family.  Ryan's parents rented a beauuutiful cabin for 2 weeks. This past week, we've been eating non-stop (of course...) and having tons of fun.  Everyone just loved Brinley.  I swear it was the fight to whoever was to burp her after I fed her, or tummy time, or cuddle time, or anytime! I felt like the only time I saw Brin was when I was feeding her! Goodness! Brinley has been smiling non-stop. She is seriously the cuuuutest baby ever. I know every Mom says that but really...Brin is one of a kind!

On Christmas Eve, we had a wonderful program of opening our PJ's, reading the Nativity story in Luke, sharing stories of our family traditions and finally watching It's A Wonderful Life.  This was my first Christmas away from my family, but honestly, it felt just the same. This year, it was my 2nd Christmas married to Ryan and now we have Brinley.  Our family is growing and I love it. I realized this Christmas, that all the extra family is just a bonus because now we have our own family thing going on.

Ryan's Mom provided the cuuuutest PJ's for everyone. Check out these pics:

Brinley in her cute PJ's

Our little family

Ryan's brother Stu and his wife Julie

Ryan's wonderful parents! Larry and Dolly

Grandma and Grandpa Briggs (Great Gma and Gpa to Brin)

Da Ladies (Hayley, Trisha, Dolly, Me, Brin, Julie, Grandma)

Da Boys (Stu, Ryan, Uncle Bruce, Grandpa, and Larry)

Me and Brin

The Whole Group!

He Did It!!

Ryan's a College Graduate!!

(I'm a very proud wife...if you couldn't tell...)

We have had a very eventful weekend.

On Friday, we celebrated with Ryan's younger sister Trisha. 

She walked on Friday night.  It was special for us to see her because Ryan's parents weren't flying in until Friday night and weren't able to see her walk.  We were able to take some great pictures.  Brinley did so good! She was just looking around at everyone.  We are so proud of Trisha and can't wait to see what happens next in her life! Good work Trisha! We love you!

On Saturday, my baby boy Ryan Graduated!

It was a weird moment seeing him walk across the stage with his Diploma in hand! He has worked so hard this semester. I'd say he did pretty darn good with handling everything:

LSAT

New Baby Brinley

and having major Senioritis

(Yes, she really is THAT cute....Thanks to the Marcum's for that adorable Baby Gap dress!!)

(Ryan and Trish with Grandma and Grandpa Briggs)

(Ryan and Trisha with their Mom and Dad)

(All the kids! Stu and his wife Julie, Trisha, Hayley, me and Ryan)

Afterwards, we went to Winger's with the whole group!

We were able to meet Ryan's cousin Andrew's family.  Andrew and his wife Cassandre are in our Ward and they are seriously our bffs.  We love them and will seriously cry when we move away from them (or them from us!!). Andrew is also attending Law School in 2010. We are hoping they will attend a Law School close to us! Andrew's family is awesome and it was great to see Larry (Ryan's dad) and Todd (Andrew's dad) reconnect.

(Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Briggs with Brinley!)

Seriously you guys

I LOVE being a Mom.