Wordless Wednesday

Do you read this?

Okay it's time for a roll call of sorts. Do you read this blog? If so, how? Email, RSS, by just stopping by?

I will continue to post regardless of who reads it, but if there's not much interest the content may change. So let me know! Because heaven knows I enjoy showing off my handsome boys. :)

TV Star Jacki (third times the charm, right?)

 Becky and I are going to be on Good Things Utah again!
We will be appearing next Wednesday, November 24 at 10:00 AM MST. 

 

I am super excited to be a TV star again. Because it is absolutely possible to be a celebrity more than once, right? And don't try to tell me I'm not a celebrity. I totally am! But I'm also SUPER nervous this time for some reason.

So make sure to watch us on your TV. If you have to work set your DVR. Or if you want to watch us in person request your tickets now

After watching us the other two times we were on do you have any advice? Encouraging words? Shameless praise? I will take them all!

Friday Fill-In's Nov 12

So...here we go!

1. When pigs fly Tim will let me get a cat.

2. Bacon Jam... seriously?!

3. Call me if you have something good to tell me.

4.Clap if you know what I mean. (You should all be clapping right now.)

5. The most entertaining person in my life is Holden because he thinks he is hilarious.

6. Holden just offered to help clean my house, who's next?

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Disney on Ice, tomorrow my plans include Holden's family birthday party and Sunday, I want to relax! (I seriously doubt that is going to happen, though.)

Happy Birthday Holden!

Today is Holden's 4th birthday! I can't believe it has been 4 years since I held my little baby in my arms. He is stubborn, loyal, smart, rambunctious, loving, and funny.
I wouldn't change a thing about him and I wouldn't trade him for the world. He is, and always will be, my little Hono.

Two weeks old

Six months

One year

 Two years old

Three years old

Four years old!!! (or almost in this picture)

Happy Birthday Holden!

A Few of His Favorite Things-Holden 2010

In honor of Holden's upcoming 4th birthday here are a few of his favorite things right now. And stay tuned for more Holden themed posts this week.

Holden LOVES Star Wars the Clone Wars. This is what he will always choose to watch on TV. He dressed up as Anakin Skywalker for Halloween and also chose a Star Wars theme for his birthday party this year. He would wear his Yoda shirt every single day if I would let him.

Holden has a love for learning. He loves reading books and finding letters in the house. His TAG reader was one of the best presents we ever gave him. The other day we went on a letter hunt and he didn't want it to stop. He already knows so much. I am insanely proud of him.

He still loves Transformers. He got an Optimus Prime toy at his birthday party from his friend Karsten and it's his new favorite. This is what he has been sleeping with at night and it has rekindled the obsession. It reminded me of how much I now hate the Transformers movies. Watching them over and over again will do that to you.



One of my very favorite things about Holden is his outgoing personality. He will talk to everyone and anyone. And one of the things he likes to do most is make others laugh. Right now he loves knock knock jokes. Most of them are not at all funny, but if he finds one that makes you laugh he will tell it to you and everyone else over and over again.  He got the class clown award at school last year and I won't be surprised if he gets it again this year. Check out the video above of his favorite knock knock joke. If you haven't heard it yet then you haven't seen Holden in a while.

And the last thing on the list for this year is being outdoors. Holden loves to play outside. And he especially loves fishing or "hunting" with his Dad. 

I love this kids more than words could ever express. I can't imagine my life without him. He can infuriate me to no end and make me smile through my tears. He will fight Beckett for a toy one second and defend him from someone else the next. He is smart, loving, funny, outgoing, loyal, and perfect. I wouldn't change a thing about his stubborn personality.

Out of the mouth's of babes...4 year old edition

I asked all of the questions below to Holden today. I plan on doing this every year for his birthday so we can see how his answers change. Thanks for the idea Becky!

1. What do you want to be when you grow up?
A- Spiderman

2. What makes you happy?
A- Star Wars

3. What makes you sad?
A- Being in time out in my room.

4. What makes you laugh?
A- Funny sounds

5. What is your favorite color?
A- Red

6. What is your favorite toy?
A- Optimus Prime & Bumblebee

7. How tall are you?
A- 5 tall

8. How much do you weigh?
A- 9 inches

9. What’s your favorite thing to do?
A- Play video games with my dad

10. Where is your favorite place to go?
A- McDonald's

11. What are you really good at?
A- Jumping

12. What are you not so good at?
A- Somersaults

13. What is your favorite thing about school?
A- Learning

14. What is your favorite food?
A- Chicken nuggets

15. What makes you proud of yourself?
A- Learning

16. If you were a cartoon character, who would you be?
A- R2

17. What‘s your favorite TV show?
A- Star Wars the Clone Wars

18. What do you like most about your dad?
A- Kissing him

19. What do you like most about your mom?
A- Sitting on her lap

20. What do you like most about Beckett?
A- Playing with him

21. Who are your friends?
A- Colton, Lexi, Markus, Zack, Linkoln, Landon, Tyler, Beth, Karsten, Webster, Logan, & Daxton.

22. Who is your best friend?
A- Colton because he has the same color light saber as me

Friday Fill-In's

So...here we go!

1. Sometimes, I pretend like I'm listening to Becky on the phone when I'm really not.

2.Will tell you about the whole thing. (over and over and over again. Just ask my husband)

3. Small is sometimes the very best (picture my cute little Beckett).

4. Being around my family is very enlightening. (oh I thought that said disheartening. LOL)

5. I keep meaning to post about Holden's favorite things for his 4th birthday. (It will happen soon)

6. Hasn't convinced Tim that Bring it On is a great movie ...yet.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a great coupon class with an old friend, tomorrow my plans include Holden's first ever friend birthday party and Sunday, I want to enjoy Church! 

 

So what do you guys think? Do you like these posts or are they super lame? I do like that it's helping to post something and not feel so overwhelmed about it.

Wordless Wednesday

Anakin Sywalker and Yoda-Could they be any cuter?

Beckett really wasn't sure if he wanted to go trick or treating at all.  But once he realized you got candy he was all over it. And Holden had no problem showing him what to do. Best trick or treating yet.

Friday Fill In's

 
So...here we go!

1. While the cat's away the mice will shop.

2. I am fabuloso!

3. Children are the best thing in the world! (and a big pain in my butt.)

4. I am exhausted when I get home from work or shopping or what have you.

5. This may seem odd, but I HATE mayo!

6. My brother is coming to UT for a visit and that seems like a fine idea to me!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to quiet time with Tim, tomorrow my plans include trick or treating and Sunday, I want to relax (but I'm not going to hold my breath)!

Nine Years Ago Today...

Nine years ago today I had butterflies in my stomach and a veil on my head.

Nine years ago today I was in love with a wonderful man.

But I didn't know then just how much I would love him today. I love him so much more than my beautiful dress or flowers could represent. He has been there through great vacations, the struggles of infertility, the loss of a baby, the birth of two amazing children, and everything in between. I couldn't have picked a better partner, a better husband, a better friend.

 Nine years ago today I married my fabulous husband, Tim.

I love you, Tim!

Holden's first day of school

Holden had his first day of PreK today. He did wonderfully, of course. He is in the same classroom as last year with one of the same teachers so he didn't even bat an eye. He even asked me why I was walking in with him instead of just dropping him off outside.

I think he was more excited for his new Star Wars shoes than he was for starting school again.

Swimming, Karate, and Pre-K Oh My!

  All I can say is what the heck was I thinking?

Holden had his first karate lesson yesterday and loved it! He will now be going every Thursday morning. Next week he starts Pre-K and will go on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. And on top of that he will start swimming lessons on the 7th and go on Tuesday and Thursday nights. So I'm going from no obligations to having to take Holden somewhere five days a week! I think I might go insane!

I'm also still blogging like mad and teaching coupon classes in my spare time. Spare time? Ha! I'm not exactly sure what that is.

So if you see me out and about and I look a little crazy this is why. Chocolate and candy are much appreciated.

Cutest Kids Ever!

We had some pictures taken of the boys by Tina Miera. As always, they are super cute! I'm sure it doesn't hurt that I have the cutest boys in the whole world. I love them to pieces. 

And I love just how much they love each other. 

 

If there is a picture you want to have just let me know which ones and what size.

Race Car Driver Holden

My friend Jamie gave Holden a lightning McQueen race car outfit and he loves it! He wants to put it on all the time. So here he is being a ham. I love that kid!

Brunson Family Update

 I have been sorely neglecting my family blog. I know all of you are anxiously awaiting a new blog post so here it is! An update for the Brunson's.

Our house is for rent and we are figuring out all the details for our big move to Logan. It's scares me to death, but I'm really excited for Tim to be able to finish school and finally be able to do something that he loves. 

Holden is in the thick of the "why" phase and annoys Tim and I with questions 24/7. But he is smarter than any 3 year old I know and has a passion for learning. So while the incessant "why's" drive me insane they are, overall, a good thing. 

Beckett is a stinker to the fullest. He will get into and onto everything and anything. He has already surpassed Holden in his mess making abilities and is quickly outgrowing his Fatty Patty nickname, much to my disdain. We are also fairly certain he has roseola at the moment. So he is on hiatus from his full time job of hellion child.

I am teaching classes on how to coupon the right way and loving it. I'm hoping to continue teaching in Logan and make a little extra money sharing something I am passionate about. This is our lives at the moment in a nutshell. I will be posting pictures from our fabulous mini vacation to Fremont lake soon.

Holden's preschool program/graduation

Holden had a preschool program last Thursday. It was so cute! They sang songs. Or, er, they all stood on the stage and laughed a lot or stared into space while the music was playing. Either way, hilarious!

They did a cute little program where the boys got to be giants. You can see part of below.

It was so fun to watch the differences in Holden from his Christmas program to this one. He has become much more outgoing and talkative. (Was he ever not talkative?) He loves to be the center of attention, but sometimes gets nervous in front of lots of people.

Each student received an award and Holden got Class Clown. This does not surprise me for a second. He loves making people laugh and will do whatever it takes to get them to do so. Then when they do laugh he will continue to do that same thing over and over and over again. Kids find him hilarious. As his Mom I would say he is only funny once.

I'm way behind on posting so stay tuned for Tee ball pics, school pics, and hopefully soon Beckett's one year pics!

Letter from Becky

This was written to me on December 19, 1999 by my wonderful sister, Becky. I love being able to pull it out when I'm having a bad day. Or when I'm having a good day. It's one of my favorite things I've ever received from my sister. Thank you Becky!

Jacki,
I just wanted to let you know how much you mean to me. You are such a wonderful asset to my life. When, in heaven, you chose to be a part of our family I know that you knew you would be a tremendous influence on all of our lives. And I thank you for that. You knew that one day we would need you and your example to help us along.
You are a beautiful, beautiful woman. And so unique. And so needed. Please don't ever forget that. And don't ever forget how much you are loved. By your family and by God. He loves you very much and I know he sent you here for a very special reason. So always be true to yourself and be true to Him.
I'm glad you are my sister and I'm glad you are my friend.
Love Always,
Becky

JJ-Tell how, where, when you learned to drive. Any memorable experiences?

I've decided to combine my Journal Jar blog with my family blog. So now every time I'm doing a Journal Jar post it will start with JJ.

I have been going through things in my house recently and I found an old notebook of mine. At the very back were two entries from 2004. I guess I started doing my Journal Jar back then and completely forgot. So today, I'm going to type out the answer to the question in the title. This was written on Jan 1, 2004.

I learned how to drive in 10th grade drivers ed. Believe it or not, I knew nothing before this. I didn't even know which pedal was the gas and which was the brake. There wasn't anything really memorable except that I failed drivers ed. By the time I failed I had a boyfriend who drove me everywhere so I didn't care if I got my license. When we broke up I was pregnant so my Mom drove me everywhere. After that I had a new boyfriend who I was engaged to and he drove me everywhere. (are you seeing a theme?) Finally, when we broke up Becky forced me to re-take the driving test and I passed! By then I was 18.

I do have one story from before I got my license. I remember going to Smith's with my brother Aaron and his friend Ben. They were trying REALLY hard to get me to drive home from Smith's in Aaron's car. And I REALLY didn't want to. I was crying in the parking lot because I was so nervous. I ended up driving home and everything was fine. But I hated them pushing me. Stupid older brothers.

I still don't like to drive. Tim almost always drives when we are together. And if I'm going with someone else I would much rather they drive than me.

I told this story to Tim tonight and his response? "That explains a lot." Really? Really?

Good Things Utah-AGAIN!

Becky and I will be on Good Things Utah again this month! I'm super excited. It did great things for our blog last time around and I have high hopes for this time as well.

I would love for you to come be in the audience! If you want to come just email me for details. If you can't, make sure to set your DVR's and turn on the TV. We will be on on Wednesday, May 26th. at 10:00 am on channel 4.

And if you STILL haven't checked out our blog, click HERE. You have no idea what you are missing and how much money you could be saving!

Alphabet King Holden

Holden was tested at school today and he knows all of his letters and what sound they make. That makes him Alphabet King Holden!

I'm super proud of him.

I did have to bribe him to let me take a picture of him in his crown, though. I don't think he thinks it's a big deal at all.

Happy Birthday Beckett!

Can you believe Beckett is one today? I certainly can't. This year has flown by. It feels like only yesterday that Beckett was born. Now he's walking and talking and making mess after mess in my house. I can't imagine my family without him. Who knew the skinny little 7 pound 1 ounce baby would turn into my love-able Fatty Patty?

Here is a year of Beckett in pictures.

To read the full labor and delivery story click HERE.

 Happy 1st Birthday Beckett!

McDonald's Has a Farm!

Today we went to McDonald's to grab lunch. Holden got super excited when  he saw the sign and said "There's McDonald's! McDonald's has a farm!" and proceeded to sing Old McDonald has a farm all the way home. I thought it was super cute!
You can click below to see him singing the song.

Beckett Walking Video

I posted a while ago about Beckett walking. I finally got some video! He is now walking all the time and is a pro. Yay for Beckett!

All about Jacki

For those of you who read both my bargain blog and my personal blog, Sorry! But I thought this was a good post to include here. I don't think I've ever done a Getting to know me type post before. I like the idea, though. I think I'm going to do a post for each member of my family. And if you have any actual personal questions I'm probably more likely to answer them on here.

My name is Jacki. LOL. I am 30 years old and have been married to my wonderful husband, Tim for 8 1/2 years. I have two handsome little boys. Three year old Holden and almost one year old Beckett.

I love the color pink. My favorite book is The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley and I am extremely sarcastic.
I have always loved a good bargain, but only recently discovered how much I enjoy helping others get great deals as well. I rarely pay full price for anything, but I have to say I have a weakness for purses. Although I still can't bring myself to pay full price for a brand name. A good knock off can soothe my bargain soul wonderfully.

I am thankful to be a stay at home mom. However, if I ever needed to venture back into the workforce I would love to work with kids. I was a substitute teacher for years and know that as far as jobs go that one was made for me.
I'm very happy in general. I enjoy making others laugh and prefer to see the funny side of situations. I'm very easygoing and open minded. It is very hard to offend me.

I look up to my Mom more than she will ever know and my best friend in the whole world is my sister, Becky.
So there's me in a nutshell. Want to know anything else? Feel free to ask away! I'm not promising I will answer every question, but I'll probably answer most.

Disney on Ice!

I took Holden to see Disney on Ice on March 10 and we had a blast! We have never been before, but I think we will go every time they are here. It was worth every penny that I paid. Holden LOVED it! My sister Becky and two of her kids, Colton and Lexi also came with us. It was lots of fun! Here are a few pics and a video of Holden before the show.

 This is mostly what I saw all night. He was riveted by what was happening on the ice and was really mad at intermission. He DID NOT want it to be over.