Let's Celebrate!!

The festivities began on April 29th with Brandon's 25th birthday! His family came to San Clemente and we spent the day together then had a nice birthday dinner. Brandon and I were babysitting my friend's kids. The 3 year old had a fever all weekend and woke up several times each night crying. Brandon was a champ and since I sleep like a rock he made sure I woke up and went to her each time she cried! HAHA just kidding, he really was willing to do his share, but she knows me better and would have cried harder if he had gone to her! the boys played some basketball and walked along the beach and we ended the evening with a dirt bike cake!

View from my friend's balcony. It was really nice to wake up to the sound of the waves and a sea breeze blowing in through the window! Christine was there also, but she is always the one taking the pictures!

Oh the things you can do with an 8 year old's basketball hoop!!

Brandon's new birthday present! He also got some bike accessories and, of course, no birthday would be complete without a knife... or two!

You know your husband is HOT when he even looks good blowing out candles!!

Brandon's dirt bike cake! Does it look muddy enough?

Next came Mother's day! We drove up Friday night and spent the whole weekend. Brandon's brother Michael got home from his mission the previous Wednesday so it was an extra special mother's day for Christine!! Saturday we had a BBQ/pool party to welcome Michael home then on Sunday we drove to Bellflower to spend the day with Grandma hatch and Aunt Diane! Traci, Rex, and Rebecca surprised us by coming all the way from Utah! (At least it was a surprise for Brandon and I, I'm sure everyone else knew)

My first complete family picture with the Hatchs! (Michael left for an LDS mission to NYC a few months before our wedding).

Can you tell how happy she was to have all her boys together again?

I finally got my "Bodyguard" picture!!  Why marry a tall guy with tall brothers if you can't get some protection out of it?

Cousins came to visit!

Brandon's wife and girlfriend! our flower girl just loves her cousin Brandon!

We celebrated my birthday along with mothers day which is something I have gotten used to over the years! 23 years ago I was born on Mother's day and I can't believe its been that long! My family and Muriel chipped in to buy me cutco knives! Diane gave me mangoes, which I LOVE!! Here is me through the years! (Which is more for myself than anyone who reads this, but I hope you enjoy!)

I have a really hard time believing that's me, anyone else think my parents forgot to take a picture of me at birth so they stole one and just pretended it was me?

You know how everyone has those awkward years? Well mine started in 3rd grade.....

The braces are OFF!!

and I didn't outgrow it until my junior year of high school!!

23 years and lots of memories!