The Britt's

It's been a while...

2011-11-26T23:05:00.001-08:00

So I know I just used this picture but I didn't really point out that little fella on the right side of your screen. I know I have a lot of blogging to do for little B but for some reason, tonight, I can't get my grandpa off the brain. I look at this picture, and I see my grandma (obviously) and I see my grandpa (another obvious) but when I take a second look, I see so much more. I see me, I see my mom, I see my siblings, my cousins, I see sleep overs, and werthers candies, I see a Coke bottle and the Utah Jazz, I see a magnifying glass and a pair of perfectly shined cowboy boots. I see a semi truck and a bottle of Old Spice. I see my sweet little baby boy and the arms he just left. I see my grandpa. MY GRANDPA!

Sometimes I feel like I wasn't old enough to understand what happened, to understand what we lost, or what we went through. I love my grandma dearly, I think she is amazing and such a good example as to what a good person is. Note, I said good person, not a perfect person. She has her faults but she understands what they are, and let me tell you, I'd only beg for her faults compared to mine! Haha! But as I say that, I laugh because no matter what my faults are I know she loves me, whole heartedly and ALWAYS. Grandma has a lot of love to give, but it is ONE LOVE. It is always the same, always consistent. She accepts you for who you are, no matter what. With that said, I go back to my grandpa. I feel like I didn't know him the way I wish I could have. I am not going to blame it on selfishness, or anything crazy like that, but, I will say that I was young. I was young and I didn't fully understand the heartache that I still feel, that I see my mom feel, that I see my grandma and aunts and uncle feel. I almost wish I had more to talk about, to write about, to hide about. He was such an amazing man and although my opportunities with him were short lived, they were remembered and they always will be. I love you Grandpa, I love you more than I know how to say, to type, to write, or to think. I hope you hear the thoughts in my mind and can feel the love that I have for you. I have to see you again, I have to feel you again, I have to hear your voice. Please save your favorite memories for me, I'd love to hear your side of all these stories I hear! I love you old man. Excuse me, Old Handsome Man!

XOXO,

Shaylee

Missin' My Momma...

2011-07-12T23:28:00.001-07:00

As some of you know, my parents are leaving to start their latest journey. My dad has been gone for about 5 months now, making sacrifices that are beyond words and now has come the time for my mom to join him. Although we've tried to prepare ourselves for this time over the past few months, I am no where near ready for this change in my life. My keyboard is flooded with tears as I type these words, my momma is'a leavin'. It's so bizarre, I've known that this was coming but I don't think I really understood how I would handle it when it arrived. My heart has been hurting since my dad left but reality is, we've all dealt with it and we still had my mom here to keep us sane. Don't get me wrong, my dad is the other half of me, and I miss him each day. I've even found myself avoiding him just so I didn't have to feel these feelings. My dad is the rock of this family, he always has been, and it is that very reason I knew that the decision he was making was right. While he is our rock, my mom is our heart. She is the fuel to this family, she is the truest piece to this puzzle. She is so amazing, so creative, so funny, so tender, so sweet, so sincere, so perfect. Yes, my mom is perfect, and she really and truely is my very best friend. How does one live without their very best friend? Who am I going to call when I want to run a quick errand to Sam's Club (secretly knowing that we'll end up at JC Penny's)? Who do I call when I need help hanging decorations because I just can't do it the same way she can? Who do I call when I need help picking out flowers, and for the cheapest price? Where do I go when I need to get away? There are times that the only reason my butt gets out to run is to see what Shell is up to. Where am I going to go to steal a can of soup for lunch or a roll of TP cause I forgot? I know that there are a million answers to these questions, and I know that there are many of loved ones that are going to be our support, but I'm sorry, you just aren't my mom. You can try, and I know you will, I know that we will be given love and we will still laugh and live our lives, but I can also guarantee that it wont be the same.

I recently stumbled upon this quote and of course it brought me to tears, and now, to my knees.

"A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path"

This quote can be read and interpreted in any way that you like, but the way I read it was like this... My mom has been given an opportunity, and yes, it is an opportunity. No matter how much my heart hurts or how bad I hate the opportunity, it is a good one and I'm proud of my dad for seeking it. For challenging our will and our love. This has done nothing but test and strengthen our family and the love that we have for each other. Anywho, my mom is taking a different path, and although different, it doesn't mean that it is the wrong one. My mother deserves a new path, as long as she remembers her way back home, and I know she will. At the end of the day, there is nothing that has ever come between the love I have for my mother, and let me tell you, Houston sure as hell won't either! I love you mom, I am so proud of you and although I can't quite wrap my mind around this, I know you are doing all of this because you love us. You need to learn a few things Shell, do it to.

"If God lead you to it, he will see you through it"

Love you Momma

Little Red Riding Hood 2011

2011-07-10T19:44:00.000-07:00

This year I was introduced to biking, and two weeks later Lisa talked me into riding the "Little Red Riding Hood" bike ride in Lewiston, Idaho.

Since we were new to this crazy sport we weren't sure what to expect with this race and for short notice, I think we did pretty good. Thankfully, Lifetime was a huge support and they gave us each a Lifetime 25 Year shirt for us to wear. With that, we decided to throw in a little twist, we wore TuTu's! Yes, the new girls from Lifetime showed up to LRRH wearing TuTu's! The night before the race we all got together to pick up our registration packets, we had a couple of stops in between which included the "Protect Your Junk" booth, they sold an anti chaffing cream. This was our all time favorite place to stop, and I must admit, it was probably because of their slogan... "Lube. Ride Hard. Repeat." Isn't that just so funny?

We woke up the next morning, got ready, and headed out on our 36 mile journey. I really didn't know what to expect because I had just gotten my bike merely two weeks before this event and I obviously hadn't rode that far... EVER! The first 12 miles were the hardest, I really thought I was going to give up. That attitude was completely mental because my body really was okay. After our first stop, I took a little goo and I was back on the saddle. It was such a pleasurable ride after that. Nearly everyone that past us said "Love the TuTu's", or made some kind of comment. That was a really good encouragement throughout the ride and it made it that much more fun.

Once the race was over, we decided to stay the night in Lewiston with Mary and her family. It was really nice to just take a break and enjoy our weekend away from home. It was a great experience with our little riding gang and I can't wait to do it again next year! Here are pictures of all the fun...

Sometimes...

2011-06-05T22:24:00.001-07:00

The other day B and I were in the house and all of a sudden an unfamiliar noise came from the front driveway. We got up, hollered at Koda to join us, and we walked out to find this...

Tyler was cleaning out the vacuum with a leaf blower, hmmm...?

At first I was wondering why in the world he was doing it, then I thought, "At what point did he think... I know, leaf blower!"

Oops, caught ya! Haha, at least the vacuum is now clean.

Wonder what he'll use to clean the leaf blower?

I'll keep you posted...

Math Science Olympiad!

2011-06-05T21:56:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago my mom headed down to TX for her first of many trips, while she was gone Kai was able to hang out with us. Since my mom usually watches B on Monday's, and she was gone, I had to take the day off. Who am I kidding? I was glad to finally have a good excuse to take a day off of work and spend it with my little guy, or in this case, guys. Lucky for me, that same day Kai was participating in the Weber County Math Science Olympiad. Kai is an A+ student in just about every subject so the fact that he was going to represent his school in two different categories was no surprise to me. The picture of him above was before he headed off to school, he was so excited and I think I was just as excited for him!

These pictures are of him and his friend who did the Tial Trials with him. They didn't place but they sure did good and I was proud of them any ways.

Kai's second event was Krypto and, drum roll please......

First Place!!!

As this picture was taken Maci and I were both in tears. We were so proud of him and to see the excitement on his face was priceless. These are the moments that we are going to miss the most but the ones we are most grateful to have.
So proud of you Kai, we are so lucky to have such a smart and good looking kid in our family. Always stay focused when it comes to your school work and always have the same enthusiasm that you do now, I know there are big plans for you in your future and we will always be there cheering you on! Love you :)

Easter!

2011-05-02T20:08:00.000-07:00

Man O' Man have we been busy, this weekend was Easter and in a nut shell, this is what happened....

And a little of this...

Oh, and this...

and it ended like this...

Happy Easter Everyone!!!!!!!

GooGoo for GaGa!!!

2011-03-20T13:32:00.000-07:00

GaGa Tickets- $100

Hotel Room- $50

Room Service- $22

Wigs- $14

Best Concert With My Sister- PRICELESS!!!

After almost a year of anticipation the big night came, my absolute favorite gal came to the SLC,

The Lady of GaGa!!!!

Her tickets went on sale almost a year ago and of course Maci and I had to attend. She just had Reece and I was about to find out I was pregnant so the excitement for a girls night was off the charts! We originally just planned to ride the Front Runner down but we decided that if we were going to take a night away from our kiddos we were going to make it worth it. Brookie hooked us up with a room at the Sheraton so we had all day to go shopping and get ready for the main event.

For those of you that know anything about Lady GaGa you know that she is a little extreme and we knew that we were in for quite the show, from both her and her fans. We thought that if we didn't do something a little fun we'd be the odd ones out so Maci had the most brilliant idea... WIGS!!!

I absolutely LOVED wearing the wig. At first we were a little emarassed but once we got ready we were comfortable and couldn't wait to get our GaGa on.

The moment our shuttle dropped us off we saw this...

Yes, that man does not have pants on. Believe it or not, this group of women (haha) were NOTHING compared to what was in the arena. It was awesome!!!

This is a picture of Miss GaGa herself, she was nothing short of AMAZING that night. We had such great seats and I don't think I was sitting in it during the whole concert. There were so many different kinds of people there and that made the experience that much better. It was like you knew what you were getting into before you even walked in the door and once you were inside it was a whole different world but everyone just loved to be apart of it. Weird, but fun! Later that night Maci and I had an experience that is too lengthy to type but let's just say it was the first time Maci or myself ever felt judged in such a negative way. We were there having a good time and just because we looked the way we did and we were there supporting GaGa some old man felt like he could talk to me, push me, and treat me like garbage. He was set in his ways and was against what we were there for. Guess what ESA, those are the kind of people you shouldn't have working at a Lady GaGa concert!!

It was such an eye opener and such a good reminder to treat those around you the way you want to be treated. Who cares if a man wants to wear a bra and thong, or shoot no pants at all? It was such a fun night and is full of memories (or pieces of memories) that Maci and I will never forget. I can't wait until she tours next year, I'm already counting down the days!

Turning 23...

2011-02-28T09:08:00.000-08:00

Well I just recently celebrated my 23rd birthday! Weird, I am 23 years old. Had you asked me a year ago what I'd be doing a year from now my answer definitely wouldn't have been, "I was pregnant, had the world's most beautiful baby, and my parents are moving away." Thank Heavens for that! I am so grateful and so blessed to know that the last year of my life played out the way it did. I am truly blessed and I am so glad that I surround myself with such amazing people. My family means nothing but the world to me and I'm so happy that I've been able to share some of the most precious moments with them. This year we didn't get to crazy with the birthday celebrations. Ty bought me these beautiful flowers and balloons and tinted my windows for my gift.

I also got new running shoes (no excuse now), a new purse, and some cash to support a new wardrobe! A big thanks to everyone who supported my big day. I can't wait to see what 2011 has to bring!

Trial and Tribulation...

2011-02-13T12:24:00.000-08:00

I'm not quite sure how to start a post like this. Again, I am at a loss of words.

Thursday February 10th, 2011 Jackie Nester made her way back to our Heavenly Father.

For those of you that don't know who this pretty lady is, she is Jarrod's mom. She was a young 55 years old when she passed and was in good health. As you can imagine, this has been such a shock for all of us, especially her family and close friends. I would like to say that although I didn't know her like others, the little that I did know was great. When we were married and had Ridge she showed us nothing but support. Most of all, she was Jarrod's mother so how could we not love her? She raised such a wonderful man who is a great husband to my sister and a more than wonderful father to my beautiful nieces. I can't imagine the heartache that Jarrod is going through during this difficult time but I want him to know how much I love him and how much I appreciate his love and support. I am so proud of the way he is handling this trial in his life. We love you Jarrod and are going to be your side now, and forever.

The Friday after we lost Jackie we also received a phone call from my Aunt Carma in Idaho. Her husband Jeff has been fighting cancer since 2008 (I believe) and Friday she called to tell us his fight was coming to an end. Unfortunately, the ugly thing we call cancer was taking his life. The moment we heard the news we knew we had to be there with the family. My mom and I hit the road Saturday morning and arrived to Burley around 12:45. I should first tell you that I've never seen cancer first hand, I've never seen the disease that far along in the process. Let me tell you, that is something that I hope to never see again. Unfortunately, growing up in Utah made it a little difficult to have a real close relationship with my dad's family so I didn't know him all that well but what I did know, was not lying in that bed. The Uncle Jeff that I knew was loud, and funny, and his laugh was unforgetable!

I'd like to tell my Aunt Carma and her girls how much I love them and how much I look up to them for their strength. They are going through something right now that is not fair. It is not fair that they have to sit in that hospital room and watch their father lose his life to cancer. He is only 47 years old, he had so much more to give, so much more to teach. I know that the future is going to be tough for this family and I want them to know that we are here for them all along the way. I really do believe that everything happens for a reason and that what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. It has to.

We will miss you Uncle Jeff...

Reason I'll miss him...

2011-02-09T18:02:00.001-08:00

So I hate to turn every post in to a sob story about how my family is moving but it all seems to relate somehow. This post is about one of the first loves of my life, Kai Nicholas Featherstone. He truly is a little blessing that has a special place in my heart. I like to think that he and I have a different kind of relationship, really, he is one of my best friends. Maybe it's because we've been so close ever since he has been so small, regardless, this little man packs a lot of love, character, and humor.

The other night he and my mom were at my house helping me with the basement... he had opened a soda too late and my mom wouldn't let him drink it. She told him that he could put it in the fridge and save it for later. The next morning I opened the fridge and found this...

She meant that he could save it and put it in HIS fridge... haha! This kid is a crack up! I'm sure going to miss these little moments...

And he's off...

2011-01-30T19:17:00.000-08:00

I'm currently running on about 4 hours of sleep and although I can't find the words, I need to work something up just to release some of these feelings. Today we woke up and sent my dad on his way with his new chapter. Although I knew it as coming, the day has been nothing but tragic. And yes, I am using the word tragic because it's the best way for me to describe it. I miss him already and knowing that although he'll be back to visit in a few short months, it doesn't seem to be good enough for me. BUT THEN... I read my post below about my grandpa and I'm nothing but grateful that I do still have my dad and that I will see him again and soon enough he will be home. I know that my heart isn't the only one hurting, this is affecting our entire family. Now is the time that we need each other most and it really is funny how we've all become closer just over the past few weeks. I'd also say that with this experience we're all closer to our Heavenly Father and that is such a blessing for us all.

Going to the airport to send him off was harder than I thought it would be. I think the pictures explain it all...

Good Luck Dad, I am proud of you!

Who's ugly kid are you?

2011-01-25T19:21:00.000-08:00

I remember it as if it were yesterday, and I not a day goes by that I don't think of you. Although I know you are where you belong, I can't help but be selfish and wish you were here with us. I know that almost, if not everyone, has someone that they wish they could bring back... just for one day. I was only 12 when you passed away, I didn't have nearly as much time with you that I needed. Someone just needed you more. I like to think that the ones who needed you the most are all the little "loves" that are here with us now. I think they needed some reassurance and preparation for the world they were coming to, they needed their grandpa.

I know that if you could, you'd tell us to take care of grandma. I'll be honest, I haven't been as good as I need to be. She is such an amazing woman, and she deserves more than we've all been giving her. I know why you married her grandpa, you were one lucky duck :)

I just want you to know that I do have regrets, I wish I would have spent more time with you and that I would have told you how much I love you. I know we can't live with the "shoulda, coulda, woulda's" but you truly are the only man that I'd be proud to call my grandpa. I look at my baby boy and I know that he just left your arms and I find comfort knowing that you knew him before I did. I hope you gave him some good advice, especially to mind his mother! I miss you grandpa and I can't wait until we meet again.

Love you!

Bitter Sweet?

2011-01-18T17:57:00.001-08:00

(Or LONELY Star State)

The Struchen's are facing a new change and I've been more than hesitant to blog about it, reason being, I can't really find the words. It has literally taken me 3 different times to finish this short post. As some of you may have heard, my parents and Kai are headed to Houston. My dad has been given an amazing opportunity with Kroger and they are taking advantage of it. What does this mean for me? Well at first I thought of it as an awesome opportunity but now the selfishness and the hormones have kicked in and my heart is hurting. So over the next few months, maybe years, this blog is going to be a form of therapy for me and my crazy emotions.

I know that some of you reading this are thinking, "Well people do this all the time", and you're right, people do have this happen all the time. One problem, this kind of thing just doesn't happen to me and my family. Really, each one of us kids moved out and bought a home within 2 miles of my mom and dad and I don't think it was just by coincidence. Not only do we depend on them as our parents, they are truly our best friends. Now that Ridge is here, the cut seems that much deeper. He is going to have to have a long distance relationship with his grandparents and Uncle Kai and that just isn't the same. I know that we will make due and I know that it doesn't mean that they can't have a strong relationship, it just wont be as easy. My dad is headed to Texas in just a couple short weeks where he'll be looking for their new house and getting things situated. Luckily, we get to have my mom for the next couple of months until Kai is out of school. We are going to take advantage of the time that we have together and start to learn how to prepare for our future.

As we move forward I'm sure you'll be hearing from me.

Goose Hunt!

2011-01-09T17:39:00.000-08:00

So as many of you know, when you have a husband that hunts he tends to be missing during certain times of the year. Right now is definitely one of those times! Every weekend Ty gets up before the sun and either heads to the river for a duck or is out on the prowl for a goose. Over the weekend Tyler and his buddy Steve thought they'd try Grandma Singleton's property as a new stomping ground and they are sure glad they did...

My phone rang Saturday morning and on the other end of the phone was an overwhelmed and excited Tyler! He was so excited to tell me all about their experience that morning and how they didn't just shoot a goose, they shot a BANDED goose! We are still waiting to find the details on this guy but Steve said that he was banded in 2003 which is pretty cool. I know that Ty enjoys hangjng out with his buddies, I'm glad he has such good friends that he can spend time with doing what he loves.

Congrats on the goose love!

Grateful...

2010-12-28T19:47:00.001-08:00

Well Christmas is officially over and although it is such a fun time of year I am nothing but relieved. Now we can focus 100% on this baby and getting him home.

So how was our Christmas? As it is every year, AMAZING. We were completely spoiled rotten and as usual, it was so good to spend time with family. Christmas changes as you get older and some of that magic seems to disappear... LUCKILY we have 5 young kiddos that have helped keep that magic alive. Watching Kai, Tielyr, Porter, Canyon, and Linc this year was so much fun. Just watching them look through the weekly ad was funny.

Christmas Eve was spent at the Struke's playing games and eating the best finger foods! Since Tyler and I weren't doing our own Christmas this year he was a champ and stayed at my moms with me. He really was a good sport. Kai and I have spent the last 5 years together on Christmas Eve and since this could be his last year believing, I didn't want to miss it. He slept on the top bunk while Tyler and I shared the futon. You could just hear the anxiety in the sheets, he kept tossing and turning and could not hold still. When we woke up we had to coordinate with Maci and Drew so we could all see what Santa brought at the same time. Kai was anxious but was able to wait for everyone to get there. It was sure fun to see the smile on his face as we opened gifts, I'm going to miss those memories with him as he gets older.

After spending time with my family Tyler and I headed home, showered, and we were back in the car to visit with Chad and Lisa. As usual, saying that they spoiled us would be an understatement. These two crazy kooks are like Mr. and Mrs. Claus themselves. I wish I would have had my camera to take pictures of all the fun gifts and food, next year I'll capture it all with my new Canon Rebel!!!

Thank you to everyone who was able to share the holiday season with us this year. We love all of you and are grateful for your love and friendship. Next year Baby B will be here to join in the family traditions and to create new ones!

Not so Holly Jolly...

2010-12-11T22:52:00.000-08:00

I hate to admit it but this is me this year :( For those of you who may not know me very well I absolutely LOVE the holiday season. There is nothing better than food, fun, and family. I also love to decorate my house and enjoy all the festivities. This year, not so much. We decided that we weren't going to put up a Christmas tree, mostly because we like to cut one down and this year that was so much work for us to do before the baby gets here. I really do have a lot of other things going on that I need to worry about. I did debate on whether or not I'd pull out all of my cute Christmas decorations, again, the verdict was unsucessful. I pulled out all of my Christmas totes from under the house, took one look at them, and put them right back. I hate that I'm being a grinch but just thinking about putting it all up makes me feel exhausted. I don't even want to think about taking it all down! Plus, if we didn't take it all down right away we'd risk having it out when the baby got here. It just isn't something I want to deal with. Don't worry, this isn't something I plan on ever doing again! Once B is here we will pull out all the lights and decor, I think every kid needs to have a little extra spunk in their holiday and my house will be all Christmas!

Cow Hunt 2010

2010-11-16T20:00:00.000-08:00

While the girls stayed home to throw me the world's best shower (more to come) Tyler and the boys headed to the mountains. This year was much more exciting because they took the little ones with them to have their own mountain man experience. I think it's so awesome to have a family that can do these things together, it makes it easy for all the important things in our lives. Since I wasn't there I don't have a story to tell but I know the group had a good time and the kids were sure excited. Good job Tyler, so proud of you!

Here are a few pics...

It's true, a family that plays together... stays together!

Pumpkin Carving

2010-11-07T17:47:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again where we bust out the plastic table cloths and get our carve on. I wasn't going to do it again this year but Porter and his rain man memory, we couldn't let him down. All the kids came over and we started to carve away.

My camera died so I didn't get a picture of the final outcome but they all turned out really cute and we had a really good time with the kiddos. Next year I think we'll follow Stef's idea and turn our carving party into a painting party! Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!

Thriller!!!

2010-10-12T17:36:00.000-07:00

The temperature is changing, the leaves are falling, and fall is here! With fall comes the beginning of the holiday season, starting with Halloween. Last year was our first year attending Thriller and once we saw it we decided it would be an annual event. Unfortunately, this year it came sooner than we thought so we weren't able to get everyone to come. Grandma in particular, she was in Seattle visiting Brookie and was super bummed she had to miss out. We had a ton of fun and can't wait for next years performance!

Before the show we went to Javier's for dinner, yummy!

Kai also joined us this year, he loved it... UNTIL we were getting ready to leave. If you've ever been to Thriller you know that at the end of the show all of the dancers run out into the lobby where they walk around looking creepy and scaring people. After the show we seen these people and I told Kai. "Go stand by her so we can get your picture." His reply? "NO!!!" He immediately grabbed my mom and headed straight for the door. He kept saying, "Just keep moving Shell, keep moving." Although he was terrified, it was HILARIOUS! Then walking out, one gal was walking, I was watching her the entire time, but as soon as I passed her she hissed at me and scared the pee out of me... Literally! Haha! When we got in the car we were all talking about how we couldn't wait to see it next year, I told Kai that Darren would have to come next time. His reply? "Oh I'm not coming next year." When I asked him why not he told me, "I have a schedule." haha! Such a character that kid!

I had such a good time with Kai and these two lovely ladies, love you guys!

I think I've lost it!!!

2010-10-05T19:59:00.001-07:00

Well folks, I don't know if it's a mixture of the crazy pregnancy brain and my insecurities or if I really am just out of my mind. What have I done now? I signed up for the...

2011 Ogden Half Marathon!!!

The Marathon is not until May but guess what? I'm having a baby at the end of January which means I'll have just over two months to train for this race. Is this something I can do? Sure it is, but I have a feeling it is going to be A LOT harder than Ragnar ever was. Although it is going to be hard, I think it is a goal that I needed to set for myself. I hate the physical changes that pregnancy brings and I do not want to give myself time to get comfortable with my chubby self. I really started to enjoy running when I was doing it, it is such a personal activity and it really did give you a sense of self accomplishment. I told Tyler about my adventure and he is nothing but supportive. It's such an important factor when setting such a hard goal and I appreciate every ounce of it! I'll keep you all posted on my progress, wish me luck!

"It's another BYU..."

2010-09-09T19:29:00.000-07:00

Well since we decided not to go to Lava over Labor Day like we usually do, that left me home when the weekend finally came. Tyler headed to the mountains for the archery hunt and I stayed home to hang with G-Money and her guests from Seattle. To make a long story short, Grandma and the folks up in SEA have a rivalry between BYU and the Huskies. When she was there she had mentioned that next time the Huskies play BYU they should come down, well... they did! Joe, who is Justin and Jesse's dad had bought two tickets to the game and jumped on a flight to Utah. Grandma didn't want to go alone so I jumped on KSL and found a ticket for $2o. Since they were bleacher seats we just squeezed together so I didn't have to sit alone. Although I'm not a huge football fan, it was time well spent with one of the world's greatest women and I'm glad I was able to add that to the memory books, love you Grandma!

Lava Hot Springs

2010-08-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

We just spent a 3 day weekend in Lava Hot Springs, it's an annual trip that we make and it is always a good time with family. This year mom and dad stayed home but the Britt's and the Hakala's headed out. Kai didn't want to miss out on the fun so he came along for the ride, it was good to spend time with him. He is one of my little heros and I love him more than he will ever know! The weather was a little damper on our fun but we made the most of it.

Kai will be celebrating his 9th birthday next weekend and since they will be up in East Canyon we decided to do a small celebration in Lava with the group of us. We had all pitched in and bought Kai one of the new Lifetime soccer goals. Thank goodness for that, it kept him busy when we couldn't. Happy Birthday Kai, love you!

Kai and my first little girl Koda, she hasn't been feeling well but she sure is in a good mood when her buddy Kai is around!

Kai was dead set on NOT jumping off the platforms, however, we were able to talk him into getting a wrist band "just in case" he had changed his mind. He went up to the first platform and jumped! What the What?! Next thing you know he was walking up the stairs again and went right pass level one, this kid was going to 2.... he did have hesitation on level 2 but after a couple of minutes... SPLASH he had done it! He was so excited and proud of himself, it was sure cute to watch him and I was sure proud of him too!
My sweet little Reecy Piecy... love her so much!

And world, this is little Miss Tielyr! If this picture doesn't tell you anything about her I don't know what will. I absolutely love this little ball of adventure, she is such a hoot!

EXTRA... EXTRA!!!!

2010-08-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

So much has happened since my last blog, holidays, birthdays, vacations, weddings, and a little thing called a baby. Go ahead, read that sentence once more time... Baby. Tyler and I are pleased to announce that we are in fact PREGNANT!!! Right before we went out for our first camping trip I took a pregnancy test (Okay 6) and it was positive. Once I found out I was pregnant I began writing. Since then I've put all of my journals into a blog so instead of duplicating each story, just stop on by and you can read up on little Baby B. The blog address is https://ourbabybritt.blogspot.com/

I'm back!!!

2010-08-19T15:49:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, sorry I've taken a couple of months off :( Our computer crashed and it has taken me until now to just give up and buy a new one! If you've gone private please be sure to add me to your list, my new email is ShayBritt@hotmail.com, PLEASE don't forget, I feel like I've missed out on so much. And let me tell you... You've missed out on a TON so I'm going to be spending the weekend updating my blog... or should I say blogs...? More to come!

Date night...

2010-01-31T11:33:00.000-08:00

Since I moved out of the house Kai and I haven't been able to hang out like we used to, I can't even remember the last time we built a dang fort! Well thanks to the generous company I work for, we had a date night that I knew Kai would love! We were headed to the Jazz game! I knew Kai would love it so when I called to tell him that we had a date, I told him it was a surprise BUT he had to wear his Jazz jersey. He said, "Okay, Okay, gotta go bye!" My mom told me that as soon as he hung up the phone he ran straight to the TV to see if the Jazz game had a home game that night. Sure enough, they did and he figured it all out. Since a friend of mine also had tickets we decided to make a fun date out of it. I took Kai, and she took her son. We headed down to the Gateway for dinner at the Skybox (Not a fan). The kids seemed to enjoy their food though!

After we ate, we headed over to the other side of the building to play in the arcade (Fan). AND as a bonus, it was only $3 for unlimited play so we were able to try every game without running out of money! As you can imagine, it was pretty sweet for two young boys :)

Once we got to the game I think Kai was a little struck with how awesome our seats were. It was a pretty cool exprience for him and it was definitely fun for me to take him. The boys had a lot of fun together, at half time we went out to go to the restroom and get treats where Kai spotted out Thurl Bailey! He said to me, "Shay, do you know who that is?" I turned and looked at him and said, "Do you?" I mean what 8 year old gets excited over seeing Thurl Bailey? THIS SPORTS NUT! As you can tell, Isaiah was more interested in his fresh nachos :)

Such a fun night for me and my little guy, love you Kai!

Front Runner... Front Runner...

2010-01-31T10:09:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago Tyler and I had to take a trip to Salt Lake to pick up my wedding ring. Since we were taking Front Runner, why not take the kids? We knew we could take Kai and Tielyr but we really wanted to take the other two as well. We asked Ryan and Stef if we could take the kids and to our surprise they said yes! We were SO excited, we hadn't ever taken the kids alone before so we wanted to make sure it was a fun time. We picked up Porter and Canyon and headed to the gas station to pick out treats for the other kids. Canyon was so cute, everything she picked out for herself she HAD to get for baby Tielyr too. It was such a fun day for Tyler and I, we learned so much about about the kids and we were definitely able to see a different side to each of their personalities.

Porter and Canyon were such good helpers with baby Tielyr. They were always wanting to hold her hand and give her loves, so so cute. To my surprise, she didn't mind it either. Usually she is a pretty independent girl that likes to do everything on her own but she really liked playing with the other kids.

No, Kai wasn't hiding from the camera, he just wasn't around for all the pictures. He had stayed the night with LeAnn the night before so we picked him up at the Layton stop. Porter was so excited for Kai to come, and once they were united it was like watching a game of Simon Says. Kai would run, Porter would run. Kai would laugh, Porter would laugh. So fun to watch them together.

Lagoon has nothing on the Gateway escalator! These kids were fascinated with this thing. Again, Again, Again! I have a feeling that if it would have been a little warmer outside we would have spent half the day here.

You may be wondering what it is that they are pointing at...? Well world, this is Max the Pigeon. On our walk to pick up my ring we saw this little guy sitting in the corner and the kids went wild. I must say that Porter used his hunting senses and spotted him first, he yelled "Hey, me fink dis is real!" Once he said that the kids ran to the bird, Tyler and I both immediately yelled back, "Don't touch it!" Haha! Kai came up with the name Max and that was soon the topic of many conversations to come.

After our Front Runner adventure and our long walk we decided to recoup and eat some grub at the California Pizza Kitchen. It was such a good ending to our long afternoon. Thank you Mom's and Dad's for letting us take these kiddos, it was so much fun and we can't wait for more adventures to come!

New Beginnings...

2010-01-19T19:20:00.000-08:00

Over the past few months I've felt like I've been missing something in my life. I've been questioning who I am and where I am going. And I know what you're all thinking, "But you just got married". Yes, one would think that being in the "newlywed" stage you wouldn't have something missing. But, that's far from the truth. I think Tyler and I would both agree that we've already had our fair share of problems. I think that since we've been together for so long, we were expecting a new and exciting feeling to enter our relationship. And don't get me wrong, we have already had more fun then we know what to do with but, there is still that little something. Well, I think we may have found it.

THE GOSPEL

Yes, you did read that right. Tyler and I have started to explore our thoughts and questions regarding the church. It is something that has been weighing on my shoulders for quite some time. I knew that Tyler wouldn't be the first to jump on the opportunity but to my surprise once I told him that I found our ward and was going to go to church he was excited and wanted to join me. I am famous for jumping the gun on my new adventures and not finishing but this is something that I know isn't just a hobby, this is a life changing opportunity. Instead of me wondering who I am and where I am going, I need to find out who I was and where I came from. I am not going to say that this will all happen over night or that our habbits will change but this is something that I look forward to seeing pan out.

Cross your fingers and wish us luck!

Seattle!

2009-12-01T20:48:00.000-08:00

First let me start by saying THANK YOU to my favorite cousin Brooke and the entire Poplawski crew for showing us what Seattle had to offer and being so generous and welcoming. How could we not love a city like that when we have people like you playing host? It was so good to see Brooke and her family, no wonder she doesn't want to come home! We absolutely loved all of you and I'm so grateful to have met you. Brooke, you look so happy and it was so awesome to see you with little Kash man. You are such a great mom and I am so glad we were able to come up, we are already looking forward to our next trip to see ya. Love you!

Now for SEATTLE... here are a few highlights!

As soon as we landed we had to start the birthday celebration for Tyler. Brooke and Justin knew exactly what we had in mind! They took us to Georgetown which is an older part of town that is full of old bars that had so much character to them. The best way for me to describe it would be like 25th street but 100 times more fun!

Here is a picture of Tyler and I outside of Dick's. It was a small little burger joint that had only a selected few items. You could not make any special requests to your order, you got it just as the sign said you would. It was kind of like a Burger Bar or In-N-Out Burger and we absolutely LOVED it. There was one point during our trip that we actually paid a cab driver $20 to take us to Dick's where we spent no more than $5 on our entire meal. Yes, that good!

Our next day there Brooke and Kash took us into the city. Brooke is in the HR Department for the Sheraton (which by the way is where L.A. Galaxy was staying) so she showed us the hotel and introduced us to some of the employees there and of course, they all just love her. After we headed to the market. If you ever go to Seattle DO NOT pass up the market. There are so many interesting people and so many fun things to see. If I lived in Seattle I would have fresh flowers on my table every day and Tyler would soon love to eat sea food. All of the sea food and produce were so fresh and so tasty, something I would love to get used to.

The picture on the right is kind of hard to see but that "thing" next to me is one of the most disgusting fish I've ever seen. Apparently they keep it there all the time and when people get close to it a guy pulls a string that's attached so it moves. Let's just say I couldn't help but shout when they did it to me.

Here's a fact for the day, did you know that the original Starbucks is in Seattle? Sure is, right down by the market. The line inside was huge so we didn't get our coffee there but I did get this picture of the logo. This is the original logo that Starbucks used but they had to change it when the franchise branched out. Notice the difference?!

Down at the Water Front...

AND THE GAME...

MLS Cup Champs baby!

Kaylynn is a die hard Seattle Sounders fan, but we love her anyways!

After the game...

So for those of you who don't know who this handsome fella is, his name is Chris Klein. He used to play for RSL but left our team to play with Galaxy a few years back. How did I get this picture you might ask...? WELL, our last night in Seattle Brooke was able to get us a room at the Sheraton which was great, that way we could shuttle to the airport. ANYWAYS, we had just paid our cab driver the $20 for our Dick's outing and were headed back to our room when I saw this looker getting on the elevator. The doors shut and it was no big deal until I pushed the button to catch the next elevator and "bing" his same elevator opened up. I like to call it fate, but Tyler would tell you otherwise. We had just kicked some L.A. butt and here we were standing there all decked out in our RSL gear. As soon as the doors opened I said, "Uh... can we get on?" He said of course and so I jumped to it. When we were in the elevator I explained to him that he had a good game and we still loved him because he was a former RSL player. The conversation quickly changed to the Dick's burgers that I had in my bag which led me to tell him all about Burger Bar and how if he were ever in Utah to check this place out! haha! As I rambled on doing what I do my poor husband just stood in the corner with a look of embarassment! When he went to get off the elevator it just so happened to be the same floor we were on, we walked down the hall and Chris seemed to be following us, turns out his room was directly across from ours. The next morning I woke up to Tyler saying this, "So... you ever been to Dick's?" Haha! He is never going to let me live down my elevator ride with Chris Klein. But I tell you, had that elevator gotten stuck, I would have been the hero with the $25 burger!

Happy Birthday to You...

2009-11-20T12:05:00.000-08:00

Today Tyler David Britt turns the big 2-4!

Happy Birthday Ty, hope you have a great day!

He is such a handy man, can do almost anything around the house.
He is very shy and hates to talk in public.
He attempts to cook dinner, and is starting to get the hang of it.
He is such a good Uncle and the kids absolutely love him.
He loves his little Koda.
He loves to spend time with his dad and brother.
He talks in his sleep.
He drives so S..L..O..W...
He absolutely loves CHEESE!
He hates to shop, unless it's for him.
He loves to Hunt, Hunt, and Hunt.
He takes a long time to get ready.
He is a neat freak, out of sight... out of mind.
Loves to work in the yard.
He is the most easy going and friendly kid at every party!
He is great at soccer and is such a fan of the sport.
He can make me laugh at the drop of a dime.
Chicken Alfredo is one of his favorite meals.
He is a great friend and would do anything for you.
He is up for all of my crazy ideas and supports in me in anything I do.
He doesn't like cereal.
He is more patience than anyone I know.
He hates reality TV.
He is the BEST husband EVER!!!

RSL= Eastern Conference Champs!

2009-11-19T21:31:00.001-08:00

WARNING: THIS IS NOT A DREAM...

Last weekend RSL played Chicago Fire for the Eastern Conference Championship and although we were the underdogs, WE WON!!! It had to have been one of the best games RSL has played to date, not to mention man of the match Nick Rimondo. Not only did he make it through a full 90 minutes AND two extra rounds of over time, he actually went into two sets of PK's where he blocked 3... yes 3 PK's. It was wild! Tyler was up on the elk hunt with his dad so I sat in the front room hooting and hollering all by myself. I'm sure by the looks of it, my neighbors had to have thought I was a little crazy. SO... because RSL won they are headed to Seattle for the MLS Cup and because they are in Seattle, what better time to visit my favorite cousin Brookie? Yes ladies and gentleman Tyler and I will be flying out tomorrow evening to cheer on our favorite team! How could we pass up an opportunity like this? We haven't arrived and the PopRock family has already been more generous then ever expected. I have been wanting to visit Brooke for quite sometime now so now that we have this awesome reason we aren't passing it up! I will be sure to post pictures when we get home but in the meantime, you all better put on your RSL gear and cross your fingers! GO REAL!!!

Frightmares and Halloween!

2009-11-14T09:29:00.001-08:00

Happy Halloween!

Let me start by telling you how much I absolutely LOVE Hallloween! It is something that I look forward to every year. I think it's a great way to kick off the Holiday season. Plus, anytime you have a group of people together that are dressed up and totally in character you're bound to have a good time. This year we passed on the Britt Boo Bash and had a Britt & Edwards Bash! Ashlie and I both wanted to host but since she has more room at her house I took her up on the offer! We had great food, drinks, and great friends... what could be better than that?

Hee-Hee!

My camera wasn't working all that great so I didn't get very many pictures :( I was glad to get a few of my favorite zomie rocker, still such a stud!

Frightmares!

Every year Tyler and I head to Lagoon with Jarrod & Maci. It's usually just the four of us but this family of ours just keeps growing and growing. This year Kai and Tie were able to get on the rides so mom and dad joined us for the fun!

Kai definitely earned the Uncle of the day award! We were all too tall to take Tielyr on the rides so Uncle Kai came to the rescue and was her companion all day... Thanks Kai Kai!

As you can see, her mood quickly went from excited to terrified once the ride started moving! She was so scared but it was so cute to see her hang on to Kai for survival.

These rides were more of her style, and by the looks of it Kai didn't mind taking a minute to relax...

AND once she was settled and enjoying the rides her mom and dad thought it would be a good idea to take her on the dragon rollercoaster, how do you that went? It's hard to see but, take a look at the second row...

Run Bambi Run!

2009-11-03T19:36:00.000-08:00

So over the last 6 months we have obviously had quite a bit going on, new changes, challenges, and definitely new memories. But let me give you a quick update on what Tyler and I have been doing. As you all know once October hits, so does the hunting season which means when the men hit the mountain, the ladies hit the mall. PSYCH! Not this year, this year I put the shopping on hold and was going to put forth my efforts in to being a hunters wife. Well, unfortunately for me I'm not just any hunters wife, I am a Britt's wife! Tyler and his dad are two dedicated/crazy guys. What I pictured to be a nice ride on the 4-wheeler with an occasional stop to glass the mountain turned into a 12 hour day of hiking, sleeping, whining, and more sleeping. I only went out a few times but there was nothing in site, just a mountain full of sage brush and doe! When I went with the boys for Tyler's elk hunt it was great, there were elk all over the place and it was a fun game of hide and seek. Well the deer hunt is nothing like that, you really have to be patient and have really good eyes, neither a good quality of mine. Tyler on the other hand has both of those qualities (after all he is married to me), he came home with a 2x3 while I came home empty handed. I was so excited for Tyler, and I know he looks forward to this time of year where he can spend time with his dad. It is definitely a good time for the two of them to get away and do what they love to do. I might give it a go again next year but I'm not committing to anything yet!

Los Cabos San Lucas!

2009-11-01T19:48:00.000-08:00

After the wedding, Tyler and I took off for a week long getaway to Cabo. It was my first time traveling to Mexico and I was so excited to see what all the hype was about. Our flight left SLC at 7 a.m. which put us in Cabo by noon. We didn't have any kind of agenda before we got there and that is EXACTLY how we wanted it. We just wanted to check in, and live a week on the beach which is what we did! It was such a relaxing and much needed vacation. We absolutley loved Cabo and are already looking forward to planning our next trip back.

Cheers to Mexico!

The famous arch at Lover’s Beach

The Booze (I like to call it BRUISE) Cruise

Waiting to swim with the dolphins. I would have pictures of that but they wouldn’t let any personal cameras in but wasn’t about to pay $120 bucks for 9 pictures!

I’ll never forget where I was when I heard the shocking news that Michael Jackson had died. I was glued to the television, Tyler had to keep reminding me that we were only there for a few more days and I couldn’t waste my time watching TV. It was a very sad day for the entire world but on a positive note, the resort played MJ by the pool all week which was great for us because I love MJ and we couldn’t understand the other stuff they were playing.

The Giggling Marlin= best time ever! If you ever find yourself on vacation to Los Cabos you HAVE to visit this place. From the moment we walked in the door they were on a mission to entertain us. It was a non-stop show, such a great environment. Because we were honeymooners we were apart of one of their skits where Tyler and I both received a lap dance. I could not stop laughing; I seriously didn’t know what to do. Later, we were each hung upside down from a rope as if we were a fish! We cannot wait to visit this little shack again!

Goodbye Cabos! Although we absolutely loved Mexico it was nice to pack our bags and head home. We missed our family and knew Koda was probably wondering what the heck was going on. The night we left our reception a limo took us to our hotel which although exciting, I was a little bummed that no one was able to decorate our car. WELL, when my parents picked us up from the airport they showed up in this. My family is so awesome!

Bridals!

2009-11-01T19:27:00.001-08:00

So although I've already posted about the wedding, I am going to show off some of my favrite bridal pictures! I had so much fun getting all dolled up to get my picture taken and Kami was open to all of my ideas and had so many fun ones of her own. Thanks Kami :)

This is one of my favorite pictures, my grandpa’s wedding ring. I know he was there with me that day, I love you gramps!

Do you think I jinxed myself with this photo?

Rain or Shine!!!

2009-10-28T21:41:00.000-07:00

June 20th, 2009 I married my best friend Mr. Tyler David Britt and although it ended to be a great day, It didn't start that way. For those of you reading this I'm sure you already know that not only did it rain on my wedding day... it POURED.. AND POURED... AND POURED! Never would I have thought that it would poor in the middle of June. All week I had been feeling a lot of the last minute stresses a wedding has to offer, which caused tonsillitis which by the way is one of the most painful things I have ever gone through. I definitely stocked up on the amoxicillin while we were in Mexico. But when the time finally came, I was able to walk down the aisle to meet my new husband and we were going to accomplish what we were there to do! It was so amazing to see all of our friends and family pull together to make that day so special for Tyler and I. We had people rushing to bring us umbrella's and tents and even though none of them matched, I had never felt more blessed to have the ones we love around. Thanks to Kami and Brianne, my video and my photos were able to capture the moment and fun with... or without the rain. Here are a few of my favorite photos...

I'm Back!!!

2009-10-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

Okay so A LOT has happened since I blogged last so I am going to post quite a few. Don't feel like you have to read them, I just need to post this all so I can print it at the end of the year!

Engagements

2009-05-15T00:12:00.000-07:00

40...39...38...37...36... 35... The Countdown Is On!!!

Well... As of today we are just 35 short days away from saying "I do". Besides the 100 things that I have left on my to do list, my feelings and emotions are all over the place! Here I am posting a blog at 2:00 AM because I can't get my mind off of this wedding. And not just the planning side of it either. Small things happen daily that I double, sometimes triple think about. For instance, today someone asked me how to pronounce my last name. I told them... "StruKen" and they replied saying, "Not for long!" That comment got me a thinkin'... 35 days from today I will no longer be know as Shaylee Struchen, I will be the new Mrs. Shaylee Britt. AH!!! How crazy is that?! Or telling someone that "my HUSBAND" was scared of the dark last night... again... WEIRD! I know it is silly to think that way, this day has just been long waiting so the closer we get the more anxious I feel. I am so excited to be getting married, and blessed that it will be Tyler on the other side of that alter. To come to an end, I've posted a few of our engagement pictures, not too many, I don't want to spoil all the fun!

They have been pronounced HUSBAND & WIFE!

2009-04-19T23:27:00.000-07:00

Well the wait is now over and they are officially Mr. and Mrs. Brandon Edwards! Brandon and Ashlie finally tied the knot over the weekend at the Eaglewood Golf Course. Let me tell you, everything went so well and the couple looked extremely happy. During the ring ceremony a guest sang "You are so beautiful" and that song fit perfectly. Ashlie was such a stunning bride, she made it look so effortless. Once they get home from Hawaii I'll get some good pictures. I am so grateful that Brandon chose such an awesome girl, she is so SWEET and so SINCERE. She will be such a great wife, and he is truly a lucky guy to have her forever. Although she has quite the drive to go home, I am very excited that she is just around the corner from me! I look forward to the years ahead of all of us and I can't wait to see things unfold. Congratulations again to the newlyweds, I am so thrilled for the both of you!

He does the darndest things...

2009-03-25T23:14:00.000-07:00

Just when he thought I wasn't looking... So I've been trying to collect a few of my favorite photos for the wedding video and as I was doing so I came across a few silly pictures of Ty. When we were in Dallas he must have taken my camera while I wasn't looking. Now I know this is something that most people do (Don't lie) but when you do it you don't think that the pictures will ever get anywhere. Well little does Tyler know that I am posting all about it!!! Although quiet, this kid just cracks me up :)

Here we go again!!!

2009-03-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

Well, it is that time of year again an on April 2nd, 2009 we will taking the long drive down to the new Rio Tinto stadium to watch the 2009 Real Salt Lake season!!! I know, didn't that go by fast? I can't believe it's already been 5 months since Tyler was down on one knee proposing at the opening half time show! Wowza! We are so excited to see what changes the team has made for the upcoming season. They ended 08' on such a good note that I am very interested to see what tricks they have up their sleeves. Plus, this is one of Ty and I's favorite things to do together, we both enjoy taking the day, heading to Ikea for a few fun things (Okay he hates it, but he's a good sport), and than a little Training Table date with our RSL buddies, the Brian's, Tiff, and Mandy. And not to mention, I can't wait to see my two RSL heart throbs... Coach Jason Kreis And Mr. Kyle Beckerman!!!

Recap of 2008!

2009-01-09T21:52:00.000-08:00

There are so many great things that happened in 2008 that I am scared to see what 2009 has to offer! I have a feeling they will be hard to beat!!! I know this is a long blog but since I am new at this "blogging" thing there was so much that was missed in 08... so here are a few of my highlights...

Our families were blessed with two little gifts in 2008 and I can't imagine my life without either of them. To the world I introduce our two newest loves Tielyr RaeShell Hakala and Lincoln Jones Britt and... Just Neices and Nephews in general!!!

We bought a house!

Without the help of Chad I don't know what we would have done. We have turned this house into a HOME and it is everything that I've wanted! Thank you :)

Fun... Fun...Fun...

he World's BEST Engagement!!!

HALLOWEEN...

NKOTB!!!!

*Dallas*

Happy Birthday Love!

Here we go again!!!

2008-12-28T21:15:00.000-08:00

SO... Luckily... I don't have to search for the perfect dress! I have it!!! Although we have SO much to do, at least I don't have to worry about a dress. You watch movies and hear your mom talk about the whole "dress" experiece, and even though that sounds like fun, it's done. It just so happens that a really good friend of ours has the most perfect dress for me. I'm not wearing the traditional white dress, it is more like a champagne color and I absolutely LOVE it :) I am glad that we tried on dress after dress for my sisters wedding, but once you see it you just know. Now, as for the rest of the wedding I have no idea what to do next! Any ideas? LET ME KNOW!!!

oOoFall Family PicturesoOo

2008-12-21T19:18:00.000-08:00

Well it is that time a year again and we just had our 08' Britt Family Pictures! We were finally able to skip out on the annual"Target" photo shoot and were privelaged to have Maci's friend Angie help us out. Even though Canyon wasn't feeling like the top model, we still got quite a few cute pics.

Thanks Angie!

What the blog?

2008-12-21T19:03:00.000-08:00

So I've decided to give the ole' blogging a try! Let's see how this goes...