Bits and Pieces Part Two

Here is Bits and Pieces part two!

HAPPY "2" BIRTHDAY BROOKLYN!

Brooklyn turned 2 on June 19th! I can't belived how much she has grown since then! Last year we celebrated her birthday in China! Look at how much different she looks from a year ago! She sure is blossoming into such a fun and cute girl!

Last year's birthday in China! She dug right into the chocolate cake the hotel manager prepared for her. Brooklyn was so famous in China, everybody loved her. She was basically being chased by the Chinese Paparazzi! Everywhere we went people stopped to take pictures of her and wanted their kids to be in a picture with her. They practically pulled her right out of my arms... for some reason, I wasn't nervous about that... Chinese people are really sweet. Of course I was still cautious. I think she grew weary of all the attention because people kept wanting her play with her and make her smile. What can a mother say... She is cute you know!

Our family in China, here we are with the hotel managerz(far right) and another worker. The manager is the one who surprised Brooklyn with the cake. He was really sweet and loved holding her while we ate our meals (try bird heads and chicken feet!).

Isn't she such a little grown up girl? I had fun decorating her cake! She actually didn't even eat any because she was so enthralled by all her gifts she got from her family and grandparents. Her favorite toy so far has been Mr. Potatoe Head (thanks G and G Kelsch), bubble gun (thanks G and G Bailey), magic markers and coloring book (thanks DJ, Ashley and Kash), and her red and yellow car (from mom and dad).

Brooklyn looked like she was going to dig into the cake, so cute as she patiently waited... Although she forgot all about it after she gots her gifts!

Brooklyn and Uncle Cody. I just love this picture and had to post it. Thanks for all of our family who came and celebrated Brooklyn's birthday. We had cake and rootbeer floats!

The bubbles Brooklyn loves so much.

We recently went to a wedding that had such  beautiful flowers, bushes and trees outside the building. I just had to get a picture of Brooklyn with all the green in the background. She must have been so happy to go to the family cottage in Bear Lake since that is where we were headed after the reception.

Daddy and Brooklyn getting ready to play at Bear Lake. She loves the water but loves the sand even more!
Mommy and Brooklyn hangin in the sand. The weather was great and we enjoyed such a nice and relaxing weekend. While there, we were able to visit our good friends, Nicole, William and their daughter, Peyton. We had a yummy late night snack eating the famous Bear Lake raspberry shakes. They were sooo good!
Brooklyn loves the wave runner, well most of the time when its not cold. She doesn't seem too afraid of anything that has a motor running in it, but she is afraid of anything that is small and moves, even a fake fish that swims on its own in the water and she does not like cats! Wierd that she likes these big toys... she takes after her dad I suppose! :)
Playing in the water!
Basking in the sun!
Brooklyn and Natalie (her cousin). My sister and her kids were visiting from St. George for a couple of weeks and we were able to hang out with them when we could. Natalie is such a cutie and loves to play with Brooklyn. She actually loves to hold Brooklyn or hold her hands all the time. Its cute the way she cares for Brooklyn.
We attended my cousin's wedding at a church across the street from the state capitol building (I am so silly but didn't think to get a picture of the special couple who got married...) I did get a picture of Brooklyn next to this huge oxen by the general store that was next to the church.
If anyone knows Brooklyn, she just loves to jump off things. Here at the general store she was jumping of this small cliff and landing on her feet every time. Maybe she is practicing for the gymnastics team? I am excited to get her signed up for tumbling. She could use the time to vent all her energy she has everyday. 
The Groen family hangin at the general store after the wedding. It was fun to catch up and see what all of our cousins, aunts and uncles were up to. Of course this isn't all the family. Some couldn't come but would be going to the reception later on that evening. While hangin out, my Uncle Brad who is a state legislature took us all on a tour of the state capital (in the background). The architectural work is amazing! Thanks Brad for giving us a tour!

Okay, there will be a Part 3 since I had more than I thought... Part 3 still to come! 

Happy 24th of July everybody!