The Mr. discovered my blog post today.

The cologne is no longer on the bathroom counter! (exactly as according to plan!)

It looks so good. I find myself standing there admiring it.

THANK YOU for your comments!! ;)

Your Opinion, Please...

How many bottles of cologne are sufficient for ONE person to have?

One? Three? Ten TOPS?

And related to that...how long is cologne good for? It must have an "expiration date," right? OR at least a time period when it loses it's savor.

Why am I asking this? I'm married to an ADDICT! Plain and Simple. A very good smelling one (most the time) might I add. And I've tried to hold an "intervention" with him. Several, in fact. At the first "intervention," I just tried ordering, "Choose Two!" while waving my arm over his vast numbers of bottles. That went over like a load of bricks.

Another "intervention" I tried to be LOGICAL and ask, "Do you NEED them all?" (Of course not) "Do you USE them all?" (How can he) "Do you LOVE them all?" (apparently) And then stated he should get rid of all the ones that DON'T fit into one of the previously mentioned categories. The next day I noticed that two of his bottles were now on Ryan's bathroom counter! What? #1 What caused him to believe that my 7th Grade son has permission to wear cologne already? and #2 What caused him to believe that Ryan would want his "cast offs?" and #3 "Get rid of" means OUT OF OUR HOME by way of the D.I. or the garbage!

On a most recent "intervention," I pulled out the BIG GUNS! After he had put on one of his colognes, I said, "What is that? That makes you smell like a Grandpa!" And do you know what he said? "Grandpa? What do you mean by 'Grandpa'? What kind of 'Grandpa'?" I could tell he was thinking that if it was ONLY our kid's Grandpa (his Dad) that I was referring to, then that wasn't too bad and he was going to disregard me. I informed him I meant like Grandpa Fowers! MY Grandpa who died 4 yrs. ago, who was never terribly 'stylish,' and who was born in 1916! Does he really want to smell like a 92 1/2 yr. old Grandpa? Now that one DID get him thinking! (At least he made no rebuttal, but I think that cologne is still in his possession.)

Why is it such a big deal? Besides the cost of cologne?

Because they are ALL on my bathroom counter! In my opinion, bathroom counters are not for "stuff." AND they collect dust like crazy. I have to constantly clean them.

See?

So, how many exactly does Matt have? Seventeen! Yep, 1-7. Full-size bottles of cologne - that's not even counting all the little samples he's also collected and has dumped in drawers.

The kinds? I don't even know MOST of them:

1. mediterraneo/Antonio Banderas
2. mX's Homme/Karen Low Paris
3. Curve
4. Weekend/Burberry London
5. Essential/Lacoste
6. Black/Kenneth Cole
7. Very Sexy FOR HIM/Victoria's Secret (I do admit, I gave him this one - Does this make me a "Co-Dependant?" It was innocent - I did not fully realize I was feeding his addiction!)
8. ETERNITY for men/Calvin Klein
9. UNBOUND for men
10. Romance/Ralph Lauren
11. HUGO - Dark Blue/Hugo Boss
12. Lucky You
13. Polo Sport/Ralph Lauren
14. Reaction/Kenneth Cole
15. Drakkar Noir/Guy Laroche Paris
16. Just Me for men by Paris Hilton
17. ck one/Calvin Klein

**If any of these colognes are "SOO Yesteryear" please clue him in!**

He just can't resist buying more no matter how many bottles he already has! I'm surprised he doesn't have any duplicates - It'd be so easy to forget - how can he possibly give the proper loving care to each one with so many?! From my personal experience, a bottle could last about 3 years. IF he doesn't buy anymore, he has a big enough supply to last him 'til he's 88 1/2 yrs. old! (And then his "Grandpa cologne" will fit right in!! haha!) I find myself throwing away all advertisements for cologne before he even sees them AND deleting all emails from Fragrancenet.com (we're on their list - my next move will be to "unsubscribe.") Oh my word! I'm just like the Alcoholics' wife who dumps the booze down the drain, as if that will make him stop. :)

If you're not in agreement with me yet on this...let me give you a better picture of what the addiction looks like...

The other day, I was cleaning up my bathroom counter and I bumped one of the bottles and it fell into the sink with a LOUD racket - but did not break (dang!)

Then I got an idea! An awful idea!

THE GRINCH GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA!

"Oh, Chil-dren...(remember we produce "destructive geniuses")... how would you like to play in Mommy's bathroom?" :)

Another Mobile Bites the Dust

I guess 7 1/2 months is too OLD for a Mobile!
After a while, the mobile just blends into the scenery, ya know - didn't notice it much at all, really.

UNTIL I came into the Nursery to get Miss B up from her nap, and this is what I found!!

The "arm" had been snapped right off by, I'm certain, a reaching baby with a death grip who can't resist GRABBING everything!

Why can't we seem to keep mobiles around?!?

This is our 3rd mobile we've had for our Children! Aren't you suppose to be able to buy baby gear once and then use it for ALL your children? Not us, we've averaged a mobile for every 1.6 of our children! (Their destroying tendencies start early - we produce a sort of "destructive geniuses!")

Not that I was really needing it again, but I could've sold it to Kid to Kid for $$$ or given it to someone else who has a "little Princess" (it had those words on it) baby...

After I was picking up the pieces, I did see a sticker on the mobile (in the back, out of view) which read:

FROM BIRTH TO 5 MONTHS.

CAUTION

Possible entanglement injury. Keep out of Baby's Reach. Remove mobile from crib or playpen when Baby begins to push up on hands or knees.

Oh.

I guess if she's doing "Downward Dog" she falls into the above mentioned category!!

Had I read that sticker before?

If I had, it was surely at the peak of my "Post Partum coma!"

And I can't be held accountable.

How's a wigged out Mom suppose to remember that?!?

Who cares about the missed opportunity for 10 BUCKS from K to K - Thank goodness we escaped entanglement!! (X5)

Yoga, Anyone?

Miss B has "Downward Dog" figured out!!

I Did Not Have the Same Baby Five Times!

Since I previously made the comment that I thought one of my babies was the cutest of all, I thought I'd actually refresh my memory...and to see if my statement really did have any merit...

Baby pics ~ Top, L to R: a) ?, b) ?

Bottom, L to R: c) ?, d) ?, e) ?

One of the thoughts that came to my mind was, What were all those people thinking when they'd tell me, 'He/she looks just like your others!'

Because they don't.

Current pics ~ Top, L to R: Kyle, Katelyn, Haylee

Bottom, L to R: Brookelle, Ryan

Please play along! Can you guess who 's who?

Answers will be coming after you vote.

Maybe a prize will be involved for the most correct answers?!

The evolution of My Body

It's that time of year again to think about your weight, your body, your figure (or lack of it), etc, etc. There's talk about "body type" and how you can't really change it - so you might as well just "embrace it" - for LIFE! Well, I'm not so sure I agree completely. I think I've pretty much covered ALL the body types!! And, here they are through the years...

HIGH SCHOOL

Although, at the time, I thought I was soo fat and woke up early every morning to do "Hooked on Aerobics" on KBYU. Ya know the one with 3 different platform "levels" (easy, medium, & high impact) and all three of them wore coordinating leotard/tights ensemble - even the guys?!

I don't think it helped a bit!

COLLEGE

The only reason I really say I was ever this body type comes from a comment a "boyfriend" made to me once - and you'll see WHY he was NOT EVEN worthy to be called that. Imagine me & him sitting on a cliff at Lake Powell with our feet dangling down towards the water. Of course, we're in our swimming suits - we're at the Lake - and he looks at me and says, "Ya know...if you could take some of this (while gesturing to the vicinity of my thighs), and put it up there (gesturing to my chest area), you'd have a REALLY NICE body!!"

Can. you. EVEN. believe. that?!

I hope he's been enjoying his SINGLE life ever since! :D

AFTER HAVING MY 1ST BABY

(ya know what I mean!)

If that "boyfriend" could only see me then! hee hee!

NOW

This is what is said of this body type (from an article I read)...

"You have the body type people want to cuddle. Especially tiny people, who most people call babies. Babies may have shaped your body into womanhood, and you should bear your wounds of motherhood with honor, not shame."

Well, some of the Brenchley's have embarked on our own mini, "The Biggest Loser" for the next 90 days. It's all based on total weight loss PERCENTAGE, so everyone is sharing their weight with one another so we can figure that out. Everyone EXCEPT me, that is. I REFUSE! Not even my own husband knows that nasty, little secret - and the "Marriage Fitness" book instructs that we SHOULD NOT share secrets with others that we do not share with our spouse!! (to avoid becoming more emotionally intimate with another person, male or female.) And I'm sticking to that rule!

It's just too horrific today...and here's some photos to prove it...

Here I am "BEFORE" just 8 [quick] years ago, finishing the St. George Marathon.

(Nowadays I'm having trouble running up our stairs, taking them 2 at a time like I've always done!)

And here I am "NOW" at my recent Vegas wedding (to George Clooney.) They provided this attractive gown to slip on and velcro up the back! I couldn't even do up the dress!

(Don't they have contests for the most hideous "wedding" pictures? I need to enter to win!)

So, there you have it - maybe TMI, but this is MY Blog, right?

One thing's for sure, I'll never be a celery...

But, do ya think I can ever become the "hour glass" again? OR, will I just be a smaller apple?!?

Suzanne: Either Slacker Mom or Experienced Mom

I've got this email a few times over the years, and I just got it again recently - and I LOVE it every time because it's ME! it's YOU, all others, too. (Can you name that Primary song?) I thought I better copy it down here so I can always know where it's at...

BIRTH ORDER OF CHILDREN
1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.
2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.

Preparing for the Birth:
1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.
2nd baby: You don't bother because you remember that last time, breathing didn't do a thing.
3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month.

The Layette:
1st baby: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.
2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.
3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?

Worries:
1st baby: At the first sign of distress--a whimper, a frown--you pick up the baby
2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.

Pacifier:
1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.
2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby's bottle.
3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.

Diapering:
1st baby: You change your baby's diapers every hour, whether they need it or not.
2nd baby: You change their diaper every two to three hours, if needed.
3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.

Activities:
1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, Baby Zoo, Baby Movies and Baby Story Hour.
2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaners.

Going Out:
1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.
2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if he/she sees blood.

At Home:
1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.

Swallowing Coins (a favorite):
1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital and demand x-rays.
2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass.
3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his allowance!



So, can you just IMAGINE how I'm mothering now that I have my 5th child? (That still freaks me out sometimes to say that!) I'm sure the first-time mothers want to report me to CPS!

Our Year in Review

**Warning this is a long one...

January Ryan, a 4-wheeler, and a hill that was practically straight up in St. George was NOT a good combination!

We got a NEW dishwasher!

FebruaryRyan hit the BIG 12 and had a sledding Birthday Party.

March Ryan was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood, became a deacon, and got his first suit!

Our family attempted to fly to Hawaii, but got stuck in Las Vegas where we spent our Spring Break. We lovingly refer to it as our "UN-Hawaii vacation."

pictured: Katelyn, Haylee, Kyle & Ryan

AprilOn "Come to Kindergarten Day," Haylee performed in a Opera her class wrote.

Haylee turned 6 and has a "dress-up" birthday party. (as a sidenote, I had spaced off a Leadership Luncheon I was supposed to be at w/ Ryan and in my rush to get there, I crashed into a car in the restuarant parking lot - all just hours before this party - can you say, "frazzled" at this party?)

Our family won a combined $460 at the Annual Credit Union Meeting! Haylee won $300, Katelyn won $100 alone. (Thanks to all Ryan's "good luck" trinkets he wore around his neck and wrists!) The girls LOVED their freedom with money this year - can you say, "Ball park Concessions stand?"
pictured: Kyle, Ryan, Haylee, Katelyn

Ryan got to play in the 6th Grade vs. School Staff Annual Basketball game. Matt was asked to ref. (He swears he called it totally fair!) The 6th graders came back to WIN in the last minute (Ryan had the game tying shot). Of course, it didn't go without "incident," though. Ryan got pummeled to the ground (the crack of his head heard around the school cafeteria) and pinned under Mr. Murphy - they brought in the ice pack for his head, but he refused to miss out on the rest of the game & played w/ a "head injury!" (see him pictured in center back row)

May

Matt, Haylee & Katelyn went to Hawaii for 8 days. (Only getting stuck in Phoenix the first night and in Hawaii a few days on the tail end - real tough, huh?)...

pictured: Katelyn, Matt, & Haylee

...While Suzanne stayed home painting and painting and painting(and still didn't finish) two basement bedrooms we'd been building all year for Ryan & Kyle to move into before the baby was due.

Ryan had a lead part in his School Play, "School House Rock" and played the part of Tom, a new teacher. (and memorized a ton of lines.)

Brookelle May Brenchley was born!

May 28, 2008

2:14 p.m.

7 lbs. 11 ozs.

21 inches
A Complete Joy & a Blessing!!!

ONLY Matt & I had known WHAT we were having, so that was the BIG BUZZ going around after we had Brookelle - everyone talking about "It's a Girl!" AND the 2nd topic was the fact that she was SOOO little, a great "abnormality" for our family (2 1/2 pounds LESS than the other kids!)

Ryan graduates from 6th Grade/Elementary School (while I was in the hospital - Thus Ryan is wearing a baseball T-shirt and his classmates are dressed up!)

June

Matt in the "Birthday Chair" on his 37th Birthday.

Kyle plays on the Mariners with an awesome coach, Rocky Dustin. They finished the season #1.

Ryan plays for the Angels. He's also on a "winning team" and finishes as the #1 seed going into Post-season play.

**Baseball is what got me out of the house! In June, we were at the Ball Park 3-4 + times/week! I loved it!

Matt went on a work trip to the Oregon Coast (alone this time due to me having a 3 week old baby - he isn't too fond of traveling without me, he's decided!)

JULY Kyle made the All-Star team, which occupied our July! (Still LOVED it!) They took home the [huge] Second Place trophy in their first tournament.

Kyle's All-Star team was in the Farmington Festival Days Parade. (with Coach Steve Young - No, not THAT one, the Farmington one, who happens to be a BIG UTES fan!)

Matt & I (and Miss "B") went on a C.U. management retreat to The Canyons - without our camera.

AUGUST

pictured: Kyle & Brookelle
The Fowers Family Summer Outing - at Doug & Emmys...

... and at Cherry Hill.
Brookelle's Baby Blessing
August 3, 2008
Davis Creek 3rd Ward

Our August OBSESSION - Thanks, Michael Phelps - Need I say more?

We got a new fridge!

1st Day of School - 7th grade/Jr. High (Ryan), 4th grade (Kyle), and 1st grade (Haylee)

Ryan & Kyle went on a "Big Kid" camping trip with Uncle Trey & Aunt Michelle where he was introduced to Dutch Oven cooking....

SEPTEMBER

Ryan enters the Annual Ward Dutch Oven Cook Off -- and WINS 1st Place!!! (and I benefit from the cookbook & measuring cups that were included in the prize package!)
Matt & I celebrate our 14th Wedding Anniversary.

Suzanne turns 38!

Matt & I go to Las Vegas (with Brookelle) and stay at the Mandalay Bay in connection with a Credit Union conference (i.e. All-Expense paid trip.)

Haylee starts soccer - and Matt was just "tickled" - it about brought him to tears each game. (Notice I didn't document, "Haylee PLAYS soccer," it was more like run and watch your shadow moving along on the grass!)

OCTOBER

UEA in St. George.

pictured: back L to R, Kyle, Haylee, Katelyn, Daniel, Maddie

front: Ryan, Ben, Megan

Kyle has his 9th Birthday and our family goes to the South Davis Rec Center (for our first time) to celebrate.

pictured: Suzanne, Katelyn, Haylee, & Kyle

Kyle receives his Wolf Award in Cub Scouts.

Halloween 2008

pictured: Katelyn, Haylee, & Brookelle

(The boys were out partying on their own & they missed the Photo Op.)

NOVEMBER Katelyn has a "Princess Party" for her 4th Birthday.

Ryan attends the U of U vs. TCU [blackout] football game and rushes the football field afterwards, lays down, and does "snow angels" in his ecstacy. (It put the Utes 10-0 and TCU was favored.)

I had a "Sister's Weekend" with Michelle & Beeb (Matt & the kids all slept at Grandma's.) We were missing Dianne, Kristen, & Mom this time.

Thanksgiving 2008 at the Brenchley's.

DECEMBER

Matt chaperones Haylee's 1st Grade Field Trip to the Treehouse Museum in Ogden.
Brookelle plays "Baby Jesus" in our ward's Live Nativity...
...and Ryan plays a "young shepherd" and Katelyn plays a "young angel."

We got another new [replacement] fridge.

pictured: back L to R: Ryan (Wise Man), Anna, Katelyn (Angel) front: Alyssa, Devan, Haylee (Mary's cousin), McKell, Carter, Kyle (Shepherd), Tayler, Cameron

Christmas 2008

And finally, OUR FAMILY at year end...

Thanks for the Memories, 2008!