Cal-i-fornia

Just got home from visiting JJ and Jenn for a weekend with Coco. We went to Folsom to see the California babies, though the paramount reason was so I could meet Ms. Brynne Karford, a thunder-thighed 6-month-old who smiles by sticking out her tongue. She is beautiful. Somehow JJ continues to have beautiful children; it would baffle me, I mean, I wouldn't say JJ was the looker in the family. But then again, Jenn is gorgeous, so it turns out he's just a lucky man.

Madison is as precocious as they come. She is 5 and she can read just about everything; she alternates verses when they read the scriptures as a family each night. Breckon, during scripture time, runs around clutching a Book of Mormon yelling, "And it came to pass I beheld," over and over again—a line we should all remember so well.

When he's restless, he gets this mischievous gleam in his eye and tries to body slam the baby or unroll toilet paper or kick me in the shins. There are three things can hold his attention for a substantial amount of time: candy, cartoons, and the Playskool basketball hoop. We spent the weekend throwing any and every ball we can find and, of course, playing "mawbles." When he wants your attention, he blows his whistle, pinching two fingers in front of his mouth to mimick JJ coaching Madison's soccer team. And when something is unacceptable, he'll tell you: "That is unacceptable."

Madison is a Wii tennis champion. And a Wii bowling champion, too. I was demoralized. We made valentines for Uncle Niels (Hello Kitty ones and others that come with puppy tattoos), who is on his mission, presently in Livermore, Calif., and we ruined an entire pan of Jell-O Jigglers.

Brynne sqwuaks and rolls and never cries—just cringes when big brother gets too close. She is so fun to just hold.

It was great to see JJ and Jenn, too. JJ has mastered the art of Swedish hotcakes (his are better than Coco's; verdict's still out on T-Mo). Jenn and Coco and I also got pedicures in—my first with a hot stone massage included, which was live-changing. And I spent all-together too much money at H&M. Because we don't have one in Utah.