It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

So many great memories this holiday!

Searching for the perfect tree is always a hunt!  This is the second year we have gone with the Karlson's to Cobbs.  The boys had fun running up and down the aisles of Christmas trees with their cousins.  We did decide on one tree, but went to another lot the next day for the "big tree".

 

Dawson & Santa

Sweet Memories

For the past few years, we have been decorating Gingerbread houses on Thanksgiving. Most of the family pitches in, and it's always a lot of fun!

Merry & Bright!

This year, Eric (and Colton) put lights on both stories of the house!  I was a nervous wreck watching them, but I will have to say they looked awesome!!

Christmas Tree Lane

with the "Wilks Girls"

This year we walked Christmas tree lane with our friends the Wilkinson's. (minus a few)  The kids had a fun time counting dogs on the walk.  Such a fun night!

Merry Christmas from the Briners!

Merry Christmas from the Briners! Here’s what we have been up to this year!

Eric continues to enjoy his job, and we are so thankful for it’s growth! This year he and a few of his employees worked on the Extreme Makeover House in Fresno. It was fun to be behind the scenes of such a great project!

Rings, necklaces, and bracelets have replaced pottery, urns, and candlesticks. In July, Johnna was flown to Chicago, and offered a position to work with Jewels by Park Lane. She has already earned a trip for her and Eric to Paris in March, and had no idea how much fun bling could be!

Relax, it’s not all work and no play for Eric and Johnna. J Eric enjoyed hunting with the boys this year, along with coaching Ethan’s soccer team. Johnna has found the new love of running. She has done several 5K’s for fun this year, and is working on improving her time, as well as beating the boys!

Year of 1994? Two young kids in love got married on February 5^th! Eric and Johnna celebrated being married 15 years this past February!

Colton is now 12, and this year went out for track & football. Unfortunately, he broke his arm after making the Clovis Cowboys football team. He quickly decided he liked soccer much better! At the end of the soccer season, his coach also awarded him Defense Player of the Year!

Hair? Did you notice it? Zac has decided to grow his out. It all started, “just for soccer”, but now we can’t imagine cutting it! Zac also had a great year of soccer, and also earned his hunting license this summer, just in time for dove season!

River Valley Church has been a great blessing to our family. Eric and Johnna have enjoyed teaching every other Sunday in the elementary class. We would love for you to visit with us!

Institute of Briner Learning is still in session. Colton is a 6^th grader this year, and likes working more independently, especially on his new computer. Zac is in 5^th grade, and enjoys reading. Ethan is a 1^st grader, and has started reading his brothers chapter books! Dawson has his own desk, and does a great job at his “schoolwork” too!

Six years old…it’s hard to believe Ethan is that old! Yes, he is still a little comedian and thinks he’s 10! He played t-ball and got to have his dad be his coach on his U8 soccer team this year. Their Freedom Lightening team even got to play at Grizzly Stadium!

Three years old.....I know, seems impossible that our baby…Dawson turned three! What a little character DT is. Like his brothers, he doesn’t miss a beat! He loves country music, (especially Jason Aldean), waffles, and numbers! Whether it’s telling time, saying our phone number, or any number he sees…he knows them all!

M…I…C…K…E….Y….MOUSE! Yes, in May we took a week vacation to Disneyland! We had a great time! Breakfast at Goofy’s Kitchen, Colton and Zac attending the Jedi Training academy, California Adventure, and spending time with our friends from Colorado, were the some of the highlights of our trip!

Athomewithjb@sbcglobal.net is our e-mail, and brinerblip@blogspot.com is our blog. Johnna is also on Facebook, so make sure you’re her “friend”, and challenge her to a game of Bejeweled! ;) (Channel 30 did a small segment on her being a Gaming Girl)

Sending holiday blessings to your family! Have a wonderful Christmas & New Year! The Briners

Guilty....of Back Blogging....

I know, I know, I have fallen behind in my blogging. I am hoping to catch up, and post some of the things that have happened over the past few months. Yes, some of you may feel like it's cheating. ;) But for me, it's like a personal diary, and I have some major holes! I will be setting the dates back to fit them in too. Hopefully you die hard bloggers can forgive me. ;) Back to blogging soon!

Happy Birthday Briner Buck-a-roos!

This year we decided to celebrate not one, or two, but three Briner Boys birthday.  Since the boys birthdays are 19 days apart from each other, we held it right in the middle, on Dawson's birthday.

The Corral

Goodies for the little buck-a-roos

Cowboys & Cowgirls

 

There was pony rides for the little kids, and horse back riding for the older kids.

The Festivities

A fun filled day for everyone!

Happy 3rd Birthday Dawson!

Happy 11th Birthday Zac!

Happy 12th Birthday Colton!

Y'all come back, y'here!

Party held at Rick Kelley Performance Horses, Clovis

Yee-Haw!

Ok, so for some strange reason, every year around the boys birthday, I get a strange ambition to want to create a birthday cake.  So, after searching for countless hours on the computer, I found the one to make...

Well, I know it's not perfect, but the boys were proud of it!

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Carving Masterminds

Pumpkin 1 - created by Ethan and Dad - One-eyed-pumpkin-monster

Pumpkin 2 - created by Colton - Puking Pumpkin

Pumpkin 3 - created by Zac - Fang-led Pumpkin

This years costumes...

Unfortunately, gone are the days for cute costumes for Colton and Zac.  Luckily, I have Ethan and Dawson who I can "direct" their decisions.  :)

Colton - Army guy

Zac - alien

Ethan - cowboy

Dawson - cowboy

The gang

The best part of the night...candy sorting!!

Perfect Pickin's!

Fall is my favorite time of the year, crisp weather, fall colors, and forced posed pictures! :)

Dawson has had this thing that he looks away right before you snap the picture.  (See picture 1)

Luckily I caught these cute ones of him!

We also did the Cobb's Corn Maze, on what I think was the coldest and windiest night of the year. 

Of course the boys went through twice.

But of course $5.00 cups of hot chocolate make it all so much better.

(with their friend Christian)

It's Soccer time....

Soccer is crazy, time consuming, exhausting, and we love every minute of it here at the Briner household!  This year Eric coached Ethan's U-8 Freedom Lightening team.

They had a great season!  They even got moved up a division, and still won!  Their team was also asked to play at Grizzly stadium for a soccer tournament.  It was great to watch the boys play there, they even got shirts and cleats...but got beat....badly!  :)  Luckily the free pizza helped a little!

 

Colton and Zac played on the same team this year.  Freedom Scorpions U-12.  They had a good year. Not as many wins as losses, but they really came together as a team at the end of the season.   Colton also was awarded Defensive Player of the Year from his coach!