Luggage tags

I am getting super excited about my cruise in February. I have been looking for some really fun luggage tags so I will be able to spot MY luggage right away. You know how lots of people put something around the handle of their luggage? Well I had planned on doing that too along with a fun luggage tag. Now, after some investigating I found exactly what I want!

Simply wrap them around the handle of your luggage and off you go!

Aren't those just the coolest things ever???? I know you aren't as excited about it as I am:)

They are a little pricey if I am planning on doing all 4 bags, but I only have to do this ONCE and that's it!

Do you think I should get one of these too?

I just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this SITE! They have all kinds of fun stuff. I think I will be getting several things from here in the future.

We've been busy

We have been super busy!!!!

We have been to the Great Wolf Lodge, had Christmas parties, Christmas programs, shopped and had some family time.

Enjoy the show of pictures to follow:

braylon feeding the fish at cabelas

getting to see santa at the great wolf lodge

braylon sliding down the slide ALL.BY.HIMSELF. he was so proud of himself.

doesn't he just look ornery?

the 3 B's

and again

love this picture of jared and bronson

bronson and tinley at the christmas program. this little girl thinks bronson is HOT~

playing the bells together

rubbin his belly for some song action

his christmas party at school. i didn't get to take very many pictures because i was running back and forth between his and braxton's rooms. i didn't even get any of braxton's party.

i also didn't get any pictures of them at the great wolf lodge b/c they were too busy running around while i was chasing after braylon.

we had a great time at the great wolf lodge. it was so nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of things and just relax.

11 years ago today.....

i was holding my first born son, Braxton! WOW, where have the years gone? It seems like it was just yesterday when I found out I was prego with him.

Jared and I had only been dating for a few months when I found out I was pregnant. It was a big shock. I had some disappointed parents, but things have worked out for us. God had his plan....

Braxton was due on December 24th. I started having contractions on the 17th. I went to the hospital on the 18th and they sent me home and told me to walk. It was a beautiful winter. My father in law and I walked outside with no coats on for what seemed like hours... nothing! On the 20th my contractions returned that night. Jared woke me up around 2ish and told me it was time to go to the hospital. He had been timing my conractions while I slept and told me they were getting harder... he could just tell. So we loaded up and went to the hospital about 3. They broke my water at 7 and I was in labor all day long!!!! It was a great labor and I didn't get my epidural until I was a 7. After I got that the contractions started coming faster. I pushed for a very long time. Once the dr. got there and I pushed a few times for him he called for the surgeon and the emergency c-section crew. This scared me to death. Things started getting crazy then! People drawing blood, geting Jared dressed, taking my jewelry off and on and on and on. I guess when I was pushing Braxton's heartrate would drop. Come to find out he was a stargazer and his head was turned 180 degrees. When the Doctors said it was a boy, I had never seen Jared so proud. Braxton entered this world at 6:02 pm, weighing in at 8lbs and was 21 inches long. He had lots of dark hair. He was a fantastic baby and got spoiled by lots of people.

He has grown into quite the young man in the last 11 years. He is a very tender hearted person, talented, soft hearted, and very genuine. I have no idea what I would do without him. So Happy Birthday Big Man! Hope you have several more birthdays to come.

Love,
Mom

Here is a recap from tonights festivites.......

brotherly love!


and again!

acting like a hillbilly!

we are quite the crew!

reinacting blowing out the candles.

Braxton got new camo boots, underarmour shirts, socks, a new cardinal chair, money, money and more money! He was one lucky boy!

First Snow of 2009

What a great night tonight was!!!

First we had our first Awana Christmas Program. The kids did great. (pictures to come soon)

Then Jared went coon hunting so the boys and I headed home for some mommy/son time.

We watched The Christmas Shoes and I cried like a baby.

Then the boys wanted to know if they could open "just" ONE present. So.... I let them. They opened the one that was for all of them, a dvd player for the van.

Then they were so excited that it was still snowing and that it was all over the ground that they wanted to go out and play in it.

I looked at the clock and it was after 10:00, on a school night.

I thought "what the heck?" we only live once.

So I yelled "get your stuff on, we are going out to play in the snow!"

They couldn't believe it!!!!

So we all ran around and yelled and laughed, we made snow angels and they tackled me and we laughed until we cried.

They kept saying..... "this is so much fun"! even after we came in I heard them say how much fun it was!

AND it was so much fun!! I am so glad that we did it.

I hope it is something they remember forever!

Can't you just see the excitement:)

Our snow angels!!!!
L to R... Bronson, Braylon, Me and Braxton

grrrr

well tonight was one of those nights where i wanted to have a pity party..... so i did, ALL. BY. MYSELF!

jared goes to this annual coon hunt on the wednesday night before thanksgiving every year. does this bother me? nope! braxton loves going with him too. does this bother me? nope! but this year bronson wanted to go. jared didn't care that he went but also knew that he would be exhausted b/c they climb lots and lots of hills. so i asked bronson if he wanted to just stay home with me and we would go to kirksville and i would take him and braylon to the movies. but he didn't want to, he wanted to coon hunt! did this bother me? not really.....

BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

then it is time for everyone to leave and jared and i are still trying to talk bronson into not going to the coon hunt and to go with me instead. he was not budging. he wanted to coon hunt. fine.

so i decided that is fine, braylon and i will just go to the movies ourselves. so i go to get him and he throws a big fit and doesn't want to go. he wants to stay with my mom and dad. fine! F.I.N.E.!!!! does this bother me? you better believe it does! so, i leave him there and then i text jared and say.....

"guess no one wants to be with me, not even braylon!" yes, i was feeling sorry for myself!

so 15 minutes later, jared calls and said bronson wanted to go with me! tough!!! i am almost to kirksville. then he calls back.... the boys said they wouldn't go hunting they would stay with grandma until you got back and then you can rent a movie with them. NOPE, NOTTA, NO THANKS!!!! why would i want that? you have to make them feel guilty so they will spend time with me? NOPE, NOTTA, NOT HAPPENING! if they don't want to spend time with me just because, then no thanks!

THEN, braylon calls and wants to go with me. my mom says "i will bring him to you". NOPE!!! he had his chance!

so i went grocery shopping by myself and ate out by myself! it was easier but i still didn't like it.

so, i am going to prove a point and the next time they want to go with me somewhere..... NOT HAPPENING! the next time they want me to do something for them..... NOT HAPPENING!

is that bad of me?

i just want them to realize that i have feelings too and that i do a lot for them and that they don't appreciate any of it and take me for granted!

so, now that i have that off of my chest:).........................................................

have a great thanksgiving!

My Beautiful Tree

So,

I finally got what I wanted.

A huge Christmas tree

Like 9 1/2 feet tall Christmas tree

It was a lot of work putting it up

Like hours and hours of work

Shaping

Putting lights on it (after a late night trip to walmart to get more)

Like 3000 lights

Standing on a ladder to put the bow on top

Adding lots and lots of ornaments (after another trip to walmart)

Like 118 to be exact

Plus icicle looking ones too

Then walking around and around it to make sure it was just

PERFECT!

And it is

J.U.S.T. P.E.R.F.E.C.T.

So if you are out and about

drive by and look for the big GLOW

and you will see my

huge,

beautiful,

just perfect,

chocolate brown,

sage green,

and gold,

Christmas tree!!!

p.s. the picture doesn't do it justice, so you should really just stop by and look at it in person:)

aLvIn the elf

I saw on one of my friends blogs about Elf on the Shelf. I thought it was a great idea and decided that my kids needed one. So..... I ordered one:)

He arrived last week on Friday and the boys couldn't quite understand it all. I read them the book and they asked lots and lots of questions. They couldn't understand how he could fly, why he couldn't talk to us and how he got here......

They decided to name him Alvin! Braylon came up with the name. So we registered his name and printed out our certificate of ownership and he is ours forever!!

So meet ALVIN!

Isn't he just adorable?

Bronson jumped out of bed Saturday and Sunday at 7 to try and find him. I was so excited to get Alvin but wasn't excited to have Bronson waking me up that early to see if I knew where he was.

Hopefully having Alvin around will help with some of our behavior issues and all!

I am so excited to be starting this new tradition in our family.