Thanksgiving Day

Just saying a quick hi and wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!  I'm am very thankful this year for my family and my baby boy, and thoroughly thankful that Adam is doing well over there in Afghanistan.  Brae and I made the trip to Florida Sunday night and got in to my parents house Monday; my Dad helped with the drive.  We have been trying to settle in and just spending time with the fam.  Keller recently turned one so it's fun to see him and Brae together now.  I think by the summer they will be playing more together and it just gets better and better after that.  What cute boys!!  I will get a picture of them today and post one up, ADORABLE is what they are!!  

Hey Baby

So I just had to write this down so I wouldn't forget to tell any of you.  Braedon said it first yesterday, but he's been doing it today as well.  He says, "Hey Baby".  It is so cute!!  I'll try to get it on video so you can hear it as well.  Lately Braedon has been playing with the boys next door.  He'll go out there when their dad is out throwing the football.  Braedon usually runs up to Al, the dad, and says, "mine".  He wants the football so he can throw it and play with it.  He runs around with it in his arms.  It's funny to see him playing with the other kids on the street.  We can't wait for Adam to come home so he can throw the ball with him.  

Halloween Festivities

We did a whole lot in the past few weeks.  We went to a pumpkin patch with Missie and her kids, went to the Austin Zoo the weekend before Halloween for a "Boo at the Zoo", a fall festival,  and had a block party Halloween night and had a fun time trick or treating. 

  At the pumpkin patch Braedon walked through a hay maze, painted a mini pumpkin he picked out, played in a big hay stack, and went on a hay ride.  We had a fun time, but Missie and I both agreed it wasn't the best pumpkin patch we'd ever been to.  The Austin Zoo was a fun night.  We ate at the Cheesecake Factory for dinner and headed over to the zoo for a look at the animals in the dark.  Being as Austin is the capital of Texas I thought the zoo would be a little better.  I'm not saying it wasn't a fun night or it wasn't a good zoo, just not what I expected.  The highlight for me of that night was the train ride.  It was cool because they had people out in the woods where the train was going through.  They would run at the train as we went by.  Brae sat on my lap and held on to my thumbs.  At times I thought they were going to pop off from being squeezed so hard, but he never cried or acted scared besides the thumb holding.  Halloween night was fun.  We went to Missie's street for the street party.  We had lots of food and the kids played before getting dressed and heading out to trick or treat.  Brae loved playing with all the kids beforehand.  He dressed as a pirate; I couldn't get him to wear either of his pirate hats, but he did let me put the eye patch up on his forehead and his parrot on his arm the whole time.  He was funny because Missie got out her wagon and Braedon insisted on getting in and riding for several houses.  He finally let me get him out and we got a picture of him getting candy at the first house he went to.  We got him with some little pirate girl we saw along the way too.  He was super cute and we had a great time.  It's hard to believe we are already into November.  I hate to wish my time away, but I do look forward to Adam's deployment being over!!!  

Finally back in...

Ugghhh...!  It has been hard for me to get back on to make another post.  I forgot my password because it had to be longer than my usual one.  So, lots has happened since I first wrote.  Braedon and I went up to Michigan to visit my Grams, Aunts, Uncles, and cousins.  We went to an apple orchard and Brae rode a pony(he loved it!!),  and we spent time hanging out and just visiting with everybody.  He loved my Uncle's house with his dog, fish, and bird.  Braedon made himself right at home.  Shortly after we got back from Michigan, we got a visit from Brae's Meme and Grandpa(Adam's parents).  Oh gosh Mom J. is it Meme, or Mimi??  I know I asked you that already and I don't remember because I haven't written it yet.  Tell me next time we talk please.  Anyway, it was a really fantastic visit as well.  Adam's dad helped with things around the house, we went to dinner, oooh...went on a shopping trip down to these great outlets in San Marcos, and we visited this "Dive" down off of 6th St. in Austin that we saw on the show Diners, Dives, and Drive-Ins.  The food was good, but I'd have to say we all thought it was an interesting place to say the least.  Braedon cried when they pulled out of our driveway at the end of their visit.  

Since then Braedon and I have been keeping busy.  He says Meme bye bye, well he was saying that a day or so after his grandparents left, how sad...He says "Wow" and "Oh" a whole lot and is making the C/K sounds.  I was pointing today at his puzzles and different puzzle pieces, I'd ask him to point out different things and he was able to pick out what I asked.  Ahhh...my big boy.  I haven't told Grandpa J. this yet, but when he visited he was play fighting with Braedon.  Okay Grandpa, what do you think Brae did next???  Yeah, you are in big trouble mister, he was play hitting Ellie(which he has never done before).  Ellie didn't like it one bit and Braedon got in BIG trouble.  He wasn't being mean, he honestly thought he was playing, but it definitely wasn't fun for Ellie.  Yeah, no more of that until he is old enough to know better.  Braedon is loving the Wiggles and dancing; he dances every chance he gets.  We have started going to this Toddler Story time at our local library once a week.  It is a lot of fun and he enjoys it!  

Adam has been busy as usual.  Doesn't seem like anything new.  He just can't wait to get home.  

Let's give this blog thing a try.

hello everyone,

my good friend sarah started a blog because she is all the way in korea and not close to family and friends.  it is a great way for her family to keep updated on what they are doing over there, and i thought is was an awesome idea and wanted to do the same.  let me not forget to mention that amanda had brought up for me to do a blog as well for the same reasons.  i'm not a writer so bare with me.  by no means do i plan to post a new blog every day, but i will try to make it once a week or at least every other week.  

so it's friday, my first blog i've ever wrote.  adam's been gone for 14 weeks today.  he sent me flowers this week for our 3 months of separation so far.  it seems like it's the same ol same ol over there.  he works very long hours and doesn't talk a whole lot about it.  oh, he has requested if anyone wants to send something to him he'd love whole bean coffee.  i guess they go through quite a bit over there and would love any handouts.  brae and i are hanging in here and keeping things going.  i took braedon this week to his first open gym play at this gymnastics place near our house.  he jumped, or at least attempted to, on trampolines, played in a huge pit of styrofoam blocks, crawled over balance beams, jumped in a jumpy castle, and pretty much had a blast.  we'll hopefully be back this monday to do it again.  my friend missie brought her camera and took some pictures, so when i get them i'll post them.  

okay so i am going to close for now.  hopefully i'll have some fun stuff to talk about next week.  i'm sure brae will have something crazy for me to write about.  talk to you soon...