The Real TOY STORY

Brayden Turns 4

2010-07-30T16:25:00.004-04:00

The most requested present for his bday was a remote control helicopter. Thank you Gramielin and PoppaJim

Sweet Brayden kisses
Blowing out the trick candles

I've started this post a few times got interrupted and never saved it as a draft...so nonetheless it is August and I am finally getting this published. My Brayden Boy! So much change happens in the life of a 3 year old and I want to capture his personality in a few paragraphs. This year has been so fun for Brayden, his little sister is finally getting big enough for him to fight...I mean play with! Actually most times he just has so much energy built up to love on her that he ends up annoying her. But somehow she still loves to be around her big brother. They love playing in the play kitchen together. For his birthday he requested a dog bone cake. Random request being that we don't have a dog, but simple enough so dog done it was. (pics to follow later) Our birthday celebration was complete with dog bone candy and paw print party hats/napkins. In tracing it back I actually think watching a Clifford episode gave him the idea for the dog bone cake. He typically starts his morning with PBS shows like Clifford, Sid the Science Kid, Dinosaur Train, Super Why, and Playhouse Disney shows like Mickey Mouse club house and Handy Manny. He usually eats his dry cereal on the couch while enjoying these shows. He enjoys sports of all kinds, particularly baseball. He has a T for Tball, but rarely uses it as he is pretty good at making contact with a pitched ball. Daddy is pretty proud of his skill! He has been introduced to a variety of sports through his sports skills class at The Little Gym. He loved the class and met some new friends. The teachers always comment on how outgoing and friendly he is. He never meets a stranger and it so articulate when he speaks. He has definetely entered a stage where he can play imaginatively on his own for a long time. Even though he has TONS of toys, he typically entertains himself with random mismatched toys. He has even told me at times that the piece of loose thread I picked up on the floor was something he was playing with! not kidding! I am thankful he is able to keep himself occupied. He recognizes the majority of the letters, and most all numbers. He knows about half of the letter sounds, so we are working on that. This September he will begin preschool at Manor Church preschool, for 3 days a week. I KNOW he will love the playmates, structure and crafts. He knows mommy enjoys doing crafts so when he is needing some extra mommy time he will ask if we can do a craft. That gets right to my heart! Most recently he wanted to make spiders on paper and cut them out, and so we did. He loves to sing and is constantly singing and making up new words for songs. Most things he says and does when playing are done to a beat or a tune. He loves to mimic daddy when he leads singing at church and can usually be heard singing his heart out in one of the front pews.At bedtime daddy is the one who typically puts him to bed and he always asks us to come cuddle with him. After a praise song or 2, we talk about the things we are thankful for and then pray to God. Daddy usually leaves at this point but he always requests extra cuddle time with me. This is such a sweet time and I treasure these in my heart because is a few short years or months, he may be too cool to want to cuddle with his mommy. My time with him as a little boy is short and I try to remind myself to slow down and soak in these tender moments.

Haylee's First Birthday

2010-06-20T18:15:00.002-04:00

We celebrated our baby girl's first birthday on Sat April 3rd. Being that is was the day before Easter, we celebrated with a Bunny cake, designed and decorated by mommy, an Egg hunt, and of course presents! Haylee's bday outfit was specially hand picked by Mommy as well with the Tutu coming from Gymboree (our favorite place to shop!) to match the Birthday Girl shirt given to her by her great Aunt Mary. GrammyLin and Poppa Jim came all the way from Oklahoma to celebrate her special day with all the rest of us here in Lancaster. In addition to all her family, we invited a few friends who have been a big part of Haylees first year, Annette, Krista, Julia, and Sarah.
Both kiddos enjoyed opening the presents and playing with them afterwards.

Haylee started walking the month before her yr birthday. She has changed so much this year and we can hardly keep track of all her changes. She loves to eat, and will consume pretty much anything she is given, even veggies when mixed with Applesauce. She lights up when she sees her brother, and is delighted when he joins her in her crib in the morning when she wakes up! We have many names for her including, Haylee Bug, My Hug-a-Bug, Baby girl, my precious girl, and yes even sometimes Princess. It's ironic, because I have always disliked the labeling your girl a princess and plastering it on shirts, and bibs. And as much as I have avoided that apparel , sometimes it just rolls off the tongue! I guess it is what it is! We are tremendously blessed with her smile, and the kisses she gives. Looking back a year ago, we weren't sure how life with 2 kids would be, and now we can't imagine it any other way. How sweet our life is because of our Haylee Bug!

SnOw Much SNOW!

2010-02-18T21:23:00.002-05:00

Last week we had two huge snowstorms within 3 days of each other. It was crazy fun for the Southern born husband who watches with anticipation with every forecast of snow! We had lots of fun being snowed in, making all sorts of "snow treats" like snowmen pancakes, snowball cookies, and ice cream made from snow.

This is a great picture to get a perspective of how much snow there is. My neighbors dug out a path to get from their back to front door and he is seen walking in it here.

I love this picture. I should try to edit it, but really the snot is just how she was at the time, so there you go! It was one of those blow out, suck it back up again ones....nice!

The weatherman said he didn't care how old you were, 2 years or 80 years you would never experience 2 storms of this magnitude again in your lifetime. Pretty cool to be living history!

PS We had our fun, and the stir craziness has begun, so spring could you please come soon?

Haylee picture debut on the Blog

2010-02-03T16:21:00.002-05:00

As promised I wanted to include some pics from Haylees first year of life. Pictured here as daddy's little girl....is there anything better than a child sleeping on your chest? precious indeed

This was taken on one of our first trips to the park in the spring.

I LOVE to dress her up, and everyone LOVES to give her clothes...so she is well dressed. I couldn't wait to get the babyleggs on her, pictured here they are a little baggy for her week old toothpick legs. I can guarantee you, they aren't toothpicks now!

Big brother meets his sister for the first time. Sweet memories. (Thank you for being forgiving with my looks in this picture :))

Coming home outfit. Also worn by mommy when she came home from the hospital xx years ago. The tradition continues.

This year has been so fun as we have grown to a family of 4. We have been truly blessed by our Hayleebug, Hug-a-bug, Lover Girl, Precious Princess, and Chunker Munkers. We look forward to celebrating her first bday in a short 2 months!

Congratulations! Your Blog has been unactive for 1 whole year!

2010-01-26T16:36:00.002-05:00

I have an excuse don't I? Following the last blog entry, I was in the 3rd trimester of my pregnancy and then I had my precious Haylee. Love her to death, but this getting used to 2 kids thing has taken me ALOT longer than I anticipated. I can still hear my dear friend Mary Flory's voice in my head, "the transition from 1 to 2 kids is harder than 2 to 3"! Yea, I heard her, but I didn't get it. You never do until your walking in those shoes, right?! And for those of you who may not have kids, it's not that Haylee is a hard baby...actually quite the contrary. She has been quite the easy baby, it's just double the work for meals, baths, dressing, bundling up for winter and getting in car seats! ----sidenote----Bundling up and carseats is a hot topic for me right now. I HATE IT! That is mostly why we have been hibernating this winter, I'd rather be creative and run to the store at night when daddy is home than bundle us all up get in the car, and wash rinse repeat for each errand. UUGGH!
Back to my blog hiatus excuses....then, when Haylee was about 5 months I started my Scentsy business. Wonderful opportunity yet time consuming when it took off so successfully! And that took us straight up until the last days in December. So January has come and I realize when reading my friends blogs that blogging truly is a wonderful way to journal our days. Capture the little things that happen that may not make it to the baby book, but are saved forever in cyberspace somewhere. So I am by no means recommitting my life to daily blogging, but I hope to make an entry at least every few weeks. So when my kids are "all growed up" we will have this to relive our precious, precious days with our little ones.
pics and more to come later!

Disney Jan 2009

2009-03-22T16:38:00.003-04:00

Its apparent, my blog has taken a back seat these last few months, but nonetheless, we are still alive and well in PA! In January we took a vacation of a lifetime, literally. We spent an entire week away, from Sat-Sun, the first time we have been able to do that since we have owned FASTSIGNS. We traveled with my parents, which was wonderful for many reasons including the extra set of hands, and met up with the Toys in Orlando. Between the two families we had 2 large condos, and throughout the week we visited with Aunt Heather and Uncle Michael & Hallie, Uncle Jason and Aunt Casey, Uncle Bryan and Aunt Stefanie, Aunt Ann Marie and Uncle Al.

Brayden loved the characters, and had a little "thing" for Minnie. Too Cute! He actually pitched a fit when we had to take him away from her!

Family pic with the castle. Brayden now recognizes this castle whenever he sees it, and reminds us that Tinkerbell came from there, as she does during the fireworks display each night.

For January, we really lucked out with the weather, the entire time, it was in the low 80s and beautiful. A nice needed break from our 20degree temps in PA.

The entire week was awesome, and there were a few memories that stand out among the rest. At Hollywood Studios, (which used to be MGM) they have a Playhouse Disney show. It features characters and clips from all the morning TV cartoons such as Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Handy Manny, and My Friends Tigger and Pooh. Being that these shows are literally part of our morning routine, Brayden was flipping out that it was all taking place before his eyes, "live". I have to admit it was one of those magical Disney experiences. I even had to hold back a few tears, seeing how excited he was. We were so wrapped up in the moment, we don't have any good pictures of him enjoying the show. Another highlight happened to be at Hollywood Studios as well, we were waiting in lightly trafficked area of the park for family, and Chip and Dale and Minnie come out of these doors escorted by Disney cast members, they were headed to their photo spot. Brayden was right there, and he charged after them. They were very "Disneyesque" and grabbed onto his hand and took him by the hand with them to their destination 100yds away. He was the first to have his picture with them and didn't have to wait in line. The hardest part was getting him to depart...once again. You can't plan these things!

We can't wait to go back and hope to make Disney possible for our family at least every 2-3 years while they are young. We are so thankful for our parents for doing the same for us as we were growing up. It was very special to share this vacation with the previous and next generation.

Christmas Season

2008-12-19T09:20:00.003-05:00

We went to breakfast with Santa at the Neffsville firehouse a few weeks ago. It was an impromptu get together but the Gigis, grandparents, and Uncle Bryan were able to join us. Brayden had a great time with Santa, and gettting on the firetrucks. Unlike I was as a kid, having a laundry list of things I would like from Santa, Brayden just requests a tricycle, which is so cute. Each time he visits Santa, he wants to hug and kiss him and just stay with him as long as possible. So cute!

Breakfast at the firehouse

Gingerbread house we made at the Toys while there for Thanksgiving

Grammielin and PoppaJim gave Brayden his very own Lightening McQueen suitcase . It was the highlight of our plane trip home. It was perfect because he loved pulling it and it held all his christmas loot from them!

Notice the head tilt, for those that see him regularly you know he is probably asking a question with that endearing head tilt! I love it.

We have already had a wonderful Christmas spending our weekends with family and friends, we are very much looking forward to the joy of Brayden opening his toys Christmas morning.

Blog going private -again

2008-12-10T22:18:00.002-05:00

Hey guys, you may have received in invitation to read my blog. I have not posted in a few weeks, but am deciding to set it to private again after receiving a comment from an unknown person that creeped me out a little.

Welcome Baby Hallie

2008-11-24T22:53:00.003-05:00

Hallie Grace was born on Tue Nov 18th to Heather Toy and Michael Pooshke. She and I almost shared the same birthday, but instead she was an early birthday blessing for me! She and Mommy are doing well. When she was born she weighed 8lbs 15 oz! No one could believe how much she weighed based on Heathers size!

Aunt Crystal for the first time.

We took Hallie for her first photography session and this was part of the outfit she wore with a red tutu! It was very Anne Geddes-ish. I can't wait to see the proofs.

Brayden loves to love on his cousin Hallie. It has been neat to see his response to a crying baby, and the way he gently loves on her.

We are having a GIRL!

2008-11-03T16:00:00.002-05:00

This mornings ultrasound revealed we are having a girl! We are all very excited and getting ready to add to our family. This is a picture of a picture, so its a little rough, but you can see the right side of her face and sucking her thumb. The 3 D pictures are amazing, and its so cool how much she looks like Brayden as a baby. I have to share that for me, finding out the gender has been an amazing experience, it has made the pregnancy more real and a more tangible thing. I am able to personalize the baby and refer to the baby as "her" instead of "the baby" or "it". Now we are brainstorming names!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T09:47:00.002-04:00

The cutest banana! This was my costume when I was about 4, we added the vinyl labels of course to bring this costume up to date!

Granmargie and Brayden painting a pumpkin!

Scooping out the seeds and gunk!

We represent the lollipop kids, the lollipop kids, the lollipop kids and in the name of the lollipop kids, we'd like to welcome you to munchkin land!

Trick-or-Treat! or as it really sounds, hock-er-treat!

Oklahoma

2008-10-24T15:22:00.003-04:00

If you have every been to the Toys in Oklahoma, chances are we have taken you to MEERS. It is actually the name of the town, with one restaurant. They serve up amazing longhorn and buffalo burgers, and homemade ice cream. We took Brayden for his very first time. We have many pictures in front of this restaurant from the last 10 years, this we will add to the happy collection! :)

Uncle Jason and Casey came to visit from Abilene for a few days. They spoiled Brayden by playing ball with him non-stop. They are seen here enjoying the homecoming football game.

GrammyLin and Brayden in front of some sort of missile equipment, similar to what she used to fire back in her Army Captain days.

Gigi pa Elliott and Brayden looking at all the cannons.

GrammieLin and Brayden cheering for the Eisenhower Eagles! Go IKE!

These were the cute canvas wall art pieces we made for Heathers nursery.

This sweet baby will make me a niece in about 4 weeks! Heather invited me along to go to her 3D Ultrasound. The place was amazing and in a living room type style with a large screen to watch the baby. Very cool.

Catching Up

2008-10-22T22:19:00.004-04:00

Its obvious that I have not been keeping up on my blog regularly. So I wanted to post a few pictures from the last few months to review some of our highlights. The end of August, labor day weekend we headed to TX and OK to visit family and friends.

This picture was taken on a night when Brayden and I were able to get together with some our our college friends at a Mexican restaurant. We had a wonderful time, even though it was short. A special thank you to Jason, Jacquie and Lynlee Graves for having us in your home! The first picture was taken outside a restaurant that had these mechanical horse and trailer type things, the kids LOVED it.
We then spent about 8 days in OK with Toy family and the Elliotts. We had a great time relaxing, visiting Ft. Sill, helping Aunt Heather get ready for the baby, swimming in the pool, and enjoying Jons 10 year high school reunion football game. ( I will post the OK pics on a separate post).

Part of my lack of blogging was due to the sickness I have been experiencing during this pregnancy. I had been having migraines about 1-2 times a week and any" healthy time" was spent taking care of our basic needs around here....and I mean BASIC! I want to say thank you again to my wonderful parents, grandparents, and friends who have pitched in to help with Brayden, the housework, and meals. We cannot thank you enough. And for my wonderful husband who jumps in wherever he is needed he has been the one to "suffer" the most. After working long days he has graciously cooked up some stirfry and rice for dinner, bathed and played with Brayden, and rubbed my aching neck for hours on end! I love you so much! But! Things have been better the last 11 days, I have had no migaines that wipe me out, and a lot more energy. I am currently 18 weeks and am hoping that the worst is behind us. All this discomfort is foreign to me in pregnancy because with Brayden I felt "on top the world" the majority of the time. But better days are here again! Through all this we have had some fun times enjoying the fall season. We got our big pumpkin at Oregon Dairy pumpkin days, and enjoyed a morning or cider, tractor rides, and face painting. It happend to be on the TX vs OU game day so we were showing our spirit!

Earlier in October my cousin Kathy was married in New Jersey, we made a long weekend of that and spent time with my grandparents at their house. Sarah was able to come with us that weekend, and the next day we all enjoyed the annual ChowderFest on Long Beach Island.

During our few days at the beach we played in the sand, had a picnic on the beach, and watched the "Big Splash". Brayden started calling the ocean the big splash, I think it originated from the big splash down ride we were showing him at Hershey Park the week before. However he came up with it, it is very cute. The entire weekend, whenever he woke from a nap he wanted to see the big splash, and we still talk about it! I have to agree, the ocean is wonderfully powerful and amazing, I am glad he shares the same appreciation!

As one of my friends said about this picture, he looks like Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin! Ahhh, I love it!

Time has flown and we find out on Nov 3 what we are having! We are very excited to know this time. With Brayden we didn't find out, so this is going to be a new experience for us.

We are going on 1 year that we have been in our house and I have finally made some decisions for decorating Braydens room. So we will be busy painting and raiding IKEA these next few weekends. I want to have his room done so we can then work on another nursery! These are exciting times and I hope to document a little along the way. No promises, but I will try to keep up the blog!

Expecting baby #2! My how time flies!

2008-08-26T21:52:00.002-04:00

This picture was from June of 2007 taken right before Braydens first bday at our family retreat at Manatawny.
This picture was taken exactly one year later at the same retreat weekend. These pictures were both taken by different people, (Andy and Kara) who perfectly captured my baby. They show how much change takes place in one year, its crazy. And this time next year Brayden will be a big brother... WHOA. We are so excited to be expecting a baby. We will be due on April 3rd. God is so good to us.
August 26th 2008

Double Fun!

2008-07-23T23:15:00.002-04:00

Fourth of July weekend we were able to spend a little time with my cousin Christine and her daughter Ivey. Ivey and Brayden are 6 months apart, and oh so cute together.
Sharing an appetizer of blueberries!
They joined right in with clapping and I sang the Yankee Doodle song. They are both so cute and even cuter when they are together! Later as we watched a few fireworks it was so cute as Ivey would tell Brayden "Its not scary". (in regards to the fireworks) Yeah, anything that has to do with fire, he likes to steer clear. But almost everyday since then he reminds me of the "werkers go boom"! Not quite sure how you get "werkers" from fireworks, but we do!

Build A Bear

2008-07-20T22:03:00.002-04:00

For Braydens birthday his 2nd cousin Junior took him to Build A Bear. He choose to make a Monkey, dress him in a NBA "baketball" uniform, and name him "oooohh ooooohh ahhh ahh".
Thank you Junior for a special Birthday memory:)

Brayden Turns Two!

2008-07-20T21:42:00.002-04:00

In a desperate attempt to keep up with our memories, I am quickly posting a few pictures from Braydens birthday on June 20th. We celebrated with an Elmo cake made by mommy.
Just like birthday number 1, he didn't want his hands to get messy so we couldn't coax him to dig in. Within the last year he has become very scared fire, anything from fireplaces to candle flames he points at and sheepishly says"hot" while nuzzling his head into my chest, unfortunately the candle on the cake was no exception. He didn't want anything to do with that cake sitting so close on his highchair.(by the way, I am certain this fire phobia came from our trip to the Hibachi grill a few months back...alot of heat for a little guy)

He had a great time and completely understood the concept of opening presents this year. Among the many gifts were the much coveted "dirt devil mini" and the baby doll stroller. I know they sound very feminine but he could not be happier!
I do have to say that turning 2 has been a big milestone for us.I never got super emotional when he turned 1, but 2 has been a little bit more of a roller coaster. He is definetely a toddler and no longer a baby. On the other hand, it is so fun to be able to be able to do all these new things!

Catching Up

2008-06-26T21:43:00.003-04:00

June 26th 2008
As you can tell I have been quite delinquent in keeping up on my blog the last 3 months. We had a few computer issues for a while and once I got out of the habit of posting, it has taken awhile to get back in the groove...anyway I have included a few fun things that have been going on in the Toy household! This dog picture was taken the day we got to watch my friend Lindas dogs. Christmas (the dog) was very patient and playful with Brayden that day. They both had such a good time! Brayden absolutely adores woof, woofs, and bubbles over with excitement each time we see one!
Uncle Bryan, Aunt Stefanie, Sarah, Brayden, Jon and Crystal. Back in May we took a day trip to Baltimore to see the Body Worlds exhibit and made a stop at the Cheesecake Factory on the way back. The exhibit was amazing and I highly recommend it. My favorite part was the 5 month pregnant mommy, you could see everything....God is truly amazing. I don't see how anyone could walk through there and believe in anything other than a perfect creator!
While we were enjoying our cheesecake our friends Tom and Kara were enjoying holding baby Thomas for the first time. Another perfect creation. What a blessing he is. Brayden loves his "bebe Thomas" too.
The Toys came for a visit on Memorial Day weekend. We enjoyed a day at Longwood Gardens, and especially the childrens Fountain Gardens.
Their stay was too short, but it was great to have the whole family together.
Things are always changing and we are always on the go here at the Toy household. We celebrated Braydens 2nd birthday on the 20th and I will post more on that later. It deserves a post of it's own.

Baby Cakes

2008-04-25T07:20:00.005-04:00

My sweet friend Kara, and sweet cousin Chrissy are both due with babies within days of each other...any day now...sooner than later they are hoping! We had a wonderful shower for Kara and she and baby Thomas are now well supplied! I was inspired by a friend (Tiffany Browder) to make a cake for the shower. ( I mimicked this cake almost exactly off one of hers-with her permission of course!)
I also made a diaper cake, (idea stolen from another creative friend Jacquie Graves!). I had never seen a diaper cake until Jacquie showed us step by step instructions on her blog. It is such a great way to display something SO essential and basic to every babys needs.
The Hostesses
Stefanie Rodgers, Kara Neumann, Sarah Stevens (holding Julia Warrell), Heather Warrell, me

The next weekend took us to the shower of my cousin Chrissy, she and her husband mike are expecting a baby girl, Riley. They as well were showered with many,many gifts. I was so glad to be able to make it to this shower.
This was the diaper cake I made for her. Thank you to cousin Lauren, and Aunt Audrey for helping me with this!
Babies, and cakes ooooo so sweet!

Florida Vacation

2008-04-20T22:41:00.002-04:00

April 7th our family set out for a trip to the airport as we have done many times before, but this time was a little different. This time Daddy wasn't going to be able to come with us on the airplane. Mommy, Brayden, Gramargie, and PopPop were headed to Florida to visit the snowbirds Gigima and Gigipa. Unfortunately Daddy had to work, but he graciously sent us on our way. (He is an amazing husband)

My Uncle Andy, Aunt Barbara, and cousins Sloane and Graham who live in Georgia, were spending their spring break in Florida so we were doubly blessed to spend time with them. It was a special time as Brayden had never got to meet them. Aunt Stefanie and Uncle Bryan were also coming to visit, and our trips overlapped 2 days.
We stayed for 5 nights and enjoyed time at the beach, pool, playing games, and of course some of Gigis cooking.
Gigi Ma and Gigi Pa
I think this was mentioned on the blog sometime last year, and once again, Brayden loved,loved, loved the sand. The first day he spent 3 straight hours playing in it. ( Guess what Braydens getting for his birthday in 2 months?)...
Gigi Ma treated us ladies to a very special afternoon tea at a local tea room. It was a beautiful place, right on the water, and we had a wonderful time enjoying the meal, tea, and company. Of course we dressed up too!
It was a wonderful trip, we had a great time and am so thankful for the wonderful family and extended family we are blessed with. I love you all.

Rockvale Egg Hunt

2008-04-01T21:57:00.003-04:00

The Happy Hunters
Brayden, Brandon, Ryan (our good buddies)
This was the site of the egg hunt about 10 parking spaces sectioned off and this was for the 2 and under group! It was a ridiculous amount of eggs, candy, and chips.
So they tell us that one parent is allowed to assist their child. How the heck can you walk in this with a size 10.5 foot and not smash 20 pieces with one footstep? Apparently I did so right away....
As I reviewed the pictures it seems most of them include this lady to the left with her "crack" all out in the open....thank goodness the style is headed back towards mid-rise jeans.... maybe next year the "crack" won't be showing, and the muffin top will be shaved away!

Do you notice Brayden is signing "more" in this picture, not that I am facing him to see what he is telling me, but I must have got the message, because at this point I am becoming like all the other parents and shoveling all the loot into his basket.
We even won a prize egg, (planted by Pop-pop) and won a stuffed bunny basket. We didn't have a white Christmas but we had a white Easter Eve, if you can tell it is snowing in this picture. It made for a freezing cold morning, but a wonderful family outing and memory made.

I see a Fire Truck!

2008-04-01T21:38:00.003-04:00

For Christmas Brayden received a ride on Fire Truck from his Great Aunt Audrey and Family. It has this lovely little push button that plays a song that says" I see a fire truck a big red shiny fire truck, I see a fire truck coming down the hill, and there are those noisy sirens blaring on the truck..." So when mom and dad mentioned an Easter Bunny breakfast at the fire house we thought it would be perfect. He was so excited to be able to sit in the fire truck and wear the helmet, and have the Easter Bunny right next to him.
Easter Bunny and Santa Clause breakfasts at the firehouse used to be a tradition for me and my family when I was younger and sharing this tradition now with Brayden is heart-warming. We couldn't help but talk about Grandpa Callan who used to serve as a volunteer firefighter in Ship Bottom NJ. He sure would be proud to see his great-grandson marveling at the big truck. While we don't have any personal connection to firefighters anymore we are so grateful for the sacrifice they make.

SICK

2008-03-29T08:07:00.002-04:00

I apologize for the absence of any posts this last week and a half. We had a wonderful Easter weekend last weekend, and great time at the egg hunts and brunch at our house. Unfortunately my computer goes in and out of Sickness and cuts off at least two times while I am on it, therefore I haven't been able to to upload any new pictures. Hopefully we will get this resolved soon, my tech husband is working on it.
Besides the computer issue, most of my week has been spent holding sweet Brayden in a vertical position as he tries to sleep. I really haven't had the chance to do much than that, (it actually is a blessing that I got so much cuddle time out of an active toddler).He came down with the croup early Monday morning, but has improved tremendously. The cough is still lingering, I am sure we have about another week of that. I remember before I had kids hearing about croup, as a dry seal-barking type sound... they weren't kidding. The worst was the chest-caving-gasping for air that seems 10 times worse at 3am. Thank God that part lasted only 48 hours. Today we are happily coloring with our pen and paper in the high chair. Forget the crayons, he loves pens!?

Egg Hunt #1

2008-03-18T21:18:00.003-04:00

I have been watching the papers for weeks to strategize how to get to the most Easter Egg hunts in one season. The fun started last weekend at Stauffers a local grocery-nursery. I knew that without a little practice prior to the hunts he wouldn't understand the concept of accumulating eggs in a basket. So for the last two weeks we have been practing at home. It has been fun, and just like in practice, his favorite part was dumping them out!

Maybe next weekend we will go prepared with a basket as big as hers! Luckily the bigger kids grabbed a few eggs and kept running allowing us to take our time.
The best part...Brayden didn't recognize the Hershey miniatures in the eggs as a desirable piece of candy!
We can't wait until next week.

Our Little Leprechaun

2008-03-16T21:44:00.007-04:00

Last Monday we helped GranMargie celebrate St. Patricks Day with her Silver Sneakers exercise class. As the class was beginning their cooldown, that was our cue to make an entrance bearing door prizes from a real little Leprechaun. As Brayden weaved his way through the 44 some students oohs and ahhs could be heard all around. It was adorable as he made his way up to GranMargie.

Mom loves her seniors and teaching this class every Monday. This was the first time I had seen the class and was impressed at how many students she has.
We had a great time playing with the exercise balls as the class came to an end.

I just couldn't wait

2008-03-10T22:50:00.004-04:00

I was so excited when I walked into The Children's Place a few weeks ago and saw something I used to wear as a kid-SADDLE SHOES! Usually I am quite the bargain shopper and hardly ever buy anything at regular price, but this purchase was an exception. I bought them intending to wait until Easter... I couldn't wait that long. Now we just have more time to enjoy them before we grow out of them in 2 months.

GranMargie thinks she still might have mine and Bryan's old saddle shoes, she just has to locate them. Most likely they are a bigger size that we can grow into! Anyone else sappy for saddle shoes?

PS. Daddy says Brayden looks like a little Gamma Sigma Phi-Sibling in his striped Oxford tie.

4 Components to a Happy Birthday!

2008-03-08T21:33:00.003-05:00

Jon is a simple man. As with most of the men in my life, when asked what they want for any given holiday, the answer is always the same---nothing-just time with the ones I love :) So to celebrate all of his 27 years we made one of Jons favorite meals, his dad's gumbo recipe. GUMBO -Component #1
No gumbo meal is complete without a nice crusty bread with which to dip. Thanks to GranMargie and the Salvation Army we have a new "bread factory bread maker". The "Bobs Red Mill" 100% whole wheat bread turned out wonderful.
HOMEMADE BREAD-Component #2

Brayden loved the bread and being with this daddy for the entire day. FAMILY-Component #3
Forget the traditional birthday cake and ice cream, if Jon is going to splurge on the calories he would rather have Puppy Chow!- Component #4

With his birthday coming up on Monday the 10th, we had a great start to a wonderful birthday.

Youth Group Room Makeover

2008-03-03T20:56:00.004-05:00

Built circa 1993, this youth room has never had a decorative feel. For 15 years the only thing that adorned the walls of this room were basic paper posters. The time had come for a little update.

Before

AFTER
Thanks for 11 Teenagers, 3 adults, IKEA, and FASTSIGNS vinyl lettering, we now have this amazing room for youth group functions. Completed in 6 1/2 hours, and less than $450.

AFTER

This wall is my favorite. It represents the current youth group and those from the past who are "The Light of The World" as the scripture in the center says. Around the verse you can't help but be in awe of the number of people this group has touched throughout the years. It's a testament to an amazing legacy that started many years ago under the direction of Mark Nadeau, Jeff & Beth Werkheiser, and Andy & Chris Hower. We are so thankful for the groups and memories of the past and look forward to another 15 plus years as we let our lights shine for HIM!

Did you know? Now you do! Do you care?

2008-02-26T22:10:00.004-05:00

The following is a survey I stole from a friend.... All about Crystal

1. What is your occupation? Momma, President(technically) of FASTSIGNS York
2. What color are your socks right now? white
3. What are you listening to right now? Simon Cowell critiquing Luke on AI, a quiet baby monitor
4. What was the last thing that you ate? Peanut Butter chip cookie, and Party Cake Ice cream
5. Can you drive a stick shift? yup, the first mazda 626 I bought, Jebediah (RIP)
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? turquoise
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? my mom, GrandMargie
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? I stole this from Annalees blog...I love reading about the Annaleeper!
9. How old are you today? 28, (it has always been my favorite #)
10. Favorite drink? McDonald's sweet tea (closest thing to southern tea we get in PA)
11. What is your favorite sport to watch? I don't usually choose to watch sports on my own, but I could get into BASKETBALL
12. Have you ever dyed your hair? Highlights, once, I am thinking about doing it again.
13. Pets? my sweet Tonka Toy still lives in my heart :(
14. Favorite food? TEXAS Roadhouse Rolls with cinnamon honey butter, dark chocolate, berries, Papa Johns pizza,
15. Last movie you watched? License to Wed
16. Favorite Day of the Year?" My birthday of course
17. What do you do to vent anger? I'd rather not say.... but I eventually come around and make the necessary apologies...
18. What was your favorite toy as a child? Cabbage Patch Dolls (GrandMargie still has them)
19. What is your favorite, fall or spring? If I had to choose, it would be Spring. I love Easter outfits, hunting for eggs, and getting outside for the first time
20. Hugs or kisses? Hugs
21. Cherry or Blueberry?Blueberry
25. Living arrangements? We have been proud home owners for 4 months, a 3 bedroom townhouse.
26. What is on the floor of your closet? miscellaneous backpacks, shoes, hampers
30. Favorite smell? Yankee Candle MacIntosh Apple, Tide White Lilac with baking soda, Burts Bees baby bodywash
31. What inspires you? The Bible particularly James, stories of people who give their all

Thanks for reading a bit about me...I've never done this before, but it's fun to talk about yourself sometimes!

Snoooow Much Fun!

2008-02-22T16:26:00.005-05:00

Aunt Steffie

God has been good to us these last two weeks. We wanted snow so bad and finally got enough to use the sled and build a snowman.
Miss Sarah puuuushing on the gloves!

Uncle Bryan

71/2 foot snowman!

I still feel like a kid each and everytime there is snow forecasted. Not that it really matters to me anymore but I still find myself watching the school cancellations looking for Manheim Township!? How funny is that? I guess it's just a time that mother nature forces us to slow down and not go anywhere. I am so thankful Brayden enjoys it as much as we do. Hopefully next snow will be on a weekend when Jon can play with us.

Rough Days

2008-02-21T23:00:00.002-05:00

Usually I don't like to classify a whole day as rough, usually just a few rough hours or moments. But little Brayden had a rough day today. It began at 3 am awaking from a dream and thinking it was time to start his day. Luckily we went back to sleep for a few hours. Usually I try to get up earlier than him to get showered and ready for the day, but based on our nighttime venture I slept until he let me. This means that I try to get a shower, dry my hair, and do makeup while keeping him entertained. Todays entertainment was putting laundry on his head and walking around like a ghost. You can't see too well with shirts on your head so, yeah, while mom was straightening her hair, Bman headed straight to the stairs and fell down all three. Head first not even touching the 2 in between. Lots of crying, amazingly no marks. Later while playing at Brandon and Ryans, he smacked his head onto the dining room chair. Lots of crying, a knot the size of a pea all red, black and blue. Naptime wasn't as long as it usually is, and did I mention his tooth is finally coming in too?
Usually the tones and feelings of our days are very similar, when Braydens had a rough day, mommy's had a rough day. But thankfully today was different. I am thankful that God gave me a good outlook today to be able to help him through his rough day. Afterall when the little ones are hurt, that means more cuddle time with mommy.

Body Pump

2008-02-12T21:06:00.000-05:00

Whoever Les Mills is, I can't thank him enough for creating this ultimate weightlifting class. I have repeatedly heard from other mommies that this is the class that helps you lose the baby weight and they were right. My dad has been doing this class for a long time (you should see how much he pumps!) and now we do it together on his lunch breaks. My dad is in such great shape for his age, my brother and I are pretty sure he and my mom will live until they are 102. In case you are looking for a way to change up your workout routine this may be just the class you need.

Super Tuesday Political Frustration

2008-02-05T21:43:00.001-05:00

I have to say, I am not the most knowledgeable about politics, but I am forcing myself to follow what is going on. I am trying to educate myself on all the different issues and the positions various candidates take. But on days like today, if you watched NBC news exclusively you may not even know that there are 4 Republican candidates! All they talk about is Hillary and Barack. I wish the media would portray a more balanced picture.

This is my accurate portral of the political frustration.

(Brayden sporting his 4th of July patriotic outfit, July 2006.)

Who Won?

2008-02-04T08:28:00.000-05:00

Yes we had a superbowl party for the youth group as we do every year. It seemed to be a pretty good game for those that love the game. For me, I gladly take on the role of feeding everyone and capturing precious moments on camera.
Heather and baby Julia joined us for the evening. Brayden has admired baby Julia right from the start 8 weeks ago. We finally let him get close last night. He couldn't get enough of her, all he wanted to do was hug and kiss her! They are too cute together!
A perfectionist with his sign language he is seen here asking for "more Julia". Too cute....
Proof that is was a superbowl party

Everyone loves playing the drums at Grandmargie and Pop Pops house.

Christmas Review

2008-01-20T21:51:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to make sure I included a few memories from Christmas this year. The Toys came to visit us this year and we began our time in NYC at the Radio City Music Hall. We were fortunate to have the McMaster family join us.

Aunt Stefanie and Bryan gave us this great sled that we are anxiously waiting to use. It works pretty well on the slick linoleum and carpet though.

Christmas morning pic included because he is just so darn cute!
The Rock n Twist Keyboard was the favorite toy this Christmas. He loves the keyboard and jams away with the mic as well. Other gifts included a little tikes xylophone & drum.....

Redemption

2008-01-20T21:34:00.001-05:00

I just finished reading the 1st book in the Redemption series from Karen Kingsbury. I have never been a reader, in fact I am queen of starting books and rarely finishing them. But the last few months I decided I really needed to exercise my mind. College was a while ago, and I am not mentally stimulated as much as I used to be while working.... I can't imagine why. So I commited to always be in the process of reading a book. Thanks to my sister-in-law Stefanie, I have a new found desire to read. This book has been amazing. It is a christian fiction book loaded with real life drama and Gods amazing redemptive plan in the lives of these ordinary people. I got the next book in the series today and can't wait to start!

Moving Houses is a Big Job

2008-01-04T14:31:00.000-05:00

Going off the last post, we have obviously been busy moving and getting ready for the holidays and blog had taken a rest. I need to breath new life into this blog.

The new house is great, we have had "fun" painting, organizing, decorating for cmas and hanging exterior lights for the first time. We love our new location being so close to church, and family. I will post a few pics later.

Homeowners!

2007-10-31T23:35:00.001-04:00

We closed on our house today! We are very excited and are getting ready for the big move. I will post pics later of us opening the door for the first time as owners!
Anyone wanna pack a box?

DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS!

2007-10-23T00:14:00.001-04:00

I figured this picture would stroke the ego of some of our Texas friends so I had to post it. Uncle Bryan bought this shirt for Brayden when we were in Houston for Keith's wedding. The shirt is a little big...but isn't everything in Texas?

First Steps

2007-10-19T14:23:00.001-04:00

While we have been walking pretty good holding mommas hand, Brayden took a few steps on his own for the first time last week. It was a complete surprise noone was prompting him at all. We happend to be at the Lancaster Business Expo with Great Aunt Ann Marie, and Uncle Bryan, and momma and dada around. It was perfect, all I had asked for was that Jon and I both be around, that came true and then some.

Lazy Blogger

2007-10-10T23:28:00.001-04:00

I am including a few pics that I have meant to blog over the last few weeks but haven't gotten the chance.
We finally are big enough to get a new car seat, forward facing. Mom was so excited because I thought for sure that the love of sitting forward would outweigh the "pain" of being restrained to a seat.... not so much, for the most part we coax him with food!

A few weekends ago we went to the PA Renaissance Faire courtesy of Mrs. Sweeper (thats Granmargie the professional sweepstaker). It was a lot of fun with the highlight watching the group Tartan Terrors perform a few times complete with Bag pipes, and Men in Skirts!
My Knights in Shining Armor!

"I'm Bringin' Home My Baby Bumble Bee!"

2007-10-04T22:58:00.000-04:00

The votes are in and have been tallied. Brayden will be a Bumble Bee for Halloween! We went to pick up the costume at Ollies today and Brayden was more excited about the costume than I thought he would be. He loved holding it because of it's soft fur. Even on the way home he wanted to be holding the Bumble Bee antennas. It is super cute and complete with a little stinger poking out the back! Thank you all for voting and enjoy the season when you too can be anything you want to be!

MOPS

2007-10-02T14:21:00.000-04:00

Mothers Of Preschoolers
I have always heard of this group advertised, and I finally fit the category to be able to participate. Brayden and I attended our second meeting of the fall semester today. We both are having a great time meeting new friends. It has been so good to visit with other moms who are in the exact same station in life as I am. It has also been good for Bradyen to get used to being in the care of people other than momma. He does so well with leaving that it makes me wish at times he did cry when I leave. He is just a well adjusted kiddo!
I encourage any other mom friends to find out about one near you!

Camping Trip

2007-09-25T14:09:00.000-04:00

Air mattress repurposed as a trampoline!

This past weekend we went camping at a state park with Aunt Stefanie, Uncle Bryan, and the McMaster Family. We had been planning this weekend for a long time and the time had finally come. I just love being outside, and feeling that connection to God through his creation. We spent time on the lake on Bryan's boat and just hanging out. Barb showed us all how to make apple and cherry pies over the fire, and Stefanie treated us all to a gourmet campfire meal on Friday. We can't wait to go again next year!

Aunt Stefanie, Uncle Bryan and Caesar bird.

The McMasters and their luxury vacation home. (16'x14' tent!)

Brayden helping with the Shake-n-Pour pancakes.

My weekend in a nutshell....

Bouncing on the half deflated air mattress proved to be much fun!

Packing up to go home

Josh and Caesar bird

Katelynn trying her hand at a little Football with Jon

We hope next year all those who wanted to come but couldn't will be able to join us!

My Unbelievable Lucky Day

2007-09-25T13:35:00.000-04:00

So for about the last 5 months I have been meaning to go to the jeweler to have the prong fixed on my diamond engagement ring, the diamond seemed pretty secure, so it didn't seem urgent......
Last Thursday Brayden and I walked across the apt complex to go to the swings. As I go to push him I realize my ring feels a little different and look down to see that my diamond is GONE! I immediately gather him up and walk slowly back to the apt retracing our steps through the grass and mulch...yeah right?! Who knows how long it has been missing. I remembered my hand getting caught on the laundry today so I return to the apt and immediately stop the washer and dryer that had been running. The washer was filled to the brim with water, I thought if it could possibly be in there at least I would stop it from going out the drain. Next I swing open the dryer door and amazingly see this solitaire diamond resting daintly on the ledge of the lint collector!
I had lost my diamond for 4 minutes. It didn't have time to sink in that I had lost my diamond before I actually found it. Realizing this all took place is simply unbelievable. It surely was my lucky day!

They accepted our offer (sort of)

2007-09-20T23:50:00.000-04:00

We finally found a townhouse in Lancaster that is perfect for our starter home. The location is perfect for our frequency in Lancaster and only adds ten mins to Jons drive to our store in York. It has three bedrooms, a garage, and unfinished basement. We made an offer on Monday, and were told yesterday that the offer was accepted....with a clause. Apparently until our inspection and closing comes about they intend to keep the property on the market in case they get a better offer. We offered slightly lower than the asking price. So we are excited but holding back a little in case another offer is made. Good news is that it has been on the market since June, and it is somewhat of a deterrent to people because of the "green monster" living inside. Apparently in 1995 it must have been really cool to have hunter green carpets, linoleum, and countertops? If purchased by us, these will be changed as soon as possible. Nonetheless we are really excited and our realtor seems to think that there is only a 1 percent chance that things won't go through for us.
In case you want to see the listing you can go to
www.cbby.com
quicksearch
123 Pentail Drive
Lancaster County
Hempfield school district

Good Eats ( and I don't mean Dairy Queen)

2007-09-13T21:47:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago Jon and I went to a business networking picnic and we were to bring a dessert. I made the following dessert and got so many requests for the recipe, I figured I would share. For those of you who go to CVCC you may recognize this as a dessert Myra makes! (That's where I got it from!) No other dessert I know of captures the perfect balance of salty and sweet! Yummerdoodles!

Salty Peanut Squares- Crystal Toy

Ingredients:
10 oz bag of corn chips-slightly crushed
1 cup unsalted peanuts (divided in half)
1 cup light karo syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
½ cup milk chocolate chips melted

Put half the corn chips and half the peanuts into a greased 13x9 pan.
In a small pan bring corn syrup and sugar to a boil.
Stir in peanut butter until blended
Drizzle half over corn chip mixture
Add remaining corn chips and peanuts
Drizzle remaining sugar/peanut butter mixture
Press down lightly
Drizzle melted chocolate

Family Time

2007-09-10T23:00:00.001-04:00

On Sunday Aunt Marcia and Uncle Bill came to visit from Florida and we all enjoyed the evening together at Ann Marie and Al's. We were all good company for Ann Marie who is recovering from foot surgery. Once again Gigi prepared a wonderful steak dinner. We are all truly blessed!

Who reads this blog?

2007-09-07T17:36:00.000-04:00

Well it has been about 2 months now since I started this blog and it has been so exciting to see who I can stay connected with and who is viewing our blog. I know many of you who view the blog have not been able to make comments because you do not have a blogger account. However I have recently changed the settings so that a blogger account is not required to make comments. You simply go to comments and choose "other" to make your comments. I look forward to your comments soon!

House Hunting

2007-09-04T15:40:00.000-04:00

We have been casually looking at houses around the area for the last year. We've really got the bug recently and spent the day yesterday driving around looking at properties. We went to check out this house we saw posted on the internet and couldn't help but share the pictures. It looks like the neighbors have something to say about this new construction on their street. The neighbors front yard appearance is enough to scare off any potential buyer! Honestly, who spray paints their own house to ward off the neighbors?! Needless to say, the search continues....

Gramielin visits

2007-09-04T15:12:00.000-04:00

A clam kept Braydens interest
for a few minutes

Jon and I have taken a picture
at sunset at this very dock every
year since 1999. It's neat to see
how things change!

Atop the lighthouse

We started our labor day weekend a little early when Gramielin arrived on Thursday and we headed to the beach. Friday we toured the Barnegat light house and mommy got a good workout carrying Brayden up 216 steps while Daddy and Uncle Bryan made a trip to Atlantic City. Saturday we spent the day lounging on the beach. Mommy was especially grateful for being able to sleep in a few days while Gramielin jumped into help with Brayden. Thank you Linda!

We enjoyed lots of good food prepared by Gigi Ma and as always are extremely grateful for her wonderful hospitality. Enjoy a few shots from the weekend!

Take The Plunge

2007-08-27T22:36:00.000-04:00

Plunge into Jesus, was the theme for our day long VBS this past weekend. The weather couldn't have been better for the activities we had in store. What else would you want to do with a heat index of 105!?

Mommy took Brayden for this first ride down the slip-n-slide, created from old banner material, thanks to FASTSIGNS!

Havin' a BALL!

MC SCUBA Jon was a hit as he woke us all up with crazy songs.

We can thank April for the Obey, Obey-O song that has been running through our heads since Saturday!

Scuba Dude was especially good at doing FATHER ABRAHAM as you can see in the background.

I wanted to give a special shout out to this years VBS coordinator, Sarah Stevens, she is not pictured in any of these pictures because she was of course taking them all! Lots of hard work and planning went into making this one day event successful, and she did a great job. The kids who attended will have this memory for a lifetime and it continues to build in them a FIRM FOUNDATION on which to grow their faith. Thank you Sarah for your efforts and choosing us to be part of your team! We love you.

The Great American Pastime

2007-08-21T22:46:00.000-04:00

Baseball has returned to York County. The York Revolution has been all the craze this summer. This evening we had 4 tickets to our sky box and invited my friend Mary and her kids to join us. Unfortunately Marys husband JP was not able to make it.The Revolution lost the first game but we all had a good time nonetheless. Unlikely weather for this time of year, rainy and only 65 degrees, that explains the jackets in late August.

Brayden enjoying his first baseball game.

Revolution Mascot (DOWNTOWN)
with Mary, Pearce, and Aiden

SUPERMAN

2007-08-19T22:09:00.000-04:00

Daddy was just as excited as Brayden when Mommy came across these Superman pajamas complete with the velcro cape! Jon can remember the pair he had as a wee little lad. We had fun flying him around the living room reminiscing our childhood. Hopefully we won't have any catastrophes as the Rodgers family once did when Bryan, (wearing his Superman pajamas) jumped through the glass coffee table. Not so super.....

Giddy Up Cowboy!

2007-08-17T00:08:00.000-04:00

Family Chiropractic celebrated their annual patient appreciation day with a western themed carnival! Thanks to PopPop and Uncle Bryan we had lots of fun in the bounce house.
Anna Marie, (the bounce house attendant) was super fun and let the adults get in, even though the sign said otherwise. Thank you Anna Marie

Sarah and Leah bouncing around after volunteering their time at the kiddie games.

The food was great and the company was even better.

The Chuck Wagon served a great pulled pork sandwich and some of Gigis terrific homemade baked beans.

If I had a choice in my chiropractic care I would definetely choose Drs Marty and Bryan Rodgers at Family Chiropractic. They run the best Patient Appreciation Day around this town!

We're At Camp Manatawny

2007-08-07T11:39:00.001-04:00

Aunt Stefanie and I had our hair braided in some funky braids. We tried anything to keep the hair off our necks in the 100degree heat.

This was one of my favorite moments to take in this week of camp. Jeff had the privilege of baptizing his son Nathan. They are both such special people to us and it was a blessing to witness this confession of faith.

Life is Good... Eternal Life is Better!

The week I look forward to every year is finally here and underway! Brayden and I are at Camp Manatawny serving in the capacity of Athletic Director this week. God has used this camp and the people attached to it to make a difference in my spiritual life since I was 10. That is why I am so excited for Brayden to be experiencing this at such a young age. At 13 months he is soaking it all up, I wish you could see him clapping to The LORD liveth and Blessed be the rock.
The only thing that would make it even greater would be to have Daddy here with us. But hopefully next year. Thank you Daddy for allowing us to come.

LBI Beach Fun!

2007-08-01T12:12:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we went to visit family on beautiful Long Beach Island. This was the first time we allowed Brayden to get into the sand. He loved it! Uncle Bryan had a fun time burying Braydens legs and air surfing with him. And an added bonus, Uncle Bryan, (the chiropractor) says that playing in the sand is neurologically therapeutic for kids! Sounds like someone might need to buy us a sandbox for Christmas this year?!

On Saturday Brayden got to spend time with the "Callen Girls" while mommy went watersking. Brayden had a fun time visiting with his Great Aunt Mary, Great Aunt Pat, and Great Aunt Audrey, and of course GrandMargie.

We all had a great time eating dinner with GigiMa and GigiPa.

Youth Group Camping Trip

2007-07-24T00:06:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we took our youth group on our first ever camping experience in tents. We had a great time with the teens and the other chaperones. This was Braydens first ever camping experience as well. Thanks to the good ol' hoopdee van he and I were able to sleep in style. The pack-n-play actually fits in there so he and I slept in there. The teens love having Brayden around and he sure enjoys all the company. This is the last big event the Seniors get to come to before going away to college. Congratulations Monet, Chris, Debra, and Lauren. May the LORD bless you as you transition into a new and fabulous chapter in your life. We will miss you at CVCOC.

Let the Blogging Begin!

2007-07-19T00:43:00.001-04:00

Okay so after visiting my good friend Jacquie and seeing how cool is was to keep in touch with friends and family on her blog I of course wanted to start my own! What an awesome way to keep in touch, sorry it's taken me this long!
As I mentioned we just got back from visiting Jacquie and Spruce in Houston while in town for my brother Keiths wedding. We had a great time with the Graves family catching up on the last few years, introducing our kids, and of course getting our fill of Mexican food!
We then headed to the opposite side of Houston for Keiths wedding. It's been a few days and I still can't believe my baby brother, (who I used to dress up as a flower girl) is all growed up and married! He and his new wife Ashley are happily honeymooning as we speak. Best wishes to the Newlyweds!
Regarding blogging, I can't promise I will be as diligent about keeping up as some of my friends, nor will they be as funny as some, Annalee, and Sarah Brooke, but nonetheless an attempt to keep in touch.