The Brand Family

Holiday World

2009-08-05T11:55:00.000-05:00

The family took a quick trip up to Santa Claus, Indiana this week to visit Holiday World. What a fun place! It reminded me of the old Opryland but much bigger. The girls had a fabulous time and were totally worn out by 7:00 that night! I was the official picture taker and stroller pusher because I couldn't ride on the rides...oh well, there is always next time.

Story time with Santa

Rylee and Matt coming down one of the big water slides!

Our Little Sweet Pea

2009-08-05T08:26:00.000-05:00

It's a girl! We had our ultrasound about a month ago and she is perfect! I was so excited to find out this time...I couldn't stand it. We did not find out what we were having when I was pregnant with Reagan and I learned that I am not a very patient person (I like to plan :-D).

Rylee and Reagan have been such big helpers and are sooo excited about getting her room ready and pulling out all the baby stuff. Just after we found out, Rylee planned an entire day around moving all of her stuff into the room that she and Reagan are going to share. It was great motivation for me!

Matt and I are totally blessed to have 3 precious little ladies in our life!!!

Rylee's 5th Birthday

2009-07-03T12:12:00.000-05:00

Here are the pictures from my baby girl's 5th birthday party...finally! I cannot begin to tell you what an amazing person she is becoming and what a joy she is in our lives!!!

Her birthday party was great and one of the easiest I've done so far. I've also never seen so many quiet and focused kids at a party :-D.

Happy Birthday Rylee!

2009-07-02T07:41:00.000-05:00

It's a sad day when someone else documents your child's birthday party before you do! However, this is the situation we are in and I am going to make the most of it :-). Bethany's blog has several pictures of Rylee's party if you want to check them out. We are in the process of switching computers, but once I get the pictures in the right place I'll be sure to post more.

What a busy month!

2009-05-23T09:45:00.000-05:00

May proved to be one of the busiest months we've had in a while. Our schedule was packed with fun things, but by the end of each day we were all worn out! The girls are looking forward to the summer and so am I. As of yesterday, we were done with school, soccer and swim lessons. How do you do it when you have several kids all involved in different activities????

Rylee and her teacher Miss. Brittany

Princess Reagan :-)...one of her many daily princess changes

Slowly and perfectly making her entrance!

Our graduate

Double Trouble

Me and my girls

Baby update: Went to the doctor last week and everything looked great. The heartbeat was perfect. This is the first time I've heard the heartbeat because we had an ultrasound last month. That is the most precious sound ever! I forgot how much I looked forward to that every month. I am also getting my energy back...woohoo.

Another Little One...

2009-04-22T22:02:00.000-05:00

We are very excited to announce we will be a family of 5 around the beginning of Dec! My due date is Dec 1, but we all know how accurate those are :-). I had an ultrasound today and everything looked perfect! When the doctor told me I was 8 weeks along, I was a little surprised because I've known I was pregnant for about 8 weeks. I guess by the 3rd you know what it feels like!

Rylee has been so precious about the whole thing. As soon as we confirmed with a test that I was pregnant, we told the girls. Reagan doesn't get it, but Rylee totally gets it and is so excited. She only shared the "secret" if she had permission...which surprised us. She also looks at the Week by Week Pregnancy book every day to see how big the baby is. This baby may be in my belly but in Rylee's eyes it's a gift to the whole family. How wise she is!!!

Here's a few things you can pray for: energy for me (I know, only a few more weeks but my poor family until then) and perfect development for the baby. We are very blessed to be surrounded by friends and family who are celebrating this little life too!!!

Rylee's First Soccer Game

2009-04-06T08:42:00.000-05:00

Rylee had her first soccer game this weekend! I think Matt and I were more excited than she was. She had fun at the game, but really was most excited about her pink cleats! Matt's description of 4 & 5 yr old soccer is "it's like herding cats" and that is pretty accurate. They are so darn cute though and that's what makes it fun to watch.

Rylee getting ready for the game.

Rylee and her new soccer buddy Helen. They didn't stray too far from each other the whole game :-).

Campbell showing his support!

Carson showing his support! Carson is now on the advanced 6 & 7 yr old team!!

She did it!

2009-04-06T08:35:00.000-05:00

Rylee has attempted several times in the past 6 months to ride her bike without training wheels. She could take the training wheels off and put them back on all by herself...if that tells you anything. Well, apparently, she needed a little motivation from Pop. After Pop's challenge, she came home, took the wheels off and started to ride! We were so proud of her and she was pretty proud of herself!

Sisterly Love

2009-04-05T13:53:00.000-05:00

There are days that I have to remind myself that our girls do love each other :-). The daily battles can be so frustrating! One of my prayers for Rylee and Reagan is that they appreciate, respect and really love one another. I noticed, one day, that it was the quiet times in their lives when I am able to see that love. The times when it's just the two of them...I see how much they enjoy and love each other. Those few sweet moments are enough encouragement to keep pressing on!

Girls Weekend In Savannah

2009-04-05T13:33:00.000-05:00

Bethany and I packed up the kids and drove to Savannah a few weekends ago to visit my dad, Amy, Rachael and Emily. It was a very quick trip, but we had a great time! It's the first time I've gotten to visit since they moved there and it was absolutely beautiful.

Emily, Dad, Rachael

Me and Reagan on the beach...burrr!

Bethy and Ella Jean on the beach.

The girls were having so much fun getting their faces painted..dad had to join in. It was pretty funny!

Grandpa and Rylee

Reagan having a great time!

Worn out from a day of fun :-)!

Me and Bethy in front of Paula Dean's store.

A Circle!

2009-03-05T12:51:00.001-06:00

I was attempting to teach Reagan how to draw a smiley face and all she really cared about was the circle. Every time she would draw a circle she would cheer for herself...this went on for about 10 minutes. It was really cute!

Christmas Morning

2009-01-10T12:31:00.000-06:00

We had such wonderful Christmas! Rylee was old enough to really understand why we were celebrating and, although Reagan has yet to really understand, she loved the excitement. Every morning, the entire month before Christmas, we did the Jesse Tree. It was a great tradition that will continue for years to come!

After we opened presents and enjoyed the morning, we spent the rest of the day at my mom's house. Our kids always love the opportunity to hang out at Grandma's house wit all their cousin and that what we did all afternoon.

It looked like the presents exploded all over our house!!!

Rylee and Uncle Craig

Daddy and Reagan

Notice the make-up...Rylee and Keely had to get all dolled up!

Daddy and Rylee

Rylee's Christmas Program

2009-01-10T12:17:00.001-06:00

Rylee's school did a birthday party for Jesus and each class sang songs and then everyone had cupcakes and punch. I decided to spare everyone the 5 minute video of Rylee performing (because my mom and sister would be the only people even interested in watching it). She is a natural though!!

Rylee is in the very middle...standing perfectly still...that's my Ry :-).

Rylee with her sweet teacher, Mrs. Regina.

Rylee with her other sweet teacher, Mrs. Michiko.

Miss Patty Cake

2009-01-10T11:59:00.000-06:00

Matt and I took the kids to see Miss Patty Cake this year and she was fabulous...as usual! They added a special character, Stan the Handyman, and it was a good thing. Campbell was with us and he didn't love Miss Patty Cake as much as the girls did, but boy did he perk up when Stan the Handyman came out. The kids were great and we waited over an hour to get pictures, but it was totally worth it! Reagan decided she didn't want to be in any pictures, so that is why she is looking away in all the shots :-).

Misc Christmas Pictures

2009-01-10T11:49:00.000-06:00

We went to see the Grinch on ICE! with the Wood family and had a great time. My camera ran out of juice, so this is the only picture I got. We had a great time and after ICE! we ate at Rain forest Cafe and the kids loved that too.

Classic Reagan...she loves anything glam!!!

These are the snowmen shirts my sister-in-law, Pam, made for the girls. They are so cute!!

Christmas Edition of Getting to Know Your Friends

2008-12-18T11:36:00.000-06:00

A friend emailed this to me today and I like it so much I thought I would share with my fellow bloggers...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? wrap
2. Real tree or Artificial? artificial but I love a real tree
3. When do you put up the tree? the weekend after thanksgiving
4. When do you take the tree down? the week after Christmas
5. Do you like eggnog? love it
6. Favorite gift received as a child? anything barbie
7. Hardest person to buy for? parents
8. Easiest person to buy for? girls
9. Do you have a nativity scene? several
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? mail
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? ???
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Polar Express
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? November
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? yes
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? homemade treats from my friends and family
17. Favorite Christmas song? love them all
18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? at home
19. Can you name all of Santa's Reindeer? dasher, dancer, prancer, vixon, comet, cupid, donnor, blitzen, and rudolph...not so hard when the person before me did it!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? always Christmas day
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Happy Holidays...I just prefer Merry Christmas
23. What theme or color are you using? no theme but we focus on the "reason for the season"
24. What do you want for Christmas this year? super skinny body, perfect skin, new wardrobe :-)

I won a wristlet!

2008-12-08T08:39:00.000-06:00

I've never been a gambler, but feel like I need to go buy some lottery tickets (or maybe I should stick to the blog give-a-ways)! Over the weekend, I found out that I won the above wristlet. It is sooo cute! Girls, there is something to these blog contests...get out there and leave a comment and win some great stuff!

My sister-in-law Pam had a give-a-way on her blog last week and I was one of many winners. If you need any very cute and personalized Christmas gifts check out her Etsy store.

Thankful

2008-11-29T10:14:00.000-06:00

I am truly a blessed woman! It seems that there are so many things around us to be discouraged about, but inside our home is a place of comfort. Here are a few of the things I am most thankful for:

My awesome husband (we don't sit around the fire having long romantic talks, but he is a great man and a great father and a great husband)
My precious girls (they aren't always perfect, but I am blessed everyday to see God's little creation right before my very eyes)
Our nation (I'm not always thrilled with the direction of our nation, but we still have freedom...to worship Jesus Christ, to choose how I want to live, to express my views...there are thousands of people around the world who don't have those freedoms)

Bethy and Rylee making apple pies...they were yummy!

Snow Fun!

2008-11-29T09:54:00.000-06:00

We went to East TN last weekend to visit Matt's family and we were greeted with snow! There wasn't a ton of it but is was soft and beautiful. We don't get much snow in middle TN and when we do it's more like ice. The girls LOVED it! They also had a great time seeing the grandparents and family.

My Little Gobblins

2008-11-29T09:36:00.000-06:00

Here are a few pictures of the girls on Halloween. Reagan was the sweetest little pumpkin and Rylee was doctor at school and decided she wanted to be a princess an hour before we left for trick-or-treating on the square. They had a blast this year!

Our Sweet Girls

2008-10-30T19:28:00.000-05:00

These pictures were so sweet...I wanted to share!

Jesse Tree

2008-10-30T18:45:00.000-05:00

As I have been organizing my thoughts and schedule for the holidays, I have come across some really great ideas but the best one I've found came up today on one of the blogs I read daily. Simple Mom had a post about a Jesse Tree (which was new to me...I'm sure everyone else has heard of it). Every evening for about four weeks until Christmas, the family reads through a simple devotional, talks about the lesson, and hangs the appropriate ornament on the Jesse Tree.

It sounded like something that Rylee would really enjoy and might even peak Reagan's interest, and I'm always up for something that will help my kids understand the true meaning of Christmas!

Others Resources for the Jesse Tree:

Rocks In My Dyer tells about how her family did a Jesse Tree
Reformed Church in America has simple devotionals and ornament ideas

It's been a while...

2008-10-25T08:05:00.000-05:00

I was doing so good posting every week (or so) and then nothing for 2 months! Life got busy, or more accurately, life is always busy and this is something that fell by the wayside. Just so no one else thinks that they can be slackers, I may not have been posting but I was still keeping up with all the blogs I read :-).

Cookout and Hayride with my Moms Group

2008-10-25T07:28:00.000-05:00

My moms group did a cookout and hayride and we have a fabulous time! Usually when we plan a night out it is without the husbands and the kids (we love 'em but we need our time away). Well, we decided to invite the whole family for this event and it was so much fun.

Rylee with chocolate on her face.

It was a perfect night to enjoy the fire.

Kristi and Jacob

Kim and Michelle

Jennifer, Marc and Jett - please keep them in your prayers - Marc

got to join us while on a short (2 week) leave from Iraq

Fun at the Pumpkin Farm

2008-10-25T07:19:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago we headed to Waldon Farms with my neighbor and her kids to "pick" some pumpkins. It was a really cute little place and the kids had a great time.

Rylee and Keely showing off their pumpkins.

Rylee down on the farm!

Keely down on the farm!

Reagan down on the farm!

Reagan playing on the toys.

Shouldn't they be having fun??? No, mom made

them stop and take a picture together :-).

The Many Styles of Reagan

2008-10-25T07:17:00.000-05:00

I just had to share with you my most recent pictures of Reagan's unique style. Her philosophy is the more the better. It doesn't matter the accessory...she just wants a lot of them. I hope that one day she can use it for good :-)!!!

Obviously, you can't miss the headbands but notice the wrist and fingers too. This was a style she enjoyed for about 3 or 4 days...no kidding.

Here is Reagan playing with her friend Jonathon. She is sporting the "eyes" (which most of us would call sun glasses) and the lovely rain boots.

Cream Cheese Filled Strawberries

2008-10-24T14:30:00.000-05:00

These are great for showers or any type of entertaining. They taste so yummy!

Cream Cheese Filled Strawberries

32 Starwberries

Filling:
12 oz Cream Cheese
3/4 cup powder sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract

Cut an X in the strawberry to create a pocket and use a zip lock bag to squeeze in the filling. Refridgerate before serving.

Happy Birthday Reagan Elizabeth!

2008-08-29T08:39:00.000-05:00

Today is my baby girl's 2nd birthday! She is a precious child and has been such a blessing in our lives! She has a wonderful smile (that she won't share with just anyone), she thinks her sister is the greatest and is still happiest when she has blankie in her arms :-).

Life lessons from our kids: Matt and I got Reagan a roller coaster for her birthday and Rylee wanted to give her a sucker. Both were in the living room when Reagan got up this morning, however, the first thing she noticed and the only she cared about was the sucker that was from her sister. After the sucker was open and in her mouth she decided to get excited about the coaster.

What she's doing now...

within the past month or two her talking switch has been turned on and she'll carry on a conversation with us

still our picky eater (hot dogs, chicken nuggets, fruit, crackers and cereal...these aren't the only things she eats but the things I know I can get her to eat)

sleeping in a big girl bed for about almost 3 months now

has definitely realized her ability to protest :-)

LOVES: jewelry, lipstick, playing with her baby dolls and coloring/art/play dough

(Reagan acting camera shy)

Exciting News...

2008-08-22T15:54:00.000-05:00

(above: picture and baby by Kim Wheeler :-D)

I won some incredibly cute, personalized art by Kim at Small Words. I check out her blog all the time and this week she had a contest going on and all you had to do was leave a comment. Never did I think I had a chance at winning...but I did!!! I am so excited! I don't know that I've ever won anything of value before. Maybe this will motivate me to do some decorating in the girls rooms.

All about me...

2008-08-19T20:37:00.000-05:00

I think I'm going to set a record for number of posts this month...I've not blogged this much in a long time! I have been tagged, so here are 6 random facts about me:

1- My two favorite flavors are caramel and cinnamon (sorry Pam!). Yum, yum...I love 'em! Notice they are both desert/sweet flavors. That tells you something else about me :-).

2- Matt and I met on a blind date and married exactly a year (to the date) after our first date. Alomst 7 years later, I have no doubt it was the best decision I've ever made!!!

(this picture was taken the year we were married)

3- I really enjoy girly movies...you know the Julia Roberts/Cameron Diaz/Reese Whitherspoon type movies. The kind of movies that don't have a very thick plot and you can watch the first 5 minutes and the last 5 minutes and pretty much have the movie, yeah those are the ones I talking about.

4- I have big babies! Both of my girls were over 9 lbs when they were born...skipped right over those newborn diapers :-).

5- My favorite new blog is http://www.simplemom.net/. I am a pretty practical girl and she is very practical and inspiring!

6- My favorite color is green. It's a happy color and it reminds me of the outdoors and nature. When we built our house I painted my kitchen green...I mean really green...and after the first coat of paint Matt said "are you sure this is the color you want???" I think he even likes it now!

***I tag Bethany, Melissa, Pam, Amy, Terra, Lisa***

Well, that's it for randomness on my part! Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you

2. Post the rules to your blog

3. Write 6 random things about myself

4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them

5. Let each person you have tagged know by leaving a comment on their blog.

6. Let the tagger know when your entry is posted.

Invisible

2008-08-19T12:21:00.000-05:00

My mom sent me this today. Amazing timing I tell ya!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YU0aNAHXP0

I had one of those moments this weekend...I was tired of laundry, tired of cooking, tired of cleaning the house 3 times a day and tired of whining girls (who's attitudes just reflect that of their mom). Being a mom is the most challenging job I've ever had. It's challenging because it's not about me and I don't get the recognition that I so enjoy. The one thing I know, though, is that it is the greatest opportunity I've ever been given. So, for the rest of today :-), I will remind myself with every dirty sock I pick up and spill that I clean up that I am blessed to be able do it for the 3 most important people in my life.

School Days...

2008-08-16T08:37:00.000-05:00

Carson Andrew

Keely Parker

Margaret "Maggie" Elaine

Fast forward 5 years and these 3 precious babies (my nieces and nephew) are all starting school this year. It's a little overwhelming when I stop and realize how grown up they really are. They are amazing kids now and I can't wait to see the impact they have on the world around them. My prayer for them is that God will bless them with an exciting and wonderful year and that His light will shine in their lives!

I'm a photo thief! If the following pictures were taken from your blog, please forgive me :-). The past few weeks I seem to have forgotten I own a camera. A few shots of what we've been up to since my last post...

Swimming and lunch at Terra's...it was the perfect day and we had great company. The only one missing from the picture is Amy and she is behind the camera. Thank you Terra for a fun day!!!

Bethany and I met Dad, Amy, Rachael and Emily up in the mountains for a surprise birthday celebration for my dad. We had a great time and as always, Rachael and Emily spoiled us helping with the babies.

Terra and I took Rylee and Julia to see the American Girl movie. What a cute movie! By the end of the movie the girls were both in the same seat and had gone through twizzlers and a box of crunch. I think they had a great time too!

Woohooo...I got an award!

2008-07-30T14:14:00.000-05:00

Let's face it, I'm not the most creative cat but it's very exciting to know that there are a few people out there who check out my blog from time to time!!! Who knows, this may even inspire me to step it up a notch :-). I was nominated for this award by my friend Rachel. She is a stay-at-home mom, talented cook and a great blogger. What I like most about Rachel is that she has a big heart and a enjoys the little things in life. Beware...her little boy Noah will crack you up too!

There are specific instructions that must be followed now in order to maintain such status in blog world though, so here they are:

1. Put the logo on your blog.

2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.

3. Nominate at least seven other blogs.

4. Add links to those blogs on your blog.

5. Leave a message for your nominee on their blog.

Here are my nominees...

http://www.bethanyandjeramy.blogspot.com/ - My sister, my friend and the mom of my sweet Ella Jean! If you know Bethy, you love her. Her blog is about family and her health and exercise journey. She is transparent and real...what more can you ask for!

http://www.livefromthequickhouse.blogspot.com/ - Terra is my "let's not take life too seriously" voice of reason (which is particularly helpful to me :-D). She is creative and sassy and the mom of 2 cute kiddos! You'll enjoy reading about their family fun and her newest projects.

http://www.tylerkateshawn.blogspot.com/ - This girl has is going on! Life with a 2 1/2 yr old and twins that will soon be 1 and she still has a clean house, mows the grass and blogs. Her blog is a small window into the the world of all those beautiful babies. It will inspire you to appreciate life day by day.

http://www.pamelaposch.blogspot.com/ - This is the one member of our family with oodles of talent. She can turn trash into treasure and makes it look easy. She is also the most creative scrapper I've ever seen. Most importantly, though, she is an amazing mom to my very energetic nieces and nephew.

http://www.thekempfamily.blogspot.com/ - The focus of Amy's blog and life is her precious daughter Scotlyn. Amy, however, is an incredible decorator and really needs to expand her blog to include all of her great decorating ideas for those of us who are a little decorating challenged...hint, hint!!!

http://www.annamarie08.blogspot.com/ - My friends Steve and Ruth Ann recently adopted a beautiful little girl and this is their story. Start at the beginning...they share wonderful details about the adoption process and you'll fall in love with the love of their life!

http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/ - This is the one blog in which I do not personally know the author, but I love what she has to say. Becky's trade is scrap booking (which I don't do), but she also posts the most handy little tips and ideas and has wonderful recipes (and great pics of those recipes).

Blackberry Pickin'

2008-07-12T13:07:00.000-05:00

According to my husband, I am a city girl. I like a nice, clean hotel when we go on vacation (rather than a camping trip), I don't make biscuits and gravy and I've never been blackberry picking before (or any berry for that matter). Over the years I've come to appreciate the wonderful experiences he has introduced me to and our girls are always thrilled when daddy has planned an adventure. This week it was blackberry picking. When he mention what we were going to do, I envisioned the manicured strawberry patches that you hear about...that was not the case. There were thorns, lots of brush to climb through and the insects of summer. We had a great time though!!! We will be doing it again...except next time with long sleeves.

These are the days...

2008-07-07T13:10:00.001-05:00

The past few weeks have been filled with summer fun. I love watching the girls run and play and pass out from pure exhaustion. It's amazing...as soon as we finish breakfast they are ready to go outside and I think they would stay out there all day if I'd let them.

This is a picture of the Zinnia's that Rylee planted around our garden. They are beautiful and attract tons on butterflies.

Reagan playing in the pool on the 4th of July. She also watched her 1st fireworks show that night and loved it! At the last minute, we decided to wake her up and let her watch the fireworks and we are so glad we did.

Girls waiting patiently to go play at the Splash Pad.

It was a bit chilly one morning last week, so Rylee decided she needed all of her winter accessories. She played like that for about 20 minutes and then decided it wasn't that cold any more :-).

We had a great visit with nana and pap pap last weekend. They brought Rylee the picnic set for her birthday and the girls love it!

Happy Birthday Rylee!

2008-06-21T19:47:00.000-05:00

My precious girl is 4 years old today. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about the day she was born...it feels like it was yesterday. If I heard it once I heard it 1000 times, "it will pass so quickly." It has passed so quickly!

Over the past year she left the baby stage and became a little girl. I have also seen many wonderful qualities develop, such as compassion (not leaving my side when I had the stomach bug), precision (typical 1st child characteristic but she knows what she wants to do and how she wants it done) and I've also learned how tough she really is (the broken arm). Rylee brings such joy to our lives and we are blessed by every moment we get to share with her!

Here are some pictures from her party:

Rylee enjoying cake and ice cream!

Gramma, Rylee and Reagan decorating their crowns.

Cole, Carson and Katelyn

Bethany and Ella Jean

Rylee and Anna

Tyler enjoying cake and ice cream!

Ruth Ann and Anna Marie

Took this little ditty this past week. Sorry, it's a little fuzzy because I standing in the kitchen. Rylee had a grove going on, but as soon as she sees me with the camera she gets all shy. I thought it was cute!

I'm back...at least for now :-)

2008-05-20T11:57:00.000-05:00

My friend Terra called me last night to inform me that the tulips were pretty but it was time for some new posts. Thanks for keeping me in line! I still check my favoite blogs, but for some reason I get lazy with mine.

Here are a few pictures I've taken lately...

Check out Rylee's pink cast. As of last Tuesday, the cast was off and her arm is perfect once again! She is a testament to how resilient God made children. It is so hard watching your children struggle, so if this had been hard on Rylee it would have been equally hard for Matt & I. Let me tell you...she's whined more over a scratched knee than she did the entire 6 1/2 weeks of dealing with a broken arm and cast. Thank you Lord!

Reagan is getting so big (she will be 21 months on May 29th)! She is talking and singing and pretty comical most of the time. As you can see below, she is a character!

Um Um Mommy!

2008-05-20T11:46:00.000-05:00

Do you remember the orange push up pops??? I have very fond memories of those from my childhood and I think my girls enjoy them as much as I did. According to Reagan, "um, um mommy" (which means yummy, yummy)!

They sure did they make a mess!!!

Spring Fever

2008-04-19T13:41:00.000-05:00

Our tulips have bloomed and the red is a wonderful first sign of spring. We have spent the past week pulling weeds, tilling beds and buying flowers and plants. There is still lots to do, but I really enjoy getting outside and the girls have loved it too.

This is a planter that I have had empty on my shelf for over a year. I took the idea from my friend Amy (who can make a shoe box look beautiful). I was at her house last 4th of July and she had the same planter on her front door with actual plants in it. She lined it with moss, filled it with dirt and put the plants in. How easy is that and it cost about $8.00!

One more project done...the "B" for my dining room wall. Have you ever heard of Uppercase Living??? It's one of those in home party products that I had ordered months ago and just couldn't decide where to hang it. With Matt's help it is up and looks great. It looks so good that now I want to order more!!!

No More Paci for Reagan

2008-04-19T13:12:00.000-05:00

We are now one week paci free! Kind of sad for mommy, but Reagan has done great. The first night she cried for about a minute and then fell asleep. There have been a few days I've seen her looking for it, but she never cried or fussed about it again.

How we did it...cold turkey! I know, that is so mean but Reagan is a kid who handled it very well. She had developed some eczema around her mouth that was only irritated by her paci and she had also developed some funky moodiness that seemed to be related to paci. So last Friday afternoon I just decided to put her down for her nap with out paci and BAM she went to sleep fine. With Rylee, I cut the tip off her paci so she couldn't suck on it and it took her a few more days but she too adjusted relatively easy.

You may also ask, "is she potty training?" No, she is not potty training but is showing interest in the potty. Rylee started to show interest in the potty at about 18 months too and by 2 years she was out of diapers. They are very different kids, but I can only pray that Reagan will be as easy to potty train as Rylee was.

Here she is...

2008-04-08T15:35:00.000-05:00

Several people have asked about Rylee's cast, so I wanted to post some pictures. She is still doing wonderful. The kid never complains about it...I think she likes the attention!

Rylee and Reagan enjoying the rocking chairs.

Terra's New Blog

2008-04-04T14:10:00.000-05:00

Yeah Terra! She has joined the blogging world and I am excited to be able to check in on their family more often because we just don't get to see them enough. Terra and I met when I was working at AccountingSolutions. I would tag along on "working lunches"...hahaha...with she and Amy. Tons of laughs and 2 babies later (Rylee and Julia...born on the same day), we became stay at home moms and got pretty good at keeping a once a month lunch date with Amy and Jodi. Skip ahead 3 years, our little group now includes 4 girls, 6 babies and a not so regular lunch date! Check out her blog and see her sweet family!

Greer and Reagan last time we met at the Picnic Cafe.

My brave girl!!!

2008-03-30T22:42:00.000-05:00

Rylee broke her arm tonight :-(. This evening Matt, the girls and I were getting Reagan ready for bed and playing ball in her room. Rylee was playing around in Reagan's crib and before we knew what had happened she had fallen out. At first glance we knew we were on our way out the door. Matt grabbed Reagan and I took Rylee and we drove as fast as we could to Stone Crest.

I've never seen such a brave kid! She whimpered a little at first and then not another tear...for the rest of the night. She was calm and still and extremely cooperative for the dr's and nurses. Matt and I were very proud of her!!! They put her in a splint for tonight and this week we will have it set and put a full cast on it.

3 hours later she has a smile on her face!

She was amazing during every step of the process!

Visit with Grandpa, Amy, Rachael and Emily

2008-03-30T22:32:00.000-05:00

We had some visitors this weekend and it was so much fun. Dad, Amy and the girls stayed with us for a few very exciting days. Rylee and Reagan couldn't get enough of Rachael and Emily. It was nice for me, but I'm sure it was exhausting for them!

Rachael, Reagan, Emily and Rylee

Emily loved having tea parties with all the kiddos (they love it too).

Four wheeler fun for Rylee, Reagan and Campbell.

Big sister taking Reagan for a ride!

Easter

2008-03-30T22:02:00.000-05:00

Here are a few of our Easter Pictures. We had a few egg hunts before Easter and the girls thought those were great. We also had a wonderful day going to our church service at MTSU. It was amazing to so many people coming together to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ!

Rylee and Reagan in the bunny cage.

Keely stayed the night at our house after the big egg hunt and dinner at Grandma and Pops.

Reagan hunting for eggs.

Keely hunting for eggs.

Tyler hunting for eggs at an egg hunt we did on Friday morning before Easter.

Rylee hunting for eggs.

Reagan hunting for more eggs.

New Features

2008-03-17T21:33:00.000-05:00

This weekend I figured out a new feature on my camera and I am so excited. I can now make video clips. I've seen video on several blogs and I thought they had pulled out the video camera...hahaha...I'm sure this is funny to all the camera geeks who already knew this.

My first video is of Reagan taking a drink. Exciting stuff, I know, but right now Reagan loves 2 things in life and this clip contains both. Those things are: 1) taking tops of bottles (any bottle and the more challenging the better) and 2) drinking out of a normal cup (mess included). She also whispers "hi" at the end. She is growing up so fast so right now I am cherishing the little things!

Rylee also got to hold Ella Jean for the first time today, and if you can't tell by the look on her face this was a very important job for her. Rylee is such a little mommy and loves to help take care of babies (which means any child younger than her).

Bethany and Reagan cuddled up while Rylee held Ella Jean.

Scotlyn Elizabeth

2008-03-15T09:44:00.000-05:00

The girls and I went to Baptist Hospital this week to visit my friend Amy and her little girl Scotlyn. Amy looked great and was already up and moving around. Rylee has been around lots of new babies lately (Ella mostly), so her favorite thing to play right now is pregnant mommy and then she will have her baby. It's amazing to see the things she picks up on. Reagan was with us too but she is not pictured because it was past her bed time and she wasn't in the most cheerful mood.

Terra, Jodi, Scotlyn, Rylee, Amy and Me

Scotlyn Elizabeth

Unexpected Fun!

2008-03-11T14:48:00.000-05:00

When I woke up today, I had decided that we were staying home because we've been on the go a lot lately. Amber dropped by with her 2 girls and shortly after Mary Helen, Maggie and Dylan came by to have lunch with us. We had a great time!

Dylan

Reagan's 1st time climbing and sliding by herself!!!

Aspen

Maggie

Rylee

Morning Glory

2008-03-09T22:37:00.000-05:00

Look at that face! Does that say "give me my space" or what??? Reagan needs a little time to get moving in the morning. I think she would be content if we left her alone all day as long as she had her pink blanket and paci.

Snow Day

2008-03-09T22:20:00.000-05:00

There wasn't a ton of snow but we were able to make a mini-snowman. Rylee was the only one in our house who wanted to play in the snow on Saturday...and she did about 3 times before 10:00 in the morning.

Just a few days before the blizzard she was dressed in short sleeves!

My Girls

2008-02-21T22:32:00.000-06:00

I took these back in January, but it's never too late to share sweet pictures.

Rylee playing dress up. On this particular day she was getting married (to Matt Joey again). See the ducky towel on her head...that is her veil!!!

We went on a short walk and both girls pushed their strollers. It was nice because I didn't have a stroller to push :-).

Little cutie!

Ella Jean

2008-02-21T22:06:00.000-06:00

The newest member of our family arrived this week!!! Ella Jean Arnold (yes named after Heather Jean ;-D) entered the world 3 weeks early weighing 6 lbs 4 oz and 18 3/4 inches long. I was very bless to get to spend the entire day with Bethany at the hospital and she was amazing! Ella is beautiful and I have no doubt that she will be as special to me as her mama is.

My Dear Husband

2008-02-21T21:27:00.000-06:00

I will start this by letting you know that my husband will not like the fact that he is the subject of this post :-). However, the reason I want to write about Matt is because I am so proud of him! Last year he decided things were going to change. His desire wasn't to retire from Nissan, but he had worked there for 12 years and really had no idea what direction to go. After many months of prayers and interviews, he could see the light at the end of the tunnel and knew there was life beyond Nissan. Today was the end of his second week at our church, World Outreach. He took a position as the Operations Manager at the church. Matt has always had a desire to be in ministry...but he never thought it would be in this capacity!!! It's perfect for him though and he loves that his day to day work is really about to serving the Lord.

Lisa's New Blog

2008-02-01T00:34:00.000-06:00

Okay, my friends are starting these blogs with wonderful pictures and cool stuff, and I haven't uploaded anything new about 3 weeks! The pressure :-)!!! I think my problem is picture anxiety...I haven't taken many lately and so I'm avoiding my blog. Acknowleding the problem is the 1st step to resolving it. Let's forget about my issues and focus on what's new...

Lisa, my neighbor, has a new blog and lots of pictures of her 3 really cute kids. Check out her blog and leave a fun comment. Our lives are so busy and I love that can pull up a website and see what's going on with my friends and family. Welcome to the blogging world Lisa!!!

In the Brand home, we are all recovering from the horrible stomach bug that passed through our house over the past 2 weeks. Matt came home last night not feeling well and just the thought of him throwing up almost made me sick (it's still too fresh on my mind). Praise the Lord, by this morning he felt fine! I am also getting ready for Bethany's baby shower this weekend. I can't believe it...my baby sister is having a baby! Ella is due on March 10th and we can't wait!!

Welcome Melissa!

2008-01-20T20:08:00.000-06:00

I wanted to welcome my sister-in-law Melissa to the blogging world! She got a little pressure from the rest of us, and I am so excited she decided join us. Check out her blog and leave a comment...I know she would enjoy it!

I also have lots to update (our trip to my inlaws and Matt's birthday) but I will post those soon with pictures. As for right now, I needed to get that stinking cat's picture moved down. I was really sad about Him about a month ago (boo hoo hoo) and everyone told me that cats run off and he may be back. My thought to that was "not my buttercup...he's a really good cat and loves us and wouldn't just run off". After 3 weeks of looking for him, I had really given up hope that we would find him. Last Thursday I got an email from the PAWS that there was a cat matching his description. So, as we are packed and driving out of town, I make Matt stop just so we know it's not him. Sure enough it was! They too thought he was a female (had it list on his kennel)...poor boy. We drive back home and get him all set up in our garage and make plans for family to come check on him and feed him while we are gone. I couldn't believe that my efforts paid off and we actually found him. Well so much for all that effort...we were home one day and he ran off again. At least I tried!

Buttercup Marlin Skittles Brand

2008-01-03T19:08:00.000-06:00

It has been almost a week since we've seen our Buttercup and our hope is that he has found a wonderful new home as an inside cat. We never really considered ourselves "cat people". We liked dogs and had always had dogs. There was a slight problem with mice at our house (actually any problem with mice is a BIG problem) and so we thought a cat would help the situation. Not only did Buttercup get rid of all the mice, but the girls LOVED him. He really was a sweet cat and we are going to miss him!

Let me explain the name...

Buttercup was the original name when we thought he was a she. After a trip to the vet we discovered that she was actually a he. The poor boy needed a more masculine name, so Rylee decided that Marlin (Nemo's daddy) would be a great new name for him. Last but not least, Skittles is the name Aunt Bethy had given him from the beginning. So, when we would say his name it would go something like this "Buttercup"..."Marlin"..."Buttercup Marlin Skittles Brand". No joke, we would laugh when we said it but that is how it came out just about every time. No wonder the cat found a new home...he just wanted a decent name!

Happy New Year!

2007-12-31T05:01:00.000-06:00

It is the last day of 2007 and what an incredible year it has been! The most enjoyable part of this past year is that it was a relatively quiet year...no major life events. It was wonderful to just enjoy the girls and family and friends. With that being said, 2008 already look like it is going to start out with a bang :-)!

Now let me tell you about our Christmas...

I've mentioned many times how great it is to be surrounded by family, but we also have family who don't live so close and we missed you all dearly this Christmas! Hopefully we will get to see you soon.

When Rylee was born, Matt and I started the tradition of having a birthday party for Jesus on Christmas Eve. We thought it was important that our children realize that Christmas was not just about them, and kids are all about birthday parties so this is an easy way for them to understand why we celebrate. This year Rylee made the cake (I directed the process, but she really did most of it herself). She really did a great job!

Christmas morning Matt and I wait an hour for the girls to get up. Rylee and Reagan are both early birds, but I guess we were more excited than they were :-). Rylee was all about the gifts and thought every one of them was wonderful (aren't 3 yr olds great). Reagan, however, got some pink shoes (shown above) and really only cared about those and whatever Rylee was playing with. She has since realized how fun all of her toys are, but that morning all she cared about were those shoes!

Daddy opening his gifts from the girls.

After we went through all the presents at our house, we went to Grandma and Pop's and spent the rest of the day there. Reagan found a pair of black sparkly shoes that Keely got for Christmas and did enjoy those as much as her pink shoes.

Last but not least, this was our attempt to get a picture of all the kids together. Imagine on the other side 3 cameras taking the pictures and all the other adults trying to keep the kids in the pictures. There were only a few who ended up in tears, but no damage done!!!

Do You Ever Have Those Days???

2007-12-19T22:28:00.000-06:00

You know, Rylee and Reagan are precious but there are weeks I feel like God picked the wrong person to do this job. My Rylee is in a bit of a sassy stage and she likes to test the limits. About 99% of the time she is an incredible kid, but I am not great at discipline so that other 1% is really hard for me. And Baby Reagan...she has a runny nose, teeth coming in and had to get shots today! Mommy, mommy, mommy - there isn't enough of me to go around.

Then, as I am getting Reagan ready for bed, they bring it all into perspective! It's moments like this that make it worth all the work and effort and worry...

+Our little entertainers!

Jeremiah 29:11 states "for I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Even when I have no clue what I am doing (which is often), I trust that God has an incredible plan for these girls and He will protect and provide for them.

Wow...We've Been Busy!

2007-12-15T22:56:00.000-06:00

My goal is to at least update this blog weekly. I won't be too hard on myself...it really has been a busy month :-).

In the past week I've had 3 parties, wrapped presents at the mall, celebrated Christmas with my dad and celebrated Carson's 5th birthday (and I am sure I've left out a few things)! Know what I did last night??? I went to bed at 6:30 and didn't get up until 6:30 this morning. It was glorious!

In between the parties we've had to do lots of baking, and I've discovered that Rylee has the potential to be a chef. First, the girl can crack an egg (no shells and no mess)...I'm pretty amazed. She loves to help me mix, measure and make anything. If she is in trouble, I've threatened that she won't be able to help with dinner and she straightens right up! I told her that I am teaching her now so that she can spend the rest of her life cooking for me :-).

Rylee getting ready to open presents from Grandpa and Amy (and her cousin Maggie in the back ground).

My little sister Rachael holding Reagan. I think Reagan stayed in her arms all afternoon!

Pam and Bethany at cookie exchange. We had some good food!!

Reagan's Chit Chat

2007-11-29T20:27:00.000-06:00

My little Reagan is 15 months today!!! It is amazing how quickly time goes by. While the child said her first word "mama" as clear as day at like 8 months, most of her chit chat since then sounds like her own language...until this week. I was on the phone one afternoon and Reagan was walking around talking up a storm, but I really wasn't paying much attention. Then I realized she was calling for her paci. Rylee and I have always played this game when we are looking for something (mostly commonly with dolly...we'll walk around calling "dolly, dolly, dolly"...until we find her). Well here was Reagan with her blanket saying "aci, aci, aci" and sure enough she was looking for paci. It was really cute!!!

Christmas Time of Year

2007-11-26T10:47:00.000-06:00

Christmas is by far my favorite time of the year. This year I am enjoying it even more because last year our lives were so crazy. We were finishing the house, had a 4 month old and a 2 1/2 yr old and moved the week before Christmas. So...this year we are baking cookies and having parties and finding lots of ways to celebrate the birth of Jesus!

Rylee wearing the shepard hat she made at church on Saturday night. She thought it was a pretty cool hat!

We decorated our tree this weekend and it looks beautiful! As of right now we are at 3 broken ornaments. Most of the glass ornaments are now out of Reagan's reach but I am sure that there will be more casualties. I have given her a basket of plastic ornaments that she can play with, but my kids always want to play with the stuff that's off limits :-).

Pie In The Sky

2007-11-21T22:27:00.000-06:00

It's the day before Thanksgiving, which in our family means that it is pie day. Many years ago we took over my mom's apple pie recipe, and it's become the tradition that we make a couple for Thanksgiving day and one for each family to take home to enjoy with leftovers. You'd think by now we would have perfected the process but I am in a new house this year and that means a new oven. There were a few under cooked and a few over cooked, but in the end they will all taste pretty darn good!

Enjoy the recipe...
Mom's Apple Pie

2 deep dish pie crust
12 apples - peeled, cored and thinly slice
1 1/2 Tbsp Cinnamon (or more if you like)

Crumb Topping:

2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 stick of butter

Mix apples, sugar and Cinnamon. Pour into pie crust.
Mix sugar with flour and cut in butter until crumbly. Spoon mixture over apples.
Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, or until apples are soft and top is golden brown.

Reagan snacking on the apples :-)

Aunt Bethany and Rylee busy at work!

Just the beginning...

2007-11-20T18:16:00.000-06:00

Okay, I've been checking out other peoples blogs and it has me interested. These things are addictive...I feel like a fly on the wall. My life may not be as exciting as some, but I have 2 funny little girls who give me plenty to write about. Matt and I love to exchange our "funny moments" at the end of the day and I am sure friends and family will enjoy those moments too! I also want to be able to post pictures. Since Reagan has come along I have not been as diligent about sending pictures...I know you are shocked!

Thanks for checking out my blog!!! I'll add some fun stuff soon!