Christmas Favorites

Christmas is my favorite time of the year.  Of course, I am ever thankful that Christ was born and is the reason for the season.  Without Him I can't even imagine what my life would consist of!  

Another thing I love about Christmas is spending time with family.  Life is so busy with work, kids, and everyday tedious chores that it gets hard to pencil in that quality time with friends and family.  I love that during the holidays people slow down (well, some do...) and take the time to cherish the ones we love.

Christmas music and lights are probably tied for third place.  There is something about Christmas music that just lifts my spirit.  I usually start listening way early!  Well, when I am alone in my car at least or occasionally in my classroom as Josh has a strict "no Christmas music" policy until the day after Thanksgiving!  And who doesn't love to look at Christmas lights?!

This year I went against my "fake tree policy" which is never to have a fake tree for our tree, but I decided with Brooklyn due to arrive at any time and our new puppy a fake tree would probably be the least stressful.  Don't worry next year we will be back to a real tree!  I did find some fun stuff to decorate the tree with this year.  I got some inspiration from the "Festival of Trees" at The Great Wolf Lodge.  Once I decided upon the fake tree I realized that I needed to get the only one I had from the storage closet in my classroom.  The only problem was that in the move somehow the "feet" for the tree got misplaced!  So next I had to figure out how to keep it upright.  Apparently Lincoln decided that Thor's chew toy belonged in the base...
  


Not long after starting Lincoln took an interest in helping me :-)

Here is The Brannin Tree of 2011, fun and quarky!

There was no way I was fitting all of my ornaments on this year so I stuck with my favorites and the ones with sentimental value.  

Josh and I got this when we went to prom in 2002.

The year I graduated from WSU with my BA.

Kelly and Danette brought this back from Disney world for me.

This was the last ornament that Josh and I received from his Grandma Nita before she passed away.  She always bought ornaments for everyone each year.

 
My mom and I took a road trip to San Diego the summer before Josh and I got married and she bought us these wedding ornaments in Sea Port Village.

This is Brooklyn's first ornament :-)  For some reason I can't get it to load right side up...  Very annoying!!

Here is Lincoln's ornament for this year from Grandma Brannin.  He LOVES it!  He is always wanting me to point it out on the tree.

And of course some of our family ornaments pre and post Lincoln. 

        

Apple Cup 2011

Well, tis the season for football!  I love lazy Sundays spend watching the Seahawks with friends.  This year we bought tickets to The Apple Cup.  I've never been to a college football game so I was excited to experience that for the first time.  The thing I wasn't looking forward to was arriving in Seattle five hours before the game and waking up and down the stairs at Century Link Field!  Though I thought maybe it might help bring Brooklyn a bit earlier.  Going into labor at the Apple Cup would be epic, right? 

We were up early gearing up for the game.  With it being Movember and all Josh had to take some time to shave his mustache in support of Prostate Cancer Awareness...  Thankfully he spent all month growing the beard and only sported the "stache" for the game!  It was AWFUL! 

We dropped Lincoln off at Kelly and Danette's, ran a few last minute errands, and pulled in to the park-n-ride at ten to nine to carpool up to Seattle with some friends.  We were pretty excited about being ahead of schedule when we realized that all the tickets were sitting at home on our computer desk...  It's always something!  So, the guys drove down to get the tickets while the girls hung out and did some shopping at ShopKo.  I got a WSU hat to wear at the game and a few Christmas decorations so it was not a total loss.  

Finally we were on our way!  We arrived about 11:30 and tailgated until game time.  It was fun just visiting, relaxing, laughing, and of course eating delicious food.  Josh had soaked bratwurst beer the night before and made some amazing hamburger patties with parmesan, onions, and garlic.  Needless to say there was plenty of food.  Krispy Kreme was right across the street as well. 

There were 8 total in our group and I was the lone Cougar fan.  A vast majority of the other tailgate groups were Husky fans as well.  There was even a motor home that had the Washington symbol painted across it!

We brought all the necessary supplies to try and keep warm and luckily it did not rain. 

Josh and I got a lot of comments about how we could be married and not rooting for the same team!  Oh well, I think it fits perfectly since we tend to balance each other out personality wise.

The Cougs did not look good at all in that first quarter...  I was really worried!  Then they came back only to blow it again and lose.  They really need a better quarterback!  The final score Huskies 38 ~ Cougs 21 :-(

We ended the night with dinner at The Spaghetti Factory.  A wonderful day with friends that will not be forgotten.  And the Cougs always have next year, right?   

Thanksgiving 2011

I love hearing what everyone is thankful for during this wonderful season.  I have been thinking about how thankful I am for my home.  I was reminded the other day about the story in the bible when Jesus feeds the crowd of 5,000 with a small basket of fish and bread.  This symbolizes my home.  When Josh and I bought our house in 2006 it was perfect!  Perfect for two just starting out.  It has two bedrooms and one bathroom.  After a couple years or so went by, it started to get a bit cramped and I began wishing that we could do an addition.  We were ready to start our family and a third bedroom would have been great.  It didn;t happen.  Then low and behold we were  gearing up to welcome baby number two and a third bedroom seemed like a MUST, but God had other plans.  As I think back on these periods of time I am reminded of what I thought I needed and how we came to manage just fine.  Who knows when we will be in a position to add on or move, but for now everything is great and we are blessed with much in our little home.

To start our Thanksgiving Day we had a lazy morning (as lazy as a morning can be when you are pregnant and have a 2 year old).  I was blessed this year with having to prepare absolutely nothing!  We then headed to my Grandparents house to enjoy a delicious meal that included a 41 pound turkey that my aunt raised.  It was fabulous!  

Next we did the traditional gathering in the living room to scope out the black Friday sales and visit.  It was great to see my brother and Necia, as we don't see them often enough.  And of course Lincoln had a great time being tickled by Papa and Uncle Aaron.    

Because a lot of stores this year opened at midnight we decided to pull an all nighter.  We started off with a movie at the mall at 9:30 (Breaking Dawn).  My mom, Aaron, Necia, and Necia's friend Lauren went. 

We then braved the crowds.  We hit Macy's, American Eagle, Shari's for some refueling, and JC Penny.  I arrived home at 6 a.m. and crashed in my bed!  I can't even recall the last time I was out until 6 in the morning!  All in all it was a wonderful fun filled day with family and friends.  

  

Brooklyn Projects

I am so blessed to have such generous and wonderful family, friends and coworkers.  I recently had two showers thrown for baby Brooklyn and I am now able to purchase her bedding set free and clear!  One of the accessories that you could order along with the bedding set was a decorative throw pillow.  From the second I laid eyes on it I LOVED it, then I saw the price, $53!!!  For a pillow!  One that you couldn't even sleep on!  Anyway, I thought I could make that for a much more reasonable price... 

Here is the actual pillow in the Glena Jean McKenzie nursery bedding line...

Here is my replica.  My mom found the pillow at Ross for $5.99 and I got the flowers at JoAnn's for a total of $3.  Under $10!  :-)

Another project I decided would be fun was making Brooklyn headbands...  I am so excited to have headbands with giant flowers on her head!!  This project wasn't as cost efficient, but I love the final product.  I found actual headband flowers at JoAnn's for $2.99.  I cut up one of my old elastic headbands and sewed it onto the back of the flower.  It was really simple.  They have all different types of flowers and elastic at JoAnn's and I am excited to make a new headband for her periodically.  Now she just needs to arrive.  I think I am nearly ready for her!  Her bag is packed, her newborn clothing has been washed in Dreft and smells fabulous, her car seat was ordered and my bag is nearly packed.  Now I am waiting to order her bedding set (I can get 20% off if I wait until November 27) and I will be all ready!  She really should wait until December 2, then I give her the all clear to come whenever.  Well, I would prefer sooner rather than later...
 

Thoughts on Pregnancy with 41 Days to Go...

I am so ready to be done with this pregnancy!  I am much more uncomfortable this time around than I remember being with Lincoln.   It's not huge things, but annoying inconveniences...  These are the things I am looking forward to the most about not being pregnant anymore...

1. Sleeping on my stomach
2. Going to the bathroom and feeling complete relief immediately and for the following 4-5 hours
3. Going to bed without the fear of a charlie horse waking me instead of my alarm
4. Getting dressed in a reasonable amount of time.  Getting dressed while you are pregnant is like getting into a costume 5-6 times a day.  Once in the morning and every time you use the bathroom. Underwear in place?  Check.  Belly band in place? Check.  Pants pulled up so there is no sagging at least for the next ten minutes? Check.  Shirt pulled all the way down as not to reveal anything unwanted? Check.
5. Sleeping without a pillow between my legs
6. Looking at my legs in the evening after a long day at work and not panicking about the deformity that water retention has caused
7. Having my lungs to myself
8. Being able to get out of bed, off the couch and out of the car with out feeling like an 85 year old woman
9. Drinking as much sweet tea and Mt. Dew as I want
10. Having an alcoholic beverage such as a mimosa or an ice cold beer

I feel better getting that off my chest!  By reading the list above it may seem as if I hate being pregnant, but that is not the case at all.  It is an amazing thing and actually one of my favorite quotes talks about how pregnancy may be a woman's only chance to assist God in a miracle.  It really is miraculous and fascinating.  And, although I am complaining I know that I have had a piece of cake pregnancy.  I have had no complications, scares, or morning sickness.  I love feeling Brooklyn move around.  The thrill of hearing her heart beat for the first time and actually seeing her in an ultrasound are indescribable feelings even the second time around.  I am just to the point that I want to meet her already and be done!

When will she arrive?  This is a major stress I am dealing with as our December is pretty full...  We have of course Christmas and Christmas Eve that I would not wish upon her for birth dates.  We also have my birthday and Josh and I have our anniversary...  I am also worried about not being prepared for Christmas before she arrives!

What will her birth story consist of?  With Lincoln everything was so routine I am thinking that something is bound to go awry the second time around...  He was born on his due date.  My water broke at precisely 6:30 a.m. and he was born naturally (well I had an epidural!) without the aid of Pitocin at 6:31p.m. that evening.  I am a little worried about having a C-section.  It just sounds scary as I've never undergone surgery before with the exception of my wisdom teeth removal and that doesn't really count!
 
What will she look like?  Will she look like Lincoln or will she have distinct features of either Josh or myself?  Will she weigh less or more than her brother?  What if she was really a boy...  Ahhh!  That happened to one of my best friends!

What will her temperament be like?  Lincoln was pretty easy going.  He had no nursing, formula, gas, bowel, or colic issues.  He was really easy...  Does that mean she will be difficult?! 

Whatever happens I am ecstatic to meet her and to have her meet he wonderful family!  I hope time flies just a little bit...

I'm not really sure what to do with her when she starts playing with dolls because I have had so much fun playing trains, trucks, and blocks with Lincoln, but preparing her closet for her arrival has been rather fun and helps to pass the time... 

This is what she will wear home from the hospital to meet the dogs and see her home for the first time.  Granted she is not an over 8 pound chunk... 



Aren't these the cutest things you've ever seen!



She won't be able to wear this one for awhile, but the leggings are so stinkin' cute!

Gotta thank Auntie Jessi for getting Brooklyn this sleeper that I adore!  I was going to get it for her, but Josh said he hated it...  Hehehe, have to keep this gift now!



 


 

Evenings At Our House

Between work, meetings, grocery shopping, cleaning, laundry, and visiting loved ones, life can be ridiculously busy!  It is so nice when I get off work and can come straight home and enjoy my little family.  Here are some recent evening photos from the Brannin house :-)

Occasionally I pack extra in my lunch and Lincoln enjoys a "left-over" from my lunch in the car for the ride home, but even with the little snack in the car we are both pretty hungry upon arriving home.  On this particular day we had been snacking on some cheese.  I made the mistake of leaving the kitchen having left the last of the cheese block on the counter...  This was what I encountered when I came back.  The smile is his "say cheese" face...

The other night Lincoln decided he wanted to play with his foam blocks.  I should clarify, he actually had forgotten about his foam blocks until I was rearranging some things in his room to get ready for baby Brooklyn and spotted them.  Naturally he wanted to pull all 200 of them out and play.  Again he is showing his "say cheese" face. 

Daddy came home late on Monday and surprised Lincoln with a new DVD, Cars 2, so of course we had family movie night.  The dogs are always included as you can tell.

Speaking of the dogs, Danette wanted Lincoln over night this last weekend, so he was gone.  I think Thor was missing him as he decided to sleep on his bed a majority of the evening.