The festivities continue....

OK folks....the fun hasn't stopped! Here are some photos from the most recent celebration!!! ENJOY -- check back soon for her birthday party pics - its tomorrow! We will post more soon.

More fun photos....

It was Circus day at school and Mr. b was a lion. Check out the

cute photos below! MB and I attended, along with like two other parents...but it was great fun and he was really a good lion. MB overheard Mr. B's teachers cracking up because Mr. B had some good moves in the back row. I have a video too...gonna post it. It's horrible. But you can see in the back this big lion head. It is short only a few seconds....

Birthday festivities!

Well, I would say BG has had a pretty great birthday! She got a cupcake at school yesterday and they said that she was very dainty with it and got just a wee bit upset when she licked all the icing off!!! Funny girl!

Gram was in town and she stopped by for a visit and to deliver BG's birthday gifts (a great loot of Eric Carle books) and took us Chick Fil A where BG was sung to, got a balloon and a cow! HA!! Funny! We had a great time! Here are some photos....

Not sure why this was a big deal to Mr. B last night, but he wanted me to take his photo with his Mickey ears on!!!!

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl

Happy Birthday Queenie!

-SIGH-

My dearest Carleigh -

I can't believe a year has gone.... July 23, 2007 seems like yesterday...

You are a sweet little girl who is the apple of mommy's eye.

I have loved watching you learn new things this year.

I love that you are my fabulous dancing buddy and

that you laugh hysterically at mommy, daddy and your brother.

I love that you are a lot like your brother and in many ways so different.

I love that you have come into the family like a bolt of lightening

and never cease to let everyone know it!

I love that silly smile with only half teeth coming in.

I love waving at you in the mornings while I make your ba-bee (bottle).

I love that you sing along with me "Dah -tee, da da da, dah - tee", when I sing your name.

I love that you are a tried and true Daddy's girl through and through,

just the way you should be.

I love the way you eat blueberries.

I love that you take your shoes off as soon as I put them on you.

I love that you look like me when I was little,

but have your Daddy's blonde hair and steel blue eyes.

I love the fact that you have hair!

I love the way Bryson sings you to sleep in the back of the car.

I love the way you needed to be a part of the "girls" at the beach in your own beach chair.

But most of all I am in love with the fact that you are mine...mine,

my sweet baby girl who I have long awaited for and am so happy to show the world to.

I love you, Mommy

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday COUSINS

Lucky for us, we have twins in the family...and they are 12 today! Happy Bithday W and D! I know you are wondering which of these two are the twins...they really don't look alike. Here's a hint...The fella in the middle isn't 12...alas, we sometimes all wish we were. That's Uncle R!

Happy Birthday Boys! Have a great day!!!! XOXOXO

Back in the saddle...

Hey all! The fam has been on vacation this week with my family. We had a great time, even played hookey a couple days once we came home. Will get some photos posted soon.

Mixed emotions about the coming week...BG is turning O.N.E. 1, ONE YEAR OLD! Can you believe it? I am just shocked that it has gone so fast. Both rugrats are tucked in their beds after a fun day at the swimming pool. I myself am gonna hit the sack early.

Have a great day!

kb

I got tagged....

Stacey tagged me so I am going to tag four people I know: Random Ramblings; 5Rings; A Sophisticated Mess; and my friend tiff who has a blog but I don't know what the address is! OMG and if you have the time you have to look at the pics at 5Rings blog...they have one crazy cul-de-sac over there! TOO MUCH FUN FOR WORDS!!!!

Rules: You must answer the questions using only one word. Then tag four others.

1. Where is your cell phone? home
2. Your significant other? busy
3. Your hair? wet
4. Your mother? working
5. Your father? flying
6. Your favorite thing? kids
7. Your dream last night? none
8 Your favorite drink? coffee
9. Your dream/goal? simplify
10. The room you’re in? office
11. Your hobby? WHAT?
12. Your fear? death
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? further
14. What you’re not? evil
15. Muffins? blueberry
16. One of your wish list items? debtfree
17. Where you grew up? here
18. The last thing you did? print
19. What are you wearing? capris
20. Favorite gadget? treo
21. Your pets? stinky
22. Your computer? dell
23. Your mood? excited
24. Missing someone? Two
25. Your car? big
26. Something you’re not wearing? bracelet
27. Favorite store? gymboree
28. Like someone? everyone
29. Your favorite color? red
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? forget

Back to reality....work tomorrow...

So here are the pictures that I promised you. We have a ton...so I am not sure how this is going to work, but you can see them here.

I hope all of you had an excellent 4th of July with your family and friends. We sure did. We are leaving for the beach this week with my family! CAN'T WAIT! We are soooo excited to get some sun and be lazzzzeeeeee bums! I can't wait to report on BG's newest escapades with the sand!

Here also is a video that shows BG's mad dancing skills...she's a character! Sorry for no sound but this was with our digital camera!

Just call us lazy bones...

Well after a crazy but fun-filled holiday, the Brown clan (minus dad) slept LAAAATE and laid around all day today. What a day! Both kids woke up by 8:3o and were back asleep till well past 11:30 -- MAMA WAS HAPPY!!! That never happens anymore with BG who is our little morning glory! She's up between 6:45 -8:00 like clockwork.

I hope to post pics from our day yesterday, but I have to get them from the grands...We started the day off at the great-grands picking beautiful juicy blackberries from their patch. What fun! Even BG got in on the action! Mr. B had a blast and is going to take some of the pictures on his share day this week for people to see. He was very proud of himself.

BG was a trooper. Dinnertime is always tricky, obviously because the kiddos don't have patience to sit as long as us. But other than that, she was wide awake until we got to the car after the fireworks. HOLY COW -- could the OR fireworks have taken any longer?! We were cracking up because we know the guys who was shooting them off...and literally there was so much delay between them, he must be exhausted today because it seemed like he had to run for place to place to light them all...but we had fun. SO ANYWAY, BG was my biggest worry all week long. I was pretty tempted to keep her at home because I was afraid that it would be too loud or that it would scare her... she sat mesmorized the entire time, until the very end finale when everything went off at once.

So -- I am wide awake at well past midnight because I have had too much sleep..and been on laundry duty all day...yuck. It's rare that I feel so rested, but I do! YEA FOR ME!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed the fireworks if you got to see them!

XOXO!

A Southern girl at heart...

My BG apparantly loves pimento cheese sammies! YUMMY...Mommy's favorite! I was eating one and she (with Poppy's help) waltzed her way right over to me and took a couple bites out of mine. May sound silly to you, but this is my vice...I can't live without pimento cheese...homemade like my grandma's. Although I did live without it for about a year when prego with Mr. B (and after) because it made me want to vomit (niiiiiiice). Anyhoooo...So, I had to share her pics...and apparantly if you are from the north you don't know what this is and probably prefer not to know....

As you can see, Miss BG is growing up folks. I am sad to say that this past 11 months has gone quicker than any I have ever lived through. Although I love this age and the coming ages ahead, I still shake my head in disbelief when thinking about where the time has gone.

BG is a speedy mess...she can crawl anywhere and really has no fear. Mr. B was so timid and a whole lotta tied to the apron strings (still is) but BG is miss independent. Just tell her a stern NO one time and you will see what I mean. They are such good buddies though, Mr. B loves to entertain her in the car and make her dance (which she loves to do as well!).

I promise in the coming weeks we will try to do better and posting pics and showing how she's grown. We've got a beach trip planned, and of course her first July 4th celebration...lots of summertime fun to be had by all! Can't wait!

And now I am off to bed, because this week is "Take BG to Work Week..." Her school is off this week so we are alternating between mommy, daddy and grands. She's going to be rotten by the end of the week!

OH! AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! It was so great to see you this weekend! The house will be ready before you know it! (right gram?). Thanks to all the help that Grammy gave us this week while Mr. B was at Swim lessons and Daddy was out of town. It was a very tiresome week I know, but we always love spending time with you! See you at "Nertle Beach!"

Partying at the Secret City Festival

me....on tv

OMG...that's the most annoying video in the world! It played automatically so I had to take it off...sorry.

Very late update...

OK, after getting criticized :) for no new posts, I figured I would do so today with some new pics! I have been super busy, as this year is the craziest time for me. My computer at work is shot and I just got a new work computer so I thought I would update you!! Here are some recent photos...

Wordless Wednesday

AGR--for your enjoyment....me in all my glory!

Party Time!!

Carleigh chatting, give it a sec to get into it:

So this weekend, BG was asleep in her crib napping so mommy and Mr. B decided to rest too. B apparently found BG awake before I did and decide it was a GREAT idea to get in her crib with her to play.

Here is the scene of the crime......all rescue heroes that one crib can hold, along with two kidlets..

And here is one of the most beautiful things to wake up to in the morning!

I am possessed by a 15 year old girl.....

I just scored tickets to New Kids on the Block!!! OMG! It's time to pull out the pegged jeans, big hair and buttons!

Melancholy

Sometimes things happen that you just can't explain....

I have been very melancholy lately, maybe I'm trying to find the meaning of my life, or what I am really doing with the present, am I happy with the way things are, do I make changes with my life's path? all of these "deep thoughts" have crossed through my mind lately. Partly because when MB is out of town, I have a LOT of time to ponder the meaning of life.....

But I read this blog Bring On The Rain, now mind you it is a very sad story. When you, if you choose to, read it, start from the beginning. It will make you cry-- if you are a woman, a mother, a sister -- it will make you cry. So, reading this blog put some things into perspective for me, while making my heart hurt for this family as well.

But it truly made me realize how blessed I am with my children. Even with all the turmoil/chaos that I tend to have around me (usually brought on by myself) these are perfect, sweet children who I know inside and out, and love deeply, more deeply than I have ever experienced before, nor ever will. And I know them because they are mine....little replicas of me....Mini-me's, I am touched by them every day and I am blessed to watch them grow and become the little people that they are meant to be....

So on to my next melancholy moment. I had a childhood friend who touched me greatly. She moved right after I started high school and we eventually lost touch. For some reason, today I had this deep urge to google her, this weird tugging at my heart to do whatever it took to find out what she was up to. I did find her, but unfortunately it was through the obituary of her father. I thought, wow, how sad, her dad passed away since she and I last talked (about 6 years ago). And then I found the Obituary...it was from Monday. This made me terribly sad, my heart began to ache and I felt this strange sense of disconnect.

You know, we go through life everyday, the same old routine, the same people and places cross our paths...but have we stopped to think about those who may have passed earlier in our lives and what is going on in theirs now? To think that since October, her father had been suffering with cancer, her family struggling but keeping spirits up and supporting each other. And I....someone who considered myself a friend to her hadn't enough care in my heart to wonder earlier about her, or keep in touch with her all of these years.

I am truly one of the worst of these people. In fact, so much so that one of my friends from high school actually guffawed at the thought of me keeping in touch with one of my best friends who has moved to CT. Obviously, to her this must have been ridiculous since I couldn't even keep track of the girl who lived across town....

Anyhoo...I don't mean to sound down on myself. What I hope you will get from this is to take a moment and think about someone in your life who may have slipped out for a while. For me, I was able to find this person via the Internet, and hopefully when the time is right I will reconnect with her. For you, it may be picking up the phone, or googling, or perhaps driving past the house that you think they still live in...or for one of my friends, it was writing a letter to a deceased friend's mom who is still grieving several years later.

Time is precious people. And I see it everyday through the kids...and so many people have said this to me before...but it slips by so quickly. Where does it go? And are you truly meeting the needs of yourself to live your life to the fullest? Are you checking in to the lives around you or do you check out because what you have to do is so much more important than spending time with your friends and family or reconnecting with an old friend....trust me, I am guilty. Put an X by my name......

So I just want to say thank you to all of you who "check in" with me and are a part of my life. Those of you who love my children and make them part of yours...each of you who has said a little prayer for me, MB and the rest of my family. THANK YOU. I don't say it enough...THANK YOU.

My how fast time flies....

Here are some fun pics from the weekend. We celebrated Earth Day (early) with a fun festival with lots of animals and cool music and fun. It was a beautiful day out, mommy got sunburned a little. I have made a promise to myself that me and the kiddos are going to go "exploring" at least once a month around the area. There is just so much to do around us and it is great to get out of the house. And lots of stuff is free! Mr. B ran into a friend at the playground and had a good time reaking havoc, but he also lost his Spiderman (like we don't have enough!).

Check out the bath picture. Ms. C looks hysterical! I don't know if you can see it or not, but she loves hanging with her brother and was pretty pumped about taking a big girl bath.

Do you like this??? Really

I was so bummed when I saw that Starbucks changed its logo cups from green to brown. Honestly people, I can deal with the red holiday cups (ok, you all know how much I love the holiday cups...gets me all tingly), but changing my comfort cup from green to brown...I'm so sad...

Oh, and I stoled this image from le petite blog.

Read more here....

http://blogs.wsj.com/buzzwatch/2008/04/08/grande-logo-switch-is-starbucks’-new-cup-grabby-or-a-grind/