Mr. Claus

Ok, so the quality of this pic is terrible, but you get the idea. Isaac was fine to tell Santa everything he wanted as long as he didn't have to get very close to him. And Audrey, in standard baby's first visit with Santa form, had giant elephant tears running down her cheeks. Priceless.

Christmas Part 1

Wow, our kids are such fun ages for Christmas this year!! It is so much fun with all the magic we see through their eyes. We have an Elf on the Shelf named Brownie this year that reports to santa about our behavior. We have an advent calendar that Isaac moves each day in anticipation of Santa's big arrival. We took the kids to see Santa last week and Isaac told him all the things he wanted and that "Audrey needs her OWN toys." Audrey likes to "rearrange" the ornaments on the very bottom of our tree each day. And everyone got to enjoy a special birthday party for Jesus and Christmas sing along at Isaac's school.

We have now completed our Christmas celebrations with the Browns before we leave on Friday to spend the last week of 2011 in WI. We spent a weekend in Peoria with the extended Brown clan and had a blast. Isaac and Audrey are 2 of 21 great granchildren for Jeff's grandma - #22 due in Feb! Pretty special when everyone gets together. Then this past weekend we celebrated with Jeff's immediate family at our house for gift opening.

Great Grandma Rosie and Great Grandchild #21

As many of the great grandchildren as we could get together on the couch at one time!

The newly bethrothed! Looking forward to a fall 2012 wedding!

Grandma and Grandpa in front of our tree.

The kids couldn't believe how many presents there were under the tree!

Audrey prefered to just eat wrapping paper.

Brown Family 2011


Finished up the gift opening with a trip to Wild Lights at the zoo complete with AJ's first carosel ride.

First Tooth!

Can you see it?! Audrey's first tooth - FINALLY !!

St. Nick

Happy Feast of St. Nicholas!! We got the kids up early to go through stockings before the normal morning rush. It was wonderful.

As fall fades to winter......

......some pics to enjoy of our family on a beautiful fall day.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

#24 - Let us all give thanks for family and friends and the love that brings us together.

I have really enjoyed my 24 days of thankfulness challenge. While I know that I have a lot to be thankful for and I live a very blessed life, it was really a nice exercise every day to take pause and think about it. I think I shall continue this ritual......silently this time :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!

#23

#23 - I'm so thankful to have married in to such a wonderful family. I have 2 fantastic, loving families and I know that I am so blessed!!

22

#22 - sometimes it takes an event like a birthday to stop and remember and be thankful for all of the people, near and far, from all phases of my life that are out there thinking of me and loving me. I heard from friends in which we are just forming new relationships and from friends that have been a part of my life since I can remember. I am thankful for the beautiful circle of family and friends that I have and for all the lovely messages and kind words I received yesterday.

32 Years

#21 - I am thankful that 32 years ago today God chose the most wonderful parents for me. I am so blessed. I remember when I was younger my Dad always gave my Mom roses on my birthday. I knew she loved it, but I didn't really get that gesture until I had my own kids. My birthday is really a day to celebrate THEM, not me. THEY brought me here, THEY made sacrifices so that I had everything I wanted and needed, THEY gave me wings, THEY thought me to fly. And I love them.

Thanksgiving Week....

#18 - on Friday Isaac's school, Central Chrisitian School, achieved accredidation for the first time in its 54 year history. The 2 year long process culminated in a wonderful meeting/celebration on Friday afternoon. We are thankful that God led us to CCS. It's a wonderful place for Isaac to grow and receive a Covenant preschool experience.

#19 - I am thankful that my husband is a truly gifted physician. His hard work, determination, exceptional training and un-paralleled bedside manner has led to this day - a Letter of Intent arrived to be signed for his very first REAL job in private practice. We're sworn to secrecy on details until the contracts are all in place, but things are good. Really good. And no one is more deserving of this than Jeff.

#20 - thankful that St. Louis is such a kid-friendly place to live, brimming with children's activities and culture. We are never at a loss for what to do or where to go on a rainly, cold Sunday. I am determined to experience everything this city has to offer our children.

9 Months

#17 - happy 9 months Audrey Jane! We are so thankful for you - you are the perfect addition to our family. We are thankful for your laid back personality, your warm nature, your curiousity and your cuddles.

16

#16 - tonight I am thankful for our fenced in back yard. It is dark and cold, the kids are fast asleep and I cannot muster up the energy to walk the dog. It's the simple things!

#14 - #15

Little behind after returning from Girls Weekend, but thanks to the memo pad on my blackberry, keeping track of my thankfulness each day:

#14 - thankful for all the hugs, kisses, raspberries, high fives, cuddles and smiles from my babies I returned to. They missed me. Precious.

#15 - Audrey started "cruising" furniture today (or perhaps over the weekend while I was gone but Jeff would never admit it to save my feelings)! I'm so thankful that she continues to meet all of her development milestones right on time or early. We are so blessed.

More to be thankful for......

#11 - #13 - I spent last weekend in the hills of rural Virginia with my best girlfriends from college. We get together every year, usually in November, in various locations across the country. As we've gotten older and more settled in our lives we've moved from cramming into little apartments near campus for the weekend to flying cross country and renting gorgeous old houses and condos! From getting all dolled up and dancing the night away in bars to curling up in our pj's with bottles of wine to laugh and play games in front of a roaring fire! We lovingly refer to this as Girls Weekend. #11 - I am thankful to have attended St. Norbert College; a place that shaped me in so many ways. A place that brought the 9 of us together 13 years ago. Without these girls in my life I know that I would not be the same person I am today. #12 - I am thankful that although we have stressful jobs, families, etc. every single one of us makes Girls Weekend a priorty in our lives and it is rarely missed by anyone. That is so special. #13 - this year especially I am thankful for our expanding brood. Adriana made the trek from TX with special permission from her OB to fly at 34 weeks pregnant. Jackie was there fresh into her second trimester with baby#2. One of us found out she was traveling with a special surprise right before she left for the airport on Thursday morning (not sure they're sharing with others just yet so I'll leave her name out). And in an event we will always remember, one of us actually found out AT GW2011 that there will be another niece or nephew joining the crew (name omitted to protect the innocent!)!!

A stop at the National Mall to visit the monuments was in order on Sunday. A tribute to Wisconsin, the state where our clan started.

A Saturday at the wineries of VA - yes, we are all wearing the same shirt.

Cozying up for homemade dinner.



My girls.

#10

#10 - today was Isaac's very first ever parent-teacher conference. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to spend 30 minutes with Jeff and Ike's teacher talking about the fabulousness that is Isaac. He is kind. He is inquisitive. He has learned the very complex emotion of empathy. He smiles and laughs all the time. He is developing a very special relationship with one other classmate that is adorable to watch unfold. His speech is making great strides with each passing week, as he works so hard. What a little love. My Isaac.

No. 9

#9 - I am thankful for the presence of Maggie in our lives. Maggie has been our nanny since Isaac was 12 weeks old. She loves our babies as much as we do and they love her right back. They don't know a world where there isn't a Maggie. Jeff and I are able to go to work and know that our kids in hands that love them and care for them as much as we would. We could not be successful in our careers without that. We honestly believe that God dropped her on our doorstep.

#8 - today I am thankful for Isaac's speech therapist, Lynn. Isaac started therapy a year ago today. Lynn (and Lauren before his Apraxia diagnosis) has helped Isaac find his voice. We are in awe everyday at the things Isaac is able to tell us now that were just thoughts in his head before. What wonderful work; those that help unlock a child's ability to communicate.

Days 5-7

Ok, so I'm a few days behind here, but I did keep track in my mind over the weekend!

Day #5 - I'm thankful for pumpkin spice lattes. That's right. Trivial, but mood-altering on a post date-night morning. Lord I love the fall. I guess what I really mean is, I'm thankful for the seasons.

Day #6 - SO thankful for the health of my babies. I thank God every.single.day for this. Jeff is currently rotating through the Heart Center of Children's Hospital and its taking an emotional toll on both of us. We are so lucky.

Day #7 - even though I complain A LOT about my job and my husband's all-consuming career choice, I am very thankful that we both have really good jobs to go to where we receive nice benefits and good paychecks that allow us to provide for our family. I know there are a lot of people out there in this economny who just want to work and can't.

Day 4

#4 - thankful for the surprise date night with my hubby!!

Day 3

#3 - I am so thankful for the bond between my son and daughter. It was immediate and it is strong. It makes me so proud.

Day 2

#2 -today when Jeff dropped Isaac off at school his teacher took a moment to tell Jeff that Isaac is a joy to have in class. today I am thankful for the joyful soul of my little boy.

Happy Halloween from our fire crew.

Halloween was a blast this year - we're going to have to put all of Ike's Christmas presents on neighbor's porches for him to collect for him to think that Christmas is 1/2 as fun as trick or treating!! And every day since he has counted every single piece of his candy to be sure no one (namely me) is stealing it from him :)

Isaac declared months ago that he wanted to be a fireman for Halloween. I didn't even know he knew what Halloween was. And then a few weeks later he tells me that all fireman have a dalmation and eyed up Molly. I explained that Molly would always be a labrador and there was nothing I could do about that. So he went to the next best thing and told me then Audrey could be a dog. And so she was.

The firecrew.

Not that thrilled about being a dog.

The neighborhood crew.

Trying to escape the "fire engine."

Isaac's very best friend and neighbor, Megan. And his new friend, Will, from school.

Exhaustion from a full afternoon of collecting treats!

A Thanksgiving Challenge

I'm taking the '24 days of Thanksgiving challenge' this year and taking time out each day of November leading up to the holiday to express my thankfulness for something. I am very blessed and I know that, sometimes I just need to remind myself how very lucky I am. Bare with me.

#1 - today I am thankful for my 2 beautiful, talented, smart, hard-working, thoughtful sisters. I have a couple of close friends who are going through some tough times with their siblings and while I am praying for them I am also praying for the blessing of Kristen and Laura in my life.

Fall

I love fall. I love everything about it - falling leaves, pumpkin spice lattes, new sweaters, chili, football. Definitely my favorite time of year. We've been enjoying it thoroughly around here.

AJ 8 months

A Saturday morning in skeleton jammies.

When Mimi and Papa were here for Grandparents Day weekend they helped Isaac decorate the porch for the season.

Isaac and I turning his pumpkin into a pirate.....his choice.