The Burgoyne Family

Chicago, Milwaukee, Green Bay Adventures!

2011-10-19T18:48:00.001-05:00

Another whirlwind trip to the north is complete.. we had a BLAST! Visiting Gamma Lynn, Gampa Dave and Uncle Joe in Sugar Grove; Nonie Jo & Grandpa Paul, Aunt Kendal & Uncle Jared, Cousin Jacob, Uncle Matt, Uncle Dave & Aunt Erin, Great Aunt Sandy & Great Uncle Mark in Milwaukee; Nana & Great Grandpa Glenn and Great Aunt Gini in Green Bay. WHEW! Here are some pictures of our adventures:

Watching trains at the DuPage Childrens' Museum with Daddy

Thanks, Gamma Lynn for taking us to such a neat place!

Making giant bubbles with Daddy

Playing in the wind tunnel

Gamma got Brett a Clay Matthews doll!! Yay!

And the BIG gift, a new bicycle!

Brett LOVES his bicycle

Yes, he has a helmet :)

Birthday cake at Gamma's house

Ready for the game.. About to head north to Green Bay

It was windy and cold at Lambeau Field. Packers beat the Rams!

Playing with Uncle Jared and Jacob while visiting Nana

A little snuggle time with Great Grandpa Glenn and Jacob

Four generations of Burgoyne men! Look at all those smiles

Watching trains at the Diamond in Rochelle, IL

Brrr! A picture with Mommy while watching trains

Family Fun

With Daddy at the Diamond where the BNSF and Union Pacific train lines cross

Waiting on a train..

As always, we enjoyed our time with family. Brett had two fun birthday parties and got lots of new toys to play with. We are blessed!

It's a GIRL!!

2011-09-27T13:29:00.000-05:00

Wow, I'm still in shock.. I can't believe we're having a GIRL! Actually, I had a feeling all along that it was a girl.. but today's ultrasound confirmed it. Drew is so excited! He will have a blast with a sweet little girl and he will definitely wrapped around her finger. I cried when we found out.. I'm not sure if it was out of fear or joy. Both. I'm warming up to the idea though and can't wait to start preparing for (gasp) a daughter!

We told Brett that he was going to have a little sister. We asked him "do you want a sister?" and he said "no, my want a car!" Here we go!!

Seaside, Florida Fun in the Sun!

2011-09-17T14:03:00.003-05:00

Our week in Florida was wonderful! Tropical Storm Lee moved out on the Monday that we arrived and the next four days were sunny and mild. Seaside is a beautiful place. I knew that the Destin area offered white sand beaches and emerald colored water but I didn't believe it would be so pretty! We will definitely be back for another family vacation :)

The kiddos had a great time playing in the sand and definitely wore us out! But, we made great memories and that's worth all the effort. We had some great meals at local, Seaside hot spots and enjoyed the area so much. We can't wait to go back!

Our Chicago Trip

2011-09-15T16:30:00.003-05:00

I've been horrible about blogging! But, FINALLY, we have a new laptop so maybe I'll be better from this point :) Here are a few pictures of our recent trip to Chicago:

With Heather at the Signature Room on the 96th floor of the Hancock Building

Posing with my man at The Hard Rock Hotel :)

Buckingham Fountain

The Bean

At Scott & Breanne's Rehearsal Dinner at Gino's East

Beautiful!

We took a water taxi to Michigan Avenue from Navy Pier

View of the city from Navy Pier

Being tourists at Navy Pier :)

A cute picture of us at the Hancock Building

We had a great trip! We missed Brett but also enjoyed flying, taking the train to and from O'Hare, sleeping in, touring Chicago and having fun with friends "kid free."

Eureka Springs Adventures!

2011-06-13T16:26:00.014-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, Grandpa Paul and Nonie Jo came to visit from Milwaukee! We took a day trip to Eureka Springs, AR where we explored the town, had lunch at Sparky's and rode the ERNA Railway. We all had a wonderful time:

Lucky boy got to ride in the ENGINE with Grandpa because the Engineer recognized Drew :) What a treat for both Brett and Grandpa!

Of course, we had to have popcorn! Thanks, Nonie!

Brett liked the Conductor.. And I think he liked Brett too :)

Part of the train ride included smashing coins on the tracks

Waiting for the engine to smash our coins

Drew's mom Lynn had a birthday on June 11th! We all surprised her with an "Academy Awards" themed party on the 4th.. she had NO CLUE!

More pictures and adventures to come..

Silver Dollar City

2011-05-20T14:23:00.007-05:00

Once again, our wonderful neighbors Tasha and Chad invited us to use their extra passes to Silver Dollar City! We had a great day and Brett rode rides for the first time! He was just tall enough at 37 inches.. Drew also got to ride the thrill rides with Chad (since I'm a weakling).. check out all of these faces:

It was a little chilly out but not as bad as the last time we were there in December! We are so blessed with good friends who are generous enough to invite us each time they go. Maybe next time I'll ride the rollercoasters?? We'll see ;)

The Month of May

2011-05-20T14:10:00.009-05:00

May has been a busy month for us! We've seen Nascar cars, been to Jump Zone, had a baby shower for Aunt Angela and baby Parker and traveled to Sugar Grove to see lots of family! The Home Depot car was at our local Home Depot a few weeks ago. The driver wasn't there (dang it, Joey Logano is mommy's favorite) but it was still fun! Afterward, we went to Jump Zone to burn off a little energy.

Our trip to Sugar Grove for cousin Jacob's birthday was short but sweet.. Nana drove with me and Brett because Drew had to work :( It was great to see everybody and show Nana around Naperville, IL where Drew grew up!

Back in Fort Smith, Angela's baby shower was a huge success! She had lots of friends and fmaily there and got tons of good gifts for baby Parker. He'll be here before we know it!

Sadly, this is one of the only pictures I took that day.. I was too busy keeping Brett out of trouble! Imagine that :)

The Bristol Experience

2011-03-26T15:18:00.020-05:00

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee has to be one of the most beautiful places in the country! And not only is it beatiful, but there's SO much to do there too! Our group of eight was Scott & Breanne from Chicago, Casey & Travis from Alma, AR, Dixie & Ryan from Rector, AR and Drew & myself. Brooke and Justin were originally supposed to go but they had too much going on at home to leave town. So a last minute phone call to Dixie brought them into the mix! We spent three days eating, exploring, laughing and having some great adventures :)

This is the ad photo of our cabin.. I forgot to take a picture!

another stock photo.. but this is where we spent our evenings playing games..

and laughing until it hurt :)

the view from our porch.. so peaceful!

Most of us sat outside each morning and had our coffee

Drew and Dixie goofing off in Gatlinburg..

we walked around and had lunch at a great mexican restaurant.

Dixie made about 20 phonecalls to get us the best possible price for ziplining in Pigeon Forge :) A few of us were aprehensive (and downright scared at moments) but it turned out to be an AMAZING adventure!

Group shot before the zipline tour began

I waited until next to last to go.. I was really scared and shaking

until I went off the edge of the platform.. then it felt like I was flying :)

No more fear.. I was having a BLAST!

Drew's turn.. I don't think he was too nervous..

he HAS jumped out of an airplane before so this was "small potatoes" to him :)

He was probably wishing it would go faster..

Coming in for a landing!

After ziplining we hit about five different go-cart tracks in town. These were not kiddie go-karts either.. These were 40mph, slick track, get your racing shoes on go-karts! We had some great competitive races and all of us got a little bruised up from ramming into each other but it was fun :)

Sunday morning we left the cabin at 7:00am to make the two hour drive to Bristol, TN. It was so exciting to roll into that small town and see a huge motor speedway nestled in the valley!

We had to check out the merchandise trucks before the race..

and make a quick stop in front of the Bristol Motor Speedway sign..

Look who I found! My FAVORITE driver, Joey Logano :) Cute little #20

Breanne chose a Denny Hamlin shirt, Dixie couldn't find a "cute one" but I found my #20

and there he IS! Be still my heart.. The other guy is Trevor Bayne..

he is also a youngin' and won Daytona this year :)

Kyle Busch (Drew's favorite driver) about to win after the final restart :)

What an awesome trip! We had a blast! We were sad that our other buddies Brooke & Justin couldn't make it.. but we're already planning next years race... Back at home, Brett shows off some of his car skills:

Good grief, son.. where are your pants?!

Reach Out and Run 5k

2011-03-13T16:31:00.007-05:00

I started training for a 5k run about 6 weeks ago through the Couch to 5k running program. It was really tough to stick to the plan at times (I huffed and puffed on the treadmill and outdoors)but I did it and I'm so glad I did! Last Saturday was the first 5k that I've ever completed without having to walk throughout the race.. in 32 minutes! AMAZING!

Brooke was the person who really inspired me to start training for the 5k. She started running last fall and it's really helped her get into shape and make healthy lifestyle changes.. so I jumped on the bandwagon!

We did it!! Without having to stop OR walk!

Drew didn't run so he was there to cheer us on along with Brooke's hubby Justin. Drew started running over 7 years ago and his level of fitness was so far above mine I didn't think I'd ever catch up.. BUT Watch Out Drew!! I'm chasing you now :)

Tulsa Zoo

2011-03-02T14:44:00.009-06:00

A couple of weeks ago we took a short roadtrip to Tulsa, OK to visit the zoo! Angela, Justin and Turner came and so did Mark, Tiffanie, Tyler and Anna Lericos :) It was "40/29 Day" heehee!

Little monkey loves to climb

Sweet Turner loves to climb too!

Anna and Brett looking at the penguins

All of the kiddos.. impossible to get a good picture of these four!

Climbing on the "rairoad crossin" as Brett would say

Family picture! With a goofy Mark in the background..

Riding the zoo train!

Crazy face :)

We had a great time with all of our friends.. Impromptu road trips are FUN!

Way Back Wednesday and More Snow Pictures..

2011-02-16T17:03:00.011-06:00

I guess it's not really "way back" if it was just last year.. but look at this sweet little guy:

He's changed so much in a year.. it's hard to believe! He still loves his cars and choo choo trains so much. Now he talks about them all day long!
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It's also hard to believe that all of this snow fell LAST WEEK! It's 61 degrees outside right now at 5pm.. Northwest Arkansas may never see another snow fall like this!

Outside our back door
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The front of the house.. it's up to the windows!
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Drew measured 20" in the front yard!

The dogs didn't know what to think..

Brady was a little more adventurous than Allie.

And thank you to everybody who sent great Valentine's gifts to Brett! I took these pictures today when he discovered his gifts from Gamma Lynn and Gampa Dave. Lala, Nana.. sorry I didn't get any pics with your gifts.. he LOVES them just as much!

Is it SPRING yet?! We're ready to play outside!

First Bloom!

2011-02-08T14:40:00.016-06:00

It may be cold and snowy outside, but our lemon tree thinks it's spring in her sunny, warm window! I'm so excited to see the first bloom EVER from our tree :)

On a MUCH colder note, we've had quite a bit of snow this winter! This past event brought ice first and then snow so the roads were pretty bad.. at times we were near blizzard conditions! Brrr! I took these pics when the wind was really blowing:

Brett enjoying his snow icecream!

Last weekend was the first chance that Drew had to be out playing in the snow instead of working.. I was sick with strep throat but the boys headed out to Springdale to meet Angela and Turner. Angela's husband Justin was sick too. Bummer! But I'm glad Drew and Angela had a great time with the kiddos! Thankfully, Angela took lots of pictures!

Let's DO THIS Dad!

This is how you do a double sled :)

They're good buddies

Zooooooom!

My Boys :)

What a big boy he is.. so handsome..

Gross, Jike!

Super Dad! He had double duty with Turner :)

We're expected to get more snow tomorrow.. Possibly 6-10 inches! Looks like I'll get to go sledding next time. I'm finally over my sickness and feeling 100% better. Whew! You never appreciate how good "well" feels until you're really, really sick :)

Chicago, Milwaukee, Papa Chef's Party and playtime with Miss Turner

2011-01-25T15:32:00.012-06:00

Our recent trip to Chicago & Milwaukee was a whirlwind! We drove to Sugar Grove, IL first to stay with Drew's mom. As always, she fed us well and we had a fun visit. On Friday we made our way to Milwaukee for Drew's dad Paul's 60th Birthday Surprise Party! It was so nice to see Gamma Lynn, Gampa Dave, LaLa, Uncle T, Nonie Jo and Papa "Chef," among so many others!

Lala, T and Brett passed out on the drive to Milwaukee

We all enjoyed the tiramisu at Tenuta's in Milwaukee

(our favorite Italian restaurant)!

Brett especially enjoyed it :)

It was a wonderful meal and a wonderful time with family

The following night was Paul's 60th Birthday Surprise Party! Jo really planned an amazing evening. Paul was so surprised to see so many close friends and family members there.

Brett stole the show when he insisted on singing

ABC's and Jingle Bells into the microphone

We were sad to leave everybody up north but were also happy to be home.. The next week, Angela brought Turner over for a playdate and we all had a great time!

Brett loves his little girlfriend Turner.. precious babies!

"KiKi Clause" and "Baby Jeez"

2010-12-23T14:14:00.009-06:00

So we took Brett to see Santa aka "Kiki Clause" at the Promenade.. he wasn't sure what to think about Santa! He didn't want to sit in his lap, didn't say much and then took a handful of candy from a nearby basket..

That smirk.. priceless..

Too busy with the lollipop to play with any other kids

At least he LOOKS sweet :)

and, of course, breaking the rules

Aunt Barb gave us a beautiful nativity scene as a wedding gift/Christmas gift in 2005. We absolutely LOVE putting it out every year. Brett likes it too and plays with all of the animals and the "baby Jeez."

Christmas Eve is tomorrow! Hard to believe.. hope you are all ready to celebrate "Baby Jeez" birthday like we are!

Enjoying Christmas Traditions!

2010-12-05T13:27:00.021-06:00

We've had a busy weekend! We bought our tree, decorated the house for Christmas, took a quick trip to Eureka Springs for the Christmas Parade and celebrated our friend Tyler's 8th Birthday at Fun City..

Our family Christmas photo!

Bringing in the tree

Getting all of the decorations up

Drew did great on the outdoor lights!

On Friday night, Drew and I were the Grand Marshals in the Eureka Springs Christmas Parade! It was a fun experience for me.. I'd only been in parades as part of the marching band, never in a convertible as "Grand Marshal" :) The Chamber of Commerce put us up in this B&B and bought our dinner too!

Drew threatening to touch the baby Jesus.. shhhh!

Once we returned home on Saturday, Brett opened his stocking from Saint Nicholas! This is one of Drew's family traditions that we've carried on for our family.. Saint Nicholas' feast day is December 6th (we celebrated early) and on the eve he brings small treats and gifts which are meant to be shared :)

Tyler Lericos' (Drew's co-anchor Mark's son) birthday party at Fun City was a great time.. there are tons of games and rides.. it's like Chuck E Cheese's Pizza but cheaper!

What a fun weekend! We're worn out.. Hope you all have had a great weekend too!

Lights of the Ozarks Parade

2010-11-21T13:45:00.007-06:00

Last night was the Lights of the Ozarks Christmas Parade in Fayetteville. We met Angela, Justin and Brett's girlfriend Turner there to watch the floats, get some candy and see the Duggars! Woohoo!

Chillin' with sweet little Turner.

They were holding hands but I didn't get a picture :(

Me and Angela.. my soccer buddy and Drew's co-anchor.

Justin and Drew using the Live Truck as a shield from the wind.. smart!

"Let's get this show on the road, people!"

Brett got a mini cow from the Chick-fil-a cow. Mooooo!

Family picture with Brett not looking at the camera.. one of about 100..

We went over to Angela & Justin's afterward to have pizza and let the kiddos play. Good times! We are blessed with GREAT friends :)

Hot Chocolate and New Clothes

2010-11-10T21:38:00.008-06:00

I thought Brett might appreciate a little hot chocolate on a fall day.. he did pretty good holding the cup by himself! Of course, he wouldn't put a shirt on after I took off his pajamas.. quite the attitude on this one :)

Today we got a package in the mail from Gamma Lynn! She sent Brett some fun winter gear.. A warm coat, snow pants, boots, hats, mittens and a fun t-shirt and some light-up Cars tennis shoes! Thanks so much Gamma Lynn, it all fits and we LOVE it!

If you'll notice, the hot chocolate pictures are nice and clear.. Then Brett got ahold of the camera.. so the next shots are a little blurry :( dang fingerprints.. Just being a little boy! He loves to play with the camera.

Throwback Tuesday..

2010-11-09T14:32:00.003-06:00

It's always fun to look back at pictures from last year at this time.. A couple to share:

Last Halloween's little monkey!

Sharing a little bit of ice with Dixie last November

We had a fun Halloween this year and are now looking forward to Thanksgiving. Drew has to work so we'll be cooking for my family here at the house! We've invited our neighbors Ali, Brandon and Will too since they don't have any family nearby.

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-01T15:34:00.019-05:00

We had an awesome Halloween this year! Brett's Birthday party had a GREAT turnout and we all enjoyed Trick-or-Treating with the neighbors.

Had to put this one up again.. Zombie Boy

Cleaning out the pumpkin with Daddy

Time to carve!

Casey in the back, Angela holding Turner.. so cute!

Anna helped Brett open his presents :)

Blowing out his candles.. he was saying "Nooooo"

Little Devil

Flying Devil (with our friend Justin)

Playing with Turner's costume LOL

"Hut Hut" Connor says

The Holy Family

Crazy face with Papa Woody

So cute!

Opening more presents

Nana was a little devil too!

Trick-or-Treating with the neighbors

Nice white socks Jike.. he wouldn't keep his shoes on!

After a long day, time to relax with Mom's iphone.. Good grief this boy is ROTTEN!

Brett vs Ovaltine..

2010-10-25T17:53:00.006-05:00

Once again, I was busy.. packing away summer clothes in our closet.. Brett had been an ANGEL all day! It got too quiet and this is what I found:

Birthday Presents in Big, Brown Boxes..

2010-10-24T20:25:00.010-05:00

When Brett and I got home from Bella Vista there were two big boxes in the entryway! Gamma Lynn & Gampa Dave and Grandpa Paul & Nonie Jo sent fun presents for Brett to open on his birthday:

The famous "Boelter" boxes are always full of goodies :)

Tearing open the first one with Daddy's help!

A wooden choo-choo train! Brett said "shoo shoo" when he saw it.

Gamma Lynn & Gampa Dave's package was full of wrapped presents!

A "shoo shoo" puzzle that makes noise when it's complete.. fun!

"Cahs, cahs, cahs" Brett says!

OH BOY! Mommy and Daddy always wanted one of these too!

This one could occupy us all for hours..

Thank you to all of Drew's parents for sending such great gifts! Brett is a pro at opening packages.. His eyes lit up with every single one. We love and miss you all and wish you could be here for his birthday costume party next weekend.. More pictures to come!

A Week With Nana in Bella Vista!

2010-10-24T20:06:00.015-05:00

This past week, Nana spent some time at a fun condo in Bella Vista! It was only 20 minutes from our house in Cave Springs so Brett and I spent a lot of time there too. He was excited to explore a new place with so much to do..

Nana bought this Thomas the Train toy.. Brett LOVES it!

He loves it so much he wanted to take it night-night with him :)

The back porch

Lots of leaves!

Brett had fun throwing leaves and acorns off the deck

The super big bathtub that Brett called "pool"

This isn't safe.. but it sure is fun!

Little fish didn't want to get out of the tub

Beautiful trees all around us!

Swinging with Nana at the playground

One of the back decks (not ours, but just like it)
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Exploring.. along with his talking dump truck..
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Front view
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Close-up of our condo
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Thank you so much to Nana's friend Barbara (Gigi) for letting us use the condo for the week! It wasn't far from home but still seemed like a world away. Nana, Brett and I built a fire in the fireplace each night, had great meals, shopped in NWA and then just relaxed. It was a PERFECT week!

Happy Second Birthday Brett!

2010-10-22T13:44:00.002-05:00

Dear Brett,

I can't believe you've been in our lives for two whole years already! It seems like just yesterday that we welcomed you into the world. I thank God everyday for the blessings he's given me but

on October 22, 2008 I received the BEST gift ever.

I knew you were going to be a busy little boy from the moment you started moving in my belly. You bounced around like a little monkey in there and soon your kicks and jabs were overwhelming! You would wiggle and stretch so much that my belly would move for everybody to see. Every night I would lay down to sleep and you would start your aerobics.

And now you're as active as ever! You love to run and jump, push cars all around the sidewalk and climb up on every counter and table you see. You are so funny too.. making faces and laughing so loud just to make us all smile and laugh with you. You're saying so many new words lately.. we are at the point of no return with your conversation days coming fast.

I love you so much little man. You are the brightest spot in my day and pray that God will keep you safe and healthy. You are a handful, but you're my little boy and I think you're PERFECT!

Love,

Mommy

Pumpkin Patch Fun!

2010-10-08T13:10:00.018-05:00

This week we took Brett to the Pumpkin Patch at McGarrah Farms in Pea Ridge, Arkansas.. Drew had the day off so it worked out great!

Looking for the perfect pumpkin with Daddy

I think this is it!

Oh wait.. I see a better one!

Inspecting the big pumpkin with Daddy

So precious.. I think he looks like Momma in this one!

Baby model posing for the camera :)

Checking out the bumpy pumpkin variety

Hmmm.. what's up with this hay tunnel thing?

I made it through!

Baby pumpkins.. make good weapons..

Daddy you're so bhaaaaaad

This little piggie didn't want to stay still for the camera

Complaining about something..

Loving his first hayride! Very focused on the "dracker" tractor

He made a new friend (Smokey)

Petting Smokey.. we said "be gentle" about 50 times..

This hay ride thing is cool!

Brett enjoyed his trip to the Pumpkin Patch! This was his second year to go. They're a really nice group of people, don't charge admission and do a lot for local schools. Farmer McGarrah (very Irish) is a jolly, redfaced man who LOVES this time of year!

Gamma Lynn's Visit!

2010-09-22T12:54:00.010-05:00

Over Labor Day weekend, Gamma Lynn came to visit! We had a great time! Brett got to go to the Gentry, Arkansas Drive Thru Safari for the first time.. I'm not sure who enjoyed it more, Brett or Gamma :) Right off the bat an emu came to visit the car.. hysterical!

Gamma Lynn LOVED this part!

Brett checking out the prairie dogs "woof woof"

Petting a pot bellied pig with Gamma

A poor little porcupine

He tries to say "cock a doodle doo" to the rooster

Not too sure about the goat

Looking at the day's pictures with Gamma

Since that visit we've been busy as usual! I keep telling myself "I WILL BLOG MORE" but it just doesn't seem to happen :) I will try harder (thanks to my buddy Brooke for making it look sooooo easy to keep up with). One day I decided to take a walk with Brett and push him in the stroller.. he had other plans.. he got out and walked the neighborhood! With no pants and no shoes :) Nice.

This past weekend was our fifth wedding anniversary! Drew planned an overnight trip to Oklahoma City to celebrate. We went to dinner, saw a movie and then I got sick :( It was a rough night for me.. turned out I had strep throat.. but here is the cool hotel we stayed at! The Hilton Skirvin.. it reminds us of the building in Ghostbusters :)

So, on the way home from OKC the air conditioning went out in my car (it was a factory defect, covered under warranty) but what a HOT ride home! Yuck... I was already feverish so you can imagine the discomfort.. poor Drew was sweating too!

Monday morning I went to the doctor, got a shot in the hip and feel so much better! It stinks being sick.. Drew took the day off Monday to take care of B so I could rest. Good Husband Award!

Sharing, Haircut, Friends & Chuck E Cheese!

2010-08-24T11:20:00.013-05:00

Once again, I've failed at blogging on a regular basis :( Maybe I should put it on the calendar?? Thanks to the iphone I'm rarely on the computer anymore! Sorry, Grandparents (and honorary Grandparents) I'll try to make it up to you!

Let's see.. we've been busy! Playing with the neighborhood kids Aidan, Ariel, Carley, Collin and Tristan. Brett is definitely NOT good at sharing.. but we're working on it. A couple of weeks ago he played with Connor (our friends Brooke & Justin's little man). Look at CJ's curly hair! I LOVE it!

Looking at the dogs.. both Brett and CJ say "woof woof"

Kind of sharing the bus.. Justin was playing peacemaker :)

Time for another haircut! He had two suckers and a handful of Starburst candies..

This hair is itchy Momma! But the candy is good.

One day we saw a Racecar on the way back from Papaw and WeeWee's.. had to check it out.

My girly Brooke! We took the jeep out after dinner one weekend. We look like we're about to attack somebody! Brooke's wearing her Mr. T starter kit.. LOL

The Elementary school down the street from Nana's house is where I went to 5th and 6th grade. Cook Elementary. Brett liked climbing the ladders and sliding down the BIG slides!

A Friday night Chuck E Cheese experience.. it's been so hot out, we needed an indoor activity. Brett ate a little bit of pizza and drank a TON of Sprite.

Deep in thought... mouth full of Sprite..

He climbs in the tubes all by himself.. Scared of NOTHING!

Checking out Chuck E's band.. there was a little dancing involved..

Brett loves to look in the mirror, stick out his tongue, pull on his ears, give kisses, etc.

Probably screaming at this point!

Update on Brett's daily antics:

Says: Mama, Dada, Nana, Pawpaw (for all Pawpaws), WeeWee (Weez), Sissy (Sage), cheese, choclaw (chocolate), uh oh (for a mess he's made), no no no, yeah yeah yeah, shoo-eee (when diaper is dirty), Ah-law (Allie), Lala (Lauren), Tee (Tait or tea), Boo-boo, Bebe (baby), tawt (hot or light), barks, meows, snorts like a pig, choo choo (for a train or truck), Door (Dora on tv), Melmo (Elmo), night night, A-men (anytime we say prayers).. I'm sure there are more :)

He peepees in the potty every time we put him on it! Occasionally he will poop too before his bath. It probably won't take long to train him when it's "really" time. Not going to push him yet :)

He's almost swimming without floaties! Puts his face in and looks underwater.. starting to doggie paddle a little too. Floats on his back. Big boy!

Goes to his bed when we say "it's night night time" and says A-men after his prayers. We sing a song and then I leave the room. He follows me to the door to check it but we lock him in. He usually sleeps until 9am or later!

More later! Love you all!

Catching up..

2010-07-21T10:27:00.009-05:00

Let's see.. where to start? The most EXCITING thing is... da da da dummmmm: Brett is sleeping in his big boy bead! After constantly climbing out of his crib for days and days we decided that was enough of that. I put together his Thomas the Train toddler bed and talked to him about how fun a big boy bed is. He played in it that day and seemed to really like it! We went to Target and picked out a Thomas blanket too. When Drew got home for dinner I told Brett to "show daddy his big boy bed" and he took Drew's hand and led him to his room :)

So the first night I put him to bed and sang a little, soothed a little and told him to lay down for night-night about 100 times. He tried to get out over and over but I stood my ground. I stayed with him since it was the first night and he finally fell asleep after about 30 minutes. When I left the room I locked the door.

Drew came home from work and checked on him. He was fast asleep! Drew figured he would stay asleep so he left the door unlocked.. Uh oh.. at 3:00am Brett came busting into our room crying hysterically! I got up and he wanted to sit on the couch in the living room. I carried him back to his room while he screamed and cried. This wasn't going to be pretty.

I got him back into bed. I had to hold him down for about 10 minutes until he finally stopped fighting. He relaxed a little as I sang and soothed him. After another 15 minutes or so I decided that this was not going to work for me to stay with him every time until he fell asleep. So I got up and walked out of the room. I locked the door. I heard him run to the door and cry.. but that only lasted for a few minutes. I figured he fell asleep in the floor :(

The next morning Drew and I woke up at 10:00am. I PANICKED! I thought oh no he's hurt himself and we never heard it on the monitor! I opened his door and ta-da.. he was asleep in his bed! AMAZING!

So the following nights I put him to bed, soothed him a little, said our prayers (he says "a-men" now) and then left the room and locked the door. He would get up sometimes and try the door but then get back in his bed.

He's slept until 10am or later everyday since! It's a MIRACLE! Thank you Lord :)

Moving on, it's been too long since I've posted and I feel awful about it :( But there's one thing that makes me feel BETTER! I have a new iPhone! Happy Birthday to me! I took my first picture of Mr. Handsome in the tub:

Probably should have used a flash.. it's a little yellow.. oh well.

So many great photo opportunities around the house!

Had to get a close-up.. shhhh!

Time for a little swimming! He was saying "woof woof" because he heard a dog barking :)

And then there was my birthday.. Nana made me a chocolate cake! Yum!

Another photo-op. Brett eating dog food. He saw the camera and said "cheese!" GROSS!

Back to birthday, Drew planned ANOTHER surprise party! I was totally shocked. A group of great friends surprised me with dinner at Doe's. They had balloons, flowers and this "kickin" soccer cake! I guess they're all taking my new hobby seriously. (I joined a women's indoor soccer league)

He fell asleep on a run with daddy.. notice he's wearing his Thomas undies? He wanted them on so I put them OVER the diaper :)

And finally, the "new" kiddie pool. It WAS the sandbox, but after constantly cleaning up sand in the house I decided it was time to re-think things. Brett would get all sweaty outside then roll around in the sand and come inside. No, no, no!

That's about it for now.. I promise I will try to be better about posting! Maybe I can do it directly from my iPhone?! :)

Jump Zone Fun!

2010-06-02T15:49:00.007-05:00

I took Brett to Jump Zone in Bentonville today for "Toddler Time." It's basically an indoor inflatables playground with jumparounds, slides, etc. and it was GREAT! No children over 5 years old are allowed for a few hours so it's much safer for the little ones :) We met our friend Ashley and her two year old daughters Katie and Kinsey.. B had so much fun!

Getting used to the Jumparound with Kinsey (I think, maybe it's Katie, oops!)

Whoa this thing is slippery!

He would only slide down on his tummy!

Chewing on a toy.. GROSS!

He LOVED the gumball machine jumparound!

The dumptruck slide! It was really fast so mommy only took him down once.. Daddy will have to go next time.. Heehee!

It's $5 admission (plus a few people that work there know Drew so they gave us a handful of "free admission" tickets). There are seven total jumparounds.. some with HUGE, FAST slides! I saw several Moms have to catch their breath at the bottom.. Drew is gonna love this place :)

Sorry, We've been BUSY!

2010-05-31T19:36:00.009-05:00

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted.. sorry everybody! We've been BUSY! And I've been swamped with photo sessions, editing and my two little side jobs of cleaning.. ON TOP OF the daily supervision of Mr. Big Shot. Here's a glimpse of our summer so far:

Chilling at the neighbor's kiddie pool with their two year old twin nieces Katie and Kinsey.. he loves to drink their drinks and wear their shoes :)

Sliding along the rim of his kiddie pool at Nana's house.. always a good time!

Wow, what a poser!

Watering Nana's plants with a little pool water

Contemplating?

A recent get-together at our friends' the Scarlet's house.. notice all the babies! Fun times :)

Riding the motorized fourwheeler with our friends' son Baylor. I PROMISE it didn't go fast!

Climbing, climbing, climbing.. this time on the Scarlet's boat!

Checking out the spotlight at the Scarlet's party..

He says "Tat" for "hot" or "light"

As I said before, we've been super busy. On top of the photography and housekeeping jobs I also picked up another side-job of maintaining our neighborhood poolhouse! Drew is going to be checking the pool chemicals each day and it's basically $100 bucks off our monthly rent. YAY!

Thomas the Train is Our Life..

2010-04-07T14:12:00.007-05:00

Last Christmas, Jeff and Roxy bought Brett a Thomas the Train set. We've tried to set it up several times but Brett always pulls it apart. Today I gave it another try and he LOVES it!

Big Smile!

Using the hay loader

(which plays the theme song for Thomas & Friends)

Getting a little closer to the action..

Mmmm... tasting the hay

Concentrating on the barrel loader

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He's such a BOY.. notice the bruise on his forehead? He hit the footboard on Nana's bed.. ouch!

Easter Fun!

2010-04-05T13:04:00.009-05:00

Brett had a wonderful Easter. He got lots of gifts from Gamma Lynn & Gampa Dave, Nana & Papa Stan, Aunt Janie, Uncle Larry & Sam and the EASTER BUNNY!

Modeling a cute monkey outfit

Hunting Easter eggs with Sage... and Cocoa...

Mmmm... jelly beans!

Getting the hang of this Easter egg business..

Fast ride down the hill! (with a crash soon to follow.. which we got on video)
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Brett LOVES bubbles
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More bubble fun!
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Hope all of you had a wonderful Easter!

Throwback Thursday!

2010-03-25T13:59:00.004-05:00

I wanted to share a few pictures from a YEAR ago! I can't believe how much Brett has changed.. he's the light of our lives, that's for sure!

Surviving the Snowstorm..

2010-03-22T16:38:00.003-05:00

Happy Spring!

Mother Nature brought us a foot of snow Saturday into Sunday. Brrr! We actually had record breaking snowfall.. but Drew can tell you all about that.. What I know is Thomas! Thomas, Thomas, Thomas.. I LIVE Thomas! So I found this puzzle at Target. It's three feet long! I glued it to two pieces of posterboard and hung it on the wall in Brett's room:

Shouldn't take long for him to try to pull it down.. get the glue ready!

Check out these cute pajamas Dixie and Ryan bought for Brett while they were skiing in Colorado! Too precious.. they fit him perfectly! He looks like a little acrobat running around the house.

We're SO ready for Spring! Bring it, DREW!

Let's ROLL!

2010-03-15T15:47:00.006-05:00

Ta-Da! We have a new bike seat AND a new helmet! We have been waiting for it to warm up a little bit so we could get Brett a seat and go riding.. today was the BIG DAY! He had a great time singing and talking while we rode around the neighborhood :)

Mommy was so excited to test it out she didn't even change him out of pjs :)

check out the shark helmet!

Singing (probably about Thomas)
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Let's get this thing MOVING!
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More fun bicycle pictures to come...

My Husband, My Best Friend

2010-03-12T14:05:00.003-06:00

Many of you have seen this picture before.. it's the first picture Drew and I ever took together. We were out with a group of friends, not yet dating, both with other "significant others" :) It was a few days after my 25th birthday. The reason I'm showing it again is because it brings back so many memories.. I had feelings for Drew from the day I met him but I never felt like I "deserved" someone like him. I didn't think I would ever find a love like his.

This is a little excerpt from an email he sent me the Monday after this picture was made.. the Monday after we admitted we liked each other.. the Monday after we had lunch together and I told him every secret I ever kept inside..

"A-Love, Happy Monday to you. Your friend Drew is pretty sun burned today my dear,but he's toughing it out and ready to smile for the camera. I hope therest of your weekend was good for you. I wanted to thank you for inviting me to lunch on Saturday... A. It was a good excuse to get my ass out of bed. B. It was nice to learn more about you. C. I secretly wanted to see you. D. All of the Above. I think"D" will cover all of that :>) I appreciated all of your text messages throughout the weekend as well, they made me smile, and of course, they made me think of you a bit. I was really happy that we were able to have the opportunity to sit down and talk one on one. I wanted to do that with you for some time now, and it was nice to know we could talk and learn more about each other."

Melts my heart every time!

I felt like writing this post because I just read my friend Bonnie's blog and her friend Tara's blog. They are both widows with two young children. They were both pregnant with their second baby when their husbands were killed in car accidents. They became friends through these tragedies and are true "Women of God" who strive daily to understand what is meant for them in this life. They both make me appreciate Drew so much! I thank God for him everyday and pray that he will be kept safe. We couldn't make it without him :)

Playing Outside

2010-03-10T16:09:00.010-06:00

We are slowly transitioning to Spring around here! Not fast enough for me though.. or Brett.. we are ready to be OUTSIDE! Today, he escaped through the doggy door to explore the yard for a while. Yes, he has no pants on. Yes, he's barefooted.. but I promise I'm a good Mommy!

Nothing says "fun" like the big power box!

Why you gotta poke that camera in my face, Mom?!

Walking through the muddy patch.. of course!

I think this is the way out!

Distracted by thoughts of Thomas the Train..

had to sing a little bit.. and head inside to watch!

Distracted by the ball across the yard!

OK, enough distractions.. time to go inside and watch Thomas!

The Cookie Monster

2010-03-05T19:20:00.007-06:00

Yesterday, I was editing some pictures in the office and I heard Brett in the other room saying "Mmmm Mmmm" over and over again.. I started thinking what could he be into? He can't reach anything on the counter anymore.. Boy, was I WRONG?! I had baked some oatmeal chocolate cookies earlier in the day.. He found em..

This was the scene as I approached.

We started off with 23 cookies (I ate one). There were only 16 left!

He wouldn't look at me..

Chocolate mouth.. caught in the act!

How could you be mad at this boy?!

So I did what any mom would do that's concerned about his overeating of cookies.. I fed him some peas! That balances things out, right?!

Our Big Boy!

2010-02-24T22:15:00.009-06:00

Well, it looks like the cardboard worked! He hasn't been up on the counter since.. now he just climbs on the kitchen table. No rest for the wicked. Here are a few pictures from the past week or so:

Showing off his new Thomas the Train pajamas!

he loves his Valentine's balloon from Nana :)

Jammin' in the kitchen..

Enjoying a slice of apple.. a new favorite!

BUSTED!

helping with the dishes.. while mommy was in the other room

(this was before the cardboard was up)

Rockin' a crazy hair-do.. thanks Daddy!

of course, he's always pointing to something!

Right now Brett says "Da-Da" and points at the tv when he sees Drew or the 40/29 logo. He also recognizes pictures of Drew around the house and points. He will say "PawPaw" and "Ta-Da" and "ByeBye" with a wave. He will point to his shirt and say (Da Duh Da) when you ask him "Where's Thomas?" He LOVES to play the piano. He dances and sings when there's music playing. His favorite toys are Matchbox cars. He brings us his blanket when he's sleepy and ready for a nap. His favorite foods are french fries (which we stop and get on the way to Fort Smith), cheese of any kind, prunes (thanks to Daddy), peanuts (another Daddy), apples, chips, milk with vanilla Carnation Instant Breakfast added, and he likes to take sips of coffee from Mommy's mug! He's growing so fast and is so clever. He points his finger at me and "fusses" when I tell him "No-No" (which is quite often).

The Solution?

2010-02-23T13:30:00.003-06:00

As many of you know, Brett has become quite the little climber these days! Some of his favorite things are up on the bar countertop (peanuts, prunes, the cookie jar) and he knows it!

Drew and I are CONSTANTLY having to take him off the kitchen counter and the "No-No's" just aren't working.. so today we decided to (hopefully) curb his attempts to climb up in the first place!

We couldn't just take the drawers out because then he would climb the cabinet like a ladder.. So we used some cardboard to seal up the holes...

We'll see what happens.. so far so good.. I think it's just a matter of time before he pushes a chair over and climbs right back up :) ROTTEN!

I promise to take some more pics soon and post them.. I'm overdue!

Brett tries ketchup for the first time..

2010-02-19T14:04:00.002-06:00

Messy? Yes! Entertaining? Always!

Winter Weather Weekend

2010-01-31T17:50:00.012-06:00

We've had quite the winter here in Arkansas! It's either storming or snowing it seems.. Drew has been working non-stop so some nights Brett and I take him dinner at the station. I try and try to get a good picture of them but just can't seem to do it.

posing with Daddy in the weather center..

taking over Craig's chair at the desk!

(for those of you who ask why Drew wears make-up this is why..

see how bright the lights are?? Brett looks like a ghost!)
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On Thursday we had some weather moving in so Brett and I headed to Fort Smith. We made a stop at PawPaw Preston and WeeWee's house on the way.

Brett had a great time exploring their yard!
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takin' a break for a bite of cheese.. little mouse LOVES cheese

(just like his momma!)
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Friday brought lots of snow! We had about 4 inches!

Sage and Brett had a good time playing.

walking in the snow..
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So precious!
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Sharing a banana popsicle with Sage.. right after being scratched by Brady
(for trying to cuddle)
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bathtime fun!

Oh my LORD he looks like his daddy!
(no butt comments please..)

Silly face.. and a sneaky yellow fish..
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We made it back home on Saturday afternoon. We had fun at Nana's but we really missed Drew! The roads were clear all the way home, no problem. Hope you all have a great week!

Chicken & Rice Soup Recipe

2010-01-16T19:37:00.004-06:00

1 lb raw, boneless, chicken breast cut into 1/2 inch dice

2 t creole seasoning

2 T olive oil

1 c diced onion (small dice)

1 c diced carrot (small dice)

1 c diced celery (small dice)

1 T minced fresh garlic

1/2 t dried basil

1/2 t salt

dash crushed red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicy!)

1 qt low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 uncooked long grain white rice

2 handfuls fresh baby spinach

Season chicken with creole seasoning and set aside. Heat olive oil over med-high heat in a soup pot. Add onion, carrot, celery and cook, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, basil, salt, pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the broth and rice, cover pot, and bring to boil over high heat. Remove cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until rice is tender, about 12 minutes. Stir in spinach and serve. Makes 3 to 4 servings.

This soup tastes like it took all day to make! Hope you guys will give it a try :)

Chia Turtle Day 10

2010-01-12T15:13:00.001-06:00

He looks a little rough, dontcha think? We may try again using thyme seeds!

Oh my WORD, we're in Trouble..

2010-01-04T20:13:00.002-06:00

After dinner we got Brett out of his highchair.. he decided he wanted back in. Man oh man, we're in trouble with this one..

Happy New Year! And a Snow Day for Brett!

2010-01-03T19:00:00.017-06:00

Drew and I rang in the New Year with some great friends this year! Brett stayed with Nana while we got all dressed up for Tinsel & Tails in Fort Smith, an annual black tie fundraiser for The Alzheimer's Association. We lasted there until about 11:30pm and then decided to head across the street to Old Town where there was a live bluegrass band playing.. and WOW, were we overdressed there?!

Toasting to the New Year with champagne in a plastic cup :)

Casey and Travis

Brooke and Justin

love this pic of Drew.. he looks like Woody the Cowboy!

The next day Brett helped Nana take down the Christmas tree.. he was so proud of himself for climbing on the ladder!

Mr. Big Stuff
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It started snowing in Northwest Arkansas last night and we woke up to about 3.5 inches.. it snowed all day too!

Brett was so excited to be able to walk around in the front yard! We usually don't let him play on the driveway because he starts running down the slope and has fallen on his face before.. ouch.. no threat of cars usually but that concrete can be rough! So, he had to make a little trip across the cul-de-sac.. then he came right back! Love the footprints :) He had so much fun playing.. we got everything on video too!

Drew's Chia Turtle, Day One:

2009-12-30T12:24:00.002-06:00

Tait got Drew a Chia Turtle for Christmas! I will be posting pictures of the progress, Enjoy!

Santa Came!! Twice!

2009-12-30T11:44:00.016-06:00

For the first time since I can remember we had a white Christmas in Arkansas! Drew was stuck at the station because of the anomaly so Brett and I went down to Fort Smith on Christmas Eve, before the storm. I had a tough time leaving Drew on Christmas Eve, knowing that he would wake up alone on Christmas morning, but he assured me it was the best thing to do and that he would be working all night anyway. Of course, Nana was super happy that we were there early.. and Brett was too.. because Santa came to Nana and Papa's house!

Scoping out the goods from Santa and Nana & Papa

Lots of fun stuff under the tree!

Still browsing the merchandise

then narrowing in on the noisiest thing.. the xylophone!

Brett loves his matchbox cars..

and his four wheeler from Great Aunt Janie and Great Uncle Larry

(he actually got two of these, one from Aunt Angela and Uncle Brian)

Thankfully, Drew was able to drive down on Christmas day because the roads weren't too bad.. we had a great lunch and enjoyed our time visiting.. Then, after two fun days at Nana's house we loaded up the car and drove back home.. and guess what?? Santa came to our house too!!

Notice, almost everything has wheels?

Daddy fighting with some packaging..

Vacuuming with the talking vacuum from Lala and Uncle T..

Discovering some cars in a package from Gamma Lynn and Grandpa Dave!

Mommy got an espresso machine and some personalized notes from PF and Jo!

Daddy got two new Paul Frederick dress shirts and a tie from PF and Jo!

then, Mommy got lots of cooking stuff from Mom Lynn and Dave-0,

DVDs and books from Lala and Tait,

and a wonderful handprint mold from Brett that made me cry!

Daddy showing off his Green Bay rugby and other gifts from Mom Lynn and Dave-o

and autographed Lance Armstrong book from Lala and Tait

(whilst Allie and Brady climbed on his lap).

After opening our gifts we had our traditional "Burgoyne Christmas Day Breakfast" of German pancakes with strawberries, bacon and Orange Julius.. Brett really enjoyed the Orange Julius.. he drank most of Drew's! Merry Christmas everybody and Happy New Year!

Milwaukee's Best..

2009-12-21T12:06:00.011-06:00

On our recent trip up north we spent a day in Milwaukee, my favorite city! Brett got to visit with Grandpa PF and Nonie Jo, open some early Christmas presents, explore a little bit of M-town and have dinner at our favorite Italian place, Tenuta's.

Checking out the gifts from Nonie and PF.. yes, there were cars involved!

Visiting The Domes.. three arboretums, each with a different climate

handfuls of mulch in the holiday dome

an ENORMOUS Christmas Tree

trying hard to get a good picture!

strolling with Daddy in the tropical dome..

cool waterfall in the tropical dome

banana trees with mommy.. and kicking those feet really fast!

downtown Milwaukee

happy boy on the way to dinner

and conning Uncle Dave into holding the glass of icewater for him to play! (that's uncle Andy's girlfriend Amber looking on.. hi Amber!)

As usual, we had a great visit! There's something about Milwaukee that always makes me smile.. it's such a neat place. We're hoping to take another trip to Chicago and Milwaukee this summer.. we will be DRIVING instead of flying :)

Chicago Adventures!

2009-12-13T22:25:00.018-06:00

Last week was Brett's first airplane ride! We flew to Chicago for a wedding and to visit our family. We had a wonderful time and got to see some snow too!

Brett did great with the flight! He liked looking out the window

He finally fell asleep the last 30 minutes of the 2 hour flight.

"Minus one sock" says it all

Sitting with Uncle Jared

Climbing on Aunt Kendal

Brett looks so much like Jared.. we call him "Little Jared" sometimes!

Yay! Snow!

Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman (Alan and Janel tie the knot!)
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Mr. and Mrs. Burgoyne at the reception
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Mr. and Mrs. Lindon (Brent and Heather our friends who live in Denver)
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Drew driving us to the airport in the snow
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This was what we flew out in.. we were supposed to fly out at 3:30pm. That flight was cancelled so we arranged to be on the 8:30pm flight. Needless to say our flight was delayed SEVERAL times! So after hours of fussing and waiting in the airport, waiting to be de-iced at the gate and waiting to take off, I just let Brett down out of my lap:
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He crawled under the seats in front of us and FELL ASLEEP! Was the floor dirty? YES! Did Mommy and Daddy care?? NO!
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Sleep tight little man..
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And he DID sleep.. through the take-off, 2 hour flight, landing and de-boarding. We carried him through baggage claim, loaded him in the car and drove 2 hours home. Then Mommy put him in his crib (at 3:00am) and he slept until 11:30am. Poor Little Guy!
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Stay tuned for "Adventures in Milwaukee" next blog..

A few Thanksgiving pictures..

2009-11-30T16:33:00.008-06:00

Because every Arkansas fan should have a hog nose:

Go Razorbacks!

and a hog hat.. Wooo Pig Sooie!
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Smirk
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Super Brett!
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posing with Uncle BK, Aunt Angela, WeeWee, Uncle Christian, Aunt Angel, cousin Garrett and Uncle Tony on Thanksgiving.. while chewing a dog toy..
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Mad about something.. look at all those teeth!!
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I didn't take many photos on Thanksgiving.. what?! Will have to make up for it at Christmas :)

Holiday Fun!

2009-11-23T12:18:00.009-06:00

Last Saturday we took Brett to the Fayetteville Square for the Christmas Parade and Lighting of the Square! He got a little impatient waiting on the parade to start but had a great time looking at all the lights once they came on.. and he enjoyed a couple of tootsie rolls :)

Posing with Mommy

and then with Daddy

checking out the lights close-up

Today, we took a few pictures for the Christmas card.. eventually he chewed through the wrapper and enjoyed some candy cane..

I think he was belting out some Christmas ballad?! Go Brett!

He was getting a little tired of the camera.. at least we got some cute pictures to choose from! Our favorite picture isn't shown though.. you'll have to wait for your Christmas card!

Halloween Fun in Fort Smith..

2009-11-02T17:20:00.014-06:00

Let's get this party started!

Drew has big plans for this creepy colored pumpkin..

Brett was helping with the carving (just kidding the knife was stuck)!

Scooping out the seeds!

Ta-Da! Our Jack-O-Lanterns

Posing for pictures..

Our Little Monkey!

Having a blast in his costume!

Posing for Nana.. what a clown!

Ready to get some candy..

Three Proud Papas and their little animals..

Brett was a perfect little monkey! Had got lots of candy (which mommy and daddy are enjoying, mostly) and had fun with his friends Xander and Karlee!

Yes, ANOTHER Birthday Party!

2009-10-29T11:24:00.004-05:00

There's no such thing as too many Birthday Parties! Last Sunday we had Brett's "Construction Theme" party at Nana's house. It was mostly family and a few close friends.. very simple. I found the instructions for the dump truck cake at www.parenting.com months ago and always had it in the back of my mind! Brett LOVES cars and trucks.. especially yellow.. so it was perfect!

As you can see, he had a blast making ANOTHER mess! Happy Birthday Brett!

Brett's Autumn Adventure!

2009-10-26T21:26:00.014-05:00

Wow, what a BUSY few weeks we've had! Week before last we drove to Chicago, Milwaukee and Green Bay to visit family and friends and celebrate Brett's First Birthday! He ate lots of cake, got lots of toys and played and cuddled with lots of people who love him SO MUCH!

He played the drum like he'd been doing it for years

Gamma Lynn & Gampa Dave made him a choo-choo train cake!
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But it didn't last long..

Chef PF made his Milwaukee debut!
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Gamma Lynn took us to Cosley Zoo in Wheaton, IL

Where Brett tried to kiss the goat!
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But was a little concerned about the horse..
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Cruising around downtown Naperville!
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And trying on Halloween hats with Daddy and "Uncle T"
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Mommy and Daddy went to the Packers game on Sunday, October 18th.
AND THEY WON!
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AND we didn't even freeze.. but it WAS chilly :)
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Nonie Jo cuddled Brett while we all visited Nana in Green Bay
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Lala had to have her turn cuddling too.. so she bribed Brett with car keys :)
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Brett is a really good traveler.. the drive to Chicago is 10 hours and we only stopped three times! He watches his DVDs, has some snacks and juice and naps (briefly). Such a WONDERFUL boy!

Pumpkin Patch Fun!

2009-10-05T21:43:00.014-05:00

Happy Autumn everybody! Today, we took a short roadtrip to McGarrah Farms in Pea Ridge, Arkansas. They had a great pumpkin patch and corn maze (the hayride was "down" because the tractor wasn't working, oh well). Brett LOVED the big pumpkins and sneezed a few times while playing in the hay (which always makes him laugh). Enjoy the pictures!

Farmer Brett, BEFORE the Harvest..

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Scoping out the fields for the best pumpkins..
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I think we've got a winner!
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Taking a break to pose with Mommy..
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Ah-Choo! This hay is making me sneezy!
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Wrestlin' with Daddy..
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Not so sure about the corn maze..
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Still thinkin' about it..
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Enjoying the corn stalks!
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Seriously, Mom, enough with the paparazzi..
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I made a new friend!
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And, of course, pushing the wagon.. which is all he really wanted all along!
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Afterward, we took another short drive to Holiday Island to visit our good friends Dale & Carol and Jeannie & Jerry. It was their first time to meet Brett and they were impressed with his "mobility" and "inquisitive personality." In other words, he ran all over the house and rummaged through everything..

Good to see you guys!

Football Friday Nights!

2009-09-27T17:14:00.008-05:00

Friday nights in the south are all about highschool football! Most of the time Drew has to be live at one of the games in the viewing area (unfortunately none are in Greenwood). So, Brett and I usually go with Nana and Papa to my nephew Sabastian's games. Go bulldogs!

Loving on Sage before the game.. one of Brett's favorite pastimes!

Sabastian warming up on the sidelines (#13)

Brett playing with his tractor on the bleachers

(check out that booboo on his nose)

Sabastian finally got to play (QB) and soon after this picture,

RAN IT IN FOR A TOUCHDOWN!!

Chillin' with Sabastian after the game.. the Bulldogs WON!

It's never too early to start training..

Happy Anniversary!

2009-09-17T21:32:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that Drew and I have been married for FOUR years! Time has flown by.. and we were talking last night that it's been even longer than that since we dated for two years prior. We both broke personal relationship records when we made it past 2 years :)This picture was taken in July 2003, a couple of days after my 25th birthday. We were with a group of friends at 503 Oyster Bar in Fort Smith. Anybody who didn't know us at the time would assume that we were "together" then, but we weren't. I wanted a picture of us together to "give to my sister" who is also friends with Drew! I secretly liked him but didn't tell anybody.. I was dating Brian and Drew was dating a girl from Chicago named Dawn.. That night, after several drinks, Drew leaned over (while sitting right next to Brian) and confessed that he had a crush on me.. I must have lit up like a light bulb! I confessed the same crush and from that point on we knew we had to figure out a way to be together! Was it SCARY? Absolutely! But we just KNEW :)

Two years later we were married at Immaculate Conception in Fort Smith. It was a perfect day and the beginning of a wonderful life together! I love you today, Drew!

New Jammies and the Long Lost Binky

2009-09-13T11:20:00.004-05:00

Brett has grown so much lately! I had to buy him some "big boy" pajamas because the little footed ones were getting too small.. so Nana and I picked out Spongebob and Toy Story :) They are so cute on him! I think I'm gonna go back and get The Cars set too.

Last week I was in the computer room and Brett was playing in his room.. I could hear him getting into something.. a few minutes later he came walking towards me with a BINKY in his mouth! He's never really taken a binky but he found one somewhere in his room.. It was so funny watching him chew on his "newest discovery."

I can't believe that his first birthday is in a little over a month.. this year has flown by! Now, if we can just decide on a birthday party theme :)

We've been BUSY!

2009-08-27T11:17:00.004-05:00

It's been pretty busy around the Burgoyne household! Forgive me for not posting any pictures lately.. As you can see, Brett is exploring the great outdoors and enjoying these cooler days(thanks Daddy)!

I've also decided to start a photography "business" called Sweet Life Photography. I will be keeping a blog for that too www.oursweetlifephotography.blogspot.com so check it out occasionally!

Let's see.. Brett is now 10 months old! He is saying "bye bye" when we wave. That's about all he says these days though. His walking is getting better and better so we expecting him to take off any day now! He loves to eat yogurt, he is slowly cutting a 7th tooth (on the bottom), and the other night he slept 14 hours straight! WOW! and yes, still nursing :)

Love to all,

Adrienne, Drew and Brett

Fun times at Nana & Papa's house..

2009-07-27T11:45:00.003-05:00

We have never laughed at Brett so much! He is such an entertainer... poor Sage was a little embarassed I think :) Hey, it was HER idea to get in the pool with him!

Other Hilton Head pictures..

2009-07-01T21:43:00.012-05:00

Loving the pool!

Thumbs up to the Cheerios.

mmmm, more snacks.. what a cheeser!

Jared and Drew looking sharp in their tuxes

Jared and Kendal just said "I Do"

enjoying tiramisu at the reception.. he liked the crab bisque too, that's my boy!

mmmm... apple juice

dancing with La La.. and not too happy about it :(

Baywatch Drew meets the ocean floor.. "um, sir, you're bleeding"

The next Laird Hamilton?? We'll see!

First time at the beach!

2009-07-01T21:34:00.006-05:00

This car is the BEST THING EVER! WeeWee brought it for him on the day we moved to the new house.. he LOVES driving it everywhere and that's exactly where it goes.. to the grocery store, to Nana's house, on vacation.. and most recently, to THE BEACH! Brett wasn't too sure about the water at first but then he started splashing and "tasting" the water and sand :) We had him all sunscreened up too with his hat and surfer shirt.. he was very popular with the other beach-goers!

The Creekmore Express & The Lovell family reunion!

2009-06-08T21:12:00.001-05:00

Drew and I took Brett to ride the Creekmore Express and he LOVED it! I guess he's gonna be just like his daddy.. Drew's got some really wild stories to tell about hopping trains in Northern Illinois with his buddies (and having to call parents to come pick them up miles and miles away).. hopefully Brett won't pull that stunt!

Then, the Lovell family reunion was this past weekend.. lots of good food and visiting with our cousins. Brett was a huge hit with the family! He got to spend some quality time with Aunt Angela:

It was good to see everybody one last time before we pack up and move to Cave Springs, AR.. the movers are coming on the 10th! I will post pics of the new house soon :)

7 Months old today.. WOW!

2009-05-22T13:48:00.007-05:00

I promised his Nana that I would take some pictures in his overalls :) This was the first time that he sat in the grass too, so lot's of fun with that! I can't believe that 7 months has already passed since Brett blessed our lives!

Time to go to the park for a walk.. more updates to come!

Definitely, Crawling!

2009-05-14T17:43:00.004-05:00

He's getting better by the day! We're in TROUBLE..

Playtime with Uncle Christian!

2009-05-13T15:37:00.004-05:00

Two handsome guys! On Tuesday, my brother Christian stopped by to play for a while! It been a month or so since Christian had seen him and guess what?! He couldn't get over how much he's changed! Seems to be the theme around here :) Brett had a great time wrestling in the floor and showed Uncle C how loud he can be! Christian told him "he better stop growing so fast" and mommy TOTALLY agrees!

Visiting with Aunt Dixie..

2009-05-11T09:34:00.004-05:00

This picture was taken a few hours after Brett was born! My best friend Dixie drove 5 hours to see us the moment she found out I was in labor.. and she just missed the birth by about 15 minutes! I was so happy to see her and couldn't believe she drove all that way just to stay for a few hours :)

This past Friday, she and her fiance Ryan came through Fort Smith on their way to Fayetteville and stayed the night with us.. so Brett and I got to see her after 6 1/2 long months! She couldn't believe how much our boy has changed.
They are such good friends.. we wish we could see them more often! They live in Rector, AR which is in the furthest northeast county.. about as far away from Fort Smith as you can get and still be in the state! We are planning to visit them soon and explore the booming town of Rector :)

Mr. Smiley goes house hunting..

2009-05-07T16:20:00.003-05:00

Happy Thursday everybody! I thought we could all use a smile.. nothing like baby bathtime pictures to cheer up the world's population!

Drew, Brett and I went to Northwest Arkansas this morning to look at a few houses. We found one that we think will work for us.. just waiting to hear back from the realtor if the bank will accept our lease offer.. fingers crossed. If you're interested, go to www.brentwoodcs.com and click on "available properties".. it's the home at 1503 Parkside Circle. It's in a cul-de-sac really close to the playground and around the corner from the community pool.. yay!

Crawling?! Almost!

2009-05-05T13:40:00.002-05:00

Pawpaw Preston came to visit today!

2009-04-30T15:07:00.002-05:00

My dad stopped by to visit today! At first, Brett wasn't too sure about the big guy in the red shirt, he grabbed me tight and cried, but he warmed up after dad took off his hat and glasses! I told dad he better start coming over more often so Brett would recognize him! I guess at 6 months old he's a little startled by unfamiliar faces.. poor Pawpaw!

One More of Mr. Blue Eyes..

2009-04-29T13:26:00.000-05:00

What a HAM!

2009-04-29T13:17:00.004-05:00

This is one of the toys that my great aunt Adge gave Brett on our last visit.. He LOVES it! I was planning on buying one for him anyway and Adge had one in an old toy box.. there's no tellin' who all has played with it over the years! Yes, I washed it thoroughly..

Yesterday Brett was fussing and I put him down on his tummy to play.. after about 10 minutes of "talking" it got really quiet.. Look who fussed himself to sleep:
And of course, after dinner, it's play time with daddy! Drew loves to put this little gator on Brett's head. The kid KNOWS when I'm taking his picture because he really HAMS IT UP!

What a sweetheart. We have so much fun everyday!

Spiritual Retreat at Cave Creek Cabin

2009-04-27T13:58:00.005-05:00

What a view! This is Cave Creek in Mt. Judea, Arkansas. It's about 2 hours north of Russellville off of hwy 7. It took as a while to get there.. lots of winding dirt roads.. but it was worth it! Our Catholic Campus Ministries group needed a weekend retreat to wrap up the school year.. they have finals this week. What a serene environment to get some good one on one time with God!

Brett went on his first hike with daddy! I think Drew was a little worn out after carrying an extra 20lbs up a mountain trail :) The before pictures don't show all the sweat on Drew's brow:

One hike lead us to Cave Creek. Brett loved staring at the water. He even helped daddy catch a crawdad!

Back at the cabin, we relaxed in "grandpa's chair." I think it might be a little sacrilegious to set your coffee cup on the Bible.. oops!

We had a great weekend in the woods with our CCM group! They are exceptional young adults with a desire to serve God AND each other. We will definitely miss our weekly meetings with them but are planning another retreat in the fall!

Drew spoon-feeding Brett for the first time!

2009-04-17T14:00:00.004-05:00

Drew decided he would give the spoon-feeding a try.. Brett ate up all of the rice cereal and peaches Drew had to offer.. so much fun! Of course, we've gotta strap him into the highchair to keep him seated.. little busy body likes to move all around!

Almost 6 months old!

2009-04-15T21:57:00.006-05:00

It's been a couple of weeks since I posted anything.. I figured I'd better GET TO IT! Brett spent a little time at the paino yesterday.. He LOVED banging on the keys (which I'm sure isn't good for the piano, but oh well.. it's out of tune anyway)

With all of the crazy weather we've had lately, Drew's been working quite a bit! Brett and I have been hanging out with Nana and Papa Stan. It's so precious to see how Brett reacts to them both! He squeals in delight when he sees Nana come in the room, and has for a while now, but he's REALLY started to notice Papa Stan recently! Last night, they were watching him while Drew and I showed the house (more on that later) and Brett fell asleep on Nana's chest. When he woke up he looked over at Papa and grinned from ear to ear! Such a cutie!

The teeth are IN! The middle two bottom teeth are fully through the gums and they are SHARP! Brett loves to chew on our fingers.. He has suffered a little bit, but mainly his sleep has been disrupted.. booh! Mommy is tired and ready for him to sleep through the night again! We gave him a teething biscuit last night to chew on:

He's really starting to sit up pretty well.. I hold onto him a little but he loves to play in the floor and sits up big in his high chair! And boy what an APPETITE! He's been eating 2 bowls of rice cereal with fruit everyday in addition to nursing. He opens his mouth wide too!We are hoping to get an offer on the house soon.. there is a woman who is very interested but is waiting for her divorce to finalize.. Hopefully she will call this week! Keep us in your prayers!

Sitting Up!

2009-03-27T15:00:00.002-05:00

Wow! Today is the first day that Brett has been able to hold himself up without any help! Before, he would lean and fall over as soon as I let go.. And look at that awesome smile.. little Drew lookin' kid! I got it all on video too..

He loves to play in the floor.. spins and scoots on his tummy to reach his toys.. he is growing so fast and changing everyday!

Of course, he has been missing his daddy the past couple of days because Drew has been working a lot. We don't like severe weather season! If there's a break in the weather tonight I will take Brett to the station to see him.. that makes us ALL happy!

Jumperoo Fun!

2009-03-25T18:15:00.004-05:00

Always makes us smile.. looks like fun, doesn't it?

God's Gifts

2009-03-22T23:03:00.004-05:00

Wow, it's hard to believe that Brett is already five months old! Time has flown by since Mr. Wonderful came into our lives. I simply cannot remember what Drew and I did before Brett was born?! What did we do with all of that FREE TIME?

God is so good to us. I am humbled, DAILY, by his generosity. I got a text from my former boss on Wednesday stating that my "bonus" was X amount of dollars. I thought he was just giving me a hard time and rubbing it in that I wouldn't get the money since I didn't go back to work after maternity leave! I told Drew to check the bank account on Friday the 20th to see if any money had been deposited.. NOPE. Bummer! We could really use it!

Saturday afternoon Drew checked the mail and low and behold an envelope from Forest Pharmaceuticals... that's right, A BONUS CHECK! Tears welled up in my eyes. Drew said "It's your money to use as you'd like," so I told him to take the tithe off the top, put the rest in the bank, and that we were gonna get Brett a jumparoo (something I've wanted him to have for a while). As you can see in the picture, HE LOVES IT! We've also discovered a tooth coming in on the bottom! He doesn't seem too fussy about it but sure is drooling a lot :o) Sweet baby!

St. Patty's Day jig..

2009-03-17T22:36:00.002-05:00

Drew and I wanted to get a picture of B dressed in green for St. Patrick's Day! Several viewers have been requesting an updated picture be aired on the news.. Right when I was taking the picture Brett swung his arms and kicked his feet so TA-DA: He's dancing a jig to celebrate! Drew just showed it on the 10 o'clock weather.

Brett and I got out to enjoy the beautiful weather today after taking Drew to work.. we're still sharing a car at this point.. We did a little "shopping" for green crocs at my friend Dawn's consignment shop (Emilee's on the Avenue, downtown on Garrison) and went for a walk at Creekmore Park. Then we stopped to visit Brett's KK and TT (our friends Casey and Travis). He had a busy day! Brett was so worn out that he went to sleep as soon as I put him to bed (instead of the usual crying, screaming fit). Maybe he'll sleep all night!

Hope you all had a great St. Patty's Day. We sure did!

Mr. Blue Eyes!

2009-03-15T22:01:00.005-05:00

Look at sweet Mr. Blue Eyes! I had to get a picture of him with his foot almost in his mouth.. then I had to give him a cute lil faux hawk hair-do. I can't believe how big he's getting! Today he reached for his sippy cup and took a drink. He loves to grab my cell phone and the remote control too.

We had our first Open House today! Only had a couple of lookers but who knows.. we are trying to be patient with the whole process. At least the house is spotless! Of course, as soon as we could, we got all of Brett's stuff back out and made it our cozy home again. He has to have his swing, bouncy seat, exersaucer, jumperoo and toys around him!

We're looking forward to a pretty week ahead. Hopefully we can take some walks and maybe even rollerblade a little. Brett loves sitting up in his stroller like a big boy! He's all smiles!

Ash Wednesday thoughts..

2009-02-25T12:14:00.000-06:00

This church changed my life! As I attended the Ash Wednesday service today I thought about all of the different ways that IC Church (and Catholicism for that matter) has impacted my life. I remember the first time I ever attended Mass. I actually went with Bert Wright! I had no idea what to do or say but it felt like "home" to me. For the first time in a very long time I felt peace and knew I was where I belonged.

I suddenly had strength. I asked God to take over.. I had obviously not been living life right. I desparately needed to change. So I ended an unhealthy relationship with my then boyfriend Brian, I started attending Mass, and I met an amazing Catholic man (guess who?) whom I immediately felt a strong bond with.

I began my journey in RCIA (Right of Christian Initiation for Adults) with Drew as my sponsor. After 9 months of weekly classes, I was confirmed in April 2004. Right in the church that I had first attended Mass. My first communion was an amazing experience. I was filled with peace and hope that my life would be better than ever now that God was in control! Soon after, Drew and I started teaching various ages Church History.. 10th thru 12th graders, 8th and 9th graders, and eventually college ages. What a fulfilling ministry!

September 2005 Drew and were married. It was a very relaxing and fun-filled event! We had no worries, no doubts and no reservations. As we said our vows and entered the sacrament of marriage, I knew that God put Drew in my life as a gift.. for coming back to him and his church. And the gifts have continued ever since!

Brett's baptism last weekend brought back memories of confirmation and our wedding. Standing once again at an altar where so much as transpired! The familiar surroundings and smells.. looking at the stained glass.. My heart was filled with joy once again as I held my precious boy. Another gift.

Today I feel so blessed. As I enter into the Lenten season and prepare to renew my baptism, I pray that other people out there, who walk into IC for the first time, experience the positive changes that I have! God is so good!

Baptism Weekend!

2009-02-23T16:27:00.000-06:00

What a sweet little angel! Brett's baptism was Saturday, February 21st. Deacon Greg Pair officiated the ceremony. We are so blessed to have had all of Brett's grandparents there! Grandpa Paul and Nonie Jo flew in from Milwaukee, Gamma Lynn drove from Chicago, Nana and Papa Stan, and Pawpaw Preston and Weewee were there too! His Godparents are Drew's sister Lauren and our close friend Jeff Smith. My sister Angela took pictures (She's great! She took Brett's Birth Day pictures too) Casey and Travis Collyar came and brought Jordyn, she's such a polite girl! And Jeff's parents Mike and Jan Smith came too. It was a perfect day! After the ceremony, we went back to the house for cake. Roxy, Jeff and Xander brought an adorable cake! They are such great friends!And of course Xander had to let Brett know how proud he is of him.. Buddies gotta hug, man!!
Drew and I are so happy to have Brett in our lives.. words cannot describe the joy! And to have a great family and friends makes it all even more amazing. It was a great weekend with lots of good food and conversation! God is Good.

Valentine's Day Fun

2009-02-17T13:32:00.000-06:00

Brett had a very busy first Valentine's Day! The first big event of the day was SWIMMING! Yep, you're never too young for a swimming party! Thanks to "Uncle" Jeff we met him, Xander, Roxy, Pete, Katie and Karlee at the Mercy Fitness pool for a little afternoon swim.. or float.. whatever you want to call it! What a neat experience!

Next, we headed to Greenwood for Aunt Angela and Uncle Brian's wedding! They had an intimate ceremony with just family... it was really pretty! Angela did a great job with the decorations and it was "short but sweet." Brett got to see WeeWee, PawPaw Preston and Uncle Christian too.
Later that night we had dinner with Nana, Papa Stan and Gigi (Mom's best friend Barbara from Memphis) at the house.. I made shrimp scampi and it was "goo-ood." Overall, is was a very busy yet relaxing day! And Drew surprised me with a Valentine's gift: ROLLERBLADES! More pics of that to come later :o)

We're ready for spring!

2009-02-08T21:27:00.000-06:00

We had great weather today so we took Brett for a walk in the stroller. It was the first time he's been able to sit in the "big boy" seat instead of the car seat. It was just a little bit windy so we put his hat on. He looked so cute! We took Allie and Brady too.. they pulled Drew all over the neighborhood.

After being in the house all winter, we are definitely looking forward to spring! But of course, that means a busier work schedule for Drew. That's the part we're NOT looking forward to. On the bright side, we are planning a two-day retreat for our Catholic Campus Ministries group at Mt. Judea in Newton County. Just a weekend get-away for the students right before their finals.. should be a blast! We really enjoy our CCM group. Below is a picture from our 2008 Convention. Our monthly service project at the Midland Heights free lunch is a big success and it makes for a wonderful Saturday experience! We are given so much in this life.. it's nice to be able to give back to others in Christ's name.

Who does Brett look like??

2009-01-30T14:49:00.000-06:00

I've seen a couple of my friends do this so I thought I would too! A couple of pictures of Drew and I to compare to Master Brett..
Here's Drew at a couple days old:

Brett at one day old.. what a cutie:

...OK, so at first, definitely Drew! But what about now??

Here's mommy at 4 months:

Lots of lovin' on those cheeks! And same for these cheeks:
But then there's daddy again! Oh my goodness:
I guess he's a pretty good mix.. What do YOU think?

"Snow" Days

2009-01-27T22:20:00.000-06:00

Wow! What a crazy 2 days.. it seems like Drew's been gone FOREVER! We've had a pretty big ice storm over the last 36 hours and Drew has been "on the air" ever since it began. Fort Smith didn't get hit as hard as Northwest Arkansas.. thank goodness Brett and I didn't have to deal with the power outages :o) Our back yard looks pretty with a little ice:

Takeo and Antonella (our next door neighbors) brought over an exersaucer for Brett to use until they need it again. Their babies (Hana, 20 months and Leon, 1 week) aren't using it. Brett was a little scared of it at first but then sat up like a big boy! It won't be long until he's spinning around in it on his own.
Mom and Stan came over for dinner. It was great to have the company! Plus, Brett loved hanging out with Nana and Papa Stan while mommy finished crocheting his new hat: This one fits a little better!

It's 11:30pm. I just talked to Drew and he's gonna hang out at the station a little bit longer (until the snow moves on out). It's the "storm that just won't end"!! At least we're gonna have a nice, warmer weekend!

"What's a bath without Bubbles?"

2009-01-23T12:53:00.000-06:00

Ah, you gotta love Rodney Dangerfield in "Back to School." We watch that one over and over again! One of the endearing qualities of Drew is that he memorizes lines from his favorite movies (just like I always have!) I thought of good ole "Thornton Melon" when I put bubbles in the bath water last night.

Brett man is big enough to hold his head up now so we bathe him in the sink. I PROMISE, he really likes bath time but always has a serious look on his face for pictures! Maybe it's because his mommy is always poking the camera in his face 24/7. Hmmm..

The Blue Eyed Special

2009-01-20T15:18:00.000-06:00

What a big day for our nation! Brett and I have been watching the Innauguration today. Our prayers are with President Obama and his family & staff. The turn-out in D.C. is amazing (and cold, without a doubt).

Brett has become really noisy in the past week! He mimics us with loud squeals and coos. There's nothing quite as heart warming to us as his wide, gummy grin and smiling eyes! Of course, he's only interested in the "serious look" for photos.. Future fashion model?? We'll see.

We weighed him today and he's 13.5 lbs. What a big boy!

What a weekend!

2009-01-18T00:33:00.000-06:00

On Friday, we took Brett to visit Marilyn and he really "showed out." Marilyn worked with Drew at 40/29. She was recently diagnosed with lung and liver cancer. We were all very shocked and saddened by the news.. but she seems to be in good spirits. Doctors have not given her much time, but she is living life as she always has: with a great sense of humor! She and Brett "talked" quite a bit and she was really glad to see him getting so big!

Brett stayed the night with Nana Friday night while Drew and I went to "Paint the Town Red" in Fayetteville. Drew emceed the event along with Jon and Deke from 93.3 The Eagle. What a fun group of people! The food was great, the drinks were free and the music was totally 80's...

Tonight, we had "Baby Night" with Jeff, Roxy and Xander at Jeff's parents' house. Steaks on the grill, good friends and hilarious conversations. Papa Mike and Grandma Jan were all about loving on the boys (Xander and Brett that is).. We had to get a picture of our growing babies!

And this picture I took of Xander looks staged but was purely by chance... he leaned forward as I snapped the pic. The lamp shade looks like a little Shriner Hat!!

Good times! We love our friends so much and enjoy sharing our parenting experiences with them.

Brett is 12 weeks old!

2009-01-14T15:27:00.000-06:00

Brett is 12 weeks old today! I had to do a "mini photo shoot" to show off how big he's getting! He has been talking a lot today.. "Goo" seems to be his favorite word. We swear that he's telling us he's "good." He really is a good baby! He mimics Drew when he squeals at him and smiles really big when Nana comes over! He's up to about 14 pounds now.

I am officially unemployed today, too. It's a blessing to be able to stay home with Brett but I enjoyed my career with Forest. I learned so much over the past 3 years and formed many close friendships. I will miss most of the doctors and their staff.. but I WON'T miss standing in sample closets, sitting in waiting rooms around sick people and completing expense reports :o)

Oh yeah, here's the car: