Christmas Fun...

I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas.

We have had a blast.

Alanna and I sent Daddy home on Sunday and we have stayed behind in Arkansas for another few days.

I have so much to post at a later date.

But for now...

This was taken after church on Christmas Sunday.

Christmas Blogging Break...

We are with family, so I am taking a blogging break.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Remember...Jesus is the gift!

  

What I love Wednesday...

Cie-J got me a new bed for Christmas.

It's chocolate brown leather and it's perfect.

I love it!!

Then, with my Christmas money from my mother in law, I got a new comforter and pillows.

 I love it!!

The color is supposed to be a deep aqua.  This picture doesn't do it justice.

YAY for a grown up bedroom! 

I love it!!

 Today I am thankful that we are leaving for Dallas to stay with my brother.  YAY for family time!!

Things for Tuesday...

Alanna can say around 50 words right now.

It's amazing!  

She usually says two or three new ones a week.

Here are some of my favorites:

bap = bath

boofs = boots

Gunkle = Uncle Clint 

sees = cheese

dink = drink

gong = all gone

dee dee = binky

I could go on all day long because I just love everything she says.  But the most important one and my personal favorite is...

Uh ew = I love you!

  Yes, that is the nose sucker.  LOL!

Today I am thankful for my new bed.  What a huge difference a new box springs makes!

  

Monkey Monday...

I was busy dying last week and couldn't blog.

Thankfully, Alanna and I are on the mend and feeling much better now.  

Alanna was able to skype with her Mamaw in Indiana this weekend and opened her Christmas presents with her watching.

She opened her first present one tiny little rip at a time.  By the second gift, she had figured out how to rip the paper and get to her present!!

 

 She got all kinds of fruits and veggies and a big shopping cart to put them in!

 

I love that she's blurry in this picture because it shows how fast she was running with her new shopping cart!!!

 
She also got a little tea set (that she LOVES!) and a new sweater (that I LOVE!)

Thank you Mamaw!!!

Today I am thankful for antibiotics!

Well....

Alanna is pretty sick today so I don't have time for pictures.  They are coming though!!

Thank God for Walgreens and vicks.

We are pretty miserable at the Brown house.

Hopefully we can get in to our new pediatrician tomorrow and get all fixed up.

Today I am thankful for a new day tomorrow.  =)

I MISSED MONKEY MONDAY!!

I am back home and back on track.

So...here is your picture and we will resume the regular schedule tomorrow.

I bought this adorable outfit for Alanna in Indiana and can't wait for her to wear it here in Texas!!

Today I am thankful for a safe trip home from Dallas.  What a fun weekend!

Saturday funnies?!?

Sorry folks,  I wasn't able to blog yesterday and missed my Friday Funnies post.

I will save my story for next week.

However, today at a store, they were playing a Christmas CD and this particular song (Deck the Halls)had dogs barking to the part of "Fa la la la la la la la".

When we got out to the car and started to drive away, Alanna (in perfect dog bark and tone) sang "woof woof woof woof woof" just like the song in the store.

  I laughed so hard I almost couldn't see to drive.  I had tears running down my face.  Maybe you just had to have been there...but I'm telling you, it was HYSTERICAL!!!

Today I am thankful for a fun weekend trip at my brother and sister in law's house.

Thoughts for Thursday...

I get a weekly email from babycenter.com that reminds me how big my little monkey is getting. 

Today they let me know that she is HALF WAY to being two years old.  WHAT?!?

How did that happen?

Where did that half a year go?

Wasn't it just a month or so ago that we were blowing up balloons?

And getting the cupcakes ready?  And the smash cake.  Oh how I loved the smash cake!

 

And watching her take her first bites of sugar.

She was such a cute little birthday girl!!

So, who stole my six months?? Because it is not possible that it just flew by without me noticing!

P.S.

I do however, feel like we have already entered the terrible twos with this big girl attitude Alanna is sporting lately.  

OH MY!!

Today I am thankful for deep belly laughs with my baby girl.  We both laughed for a good 10 minutes on the couch today.  It was about....well...you'd just had to been there.

What I love Wednesday...

I really love my nativity set.

It's the Willow Tree brand.

It took several years to collect all the pieces but it was totally worth it.

I am considering keeping it out year round.

It's so beautiful.

Then again...little hands might find their way to it.

She can climb AND open doors now!!!

Nevermind. =) 

 Today I am thankful for a webcam.  It's so nice that Alanna gets to see her grandparents when she talks to them.  Any time I get out the computer...she starts asking for all of them.  It's cute.

Tasty Tuesday...

I have the BEST meatloaf recipe in the WORLD!!!

It is my mother in laws recipe and it is darn good.

Try it, you won't regret it.

1# ground chuck or sirloin

1/2--3/4 # hot italian sausage  (slightly more beef than pork)

couple eggs

1 snack size crunched up cheese-its 

1T Tuscan seasoning (if you don't have this, italian would work too)

1pkg meatloaf seasoning

1/4c chopped onion

1/4 c finely chopped green bell pepper

1/4c finely chopped red bell pepper  

(I buy the frozen onion and peppers...it works great!!)

dash of liquid smoke

 

Mix all the stuff up.  Add spicy V8 (half a can).  Bake @ about 350 for 45 min, (drain it) then the last 15 min or so @ 425.  Brush the top w/ketchup or BBQ sauce the last 15 mins.

This recipe changed my life.  I hated meatloaf until I ate this.  Try it tonight!  Your family will thank you.

Today I am thankful for nap time.  Most mom know what I mean.  =)

Monkey Monday...

 

 This is Alanna.

 This is her Daddy around the same age.

They don't look a thing alike.

(note sarcasm)

I love love love that she looks like him.  

Problem is...she ACTS like me!

Today I am thankful for a healthy family.  There is a lot of sickness in this world and a lot of families with sick kids.  THANK YOU LORD for a healthy family!

Friday Funnies...

This is a totally true story.

 

Several nights ago, Alanna woke up in the middle of the night crying.  This happens sometimes and she usually goes back to sleep on her own.

I woke up and laid there waiting to see if she went back to sleep.  Her cries became louder and louder and she started yelling "Mama!  Mama!"  

I knew it was time to go in there.

When I got in her room, she was standing and pointing at something.  I asked her what was wrong and she said "Mama....hat!"  Excuse me?!?  I asked her what she wanted again and she said "hat!" and put her hand on the top of her head.  She continued to say "hat" over and over.  

 

I told her it was time to go to sleep and laid her back down.  She immediately stood up, started crying, and saying "hat! hat! hat!"  

I got her Old Navy hat and put it on her head and kissed her goodnight.  She stopped crying, laid down, and fell right back asleep!!!

 

So from 2:00 in the morning until 8:30, my child slept with a hat on.  

 Today I am thankful for my Mom's Club.  We had a fun time today!

Thursday's Thoughts...

Here is my 2010 accomplishment list for the Brown family.

We did good.

#1 - We survived the first year as being parents!  I tell ya, those first six months were nuts!


#2 - Packed up and moved to Indiana for hubby's job.


#3 - Transitioned from living on two incomes to one income.


#4 - Packed up and moved again three months later for hubby's promotion at said job.


#5 - Switching to 75% of what we eat to being organic foods.


#6 - Making and sticking to a budget.


#7 - Starting chiropractic care for the whole family.


#8 - Praying every single night as a family and snuggling in bed while we do it.


#9 - Replaced 90% of sugar intake with stevia.


#10 - Eating dinner at the dinner table, every night,  with the tv off.
2010 has been a great year so far.  Come back for our goal list for 2011.

Today I am thankful for tinted windows on my car.  It will make the Texas heat a bit more bearable.