GO Spurs GO!!

Boppa has had season tickets to the San Antonio Spurs basketball games for years...it's one of his favorite past times! He wanted to make sure and take Brooklyn while she could still get in for free! ...so Nonnie and Boppa decked Brooklyn out in her Spurs attire and they headed to the SBC Center!

I'm ready!!
Sitting in Nonnie's lap...taking in the people, food, music, cheering and of course...the game!!

A little bit louder please!


I truly think she had a great time! She will tell you all about her hot dog, pretzel and basketball. Nonnie and Boppa went to another game a few days later. I woke Brooklyn up from a nap that day and her first words were "see Nonnie." I told her "Nonnie and Boppa are at a basketball game"...and she said "Brooklyn go basketball too."

I think she is patiently waiting until she is invited again. She also recognizes this "spur" and yells "basketball" whenever she sees someone wearing it!

New Years Resolution!

...so apparently my last post was on May 8th, 2010 :( ...today is January 9th...what better day to pick back up again than 8 months later. My Thirty-One business has become insanely successful...and we are so thankful, but I want to be better about focusing on Brooklyn. I'm so blessed to be able to stay at home with her...and I want to be better about cherishing these times and moments!

Some of my goals for 2011 are:
-better work/life balance
-more one on one time with Brooklyn
-post a short snippet on the blog of something we did for the week
-more time with Brooks in the evening (back to work/life balance)

I have never been good at this "blogging" stuff, but want to try! I have so much that I want to get caught up on (the last pictures that I uploaded were from her 1st birthday!!!)...need to upload pics from Christmas 2009, Easter and other events...AND tell everyone about our fabulous family vacation to Wyoming, Brooklyn, Mother's Day Out, Christmas 2010 and so much more!! ...but for now, we'll start with this...

PAINTING!

Sometimes I feel like a dud and that I don't do enough fun things with Brooklyn...or any of artsy craftsy stuff...mainly because of my patience (it's lacking). However, today I loaded her up and we went to Wal-Mart to buy new crayons, markers and yes...watercolors. She has crayons...but they are OLD...they are colors that I took from Mame's house during the estate sale...I think some of them are older than I am. Needless to say, they aren't the best and I began to wonder if they are even non-toxic. We got her some new twisty crayons and pip squeak markers...she was excited!I opted for watercolors over the little pots of paint because a cup of dirty water spilled seemed safer than little fingers digging around in small cups of paint.

"Nonnie, do this"
(Nonnie painted her nails yesterday, so she thought she would give them a 2nd coat)

She had a blast and I tried to be patient. Apparently black was her favorite colors and she DID NOT grasp washing the brush off between colors (this is where I struggled with staying calm...haha). I was very glad I bought the simple pack of 8 colors vs the package that had 24 different colors.Ta-Da!!! Brooklyn's final masterpiece!! ....classic Brooklyn smile in bottom picture :)
Ok, this wasn't too bad...and wasn't overwhelming since it was just short and sweet. Make sure I stay with it and keep this up!

We officially have a toddler...

...and sometimes that doesn't seem accurate, because she is no longer toddling around...but RUNNING!!!

Yikes...did you know her SECOND birthday is in less than 4 months? We won't go there...

Ok...since my updates are unfortunately few and far between...I'm going to try and be brief (and then FOR REAL), my goal is to upload pics within the new few weeks! Someone hold me to it, please!!

We went to Midland for Easter and Grandma Q's 75 birthday! We had a blast, visited with cousins, aunts/uncles and grandparents! My favorite part of the trip was Brooklyn getting to experience and Easter Egg hunt with cousins...and A LOT of them!! She was able to hunt eggs with Joey, Jackson, Reagan, Gracie, Quentin and Brinin!! She doesn't have that on my side of the family...so it was fun! She's actually pretty good at it too! Just tell her the eggs are trash and the basket's her trash can and she's your girl!! She LOVES trash!! Anytime she finds a spec of anything on the ground "trash, trash" and wants you to show her the nearest trash can!!

Another fun thing she learned in Midland..."turta" (for those of you who don't know, that's "turtle"). Grandma Q has turtles out in her yard and Aunt Teri showed her an itsy bitsy baby turtle...Brooklyn said "turta" out of the blue and has been saying it ever since!! She's quite the fan of "turtas."

We also slept with Brooklyn in our room...in a pack in play. This is HUGE for her...and us. We may have a good sleeper on our hands, but she doesn't like to share her bedroom with others! ...however, all three of us slept great!!

Brooklyn and I went to Aunt Jamie and Uncle Johnny's shortly after we got home because I had to work the Boerne Just Between Friends sale. Unfortunately, there was a monsoon going on, which I think affected our traffic. I did get a few parties booked and some potential consultants...so fingers crossed!! Speaking of consultants...wow, I have FORTY-SEVEN women on my team...and all across the country (13 different states!). I can't believe that May 1st was my year anniversary with Thirty-One and how much fun I have had...and how much of a blessing it has been for our family!! I love what I am doing, but most importantly...I love being with our baby girl!! HUGE thanks to Betsy for finding Thirty-One!!!

Ok, back on track...Brooklyn spent a ton of time hanging out with Jamie and John...and even got to sneak in a few visits with Aunt Jo! These are extra special to me...because it is the next best thing to being with Mame! :) Brooklyn has also become obsessed with pictures....this started at Aunt Jo's when she wanted to see a picture of Mame. She likes to sit framed pictures in front of her while she eats and give them kisses! :) ...at my parent's house...she wants the pic of "Daddy/DaDa".

Recently we took Brooklyn to Helotes' Cornyval!! I don't think I had been since high school! You know how you see a lot of kids clinging to parents legs in social situations? Well, that's not our child...she is off, out and about running!! She is SO GOOD, such a happy, good, baby...but man, take her somewhere and you better be holding her hand, because she is super curious!! ...kind of freaks me out a bit! However, at least she does like to hold hands now!!

Brooks and I have been wanting to tile our kitchen since we bought our house and we finally picked some out!! :) We wanted travertine, but after some research...discovered that it was a bit too high maintenance for us, so we opted for a porcelain that looks like travertine. Our tile guy will be here bright and early Monday morning to rip out of vinyl flooring and tile our kitchen and guest bathroom!! We are really excited!

My parents have been named...by Brooklyn...Nahni/Nanni and Boppa. She has truly done this on her own...and it's pretty cute. She talks about them ALL the time!!! First thing in the morning, in the car, etc...we hear "Nahni, Boppa...Nahni, Boppa." I'm so thankful that we are so close to them and that she is truly comfortable staying there. She has even spent the night a few times!!

Brooks made reservations at Hotel Valencia for our 4th anniversary and we dropped her off for a night (I had no warning...and we both did fine. He and I also had a WONDERFUL time on the RiverWalk and it was a fun "staycation"). I have also had a few EARLY parties...so we have dropped her off to spend the night so I don't have to wake her up early.

Other fun words our kiddo says: "nee" (Candy), "wa-ee" (Water...to drink or bodies of water), "gace" (Grace), "choos" (shoes), "bess" (Bless You when you sneeze), "peez" (please), "oh gosh" (this has replaced 'oh wow'), "ni-night" (Night Night...and when she's ready, she tells you!), "hi", "bye bye," "ow" (down...without the d), "boo boo" (scrapes and cuts), "walk" (when she wants to get down and walk on her own), "mum mum" (Mum Mum snacks), "nak" (snacks), "a" (egg), "cul" (color/crayons), "eye", "ose" (nose), "eea" (ear), "bobo" (elbow)...and of course dog, duck and all her animal sounds (cow, sheep, pig, monkey, elephant, dog, cat). Last but not leaset, but bestie friend...Rowan has become "Row-o"...

She is also slowly figuring out doing "I Love You" by pointing to her eyes, her heart and then pointing back to you...she will have this mastered any day!!

Brooklyn is also the epitome of a girly girl...she still LOVES her shoes, is obsessed with wanting to put chap stick and make up on...and also wants to wear necklaces, bracelets, watches or glasses!!!

Last but not least...wowzers, we leave for Wyoming in less than a month!!! We are so excited...but yikes, we have a lot to do!!

March Madness...

I'm not sure what to attribute the title of this post to...but it just seemed appropriate. We have been crazy busy...but that's nothing new. Brooklyn keeps us on our toes and is one busy busy bee!!

Brooklyn and I took a trip up to see Great Aunt Jamie and Great Great Aunt Jo in New Braunfels. We had a blast! We were there Thursday-Sunday!! Brooklyn performed all of her animal sounds - cow, sheep, dog, monkey...pointed to her body parts - nose, mouth, chin, ears, eyes, elbow and tummy! Her aunties were quite impressed!! Aunt Jo even shared some chocolate ice cream with her!! She is always obsessed with the stairs at Aunt Jo's house...but she didn't even attempt to go up them this visit (that made for a more pleasant get-together).

Aunt Jamie and I took Brooklyn to a few stores in San Marcos at the Outlet Mall. We were looking for a Pottery Barn kids chair...and we found one!! We also found some goodies at Old Navy, Children's Place and Heartstrings...my baby girl was pooped from all the shopping!!! Daddy missed us while we were gone...this is the longest that he has been away from us!!

I participated as a vendor at the Just Between Friends consignment sale at Crossroads Mall!! I made a ton of new contacts...so hopefully with a little follow-up, it will have been worth my time! I'm really looking forward to the sale in Boerne next month!! The JBF sale was Thursday-Saturday...that's right...3 whole days. ...and this was the most amount of time that this Mommy had been away from her baby :( ...so who was she with? Grandma!! ...and poor Grandma was pooped!! She hasn't recovered from her foot surgery as well as she had hoped, so I think it was a bit much for her (which I feel guilty about). Don't get me wrong...Brooklyn is a wonderful little baby (wait, toddler...), but she is constant action!! Walking this way...then that way...opening this...shutting that...and of course "bite, bite, bite"...she is obsessed with eating when she is at Grandma's house!! ...speaking of Grandma, I 'think' we might have a name for her. Nahni...Brooklyn started saying "nah nah...nah nah"...and it has somewhat developed into Nahni. We'll see if it sticks. She better come up with something for Grandpa or he'll feel left out.

Gina and I took the girls to a an easter egg hunt in the park. The Easter Bunny was even there!! (duh! who do you think hid the eggs?!?). All the sweet kiddos were lined up waiting to sit in the bunny's lap...Brooklyn kept waving at him, saying 'hi'...etc. I thought "YES"...she will like the bunny!!! Turns out I was wrong...the big 6 foot tall bunny fits in the same category as Santa Claus...the bottom lip started quivering and her arms reaching out for help as soon as we set her in his lap. Oh well, maybe she'll be into the characters next year...

Brooks has been such a busy beaver at work!! Did you know that he sold 14 houses in February?? That's one house every other day!!! We are so so proud of him and so grateful for all of his hard work!!! We truly feel blessed that he is having such an amazing spring!! I hope the house buying/selling continues!!!

"I'm leaving on a Jet Plane"...that's right...we are taking Brooklyn for her first flight!! EEEKS!!! We booked our flight to Denver a few nights ago!! We are taking a trip to Wyoming this summer to see some friends (Jeff and Aneesa). They have a little girl, Karlie, who is about 3...so she and Brooklyn should have fun. We are terrified of flying with Brooklyn...but I keep telling Brooks, "we'll never see these people again." We purchased a portable DVD player in hopes of it entertaining her. I'm not so much worried about her being uncomfortable (ears hurting, etc)...as wanting to wander around...and explaining that she has to sit for 3 hours! Fingers crossed!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

You know what Brooklyn got us for Valentine's Day?? KISSES!!!

That's right!! On the 9th, she gave us an early present and figured out how to give people kisses!!! It simply melted our hearts...and still does!! She makes the kissy sound and everything!! It's pretty awesome!!

Another fun word that she has started saying is "bayyybee"...whenever she sees a baby...she says her long, drawn out..."bayyybee". Her yogurt (still her food of choice) has a baby on some of the containers...so she also says "bayyybee" whenever we get her yogurt out...or when a baby is on tv...or when she sees a baby out an about.

She has also figured out how to ask for another bite/more food! She loves to say "biiiittte"...she really enunciates the "iii"...it's funny.

Brookie and I went to have lunch with Daddy today...which we frequently do. ...and by frequently, I mean we frequent Tink-a-Tako!! Brooklyn has actually discovered that she really likes bean, cheese and egg tacos...well the inside at least. The tortilla tends to end up on the floor. All of the waitresses know her...thus where she began her love of dipping "di di"...with EVERYTHING!!! We must eat chips and salsa way too much!!

We went out for a double date on Valentine's Day with Ian and Seda. Seda was about to leave town for several months...and we had been wanting her to take us to a Turkish restaurant. We went to Turquoise Grill...and boy was it yummy!!! ...not at all what either of us expected; we can't wait to go back!

Brooklyn Jean...you are the complete love of our lives and we love you more than you know. I cannot fathom how you are nearly 18 months old...and we are nearly as close to your 2nd birthday as your first!! You have been a complete joy to our lives...in every way imaginable!!

Back in time...wrapping up the year!

It makes me so sad that it has been nearly two months since I posted something about life. ...so let's take a step back in time!! While I am truly so blessed to be so busy with Thirty-One, there are so many other things that I want to do. #1. Catch up on blog #2. Upload pictures to previous posts on blog #3. Print blog (more on this coming soon) #4. Print snapshots of Brooklyn (July trough current. It felt so good when I got this done over the summer...but now I am just as behind. Really? How did this happen. Anyone have any tips??) #5. Have prints of professional pictures taken. If can can accomplish all of these things, I will feel better about life.

December....this month was nearly TWO months ago!! It started with a great visit from Aunt Betsy, Quentin, Gracie and Brinin. We had a blast!! Betsy and I took the kiddos to the zoo and road the train in Brackenridge Park. Brooklyn liked to stand on the train. I can't wait to take her back to the zoo!! I think she will have more fun each time she goes!! To commemorate her first trip to the zoo, I bought her a mini stuffed Okapi. Here is a picture if you don't know what it is...he was seriously the cutest and looked so soft!!! His legs were like a thinly striped zebra and his body was solid deep chocolate brown. He was all alone in his area (kinda sad) and his legs were twitching...so maybe he wasn't the happiest animal at the zoo...but he had a special place in my heart! Maybe the Okapi was more for me than Brooklyn, but she seems to be a fan!

We also went to Bass Pro Shops to see Santa Claus! Did you know he was there? Well he was, yuppers the real Santa Claus made it down to San Antonio for some time at BPS. ...needless to say, Brooklyn was not really a fan of Santa Claus. I think she would have rather been sitting with the Okapi. As soon as she laid eyes on the bearded man in the red suit, her bottom lip curled under and she began to wail. Last year she politely laid in his arms for her picture...but this year, she gave us a classic, screaming child picture. In all honesty, it's pretty cute. Granted...we would have preferred a happy child...but for a Christmas picture, this was the next best thing....

We also introduced her cousins and Aunt to Cosi and Orange Cup...both were a big hit! The rest of December was basically filled with Thirty-One parties!!

Everyone came to our house for Christmas on Christmas Eve. We may or may not have had a Christmas Tree up this year. We did have stockings hung with care. Brooklyn got an extra special (amazing!!) gift from her Uncle Cousin John (my Mom's first cousin)...a 100% complete hand stitched, petit point needlepoint stocking. It is absolutely stunning!! It has Santa, fancy Russian buildings, ballerinas...and so much more detail!!! It is such a special keepsake for her!!! It took him a year of hard work and love!!

We were blessed with spending Christmas Eve with Grandma and Grandpa K, Aunt Jamie and Uncle John, John's sister Mary, Uncle Cousin Steven, Ian and Seda. We had a pretty great time eating tamales and being with family. One of Brooklyn's big Christmas gifts was a kitchen from Grandma and Grandpa K. ...so she got a ton of soft/stuffed veggies, eggs, cupcakes, pots and bowls. She is set to make us veggie stew and dessert!! She loved...and I mean LOVED stirring in her pot the entire night!!! She was too cute!! She is also a big fan of opening and closing the doors of her kitchen...and putting things in them. She also got a magna-doodle type thing, which is probably her most favorite toy!! It says ages 3 and up...but she has always been a fan of Rowan's....so she got her own!

Now Brooks. What can I say about what he got for me...but W-O-W. I broke down in tears when I opened his gift. I don't cry very often...well maybe in front of him, but not in front of other people. I am still in awe of his gift. Ok, sorry to hold you in suspense. He had a book made that is just pictures of he and I. It has special little stories, note and memories on each page. It is simply wonderful!!! He has definitely set high expectations for himself.

You might ask...what did Brooks get? He is now fully stocked on socks and underwear! Yuppers, that's right! That's how romantic I was this year. Ok, he got a few other things too...wireless headphones, corduroy pants, beard trimmer, gadgets for the garage...and a few other things...but nothing seems to even come close to competing with my present. Thanks babe!!

My parents spent the night for Christmas...which was so much fun!!! When we woke up, Santa (err, umm...Grandma Q and Grandpa Joe) had brought Brooklyn her official Little Tykes Cozy Coupe Car!! Once she figured it out...she LOVED to climb in and out...and in and out some more. She is still a bit too short to push it around...but she loves for us to push her!!

We went over to New Braunfels on Christmas afternoon. We got to see Great Aunt Jo, the Irvines and thank John for his amazing stocking!! Aunt Jo got Brooklyn a shopping cart (so she can go shopping for her kitchen!!)...and got to see her open it. On our way home...we wanted to stop and eat...didn't feel like dragging leftovers out...we our choices were IHOP and Denny's. We opted for Denny's. Major disappointment...no Moons Over My-Hammy on Christmas Day...they have an abbreviated menu for certain days of the year. It was sad...but we had dinner...with a bunch of other people who apparently eat at Denny's on Christmas!! The service wasn't the best...but hey, it was Christmas.

The next day we took off for Midland and had Christmas there! It was nice...Teri, Tim and the boys were still there when we got there. We also got to say hi to Joey and Jill before they left...and then we had the rest of the time with his parents. I stayed up late playing Phase 10 with Betsy each night...a pretty fun card game if I must say so myself. We twisted Brooks' arm into playing with us the last night. We visited Rosa's and Taco Villa. Brooklyn is a fan of Rosas' bean and cheese burrito...thus she is definitely Brooks' child. Ryan was in town...so we got to see he and his Mom for a quick visit.

The day we were supposed to leave, it was supposed to snow. It made me nervous to be on the road with nasty weather...but it turned out to be ok by mid afternoon. However, it DID snow that morning. We bundled Brooklyn up and plopped her in the backyard to take her picture. She wasn't too sure about the snow. In reality, there was barely enough to stick on the ground. We gave her a small snowball and she WOULD NOT hold it! She was just kind of frozen in position and not sure what to think about it all.

Other fun facts about life. Brooklyn loves to rock in Popeye's old rocking chair. We caught her a few times climbing into it in her bedroom...so I put it in the living room. She loves to sit in it and say "ra ra" (rock rock). She also says: mama, dada, no no (she is a pro at this one), ba (ball), ish (fish), baby, bu-bye, hi, wasz isz (what's this), uh ohhh, oh wow (not so much anymore...this was kind of a phase)...we are still working on more or bite! She knows her: nose, eyes, ears, mouth, tummy...and loves to point to yours too! She knows a cow goes moo.

Brooklyn's special talent?? Her imagination! If you hold out your hand in front of her...she will grab/pinch things out of your hand and put them in your mouth. Then she "chomp chomp" chews them up and goes back for more imaginary food. It is pretty stinkin' cute/funny!

We are still pretty amazed my this little being that we have brought into the world. She is starting to get cuddly and hug on us. It just melts me when she cuddles with me because it is so rare. She won't give us kisses yet...however, she loves to give kisses to her animals, dolls or the dogs. Hopefully Mommy and Daddy will be next!!

Ok, so remember Brooks' fabulous Christmas present for me? I really want to take the time to have this blog printed on an annual basis and made into a book. I think it is the best baby/memory book for Brooklyn. I am embarrassingly behind on her baby book...but this is pretty current (I may lag between posts...but I make the effort to catch up). So, I hope that this is the last post in her book! I just need to make more posts (shorter ones!!) on a frequent basis...and that will simplify life!! Just little snippets here and there of her life.

Welcome 2010!

Brooks and I rang in the New Year at home. We put Brooklyn to bed and had a fun night of fondue. Cheese and chocolate!! Yummy!! My Mom just had foot surgery on BOTH feet on December 30th...so she is off babysitting duty until at least mid-Februrary.

We celebrated Brooks' 31st birthday at Paeasano's...and my parents volunteered to keep Brooklyn. I thought Paesano's would be super yummy since Brooks had not been there...however, he didn't agree. He ordered Chicken Parmeasean...and was not a huge fan. However, I had Shrimp Paesano...and it tasted exactly like it was supposed to!! ...remember all the socks and undies he got for Christmas...well he got more for his bday!! :) Lucky guy!!

Brooks' birthday was on the 7th...and well the 8th was a hard day for Brooklyn and her parents. She has dealth with tear duct issues her entire first year of life. Poor girl thinks here right eyelashes are made of cardboard...and are glued shut half the time. We finally bit the bullet and scheduled her for surgery. We had to be at the hosptial at 6:00 a.m. and her surgery was scheduled for 7. Dr. Charles McCash did performed her surgery and he was pretty great...minus constantly running late! ;) Aunt Jamie met Mommy and Daddy at the hospital and waited with us while they took Brookie back. We didn't take our camera...so we only have our cell phone pics.

They put her in a tweety/bugs hospital gown...and Dr. McCash drew a squiggle above her right eye (to make sure they operated on the right one). We didn't really have a chance to kiss her goodbye...the nurse just wisked her away. She was gone from us 30-45 minutes...and then the doctor came out and said she did great!!! Her passageway was super narrow, so her problems didn't suprise him! We went in the back to see our Brookie and she was one unhappy camper!! Not from pain...but from being held by strange nurses and not seeing anyone she knew!! I nursed her and then they wheeled Mommy and patient out in a wheelchair.

She went back for her post-op the next week, got a great report...and is still doing well!! I think the surgery was harder on Mom and Dad...becasue it was the first time we have turned her over to someone other than family...and we weren't with her.

Brookie and Mommy have been visitng Grandma nearly every day at lunch time. We play with Grandma, brighten her day...and let Bitsy and Grace out to go potty. The computer has become a good companion to my Mom...and has helped occupy her days. She has a game that she plays with fish...Brooklyn loves to come up to the couch....pat it (which means "I want up")...and then she points at the computer and says "ish ish"...it's pretty cute.

My Mom has also had MayMay's electric amigo car...Brooklyn LOVES to climb on this and walk circles around it!! ...she also has fun when Grandma takes her for a ride!!

Neeless to say, Grandpa has been doing a lot more solo babysitting with Brookly, since Grandma is off her feet. They have had fun!! :)

Can't seem to keep up with life...

It makes me sad that I am so incredibly behind on posting pictures of our sweet little girl!! Yes little girl...not baby. All of a sudden she appears to be this small child to us...and we can't seem to figure out where time went...

I think I'm going to request a few hours from Brooks...that I can just sit and upload pics! I think I will feel better about life. But...until the pictures can be posted...I will re-cap...once again a large time of span...the last month!

Brooklyn pulled up for the first time at her birthday party...and since then she has been a furniture/wall cruising machine!! A couple of weeks ago she got brave and took a step from one ottoman to another...and did this again at Great Great Aunt Jo's house...from chair to coffee table!! She then began taking just a few steps here and there...before she goes "boom" and sits down. However...her steps are getting more and more. She can now walk from Mommy to Daddy...or from couch to Grandma/Grandpa! She is doing so so good at this new "walking" skill!! We are always in awe of her when she does something new...she simply amazes us!! Her new found mobility has created for some fussiness when she is in shopping carts, highchairs...etc...because she wants to get down and explore herself!!!

If you tickle her and say "ticka ticka ticka"...she will touch her tummy and say it herself! This cute skill came from Grandma Jan!! She knows where her nose, mouth and eyes are...and can point to yours too! Her favorite book lately is "Pat them Gently"...a great find from the Target dollar spot (and a great gift from Gina and Rowan). She LOVES this book!! She brings it to us all the time...and it is short enough that she can pay attention to the whole book! AND...it has taught her to pat Khloe and Shelby gently...it is too cute watching her give them the lightest pat!! However...one day Khloe did get a rough tug/yank on an ear...thankfully she is so well tempered!

I have been beyond busy with Thirty-One, which is truly a huge blessing...I just need to figure out how to get organized!! I have had two promotions...Senior Consultant...and most recently, Director. During the month of October there was sales contest and I won a digital camera, HD pocket video camera and a 42" plasma tv....we are pretty excited!! It is going in our game room!!

Speaking of our game room...we recently sold our "like new" treadmill...and bought a "like new" recumbent bike from someone on craigslist. We are hoping that we will use it more than they did. It is the exact same model that we wanted from Academy...but we got it for 50% off!! Gotta love craigslist!! So far Brooks has used it twice...and I have yet to get on it. Since you can sit and it has a back rest...and we will have a nice new tv up there...we are hoping for some motivation...

Brooks has been doing well at work. His neighborhood just released some more lots...woohoo!!! His latest change is going to "KB wear" which takes effect on December 1st. He's super excited about his new ties that sport the KB logo..and Blue, Tan or White shirts! Yup...that's what his uniform will consist of. In reality...it's not that bad...the ties all say KB really small in some sort of geometric pattern...and his favorite color is blue...so he'll survive. Free ties from the company...yes....but free shirts...not so much, we must make a trip to Kohl's...they have his favorite broadcloth dress shirt!! Brooks also went on a canoe trip with Steven up/down the Colorado River and they camped out. For some reason he first invited me...glad he came up with plan B. This past week he went deer hunting with his friend Tim...and shot his first deer, which is currently at the processor...steak and ground meat coming soon! (we'll see what I think about deer).

We just got back from Thanksgiving in New Braunfels. It was at my grandparents house...where it has always been...except it wasn't Mame and Popeye's house...it was Aunt Jamie and Uncle Johnny's house. It was really nice and everyone had a great time...except for the dogs. They have two dogs...one of which isn't the most social. Poor Shelby walked in the door and immediately got greeted by Mitford with a clamp down on her snout...and so the fun began! We kept Shelby away from the other dogs...for some reason they were scared of her size...however, she was probably the sweetest and most well behaved out of the 6. Yes SIX dogs at Thanksgiving...mixed with food flying and cooking in the kitchen...there's bound to be some canine jealousy and a fight here and there. ...after the initial skirmish...they did pretty well.

Brooklyn however treated us with waking up at 3:45 on Thanksgiving morning/night. For some...this might not seem odd...but when I tell you that she has NEVER done this...I mean NEVER. I tried putting her back to sleep...but she was ready to go! So...Brooks and I got up with her and had her in the living room. She was playing, crawling, crusing...talking..having a grad ole time! Grandma got up to go to the bathroom and Brooklyn saw her and said "HI"...we couldn't help but laugh. Finally, by 6 a.m. she was back asleep....and Brooks and I slept in the living room. I think part of her problem was that she had gotten cold...she usually doesn't sleep in the same room with us and we had the fan on high...and then on top of things, we were in her space. She slept fine...alone....form 6 until 9:30.

Ian and Seda came over to NB to have turkey with us...we all stuffed our faces with roasted turkey, smoked turkey, dressing, gravy, corn casserole, green beans, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, crescent rolls, brown n serve rolls...and appetizers of cheese, crackers, sausage, pickles, olives, okra, stuffed celery (umm...which lead to us not being quite so hunger for dinner...oops). It was nice being with family...and our family isn't that big...so it was the usual crowd (minus Scottie and Maggie who have moved to Las Vegas)...us, my parents, aunt/uncle...joined with Ian and Seda. The usual. However, Aunt Jo and John stopped by for a visit on Wednesday, which was nice. Brooklyn didn't pull her hair this year (remember last year..she grabbed her hair and didn't realize that SHE was the one hurting herself and didn't realize all she had to do was let go?? yeah, that was funny...and geez, she has changed a TON in the last 12 months...)

I think this about sums up our last month. Betsy, Quentin, Gracie and Brinin should be here tomorrow...which should be fun! Not sure what we have planned...talked about the zoo, children's museum...or something! We'll see what the weather has in store!! :)

....again, hopefully pictures coming soon!!!

Beach, Midland...and More!!

I had the best intentions of making the "beach" it's own blog...but time is simply getting away from me...so let me just recap on life since Brooklyn's birthday!!

We (my parents, Brooklyn, Brooks & I) went to South Padre from September 18th-22nd. I really really want to be able to take Brooklyn to the beach each summer....but REALLY wanted a baby picture of her in the sand!!

I bought a cheap-o umbrella stroller at Wal-Mart with the intentions of it getting junked out and ruined on the beach...but wanted something to push her in. It mainly turned into a chair...and something to carry her in...because it didn't push through sand very well (but the thought was there).

Our first stop was in Port Isabel...WAL-MART (because we don't have those here, ya know!). It seemed to be a better bet for a grocery store than the Blue Marlin grocery store on the island. We stocked up on sandwich stuff, breakfast goodies...and snacky stuff! We went out to eat about once a day...which worked for Brooklyn!

We showed up looking like 100% tourists...video camera, camera...and 4 crazy adults staring at Brooklyn clapping and cheering for her as we set her down in the water! She loved to splash in the waves and to crawl around! I quickly decided that the beach was a safer place for her to be than the pool...because she couldn't "fall in." We built sand castles...chased her across the sand...watched grandpa fly a kite...went to the pool and more. Overall, we had a great time...and made some great memories! She had a few facefulls of salt water...but seemed to survive it all!!

She was such a trooper too! She did so great taking naps and sleeping in her pack n play! Mommy and Daddy were a bit nervous because we haven't shared a room with her since she was 3 months old. We had to whisper again...I think we are more cautious than we need to be, but she is seriously a super light sleeper (a GREAT sleeper, but yet a light one).

The only time she woke up was at 1 a.m. the morning that Daddy and Grandpa were supposed to go fishing. I woke up in a panic and SWORE that the sun was up! Turns out, it was the light outside our room and it was only 1...not 5. Ooops! Daddy wasn't very happy with me, but luckily I got Brooklyn back to sleep! Once 5 a.m. hit, they did have a successful day and caught a few redfish and some mangrove snapper!!

We also took her to the Sea Turtle Rescue center, which was pretty fun! We showed all sorts of super old turtles (we tried to be educational!). We ate at one restaurant on a pier (Pirates Landing) and they gave her a paper pirate hat...to our surprise, she kept it on for a very long time!!

Other than coming home with her 2nd ear ache, I think her first trip to the beach was well worth it!! :) I just remembered the WORST part of the trip...the car ride!! My mom and I sat in the back with Brooklyn. Did I mention that she likes to keep the backseat to herself? Apparently she does not like to share and feels like we are in her space! She is perfectly content in the car...and sleeps just fine, when she is ALONE! However for us, our darling girl screamed herself into a tizzy the way down and the way back. We finally learned to put up a pillow on either side of her so she couldn't see us...and she went to sleep. Crazy kid...

We came home for about a week and then left for Midland! Betsy had holiday open house with Thirty-One, Scentsy and Mary Kay! Everyone did great and the day flew by!! Then on Sunday it was Gracie's 5th birthday party which was also fun!! Monday we pretty much hung out at home and then it was time to go on Tuesday. We are always SO busy when we are there, it just flies by!!

Then...we came home for another week or so and left for San Angelo! Teri had a Thirty-One party!! (talk about two great sister-in-laws who are helping me out with these parties!!) Teri also did fantastic!! She also had some of the most beautiful and fun Halloween decorations I have EVER seen!!! If I could pay someone to come decorate for each holiday...I might decorate more! But I simply don't want to store all these fun things...nor set up or take down (thus I am dreading Christmas...I sware we JUST put everything up!!).

Alas, we came home...and don't feel like nomads. We have no where to go for quite some time...and that is a nice feeling!! I went to the Yardhouse at LaCantera for my 28th birthday (yes, I'm feeling OLD!). My parents, John, Jamie, Gina, Jonathan, Mike, Sandy and Ian were all able to come!! It was opening night for the restaurant...so they had a few glitches here and there, but the food was AWESOME!!! We will totally be going back!!! I got my drivers license renewed today...it doesn't expire until 2015!! I'll be 34, which makes me feel even older :(

My mom has a stuffed animal chicken that when you squeeze it's wing it lights up, dances...and you guessed it! ...it does the Chicken Dance!!! We have all started to teach Brooklyn the Chicken Dance in preparation for Wurstfest!! A family tradition for I don't know how long...so we are sure she is going to have fun! She loves to dance and bop around to music...what better music than German polka, clogging and chicken dancing?!?! November 7th...here we come!!

Brooks, Ian and Steven are going on a canoe/camping trip the beginning of November on the Colorado River (he invited me, I said NO thanks!). I have been super busy with my Thirty-One business and feeling really blessed. I will be promoted to Director the end of October (my 2nd promotion). I still can't believe how much I am loving the company and how great it has been for me, and for us as a family! I know have eight consultants on my team (none of which I have personally sought out...everyone I meet simply loves the product and the company) and a total of 18 on my team!! It is a wonderful blessing!!

Brooklyn is still taking 2 naps a day...and I am thankful for that. We can get by with only one, but it is not very pleasant. She cruises around furniture and ANYTHING that she can get her hands on! She is great at pushing her little "walk-along" things...or small tables or chairs! I got her bangs cut for the 3rd time...and I guess the 3rd time was the charm!! I sat her in my lap today and she didn't shed one single tear! Was happy as a clam!! Lesson learned...DON'T put her in the cute little car!! She looks SO much better and "kept" and not like and orphan!

Brooks and I took her to a pediatric opthamologist (Charles McCash) on Monday to get her poor little eye checked out. She has had tear duct issues since she was born. I have massaged them, we have given her drops and ointment...and she still struggles with that eye...always having crusties, goopy tears...her hair will get stuck in it, or sometimes it gets stuck shut...it's all pretty sad. Her left eye cleared up on it's own about 3-4 months ago...but the right eye is more stubborn. He told us that her eyes look great and her vision was right where it should be! Checked to make sure that the duct issue was not caused by something else. She proceeded to tell the dr "no, no" and wave her hand in his face. He said "I'm very glad you have an opinion." This is her latest..."no, no"...she is quite good at "no" and knows exactly what it means...unfortunately she says it a bit much. Anyways, he said that she did need surgery. Babies that are 8-10 months can be probed in the office...but much older than that, they have a greater anxiety so it is just easier to do it under anesthesia. It makes us nervous...but he said it's a super quick procedure. We will probably get that scheduled for some time in November.

Speaking of Brooklyn "speaking"...she also loves to say "hi" and it is just the sweetest sound!! Sometimes she will put her hand/arm up to her ear like she's on the phone and say "hi, hi!" Too cute!!! One day the phone was ringing and she picked it up and handed it to me!! She also knows that shoes and socks go on her feet...and hats go on her head. She will try to put things in their respective places...it's fun watching her try to put things on! She will say "da da" and pat her chest...because that is what Brooks does. She also says "di duh" for diaper. She will make the "ma ma" sound...but I have no clue if she knows what she is talking about. However, she must...because she LOVES to talk and has the longest conversations with herself!!

Brooklyn has also become quit the picky eater!! She used to eat any and everything we gave her! Her diet now consists of vanilla yogurt, peach yogurt, pear yogurt, apple yogurt...and thankfully YoBaby has 3 in 1 meals...Green Beans, Pears and Yogurt...and more!! Ok, not really...but yogurt is the only thing we can get in her without a challenge. Last night she did eat a tub of green veggies, which was a shock! She also likes meat balls...and hot dogs. We quartered a hot dog (no bun) and then sliced it in little pieces and she ate the ENTIRE thing!! I need to go find veggie or turkey dogs!! She also loves the Gerber Graduates Crunchies...I think they look like Cheetos...which can't be a good thing! ...but she's a big fan!!

I think that pretty much sums up the recap on our lives lately! Halloween is Saturday and her Grandpa K bought her a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader outfit...so we are going to make her a cheerleader for Halloween! Gina's mom has graciously invited us and my parents over to her house for dinner and trick-or-treating...so that should be fun. Otherwise I doubt we would go...because it would be silly for us to take her since she's not walking yet...haha. At least this way we are with a group!! Rowan is going to be Tinker Bell, Chloe/Jeremy and parents are going to be Goldy Locks and the Three Bears....and then Brooks and I...yeah, I think we are going to be the duds...and just be ourselves! Should be fun though!!

...and SERIOUSLY, hopefully pictures will come soon....

Brooklyn 1 Year Pictures

I'm totally behind with this blog (and I think it secretly eats at me every day)...I need to post some old pics...and catch us up to date...but in the mean time, here are some WONDERFUL pictures to enjoy!!

These were taken by Catherine Lopez...a good friend and photographer. She took these cute pictures to celebrate Brooklyn's 1 Year Birthday!! Family pics coming soon...

1 Year Old...

Wow...I have no idea where the past year has gone. In some ways it feels like a big blur. We lost Mame a year ago today, which still doesn't seem real. I still think about her everyday. Sometimes when Brooklyn is smiling or laughing at "nothing"...I think maybe Mame is making her smile.

Anyways, this little girl (which totally describes her now) celebrated her First Birthday last week. On her actual birthday, we went to Osaka with grandma and grandpa and watched them cook on the table. We thought this might entertain her...but turns out we might need to wait a year or two more...or just make sure she has a fresh nap first. She was a tad fussy...which was finally relieved by an order of mango ice cream. She was also graced with a visit from Great Aunt Jamie on her birthday!! She made the trip to hand deliver some flowers...and to sing to the Birthday Girl.




Mommy and Daddy woke Brooklyn up by dumping balloons in her crib and signing "Happy Birthday." ...the was followed by some fun music and more balloons in the living room! That night Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, Grandpa...and the BIRTHDAY GIRL went to dinner at Osaka. We thought it would entertain Brooklyn if they cooked on the table. Ahhh, maybe this will be more entertaining in a few years. It caught her interest for a bit and then she was bored. However, considering she didn't really nap all day...she did quite well. Some mango ice cream seems to be the trick!!



We had her actual party on Sunday, September 6th. The Nethery clan won the award for coming the farthest. They drove down Saturday and stayed with us through Monday! Brooklyn had fun with her cousins!! She and Gracie and going to have so much fun doing all the "girly" things as soon as Brooklyn gets a tad older. Well actually, Gracie LOVES doing the girly things with her now...but Brooklyn will be able to participate more in the future! ;)


Grandma S-L-A-V-E-D away in the kitchen all day on Saturday baking and decorating cupcakes and cakes (yes, plural...because Brooklyn had to have her own cake to SMASH!!). My Mom always made my cake each year (one might think I would want to tackle this tradition for my own daughter...but my Mom is so great at it...I thought she should continue with the tradition...maybe I will take it over in the future). We had a #1 cake pan, which matched the invitations perfectly!!! ...and when I say perfect, it is because Grandma took the time to ice each little pink and white square with the star tip...and then gave it a green border...TOO CUTE!!!


Talk about a HUGE party!! I think there were more people here to see this little cutie dig into her cake than we could ever get together!! Let's face it...we don't really through parties...haha. Just to name a few: Grandma & Grandpa K, Nethery Family, Great GREAT Aunt Jo, Great Aunt Jamie/Great Uncle Johnny, The O'Brien Family, Katherine, Mary Lynn, Steven, Jennifer, Ian, Pamela, Yokley Family, Melissa (Tillie), Danielle (Christian), Martin Family, Dawn (Arianna), Benavides Family, Heather (Cindy)...and please forgive me for those that I forgot!! Let's just say this girly of ours is LOVED!! I bought bubbles, sidewalk chalk and play dough for the kiddos to play with...they seemed to be entertained!!




However, I totally overestimated how much food we needed...so we had enough to feed an army. We had fruit and veggies galore (and literally enough fruit dip for an army...9 cups to be exact...oops!). Yummy spinach dip (Thanks Aunt Betsy!!). Delicious tortilla pinwheel sandwiches (Thanks Target!! ...the best deal in town!! ...one tray would have been plenty). And did I mention cupcakes, cake and more cupcakes??

Everyone gathered around to watch the Birthday Girl eat her cake. I have to say, she was a bit hesitant at first. I think the icing might have felt funny to her. Since it was done with the icing tip, it was kind of textured. She basically picked at the edging for a while. Finally, I gave her a good taste and she delved a little deeper. Never made a huge mess...but she did get pretty darn sticky and had icing everywhere!! I stripped her down and dunked her for a quick bath in the sink before her festivities could continue.

I can't hear you...can you please sing louder!!

The birthday girl needs a little ice cream too!!

After cake, most of our friends left...and we just had family here. It seemed like an appropriate time to let her open her gifts. Cousins Gracie and Quentin were her helpers!! Needless to say, Brooklyn seemed to be more interested in the boxes that her gifts were in vs. the toys! WOW...I think we know own a complete Little People village!! It is so incredible and they are the cutest toys!! I love it that she will be able to play with them for so long!! Quentin is 7 and was still having fun with them!! She got: Happy Sounds Home (Grandma Q/Grandpa Joe), Car Garage/Race Track (O'Brien Family), School Bus (Jennifer/Karol), Tractor (Aunt Maggie), Boat (Ian), Airplane (Steven), SUV (Danielle)...and the Farm!! She also got a ton of clothes and a Little People Parade push/ride along (Grandma/Grandpa K). The Netherys (ahem, Cousin Gracie) gave Brooklyn not only her first baby doll...but a Baby Stella Doll...which Gracie has too!! They were soo cute with their little dollies!! She also got a ton of fun bath toys and a tent/tube (Aunt Jamie/Uncle John). Some other fun goodies that she got included puzzles, books, jewelry and much more!! Yes, I did say jewelry.

Brooks and I gave Brooklyn her charm bracelet. It is actually my old bracelet that I ran out of room on when I was younger and upgraded to a bracelet with more links. I thought it would be neat for her to have and for us to be able to start that tradition for her. She has the "B" and a cupcake!! The other jewelery that she got is a diamond ring from her Daddy (it is a marquis, solitaire). Brooks came up with the idea all on his own...and didn't even tell me about it!! He wanted her to have something from him that was hers her whole, entire life (or nearly!)!! Brooks gave it to her with a super sweet note that basically said that it is to remind her that he will always be there for her no matter what. He wanted her to have this ring to keep with her as a reminder, and then when that special day comes...when she finds a person that makes her feel the way that he feels about me, that person can replace it. How sweet is that?!?!



Aunt Betsy and Uncle Curtis were also so generous to give us one of their Little Tyke outdoor slides!! It is so awesome!! It is a small slide and swing that is perfect for Brooklyn!! We don't have anything like this...so I know it will be used a lot!!! Speaking of outdoor play stuff...Brooks and I also got her a water table....which we FORGOT to give her. ...and have been so busy, that it is still in the box!! We will give it to her soon...I mean, the girl LOVES to splash in the dog's water...just think of the fun she will have with this!!

Another neat present that she got was a hand crafted t-shirt from Melissa!! Melissa has her own company, Melimba, and she makes the cutest creations!!! Stationery, clothes...and now her very own fabric!! She is quite the talented friend!! I wanted Brooklyn to have a cupcake shirt for her party...so Melissa designed one!!! ...AND she even gave us some stationery with cupcakes that have Brooklyn's name on them!! Fancy!!

Cousins & Baby Stella Dolls!!

TAADAA!!! The big finale!! After Brooklyn finished opening her gifts...she PULLED HERSELF UP!! Our little girl had not been wanting to stand...but how amazing is it that she did it when we had the camera out!! She acted as if she had been doing it her whole life!! (all 12 months of it!). She only did it one time that evening...but after that she was on a roll!!! It was funny, at first her legs would get so so wibbly wobbly and she would stand there crying...not knowing how to sit. Thankfully (for her sake), her legs have gotten stronger and she has figured out how to sit! She is know a furniture cruising fool!! ...and PS - a few days later she learned that she can also climb stairs!! (did I mention that I just ordered two baby gates? yes, yes...one for the top and bottom of the stairs...).

A hat or tutu, that is the question!

To wrap things up....my Mom and I took Brooklyn to JC Penny (a few days after her birthday) and had her picture taken with a little round cake from HEB. These were just diaper shots digging into the cake. This icing was definitely more fun for her to touch (either that or her cake digging experience has improved)...but she was such a mess and had a blast!! Our favorite was when she stuck her foot in it!! She LOVES to do things with her feet!! Then, she had enough and there were pink hand prints ALL OVER the sheet!!

Today, our wonderful friend Catherine (Four Creative Studio) took pictures of Brooklyn in her tutu. A minor detail that I forgot. I bought Brooklyn a tutu for her Birthday...I thought it would be cute for her to wear. She actually just wore it during presents...and kind of looked like a little peacock when she stuck her hiny in the air and crawled. It was pretty fun! Aunt Jo even thought it made a festive hat! I agree, don't you? Anyways, we met Catherine today...and she was so gracious to take Brooklyn's picture!! She kind of reminded me of a little fairy in a garden! She just wore her birthday tutu and her multi-colored corker bows from Grandma. I can't wait to see the pictures!! We are doing family pictures with Catherine this next week!!

Alrighty, I seem to be a bit long-winded...but it was a BIG day in our little Brooklyn's life...so I had a lot to say. I think this seems to sum up all things 1st Birthday. Pictures you ask? Yes, that will be my next step...to add pictures for this post....AND the last!!