family silhouette

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Reflections of 2009

Wow.. I can't believe another year has came and gone. We've had quite the eventful year. In 2009, the spoiled princess turned 4, crazy Bailey turned 9, and Brent turned 10! Wow, by the end of this decade both boys will have graduated high school and be off to college and Brie will be in highschool, scary!.. the next decade is sure to bring many family memories and lots of good times.

January 2009 started us out with Brieanna and her Strawberry Shortcake birthday party, we even had a little snowfall towards the end of January.
February: Basketball was in full swing and Brie had her first sleepover here and at her friend Kinley Escues house. Brent and Bailey were on different basketball teams and continue to amaze me everyday. They adjusted well to a new school throughout the first semester and have continued to do great in school. We celebrated Papa, Big Daddy's and Uncle Nick's birthdays.
March: On February the 28th- the first few days of March we had more snow than we had had in a very long time! We were out of school for nearly a week and the kids enjoyed every minute of it. Maryselle and Conlee were here with us the first day after school when the snow hit us hard!
April: Easter egg hunts and family time always makes for fun. Of course we can't forget this year I turned the big 30. Spring break brought memories of a trip to the zoo and lots of family time. Of course, Brent and Bailey were nice and busy keeping us going at the baseball fields. Even Brie started softball this year. It was quite interesting with all 3 kids playing on different teams!
May: Brie's first dance recital, she did great! On May 6, we got our new Schnoodle Maisy! Brent and Bailey got to pick her out! School ended for another year.
June: Summer's off are great! I enjoyed June and bright and early mornings of teaching swimming lessons! We spent just about every day at my parents pool enjoying our time together. We missed memaw and honey as they were gone for 2 weeks to New York and Canada and many other places traveling. Jason had a birthday!
July: Brent turned 10! Brent and Bailey both made All Stars. We had a tragic day where we visited the ER twice! First Brent fell and broke his arm chasing Maisy around the house, we got home from Campbell's from getting a cast, and shortly after Bailey got bit by a dog that sent us rushing to the ER a second time. What an eventful day. Needless to say, Brent's team advanced another level the day before was when he broke his arm. We were still there to support the team. We took a great family vacation with one my good friend Amy Lenagar and her family. When we returned Brent and Bailey had a great birthday party at the Thorton swimming pool together. Brent & Bailey both went to church camp at Camp Clark Williams, this was Brent's 2nd year, Bailey's 1st.
August: Back to school we go. Brent began 4th grade, Bailey 3rd, and Brie her second year of preschool. At the end of August, I was one of the lucky first to be out a week with the H1N1 and Brent and Bailey both got it 2 weeks later. Brent got his cast off, and we ended the month of August sick and all at Pin Oak for Grandmothers birthday weekend. Once again it was some great family time and fun! Also on the 29th, a great little boy, Bailey turned 9!
September: Labor Day started us off with great fun at the cabin with the Lea's, Grant's, and Roe's. Riding 4 wheelers and mudding all day was the highlight of the kids weekend. We are blessed to kids that love to play together and get along great!
October: Brent, Bailey, and Brie all showed in a sheep show at the Union City Fair. The BBQ festival also involved a sheep show and piglet chasing which all 3 kids loved! This was the first year the boys decided they were too big for Trick or Treating and spent the entire weekend hunting for the Juvenile hunt with their Daddy and Big Daddy. Brie proudly wore her lady bug outfit to trick or treat, and her Indian outfit given to her by MarySelle to school. Memaw took her for the 2nd year to her trip to the Pumpkin Patch.
November: Thanksgiving Break was rough, We all endured the Stomach Flu! But, we all ended up getting through it by the end of the week and enjoyed time with our families and ofcourse I made it for a little while shopping with my great group of friends for Black Friday!
December: Kids enjoyed riding with the Brighton FFA during the Brighton and Covington Christmas parades. Brent and Bailey both did an awesome job in the Holly Grove Christmas Program and Brent even had a solo! Brie also participated in the Covington Assembly of God program where her Nana goes to church. We made lots of gingerbread man cookies for all 3 kids to take to school. Christmas was great! New Years Eve was spent at our Annual place of Malcomb and Renee Coulston, filled with lots of memories and great family and friends.

As I write this reflecting, I can't believe once again how fast the year flew by. Just looking through pictures to remind me of what happened when I can't believe how much Brent, Bailey, and Brie have grown and changed throughout the year.
I am looking forward to a new year filled with love and lots of time with family and friends and many more great memories. Happy New Year!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Christmas 2009

Christmas 2009 started out Tuesday at our house with the Howard's

Brent is ready to begin
Granny and Papa
Brie and Isa having a tea party

Ready to open presents

Oops, Nana gave Bailey the wrong present!

Just what he wanted Nana! How'd you know?

Big Daddy and Brie
Then on to Memaws Christmas Even afternoon for gifts with Uncle Shane and family

Jason enjoyed his yummy dinner with the Kinney's!

All the great grandkids exchanging their gifts

Christmas morning, Brie is checking it all out

Brent got golf clubs, but Bailey's green machine was the hit

sad when boys get older and all you see is video games and clothes!
We had a great Christmas and enjoyed all the time we got to spend with family, it was busy but sure was fun!


Sunday, December 13, 2009

Christmas Program 2009

Brent and Bailey had a great time in the Holly Grove Christmas Program!




Brent even had a solo!



Starry NIghts



We got an early sneak peak at Starry Nights since Jason's company did all the electrical wiring for it, which was very neat. Christmas City is always one of our all time favorites and since we live so close normally go through it atleast once a week. Although Christmas City has lots of lights, I loved the animation of lights that Starry Nights had, I thought that was pretty cool and I know that it took a lot of time. It was worth seeing it anyway!


"Throw me Daddy!"

"Throw me Daddy" are the words that we hear around here over and over. Brie loves to be thrown into the air. It makes it fun that our den ceilings are so high.

"My turn!" (notice the rollers she has gotten into to make "yo yo's in her hair as she calls it!)supergirl!ofcourse Bailey had to have a turn, although his days of nearing the ceiling are over!



Monday, December 7, 2009

Brighton Christmas Parade 2009

Terri Lea and I waiting on the parade to start
Brie riding with Santa and Mrs. Claus

The 3 Musketeers, Balfour, Bailey, & Hunter

Brent & my niece Jessica


Santa and Brie waiting on Mrs. Claus to get off the phone with mama claus!


Brent, Bailey, and Brie had a wonderful time tonight with their friends on the Brighton FFA Christmas Parade float. One of the many perks of my beginning teaching a last year has been the great friends that we have all made. I have made many new great friends that I get to work with on a daily basis and the kids gladly love for mom to have to work late in her room so they can play with all the other teachers kids!
Ofcourse some how my rowdy outdoor loving kids have already decided that Brighton FFA is already in their future and now that they will be involved in everything going on there at that school! I have a feeling between the football field they drool over while the players are out there, to the basefield they can't wait to play on, to the sheep they want to continue to show, and the shop where great things come to life we are going to be quite busy when their highschool years approach. Though... that is still many years to come and I don't want to even think about those highschool years yet!

What happens when you give a 4 year old a camera?



Now, everyone knows how I love my Nikon big camera, it is awesome and takes the best pictures... but it is not so easy to tote around everywhere and my first digital camera was well.. a little outdated. So, on black friday I bought myself a small Nikon digital camera that I can keep in my purse. I have found that Brie loves to take pictures on my phone and this new camera certainly kept her entertained in Target while Terri and I did some Christmas shopping. It is so funny to me and amazes me to see the world through her eyes! She was so funny taking pictures of everything she wanted from Santa! It also continued when we returned home the next day!


My long time very talented friend Aimee made my boys sock monkey's when they were younger. Brie has inherited them and absolutely loves them along with her new colorful one that her Aunt Di sells at Old Town Hall that are named "Bailey"
her bows must be important, a new bouncy is on her wish list, and I hope she just wants momma to add that game to my phone b/c she has quite a while before a phone will be given by the big guy!





Thursday, December 3, 2009

Be thankful

Thanksgiving break was not so great around the Howard home. We caught the awful stomach bug and spent the week battling it. It all started Saturday with Brie, went to Brent by Tuesday, me on Wednesday, and Jason by Friday night! My kids sure seemed to get over it in one day, but getting older must take a lot more out of you because I was still hurting and trying to regain my energy on Saturday!
Jason and the kids made it to the Beckett's for lunch on Thursday, and I was able to go to my family that night for a little bit. I even joined my great group of friends a little later than normal Friday morning for our girls shopping day. A couple of times I had to sit in the truck to rest, but atleast I got to spend the day with them!
However, we are just thankful that we have a wonderful extended family and food to eat. Our sickness was nothing compared to what some families are battling and we are thankful for that.

Chris's Wedding

Larry, Aunt Diane, and Ashley
How sweet!

Chris & Caroline tied the knot

Aunt Donna, Aunt Debbie, Mom, Me, and Brie at the rehersal dinner