Busyness

If you're friends with us on Facebook, you know we're all alive and well (minus colds) but have fallen off the blogosphere again. Right now its crunch time for college, less than 2 weeks left (AHH!) and I have one class to finish and Mike has two.

After talking with Mike and getting his approval, I made the decision to forego Christmas cards this year. I love taking pictures, and I love family pictures and I love Christmas cards. But this year, I'm spending a little more time focusing on how I am feeling about things and realized I was so stressed about Christmas cards, pictures, making them, getting them, sending them out that I had to take a step back and say "Why do something if its causing you stress?" Most of our loved ones follow our blog, talk to us somewhat often, and are friends with us on Facebook. Having said that, most of our loved ones know anything that I could say on any Christmas card, and will see more recent pictures posted before they even get our Christmas cards! Mike couldnt have agreed more, and said let's just skip them. So, look forward to our card next year with the family of FOUR!

Also, I've been posting to blogger, I swear I have, cute pic of my Mom with Bray, couple cute stories, pics from our wonderful Thanksgiving, and blogger and I still seem to be having a tumultuous relationship. I dont have the time to sort through the issues, so until school is over we'll wait to see whats going on. In the meantime, look for pictures in email/facebook format.

Lastly, a cute story about Brayden and his quirky personality, from Friday night. We went to a local town's little Christmas shindig with Mike's mom and little sister (thanks you two!) and Katie, Brayden and I went on a horse drawn carriage ride around the town square. Brayden just loves horses and all animals for that matter, so he was SO excited to be "riding" one (we were in the wagon behind it of course). He didnt have a great view behind the driver, so he was craning his neck whichever way would give him the best view of the horse the entire ride. Telling the horse "good boy" "hee haw" and numerous other cute sayings.  Then as we were getting ready to get off, I asked if we could pet him and the driver told us absolutely. So I took Brayden up to the horse's face, expecting him to watch me pet the horse and with no reservation, he reached out and started petting the horse and giggling under his breath. It was so cute to watch and I wish that we hadnt had to hurry the experience because it was starting to drizzle and we were hoodless. Needless to say, I think a horsey will be on his Christmas list ;0)! Santa didn't go off so well, which was fine with me. We waited over an hour in line to see him, but I still chalk it up to a very nice experience. Free hot cocoa and as many cookies as we could eat, really nice free books from Santa, $5 to get a picture but you could take one for free, free ornament making, and a goodie bag from Santa with more ornaments to make at home, stickers, candy etc. Mike's Mom and Sister again were huge troopers to wait with us so long only to have Brayden have a meltdown as we neared Santa due to tiredness/being overwhelmed/ and still being a little scared of Santa. We took a picture of Brayden and I sitting together at Santa's feet, and then came home for Brayden to be all excited to watch Santa on the TV ;), silly kiddo! My kid who will pet horses fearlessly, but is cautious around strangers. I love his little quirky personality and wouldn't trade him for the world!