Friends who are Family

We love the Braeger Family!  We are so blessed that they have been a part of our lives for over twenty years.  Conner, Drew and Brenna one day you will realize how important it is to have friends who are family: they are always there, they watched you grow up, they are some of your biggest cheerleaders and they give the best advice because they know all of your strengths and weaknesses.  You can be 100% honest and most importantly - these kinds of friends help you raise your children and make your house a home.   I love spending time with each of the Braegers - it always feels like home!

Polar Express - French Lick

We had a truly magical trip on the Polar Express.  The elves, Santa, the conductors and everyone involved did an awesome job.  I don't think I will ever forget seeing Drew and Conner's eyes when they saw Santa at the North Pole!  Brenna was petrified (to say the least) of Santa this year.  We hope to be able to go back when she can understand the experience.  We also LOVED being back in the water! So much fun!

I told mom that her expression was almost just as amazing as the kids'!

See what I mean - magical!

Drew Basketball

Drew is doing an AWESOME job during his first year of basketball!  He plays for the Danville Rec league and loves it!  He has improved so much this season!

"Oh Christmas Tree"

We found the perfect Christmas tree this year - in UNDER 10 MINUTES!  Thank goodness because this years' trip will be one to remember.  I LOVE our tradition of picking out our tree - we always go on a "nice" day in December, I take tons of pictures of the kids (bribe them of course), we search and search for the perfect tree, we get cookies and hot chocolate on the way out and then we listen to Christmas songs on the way home and while we decorate the tree.  It always gets our entire family into the Christmas season.  But - this year was a little different....The boys fought on the way to the tree farm - bad!  Brenna lost her ninnie (or we forgot it) and she screamed for her ninnie the entire way there (30 minutes).  The Christmas music station wasn't coming in so we listened (loudly) to old rap music. So the usual bribes for good pictures turned into threats to turn around.  

We finally get to the tree farm and Brenna doesn't want to walk, will not look at the camera, and keeps crying for her ninnie.  Conner and Drew meanwhile are fighting over the tree cart and run into everything and everyone in their path.  Jason and I look at each other and quickly decide on a tree - we both can tell that Brenna is heading for a huge meltdown and Conner and Drew are about to start boxing - they fight over who gets to hand Jason the saw, Brenna is sobbing in the background for her ninnie - Jason gets the tree cut down and all three boys drag it to the checkout (fighting the entire time).  Once we get in to checkout, Brenna quiets down because the owner gives her a cookie which she immediately crumbles up and drops on the floor - meanwhile out on the deck, Conner has spilled the entire pot of hot chocolate and Drew fell in the mud- and cried.  We decided to stop for dinner - which, thankfully, ended up being a great idea.  With food in our bellies (and a ninnie) and a separate, important job for each boy we listened to music and decorated the tree.  It ended up being our sort of perfect- I know that one day Jason and I will pick out and put up a tree all alone.  I know I will wish that I had my babies back home - fighting, crying, making messes or not.  I wanted to put this in here so that one day, when my children have children, that they will know even if all the pictures looked perfect - that the background often told a different story!