Chancellor Chaos

Valentine's Day Crafty-ness

2011-02-13T23:33:00.000-06:00

It's 11:30 pm and I'm finally finished with Braiden's Valentine's box for school....

Drum Roll Please........

The Dragon

He's so proud of it. We also have flowers for our teacher, but for some reason, I can't upload those pictures. I'll try again tomorrow. I am SO ready to close my eyes! Happy Valentine's Day!!

Faces

2011-02-13T10:50:00.005-06:00

Braiden & I were playing around one evening while Brian was pumping our gas.

I get to look at this messy little boy everyday. How lucky am I?

Revamped

2011-02-12T22:53:00.008-06:00

So, guess what? WE HAVE INTERNET @ HOME!

I know. I feel the same way. This is a momentous occasion.

I've made an attempt at revamping this blog. I've rewritten my profile and have removed a lot of the "junk" that I've just left on here for lack of removal time. Please comment if something doesn't flow across the screen correctly or if anything is "un"easy on the eyes. I probably changed fonts and colors 37 times, so for all I know, the page could look like a hot mess.

I've kept up with each of you this entire time. I've tried to leave comments sporadically and was denied by Blogger for one reason or another. I do apologize...please know that I've tried!

I have so much catching up to do!! Thanks for keeping me on your blog lists all this time. I'll sign off with a couple of pictures from the incredible snow storm we've had. My goodness, the 60 degree temperatures today have never looked better!

My car. When the snow started...!

My boot print

As the snow began to melt.

Your Bed

2010-09-29T12:11:00.005-05:00

We removed your baby bed. You know, the custom ordered, youngAmerica, solid wood crib that you slept in only a handful of nights? Yeah, that's the one. It's been broken down and sent to it's new resting place. Leaning against an interior wall of our spare bedroom. I got a little teary eyed, watching Daddy wield his trusty screwdriver and mutter a few potty words as he took down the last remaining structure of your "baby room".

You're a big boy now. 3 1/2 years old and so full of life. You're so bossy and determined. You have your own way of doing things; and that way is the best way; the only way. You're also adamant about your feelings toward your new bed. It's NOT for sleeping in. You've taken 3 naps in it so far...only because you fell asleep and I carried you in and laid you down. You cry incessantly when we put you to bed in it at night. Even though you are armed with 3 flashlights, a barrage of stuffed animals and your closet light is burning bright, you're afraid we're going to leave you.

So, back into our bed you go. And your little size 10's are in my face. Because your momma can't stand the thought of you feeling left alone. I keep telling myself that you won't be 14 years old and sleeping in our bed, so right now is fine. It's not going to last forever. It still pulls at my heartstrings when I watch you sleep. You're perfect little face and chubby little toes still have a smidgen of "baby" left in them. And, I want to hold on to that. It's not going to last forever.

Anybody Out There?

2010-09-27T12:13:00.003-05:00

Does anyone out there still read this blog? I realize that historically, I post about twice a year, but I'd like to get back into the swing of things if there is anyone still clicking over to The Chancellor's.

Please comment. If there is still anyone out there that would read it if I posted it, I'll try to be a regular!

AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD

2010-01-06T14:56:00.013-06:00

i swear i know how to use Enter to space properly...Blogger is being ridiculous.

I thought I would start 2010 off with a little friendship.

Some of you may have already done this. Some of you (like me) may have never heard of this.

A friend of mine at work gave me a Friendship Bag to start my bread with, and I got to thinking of all the people that I would want to give one of my Friendship Bags to. Most of which live much too far away for me to hand deliver a Bag to (ie. Debbi, Sarah, Tara, Heather). Most of which read this blog (ie. who knows anymore!?). I decided to post the instructions...along with the "Starter" information (which would normally be hand delivered to you) on my blog.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* Do not use a metal spoon or bowl.

* Do not refrigerate (even though is seems a little weird not to)

DAY 1 - DO NOTHING (if your friend has hand delivered the starter bag to you).

(Alternate) DAY 1 - (if you have a friend like me!) In a small bowl, dissolve 1-.25 ounce package of active dry yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a 2 quart container glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Cover loosely and let stand until bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. Leave loosely covered at room temperature.

DAY 2 - KNEAD BAG (or stir)

DAY 3 - KNEAD BAG (or stir)

DAY 4 - KNEAD BAG (or stir)

DAY 5 - KNEAD BAG (or stir)

DAY 6 - ADD 1 CUP PLAIN FLOUR, 1 CUP SUGAR, 1 CUP MILK

DAY 7 - KNEAD BAG (or stir)

DAY 8 - KNEAD BAG (or stir)

DAY 9 - KNEAD BAG (or stir)

DAY 10 - ADD 1 CUP PLAIN FLOUR, 1 CUP SUGAR, 1 CUP MILK

Stir and pour into 4 large ziplock bags (1 cup to each bag). Keep 1 for yourself and give 3 away to friends. Pour what is left into a big bowl and add:

1 cup oil

1/2 cup milk

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix Well

In a separate bowl, mix:

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1.5 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped nuts and/or raisins

1 large box vanilla instant pudding mix

Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients together. Pour into 2 large loaf pans - well greased and floured. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon on top. Bake at 325 for 1 hour.

Makes 2 large loaves plus 4 bags of starter.

**Chocolate Variation**

add 3 tablesspoons of cocoa

use chocolate pudding vs. vanilla pudding

add chocolate chips vs. nuts/raisins

Happy New Year, Friends!

Living

2009-12-01T10:19:00.006-06:00

We've been alive these last few months. I know. Surprise!!!

We went to the Pumpkin Patch -

We went to the Lake -

We also went Trick or Treating...but guess who didn't load those pictures?!? He was a pirate. A seriously, dangerously, stinkingly CUTE little pirate.

Just wanted to do a quick post so my sweet, consistant friends would know I am still out here...still snooping around on their well documented, always updated, sickeningly adorable blogs. I love you guys.

Happy Christmas Season to each of you!!

In Loving Memory.

2009-07-17T16:25:00.005-05:00

Colorado Springs

Dorothy Viola Southern, formerly of North Little Rock, passed away in Colorado Springs on July 9, 2009. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Angela Hill and son, Ronald Whitley, and survived by her children, Steven Grant of Colorado Springs, Linda Novak of Nashville and Pam Boyd of Dallas who are glad that she died peacefully and not in a shoot-out. Undoubtedly, she was quite a character, feisty, passionate, out-spoken and known for many shenanigans in her 83 years. In spite of her nine marriages and mostly turbulent life, Mom was a dedicated and conscientious mother to her five children.

Born in Levy to Sylvia and Chester Thorn on February 11, 1926, she married at the age of 13, had two children by the age of 16, was a jack of all trades, and lived in 12 states before she died. She was most proud of her career modeling shoes with her tiny little size-4 foot.

Her children have never ceased to marvel at her tenacity, work ethic, ingenuity, and sense of humor that she kept through it all. (Unfortunately she never learned the art of contentment or anger management which she desperately needed. But, understandably, she got off to a rocky start and really never had a fair chance.)

She sincerely delighted in (well, except sometimes when she was living near them) her 11 grandchildren, Ronnie Whitley, Heather Whitley, Christopher Grant, Tonia Bruce, Kim Vance, Chanin Koehn, Michael Novak, Susannah Hill, Justin Hill, and Hudson, Sydney and Pammy Boyd. She also had four great-grandchildren who are only familiar with the urban legend of the crazy grandmother. Many nieces and nephews live in the Little Rock area, and who sometimes remember her fondly as their unusual and unpredictable Aunt Dorothy.

Almost to the end she was still making people laugh, cussing people out, and looking for the perfect husband.

* courtesy of The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

(as a side note, I did not know this wonderful woman, nor any of her family members...but GOSH, what a way to be remembered!)

Let's Go!

2009-06-22T16:03:00.002-05:00

Can anyone say, "We're ready for the lake"!?

A post that should've been completed in April.

2009-06-19T13:38:00.007-05:00

....because, that's just the person I am. Late on nearly everything (well...except for one thing that I'd better NOT be late for!).

These are a few pictures from Easter that I've been meaning to post. And, what made me think to do it today, you ask? I was going thru some gift wrap that I had stuffed in a Hallmark bag in our spare bedroom, and inside one of those Hallmark bags was a gift that the Easter Bunny FORGOT to leave for Braiden! I can't believe that crazy rabbit forgot my child's present!

As you will see, that crazy rabbit left him way more than was necessary...so the little turtle that walks on his own that the Easter Bunny asked me to pick up for Braiden that day at Hallmark, really wasn't missed at all!

I hope everyone has a great weekend! If any of you have followed me or Brian this week on Facebook, you'll know that I'm going to have the best weekend EVER! Brian will be home at 8:00 tonight from a week long stay in New York state!! I can finally move the wagon full of crap from the back door, the dining room chair from the front door and turn off all the extra lights! It's going to be so nice to SLEEP at night!!!!!!!!! We'll be there with bells on, babe! That flight better be on time!!!!

A Long Post: Part Deux.

2009-04-27T13:52:00.015-05:00

He turned 2 on January 12th.

That evening after work, we took him to Chuck E. Cheese. Surprisingly enough, we had a really good time! Braiden loved it!

Thirty-four dollars later - we won a Chuck E. plastic weapon and a mini-tootsie pop.

When we got home that night, Brian & I drug out his big birthday gift from us. Braiden picked it out 3 nights before on a trip to Toys R Us. Seriously excited! Today, April 27th, it's sitting in his bedroom beside his closet...untouched. Hmmm.

Instead of buying 2 cakes (one for the party, one for his birthday), we opted for Pudding Cups to chase the pizza down.

The Big Day! Birthday Party #2 goes down in the record books. Complete success! I have to thank my dear friends, Laken & Lindsay for making the day even brighter with their beautiful little girls!!! We are so glad they came!

If you look closely you can see Elmo's foot prints on our side walk up to the front door...Side walk chalk HURTS when you get in a hurry!

The "Birthday-Boy's-Mom-Is-A-Tight-Wad" party favors!!! I seriously enjoyed being crafty!

Elmo's Favorite Food Is......PIZZA! That's right! I constructed something edible for my little man's party! I read a cookbook and everything!

Enough with this hat already.

A Few Months Ago...

2009-04-27T13:26:00.016-05:00

.....we celebrated Christmas and Braiden's 2nd Birthday! Here's a few pictures with very limited commentary. Enjoy!

My Tree this year (um, last year).

A few gifts at my parents' house the weekend before Christmas.

All dressed up for our Christmas Eve service at The Church at Rock Creek. We went to the Dec 23rd service to save some time on the actual eve of Christmas. He was such a little man.

At my Aunt Nell's house on Christmas Eve.

Super excited about something Jason brought him from Texas!

At my Grandmother's house on Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning....with my camera lens as foggy as I could've possibly gotten it. I had left it outside in Brian's truck and it was a bit chilly outside that night. Devastating.

My parents at our house on Christmas Day.

Brian's parents at our house on Christmas Day...listening intently to whatever my dad was saying in the picture above.

One pooped little boy...missing a sock...on Christmas Day.

Brian's parents' house the weekend after Christmas. Sheesh. Sometimes I wish we lived farther away so we could get everyone's Christmas Gatherings over with in one weekend.

...next post: Braiden's 2nd Birthday!

The Saga...

2009-04-16T10:47:00.006-05:00

I finished book 4 last night.

I'm devastated that it's over.

Stephanie Meyer is a goddess. Her brain is amazing, and I'm so glad she decided to have her crazy dream and write it all down for me to read. I will continue my following of her.

I've also watched the movie (did so last Friday night - on MY new copy of the 3 disk special addition! HA! Eat that Marlo, Amber and Rob!). I wasn't ready for it to end. My favorite part was the baseball game. Gosh. I fell in love with Jasper. Which is strange, because I have TEAM EDWARD paraphernalia pinned all over my office space at work!

There were a few complaints against the movie fluttering around in my basic little mind, that aren't really worth sharing. I will mention that I thought it was a bit cheesy that you could SEE Edward's breath when they were in the woods. Come on. He's a VAMPIRE...the interior of his body can't produce enough heat to make his breath present in the cold air. Also, Emmett and Rosalie were chewing food at the lunch table in one of the shots, too. Oh well. It can't be perfect, I guess.

Book One - Twilight: I enjoyed this book very much. I was aggravated that Jacob Black had any purpose in being brought to life. I liked Rosalie; crazy about Alice & Carlisle; Jasper, Emmett & Esme seemed necessary, but I didn't crave their presence as much as I did Edward. Oh, Edward. ..............yeah.

Book Two - New Moon: This one was slow, but I didn't hate it as much as everyone told me I would. I was more annoyed at Jacob Black's presence, and Bella's attachment to him. It made me want to choke her. I was so mad at Edward for leaving. If I wasn't such a late Twilight Saga bloomer, I would've cried. But, I knew ultimately how this series ended, so I didn't hold much of a grudge against him. He did what he thought was best. Bella maintains her ability to aggravate me.

Book Three - Eclipse: This one was probably my favorite of the 4. I'm running out of time, so I won't comment much on it. I will say that I was absolutely furious with Bella, yet again. I mean, come on. KISSING JACOB BLACK, are you SERIOUS?

Book Four - Breaking Dawn: This one bored me. I loved Jacob's chapter titles; made me crack up! It totally needed a different spin, and, as usual, I was sick of hearing Bella's side. I'm glad Jacob finally has his place, but IMPRINTING on a half vampire/half human child. Really? I didn't care for the imprinting thing to begin with, though, so maybe some of you will disagree with me. I was so sad when Alice left.

I'll be back....I'm out of internet time again. Crap!

Long Time...No Post

2009-03-30T16:32:00.005-05:00

I haven't forgotten about any of you (thanks, Maury for checking in!)

...in fact, at each opportunity, I check your blogs and Facebook status. I'm very limited on time and Internet availability, so my apologies for the lack of posts, pictures and comments. We exist. I'm so very happy with my life right now. Things are falling into place like I couldn't have imagined if I tried (and I did try. very hard. for over a year.). I promise to fill you in as soon as I can.

Oh. And, I just started reading Twilight.

Holy Crap.

25 Random Things

2009-02-10T16:18:00.004-06:00

I've been tagged by several friends on Facebook to list 25 Random Things about myself. I plan to post this on Facebook at some point, but it's easier to type it here and then copy it later! I love these things!!!!

1. I’ve never painted a wall white, off white, egg shell, whisper, cloud or anything similar. I never plan to.

2. I’m addicted to Wint-O-Green mints by Life Savers; I could eat them all day long…and sometimes do! My husband hates this habit of mine.

3. I love Dark/Hot Pink, Red and Black: clothes, nail polish, purses, random items in my house, you name it.

4. I love to pack a suitcase. I have a huge hot pink one that I love!

5. I hated being pregnant and am totally content with my little boy being an only child.

6. Braiden has taught me more than I will ever be able to teach him. But I’m going to try to outdo him.

7. Brian & I named him Braiden by merging the letters of our first names together. We went for something different – and then noticed later how many little boys were named Braiden/Braden/Braydon!

8. Yes, I know what I did with all my time before I had a baby: I watched TV – full episodes each week with the sound at a reasonable decibel; I snuggled with Brian on the couch; I went shopping and tried on clothes; I bought makeup from Dillards; I bought shoes for no reason at all; I slathered on lotion when I got out of my 20-minute-long shower; I shaved my legs more than once a week (or more); I bought candles and burned them in every room; …and I would stare at people in restaurants with screaming kids and swear that mine would never do that…um, yeah right.

9. I love to plan parties. I love the invitations, the decorations, the food and all the list making that goes along with it!

10. I struggle immensely with my religion. That’s not something I’m proud of, but something I’m very aware of, and I am continually making my way to a better place. Posers impel doubts at an alarming rate - 1 day on / 6 days off is not something I can support. I believe in God…I just can’t wrap my mind entirely around man’s interpretation of “correct”.

11. I want every closet and cabinet and pantry in my house to look just like the ones in the elfa catalog from The Container Store. Bed Bath & Beyond and The Container Store are two of my favorite stores on Earth!

12. I’m addicted to Clorox Wipes. I have to buy them at Sam’s.

13. There aren’t many things better than a good, strong Sonic Coke!

14. I’ve never, ever had a beer. Ever.

15. I never was one of the lucky ones to own a Swatch Watch, but I used to beg for one relentlessly. I now own 2 Timebandits and I think I’m uber cool!!!

16. I would’ve loved to have been an elementary school teacher.

17. Although there are a lot of people I’ve enjoyed reconnecting with, and many friends that I truly miss, I didn’t like high school all that much, and if our families didn’t live in Warren, I’d probably never go back.

18. I could move every 2-3 years and be very happy.

19. I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up. I do, however, know that it’s not a career in real estate or banking.

20. I don’t like Country Music…my husband is in a band; the band’s name is Sweet Southern…can you guess what they play? Yep.

21. I’m allergic to mosquitoes, and I live in Arkansas.

22. I took my Driver’s Test when I was 5 months away from turning 17. My dad bought me a car because he thought it would encourage me. Turns out, I’m very persuadable.

23. I love the beach. I plan to live there one day, even if only once a year, a week at a time.

24. I find solace in bubble wrap.

25. I wish someday to write a novel. A runaway success that will put a genuine smile on a stranger’s face.

In Progress

2009-02-06T10:38:00.003-06:00

My life. Updates coming soon.

I start a new job on my 29th birthday.

It has NOTHING to do with Real Estate/Foreclosures/or the like.

I'm so very much at peace...my supportive, calm husband and my little bundle of sweet, baby goodness are beyond excited.

And...I haven't completely forgotten about Christmas pictures, Birthday pictures, or random "day-in-the-life-of" pictures, either. I miss blogging so much. I miss my friends. I miss my outlet.

I'm happy.

Have an awesome weekend, friends!!!!!!!!!

2

2009-01-14T09:17:00.012-06:00

Dear Braiden ~

You're two years old now. You're my most favorite two year old on this planet; and to be clear about things, when you turn three next year, there will not be another three year old on Earth that can hold a candle by you.

You love Elmo - in fact, your party this Saturday will be full to the brim of Elmo plates, napkins and balloons. You have the ability to spot an airplane long before I can and recognize them just by the sound they pipe down from the sky. You still suck your middle two fingers when you're tired, or nervous, or upset...you sucked the same two fingers the day you entered this world. Your favorite colors are yellow and green (at least those are the ones you try to associate with every physical object in our house). You can't say your "r's" very well yet, but your voice is the sweetest sound that has ever landed on my ears. Your favorite movie right now is Kung Fu Panda...we watched it 4 times yesterday. You love to ride in Daddy's "cruck" and you are absolutely crazy about taking a bath. "Momma, hode ju" is your favorite phrase right now, and you love cheese pizza, cheese balls, cheese slices and cheese quesadillas. You can dance like nobody's business and are already showing your mom & dad's love of music.

You were born on a cold, rainy evening in January during an episode of Wheel of Fortune. (I had a very unique obstetrician) From the moment I met you, I knew you belonged to me. And, not just from the obvious reasons (ie. you were the little wiggling bundle the nurse handed to me...and you happen to look just like me). I knew because you had a power over me like nothing I had ever experienced. Nothing could have prepared me for the flood of emotions and certainties that would overwhelm my heart, soul and mind that chilly, winter's day.

Oh, I was prepared to love you. I knew that I would dress you like you were auditioning for a babyGap commercial. I also knew I would take care of you, get you out of bed each morning and prepare you for the day ahead. I knew all these things.

What I didn't realize was how, as the months ticked by, you would use that amazing power of yours to take care of me. You, my sweet smelling, delicious, beautiful ball of energy would be the reason I would get out of my bed, morning after morning.

When you were 5 days away from turning one year old, my outside world crashed down around me. As time passed, it grew increasingly difficult to make sense out of my own existence. I began to discount my beliefs and sent faith out the window. It was as if I wasn't needed for the things I knew how to do.

Shining through, on my darkest of days, was this smiling, laughing face saying "ball" and calling me "Momma". You were learning and walking and letting me watch you sleep. You were so at peace just knowing I was around...and if you ever felt I wasn't near you, you would start your search. You needed me. You needed me for the things I knew how to do. You looked up to me for assurance, for protection and for help getting of out your bed.

And, believe it or not, all the while, you were helping me get out of mine.

I love you more than I could ever write on this page. You're my inspiration, Braiden Quinby. Happy 2nd Birthday.

A Haircut.

2009-01-02T10:19:00.005-06:00

We're a little lighter from the shoulders up at the Chancellor House today.

Braiden & I both got haircuts at Tanya's yesterday afternoon.

Look at all this hair:

(it came from my baby's little head - my foot is there for perspective)

He was so brave.

The Finished Product:

Braiden's momma thinks the haircut is super cute...but...Sounds to me like today is as good a day as any to start letting it grow out again.

His momma also promises to post pictures of her new do as well...as soon as she can find the time to stand on the other side of the camera!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, FRIENDS!

Tagged.

2008-12-29T14:41:00.006-06:00

Rules:

Link the person who tagged you: Laken.

List 7 random or weird facts about you.

Tag 7 others

1. I have a Masters Degree in Psychology, but never pursued a career in that direction.
2. I spent a semester in Ireland...
3. ...and met someone that I thought was my one true love...and married him. Divorced 3 months later. It was a beautiful, small wedding, though...and Ireland was amazing!
4. I have a tattoo on my Right Ankle of a skull wearing a red bandanna that I got at the beach one year.
5. I can play the French Horn, the Piano, the Violin, and the Drums really well.
6. I cut a self-titled CD in 2000 in Nashville that actually got some airtime!!
7. I am SERIOUSLY good at lying!!!!!!!!!!!! Gotcha!

I tag: Tara, Heather, Maury, Debbi...and anyone else that wants to have a little fun!

"Santa Mean"

2008-12-22T11:34:00.006-06:00

At least that's what my 23 month old says now. I'm attaching our 2008 picture with Santa taken at the mall yesterday.

The wait was 1 hour long - give or take 7 minutes. The line consisted of at least 20 crying, screaming kids (old enough to know better). The most shocking session I witnessed was an entire Hispanic family taking their Christmas Portrait together on Santa's lap. And playing the part of Santa himself, was one very sweet little old man who possessed the patience of Job.

We were doing fine standing in the long, seemingly endless line. Braiden wasn't complaining as much as I had anticipated. Once Brian caught up with us (about 45 minutes later), Braiden was happily showing us his teeth and seemed somewhat excited about giving Santa a high five. Then, as if the winds shifted, a family of 5 children in front of us was making their way to Santa's bright red seat. The youngest of the 5 (maybe she was 8) started to scream. And, not just any scream. It was a noise that made the hair stand up on the necks of the 28 patiently awaiting mothers in that winding line on the second floor of the Park Plaza Mall. The little girl, who was wearing Christmas ribbon in her hair and black patent leather tap shoes (yes, tap shoes) screamed, cried and KICKED Saint Nick right in the shin.

That was it for our little guy. We no longer were showing our teeth. We no longer wanted to give Santa five. We began climbing up momma's body and crying a very nervous and upset little cry. I dumped him into Santa's lap. And, then this happened:

Merry Christmas to all...

New dress & shoes

2008-11-24T15:06:00.004-06:00

I mentioned in a post a few weeks back that I bought a new dress and a pair of shoes to wear to a wedding in Bella Vista on November 8th. I didn't have a picture of myself to post, and when I looked online, my dress wasn't featured. Debbi asked me what my dress looked like - and I know Dana wants to see the shoes I FINALLY settled on. And, just so happens, I'm wearing them both today at work and it made me want to search for pictures again. I found them!

The dress is from White House Black Market. We have one here in Midtown, but I bought this one on my shopping trip with Dana in Rogers a few weekends ago. The shoes are from Dillards - I got them down here. I was looking for a pair of fierce red ones, but couldn't find just the right color of red (under $100/pair!).

I love this outfit. I feel good in it. WHBM is one of those boutique-y type stores that I would normally never even grace the doors of, but I tried it that day with Dana, and I'm so very glad I did!! I never dreamed they would have something that would fit this body!!

I tried to link each picture to the actual page on the appropriate websites, but I'm not sure I did it correctly...

Canceling Shows?

2008-11-21T15:09:00.007-06:00

Ok, Heather...I'm horning in on your turf -

What's up with canceling all the shows that I can watch? (you know...those shows that are beemed to the homes with rabbit ears stretched to the limit attempting to suck in as much signal as possible) Dirty Sexy Money is being CANCELED?! What? I just read this on Yahoo! E News and am ready to cry. CRY, I tell you. That is my absolute favorite show. Love it. Crave it. It's fabulous. If it ran the same time as Grey's Anatomy, I'd watch Dirty Sexy without blinking. And, Grey's is second ONLY to Dirty Sexy. I even like to type the name: Dirty Sexy Money. How can they cancel this show?!?

On a happier note - Hillary has accepted the job as Secretary of State!! Whoo-hoooo!!!!! Do any of you know how incredibly pumped I am?!

And, I can also breathe air in AND out of my left nostril now without opening my mouth! I'm very happy about this. The right nostril is still under the influence of 12-hour nose spray...but we're hopeful about it's recovery.

Happy Friday!

Peaceful.

2008-11-12T15:39:00.004-06:00

Such a peaceful little life.

My baby, while he's sleeping is one of the most wonderful things in my life right now. Not that I'm tired and want him to drift off and dream so I can have a break. No, not at all.

In fact, I still, after 22 months today, have the urge to wake him just because I miss him. I miss his little voice trying to say new words. I miss his big, blue eyes curiously seeking out new things in the world around him. I want to watch him walk and play and sing songs that make absolutely no sense at all. I miss his endless barrage of kisses that I'm constantly showered with. I miss how happy and content his little life is when he's awake and near me.

But, I love it when he's sleeping. It's one of the most wonderful things in my life.

Tricking. Treating. Traveling.

2008-11-05T09:05:00.038-06:00

It's been a while. I know. No excuses that you haven't already heard. Totally without the luxury of internet access at home. So posts are scarce on "The Chancellor's...Life is Good."

We've actually been really busy lately. We took Braiden to Boo at the Zoo, basically for the purposes of "not-feeling-bad-that-we-spent-money-on-a-costume" because we were going to be in Fayetteville on Oct 31st. He picked out his very own costume this year. He honestly wanted to be Elmo, but they didn't have one in his size. I wanted him to be a little mouse, but he wanted the puppy outfit. We got it at Target...I love Target.

We chose the coldest night of the season so far, October 28th, to take him to Boo at the Zoo! Luckily for him, his costume was practically a stuffed animal! He stayed toasty in his stroller.

On Friday, the day of Halloween, he was asked to dress up in his costume for school - that's a BIG NEGATIVE. They can't keep up with the diapers I send each day, so there's no way I'm sending his one and only costume to be mutilated with colorful, sticky cupcake debris and then to be sent home with one of his classmates. So he wore a Halloween t-shirt and jeans. Upon dropping him off that morning, I noticed many of the other moms had the same feeling toward the day's predictable events as Braiden's mom did.

As you'll notice from the pictures below, I dressed up for Halloween this year, too!! I was BLOND! I loved it! It was SUCH fun and the attorneys appreciated the extra effort - I had on LOTS of makeup, false eyelashes with glitter on them, a blond wig, a pink glittery cowgirl hat, a black suit, fishnet stockings and a camisole from one of my sassy pj sets! That's right. I have sassy pj's. It was a blast, but I was so ready to soak my face in Noxzema and wash my nasty hair that night!

We went straight to my friend Jennifer's house (a few blocks down from us) as soon as I got off work for some trick or treating and to take a peek at her new house. You wouldn't believe the work she and her husband have put into that thing! It looks great!!!

From Jennifer's house, we went to Tyson & Sally's in Springdale. Trick or Treating once again. Then we were off to the Hotel...Braiden's first overnight stay at a Hotel, so there are lots of random pictures!! The poor baby had some sort of reaction (I'm thinking from all the dogs we encountered at Jennifer's and Tyson's), so Brian was out at a 24 hour Walgreen's searching for medicine. At 1:30 Saturday morning, we all finally passed out in the bed.

[Hotel pictures will be in a separate post...Blogger is SERIOUSLY slow!]

On Saturday, we went to the Mall in Fayetteville to meet up with Dana, my best friend, who lives in Siloam Springs. Brian headed off to the Razorback game with Tyson. Dana, her youngest son Seth, Braiden and myself hopped in Dana's car and drove to Rogers to Pinnacle Hills Promenade to look for something to wear to the wedding this coming weekend in Bella Vista. I'm very impressed with this shopping center. I found the most amazing dress at White House Black Market. I'm in love with it. To convince myself to buy it, I made a personal promise to wear it to the wedding, to our Christmas Eve service at Church, on any upcoming interviews I may get, and I may even be burried in it. But, it's amazing...have I mentioned that?

Then on Saturday night as we drove thru Russellville, we stopped at my Aunt Teresa's house and had an awesome visit with her & Brenttany. To my surprise, my Aunt Tammy, Uncle Tommy and my grandmother were there, too!!! [pictures for this will be in a separate post...I'm running out of time!]

Halloween.

Boo at the Zoo

Getting dressed for Boo at the Zoo. [taken in his bathroom - excuse the mess!]

In our yard before Boo at the Zoo.

Waiting in line at the Zoo.

My very good friend, Molly. She & her husband ran one of the consession stands.

A family picture taken by some random old guy who wanted honorary grandchildren for the night! He was so nice!

CARNIVAL RIDES!!!! He looked like such a big boy on those little bugs! We had to ride them twice that night. He wasn't scared at all.

All of his loot poored out onto the kitchen table.

The morning of Halloween ~ October 31st, 2008

Trick or Treating at Aunt Jennifer's house.

Hopefully, I can get back on here to post the rest of the pictures from our weekend. Hope everyone's Halloween was spectacular!!!!!!!! On to Thanksgiving...

Trick or Treating at Aunt Teresa's House

Can I just say how much I love her. She's amazing. I should do a post completely about her and how she has inspired me. My Aunt Teresa. I love her.

Pictures of Braiden's FIRST Hotel stay!!

Holiday Inn Express ~ Fayetteville, Arkansas

Amazing.

2008-10-20T10:57:00.024-05:00

And, I should add - Breathtaking. Emotionally overwhelming. Spectacular. And just freakin' awesome!

On Sunday, we took Braiden to his (and our) first Little Rock Air Force Base Open House/Air Show. To put it lightly, we were amazed. Absolutely awestruck. To think that human beings have the skill, the timing, the bravery, the sheer ability to control those massive machines is nothing short of miraculous. I cried. Brian chattered like a 6 year old standing at the gates to Disney World. And, my sweet little Braiden was so excited to see AEH-PANES up close and personal.

They were huge. HUGE. And they FLY. They are seemingly weightless objects soaring thru the air above us, piercing the clouds like razor sharp swords. There simply aren't words to describe how I felt yesterday. We missed Church service to see this, but I can honestly tell you I had a deep, real, spiritual experience standing out on that flight line. Those men and women use their minds and their bodies to do things I could never imagine being able to accomplish.

The most amazing thing I'd ever witnessed was a NASCAR race at Texas Motor Speedway 8 years ago (don't confuse that statement - I'm not at all a race fan, I just enjoy live events and my daddy scored tickets!). It was the most amazing thing. Until yesterday. You can't appreciate it until you see it. Until you hear it. Until you feel the physical pounding of your chest from the roar of the planes.

Brian has emailed me a couple of links already with upcoming shows a few states away. We can't wait to see it again. I encourage you, if you haven't seen an air show in your area, try to attend the one nearest you. Do research. Ask an airman about their job and duties and training. It will amaze you.

All of the pictures were taken with Brian's Blackberry. We weren't sure if we could take a camera onto the Air Base - we'll know better next time!

Random Yummy-ness

2008-10-03T10:23:00.025-05:00

Braiden at Lake Willastein, Maumelle.

Braiden at home in his lawn chair.

At home on his slide.

At home eating Oreo Cookies!

At the park.

At home with his toys.

Braiden:

You're such fun on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I get to stay home with you. I love how you snuggle with me when I'm watching Friends, and how you want to help me with everything I have to do during the day...which lately I keep pushing aside, because snuggling with you is way more fun.

Thank you for saying "poo" and pointing to your diaper...albeit 30 seconds too late...but thanks just the same. I like to know these things. Thank you for finally telling me what you wanted to eat - and then actually following through. My, how you love your blueberry pane-pates (pancakes).

I wish you would listen to your mom more and say "no" to her much less. But, I understand that you're only repeating what you hear so often...so I'll work on that from my end, too.

I love how certain you are that everything that flies is a bee. One day it will hit you that every bug on this planet is in fact, not a bee. I dread that day. I love how when you hear an engine buzzing outside, you immediately yell out, "Aeh-pane!". I love how you love your puppy costume for Halloween this year, and how it took 3 tries to convince you to take it off.

I'm so glad you like your shoes. ALL your shoes. Even your size 1 baby shoes. I do wish, however, you would leave them in the nice, neat row that momma puts them in inside your armoire. That's very frustrating, sweetie. How did you even learn how to open those wooden doors, anyway?

I so very much enjoy being your mom. It is my honor to watch you play, help you eat, fold your tiny clothes, put those shoes back in their row, give you a bath and snuggle you until you fall asleep. You're breathtaking. Absolutely, lump in my throat, breathtaking.

Not another golfer...!

2008-09-26T15:37:00.010-05:00

No matter how much I could try and fight this, it's bound to happen.

Maybe I could get a dog to stay at home and snuggle with me. But, would my dog want to chase after the golf balls...?

Crap.

Wedding Pictures...

2008-09-24T11:09:00.000-05:00

I've added them. Some of them didn't turn out very well...taking pictures of pictures isn't a good idea. I should mention that the photos of our wedding were taken by Gary Cook Photography in Little Rock. He was great. Sorry about the quality...I did my best! Enjoy!!! :o)

Let me Count the Ways...

2008-09-22T11:20:00.012-05:00

Our Wedding Day
September 22, 2001 : 3:00 in the afternoon

It's been 7 years today. We've known each other for over 12. Somehow, it seems longer than that. And then when we sit and laugh over the memories, it doesn't seem that long at all.

We met at my friend Celestial's house in October 1995 after she & I came home from an All Region Choir tryout. His band, 'Sweet Southern' played at my surprise 16th Birthday Party in February 1996 -- our children are destined to be musical, no doubt -- (you can find Chris's wife, Tara, here). We went on our first date March 1, 1996 to Pines Mall - I introduced him to Chinese food and we watched Muppets Treasure Island. I've never said this to him, or anyone else for that matter, but the date I had gone on about a week before with David Gassaway was not very interesting...and the one before that with David, Brooke & Michael was even worse than that. So, I thought if we went to a movie that was fun, perhaps our date would follow suit. It worked. I'm a genius. I also didn't want to be questioned about my age - all the other movies were rated R. He stuck with me through that movie and didn't question my reasons. He was a keeper.

Warren High School and it's tall pine trees were the setting behind the flirty little glances and long walks together between our classes. I would write English papers for him and leave them in his locker. He would carry my books. On the days he would wear his Wrangler Cowboy jeans, I would laugh my head off...and on the days I would wear those Limited jeans (size 4, yes actually!) I would poor myself into, he would always walk behind me. Hmmmmm.

College came and went - I stayed home and went to UAM to be closer to what I knew - I was registered at ASU Jonesboro, and the day of Freshman pre-orientation I changed my mind. Just couldn't do it. When he graduated, he moved to Little Rock for work. My wedding planning kicked into high gear. We weren't actually 'engaged' you see, but I had called a photographer to book a date and picked out a china pattern... one of those things.

On Friday, June 8, 2001 the Tomato Festival was in full swing. Brian's band was playing that night at the street dance and he was coming home early to get ready. Before I went to work that day after school, I stopped by his parent's house to plant a couple of kisses on his sweet face. He had picked up a bottle of Clinique Happy for me and told me to go to his room and get it. For some weird reason, he followed me. I'm thinking, "awww...he doesn't want to kiss me in front of his parents today...how cute!" I opened the box of Happy and found a tiny white box in place of the perfume. He had sealed the deal. Good job! ....Now I could finally confirm that date with the photographer!

As the weeks progressed, I would tell my mom that I had to go to Jamie's house to work on wedding stuff after work, and would actually pick up a pizza and drive to Little Rock to eat dinner with Brian. We would go to Little Rock every weekend to settle him into his apartment. One time, we were (...he was) putting together the entertainment center and I fell asleep on the couch and he in the floor amid all the rubble that is a piece of Wal-Mart fine furniture. We slept soundly until 1:00 am when we frantically ran out the door and began the 1 1/2 hour drive home - because two unmarried adults couldn't possibly stay overnight together without proper supervision! GASP! During my last hurried semester (I graduated in 3 years) we married in my parents' front yard on the first day of Fall. I cried in the limo on the way to Little Rock. What a comforting way to display how proud you are to be his bride. Tears. Way to go, Dena. The truth behind those tears was the fact that I already missed my baby brother.

The next day, we left for Orange Beach, AL for a week of fun - without parents, without rules, without a care in the world. That was the strangest 6 days of my life. Neither one of us knew what to do. This glorious time we'd been waiting so long for was just plain weird. Were our parents about to burst thru the door? Do we really have to wash all these clothes? You mean I have to share a bed and a bathroom with a guy? This trip is 6 days long...what if I need to poo? Maybe we should call our parents and see what they're doing today?

We didn't have a clue.

Now, we share a bedroom AND a bathroom on a daily basis. We really do have to wash all those clothes. It is possible to take a poo with someone other than your parents in the house. And now we'd love it if our parents popped thru our door. We have a beautiful little guy to love and hold and kiss and play with until he falls asleep in the floor.

We're happily married. 7 years today.

Prom 1996

Our Wedding Day

On our Honeymoon

Happy.

2008-09-19T16:52:00.004-05:00

Brian just picked Braiden up from school (daycare) and sent me a couple of pictures from his phone.

I'm leaving down town Little Rock in 10 minutes to get my hands on this........

He's absolutely delicious. Absolutely.

I'll be there soon, monkey. Be nice to your daddy. Play hard on your slide. Get as much energy out as possible so you'll want to snuggle with your momma as soon as she gets there...

Yearbook Pictures...sorta

2008-09-09T11:01:00.015-05:00

Have you tried http://www.yearbookyourself.com/? It is the coolest thing EVER. I did a few for myself and will try to get a couple of Brian on here. They are TOO funny!!! I honestly look like a couple of my Aunts (that frequent my blog!) in a couple of the pictures! Shocked me! This was seriously fun to do. My sister-in-law turned me on to it a few days ago. She had posted a few she had made of Britt (her husband, Brian's brother) and I laughed out loud!!!!!!!!!!!

Brace yourselves...Some of these are doosies!!!!!

Circa 1954

Barney Fife's twin sister...with a beard.

1960

This is the one that makes me think I look like my Aunt Nell & Aunt Nomie!!!

1968

I couldn't get my face to line up just right.

I'm famous for all the Alfred Hitchcock movies I've stared in.

1982

I'm sporting the latest in head gear from Eskimo Living. Oh wait. That's my hair.

1990

Wings...wow.

1996

..with blond hair. And a super long neck!

I know you're jealous of my super hot denim vest...

Free Zoo Day

2008-09-04T15:11:00.005-05:00

This isn't much for an interesting post, but for those of you living in the LR area, or are planning to be here this Saturday for the game - GO HOGS - I wanted to pass along some information that my very good friend, Lindsay just emailed to me:

FREE ZOO ADMISSION THIS SATURDAY!

Go Hog Wild this Saturday at the Little Rock Zoo when admission will be free ALL DAY on Saturday, Sept. 6, in honor of the first home game at War Memorial Stadium!

Razorback season has begun, and what better way to spend your weekend than with the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Little Rock Zoo. Come visit our hogs before the big game against Louisiana-Monroe!

And don't forget to join us Saturday, Sept. 27, for our breakfast with giraffes! Many exotic worlds are yours to discover during our breakfast series. Join us for a one-of-a-kind experience with our giraffes. Read below for more details!

Go Hogs Go!
Going to see the Hogs? Come see our hogs first!
In honor of the Arkansas Razorbacks' game and the 60th anniversary of War Memorial Stadium, EVERYONE GETS IN FREE!

The Little Rock Zoo is free Saturday, Sept. 6, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Last admission at 4:00 p.m.

Attitudes.

2008-08-27T12:04:00.006-05:00

Attitudes. I have a bad one.

First let me say I don't cook. Hardly at all. I don't enjoy it; I find it difficult; and it takes up way too much time. And then there's the messy kitchen.

Maury commented that she wanted to know more about "my restaurant attitude", and why I was having to work on it. The thing is, I've never worked in a restaurant, so I feel bad to even say that I have attitude when it comes to eating out. But, I do. I sooo do. I have certain expectations that must be met for complete satisfaction to occur. This is the case with most things, not just with the dining experience. ~ I'll confess later in the post a few of the things I've done that have absolutely embarrassed Brian to death. ~ I feel if I am expected to pay a 20% premium on something that I feel already costs too much, and smile and be patient, keep a 1 year old occupied because his Mac-n-Cheese isn't waiting on him (blessed with his momma's patience. poor thing.), then there's got to be a logical path to the justification. I don't mind doing this at all, but I want it justified. Ultimately, there is only one individual that has the honor of being tagged with this responsibility - The Elusive Waiter or Waitress.

I'm not saying that all are bad. In fact, there are a couple of restaurants that we visit only because a certain waiter/waitress works there. Like Krissy, for instance. She knows us when we walk thru the door at The Dixie Cafe in WLR (west little rock). She knows Braiden by name and plays with his hair. She talks to him like he's an adult - which I LOVE! She knows what we like to eat, how we like it prepared (no tomatoes, chicken & bun only, UNsweet tea)...you get the picture. She's perfect! She tells us what tastes bad, and which manager dislikes children. And, when she's not there, even the food isn't worth the visit. I'm getting off track here...

There are a number of qualities that a successful (in my opinion) waiter must possess. They need to be friendly, but not over-the-top. They need to be as accurate as their kitchen will allow them to be (meaning, I understand they can only do so much; they are the messanger; but if they can get it to the kitchen correctly, then we can blame the kitchen). They shouldn't derive a dozen limp excuses for why something went wrong - it's wrong, fix it. And if something is ever incorrect they should never, ever turn it into the patron's fault, ie. "you didn't say no tomatoes". People, I always say no tomatoes!!

A waiter that has been asked to bring something to the table has 2 chances with me: For example - We need napkins. You're having a busy night. Ok, that's understandable. (1)We ask for napkins (which we never have to do with Krissy, by the way). "Sure. I'll be right back". Later, we see the waiter stroll by our table with nothing in his hands. Ok. (2)I look at his eyes, as to remind him that he's spoken with me about a prior request. I grin a little. He acknowledges me and seems to understand the notion. He's gone for eons of time. He returns to ask if there's anything else we need before he brings us the ticket. WHAT? So, I usually say something like, "we'd like to have the napkins we asked for earlier, thanks." Now, napkins are not as big of a deal as say, butter on my bun, mayo on Brian's burger, or ... let me see ... taking my baby's plate away while he's still eating!!!!!!! Yes, that has happened. At The Buffalo Grill on Bowman. A couple of weeks ago.

She was friendly. Didn't talk much (which is fine as long as you get the job done). She wasn't around much, but we weren't in need of much either, so it worked in her favor. The end of our meal is nearing; she appears. I turn my head to grab a few napkins and clean Braiden's endless mess, and I notice her walk away with a white plate. She has grabbed mine. Fine. I wasn't really ready for it to be whisked away, and she didn't ask if it was ok, but I had my napkin wadded up on top of my leftovers so no harm done. Then I glance at my child, a piece of hot dog still in his hand. There's no plate. She had taken his plate, too! I looked at Brian and said, 'did she take Braiden's plate?'. He was like, 'yeah, I guess she did'. I said, "HE WASN'T FINISHED EATING...Look, he still has a piece of hot dog in his hand." When she returned, she asked if there was anything else we needed, and I said coldly, "Yes, we'd like to have the food we ordered for our baby to eat; which was removed before he was finished!" She just stared at me. I said, "HE WAS STILL. EATING." She then musters the audacity to look me in the face and say his plate was stacked up so she assumed he was done. WHAT? Stacked up? On what? He was picking up a bite of hot dog when her hand was on his plate. And, further more, why would we stack plates up in front of a 1 year old? I say something to that effect. She then retorts with, "well, would you like for me to bring him another one?" By this time, I'm furious. I say, "No. We've already ordered it once, and he was attempting to eat it. We certainly don't want to pay for anything else for him to eat, or wait around for another one. We'd like to go." Then I looked at Braiden and said loudly, "I'm sorry you didn't get to eat your dinner, sweetie." She said, "Would you like to talk to the manager?" I said, "That won't be necessary. We'll just note not to come back here again."

You guessed it. The manager was at our table in 2 minutes. This gave me the opportunity to express how unrealistic it is to charge people (1) for food they aren't allowed to eat, and (2) for asking that 3 condiments be removed and replaced with a side of 1 condiment!! Yes, hold the lettuce, tomato and mayo, but add a side of honey mustard dressing is an additional $0.79. It's fine to charge more if the condiment costs more on their end. I get that. But, what charges did they remove from my bill when I asked them to not waste their mayo, tomato and lettuce?? Where's that deduction?? Trivial, yes. But, important to me, nonetheless.

I come to expect nonchalant treatment from various places because that's generally the outcome. This, in turn, causes me to jump on the defensive no matter what the issue is. It is so bad, in fact, that I spoke coldly and matter-of-factly to a sweet little waitress in Hattisburg, MS while on vacation recently, when she was actually trying to help me. I felt horrible after that and made a vow to Brian on the way to Mobile that I was going to work on my restaurant attitude.

Now, for the embarrassing moments Brian has had to endure with me:
(1) I am notorious for "writing" their tip on the back of the ticket
(2) I once snatched the ticket AND MY CARD from a waitress who first GRABBED it from me, after not acknowledging a previous request of mine
(3) On Halloween, the 3 of us were out at an Italian joint enjoying dinner. The end arrived and we hadn't seen our waitress in more than 15 minutes. Oh, we saw her alright, but she was in a group of other waiters/waitresses gossiping about moving in with some guy. Brian had been out of tea the entire time. Braiden was acting a fool (and I let him in hopes of drawing attention to our table). I finally took my cell phone, called information, and was connected with the front desk of this fine establishment. I was speaking to a girl that I could see thru the window! I told her who I was, where we were seated and what we wanted. When we disconnected the phone call, the lobby erupted with laughter. Apologies came streaming. That was a glorious moment.

Proud.

2008-08-22T14:26:00.009-05:00

I'm proud. As proud as one wife can be. Brian just sent me a text. His boss called with the news that he is in the top 150 of the greatest Sharp technicians in the Nation! That's right, people...NATION!

A couple of months ago, he took a few online tests to certify himself as a Sharp Master Tech. Passed with flying colors. Concluding that he was as sharp as 600 Sharp technicians nationwide. (did you get that?! "sharp" on Sharp?!)

He was invited to take the second round of tests a couple of weeks ago in Memphis, TN. The result: He's one of the top 150 Sharp Technicians in the great U. S. of A! He's achieved "SUPERIOR STATUS"! And, get this...he's never been trained on one. No classes. Just good. That's what he is. Good. OK, he's great! In fact, to quote a support specialist from Sharp Electronics, "This is considered a major accomplishment ... and Brian competed with many technicians that have done nothing but Sharp all their lives."

WOW! I know!!!!!

I'm sure there are prizes involved with this. And, I'm pretty sure he's already told me what they would be. But, I'm even more certain that I'll get it confused with something else he's told me, so I won't post about the loot just yet. I'll wait until I get home and give him a big hug. ...then I'll tell him I forgot what he said. This is not alarming news, you see. He will not be surprised by this at all. He comes to expect forgetfulness from me. As if weight gain and sleep deprivation aren't enough from bringing life into this world.

So, this is just a rambling little post to express how proud I am of my other half. Congratulations, Brian. I'm so very proud of you!! Now.....what'd we win??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!

UPDATE:

He won a Blue-Ray Disc Player!! YAY!!! Now, all we need is an HDTV, Cable or Satelite, and a few Blue-Ray Discs at $30+ each. Hmmmm....I'm thinking this thing is going on Ebay.

Another Trip. And Vacation is Over...

2008-08-18T10:20:00.044-05:00

One Sleepy Little Boy...

We're back. No tan lines...it was cloudy and raining. The trip was a quick one. We drove down to New Edinburg (where my parents live) and stayed Friday night (8/8). We awoke early (although not bright & early) Saturday morning after sleeping in leather recliners. My parents are remodeling and my old bedroom is slam full of crap. Brian & I both probably got about 3 hours of sleep total that night. We were back at my parent's house to drop off souvenirs on Wednesday evening (8/13).

Entering Mobile, AL.

We drove down to Orange Beach Saturday - in somewhat of a caravan with Brian's parents and his brother & family. There were 9 of us total. 3 bedroom, 3 bath condo overlooking one of my favorite spots on this Earth...at least so far. We stayed in Brett-Robinson's Phoenix VI this year. The link to their rental site is on the right side of my blog. I would link it here, but I'm pooped. And, now that I've typed why I didn't link it from here, I had plenty of time to actually accomplish that task...evidently, I'd rather write about not doing it.

Fancy. The towels in mine & Brian's bathroom...

Out the back balcony...In our bedroom...
In the living room...

We ate at The Crab Trap and at Bubba's Seafood House. Two really good places, in my opinion. Though, The Crab Trap was much better than Bubba's...

Most of our time was spent swimming in the pool at our condo. No beach time...which really stunk. We had high hopes of taking pictures of the littlest Chancellor and his momma & daddy in the sand. At least he loved the pool!!!!! Though it didn't take much to wear him down. Turns out, floating on a big red crab and laughing endlessly wears a little boy down.

We went to the outlet mall in Foley, AL twice - once to look for Crocs for Britt - the other to waste time away while it rained on the beach. Everyone else had the same idea we had. Crowded, hot, Old Navy flip flops that were killing my feet, a fussy little boy that wanted to ride the $0.75, 30 second Bob the Builder ride just one more time. The pictures of Bob, Braiden and the ride were taken with Brian's cell phone...

We weren't ready to come back to Arkansas. In fact, we are going to Fayetteville this weekend to see my best friend, Dana and Brian's cousin, Tyson, because we just aren't finished being away.

A curious little person peering over the balcony in the lobby...

More in the pool...

Our trips to Warren are going to slim down considerably in the next couple of months...because, well (1) gas is high, (2) we're going to be down there quite a bit in November & December, (3) no one comes to see us - we're expected to go see them. The latter of the three excuses always frustrates me. We thought that maybe it was because we lived in an apartment the first few years we were married. Then we thought, well, maybe it's because it's just us and there's not a baby to play with. We bought a house last August. We had a baby 7 months before that. Nothing changed. So, I'll just sit and complain on my blog about how unimportant we feel and how nothing ever seems to be equal. All the while, I have a spark in the back of my mind that makes me very aware of all the friends I've made thru blogging and how they are miles and miles, and states away from their families and those they love. So, instead of erasing my bad attitude in the sentences above, I'll just leave it for everyone to see and will make an effort to be better. Although, I can't make any promises...I'm also having to work on my restaurant attitude. One can only do so much.

Do they know it's 100 degrees in Arkansas?!

2008-08-06T09:50:00.004-05:00

We're leaving for vacay in about 2 1/2 days, but I wanted to take the time to share a cool little tid-bit with you regarding Extreme Makeover Home Edition -

They're coming to Little Rock!!!

(regardless of how freakin hot it is here!)

You can find out more info on our Church's website or you can click HERE to go directly to the builder's website. The pep rally was at our Church yesterday morning. This is GREAT! I'm seriously considering volunteering...if anyone else is near here and would like to sweat with me, please comment or email me. The house should be finished in a couple of weeks.

We will be back in a few days...I'll have tons of pictures to post!! :o) Have a great weekend!!

A Little Snip, Snip.

2008-07-29T09:14:00.020-05:00

His hair. It's been a mess from the day he entered this earth.

We've had his bangs trimmed out of his eyes twice since January 1, 2008. But, we never dared to cut the body and length of his beautiful, curly, little boy hair...that is... until Saturday.

Forgive me for waxing dramatic - On July 26, 2008, high noon, Brian, Braiden & I drove the 2 miles down the well paved, landscaped street from our home in Hayley Heights to Aspire Salon on Country Club Boulevard in Maumelle. It was a hot, weary day. One that would take your breath with just a short trek to the car.

Just an hour before, I washed his beautiful locks and stared at it's length and weight, stretching nearly to his little waistband when wet. His dad and I took pictures. One right after the other, hoping to capture a commemorative still of what would soon be leaving us. This was hard. Those little strands had been with us since the day he was born. Contrary to popular belief from family members on the fraternal side, he never lost a stitch of his hair from birth ... ... ah hem... ... he's just like his momma! (insert a slight chuckle here).

(this picture was a bit fuzzy...sorry)

He was tired and cranky that day. He sits and waits as best he can as an 18 month old little boy.

Then...we sit in the chair.

We wear the cape.

We're tired of the cape. And need a sippy cup to sooth us.

We now find it impossible to sit in the chair without momma's help.

Two + inches later, we celebrate by going to Cheeburger Cheeburger!!

Oh yeah...I got my hair cut, too. Thank you to Lindsay at Aspire for your patience, kindness and friendly conversation. We loved you and will see you again in about 2 months!!

A New Post

2008-07-23T09:34:00.020-05:00

I've neglected my poor blog. My apologies to my loyal fans...er, uhm...readers. Life, as it seems, is fairly boring and uneventful. Not that I'm complaining. No, not at all. No news is good news, right?

My dad is 49 today. And, now that I'm 28, 49 doesn't seem as old as it used to. My dad is pretty awesome. I am like him in more ways than I care to admit. Yes, Aunt Nell & Aunt Nomie are reading this and thinking, "yeah, she's kinda got that 'my way or no way' attitude, and it doesn't really bother her to wash her hands of something and never look back. but she's good to those that mean the most to her. just like her daddy." I have enough of my mom in me to make me a little sweeter and a little more calm than my dad. This is a good thing, I've learned. He's so freaking stubborn and hard and is the very image of a boss.

My dad has worked my entire life, as hard as one man can work. And I've always had everything I could ever want and more than I ever needed. Because he's a provider. Not to downplay paperwork or office environments at all, but the work that he's done has nothing to do with sitting down. He owns a logging company in South Arkansas, and before forestry was his full time job, he was a foreman at International Paper in Pine Bluff...welding and sweating and stinking (if you've ever smelled the stink that is a paper mill, then you understand).

He escapes by turkey hunting, going on a few deer hunts and even an occasional fishing trip. He gives my mom really cool gifts, takes my brother on really great hunting trips across the South and is a pillar in their Church. He helped me with my trig homework in 11th grade, and helped me gather different kinds of leaves for my 5th grade science project. He used to take me swimming on vacation because mom & Jeremy wanted to sit in the hot tub, and the two of us didn't care a thing for it.

He used to motocross when he was younger. And then right after I arrived, he traded in his Yamaha for a teeny one that I could ride. It was yellow and fast and fun and had training wheels on it that he made for me. His trophies were taller than me. But, I was 3 and trophies were tall back then. He won't let my mom mow the grass, because, well...that's his job. He loves "the boy" (my baby) and turns into this dancing, smiling, fun, loud weirdo when the boy appears.

He's so strong. He's resillient. He's my daddy. And I love him. Yep. I certainly do.

The Zoo

2008-07-09T13:20:00.021-05:00

Braiden's first trip to the Little Rock Zoo was yesterday...it was 100 degrees outside. Well, it was actually around 96 degrees, but the index was over 100. Today it's 72 degrees and cloudy. This is Arkansas. Gotta love it.

The two of us went with a friend of mine (Molly) and her niece, Taryn. Taryn is 4 and is SUCH a doll. But, we kinda did what Taryn wanted to do. When Taryn wanted to do it. And she still managed to whine about how hot it was, and what she didn't get to see, and "Why can't I pick up this fish and take him home with me? It's Nemo and he wants to go home with me. Why can't I just pick him up? Will you pick him up for me?"

We got there when the gates opened at 9:00 am and wandered around until 12:15 pm. He was so hot and tired when we finally got back to the car, that he was fast asleep before I made it out of the parking lot.

His favorite thing of all were the little monkeys. The ones that hop around and have really long tails.

Braiden's mommy wasn't very impressed with the visit. Most of the exhibits were closed. There was lots of construction going on. The concessions weren't open. Yadda, yadda. But, the last time I was at the Little Rock Zoo was 14 years ago, so I'm not real sure what I was expecting. Enjoy the pictures...some are really cute!

(photo by Molly)

Taryn & Braiden looking at the Turtle

(photo by Molly)

LOOK!! It's the State Bird of Dena Chancellor!!!! I was so excited to see the flamingos!!!!!! MY FAVORITE!!! I have way too many pictures of them...I'm only going to bore you with one!

Look at my sweet little baby...giving me the bird! Good grief.

He was really wanting to grab one of those fish!
(photo by Molly)
(photo by Molly)

After a nap, he sits in the living room floor, with his milk and crunchies...right beside our newly purchased monkey from the Zoo Gift Shop. He loved those monkeys!

Memory Lane

2008-07-02T13:23:00.005-05:00

Memory Lane...
I got this from Debbi's blog. I thought it would be fun...and trust me, it is! I hope you will play along. Here are the directions:

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

Yeah...Heather, I did this too! GEEZ...

Hmmm...lots of time on my hands

2008-07-02T10:18:00.001-05:00

Well, I'm proud to say that I'm also fairly creative...

83%

Created by OnePlusYou

Well, now I know.

2008-07-02T10:02:00.002-05:00

Looks like Brian & I are compatable after all.

I got this off Heather's blog and thought I'd try it! :o)

Dena
&
Brian

93% Compatible

♥ Dena and Brian have been romantically-together for a long time. That alone demonstrates a degree of compatibility. Similar personality descriptions are a plus. Their shared faith will help form a bond between them. They both abstain from drinking, so that helps compatibility. Both are also sports fans, and that can bring people together. Dena may complain that Brian is too sloppy. Their astrological signs are in harmony, though, which is a plus. They share a favorite season, and that is good. And their views on children are similar. Overall, Dena and Brian are highly compatible. They are capable of having a beautiful relationship together. ♥

Take the Dating Compatibility Test

His Big Pool

2008-07-01T14:05:00.012-05:00

The pictures at the pool turned out fairly well; if I do say so myself!

A few shots of him swimming with his daddy in his big boy pool ~ the 3 footer with the tiny pump that hardly does a thing!! He loves his crab (his little flotation devise). In fact, there's a picture of him sitting in it while we were waiting patiently in the living room for daddy to fill the pool up with water!!!

My Little Super Hero playing with his mighty sword while he zooms around the living room after his big swim. (and, by the way, these are regular shorts over Huggies Little Swimmers! His one swimsuit was still wet from earlier...needless to say, the child now owns 3 swimsuits!)

Time for a Swim

2008-07-01T09:13:00.014-05:00

In a previous post, I had mentioned we bought Braiden a pool for the backyard. We had initially bought one with one ring that holds maybe 2 inches of water for him to play in last year...then we decided to buy a house when summer hit, so the little guy never had the chance to swim in it. I stumbled across it the other day, so we decided to blow it up and see if he liked splashing outside (he loves to do it in the house...his bathroom floor is eternally wet!).

...there's a spot in the upper right corner of the pictures; Brian discovered later that it was a tiny, sticky fingerprint on my camera lens!!! Hmmmm. Wonder who that belongs to?!?

This one is my favorite!!!!! I love the squishy face!

The "baby pool" got old really fast...

Losing the Blubber

2008-06-25T11:53:00.009-05:00

It's official...the blubber is melting. I mean, come on...there's got to be something good come out of depriving myself of cheesy pasta and McNuggets and Coke, right?!

I'm down 17 lbs. I'm searching online for swimsuits for the first time in 3 years!! Amazing. Fun. Exciting. Yeah...I'm kinda getting into this now. I'm actually looking forward to our trip to Orange Beach in a few weeks. We even bought Braiden one of those little 3 foot expandable pools (you know, those with the pump that doesn't do a thing to help with water condition)...and I've been in it. With shorts on! I'll post pictures of swimming later.

I actually have more energy than I did when I was hopped up on sugar and fat and all the stuff I had told myself I had to have to be able to get up and move!! No more sugar highs to fall from. I call it, "Fueling my Body" and not stuffing it just because the food is there. Oh, it's there, alright, lurking it's ugly delicious self at me. And it's hard not to cheat. Saturday at lunch, I was pinching up Wendy's chicken nuggets for Braiden and he had one left. He refused to eat it; raked off what was left of the third nugget into his highchair. Hmmm. I thought, "One couldn't hurt", and took a nibble. Then popped the whole entire greasy thing in my mouth. I was sick the rest of the day. Kinda made me feel good that I felt so bad. Lifestyle change. Fabulous!

I will make an effort not to sound too cheesy - when I feel like slipping into the dark that is greasy, yummy food, I take a glance at my blog. All my wonderful friends wishing me on my way to wellness. And I smile.

Sleeping is hard work

2008-06-18T14:24:00.004-05:00

Sleeping totally stresses Braiden out. A few mornings ago, this is what I found:

First thought thru my head was, "oh, he's poking himself in the eye...I have to wake him up!". And then, at a closer look, he's actually just stressing about the day he's about to wake up to. Poor thing. He's still sound asleep. He's such a cute little weird-o.

Silver Dollar City...I didn't forget!

2008-06-13T09:44:00.032-05:00

Here we are in the ticket line purchasing our passes for the day at Silver Dollar City (my mom is the one with the capris on in the back of the photo). Braiden, my sweet, obedient, loving child was refusing to look at his momma for the picture. It was a little chilly so we had to wear our jacket...which also made us a little angry and unwilling to look at momma while she held the camera up to her face.

Yep...still being defiant. Little stink.

We're headed thru the gates to enjoy Silver Dollar City's Bluegrass & BBQ Festival!! Push Brian!!! My dad is in the green shirt and jeans, humoring my mom by holding her hand as they walk...my brother, Jeremy was cut vertically in half for this shot (he has on a blue shirt and jeans).

Jail Birds...

Such a cute little prisoner!

Splashing in a waterfall!!! He was having a BLAST!!

OH! He got his hand wet and wasn't too sure about that!!

Braiden & Uncle J (currently known as Zsay Zsay). We had to shed the jacket.

OH NO!!! It's the train robbers, Alphie and Ralphie!!! Braiden loved the train ride!!

Braiden was robbed for a whole $0.07!!

Braiden and me on the train ride.
Braiden & Daddy on the Carousel.

These next few are from the Kiddie Playland...for kiddos 5 and under!!! He L.O.V.E.D. it!!!

This was Braiden's favorite part of the whole trip to SDC. This little room was filled with vacuums...if we had him on the outside play sets and turned our heads for a second, he would RUN into this vacuum room. He LOVED feeding the clowns. There were little tubes that would suck up the balls in the floor and once it was full, the balls would fall down from the ceiling. We gotta get one of those rooms!!!

One happy little boy having his picture made by the pretty flowers.

Waving bye-bye to all the folks at Silver Dollar City!! We were all so hot and so tired!

A Small Post...

2008-06-12T14:30:00.002-05:00

because I have wonderful friends. Friends that I didn't even realize I had. Friends that I love with all my heart. Seriously. I. Love. Each. One. Of. You.

Thank you for all the kind words. Thanks for the encouragement and the prayers. Thanks for keeping me in your thoughts. This is tough. I've never, ever, ever leaned on anyone before for support. But, it's time I broke that cycle. You guys have shown me compassion. There's not enough room on this blog to express how touched I am because of you.

Thank you. I love you. This will all be ok............and I'm gonna be so freakin' hot when it's all over!!! HA!!!!! :o)

Well, Hello again!

2008-06-11T10:47:00.006-05:00

I'm terribly sorry for the span of time I have deserted all of you. I've been a bit sick. I am having liver and gall bladder issues. 10 days of antibiotics (Levaquin 750) and I'm almost over the bend.

I have a diet to follow now for 6 months. Nothing that I normally would eat. Not at all.

No more dairy ~ cheese, milk, butter
No more Cokes.
No more fried foods.
No more processed foods.
No more saturated, trans, hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated fats.
No more salads ~ or anything green.
No more juice.
No more eggs.
MUCH less chicken, pork and bananas. That's right. Bananas. They contain a small amount of fat. Didn't know that.
No more Mexican food
No more pizza
No more Olive Garden

I've had to quit everything that's normal, cold turkey. Oh! And I can't have much turkey, either! I can have grilled/baked fish, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables. There's really only one vegetable that I would normally eat without it being fried (ie. potatoes) and that's corn. Can't have corn. This sucks.

Let me just say this: Be very careful of what you pray for, and very aware of the blessings you've been given. God sometimes has a sense of humor. I've been so very disgusted with the way I look in pictures, the way I look in clothes. I hate the way I feel when trying to walk any distance. Weight has just been a big issue with me lately. Not to be blamed on birthing a child, either. I just have issues with gaining weight. Never really worried much about it in high school...because I didn't eat. At all. And, when I did, I'd throw it up.

I've never really said that last statement to anyone else before. And, debated on whether to say it now. But, that's who I was...not who I am. So it's ok. I saw my mother struggle with gaining weight the entire time growing up, and I was just determined not to be that person. My grandmother is a large lady, and has to take medicine to correct the taking of other medicine. Ridiculous. I wasn't going to be that person, either. But, over time, it seems as though I'm headed down that road. Not the medicine road, but lovely Weight Gain Avenue. I was scared that nothing would work for me anymore, so I prayed. Not that I tried my best at anything. I'd drink water for most of the day and try to cut out a Coke or two. I would try walking with Braiden in the stroller, but then got too hot and too aggravated with his stroller and our terrain, so I stopped that. I tried cooking a little more at home vs. eating out all the time, but I can't cook. Don't enjoy it. Hate cleaning the kitchen. So, that never lasts long. I didn't really do everything I could do to meet God halfway. But, I did keep complaining and whining about being too fat. So, He's fixing that for me. Yep. He's fixing it.

I've never been so sick in all my life. Seriously. I thought I was going to die a couple of weeks ago. I couldn't break my fever of 104 after a few hours. Wasn't sweating. I was hallucinating. I could see everything that was around me, but it was in a bubble. And my head would swim to each object. I was so scared. I went to a doctor and he was like, "You're sick?". WOW. No, I'm not sick at all. I just really wanted to give you $50.00 to tell me that I look fine. That's why I'm here. I didn't say that to him, but I thought it. A visit or two later, it was determined that I needed my gall bladder out. No health insurance. So, I was sent home to deal with it. "Take the antibiotic, completely change your diet, and let's see if that helps you...oh, and you have a problem with your liver that taking your gall bladder out won't fix, so we'll just hold off and see if this works."

I'm still scared. I'm mad. I'm confused. I'm hungry. I'm exhausted. My stamina is gone. My mother is taking care of my baby because I can't. And she took care of me for over a week, because I couldn't. Ridiculous. 23 more weeks to go...

The Trip. Continued.

2008-05-29T10:31:00.009-05:00

We'll start with Springfield ~ Bass Pro Shop.

There aren't many pictures of our trip to the fabulous Bass Pro Shop, because, honestly, once you've seen one stuffed, dead animal, you've pretty much seen all there is to see. So, unless you're looking to redecorate your home or your body with the beautiful print that is camouflage, the whole thing is pretty anti-climatic at best. I've been there before. Twice, actually, before this trip. But, I was revved up to see Braiden's reaction to all the animals and waterfalls. Turns out, he feels pretty much the same way his momma does. Poor Brian. Poor Dad. Poor Uncle J. I know they had such high hopes for yet another little hunter in the family. The child does shoot his gun at stuffed, dead animals hanging on the wall (his gun being his middle finger extended into the air, followed by the sweetest little voice saying, "Taow").

Brian thought it would be a good idea to show him the large aquarium stationed in one of the walls near the shoe section. I thought, great...I'll be back in a second to snap some pictures! Brian and Braiden checked out the pretty fish; I checked out the pretty shoes. Brian was excited. Braiden cried. No pictures of the pretty fish. I didn't make it back in time to catch him in a good mood. I think he was nervous about the large turtles swimming up next to the glass.

Here he is as we entered the store. We had his camo blanket that his Mammaw made for him because it was so freaking cold outside that day! The high was in the 50's!!!

Brian & Braiden checking out one of the beautiful waterfalls. Braiden loves water!

Here are the 3 of us paying absolutely no attention that we're having our picture taken. Jeremy (my brother) snapped the pic...he didn't count to 3 or anything! Sheesh!

Here's a picture of some random guy holding up a big fish. Brian seems to think this is of some great importance. So we have a picture of it. Bass Pro Shop = Big Fish. Whod'a guessed that?!

Silver Dollar City is next. I'll be back...

The Trip

2008-05-27T15:42:00.013-05:00

Pictures. Pictures. Pictures.

Our Cabin

The Kitchen

The Dining Area

The Living Room

The Covered Back Porch

Braiden's first bath in the great big tub ~ this was the one in mine & Brian's room. My parents had a double rain shower in their room...we had to take the tub ... there was a rain shower head in the tub, too! I gotta get me one of those!

Braiden trying to get his Uncle J to read him a story. Uncle J hates to read...but look! He's reading to Braiden!! Guess that's what it took, Mom!

Although...this was on a different night. Not sure where the picture is of him reading to Braiden wearing those green pj's!
Braving the stairs...with his Mamaw & Papaw SERIOUSLY close by! After he figured out stairs were fun, we laid a dining room chair across the entry way to the living room and held him hostage!!!

I'll post a few more pictures later. Computer time is hard to come by right now. For those of you on Facebook, I've already loaded them to my page there. Facebook is just easier for uploading photos than Blogger is. Faster. I'll have pictures of Bass Pro Shop, Silver Dollar City and of all the stores we hit at the mall. We had a great time. Short. But, great. Be back later...

Braiden, calm down...I'm still packing!!!!!

2008-05-22T09:55:00.006-05:00

Guess what else we found while momma was busy packing?! MARSHMALLOWS!!!!! We sat in the Pack-N-Play once these were all picked up...and after I snapped a few pictures! He was trying to hand me the bag - only he grabbed the bottom of the newly opened bag. So, I couldn't really get on to him. And, he was having SUCH a big time...marshmallows are his favorite snack!

Braiden, I'm trying to pack!!

2008-05-22T09:41:00.007-05:00

Yep! Guess who found a NEW roll of paper towels while I was packing our bags?!?!?! That's right. My little man decided it would be way more fun to run around dragging a flowing stream of Super Absorbant Bounty behind him, than it would be to play in his room where I left him! We had "the Quicker Picker Upper" all down our very long hallway, in the living room, and stuck to his tiny feet!

Brian was like, "Did you stop him?!". To which I replied, "...I took pictures!". Sorry Honey! He's so much fun right now!!!

VaCaTiOn!!!

2008-05-13T12:54:00.006-05:00

Two O'clock in the afternoon, Wednesday, May 14th, 2008 -

Brian, Braiden & I, together with my folks and my brother, Jeremy, are headed to Branson, MO! I hope to have lots of great pictures to post (although none as beautiful as those Maury posted of her trip to Orange Beach! ...I'm still so jealous!). We're planning to stay at The Cabins at Thousand Hills Golf Resort. We stayed there 2 years ago and it was so wonderful! I totally recommend it, if you're planning a trip to that area. Other plans (though tentative...it's supposed to rain! Blah.) include a day long trip to Silver Dollar City, a music show at The Baldnobbers Jamboree, and dinner at some cool places - I mean, come on...eating out is all part of the vacation experience!! We'll also take in some shopping, although I'm not much of an outlet shopper. And not at all because I have more money than I know what to do with, either! They are just always in such a disarray and it's always hot in the stores, and the employees are of no help. The male members of my family are expecting a trek up to Springfield to visit the Bass Pro Shop. It'll be fun! I am really ready to see how Braiden reacts to a trip longer than 2 hours at a time!! He travels really well...2 hours at a time! I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend!

http://www.visitmo.com/

My Poor Car!

2008-05-08T11:34:00.007-05:00

That's right. I was in an accident. Last Thursday, 5/1, I was on my way home from my first job (yes, I have two jobs - other than being a mom & wife) to pick up Braiden. I was traveling North on Maumelle Blvd, and stopped at the red light at Country Club Blvd. The Tahoe behind me apparently thought I was going to run the light...or maybe hit the button that deploys my Batmobile wings to avoid her or something! BUT, to my advantage, there was a Maumelle Patrol Officer just behind the Tahoe!! HA! Couldn't believe it! The entire event took about 15-20 minutes. I can still drive my car, although not a good idea in the rain, as my trunk is wrinkled up to the back glass.

I have to meet with the Tahoe's Allstate adjuster today at 4:00. Did you read that? I have to meet them...at their office...at a time that was good for them. And they only had 2 appointments left for this week, or I'd have to wait until next week. That's crazy! I will NOT have Allstate as my insurance carrier. In Good Hands. Whatever. You're in good hands if you agree to completely disregard your own schedule and the fact that you're trying to maintain your life (with 2 jobs and a baby) while your transportation is in a pickle. Yeah. I'm not real happy right now.

It was crumpled all the way up the quarter panel

Poor trunk. There's not even any "red light" left on my tail light. It must be on the Blvd somewhere.

My how he's grown...

2008-04-29T16:03:00.005-05:00

My baby has grown SO much in the past 15 months! It's unbelievable. Brian is wanting a new cell phone, so I asked him to email me all the pictures that were on his current one so I could load them to snapfish or something for later. Some of them are SO sweet of Braiden...

Like this one. He's 3 days old and we're at the doctor's office. His bilirubin had shot up since coming home the day before. They were able to treat it with a Biliblanket at home vs. a stay in the hospital. Thank you LORD! I love old pictures of my little man. See how small and sweet he was...

The Husband Tag

2008-04-28T12:47:00.005-05:00

Ok...Sarah tagged me (you sneaky thing!) for this Husband Tag and, to be honest...I'm not sure that I remember everything!!! I know. That's terrible of me! And, (even more impressive of me) I have absolutely no pictures of the two of us together for this post! GEEZ!! Here goes nothing!!

His Full Name:
Brian Andrew Chancellor

How long have you been married?
September 22, 2001. So, almost 7 years...wow!

How long did you date?
First date was March 1, 1996...wow, again! We dated 5 years; were engaged 3 months and 3 weeks.

Who likes sweets more?
Definitely Brian! That boy can eat Cotton Candy like it's going out of style!

Who said "I love you" first?
Brian. It was so sweet...kinda like it was something he'd thought long and hard about, but tried to make it sound so natural and unrehearsed!! If I remember the timing correctly, it was when he was letting me go on the phone one night, and I was standing in the kitchen, my mother right beside me, and I was like, "i love you, too", in the smallest little voice I could make...like she wasn't hanging on every word I was saying!

How old is he?
Just turned 30! I'm 28.

Who's taller?
Brian. He's about 7 or 8 inches taller than me. I'm 5'4".

Who's smarter?
I agree with Sarah on this one. What kind of question is that? Depending on the situation (or even the day!) either of us is AS SMART as the other. (and he's probably reading this right now thinking..."I can't believe she said I was as smart as she is!!")

Who does the laundry?
Long story. Brian has this phobia with dirty diapers. Wants nothing to do with them. So, when Braiden was born, we made a deal. If we were both going to hold jobs outside our home, he would take care of our laundry, and I Braiden's. I would do diapers, baths, cleaning the kitchen/cooking (and he's laughing right now), he would do outside stuff, and then we'd both keep the house clean together. If I'm sick, he'll do it; if he's sick, I'll do it. It's been a long 15 months! HA!!

So, he does our laundry. I do Braiden's.

Who pays the bills?
I do.

Who sleeps on the Right side of the bed?
I do.

Who mows the lawn?
Brian does...and is absolutely obsessed with it! Drives me crazy.

Who drives?
Brian. I hate to drive.

Who's more stubborn?
We're pretty much on an even playing field here! I can be really intense, and am definitely bossy(er)...but if he feels strongly about something, katie bar the door!

Who kissed who first?
Brian kissed me first. At the movies, in The Pines Mall (where anyone went to do anything if you lived in Warren before Monticello built it's nice theater). We went to see Muppets Treasure Island!! We were probably the only ones over the age of 10 in there!

Who asked who out?
Brian asked me out, sorta! Again, long story. We met at my friend Celestial's house on October 30, 1995 after an All-Region Choir tryout she & I had been to. She made First Chair Soprano I, I made Second Chair Soprano II (1/100th of a point behind first! I was pretty proud...my first ever tryout!). Celestial wanted me to go out with her cousin, Britt (Brian's older brother). She called Britt over to her house - and if you know anything about Brian's immediate family, one wasn't coming without the other...and now that I know them, I'm completely shocked that his dad wasn't there, too! Turns out, I wasn't that impressed with Britt (he was nice, but he wasn't placed on this earth for me). I thought Brian was super cute. He smiled the whole time we were there. I was wearing these old worn out Levi's that had one of the back pockets torn half off. Well...once Britt noticed that, he started giving Brian a hard time about my pocket (he must not have been that impressed with me, either!). They left. I went on about my life.

Then, Brian started talking to me at school and calling my house...I ignored him for the most part. Super Bowl Sunday 1996, his friend Cameron called my house. I talked to Cameron (I thought he was a cutie and super funny) and then noticed Brian was on there, too. Brian wouldn't say much, and I wasn't into the conversation either. I'm still not sure what that phone call was meant to accomplish! Then, a few weeks before his Senior Prom, I found out this other guy was going to ask me to go with him...I freaked out, because I didn't want to hurt this guy's feelings, but I really wanted to go with Brian (it was down to who asked me first). SO...one night while Brian & I were on the phone, I asked him if he was going to Prom. He was like, "Yeah, probably, haven't really thought about it, why would you like to go?" I pressed pretty hard to get him to ask me. So, from that point on, we were inseparable.

Who has more siblings?
He has one older brother. I have one younger brother.

Who wears the pants?
ME! HA!!! I'm going to say we're pretty equal on this one...but he knows the truth!!!

I tag - anyone who wants to do this. It was actually more fun than I anticipated!!!

Our Day at the Park!

2008-04-23T10:19:00.013-05:00

We took Braiden to Lake Willestein in Maumelle on Saturday and he had a blast! He, nothing...we all 3 had fun!

Our park is so nice. There are lots of tiny parks scattered throughout Maumelle (one is really close to our house), but this is a big one - Lake, swings, playsets, park benches, picnic tables, grills, pavillons, trails, fishing, ducks, I can't name it all! Yeah, yeah...I get a little too excited, and even impressed with this park thing. But, I'm just so happy that Braiden has the opportunity to enjoy such a clean, safe, fun environment...and Brian & I don't have to pay monthly "dues" or "membership fees" just to participate. Our little city cares enough about family and togetherness to provide these ammenities. I love our little town!

Waiting patiently at the door..."hurry mom!!!"

Taking a walk with Daddy
Swinging was SO much fun!!

This is Taylor. We ran into my friend, Danielle...I was so happy to see her! There actually are a handful of people that I miss from my old job...

Danielle's little Taylor is 100% little boy! She was warning me of what I have to look forward to in 3 years!!! He's such a cutie pie! Looks JUST like his momma!!!

Checking out the ducks near one of the piers at Lake Willestein. He was SO excited!!

Braiden's First Playset!!

2008-04-22T13:13:00.009-05:00

Well...it's no super-duper wooden swing set with a winding slide and clubhouse, but it's still SUCH FUN!!!! We debated on what to get him for outside fun this summer - we wanted:

a slide
something he could climb on
something to hide in or sit inside
a basketball goal
a swimming pool
a swing or two

If you've ever priced something that encompasses each of those features, WOW! We just can't swing that right now (no pun intended). So, we searched online, at Wal-Mart, and at Toys R Us and came up with this. It's a slide, a "rock" wall, a basketball goal, a football toss and a soccer goal! And, it came with a toddler sized basketball, soccer ball and football!!! Braiden took to it right away and he LOVES it!! It only took 2 tries to figure out how to climb up the wall, sit down and slide down the slide!!! He's such a big man!! We're so proud that he can sit on his butt and slide 2 feet to the ground!!! Ahhh...parenthood. We ended up getting it at Toys R Us (not a soul in Wal-Mart felt like helping with anything larger than a waterhose that afternoon).

I've learned to Peek A Boo...Upside Down!

2008-04-22T09:46:00.001-05:00

Strawberries...Raspberries

2008-04-22T09:22:00.007-05:00

We're allergic! I was when I was small, and looks like I've passed it on to my little guy. I'm so sorry, Braiden! These pictures were taken 1/2 a day before he started to swell shut!! His eyes, his lips...even his tiny little fingers swelled. He was misrable. After a visit to our Pediatrician, we learned he also had a double ear infection. My poor baby...

He felt so terrible, but still tried to be silly for momma & daddy during his photo session!!!

Sweet Boy!!!

Facebook.com

2008-04-10T10:35:00.002-05:00

Yep...I'm a member. Gee whiz. They just keep coming up with stuff to "stay connected", don't they?! I'm known as Dena Thompson-Chancellor on there.

There's something I'm having trouble wrapping my mind around: if you "stay connected" and comment on everyone's "Facebook Wall", and then "stay connected" and comment on everyone's blog, and yes...again for MySpace, PLUS update your own pages with pictures and videos and responses to comments and interesting posts, do you honestly have the time to "stay connected" about stuff that's happening in your real life? Because, if I'm thinking this thru completely, with all the time it takes to be a mom and wife and employee, my posts or comments are probably going to sound something like:

"Today, I went to work, I wrote on Tanya's Wall, and told Rosalynda how adorable her babies are, and I searched for new friends, invited new friends, accepted invitations to be a new friend, checked my blog to see if there were any comments, commented on how cute Maury's kiddos and Debbi's & Sarah's babies are, checked every one's blog, did a tiny bit of work and I drove home, ran some errands, washed clothes, cooked (or picked up) dinner, played with Braiden, fed Braiden, washed Braiden and then went to sleep...only to get up tomorrow and do it all again!"

I hope that's not how future posts to my blog are going to sound! I'm going to try seriously hard to devote certain times of the day...and certain days...to post, comment, and write on walls! WOW! I remember when you picked up the phone and called someone that you wanted to "stay connected" with!!!

...and after saying all of that, I'm still very siked that I have all these new ways to keep up with old friends!!!!! HA! It's such a twisted, vicious circle!!!!!!

Playing Outside

2008-03-31T13:32:00.013-05:00

These pictures were taken one afternoon when it finally warmed up. Brian & I had just gotten off work and I picked Braiden up after my haircut (yeah...you'll get to see my SHORT short haircut from a few weeks back!). It was still daylight outside and a little warmer than usual, so we took a couple toys outside, grabbed a couple lawn chairs and walked out back.

Braiden loved it!

He was laughing so hard!

"See my hair?! My Momma won't cut it...I look like Cindy Lou Hoo!"

Faster, Daddy!!

Enough of this mess...hold me, Momma!

Sweet, Fat Legs

2008-03-31T13:25:00.003-05:00

My little man and his short, sweet, fat legs! And...looks like his diaper is crawling a bit North!

These pictures make me so sad. He's not going to look like this much longer now that he's walking all over the place. I can see a difference even now from the time these pictures were taken just a few weeks ago. It's going by so fast.

Happy Easter to you!

2008-03-24T10:23:00.008-05:00

Happy Easter to all of you! I hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating our Risen Savior. We can live. Isn't that wonderful?

I grew up with the understanding that Easter isn't about bunnies and candy and eggs and new dresses...but was truly about how thankful we should be as Believers because we have the ability to celebrate and enjoy eternal life. I have a better understanding of it now...the messages my parents instilled in my mind will forever be the foundation that makes me who I am today. I have, as I've grown up, derived my own interpretation of what I believe is true and right and am very comfortable in what I (and Brian) will deliver to Braiden as he grows up. I can't say that I'm 100%, tried and true, Free Will Baptist, as I was raised...and will not lead Braiden to be. (but my own struggles and beliefs are for a whole other post!).

Don't get me wrong...I had Easter baskets and dyed eggs and got new dresses to twirl around in (although there wasn't much twirling at 6:30 am for Sunrise Services when I was small...!!) And, Braiden has new clothes for that special day and an Easter bucket and (will) dye and hunt eggs as long as he's willing to do cute things for his momma! But the commercialization of Easter (as with Christmas) is just something we're going to deal with in our own way ~ as parents, as Americans and as Believers.

These aren't the pictures from yesterday - I haven't loaded them yet - but they are of Braiden's First Easter (last year). I love these pictures...he was still such a baby and was just starting to smile at us when we would take his picture! Throw back pictures are always fun!!!

Smiling for Mommy!

Laughing for Daddy!
Getting Ready to leave for Church

Tractor Rides

2008-03-18T09:56:00.008-05:00

Braiden loves being outside. Braiden loves to be held. Braiden loves to ride & go bye-bye.

Now...combine all of those and what do you get? Pappaw holding Braiden, while riding on the tractor that happens to be outside!!!! Yep...one happy little man!!!

These pictures were taken a few weekends ago - Brian was working at his dad's shop in Sheridan and so Braiden & I just kept traveling South and spent some time with my parents & brother. He had such a big time!!

Our Bath Baby!

2008-03-14T11:21:00.006-05:00

Braiden LOVES his bath! These pictures were taken before I was brave enough to let him out into the Big Tub!! I just loved his hair in these pics, so I had to share them! He's totally ready for his initiation into The T-Birds...."Oooo Greased Lightening!!!"

We had snow, too ~ last week!!

2008-03-13T15:12:00.001-05:00

Braiden's First Birthday!

2008-03-13T13:24:00.001-05:00

Braiden's First Birthday!

2008-03-13T11:18:00.003-05:00

...see pictures above. I'm still trying to get used to Photobucket! GEEZ!!!!

Braiden's Birthday Party!!

2008-03-13T09:37:00.006-05:00

Braiden turned 1 year old on January 12th! We had a small party at our house that day ~ My parents, Brian's parents, Jeremy, Britt, Tanya, Will, Caleb, Brian's Aunt, Uncle and 2 cousins and my best friend Jennifer were all there. The house was packed!! He had such a big day...completely worn out by 4:00! We ordered his cake from The Blue Cake Company in LR (it's where we get all our cakes...they are GREAT!). I can't wait to plan his next party...he was such a trooper. He was showered with fantastic presents - I couldn't include them all in the pictures - impossible task!!! It was a super day for our wonderful little man!!

Christmas Morning!!!!

2008-03-12T15:07:00.001-05:00

Christmas at Aunt Nell's!!

2008-03-12T14:48:00.001-05:00

Christmas at Brian's Parents'!!

2008-03-12T14:44:00.001-05:00

Christmas at Dena's Parents'!!

2008-03-12T14:30:00.001-05:00

P I C T U R E S ! ! ! ! !

2008-03-12T10:08:00.003-05:00

Finally!! I have a few pictures to post!! I was so excited to dig thru old snaps of Braiden and pick out cute ones to share with all of you (of course, out of about 200, I could only find 197 cute ones!! HA!!). Hopefully it won't be too boring for the viewing eye.

I promise not to post all 197 photos.

Pictures are coming...

2008-03-05T14:05:00.002-06:00

...soon! I asked Brian to email me a few pictures to work so I could do a few new posts (I haven't done any lately that amount to much!), and he forgot. So, tomorrow, I should have a few pictures of Christmas, Birthday, Snow, Big Buck Classic, playing in the floor and everything! I'm excited! Can't wait to look back at the pictures myself!!! Hope everyone is doing great! :o)

Debbi's Tag

2008-02-28T11:33:00.008-06:00

So I was tagged. I think I've figured this out. I'm new at this blog thing, so the term "tag" meant nothing until a dig thru Debbi's blog! If I've done something incorrectly, please teach me!!

A- Attached or single: Attached

B- Best Friends: I have a lot of good friends...friends I made in school, friends I've made after school, friends I've made from work.

C- Cake or Pie: DESSERT!

D- Day of choice: Friday - I have a refreshed feeling of the weekend ahead!

E- Essential item: my glasses, my cell phone

F- Favorite color: blue

G- Gummy bears or worms: Bears - the worms always freaked me out. They have little lines down their spine that you can feel when you put them in your mouth. ICK!!

H- Hometown: Born in Warren and lived their until Sept 22, 2001. Little Rock until Aug 24, 2007. Maumelle until who knows!!

I- Indulgences: books and fancy chocolates

J- January or July: July, although Braiden was born in January!

K- Kids: Braiden, 13 months ~ for those that don't know, BRAIDEN is the letters of BRIAN & DENA!!! Cool, huh?!?

L- Life is not complete without: family, friends, education, the gospel, and a good book (not in any certain order)...yeah, I'm sticking with this answer from Debbi!

M - Marriage Date: September 22, 2001

N- Number of Siblings: 1 ~Jeremy, 3 years younger

O- Oranges or apples: apples with peanut butter, caramel, salt, or plain!! apples for breakfast, apples for a snack, apples in a pie, apples in the sky...I love apples!

P- Phobias or fears: I'm not afraid of much physically. I don't like being alone at night, I don't like bugs and big dogs. But, internally I fear failure; I fear ignorance; I fear control. ex. I fear I'm not being the best mom and wife I could possibly be, I'm not on the top of my game at work, not being the best Christian, friend, daughter, niece, granddaughter and daughter-in-law I could possibly be. I fear I've not done enough. I have a fear of being too much "in control" of my life, and a fear of wanting to control everything. I know that I can't and I shouldn't. I very much know Who should. I fear not knowing what I should know about my path to Eternity. And, I fear loss. Hmmm...guess I'm pretty fearful. I didn't expect to look back at this question and see all of that! ...Revelation.

Q- Quotes: "Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies," Mother Teresa. "I like not only to be loved, but to be told I am loved," George Eliot. "When naming your children, choose a name that ends in a vowel. It will carry farther when you yell it!", Bill Cosby.

R- Reason to smile: my husband, my healthy kid - yep...sticking with this one, too!

S- Season: Fall - I was married on the first day of Fall!

T- Tag three friends: Maury (even though she probably doesn't have the time...girl is BUSY!), Tanya and Dana (via email - they don't have blogs)

U- Unknown fact about me: I secretly want to be an elementary school teacher!! Shhhh!!!

V - Very favorite store: Bed Bath & Beyond

W- Worst habit: popping my gum/chomping on Wint-O-Green mints - drives Brian crazy!

X- X-ray or Ultrasound: ultrasound, I don't believe I've ever had an x-ray, unless you count teeth! My teeth are terrible, so I've had plenty!

Y- Your favorite food: pasta - creamy, cheesy, garlicky, gooey, yummy pasta!!

Z- Zodiac: Pisces

Cheeburger Cheeburger

2008-02-27T13:32:00.004-06:00

Well, actually, he had a Cheeser, Cheeser!! Which is their stamp on the Grilled Cheese!

Tuesday night is Family Fun Night at our local Cheeburger Cheeburger (one of our favorite places to eat) - they do balloon animals and magic tricks and there's always tons of kids in there, so when Braiden decides to yell...we're not alone!

Last night, after he finished his ENTIRE Cheeser Cheeser and cup of milk, the "funny man in the black hat" made his way over to our table. He made Braiden a little brown dog with a puff on it's tail!!! It was SO cute! Braiden loved it! Of course, this is a balloon we're talking about here, so he couldn't necessarily "hold" his new puppy the way he wanted to. Mommy had to help. And, once those eager little hands latched on to that poor little dog, the tiny little puff on the tip of his tail ended up back in its hiney! We never could get the puff to go back! And, from the time it took to walk from our table to our car, his little brown dog lost his hind legs, tail and hiney! He looks like a strand of sausage links with ears!!

Here are a few pictures of Braiden meeting his little brown dog for the first time. The pictures are terrible...they were taken with Brian's cell phone.

Bye-Bye little puff!

My Birthday

2008-02-25T08:50:00.003-06:00

I turned 28 on Saturday. It was the worst birthday I've had in 28 years. Seriously. And, I'm not saying that so people will feel sorry for me, either. It was just really a bad day all around. I picked Braiden up at my parent's house late Friday evening. Came back home and re-engineered him (my gosh...they had let him completely run the show the entire 4 days he was there!). We have nothing in our checking account, so it was left over lasagna for Brian and a few Doritos for me that night. I went to sleep sick...woke up several times thru the night sick...and finally got out of bed at 7:00 and just sat there. I sat there until nearly 9:00! Brian finally got out of bed and went to McDonalds to pick up breakfast around 9:45-10:00. We sat and sat in the living room until 12:00, Braiden & I were tired so we went our bedroom and took a nap together (Brian was watching something on TV). We woke up at 2:00, Braiden was fussy so I gave him a bath (he LOVES his bath!). I took a shower after I finished him up. By this time it was 3:00. Brian was still sitting on the couch (he didn't feel good either). Braiden and I finally talked him into getting a shower and by 4:30 we were out the door.

I was hungry for Red Lobster - saw their latest commercial and it intrigued my appetite a little. We drove to North Little Rock and went in...it was so full in there you couldn't turn around without someone elbowing you. Let me say here, I have short, small hissy fits when things don't go my way - so we left there...in a hurry! Got Braiden strapped back in the car and couldn't decide where to go. We drove and drove, then drove all the way back to Maumelle! Wow! What fun my birthday was turning out to be.

Brian and I decided we'd try the new place they were opening in the spot where Pasta Jacks used to be. We drove by there..."Coming Soon" was the sign on the door. GEEZ!!!! We finally go to Cheers in Maumelle (a place I think is terribly overpriced for what it is) and ate there. It was actually pretty good. Braiden was good and ate his grilled cheese like a big boy. I even had an awesome dessert - White Chocolate Vanilla Bean Cheesecake!!!

The only people that remembered were my parents (they called), my friend Molly (she gave me a candle on Friday), my grandmother (she called and sang), Brian told me happy birthday when he woke up, and my in-laws called Brian and he put them on the speaker phone so they could say happy birthday to me. My 2 aunts that I love dearly (the only family I have on my Dad's side) sent me cards in the mail and an Address Book with I Love Lucy on it!!! My Aunt Nell knows I love I Love Lucy!!!!! Brian's Aunt Carolyn (which is MY Aunt Carolyn, too!) sent me a card and my friend Jennifer called me this morning to say she was thinking about me on Saturday. Jennifer's been busy and she had a lot facing her this weekend.

It kinda stunk.

OH YEAH...and my driver's license expired Saturday so I went in this morning to have it renewed and they wouldn't do it because my name didn't match with their records...so now I have to deal with that. I'm driving around illegally!!!!!!!! This is crazy!!! I'm so glad it's February 25 and I can get on with thoughts of turning 29 next year. It'd better be better than 28!

Braiden's First Sleepover

2008-02-20T09:10:00.011-06:00

My child is currently being entertained by my parents; at least for the next few days. Brian has the flu...and I met it's cousin last night around 6:00. We decided Monday that I would drive Braiden down (2 hours) to my Mom's house in New Edinburg to stay for a day or two while Brian gets well and we sanitize the house. This stinks. Of course, he's having a blast with his Mammaw and Pappaw, and Uncle J. But, it took me 4 tries to leave their house Monday night. FOUR. I finally got home around 10:30 or 11:00 and Brian was still up and still sick. So, I stayed up with him and brought him medicine and Pop-Ice sticks and drinks. And I ran the hairdryer underneath the sheets so he'd be warm. I sprayed everything down with Lysol (which is a habit of mine anyway...sick or not). Went to work yesterday thinking I was going to pick Braiden up last night. Then when I got home, I started feeling puny. So, he's still there.

This is the longest I've ever been away from him. EVER. I'm sad. But, he's happy...Mother said he hasn't even whimpered. He's also getting pancakes for breakfast and ice cream for a snack. He'll weigh 27 lbs when I finally get to see him! I have decided this can't happen again until he's at least 12 years old. I think 12 is a good number. I just ache to see him and get a few smooches. He's my monkey. I miss him terribly.

The Waffle House

2008-02-13T14:30:00.010-06:00

This is a quick little post to prove that we're still alive and well...

We took Braiden on his first trip to the Waffle House in Maumelle this past Saturday night. He actually enjoyed it. More than his momma did! Everything in there is so dirty - in any one of them I've ever been inside. The highchair was filthy, the floors were nasty, the table was dirty, the menus were sticky - you get the picture. Quite honestly, I probably would've only noticed the table being messy and the menus being sticky if it weren't for my current job duties as "mom to a one year old".

The floor becomes an issue around 6 months old - sitting in a highchair and dropping toys left and right. This is a game, you see. The more he drops, the more we bend down and pick it up for him...the more we grunt...the more he smiles......all the more reason to do it again!

Our waitress was super nice...she made it very clear she was still a teenager. Not real sure why she did. She gave him a paper WH Hat to sport during dinner and two spoons to play drums with as we awaited our meal. (here's where the floor became the enemy) He had a Mickey Mouse shaped waffle. I wish I had snapped a picture of that! The picture below was taken with Brian's phone.

Making a sweet face for momma...

I'm still here...

2008-02-04T15:05:00.000-06:00

Just letting everyone know, I'm still here. I'm no longer employed by American Abstract...reasons I will probably feel like sharing later. When I'm home, I spend all my time rolling around in the floor, or cleaning up (yeah...that hasn't happened much lately!) or something other than "fun stuff for Dena", so I've vacated my Blog for the last 2 months.

I will have a ton of posts to publish once I get back on my feet...just didn't want anyone to think I'd fallen off the face of the planet - Debbi! And, Maury, I promise...Braiden has found his sock and has totally moved on to other ways in testing our parenting skills!! Thanks to both of you for checking in on me! I have great friends.

I'll be back. Brace yourselves...the pictures are GREAT!! We've had a First Christmas and a First Birthday, so you can only imagine!!!!!!! See you all very soon!!!

...see my sock?!

2007-12-11T15:06:00.000-06:00

His favorite chew toy!

New Favorite Spot!

2007-12-11T13:14:00.000-06:00

Braiden has a new favorite spot to play...and guess what?!? He's not suppose to play there!

We heard the rustling of wrapping paper the other night, and instead of yelling "STOP!", we grabbed the camera!! I was stretched out in the floor "watching tv" so he wouldn't suspect anything and snapped away!! The little stink unwrapped my grandmother's gift and is still playing with the ribbon he lifted!!

MY Christmas Tree!

2007-12-10T12:42:00.000-06:00

Ok...so everyone else has a picture of their tree on their blog........so why not! This is the big tree in the house.

My tree has to be the most treasured of my frivilous fixations. I'm absolutely addicted to buying ornaments, tensil and pretties!! It takes 4 large Rubbermaid totes to house them during the off season! And, that's just ornaments. In fact, I only used about 75% of them this year...mainly because I had to imprison my child in his Pack-n-play for 2 days and it was driving him crazy because he wanted to help so badly!

my little hostage

Thanksgiving

2007-12-10T12:32:00.000-06:00

A few pictures from our First Thanksgiving with our Little Turkey...

Crawling to Uncle Britt @ Brian's Parent's house

Playing with Aunt Tanna, Will & Caleb @ Brian's Parent's House.

All dressed up at my parent's house...

...and then had to shed those fussy clothes for some sweats!

Christmas Card Pictures

2007-12-10T11:55:00.000-06:00

He's almost 11 months old, so you can imagine how simple it is to take his picture in front of a Christmas Tree, RIGHT?!? Sweet Lord above...that child was impossible! We did manage to get a few cute ones, but there was way more deleting than saving! Our cards turned out as cute as any I've ever seen, so I ended up being proud of our little guy after all the editing was complete!

This one would've been great...but look closely - there's a gianormous boogie on the side of his face! That's from crying earlier because we had to sit still and wear our santa hat!

And finally a smile...

Our First Family Christmas Card!!

compliments of www.shutterfly.com

The Correct Way to Play with Your Toys...

2007-11-26T11:49:00.001-06:00

...totally depends upon your definition of correct! Our little man has his very own way!!

Underneath his exersaucer eating Puffs (that's what we call those little Gerber Vegi/Fruit Stars)

A Puff in his hand...and a whole wad in his cheek!!

He knows he's been caught!!

When Braiden Grows Up...

2007-11-21T09:37:00.000-06:00

...he's going to be a PLUMBER!

Christmas Shopping

2007-11-19T08:07:00.000-06:00

Ok...he's only 10 months old right now, so taking him to Toys R Us isn't quite that big of a deal. That is until we found a 4-wheeler out of the box ... and sat him on it!

Guess what Braiden's getting from Santa?!?!?!?!?

The pictures are a little fuzzy...Brian took them with his cell phone!

Tell me if this is bad - we're not doing much for him for Christmas this year. And probably will not many other years, either. His birthday is Jan 12, so we didn't want to bombard him with useless crap - and have asked our parents to respect that, as well. We're getting him the 4-wheeler, some VegiTales books and DVD's (I bought them at Church yesterday!) and some sort of little Fisher Price or Leap Frog toy (I'll let him play with it in the store before I make my decision). That's not much. But, he has whatever he needs, whenever he needs it. And, he'll be 11 months old, so he totally doesn't care. And, I don't want it to be about "stuff".

When he gets older, we're going to let him pick out an animal each Christmas from The Heifer Foundation to help children who are not as fortunate as he is...and at the same time, get the point across that Christmas isn't about seeing how much mess we can cram into his bedroom. Now, don't get me wrong, Brian & I are not going to deprive our little guy of things he really and truly wants. But, there's got to be a limit.

I was going thru a few boxes at my mom's house last weekend looking for something specific. I couldn't get to ANYTHING because of all the crap I had left down there for her to store. Useless items that I had forgotten about, and now can't even remember why I kept it. I don't want Braiden to get lost in the hoopla...so we're going to try our very best at teaching him early.

.........I have absolutely no idea what I'm up against!

A Hug for Aunt Nell

2007-11-15T08:39:00.000-06:00

My Aunt Nell is feeling a bit blah...and I can't be there to give her a hug, so I'm doing a post just for her.

You would not believe her talents, even if I were to show you pictures of everything she's done throughout her life. She's unbelievable. She's where I go when I have to vent, and there's no one else on Earth that can understand me. Intelligent. Caring. Patient. Understanding. Open Minded. Well Spoken.

My Aunt Nell. I love you!!!

A bib she made for Braiden's First Valentine's Day! He was a bit unhappy during his photo session!

On Easter Sunday at my parent's house

At my parent's house for a visit one weekend. They had just returned from a trip to the Northwest. To this day, one of Braiden's most favorite toys is the baseball bat they brought him!
Braiden with My Uncle Floyd at his and Aunt Nell's house in Warren on Columbus Day
Sitting in the family room floor at Aunt Nell's on Columbus Day

I love you so very much. I do hope you feel better soon...

Wrestling with Daddy

2007-11-12T10:52:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, Braiden was full of it! SO, instead of watching the Colts (Peyton's team! He's so freaking hot!) get whipped, Brian played with Braiden in the floor. Then, Braiden figured out I was sitting in the floor taking pictures.....so he stopped by to say hello to Momma! Sweet Boy!

--- pay no attention to the mess of photo albums behind Braiden ---

He played so good yesterday afternoon - until he fell back onto the hard wood floor and bonked his head. He cried and cried...so the 3 of us had to sit down next to "the bad spot" and spank that mean ol' floor. He laughed, got some Tylenol for his headache and went on about his business. I am SO ready for my new rug!!!

My Sister-In-Law...

2007-11-09T08:30:00.000-06:00

...is a NUT! For some reason, she seems to think her neck looks weird in the Halloween pic. SO...I'm doing a post of just a picture of her & Braiden that I think is REALLY cute! She's beautiful, funny, intelligent and CrAzY...all in her own little way. She's a great friend to me, a wonderful Aunt Tanna to Braiden and a fabulous mom, wife and sister-in-law. Here's to you, Tanya Alicia! I'm so glad to have you in my life!!!

Razorback Game

2007-11-08T08:55:00.001-06:00

Our Little Razorback Fan...ready for the game!

We have a Razorback Fan!! Brian & I took Braiden to the last Razorback Game that was here in Little Rock - we played TN-Chat. Braiden had SO much fun! He screamed and yelled just like the rest of them. We even bought him his very own Razorback Stroller from The Crown Shop...that Brian had to put together in the parking lot of a Wendy's across from the Stadium! He's such a good daddy!!! Brian & I have so very much fun with our little guy...he goes EVERYWHERE with us! I never knew being a mom could be so much fun...

He had such a great time with his daddy....and I think daddy had a pretty good time, himself!

Hollering like the rest of those crazies!! He had a blast!
Me & My Little Razorback - he was SO tired...and hot! His hair was as curly as mine!
My boss had tickets in the row directly in front of us, so we were excited to share Abby's (his little girl) and Braiden's first game...and Andrew is so freaking cool...so Brian & I were looking forward to it.

BUT...when the game was about to start, in came this couple with a ten/eleven-ish son and they sit in Andrew & Abby's seats. I'm thinking...um, no. I'm tempted to say something. They sit down and stare into the crowd, as if they were breathing in the experience. Weird, I'm thinking.

Then, the man looks at his wife and announces, "Baby, we're HERE!". She responds with, "Look at all the RED everywhere."

I look at Brian and say, "oh Sweet Lord...these people have not only sit in the wrong seats, but are on their first trip out of the house since McDonald's started selling The McRib! WOW!

I finally get so worked up from wondering where Andrew and Abby are, that I lean over and say, "did someone give you these tickets?...like maybe a tall, dark haired guy?"

The lady says, "oh no, it was a small little lady that was so wonderful to us. We were stood up by my office who had promised us tickets, so we were leaving the stadium and this lady asks us if we want any. We didn't know what to say...she wouldn't let us pay for them or anything" (when she said this, I pretty much knew they were Andrew's seats...that sounds just like him. But I couldn't figure out who the small lady was).

The lady in Andrew's seat went on about how she started to cry when the girl handed her the tickets and how this was her family's first Razorback Game and they were so excited. They had taught their son The Wave, and everything! Ok...my heart melted. The man got on my nerves, and I was upset that we didn't get to see Andrew and Abby, but these people were happy. They looked as though they had spent their entire frivilous fund for that month on parking at the game and the bag of peanuts the man was eating (and offered my child - see "got on nerves" above). It was precious.

When I got to work on Monday, I told my story, Andrew filled me in on how the Super Fans got his tickets. We had a great laugh and a that family had a great time. Filled my heart.

Halloween...yeah, it was 8 days ago.

2007-11-07T08:36:00.000-06:00

at home on our bed 10/31 after school

Well, I'm posting a few pictures of Braiden from Halloween...I know I'm late - but HEY - I just caught on to this blog thing yesterday! I was so proud of our little man. He didn't complain one time wearing his costume.

In this pic, he was wearing a t-shirt made by my Aunt Nell (which is practically his grandma on my dad's side!). My Aunt Nell is awesome...everything I'd love to be.

In these next pics, he is Trick-or-Treating at my mom & dad's...Brian's parent's...and Britt & Tanya's house in Warren the weekend before Halloween. Yeah...like we'd drive all the way to Warren on a school night just for candy! Are you kidding?!? Did I just say "school night"?!?

Dang it!

2007-11-06T16:53:00.000-06:00

Now I'm addicted. I've officially been a Blogger now for 7 hours, and it's all I can concentrate on. I'm having Brian burn a CD for me tonight of more pictures of Braiden so I can add and add...and add. THIS IS GREAT! It's like caffeine....I'm jittery!

Thanks, Maury, for commenting...I knew I could count on you! :o)

I'm Blogging!

2007-11-06T10:55:00.000-06:00

Wow! This is crazy...I'm finally entering cyberworld as a blogger. I keep up with Maury's Blog and thought it would be cool to try it myself. We'll see...