A Holly Jolly Christmas, Part Two

We spent Christmas Eve with members of the Berryhill clan and my mom's family. I love love love spending time with my sweet family. We're so blessed to live near so many wonderful family members who love on and spoil our boy rotten!

We ate way too much food, played some fun games, and chatted the night away!

Brayden saying "cheese!"

On Christmas morning, we woke up way too early and opened all of the gifts. Santa outdid himself this year.

After taking naps and cleaning up, we headed over to the Bellon's house for more Christmas fun. We're so lucky to live near BOTH of our parents.

All in all, it was a very successful Christmas. It was great getting to spend time with our wonderful family members and reflect on the true meaning of the season. Hope everyone else had a wonderful holiday season as well!

A Holly Jolly Christmas, Part One

Blogger is being ridiculous about loading pictures (and then putting them in the right order once they're uploaded), so I'm going to have to split the Christmas posts in two. Which is probably for the best, since there was no shortage of Christmas activities this year!

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A few weekends ago, we attempted to take some pictures of the cousins on my mom's side of the family for our grandparents. Cold air + two toddlers + two teenage boys + the rest of us = recipe for disaster. Luckily we got a few good shots and were able to print some pictures.

How cute are these babies?! I'm so thankful that Brayden has a built in playmate and that they love and adore one another (for the most part!).

The best group shot we could get. Brayden looks drugged and Mackenly is checking out my horrible hair straightening job. :)

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The weekend before Christmas, we got together with my mom's side of the family (all of her aunts, uncles, cousins, and their children). I love getting to catch up with family! Poor Brayden didn't feel so hot that night, but he was a trooper.

My sweet Maw Maw reading Bray & Mack their Christmas book.

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Stay tuned for Part Two!

O Christmas Tree

I am way behind on blogging (as per usual). I skipped a post about Thanksgiving, but we'll have to forget and forgive about that. :) Since we've been in full-swing Christmas mode since the day after Christmas, I thought I'd do a post about our tree.

This is our third Christmas to spend together. Our first Christmas, we hadn't quite been married a year and Brayden was a wee tiny baby. We lived in an apartment about the size of shoe box (seriously...you could vacuum the whole house and never have to re-plug the vacuum). It was a cozy little place, but it left very little room for Christmas decor. Still, I couldn't imagine December without a tree, so we got one. A sweet little three footer that only had one ornament on it. At least it was easy to put up and take down! :)

Last Christmas, we had moved to Lake Charles a few months prior and were still living with Jason's gracious parents. There was a tree up at their house of course, but it didn't belong to us.

And now we're at this year. We're very blessed to be finally owning our lovely abode...complete with a great big ol' living room. The first thing I said when I saw the living room is, "Wow, we'll be able to have a Christmas tree!" I get slightly giddy around Christmas time, so all of the decor went up the Saturday after Christmas. We still don't have much, but I love the tree's glow and the warm holiday fuzzies it brings to the house.

The tree and our make-shift mantle. (complete with the LSU/Arkansas game on the TV screen...there's no need to discuss the outcome of said game.)

Ahhh, I love Christmas. :)

The Zoo

Ok, I have obviously not kept up with the 30 day blogging challenge. I think I'm a week and a half behind at this point, but meh, oh well.

A few weekends ago, we trekked over to Lafayette to visit The Zoo of Acadiana. Brayden loves his animal book and is an old pro at animal names and sounds, so it was really fun showing him the REAL things. As expected, he loved the animals. One of the best parts of being a parent is seeing joy on your child's face and getting to experience things from his perspective. A simple day at the zoo becomes an amazing adventure!

Feeding the fish and ducks.

"Calling" the deer.

Day Eleven

Favorite TV Shows

I love me some TV shows. I could probably live without TV, but it makes life enjoyable. I mentioned in Day One that I love to watch shows on DVD. We also record shows on our DVR and watch instant Netflix. More entertainment than you could ever need!

As far as "primetime" shows go, we watch The Office (love!) and Law & Order:SVU. I get sucked into what I call "train wreck shows"...16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, etc. I also like shows on TLC and A&E. We also watch a lot of Blue's Clues in this house, although that's not really enjoyed by those of us over three feet tall. :)

Day Ten

Something I am Afraid Of

Well, being a mother has unleashed all kinds of new fears in me. I worry about something happening to Brayden, and I worry that something will happen to me, leaving Brayden without a mother (and Jason a widow). I worry about protecting Brayden from the crazies of this world, and I worry about how we're raising him...so that HE doesn't become a crazy.

On a lighter note though, one of my biggest (and probably irrational fears) is of the dark. It sounds very 4 years old-ish, I know. I get scared when I'm alone in our house at night. I don't like dark parking lots. And I sure as heck do NOT like dark woods, or dark places I've never been. I'm not sure why. Nothing bad has ever happened to me in the dark, but I just don't like it.

Day Nine

A Picture with Friends

Ok, he's technically my husband...but he's also my best friend. :) We've known each other forever and can spend hours talking and not get bored. He puts up with my college football antics and I'm currently letting him play his video game.

Most of my other friends are scattered throughout the US. I miss them so much!

Angie and I met wayyyy back in Kindergarten. At the end of 1st grade, she moved a town over, but we've maintained our friendship over the years. We both attended LaTech, and now she lives an hour away, in Beaumont. Whenever we get together we always pick up right where we left off. She knows all about me and still likes me, haha!

Devon and I met our freshmen year of college and we roomed together our sophomore year (in a tiny bright yellow dorm room!). She is one of the funniest people I know and being around her just puts you in a good mood. She now lives in Little Rock and I miss her SO much.

Stacey and I met our freshmen year of college. She's a great listener and we share the same sense of humor. She's also a wonderful shopping buddy. :) She now lives in Shreveport...we need to plan a visit soon!

I'm so thankful for all of my friends...the ones pictures, and the ones not pictured. I'm so lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life!

Day Eight

A Place I've Traveled To

I love to travel. There's just something so exciting about seeing new places, experiencing new cultures, and exploring what else is out there in this great big ol' world. If we somehow stumble upon a large sum of money, I would love to just travel around to different places. There's so many fun places I've been to, and so many new places I want to explore. And so many places I can't wait to take Brayden!

To pick just one, though? That's tough. However, I'll think I'll go with....

Honduras.

There's just a special place in my heart for this little country and the people that live there. I am so blessed to be sitting in my house with internet, food, running water, and electricity. Some of the people in Honduras have none of those things, yet you rarely see people without a smile on their face. And how can you not love these precious little faces?!

Day Seven

Your Favorite Movies

Due to the weekend, I'm behind another day, so today is another two for one special. :)

I've been thinking off and on for two days what I would consider my favorite movies. We used to watch a lot of movies in high school/college, but now that parenting and full-time jobs are in the picture, movie watching has been put on the back burner. Jason watches movies all the time, but I'm usually on the computer or doing something else. As mentioned in Day One, I love to watch TV shows on DVD. I still love all the old Disney movies. I like movies that make me think and leave me surprised at the end. The best movie I've seen lately is "Inception."

Sorry, that was kind of a cop-out answer. :)

Day Six

A Picture of Something that Makes you Happy

Well, I think it goes without saying that the thing on this earth that brings me the most joy is a little blonde haired, blue eyed boy less than three feet tall. I have always enjoyed being around children, and knew from a very young age that A) I definitely wanted children, and B) My career would involve children somehow. I just didn't understand how much you could love another human being as much until October 23, 2008. It's like your heart is just walking around outside of your body 24/7. I love watching him grow and learn, and I love seeing the person he is becoming!

Note: Don't miss Day 5, posted below!

Day Five

My Favorite Recipes

I accidentally missed Day Five, so I'm posting it now and will do another post for Day Six. I thought long and hard all day about what my favorite recipes are. I wasn't sure if it meant my favorite recipes to eat, or to cook. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not the world's greatest cook. I have to follow a recipe EXACTLY, and even then sometimes it just doesn't come out right. God Bless my sweet husband...he has definitely eaten his fair share of questionable meals since we've been married.

Anyway, I've been experimenting with a few different things lately. I've been trying some recipes from The Pioneer Woman, and most of them have turned out edible. :) I also enjoy baking my Maw Maw's cookies, my mom's chicken and rice dish, and making homemade pizzas. I also impressed myself with making some banana bread a few weeks ago and it was quite yummy!

I know those weren't specific recipes, but if anyone wants to try any one of those, let me know!

Day Four

Day Four - Your Parents

My dad, John, co-owns a signs franchise here in Lake Charles. He is one of the funniest people I know. He works hard and is always looking out for others. When I need wisdom about something, I turn to my dad. He is passionate about sharing the love of Jesus, and he is always studying the Bible and sharing what he's learned. I will be forever grateful to him for telling me about God's love and for being the strong foundation in our family. He was (and still is!) an amazing father, and now he's an amazing Papa to our Brayden (and Mackenly).

My mom, Cathy, works in the local school system. She has the patience of a rock and cares immensely about others. I never see her put herself first. She is an excellent shopping buddy, and never minds sharing her clothes or jewelry. ;) If I am half the mother she was to us, I'll consider it a success. And now she's Super Mimi!

The older I get, the more I appreciate everything my parents did for us. I understand so much more now than I did before Brayden was born. Every day I thank God for blessing me with such wonderful parents!

Day Three

Day Three - Your First Love

When I think about my first love, only one thing comes to mind. It's not Jason. It's not some random guy in middle/high school. It's not even Brayden. My first love goes by many names, is always there for me, and knew me before I was born.

He came to Earth as a baby in manger. He lived thirty-three years in human form, then died on a cross. Some refuse his teachings, and some deny that he existed at all. I was raised in church, meaning that we went every Sunday. I was baptized when I was seven years old. Since that day I have done a lot of soul searching. I have made PLENTY of mistakes. I am no where near perfect and I will never claim to be. My Jesus has never left me though. Or given up on me. As much as I love my wonderful husband, our sweet baby boy, and my other family members/friends, none of that compares to the relationship I have with the Author of Love. Without Him the rest wouldn't exist.

Day Two

Meaning Behind Your Blog Name

Well, the meaning behind our blog name isn't very shocking. We're boring and I wanted something that was easy to remember. I originally started the blog right before Brayden was born. We were living in Ruston at the time and all of our family members lived in Southwest Louisiana. It was a fun way for them to see pictures of Brayden and read about his latest shenanigans. Now we live near our families, but our blog is a way for me to look back and read what Brayden was doing, what was going on, etc. One of these days I'm going to get around to finishing his one year scrapbook. ;)

Blogging 30 Day Challenge: Day One

I've never been a consistent blogger. I enjoy reading other blogs, but I always forget to sit down and post. Or, I have nothing to write because I don't think our lives are that interesting. I stumbled upon a Blogging 30 Day Challenge, which is basically a post every day for 30 days about a certain topic (chosen by whoever originated the idea, not me). So, in hopes of giving our little blog some more attention, I'm going to try it! :)

Day One: Introduce, Recent Picture, and 15 interesting facts

Well, my name is Kristen. I was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana in 1987. I have a younger sister named Kelsey. I think my family is the greatest in the world. I went to college at Louisiana Tech and absolutely loved it. I married my best friend, Jason, in 2008. On October 23, 2008, our sweet little Brayden was born. We now live in Lake Charles again. I work as a Family Support Coordinator for LA's Early Intervention program, and Jason is a banker at Capital One. We enjoy spending time together as a family and watching Brayden grow and learn.

(see, I told you we were boring! :) )

Interesting Facts:
1. I thought Mardi Gras was a national holiday until I was 13.
2. I'm not a huge fan of the beach. It's too hot, I hate salt water, and the sand never really gets fully washed off. Yuck.
3. I always wear earrings, except when I'm sleeping.
4. I LOVE football. College football, to be exact. I stay up and watch Sports Center, read articles on the internet, and keep the ESPN app on all Saturday.
5. My mom brought me home from the hospital on Mother's Day.
6. I've been exploring photography lately. I really really wish I was better at it, or had more time to practice. I don't really care to ever be a photographer of other people, I just want to have good pictures of our family.
7. I went to Europe twice within a six month period. I absolutely loved both trips and can't wait to make another one!
8. I've been to Honduras three times on mission trips, all trips to the same children's home (http://www.thegsch.org/). Those precious children and that beautiful place will always hold a special place in my heart. I can't wait to go back, and hopefully take Jason and Brayden with me! :)
9. This is kind of embarassing, but I failed my driving test the first time. I still claim that it was for stupid reasons.
10. I love love love to read, especially now that I'm done with school and can read for fun.
11. I enjoy watching TV series on DVD. "Friends" is my all time favorite! I could probably make anything into a Friends reference.
12. Even after two years, I'm still picky about what Brayden wears and what he looks like in public. People told me I would stop caring after a while, but I haven't. He doesn't need to be in designer clothes, he just has to match and be clean.
13. I'm a horrible cook. I'm working on this one.
14. I don't mind vacuuming or doing laundry. I loathe doing the dishes.
15. It was really hard to come up with fifteen things!

Ok, day one done! Minus the picture, but for record, I did try to post one...blogger is being difficult, as per usual.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!
(from our silly little train engineer who refuses to look at the camera)

Re-cap and more pictures to come soon!

Happy Birthday, Brayden!

Two years ago today we welcomed our precious little boy in our lives. We had no idea what we were getting into, but we welcomed the adventure head on and our lives haven't been the same since!

Little boy, you are the center of our lives. You're so funny and makes us laugh constantly. Your language exploded a few months ago and you says the cutest things. You love to sing songs and to read books. You still love to run around and play outside. You're so observant of the world around you. We count school buses in the morning and you love to look for the moon at night time. Our hearts melt when you come up and ask for a hug. We love you so much, sweet Brayden. We pray that you always know how much we love you. Our lives haven't been the same since that sweet day two years ago, and we wouldn't trade a second of it for the world.

Happy Birthday, Brayden!

A Day on the Boat

Today Brayden had his very first boating adventure. We went with Josh and Kelsey around the bayous of southwest Louisiana. It was a gorgeous day and a great time was had by all! Brayden was a little apprehensive at first, but LOVED the boat. He even got to drive a little!

Lately

Life in the Bellon household has been going as usual. We're still patiently waiting for the fall weather to arrive. Even though it's still miserably hot, we've been braving the weather for a few outdoor activities.

Exhibit A: Sidewalk Chalk

Brayden thought it was really neat that he was allowed to "color" on the porch. We practiced drawing circles and learning our colors. Right now Brayden thinks everything is "lellow." He also enjoyed watching the cars drive by on the street.


Exhibit B: Railroad Museum

We took Brayden to the DeQuincy Railroad Museum yesterday. He's been really into trains lately, so we thought he'd enjoy seeing a real train up close and personal. He did enjoy it, but really REALLY wanted to ride it. Unfortunately, that's not possible. He had a good time anyway!

And in other important news...Brayden will be two in less than a month! I can't believe how fast time is flying. Save the date - we'll be celebrating his birthday with a train party on Saturday, October 23rd! :)

Sam Houston Park adventure

So, in order to exercise more, we (along with the Berryhill's) are the proud owners of bicycles. And the babies are the proud owners of a little ride-in cart. It's quite the site, and biking is definitely not as easy as it was when I was 10. Despite that, we decided to take advantage of the under 90 degrees weather this past Saturday and we loaded up and went to Sam Houston Jones state park. We ate a picnic lunch and let the babies run around, then biked around for a little while. We fed some odd looking ducks and even saw a (sad looking) deer. It was quite the adventure!

The babies definitely have the best set up. Drinks while you ride...what could be better?!