Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from January, 2010

Lost Tooth & Today's Recap

Tiki lost a tooth last night! It really isn't any big deal since it was lost tooth number 8, but it was lost tooth number 1 as a Braner. I also don't really know why it was a big deal because I'm not a big fan of lost teeth and the Tooth Fairy and all of that. I just don't care and it isn't a big deal to me (I know, I'm such a sentimental schmuck). But when Tiki's tooth fell out last night it was so sweet to me. He didn't even know he was supposed to be excited. It was just so precious that I got to be a part of something of his childhood--that was the feeling I had--"Oh! I didn't miss this!" I have missed so much in his life and I didn't miss tooth number 8 falling out! We all snowboarded today. It was a beautiful day. . .a no coat day on the mountain! Perfectly beautiful! Hays is rockin' on the half pipe! Maggie is boarding down the mountain making super turns! Dax is getting braver and doing toe side and heel side. Ti

Today Has Not Been The Day It Started Out To Be

Frustrating. That is my word for today. It started out fine. It was another beautiful day in Colorado. We woke up to another three or four inches of snow and the trees were dressed beautifully with an inch or two of snow on every tiny little branch. I do love living here. Each day takes my breath away! I got the kids to school (Hays and Maggie only. . .Tiki was asked not to come to school today. . .that is a whole other story. . .a fine one--no worries, but another story) and I headed home with Tiki, Dax and Gabby. Well, for those of you who haven't seen my driveway (most of you), it is CRAZY! It should have its own road sign about steep grade and trucks use low gear and icy conditions may exist and so on and so forth. We had run out of salt and so, I knew the driveway was slippery. . .therefor I parked at the top (but not on the road, lest I get in trouble by the Edgemont Nazi). I was parked behind Andy (not actually Andy's car, because he owns a car that shouldn'

Picture Preview

Okay, Jan just gave me a teaser of the pics to come. I am SO EXCITED! Thank you, Jan! ( Go to Jan Schill Photography by clicking here .) I LOVE THEM and I cannot wait for more!!!

Video

MAKE SURE AND GO TO THE BOTTOM OF MY BLOG AND PAUSE THE MUSIC SO THAT YOU CAN HEAR THE VIDEO!!! Film Festival: Rwanda Documentary Trailer from Inflatable Film on Vimeo .

Get Ready. . . .

We just took our family pictures for our annual Valentine's Day card!!! Get excited! My girlfriend, Jan Schill, spent the afternoon with us and took so many fun pics! I cannot wait to see how they turn out! We had some tears because it was VERY cold and we were dressed more for pictures than for the weather! :) I can't wait!

Have You Shoveled Your Roof Lately?

Well, this post is for everyone, but mostly for BeBe (Andy's mom) so that you can see both what wonderful works your son has been up to around the home-front and what amazing danger he has been UP to! Enjoy the pics of roof shoveling...a whole new aspect of living in amazingly wonderfully beautiful Colorado! And a big thank you, too, to Luke for helping Andy shovel our roof! I am so thankful that Andy got to climb on our roof with you today and be a manly servant and have fun with his friend at the same time! In this picture I am trying to give some perspective as to just how high our roof is! My leg made the shot because I was stuck in the snow up past my waist (feet still not touching the ground) and I was trying to get a picture of the house without falling completely into the snow. . .it ultimately didn't work out! The view from my upstairs loft office (inside) out onto our roof. The pictures below are also looking from inside my office out onto the roof! They are still

Inside Looking Out

More Pics From Our Snow Day

The Weather!!!

Picking Dax up from school yesterday! A deer that was "high centered" by the kids school yesterday! Our back porch. . .note that we shoveled off our railing last night AND our railing is UNDER a porch. . .we are getting TONS of snow and MORE ON THE WAY!!! Driving the kids to school yesterday! We're not in Branson anymore!

The Weekend

The kids and I had a great weekend! Andy has been in Florida (and now he is in Missouri) and the kids and I have had a really great time! Tiki started the weekend with a very successful afternoon at a friend's house! I was so happy! We then went to our small group at Valerie and Darren's house with the Willis family. It was really refreshing. On Saturday we went out for Chinese and just chilled at home. Sunday was snowboarding day! All of the kids (not Gabby) had lessons and it was so fun to watch! Hays has gotten really good! He got to work on the half pipe and he was so stoked! Maggie has improved so much since last year! It was so fun to watch both of them cruise down the mountain like little teenagers! Crazy! Dax and Tiki are a hoot! Their personalities come out so much on their boards. Dax is much more cautious and he gets down the mountain in the safest way possible (kind of like his mom). Tiki, on the other hand, has NO fear! The instructor just points

TIKI. . .

Tiki got invited to play at a friend's house after school today! I almost cried I was so happy! A little boy who knows him from recess asked his mom if he could invite Tiki over and she said yes!!! I am on cloud nine!!!!

Orchestra Concert

The concert was WONDERFUL tonight! I am so proud of Hays! I really had a great night! I am working on a video to put together (for Pops, GoGo, Gran'ma, BeBe & PaPa mostly), but I'm not quite sure how to work my "FlipShare" software yet. Until then here are some pictures!

New Shoes & A 20 Year Overdue Apology

Well, tonight is Hays's winter concert. They are required to wear black dress pants, a black belt, black shoes and a white button down. Remember, I live in America's Worst Dressed City (Durango was ACTUALLY voted that). So I had to buy Hays a brand new outfit that he will outgrow before next year's concert and will never wear again. So, I have waited until the last minute to buy shoes because that was just a cost too difficult for me to stomach. So, we went to buy shoes today. The men's shoes (can you believe that my baby wears a men's size?!?!) were nearly $70. WHAT IN THE WORLD!?!??! So, we meandered to the children's section where the same shoe was only $20. Needless to say, Hays will be curling his toes tonight for the concert. That brings me to the 20 year overdue apology. When I was in high school, my mom bought me a pair of volleyball shoes that were 2 sizes too big. I couldn't believe it! But "they were on sale." I still couldn&

So Behind in "Real" Life!

Oh my goodness! I am SO behind! I have mail piled up and Christmas cards to read. I have laundry to put away (at least it is clean) and pictures to hang. I need to get TONS of work stuff finished, too!!! For Kivu, I have on my plate right now: Spring Break trip transportation and scheduling, summer clothing, summer menu, summer schedule and the new playbook to write. Oh my! I'm not even sure where to begin! A big Dr. Pepper on the beach sure sounds nice! :) Please pray for our house in Branson to sell (pictures below). 2010 is here finances are getting tight as we rent a home here in Durango while our home in Branson sits empty. I am praying so hard for the perfect family to fall in love with the home and the location! Andy is very stressed out about it right now and it would be such a huge relief if it would sell! I think it would also be good confirmation that we made the right decision in the move! I know we did, but sometimes doubt creeps in. Tonight Hays has his Ch

Dax & TIki's First Day Snowboarding

Andy was SUPER DAD while I was in Cabo with Kelly! He truly was amazing! He had five kids (thank you, BeBe, for flying out to help) for a week and he went above and beyond! On Saturday he took the four oldest kids snowboarding by himself! AMAZING! Hays and Maggie are old pros, but Dax and Tiki had never been on snowboards (or lifts) before. OH MY GOODNESS! Andy worked with them on Saturday until they got the hang of it and then on Sunday he took all of the kids back up to the mountain for their lessons! I told him that knowing that he braved the mountain with all of those kids was one of the greatest gifts he has ever given me! What a great husband I have! Enjoy the video! And here are some pics from my last week in Cabo that I just got from Kelly. We had a WONDERFUL time! And I have a HUGE prayer request! Our home in Branson needs to sell! It is becoming really tough (financially) with that big burden still sitting empty in Branson. Please pray that the perfect people co

New Year's Surprise

Well, check out my New Year's Surprise! Such a WONDERFUL surprise! The Bible talks about God giving you the desires of your heart and here it is! I have ALWAYS wanted a piano. Andy plays the piano beautifully! I love to listen to him play! And the odds are that at least one of my children will get his talent (right?)! So, I've always wanted a piano but I have never prayed for one. I just felt like there are so many other things we NEED, so why bother praying for a piano. (Silly?) But God gave me my heart's desire with an answered unprayer! Isn't it beautiful (and it was free)!!!?!??!? Also, here is my mantle with Christmas gone and Valentine's up!

More Pics From Christmas With BeBe & PaPa

We got to ride the Polar Express when BeBe & PaPa came up before Christmas and I just got the pictures! It was so much fun for Tiki! He loved it and he absolutely went NUTS when he saw Santa! Dax, on the other hand (when we got to the "North Pole") said, "Is this the North Pole? I think NOT." And we played some Lego Rock Band on the Wii: And we enjoyed the snow!