If Home Is Where Your Heart Is. . . .

Andy was on America's Newsroom yesterday morning and it was SO EXCITED to actually see him on TV!  I felt like it was the first time I had ever gotten to see color TV or something.  I was thrilled and I was so proud! He was supposed to be interviewed by Lauren Greene (whom I love), but she was busy with Gaddafi stuff.  The interview went super, I think!  He was the "teen expert" in a conversation on bullying in schools.  He hit the nail on the head with the "ALONE" portion, but she didn't really pick up on it like I wish she had.  Maybe he'll have 30 minutes with Anderson Cooper or something and they can really focus on the deeper issues!  :)  Here is most of the interview: Watch the latest video at <a href="http://video.foxnews.com">vide</p><p><br></p><p>You did super, Sweetie!&nbsp; I'm so proud of you!!!<br></p>

I still am Daddy's Little Girl and I am so thankful that I am!  Happy Birthday, Daddy!  Love, Peanut! I love my dad!  I adore my dad!  I look up to my dad!  Everyone has baggage and whatever.  I'm not saying that I don't, but deep down from the bottom of my soul, I love my dad! I still look forward to talking to him and get so disappointed when I call and only get his voice mail!  I love it that he will pick up my call even in the middle of a meeting!  That is one thing that means the most to me.  I'll call and he'll pick up and we'll chat for a few minutes.  Then he'll casually say, "Peanut, I'm here meeting with _______" (whoever, it could be the president of the United States), "can I call you back later?"  He makes me feel important! I love it that my kids love my dad, "Pops" (or Popsie as Gabby calls him when she is really working her magic).  I love it that my dad heads to the mountains to be with my kids when he ...

I found this quote the other day and I love it!  Why do I love it?  Because (most of the time) it is truly how I am feeling (about being married to Andy)!!! You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.

Okay, I'm going out on the limb of my comfort zone with this one.  I am becoming a "guest blogger" on Andy's new Kivu Parenting blog.  (I use the term "guest blogger" because it makes me feel a little less responsible for my lack of parenting teens experience.) I'm going to be doing "parenting your teen" blog posts about twice a week.  I realize that I have only had a teenager for twenty something days, but I am excited to be doing this "with" the Kivu parents (and with you).  As I told them in my first post, my blogs will not come with the years of research you may be looking for, but we can learn together.   We can succeed together.   We can fail together.   We can get up and try again together.   Our teens can hate us together and our teens can appreciate us together! I can't wait!  I'm actually really excited (once I peel away the layers of nerves).  I think I'll have some valuable insights and I think I'll hav...

Well, today's post was supposed to be filled with breathtaking pictures and fun stories about our annual biking and camping trip to Moab.  Unfortunately, that is not the case this morning. Instead of adventures, our weekend was filled with throwing up and no one making it to the potty (if you know what I mean).  The theme of the weekend was, "Another One Bites the Dust."  It seemed like every time I turned around, another Braner was throwing up or changing his or her pants!  We had a TERRIBLE case of upper and lower GI nastiness!  (For those of you at KCO in 2002, it was Ellanoma all over again!) It started with Gabby. . .oh my!  She went through more pairs of pants than I ever thought possible!  She was sick and dehydrated and lethargic and CRANKY and emotional. . .it was unbelievable!  Then Maggie started throwing up on Friday morning (she was so sick--and still is).  Then that night Dax got it and the projectile was EVERYWHERE!!! ...

Our garage.  We are ready for the powder!!!