W comes to Midland!!! (2 updates to follow from January)

Well, on Innauguration Day, while the Damn Democrats were all in DC, the TRUE action was happening in our very own Midland, Texas!! George & Laura Bush, along with a slue of people from Washington and Austin flew into Midland to have a Welcome Home/ Great Job/ Retirement Party in Downtown Midland!! We joined 30,000 other Midlanders and Texans to welcome W & Laura home & BOY OH BOY.... did we have a blast! Lee Greenwood, The Gatlin Brothers, and Rodney Atkins sung while Rick Perry & many other dignataries spoke while we awaited W.

I spoke with a customer on the morning of, and she informed me that the Hilton was selling tables to only 21 people to have a private viewing from the 3rd floor bar patio!! I called, and I didnt care what they cost! It was worth not standing with everyone else in Midland! $200.00 was worth- 4 chairs, outdoor heaters, food service, cash bar, indoor/ outdoor ability, room to roam while we waited 3 hours, no 2 hour wait in line to go through security, and most importantly....NO portapotties, real bathrooms!! We went with mom & dad & Dan & Sylvia and the kiddos, and waited for W, though waiting was half the excitement!!!!

This was our view of people who had walked 2 hours in line to get through security!

Chad & his parents!

Mom & Chad with the kids, checking out our view!!

Braden taking it all in!!

Braden, proud to show his support!

The Secret Service were all over Braden!

We were told about how the Bushes wanted to see all the support from above, and boy did they!!! This was the best part of the whole day!!!

The Snipers were out!! Hovering over from our Courthouse!

The kids looking out over the patio!

Waiting with Baryn!!

Our View on the CBS 7 tv's

This is what 30,000 people look like....smashed sardines!! Worth $200.00, not to be with them!!

we had an obscured view, but you can see W & Laura through the trees!

Mom & Dad showing their support!!

We stood behind Jay & Tatum, the whole time that they were live on T.V., so we really were getting 2 exciting shows between the news & W!!!

After W left, Braden was worn out from being there for 4 hours!! He was a trooper!! We had a blast and a little piece of History!!

More updates from January!!

Not really an update, but a really cute photo of Baryn!!

Taking you back to New Year's Eve!!

We spent our New Year's at a Surprise Wedding Reception with surprise entertainment by Jack Ingram & Lyle Lovett!!! I was assisting the bride this night and she allowed Chad to join me for the evening! It was a blast bringing in the new year with Lyle & Jack singing and Chad & I dancing! The photos are not great, but you can tell that it is Lyle!!

Chad & I dancing at Midland Country Club to Lyle Lovett!!

People kept getting in my way & ALL I wanted was a photo of them!!

The Bride, Kelly (just an adorable person, inside & out!) & Lyle as he departed the party!

The days following Christmas!

Well we headed to Austin, the day after Christmas to go see Uncle Bubba! We got to have Christmas #4!! We stayed caddy corner to the capitol and real close to 6th St. That town is just PLAIN WEIRD!! Our kids have been introduced to some weird things!! We had fun, though...and ate way too much!!

We got to go to the state capitol and look around!

Braden thought this was a cool cannon!!

Braden didn't know who Davy Crockett was, but he wanted his photo taken with him! He was in awe of all the cool things!!

He thought this was cool....it had to be, it was roped off!!

Here is mom & dad with Chad & the kids on the other side of the Rotunda!!

This was a neat sculpture!

We had fun with Uncle Bubba!!

Braden loved Uncle Bubba's hat, he is soooooo cool!

Baryn just loves Julie, she is Braden's newest girlfriend! He wanted to do/eat/walk JUST LIKE Jules!!! Baryn called her JUDY!! (her attempt at Julie)

Braden loves hanging out with his Uncle Bubba!

We all had a good time with Mom & Dad on the way here to there & there to here! Just glad we are home!

Christmas Time was a Hit!

We were so very busy Christmas Eve & Day and had a great time!

Baryn loves to pose!

We went to Red Lobster on Christmas Eve with Sassy & Poppy and then to look at lights in Odessa!

We made a side trip to Poppy's Office, as Bee Dub wanted to play on the lift!

We went to Poppy & Sassy's to open up our first round of gifts, then came home to await Santa!

We woke up to LOTS of presents! Braden has his BatMan wings on!

Baryn loved opening up her toys without the help of Bubba this year!

Grandpa helped put together her Piano chair!

On our way over to Grandma & Grandpas!

We love the Moon Shoes that we got during Present opening #3 at Grandma & Grandpas!

Merry Christmas from THE BROWNS!

Merry Christmas to Everyone in Blog World! We wish you a Present filled Christmas Morning with GREAT Anticipation of the "Best presents Ever!!" & a few "What is it?"s!!!

Chad, Darby, Braden & Baryn

More Photos of the Kids!

Well we survived another week! We had Braden's Preschool Program on Thursday, and a Wedding on Friday! Braden left on Saturday with Dan & Sylvia to go to Beaumont to take Christmas Gifts to the Cousins!! I wish I could say it has been a quiet weekend, but we have been so busy, and Baryn has been even busier!!

This is Bee Dub & cousin Janie cleaning up after the wedding!
Quick photos before the wedding!

Cute photos of the kids playing in the bathtub! Look at the skin tone difference!?

Preschool Program Family Photo!

Bah Humbug!

Well, I am writing to update everyone that is "concerned" about me since I haven't updated in quite a while! It has been totally crazy around here since we returned from Colorado!

While I was writing the last update from Colorado, I was bragging on how much money we saved by me not skiing, and we did.....until Chad's expensive rental skis got stolen and we owed them all the money I was saving us!! This put a damper on Thanksgiving, but in perspective, it could of been worse, ie kids, cars or our wallets.

We got back in time to spend a day and a half with Bart, Jeannine and the kiddos! Baryn and Bee Dub had a blast with all the attention! Braden is anxious to go see them with Sylvia & Dan next weekend to take our gifts!

Then, Monday started crazyness (which is totally normal) with preparations for Chad's company party in Midland. Since Chad IS the Midland office, he got to do all the prep work, with MY help! The party was a success and his bosses were quite impressed! We each had lots of appointments that week as well with personal stuff, a party on Friday night, Breakfast with Santa at the Doss' and then a dinner party at our house Saturday night. We needed this party after the week our friends had. We had 3 people lose their grandmother/ great aunt that week and 2 of them that were at our party had the funeral that day. So the party was a necessity!

The next week, we awoke to our neighbor coming over at 7:30, to say that their car had been ransacked and robbed. I went to go look at mine, and YEP, robbed, but only of cash is what it looks like so far. I can't beleive it! Tuesday, one of my customers said her car had been robbed as well.

Monday, I had an MRI where I have never been so still for 30 minutes! whooo! I am looking at having surgery before Christmas on my wrist. I go to schedule it this week.

Wednesday, I received 3 calls back to back while getting my hair shampooed and unable to get to the phone. I called the last person, which was Vickie. She said that there was a house either on Haynes or on Dawn that was engulfed in flames. Since our WHOLE family lives on this block, I was a wreck until I could get ahold of my mom, who didn't answer the phone (which made it WORSE) I called her cell, and she immediately said it was my lifelong neighbor caddy corner to mom & dad and 3 doors down from Sylvia & us. So scary when mom said that the whole house was already in flames and the fire trucks were getting there! OMG, I have never seen anything like this! It took 3 cops for me to get past to get into the neighborhood. Mom & Dad had their granddaughter and so she & Baryn played played played! Baryn had a blast! The air outside was awful and I wreeked of smoke. I tried to do what I could, but it was just devastating.

This makes us so appreciative of everyday with our kids and our items that we cherish!

Thursday we flew to Houston. Chad at 5am, me at 5pm! we had dinner with the kiddos' Godparents and their kids and then called it a night! Chad had meetings all day Friday & I had lunch and shopping time with one of my old work buddies! Then off to the KR Houston Christmas Party (the whole reason for going!) Saturday, we shopped a little, ate at PF Chang's, flew home, picked up the kids at each granparents house and then off to a family Christmas Party where Santa made an appearance. Baryn took one look and backed it up, to another room! I made sure to get the screaming photo, which is a must!!

Today, after church, the country club, and a nap, we went to a fellow classmate of Braden's Christmas Party, a quick trip to Sam's and then to Hannah's 1st birthday party!

WHEW! now do you understand why it is so hard to update?

We have a bad taste in our mouths with all the negative things going on around us, to us, and to our friends, so it is really hard to get into the Christmas spirit. We are trying so hard, but there is something in the air. I think that this might be our last Christmas to experience since next year, the president is making it mandatory that we celebrate Kwanza! (just checking to see if you were really reading all the way to the end!!

Hopefully I will get out of this Bah Humbug attitude!

Where's the Snow?

Hello from Colorado! While Chad & Braden are out skiing, and Baryn & I are here at the condo, I thought I would avoid the work I brought with me to do & catch everyone up on our trip! We left on Saturday & headed into Colorado & stayed the night in Pueblo. We continued on to Breckenridge and took a side trip to the Royal Gorge in Canon City. This is a really neat place to view the river and the mountains!

We started out by taking the incline elevator down the mountain. We stood in the blue compartments and it took us down the mountain. I have never seen such a thing! It was neat!

It took us down to the river, and then we went back up!

Where we went shopping for some souvenirs, but we found some funny hats!

Then we took the Gondola from one side to the other & then back again! The kids weren't even scared!

We then made it to the Condo, and went to go check out the mountain which is across the way from the Condo. The spout behind the kids is the man made snow shooting out! We don't arrive to much snow! (nor has there been any snow all week!)

This is the boys playing on our patio when we arrived!

Then we crashed for the evening in front of the light switched fire place.

The kids cuddled and wound down before being put in their own quarters!

Monday, we went on the Gondola to the top of the mountain to enroll in ski school & Snow Angels Daycare!

Braden got all fitted up! He was so excited!

Then after a 7 hour class, he showed us what he could do! We were so excited for him & he was so proud!

He did collapse, but still with a smile!

Posing with Baby Sister!

Ready to do it again!

Baryn was wiped out on Tuesday while we waited for Daddy & Bubba from a day on the slopes!

She loved the taste of the snow!

Then we were back down again to get back to the Condo! (notice the ground has NO snow)

Then we went out for Sushi, and came home again to a warm fireplace & a little time in the jacuzzi!

Just wanted to share our trip so far! We are having a blast and hope for snow tomorrow! We leave on Friday for our long trip all the way home!

And for those of you who noticed that I wasn't on skis in any of these photos, My husband took me on a Blue on Monday & ruined me, since I haven't skied in 4 years, so I gave up! It saves us quite a bit of money, as I turned in my skis, got a refund on my prepaid lift ticket, & cancelled Baryn's Daycare reservations for Tuesday & Wednesday! I think I should go shopping instead! I am to sore to even think about that! We all four have spent every night in the hot tub that is on our back patio! It is so nice to sit in there every night, but I am still so very sore!!