Sunday, December 23 - Anniversary trip

I just thought I would share one picture from our anniversary trip to Chicago - it was a nice getaway and Brenna had a great time with the grandparents.  She is going through a phase right now where she just wants to stay home with her cats all the time - boy, I hope that ends soon!  I know that she always has a great time staying with both sides - she has such great grandparents (on both sides) who love her so much .  (This pictures is so typical Dustin and I - he is wearing a running hat and Browns attire and I have my hat and rain coat on - all well loved items!)

Saturday, July 9th

Yesterday evening (above) - we went to an Akron Aeros (Brenna's first baseball game) - I'm not sure how well she liked watching the game, but she really enjoyed sitting with her friend Isabel and she loved the fireworks after the game. Brenna also really the ballpark food of cotton candy, soft pretzel and dip-n-dots :-) Below, we went to the Smucker's ice cream social today - lots of fun for the kids and really great prizes!! To start off the event, Brenna rode on their train (and got to ring the bell the whole way around).

All of Brenna's winnings :-) I would say she did pretty well with her new hat, a cake mix, a cookie mix, some cookbooks, a sundae bank, a jar of peanut butter, 3 ice cream scoops, and some new color change bowls (that the ice cream came in).

mmm - chocolate cookies

Brenna and I met the Pillsbury Doughboy :-)

the train

Hello All!!

I am only going to put up a short post today - just wanted to share our pictures from last evening and today at the Smucker's ice cream social. We all had a very fun week with Dustin being home for the week - we went to the area Splash Pad twice, went mini-golfing, and also the Akron Aeros game.

Well, gotta put Brenna in bed!

Take Care!

Tuesday, July 5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3cGNGeLlCg
You can watch Brenna's preschool singing performance at the above link. She was excited to go perform, but a little bummed when I told her that she wouldn't be receiving flowers like she did for her dance performance...Below - Brenna in the fire truck that was at the church for the community festival.

Brenna and daddy also checked out the helicopter there - but Brenna was more interested in heading to the bouncy house slide that was at the church - she could have played on it for hours...

On the 26th of June, daddy had a chance to join us at the Akron zoo - Brenna had a great time with him!

showing off her stamp (when you go into the akron zoo, there is a cart with items to buy on it, we found out this winter that the kids can also get a free stamp there - so that is something Brenna always enjoys there as well).

riding the pink flamingo :-)

the week of the 27th, Brenna and I played with her colored crayola bubbles. (pink of course, although on her skin and mine they looked more red...). I had read some user reviews online that these stain clothes and the sidewalk, but we didn't have any problems with Brenna's swimsuit and the backyard grass :-)

on Sunday (the 3rd), we checked out the Cleveland Children's Museum. Brenna enjoyed their messy craft (which is their name for it) when they made some orange slime :-)

Brenna also enjoyed the water play area they had for the kids to play in and the climbing thing they had at the museum. The museum is really good for kids when they enjoy pretend play (they have a nice room right now with astronaut stuff and they have a nice "barnyard", playhouse area (including a doctor's office, living room, and grocery store)). Brenna really enjoyed the play area, but would have enjoyed having someone her own age to play with there.

On Sunday, we also went to Vermillon to the beach there - great area to put your feet in Lake Erie.

Then, yesterday, we enjoyed the day with Dustin's family. I have to say that Uncle Steven wins the prize in my book for most fun playing with the sprinkler - he and Brenna had a great time :-) Brenna loves her Uncle Steven and she really enjoyed playing with him all day yesterday :-)

we didn't bring a swimsuit with us, but Divine Miss Gammy came up with a great top for Brenna :)

Hello All!!

Hope all is going well out there! Things are good here - trying to enjoy summer :-)

Brenna had lots of fun at her preschool singing at the church's community fest. You can check out the video above. (Although I think what she really loved was the bouncy house slide - she would have been happy to stay and play on it all day).

The day after the church community festival, we enjoyed the great summer weather at the Akron zoo :-) I really love that zoo and so glad that we got a membership :-)

Brenna is enjoying her summer dance classes - she loves the acro class on Thursday (in fact, she was so impatient to go this week to class that we enjoyed watching the mini movement ballet and tap class because we got there very early). (That and she thinks that her class is the same time that the class during the year was).

We had a very nice family 4th of July weekend. Brenna helped me make cookies here at home, we went to the Cleveland Children's museum, spent the day with family and enjoyed the beach at Vermillon.

Well, that is about all I can think of to post for now!

Take Care!

Saturday, April 16

we are celebrating Brenna's gotcha day all weekend - so, to start off the weekend, we tried to get a new family picture (my goal for each gotcha day has been just to spend time as a family, hopefully make Brenna feel special and get a new family picture). So, Brenn and I ganged up on Daddy and got one really good picture (can you belive this was the first picture taken below??). Brenna and I both got our hair cut and styled yesterday - I didn't realize until we left how expensive a morning at the salon would be (oops), but Brenna felt very pampered after having her hair done and her nails too (she had her first salon pedicure :-)

I loved Brenna's smile in the picture below - can you tell I was trying to tell her to move the flower down in the picture??

thought I would try a picture with a book (I've seen this on the photographer's website who took our family pictures in August). I love this one of Dustin and Brenna together (we didn't get one of all of us that turned out like I would like). With the book that I chose - it might have to be on our Christmas cards this year....

Brenna of course, really wanted to take pictures of Dustin and I - with the camera on the tripod it really makes it easy for her to be our photographer :-) I also love that he is holding one of her stuffed animals in the picture - I thought about cropping it out, but I think I like the picture more with him holding her toy :-)

Brenna and I stopped by Hobby Lobby yesterday afternoon for some paint supplies - we got some new canvas to paint on. I've been wanting to paint this horse (he is a very popular character in Germany - part of the Diddlina) on a canvas - I think I did a pretty good job (even if I did use the wrong type of paint for my canvas - it looks good right now ;-)

When Dustin was gone, Brenna, Divine Miss Gammy and I enjoyed an afternoon at Miss Molly's Tea Room followed by some pottery painting. We all painted the cupcake cookie jar below - it is so cute! Now, I just need to figure out what to store in it... I bought some of the vanilla oreos, but it turns out that Brenna only wants those frozen now when she eats them (which I have to give kudos to my mother-in-law there - it really does make the cookies taste better that way).

oh, I was working on Brenna's curtains this week. (under my cupcake cookie jar is the unfinished panel). I finished one panel for her room. I used black out lining for the curtain, but I still am disappointed how much light comes in the room - but Brenna seems to really like the one that is finished (in fact, she told me that she really only wants one now - hopefully, I can get the other curtain finished and hung up in her room still).

Brenna's Gnome that she painted - he is so cute! If anyone has seen the movie Gnomeo and Juliet - Brenna obviously sided with both the red and the blue :-) (and now she would really love some lawn art - she really wants some Gnomes and Flamingos for the back yard - anyone seen any cute ones???)

I finally finished my sister's purse - I love the fabric she donated for the bag - I hope the purse works well for you ;-)

the two new bags :-)

Brenna showing Divine Miss Gammy her favorite picture pose...

Our first tea afternoon :-)

With the weather finally having some nice days, I took Brenna out of preschool early on Thursday and we drove up to the Akron zoo. Brenna loved walking around the zoo, seeing the new baby penguins (I think the one right in front with the yellow band is the boy penguin), riding the Carousel, and feeding the animals at Farmland for the 1st time. I think she could have fed the sheep and goats all day. She also loved time at the rock climbing wall in the Jelly Fish area (that is her favorite part). If anyone wants to go up on a nice afternoon - just left me know - we love spending time at the zoo and Brenna is on a mission to ride every animal on the Carousel :-)

I swear I have a picture so similar to this from the London zoo (below)....

Brenna riding the polar bear (she wanted to ride the dog again, but then decided she would rather have an animal that went up and down - so she just picked an animal close by)

Brenna loves to pose with the statues...

The Easter Bunny is visiting the Akron Zoo - I think Brenna was just as happy to sit in the sparkly chair - hmm - wonder if we could do one like that for her room???

Hello All!!!

Can you believe that I let half of April go by with no posts??? I'm surprised no one has emailed or called to remind me that I need to post something (usually I hear something from my dad - did he stop reading me???).

Anyway, Dustin was gone for 2 weeks in Germany (he went for work and stayed at the hotel I looked out my windows at every day (and walked by on the way to the store/school everyday as well)). Brenna and I were very sad that Daddy was gone for so long. We tried to leave the house as much as possible. I was glad both sets of Grandparents were available for some much needed distraction. On a positive note, we finally got a chance to see my mom, dad, sister, and niece (who we hadn't seen since Christmas). Brenna really enjoyed our time with family - but we were bummed that Justice was sick the 1st weekend that Daddy was gone (at least he never had an accident in my parents' house - but it made it so we were ready to come home and go to the vet so Justice could get better). We never found out why Justice got sick - but he seems to be fine now (other than the tumor on his head that needs removed and the cyst on his rump - poor guy - it is tough getting old!).

We really enjoyed Dustin's mom's visit - we got a chance to enjoy Miss Molly's Tea Room and then painting pottery afterwards. Brenna loved it and I know she is looking forward to our next trip to the tea room :-) Brenna also got a really cool new jewelry box filled with treasures from Divine Miss Gammy - come back soon - Brenna loved playing with you with them :-)

We took a spring break the 1st full week of April (my niece was on spring break that week and so was Brenna's dance class). It was nice being able to see my family, but it would have been nice to have some warmer nicer weather to enjoy. (Oh, and I was so jealous since Dustin was in Germany with sunshine and warm weather). Can you believe I didn't take any pictures while I was at my mom's???

We had a nice family weekend last weekend after missing Dustin so much. He brought home wonderful gifts for us - Brenna loved her chocolate eggs from Germany :-)

This week has gone by fast - I started working (finally) on Brenna's room curtains - I finished one, just one more to go :-) Brenna and I enjoyed having our hair cut on Friday (she also had the special treat of getting a pedicure). We did some painting in the afternoon on Friday as well. I modeled with my picture - wonder if I can get Brenna to hold up her's or sit by it? This afternoon we went out to them movies and saw Rio. Brenna really enjoyed it and the birds were great to see in 3D.

Oh, I almost forgot - Brenna won most Spirited Dancer at her dance studio :-) We were both very excited!!!

Well, that is about all for now!

Monday, February 21

so, here are some pictures from our valentine week. Brenna loved the card she got in the mail from Divine Miss Gammy - almost good enough to eat :-) - below, styling her shades (too bad you can see me in the picture (don't look to closely at the reflection, lol).

I get a lot of tongue shots - it is easier sometimes than a smile shot with my little girl...

Loving her daddy...

we tried out paper towel curlers last week (you just tear a paper towel into strips and then tie them). We didn't have consistent curls at all - I guess I am not to talented at the art of putting paper in her hair, lol!

the results of our paper towel curlers... (Brenna didn't originally want to show any teeth, but we finally found some later in the morning)

before school - she loves her new tangled t-shirts (can you tell that is all she wanted to wear last week)

Yesterday, we were joined by some great friends and went to the ice festival in our town. Before they arrived, we had to check out the new bakery in town (it is for pets). Justice enjoyed one of the yummy treats yesterday.

Ice sculptures - I think this one was my favorite :-)

penguin

angel fish

dog with newspaper

sleigh

pink panther (for the owens corning in town)

i think the castle was one of my favorites (not sure why i didn't try to make my picture straight, but oh, well)

the cups and tee pot at Miss Molly's Tee Room (which we all decided was a little too fancy for our tired little ones)

Had to include my sad eyed dog in a picture - he enjoyed an early morning walk with me on Sunday

A picture of Brenna's valentines. The ones with M&M's went to her preschool and the ones with Smarties went to dance class (I think next year I will just do the ones like the dance class - with my new paper cutter they were really quick and easy - although the ones with candy weren't too bad either (but I was more tempted to eat M&M's than Smarties))

Brenna with her candy heart ring :-)

Hello All!!!!

Hope all is well out there. Brenna started with a fever yesterday evening and isn't feeling so great today :-(

Brenna had a great Valentine's week (who knew she would get so much candy??). We enjoyed the warmer weather last week with a trip to the zoo on Thursday. I think Brenna likes the climbing wall at the zoo more than anything, but at least they have something fun for the kids to do in the winter time there.

I was glad to see the snow gone, but it wasn't fun to have the mud back for Justice's paws, lol. We got a new dusting of snow yesterday evening (with some ice too - yuck). But at least we were back inside the house by then (at least Brenna and I were - Dustin went out for a long run in it).

We enjoyed our town ice festival yesterday with some great friends. After the ice festival, we took Brenna to see Gnomeo and Juliet. She really enjoyed the movie, but I think she was starting not to feel the best. By bedtime, she had a fever running and had a tough time sleeping last night :-( Lets hope she feels better soon! We are going to take it easy here today with a movie marathon I think!

Take Care!