Brooklyn's Favorite Gift

Yesterday Brooklyn was eating breakfast in bed...for her birthday and my dad said, "I'm really excited to give you your surprise tonight." (He of course was meaning the state quarter collection that he's been working on for several years.) She said, "Oh, I hope it's a work badge."

Being the good Papa that he is, he went right to work and made Brooklyn her very own "work badge." She loved it.


She especially liked pulling on the retrackable cord. She was so proud wearing it.

I do believe it beat out the quarter collection, dress-up clothes, real clothes, and cheerleading outfit. She "can't wait to wear it to Papa and Mimi's work" the next time she goes! :)

Happy happy birthday Boogie dear!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY COUSIN!

Little baby Brooklyn with her cousins!
This is one of my favorite pics of Brooklyn...taken at the missions.Clair and Brooklyn...best friends! Look how tender...Brooklyn's little hand holding Clair's hand on her shoulder! SO SWEET!
Beautiful cousins...a little older!

Is this a two headed cutie or two best cousins at the pool sharing a towel?

In Memory

As most of you know, Stephen's sweet grandmother...Margie Worthy Bright...Mimi passed away today! She will be missed. I have been blessed to have married into a great family. A few years ago I wrote a poem inspired by my mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law (Mimi). I thought I would share it in her memory!

Women of This Family

Generations of women who share the same name
Yet we lack one thing in common, our blood is not the same
Through marriage our husbands names we take
Now in this family we claim a stake
As we study each gentle women dear
Many similar traits soon become clear
Women in this family are courageous and true
Women in this family work hard and push through
God is center, no other above Him
Obey all commandments, avoid all sin
Teach your children and love them too
Be supportive and proud of all that they do
Husbands are loved and treated well
With a friendship that through time continues to swell
I am proud to be a small part of this great legacy
And hope to bring honor to my limb of the family tree

Rosalind Call Bright

Never a Bore....look who just turned 4!

Yes Brooklyn turned the big 4 today. She was so excited for this day and is even more excited for her party on Saturday. She wanted me to send a card to her cousins Kate and Clair, "begging them to jump in their car so they can get to the party just in time." (Her words to me.) Well, stay tuned for more pictures. I have a really cute picture and movie clip of her playing the Wii the other night at my house. She was so funny. I had a great time watching her try to ski jump without becoming a snowball. It was hilarious...so stay tuned in the days ahead.

Wii Fit Injury

So I got my first Wii Fit injury. I got a little buck when working out with my trainer on the punching bag. I whipped myself with the wire on the thumb and it took off a layer of skin. It bleed a lot. But it is starting to heal. See...

Alternative Use

When I got out of the shower this morning I found Bowen with a tampon, out of the wrapper and pushed up out of the applicator. Bowen came up with an alternative use for tampons....

Chap-stick!

Then when I tried to get him to do it again for a better picture, he looked at it and said, "Gross! Don't like it!"

Our Friends!

Most of you know our dear friends the Messerklingers. We love them and they have been so good to us. Sadly, they are moving back to Germany soon! So, every time we do something with them, I feel like I need to capture it with photo! Here are a few pictures from a rare nice day outside! Kate and Clair have a new "game"...they like to spy! Bowen had a cold! :(

Clair undercover!

Yucky...snot! Poor Bowen!

"Neena"

Kate being a spy!

Kate and Clair having fun! Look at that hair!

Thank you for your service!

I recognize the historic nature of yesterday's Inaguration. I recognize that to many Americans they have a new sense of Patriotism and love for this country. I recognize that many Americans believe that change is going to come and that it will be a good thing.

Here are some things that I know...I know that my patriotism isn't determined by the man or woman that is leading our country. I know that I love this country because it stands for all that is good and right in this world and because it was established by men called of God. I know that change comes from within and to blame or give credit to 1 person is ridculous. I know that for the past 8 years I have been grateful for a God fearing leader, who made decisions based on what he knows to be right. I know that we all have to be diligent in making sure our rights, freedoms, and the constitution are protected. I also know that whomever leads this country deserves are prayers and our thanks for the sacrifice it takes to lead this country.

Brit taped and showed me the ending of the Glen Beck show. This is just the very end, but I stsrongly recommend everyone finding the clip (I couldn't) and watching all the Glen Beck had to say. He started by saying that he was his biggest fan, but also his biggest critic. I really couldn't have put into words how I feel better than Mr. Beck. He said...

"Mr. President, on the darkest day, you gave us hope when we were hopeless. You were unafraid when we were terrified. You led when nobody else wanted to. Mr. President, you don't have any idea what you meant to me personally and my family right after 9-11. Job well done, good and faithful servant. Thanks."


No matter how I feel about our new President, I will pray for him and that he makes decisions that will be in the BEST interest of our country, our freedom, and our safty, all the while consulting our Heavenly Father. This country was built by men called of God and I can only hope that God will continue to be called upon by the new leadership.

Kate in the News

Here is a page from the school newsletter. The bottom section shows Kate's achievements in the reflections contest. For those of you who have contributed to the box tops for education program, you can see that her class is currently in 3rd place over all for the entire school. Keep the box tops coming in.

Monuments by Moonlight

While in Washington DC last week for our National Sales Conference, our Sales team went on a bus tour around the city. It was cold and it was rainy, but it still was beautiful. My pictures didn't come out very good because of the weather and that many of these pictures I was taking from the bus. The other bad thing about this tour was that much of the city was shut down. The road in front of the White House was shut down and all around the hotel where President Elect Obama was staying was also shut down.

We did get out at the Abraham Memorial. Each time I see it, I'm more and more amazed. I read President Lincoln's 2nd inaugurial speech. If you haven't read it, you should. As I read it, I thought how I can not imagine a President today saying the amazing things that he spoke that day. It is worth the time to read it.


At this second appearing to take the oath of the presidential office, there is less occasion for an extended address than there was at the first. Then a statement, somewhat in detail, of a course to be pursued, seemed fitting and proper. Now, at the expiration of four years, during which public declarations have been constantly called forth on every point and phase of the great contest which still absorbs the attention, and engrosses the energies of the nation, little that is new could be presented. The progress of our arms, upon which all else chiefly depends, is as well known to the public as to myself; and it is, I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all. With high hope for the future, no prediction in regard to it is ventured.

On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago, all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it--all sought to avert it. While the inaugeral [sic] address was being delivered from this place, devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, insurgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war--seeking to dissole [sic] the Union, and divide effects, by negotiation. Both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish. And the war came.

One eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the Southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was, somehow, the cause of the war. To strengthen, perpetuate, and extend this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the Union, even by war; while the government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it. Neither party expected for the war, the magnitude, or the duration, which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with, or even before, the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces; but let us judge not that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered; that of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has his own purposes. "Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!" If we shall suppose that American Slavery is one of those offences which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South, this terrible war, as the woe due to those by whom the offence came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a Living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope--fervently do we pray--that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue, until all the wealth piled by the bond-man's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord, are true and righteous altogether"

With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan--to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.

Dying of Thirst

The question is...if you were stranded in the desert dying of thirst and you came upon this...

...would you drink it?

While in DC last week they were selling "First Family" water as well as "Obama" water. What can I say...capitalism at work!

Older Pictures

It's not that I've had these pictures on my camera for months and months. I took all of these with my new camera. The camera that Santa gave me for Christmas. It's taken me this long to figure out how to use my camera and how to upload my pictures onto my computer. Sorry, but some of these take us back a month ago...to Christmas.

My Christmas Tree
While living in NYC...one of my favorite things to do was to go to the Met. Christmas at the Met was the best. They have a huge tree that is totally covered with angels. It is gorgeous. I decided to create my own Angel tree. I love it.

New Year's Eve
For the past few years we've gone over to the Fernandes' house for New Year's Eve. We eat, play games, do puzzles, eat some more, play Wii or Dance Dance Revolution, the men go out shooting rodents, and when we aren't in drought conditions we shoot off fireworks. We also ring in the new year with a little bubbly. Here are some picutre of the festivities.

Belive it or not...Brooklyn and I were 2nd place and Uncle "Nit" was 1st.

New Year's Day
This year we had New Year's Day at mom and dad's. It was great fun. Mom did a low country boil, Brit made cabbage, and we feasted. It was good. Brooklyn brought her new roller skates. She had a blast skating around mom and dad's street. She was hilarious. I took a movie on my camera, but I haven't learned how to get that uploaded to my computer yet. It gives you something to look forward to.

January 2nd and 3rd
We spent the first few days of 2009 out and about with family. Brit's partents were in town. We went to lunch with Mimi on Friday and then we went to the Bass Pro Shop. Brooklyn and Jack enjoyed the 4 wheelers.


Saturday we went to brunch at the Fork and Spoon in our town. Brooklyn wanted to take pictures with both her grandparents, so she can put them in her little itty bitty locket.

One Smart Kid

Clair amazes me. She isn't the "book smart" type like Kate...she is more of like the "street smart" type!

The other day she was putting on her PJ's after a shower. She picks up her shirt and it is inside out. I watch her put it on (inside out), but before I can say something to her, she pulls it off again, which makes it right side out now! Then she puts it back on, this time the right way! She comes over and tells me,

"Mom, I don't need your help when my shirts are inside out! I'll just put them on wrong and take them off and then they will be right!"

Now how smart is that?

Kids = Funny

Yesterday we had some really windy weather! Wind gusts were like 30+ mph. However, life goes on and I had to run some errands. So, Clair and Bowen and I were walking across a parking lot in these strong wind gusts...holding onto each others hands for our very safety! When we finally got back to the van Clair says,
"Mom, it is SO windy! If I kept a record of the windiest days of my life, this would totally be on the top of the list!"

Our little Bowen is sure growing! He is talking lots! Every day he says something new that amazes us! A few days ago, I found him in the toy room completely emptying Clair new doll house of all it's furnishings and dolls! He had even taken the drawers out of every cabinet and dresser! It was a mess.
I said, "Oh son, what did you do?"
He said, "I made a mess!"
I said, "Yes, and Clair is not going to be too happy with you! Come on let's go tell her what you did." So I took his hand and we started down the stairs to tell Clair. As we were walking down the stairs he yells down to Clair,
"Quare (Clair), you be happy with me! I tell the truth!"
I guess he figured she had no right to be mad since he was going to tell the truth about destroying her doll house! :)

Cheep Gas?

Seriously...this is how much we paid for gas in Aiken, SC two days after Christmas...it actually dropped another few cents! A new gas stationed opened up an had grand opening special prices! So, all the other stations around it got into a pricing war.