Sweet Home Alabama

Well, not exactly home, but in many ways, it did feel like our return trip to Alabama was a homecoming. It was so good to get to see our friends. Most of them, we haven't seen since Branna was 2.5 months old!

Our days were pretty busy. Branyon was up at school everyday working on his preliminary exam. While he worked, Branna and I either stayed at the hotel or walked around campus. I tried to get her picture with some of the famous landmarks of the campus, like Denny Chimes.

Branna on the Quad by Denny Chimes

This was the perfect time to visit Alabama and the campus, since everything was in full bloom. Branna loved looking at all the flowers and had an especially good time pulling the tulips!

Smelling (and picking Tulips) on the Quad

Just about every evening we were there, we were invited to a friends house to eat. Everyone had a great time seeing Branna and she had a an even better time showing off for them! :)

Visiting With the Howtons and the Durens

Branna and Lauren Being Silly

We were sad to leave our friends, but were glad to returning home since we were all exhausted from the week. We're looking forward to seeing our Alabama friends again soon!

The Trip Home

Remember the Alamo

Last week was spring break and our friend Lauren from Alabama came to visit us. Since Lauren had never been to Texas, we tried to show her as much as we could for the short time she was here. We went to the Alamo one day and then went to the state capital the next. It seems like everyone had the same idea we did! The capital wasn't too bad, but the crowd at the Alamo was HUGE! Because of that, we only got to see the grounds and didn't get to go inside. That worked out good, though, since it freed up time to go do other things and let Lauren at least see the outside of the building. Branna enjoyed the day and the sites, too!

Bluebonnets

It's that time of year again... one of my favorites, actually, as it probably is for most Texans! That time is when the bluebonnets and other wildflowers start appearing. And now that we have a beautiful baby girl to make the scene even prettier, it's been a wonderful season!

We didn't find the best patch to take Branna's picture in, but I think what we got turned out pretty good. The pictures really capture her personality. :) I hope that everyone has gotten to enjoy all of God's beautiful creation this spring, whether your in Texas or elsewhere!

Easter Basket

This is a little late in coming... I had trouble uploading the video, but thought it was still worth posting.:)

Branna had a fun first Easter. Although we didn't get to go on an egg hunt, she had a good time unpacking her goodie basket. The Easter bunny brought her 3 new books since she's too young for chocolates. :)

Can You Say...

I had not intended for there to be no new posts this long! Time has gone by so quickly over the past couple weeks, although I can't say that there has been anything that much different happening with us.

Branna is getting more comfortable with walking and she's going all over the place! Last week, we visited my family in San Angelo, so she got to show off her steps to all the family! (She really likes to showoff! ;) )

We've been continuing to work on signing with her and she is learning new words everyday. Recently, we've been working on "outside" and "please". She still loves to say ball and when she sees something she knows she's not supposed to touch, she starts signing no-no. It is really a neat thing to have her, at just 11 months old, be able to communicate with us! We're so proud of all that's she's able to do! :)

Day at the Park

Yesterday, some of the mommies from our church had a playdate at the park. It was Branna's first time to visit a park and she LOVED it. We slid down the slide, swung in the swings, and walked all over the place. (She held on to my fingers while walking most the time.)

However, I think her favorite part of the day was watching the other kids play ball. She loves balls and is fascinated with them. Anytime she would see a kid kick a ball or throw a ball, she would immediately started signing "ball" and saying, "da", her word for ball.

I'm sure we'll be having many more visits to the park!

Branna on the Slide

Branna and a friend
Having a great time in the swing

We've Been Sick

I wanted to let those of you who are checking our blog know that we're still here! I know it's been a while since I've posted anything. Both Branna and I have been sick for the last week and because of that, I haven't felt like doing much of anything. I think we're pretty much over all it now and feeling better, so there will be new posts coming soon. :)

Here We Go!!!!

In a lot of ways, I had hoped that I wouldn't be posting this for at least another few months, but.... Branna took her first steps today! It's so exciting to see her grow and develop, but at the same time, I know she's growing up.... to quickly it seems. I'm glad that we able to capture the moment on video, so that we can share it and also so that we will be able to look back at it in the years to come!

Peek-A-Boo!

Branna's FAVORITE game to play is peek-a-boo. She can play it anytime or anywhere! All she needs is something to hide behind and a person to say boo. :) Last night, she found the boppy and daddy. They worked great!

Fun In The Sun

The weather has been gorgeous here in Austin, so we've taken every opportunity to get outside. Last weekend, Branna and I laid a pallet out in the front yard while Branyon washed the car. She had a great time pointing to the clouds, listening to the birds, and watching other kids play.