A Hair Cut

Branna got her first big girl hair cut today! I was concerned about losing her curls, but I think it turned out really cute!

LivingSocial Deals

I have recently joined a group called LivingSocial Deals. Everyday, they'll send you a special for a particular business in Austin (or whatever major city you decide to sign up for). For example, they've had deals for half off a meal at local restaurants, several specials for spa treatments, and a $15 oil change at Groovy Lube.

If you're interested in giving them a try, follow this link:

https://deals.livingsocial.com/redeem/777614-alana_?ref=lnk

(Edited: If you tried the link earlier and it took you to deals for Washington, D.C., the link should be fixed now for Austin.)

Snow Day

It snowed in Austin! It's been along time since I've seen any measurable amount of snow. It seems like our house always misses the wintery weather, but not today! Branna had a blast playing in it. She really wanted to build a snowman, but there just wasn't enough. She did get to have a taste of it, though.

Trying to catch it while it's falling

Brrrr....

Dino Diorama

Confession: I have slacked off in being the mother I want to be. Since December I feel like I've been caught the avalanche of life. I haven't done the things that I want to with Branna, my house is a wreck, and I have to grocery shop on Saturday... I hate grocery shopping on Saturday. Most of these are the effect of trying to finish my master's thesis by March.

However, today Branna and I managed to squeeze in a little time to do a Dinosaur Diorama. Even thought it wasn't the 'full size lesson' that Branna was getting a few months ago, we had a good time doing it. She enjoyed assembling the box and having a playscape to move the dinosaurs around in. Hopefully, come March we'll have more of these to show off. :)

Kiddie Acres

We recently went to a birthday party at a "Branna-size" amusement park. At the park, they had a carousel, airplanes, a car and boat ride, ferris wheel, a train that went around the entire park, and a real pony ride! I was really surprised at how much she enjoyed herself and wanted to go all of the rides.

Driving the Car

Branna and her new friend in the boat

On the ferris wheel (Branna called it a pinwheel)

Airplanes! This was Branna's favorite.

On a real horse...

I was so surprised at how excited she was to be on it! She looked like such a big girl!

This Holiday Season

We had a busy, but wonderful Christmas. Both mine and Branyon's families came to our house celebrate. Branna really got into this year, compared to what she's been able to do in previous years. She was able to help to decorate and wrap presents, loved to sing Christmas songs, and enjoyed all the typical Christmas festivities.

Helping Decorate the Tree

Time for Presents!

Branna now has the complete Princess collection...

Dress-Up!

Christmas and the turn of the New Year, we headed to San Angelo for my cousins wedding. Branna has been to several weddings, but this was the first time for her to be in one. Even though her part only lasted for a few minutes, she was beautiful flower girl! She had a great time playing with her cousin Haley, too.

Saige Jochebed May

Passed from this Life
December 6, 2009

Memorial Service was held
December 11, 2009 at Southwest church of Christ

Why “Jochebed”?

Early on in the pregnancy, while trying to come up with and decide on a name, we decided to see what Branna thought her little sister's name should be. When asked the question, "Branna, what would be a good name for your sister." She took a second to think, and then excitedly said, "Jochebed." This name, of course, comes from one of Branna's favorite Bible stories—baby Moses. Of course at that point we laughed about it, and it became an inside joke for our family, Baby Jochebed. But when the unexpected happened, we were faced with the pressing question, "What is your daughter's name?" Jochebed had been the nickname we had called her the most. So, although she would not have worn this name in life, in her passing she will forever have a bond with the big sister she never saw.

We Were Supposed to Be…

We were supposed to be your teachers,
to teach you sage wisdom of the Creator's magnificence
and the awe of His creation,
But what has He created that is more "wonderfully made" than you.
No, you have taught us--of the Creator's masterpiece.

We were supposed to be your teachers,
to teach you that despite any current struggles,
there exists an eternal Hope.
But you are now part of our eternal Hope, which lies beyond this current pain.
No, you have taught us--of God's rewarding promises.

We were supposed to be your teachers,
to teach you about the deepest meanings of life,
and the experiences of love,
But in your short life, you have taken us on a journey
through love.
No, you have taught us--about new depths to life.

We were supposed to be your teachers...
Or maybe,
Everything that was supposed to be, has been.
Yes, in reality,
You were meant to be our teacher.
You were meant to be our Saige.

Thank you all so much for thinking about us in our time of grief. We have been blessed beyond measure to have so many people offer up petitions before the Lord on our behalf.

God's Compliments

Branyon has a sermon based on I Corinthians: "... God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." (10:13) I always love to hear this message because it is such thought provoking one.

Think about the best compliment that you've been given: Who did it come from? What was it about? What were the circumstances? Of course, getting any compliment is encouraging and gratifying, but each one these questions can make the compliment mean that much more.

Who did it come from? Did it come from someone you highly esteem? Compliments from those we love and respect usually mean so much more than those from strangers. I think back to high school or college and the times that my parents saw the fruits of my labor. They knew how much time and effort I spent practicing for a solo in a concert or spent studying for a major exam. When they said they were proud, it meant alot.

What was it about? Did you receive it based on something that you poured your heart and soul into? Circumstances where we have put our blood, sweat, and tears have a greater weight of importance to us than those that might just come "naturally".

What were the circumstances? Did it come after trials? Was it a situation that you were unsure of and needed reassurance?

Now, think about a time in your life where you were really tested. How hard was it to deal with? According to the above Corinthians passage, God will not allow His children to have more in

their lives than what they are able to handle. If God has allowed a trying situation to come into

your life, think of it as a compliment. He is saying that He knows you will be able to overcome the ordeal. What greater compliment is that than the one we get from our Creator?

Branyon and I have been faced with one of the biggest trials of our lives: losing our baby girl. I don't know why God has allowed my baby to not be with us anymore, but I know she's safe

with Him. I know that God is watching over us and comforting us. I know he will lead us through this time. I know He trusts that we can make it with His guiding hand.

Tonight before bed, my dad quoted me the chorus of a song that I think is so profound:

"And the arms that hold the universe

Are holding you tonight

You can rest inside

It's gonna be alright

And the voice that calmed the raging sea

Is calling you His child

So be still and know He's in control

He will never let you go"

Ready to Read

I am so glad that Branna and I have started doing "school". I have really seen her creativity and knowledge grow. I'm completely amazed at the the things she can do... things that I wouldn't have known or tried had we not been doing this.

Branna loves to create, draw, and paint. (Side note: For those of you looking for a no-mess way to paint, I found Elmer's Fast Drying Paints at Hobby Lobby. They are great! They're extra easy to get out and ready for immediate use. The best part is they dry immediately, so there is virtually no mess.) For each session, I have at least one age-appropriate craft that she can do. Over the last few weeks, we've been studying about Moses. A few of the projects we've done are: decorating a burning bush, making paper dolls who cross the Red Sea, creating binoculars with mylar to represent the 9th Egyptian plague of total darkness, and decorating "bug eyes" to illustrate the 3rd and 4th plagues. I wish I would have taken more pictures of the crafts, but I did get the bug eyes, which I thought turned out pretty cute.

The other aspect of our school is, of course, the learning. With each lesson, we have a story and a letter and/or number that helps to illustrate the point. For example: 'T' for 10 commandments. The website I found for the alphabet (http://www.first-school.ws/) has a print out with corresponding words for the letter. From the sheets, Branna has learned how to trace letters and even has been writing some on her own!

While Branna hasn't completely made the phonics connection of sounding out words, she has been "spelling" them (with some help, course). I know she's not really reading, but what a great step towards that goal.

Our Growing Family

We recently had our big sonogram to check the baby's anatomy and to find out the gender. The baby was growing perfectly and our due date is still April 12, 2010. (For those of you who don't know, that's also Branna's birthday... crazy, I know.) According to the sonogram technician, everything looked great. We were very happy to hear that.

Profile (Head on the right)

Leg and Foot

...And now for the big news: Branna is going to have...

a SISTER!

We're all excited. I can't wait to see how Branna and the new child will interact with each other. I know Branna's going to be such a good big sister. She's already saying she wants to help change the diapers. We'll see how long that last once the baby is here!