My little Fam Bam

Here is a few recent pictures of our little Family!

This is the most creative picture we have! I absolutely love this picture!

This is to our past,Present, and Future! Our backs represents our past, holding hands represents the bond of our family and our unity and our present, and looking forward to what our future has in store! ♥

Our boys! Gaige posed himself! That must mean hes way to used to pictures and knows what to do!

Taylor did this one!

The bond between a daddy and his boys is a very special bond! I love this poem!
Father And SonYou're standing in the doorway.
Your workday is all done.
He waits to see you everyday,
this boy that is your son.

He hopes you will go fishing.
He hopes you'll shoot the gun.
He just wants to be with you,
this boy that is your son.

He is your spitting image.
To him you are ''The One''.
He hopes to be just like you,
this boy that is your son.

You show him what a man is.
You teach as you have fun.
You are admired as well as loved
by this boy that is your son.

You've got a friend forever.
Until the world is done.
Then, still you will be holding
this man that is your son.
- Mary Nagy

Gaige is 19 months!

This picture made us all laugh! Taylor is trying not to let his belly show and hoping his pants dont come down, Gaige is laghing hysterically as Im trying not to fall backwards, and Justin is holding Taylor as if he just caught a big fish!

<3

Taylor is 8 years old and 4 months!

This picture is one of my favorite of me and the boys!

So I also threw in a few random ones of the boys! This picture was taken in August 2010 right after Taylor got home from being gone all summer long with his mom. Taylor has just turned 7 in June and Gaige was 5 months old!

Then in September 2011 I won a free 8x10 and a 10x13 dream print and a super saver package through our local Olan Mills and we did the same pose. This will be one of the boys and our families signature poses from now on! We Love it! We also did this pose with my nephews and our boys for my in laws for christmas! Then when we did our mini session to see if we like the photographer we did it with Justin, Taylor, Gaige and I! We just loved our new photographer and have another picture day set in a month! I so cannot wait to see what she comes up with! S. Beal Photography!!

I feel lovely!

About two weeks ago I had posted on facebook that I wanted to have or go to a Halloween party that was kid appropriate. Another friend Leah had posted on my status saying that she wanted to be a part of it and added me to a group on facebook of other woman and their husbands saying that I had wanted to do a Halloween party for kids but she and I thought it was too much for one mom to do. Everyone was so responsive about it and thought it was a great Idea. A few days later a few of us ladies

got together to work out the details. We thought of a piñata, minute to win it games, face painting, a wii game contest, water bottle knock down, a bean bag toss (which I brought), a picture booth, picture frames that the kids to color and decorate, lots and lots of candy and food, and hot apple cider! Well in this whole process I have met a bunch of wonderful people! I’m hoping and praying for lifelong friendships not only for myself but for Justin and the boys! The husbands of these women are men of god and welcomed Justin with open arms. They talked for hours and so did the woman :) I hardly saw Taylor all night he had such a blast with all of his new friends. Gaige danced all night, played games, kissed and played with some of the women as well, and was also scared of one of the men in his gorilla costume.

 A few days before the actual party I had gotten on to our group page and there was a post on there saying "What is your gift?

My mind began to run. "What is my gift?" I had so many things run through my mind it wouldn’t shut off so after a few moments I posted, "I think God gave me the power of forgiveness, seeing the positive in people and situations, that I can give good advice, even when I sometimes can't take my own..Some people say it’s my down fall. I also am a good hugger! I try really hard to be a good mommy, daughter, fiancée, and friend!" Then a few others posted then I posted again, "I trust to easily." I got a response from Leah that said, “I LOVE good huggers, girl. Hug away! I could see you being very wise considering all you've walked through yourself." "Brittany, I was just talking tonight with a gal about us easy trusters. We get hurt a lot more, but we also experience a lot more love. I love that about you." ;)

My response was, “I think I'm wise in my young age! I've been through a lot in my short 24 years! I am very understanding and know God doesn't give me more than I can handle but lately I'm beginning to think he trusts me too much! I love hugs and I feel like if I can make someone feel good with a hug, a good comment, or whatever it might be that my job for the day is done! That my goal every morning is to make someone feel happiness, love and friendship! I do believe that easy trusters get hurt more often, I know I do! I love to love! I love the feeling of feeling it! I love that you are like me and know what it feels like!" "I do however; believe that everything I have been through good or bad that I am a stronger person because of it (Even though some days I don't feel so strong)." About an hour later another lady posted in response to my comments saying, "Brittany, I love your willingness to put yourself out there to people you don't know. I see special in you. Looking very forward to meeting you." I then responded, "Aww Sarah! Thank you! I have gone through more than I think anyone should ever go through and if I can help someone going through something I have gone through in my past then I will tell my stories! I feel like God put me through them then maybe I can help someone learn. I am a very stubborn person and learn everything the hard way...a down fall maybe by. My willingness to help someone understand something I'm there! And thank you. From what I read about you seem to be quite a special woman yourself! I think I could learn a lot from you and maybe you learn something from me... I’m not exactly sure what you could learn from me but I'm willing to try" :) After this conversation I sent Sarah a private message reading,”

Sarah, I really cannot wait to meet you! You are the only one that has truly opened up to me! You acknowledge me on the Oikos page and have tried and succeeded in making me feel welcome and a part of the group. You and Leah are amazing!! Thank you so much for your friendship and supporting my scentsy page! You are truly a blessing in my life and I haven’t even met you yet! You have made me look forward to getting up in the morning to see if you have posted on the Oikos page!! You have brightened my last few days and I just wanted to let you know how every much I appreciate you and your kind heart!!! I can’t wait to meet you! Thank you so much!!" :)
Brittany
Her response was, “I see special in you, for sure. I cannot wait to meet you tonight, as well!!"
 Saturday came and we were all so excited! I stayed up late with my mother in law and made Halloween cupcakes and cookie that looked like mummies...well kind of :) I was so excited to meet Sarah, see Leah, and meet the other ladies, their husbands and children. When I actually got there i needed to go over to the next door house which was actually Sarah's house to set up the bean bag toss, take the candy, cupcakes, cookies in and set up my scentsy booth. I walked over with another Lady who was so sweet as well. We walked in and Sarah was flying around her house trying to get everything set up. She yelled, "Hi." Not even realizing who I was. She had only seen my profile picture. When Nita walked into the house she said, "Sarah, this is Brittany." Sarah said,"Oh my gosh, HI!" then welcomed me with a hug. I finished up with my set up, helped Leah with a table and then the night began. All the children were running around like chicken with their heads cut off and having so much fun. As the night came to an end and people left a group of us prayed for another mom that was in need of strength. Her daughters friend was staying the night and told them she was being abused, CPS was called and the little girl had to go back home because it’s hard to prove the type of abuse that she was saying was going on. The lady was hysterically, as anyone would be to hear that someone you love and care about was hurting. The mother of this girl is under investigation and we are hoping everything works out for the mom and family but mostly for the little girl that we prayed for. We sat at a table and chairs for hours talking. Justin and I didn’t get home until 230am Sunday morning. Taylor ended up stay at his new friend’s house. When I woke the next morning I had so many new friend requests. I had one lady post that she was amazed at how much we all had in common and she was so dead on. We all did. We talked about family, our children, "breaking the Barrier" hahaha which I laughed so hard I almost peed! Adoption (which someday I would like to do), friendship, life, acceptance, church, and most importantly God! The whole way home we talked about what a great time we had, meeting new people and that we would want to hang with them more.
 The next day, Taylor was having so much fun and Sarah had something’s she was doing around the house, Taylor ended up staying there all day playing. When we met up with them to get him back they said Taylor was so sweet and polite and would like to have him over again soon. We chit chatted for a bit in the Wal-Mart parking lot and went and met my in laws for dinner at Denny’s. Taylor told him all about his night and how much fun he had and that he and his new friend had so much in common. They both had a step-mom and that they both loved to play video games. I’m not too sure about the step-mom part i think he got confused in translation. But he was very excited that he wasn’t the only one that had a step-parent.
The days went by a few post here and there but last night, since its 1:00am now, I got an email that Sarah had sent me saying, I posted a song and had you guys in mind <3 you. She sent it to me and a few other women. This song is the one that is posted here on this blog that started me writing about how it got to me. This song is to everyone who is in need of a pick me up! This is to every woman, you are beautiful, lovely, and perfectly you! Thank you Sarah, Leah and the other Oikos members for your friendship and acceptance! I cannot wait to get to know you all more! For everyone else I love all of you and this is also for you!

These where my white chocolate covered mummies!

Gaige playing the bean bag toss!

Taylor playing pin the nose on the jack o' lantern!

Me and Gaige Standing by my scentsy booth!

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Taylor playing a minute to win it game!





Then here are my cupcakes :)

Just a little update

I started this blog back in May but I had not finished it and then forgot what my sign in was but out of no where I found the paper that I had wrote my information on. So here is a little update on our family.

Justin has been working for a roofing supply company driving a cdl truck delivering supplies. He took a test a few months back for his crane license and he was one of 2 that passed in the whole company! Needless to say I was very proud! He has been studying to get his cdl a and will hopefully get it soon! He works very hard to provide for Taylor,Gaige and I. Justin is always so busy working that on the weekends it is  full of much needed family time! We are going non-stop!We love to go playing lazer tag, play bowling, going to the movies, he loves to play video games with Taylor as Gaige tries to joins in with his broken 360 remote, he loves to go shooting with Taylor, and Justins best friends Kyle and Jon. We recently found a glow in the dark putt putt, and also enjoy go karting!

Taylor is 8 now and is in the second grade and doing very well! His favorite subject is math and he is a math wiz. He is a red belt in taekwondo but hasn't been in awhile. He is such a loving,caring and supportive big brother and Gaige absolutely adores him! Taylor loves to ride his bike with a few of the approved neighborhood kids. He loves to play board games like checkers, trouble, and battleship. He has a flat screen tv in his room, an ipod, a ds, a 360 but wants to trade it in for a ps3, and a cd player on top of all his toys! Taylor, Justin, Gaige and I love to listen to Michael Jackson,Glee and so much more while we dance around the house! He is obsessed with Spy Gear and has almost all of it! About two weeks ago Justin was in giving Gaige a bath and Taylor and I ambushed them and a huge water fight busted out in our bathroom and mine and Justins bedroom! There was about an inch maybe even two of water on the floor! It was a pain to clean up but it was fun while it lasted. Oh and if your wondering who won...daddy and Gaige did! Taylor and I were soaked!

Gaige is almost 19 months! Where has the time gone? He was in the hospital back in April very very sick. He had pnemonia and empyema which is an infected strep like puss in his chest cavity and had to have a chest tube put in. A few days later they did a blood transfusion and was on a pound of oxygen for a week. Everytime we thought he was getting to the point where we could ween him off the oxygen he would drop from 100% to 30% in a matter of seconds. I must say this was one of the hardest things I've ever had to go through. But in the end it made a stronger person and a much stronger mommy for him and for Taylor! Gaige is running throughout the house just as energetic as his big brother. He talks so much and is a very loving little boy. He wants to be able to do everything Taylor can do and when he cant he's not a very happy boy!

As for me, I am trying to build my business up and Im doing well with that. I finally stopped nursing Gaige about a month and a half ago and so glad! I thought it would never end! I nursed way longer than I intended but very proud of myself that I stuck with it. I am really wanting another baby but Im not sure when the right time will be. Justin wants to start trying next month but he want to try and get married in April and IF a wedding happens in April I will not fit into my dress. So we will see. I have had alot to deal with the last few months so postponing the wedding that was supposed to happen in september was what was best as much as I didnt want too. I know that god has a plan for me and when its right he will let me know and that day will be so much better than to just rush it. I know that I have changed alot of the years and have grown up so much! I love being a mommy its the greatest gift I have ever recieved! The joy, happiness, and love that the boys bring me is truly amazing. And as i was writing that Gaige walked over and kissed me and then Taylor asked if he could have a kiss too!! The greatest feeling Im telling ya! I am slowly feeling more comfortable in the kitchen and am trying to learn. I love taking and getting pictures done way to much but I am afraid of missing something that would be an important in the year to come! My house looks like my camera exploded! I have the greatest family and friends that anyone would could ever ask for and very blessed to have them! My car has been broken down for a few months after being fixed from being broken down for almost a year! I should have LISTENED to my dad when he told me NOT to get my neon! Another lesson learned and I know many more to come! We are thinking of moving its been the topic of conversation for a few months now. We are thinking Oregon or maybe Vermont. Two very different parts of the united states, I know :) but I am wanting a change. Maybe Vermont would be a huge change but I think it would be a good thing. I wouldnt mind finding a quiet neighborhood out in bonney lake, buckley, or in covington either but who knows we will see :) I am very excited to see what our life has in store for us!