SANTA and SUCH....

Guess who Sarah and Will got to see today?????

They were all smiles and full of excitement to speak to Santa and sit on his lap to share their wish list with him.

Sarah went right up to him and Will well, he thought he was too old to sit on Santa's lap

UNTIL....

IT WAS TIME TO GO!

He begged to go up and see him and I gave him the ok

...(all the while a little perturbed-we could of done this earlier son!)

Anyway, I'm GLAD I did because as I watched him and later talked to him I learned he just didn't want everyone seeing him up there because he was too big.

He REALLY wanted to be up there from the start and this was his chance to talk with Santa about his wish list.

I'm so THANKFUL for that touch of patience today because it really did make Will's day!

Just see for yourself!!

After our visit with "the man", we were off to run errands and buy some Christmas presents for big brother Casey.

Help me here....

just what do you buy for a 10 yr old who only wants a PS3???

(other than $300 PS3....can you see the fighting this would cause between 3 kids for 1 child to have a ps3....not happening!)

Hmmmmm....

yes, that's exactly my thinking too!

SERIOUSLY!!!!

It IS the only thing on his list!!!!

No worries, Sarah and Will did a fine job picking out what they think Casey would love-

now if they can just keep it SECRET!!!:o)

Look who woke me up bright,ahem, I mean DARK and EARLY-
4:30 am that would be!!

No worries here...I had plans for a long run at 5:30 with the girls so it just left plenty of time to play with Maggie for a bit before we headed ou into the freezing cold!

She LOVES sleeping with Sarah's stuffed animal bunny....I mean, snuggles right up and goes to sleep!!! I think she feels like she's sleeping next to one of her siblings....WHATEVER WORKS!!!
She's doing great and cries very little during the night....even starting to reach for the bell on the door when she needs to go out. Not too bad for a 7 week old pup!!!

Maverick is letting her get a little closer too....they even snuggled up together lastnight while we had family movie night.

Sarah can't put Maggie down.....we now know why she(both the girls) is so tired!!

She walks around holding her saying "sweetie this and sweetie that"!

Even holds her up on her shoulder like a baby.....I hear myself telling her be careful

ALL... DAY.... LONG!!

Oh well, they both love each other and really that's all that matters!

What a little mamma she is!!

My hubby just walked in with our Christmas cards so off to work I go....

he also left a pretty little

"CRACK"BERRY in the bag for me....EARLY CHRISTMAS!!!

whoohoo!

Off to play with my new toy and then a Christmas party!

MERRY CHRISTMAS.......TO US!!!

We introduce you to the newest member of the BRABHAM BUNCH-

"MAGGIE"

Her full name is Maggie Grace the Jewel of Jedburg.....or simply MAGGIE!!

We are a family that likes to incorporate "family names" to our family members....

we wanted a "M" name to go with our other dog Maverick....

after much debate...we ALL LOVED MAGGIE!

the kids just randomly picked Grace.....not really a family name but they liked it, So Grace it was!

Jewel......well, that is very simple...she's named after her mamma whom we adore-Jewels...

(and we think she is quite a little Jewel too)

and Jedburg....she was born in Jedburg, SC!!!

(PLUS---she comes from a family with "J" names and we HAD to be sure THAT was a big part of her name)!

We picked her up Tuesday night and our home has not been the same!

She is a little ball of soft yellow love!

Maverick is still not too sure who this new little creature is but he obliges to her playful puppiness and is sweet as can be to her.

Soon....very soon, they will be the best of friends!!

The first night was a little rough as she cried in the kennel not too sure about this "cage" and also missing the warmth her 9 other brothers and sisters.

I gladly woke up to this sweet precious face to give a little TLC!!

She is doing much better and actually goes into the kennel herself to get away from the craziness of our home.

(Sometime I wish I had a little cage to get away to....lucky Maggie!!)A 3 kids are just smittin with her!!!

But Sarah.....well,

Sarah just adores her new "little sister" ....

Maggie is a dream come true for her!!!

She has been asking for a little sister for a long time and we knew there would be no more Brabham babies...but how to explain that to a 4-year old??!!??

She woke early Wed morning and the 3 of us gals were snuggled on the couch and she told me"mamma, I'm so happy I got a doggie little sister. It's better than a real little sister".

I almost melted....yes it was sweet...and oh SO TRUE!!!!

Anyway, she does everything for this dog...forget Baby Alive...we've got the eating, peeing, pooping, playing, snuggling, most best friend ever for our little girl!!Maggie is plum worn out after a day in the Brabham home!

We are so happy she is here and know that she will

bless our home in many ways that a only dog can!!

WE LOVE YOU MAGGIE!!!

So Very THANKFUL and BLESSED!!

We had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving in Georgia with the Walton's

We enjoyed each other...

We took long walks and soaked up God's beauty that surround's us......

We sang and laughed....

We ran.....



We ate oysters....

Then we got really silly....

..and we had so much fun we were exhausted!!!

So very thankful for family, good health, friends, and the many
blessings God has provided!!

Already looking forward to next years' Thanksgiving get-together!!!

A FUN-TASTIC FALL

Fall Recap and A Big Day

Wow...it's so hard to believe that the fall season is halfway over and Thanksgiving is just around the corner!! It's been quite a busy one in the Brabham household. The last 2 rainy days have cancelled practices and finally allowed me to transfer pictures to the computer and get a lot of mini-household projects completed. It's such a great feeling to ACTUALLY complete a project...it doesn't happen often enough. Most the time they are halfway completed then put away "for a rainy day". Anyway, we've had a great fall thus far and it's only about to get better with Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Will and Sarah are almost done with their soccer seasons. Its been a grueling season for Will but thankfully, he has the "whatever" middle child kindof attitude and it really doesn't phase him. He's just out there having fun and enjoying his time with his friends.They had a great game today...we WON-WHOOHOO!!! Sarah has had a great year for her first season in organized sports. She has scored 3 goals and is a tough competitor. She's a pretty determined little cookie and gets out on the field ready to play. She scored 2 goals today-unfortunately....I missed it all . I had a friend watch her while I watched a Packer playoff football game. We played an undefeated team and lost a close and well played game. The Packers had a great season and we're so very proud of every player. I'm especially proud of my sweet hubby for a job well done as head coach. Way to go Casey on an AWESOME season!!!!

Casey Jr had a fantastic game but suffered a hand injury in the last quarter. A trip to the doc and an x-ray confirmed a small broken bone in the thumb near the growth plate. He now has a soft cast up to the elbow for 4-6 weeks. He's pretty bummed and in a little pain but doing well. We plan on taking the winter season "off" from sports so he'll have plenty time to heal. Hunting was the only thing on his agenda but that's looking a little grim since it is is right hand. I'm sure he and daddy will find a way to get into the woods! :o)

In other news, we've been very lucky to be able to watch our newest member of the family grow the last several weeks. We have decided to get another dog for the kids for Christmas.....an early Christmas gift!! Her name is Maggie and she is WONDERFUL and soft and has the best puppy breath in the world!!! We had so much fun puppy sitting for her and her siblings and her sweet mama Jewels a couple weeks ago. We miss them all dearly and I have officially checked off "puppy sitting a new litter of puppies" off my bucket list.

REALLY....it was AWESOME and such a great experience for our family....you must add it to your bucket list!!! :o) More Maggie updates to come!!!!

We spent our Halloween with some of our great friends in Summerville this year. The kids(Casey Jr.,that is) was worried he wouldn't get enough candy because we were in a smaller neighborhood. No worries....he had more than enough!! He was FINALLY able to trick-or-treat with his friends this year....no parents!!! That was a little bit scary for me but they did great and he says "it was the BEST Halloween EVER"!!!! It was the first Halloween for us , as parents, to not have a baby on hip or close by to walk to every house. Sarah and Will were full force, no rest, lets get to the next house!!! It was a bittersweet feeling for me realizing they are really growing up so fast. It made me miss having a baby......soon enough we'll have a 4-legged baby to care for though!!.

Guess what else happened today??????

I came home this morning from an early run and saw this beautiful sight.......

Yes...Sarah learned to ride her bike without training wheels!!! She woke up, went straight to dad and asked him to remove the wheels. She was on a mission and well......MISSION COMPLETE!!! Can't believe my babies are growing up!!!!

I did enjoy a lovely 11 mile run this morning with my marathon buddies. It was our first run together since Chicago and it was great fun!!!. We had so much to catch up on and even contemplated our next race. So proud of Tracy....she rocked out the whole run and just recovered from surgery. Way to go girl...you are such an inspiration!!!!!

Well.....that's pretty much the latest with this group. We head to Atlanta for Thanksgiving to spend the holiday with the Walton's (my side of family). Never a dull moment there and we can't wait to see everyone!!!

Until next time.......Enjoy the slide show of our FUN-TASTIC FALL!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to All!!!

PUMPKIN PATCH and PUPPY LOVE!!!

We had so much fun at the Pumpkin Patch last week with the Bethany pre-schoolers!!!

Sarah and her classmates were so excited and filled with energy.

We got to feed the animals (Sarah's favorite...as she is a future "beternarian"), go on a hayride, pick out a pumpkin to decorate, learn about the farm, and play, play, play!!!

What a day!!!

Picking out the PERFECT PUMPKIN.......

HOP, HOP, HOP!!!!!

GUESS WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO?????

They are so little 10 fit in a box....comfortably enough to fall sound asleep!!!!

LOTS AND LOTS OF LOVING GOING ON....

check out those sweet little legs!!!!

They are too precious for words are we are so very grateful to our sweet friends for entrusting them to us while they are out of town!!!!

There is nothing in the world like PUPPY LOVE....

and WE ARE SO IN LOVE!!!!!

A Hunting We WILL Go.......

Will Brabham got his FIRST DEER tonite!!!!

The Brabham boys took off late this afternoon for the farm in hopes of seeing deer. They have seen them on the deer cam but they have not made much of an appearance this weekend-at least not any worth a shot.

Will decided at the last minute he would join Casey and daddy because mom wouldn't let him have a friend over...it was a designated "quiet" afternoon at the Brabham house.

Good thing he decided to go because it was HIS LUCKY DAY!!!

All three boys got into the "condo"stand and waited....soon a 3-point made his appearance and Will was given a chance to shoot when he saw an opportunity.

Casey Jr was very antsy and was shaking more than his brother who had the deer in sight. Dad and Casey Jr were wishing they had the chance BUT it was Will in charge today!!!.

He took a shot and got it...even though the story goes the deer flipped then ran .

They searched cautiously and then finally found him not too far away.

Will was officially dunked into Courdray's "FIRST DEER" gut bucket.

(they really don't put them in there......just makes for a cute picture)!

He also had to get the traditional blood painting on his face.....THIS, he was a little leery about but dad made sure it was"tastefully"done. Just a tiny little smear!

Will also got to eat off the RED PLATE tonite to celebrate such a big accomplishment in the Brabham home!!

He went to bed saying "We are all hunting men now....just you and Sarah left mommy"!!!

I won't be doing any hunting but I know my dear sweet little girl will soon be following in her brothers' footsteps...of course wearing pink camo!!! :o)

Way to go Will Will...we are all SO PROUD of you!!!