Family Photos

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All photos taken by Jennifer Brackbill

(Canon EOS 50D with EF-S 17-85mm f/3.5-4.5 IS USM lens)

(Edited in Picnik unless posted SOOC)

What a week!

Noah called last Friday night to tell me that he had to work Saturday afternoon and wouldn't be able to come home for the weekend. So, when a friend of mine (whom I haven't seen in 3 years) offered us a place to stay, I packed up the kids and headed to VA! It was a wild and crazy weekend and I SO enjoyed catching up with the WONDERFUL Eichenlaub family! THANK YOU, DEANNA AND MARK!

While we were there, we managed to have brunch at the oceanfront with Aunt Megan, Uncle Skinny and Aunt Jen! After a DELICIOUS meal, we went out to the beach where Aunt Jen got some nice shots of us! THANK YOU, JENNIFER!!!!!

(those photos will get their own post!)

From the oceanfront, we returned to The Eichenlaub's house for a cookie decorating party! FUN FUN FUN!!!! It was so nice to be together with these folks! Anya and Alistair played so well together and were both very sad when we had to leave. (These two were born 6 weeks apart and last saw each other in November 2007!) 

I was kind of bad about taking pictures while we were there, but I got a few.

Anya and Alistair are ready to bake cookies!

SWEETNESS!

Ronan and Aunt Jen

Monday night I worked late then grocery shopped on the way home, so it was dinner and bed as soon as we got home.

Tuesday night we went to the "Holiday Surprise" Storytime at the library and Alistair saw Santa! 

"Mommy, take a picture of me upside-down."

Merry Christmas!!

Snuggly baby sat through it all!

Alistair was 1st in line for Santa!

"I want Woody and Jessie and the Buzz Lightyear with wings!"

Wednesday night I had to stop at the store again after work.

Thursday morning we got a snow storm, so all of SoMd was shut down and by that night I was ready to just come straight home and not move!

PHEW!

Charred

Have you ever left a grilled cheese sandwich on just a little too long? Didn't get the garlic bread out of the oven right when the timer went off? How about toasting Pop Tarts on the bagel setting?

Well, tonight I almost ruined dinner. And, as I was scraping the black dust off of Alistair's sandwich with a butter knife (hoping to save our dinner), it dawned on me: I have become the grilled cheese sandwich. Not only do I eat one for dinner at least once a week, but I am burning as well.

As each week progresses, I get more and more tired. I need more and more coffee. I feel more and more ALONE. My bottom layer starts to burn and, by Friday, I begin to char. You wouldn't know if it weren't for the smoky haze filling the kitchen.

But, then......Friday night....Noah arrives, turns off the burner and by just BEING here, he scrapes off some of the blackened edges and I can be salvaged.

We get to be a family for 2 whole days and I pretend to be ok, but the process begins again the next week and, eventually, the edges will be crunchy, so we'll have to cut off the crust. And if we can't scrape off all the black, then we'll just add ketchup to mask the flavor. But, at some point, we would have scraped off so much black that there isn't enough left to be considered a satisfying meal.

This is how I feel most days.

I am not whole.

I am burned and broken.

I am raw and melted.

My outer layers have burned away.

There isn't much left of me.



- Posted from my iPad

Thanksgiving 2010

We spent Thanksgiving at my mom's house in NE Ohio. The trip there was pretty good, actually. We made it around the beltway in only 30 minutes and made it to her driveway in 7 hours (with 1 stop). Well, we were traveling at night, so it helped that the kids slept most of the way.  The trip back was during the day Saturday and was not as smooth....it took 12 hours to get home.

But, we had a WONDERFUL time seeing (almost) everyone and leaving was VERY emotional for me.....it still is. (More on my emotional state in my next post). It was nice to be home Saturday night and have all day Sunday at home with Noah before  he had to leave again. For that, I am SO GRATEFUL.

I hope you all had a beautiful, wonderful, love-filled Thanksgiving! We sure did!

Happy Thanksgiving
Even "Guy" made it into the picture

The Boys
(minus Ronan)

My best friend, Krista, holding Ronan and Me holding her baby, Carter!

Alistair with Carter and Landon, Krista's oldest, with Ronan

Storytime with Grandma!!!

Me and my sister, Ann

Pass the babies.......READY.......GO!

Daddy with Ronan

Mommy and Ronan (and coffee)

Mimi and Ronan

Grandma and Ronan

Great-Grandpap with Ronan

Great Uncle Curt with Ronan

Ronan and Uncle Mark

Me with Mark's daughter, Lilly

Great Grandma and Great Aunt Lynda with Lilly

Great-Grandpap and Lilly

Aunt Ann and Lilly

Great-Grandma and Lilly

Grandma and Lilly

Uncle Billy and Lilly

Ronan LOVES his MIMI blanket!!!!

Since Ronan started taking some foods while we were gone, I started making baby food for him and stocking the freezer as soon as we got back!

Avacado, Banana and applesauce

Home made brown rice cereal

'nana-'cado baby food with rice cereal!
Ronan is in LOVE!