I am feeling kinda sad tonight. I truly miss the friendships that I once enjoyed so much. I love my friends and miss not making new memories with them. So I am reminiscing tonight...

Fall.. my fave!

My favorite time of the year arrived! I was able to experience it while on maternity leave with my awesome family! The summer was HOT and miserable and a tough one to experience while being pregnant. Although, I survived and now I have my baby and cooler weather. We made our annual trip to Graves Mountain for the Apple Harvest Festival. I had Luke in my baby sling and we went out to the orchards and picked apples. Mark then made his famous and delicious apple pie. Bradley was able to dress up twice this year. He was a monkey first at our Ward Harvest Festival for the Trunk or treat and then his favorite character, Elmo, for Brad & Lucy's ward's trunk or treat with Bubba and Maya.

I am a mommy again!

"A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path...." -- Agatha Christie

Just when I thought that my heart was too full... it got fuller!! May I introduce the newest bundle of joy... Luke Allen Brown!! He was born on September 30, 2010. Weighing in at 8lbs 8oz and 21 inches long. He was born via c-section which was not the best experience but holding him in the recovery room made every second of it worth it.

Oh how we forget so easily the difficulties of caring for a newborn! I was quickly reminded though. I also wasn't so sure how Bradley would react to giving up being the "baby of the family throne" and sharing his parent's attention. He did great though and loves on him on the time. He doesn't completely grasp the concept of being gentle. His newest nickname for him is "Pookie." How cute is that?! Luke is a wonderful baby with such a calm, sweet demeanor.

Mark loves to grill and decided to buy a new grill. The new grill came with a big box so Mark decided to make a fort for Bradley. Bradley helped him assemble his new toy. He was so cute when it was all done. He climbed inside and then poked his head out the window. SO CUTE!

Spring 10'

I have been slacking lately, lol! Just to catch us up... We survived the winter and enjoyed the Spring! Bradley got his first Easter basket and devoured his candy. He has quite the sweet tooth (he gets it honest)! We had dinner with Grammy and Papa and then had his first Easter Egg Hunt. He was only interested in the candy inside. He had to stop and open each to see what was inside.

Winter

We survived the Winter of 09'/10'!! Bradley wasn't sure what to make of the snow during our first big storm in December. It probably didn't help that Mommy put on his boots that were too difficult to walk in but he learned fast that the snow can be fun! He trotted around like a big shot but soon discovered that it isn't helpful to lean on a mound of snow because he got a face full of snow, lol. The last big storm took out our power for about 4 days. We stayed at Brad and Lucy's and were able to enjoy the company of our family all week long. When monday came and we had to go back to work... and the fun began to wear off. We spent Christmas with our families as usual. Bradley had more fun ripping the paper off the presents than playing with them. We rang in the new year making homemade pizzas and playing games with our neices, Kat and Melissa. We are quite happy to have moved on from the snow and ice to warm, sunny spring days!

It's officially Fall 2009! We had our first Fall outing as a family of 3. We went to Ashland Berry Farm to pick some pumpkins. Bradley was such a doll!! He relaxed in his stroller with his baby pumpkin on his lap while we checked everything out. We then went on his first hay ride to the pumpkin patches. He just relaxed in Mommy's arms taking in the surroundings. We scoured the fields to pick out the best pumpkins that weren't too heavy so Mark could carry them all for $20. We got 5 of the best pumpkins out there. Bradley was pooped by the end of the trip and passed out on the drive home. The pumpkins are sitting on the front porch waiting to be carved for Halloween!!