Monday, December 9, 2013

Christmas Season 2013. A Whole New World!

Christmas Season 2013:  Our first real tree.  THREE babygirls to love on.  A new city.  A new casa.  New jobs.  A clearer understanding of Jesus and why we get to celebrate this superfun and joy-filled holiday.  A REALLY cute advent calendar that helps us do just that (thanks Olivia June Designs...check her out on etsy!).  Closer proximity to familia, which means more family time. 

This Christmas season is DEF bringing with it some new experiences.  We are SO thankful for a God who gives us The Holy Spirit to lead us, speak to us, and draw us nearer to Him.  Despite the challenge of adjusting to a place withOUT so many of the people we LOVE with our whole hearts, we are enjoying this FESTIVE time of year feeling as sure as ever that God has lead us to this place we are in, and that His purpose is good.  Because HE is good :)

SO THANKFUL that God continues to work.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Welcome to 2013

Well!  A lot... LOT... has happened since 2013 hit the books.  Our presh little SweetP, Palmer Elyse, was born on January 24.  SUPER easy delivery (after getting stuck 872 times trying to get a successful IV running!).  The big girls adore her, as do we.  They are the greatest helpers and love to hug her, pet her, hold her, and read her books.  If she frets in the slightest, they are right by her side with something to cheer her up! :)  Sib-love.


B-Rizzle finally landed the job he's been eyeing for the better part of 2 years.  We are now in the Houston area while Brian dives into the surgical world!  Still with Alcon, which is definitely a blessing.  Seriously a terrific company, great people... our entire family is so blessed to have found them! That happened in April.

B and I jetted off to the Dominican in late April... our final P-club trip with the pharma side of Alcon.  It was SO nice to get away and spend time TOGETHER....no distractions :)  Plus, we always love spending time with Brian's Alcon counterparts who live elsewhere (yes you: Hays, Andersons, Englands...) I got some intense sun-poisoning (EW), but it cleared up just in time for the bro's wedding in Nashvegas.  Thank goodness.  Also- the DR is where the hubs gave me the go ahead on a 4th child if my heart so desires when the time comes to decide.  :) :) :)

Rileton and Miss Becca Lynn tied the knot in May up in Nashville.  We spent an awesome 4 days hanging with them, celebrating with them, showering them with attention and preparation assistance.  Who am I kidding?  With 3 childrens in tow, I wasn't much of a helper, but I was there to keep the mood light!  ;)  So incredibly thankful that one of my 2 fav brothers found the woman of his dreams and can finally call her his WIFE :)  Miss you guys!

Major major curveball in our little fastball world:  We moved away from our "home" of McKinney, Texas.  We left behind an amazing family of some of the most cherished people in our lives.  We will cherish them forever, but the adjustment from doing life with them daily to catching them on insta or chatting on the cellular periodically is a tough one!  There is no doubt that God has led us to where we are, and we are loving the time spent with my fam and friends in The Shoog, but our hearts are not whole without a few precious pieces that were left back in the D-F-Dub.  We love and miss you so, Wegs, Simants, Longinos, Stengles, Raineys, Selphs, Burbanks, Berrys, Yanceys, Judds, Webbs, Barbers, J.Pars/almost-Cooley, Claytons, Cabans, Carrols, ... (whoa alliteration!)...


We are now living WITH my parentals, in my hometown, and are building a new home in Spring, Texas.  It is a complete start-over...but one we are excited about!  It's exciting to feel led...it gives a feeling of peace and anticipation... and TRUST that God will just continue to provide for us in so many unforeseen ways.  For now, we are THANKFUL that my parents invited us to shack up with them.  We are using the heck out of their pool...and maybe contemplating putting in our own up in spring! I am super thankful for the time I'm getting to spend with my lifelong friends here in SL.  And trying to use this weird timeout from life in the way God means for me to :)  Relaxing, being still, nurturing some relationships that have been difficult to nurture for the last 10 years, and soaking in Curry-time! 

That's 2013 in a nutshell for the Bradfords so far!