Our new toys!

For those of you who know us very well, you know that Mike and I don't always get each other Christmas gifts. A lot of times, we put our Christmas money that we receive together and get something we both want/need. Well, this year...we went all out!! We desperately needed a new computer!! Our laptop has been great and has definitely been through thick and thin with us. But, it is tired and worn out. We've debated on whether or not to replace it and I'm glad we waited. We were able to use Christmas gift money and get a new MAC desktop and it is AMAZING!!!!

Mike became a MAC fanatic when we got our laptop in 2005 and did not want to go back to a PC. I was so glad we were able to get the MAC! It does so many AWESOME things...much more than I even realize! We had a long discussion about whether or not to get a laptop or desktop...if we were going to spend that much money, we wanted to make sure we made the right choice. Although I know we'll miss having a laptop at certain times, the desktop has so much more to offer. Plus...I'm blind!! Well, close to it. :) The large monitor has been such a blessing on my eyes! Once we decided on the desktop, we found a great spot for it. This corner has been useless to us until now.

I have wanted a video camera for a while. I wanted something that used a hard drive so I didn't have to deal with dvds and all the other mess that comes with them. I've really been eyeing the Flip camera. It is small, handy, easy to use...and the quality is really good for what the camera is! No, you wouldn't shoot a movie with it or anything but it will be great to have with Ranston. And...it will fit nicely in my purse!! Hopefully soon you'll be seeing videos in my posts!

I feel very blessed this year and can't wait for 2o1o. I was sooooo ready to see 2008 go...and 2009 has been a great year!! But 2010 will be full of new adventures and blessings!

May your 2010 be full of adventures and blessings!!

Pregnancy, crafts, and shopping, OH MY!!

I finally broke down and purchased a card reader and battery charger for my digital camera! I lost the cable that works to connect the camer to the charger as well as to the computer...so....I have a lot of catching up to do!

I wanted to share a few pics of my pregnant tummy!

This was taken during September sometime....

and this is me in the same shirt on Christmas Eve!! WOW!!

(This is the most current picture of me.)

This was taken sometime during October (late, I know!!)

And this was sometime last week. I can't remember which day!

Each year, the Deacon's of our church have a Christmas lunch for the widows and widowers of our church. We meet at Shorty's...a local restaraunt...and have lunch, a time of singing, and a devotional. It is always a nice time to be around some church members that we don't get to visit with much. And Shorty's is a great place to get in the Christmas spirit! They have the most beautiful trees!

Everyone in my office exchanges small gifts. I decided to be crafty this year and make personalized ornaments! I know Kate and Molly will be proud!!

Last year, I decided to plan a girls shopping trip for the youth and a few of the moms. It turned out to be a very fun afternoon and it allowed me to get to know some of the girls very well! Well, it has now turned into a tradition! We went shopping December 19...yes, the Saturday before Christmas!! Jill (first picture below) was the only mom that joined us this year and we had a great time together!! For the 2nd year in a row, we ate at Olive Garden...these were taken while we waited on our table. Olive Garden is such a yummy place to eat on a shopping day!!

Stay tuned this week for a few more posts...especially now that I have a way to get my pictures off my camera!!

You may be wondering, what's going on in the world of the Bryants??

If not, too bad, I'm going to tell you anyway!

Mike and I have been finishing up our semesters at school and are both SO glad to be finished.

I took 2 online courses towards my teacher certification and will take a break until next Fall. It was a little harder going back to school after being out for 4 years...but I'm pretty sure becoming pregnant after I had decided to go back didn't help! My mind was preoccupied with baby stuff so it was hard to concentrate on school. I am very pleased with my grades though!

Mike had a pretty tough courseload this semester and is EXTREMELY glad it is over! He is set to graduate in May...as long as he is able to take the classes he needs. We will both be so excited for him to have his Bachelor's degree finished. He will most likely start his seminary work in the Fall so he won't have much of a break but at least he'll be working towards a new goal. I'm so proud of him for continuing to pursue his Bachelor's degree. It is a great accomplishment!!
Last weekend was full of activities! Friday night was a benefit concert for the Children's Home. There is a family here that does a Christmas program with all the contributions going to the Children's Home. They are a very talented family and it is such a great thing for them to give of their time and talents to honor God. I like to call them the Von Trapp family because there are at least 6 kids and they are ALL musically talented!
Saturday was a time to celebrate Samantha Lynn - the daughter of our good friends Jim and Gina. The church had a shower for Gina. It was a nice time to get to visit with her and shower her with goodies! Samantha was born 10 weeks premature on October 19. Her due date is coming up December 28. She is doing GREAT!! She's been home for a few weeks now and hasn't really had any complications. Gina is doing great as well. Our God is an amazing God and I've been reminded of that through Gina and Samantha's story.

I use Pandora to listen to music online...I love it!

Christmastime is a great time to use Pandora because they play such a variety of songs. Yesterday, I heard one that took me back in time...WAY back!! 16 years back...to 5th grade. Anyone remember this song???

Up on the housetop Reindeer pause,

Out jumps good old Santa Claus.

Down thru' the chimneyWith lots of toys,

All for the little ones,Christmas joys.

Ho, ho, ho! Who wouldn't go!

Ho, ho, ho! Who wouldn't go!

Up on the housetop, Click, click, click,

Down thru' the chimney With good Saint Nick.

This song was part of our Christmas play for 5th grade, The Santa Clause Twins!

I love that hearing that song immediately took me back to 5th grade and that play...here's a "shout out" to all my Clearfork friends and the memories we made...including The Santa Clause Twins play!

I started reading Kelly's blog several months ago and am hooked! I enjoy reading the words that come from her heart and stories about her almost one-year-old daughter Harper! She has some pretty amazing giveaways but this one has to be one of the best I've seen. She's giving away an amazing HP computer!! Our MAC laptop has gone down hill in it's old age and we desperately need a new home computer. But, with Ranston on the way, we're not sure if it'll make it into the budget anytime soon. I entered to win the HP---everyone cross your fingers!!

Here's Ranston!!

We had our 3D sonogram yesterday!

Ranston was somewhat cooperative! We didn't get a straight on look at his face but we did get to see our baby boy! They usually only give you one chance (20 minutes) but thankfully we got a second chance. We got a few good looks at him the 2nd time around. Hopefully you can see him in the pictures. Keep you eye out for his hands and feet. He was so balled up that most pictures have a foot in them!

It's getting there!

I thought I'd give you a sneak peak at the nursery!

Mike and my dad worked on our crown molding this weekend...it still has some touch work the needs to be done but it is up!

Also, we are aren't finished with adding a few pieces of furniture...

BUT, I know many of you are anxious to see Ranston's room!

Not only did Mike work onthe crown molding, but he also put together our glider!

I was so excited. I didn't expect to find him working on it so it was a nice surprise
This painting was given to us by Molly and I LOVE it!! If you can't tell, it is a baby in his mother's womb!

Jacey sent this SUPER SOFT personalized blanket with my sister for us!

It is SOOOOO soft and a beautiful shade of blue!

We are still waiting on our mattress but wanted to put the bedding together.

We thought our mattress came in on Friday but they shipped us a mini-trampoline instead!! Oops!! The mattress is on its way to us!

Ranston's nursery doesn't have a closet because it was an added on room. I've made a temporary clothing area until we decide what we are doing!

And finally.....the crown molding! It adds a nice touch to the room.

I'll make sure and add pictures as the nursery becomes complete!

A few other things to share:

Mike's grammy found this infant's jacket of Mike's...isn't it ADORABLE?!?!

It looks like a Member's Only jacket from the '80s...it even has a tag that says "Infants Only"

I had a great visit with my dad and sister!

They came to visit on Friday. It was such a treat to have them here!

It was the first time my dad got to see me since I started looking pregnant!

It is a little late for this picture but I don't want it to get lost in the "should have posted" group! I got to have coffee with my Bible study girls in Midland when we were home for the shower. It was great to see them and catch up!!