Here is a slideshow from Macon. We just got back from Thanksgiving. We had a blast. Brant is definitely at a testing age, though, and I am CONSTANTLY praying for patience. Join me in that prayer would you?

Santa Claus is Comin'...

So I've been playing with a new photo editor, picnik.com, THANKS MEREDITH!

Here is my latest creation...ADORABLE if I might say so!

ENJOY! Get ready for Santa!

::Lately::

We have been having a blast as a family. We have been goofing off, celebrating birthdays, playing outside, and learning learning learning.

The happenings this past week:

1. PawPaw's Birthday - we celebrated with tons of fun at their house. You can check out the photos below.




2. Lee's Dedication - my nephew Lee was dedicated a Buckhead Church during a really cool dedication service. I am sure they will have the photos up on their blog soon. Check my links on the side. My camera was dead that afternoon...go figure.

3. Random playdates outside together! So much fun to just relax and be a family. See below.




I will end with a video. Probably one of the cutest ever. I know it is kinda dark, but you don't need to see as much as you need to hear. Enjoy!

::Halloween::

Much more of a success that I had imagined. Mimi, PawPaw, Lala, and Sammy came over for dinner and trick-or-treating. We had a blast. We ate Brunswick Stew and enjoyed our time together. Going to houses went much better than I was expecting, although getting him to say trick-or-treat was a chore. We got please and thank you out of him though, and we always left with, "HALLOWEEN!" It was a lot of fun and thanks to the last minute costume additions thanks to my friend Angie we had us one tough looking Fireman! Here is a slideshow. Lala dressed up halfway as a baseball player to encourage Brant...so they set off with his Lightning McQueen candy bucket (cause you have to have Cars in there somewhere) and got him some candy. PawPaw and Mimi stayed behind and handed out candy at our house then we all enjoyed the rest of the night together! Happy Halloween!

::The Park::

Went to the park today. Brant had a great time RUNNING everywhere. Had to leave early though, and you will see why in the slideshow. We took pictures the whole time but when it was time for him and Lala he just wasn't going for it. That was fine, but then the NOs and the throwing himself on the ground started...so we left. He screamed the entire way home, which upon arrival he sat on his bed all by himself for 5 minutes until he appeared ready to apologize. He wasn't exactly sure why he was saying he was sorry, but after I refreshed his memory he agreed and said he was sorry. The beginning of a long road with a stubborn, strong-willed child JUST LIKE ME! (and Brandon too from what I hear)

Love to all! Enjoy.

::For Aunt Bruce::

So, after a phone call from my mom saying that her life-long friend Bruce had called to complain, in a nice way of course, about my blogging, I decided that I better get on here and update. Unfortunately, I have not taken ANY pictures at home this month...I think it is the first time this has happened since Brant was born. I do have a CD with pictures of him from school last month, but it is at my mom's at the moment. I will upload some of them asap.

We have kept busy here. Brandon has been given the definite that he will be on a job in Columbus, GA. Glad he has a job, but we aren't thrilled it will be in Columbus. We will be apart during the week and reunited every weekend...for the next year and a half. He is really doing well though and taking lots of initiative...who knows...maybe a promotion upon completion? This is for the Army, so it is going to be GO GO GO!

I have been out of town and back for retreats and conferences for school. Having lots of fun and loving what I do, but keeping a house in order at the same time is just a chore.

Brant is great. Showing more interest in the potty, and doing well. He is talking up a storm and will talk your ears off if you let him.

We are looking forward to the holidays. Thanksgiving here and Christmas in Macon. Should be loads of fun!

Hope all of you are well. The only picture I have is above...but it sums up this month!

SUNSHINE!

::Recent Pictures::

Here are some pictures since I last posted...ENJOY!

Check out this train table...

Me and Mommy at the Museum.

Mimi, what are you doing to me?

Nothin' but smiles from Baby Lee!

What a Chipmunk!

What are you laughin' at Baby Lee?

Sweet kisses for Baby Lee!

Checking in on Baby Lee...you alright?

::I know::

So...here is a list of all the things I know.

1. I know I am in the category of "Bad Bloggers" at this present time.
2. I know that it is frustrating when you get on my blog and only see ONE post from the month of September.
3. I know why my mom tried to avoid doing things on weeknights if she could.
4. I know what I am getting Brant for Christmas.
5. And I know how much Brant would enjoy a sibling.

Now - to some of you - those things on the list are self-explanatory, especially numbers one and two. For the rest, I will explain.

WE HAVE BEEN SO BUSY. Our days/nights have gone like this during the Month of September.

Sundays - Church and family time
Mondays - Lindsay/BA work, Lindsay Biblestudy (loving it!)
Tuesdays - Lindsay/BA work, Lindsay Emmaus meetings (So blessed)
Wednesdays - Lindsay/BA work, BA softball games...great fun for Brant
Thursdays - Lindsay/BA work, actually sit and eat dinner together and talk...sort of
Fridays - Lindsay/BA work, go to bed EARLY
Saturdays - NO WORK, and UGA FOOTBALL

Needless to say we are jam-packed during the weeks lately, mostly my fault, and that explains the lack of posts.

Brant's Christmas present? We spent a free educators' night down at, "Imagine it! The Children's Museum." Its right next to the GA Aquarium...Brant loved it! It had a child size train table that you could pop up in the middle of, he never left its side. It has sand, a truck, a full stocked house with a kitchen, a grocery store, a conveyor belt and everything, and a huge ball section where you can do all sorts of things with balls and machines! So, I recommend it to anyone who has kids...such fun for everyone. But through all that I think we are going to have a train themed Christmas this year!

Brant enjoying a sibling? We have been carpooling with a friend to work since May, and he loves being with her two boys. I think he thinks they ARE his brothers. Also, he is enjoying Baby Lee (his cousin) so much more lately. He asks about him and looks forward to seeing him. I have pictures to prove it.

So, hope you are caught up. I will try to stay out of the bad blogger club, but I can't make any promises. With all we have going on, after Brant goes to sleep, Brandon and I are lucky to get 15 minutes of US time in before we pass out.

So keep us in your prayers and we hope all is well with you! Remember the Arnolds love you!

Visit to Macon

Here is a slideshow of our trip to Macon. Not too many pictures cause I don't want to bore you. We had a great weekend with great family, good food, and loads of fun! Can't wait to get back down there soon!

So just sit back and relax and enjoy the photos as they change on their own (for those of you who don't know what a slideshow might be...)

School CD

These are pictures from Brant's school CD I get of him each month! Too cute to pass up! ENJOY!

::OVERDUE...I KNOW::

So, I understand that my efforts have been few these past weeks. With my camera being gone, I assumed my thoughts boring and chose to wait until I had it back. Then, time got the best of me. However, after many requests...WE ARE BACK!

Brant has had an eventful few weeks. Last time I posted I was home sick with him...so not much has changed. He got better and went to Nana's for a week down in Macon, which he LOVED! Then he came back to school and got sick again. This time worse. He threw up (for the first time) in the car on the way home from school last Thursday. I was trying not to flip out, and luckily I carpool with another mom that works there and she was able to talk me through it. It is just SOOOOO different when it is your child. Went to the doctor after he threw up at school the next day to find out his other ear was beginning to get infected and he probably had a stomach virus. After the 10th person got sent home the next day....I knew the Dr. was right! Brant was just the first one this time. So, he stayed with MiMi on Friday so I could go to work and then he and I spent the rest of the weekend there to hang out with Nanny (my mom's mom).

We had an eventful weekend. We went to pick up my dad from the airport on Saturday night. He returned from the Connie Mack 17-18 year old baseball World Series a CHAMPION! GO Yankees! Here is a picture and video of Brant that night.

Why could he not run to PawPaw instead of circle him?

Then on Sunday Brandon came and joined us (after working on the car practically all weekend only to be more frustrated...poor guy!) and Bryan, Amelia, and Lee made the trek to Acworth for lunch. Here are some pictures from there!

He was happy until we made him take pictures!

Isn't Baby Lee precious?

PawPaw and Baby Lee...How great is that?

Baby Lee in MiMi's arms...it did seem to be where he was happiest...but who wouldn't be?

They did not want to get their pictures taken!

::Camera Problems::

I want to apologize for not posting in a while. Aside from mentioning we have been trying to get back into routine lately after the fourth of July holiday...I have misplaced my battery charger to my camera. Between taking it to work, on trips, and being at home, it is hiding in a bag somewhere or at work. I have yet to find it, but when I do, photos will resume and I will begin posting more. I just feel that a post without a picture is boring to you all.

However, I have been at home the past two days with a sick little one. He has an ear infection and a virus. Needless to say, he has been pitiful. He is on an antibiotic and a steriod, not to mention the decongestant and motrin for his high fever. So doped up and happy, we have been hanging out the past two days. He is headed to his MiMi's tonight so she can keep him tomorrow and Mommy can return to work.

I will update as soon as I can. Lets hope I find my battery soon. Love to you all!

::Birthday Present Time::

So, for Brant's birthday we decided to go do something with him instead of getting him toys or clothes. So yesterday, we took a trip to the GA Aquarium. HE LOVED IT! He kept running around from exhibit to exhibit saying, "More Fish!" We were very glad that he had such a great time. He was very interested in everything, and we are glad that we went in the morning because as we left the crowds were enormous. It would have been a nightmare chasing him through all those people.

Here are some highlights:

He loved the Jellyfish..."Taking on the Jellies (from Nemo)"

This was his favorite spot because he saw the diver and this was the tank that had Dori and all the other fish you would see in Finding Nemo. Nemo was in his own seperate tank down the hall, but he was so fast I could never get a picture. Below is Brant waving at the diver cleaning the tank...the diver waved back at Brant and he got so excited!

Brant and Mommy in front of his favorite spot. We went back twice to this tank. He didn't really want to take the picture, but it didn't turn out that bad.

This was us inside the penguin exhibit. They had a tube you could crawl to and virtually be inside with the penguins. Brant was scared at first, but then he was fine. Pretty neat!

Brant in the tunnel with Daddy looking at the whale shark. Those things are huge!

Inside the gift shop, since we went to see the 4D movie we decided against buying him anything, but he was a good sport. There was so much in there he wanted everything. Maybe he is going to be a marine biologist and ride Shamu when he grows up.

This is me and Brant with Deepo, the Aquarium mascot. Brant was excited to take the picture, although you can't tell.

What's a trip downtown without getting a little heartburn at the Varsity. Brant's second trip and the hat isn't old yet! YES!

Here are two videos as well. At the end of each one you will see him run off and say "More Fish!" That is why I had to cut them off and chase him.

Enjoy!

::Creek Walk::

On Tuesday afternoon, the fam went to our local park and had a blast. Brant played on the playground and then of course gravitated to the creek to throw some rocks. He got a little more curious this time and decided to step in the creek. This led to a walk for a good ways down the creek. Here are some pictures:

Brant found a tree he liked and decided to sit on it!

Also, Brant found a rabbit and decided to try and get it. This is the video:

::The Weekend::

This week has officially begun...and boy are we excited! Brandon is on vacation, we are headed to the GA Aquarium on Thursday, and then it's a holiday weekend! What is there to be bummed about?

Last weekend started off great with a visit to see Uncle Bryan, Aunt Mena, and Baby Lee. I was in heaven holding him the entire night, and Brant was in heaven because he left with MiMi. Here is Brant's very first picture with his new cousin.

On Friday night before we headed to my brother's...Brandon came home with a HAPPY for me! Front Porch Furniture! It is awesome. We put it together Saturday morning and sat together before our day began. Then on Sunday night we enjoyed the pink sunset after the storms. I am so excited to be able to have this and spend time together!

Saturday was jam-packed with Joni's birthday at the lake and then softball games. Brandon broke another finger, so all is well. He is bummed it started his vacation, but he'll live. He is being a great patient and following instructions. So, slowly but surely it is getting better!

Below are some pictures of my first flower arrangement made by flowers from my yard. I am amazed at how pretty it turned out to be...once again, credit to the previous home owners for planting some pretty awesome annuals! And without watering them due to the ban, I think they have turned out pretty well!

So - here is a HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOUQUET for Ms. Debra (Brandon's Mom) whose birthday is tomorrow! Hope your day is awesome and filled with joy! Wish we could be there, but we will see you soon! You deserve it!

::Update from Us::

So, I know that I failed to acknowledge Brant's 2nd birthday! The VERY REASON FOR THIS BLOG, and he didn't even get a birthday post. I will obviously skip this story when I am telling him about his childhood. We did however, have a birthday cookout on Father's Day. And here is the look that we saw the most! He got it...it was great! I can't even imagine what it will be like next year when he is anticipating it...such fun!

Below is a picture of Brant's return to his very own backyard. Apparently he was watching Nana water the flowers when he was down in Macon for the week (they took him for a week to spend time with him and allow me to be available for the birth of my nephew). He asked to "water flowers." So I gave him the hose to see what he would do...and this was the result.

I know some of you have kept up with how I was worried about Brant not eating at school. Well, I just wanted to put up a picture to prove that he is a great eater now. He still needs some work with the utensils though!

Under here is Brant's new obsession....COUNTING! He has learned to count to ten and will count anything in front of him. This is a picture of him at school counting his friends before they go outside. They all sit by the door and sing songs before going out, and Brant decided he would count his friends for the teachers. They said he did a great job, but that after 10 he looked confused. Well...at least he has caught up to Bryan's intelligence level at that age, right Bub?

This is Brant counting again. This time he and a friend were counting pine cones. I got suspicious and asked for the rest of the story and found out that after they were finished counting they started chucking them at each other....great.

So as you can see, we have been up to lots of fun over here. Brant turned two then went to Macon for a week, my brother had his little boy (a buddy for Brant - who will meet him this Friday...pray for gentle touches!), Brandon is working his tail off submitting bids, I got my first paycheck for my extra-curricular sports program...which blew me away to get paid like that for something I LOVE, and I am getting to see my sister almost twice a week. Life is good.

Like I said, Brandon is working hard and getting to take some time off next week as a reward, so we are going to take Brant to the aquarium for his birthday present from his Mama and Daddy. On Friday Brandon and Brant are going to get to meet Lee, my new nephew. We have Joni's birthday party this weekend at the lake and our last two church softball games. So, although this weekend is jam packed, hopefully we will slow down a bit and get to relax. Can't believe it is almost July...this summer is going by too quickly!

Love to all!