2010-See YA!

2010! WOW! I can not believe you are 1 hour from being over!!! You have rocked! And make me hopeful for 2011!

January: Created a list of Goals for the Year (more on that tomorrow), posted 100th post 2times =), Started a new couples bible study group, Uncle Charles went to live with Jesus

February: Shared testimony, Got the Flu, Madyson had her first play date without mommy, redid the bathroom!

March: Aubrie's Birthday, Alot of "about me's"

April: Madyson and I went to California!, wrote the Joys of Being Southern, had A LOT of Madyson moments!

May: Read Shelia Walsh's God Has A Dream For Your Life, Madyson had her first Dance Recital, Went Camping!

June: Took Madyson to our High School Show Choir's performance of Wicked/Wizard of Oz, Vacation Bible School blew me out of the water, Todd got a promotion.

July: My biggest post to date: debuting my childhood best friend Brian on Show Us Your Life, took family trip to Disney to celebrate mine & madyson's birthday, took a girls trip to the beach!

August: Todd and I went to Chicago!

September: Field Trips, wrote a letter to Mattel, designed my first blog background. started women's bible study-rocked my world!

October: Jumpstart giveaway!, Todd had knee surgery!

Novemember: We announced the feeling of being called to adoption! Something we are thrilled about and cannot wait to tell you more (but we have too!) , showed grace and love to a stranger, told you about our UGLY kitchen, and our adorable shutterfly gift card!

December: Christmas, Chris Tomlin, Christmas! Oh! And we became www.thebroadusbunch.com =)

So what did I think of 2010! It went by really fast! 2011 is going to be a blast! Things to look forward too:
January: sharing the results of last years goals and the 2011 edition. Revival at church
February: LOVE DAY 2011+Kitchen Remodel (hopefully**)
March: Aubrie Kate turns 3
April: Easter
May: My grandmother turns 85!
June: Vacation Bible Schools
July: My cousin Kristie gets married in Seattle!!! Madyson turns 5!
August: Todd and I celebrate 6 years of marriage! Madyson starts kindergarten (O.M.G!)
September: PTO & Public Schools become a reality in our life
November: Todd's Birthday, Black Friday 2011!
December: Snow Sking for Christmas!

add in adoption process, big house changes, and a few bumps and highs! I can NOT wait!!!

emerging from the grave!

That would be a great Easter title...I might retitle this one later. But as of right now-that is how it feels!

So let me get you caught up! My last post I talked about our "Souper"fun Christmas Party we have on Christmas Eve! This year it was amazing here are a few pictures

Ill show you more in my year review-but notice how peaked I looked? My grandma asked me if I felt okay. I did! After we opened all the gifts, my cousin started feeling sick. Thinking it was something he ate-we thought nothing of it! Everyone left around 9:30 and we got the girls in the bed! At 10:15 Madyson yells "DADDY!!! I THREW UP ALL IN MY BED" (notice she calls daddy because I usually throw up on her...its a reflex) So off Todd ran-I followed-sure enough-everywhere! he got her sheets cleaned I got her cleaned-we tried bed again-30 minutes later-she erupted. This continued until 7am. 

we took her mattress of the bunk bed-she had puked on all her sheets. Notice the garbage can? This was around 4am!

Sweet Aubrie was confined to sleeping in mommy and daddy's bed. But at 5:30 she woke up and came into the girls room (where Todd and I were with Madyson) and wanted to snuggle. As I wrapped us both up-there she blew. after an hour and a half of being tag teamed by the puke princesses we decided to head to the hospital. 

We were at the ER for 4 hours. The girls got Zoferan and Popsicles and some Dolls! (i mean it was Christmas morning after all =)

We got home around 11 and we all slept. Finally-at 2:30 the girls woke up and said "OH we forgot Santa came!!" we played and tried to go to Todd's mom's house for Christmas there-but sure enough the bug hit again. Aubrie got sick, I was sick, Todd was sick! All Sunday-Monday-Tuesday we were recovering. In pj's,  bland diet, tons of ginger ale and sprite!

So now that we are emerging from the grave! I can't wait to show you all the presents we all got! But for now-I have to clean up!! A bomb has exploded

Merry Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas Eve from the Broadus Bunch!

Tonight we are hosting our annual family Christmas party. Each year we pick a theme-last year it was "tacky jingle mingle" this year its "with momma in her kerchief and I in my cap" (or pajama party) whichever you prefer!

We are having a buffet of fun foods like taco soup, loaded potato soup, bunco buns, dips and chips, TONS of desserts, cornbread...all sorts of yummy goodies. Then we open presents and tell "The Christmas Story". It is probably my favorite night of the year!

Tomorrow we will go to Todd's parents for Christmas day with them!

Oh! and guess what?!? We received an email today saying that our Operation Christmas Child Shoe Boxes went to Chad and to Honduras! How awesome is that!?!? Last year we didn't get an email until February-but to receive one on Christmas Eve! I love how God reminds us-in the simplest of ways-the true meaning of Christmas.

May your day be merry-and your night be silent and peaceful! May tomorrow bring Joy and laughter!
Merry Christmas-We love you all!

Thank you on Demand!

I never get a chance to watch TV-I have to DVR or watch "On Demand". This week I really wanted to get caught up on one of my FAVORITE shows-The Sing Off

Here are a few of my favorite performances First: My choice for Most Entertaining

Next-My choice for Most Disturbing(but in a good way)

Next-My Choice for Best Medley

 

Next-My Choice for Most Classic and Best Dressed

 

And Finally-My choice for Best Vocals, 2010 Positive Role Models

 

*All of these videos are from YOUTUBE searches.*

....a not so merry day

So the other day I received 2 emails. 1-a friend from college giving me positive encouragement about our blog. 2-a reader from somewhere asking if we ever have bad days.

I got to thinking about it and realized most of the stuff I have posted lately has been positive. Cheery moods-Christmas spirit...all makes life seem wonderful.

Well today was a not so merry day and I thought I would share with you-so that way the perception of "happy all the time" gets a little real life thrown in.

Madyson was diagnosed with Pink Eye-Thursday. It is in her eye that has a weak muscle. She never got runny eye or itchy eye or red eye...it was just swollen-early stages.

So they gave us drops-but I have kept her home to watch it and because she has been on a 4 year old tantrum this weekend.

Today, she came to work with me as a final precaution. (still no "signs" of pink eye so I am calling it cleared up)

She was great all day-until we got home. Then she took a nap and woke up a bear. She didn't want to wear what I had picked out for her...she tantrumed-we resolved.

We got to LifeGroup and we were eating and enjoying our party. Usually, we have a sitter, but tonight all the girls were doing Christmas stuff so we were left without one. Well-Aubrie Kate was mad bc she was ready to go home. I told her " just a few more minutes and we will go, here have a snack" So I sat her down at the table and went back to join the group. A few minutes later, Madyson comes running in "Aubrie took her PANTIES OFF" EWWWWWW..Thinking since my child is a want-to-be-nudist she was about to start streaking. No, no. My child had peed all over our friends (atleast I hope we are still friends after this) dining room chair and floor. Yes, peed.

Now-I have noticed a trend, when Aubrie gets mad she pees on things. I have witnessed this about 3 times.
So-as my heart is beating out of my chest, and my eyes are filling up with tears from embarrassment I try to think fast, "what is the best way to handle this" because my first instinct is to jump up and scream. My second is the firm "we are going home-get your things" and then leave. We went with choice two. Once we got it cleaned up the best we could and got the girls in the car we drove home.

We walked in, I put the girls in the pjs and in the bed. Madyson likes to sleep with sound on and have a glass of milk. Aubrie does too. Tonight, the went to bed without tv and without milk. I told them, "Tonight you did not behave the way you know you need to behave. Having tantrums, peeing on furniture, running around yelling-all that, is inappropriate" and then told them I loved them and good night.
Defiantly not my proudest moment as a mom. I love bed time and even though it is usually Todd who does the routine (since I do mornings he does nights) I still like to be involved with reading books and story telling. But tonight I just handled it.

So reader that wonders if we ever have bad days. Yes, Yes we do. We are human and the bad days do come. But when we are faced with bad days, we do our best to find the good in them. Because even when we feel like we are having a horrible day-there is somebody else having a day that is 10 times worse.

The hated elves are back

UPDATE: I THREATENED THE ELVES WITH A WEAPON AND NO LIE----THEY WERE FOUND IN MY MIXING BOWL CABINET...ON A SHELF THAT I AM TOO SHORT TO REACH. GRRRRR


Last year---this was me

Tonight-I sit here with TEARS in my eyes. The hated elves are back and this time they have 2 VERY valuable things...my wedding ring & engagement ring. I am seriously destroying my house trying to find them--and they are NO WHERE to be found. I normally don't ask for prayers like this-but I am sure you all understand. PLEASE pray for me to remember where I had them (or for the hated elves to return them asap!)

JOY

To my girls,

Merry Christmas sweet girls! I want to sit down and write out how proud I am of you two. Last night you helped me make tons of sweets for our community helpers. We talked about how much they do for us and how it is important to remember them during the year.

Daddy and I always want you to practice having a giving heart. It is so important to remember to give back to others. We really want for you girls to see others in this world-not by color or by size, social status, or religion but as people.God loves us all. And as followers of Christ, we are suppose to do the same. This is not always an easy thing, but girls-it will be the greatest blessing you will receive.

We talk a lot about JOY in our house. It is a word that is found on our dish towels, in our tree, on ornaments. It is our "motto". Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last. That is our Joy. Each year we make our treats, we honor our Lord by serving the ones that serve us. We do this because of the Joy that it brings to see these men and women smile.

Madyson-I don't know if in a few years you will remember today-but you were so excited to stand on our driveway and wait for our sanitation workers. When the driver jumped out of the truck-you, my shy one, walked right up to him! You gave him your treats, told him Merry Christmas...Even smiled for a photo for me!  As we were walking back, you said, "wow mommy, I am so glad I got to give him a Christmas Love." Yes baby, me too! I am so glad you got to give him  Christmas Love! I was so proud of you walking into the police station to deliver your treats, and when we got to the fire station, you told Mr. Barry how you worked hard on his treats. He even gave you a treat....a tour of the fire truck!

It is my desire for you girls, that if you only learn one thing from me, you will learn that we love everyone. I always want your hearts to be open to loving and helping others and you to do whatever it takes to make sure you practice JOY.

Merry Christmas my babies! You both, make my heart swell.

Love,
Mommy

I am like a kid!!!

For months now-Madyson has been playing with my American Girl Doll. She LOVES molly and she has taken great care of her. She put molly's bed-in her bed (she sleeps on the top bunk) so Aubrie wouldn't mess her up. She changes her clothes and feeds her dinner.

Well-when Todd and I were in Chicago we made a trip to a certain store.....(do you remember this?)

Well-the "thing" that is inside that bag is now under my tree. And I CAN NOT wait to give it to her!!!!! I have almost told her so many times but I know how excited she is going to be when she opens it!!

10 more days til Christmas Eve...I can do this!

Weekend of the 10th-12th!

Friday morning, Aubrie, myself, and my dad went shopping to finish up his Christmas stuff for my mom! (and for me to help him pick out my present...Got some Totally cute new boots ;)

Friday night we ate popcorn & watched Christmas movies!

The girls got surprised! We purchased the Dora's Christmas Carol Adventure to watch!

Saturday-Aubrie hung out with me, while Todd worked and Madyson played at Grandmommas!

When Madyson got home, The girls made their Christmas presents for the family.

Sunday was my aunt's 65th birthday! Every year we always decorate her house for Christmas on her birthday! Here is Todd helping Toby (her grandson) put the star on top of the tree

After some cake, we all loaded up to go to church to see the Choir perform this year's Christmas musical.

This was so special for us. We had Todd, myself, and both girls, Todd's mom & step-dad. Todd's grandmother, my aunt, uncle, cousin/his wife, their 2 children and my mom and my dad!

This is a huge blessing because my dad does not come to church often, nor does he speak of his beliefs openly. I have been praying for him and his faith. He made a first step of willing coming to this performance. My heart was overjoyed! 

The performance was amazing! God has blessed our church with great musical leadership and an amazing group of singers, orchestra, tech crew...I mean it was TOP NOTCH!

The performance was musical but also told the story of Jesus' birthday through drama. Can you imagine that night? Can you imagine being a shepherd out in a field, tending to your flock when all of the sudden an angel...AN ANGEL appears out of nowhere and says "DO NOT BE AFRAID!"

Seriously? I mean I would have screamed...probably some not so God pleasing statements...or I would have wet my gown.

Then the angel proceeds to say "I come to bring you news of great joy which shall come to all people! For a child is born in Bethlehem a Saviour who is Christ the Lord."

How awesome would that have been? Do you know what my favorite part is? That God sent these angels out to the field to the shepherds. The dirty shepherds that were low on the totem pole. The ones that cared for the animals. Written proof that God doesn't care about your social status-when he has something big to share-he wants even the "shepherds" to know.

This weekend was a blessed one! It defiantly helped put me in the Christmas spirit!

The Broadus' celebrate Christmas!

Welcome! This is our home. It's quaint-not fancy-and very comfortable!

Come on in!

This is the angel tree that sits in our entry way!

This is a paint by numbers my great aunt did ALONG time ago. When we put my grandma in the nursing home, we found this when we cleaned out her house. I love having something so personal hanging in our entry way!

Next you enter our den!! This is our family tree full of ornaments from 1984-2010!! 26 years of collecting!

 Here is our fireplace! My biological dad brought that mirror to me back in October! I am planning on putting it in our girls room-but for the time being I mounted it in the den. 

 I collect snowmen! Todd collects Nutcrackers-this is our little table with the best of both worlds and our girls pictures with santa!

 This is our Christmas card table! Madyson picked out the snowman holder. She says "those are her friends on the cards!"

 Here is our dining room! It has a santa theme!

 This is our Nativity scene! The girls moved in some extra sheep. My parents bought this when they first got married (31 years ago) and Now i have it! I love it because the girls can play with it and wont break it!

 It sits on my reclaimed cedar chest with my snowmen and one of Todd's nutcrackers!

 The is the "girls tree" in the playroom! I gave full responsibility of decorating it to Madyson(4) and Aubrie(2) you can see shoes, crowns, necklaces...very fit for a princess

 The "man tree" in the bathroom-no fru-fru here =)

Now-a look at a few of our ornaments!

 Love the homemade ones!

 My first ornament!

 The red bell was on my great grandmothers tree. The little girl in the background is my sister's ornament

 Can you spot the B? It was on top of our wedding cake

 Aubrie Kate's first ornament

 Madyson "hid" hers in the tree so Aubrie wouldn't break it!

My mom made this ornament! She use to make ceramics! I have 2 of these and love them so much!

Well Thanks for looking! Come back real soon!

Christmas Traditions

Do you see a theme with this months post?

Christmas. Its not my favorite time of year, but I do enjoy it! I thought I would share "The Broadus Family" Christmas Traditions!

2010 schedule
Nov. 21st the Christmas Tree and decorations go up. I do it the weekend before thanksgiving so I can actually be thankful during the holiday...not stressed.

Nov. 26th: Sister Black Friday Shopping. My sister and I have done this for about 10 years now. Its our time, without kids!

Nov. 27th: Pictures with Santa: our new favorite spot (Bass Pro Shops!)

Dec. 4th: Community Christmas Parade

Dec. 5th Church and afternoon Nutcracker performance

Dec. 10th Family Movie Night: Muppet Christmas Carol, Christmas Child, (when the kids are alseep: National Lampoon Christmas Vacation

Dec 11th: Homemade Gift Making Day: Mail Christmas Cards

Dec. 12th: Church, Continue to study the Christmas Story: Church Christmas Musical

Dec. 16th: Snack making night!

Dec. 17th Pass out snacks to Sanitation workers, postal employee, police station, firestation

Dec. 18th: Visit Maw's Nursing Home, take snacks to her workers, bring happies to the residents

Dec. 19th Church, Continue to study the Christmas Story

Dec. 22nd: Christmas Cookie Night!

Dec. 23rd: Christmas Light Ride!

Dec: 24th: Family Christmas Party

Dec. 25th: Christmas at Grandmomma's

Dec. 26th: Church: Afternoon at home to play

Dec. 30th: Tree comes down

If you notice we have a trend in our family. We spend the month of december doing activities that are family oriented, that serve others, or that are teaching about the Lord. I think that is the best way to celebrate the birth of Christ!

What are some of your Christmas traditions!?

CSN $55.00 give-a-way!

Thank you to everyone that entered to win!!! We will be doing another give-a-way after the holidays!!!
*For information how you can be apart of CSN's mom blog give-a-way/reviews. Email me at thebroadusbunch@gmail.com!

Christmas is about giving!

A few weeks ago I was given a $55.00 gift code to use at one of CSN's 200 online stores! I purchased the most adorable present for my girls (can't tell you...you'll have to wait until Christmas!!) I order it on Monday and it arrived on Thursday. Talk about fast shipping! With the holidays coming up, Todd and I want to bless one of our readers with a $55.00 gift code to use at your choice of CSN store! They have everything from Toys, to shoes, to house decor, even flat screen TV stands!

To win: all you have to do is leave a comment below! It needs to include your email address so I can send the winner the special code! That's it! I will draw a winner on Friday!

Merry Christmas!!!!

A full weekend!

This weekend was the most amazing, exhausting, fun-filled weekend I have had in a LONG time!

Friday I was busy working away on the signs for our ballet studios Christmas Float when I got a text that read, "I have an extra ticket to Chris Tomlin tonight, sorry its last minute, but if you can go let me know" Um...Hello? Chris Tomlin? Yes 'mam! The text was from a friend Sarah from the women's bible study I did the past few months. As the day went on I thought to myself, I wonder who's going? Well when I arrived, there were a lot of the girls from the bible study there and we all headed out to see Chris Tomlin. He is my obsession on KLove. He is one of the artist that I absolutely love. He is amazing. And boy, did I need amazing!

Rewind a few days before. Life was starting to catch up with me. I was loosing track of my faith. I was planning things and doing things and forgetting what I was suppose to be doing...spending time with God. So when I received the text from Sarah, I didnt care if I was going with her and her husband, I was going!

Chris Tomlin did an AWESOME performance. I laughed, I cried (alot) I worshiped and I did it with a group of Godly women. A group of women that supports each other, that prays for each other, and that has a rule of keeping what is said between them private and that is a hard relationship to find. I felt blessed to be there with them!

After the concert we got to go BACKSTAGE...yes (jealous!?!) and meet Chris Tomlin. He was adorable.
Here I am with him

(EEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKK!)

Once we all purchased cd's, compared pics, had a group of teenage girls take our pic (we all knew that they were thinking..."oh my that's us in 10 years") we headed for Ice Cream (i mean, its the holidays...no calories)
We shared stories, swapped ideas, I gave an impromptu twitter lesson...then we headed home!

I had to run to wal-mart before going home (aubrie was out of pull-ups, she still wears them at night so I am not washing sheets everyday)

When I got home, I had to finish the signs...bedtime around 3:00am (eesh)

Saturday I had to be at the dance studio at 9:00am. (got there around 9:15)

We worked on the float ALL DAY!!! We won the parade last year, so this year we were the host float, the first ones in the parade, the shining stars...it had to look good ;) We finished the float around 1:30 and had girls showing up at 3:00pm for hair and make-up! We had "The Grinch Stole Christmas" Theme and all the little girls were "cindy loo hoo"

Look at Miss Madyson...they were playing shrek on my phone

Madyson and her friend Skyla

Part 2 of the float

the back part of the float

The parade was over around 7, by 7:30 I was at home in BED.

Sunday,  we had Church. Neither Todd, nor myself could get it together. We arrive 15 minutes late (not a good thing when you teach @ 9) Church was heart wrenching. I really can't go into details but needless to say, i have been crying a lot this afternoon over a family. I need to help them and need God to show me how. (can you please pray for that today)

After church, I had planned to go to the Nutcracker with the girls and Todd's mom, BUT our house was disgusting and I don't mean toys and stuff everywhere... I mean a sink FULL of dishes, laundry piles taller than aubrie...So i made the decision to forgo this performance (sad because I love the nutcracker and had a whole thing planned for the girls) and instead Todd went in my place. He enjoyed it, Madyson loved it!!! Aubrie slept through the first act.

Exhausted? Because I know I am! Work this week and breaking out some holiday traditions this weekend. (Movie Night, Christmas Present Making (grands beware You are getting some cute homemade gifts this year).

Do you have Christmas family traditions? What are some of yours??

Christmas Choir Open House

Last night was Madyson's Christmas Choir Open House at Church.

This is a sneak peek for parents on what the kids are learning and such.

Madyson's teachers are so precious. The hosted a Christmas party after and had everything decorated so cute! I did snap a few pictures before my battery died =( so here they are!

Madyson, Sam, Hunter, Joseph, and sara-anna's leg

 Hunter, Joseph, Sara-Anna

 Ms. Social probably about to get Sam in trouble

Holly, Reece, Madyson

The Scarf Song

 Swishing her tail. She was so excited to get the "pink" one

 sara-anna had to coordinate.

 Ms. Darlene sat in on the rhythm stick song. Its her favorite.

 Tap them on your toes!

The best shot I could get of cooper and konner