New Year....New Blog!

Happy New Year!! So for the new year I'm creating a new blog to so I can share the latest adventures of our family with you! So many of you are far away and being important to our family, we want to keep you close to our hearts!! I've really enjoyed reading the blogs of my friends and family out there who post them and I hope that our blog gives you a bit of the same enjoyment!

It seems like each year goes a little faster than the one before...it makes me want to take time to appreciate all of the amazing gifts life has given to me. There are so many, who can count? That's probably one of the best gifts I've recieved. I've grown from someone who was once a pretty pessimistic kid to a person who recognizes how much I have to be grateful for. And I have a whole lot to be grateful for.

My husband is amazing. He is my true partner in all aspects of our life. He is there to support me always... be it another one of my hare-brained schemes or something that I cannot (or should not) face alone. He learns with me, all of the time, how to be better parents. He knows how important a job we have and that we can't just always fly by the seat of our pants. Because he wants what is best for our children, he learns with me and works toward progress, rather than always just going with the status quo. He respects me and loves our family. He is patient, forgiving, and puts up with me. Who could ask for more?

My sweet Emma is growing into a young lady before my eyes. She is taller, her eyes are brighter, her mind is growing and developing around a trillion new ideas. She is so intelligent and gorgeous, I think that the world has an amazing gift in her. She is a good friend to others and loves life and wants to do EVERYTHING! This year she tackled softball, swim team, and karate. She keeps on keeping on when things get tough and I am so blessed to be able to be a part of her life. It is sure to be an amazing one.

Little Marty. What can I say about this little man...he is the most adorable, mischievious, loving boy ever. He is so smart, he keeps me on my toes all of the time. When Emma was happy enough to know that she came from my belly, LM wanted all of the details. He is extremely scientific and thoroughly reasoned answers will only suffice. LM took on 4yo preschool like a champ this year! He has made a lot of good friends and has a great time learning and playing at school. He also took on his first team sport this year...soccer! He has really loved it. He had his Dad coaching in the fall and is now playing indoor soccer. He is so active and loves playing everything. I love taking in life from his perspective, everything is exciting.

SKIING! The Branns love skiing, what can we say. Thank you, Marty, for teaching the kids and I how to ski! Little Marty went from being a bit timid, though steady, on his skis last year, to rocketing down intermediate runs with the big boys and girls in '07. He is a sight to hold if you are someone who can respect what kind of skill that takes. He has gotten many a compliment from a teen or adult tearing up the hills with us. Emma has also made great strides in her skiing abilities this year. She is learning to carve turns with the big dogs and also tackled the terrain park this year, the girl will be in the winter X games down the road if she keeps it up!

Animals....Ivan and Alex are still gracing us with their furry presences. They turned 10 this year! We are so lucky to have these cats with us, they are great. They are so cool and are such a part of this family. From Alex's nightly ritual of corralling us up to bed and plopping down with us to Ivan's morning debates for treats, I hope we have at least 10 more years with them. Sunny is still bounding around here with her silly self. She is truly a great dog. I am still learning a lot from our dogs. From Kuma (who died in '05) I learned so much about taking the lead, being decisive, and forgiveness. From Lacey, who we could not keep b/c she was a biter, I learned that I can't do everything, that it's okay to admit that, I've learned that when you have kids, you have an obligation to make decisions in a different context than if you didn't have any, and I learned a bit more about forgiveness. From Sunny (who will be 3 in February), I've learned to be softer, I've learned patience, and to have a lot of extra dog towels around ;)

There is so much to reflect on and for a full life, I am grateful. To all of our loved ones, have a very HAPPY New Year holiday and check back for updates, pictures, etc....!

Happy 2008!