I'm Back......in more ways than one!

Okay, so I guess I am still getting the hang of this blog thing. I certainly let it go for a while!

So I am officially going back into business for myself. As of April 1st, the Shane Brown Agency of American Family Insurance is opening it's doors in Dallas. Melissa and I have no plans to move immediately, but obviously that is on the horizon. We'll keep you posted!

Hasn't the weather been fantastic? On Saturday it felt great to get out and do some yard work and then finish the day eating some slow-smoked ribs I put on for 4 hours. Ahhh...pork and hickory. What a combo. Topped with my own home made sauce. Yummy! Melissa and I absolutely love grilling, and in the spring we'll do it at least two or three times a week. Grilled chicken salad, pork chops, burgers, etc. I love that we are getting back to that time of year.

Hope all is well with you and your families!

Christmas Tree 2009

We were barely out of the car before Anna made a bee-line for this pathetic little brown sapling and decided this was our Christmas tree. Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!!



Found it! Great looking tree and the perfect size for our living room.



Daddy has set it up in the living room and we are ready to decorate!



The kids really had a blast decorating. Both of them listed it as the best part of the day. Hard to argue with that!



The final product. There is absolutely NOTHING better than watching the kids' eyes when we turn out all the lights and plug in the tree!

The Magic Is Back!

Well, we made it back from California and it could not have gone any better! The kids were great- not a single complaint going down or coming home.

I decided while driving home that one of the most underrated sights of the season is a family packed into a car with a Christmas tree strapped to the top. Just thinking of all the life-long memories that are being made warms the heart.

The kids have a new favorite song! I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas. I've had it on my ipod for a while because it's a fun little song, but they got absolutely addicted to it on the drive home. Now whenever they are in the car with me, we have to play it and sing along. They laugh every time and know the words by heart. Lil' Shane even came up to me last night and tried to convince me that we could keep a hippo in the shop it he really did get one for Christmas. I took the easy way out and told him that was up to Santa. That's right- throw the jolly old elf under the bus.

We are going out to cut our Christmas tree this Saturday. Normally we do this the Friday after Thanksgiving, but our California trip necessitated a change in plans. Now I am positively itching to get it up, and Lil' Shane has talked non-stop about helping me hang Christmas lights this year. I LOVE being a parent at Christmas time! To be totally honest, Christmas was almost becoming a depressing time of the year for me. Just another reminder that once again I was observing Christmas with no children. Now the magic is definitely back! Seeing the wonder in Shane and Anna's faces when we pass Christmas lights and other sights and sounds of the season has completely replaced that depression with absolute joy.

Prety soon, we'll start putting out the nativity scene one peice per night, explaining the significance of each one. We'll end on Christmas Eve by putting Christ in his manger. We'll bake cookies for Santa and set them out with a glass of milk. (In Melissa's home growing up, it was beer and pretzels!) Then we'll open one present- new pajamas for everyone- and head to bed.

What are some of the traditions your families enjoy?

The Family

Thanksgiving!

We want wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving! We are headed to California to spend the holiday with my brother Damon and his family. This will be our first really long road trip with the kids, and we are anxious to see how they handle the long car ride. The take the the 4 hour trip to Bandon just fine, but 10 hours to Sacramento may be pushing it. I really hope they take it well. I've been on long trips with fussy kids before, and I barely made it through the ordeal without committing a number of serious felonies. But, this time they are mine, which fills me with more happiness than I can express here.

I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with family, friends, and great food. We will be thinking of all our great friends as we count the things we are truly grateful for. We thank the Lord for you every day.

Have a great one!

Hello There!

Well, Melissa and I have finally decided to jump into the world of blogging. Bear with us while we figure this thing out! We hope to share our lives with you and keep you up to date on the ups and downs along the way.

We hope you enjoy!