New Look

I get bored very easily. The green background was getting old, so I decided to make a change. The lighthouse is so very fitting. It is an everyday reminder that Jesus can and should be the light in the darkness! God Bless.

I've been tagged

I was tagged. For those of you that are oblivious to what I am talking about, I shall explain. I was tagged by Brooke. She first wrote 7 weird or random facts about herself. She then tagged 7 friends, one of which as I stated above was me. I in turn will write 7 facts about myself & am supposed to tag 7 other people. Let's give it a try.

1. I haven't grown an inch since I was in the 6th grade...still 5'2'' and holding.
2. I am extremely double-jointed in my arms and ankles.
3. I despise beans and mashed potatoes. Eating these would be a quick way for me to get sick!!! YUCK!
4. Lifetime movies are a guilty pleasure. I could watch for days if I had the time...I am my mother's child.
5. Chris and I waited almost 5 years before having a baby. I guess we still felt like kids ourselves & needed grow up time first. SMART MOVE!!
6. I could eat fresh greens (any variety) and boiled cabbage for every meal...No joke!! YUMMY!
7. My younger brother (almost 4 yrs. younger) broke the sad news to me that Mom and Dad were Santa Claus. How sad is that!! I guess I would still believe if a 6 year old hadn't been a poor sport! Thanks Patrick.

Now I get to tag some of you. 1. Laura 2. Kimberly 3. Betsy 4. Melissa 5. Miranda

I'll leave it at 5 since I am new to this thing and don't have a lot of links yet.

Pumpkin Patch Pictures

Here are a few pictures from our day at Tate's Farm. Enjoy!


Lauren and her cousin Lizzie looking for the
perfect pumpkins.

The Long weekend and Tate's Farm

Wow...What a crazy few days we have had. For starters, Chris had a night out with friends on Friday. They attended a Christian hard rock concert in Muscle Shoals. If you know my husband well, you know that he used to be into some wild music in the day. Apparently this group "rocked the house". Chris could not talk by the time he arrived home. This in turn interfered with the rest of the weekend...I'll explain more in a bit. While he was out, I spent the entire night baking cookies and cleaning the house. Lauren entertained herself most of the evening with movies and Delilah. Delilah you ask. Yes, my child loves to listen to the nationally syndicated Delilah radio show. I am assuming it is her soothing voice that L finds so intriguing. I am not sure. But, she is definitely her mother's child!!

We got up bright and early Saturday morning for a short drive up the road to Tate's Farm. If you are unfamiliar with Tate's, they have the best pumpkin patch in this area. There are hundreds of acres of pumpkins, corn, gourds, cotton, etc. We were all very excited about the day ahead of us. When we first arrived, Lauren immediately ran to the jungle gyms to play. She climbed many stairs to the tops of the slides, slid down the twists and turns, and repeated the aforementioned steps about a million and a half times. We then made our way to the other children's obstacles, hay maze, and mini trikes. As the frigid morning wore on, we had the opportunity to pet goats and hold the cutest rabbits. Lauren was smiling from ear to ear. We do not have pets, so this was a treat for her to experience. Moving on, the next adventure that we, or shall I say Lauren stumbled into was the corn crib. Tate's has four huge 'cribs' full of corn. The kids had the best time diving, swimming, getting buried, throwing...not the best idea, and wrestling in the large vats of corn. I would have jumped in too if there were not so many small children. It looked exciting! Anyway, once we dug a pound of corn out of Lauren's pants and panties (don't ask), we were ready for the hayride. We boarded the flat bed, found our seats on the hay, and went on a short excursion around the farm. Ultimately, we made our way to the pumpkin patch in search of the best pumpkins we could find. We did just that, after having to pass on many that were rotten. I wander what causes that to happen so early into the season. The pickings were slim considering the acreage. As I digress, we selected a large 'family' pumpkin and a small one for L. While we road back to the main farm area I could feel my eyes beginning to swell. The term hayfever is definitely appropriate. I felt stuffy the rest of the day. It was so worth it!! We enjoyed great family entertainment and made wonderful memories.

We returned home for a chili lunch and some Bama football. This game nearly gave Chris a heart attack. If you recall from earlier, he had no voice. That did not matter. He screamed at the TV as if they could hear his frustration. I guess his ranting was justified, as the Tide's performance in the second half against Ole Miss left much to be desired. We were happy for the W that will be on our record, but it is bittersweet considering the way they played. What a game and what a day!!!

Chris was scheduled to sing a solo at church Sunday morning. He had NO voice by this point. Needless to say, he called the minister of music Saturday to inform him of his dilemma. That was not a problem, so he just rescheduled Chris for another Sunday. So, the weekend continued with Lauren waking us up at the crack of dawn Sunday morning barking like a dog. She had a nasty case of chest congestion and a terrible cough. She also complained about her little ears 'hurting in the holes'..as she put it. I put her in bed with me, rubbed vapor rub on her chest, and sent Chris to the couch so he could at least get some rest. We stayed in this arrangement for several hours until we decided to return to the land of the living. The remainder of the day was us just moping around, trying to recover. I am thankful that I am still feeling relatively healthy!

I know I have rambled and bore you to tears. I'll try to be more upbeat next post and add pictures from the farm. Until then, have a great beginning of the week and enjoy this beautiful fall weather.

Brandi

Slow to Update

I intended to update more often than I have thus far. It has been a hectic week at work & an even crazier weekend. We kept Lauren home today. She has a terrible cough and is now complaining with ear pain. She has never been one to get ear infections, but it sounds like that is what we are dealing with. Anyway, I'll try to fill you in on our trip to Tate's Farm soon. We had a good time and the weather was absolutely perfect. So, until then, have a great week!!
Brandi

Thanks Auntie Regina for reminding me I'm a slacker!!HEHEHE!! Just Kidding!

Poop Gas

I have said it so many times over the last 7 years of teaching. "I wish I would have written down all of the funny things my kids say. I could write a best selling book." Well, I am finding the same scenario unfolding as I raise a child!

On Saturday night, we were all doing our own thing. Chris was flipping between several college football games; laughing out loud at many of the upsets that were taking place (especially since none of them involved the Tide getting crushed). I was working on getting this whole blog site tweaked while Lauren was watching a movie in our bedroom. She was being so good and especially quiet. After a while of total silence, I whispered into the room, "Lauren, are you okay?" Her reply had me in stitches. "Mommy, I'm fine. I'm just pooping gas." I then had her tell me again what she had said. Her exact response was, "Mommy, I'm pooping gas". This time she said it with that leave me alone, I'm busy kind of tone. This cracked me up!! I realize it is probably one of those you had to be there moments. Yet, for the mother of a young tot, it was hilarious.

This all brings me to a genuine point. Kids are so literal; however, they are also unbelievably clever. I guess I've never thought of "gas" as being something we "poop". Lauren on the otherhand made that connection. She got an easy laugh out of Mom and had my wheels turning in regard to the way children think. Hmmm....if I could see inside their heads..what would I find?


I guess I should have warned you ahead of time. This post is not the most intellectual or thought provoking of reading material out there. On the otherhand, it is just a reminder to laugh at the little things in life...and get a chuckle out of silly things like gas and poop.

Styles Family Blog..First Post- Take 1

This is a wee-bit nerve racking. The thought of managing a family blog amidst the daily chaos of our lives is overwhelming; we'll give it a try. I hope to post at least weekly if not more. Bear with my ramblings, occasional grammar goofs, and bad photo ops. Happy reading!

Chris and I have been on Fall Break this week. It has been an absolute God-send! We spent the first half of the week in the Smokies and the remainder of our time relaxing and whittling away at the never ending to-do list. I must say, Gatlinburg in the fall is breath taking. For starters, we made a day trip to Cades Cove on Monday. This was a great experience. We previously visited this site on our honemoon going on 8 years ago. It was very neat chasing Lauren, our very rambunctious 2 1/2 year old, around the grounds. She had a great time and especially liked the picnic in the field surrounded by the georgeous mountain scenery.

The rest of our trip included a kids' amusement park, go-kart rides, shopping, several stops at the MANY candy shops (mostly just viewing..with a little tasting), and lots of good eating. The Pancake House in Pigeon Forge was among the best spots for a tasy breakfast. Lauren scarfed her mini plate of blueberry pancakes. She also got a cheap amusement out of Daddy trying on a "Bubba" hat in the gift shop. What good times!! Finally, on the last night of our trip we visited the Old Mill. This is the most yumm-o ("Thanks Rachael Ray") eatery in that area...in my opinion. We endulged/over-endulged on southern favorites like corn fritters, corn chowder, fried chicken, pot roast, and family style side dishes. We were seconds away from exploding but full nonetheless. What a blast!

I guess you can say that we've had a blessed week. We look forward to hearing from you and getting updates on your busy lives as well. Please drop us a comment along the way.