Styles Family Update

It has been far too long. We are super busy most days and loving every minute of it. Since I last posted in July, our little family continues to be so blessed. Lauren has been in pre-k since August. She is learning more than I would have ever imagined and is growing into a beautiful young lady. Alyssa is 15 months old and crawling everywhere, getting into everything. She is not yet walking, but she gets around just fine in her own way. She is also "talking" a lot these days. I love those girls.

Thanksgiving came and went with such gust. We didn't really have much time to rest, as we were on the move most of the time. However, as a family, we are counting our blessings day in and day out. This year has been a challenging one for us, but God has sustained us through it all. Chris lost his job with the Huntsville City school system in May due to budget cuts. This economy has made finding a teaching job anything but easy. He has spent the last few months working for various friends. This is not exactly how he envisioned his year going, but as a family and couple, God continues teaching us patience, perseverance, and faith. We are growing stronger and believing in Jesus through all of our trials. He has never left us, and we are grateful for all that he does for us. His blessing have been immense!!

Christmas is just around the corner. Alyssa is at that stage of exploration and awe. She is fascinated with the beautiful lights, ornaments, and all this time of year has to offer. Last year was fun, but this year is shaping up to be a blast. I cannot wait to see the looks on my girls' faces as we continue enjoying the festivities and all that is in store throughout the season. Check back soon for additional updates. God bless and remember to always give thanks!


Did I mention I love to climb??

Freshly Sharpened Pencils

What is it about the swiftly approaching fall and the ever impending start of a new school year that puts a knot in the pit of my stomach? If you know me at all, you know that I have a nervous personality anyway. Throw me out of my routine and into something new, and I can be a wreck. This year is definitely no exception. I am embarking on a "new" workplace/school, faculty, and administration. While the physical location will be unchanged, we will no longer be Riverton Middle School. As of August 6, you are looking at a 6th grade teacher for the brand new Riverton Intermediate School. I am beyond excited at the changes; however, that uncertainty still drives my nerves.

As I mentioned in the previous post, Lauren is starting pre-k in a couple of weeks as well. She and I made a trip to town a few days ago to start knocking out that insanely long supply list. Well, $50 later, and we're still not finished. Can you believe that educating a 4 year old can break the bank like that. I guess I shouldn't really complain until we start paying the tuition. It is actually about the same as what we were paying in daycare costs, so I'm not too taken aback. But, I do look forward to the day when we can save more money and enjoy the fruits of our labor a little more. The girls are totally worth it though!!! We feel the blessings everyday!

In the words of Meg Ryan in "You've Got Mail", "There is just something about the smell of freshly sharpened pencils". Bring on those loads of supplies, stacks of textbooks, school bus stops, students with nervous stomachs, and frazzled parents.

God Bless!
Brandi

Summer 2010

We are still here!! I have taken a long blog break but hate to keep looking back and see February as the last post. So, what have we been up to? Chris and I have had the pleasure of spending lots of time at home with our girls this summer. It has been fun, but I am exhausted. Work is just around the corner, and I am looking forward to it..well, maybe just a little.

We took a trip to Gulf Shores the last week of June. It was an absolute blast! Alyssa is a water baby and couldn't get enough of the pool. Lauren is also a big fan of the water as well as the sand. I really wish we could have had the opportunity to hang out and splash around in the ocean water; however, for the first time ever the Gulf water was just not pretty. The oil from the spill wreaked havoc on the beach the week we were there. It was really quite depressing, but we had fun nonetheless. The remainder of the summer was spent with us relaxing, taking a day trip to Six Flags, and mostly just enjoying being together.

Lauren starts pre-k at Mt. Carmel Elementary in a week and a half. I'm trying not to get too emotional about it, but it just doesn't seem possible. Alyssa starts back to daycare next week. I know she will be so excited to see her teachers again. I'm sure the teachers feel the same. She has changed so much and grown up before our very eyes. To wrap things up, I am feeling truly blessed to have had this time with my family. Let the good times roll!!

God Bless!
Brandi

**Update- I forgot to mention that Lauren started soccer last month. Watching 4 and 5 year olds play an organized sport is nothing short of hilarious! She is so very excited about her first game this Saturday. Go Eagles!!

What's new

This one will be short, as I am finding it more and more difficult to be creative as of late. In gist, our summer continues rolling along without any significant events to report. I've been extremely exhausted and experiencing those horrible 3rd trimester symptoms that makes doing much of anything problematic. So, we are mainly trying to stay inside the house and I am resting as much as I can. I return to work on Aug. 4th and the kids first day is Aug. 10. It's approaching fast, so I am trying to not overdo it now. We are going to attempt another day at Alabama Adventure tomorrow (Friday). Lauren loved it so much! Due to my condition, we can't be too far from home, but that is a fun day trip that we can make. In closing, I'm posting a few recent pictures of our summer. Enjoy.

Brandi

*Update- Blogger is not working for me and the picture feature is not being cooperative. I'll upload later.

Short Post

We have had a restful Spring Break week. It was oh so needed, but Chris and I both are ready to get back and finish the final 9-weeks of the school year. It is hard to believe that summer is lurking just around the corner. God is good!!!

I am adding a couple of 16 week belly pictures. To me, the 4th and 5th months serve as the bridge between the yucky 1st trimester and the miserable 3rd trimester. I am happy to have reached that milestone. In addition, I feel pretty good most days, with the exception of sinus/allergy headaches....darn pollen!!

Until we meet again, enjoy the belly pics. Also, Lauren insisted that she have a picture made too. So, enjoy her cute pics with her disheveled hair, but absolutely adorable smile.
Brandi


16 weeks

Lauren being silly

2 Down..3 More to Go

The Styles household is crazy busy this week. We only have 3 more school days before Christmas break. That is exciting, but I have so much left to do. Grades are due by Friday afternoon. That is a never-ending mound of paperwork. Thursday and Friday will be spent having Christmas parties and AR celebrations. Wow...I dread it...sad but true. I'll update as life slows a little. Until then, Merry Christmas from our home to yours!!
God Bless,
Brandi

Voting Day

It has been a hectic election day. It started early this morning with the RMS mock election. We voted at school for the Pres/VP & a special amendment pertinent to our student body. The students registered to vote several weeks ago. They had homemade ID cards, which they had to have on person to vote. The school itself looks like a national convention with all of the red, white, blue, streamers, balloons, you name it. Anyway, we spent the entire morning getting students to the "polling place" and voting. It was busy but so worth it. Check us out in Monday's Huntsville Times.

I left work at 11:30 b/c of an afternoon dr. appointment. Apparently I've inherited the family knee & joint problems. Anyway, I will be heading into town to have that looked at around 2:00. In the meantime, I breezed into our polling place at Maysville Church of Christ. I have yet to figure out why we are zoned there (10 or so miles from here) when there is another one exactly a mile up the road. Who knows!? As I stated earlier, I flew in and out. I literally walked right up to the man, showed my ID, signed & printed my name, took my ballot, voted, got my sticker, and was back in my car in 10 minutes. It couldn't have been easier.

I am hoping and praying that the aftermath of today's events will be peace and unity in America. I can't imagine returning to a world like that experienced some 40+ years ago. We may disagree on what is best for our country, but it costs nothing to be civil. God Bless.