Christmas Dilemma

Ok...Ike and I are both very family oriented! We LOVE to spend time with both of our families...and we truly love each others family! So last year we decided that what we would do is one year spend thanksgiving with my family and Christmas with his and then switch this year (like a custody arrangement..Jenifer says haha) However- I spent Thanksgiving with his family and he spent it with mine this year so that really throws off the plan. He says that it is my families turn for Christmas so we will just stay here and spend it with them, BUT I am alittle worried...see his granddaddy just had a heart attack and we really want to see him....ewww what to do!! It's not like we have just his family and mine we have 5 Christmas to attend SOMEHOW???? My parents, his parents, his mom's family, my mom's family, and my dad's family!!!! It's nuts! haha! We are working it out though! How blessed we are to have so many people want to spend Christmas with us!

Christmas time!

I am so excited about Christmas! It has been so fun wrapping presents and decorating the house...I love having our own home to prepare for Christmas. I will add some pictures of our house soon. Here is our family Christmas picture... Thanks again to the Jones Family for taking this for us...We love you guys

Our first Christmas tree!

This year is our first Christmas together (married)!!! It has been sooooo much fun!!!! I was determined that we should have a real tree our first year at least. I forgot things such as how we would get a Christmas tree to our house when we both drive cars...ooppsss! BUT my parents came to our rescue, they meet us and picked up the tree. It was great Ike and my dad would each hold a tree for me to inspect before making a decision! :) I have great men in my life! Thanks Mom and Dad for helping us! So then we get the tree home and we get it all decorated and start wrapping presents when we (Ike) notices that the strand RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE is alot brighter than all the others!! GREAT!! So the next day we completely redecorated it....there were a few other things we didn't like. But now we have a beautiful first tree! I have had a blast decorating for the holidays! ***Sorry pics are so dark!

Memphis trip!

A few weeks ago Ike and I were going to Tupelo to do some shopping and on the way Ike mentioned that it would be fun to go some where for the weekend and do all our Christmas shopping, he probably just figured if he suffered through shopping one weekend it would be over, either way it was a blast!!! Josh Gillis and his girlfriend Jessi, two of our friends, were running in the St. Jude's Marathon this past weekend so we got to watch that too. That was alot of fun! Both of their families were there. We enjoyed hanging out with them, and we got to have breakfast at the Peabody which was absolutely beautiful!!! Then we would have to try and estimate where we would be able to see Josh and Jessi and try to make it there before they did to cheer them on. We made it to 2 spots for Jessi and 3 for Josh...thanks to Jessi's wonderful esitmates of where they would be at certian times and Mr. Rex's excellent navigation! :) The race was extremely motivating maybe one day we will do one! they both did great and Jessi qualified for the Boston Marathon! After the race we shopped till we dropped saturday and sunday! It was soooo fun to get away and stay in a hotel!

I really have a great husband for planning this trip and for always being up for anything!

Christmas party!

My work has a Christmas party every year...It is usually pretty fun. We get all dressed up and see everyone outside the office and usually meet their significant others. Every year they decorate the tables with a theme. This year the theme was Christmas trees...the tables are covered with decorations and they give them away throughout the night. They also give away door prizes. This year everyone got a door prize which ranged from $25 gift cards to laptops, play stations, etc... They always have really nice door prices. They also gave very generous Christmas bonuses which was a blessing! Here are a few pics of me and Ike the night of the party...

Thanksgiving in Baltimore

I had a really good thanksgiving. I went with my mother-in-law and Ms. Angela Rutherford to visit my sister in law, Rose! Rose is getting married in April as I have mentioned before so we wanted to visit before then. Unfortunely Ike was not able to have time off so we spent our first thankgiving (married) apart, so sad...what a good husband! I did miss him and my family alot! The trip was fun though and it was really good to see Rose and Chris, and we got to meet his family! They made us feel right at home! Here are a few pictures..The Girls!
The Happy couple!

Rose, Ms. Lynn (Chris's mom), and Chris

Just sharing!

I was working on stuff on the computer last night in the guest room and I turn around to find both of my boys out!! I thought it was too cute and had to capture the moment not that this is uncommon... Buster thinks if Daddy sleeps, Buster sleeps. In the mornings if Ike is still asleep after I let him out he wants back in the bed and will CRY if I lock him out of the bedroom! Our little BABY!!!

Funny funny!!!

When I blog I usually have 10-30 minutes TOPS to write it. So usually I type it and post it...therefore making tons of errors. I do the same thing when writing letters or text messages. I usually don't use correct grammar and I often leave out words or have to many words....I tell you all this because I was showing my husband the blog the other day and he pointed out my many mistakes in the blog! haha! The thing is he will have me read it to him and if a word is suppose to be there I will read it in even though it's not there. So thanks you guys for reading between all the errors to get to the meat of the blogs!! :) I have suggested he proof read! :) haha!!

Our new friend

Monday when we went to Jackson with Ike's ensemble we made a stop at Target (and Ross...we stop at all Ross, Marshall's, and TJ Maxx). At target we bought 50 dollars worth of stuff ALL for Buster. One of the things we got him was this thing I guess hunters use to train their dogs. We just thought it would be funny to watch Buster, and it was worth every penny! Buster loves it...we say, "go get your friend" and he runs and finds it. We had been talking about how nice it would be if he had another dog to play with, this is our short term solution. Anyway this little thing makes this squeaking noise and Buster loves it he goes around the house making do it which I am getting used to....but here is my problem with it...it now sleeps with us too....it think the bed is getting alittle full!!! :)

Busy busy!

I know I left everyone hanging on the painting of the kitchen...here's the thing it is not finished. We have a habit of taking on too many projects at a time. We are actually done with the brown but not the trim which has to be painted white like our cabinets. The trim is currently off white which really just looks dirty next to our cabinets that are white white! So anyway it has been crazy Ike has been fighting sickness for a couple of weeks. After 2 doctor visits and 6 different medications...he's recovering still not 100%. Also a couple of weeks ago we ordered a shed which we are SOOOO EXCITED about...it was like getting a new bike as a kid we were so happy! :) So we started the process of moving things out to it (or Ike did I should say)..this weekend, while I was gone and had the opportunity to lead a small group for a friend. This week has been just as busy! Ike is singing in an ensemble at Fairveiw which I am so excited about I know he has missed singing. So Monday this group sang down in Clinton. It was alot of fun... the group has lots of really nice people which I loved meeting and some great wives (Ms. Donna). Anyway I say all that to tell you things have been crazy in our personal lives not to mention work....
I have been waiting to share this with all of you...Ike got a promotion at the bank. YAH! He started at the bank last September when we moved back here. He started as a part-time teller. He quickly moved to full-time but I don't think he had plans of staying after he finished his degree but he has found that he really likes the bank. It fits him. So for the whole year he has been working full-time and going to school I don't know how he does it. So anyway he has now been promoted to New Accounts...I'm so excited and proud for him! He really is a HARD worker and very dedicated to his job, and most of all he doesn't care what that is it could be scrubbing floors and he would still give it all he has! I like to watch him sometimes at the bank he is great with customers! Anyway...just bragging on him a little cause I am soo proud!
So I think that just about catches you all up. Maybe I will have pictures of my kitchen soon!
I read back over this I know I said EXCITED alot but God has just blessed me and I am indeed EXCITED! If you know me you can imagine what this looks like! :)

Back here again!

So somehow we are back here....again...
As most of you that read our blog know we painted our kitchen shortly after we were married. We have these great blue and brown dishes so I insisted we have that blue on the walls. BIG MISTAKE! So Ike and I have hated them the whole 4 months they have been blue! So Monday Ike was off and he got the project started! I forgot what a mess it is! Just getting around the kitchen is an ordeal...So hopefully by next week I will have new pictures to show you all of our brownish colored walls and my kitchen will hopefully be back in order! I am just thankful that I love the white cabinets cause I'm afriad they would have to stay regardless!

Pumpkin patch

This past weekend I went the pumpkin patch twice. Saturday I went with Josh, Jenifer, Ms. Mickie, and Mackenzie and then on Sunday I babysat Lainey and took her. I love the pumpkin patch and being outside this time of year! Derrick, Connie's husband, ask me when we wanted one (a child that is)...why have one yet when there are so many great friends that share their beautiful children with me...thanks guys! Here are some of the pictures from my two visits!

I LOVE this she hates for her hands to be dirty!


Lainey loved the corn or sand as she called it!

Happy Birthday Jenifer!

Jenifer and I have been best friends since the 5th grade. No matter where life has taken us we have managed to keep our friendship as strong as ever! AND TODAY IS HER BIRTHDAY! So everyone stop by and tell her happy birthday!! You're the best, Jenifer. Hope you have a great day!! Me, Jenifer, and Mackenzie on my wedding day! :)

Adventures of Ike and Brandy

I think I should re-name my blog to the adventures of newly weds. That is what it is the first year (maybe longer)... So you guessed it here comes yet another newly wed story! Last night Ike got a wild hair and decided to shave his head. I tried to help but last time I tried it turned out really ugly. Side story of course I always have one of those---We lived in Augusta and were working 2 jobs. One was at Applebee's. So after my day job I went to meet Ike to go to work... Ike had just shaved his head and wanted me to trim up the bottom and around the ears. Somehow I missed the bottom and around the ears part and started to shave his whole head....well as you probably guessed..no guard was on OOPSS! He was not happy to put it lightly. Anyway back to last night. So we get his head shaved and he gets in the shower. Well there were dishes to be done so I call my mom and start doing them. Well APPARENTLY turning on the sink (as well as the dish washer and washing machine...I've done those two already) causes the water to be cold. So Ike yells to tell me... well I hear him so I turn it off but I don't answer cause I'm on the phone so he assumes I didn't hear and turns up the warm...well then it scalded him!! He starts yelling and beating on the wall. Well then I yell to tell him I turned it off. My mom was like what in the world is going on...it was great! Then when he gets out of the shower he hurries to fuss at me...I point to the phone and say it's my mom...he just walked away. It was soooo funny (later of course). I apologized...It's a learning process right?

My Boys!

I just love my boys! In case you all didn't know that! I just wanted to share a few pics of the boys!Buster loves his daddy!

Weekends are the best!

Saturday morning Ike and Buster wake me up at 8am (what they call sleeping in)...and for those of you wondering Ike won and Buster is back in the bed. He has his own special blanket at the end of the bed and so far has done well with it...even though I still don't like it! Anyway Ike says we need to go to the grocery store so we get up and go have breakfast at McDonald's (which I don't suggest on a Saturday morning). We had to hurry and eat and get out of there Ike said it was making him nervous haha! Anyway we head over to Walmart to buy groceries and after we get a few groceries in our buggy and we remember we need iron cleaner so we head over to the irons (which is not over there by the way, it's with starch). On the way we pass the fall stuff and Ike says, "Show me this wreath you keep talking about." So I take him over and show him and he hates it, but agrees to help me put together some fall decorations for the house. So we put everything back out of our buggy and head to every store in Columbus to be sure we are getting the BEST fall decorations! We spent the whole day shopping...it was such a fun day! I ended up with a beautiful fall table and a CUTE wreath! My mom had brought me some pumpkins so I added them to the decorations! Ike did a great job. (Pictures below!) We get home and get everything in place and I am immediately like who can we invite over! :) He said he knew that was coming...so anyone who would like to can visit hehe! I love married life...
To add to my love for it I will share how our monday got started...I washed laundry on Sunday because we were out all saturday (which apparently I could do during the week). Well we don't dry very much so Ike pants for work (yes, all of them) were damp. So he goes to put them in dryer...what he finds is that I just put wet towels in there. I had forgotten about them the night before and remembered as soon as I woke up and hurried to throw them in there before they don't "spoil" as Ike says! He was sooooo mad that he had to take out "the soaking wet towels" to dry his pants! Then I was mad because I felt he didn't appreciate that I had done his laundry to begin with...as Ms. Mickie said we are learning to pick our battles...Oh the fun of married life and I mean that 100% it is so fun even times like that! Ike makes me laugh so much!!!

Tagged

Tagged by Jenifer

A. attached or single? Attached - married to Ike

B. Best friend? Ike of course, my parents, sis, Jenifer, Rose, really this could get long, I have lots

C. Cake or pie? Lemon Pie

D. Day of choice? Saturday!

E. Essential item? cell phone, I forget it yesterday and I was lost all day

F. Favorite color? Yellow

G. Gummy bears or worms? Worms

H. Hometown? Columbus

I. Favorite indulgence? Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, I keep saying this is the last carton we will buy

J. January or July? July

K. Kids? nope, well Buster

L. Life isn't complete without my? Family & Friends

M. Marriage date? May 24

N. Number of brothers and sisters? one lovely sister

O. Oranges or apples? apples

P. Phobias? heights

Q. Quotes? I have lots of favorites

R. Reason to smile? no reasons not to

S. Season of choice? spring

T. Tag 5 people...whoever has time

U. Unknown fact about me? I can't think of anything

V. Vegetable? Mr. Ira's peas

W. Worst habit? forgetting things

X. X-ray or ultrasound? Neither one, thanks-Isecond that

Y. favorite foods? Chips, Salsa, & Cheese Dip from Mi Toro

Z. Zodiac sign? Aries

Happy Fall!

So maybe it is because I am getting older or something but I am loving this time of year. I have never really noticed fall before it sort of went with summer to me! But this year I seem to appreciate it more! I want to decorate my house with mums,pumpkins, a fall WREATH (Ike doesn't want a wreath), and I want to change out the place mats to fall ones...which has lead to our newest project. Re-painting the kitchen...We hate the blue..pretty much have since the day we painted but now even more. We are hoping to have it repainted by December so I can decorate for Christmas and everything won't clash with the horrible walls. Anyway today my sweet mama took me and my sister to lunch and we ate outside and it hit me how great the weather is...which makes it so nice to be outside. There also seems like more to do... I am just dying to go to the MS State fair...I got to work on Ike!! Anyway just wanted to share my new found love for fall!! Hope you are all enjoying it!

What a weekend!

I realized that I had forgotten to blog that Rose is getting married! She will be married in April. We are all soooo excited!! So Friday afternoon I met Ms. Susie, Ms. Angela, and Ms. Angie Atkins at the church that Rose will be getting married in. It is fun to help with Rose's wedding I wish she could be here too! BUT Ms. Susie, Ms. Angela, and I all going to visit Rose for thanksgiving and I can not wait! I will miss mine and Ike's first married thanksgiving together but he is so glad we get to go see Rose...sweet boy! All the Andrews boys home alone hmmmm...
So Friday night Ike and I go to the track in Caledonia which is really nice not to be a trader to my New Hope roots but I like Caledonia alot. It has that small community feeling to it. Anyway we went to the track to run. I like to try to run but the most I have ever ran in one day is 2 miles until Friday. Ike decides we are going to go 10 miles so we did (so actually we walked, one ran one which means we actually only ran 5 miles and walked the other 5). It was hard at the end but I DID IT!! I was so proud and so was Ike! :) Ike is good at running and is very encouraging of me so it is nice to have him helping me. It was funny he said in the middle of the run to encourage me, "hey, if you do it, you can blog it" HAHA!! He knows I would have to! Then Saturday and Saturday night we hung out with the Jones'. Jenifer's birthday is in 9 days counting today and every year she likes to go this one particular race (Magnolia 100..I'm pretty sure) as a part of it. So Ike and I went and so did Paula and Ethan. Ethan was so into it. It was alot of fun even though we had to leave just alittle early which is apparently unexceptable...We stood up to leave and tell our friends bye and everyone around us attacked us....WHAT you are leaving? It was soo funny! Race fans are serious!
Then Sunday Ike and Jason helped my dad put up a fence so I got to spend the day with my mom and sister! It was really a great weekend!

Oh my!!!

So what is the deal you get married and all of the sudden everyone that you see must ask the inevitable question..."so when are you guys going to have a baby" NO TIME SOON!! But somehow getting ask this at least once a week has crept into my thoughts and now I find myself thinking up names for my not yet conceived children, decorating their room in my head, picking out clothes I like etc... Then last night I got worried. When Ike and I got married we made a rule Buster sleeps on his bed beside ours because he had been sleeping in the bed with Ike. It stresses me...I'm weird about the bed, I don't even like Ike to get in the bed with clothes that he wore that day and in college when I had 4 roommates I ALWAYS made the bed first thing in the morning because I was worried one of them may sit on my bed...I know I said I'm weird. So back to why I am worried now...Ike has changed his mind now he thinks we should let Buster sleep in the bed with us..."it's mean to leave him on the floor by himself after leaving him all day in his kennel"...Ike says! He SHEDS!! and so I say we should stick to the rules...but Ike is caving and he tells Buster "Mommy is mean, I'm sorry" in this pitiful voice. Ok so I know Buster is not effected but how will this go when we have kids. I will have to be the enforcer of the rules, not that this is a surprise. But I don't want to be the bad guy all the time. We are going to workout some balance somehow someway! Ike is too darn nice! :)

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The good life!

I am soo blessed with a great family, friends, and a wonderful husband! I have to brag on Ike...he really is too good to me! I don't deserve him! Here is an example....Saturday we got to sleep in and we made all the way to 7:30... which we have not been able to do in weeks. When we got up I ask Ike if he would mind if I went shopping with Jenifer, Ms. Mickie, and Mackenzie in Tupelo... he said "sure I will find something to do." Then we agreed to have an "us" night when I got home. Tupelo was alot of fun! We ate and shopped which is always fun and Mackenzie kept us all entertained....she is tooo cute and fun. It was nice to have a girls day...thanks for inviting me!
So...When I got home Ike had been busy! He had mowed the grass, gone to the grocery store, started laundry, looked up a recipe and was cooking me supper! I was soooo impressed! The supper was REALLY good too! Is he great or what!!??

7 Things....

7 things I plan to do before I die:
1. Go to Greece
2. Be debt free (coping you Jenifer--but really who doesn't DREAM of that)
3. Have and Raise children
4. Go to the Olypmics
5. Go to Disney World
6. Learn to sing
7. Run at least a half marathon


7 things I can do:
1. SHOP
2. listen to others
3. Be a friend
4. Jog
5. Cook
6. Write a research paper in record time
7. Fix hair

7 things I cannot do:
1. Draw or paint
2. Sew
3. Sing
4. Give up diet coke
5. Stop going to Mitoro
6. Stop forgetting things
7. Decorate

7 things I say most often:
1. I love you
2. I'm sorry (to Ike)
3. oh ok
4. how are you
5. I forgot (Ike's favorite)
6. BUSTER!!!!
7. Hey!

7 celebrity crushes:
1. Michael Phelps
2. Channing Tatum
3. Matthew McConaughey
4. Chad Michael Murray
5. Dermot Mulroney
6. Paul Walker
7. Joshua Jackson

7 People who I want to know these things about
1. Connie
2. Megan
3. Amanda O.
4. Samantha S.
5. Ms. Julie
6. Laura
7. Whoever???

My soap box...

Ok...so I have never watched the MTV Video Music Awards really but last night Ike and I sat down to watch it and for those of you who watched it you know what is coming...I was absolutely disgusted! They had a host from the UK.. SUPPOSEDLY a comedian..I did not find a thing he said funny! He bashed the Republican party...was that really the place for that???? Then went on the criticize The Jonas brothers for wearing purity rings!!! All I have to say is go Jordin Sparks who stood up for purity rings (maybe not in the best way but still)! We only watched a few minutes of it before Ike turned it off but by the time he turned it off I was already LIVID! Then I heard about the purity rings on K Love this morning! It was a disgrace!!! My first and last VMA.

Josh's Birthday Celebration

Last night Josh, Jenifer and Mackenzie came over and we celebrated Josh's birthday that was Wednesday. It was so much fun! Mackenzie was so sweet she helped me cook and she feed Uncle Ike "I" and Aunt Brandy "Mamy" marshmallows. It was so funny she would put them in her mouth and then take them out and want us to eat them. She is getting so big...I think she is more fun than ever! It was a great night! Here are quite a few pictures...it was too fun not to have tons of pics...

Is she cute or what???He is going to be such a good daddy SOMEDAY!