... 15 months later

Hello to my huge blog audience ... haha j/k I don't think there is even one person who follows my blog. But with that said, I am actually typing out a post because life is worth documenting even if I only do it every 15 months for myself. In the year 2013, my goal was to post 12 times ... i think i posted 3 or 4. So maybe my goal should be once a year?! As an update, James Timothy Bratton was born on March 26, 2013 and he.has.rocked.our.world. In all good ways and even some really tough ways, parenthood has changed everything for Timbo and I. Hence, the lack of blogging. James is now a TODDLER and he is wonderful and busy and chatty and demanding and needy but equally demanding of his independence... only to dramatically fall down and need his mommy and daddy to patch him up. He loves kisses and also loves to hit. Parenthood is hard. How do you discipline or correct behavior in a human who cannot understand 85% of the words you say? And certainly cannot communicate his own thoughts and feelings and desires? Sheesh! We battle through each day with TONS and TONS of kisses and hugs and food and play and repetition, and I just wish I could come up with the creative ways James needs me to help him stay busy! He.never.stops.moving. 

As an update on our little family, after James was born we moved out of our West LA bungalow and into a more "spacious" home in Lakewood, CA... about 45 min south of LA near Long Beach. We were barely settled in about 4 months when Tim's work offered him a big ole' promotion in none other than Minnesota. SO with a 6 month old in tow, we headed back to the midwest to live with my mom and dad until we could purchase a home. We thought that would take awhile... instead it took us 24 hours. Yep that is right. Within 24 hours of Tim's arrival (James and I came a few days ahead of him) we put an offer on a house a mile from my mom and dad, the offer was accepted an hour later, two hours later we were signing papers and launched into escrow. Ummm... ooops! Lets just say, with all the changes and challenges of our year we were not emotionally prepared to find such a wonderful place to buy so quickly ... SO even though now I can look back and see that God CLEARLY was blessing us and guiding us and giving us the roots we have been craving ... we were overwhelmed! We kept joking that we accidentally bought a house. It should be noted that we love our new home! So three months after we moved into my mom and dad's we moved again, but this time hopefully for the last time for a long time! If you are counting, that is 3 moves in a period of 6 months, oh and you know how easy that first baby is to adjust to ... oh wait not at all easy for us! James was a handful! 

So ... keep up now, 4 weeks after we moved into our new home ... I peed on a stick! Yep I said it and that stick produced not one but TWO pink lines. Holy schmoly! PREGNANT.  I had been hoping for a little more time before we hurled ourselves into more change ... but once again THE LORD plans our families and He had different plans than us ... actually I think He just wanted to send home the message that He is ultimately the one in charge and He alone directs our steps. Message received - through a few tears and sweaty panicky moments of realizing what would be happening again. Sooo needless to say, we have Baby BOY Bratton #2 on his way, rockin' and rollin' in mommy's tummy and due to arrive mid-October. We are completely thrilled and already so in love with our 2nd little Goony! 

Needless to say, the Winter months were TOUGH for us. The weather was HORRENDOUS ... I am talking record breaking lows for weeks on end that brought us into the -45 range. James and I didn't have much to do as we hadn't started making new friends yet, and Tim was working long hours in a demanding new role! We also threw in a 12 day trip to California for my brother's wedding which with an 11 month old was less than relaxing. When the weather warmed up and James started really walking and a few friends were made, we finally started to take a deep breath. Slowly, but surely we are getting settled into our house, meeting new people including amazing neighbors, spending hours and hours outside soaking up the Minnesota Summer, and I am taking a trip to Northern California to wine country in the end of July before I have to limit my travel and welcome a new Babe! WHOA when I type it all out I am so grateful for this calm before the storm. I mean hello, I even just had time to type out a blog post. I must be doing better!! Anyways, James is calling to me from his crib but next I will try to post some pics from the last year. Tim and I are so grateful for all that we have been given from the Lord and are praying for direction on how to serve God more and more from this new stage of life! We love you all )especially if you are reading this ... haha) and hope to see you all again SOON! 

XO Amanda 

PS Did I mention I am starting a new business too? Oh I guess that is another post for another time! Can't fit everything in at once.