Category: Family

Wait You’re Pregnant?

Yup.  That’s right, I already announced on Facebook and Instagram…but I wanted to write about it here a little bit.

If you know me then you know that I have always been pretty set on the fact that we would probably just have one kiddo.  Well, this summer happened and we had quite the surprise, then a loss, and I was just heartbroken over it.  I feel like God sort of planted that seed in my heart.  Connor has always wanted a sibling, but as time has passed and we’ve gotten older we just figured our time was up.

Well, that’s funny right!  We tried one time to get pregnant after the loss this summer and surprise surprise!  I am extremely nervous to be doing all of this over again almost 10 years later.  My body is feeling it and oh my goodness have I been so tired.  Nauseous and tired.  That pretty much sums up my life the past few months.

It’s slowly getting better and I’m starting to feel a bit more like myself.  I pretty much forgot how hard this whole process is on your body…and 10 years later I’m feeling the burn.  We are incredibly thankful and we are SO excited for a little sister too!

Here are some pictures of the day we told Connor 🙂

I got him a t-shirt that said “Promoted to Big Brother 2019” and a cookie with pink icing in the middle.

Connor has been wanting a little sister so badly, and he was soooo excited.  

Here’s a cute video of his reaction.

Christmas 2018 Recap!

I’m finally getting around to writing about Christmas!  Woohoo!  We had a lovely visit to the farm to visit Nannie Sue, my Mom, Dad, Sister, Vinny, Jarrett, Ella, and other friends and family.  Nothing feels as good as being home for Christmas.  We were super excited to be able to drive a 2019 Toyota Avalon on our road trip to Arkansas.  I mentioned on Instagram that I used to have an Avalon for about 11 years, and oh how I miss that car!  I never had any problems with it and I would totally get one again.  Driving this one during our trip just reminded me of how much I absolutely loved my Avalon all over again.  This new version though had all the bells and whistles.  Avalons have definitely gotten more sporty since I had mine, but they still have a TON of room in them for a 4-door sedan.   Everything is super comfy and luxurious feeling.  I’ll point out some of my favorite features below.

Of course I loved having the navigation and all of the access on the control panel.  Anyone who knows me well can testify I have zero sense of direction.  Also, the heads up display is a feature I love too.  It tells you your speed right on the windshield in front without being obstructive. 

Tons of room in the back seat- I would even compare it to as much room as an SUV.

There was an ENTIRE station for Mannheim Steamroller to get us in the Christmas spirit! Heated and cooled seats.  Even the steering wheel was heated, and that was nice especially during the cold weather.

The safety features were awesome too.  The camera up front showed an overhead and directional view as you back up the car.  That way even if you have bad depth perception (like me) it’s almost impossible to hit something!

We explored a little bit and found this adorable red telephone booth.  It wasn’t in working order, but it sure does make for a fun photo prop.

The hearth at the farm

My Mom made up some fun games to play this year and I loved that.  I hope we can do that next year too!

Look at that spread of food! The boys playing their video games My Mom made each of them a blanket.  We will cherish our Nana blankets forever 🙂

It’s so fun watching your kiddos open their presents.  It’s just the BEST!

I thought this picture was funny because it looks like Ella’s ponytail is a mustache on Nannie lol!

The beautiful farm

We also were able to celebrate my parents 40th anniversary with them.  That was such a joy!  I have the best parents in the world and am so thankful for them.  Dad got Mom a beautiful ruby ring and presented it to her at lunch.

We attended church with them on Sunday and lunch afterwards.
The boys were candy cane greeters at Mom & Dad’s church.

If you’ve never been to the Big Orange in Little Rock you neeeeeeed to go!  It has amazing burgers and shakes.  Bonnie and I enjoying our chocolate malts, we always order the same thing.

Thank you again to Toyota for allowing us to drive my dream Avalon to celebrate with family and make precious memories.  We will always cherish them!  #roadtrippingwithkids

Here’s a little Christmas flashback photo for you….oh how time flies!  Hope you all had a wonderful Merry Christmas and start to 2019!

Christmas Home Tour

 

I love seeing how other people decorate for Christmas.  There used to be a Christmas home tour carousel in the blog world a long time ago and I miss that!  Anyway, I don’t think I ever posted pictures of our kitchen after we had it partially remodeled either.  Sooo….for memories sake and so I can remember where everything goes NEXT year here’s a little Christmas home tour 🙂

“Oh Christmas tree”

Entry way

Living Room

Connor’s Room

(Of course he’s playing Fortnite!  I found the cutest sloth Christmas sheets at HomeGoods)

Dining Room

Kitchen

And last, but not least I love this little pillow that cousin Adrianne sent from England!  It’s in my office.

Hope you enjoyed and we hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!!!

xo The Branches

Why it’s Better to Adopt a Pet!

This post is sponsored by Nakturnal.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Happy Friday Y’all!

Most of you know we just adopted a dog this summer named Hemi.  He’s a four year old French Bull Dog.  I post lots of videos on Insta-stories and he’s been a great addition to our family.  Especially after losing the baby, he’s been a bright little guy in our lives and Connor just adores him.  He sleeps next to Connor every night and they are best buds.  I am so glad we were able to give him a loving new home and let me just tell you adopting a pet is SO much easier than getting a puppy!  We’ve been there done that!

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Mary Poppins Returns Special Sneak Peak!

The holiday season is fast approaching and let me just say October-December are my ABSOLUTE favorite months of the year!  I’m so excited for all the festivities and we have some great movies coming out this year.  Connor and I are about to go watch a sneak peek of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.  I’ll let y’all know how that is soon!

What I am MOST excited about is Mary Poppins Returns!  I just adore Emily Blunt and she’s one of my favorite actresses ever.  I’m convinced she and John would be the most fun couple to hang out with IRL.

So, ladies get your hats out and your big HUGE purses….because Mary Poppins Returns hits theaters everywhere on December 19th.

(I have a feeling the umbrella emoji is about to get some major #LOVE) 

Check out this new special look about the music and magic from MARY POPPINS RETURNS!

 ABOUT:

In Disney’s MARY POPPINS RETURNS, an all-new original musical and sequel, Mary Poppins is back to help the next generation of the Banks family find the joy and wonder missing in their lives following a personal loss. Emily Blunt stars as the practically-perfect nanny with unique magical skills who can turn any ordinary task into an unforgettable, fantastic adventure and Lin-Manuel Miranda plays her friend Jack, an optimistic street lamplighter who helps bring light—and life—to the streets of London.

MARY POPPINS RETURNS is directed by Rob Marshall. The screenplay is by David Magee and the screen story is by Magee & Rob Marshall & John DeLuca based upon the Mary Poppins Stories by PL Travers. The producers are John DeLuca, p.g.a., Rob Marshall, p.g.a. and Marc Platt, p.g.a. with Callum McDougall serving as executive producer. The music score is by Marc Shaiman and the film features all new original songs with music by Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman. The film also stars Ben Whishaw as Michael Banks; Emily Mortimer as Jane Banks; Julie Walters as the Banks’ housekeeper Ellen; Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh and introducing Joel Dawson as the Banks’ children, with Colin Firth as Fidelity Fiduciary Bank’s William Weatherall Wilkins; and Meryl Streep as Mary’s eccentric cousin, Topsy. Angela Lansbury appears as the Balloon Lady, a treasured character from the PL Travers books and Dick Van Dyke is Mr. Dawes, Jr., the retired chairman of the bank now run by Firth’s character.

I haven’t drawn in a long while, but every now and again I get the urge to sketch.  I used to draw all the time!  I was inspired to draw this version of Mary Poppins played by Emily Blunt.  I love the coat, gloves, and of course the magical purse. Maybe I’ll sit down a bit more and do some more sketches.  

 

Cheers everyone!  Enjoy the magic of the season…and if you are throwing a “Mary Poppins” themed party don’t forget this party I shared earlier this year HERE.  It seriously was the cutest party ever.

xo Becky

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Dachau Concentration Camp

Okay…I’m finally beginning to gather my thoughts and write about our Germany leg of the trip.  We had a great trip in England, but I was super eager to finally visit Germany.  One reason specifically is because my sister and I were born there.  We shall get to that…we did visit where we lived and even found the apartment my parents had while my Dad was in the Army.

We took an Easy Jet from England to Munich, Germany.  I highly recommend this if you are jet setting anywhere in Europe and want to travel between countries.  It’s fast, easy, and inexpensive.  We flew directly into Munich on my 37th birthday.  I have always wanted to visit a concentration camp, I am a huge history person, and it was such a humbling experience.

I’ll recap a bunch of it below and in pictures, but nothing is like seeing it in person.

My little traveler.  We rented a car to drive through Germany which was great!  Terence got to drive on the Autobahn and I was too chicken to try it! Lol!Read More