We took our first family trip of 2017 to California, last month. This was the first time Kris and I have been back to California in over three years. Not only was this Jordyn’s first time in California, but this was her first time riding on an airplane. To say she loved it would be an understatement. She has been asking every day, since we landed, if we’re “going to get on the airplane.” Every time she asks my heart does a little happy dance, because we all know, not all kids are fans of traveling by plane.
Special Olympics Montana Basketball Tournament 2016
Last week Thursday, November 10th, through Saturday, November 12th, was the annual Special Olympics Montana statewide basketball tournament. All of the Special Olympics basketball teams from all over the state, meet up in one Montana town, to compete against one another. The competition consists of 5-on-5 basketball, 3-on-3 basketball, and individual skills competitions. This year was my first year coaching the adults. As nervous as I was to make the switch, I had the time of my life, and met even more amazing people. This is also the first year I coached a 3-on-3 team and we walked away with the silver medal in our division!
It all started with the fun opening ceremonies where my team and I partied hard and got pumped up for the weekend. We cheered, celebrated, danced, hugged, and showed every other emotion possible to get ready for the days ahead of us. They were ready to compete and it made me happy to see them show up ready and prepared for the upcoming games.
As usual, we had the annual dinner, carnival, and dance, and it seems to be more fun every passing year. I danced until I couldn’t dance anymore with my team and some of my old kiddos from the previous team I coached. We ate plenty of candy at the carnival too, but we drank water with the candy so that counts for something, right? Ha!
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone for Spring games next year. I will be coaching track & field, so watch out world, the Hornets (team purple) will be back in a few months. Until then, we will all rest up and eat plenty of delicious foods for the holidays. Oh, and I guess a few of them will be doing Winter sports in between that time too. 😉
As part of my #ThankfulNovember posts for this month, this is the perfect opportunity to say how thankful I am for the Special Olympics organization, the awesome athletes, coaches, and parents. It’s really easy to get caught up in all the negativity happening around us, that it’s a nice reminder to go somewhere like this tournament, filled with so much happiness and pride. Volunteering with this organization you often hear people compliment you for dedicating your time, but if only you knew how much the people, and organization impact my life. They make me a better person. They make me push myself in all aspects of life. They are my role models. And for that: I’m thankful.
Happy Monday folks! I hope this week started off great for you!
Brie <3
[11.14.16]
Jamieson Family Vacation 2016
Last month we went on a jam-packed family vacation to Illinois, Tennessee, Washington D.C./Virginia, and a brief stop in Indiana. It was three weeks filled of some much needed fun and love. We spent every single dime we saved plus some, by the time we got back home, so it’s safe to say we had a great time LOL. We spent the first week in Illinois, two days in Tennessee, five days in D.C./Virginia, and the remaining five-ish days in Illinois.
We got to see my beautiful little cousin get married on October 15th to my new cousin, Justin, and as anticipated, it was an amazing time. Jordyn was the adorable flower girl who made Mommy and Daddy so proud she walked down the aisle all by herself. She was saying “uh-oh” as she stepped on the flowers while walking down the aisle LOL. Then of course we partied hard as any family should at the reception. We were all so sore the following day from all the dancing we did.
We went to Knoxville, Tennessee as a mid way stop on our drive to D.C., and stayed with our awesome friends, the Hawkins. We all used to be based in Montana together (they were lucky enough to escape ha!) and we haven’t seen each other since 2014. Our babies finally got to meet and quickly became the best of friends. They took us around town for some good ol’ sight-seeing and Tennessee culture. We also got to hang with/meet one of Kris’ friends, Matt, and his sweet boys. It was an all around great time!
Those of you who know me well know I absolutely LOVE Washington D.C. If it was in my power we would live there. I love the city and surrounding areas. One of them being Alexandria, Virginia. Kris’ Dad a.k.a Jordyn’s “Dad-Dad” met us there for the last two days which made an amazing trip even better. It was nice to go somewhere and be tourists on an actual vacation. We ate at delicious restaurants, got a tour of the Pentagon, visited the new National Museum of African American History and Culture, as well as, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. We met famous people, visited a majority of the national memorials and monuments, and I even got to see an old college friend. We are already planning on going back for a follow-up vacation when we get the chance. It was Kris’ first time in D.C. so I’m happy he enjoyed himself!
On our way back to Chicago we stopped in Indianapolis to visit our friends the, Wilcoxs. We were able to meet their beautiful new addition to their family, Averie, as well as see her beautiful sister, Alanna, again. We were even able to see Alaiya’s memorial in the front room and visit her. (We miss you babygirl) It was a good time as always. Jordyn and Alanna had a ball playing together too. At one point Alanna had Jordyn on the ground with her arms behind her back “arresting” her. In case you can’t tell, Alanna’s Dad, Brandon, is a police officer hahaha. I wish we all lived closer to one another, but even if it was a small amount of time we spent together, it was a great time.
When we arrived back in Chicago we were all beyond TIRED. We had originally planned to hang with friends the last few days, but as it has seemed to become a tradition, Jordyn and I caught colds. (My Grandma and Mom are the real MVPs for nursing us back to health lol) We were out of commission for two of the four days. We did however win tickets to the Chicago Bulls season opener, the night before we left back for Montana, thanks to my awesome Mommy’s nomination, and my friend John’s huge heart. The Bulls won their game and we all won Chick-fil-A and McDonald’s during the game. It’s safe to say we went out with a bang! Lol.
As much fun as we all had on vacation we couldn’t WAIT to get back in our own beds and back to our “normal” every day life routine. Yesterday made an official week of us being back in Montana and I’m already anxious to leave for vacation somewhere else…ha! Thankfully, Thanksgiving is two and a half weeks away, and we’ll have family and friends in town. Followed by Christmas when we’ll have family in town again. Life is great and I can’t/won’t complain.
I dubbed the month of November: #ThankfulNovember and it’s only right I share how thankful I am for our vacation this year. I’m thankful we’re blessed enough to be in a position to take family vacations, have so many people to love/love us, and create beautiful memories together. I’m also thankful for safe travels to and from our many destinations. What is there NOT to be thankful for? Thank you, Lord!
Brie <3
[11.06.16]
Super Bowl Sunday-Funday
The day is finally here ladies and gentlemen…Super Bowl Sunday! I don’t know about you guys but this is one of the first Super Bowl match ups I’m excited to watch because I love both of the quarterbacks. I can honestly say whether Superman Cam walks away with his first ring or Peyton walks away with possibly his last ring, I will be a happy lady! However, what is any super bowl without the delicious snacks?! My family and I have our usual favorite get together/party snacks, but some snacks are so super bowl worthy they have to be made for multiple occasions. Here are the snacks I have prepared for today’s festivities 🙂
Chips & Queso:
I found this recipe on Pinterest a few years back and it’s actually quite popular. Most grocery stores even have an entire display dedicated to the popular “chips and dip” during super bowl time. However, for my dip I use Velveeta’s Queso Blanco and add 1 lbs. of seasoned ground beef (or turkey). Guys…it’s SO good. The instructions are easy: brown 1 lbs. of ground beef/turkey in a medium sized pot. Add your block of cheese cut into three pieces to the cooked meat. Constantly stir to prevent the cheese from sticking and burning until it has all melted together. Take your can of Rotel and mix into the cheese and meat. Pour into a bowl and serve!
BBQ Root Beer Chicken Wings:
YES- these wings are as yummy and delicious as they look in the picture. My husband saw this recipe on Tasty’s Facebook page about two months ago and it’s one of our favorites. If you would like to give it a try, head on over to Tasty’s Facebook page, like them, and try out this recipe (along with many of their other delicious recipes)!
The wings were still in the crock pot so I couldn’t get a picture with the sign lol.
Root Beer Floats:
These are pretty self explanatory. When are root beer floats NOT a good idea? Exactly. They’re easy, fun and delicious which are all the right description words for a successful dessert following yummy snacking foods. I am a huge fan of the individual IBC root beer bottles so guests don’t have to share, and wait to use one 2 liter bottle of root beer.
Banana Bread:
This honestly has nothing to do with the Super Bowl. I had overly ripe bananas and didn’t want to throw them away/waste them. Why not make some delicious banana bread to send home with our guests to eat for breakfast throughout the week? We’re already having root beer floats for dessert so the banana bread would be overkill. If you would like to make this delicious banana bread click here for the yummy recipe.
In addition to these delicious snacks for our Super Bowl get together our friends are bringing homemade quesadillas and nachos. It’s going to be a great evening in the Jamieson household and an even better food “cheat day” for me! Haha. What are your go to snack foods for Super Bowl Sunday? Feel free to comment and share below.
Enjoy your Super Bowl Sunday and I hope whoever you’re cheering for wins!
Brie <3
[02.07.16]
Selfish vs. Selfless
In the spirit of the season, I have decided to make my Sunday blog posts for the month of November about giving and gratefulness. I know this tends to be the cliché trend of everything in the month of November, but what is wrong with doing something for others and sharing positivity? In a world where hatred and sadness seems to be more popular than love and happiness, I think a month of thankfulness is needed.
This won’t be a long blog post, because this post is simple. I challenge everyone (myself included) to be less selfish and more selfless this month. It is quite an easy task if we truly find the compassion in our hearts to put others before self. Becoming a wife and mother has taught me this lesson more than I could have ever imagined, but I can still be and do better. It doesn’t have to be some grand gesture to prove selflessness either. Maybe instead of buying that new shirt or pants for yourself, you buy a few pairs of sweatpants and sweatshirts at Walmart for the homeless. An alternative for those who may not be in the financial place to buy such items can go through your closet of clothes and give away anything you don’t wear or need anymore to the less fortunate.
Another example of a small, but large impact gesture, could be buying some cheap canned goods on sale at your local grocery stores and donating some to your local food bank or church. The alternative, you may be shocked at what you have in your own pantry and don’t eat/need that can be donated to someone else.
A few other examples of selflessness is donating your time to a cause to help others. Find a local church or shelter who may be looking for volunteers to bless someone in need this holiday season. You would be amazed how appreciative people are to those who share their time and love with complete strangers. Another idea is making sure your coworkers or neighbors have somewhere to go on Thanksgiving. As hard as it is for some people to understand, there are many people who do not have family and/or close friends to share Thanksgiving dinner with. So ask your friends, coworkers, and neighbors if they have plans for the holiday. Not only will you be given the opportunity to bless someone else who will always be grateful for your hospitality, but you have the opportunity to strengthen a relationship or make a new friend.
I hope we all have the opportunity to show multiple acts of selflessness this holiday season. I pray all of us are able to be a blessing to someone else, and in turn be blessed by them as well. What other ideas would you like to share of selflessness with others? Please comment below. Also, as the month goes on, please share your acts of selflessness with me and other readers by commenting below, and/or tweeting and Instagraming me @JamiesonDiaries.
Here is to a wonderful season of spreading love and happiness to those around us!
Happy and blessed Sunday everyone!
Brie <3
[11.08.15]
Farewell, Miller Family!
Today, our awesome and close friends, the Millers, started on their journey to start their new chapter at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Talk about a bittersweet (definitely more bitter than sweet) feeling. They have been stuck here at this base for a very long time so this new journey of positive changes and more opportunities is much deserved. But to start a new journey it requires leaving your current one, and that is where the sadness comes in.
Krissy and I have become extremely close since I moved here in January of 2012. She’s for sure my best friend here, and we’re so close we even call each other “Sister Wife.” Let me explain…(LOL) when either of our husbands were gone for long periods of time doing Air Force stuff, the other’s husband stepped in and helped out where the other couldn’t. For example, when I was in my first trimester of pregnancy Kris was gone for six weeks doing work in California. This means Krissy’s husband, Isaiah, would come take my trash out, lift heavy stuff around the house if needed, invited me over for dinner etc. We joked that each other husbands was our second husband and started calling each other Sister Wife.
When I found out I was pregnant Krissy was the second person in the world who knew. When she found out she was pregnant six months later I believe I was the second person to know about it as well. And when I say we shared this news with each other, in both instances it was an actual picture of the positive pregnancy test right after getting the results hahaha. If we ever needed anything or someone to rely on for any reason, we always knew (and still know) we could count on the Millers. They’re the type of friends who become family and a part of your life forever. In this crazy world, military life world to be even more specific, it is hard to find people you genuinely can call lifelong friends. It’s part of the life we live to meet people, become friends, and start over again once getting orders to a new base. Thankfully, we had a pretty great group of friends here in Montana who have all left by now, but are still some of the closest people to us.
It’s going to be a huge adjustment for my family and I to not be able to call you guys and hang out whenever we want or watch our baby girls play together. Jordyn and I will actually have to start attending playgroups without our BFFs :-(. I think I’m even more emotional than usual because of the holiday season. We always spent Halloween at you guys house eating delicious soup of some sort and passing out candy to the kids while looking at their awesome costumes. Isaiah always deep-fried the Thanksgiving turkey (which I refuse to eat any other way now lol) for our big f(r)amily dinner and the same goes for Christmas.
Although we will miss you guys for the small activities and huge holidays, I am so happy you all get to finally be near an ocean again! (The Pacific will just have to do for now 😉 ) Have tons of fun for us, and prayerfully we will meet you guys there in Vandenberg one day soon. Safe travels, we love you guys tons, and miss you so much already. But of course we miss Norah a.k.a Chunky Cheeks the most ;-). Thank you for being great people and even more amazing friends. We are thankful for all of the memories we have created over the years.
It wouldn’t be right if we didn’t take one last group picture filled with hilarious-ness and attitude from our little divas LOL.
Farewell, Miller family!
Brie <3
[11.01.15]
Starting Family Traditions
Reminiscing about my childhood is easy to do considering all of the greats memories I get to remember and share with others. It is because of my great memories that I want to be sure to pass the same feeling and memories on to my children. Passing down family traditions is something I want my children to not only enjoy, but I want the traditions to mean equally as much to them, as they do to me. I want to create memories for a lifetime, and ultimately they pass the traditions down to their children, and their children’s children, etc.
I belive building family traditions is an important concept in teaching children what makes the love of family so special in our lives. There are so many people in this world without families to love them or for them to love back, and I think those of us who are blessed enough to have the love of family often take that same love for granted some days. I want to be sure our children are aware of the blessing they call family. Throughout their lives, I want them to share the lessons and love they received from us, with their friends, strangers, and eventually their future children. These are the five traditions I plan to tart with my children and hopefully generations to come.
I will let my children pick one day out of the year (not their birthday or a holiday), to skip school and have a mommy child date. This is a one on one date I will make with each child. We will go to eat at the restaurant of their choice and do one activity of their choice. However, I also want them to use this opportunity to open up and talk to me about whatever may be on their mind at the time. It is all about them on “school ditch day”, and I want them to remember no matter how busy and crazy life gets, they are individually special and individually deserve time with Mom.
This one doesn’t need much of an explanation, but family fun night is important, because it’s FUN! Family fun night can be anything from playing board games to watching movies. Whatever it is, it is up to the family to decide together. I would like to do family fun night, bi-weekly. I figure as our kids get older, and start spending more time with their friends on weekends, they can set one evening to the side, every other week, for family bonding. They can even invite their friends over to join in on the fun with the family. I want them to always remember having tons of fun with their parents and siblings.
I’ve already gotten the ball rolling on this one, but it is something I want to continue doing. Kids change so much and so quickly within the first few years of their lives, and it’s nice to look back on family photos and see the progression. Jordyn is only a year and two months old, and we can’t believe how much her face has changed since our Fall and Christmas family photos last year. As they get older, one family photo every year would be perfect. Preferably during the holidays :-).
More than eating the food, I love the fellowship sharing a meal brings to the table (I know you like my creative pun). Sunday is the day of praise and worship, and nothing ends a day of thankfulness like a big home cooked meal. Sunday dinners are something I have already started within the last few months. Coming from a huge Caribbean family, sharing a huge meal with a huge group of people is something I have loved since I was a child. In the Jamieson household, Sunday evenings are meant for big meals, full stomaches, complete happiness, and being grateful.
On the days we are taught everything is about US, I want to teach my children the complete opposite. I want them to understand the gifts and special treatment they receive on these days are a privilege many never experience. More so than teaching them their privilege, I want them to understand the importance of service before self, at a very young age. This is something our children won’t be able to understand until they are a bit older, but you can’t start them too young, in my opinion. Being in the military means we will be living in different states during these times throughout their lives, and will need to look for our local homeless shelter or mission. The kids will still get to have their big meals and presents, but my prayer is that when they eat or open their presents, they have a completely different appreciation for the lives they live, and privileges they receive on a daily basis. I want them to learn the beauty of compassion and to share it with others.
If you have a family to love, always remember to love them unconditionally.
Have a happy and blessed Sunday everyone!
Brie <3
[08.23.15]
Chicago Trip – June 2015
As I’m sure most of you have noticed, I disappeared from the blogging world within the last month. No need to worry, I took a break to enjoy some much-needed vacation time back home in Illinois with my family and friends. I promise I will try not to take such a long break again, because I’m sure you all missed me as much as I missed you, right? Right!
We decided to take the train home because driving 20+ hours in a car with an almost one year old was asking for trouble, just as taking two, two-hour flights was out of the question. The train takes a LONG 27 hours to get from Montana to Chicago, but it was seriously PERFECT. Jordyn was able to walk around, make friends with the passengers and gaze out of the window in amazement of everything passing by us. As a new Mom of a newly walking/mobile baby, I highly recommend this way of travel if it’s an option for you. My husband and I are very happy we made this decision.
We mainly went back home to celebrate Miss Jordyn’s 1st birthday with family and friends. On her actual 1st birthday, June 18th, 2015, we took her first trip to Medieval Times with family and extended family. The show was great, (although our knight kept losing) the food was yummy, and our waiter was awesome. Jordyn even received a rose directly from our knight during the show. It was adorable, and he was such a gentleman for giving it to her considering all of the other people in there screaming for the rose themselves. We took this awesome picture before we were seated, and Jordyn’s Godfather, Jesiah, bought us the keep sake picture to bring home with us. I’m in the process of finding the perfect frame for it to hang it up in the house. It sums up our family perfectly! LOL.
We were also lucky enough to have been home when the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup Championship game at the United Center, which means, we got to go to the Blackhawks parade! My husband, my sisters and I all went together and it was such a great time. There are few things more electrifying than getting to celebrate a huge win like theirs with your favorite city (the best city) in the entire world. When the buses finally got to our section, I’m sure we all went temporarily deaf from the intense level of screaming we were surrounded by and engaged in. Being downtown Chicago for the parade even brought on some college nostalgia for myself. I spent so much of my college career walking those same downtown city blocks and riding those CTA trains and buses with loved ones. It made me that much more proud to not have just graduated from a college in a city as amazing as Chicago, but more thankful for even the tiniest of memories such as those in this awesome life of mine.
Jordyn’s birthday party was a huge success. It’s always wonderful to see so many faces you usually only get to see once a year or less. She received more blessings, love, and presents we could have ever imagined. When I tell you this is one extremely LOVED little girl, I mean it. Her party took place in one of the popular forest preserves on the north-side, and the weather held up perfectly during the actual hours of the party. It wasn’t too hot, and it didn’t rain until an hour after the party was over. The food was great, the company was even better, and the love from everyone was the best. My Aunt Gloria (who makes the absolute best cakes in the world – just ask the birthday party guests) made Jordyn’s Sesame Street themed cake and it was beyond perfect.
The day after Jordyn’s birthday party was not only Father’s Day/My husband’s first Father’s Day, but the 14th annual Ricky Byrdsong Race in Evanston, IL. This was the first year since Kris and I have been together that he was in town and able to attend. It has been a tradition in my family since my best friend’s (Kelley) Dad was killed back in 1999 to participate, support, and volunteer at the race. It only gets better each year. The YWCA Evanston/North Shore does a fantastic job each year with everything from the great t-shirt designs to the perfect entertainment. The race starts at 7:30 a.m. on the dot. Considering we all had a late night hanging out downtown Chicago at Dave and Busters the night before, the initial 6 a.m. alarm was a little rough, but everyone had a great time as we always do. I told them they’d enjoy themselves once we made it out there and they did! Kris, Jesiah, Andye, Jordyn, and I even walked the 5K. A.K.A. we walked and Jordyn slept the entire stroller ride.
We decided to do a few new activities while we were home this time around as well. We went to Xtreme Trampoline with my sisters and cousin one evening. We paid for two hours of jumping time because it seemed to be a reasonable amount of time and the pricing wasn’t too bad. However, we jumped for 45 minutes before we were all laid out on the side of the trampolines trying to catch our breath and regain energy to jump again LOL. If you’re ever looking for a great leg and cardio workout, find your nearest indoor trampoline place and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
Kris and I even had a date night that was finally out of the box of dinner and/or a movie. Kris has wanted to do indoor skydiving for quite some time, and we so happened to pass the iFly Chicago – Rosemont complex on several occasions driving back and forth to/from my Mom’s house to/from Kris’ Mom’s house. A family friend also recommended it while we were home so we decided to try it out. Kris was surprised when I told him I wanted to do it as well, because when I say I am the least risk taking-est person you will ever meet…I’m NOT exaggerating. I don’t even ride roller-coasters because they scare the crap out of me to give a little perspective on how big of a chicken I am, or as I like to say, I just appreciate my feet touching the ground. Well, let me tell you, I had SO much fun and would recommend for everyone to give it a try at least once!
My second favorite part of going home is the endless options for unbelievably delicious FOOD! I miss having so many of these food places around me 24/7. I’m pretty sure I cried about it at least twice while I was pregnant last year and unable to eat the food I was craving. Whatever – don’t judge me. Anyway, I have way too many food places to name to even begin to give you a glimpse of how much I eat when I am home. However, I do have very specific places I absolutely MUST get while I am home: Giordanos, (it makes me sad how many people will never have great quality pizza in their lifetime) Claires Korner, (because Jamaican food – DUH) Buffalo Joes, (single order and cheddar chips are no where near as good anywhere else) Portillos (Italian beef dipped with hot and sweet peppers, a cheese fry, and strawberry shake – you’re welcome). The other chain food honorable mentions are: Chipotle, Dunkin Donuts, and Potbelly. I was way too excited to devour my food when I received it from any of these locations, but here goes a glimpse for you.
In all the fun and amazing things we did while we were home, my favorite part of going home is always being able to see and spend time with my family. From BBQs at Uncle Tony’s house, playing UNO in my Mom’s dining room, to having brunch after church, these are the memories I will hold onto more than others. I want Jordyn and her future siblings to grow up knowing and loving our family and extended family as much as I do. As I’ve stated in previous blog posts, I come from a very large family. Not only are we large, but we’re a close family as well. Which makes it that much harder to live so far away from them. When I say family, I mean my closest friends as well. Most of my friends have become my family in the last few years and I couldn’t be more thankful to be surrounded by so many awesome people I’m related to by blood and by choice. Many people go through life without either of those options and here I am with more than I can keep up with. I often tell people, I know without a doubt there is a God, because it is not by chance I am living this life. It is not by chance my little family has so many people we can turn to and support us in our times of need. It is not by chance when a new milestone takes place in my life or theirs, we become that much closer to one another. And it wasn’t by chance I was born into the world’s most beautiful, greatest, loving, supportive, strong-willed, and FUN family!
As always you were good to us Illinois. We’ll be back for a brief round two in mid September. Have a happy and blessed Sunday lovely people!
Brie <3
[07.19.15]
Utah 2015
As I had stated in my second to last blog post, we took a trip to Utah last week, and we had such an amazing time. We really enjoyed catching up with friends, and taking our first road trip as a family. We did some sightseeing and plenty of eating while we were there. It is a potential base for our family to end up as well, so we really appreciated the fact that we liked the area. Jordyn and I even found a little splash park on base while exploring the base while Kris worked one afternoon. She LOVES water so she had a great time :-).
I thoroughly enjoyed the large and up close mountainous view, as well as, the cleanliness and simplicity of downtown Salt Lake City. The people were nice, there was plenty to do, and we did as much as we could. Ed Sheeran was there in concert one of the nights we were in town, and I was so sad I hadn’t known that information prior to going. I would have for sure tried to get tickets, because I love Ed. However, I spent the evening with friends, shopping, and surrounded by beautiful imagery. This is what the mountains looked like outside of our hotel room on base.
Kris LOVES aquariums, so for his actual birthday, we went to the local aquarium. We had a really great time and the aquarium is so beautiful. Jordyn enjoyed putting her hands on the glass trying to get the not so little “fishies” attention too lol. We’re definitely going to have a little swimmer of some sort on our hands.
My friend, Rebecca and I, had been trying the entire week to make it to the zoo, but the rainy weather had other plans for us and the girls. It is for sure on our list of “things to do” when we go back to visit the Jones’ again. We had such a great time with the Jones’, Rebecca’s family, and getting a break from everyday life in Montana. We can’t wait to go back and see everyone again.
Until next time, Utah. Thanks for the great memories! <3
Brie <3
[05.29.15]
Jordyn is 11 Months Old!
This is my last official “monthly” blog post of, Jordyn, and I can’t believe how fast it has all happened. She was 4 months old when I started this blog. It’s all gone by so fast it almost seems like a blur. It was exactly one year ago, as of yesterday, I had my baby shower in Illinois, and here we are exactly one month from her first birthday. As sad as I am that my baby girl is growing so fast, I’m so happy and grateful she’s been blessed to grow so gracefully and lovingly. Here is a picture of her trying whipped cream for the first time…in case you can’t tell, she is definitely a fan!)
Today, we are leaving for our first official long distance road trip, by car. The hubby has to go to Salt Lake City for a class/training this week, and we’re tagging along, to not only get a break from Great Falls, but to spend some much needed quality time with our friends, the Jones’, who live in Utah. The Jones’ moved back to Utah a week and half before I went into labor with little miss Jordyn. This will be the first time they get to her, and she will finally get to meet them. I’m so excited all of our girls get to finally meet each other! 🙂
This last month, Jordyn has for sure found her feet. She hasn’t gotten brave enough to let go and walk on her own, but I swear this child is going for the world record of “fastest almost walking baby.” No, seriously, if you put her down at the table, and blink, she’s standing in front of the entertainment center giving you the “I’m innocent” look.
Jordyn is at the age where she definitely knows who Daddy and Mommy are, as well as, enjoying mocking Daddy and Mommy. She has also become very vocal and uses hand motions to tell you when she does or doesn’t want something. Either way, no matter what emotion she may be feeling at the time, you can be sure it won’t be a secret.
As usual she looooves her big brother too. When she sees him walking towards her she gets the BIGGEST smile on her face. If he decides to give her some wonderful licks in the process, she giggles her little heart out. These two are the cutest double trouble you will ever see.
Jordyn went swimming for the first time last weekend and oh man does she love the water! She splashed and kicked the water until she was “all wrinkled” as Dennis the Menace would say. She swam with her BFF, Norah, who wasn’t the biggest fan of the water at first, but warmed up to it and enjoyed it herself.
Have I mentioned Jordyn LOVES music. This little girl will dance and shake her head to whatever song is playing. However, she REALLY boogies down to the theme songs for the shows “A Different World” ( the Aretha Franklin intro) and “Psych.” It is both adorable and hilarious to watch.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the monthly series leading up to Miss Jordyn Denise’s first birthday. After her first birthday post/update, I will post Jordyn blog updates every 2-3 months, or share funny stories as they happen.
Say a prayer for safe travels to, around, and from Salt Lake City for us. See you all again in a month for the big, 1st birthday post!
Brie <3
[05.18.15]