Friday, December 18, 2009

Christmas Letter Post

Christmas letter 2009



Dear Friends, Family, and people who I perennially annoy with my exaggerations and bold faced lies…

It’s time for the Brough Family Christmas letter. I’ll skip the lengthy preamble and start with the updates.



Eli is 6 years old, and quite the ladies man now that his front teeth have grown back in. He has cut quite a swathe though the female population in his kindergarten class and is an unrepentant playboy. His current interests also include Lego’s, viva piƱata on the xbox, and of course his longtime goals of world domination.



Becca has spent the last year putting up with my crap (or maybe more appropriately the lack thereof, since I haven’t been around for most of the year). With Eli in school for 3 hours a day, and me on the other side of the world, Becca doesn’t have to get us dressed, tie our shoes, or make us snacks all day long. She works out, edits home movies, cooks wonderful creations, and she makes me wish I were at home with her instead of playing Army on the other side of the world.



Here is the recap of the year:

After spending the holidays in Utah, we went back to Kentucky for a month while I attended the Army Reconnaissance Course, which culminated with the worst ice storm the region had seen in decades.

Graduating the course ended our six-month stint at Ft. Knox. We then started preparing ourselves for a deployment to Afghanistan. This of course consisted of a lot of denial while we attempted to simultaneously live life to the fullest and ignore the dates on the calendar and eventually the ticking of the clock.



This deployment has taught us that no matter how much we drive each other nuts, we prefer to drive each other nuts from a distance close enough to give each other hugs.

Regardless, I’ve still been able to accomplish some of my personal goals:

· Promotion to 1st Lieutenant (I can’t believe it’s not butter!)

· Lead men in combat and bring them back safely

· See my family for leave

· Find Osama Bin Laden crap…



We still have a bit of a haul in front of us, but we are freshly energized after I was able to come home for leave over Thanksgiving. For those of you who are with your loved ones this Christmas, be thankful and let them know that you appreciate them.



Love

The Broughs





Saturday, November 7, 2009

Updates

I got my new bike. I love it because it's pink and SO much lighter than my other bike...which was really Stewart's bike. After I bought it I almost threw it over my head when I was loading it on the car rack. It's SO light. I went with a hybrid bike because the road bikes intimidated me and my back hurts after biking so I am really only good for a 2 hr ride at the most. It's easier to sit up straighter with these kind of handlebars. The day after I bought my bike it snowed! I was so sad and had to wait about a week and a 1/2 to get my first ride.
Our Halloween was not the best. Eli got a tummy ache after the 6th house. I was worried that he was getting the swine flu but he was better the next day. Danny and Emi came to visit and Danny really freaked Eli out.

Here are some of our other October pictures. We had a fun month.


Sunday, October 18, 2009

Eli

Naughty: Staying up late to play Lego's, draw, or play the Leapster under the covers.
Nice: confessing these things the next day.
Naughty: Sleeping in so long because you didn't go to bed until midnight.
Nice: Leaving a note for your mom outside her door.
This note says "Dear Mom, I know you miss Daddy, you deserve a great big hug."

He was already asleep when I found the note. It made me SO happy. I smiled and went in and kissed my sleeping little boy. I feel so blessed to have such a sweet little boy! He is very perceptive and kind and loving. I talk about Stewart with Eli but I really don't cry or anything. Yesterday I was very worried about Stewart and he was on my mind a lot. This letter was very sweet to get at the end of a day like that.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Lego Maniac

Here is Eli with his General Grievous Lego set. 1085 pieces and 2 days later it was done! (this was awhile ago and it's already taken apart and built into other things)

I just love this Lego Maniac!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Effusive Eli:

This week is DARE week at school. I don't actually know if that's what they still call it but it's the week they teach kids to say no to drugs.

After only ONE day Eli is very prepared if "any one offers him alcohol or tobacco." What he will do is turn his back on the offender. He gave me a preview of this and here's how it went:

Me: Eli, have some tobacco (he keeps saying tobacco. So formal.)
Eli: *puts his arms in his shirt and turns it around. He looks very brave and proud of himself*
I'm now looking at the back of his shirt and he doesn't look like he's ready to walk away.
Me: *trying not to laugh* um that's not really what you should do. Let me show you.

I then showed him how to actually turn around and walk away. He smiled and said "oh I didn't know that's what they meant."

Ha ha I guess someone said something about "showing them the back of your shirt" or something. It was SO funny.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Obsessed?

I used to love U2. I mean really love them. I recently came upon a treasure in the basement. My scrapbook that I made in 9th grade. It's all about u2. It comes complete with a history of U2, lyrics, and drawings by moi!

notice the lyrics to silver and gold are written in silver and gold pen. I know, AWESOME!

I was just a little humiliated. Holy cow. I was a dork.

I still do like U2 but I save my love and obsession for things like people. And desserts ;)

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Birthday Celebration-day 3

I'm supposed to do a birthday party every other year for Eli but wasn't up for it this year. Instead of a big party I took Eli and his cousins to Chuck E Cheese. Eli has been wanting to go ever since he learned "it's where a kid can be a kid mom!"

I have to say that's one of the best ideas I've ever had. Talk about stress free. The entertainment was provided and the kids were so happy and cute.

Eli was very happy with his last day of celebrations. What a great week!

Birthday Celebration-day 2

Eli was a lucky little boy this year. He got to have three days of birthday celebrations. We had all my family and some of Stewart's family (that sounds rude-they were invited but couldn't come) over for dinner and cake and of course-PRESENTS!

The chicken pot pie spells "Eli 6" and you can see that Eli got a FEW presents! We had so much fun with all our family.

Thanks everyone for coming and making Eli's birthday special. He went to bed a very happy boy.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

6 year old!

I can't believe that Eli is 6. 6 years ago at this time, I had been a mother for 30 minutes. Stewart was already in love with Eli and couldn't stop smiling. I was starving after not eating all day. I was also SO happy. I thought that Eli was so darling and he was. He had tons of hair and the nurses wanted to put a bow in it because it was so long. They also liked teasing Stewart about how usually the father has more hair than the baby.

This year we had our breakfast in bed donuts. Then after breakfast, the "mailman" aka my mom, dropped a present from Stewart off at the door.

The reason behind this is...Eli asked Stewart to get him the Lego Battle Tank. Stewart promised (what a sucker) him that he would get it for him for his birthday. I had already bought Eli's birthday gifts. So we figured it would be special for Eli to get a present mailed from him daddy. Eli was very excited and was kind enough to stop building it and thank his father when Stewart called.

We went to the aquarium and to dinner with some friends. It wasn't a really exciting day but we are having tons of family over for dinner on Sunday. So tonight, after Eli went to bed, I made his birthday cake. Tell me that's not the cutest thing ever! Well as long as you don't look too closely at the lumps under the fondant. My major mistake was using the rainbow chip frosting under the fondant. My other mistake was not really knowing how to use fondant. I've bothered my friend all week to get her trade secrets and she did give them but I still messed up a little. Oh well I'm so happy with it. I think it's darling and I think Eli will love it when he sees it in the morning.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

"It's About America"

Eli learned the Pledge of Allegiance at school. When I heard it the first time I was so proud of him! It's the cutest thing I've ever heard him say! I mentioned that Daddy would be proud of him and so for the last 3 weeks he has been trying to get me to record him so we could send it to Stewart. Of course he remembers to record it when he's supposed to have been asleep for an hour already!

I think that it's so cute and sweet. I love my little boy.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Bedtime Reading

This is not a staged shot. Eli was having a snack before bed and I look over to see him reading a pamphlet about saving for College.

I hurried and snapped a photo and Eli looked at me and said, "I'm looking at these percents."

Man, he is so cute!

Fair-thee-well


On Friday we went to the fair. It was SO fun. The crazy robot was pretty cool until he started serenading me. It freaked me out a little.

Grandma treated Eli to the sword. That was his favorite part. We all decided that if we had entered the fair with our "prize-winning" onion or our blackberries we totally would have WON.

Eli and I also decided that we want a pet rabbit. They were SO cute.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Building Bears

With Stewart gone, Eli has had to find another sucker to buy him things. I have stepped up to the plate. Eli got a coupon for build a bear and I told him he could choose some clothes or something. But I caved and let him get a bear. He chose the cute panda and is SO happy with it.

One of the things that I love about Eli is that he can be SUCH a boy! A little stinky, rough, crazy boy. BUT he can also be a sweet little guy who loves to cuddle and watch movies with his mommy.

Eli LOVES school and his favorite thing to say now is, "I love school. I like it much more than church." The sad thing is that I'm his teacher and he's my naughtiest child.

Skool

I've been going to school for the past 2 weeks. Eww

It's a miracle I graduated once from college. What am I doing back there?!

So now I have to figure out what I'm going to do stay in school or become a drop out?

Oh Really! For Me?!

I came home from school today to FLOWERS. I know! He's in Afghanistan and STILL remembers to send me flowers.

*sigh* I miss him. We talked today about plans for when he comes home on leave and I started getting SO excited and then realized it's 2 months away! Way to early to start getting so excited.

Remember when you were little and Christmas seemed to come SO slow! It was the anticipation. Anticipation slows time down.

But for now I'll look at my flowers and be happy.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Megs Miracle

I know THIS girl! If you are in the area stop by!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Effusive Eli:

Eli is the proud owner of a "golden tooth." After visiting the dentist recently Eli was proud to show EVERYONE including strangers the visual proof of my failings as a mother. He has a silver filling that he's sure will fetch him a 20 dollar reward when the tooth fairy visits in a few years. When his cousin wished for a silver tooth too and wondered why Eli got one? Eli replied, "because I was so good at the dentist."

I guess that's better than Eli crying over a silver tooth though. When Eli's little cousin gave him a fat lip, he cried and cried because he thought he looked ugly.

When the same little cousin was crying face to face with Eli he said "mom, get him out of my face! He's crying in my face." Crying children stress Eli out way bad.

Eli's grandpa gave him and his cousins pocket knives on Sunday. It was about the best day of their lives. To showcase the wonderful attributes of the knives Brooklyn and Eli put on an infomercial. Some of the things that you can accomplish with the knives are sawing wood, cutting things, and killing bears.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Croquet and Bubbles

A Sunday at the Broughs.



The family minus Stewart and Carl. Sad for us.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Park City

For the 3rd (or 4th) year in a row we went to Park City with Stewart's family. We stay in a condo and swim and play and shop. Vacations are the BEST!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Kindergarten Baby

Eli started school on August 4th. He was pretty excited about it...if you asked him on the right day.

He was very excited about it when I picked him up but by the evening he had determined that school was boring.

Everyday he asks if he has to go to school today and everyday when I pick him up he's happy and excited and had a great time.

He has made a few friends and likes his teacher. I'm going to be volunteering in his classroom on Tuesdays. I think this will be a successful year!