The Brunner Bunch

A Year Later...

2011-10-10T12:44:00.001-07:00

This is horrible... I LOVE the idea of this blog to keep track of my life, but for the life of me I can't keep it updated!!! Ahhh :)
Anyway, It's been a year since I've last posted and as you can see, we've grown up! Jake is 17 months now and the love of mine and Travis's life :) He is so much fun, just a sponge soaking everything up. He loves life, is constantly on the go and will be a big brother anytime now!! I'm 38+ weeks pregnant with another boy :) I'm gigantic and we are very ready for him to get here and I'm so excited and anxious to get this pregnancy over with! I've had no complications, but I've definitely had a different experience this time around. I'm very tired and uncomfortable. Soon we will have our family complete and Jared James will join the Brunner Family!

I hope this post will get me back on track to keep this updated.... we shall see!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-20T20:21:00.000-07:00

We went to the pumpkin patch last weekend and it was fun bringing Jake! He enjoyed the hayride out to the pumpkins and loved feeling all of the pumpkins. I look forward to making it an annual family tradition!

Back to Blogging!

2010-10-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

Well I don't even know where to begin.....

It's been a long time since I've blogged and I wanted to be able to use this to keep pictures and records of Jake's life- but so much for that. I'm going to try to stay on track now!! I wanted to post about him and what he's doing- because I have already forgotten what he was like a month ago!!

Jake is 5 1/2 months now and time sure does fly when you're having fun. These last few months have been so enjoyable- it's amazing to witness and be apart of such a sweet little boy's life. Travis and I are really loving being parents and it's a lot of fun. Believe me, it was quite an adjustment for me in the beginning- Jake cried a lot and had a hard time taking his naps during the day- but we stuck with a routine and now he sure is an easy baby! He seems to be loving life!

He started eating solid foods about a month ago and loves everything he's tried except sweet peas- he shivers almost every time he eats them :) He eats every 4 hours now- and is taking 2 naps each day with a little catnap in the evening. He is doing so much better at night too. Bedtime is about 7:45pm and he will still wake up a couple times between 5am and 7am because he wants his pacifier- but then he doesn't wake up until 7am. We are still swaddling him and I think that may be changing soon... He can now sit up by himself and loves to have all his toys around him on the floor. It's so nice to not have to sit with him all the time on the floor. He still spits up A LOT!! It's so disgusting because he is constantly staining his cute outfits and he wears a bib all the time- it's so hard finding ones that match his clothes and he has to have about 3 outfits in his diaper bag each day- needless to say I do A LOT of laundry! :) Jake is such a social little guy- he smiles and talks to everyone and seems to always be happy- it's been so much fun having him in my life- I love him so much!!

Jacob Lance Brunner has arrived!

2010-05-06T17:14:00.000-07:00

Our son is finally here :) I'm so happy to report that I am a new mom and it could not be any better! Jacob Lance Brunner was born at 12am May 6, 2010. He weighed 6 lbs 11 oz and was 19 inches long.

My labor and delivery experience was unbelievable. I really honestly was in denial that I was in labor for a while- I just couldn't believe that this was really happening. It started out on Wednesday morning May 5th when I woke up in a complete sweat and felt very nausous. I called the doctor's office and they said to just go to the hospital. I called Travis and my Mom and they came home to get me. I arrived at the hospital and they hooked me a baby up to check everything out. I had been feeling some burning pain the last few nights- but nothing that would keep me awake. Anyway- everything looked great and while I was hooked up to the fetal monitor I had those pains again and the nurse looked at me shocked to tell me that I was having quite a big contraction! I had no idea.... So she checked me and I was 100% effaced and dilated 2 cm. That was great to hear. So we left the hospital and went to lunch and Travis went back to work to finish some things up because my Mom had this feeling that we would be back at the hospital that night. Well sure enough as soon as I got home I cleaned the house and started having regular contractions. They started every 20 minutes and soon were every 10 minutes. I went walking, got in the hot tub and could not sit down. We waited for Travis to get off work and headed back to the hospital at 6pm. They checked me and I was only 3 cm dilated. I was kind of bummed but knew that I wasn't leaving the hospital because the contractions were every 4 minutes at that point.

I labored in the hospital and Travis and my Mom were SO helpful. I couldn't have stayed focused without them. To make a very long story short, my labor went very fast. I was unable to get an epidural and was 10 cm dilated at 11pm. At one point, his heartrate went down and I couldn't push for 2 contractions- which was really difficult and Travis got really scared and nervous. But Jake recovered quickly and it took some time and a lot of effort on my part- but our little man finally arrived at 12am on the dot!

I wouldn't have changed anything about the experience- everything was great and he came out so perfectly! He is already so loved by so many people and I'm so happy he came in time for me to celebrate Mother's Day. Now I know why that day is so very special.

The Brunner Family

38 weeks & Baby Jake's Room!

2010-04-28T14:44:00.000-07:00

Well here is a picture at 38 weeks- I definitely look how I feel! I've had a cold now for the past week and a half and I am feeling really run down and tired. The pregnancy is going great though! I'm starting to feel pressure and burning in the lower half which I guess is a great sign! We go to the doctor tomorrow to see if there's any progress- but that doesn't mean much really. I could have no progress but go into labor any time now. I'm getting so excited and anxious to meet Jacob and start our family together. Travis is getting to excited too and we finished our labor and delivery classes last Monday. They were very informative and I loved going and visiting with all the other pregnant moms. We went to a hospital orientation at St. Joe's this week just to check everything out and register so we don't have to worry about doing that when the time comes. Everything is just getting so close and there's nothing more for me to do now! I'm still reading a lot of the baby books and reading about breastfeeding and scheduling so I'm getting a better idea of what to expect.
I'm so glad that my Mom has taken over the main responsibilities at work. I've been going in for a few hours a day- but I don't have to be there at set times unless she has appointments or stuff to do. That has been really helpful because this cold will not go away! I'm thinking good thoughts that I won't go into labor until I can breathe through my nose :)

Below I've finally posted pictures of his room!

I wish I would have done "before" pictures because we installed all new doors and baseboard throughout the entire house. There's also crown molding in his room that I didn't take a picture of. You can also see crazy Sandy in the background :)

I'm so proud of Jake's closet because Travis did all the shelves and designed it himself! I have such a handy husband and I love that he will tackle any project. He is constantly wanting to do something and be productive and busy- I love that about him!

And yes, there is a picture of Tiger Wood's in this room. :) There was a discussion about that, and I decided it wasn't that big of a deal to have it in there. Travis's Grandma bought him that autographed picture years ago and I think it goes very well with the room! :)

Oops! I realized I didn't take a picture of the window with valence, but it's in there! I also plan on having family pictures taken when he's born and put them above his dresser/changing table. I also want to buy some wood letters of his name and put them above his crib. I found a bunch online that can be painted in sports themes. I'm not that crafty so I will probably buy those ones instead of trying to do them myself!

Anyway- I'm so happy with how his room turned out and the entire house for that matter. Thanks to my husband and me working really hard- we were finally able to come to a finished project and it was well worth it.

Easter - 34 weeks

2010-04-28T14:36:00.000-07:00

Easter went a little different this year with the fact that it started Snowing!! Landen had to hunt for eggs inside my Mom's house but he didn't care at all. He had so much fun and I think we hid the eggs 55 times! Then he started hiding the eggs and we all had to take turns finding them. He did a pretty good job hiding them :) We went with my family to brunch at the Blue Lake Casino and it was very disappointing! The had a buffet but it wasn't even breakfast food- it was dinner food and just not what we were expecting. Oh well, we know now!

Above is a picture at 34 weeks- as you can see we're both growing!

Baby Bowdy

2010-04-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post about this sweet little boy, Bowdy. Granted I don't get to see him very much but everytime I do he is the sweetest, happiest baby I've ever seen! Whitney babysits him on Thursday mornings now and she will bring him by work for me to say hi. The other night we had Sister's Night at my house and he was the laugh of the party! As you can see from the picture below, I don't remember who was making him giggle and smile so much but it sure doesn't take very much for him to smile! He's so cute and turning into such a big boy. Congrats to Clay and Rachelle :)

Pa and Landen

2010-04-28T14:27:00.000-07:00

The other day Landen was over at my house and he went outside to see his Pa driving his tractor on Auntie's street! Wes had gone to the gas station to fill up and knew Landen was over at my house. It was the cutest thing watching Landen see his Pa. He was amazed and thought it was the funniest thing that the tractor was on the road. This was a subject of conversation for about a week- Landen won't forget it!

Baby Shower!

2010-03-25T08:44:00.000-07:00

Get ready for a lot of pictures!! We had Baby Brunner's shower this last weekend and the celebration started on Friday at Katherine's mom's house where we decorated cupcakes and cookies. Whitney and Landen came up and Landen helped by testing the cupcakes!

Below is a picture of Katherine decorating the baseball cookies- they turned out so great! Thanks to Katherine and her mom, we had such cute special treats at the shower.

There was so much food too! Betsy opened her house to us and everything turned out so nice.

Opening presents was quite the adventure! Everyone was so generous with their gifts and I got so many hand made blankets and burp rags- they were very special. Landen was also a good helper- he had been so patient waiting to help me open all the gifts.

Travis came by towards the end to see everything and help finish off the food! He was amazed at how many gifts he had to put in the truck ;) We are so lucky to have such great family and friends who love us so much.

This last picture sort of captures how I was feeling at the end of opening all the gifts! It's weird being a first time mom, because I don't have a clue about what I'm going to need or not need. I'm so thankful to have so much family around and close friends who all have kids so they are able to explain things to me. The next day Whitney, my Mom and my friend Kristen came over to help me organize his nursery and set up the closet and dresser. It was so much fun and I am so excited for Jake to finally get here. I now these last weeks probably will feel like they're dragging by- but I know he will be here before I know it!

We started labor and delivery classes on Monday at St. Joseph Hospital. Travis was out of town and had to miss this first class but my Mom came with me and it was surprising because I didn't know what I was going to feel after seeing real footage of a birth and talking about the facts of labor. It was so great because for some reason I felt so calm and confident after just sitting through one class! I know that the adventure will be painful and indescribable; it's just going to be about being in the right mind set to get through it. Also- there is always pain medicine too! :)

31 Weeks!

2010-03-11T09:18:00.000-08:00

He's getting bigger! I thought I'd post another picture because I feel like I've gotten very large the last few weeks. I caught Travis staring at me last night and I said "what the heck are you looking at??" He had a big smile on his face and said "you just look very pregnant!" I feel like I AM very pregnant- so I'm glad I look it :) It's been really neat feeling him move around- he moves around a lot! Travis has felt him a lot more now- because I just grab his hand when he's moving so Travis can feel him. I'm getting so excited to be a mom! We start labor and delivery classes in about a week and I'm really anxious to learn about what I will be experiencing and what to expect. I know every woman has a different experience- but I want to know all the possibilities of what could happen. I also am relaxed for now and I realize that I can't plan how the labor and delivery is going to go- I'm such a planner and have to be in control of everything but I realize that I can't control this!!

Disney on Ice

2010-03-09T11:26:00.001-08:00

Last week Whitney decided at the last minute to get us tickets to go to Oakland and see Disney on Ice with Landen. She found out they were having an entire section of the show dedicated to the movie Cars, which is Landen's favorite! My mom, Whit, Landen and I decided to go down and it was the most fun! Landen hadn't stayed in a motel room since he could remember, so he was very excited.

Below is a picture of us walking into the Arena. He didn't know what to expect.

This is right before the show was to start- does he looked excited?!?!?

I had to take a picture because I wouldn't understand how they could have cars on the ice, but it was perfect for Landen, his face was priceless- he sat very quiet and still with his eyes and mouth wide open! It was so precious.

Below is a picture of our ride home; he was exhausted!! The trip was so much fun and my family is planning a trip to Disneyland at the end of the year, and I think he'll have a blast there!

As for everything else, I'm getting so excited to have Baby Brunner in our lives! I can't wait for him to be here- still 9 weeks away- but I know it's going to be here before I know it. And for now he finally does have a name!! Jacob Lance Brunner is what we've decided on :) Travis and I both really like the name and we'll probably call him Jake. We also both feel that if we see him and think he doesn't look like a Jake- he might get a different name; so we'll see :)

I promise to post pictures of our house soon- it looks so different now! Things are still so out of place though and the baseboard should be finished being touched up by next week, so things are moving along. Travis put more shelving in the baby's closet- so hopefully we have enough space for all of his stuff. After the baby shower I'll really have to organize and put everything away- it's just hard right now because I don't know how much stuff I'm actually going to have- I warned Travis though it's going to be A LOT!!

27 Weeks!

2010-02-11T12:38:00.000-08:00

I'm 27 weeks today! Travis and I went to the doctor yesterday for a normal appointment- and it was the first time that not everything was right and normal. Every time I go they take a urine test and this time they said I had protein in my urine. If this is accompanied with high blood pressure, it could mean preeclampsia. I've never had high blood pressure problems and my blood pressure was fine yesterday. So that means I may have a bladder infection which needs to be treated with antibiotics because it could lead to a kidney infection which could lead to premature labor. So the doctor had me go to the lab at St. Joe's to get a urine test as well as the regularly scheduled glucose test. The glucose test is interesting because they make you drink this really sweet kool-aid tasting drink and then you have to sit in the waiting room for an hour before they draw your blood. I made Travis come with me because he had the day off of work so it wasn't so boring. Anyway- the urine results came back and I don't have protein in my urine nor do I have a bladder infection. So, I thought it was weird that the doctor's office thought I had protein when the lab says I don't. I have an appointment next week to get the results of the glucose test so I'm going to ask them that exact question because it kind of bugged me!
Everything else looked great with Baby Brunner. We were able to hear his heartbeat at 150 bpm and I measured 27 centimeters this time- so I didn't get to hear that I have a big baby. Maybe he just had a large growth spurt the last month!
I'm super excited for this weekend because the crib and dresser should be arriving today! The bedding arrived yesterday so I'm going to the paint store to get paint and Whitney and I are going to finish painting his room today so Travis and I can get everything set up this weekend. Hopefully I'll have some finished pictures to take!!

Rooster Catching

2010-02-09T10:35:00.000-08:00

There was some excitement at Steve's Septic Service yesterday! In the last few days, a rooster has appeared in the yard and roams around Cockadoodle Doodling all day long. Wes ended up going around the neighborhood asking if anyone knew whose rooster it is, and no one knows but everyone knows that they have been hearing it! Well after my Mom heard him yesterday early morning she decided we need to call someone to come take it. Also- we have quite a few dogs around the yard, some more mean than others and I can just see one of Wes's dogs getting a hold of it and killing it and then they would probably end up killing something else. Anyway, Wes called the pound and after laughing at him over the phone they sent 3 people down within 15 minutes! It was hilarious watching them chase the rooster around- I had to go out and capture the moment!! I then asked the lady to pose for me- pretty funny! Oh- and I guess the animal control center will not kill him- they'll try to find a home for him for a while. Hopefully the owner will know to call them and go get him- I thought he was very pretty :)

Shopping Trip for Baby Brunner

2010-02-08T09:23:00.000-08:00

My Mom, sister and I went to Walnut Creek this weekend for a baby shopping extravaganza! We went down with a big shopping list in hand and we got everything that I was looking for. It was such a fun trip- I love going there and shopping at all the nice stores and also eating at all the nice restaurants :) Katherine was able to spend a lot of time with us even though we were all sick with a cold or getting over a cold. This picture of us below is at the Cheesecake Factory- and we look tired and sick but we had a blast! :)

We found a Babies R Us and they had everything! It was neat because they had all the cribs, dressers and strollers set up so you could really see how everything would look out of the box. I'm the kind of person that has to be able to see things in person and I can't just order things online so I was happy to pick out everything.

Below is a picture of the stroller/car seat I picked out. I really like it and in person the lighter color isn't so light- it's a gray suede fabric and I think Baby Brunner will look very cute in it!

Here's a picture of the bedding Travis and I had picked out online. We are doing a sports theme in the nursery and we really liked the colors of this bedding. I had to order it though- so I won't have it for a while because Katherine and Kristen bought it for me and I can't have it until the shower- but I will probably steal a piece of it to go to the paint store to finish painting the baby's room.

Below are pictures of the crib and dresser/changing table that I picked out at Babies R Us. The pictures are showing the furniture in a cherry color- but I got the espresso color- similar to the color of the crib in the picture above with the bedding.

I also found this diaper bag at a really cute baby store in Walnut Creek- it's big and roomy but I also like that it is cute and looks like something I would buy to use as a purse- we'll have to get Travis a backpack or something a little more manly to use because I know he will not want to carry this one around!

I was so happy to be able to spend time with my Mom and sister- we realized we haven't gone on a trip with just the 3 of us for 2 years! Landen stayed at home with his Dad and Pa- so it was nice to have a girls trip. Whitney and my Mom had never been to Walnut Creek before and now they know why Kristen and I are addicted to it! I also loved seeing Katherine and spending time with her- she is such a great friend and I feel lucky to be able to see her so much! I got overwhelmed a couple times at all the things we were buying and making decisions- but I'm glad my Mom and Whitney were there to help me. I ended up crying as we were leaving Babies R Us(don't be surprised- I've been VERY emotional lately!) and I think it was because I was so happy and grateful for what my Mom was doing for me and Travis. She is so generous and giving with her time, money and patience. Thanks Mom, Whit and Katherine for a perfect weekend! Love you! I can't wait now for Travis and I to put all of these fabulous things together for Baby Brunner :)

Landen & Babies

2010-01-14T09:58:00.001-08:00

My sister-in-law Kelsy came to visit me at work with her son Noah. Of course, Landen had to come over and see the baby and hold him:) Noah is so sweet and cute! It was fun and interesting having a baby in the office because the phone kept ringing and there were still things to do. I was holding him and multi-tasking a couple times and it gave me a VERY slight idea of what my life will be like in 4 months! Working and being a mom at the same time is something I'm going to have to learn to juggle.

I babysat my friend Kristen's son Isaiah a couple weeks ago and Landen had to come over to see the baby at Auntee's house. I loved watching Landen with him because he would not leave him alone! He was definitely in Isaiah's face a lot and didn't want to leave his side ;) I think he will be a great cousin and it will be so fun for Landen to have a playmate.

Big Baby Brunner

2010-01-14T09:36:00.001-08:00

Here is a picture at 23 weeks! We went to the doctor yesterday and everything is going well with me and baby brunner. The appointment was pretty normal except the doctor started measuring my stomach. I guess you are supposed to be in centimeters (+/- 3 centimeters) what you are in weeks. So, I should be between 20 and 26 centimeters. I measured 24 1/2 centimeters which means I got to hear again that I have a big baby! :)

Everything else in our life is going great too! Travis and I decided to start quite a large project in our house- we are replacing all the baseboard and doors and painting the baby's room. I didn't realize what a project it was going to be! Travis's friend is a contractor, so he's doing a lot of the work- but I have to do a lot of touch up and puttying. Also- I'm super excited for the plans we have for baby brunner's room! It should be really cute ;) And yes, the baby does not have a name yet- that is a project we are working on too. I didn't think it would be this hard- but there's definitely a lot of pressure to pick a good name and something that we both agree on. I'll post before and after pictures of the house once I can take "after" pictures! ;)

Ultrasound!

2009-12-29T10:42:00.001-08:00

We just had an ultrasound this morning and found out everything is great with our little guy! That's right... we're having a boy ;) Travis and I are so excited and I feel such a huge amount of happiness. It was so neat to be able to see everything and watch him move around. The ultrasound tech said that he is measuring large and he weighs 1 pound already!

The above picture is of him looking right at us. I asked where a picture was of his boy parts and the tech said that they can no longer give out pictures of the genitals!?!?! I was a little disappointed, but it was pretty obvious that he's a boy.

I immediatley felt a connection to him once I saw him on the monitor. It is such a satisfying feeling to see something you created. He already looks so beautiful! Well we are so thrilled and I wanted to hold him so badly when I saw him. Travis already looked like a proud dad- we are so thankful.

Well I am now anxiously waiting the day for him to be here. I'm over half way now- 20 weeks and 4 days- and I am enjoying every minute. I am excited now for all the other things that come with preparing for a baby: picking out his name, organizing his room and getting ready!

Pregnancy Update!

2009-12-16T14:36:00.001-08:00

Well here it is... the first official photo! I'm now 18 1/2 weeks along and am finally starting to feel pregnant. It's fun not being able to button your pants- and I now have a lot of maternity clothes to wear thanks to a great mother-in-law, sister, Mom and Husband!

We went to a doctor's appointment yesterday and everything is growing as it should. We heard the heartbeat and it was pretty fast, 155 bpm. As the old wives' tale goes, that could mean it's a girl! We'll have to wait until December 29th- that's when our ultra sound is scheduled. I am anxiously awaiting that day to be able to see the creature growing inside of me and make sure that he/she is growing well and healthy. It will also be exciting if we can see the sex of the baby because I'm already having ideas of what to do with the room! I know I am not quite halfway done yet with the pregnancy, but I am so excited to have a baby to play with and take care of. I feel very ready and lucky to be able to go through this experience ;)

Well I hope everyone has a great Christmas holiday- I'm looking forward to spending it with a lot of family and friends and I can't wait to be with Landen as he opens all of his presents!

Update

2009-11-10T16:15:00.000-08:00

Well I didn't realize how long it has been since I last posted on here! I don't have any pictures to post (sorry) but I will make sure I put some on soon!

Things have been going great with me and my family. Halloween was super fun- we went to Tawny's house for a party and it was so festive. She decorated her house really well and I loved that everyone was dressed up! We all had a blast. Landen wasn't too into Haloween this year. I went with him and my sister and Mom to a parade at the McK Shopping Center and he was pretty nervous with all the kids running around in their costumes. He was a lot more comfortable at home handing out candy ;)

I just got back from visiting Katherine in Walnut Creek last weekend. Kristen and her son Isaiah and I went down for a couple nights. It was so much fun and it was Isaiah's first trip! He's only 11 weeks old and he is such a trooper- he shopped and shopped and shopped with us. It was neat that we were able to do everything we normally would do on our trip (just shop and eat!) and he just tagged along! I enjoyed every minute and Kristen is sure a great mom and it makes me so much more excited to add another baby to the mix!

Speaking of babies, my pregnancy has been really great so far. I am almost 14 weeks now, so almost done with my first trimester! I think I'm done feeling nauseated (cross your fingers!) and I'm starting to enjoy a tighter waistband on my jeans! Whitney bought me a belly band that you use to hold your jeans up when they're unbuttoned that I'm looking forward to wearing. Probably pretty soon..... My next doctor's appointment is next Wednesday, so I'll post more then and I'll get some pictures up!

More Boating and Exciting News!

2009-09-23T14:01:00.001-07:00

For the last 4 weekends or so we have been taking our boat out on different lakes and we've had so much fun! The picture below is of Landen "driving" the boat on Trinity Lake. We went there over Labor Day weekend and we enjoyed camping, seeing family and friends, and using the boat - but we definitely did not enjoy the weather! It was pretty crappy, windy and cold. We still had lots of fun and it's neat to be able to have our own boat and make our own memories.

Last weekend we were planning on going to Lake Shasta. We had never been there before and when we arrived we realized that everyone was right when they were saying that there was no water! It was lower than Trinity Lake. We ended up finding a campground and the camp host said that the low water spots aren't even marked in the lake. We decided the next morning to just go to Whiskeytown Lake instead. We really love that lake. We were able to find a cove so that Sandy could get out of the boat and play fetch in the water. She had so much fun- she played fetch for what felt like hours! It was great to be able to get out of the boat on shore and I can see us spending a lot more time at Whiskeytown Lake.

And now for the exciting news...... I'm pregnant! I'm not that far along, only 7 1/2 weeks, but we were able to see and hear the heartbeat on Monday! It was a relief for sure, and the doctor said everything looks fine, so that's great to hear. The due date is May 11th- it feels very far away but I know it will sneak up on us before we know it. We are really excited because we are so ready to be parents! I know it sounds crazy right now, but I am looking forward to every moment of being pregnant- I know it's not something you can take for granted, so I'm going to enjoy it as much as I can ;)

Well I hope to post more about the pregnancy as things progress...

Boating!!!

2009-08-24T14:35:00.000-07:00

Travis and I have been looking at boats for a month or so now and we finally found one! It was a good find and it was hard shopping for one because our budget was only so much and so it meant looking for privately sold boats. We found a bunch on Craig's List in our price range but most of them just weren't kept nice and had tears in the upholstery or were not the layout I was looking for. We went this weekend to look at one and ended up getting it. It is really clean and seems to be well taken care of even though it's 18 years old. We took it out on Whiskeytown Lake and it was SO much fun! It feels really good to have our own boat so we can take it anywhere. This weekend we are going to Konocti on Clear Lake with my family and then the next 3-4 weekends we'll be up at Trinity Lake before the summer is over. We are looking forward to many memories with our boat.

Happy Anniversary to us!

2009-07-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

Today is our 3rd anniversary as Mr. and Mrs. Brunner! Even though Travis and I have been together for 11 years, we haven't been married that long. These last 3 years have gone by very fast and our relationship has definitely evolved. It's funny how you can be with the same person throughout your life- but things are always changing and exciting. At least that's how I feel about our marriage- there are always going to be ups and downs, it's just that there are always more good times than bad. We've grown together a lot more these last 2 years than ever before and I'm so glad that I chose to share my life adventures with Travis- he definitely makes my life more enjoyable- he's always making me laugh and I'm looking forward to one day celebrating our 50th Wedding Anniversary!

Kristen's Baby Shower

2009-07-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

I helped host Kristen's baby shower this last weekend and it turned out so great! It was a lot of fun, great people and great food- so that's always a good time. Katherine and Erin were able to come up for the weekend - I think I've seen Katherine more in the last year than I ever have in years before! I have been so lucky ;) Kristen got so many gifts, it was fun to watch her open them all- I can't believe she's going to be a Mom to a baby boy very soon! I know she'll do great :)

Summer 2009

2009-07-21T10:41:00.001-07:00

I realized I haven't blogged in sooooo long! I thought I didn't have a lot of things planned this summer, but so far it has been very busy. Travis has been golfing a lot and I have been enjoying the sunshine that we rarely see in Humboldt County and working 2 Sundays a month- so that takes up some of my weekends too. I've only been up to the lake once so far, but hopefully we make it up there at least a couple more times before Labor Day.

I have been enjoying seeing Landen at work and watching him grow into a little boy and not a baby- he is becoming very independent and that's always fun to watch him grow up. He is constantly saying "Yan Yan do it." He calls himself Yan Yan- he can't seem to get the "L" to come out right ;) I also have been really enjoying taking Sandy on walks in the afternoon after I get off work- it's nice to be able to do that in the daylight before Travis comes home from work. She is getting to be a better dog (slowly but surely) and she's starting to calm down a bit- which I'm so thankful for!

Last weekend my family rented the McCullough's home in Salyer- they are renting it out as a vacation rental for the summer. It was very hot and it was fun to hang out for the day. I was only up on Friday because I had other things planned for the weekend, but it was fun watching Landen in the pool and just being able to hang out and read and sunbathe for the day - even though it was over 100 degrees!

Oahu, Hawaii

2009-05-15T08:11:00.001-07:00

Well where do I begin? Travis and I just got back from the best trip ever! It all started with plans to go to Cancun, Mexico the first week of May. Well when the swine flu became a scare, we looked into changing our plans and were able to do so with no cancellation fees. So, we decided to go to Oahu and stay on Waikiki Beach! I was so excited because I have never been to Hawaii and Travis has never been to the island of Oahu, so we were thrilled. We have never gone on a big trip like this together, and it was so worth the wait! We felt like we were on a honeymoon (3 years later!) and we did whatever we wanted to do and everything we wanted to do. I have posted a bunch of pictures so get ready!

This is our first picture the day we arrived in our hotel room. We booked the hotel room on priceline and got a pretty good deal. It didn't have an ocean view, but we weren't in our room all that much so it was perfect.

This is the view from the pool at our hotel. As you can see, the hotel was right across the street from the beach! It was so neat being able to just walk directly onto the beach and directly into the ocean without wearing a wetsuit- I've never been to a place where you can do that. Our hotel was in a perfect location- right in the middle of all the shops and all the beach activities.

I don't know which is more funny- Travis's white hairy chest- or the old man's hairy butt!!!

We were walking along the beach one day and this monk seal was just sunbathing- pretty cute ;)

This is just a picture of the Waikiki Beach strip in the background- I think my head is blocking our hotel- but you can see the strip of hotels behind us. We did a lot of walking and exploring the beach front.

This is an eel that I saw when we walked out onto a pier. It was really neat looking- there was a man snorkeling about 3 feet from it! We were able to look down and see so many colorful fish.

We went on a catamaran for a sunset cruise one night. It was really fun- all you can drink!! This is my attempt at an artistic picture ;) (I hope you're proud Betsy!)

Again, on the sunset cruise.

This was one of the highlights of the trip for me. We hiked up Diamond Head crater and this is the very top. You can see Honolulu and Waikiki Beach behind us. The hike was pretty short (.8 miles I think) but it wasn't made originally for tourists so the path is pretty narrow. You have to go through a narrow tunnel to get to the top and then there are a few lookout spots, but not a lot of room. It was originally for military lookouts and holds a lot of history. The view of the inside of the crater was really breathtaking.

We rented a car one day and drove to Hanuama Bay to snorkel. It is supposedly the best snorkeling spot on Oahu, and the tourists definitely come here! We were able to go out in the Bay and see lots of fish. The problem was that Travis doesn't like to snorkel that much and I have to put my head up and take a breather every few minutes because I think I get kind of claustrophobic!! Anyway, we did it for about an hour and it was a great experience- it's only the second time I've snorkeled so hopefully I get more and more comfortable with practice!

We had lunch near Hanuama Bay at Kona Brewing Co. They had a great passion fruit wheat beer that I really enjoyed, and Travis, well you know- enjoyed them all! ;)

We took a shuttle one day to the Polynesian Cultural Center. It's a big park where they have different sections for different cultures. They share the traditions and ways of each culture. We learned about Tahiti, Tonga, Fiji and Hawaii among others. At the end of the day, they put on a Lu'au and above is a picture of the roasted pig. We also were able to try traditional Hawaiian food. At night, they put on a show and performed traditional dances from the different cultures; it was really entertaining!

This is the entrance to the USS Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor. This day was so interesting- it was really moving to see the history there and to know that there are still people alive that witnessed those events.

We also went on a tour on the USS Missouri- the battleship the Japanese surrendered on ending WWII. It was interesting seeing how the Navy lives on the ships- Travis was really interested in the missiles and guns on the ship!

This picture was taken at our hotel on our last day :(

To top off our trip, on the way home Travis upgraded our plane tickets to first class! That was quite the experience- they just keep the drinks comin'!! It made the flight a little easier for me because I pretty much SUCK at flying;)

I was so happy Travis and I took the time and money to do a trip like this- we have never really made saving money for trips a priority- but now we are! It's interesting how things happen in life and things happen for a reason. I was supposed to be pregnant at this time and going on a trip like this would not have happened. It was so nice spending the time with Travis too- we get so used to our daily routine at home and doing our own things that it was so refreshing to spend all my time with him and we enjoyed every minute of it! It made me realize even more that I love our life together and things just seem to keep getting better and better!! I can't wait for whatever happens next.....

Happy Birthday Sandy!

2009-03-15T12:50:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrate my dog's 2nd birthday! Well there isn't really a celebration, but I thought I'd make a post just for Sandy. We also don't know the exact day of her birthday, it's supposedly in March- so we decided March 15th would be her birthday ;) Travis brought Sandy home in June of 2007 from the pound. The pound told us she was a lab mix (aren't they all) and that she would get to be about 40-50 pounds. Well as you can see in the picture below, she is about 90 pounds and she supposedly has some great dane in her as well as cattle dog. She is a constant adventure in our lives. There has been many good and bad times, but overall I'd have to say that I love having her around and she really is a sweet dog and tries hard to be good. She has had a few run-ins with other dogs and then there's dogs that she absolutely loves, so it's sometimes hard to figure her out! She is such a big dog that it took me a while to get used to her size when she began to grow so quickly- I had a hard time getting her to obey me. Travis doesn't have a problem getting her to listen and I have worked harder to be more stern with her. The last 6 months or so I have really gotten to enjoy her more becuase she does listen to me more. I get to take her to work with me and she has her own yard and she just loves it so much- she's always so excited when she gets out of the truck at work.

Here are some pictures from a few months ago (you can see our old carpet...eww!)

This picture is of the first day Travis brought her home- she was about 3 months old.

Celine Dion

2009-03-05T09:07:00.000-08:00

Last weekend my great friend Kristen and I went down to Walnut Creek to visit Katherine and we saw Celine Dion in concert at the HP Pavilion center in San Jose. It was an awesome girls weekend and Celine Dion was so great- she's got such a powerful voice and is very entertaining. The concert was supposed to be in November but she cancelled because she had laryngitis- so it has been a long wait to finally get to see her! She sang every song I wanted her to and changed her outfit like 6 or 7 times! She's got quite the body and definitely knows how to perform!

We didn't have the best seats, but the stage was set up so that there wasn't a horrible seat in the whole arena. This picture is of her dancing and singing on top of the piano.

The next day our friend Erin came into town and we all went shopping and stopped to get manicures/pedicures. No- I DID NOT get a pedicure- I hate people touching my feet and I don't understand how that can be a good feeling ;) The manicure was great though!

I had such a great time visiting Katherine. I really miss that she doesn't live closer but it's so easy for Kristen and I to take a weekend road trip to Walnut Creek. It's such a nice town and the shopping is so awesome! We always have so much fun planning where we are going to eat too because they have all the chain restaurants that we don't have up here (thank goodness!). We enjoyed PF Changs, In-N-Out and The Cheesecake Factory! I'm looking forward to the next trip!

Mom's Birthday

2009-03-03T11:00:00.001-08:00

We had my family over for a barbeque on my Mom's birthday, February 19th. We had a blast playing Rock Band and pool with Travis's new pool table. It was a lot of food, laughing and an all around good time! Travis barbequed some great ribs and Whitney made twice baked potatoes that were so good.

The best part of the night was watching Wes play the drums! He actually kept the beat for the most part;)

I guess this picture is also a good one to show off my new carpet!! We had carpet installed in the entire house at the beginning of February and I painted the living room a light tan- it's probably hard to tell the tan on the walls but I'm really happy with how everything turned out.

Landen at the Park

2009-02-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

Travis and I had Landen all day on Saturday while Whitney and Nick were at the Supercross in San Francisco. It was nice to have him all day and we tried to keep him entertained as much as possible! The picture above is from Hiller Park and he had so much fun. Landen loves the slide the best and will go down it any way you tell him too; even head first on his belly! He is so alert, and you have to talk to him about everything. Something scary though is I was driving him to his house and he was in his car seat in the back of my truck and he opened the car door! In his mom's car and my mom's car, he can't reach the door handle let alone open the door. Whitney has the child safety lock on anyway, so I guess I have to do that too! It was pretty scary and I had to pull over rather quickly (we were only on Central Ave so we weren't going fast) and he knew he was in trouble right away! I told him you can't open the car door becuase you'll fall and break your head open so the rest of the drive he kept hitting his head and pointing to the car door and shaking his head "no." I guess he learned quickly! He won't have a chance to do it again anyway because Auntie now has the child safety lock on! Love you Landen ;)

Happy Birthday Landen!

2009-01-29T09:12:00.001-08:00

My nephew Landen is 2 today. I wanted to post about him becuase he is so special to me. Landen has only been in my life for 2 years- but I couldn't imagine our family without him. He makes everyone laugh and it is so great to be able to watch him grow up. I am so lucky because I work at Steve's Septic Service now, which is on my Mom's property and she watches Landen Monday thru Wednesday. I get to see him all the time and that makes me so Happy!!;) I am such a proud Auntie (or as Landen calls me, just "Aaa") and have so much fun playing with Landen- he is a character and doesn't like to sit still for more than about....30 seconds! I started showing him UTube videos of tractors and excavators and other things that interest him and he will sit at the computer with me to watch a couple videos, but otherwise he wants to be outside doing anything! I also want to take a second to say how proud I am of my sister and Nick. They have done a great job with Landen! I love you all!!

A Very Merry Christmas!

2008-12-31T09:36:00.000-08:00

Every year at my Nonnie's house on Christmas Eve we sing Christmas carols. Thank goodness we have younger kids in the house now so I don't have to sing- we just watch the kids sing (Travis is SO thankful for that!) This is Landen and my cousin Chloe singing Jingle Bells- so cute!

This is Landen and my grandma Nonnie watching the movie "Cars." They were both enjoying the movie so much! Landen has his new John Deere tractor quilt that I made for him with the help of my old boss, Janine. I think I've found a new craft project that I enjoy ;)

Travis and me at my Mom's House.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-30T12:07:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas; we sure did. It was great seeing our entire family within the span of 2 days! It was a little hectic and a lot of fun and laughs. I will post pictures soon...

On a sadder note, Travis and I lost the baby a couple weeks ago. We had a doctor's appointment scheduled for Dec. 17th to hear the heartbeat and we had to have an ultrasound scheduled because the doctor wasn't able to hear the heartbeat. The ultrasound showed that the baby stopped developing at around 6-7 weeks. I ended up having to get a DNC at the hospital to clean everything out becuase it didn't come out on its own and the longer you wait the higher risk of infection. So it wasn't the best way to spend my holiday vacation, but the procedure went really well and I know there will be another opportunity for us to be parents real soon. We have a good attitude about it because there wasn't anything we could have done differently and having a miscarriage is so common - so much more than I realized.

Well I hope everyone has a fun, safe New Year! I'll post again next year ;)

2008-12-17T11:13:00.000-08:00

I'm a Blogger now! I realized I have been reading all of my friends' blogs and it's been very fun...so here's to my start;)

This first picture is actually from this summer when we went to Konocti and camped and watched Martina McBride with my Mom and Wes. I'll have to get a current picture up soon, but I didn't want my first post to be pictureless!

Also, I thought this would be a fun way to keep updates on my new adventure in life...pregnancy! A lot of you by now already know, but Travis and I are expecting a little one on or around July 11, 2009. We are beyond thrilled and excited in anticipation of it all. So far, I have been doing very well. Only thrown up three times and I am enjoying my naps and going to sleep early!

This first post is a short one, but I really look forward to sharing my blog with you all!!