Five on Friday...

What's up buds? Yay it's Friday! Although, I am not even sure I really get weekends anymore.  Our life is so busy right now, I feel like I never stop working on my To Do List. Today I am linking up with the crew for the 5 on Friday link up.  If you want to blog once a week, this is a great way to start and meet all kinds of fun new blog friends!!! I am sure it will be my way to stay up to date on the blog this year with my weekly blog resolution...

So here we go!!!!

1. Speaking of To Do lists, I have gone mostly digital in 2014. This was a HUGE step out of my comfort zone!  I am a lover of writing things down, using pretty pens, and my personalized planner.  I will never stray from my Erin Condren planner (third year using it), so I am still using it as a calendar to jot my events, meetings, etc in, but all of my To Do Lists are now stored digitally.  I am using One Note and it syncs with my iPad, iPhone, and computer.  We are so busy these days and I feel like I was constantly forgetting something because I did not always have my lists with me.  This was the easiest solution because Lord know, I ALWAYS have my phone!!!  Plus I was able to get my Team on board at work and now I can manage their task lists etc and I can keep work and personal in the same app, but still separate.  Seriously changing my life!!  BUT, what do y'all do to stay organized? Anything I am missing out on that I NEED to know about?
   
2. This past Sunday, Shane and I became Olivia Mae's godparents!!  Drew's family is Episcopalian and Livie getting baptized was very important to them, so Tara and Drew had her christening ceremony on Sunday. Shane and I were honored to be Livie's godparents, I mean, I am borderline obsessed with this baby and love her like my own!! We love her and cannot get enough of her.  Every morning when I drop off B at Nonna's, she says "I hope I see the baby today!" I have prayed and waited on my sisters to give me nieces and nephews and to actually have one and another on his way, I know this is one of our biggest blessings!!!!
   I mean seriously!!! Look at that baby!!!
3. I am in full on "prepare for dance competition mode". For Claire, obviously...although I am sure I could rock that stage :)...kidding (kind of, I practically know all of her dances and WHERE do you think she got it from hahahahaha #weallknowIwouldmakeafoolofmyself ).  Claire is doing a solo this year and that means mama gets a ton more work...blinging costumes, making props, etc.  We are so excited for our Claire and know as she put it "is going to set that stage on fire!".  Honestly, I want to throw up every time I think about my little girl dancing on stage alone, with a panel of judges judging her every more. Literally, someone may have to hold me up when she first goes on.  This shiz is not for the faint of heart.  I mean it was just yesterday she was a little bit dancing....
   
4. Bree is a handful these days...not in a bad way, but a mess none the less :)!  She is developing quite the big girl personality and we are constantly laughing...of course where she cannot see us :).  Her new phrase when she is upset with me or Shane? "You are ruining my life!".  We about lose it every time she says it.  Especially when it is for reasons such as last night, we could not find her favorite pair of pajama bottoms....oh the drama!!! Life would not be the same without Bree Brown!  
   
   
   
   
5. Finally, a sweet story about Owen.  If he ever hears the national anthem on TV, he insists that everyone, remove their hats if needed, put their hands on their heart, and be respectful.  Love that good ole American boy and he is good heart! This is, rather dark I know, pic of him doing in on the night of the National Championship game :)
   

Have a great weekend!!!!!!

Christmas Days and New Year's Eve!

Continuing with my top 10 of 2013 and getting caught up...
9. CHRISTMAS!!!  We had such a wonderful Christmas season! The kids are at great ages and we are having a blast!  Every year I say it and I probably always will, but this was the best year yet!  I have tons of pics to post so here we go....also - all these pics are from Instagram. I am a big fan of instagram and post daily there, some days I post a ton :).  I hash-tagged all of our Christmas pictures this year with #merrychristmasbrownfamily if you want to follow along!  You can follow me here! I can promise that is a much better to keep up with our shenanigans :).
Now CHRISTMAS!!!  We traveled to Philadelphia again this year for Shane's Company Family Christmas Party.  Shane was already there the week before for meetings, so me and the kids flew up there on Friday and met him!  We had SO MUCH FUN!!  Here are some pics of our travels and getting there...

 The kids were so excited in this pic! Our gate in Chicago for our connection to Philly was in the HOME ALONE terminal!! Memory making at it's finest :)

 We took the kids ice skating for the first time in Philly! The girls loved it...Owen hated it :) It made for cute pics :)

Shane and I went to the big Christmas party that Saturday night while the kids went to the penthouse suite with all the other kids for a fun pj party.  So much fun! Pics of me and Shane all fancied up...serious pose :) and a real one...

Sunday was the kids' brunch. The kids had a blast! We were in this gorgeous room on a higher floor, all windows and it started snowing!!!!

Then we walked back to our hotel in tons of snow and we felt like we were in a movie :)

We ended up getting snowed in that night and bless our hearts we had to stay one more night at the Ritz Carlton. We were not upset at all :)

  We finally got home the next day and we were in full on Christmas mode....
We went to the square with my family...

Here are bunch of other fun pics...church pics, shopping, Christmas chapel at school when Claire played the recorder, Daddy's birthday, seeing Santa, church program, parties at school, watching Christmas movies on a pallet in the living room, looking at Christmas lights in our pjs....

Finally Christmas Eve and Day!!!

Christmas was wonderful. We are so very thankful for the true reason for the season, the ultimate gift of our Savior Jesus Christ. He has blessed us immensely and I could not be more grateful  This little family of mine is the best thing that has ever happened to me and I am so happy the Lord chose me to be the mama.  It is the best job in the world. The BEST.

10. NEW YEAR'S EVE! We did our usual big party and dinner with family and friends and the kids!  It is so much fun and one of my favorite events!!! 

Thanks for all your sweet comments!! Now let's go 2014!!!!!  This is going to be the best year yet, I know it!

2013 Top Ten, errr Eight....just a little late!

Hey, hey remember me??!  My name is Rachel Brown and I once blogged here.   Okay, that is done.  And not awkward at all ;).
So I stopped blogging for awhile.  Life got really busy and I could not justify spending time on it.  Then once one is so behind, it just feels better to ignore it, can I get an AMEN?!
But, during Christmas break, I got to thinking about it and and I really missed my little place here.  And I was super sad that our memories and fun times were not documented.  SO, I made one of my resolutions to blog at least once a week this year.  I am going to make it a weekly priority to write what is going on with us so I can always look back and see these happy faces.  
What better way to catch up than with a TOP TEN LIST!! Nothing better than a good list!!  
TOP TEN LIST OF HAPPENINGS OF THE BACK HALF OF 2013...and where I left off :)
1.  Owen and Bree's Splash Bash Birthday Party! We had a combined party this year for our big SEVEN year old and FOUR year old!  We had a big blow up slide in the back yard and the kids had a ball. It was right before school started and it was like our last hurrah for the summer.  Everything turned out great and I know it was a good party when I can barely walk by the end of it :)....

2. Owen played for his first league football team - THE WARRIORS!!! He had so much and so did we! He did so well and were so proud. His team made it to the championship game, but lost ;(.  He learned so much and we had so much fun spending our Saturdays cheering on our boy. He was awarded the "Four Horseman Award" at the end of the season :). He is playing this Spring as well and he cannot wait!

3.  So we got some other big news last fall - NICOLE AND AARON ARE PREGNANT!!!  AND THEY ARE HAVING A BOY!!! Hayes will be here end of March / early April and we cannot wait!!! They had a super cute gender reveal party that was so much fun.  I love all these babies!!!!!!!

4. Mama got a promotion!  I have the job that I have wanted for many years, but was always afraid it was too much for me as a mother, wife, etc.  After lots of praying, Shane and I decided I should go for it and I did!  Honestly, since then, things have been great!! I have a Team of wonderful women working for me now and I look at this as opportunity to make their lives better as mothers and wives too. It is amazing what you can do when you trust the Lord with your decisions and just pray constantly for Him to get you through it.  I am not going to lie and say things are perfect and I currently am drowning in laundry and every day I feel like I am doing something out of my comfort zone, but we are making it.  It's not easy being a working mother, but it is worth it to me and my kids are doing really well :).  I am so thankful for Shane as he is a huge supporter of mine and is so encouraging.  Of course I could never do any of it without my mother and her help with the kids.  Shane surprised me with a brand new handbag as a gift for my promo.  He is a keeper that Shane Brown :)....

I joined #onebigtruth on Instagram right after my promotion as I felt like it was so appropriate...with my baby girl at my office before her dance class...with a blue slush mouth :).

  5. Fall and Halloween activities.....pics will speak for themselves :)....We love Fall in the Brown house and Halloween was the best ever!!!!

6. OMG - Olivia Mae Gibson was born!!!!!  One Saturday night while all the men were gone to the cabin hunting, us ladies were at the hospital waiting on Livie Mae!!! She is perfect!!!!!!!!! We love her so much and I will post separately all about her soon :), but here are pics from her birthday weekend...

 Owen hunting that weekend :)

7. Claire Isabella turned 10 on Thanksgiving!!! We had a fun Baking Party at our house for all her friends!! It was so much fun....and I am in denial that she is 10.  Not happening :) We decorated cookies and cupcakes, made a big mess, ate enough sugar for an army, and giggled a ton.  Claire has a great group of friends and we are very grateful for them and their families. (if you want to know any details at the party, feel free to email me :) )

8. Thanksgiving!  Thanksgiving was also Claire's actual birthday. We celebrated her birthday that morning for breakfast with chocolate chip pancakes! Thanksgiving was great as usual and we had a great day!! 

Okay - stopping with eight today!!!  Coming up soon, 9 and 10 - Christmas and NYE!!!!!!   Thanks for still sticking around and reading.  Many of you have emailed, messaged, etc and encouraged me to get back here and I so glad you did.  Social Media is not all bad, in fact it is pretty awesome when used for the right reasons.  Here at football and crowns, we are here to have fun and I am planning to keep it up this year!!!  XOXOXOXO