Our First Christmas!

This past week, my Grandfather was reminiscing on Christmas traditions...his biggest piece of advice for Brandon and I??? "Write about all your "firsts" because soon it will be hard to recall all the details." So, Grandaddy...we are taking your advice! Here it is...our FIRST CHRISTMAS!!!

Before I begin, I must digress.... I never, EVER, thought I would be the type of pet-owner to get a picture of my little doggy with Santa. Nor did I ever think it would be done with my little doggy niece, Cody. But here are Wrigley and Cody with Santa Claus....how cute!

And here are a few throw-back photos from the early days! Brandon and his brother, Shane...

Me with my sister, Kasey...

And now, our first Christmas as a married couple!!!

We began the week with a LONG drive home to Des Moines. I had to work a 24 hour shift on Saturday and got done around 7am on Sunday. By 8am, we had hit the road.....Brandon drove the whole way there! What a sweetheart! I slept all the way.....

Because I hadn't gotten to celebrate my birthday with my family, my mom had prepared my favorite birthday dinner for our arrival...my Mimi's spaghetti. YUMMY! It was SO tasty!

On Monday night, we had our annual "Soup Supper" with our very close family friends. It was so nice to see everyone after having been gone for the past 6 months! What a nice time to celebrate!

On Christmas Eve, we went to Lamoni - a small town in southern Iowa where my mom grew up. I haven't missed a "Lamoni Christmas" in all 28 yrs of my life.... We showed up in enough time to have Pizza Shack for lunch! Mmmm....it has been TOO LONG!

Our tradition on Christmas Eve is to go up to the Shack for Taco Night. My Uncle and his kids (who own the restaurant) get a whole bunch of taco stuff set up for us to have for dinner. Then, they have a whole ton of sugar cookies ready to be decorated. It's always a contest who can make the best ones..... (Sometimes creativity is rewarded if you can use the Christmas cookie design, but think up something else to make with it.....hence why you might find a skull, piece of pizza, and KC Chiefs logo.)

Despite the VERY COLD temperatures, we always go Christmas Caroling after dinner to take some of our sugar cookies to different families. Being from Tennessee, Brandon wasn't the most prepared of people!!!

After caroling, we go back to my Grandaddy's house and enjoy family time. These are my cousins, minus the St. Louis ones who chose Cozumel instead of Lamoni for Christmas this year!

We always open one gift on Christmas Eve - usually a pair of PJ's. Since Brandon was the new addition this year, I made sure he had his own flannel pants to open on Christmas Eve!

Christmas morning, Santa leaves us gifts down in the basement. Brandon and I, along with my 2 sisters, received these AWESOME metal palm trees! I've got it all set up on my dining room table now!! It looks so great! Thanks Santa!

Brandon and I got some really nice gifts this year including 1) plane tickets home for the Cancer Benefit 2) Bose surround sound system (which Brandon LOVES) 3) Multiple pairs of Uggs and much, much more! We were so blessed! Brandon surprised me with a few items from LuLu Lemon, which is my new favorite active wear!

On Christmas afternoon, we usually go out to the Graceland gym for kickball, dodge ball, and hide-n-seek. Unfortunately, the blizzard that came through Iowa prior to our arrival made this very difficult. After trudging through the snow to get to the gym, the locks on the doors were frozen and we couldn't get inside! Instead, we set up a sledding path from my grandaddy's front porch and sledded/snowboarded the night away. It was so much fun!

We were so grateful for getting to see family this week and getting to celebrate Christmas with everyone!

We will be anxious to celebrate in a few weeks with Brandon's family!

Our First Christmas Tree!

Last night, B and I decided it was time to find ourselves a Christmas tree. I don't know what made us decide to go look last night, but I'm sure glad we did.....

Look what we found!!!!!!!!!!!! Our first Christmas tree with lights!!!

Just joking. That's not really our Christmas tree, although it would be a sweet one. That is just the palm tree we found in the Christmas section and my eyes lit up as soon as I saw it! It will be our "year round" tree - perfect for us since we love the beach. We figure it will look great on our porch in the summertime!

THIS is our first Christmas tree! 7 feet tall and narrower than a normal Christmas tree...the perfect size for our place. We've got pink, lime green, turquois, and silver balls on it....along with some awesome pink flamingos that I got from Brandon's mom last Christmas. We topped it off with pink and white lights... We love our pretty tree and will enjoy it over the next few years!


And here is my cute little family sitting in our Winter Wonderland Forrest!

We are heading to Tennessee to visit Brandon's family during Thanksgiving and then to Iowa to see my family at Christmas. We are really looking forward to spending time with family!!!

Family Visit

Last weekend, we had a wonderful visit from my family! They came in for the Iowa / Ohio State game and we had a GREAT TIME! Special thanks to Cyndy and Garrett for joining in on the fun! We loved having all of you!

Friday night we went to a great restaurant, Ted's Montana Grill. It was a place that would serve bison upon request. They had the greatest homemade pickles....I think we went through 6 bowls before dinner!

Then we took everyone to the Columbus Blue Jackets game. It was my first ever hockey game - and PROFESSIONAL hockey game at that! It was "ELECTRIC" as Brandon would say. The Blue Jackets tied up the game in the 3rd period and both teams went scoreless during overtime. This meant we got to see a SHOOT OUT! Talk about nerve wrecking! It was so exciting to see the Blue Jackets score the goal that won the game. Everyone had a great time!

Garrett has Taylor's signature pose down pretty well!

Saturday was the big game. We decided to dress in Hawkeye gear (and Brandon in his Alabama gear) to tail-gate with the Iowa Fans. We even went in to the "Hawkeye Huddle" and scored some free popcorn and trail mix! The brats we cooked on the disposable grill were awesome and we had fun throwing a football around before the game.

Kasey, Taylor, Garrett, and Cyndy scored tickets and got into the game....the rest of us had to watch on the TV....but that meant we got to see the 5 second national tv slot when the cameras zoomed in on my sisters! It was hilarious!!!

We had a WONDERFUL weekend! Thanks to Mom, Dad, Kasey, Taylor, Garrett, and Cyndy for coming.....you are welcome anytime!

A Tale of A Little Dog

As told by Wrigley Holyfield Wright

Hi humans. Wrigley here. The lady who calls herself "Mommy" thought I should explain what happened to me last night on her blog. She thought you other humans might like knowing a little tale....

Last night, Mommy let me out the front door so I could go to the bathroom. Usually, I go and come right back inside where it is warm... But, since Mommy left me on the small, cramped porch all day long while she went to work, I was a little excited. She let me out the front door....and AWAY I WENT!!! I could feel the cool air breeze through my fur....it felt so good to give my muscles a little exercise!

That crazy lady, Mommy, kept yelling my name to come back. But, I WAS FREE!!!

I sniffed out a few areas and found a place to go to the bathroom...then decided to play a little trick on Mommy. I trotted back towards the door - as if I would actually go inside - and then AWAY I WENT AGAIN! Yippee!!! I made a break for the open green grass while Mommy kept yelling at me! I couldn't go back now....I'd get in trouble! I even sniffed out a place across the street - it was so much fun....that crazy lady thought I might actually LISTEN to her!!!

But then something bad happened. I decided it was time to go back inside.

I didn't look left-right-left when I crossed the street - and I got nailed by a car. It hit me smack in the left side! Man, did that hurt! I even broke the cover on the lady's license plate!!!

I was in so much pain that I panicked.....I ran off to find a place to hide! Mommy yelled and yelled for me - and I could hear her crying to daddy on the phone. He's my best friend and I never would have played these tricks on him. I miss him when he is on business trips and I know Mommy does too.

I could still hear Mommy searching for me at 3am. Geez - she's persistent!!! But then things got quiet. I think that's when Mommy was putting food in the garage for me in case I went back home. Crazy woman...like I would go back THERE right now! I was hurting!

Mommy kept wondering where I was through the night and early morning - but I'm going to keep that secret to myself. I started to feel better and decided to explore. Nothing like getting hit by a car to FINALLY get the chance to explore the other side of the condo complex!

Around 7am, I could hear Mommy yelling for me again - but I didn't know where she was. I was trying to find my way back home, but I'd gotten lost during my adventure.

While I was back exploring the trash bin for the condos, I saw a silver car drive past - and THERE SHE WAS!!!! MOMMY! I hoped she hadn't seen me - and decided to race her back to the condo. She yelled my name over and over - and I'm pretty sure she spotted me running like crazy in her rear view mirror. She must have thought I was hurt pretty bad - and I'm sure she felt so relieved to see me running so fast without a limp! I was pretty fast running home - and I think Mommy lost where I was again..... But after a few minutes, she came driving past the condo...and...SURPRISE!!! I was waiting on the doorstep for her!

Man, did she cry then! She was SO EXCITED to see me!!! She was so excited when I was jumping on her - she usually doesn't like that - but I think she had thought I was hurt.

Even though I was doing everything I could to show her I was safe, that crazy lady still took me to the doctor. That doctor lady is really nice and she always gives me good treats. She squeezed my legs, listened to my heart and lungs, and poked around on my face. I heard her tell Mommy that I looked really good for getting hit by a car the night before! The only thing they saw was road rash (scratches) on my left eyebrow.

It was one crazy night. Mommy didn't get any sleep....Daddy didn't get any sleep...and I didn't get any sleep. Mommy has stayed by my side all day long making sure I keep looking good. Man - she won't leave me alone!

Thanks for the prayers from Iowa and Tennessee. I felt so lost until I heard Mommy's voice this morning...then I knew exactly how to get back home! I feel good now...just tired!

Love, Wrigley

Wrigley and The Wrangler

Sometimes, it makes me laugh just to observe my husband...especially when he doesn't know that I am filming him!

He is such a little kid and it makes my day!!!

What a Fun Fall!

This past weekend, Brandon and I welcomed Shane and Michelle to our place in Columbus!!! A visit from B's brother and sister-in-law was just what I needed after finishing such a busy month of October at the hospital. We had a WONDERFUL time and can't wait for them to come again another time!

On Friday night, since I was working until midnight, Brandon took them to the Columbus Blue Jackets game. I was informed MULTIPLE times (thanks, guys!) that the game was unbelievable and SO MUCH FUN! Really glad I had to be at the hospital....wahhh waahhhhh.

Saturday night, on Halloween, we went to the movie "Paranormal Activity" which was awesome. I'd heard different people say it was scary...and others said it was stupid...but I thought it was scary and good! Michelle and I had a tough time sleeping that night - and were easily awoken by normal noises. If you haven't seen it, I'd recommend it!!!

After the movie, we went out to eat at Cheesecake Factory and had a great time! It was nice to feel like a "normal" person again and not be at the hospital 24/7.

This afternoon, Brandon and I took advantage of the beautiful - chilly - fall weather and took Wrigley to a field where she could run.

We can tell she is getting much older because she is getting too fast to catch! She's starting to get bold and run a little further away than she has before - but she always keeps us in sight and comes back quickly!!!

We've taught her a few tricks. Now she can SIT, SHAKE, DANCE, LAY DOWN...and ROLL OVER is still a work in progress.

Here, Wrigley demonstrates her DANCE moves!

Sit, Wrigley...Sit

Shake....

I forgot this one....she knows SMILE too!

We had a great time today with Wrigley! She is such a blast and a great addition to our family!

First Family Photo

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

Brandon and I would like to introduce Wrigley Holyfield Wright as the newest member of our family!!!

A Heinz 57 mutt that we adopted from the human society, she has brought many laughs and smiles to our household! Born in June, she lived on the streets for the first couple months of her life - getting a chomp out of her ear along the way. Adopted by us at the end of August she has become "our little girl."

To all our family and friends - come visit us in Ohio anytime! ALL of us will be happy to see you!

The month of August has been super busy for us!!! But, we've had a GREAT TIME!!!

A few weeks back, my sister, Kasey, came to visit Brandon and I here in Columbus. We went out to eat at some excellent restaurants, shopped a little (a lotta) bit, and visited the Columbus Zoo!

Kasey and Brandon were the zoo explorers....checking out the maps.

They were also the ones to pet the snake. YUCK!

AND the baby alligator!

I was so excited to capture this elephant taking a bath!

And we got to the zoo just in time to see the baby elephant with it's mom!

Because it was so hot, this King of the Jungle was taking a nap. I love lions!

But the monkeys were my favorite!!! Look at them playing around!

Thanks for visiting Kasey!!! We had a GREAT time with you and would love for you to visit any time!

Last weekend, we had another set of visitors....my family!!! More restaurants and shopping.....and a trip to The Ohio State football stadium!

Brandon had to show his support for HIS favorite team! ROLL TIDE!!!

But he still let me get a picture with him at the gates of the field. Unfortunately, we couldn't get into the stadium that day!

Here is Taylor and B modeling their new purchases! Looking good!

We had an AWESOME time with my family! Thanks for coming out to see us! Come back any time!!!

Last night was Brandon's first softball game of the season....Co-Ed. They were pitiful.

Here is where B started....ON THE BENCH! The idiots had the only college baseball player sitting pine at the beginning of the game. He only played 2 innings the first game!!! Luckily he played the whole 2nd game and was 3 for 3. Co-Ed rec league or not....he should have been playing the whole time!!!

And here he is out on the field.....

Sorry it has taken so long to update this...we have been so busy!

To any other people that would like to visit, let us know! We've got plenty of room and lots of beds to share!

A Great Weekend

Brandon and I had a great weekend...I keep forgetting my camera though!

Since this was my first weekend off (and only the 2nd and 3rd day I've had off since I started), we decided to take it easy and relax! Columbus was having "Restaurant Week" up until Friday - which meant some of the really nice restaurants were having great specials - three course menus for only about $30 per person. Friday night, we took advantage and went to a really nice steak restaurant. It was SO YUMMY!!! We probably sat there close to 2 hours and it was really fun!

After sleeping in on Saturday and running errands all morning, we took it easy the rest of the day. We were planning on going to the Clippers game (Double A baseball team), but rainy weather kept us away. Instead, we enjoyed watching Lord of the Rings on our couch! We've been watching small bits of the trilogy since Wednesday...as I have never seen any of them. The trilogy is one of Brandon's favorites...and it has been fun enjoying them with him!

Today we went to church, out to lunch, and then back home so Brandon could pack. He is in a wedding later this week for his college roommate.....back in Knoxville. So, he decided to go a few days early so he could enjoy some time home and stop by his home office. I'm heading there this Friday...and am looking forward to another wonderful weekend!

4th of July

Hello, hello...from Ohio!!!

We've been doing really well and enjoying our new home. B hasn't had to travel for the past 1 1/2 weeks...it is nice to have him around. I enjoy coming home from work and getting to see him (since he works from home).

Residency has started out okay. Please see my other blog if you'd like to read more. Unfortunately, I drew the short straw and had to work this past weekend during the 4th of July...but it only meant I had to go in for rounds in the morning, which only lasted 2-3 hours. It still meant I had to be up by 5:30am though! YUCK! Darn orthopedic surgeons!

Friday, the 3rd, was the start of the holiday at the hospital - meaning that there were no scheduled surgeries for the day - only add-on's. So, even though it was only my 3rd day of residency, I was told I could leave at 8:15am! WOO HOO! Don't get that opportunity too often during residency....

So, since I got home by 8:30am, I decided I would make some lasagna. That's right.....making lasagna at 8:45am. (New recipe...it was AWESOME! I froze a 2nd dish for another meal sometime too!) Isn't that one awesome wife??? Brandon was still sleeping...he had the day off of work...and I got to cook! It was a relaxing morning and the sleep-wave didn't hit me until afternoon when I had to take a 2 hour nap! Ahhhhhhh.....

On to the 4th of July.....we won't even mention waking up at 5:30am each morning.....because that was a bummer!

My family tradition during the 4th of July is going to Lamoni, Iowa....it has always been one of my favorite holidays there. Nothing beats a small-town 4th! I've been in the parade more times than I can count...and I haven't missed the fireworks show in quite some time! Brandon is used to cooking out with family and enjoying some relaxation.

We tried to re-create our traditions....but nothing is quite the same as being home with family. Since B and I live in a suburb with small-town traditions, I decided we ought to go to the town square where everything was happening. We got there only to find face-painting stations, clowns on stilts, and jewelry stands. Nothing too fun for two 27 year olds. No pool with swim races going on....no parade with candy being thrown....no band on a stage to dance to......just tents with local merchants trying to sell cheap stuff. (AKA...I MISSED LAMONI!)

Not to mention that it was a cloudy, 60-degree day....on the 4th of JULY! What the heck!

The drizzles were threatening the fireworks....so B and I decided to have a cook out, just the 2 of us, at our place. It turned out to be a really nice evening! We even watched a couple of movies!

B was in charge of cooking the steaks on the panini maker (we can't have a grill) and they turned out awesome!

And since I'm an Iowa girl, of course I had to have some corn-on-the-cob for the 4th! Can't imagine a 4th without it!

We enjoyed our meal on our porch...but had to wear sweatpants!

And in other news, I have been trying to grow some cilantro that was given to me as a wedding gift in this cute MacKenzie Childs pot! Look what sprouted this weekend!!!