And the Angel said to them...

FEAR NOT! For behold, I bring you good news of GREAT JOY that will be for ALL people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a SAVIOR that is CHRIST the LORD

Wishing you and your family a very merry Christmas!

love, the Brantleys

Randomness...

This is the future Mr. and Mrs. Whit Brantley...our dear friends had a little girl a few weeks before we had Whit and we could think of nothing better then if they would grow up and fall in love and get married!!


I love that all the cousins love each other so much! Bryce and Kate are a riot together and we always enjoy when we get to spend time with him.


Kate had her school Christmas program the other week. It was such a sweet thing to see all these little voices singing priases to our King! No better way to get in the spirit of Christmas.

Some Pics of the Family

We spent Thanksgiving in the North GA mountains this year with my brother and his family. My sister-n-law has always been a great photographer and now is doing it officially. So we took advantage of the "family discount" and got some pictures made! If you live in the Atlanta area or farther north up the GA 400 you should give her a call. Amy has a great eye and extremely affordable pricing. Check out her website
www.amywhitlarkphotography.blogspot.com

Happy Thanksgiving from this little Pilgrim!

...and just because he is so sweet...


I just love how much Whit adores his big sister. I just thought this picture was so sweet.


Hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday. I know we have a lot to be thankful for around here!

18 Months / Halloween

Whit is 18 months old today! Dr. Smith, our pediatrician, is retiring so today was the last day we will see him...I tried as much as I could to hold back the tears, but Dr. Smith is the sweetest man and was the perfect doctor for me during this young stage of children.

Whit's stats are as follows:
Weight - 27 pounds 1 ounce
Height - 32.5 inches
Head - 19.25 inches

Since Whit is my youngest I obviously view him as a baby. However, I am realizing that he is no baby! His little gut is going away, he understands and follows commands, and he is fiercely independent. Now if we could just work on a few more words then life would be a lot easier :)

We love to trick or treat around here and our neighborhood always comes together to throw a fun and laid back block party. Hot dogs, hay rides and lots of little ones running around make for a fun night.

Kate was a bride, or as she would tell you she was a "beautiful bride."

Daddy was the groom. However at the last minute he talked Kate out of having to dress up in a suit. She just told him that to be her groom he had to kiss her and dance with her...Jason said "deal."

And Whit...well he was supose to be a part of the US Army...but it was so cold and to be honest I was more concerned about him being warm then with him dressing up so we sported the camo pants but not the camo tshirt. He didn't care, he still got to eat lots of candy!

Where I Belong

This song is by Building 429 called Where I Belong. I heard this on the radio the other day and it has become the cry of my heart. How I long for these words to truly be the desire of my heart.

Chorus:
All I know is I'm not home yet
This is not where I belong
Take this world and give me Jesus
This is not where I belong

(not sure how to share a song on here so I just made a random slideshow and used the song in it...enjoy!)

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Old Baker Farm

We had a first around here in the Brantley family. Kate went on her first field trip and I went along as a chaperone. I realized as I stood around and met the other moms and kids in Kate's class that this would become the norm as there will be many more field trips to come in the next 12+ years. We took 15 four year olds to Old Baker Farm and we had a great time.
Nichole and I have been friends since 6th grade and this year our girls, Bella and Kate, are in the same class. It goes without saying that this dynamic makes school and field trips more fun (for Kate and for me!!).

Mrs. Johnson's Four Year Old class. Spending 3 hours with these kids made me realize that there are a lot of sweet children in Kate's class this year. I just hope the other moms can say that too after spending 3 hours with Kate! :)

Put a little BOUNCE in your day today!

Football / Fat Lips / Fellowship

We took Kate to her first football game the other night. Our neighbor, Michael, plays for Briarwood HS so we went to see him play. Kate felt so special when we saw Michael and his teamates we know before the game heading to the locker room and they all came to say hello to her...it is just really sweet to watch your child in complete amazement and excitement. Kate had a blast shaking shakers, yelling GO LIONS, and watching the band and cheerleaders. And to top it all off we got to watch Michael make an amazing touchdown catch!

Poor little Whit was being helped down the steps by his sister when he took dive... he cut his lip up pretty bad on the inside and it is by far the most blood we have dealt with over here. His lip by the end of the night was so fat that it hung over his paci when it was in his mouth :(
Jason and I really wanted a patio in our backyard to have friends over and hang out on. Of course like all good home projects it got a little out of scale and I ended up with the fireplace I always wanted. But Sunday night when our Life Group was meeting out there, enjoying the beautiful weather and each other it made it all worth it.

Sweet Baby Boy

(Our neighbors built a flagstone patio and you better believe Whit was a huge helper in the whole process!)

I did weekly/monthly/yearly posts about Kate and poor Whit has definitely gotten the short end of the stick. So here is a post all about this sweet little boy. Whit is officially 17 months old and I can hardly believe it. Whit has been babbling for a while but he now is saying words that are actually associated with things. Every dog he sees he says "woof", he loves "balls", we love to 1,2,3, "GO" and when we are very upset we scream "mama!" Whit has only had 4 teeth for forever but this past month he has gotten 8 more teeth! Needless to say we have had some tough days. He is fiercely independent, even more then Kate. He would roam our whole neighborhood if I would let him. If there is dirt or water within a mile of him he will find it. Whit has the most contagious smile and laugh and he is such a joy. At the end of most days I am completely exhausted from trying to keep up with him. Just recently he has started being VERY jealous when mommy holds another baby. He gives the best hugs, high fives, and open mouth kisses. Whit loves his big sister and copies everything she does. He loves Lucy and really for that matter all animals. Everyday I am fascinated with what he understands and comprehends. Whit is the sweetest little boy and eveyday he melts my heart.