ThAnkSgIviNg**

This year for Thanksgiving we went to my grandparents house in Diamond Valley!!! My sister Whitney and I made our Thanksgiving dinner.. With my grandma's guidance and help of course.. But, for the most part we made the pies, salads, rolls, yams, home made noodles, potatoes.. You name it, we did it!!!! Once the all the family arrived we took some family pictures. My mom was sick so she didnt attend. We had a blast, It was nice to get everyone together and just laugh and have a good time!! By the end of the meal we were ALL STUFFED!!!! Couldnt move, uncomfortable, having to undue our pants so we could breath!! After a while, Brent and I went to Gunlock to say hi to his family then home ward we headed. That evening I went to my dads to visit and have a second.. light.. dinner!!! It was a Great thanksgiving!!!! And I am so thankful for the family that we have in our lives!!!!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL!!!!!
-The Brackens!!! :)!

FaLl

EvEry OnE ShOuLd Stop And WaTcH ThE LeAvEs ChAnGe!!!!!

*ThAnkFul*

Can I just Say that I LLLOOOOVVVVEEEEE This Month!!!! FaLl is my favorite time of year!!!! The weather changes, the leaves are all pretty colors!!! The decorations, family, friends, the smell of the season!! And I love thanksgiving!!! And the best part is, after that.. its DECEMBER!!!!! Dont even start me on that month, because I could go on and on!!!! I love Christmas time!

Im So thAnkful for so mAny Things!!
-BrenT woRks so hard to support us, and Im glad he still has a decent job to do so!
-My GranDpArents are absolutly amazing!! They have helped me with SchOol Finances, WhEn there at the store they always think about Brent and I and will AlWayS pick us up some cheese, eggs, milk. MostlY thEy becuase they use CouPons! :)
-My friEnds are fabulous! I dont think I would be were I am today without those SpeCiAl ones in our liVes! BrEnt and I definatly have the MOST aMaZiNg fRienDs eVeR.
- The Cute little duplex/ house we live in!!! and the things that are in it!!!
-Our families!!!! We love TheM so much!!!!
-KoDa BeaN!

I cant even NamE all the things that I am thankful for.. there is just to much!!!! I think people get so caught up in their lives that the most important things are taken for granted!!! Its nice to stop and think how GreAt things are, and also appreciate what you do have instead of dwelling on what you dont have!!!

SillY bOys TracTors are for GirLs*

Jen' s brand new baby girls blanket!! Yes, I HAND STICHED the border around the top of the blanket!!! My fingers were numb for 3 days! But I think its So cute!!!!

JuSt CaLl Us UnClE B & AuNtY T!

Brents Brother Wes and his wife Aubrey had there little baby boy a couple weeks ago.. Gunner Wesley Bracken!!!! He is the CUTEST little boy! The family was getting a little worried there because Gunner had to have open heart surgery a couple days after he was born. (Thank you to all who had them in your prayers!) Gunner is doing great and Aub and him are now HOME!! :)! Im so excited to get to hold him. Brent and I have not yet seen him, but have had Wes send us some pictures!!! Uh.. Makes me more and more baby hungry each time!!! ALSO.. Brandie, Brents sister is pregnant and gets to find out what they are having in just a couple weeks!!!

Bottled Beans...

Ya know, I never really was a very good "homemaker" and I never really was interested in it. But, The older I got the more I wanted to do things.. Bottle beans, and peaches, maybe Corn, Make Quilts, and home made pies.. So, I decided the best way to do these things were to LEARN! And the best teacher would be my Grandma!!! plus, Someone has to carry on her traditions..

So, Tuesday I went to Diamond and helped my grandparents Bottle beans! and let me tell ya.. Its a long process, something I had no clue would be an all day thing!!!

We started by peeling the side of the beans, then cooked them on the stove then the bottling began. After we bottled them we put them in the Preasure Cooker and let them cook!! We did 2 batches in the pressure cooker!! It was a fun day, and I loved spending time with my grandparents!! Cant wait to see what is next on my grandmas "homemaker" list for me!! ;)!!

1st YeaR AnNiVeRsarY!!

I cant believe Brent and I's first year ann. was last Sunday!!! I feel like its been longer than that because we dated for 4 years before we tied the knot!!! But, I am so Excited that we have reached our 1 year, and even more excited for more years to come!
We loaded up the wheeler and a picnic and went to my ranch.. unloaded and just took off riding! We road up to Pine Park, and took some detours. Had a picnic which was very tasty, then we headed back to the truck and went to Jer and Kelsha's house for Navajo Tacos and a fun evening with some friends!!! It was a fun anniversary!
I LOVE YOU BABE!!!!

First Sewing Project!!!

So.. I have attempted to take up sewing!! My Grandma is helping me along the way, but I decided my first project would be a baby blanket for my friend Lauren. And here it is...

The first is a picture of both sides, and the second picture is just the front. And I think for my first sewing project it turned out pretty darn cute!!! I was very proud of myself!!! Also, there are a few mistakes that you can SO see on the back of the blanket.. but I told Lauren it just added character to it!!! Overall Lauren said she loved it, and Im very happy to hear that. I have better pictures that I took with my actuall camera but I dont have the internet at home so a mobile upload is the best you get right now!!! But, you see the just of it anyway!!

My second attempt at sewing is another baby blanket for one of my good friends Jen Terry and its a cute pink and green John Deere blanket.. Im going to make a "complete" baby comforter and bedding set for her!! :S.. Ill let ya know how it turns out!!!!

The New Doo!!!

So, I got bored with my blonde locks so I died my hair dark..as in BLACK!!! Brent loves the black hair style and I get so many compliments on it, so I figured I'd keep it dark!!! Thanks to my favorite hairstylist Kandis Woods :)!! I really like it and its a fun change!!! I died it the begining of sUmMeR, and Ive let it die down a bit and now its just dark brown but I think ill keep it dark for a while!!!

sUmMeR '09

I was SO excited to go to California and see some of my family that I havent seen in a while, this is my sister Alivia and mom Mary!!! We went to San Francisco to Fishermans Warf, and downtown San Fran and had some fun!

ConCerTs: Me and My girlfriends had a blast at Lady Antebellum in St. George, although it was so hot we melted!!! But, we still had fun jamming out!!!

Gotta Love the fun times Camping!! This is in Gunlock, Phyllis and Tom took us to these really cool petrogliphs in Gunlock!! It was so much fun!!

kOdA bEaN

This is Koda!! Our new addition to the Bracken family :)! He is just a pup in these photos but we got him in April and it is now August, he just turned 5 months. He is so cute, we call him bean?! He is such a cuddly dog and he is so nice and protective!!! We love him!!!

Our Story!

Hi! Im new at this and its taking me some time to figure it out!! so bare with me!!

The Brackens Love story!!
Brent and I met at a gunlock rodeo in the summer of 2004, where we started dating for 4 years then one christmas day he asked me to marry him :)!!! He asked me in the cutest way. He woke me up about 5:00 in the morning all excited, he told me to open his present first so I did, it was this coat I have been wanting and I was so excited. Well, I put on the jacket and felt something in the pocket. I pulled out this little black box and opened it and there was my beautiful engagment ring, I looked up and he popped the questions!!! It was so cute, and of course I said YES!!! We were hitched September 13th 2008 a weekend after our 4 year anniversary of knowing each other. We will be married for 1 year next month and I cant believe it. The time has flown by and we are still so much in love!! We love being married, and of course have had our ups and downs but we fight through them and grow stronger together.