The Brown Family: Happy Holidays 2011 from the Brown's

I will try and recap what has been happening the last 1 1/2 months before 2011 is over. We have been here, there and everywhere so I'm looking forward to a couple weekends at home to relax with the family.

Our PJ girls

Thanksgiving
We had a great Thanksgiving this year, being able to celebrate with my brother, Megan and Colin. They were able to make it out to IL this year and it was great to see them! My mom and I did our annual Black Friday shopping and Megan came out with us to brave the crowds. We got so much shopping done that I think Megan needs to come every year! Brett and my dad watched the girls and Colin so they had fun as well. Let's see what we can do for next year!

Grandma Knox

My Grandma, Helen Knox, just passed away December 8th, a couple days away from being 92. She had long, healthy life and we are so grateful to have spent so many memorable times together. She is going to be greatly missed and it was a hard Christmas to be without her. I'm so grateful for everything she has done for me and my family along with being such a great role model. Even when she was sick the last couple of months, you would ask how she was feeling and she would just say "fine." She didn't want to be a bother to anyone and just loved spending time with family. The picture above was one of our visits back in October. I'm so glad I was able to brighten her day seeing her great grandchildren a few more times before she passed. Grandma we love you.

Christmas Eve

This was the year we traveled back and forth for our Christmas celebrations. Christmas Eve lunch was in IL with the Knox extended family and Christmas Eve night was with the Brown extended family. We love seeing so much family in one day, we just wish we could spend more time with everyone.
The stomach flu was spreading around this holiday with affecting over half of the family on the Knox side and a couple on the Brown side. We luckily have not caught that bug yet but Hayden has come down with a bad cold and I feel myself getting it as well. Welcome winter and all the sickness!

Hayden with Reagan (my cousin Jaime's daughter)

Family picture

Family picture with Grandma and Grandpa Knox

Lyla in her Christmas dress

Our beautiful girls

Ella and Lyla

Christmas

This was a great Christmas with Lyla this year. She was excited for Santa to come and give her a lot of presents for being such a good girl. It's so much fun seeing Christmas from a child's eyes...makes you want to go back in time. Christmas gets so busy with trying to decorate, get the tree, buy all the presents and I just need to stop and remind myself that this is a time for family. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family and I just appreciate everyone around me.

Our PJ girls before they opened their presents