Ride em' cowboy!

We LOVE Grandpa and Grandma!!!

Home sweet home

We arrived home yesterday at 6:30 AM east coast time. We took a red eye home, which left Portland, OR at 10:40. The flight was long and we were all so sleepy. Owen did so well, he got a little fussy before the plane took off-overly tired-but then slept the whole way. I felt really bad for him because he is growing so long and seemed uncomfortable in my arms. He slept much better with Joe holding him. But we made it, and it's so good to be home. I love my house!! I missed my house! I have been busy today unpacking and doing a lot of laundry. I am enjoying getting back in the swing of things.

I feel as if I have been in a huge funk for a long while now. While I was in California I had a lot of time to think. I discovered that I want to get out of this funk! I want to be more disciplined in all areas in my life. I am committing to spending time with God every morning-even if that means waking up before the boy does, just so I do it. I want to be a better wife and mom by managing my house in an organized fashion that doesn't stress me out. I want to be better to my body in the way I eat and drink. I just feel like I have been on this emotional roller coaster and I just want to get off! I know a lot of it has to do with the post partum I have been dealing with and the new roll of being a wife AND a mom. I just feel like I am starting to be able to deal?? Make sense? So, I will be making a lot of changes in my life and hope that I can grow during this time.

Where in the world are the Braun's?

Okay, people Owen and I have now been away from home for almost 1 month! 1 month I tell ya! I'm tired, and want my own bed!! But I'm so happy we have had the opportunity to come and see alot of our family and friends here on the Left Coast. We were all supposed to come home today, but decided to cut our California trip short and fly up to Oregon for Joe's 10 year High School Reunion and to introduce Owen to his Oregon/Washington family. So, now we taking a red eye flight home to Atlanta LATE Monday night and get home EARLY Tuesday morning. Today is the reunion and Joe is there now catching up with old friends and showing off pictures of Owen to all his buddies I'm sure. I decided to stay at his sister's house with Owen so he can have some kind of "normalness" today and let him get a good nap in. Later tonight we will drive up to Battleground, WA and stay with our wonderful friends Aaron and Heidi. (Battleground is about 30 mins. from Portland.) We will go to church at Imago Dei in Portland tomorrow (the church Donald Miller attends) and then meet up with my Grandparents, Aunt, Uncle and cousins for and early dinner. Sheeesh...we are busy!

This while trip has been amazing. It was absolutely wonderful spending so much time with my family in California. My sister's wedding was amazing!!! She was a GORGEOUS bride and I love my new family-Joel, Kyle, and Jake! It was so much fun watching my parents and Owen bonding. He loves his Grandma, and knows her voice. She talked with him on the phone today and he had nothing but smiles for her. It was so nice to hang out with old friends and watch us all be in new roles of parents or approaching parenthood. Most of all it has been great to have my sweet little family back together. I missed Joe so much and was so happy to be with him again in CA. I'm glad I decided to make this trip to Oregon together. Owen has been GREAT through this whole trip. He is our little trooper and just rolls with the punches. Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement. To all my Atlanta peeps- I MISS YOU!!!!! I can't wait to see you all =) (pictures will come soon!)

and some more pictures...

The soon to be Topps family
Kim, Joel and ME!!!!
Jenah and all the kiddos

Just some fun pictures of California so far

Auntie and her nugget taking their morning nap
Jake (our soon to be nephew) and Owen
My very good friend Angela came to visit me from Arizona while we were here
Owen and Auntie Mariah!
Me kissing baby IsAAc in the tum tum

Owen's photo shoot

So yeah I'm not sure if Im just partial (probably), but I totally think my kid could be a model! I have had these pictures for a week or so, but couldn't post or write about them until we got to California. we had our wonderful friend, Nicole, come over and take some pictures of Me, Owen and Joe for combo mother's/father's day present for my parents. I also needed one for the house. I was orignially going to take him to have his pictures dones, but just decided that wasn't the style and feel I was looking for in the pictures. So like I said our wonderful friend came over and we had a photo shoot. It was alot of fun and she did a fantastic job! Owen did great for the most part, but started to melt down toward the end. I guess it's hard being this cute!

Ahhhhh...we made it!

Just in case you were wondering...Owen and I made it to California safe and sound on Friday afternoon. I'm proud to report that Owen did fantastic on the plane!! He was amazing! I on the other hand had a mini "panic attack" before boarding the plane! I was just super nervous to travel with the little guy all by myself for 4.5 hours. We didn't put his stroller together until the night before, so I was freaking out about how to operate the stupid thing (PS I hate baby gear!) I worried about the whole changing his diaper issue in the plane, and what if he cried and I couldn't console him. Well, I had nothing to worry about. The flight attendants were super nice and offered to help with the stroller for me. We did have to change a wet diaper on top of the toilet with he seat down (that was a funny sight!) and he didn't dirty his diaper until the landing...PERFECT! Speaking of perfect, he slept 3 out of the 4 hours of the flight! And when he was awake he just smiled and cooed at me the whole time. He is such a good boy and I was so proud. Thank you for all your prayers, God is good and totally took care of us!

We have been good since we got to CA, just super busy with bridal showers and visiting with family. Today will be nice and relaxing. Mom took the day off and my sister's last day of work was Friday. So we just plan on hanging out and trying to make things as normal as possible for Owen. He has been quite the trooper going from house to house and person to person. So, some normalness is needed for him.

We miss Joe so much and can't wait until he joins us! Owen and him had a "conversation" on the phone last night and Owen just was smiling and cooing at the sound of his daddy's voice. So cute! Thanks for all you sweet friend's who are taking care of my man while I'm away. We love and appreciate that.