Wait... What's My Name, Again?!?

Where to start…
For those who don’t talk to us on a semi-daily basis, you probably don’t know the whirlwind that has been our life for the past 30+ days.

I found out in late October that I have an autoimmune disease called Sjogren’s Syndrome. Fun. Sjogren’s is basically a disease that attacks your glands. Can it be deadly? Sure, but rarely. As if we haven’t had enough on our plate this year!!! 2 failed in-vitro’s: check; Death of a grandmother: check; Diagnosis of a disease: check. Oh, but wait…there is more! On November 18th, I received a call at my office from my dad’s best friend. My dad was in critical care due to kidney failure and sepsis. Awesome. We left immediately and drove all night (16 hours) to Phoenix to be with him. It was touch and go for several days, but luckily the doctors worked their magic and he is now at home. We got back on November 23rd, to pack our bags and leave the 25th for Chicago. Exhausted? Yes. Do I need a maid to clean my house? Yes. Is Christmas really in 23 days??!!??! Yes.

So needless to say, we officially hate 2009, and are ready to see 2010! My husband's friend Russell, who is hilarious, keeps thinking of mottos for us like, “The Bradt’s Win in 2010.” Friends. That is what keeps us going. I know I am a broken record, but Gosh! We are SO blessed! So, with all of that said we are thinking of a fabulous way to ring in the New Year; a fresh start, if you will. Any ideas?

One thing is for sure regardless of the year: The Bradt’s love Christmas! My house is so decorated that my mother’s first reaction walking in was, “Wow! This looks like a Christmas store!” Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Not sure…. Anyway, last night we went and picked up our fourth, yes that’s right FOURTH Christmas tree. This is the big one, though, you know, our “main” tree. So we loaded up the Tahoe and headed to TLC (our favorite nursery) and found a Noble Fir that we loved. Sure, it was big, but not that big, right? WRONG! See below. Our tree (affectionately named Milton) is so big that it completely drowns our living room. Go big, or Go Home!!! ~Amy