Bread with the Brisels

  Somehow, two weeks have passed and we're back to school and reality today.  I kind of would have liked to hibernate for a bit longer. 😉 I'd love to get a little more active again in blog world. I blogged consistently 2023-2024, but then  I just kind of stopped. I LOVE being able to look back and read about how life was with newborn baby Jack, and Sammy when he was only four and five, so here's my attempt to pick things back up again with a little recap of some 2025 highlights of the holiday season.  The amount of cookies that Jack ate this holiday season was impressive. When I look back, I can practically hear him saying "more cookies please!" He was VERY into gingerbread men this year and loved the light display at Maytag Park.  Sammy was SO into Christmas this year. If there was a Christmas craft, he wanted to do it. Something festive? Count him in. He LOVED it all!  This Christmas break was very restful and very much needed. We had plenty of slow morn...

  Sammy is SEVEN! Seven years ago we were at the hospital, excited and nervous to meet our Samuel John.  Sammy was always a happy baby and toddler, and that's continued into childhood. He is so affable, friendly, and confident! He loves his family, he loves to play and he loves to be active. Games are his favorite, and he loves to "snuggle."  Since returning back to school, he's developed a huge love of reading! As a first grade teacher this WARMS my heart. He loves most books, but right now he favors graphic novels. He is the best big brother. Without us asking, he is so willing to help his brother. Just yesterday, Jack sneezed and Sammy ran to get him a wipe and then proceeded to wipe Jack's nose for him. If someone gets hurt he often hurries to see what's wrong and if he can help. He's a lot like Dustin in that he loves to have fun and be social. He's a lot like me in that he loves to make lists and know the when/how things are happening. He loves a...

  I can't believe that we're already halfway through July! This summer has absolutely been flying. School supplies are out in stores and I received my Pottery Barn Kids "back-to-school" catalog: all signs that summer will come to a close soon.  I wanted to share just a little life lately about our summer so far.  It seemed like the start of the summer was filled with appointments, starting projects, and preparations for our trip to Disney World. The end of the school year left us feeling ready for a break. We soaked up all the slow mornings and we got caught up on sleep.  Our trip to Florida was so great! We soaked up all the family time together. Sammy's favorite part of our trip was getting his yeti stuffed animal from Animal Kingdom, and Jack loved eating all the yummy food and riding Small World.  It felt so great to go on vacation knowing we didn't have to immediately return to school and work when we got back from our trip. It made things more relaxing!...

Jackson Nicholas is officially TWO years old today!  He's been so fun lately, and definitely showing off his two-ness. 😉 He's got a LOT to say.  He loves his big brother and wants to do anything and everything that he does.  He loves his family and talks about them all day long. He loves Mickey Mouse and can't wait for his next trip to the castle.  He loves to play outside! We'll be living in the backyard this summer.  He loves to EAT! This has been his biggest area of growth from this time last year. At his first birthday party, he was just able to eat single-ingredient foods due to his allergies - we just didn't know what was safe for him. Yesterday he was able to have a cupcake..with frosting!  Such a win!  We love him and his silly little personality. We can't wait to celebrate him today! 

I'm a little out of practice on my blog, [it's been since our Disney World recaps!], but I'm back and excited to share a little bit about what life looks like lately for the Brisel family.  Somehow I blinked and all of a sudden... it's March. I'm not entirely certain how that happened, since Christmas was just last week...right? Spring break is just around the corner and I can't wait. After spring break the rest of the school year seems to fly - summer approaching makes me so excited as a teacher, but also so sad to say goodbye to Sammy's kindergarten year. Time is going too quickly! Here's a little bit of life lately: Sammy is growing and growing and growing - and his appetite matches the pattern! I just had to buy him a second round of winter clothing because he outgrew the first round. I'm ready for summer and shorts and not needing to worry about blown out knees on his pants, and them being too short.  He is learning so much at school. He's a...

We woke up on January 1st ready for our last full day at Disney World!  The boys were a little slow moving this morning (who came blame them after 4 park days 😅) but we had a Lightning Lane booked at 8:05AM for Tiana's Bayou Adventure (formerly known as Splash Mountain). I sent Sammy and Dustin ahead to Magic Kingdom so Jack could have a slower start, and we met up with them in Fantasyland right around 9:30. We knew today was going to be a long park day. We were worried to leave for a rest in case the park reached capacity, and we wanted to make sure we stayed for fireworks!  We packed our morning with lots of rides and tried the new beignets. Sammy loved them! I also caught my favorite picture of the trip this morning. I was trying to take a cute picture of the boys, and Sammy's arm was around Jack's shoulders. At this exact moment... Jack took hold Sammy's finger and bit it. He didn't bite very hard, but hard enough to get this reaction from Sammy. 😂 It is somet...