Bragg Family South

Just a quick note (and some pix) from the great white north... We arrived in Rhinelander yesterday afternoon after a whirlwind visit with Hope's family in Michigan. We had a good and uneventful drive up from Arkansas, with a nice if brief visit with our friends Mike and Sharon in Memphis. As we drove northward in Ohio, we eventually found snow, which thrilled Beth and Kenny: but Stephen seemed underwhelmed: When we first arrived at Hope's parents' home in Whitmore Lake, they had a fair amount of snow, which "Bumpa" pushed into a big pile for the kids: Unfortunately, a heavy rain soon thereafter melted almost all of the snow...On Saturday, we visited the Clark family (Ann Pruden's kin). Here, Evan holds his newest cousin: Speaking of lil' Stephen, if you ever wonder where we get the term "Bumpa hair", question no longer... On Christmas day, the kids opened gifts before going to Christmas mass: We then went to Hope's cousin's house for the...

We are winding down our 2007 year here in Monticello--hard to believe we've been in here over 7 years now...This will probably be our last blog posting this calendar year, although I may still try to post once or twice on our Christmas/New Year's trip. Just a couple last pictures to show our Christmas spirit...Here Hope and the kids are preparing to decorate Christmas cookies. Both Kenny and Beth enjoyed the process (especially Beth), and they kept their cookie snacking to a minimum. Even I decorated a few... Stephen was napping when the decorating was happening. He's been sick with a cold and/or upper respiratory tract infection, so his congestion keeps him up at night. He got a prescription for some antibiotics yesterday--through one of those charming features of small town life in the South. While we were at church yesterday morning, he periodically had coughing spells that apparently echoed to the back of the church, where his pediatrician was sitting. She was concerned...

A phone call from brother John last night got me to thinking I should spell out our holiday plans (as best I can) on the blog so y'all will have something to consult... We plan to leave Monticello on Thursday, December 20 right after Kenny's morning Christmas party at his school. We'll probably swing through Memphis to visit some friends before heading up to Michigan. We'll be in Michigan through Christmas (attending the annual Pruden family Christmas party). The day after Christmas, we plan to drive to the UP of Michigan with Hope's parents--we have hotel rooms already reserved in Manistique for the night of December 26. On December 27 (Thursday), we plan to drive around the UP, probably heading to the Houghton area, before driving south to Rhinelander. We'll start our stay with mom and dad on the evening of December 27, and plan to remain in town until January 5, when we'll start heading south to Arkansas. I believe Lisa and her flock plan to come to...

First, we'd like to extend our condolences to Mark and Laurie on the loss of their dog Roxy in a tragic accident... We've been better, too. Right now, Kenny, Beth, and I have colds, Stephen has some congestion at night, and poor Hope has been beside herself since our hot water heater went on the fritz this week. We at first thought it was because of a defect part that had been recalled by the manufacturer, so they sent us a new one (free until we had it expedited to us via overnight shipping). Hope replaced this part, but the problem remained... So, hopefully the repairman will be able to replace whatever else is malfunctioning. We are hitting the busy Christmas season, with Hope and the kids going to a birthday party this afternoon, then Hope and I will take Stephen with us to a Christmas party at our friends the Saffolds tonight. Kenny and Beth will be staying with their favorite babysitter, and they're excited about that! We have several more Christmas parties next...

Sorry for the lack of postings, but we've been busy and haven't really been taking much for pictures... Time for a quick update. This last Tuesday ushered in the "beginning" of the Christmas season in Monticello with the annual Christmas parade and lighting of the Christmas tree on the square downtown. Before the parade, we went to one of the banks downtown so the kids could see "Santa": Note: Stephen was definitely overdressed on this warm November night... It was dark by the time of the parade, so we didn't get any pictures of it--Kenny was most impressed by the monster truck hauling a boat on a jacked-up trailer... On Friday, after I returned from a couple days in Hot Springs for a meeting, we had Kenny's 6th birthday party. Kenny and Beth just relished the company: Beth and Nora Katherine Saffold Hope and some of the other moms helping the kids make their own mini-pizzas... Boys will be boys... Beth let Kenny blow out his own candles... Rapt att...