Catching Up On Brittany

Well Hello!

It has been way too long. 

Let's catch up!

Today is all about Brittany.

     Brittany - is turning 26 on Friday! For those who do not know, she is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and is a NICU nurse. She had been commuting almost an hour and a half to work to a hospital in another town for a year, but thank goodness, she was offered a position at a hospital here in Raleigh. She started orientation last week and will be in the NICU unit in a few weeks. I am so thankful that she is no longer having to drive so far to work, especially after working twelve hour night shifts. I worried about her constantly.

   I thought after Barrett (18) went to college in August, life around the house would be sad and lonely. I was not looking forward to being an empty nester. I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to do with myself.  Well, I have a confession to make: I am not an empty nester just yet. When Brittany's lease to her apartment was up in August, she moved back home to save money.

     So there is life and activity still going on here in our house! In fact a lot of activity and planning is going on because Brittany is engaged! 

     

     After almost nine years of dating...on September 11....in Nashville...Mr. B proposed! 

(Mr. B was formally know as BF1, but he no longer a BoyFriend.)

first date: Homecoming Dance 2006

summer 2015

Sept. 11 2015

Mr. B is temporarily working in Nashville - he'll be back in Raleigh in March.  Brittany went to visit him that weekend.

That night after he proposed, our family spent a lot of time face timing.

 facetiming Brooke in DC



This is the picture that Brittany and Brandon Snapchatted their group of friends.
They wanted to see who would be first to notice the ring.
I am guessing the girls noticed first!

When Brittany got home from Nashville it was time for show and tell and some picture taking! 

Lola approved!   

  

She couldn't stop smiling or looking at her ring. She has been waiting a long time for this!

      The date has been set for October 29, 2016 - so we have almost an entire year to plan. 

We already have the venue, band, photographer and dress. We are working on our guest list and on the florist right now. With so much time, we are tackling one thing at a time. More on these things and the process in the upcoming Wednesdays (Wedding Wednesdays)! Woohoo, I have something to blog about!!!!

Exciting times around here folks!

Stay tuned! 

Ten on Tuesday

1. Mr. Bubbles enjoys his sleep. 

2.  Barrett baked a cake for her friend's surprise birthday party. 

We didn't get to taste it here at home.

It WAS a pistachio cake with some kind of awesome frosting.

3. Can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that prom is just around the corner and it is time to start thinking about that prom dress. We've ordered two dresses online and unfortunately Barrett loves both of them.  She is having a difficult time making a decision.  

4. I moved my spice cabinet from above my cooktop to the lower cabinet beside it.  I bought some clear organizational bins and divided my spices up by category. 

As I was in the middle of doing this task, I turned around to get one of my bins and found this...

5. We drink a lot of hot tea in the Odom house. 

Mr. ManaTEA gets plenty of exercise. 

6. Barrett's high school soccer team plays indoor soccer in the winter to get ready for the spring season. Their games are on either Saturday or Monday at 10:00 PM! This is her getting ready to leave on Monday night. 

Do you know how hard it is to leave the house on an extremely cold Monday night to go play soccer? 

7. One of my favorite things to make for dinner in the winter is a chicken pie recipe that was in Brooke's Thanksgiving Cookbook from kindergarten.  

It seriously is the best recipe. 

I think it is the buttermilk that makes it so good.  

We've adapted it and experimented with the recipe by adding peas and carrots sometimes, by in the end the original  recipe never fails. 

8. I forgot to post this picture on Barrett's birthday post. 

I replaced her already picked out birthday outfit, that was hanging in her closet, with a new dress and  jewlery and this little note. 

I thought it was a great way to start her day.

She woke up to a brand new dress to wear to school on her birthday.  

9, Brittany (NICU nurse) is working tonight. She never texts us while she is at work, but tonight she did. 

Since she is a new nurse she is still experienceing new things. She was in the process of admitting  a baby that was delivered tonight at just 25 weeks gestation. I looked it up, this baby is the size of a dollar bill.  I am keeping Britt in my prayers tonight and especially keeping that baby and the parents in my prayers. 

10. I am sickened by the news tonight. 

Evilness.

I am ready for someone to stand up to it.

Why aren't we? 

BRITT'S NEW NEST

     Brittany is finally a working girl! She was offered a posistion as a NICU nurse at a hospital about an hour and a half away from our house.   She decided not to move to the town where she is working and instead got an apartment on the other side of Raleigh, about forty minutes away from us.  She commutes back and forth three times a week to work - she works three twelve hour shifts. 

     She loves her job and the hour plus drive isn't that big of deal for her. I worry constantly and say a prayer every time she hits the road.  I guess since I am her mother that is what I am supposed to do.

     We got her moved into her apartment the other week.  I have lost count of how many different dorm rooms, apartments and houses we moved Brittany and Brooke in and out of while they were in school, but all of that experience has made us experts at the whole process. Her apartment came together quickly and turned out very cute.  She of course would love all new furniture and everything to look like it belongs in a magazine or on Pinterest, but I think all of the hand me down furniture is just fine for her starting out and hopefully she is proud of what she does have and feels comfortable in it. 

This is the blank canvas we started with.

She lives in  a brand new apartment complex. It was so much nicer spending the day moving her into this place instead of the tiny dorm rooms and grungy old college houses I am all too familiar with. 

I didn't get creeped out once! 

(and Clorox was involved!)

She is still missing a few things.....obviously she needs a lamp shade....

and some dining chairs

This is the little entry way.

Nice place for a thermostat don't cha think?

I am pretty positive a man was in charge of deciding where to put it. 

She is using the bedroom furniture that was actually mine when growing up. 

Brooke painted and refinished it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and used it her last year of college.  

A lamp has been added on the nightstand since this picture was taken and the window treatments we ordered have come in, but they obviously are not hung yet.

She also will not be using this bedding. 

This is just a temporary fix until her window treatments are hung and we can get a better feel for color. 

I am hoping all of Britt's long hot showers have steamed the wrinkles out of the shower curtain!

     It is so nice to know that after a long night shift she has a great place to return to.  Our house certainly has been extra quiet since she left. (sigh) She had been living back home since she graduated in December and was job hunting. Now that she is gone, I again have to get used to a new routine and learn how to fill in some blanks.  Like I said, I guess since I am a mother that is what I am supposed to do! (bigger sigh)