White Christmas

I'm struggling with where to begin this blog as I sit here on this chilly & wintery-white Christmas morning in Montana. I'm looking down at the most incredible gift I've ever been given, our baby girl Isla Beth. Born Isla Elisabeth Glen Brake on October 21st of this year in Missoula. Isla is Scottish in origin...pronounced eye-lah. I think the name we picked serves our little one well...as she was born with a head full of copper colored hair. Isla also derives from Islay. Islay is the southernmost island of the Inner Hebrides, an archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. Isla is a Scottish river as well. J & I love Scotland & we thought what could be more fun than naming our daughter after a place we could take her to one day. Elisabeth of course is from Joel's late sister, Elizabeth. And Glen from my father, Glenn Terrell.

We spent a wonderful 4 full days in Georgia this week. My Mother went to great lengths to assure we had a restful & laid-back visit. It was all of that & then some. IB (that's our nickname for Isla Beth) was spoiled as she was passed around from my Mother to my Father to my Brother to my Aunt Janice to Granny to Grandmother...you get the picture! Needless to say, she was pretty annoyed with her Mommy & Daddy when we got back to Missoula & had to put her down to actually get some work done. Her Uncle Penn is convinced she is going to be what we in the Northwest affectionately refer to as a "festival baby." This refers to the outdoor music scene in which the occasional organic & hippie population flock. Penn realized this when the only option to calm his fussy niece was to dance with her to the likings of Widespread Panic & various other "jam bands." Will our daughter be a "spread head?" Stay tuned!

I'm going to try & be a little more consistent with my blogging. Its not easy with a 2 month old I've learned to sit down & accomplish anything that may take longer than 5 minutes...unless of course our little pumpkin is napping. :) I guess my largest problem is I have so many writing routes I could take with blogging that I find it stressful. I have SO many ideas! I'm starting to get over feeling like a blogging narcissist...so I believe this will help. I keep thinking what is so unique about me??...about my little family that anyone would want to read it?? Isn't blogging just a cesspool for narcism?? Not always. When I think of writing as if I was sharing a story between me & my mother or me & close friends...that helps.

Our main goal & objective is to share our story with the ones we love...those dear friends & family who have helped shape the people we are today. This isn't the typical Christmas blogpost I know...but I'm hoping it will serve as a springboard for my future writings.

Merry Christmas...we're grateful to God for our newest addition, Isla & for all of you...