Semi-sweet

It's that time of the year.....the countdown has begun. Not to the new year, but to Christmas vacation!!! Can I just say how disappointed I was when I realized we have school through the 22nd. Who thought that was a good idea!? It will be a bittersweet Christmas this year. It will be my first Christmas with my husby and I am super excited for that! Our tree is up and I have presents for him under the tree and in his "socking." Yes, socking. He somehow misplaced or lost, whichever you want to call it, the stocking my mom made him last year so I figured he would just have to do with one of his socks until he finds his real stocking. It does have quite an interesting shape and will be ideally suited for someone with cankles by the time Christmas comes.

On a sadder note, it will the first year in like four or five years that Evan and I will not be at Bear Trap. :( We are so sad and are even dreaming of it at night. Also, the school I work at will be closing in May for good. We have been told that no one is to be laid off, just transferred, but who knows what will really happen. I am also sad at the thought of leaving my co-workers because I have made some good connections and dearly love most of the people I work with. This is without a doubt a goo reminder that my provision and blessings come from my heavenly father and that He has new and different things in store for me. I don't want to change, but I am grateful for his peace and reminders to be open and ready for the things he is doing.

A bit of a delay

So this blog started out to be a New Year's resolution to help keep in touch with my bestie who is not in the states anymore, but I've come to realize how little time I spent on it lately. Instead, I have been spending more time doing projects than I have been writing about them. In all honesty, that is okay with me. My latest "finished" projects have been curtains for our bedroom! You appreciate them even more when the school that you work at is just across the street. I'm okay with my kiddos seeing seasonal decorations when they look at our windows, but that's where it stops. My second project has been the use of the di-cut machine at work. I make a leaf garland using illustrations from a children's book that I got for pretty much free at the wonderful Emporia Public Library book sale (it's one of my favorite events ever!). Now that Christmas is on its way I'm making a Christmas one using the leftover scrapbook paper from our wedding. I also have one project that is dear to my heart for many reasons. I went out of my photography comfort-zone (yay!) and did engagement photos for our friends. I have been editing them and am proud to say they are done and I am pretty proud of them! I am now officially open to doing portrait photography! Never thought that would happen! I am constantly reminded how much I love using my camera to capture something amazing. The world of art and craftmanship......it's quite lovely! So there it is folks, a microscopic glance at my life.

Settling in....

I have now been married for two and a half months and we have been in our apartment two months. It officially feels like home. We are mostly settled and still trying to arrange and hang pictures on the wall and make curtains, well at least on of us is. I was worried about my kitchen being small because I love cooking, but it has actually been fine. My big accomplishment, fixing meals that are not really processed and contain almost all fresh produce. It tastes so much better, makes you feel so much better and we haven't had very much waste. I plan my meals for the week and shop for that alone. It is amazing! We have less waste and aren't storing lots of random ingredients that just take up space. It takes a bit more effort, but is totally worth it. My dream project that might not happen is to create a picture menu with magnets that I can put on the fridge so I and ev will both know what is in store for the week. My next priority project....curtains!!!! We will hopefully be going to KC on the 16th so Evan can go to a music store and so I can go on the glorious adventure of fabric shopping!!!! So excited!

A Place to Lay our Heads

It finally happened.....we got a bed.....well no headboard yet, but an amazing mattress. We made our first big purchase as a couple. Funny enough, Evan cared more about our sheets and their price than our mattresses. Yes, I found it odd it too. It's supposed to be delivered today and I find myself as eager for the knock of the deliverer's as one would for a hot date. Yes, that seals it, I must be getting older. :)

Magazine dream

We are finally in OUR apartment. Yes, there is a bit of kitchen stuff straggling behind at the beach house, but our stuff is here. Old wood moulding, hardwood floors and some fun windows and plenty of them....YUM! A decorating dream....minus weirdly placed doors, a bathroom without baseboards, some not so hot floral wallpaper in the spare room and some little friends....no not roaches or spiders (praise the L!). Ants. They are coming from somewhere, but it appears to be nowhere because I can't find it. I love Father's creatures, but if these don't get the heck out of my apartment they'll be exterminated soon.

This past weekend while at Target, I found a comforter I love (and Evan likes it too.). I came up with an idea for a desk I'm excited to try. I started curtains for our living room and have a simple rug ready to be placed. My head is filled with beautiful visions of our home and all my ideas......but then I look around me and reality exists. Boxes of leftover wedding decorations. Boxes of stuff we need to unpack. Boxes of random stuff that wasn't unpacked from the last move and probably won't be this time either. Boxes of some kitchen stuff that I don't have space for because I only have four drawers and one set of decent cabinets. It's going to be an interesting year. So many beautiful things, so many beautiful ideas, so much crap, and so little space. Oh well, deep breath, one day at a time. One box a day.

A disgruntled path

Today I was reading in Exodus when I got to this

"17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." 18 So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea."

It really made me think. Definitely during wedding planning there were many times where things came up and they were so aggrivating and then just tiring. Then there was our whole slumlord apartment owner situation. Now we are in the middle of moving and unpacking where I literally cleaned about a cat worth of cat hair just from behind our fridge. I won't go into the dusty nastiness and the bathroom. I feel like my attitude is really pretty positive now because 1) I'm excited to settle into married life in my husby's and I's place 2) Wedding presents! Who wouldn't be excited to open awesome gifts from really awesome people? 3) Good helpers have been around us through all stages to make things go faster and easier.

When I was thinking about the verses I had never paid much mind to the path Father put the people on. He specifically made them go the longer way to avoid really bad stuff. Now, me being like most people, if I had to go the long way and no one told me why, I would try to use rationale to make a case for why we should go the shorter route and complain in my head when it didn't work. But maybe the shorter and easier path isn't always better. Right now if I had to take away my 3 morale boosters, I would definitley be griping and complaining about wher4e Father has me. But why? Would I rather be in a good apartment but with a scummy landlord? No way! Would I rather settle for easy comfort than work for something that could be a lot better in the end? Yes! Hopefully you can think about the road you have been traveling and are currently traveling. No it will not always be easy or fun. But think about the fact that Father planned it and realize there are tons of things He has you taking the long way around so for your good you don't have to deal with those. It is amazing to think about all the things He faces for us and how big they are, but we don't always realize it.

So, in conclusion, I hope and pr that you and myself will choose to serve, love and praise Him where we are at and not just when we get to where we want to be.

Reaping a hundred fold

So as all of you (the ten people who actually read my blog) know, I did it! I just got married. The process of planning was some fun, but mostly stressful and frustrating for me. However, God did not fail to amaze me. Time and time again from the beginning of our engagement to our wedding day itself, I can't tell you how many times I looked at things and thought, "How are we ever going to do this?" Whenever I needed provision, our beautiful father always came through......through you!!!!! From setup to showers to painting pots to preparing food to taking pictures, in abundance there were friends and family ready and more than willing to tackle the task. To all of you, I am still in awe and completely humbled by your servant's hearts and the loved you have shown us. We know who each one of you are and are so very thankful to have you in our lives. You have taught us so much and add so much joy to our lives. Thank you.
Now, one more thank you and shout out is necessary to my bestie. I love you whorts! I think nine or ten is the number of times I have cried thinking about you, watching a video you made for us, reading a card you have sent, and just plain seeing you on our big day. My heart felt so bittersweet that you weren't able to be here in person for all of this, but I feel honored that you can offer that as a sweet offering to father for what you are willing to do to follow him and see him glorified. I was so excited to get your letters because it felt like part of you was coming home. Thank you so much for your creativity and all your sentimental-ness, I really loved it. And thank you skype for making it possible to my friend to see, at least some of it all! So now, I will dry my eyes and eagerly wait for our next skype date, whorts. Love you and love all of you!

Flowers and Diamonds.....two things a girl will never turn down

Eleven days and counting until the big day. The amount of money needed at a spa to relieve all the stress that comes with planning a big event, dealing with family drama, moving, and entering into a lifelong committed relationship.....$3 million dollars sounds good to me. :) My dad making 130 flowers so I don't have to and hearing him say, "don't worry I'll take care of it" when I am at my wits end; my mom giving me real a real diamond necklace and earrings for a wedding gift that I can pass down to my kids someday because it's what I've always dreamed of for my wedding...priceless. Although trying at times, because hey, parents are people too and are still trying to figure out life and we are and forever will be their kids (and still sometimes act like it), they are marvelous and I can't imagine doing without mine. So, if you haven't told your parents you love them and appreciate them, do it!

Butter, softened, cream cheese, softened, heart, softened

I have had the pleasure of having my mom stay with me last week at my house and of having spent the last few days at my parents homes. I know it is so easy to keep our parents in their parent box, but these past several days, I've played observer and made several mental notes. The outcome? Being so humbled and undeserving of how wonderfully loving and serving my parents are to me and their loved ones. I haven't ceased to be amazed in numerous ways of how my parents have mentally, physically, relationally and financially poured themselves out. Why do I not always realize this? Even more so, why am I not always as truly thankful as I should be? Why am I not more like them?
In just under three weeks I will be committing myself to my dear love in a lifelong relationship. Sounds scary and overwhelming to me. Why? I know my flesh. How can I possibly be who and what a godly wife should be? How can I live up to what is to be expected of me? How can I have the heart to respond to him as I should when his flesh comes out?

I feel like I have a Moses complex. I have been reading Exodus and have seen three things repeated. The first, Moses always doubts himself and God because he seems, like the rest of us, to think in terms of human ability, not God's ability. When seeing his shortcomings and imperfections, he loses perspective and sees the flesh as being a serious obstacle for the Lord to overcome. God's solution: He brings along someone with the strengths where Moses has weakness and pairs them together and He works through them. The second, Pharaoh's heart continues to be hardened, especially when time has elapsed between his encounter with God's power and truth. Can I get an Amen of understanding from anybody else? Today my attitude was horrible at first. My last time with God in his word: three days ago. It is amazing how much I overestimate myself by even thinking I could go three days without sweet communion with God, all the while the world is steadily hounding me and trying to creep into life. The third: God is always there and always does what he says he will do. Nothing stands in God's way, not even an all powerful king and the people in charge.

What does all this mean for me? God can and will do it. I wasn't made to do things apart from him on my own, but in and through relationship with him. It's not about what I can do, but letting him do it, and keeping my heart softened and ready for use.

Eating for two...hundred

If there is one word that describes my activities and shopping, it would be bulk. And I don't mean fun bulk, like I bought ten cute purses. I mean bulk as in 300 styrofoam plates, 600 napkins, 200 forks, 40 flower pots that each had to be painted (thanks Lisa and Ev!), 40 records that will be painted, 200 pieces of scrapbook paper and the list will go on. Other than the fact that I did find an adorable wallet today, the only thing that I have one of today that I wish I had more of is an eggplant growing on my plant. Yum! I can't for it to be ready.

The fuss about fresh

So lately I've been a little addicted to two food shows, Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares. When I'm at home with my parents l really enjoy watching food network and seeing what they are making, learning about new foods and so on. Well last night I just happened to be watching Kitchen Nightmares and they starting mentioning pesto. I have to admit I have never tried pesto in my life, partially because I love tomatoes and therefore I love marinara, but also I was a little skeptical about pesto basically because it is a green sauce. Let's face it, the only other green sauces I have seen are green chile salsa which is very good and the gravy my elementary school cooks would dye green for certain holidays, and we all know that was not good. Have the people who think kids will eat want to eat already questionable food dyed a certain color ever cooked for kids. So left with that, I wasn't sure about pesto, but last night I decided to try it. I scouted a couple recipes online and just looked at the list of basic ingredients: basil leaves, garlic, a kind of nut, olive oil, salt, pepper. That's it! So I took this new found knowledge and made my own recipe. I had planted basil this spring and kept it on my kitchen window ledge (which I love and I believe all kitchens should have one!) and it was loaded with leaves waiting for me to use. I didn't have walnuts, so I decided to substitute it with some sliced almonds which are better for you anyways. After five minutes chopping, five or ten minutes frying and a sprinkle of italian cheese blend on the top, Evan and I had fresh homemade pesto. The verdict: It was delicious! It was so light, super easy, quick and so fresh because all my ingredients were fresh. So, if you feel ready for a challenge today, try to make your own pesto. Don't have fresh basil, maybe you can try spinach. Ready for an even bigger challenge: start your own garden. You can do a little inside herb garden or plant a couple tomato plants in bigger pots on your porch like I did. Or, if you are fortunate enough to have yard space go for the gold. It doesn't have to be huge, but I guarantee you will love the outcome when all you have to do is go out and pick the produce you want. It's practically free and it's fresh. For anyone who has never tasted the goodness of a homegrown tomato, catch up with me or go to your farmer's market. You don't know what you are missing out on. Good luck!

Just give me a minivan and tapered leg jeans

This past week I had the awesome joy of having my two nieces, Jenna, 12 and Jordan, 6, all to myself for 6 days! A soon to be first grader and a preteen with no cable, no amusement parks, and no fast food, I thought it was going to be quite the feat. There wasn't a moment of down time.....at least not for me. So what did we do? We started everyday off with VBS which was so great, because my littlest got to hear the good news and received her own good book and my oldest got to hear the good news, help out, and get out of her comfort zone. I don't know very many preteens who are excited about choreographed kids songs. Everyday there was home-cooked lunch and dinner and activities in the afternoon. I haven't been so worn-out in a long time, but it was so fun. We did everything from swimming, bowling, sno-cones, going to the zoo, to having a taste at our local chocolate shop. And of course they made sure to squeeze in some time for guitar hero. :) My littlest being only 6 but very independent, want to play the notes for herself and me to strum. I didn't think she could do, but she did! Who knew. Being from Houston, my nieces were very confused as to why they saw the same cars driving by the sno-cone place on our main street one night. Thus I informed them of cruising and even took them to do some of their own. It was so funny to watch them make their cruising faces, especially with Jordan in her booster seat. My little ladies were so sweet and only had a couple times each day where I needed to smooth some roughened edges and give someone a talk. Maybe my parents won't have to wait five years for grandkids from me.......we'll see.

The sower and the grower

It is actually now May 5th. I am lying on my couch at 2 a.m., sick and sleepless. Not exactly my favorite combination, but it could be a lot worse. The school year is winding to a close and I have stopped and pondered about how 10 months with my kiddos this year is almost over. It didn't feel like it was flying, but it did. I always have heard adults say times always flies by, but when I was younger it never felt that way. Now I understand. I have so much I want to get done, so much I should get done, but not enough time to fit it all in. I feel like God has challenged me this spring with being on the look out for and taking every opportunity he presents me with to love others, share with them and learn from them. Not a small task I have discovered. I feel so small much of the time and wonder how I, Brandi, with all my flaws and flesh can possibly really make much of a difference for God's kingdom. Then he is faithful and reminds me. I don't know everything (even though I sometimes think/act like I do) and I can't always see the work within the heart. I have two pots with two different kinds of seed on my windowsill in my kitchen. They are in the same kind of dirt, the same sunlight, been given the same fertilizer and same water, yet after 3 or 4 days one pot had sprouted while the other hadn't. I kept watering them, left them both in the sun and after a few more days, the sprouts in the one pot were really taking off, but nothing of the other. I finally started to try to think about if I could actually remember putting seeds in the pot or if I had just thought I had. So I looked at the seed packet and it was opened so there were seeds in there. I stopped questioning my sanity and decided to look at the info for the two kinds of seed. One was to sprout within 4 or 5 days while the other was to take 8 days to two weeks. Even though I had been faithful in giving them both what they needed, one just wasn't ready yet. I now have two pots with sprouts, some much taller than the other, but nevertheless there is growth in both. I feel like this fits so much with God's work. Even though they may be in the same conditions, no two hearts are exactly the same or have had the exact same experience. We know what we are doing for people, but we don't always know what God is doing or at what pace he is doing it below the surface. If I had stopped taking care of the seeds that hadn't sprouted, they never would have sprouted.
So when the task at hand feels big, ll I need to do is love him and faithfully follow Jesus. That is all he asks me for and all he expects from me. When I do that, what does God do in his good timing? He let's a little miracle sprout.
Praise Him. Even though his ways may seem trying to me sometimes, they are actually refining and good for me. Praise him for his love and goodness to us. Praise him that he, unfathomably, loves us. Praise him, that even though we take more from him, he doesn't deny us or give up on us. Praise him for he is generous.

What little boys are made of...

We all know kids love animals. It just seems that I happen to get to have all the animal experiences with the kids at my school. Last year my students found a nest of rabbits, so of course I had to track down all the children who were holding them expecting to take them home and then check their pockets where some more bunnies just happened to appear. The year before that my kids found a baby bird and thoroughly convinced themselves their teacher would let them keep it as a classroom pet. Needless to say that didn't happen. So, dealing with students and animals, no problem for me, I have done it before. Or so I thought.

Today was an early release day at work, so my kids who stay after school were filing into their seats in the auditorium. While waiting for a few stragglers, one of my very, and I mean very, shall I say ornery kids gave me an experience I wasn't expecting and he wasn't even trying to cause problems. He was just being a little boy.

Boy: Miss Borders, can I show you something?
Me: Ummmmm.......maybe.
Boy: Please! I promise it's dead.
Me: You what!?
Boy: It's already dead.

Boy then proceeds to pull his hand out of his bag and opens it up to reveal a dead little snake wound up in his hand. Yuck and double yuck. He had been carrying it in his pockets and bag all day long. So next time you decide to be lazy and not wash your hands, realize you don't know what all your hands have been touching.

My weekend "flu" by

My father had his 56th birthday this past Tuesday (can my parents really be getting that old?!). I decided to go visit him and make him dinner. To make it even better, my mei mei (little sister), aka Qiu Lei, was able to come back with me and we were going to prepare a chinese dinner. Double bonus: I get to share awesome food and an awesome friend with my family and I get to spend some extra time before she graduates. The weekend started out well: B.B.Q for lunch, a trip to hastings for some afternoon fun and then off to do grocery shopping. Evan was finishing up an awesome characature (how do yo spell this word?) Qiu Lei and I were in the kitchen and all of a sudden I felt awful, but nothing hurt. I started feeling worse and worse. Finally, it happened. A little reversal in the lunch process and I have never been so turned off by ribs in my life. It got worse and worse. You would have thought I ate at Fuzzy's. :) I was completely miserable. We were supposed to come back Saturday night, but Evan and Qiu Lei decided we should stay. So...let me just take a moment to say how wonderful these two are. Our friend was getting baptized and we were so excited to go and they had plans for Sunday that they wanted to do. They decided to stay the night Saturday and stay longer Sunday, missing church and the baptism, because I felt bad. I felt so bad for them, but not once did they even act really bummed or pout or anything about having their plans rearranged. To top it off, they stayed up with me and kept checking on me to see how I felt and if I needed anything. My heart was overflowing with love for them and I was so humbled by their humility and serving hearts. So, my weekend wasn't what I was expecting at all, but I got to see my dad, grandma and was reminded just how amazing my mei mei and fiance are.

Ode to too much pop

44 oz of pop in my cup,
44 oz of pop,
Empty my bladder and fill it back up,
32 oz of pop in my cup.

32 oz of pop in my cup,
32 oz of pop,
I'm d.p.-ed out and getting wired up,
28 oz of pop in my cup.

28 oz of pop in my cup,
28 oz of pop,
Will be there in the morning when I wake up,
Because I put way too much pop in my cup.

Chips and Chats

I have concluded that skyping with my best friend is to my heart what fresh out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies are to my tummy. I love my whorts.....bet you don't hear that too often. :)

Horny and more (now that I have you intrigued, you will read!)

I think we all are always in need of a laugh; and well we know that kids seem to pull out some of the best lines, so try this one! My co-worker and I were supervising our kids in the cafeteria while they were eating. She walked by a table of our students and heard one of our normally well-behaved kids say, "I'm not horny!" After the shock of hearing a fifth grader say that, she proceeded with the protocol lecture of what is and isn't appropriate to talk about at school and as a fifth grader. As she halfway through her lecture, she notices the look of absolute bewilderment on his face. She then decides to ask him why he was saying that phrase, to which he replied, "They told me I look like I have horns."

Want another one? Last year, during reading time, one of my girls had her hand raised. She was reading a book about plankton and other microscopic creatures. She didn't understand the paragraph or know all the words. I pronounced phytoplankton for her and she proceeded to read the rest of the paragraph out loud to me. Everything was fine until she got to the parenthesis which said (tiny sea organisms). You can only imagine my shock when what should come out of her sweet mouth but, "tiny sea orgasms." Yes, that is what she said. If you don't get it reread it to make sure you got it right. To my horror, she continued on to read, "These tiny little orgasms....." I finally was able to compose a sentence after using all my energy not to show a terrified look on my face and alarm her. I told her the word was organism, and she of course had one more slip, but after that it was smooth sailing. My praise in both of these situations is that neither one of these two precious children had any clue what they were saying. Praise the lord they still have innocence.

Family and firsts

I went home for a quick trip to see my family this weekend. I went with my mom and grandma to see my cousin's high school basketball game. It was so much fun to watch the social dynamics of high school and junior high. Why walking in and out of a gym 20 times in one evening is so appealing I don't know, but I'm sure I did it too. I also had another first this weekend. I sold my dad's motorcycle. Yep...me, the girl who knows nothing about it! My dad wanted to sell it and told me he'd pay me if I put it on ebay and took care of all of it for him so I said sure. I didn't think anyone would buy it in the next couple weeks. Sure enough though, about 5 days into the listing a guy from said he was interested and wanted to drive up to take a look. I made the appointment and then my dad could make it so he asked me to meet the guy and show him the bike. I showed it to him, but the key wouldn't work.....probably because I brought the spare car key by mistake. In case you didn't know, a motorcycle key is very small. When I brought him the right key he fired it up and looked it over and said he'd take it and he didn't even haggle over the price! Maybe I found a new calling.....but highly unlikely.

Why I love my fiance....

Evan always helps anyone at a moment's notice and doesn't really grumble about it; one reason I really love him. I could learn more from him.

The false orange...look out Whorty!

So my friend Nila has this awesome Korean citrus tea and I decided I wanted to try to make some. Then when I found recipes I discovered it is easy to make...if you have citron. No, it is not an organic gasoline substitute, it is a citrus fruit that is kinda like a cross between a lemon, grapefruit and an orange. We don't have them in Emporia, but they are at some asian markets. I then wiki-ed the fruit and found that:

"While the most popular fruits are peeled in order to consume their pulpy and juicy segments, the citron's pulp is very dry containing only little insipid juice"

This doesn't sound like a big deal, unless you would have been in China and bought an orange and then found that orange to be really dry and not juicy at all.......why, it might not have been an orange at all! It might have been a citron. Yeah, that's all there is to this little detective story. I just got excited because I figured out how my "chinese orange" was dry.

I want to be a tax collector

Today in church we started a series on the 7 deadly sins. Doesn't sound too exciting, but today it was pride and it was really good. I know I have pride. And a lot of it. So today was really good for me. I hadn't thought about something P. Al said. The reasons these sins are truly harmful even though they seem so small compared to murder, adultery or whatever it may be, is because they are usually the root that these others sins stem from. Yikes! It is so true. People usually don't just get up and kill someone. Usually there is a motivator whether it is anger, jealousy, greed or something else that leads people in that direction. These are also not acknowledged as much as what appear to be "bigger" sins, so they are then left to do their work and are also a lot harder to detect because they are happening internally. I look at myself and find the desire to be really awesome. I know it is not necessarily bad to desire people to think good things of you, but they are definitely not the most important in the scheme of things or things that are most worthy of my time. I don't want to be a pharisee that looks good on the outside; I want to be a tax collector that is humble before God and just thankful that he is able to know God. I want to remain so focused on him that I don't think about what others think or what I appear like. Even while writing this it has been so easy for me to think, "what if my friends reading this don't understand this or take things the wrong way and..." yeah, you get the point. I am so grateful for a pride check and need them often. What a good reminder that God is faithful and going to give me what I need, whether earthly things or heart transformation, when I need it most.

Another weekend of firsts

So last weekend my mom came up because the bridal store in Emporia was having an auction. I was super excited to see my mom and go to my first auction that I would participate in. I had been to an auction my grandma had after my grandpa died, but I didn't have to buy anything of course. I wasn't sure I would be able to get some things I wanted, but I got two excellent finds!!! I was able to buy some crystal glasses from a box a lady had bought, so I got 10 glasses that would retail for around $200 for only $20. My next wonderful find I can't describe how cute they are, but they are wooden wine boxes with diagonal dividers that look like an X. I got 3 of them for $30 and can't wait to use them. Yeah for bargain finds! And my mom :) I had a really good time with her and am so glad she was willing to come. I am also so thankful because she got to come to Sunday school and I felt so blessed to have her there and seeing and feeling God's presence. I thank the Lord for her, for she is so important to me!

Happy Birthday to Whorty

Happy birthday dear Whorty,
I hope you like turning forty,
We want to send you something sweet and funny,
But right now we don't have enough money,
We miss having you around,
And hearing your familiar Whorty-sounds,
I hope good friends there will give you a party and surprise,
And who knows, maybe you'll meet some cute m-guys, :)
I'm sad you are so far away,
But we didn't forget your awesome day,
And don't fret because....
We send you lots of love!!!!!!

A moment's thankfulness

Last week was a normal worship service at church. Evan and I were standing and singing along and I noticed the boy and girl in front of me weren't singing. That didn't seem out of the ordinary. They are in or close to junior high and I know I didn't really sing in church much when I was their age. Then I started thinking about the people who I don't usually see sing in church, because you know, that's what worship time in church is for. I thought, hmmm, I think a lot of men don't usually sing along and I looked at the father in the family and he was singing. At that moment I felt a deep sense of thankfulness and started thinking about the other men who I know sing: Garen, Tim, Jason, Steve, Evan and so many others and thought how delighted I am that their daughters and especially sons are able to see them doing this for the Lord. Then during the service I noticed this particular father had gotten a bible from the back of the church and was looking up the passage Pastor Al was talking about and an even bigger sense of thankfulness and praise overwhelmed me because his children were also seeing this. I know a lot of times, especially around college guys, it is easy for me to be like "Where are all the steadfast men?" And at that moment, I felt like God was saying "They are right here." Praise the Lord that he is faithful and that there are men who are faithful and who model a life of Christ likeness in the moments when they may not even think or realize they are.

Frenzied Fun

Today felt like a whirlwind. Between my kids at work, trying to read Crazy Love for a study with fabulous staff ladies, helping with dinner, sending some birthday wishes and tidying up my room, I am pooped. But I did have a lot of fun and felt I received many blessings, such as: my own personal workout program designed by none other than the eco-friendly and health savvy Brandi Lundy, getting to spend some extra time with some of my favorite people, having multiple children's books read to me, and getting a much tidier room thanks to my dear love and two sweet ladies. Also, drum roll please, my curtains are finished and hung up in my room! How great are the people around me?! I couldn't have asked for a much better day.

Throwing something new into the mix

Friday: Girls' craft night at the church. (I made my last curtain panel for my bedroom, yeah)
Saturday: Hamburgers at J's(if you haven't been there you need to go), Paper beads, metal rock fashion show, metal music concert and wii tennis.
Sunday: Catan card game, more paper beads and tax info.

So, my weekend started out and ended like what I think most people would expect a weekend to look like for me: some do-it-yourself projects, eating at a quaint hamburger joint with my roommate and fiance, hangout time with some friends and a little business thrown into the mix. Oh, but wait! What is that there in the middle?! Yes, I went to a metal fashion show and concert that a friend of Evan and mine's was having with his wife. Definitely not my normal scene, so I was a little nervous at first, but then I was so excited. I was ready for an adventure and a chance to see people outside of my comfort zone. The fashion show was a little (or a lot) too immodest for my taste, but I was really impressed because most of the outfits were beautiful and wonderfully crafted and I would have worn a couple of them, but maybe with a pair of jeans or tights underneath. There was also this amazing and gorgeous apron that I fell in love with and if I had been sitting in the first row I just might have plucked it right off of that model. Then there was the music. Oh the music. I am not really, or at all a fan of what is referred to as screaming ( The closest I can come to describing the sound for those of you, mom, who may not have heard it before, is similar to that of an old man coughing a single-sounded long, raspy-from-the-depths-of-your-throat cough). While not so caring for the screaming, I did in fact enjoy the instrumental parts of the songs, much to Evan's delight. Even though it was not my style, I felt an appreciation for this event and what these people were doing, because here were my sweet brothers and sisters in Christ who were sharing His good news in a way that God made special for them-through their music. They had beautiful craftsmanship and beautiful heart. How wonderful is it that our good father can reach out to everyone in the ways that speak to their interests and personalities. How wonderful is it that instead of feeling the need to assimilate we get to be liberated and glorify him in differences.

Then sings my soul

How beautiful and stunning is the God who gives me sweet prayer time with two of my disciple-ees.

Pulling it together

Wake up late because I stayed up too late (silly me).
Plan outfit while lying in bed trying/praying to be joyful and excited about going to work.
Can't find pants that were planned for outfit.
Find pants folded in bottom of laundry basket with clean clothes.
Find small white spot on the upper butt region of pants; figuring they must be clean, it might be flour, and that shirt will cover spot, put on pants.
Get everything ready go and look in mirror to put hair up.
See big spot of glitter glue on pant leg.
No time to change, grab wet wash cloth and scrub off as much glitter as possible.
Walk out the door and realize glitter is from Bear Trap and pants aren't clean.
Gross. If only my boss knew just how deep my excellent "professional" look really goes. At least they don't smell like tuna.
Wait; are the other clothes clean in the basket?
Get asked by one of my least enjoyable (to put it nicely) students if I'm pregnant. (Don't get excited mom; I'm not pregnant.)
Feel like throwing up. (Really, I'm not pregnant)
Realize since park is unavailable on the 24th that the wedding might need to be moved to the 31st and that I would have move at the same time as my wedding.
Now I really want to throw up.
Becca brings me orange juice.
I feel loved and thankful.
Evan makes me dinner and watches a silly cartoon with me. (Thanks Daniel :)
My heart is happy and surrounded by comfort from the beautiful people Jesus put in my life.

Pudding anyone???

It truly is amazing how one can create so much drama over one's own cooking when "disaster" happens. Right, Lisa? :) I am making my aunt's cream puff dessert for a luncheon at work tomorrow for a lady who is retiring. Not only is it a cream puff, but it is a diabetic friendly cream puff. Everything is perfect and I have even made parts of it before Challenge so I won't be up late tonight. Lo and behold, disaster strikes! As I am putting the creamy pudding mixture on I think it looks awfully runny, but think maybe it needs time to set up and then I realize I think I was supposed to use a big box of pudding. (Enter over-dramatic scene, or maybe just one over-dramatic person): Brandi: Oh it is ruined! Evan: Honey, it will be fine. Brandi: No it won't and now all the ladies will judge me and are going to think I don't know how to cook and they think it is because I am not married. Evan: Brandi, they are not going to judge you. Yadda yadda and an unsuccessful trip to dillon's just before midnight because they are closed and no more pudding for me. I trudge home, sure my dessert is ruined and then it happened. I realize, they had to have made pudding at home before it was boxed so there must be a recipe, and if there is a recipe I'm sure it is online. And there it was. Five minutes later, thanks to the microwave and internet, out pops my homemade vanilla pudding (it is actually quite easy) and my cream puff is saved. (Exit drama) Praise God for he is patient, wise and loving when I am ridiculous. And Evan too. Evan is patient, not ridiculous.

Fifth grade fun

So I work with 5th graders; yes they are challenging (by they I mean a select few), but I do enjoy watching their personalities come out and seeing all the things they do in their own way. Today the teacher had them make assigned 3-dimensional shapes out of play dough. Right up their alley.....I thought. It was cute and hilarious because they were trying so hard, but most often the end result of a rectangular pyramid appeared to be that of a square that someone attached a tall spike to and then dripped melting cheese all over it. I never would have thought being able to make play dough 3-D shapes would have RAISED my cool points. Isn't fifth grade math great?!

Blogger Beginner

So, I have to admit that I am probably as shocked as anyone that I am embarking upon the adventure of blogging. My best friend is overseas and I am horrible at keeping in touch with people, so naturally the solution to that is to keep a blog. :) I don't really like New Year's resolutions, so I consider this a goal and lifestyle transformation. I am still designing my page, but will try to keep it updated with posts in the process. Welcome to my blog and happy reading!