Saturday, January 5, 2008
My Bry
The meaning of the name Bryant is "Strong". The meaning of his middle name, Caleb is "Courageous". My prayer is that he grows into a strong and courageous man who loves his Lord with all that he's got.
It's not Bry's birthday or any special occasion but I really wanted to do a blog about my favorite boy. Maybe because it's a New Year, which always leads me to look back at how for we've come. I remember 8 years ago, I was well into my pregnancy and had no idea what our little guy would look like. It was the big Y2K and I didn't know what the new year held for me except that I would be holding our sweet child in the months to come. I didn't realize that my heart would be taken for such a ride when I signed up for motherhood. It has brought me to such heights and sometimes such excruciating pain. I didn't know I could love a tiny little bundle of life so much. I remember times of loving him so much that I would just hurt over it and sometimes even cry. Funny thing motherhood is.
For now, we'll just love him and lead him the best we can. Hopefully, he'll put that "strength" and "courage" to good work as his precious life unfolds.
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you, wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
It's not Bry's birthday or any special occasion but I really wanted to do a blog about my favorite boy. Maybe because it's a New Year, which always leads me to look back at how for we've come. I remember 8 years ago, I was well into my pregnancy and had no idea what our little guy would look like. It was the big Y2K and I didn't know what the new year held for me except that I would be holding our sweet child in the months to come. I didn't realize that my heart would be taken for such a ride when I signed up for motherhood. It has brought me to such heights and sometimes such excruciating pain. I didn't know I could love a tiny little bundle of life so much. I remember times of loving him so much that I would just hurt over it and sometimes even cry. Funny thing motherhood is.
For now, we'll just love him and lead him the best we can. Hopefully, he'll put that "strength" and "courage" to good work as his precious life unfolds.
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you, wherever you go. Joshua 1:9
Sunday, December 30, 2007
31 Flavors for my 31st Birthday
Since today is my 31st birthday, I decided to do 31 random thoughts, quotes and verses that are important to me and have in some way shaped my life and how I try to live it. I know this is long but it is my birthday and the one day out of the year that I can get away with being on a soapbox. If you read to the end, kudos to you! Thanks for reading! Comments are always appreciated.
1. “He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?" -Micah 6:8
2. “Treat others the way you want to be treated” -Jesus Christ (paraphrased, see Luke 6:31)
3. “Bloom wherever you’re planted.” -Unknown
4. “As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” -Nelson Mandella
5. “I will act as if what I do makes a difference.” -William James
6. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” -Eleanor Roosevelt
7. “Life isn’t so much about being a good runner as it is about being a good hurdler.” -JK
8. “Memories are all we really own.” -Elias Lieberman
9. “The grass is always a little greener after the storm.” -Unknown
10. “What you are is God’s gift to you. What you make of yourself is your gift to God.” -Unknown
11. Have you ever noticed that peer pressure doesn’t go away after the teenage years? It rolls over into the way you parent, the car you drive, what kind of house you buy and on and on. At least teenagers have the courage to voice their opinion to the other’s face instead of in gossip like most adults do.
12. “Be the lead dog because the other dogs don’t get a good view, they just see other dogs’ rear-ends.” -My Uncle Gary
13. “If it’s not helpful to the person you’re talking to or the person you’re talking about, then don’t say it.” -Jim Warren
14. “I’m continually moved by Christ’s willingness, not just to meet us halfway, but, like the father of the prodigal, to run the entire distance once we take the first step in His direction.” -Beth Moore
15. “On your way up the ladder, don’t step on anyone else because you never know when you’ll need to come back down that ladder.” My Grandpa Bryant
16. “If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” -Thomas Edison
17. “Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother.” -Lin Yutang
18. “If you do it right the first time, you don’t have to go back and do it again.” -Mom
19. “Life is short, it’s up to you to make it sweet.” -Sadie Delany
20. “A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.” -Unknown
21. “Don’t depend on a rabbit’s foot for luck. Remember, it didn’t work too well for the rabbit.” -Anonymous
22. “You don’t have to tell others everything you know because then they’ll know everything they know plus everything you know. It’s good to keep some things to yourself.” -My Grandpa Roberts
23. “Think for yourself. Be a leader.” -Dad
24. “I praise loudly, I blame softly.” -Catherine II of Russia
25. “When you belong to God, you have the privilege of expecting what others cannot see or imagine.” -Angela Thomas
26. “I am conservative on the fundamentals of the faith like Jesus Christ, the Bible, the resurrection and those "essentials" but I am very liberal in grace and love and forgiveness and all the things that I see God liberally giving to us.” –Curt Bradford
27. “There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness.” -Lady Blessington
28. “You know, if we had kids, they’d have blue eyes.” -Caleb Kesler (on our 1st date- no joke)
29. “…Peace means the absence of fear and turmoil, not the absence of pain and grief.” -Beth Moore
30. In my 31 years with all of my moves, experience, exposure to many kinds of people and cultures I’ve learned some things about the human race. We all bleed red, we all have hurts & insecurities, there are wonderful people all over the world in all shapes, sizes and colors and we all need Christ as our Savior.
31. “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength….You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30&31
1. “He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?" -Micah 6:8
2. “Treat others the way you want to be treated” -Jesus Christ (paraphrased, see Luke 6:31)
3. “Bloom wherever you’re planted.” -Unknown
4. “As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” -Nelson Mandella
5. “I will act as if what I do makes a difference.” -William James
6. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” -Eleanor Roosevelt
7. “Life isn’t so much about being a good runner as it is about being a good hurdler.” -JK
8. “Memories are all we really own.” -Elias Lieberman
9. “The grass is always a little greener after the storm.” -Unknown
10. “What you are is God’s gift to you. What you make of yourself is your gift to God.” -Unknown
11. Have you ever noticed that peer pressure doesn’t go away after the teenage years? It rolls over into the way you parent, the car you drive, what kind of house you buy and on and on. At least teenagers have the courage to voice their opinion to the other’s face instead of in gossip like most adults do.
12. “Be the lead dog because the other dogs don’t get a good view, they just see other dogs’ rear-ends.” -My Uncle Gary
13. “If it’s not helpful to the person you’re talking to or the person you’re talking about, then don’t say it.” -Jim Warren
14. “I’m continually moved by Christ’s willingness, not just to meet us halfway, but, like the father of the prodigal, to run the entire distance once we take the first step in His direction.” -Beth Moore
15. “On your way up the ladder, don’t step on anyone else because you never know when you’ll need to come back down that ladder.” My Grandpa Bryant
16. “If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” -Thomas Edison
17. “Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother.” -Lin Yutang
18. “If you do it right the first time, you don’t have to go back and do it again.” -Mom
19. “Life is short, it’s up to you to make it sweet.” -Sadie Delany
20. “A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.” -Unknown
21. “Don’t depend on a rabbit’s foot for luck. Remember, it didn’t work too well for the rabbit.” -Anonymous
22. “You don’t have to tell others everything you know because then they’ll know everything they know plus everything you know. It’s good to keep some things to yourself.” -My Grandpa Roberts
23. “Think for yourself. Be a leader.” -Dad
24. “I praise loudly, I blame softly.” -Catherine II of Russia
25. “When you belong to God, you have the privilege of expecting what others cannot see or imagine.” -Angela Thomas
26. “I am conservative on the fundamentals of the faith like Jesus Christ, the Bible, the resurrection and those "essentials" but I am very liberal in grace and love and forgiveness and all the things that I see God liberally giving to us.” –Curt Bradford
27. “There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness.” -Lady Blessington
28. “You know, if we had kids, they’d have blue eyes.” -Caleb Kesler (on our 1st date- no joke)
29. “…Peace means the absence of fear and turmoil, not the absence of pain and grief.” -Beth Moore
30. In my 31 years with all of my moves, experience, exposure to many kinds of people and cultures I’ve learned some things about the human race. We all bleed red, we all have hurts & insecurities, there are wonderful people all over the world in all shapes, sizes and colors and we all need Christ as our Savior.
31. “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength….You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30&31
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Serious Disappointment
For the last week I've been planning on everything I wanted to do while in Arizona. I've been planning on giving my dad plenty of "Elle time" so he can get to know her a little better and spoil her by taking her outside and walking around teaching her things for hours. (that's what my dad is known for with the littlest grand babies) Caleb and I have talked about taking my dad's jeep out and watching the sunset (one of our favorite things to do) and all kinds of little things that mean a lot to us. Bry and DJ have been beside themselves with plans of fun times with Momo & Papa and running around their 5 acres, which is any kids' dream place. So I spent Wednesday and Thursday doing laundry and packing. In addition to clothes, I packed my nephews' and brothers' and sister's Christmas gifts. I couldn't wait to get to AZ.
My brother gave us buddy passes and I knew that their was a risk involved but since we checked everything out online in advance, I thought FOR SURE we'd get there on schedule. WRONGO! Not only did we not get there on time, we didn't get there at all. After being bumped from 5 different flights and none really looking good for the next couple of days, we gave up at Philadelphia and decided to come back home. I felt like a kid because I actually had to walk away from the customer service desk so the lady wouldn't see me cry. The hardest part was calling my dad to tell him. I was weepy for the rest of the day. Then I got home, fell into bed and napped for awhile. I was seriously sleep deprived and emotionally drained. Now I'm feeling a little better but I have to admit, I'm still really sad. I guess it just wasn't meant to be this time around.
My brother gave us buddy passes and I knew that their was a risk involved but since we checked everything out online in advance, I thought FOR SURE we'd get there on schedule. WRONGO! Not only did we not get there on time, we didn't get there at all. After being bumped from 5 different flights and none really looking good for the next couple of days, we gave up at Philadelphia and decided to come back home. I felt like a kid because I actually had to walk away from the customer service desk so the lady wouldn't see me cry. The hardest part was calling my dad to tell him. I was weepy for the rest of the day. Then I got home, fell into bed and napped for awhile. I was seriously sleep deprived and emotionally drained. Now I'm feeling a little better but I have to admit, I'm still really sad. I guess it just wasn't meant to be this time around.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...
We have had such a great time preparing for and celebrating Christmas this year! Last year we had just closed on our house on Dec 8th and began moving in on the 9th, which left very little time to shop and decorate for Christmas. We've been anticipating the enjoyment of the Christmas season for a year now! So this year we really indulged in baking, hanging lights, wrapping gifts, listening to the songs and simply enjoying the season. Yesterday Caleb and I laughed hysterically at the line in Little Drummer Boy that says, "The ox and lamb kept time..." We both acted out parts as an ox or a lamb stomping our hooves, swinging our (immaginary) tail or baaaaa-ing in beat. Pretty funny stuff if you can get a visual of the two of us acting it out between lauging so hard we could barely breath!
Last night we attended our church's candlelight service. It was fun to dress the kids up in their Christmas clothes and go sing beautiful songs and take communion as we celebrated God's love for us. How significant those songs are when we consider that the God of the universe loved us enough to take on flesh and walk among us and ultimately die for us. It still amazes me and I hope that it never because mundane for us. Next we headed over to our good friends' house for a wonderful dinner, games and a lot of laughs.
Today we went to my cousin Deb's house and had a terrific time together! It was so great to just visit, eat and share the day together. On Friday, we plan to fly to AZ to see my family. I can hardly wait and I just want to pinch myself when I think about it. Sunday is my 31st birthday and I'm excited that I get to spend it with my parents! I absolutely LOVE this time of year and getting to go home to AZ makes it that much more special!
Last night we attended our church's candlelight service. It was fun to dress the kids up in their Christmas clothes and go sing beautiful songs and take communion as we celebrated God's love for us. How significant those songs are when we consider that the God of the universe loved us enough to take on flesh and walk among us and ultimately die for us. It still amazes me and I hope that it never because mundane for us. Next we headed over to our good friends' house for a wonderful dinner, games and a lot of laughs.
Today we went to my cousin Deb's house and had a terrific time together! It was so great to just visit, eat and share the day together. On Friday, we plan to fly to AZ to see my family. I can hardly wait and I just want to pinch myself when I think about it. Sunday is my 31st birthday and I'm excited that I get to spend it with my parents! I absolutely LOVE this time of year and getting to go home to AZ makes it that much more special!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Thursday's 13 ~ Things About Our Kids
1. Out of our 3 children, only 1 of them can whistle. It's the 1 year old!
2. Delainey is starting to learn the names of letters and the sounds they make. She LOVES to "play school" and "do homework".
3. Tonight at the dinner table Bryant said "Come to Papa" to a sugar-snap pea he was getting ready to eat. Then he accidentally dropped it on the table and he dramatically said, "I just dropped my grandson!". (to him, Papa means grandfather- their interpretation of things is so funny!)
4. Elle has now added "yes" and "Momo" to her vocabulary!
5. Bryant is finally getting good at cleaning his own room and keeping things organized without me having to walk him through every step!!
6. I have yet to meet another kid who is the dominant one around Delainey. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing.
7. Bryant was honored to receive the Kiwanis "Terrific Kid" award this month!
8. Delainey recently informed us that she wants us to take her to the airport so she can get on an airplane and fly to Michigan ALONE! She stressed that she did not want us going to Granny & Pops house with her but that she'd be back home soon, as long as she got to go all by herself.
9. Elle has recently learned to walk and has progressed from a "Drunk Orangutan" to a "Sober Orangutan". It is so fun watching her motor around the house with this new found independence.
10. Delainey would rather help me in the kitchen than play with any toy in the world. This makes it difficult to get dishes done or dinner on the table but I am so honored that she loves to spend time with me that much!
11. Elle is finally putting on a little weight and seems much more energetic since we've started giving her iron drops!
12. Bryant just asked a couple of weeks ago if he could be baptized, which we are absolutely ecstatic about!
13. Our computer now is used more for things like barbie.com, lego.com, pbs.org and kid things than the normal stuff like finances and e-mail. I find myself competing with the kids for computer time.
There is never a day that goes by that they don't make us laugh out loud. We hope there is never a day that goes by where we don't realize just how incredibly blessed we are! The choice for me to stay at home with our children has financial sacrifices but I wouldn't trade all the money in the world for the memories I get to make with these precious little ones. I thank the Lord continuously for blessing me far beyond anything I could ever deserve!
2. Delainey is starting to learn the names of letters and the sounds they make. She LOVES to "play school" and "do homework".
3. Tonight at the dinner table Bryant said "Come to Papa" to a sugar-snap pea he was getting ready to eat. Then he accidentally dropped it on the table and he dramatically said, "I just dropped my grandson!". (to him, Papa means grandfather- their interpretation of things is so funny!)
4. Elle has now added "yes" and "Momo" to her vocabulary!
5. Bryant is finally getting good at cleaning his own room and keeping things organized without me having to walk him through every step!!
6. I have yet to meet another kid who is the dominant one around Delainey. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing.
7. Bryant was honored to receive the Kiwanis "Terrific Kid" award this month!
8. Delainey recently informed us that she wants us to take her to the airport so she can get on an airplane and fly to Michigan ALONE! She stressed that she did not want us going to Granny & Pops house with her but that she'd be back home soon, as long as she got to go all by herself.
9. Elle has recently learned to walk and has progressed from a "Drunk Orangutan" to a "Sober Orangutan". It is so fun watching her motor around the house with this new found independence.
10. Delainey would rather help me in the kitchen than play with any toy in the world. This makes it difficult to get dishes done or dinner on the table but I am so honored that she loves to spend time with me that much!
11. Elle is finally putting on a little weight and seems much more energetic since we've started giving her iron drops!
12. Bryant just asked a couple of weeks ago if he could be baptized, which we are absolutely ecstatic about!
13. Our computer now is used more for things like barbie.com, lego.com, pbs.org and kid things than the normal stuff like finances and e-mail. I find myself competing with the kids for computer time.
There is never a day that goes by that they don't make us laugh out loud. We hope there is never a day that goes by where we don't realize just how incredibly blessed we are! The choice for me to stay at home with our children has financial sacrifices but I wouldn't trade all the money in the world for the memories I get to make with these precious little ones. I thank the Lord continuously for blessing me far beyond anything I could ever deserve!
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