proclaiming great things HE has done

Have a question about your food? Tweet your local farmer!

2011-08-23T23:54:00.003-05:00

I had the unique opportunity this past week to come and answer questions for a room full of farmers and ranchers. You may wonder why said folks would have any questions for lil ole me? I want to share with you an awesome website: AgChat.org. Their mission is to "Empower farmers and ranchers to connect communities through social media platforms." My friend Rachel Brown, Lindsey Ferrier, and myself were invited to be panelists for a question and answer session based on our status of "mommy bloggers".

The conference was set in Nashville, Tennessee, but the attendees were from all over the United States and Canada. These farmers and ranchers are finding their "voice" in a technology driven world, and have a desire to be heard. Farmers and Ranchers make up 1.5% of the population. They want to hear from the rest of us, from me; where we get our information, what we know about farming, and how they can reach the blogging and online community to share their stories. Here I was, in a room with about 150 of them, and to be honest, I felt like I pretty much represented the ignorant citizen. I don't say that in a bad way, because I also represented the person eager to learn, and one that wants to connect with them and pass on what I learn to others like myself.

So many of them had questions about what they could do to be heard, how they could get their voice out there. I think a few felt defensive, because for years media has had its say in "what goes on" and they feel like there is a lot of catching up to do. I hated to say "be patient, it's working", but it's so true! Just the fact that this organization exists is huge. I did a quick google search of "tweet your local farmer", and numerous news articles came up. Your words are getting out there, you are being heard. It was all so exciting to me to know that technology is reaching as far as it is.

If I could say one thing to those I met this week, it's to know you are heading in the right direction. The speed of social media and word-of-mouth, is exponential. You will "catch up" quicker than you ever imagined. Keep learning, keep sharing, keep posting, keep tweeting. We are out here wanting to learn and the number of "us" is growing. We are realizing that it is our responsibility to know what we are putting into our bodies, and why. We aren't just taking "yes" or "no" for an answer anymore, and we are looking for truth. Thank you for caring enough to speak. Thank you for doing the dirty work for the 98.5% of us. Thank you for sticking with it for generations and generations. What a pleasure it was to spend this short time with you, and feel free to keep in touch! I want to pass on your websites, facebook pages, blogs, tweets, and stories to others that I know. I also hope to run into some of you again and get a chance to see your farms, and learn about what you do. It was really humbling for me to be in there with you all, and though I didn't have much time then, we can always connect right here. Ag is Life!

shanna.brawner@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/shanna.brawner

twitter: sbrawner7

"ME" time...

2011-05-27T15:07:00.001-05:00

I guess since these boys came from "me", it would appear I get a lot of "me" time these days... Truth be told, "me" time should be about Shanna, and "Shanna time" doesn't really exist. There should also be "me and Keith" time, which is also very lacking. So, in saying that, I have been taking the time to dream and slowly take given opportunities to try and plan for this so called "time".

Things I want to, and WILL do:

Horseback Riding. It has been WAY too long, and I love it WAY too much. (it hasn't helped that every other second I'm pregnant, and I think it is frowned upon to do this whilst carrying a wee one)
MUSIC. Shanna is a musician? Yea, I almost forgot myself. But the time. is. now.
Socializing. I am a social butterfly. Always been one, always will be. I need my fix. Girl dates? Bookin' em as I type.
DATE. I want to date. I want to date my husband. I want to date my husband at least once a month. And I will do this.
Learn. I want to learn, grow, mature in my faith. I want to take a class, engage in a study, be IN my Father's Word. One opportunity may be in the fall (when I have dependable childcare), but I've already got a class in mind. And it's for couples. Look out, I'm gittin' two birds with one stone.
One more is a "bucket list" type wish that is actually going to come true for me. I decided to start drama on my facebook page, and hold out the announcement until it actually happens. I have many people out there curious about what this may be. I just got butterflies, again, by simply typing about it.

The best part about all of these "dreams" (funny the things we dream before kids, and the things we do before kids that become dreams after) is that God has been laying them all out there, RIGHT in front of my nose. Horseback riding? Done, my friend has two horses in need of exercise. I'm hoping to make this a Monday night "thing" all summer. Music? Stay tuned to hear, but I have 2 performance opportunities already waiting, and one possible worship gig that would mean the MOST to me out of all 3. I've booked a few girl dates, maybe even starting down a business venture to help us knock out some debt and get me some adult mental stimulation once in a while. Stay tuned on that one... Dates? Working on that for sure, but to start we're signed up to do a couples bootcamp workout starting at the end of June, and then hoping to take a class together this fall. All that to say, I WILL take time away from cleaning up pee and boo-boo prevention. I love my day job, and wouldn't change a thing, but I'm excited about making a few changes to the daily grind.

BLESSED

2011-05-16T00:24:00.003-05:00

The gifting continues. God has gifted Keith creative freedom at his job, an opportunity to chase a passion he has and support to do so. He has also gifted Keith with a raise in pay for all of his efforts (we got the news the SAME DAY we found out that the Jeep engine was possibly blown), and entrusted our family with these earthly resources that we may follow the Spirit's prompting and use them to glorify His kingdom. The gifting never stops. The insignificant things that we put so much weight in. I believe God uses the small things to pull our ignorant earthly minds and eyes to the truth of his Love. If it takes finding my cat hiding in a rose bush to bring me to my knees in gratitude and worship, then I'll take it. He is jealous for me.

out searching for Louisa one morning

As I whine about my losses; my loss of sleep since my boys have decided 6am is a great time to wake up, the day my cat decided to disappear for 24 hours and only to be found after searching for her in a field with kids in tow, the loss of the attention of my baby who would rather try to walk than lay still and nurse like I'd want, and the loss of my milk supply as I adjust to pumping (with a chewed up tube. Thanks again kitty...), the stresses of April pale in comparison to the depth of separation we are faced with apart from Christ.

Blessed.

Being blessed is nothing short of being a child of God. Tangible gifts really don't deserve the title of "blessings" when you have the amazing grace of God and incomparable sacrifice of Jesus Christ. I am blessed. Unworthy of this and completely humbled by it. God's promise of provision will never fail. As I relish in each of these little "gifts" that bring me earthly joys, I stop to remember the GREATEST Gift that will bring me never-ending joy. The kingdom of heaven that I've inherited as one that is poor in spirit, the fulfillment I'll receive to quench my hunger, the laughter that will drown out the tears of this lifetime. THOSE are the blessings, THAT is the Greater story.

And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. Luke 6:20-21

da jeep

2011-05-15T23:39:00.005-05:00

Well. I love our Jeep. We didn't always see eye to eye, but sometimes it takes losing something to realize how much you loved it. Keith and I have been pretty determined to set specific 3 month goals and knock em out of the water. This current "quarter" we were focusing on the Jeep. (and never realized what that would entail!!) We needed tires, probably rotors and break pads, and a few other things that we had been putting off but were ready to tackle. It just so happened, "focusing on the Jeep" became something much greater than we imagined.

We got to the tires part, and the next day Keith took a day trip to Knoxville with a buddy for a football game. On the way home, a Saturday evening after everything was closed, the Jeep started acting funny and stalling. Scared to risk any more distance, and getting farther and farther into no man's land, they decided to pull over and call our road side assistance. It just so happened that the closest place they could tow to, that was opened, was a Jeep dealership. After towing the Jeep, the next step was to get home. Our insurance covers a rental for accident based needs, but not for simple car breakdowns. This posed a little bit of a problem, but with our God, who takes care to feed the tiniest insects let alone His most cherished children, it was no surprise when the dealership cheerfully GAVE Keith a loaner car to simply take home that night. It made for a long evening, but one that ended where he could collapse in his OWN bed.

We had to wait until Monday before we could hear the news on the Jeep. It was a long 2 days, but reality didn't really set in until we got the call. They basically said it was all bad news and they were happy to put in a brand new engine for $7500. Oh, and they needed the loaner car back ASAP. This is never good news when you still OWE on the vehicle that needs the new engine. Keith and I went immediately to prayer. We weighed our options, and even made a couple little "spider" charts comparing different situations and financially how it could or couldn't work. We wanted to be all "Dave Ramsey" with our decision, but also wondering how we find a trustworthy, affordable, "craigslist" car in only a few days. Plus, the Jeep WAS at a dealership, and a trade in for something new was very tempting. The next few days were filled with more phone calls (all while Keith was trying to continue working for the money that would pay for all this craziness) and they finally worked up a deal that if we wanted to, we could do a trade in with them and they could sell us a brand new Liberty for $398230892358 a month. Okay, maybe not that much, but close enough. We thought about it for about .02 seconds before we said NO! A "Ramsey" car just felt like it was what God was telling us to do.

Keith started hitting up craiglist. It's pretty funny(though not so funny when it's your only option), some of the stuff you'll find out there. We continued to pray about it and found a few options. We had to think fast because they were needing the loaner back. Don't forget, we had our beautiful Christmas gift Belinda (not even sure I've told this story), and Keith was taking her to work every day, but she's not kid friendly at all. Once the loaner was returned we would be short a car to take the kids anywhere. We stretched our privilege through Easter so we could go to church, and continued to make calls about cars, but each one we liked was already gone. Even the 4Runner we were really excited about and actually called about ON Easter Sunday. Then Monday rolled around and our friend Aimee of New Creation Blocks came by to drop off our winning prize block for Will. We won a photo contest and chose a customized memory block of his Dedication. When she stopped over I had mentioned the situation with the Jeep, and how starting the following day, when Keith was planning on returning the loaner, we'd be carless. She told us that her husband was selling his 4Runner and she would send me some information on it. Yes, My God is an awesome God. Needless to say, it was the. perfect. match. for. us.

Will's Dedication block

Now, getting the loaner to the boondocks and the Jeep back to Spring Hill was a quest in itself. It took a LOT of finagling a few desperate facebook posts, and one amazing Angel and her husband to meet our needs with a pickup truck to borrow. Keith spent the day loading, unloading, hitching, unhitching, driving, driving, and driving until we finally got the good ole' Jeep home at last. Our next door neighbor helped him push it into the driveway since the driveshaft had to be removed. (I'm adding that part because, as I had mentioned, God is present in every detail. You'll see what I mean.)

So, making this long story longer... All things were working together for good. We had put a deposit on our friend's vehicle and were waiting on a check deposit to close the deal. Keith calls me from work. "The Nissan's not working. I ran an errand and just got back to the parking garage and it just died. I had to push it into a parking space." I have to admit. In all of her 80s splendor, I really loved Belinda. Her silvery coat and rust colored hood. Eau de gasoline scent and white noise melodies. I had started to get a little too attached, and then she went and broke my heart (and something else under the hood.) Our amazingly gracious friends did an amazingly gracious thing, and let us have their beautiful 4Runner a few days early. They even included a thick covering of prayer over the vehicle that it would be a blessing to our family. It was a fantastic day. We were suddenly a family with wheels once again. Our neighbor, sweet as can be, gave Keith a ride over to their house to pick it up.

So it turned out that Angel was selling the pretty blue pickup truck that safely brought our sweet Jeep home. And it just so happened our next door neighbor had been needing a vehicle for quite some time and REALLY wanted a pickup truck. With a little more divine intervention, God gifted two more people who had gifted us with generosity, and provided a sale for one and a truck for the other.

What will become of sweet Belinda? Still praying about that one, and the Jeep? We hope to find out exactly where the problem is and hopefully get it fixed and running as a second vehicle. As for right now, this 4Runner is like a dream vehicle for Keith and I. The color, the make, the engine, the ride... Thank you Lord for your unfailing promise and overflowing provision.

It's the little things...

2011-05-14T21:43:00.000-05:00

The dell laptop I was using had seen better days. The battery had died and the laptop became pretty stationary. Doing graphic design with a track pad was also getting very old. The shift key had been "removed" by my biggest little and SLOW didn't even begin to describe my work speed. Keith surprised me one weekend and set me up with a beautiful workstation including a MacBook, large secondary monitor, and new software. I was able to recreate some old graphic images and blew through my commissioned project like I had never lost anything. Wow Mac, I'm a believer. It just so happens that he was upgraded through his job, and gave me his iPad and Droid phone as well. Lots to learn, and little time to use it all, but what a pleasant surprise. :) I've been thinking about expanding my graphic work and hopefully doing some more commissioned pieces, so this was really a gift.

the first new project I did was a first birthday invitation for my dear friend

Gifts of grace

2011-05-13T21:43:00.013-05:00

Consuming God's blessings without communicating His goodness

short-changes the very purpose of His gifts of grace in our lives

- Joe Stowell

Wow. It's been a while. God has been at work so much in our lives, and it would be wrong to not take the time to share His goodness. It started with loss. Not just one, but many. Not jobs this time, but material things. The things that shouldn't hurt so much, but find a way to hit us right in the gut. The enemy sits and waits for these types of opportunities. He attacks when we're consumed with all of our human grossness, when our eyes are briefly distracted from the Greater Story and pulled like magnets into self.

Loss #1) My flash drive failed. I lost all of my graphic work that I've done over the past 3 years. In the technology driven world we live in this is not a rare occurrence, but it IS the worst. thing. ever. I was completely defeated. I was in the middle of a HUGE commissioned project based on the work I had done the year before. All of it was gone. I took it to get it recovered, and it was found to be completely corrupt.

Problems that turned into loss #2) Jeep, jeep, jeep. We love you. You have been good to us. After dropping close to $1000.00 on some silly repairs, and the day AFTER putting new tires on you, you decided to pass out in the middle of Nowhereville, TN after hours. Sorry we pulled off your driveshaft, but glad you're finally home.

Loss #3) Our beauty queen, Belinda, also decided to take a nap (indefinitely?). God rest her pretty soul. Not sure what will become of her now.

Loss #4 & 5) Dropped the flip camera in the toilet and my cellphone in the tub. Flip camera was somehow recovered, but the phone is forever on silent. It's not like anyone calls me anyways, so I don't mind too much. Thanks to Facebook and a friendly tip, putting the phone in a bowl of rice over night worked as the rice absorbed any residual water. I was able to save my pics and vids which was my biggest worry.

Loss #6, 7, 8, 9... ) my sanity, sleep, weight (I don't mind this one), milk supply (I'm working on it), and I could probably continue. Whining? Yes.

SO WHAT? My desire is to write about God's amazing grace and provision! We're all well aware of our human selfishness and lacking. I'm going to break it up into a few posts because I want to tell the detail.

"Randomness is not random to God. God is not the least taxed by keeping every subnuclear particle in it's place..."

- John Piper

The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the LORD. Proverbs 16:33

so this is what it feels like...

2011-01-11T18:59:00.007-06:00

"this may not be the road I would choose for me
but it still feels right somehow
cause I have never felt you as close to me as I do right now
So this is what if feels like to be led..."

(click to hear)

Wow. 2010, where did you go? As I sit in the midst of January 2011, I wonder, how much faster could this year have flown by? Then I try to slow things down a bit and I am in awe of what the Lord has done throughout this year. I recognize that there were in fact months that dredged on, and seemed to last forever. God pulled us out of them in ways that I could never have thought up on my own, and that just plain knocked my socks off. He fulfilled dreams that had been long forgotten, and helped to bring closure to lingering demons from the past. Oh, and the blessings, WOW was this year full of blessings!!! I really don't even know where to begin to try and recapture the wonder that 2010 turned out to be. (though I'm gonna!)

January. Well, if I'm gonna do this right, let's start at the beginning. January was a good but hard month. Keith and I had been talking (for months!) about when we thought would be the best to try for second child. We compromised and decided that we would give January a try, and see if that was something the Lord had in His plan for us. Extremely blessed, a little baby started growing in my belly! Though there were other things in this month that were haunting me, and bad habits I was creating for myself that would linger throughout the year, the excitement of what to come was overwhelming. In the meantime, Jack grew from eating baby food (the worst thing I remember while dealing with my first trimester nausea), to being a full on toddler. Talking, walking, singing, dancing... In March we celebrated my baby's first birthday, and also Keith's grandmother's 80th! Then, out of the blue, Keith got laid off. Keith's worst nightmare just flat out happened, and yet God provided a start date for a new job the day after his last day. In that moment we knew that any fears we may have would be overcome by God's provision.

In April, our beloved CBS came to an end. We had made some amazing friends, and I never knew then what an impact this event would have on our lives. I was sad also that I wouldn't be leading worship anymore each Monday night. I miss this dearly and hope to find another opportunity soon!

We celebrated 2 years of marriage at the end of May! If you had asked me a few years ago if I had thought I'd be married with two children in under 3 years I would have laughed. We also bid farewell to my brother and his wife as they set off on a new journey to the great state of Idaho. We still miss them TONS!!

June came along, and it was time to prove that we were having ourselves a little girl! Then the ultrasound announced BOY! And exhaling was difficult for a second. Another boy? What if we never have a little girl? God was gracious yet again, and exposed us to our need to "control" our lives. We surrendered to His will, and in reverence chose Will Patrick as the name for our little miracle. Right around this time, Keith got laid off, again, with nothing in the lineup (and immediate cease of all heath insurance). Our challenge was to TRUST this will that we so desired to direct us.

We took a spontaneous trip to Florida at the beginning of July. We felt called to reserve a time of rest, allowing the Lord to work in our lives. We spent an amazing time visiting my grandfather and introduced Jack to his great grandfather and the ocean. In this time of rest, God provided us peace that passes all understanding. We came home with no plans, just faith and hope in our Father's provision yet again.

Throughout the first half of the year I had some emotional struggles, and felt myself living some unhealthy habits for me, my family and my marriage. God continued to provide support through friends (primarily that I made through CBS and church), and the courage to ask for it.

In August, Keith went to catch up with a dear friend and leader of our CBS Core group. Their conversation over coffee ended up turning into a job opportunity, that turned into a complete life changing event. God provided us financial peace, immediate health insurance, and an opening for Keith to fulfill some of the need he had been missing in his life (along with the joy of doing something NEW!). It was an amazing month! Then Will decided he wanted to get some attention, and since we now had insurance he thought it would be perfect timing!

September was filled with hospital visits, family visits, and a whole lot of sitting around. Thank God for amazing doctors, an amazing hospital, and friends (again from CBS) that were able to make recommendations, educate, and answer any questions I could possible have. See here, here, here, here, and here... And if that wasn't enough, when we finally realized that Will was gonna sit tight for a while and planned a date for Will's cesarean birth, he decided to come on his own, 2 days early, in an amazing VBAC delivery.

October was a thrilling month! Birth story still to come... (until then, enjoy this short video) Yes, again, God's will superseded our own. When will we learn? We also took a trip with our new little guy to celebrate my dad's birthday in Atlanta. I got to introduce my new son to my grandparents. What a wonderful visit.

November led us to celebrate my husbands 35th birthday! We went on one of our only dates since Jack (which will NOT be the case in 2011, we're making sure of that!) to see the band NEEDTOBREATHE. What a wonderful time out with my husband, and rest from the craziness of everything this year had been.

And what a wonderful December. This year we chose to donate in honor of our families to our local Giving Tree program. If you click that link, you can read about God's work in action as our church was able to provide a shed to our local police department to store all the gifts for our local children. We always do a grab bag gift exchange with my dad, stepmom, and siblings. Keith and I were honored by my brother and sister-in-law who have selected to sponsor a Filipino child/family in our name. The child is provided education, a uniform and supplies for school. Also, the program they chose urges the families to attend a church program regularly which allows the family to learn about the Gospel together and find spiritual fellowship and support. This was a great gift to us as we have a growing family of our own. I pulled my dad's name. I found it fitting, since he introduced us to CBS in 2008, to donate to their international ministry program.

CBS has been an amazing gift to our family; financially, physically, spiritually, emotionally... the list goes on. They didn't run a CBS study this fall, but we hope to get involved again in the coming years. What an amazing organization, and praise God for placing just the right people in it amongst us. The holiday was great, we spoiled our kids, visited with family, and ate entirely too much! (and we can't forget THE GARTH BROOKS CONCERT!!!)

2011 is going to be an amazing year. We are on the upswing emotionally, financially, spiritually... We have some great biblical studies that we have started, we are deep in educating ourselves on self awareness, and have also taken some steps to deepen our marriage. I've decided that instead of naming a resolution, I'll wait till Dec 31, 2011 and just reflect in hindsight on a year that was led by the will of God. It worked for 2010.

"So this is what it feels like to be led..."

Will Patrick Brawner - ONE MONTH OLD!

2010-11-03T14:33:00.007-05:00

Will Patrick Brawner

born October 3rd, 2010 at 4:54am

7lbs 14oz, 20 inches long

Will is one month old TODAY! I can't believe how fast it has flown by. Life with two under two is BUSY! But I LOVE every second. Enjoy this video of Will's birthday. Birth story to come...

Sneak Peek

2010-09-30T13:31:00.004-05:00

Okay, well this may not be the "filled with pictures" post you were expecting, but I have something awesome to share!

We had an ultrasound today to get one last check on Will's size. The past month or so he has seemed to have been measuring bigger, but last week the doctor was concerned he may be smaller than she had thought. I kinda thought it was silly at first. Who cares if he is big or small, he's coming in 5 days no matter what! But we went ahead with the appointment to check him out (plus, it's always fun to see your lil guy in there moving around!) Well, she did the ultrasound and everything looks great. He is measuring about 7lb 2oz (give or take a pound), but is about a week or so behind in size. That doesn't mean too much though, as he is really healthy. They said the highest score rating you could get is an 8, and Will scored an 8!

This is the third ultrasound we have had. The first was the "gender" ultrasound at 21 weeks, and then I had a precautionary one when I did that stint in the hospital about a month ago. Keith missed that ultrasound as we had no idea what time I was going to have it, and he wasn't able to make it to the hospital in time to go with me. He really didn't want to miss the opportunity this time around, so he took the morning off and brought Jack along as well. Jack got to hear Will's heartbeat and also got to watch, but he was more concerned about all the goop on my belly and what the tech was doing than really paying attention to the black and white blurs on the screen. We could see Will's little profile and head shot, and tried to explain it to Jack, but it is sometimes hard for adults to see, let alone 1 year olds.

Right as we were finishing up, the tech said "I would do a 3D image for you, but this little guy's arm is right in front of his face." I poked my belly a little bit, and Will seemed to move slightly. Then she went from a different angle and said "Well, I'm going to try it anyway and see what we come up with." Sure enough, she was able to get a glimpse at Will's little face! He moved his armjust enough so that we could make out his eyes, nose, and lips. Wow, what an AWESOME thing to see! It finally, for the first time in 9 months, felt REAL! I looked over at Jack, and his smile was a mile wide. It was amazing to see him light up as he got to see his little brother for the first time. What a special moment.

So here is the sneak peek of what is to come in only 5 MORE DAYS!

(he looks a little like his brother, what do you think?)

Quick Post

2010-09-29T12:47:00.000-05:00

I made it to 38+ weeks! We have scheduled a date for a repeat c-section. If Will doesn't come on his own, and my body doesn't progress into any labor, then October 5, 2010 we will help things along a bit and welcome Will Patrick into the world! This is only 6 days away, and we're THRILLED! Hopefully my next post will be filled with pictures of our little guy!

still waiting!

2010-09-20T09:33:00.012-05:00

So we're still waiting on Will. Looks like he may go full term after all! The tease last weekend didn't help, but I go in Wednesday to schedule his "birthday" and it looks like it will be in less than two weeks; that ain't too bad.

We were able to get a few pictures taken, which was awesome. I think it's fun for the kids to see what I looked like when they were still in my belly! Jennie Pyfferoen did our pictures, and she did a great job.

We can't wait to have our little baby in the pictures with us! Next up, Mandy and Dylan are coming to visit and help out this week. With Keith at work during the week, and me still needing to rest most of the time, this will be an awesome help. We're so lucky to have family willing to travel and help us! Jack is also super excited to spend some time with his cousin. Should be a fun week ahead!

More News!

2010-09-08T11:30:00.003-05:00

So at today's doctor's appointment I was confirmed that by Sunday, Will is considered full term and it's time to leave it up to him (and my body) to decide when he is coming. I have been told to stop taking my meds on Sunday/Monday and then to go in once contractions start up. Wow, I could technically have this little boy THIS WEEKEND!! So exciting!

What a week!

2010-09-05T09:02:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the quality, Terbutaline makes me shake. And pray I make it till Thursday so I can get my hair done! (35 weeks)

Well, what a week! More excitement and adventure going on at the Brawner household. After last weekend's stint in the hospital, being sent home on an eventually modified bed rest, I prepared to sit around until at least October or whenever we decided to schedule our c-section. The reason for the scheduled c-section is because of my lack of progression during labor with Jack (considering his size and also the induction medications) and the probability of that happening again. Even with the strong contractions I was having last weekend, my cervix was showing NO SIGNS of any change. The good news was that everyone is healthy, bleeding had stopped, and bed rest was only precautionary and to prevent any further bleeding or strain. I was released to drive to future doctor's appointments, and even told that I may be taken off bed rest in a week or so, depending, as there was really no sign of risk.

My father and stepmother got into town late Thursday night to spoil me for a weekend and help watch Jack. What a BLESSING that turned out to be as the turn of events on Friday took Keith and I BACK to the hospital! I woke up Friday morning only to see more bleeding, and enough that it shook me up quite a bit. I hadn't done anything! No lifting, no straining... I had driven to a doctor's appointment the day before, but it was more sitting around than walking. I couldn't figure out what could be wrong, and assumed the worst. (though I felt normal) I had noticed that the night before the contractions had been stronger than usual (since I had been taking a procardia every 6 hours), but nothing else out of the ordinary. When we got into the hospital, the nurse told us that there was really no other tests that could be done. I had already passed all the tests, and the placenta looked great, cervix had showed unchanged, and I wasn't a risk for preterm labor. Plus, at this point, I was almost 35 weeks (which can be considered full term over 37 weeks in some cases). I had already had the precautionary steroid, and there was really not a whole lot they could do. She hooked me up to the monitors to make sure the baby looked ok (which he has never looked anything but) and she decided to check my cervix just to see... Well, it turns out that I was 1-2cm and 90% effaced! That's farther than I ever got with Jack! So it turned out that the bleeding was natural cervical change, the contractions were true, and that Will was just on his way EARLY!

Because I'm as far along as I am, they didn't pull out any of the "big guns" to stop the contractions. They gave me a few more doses of Terbutaline and a prescription of it to take home. My next orders were to sit and wait. Since no medication can stop TRUE labor, when the contractions come back, just like in any situation, we are gonna have a baby! WHAT EXCITING NEWS!! This could be ANY time, ANY day!

So that puts me to where I am now. It's Sunday afternoon, I'm still technically on bed rest. We'd like to keep Will cooking as long as possible, but I'm sitting and waiting, and counting any contractions I may feel. I still have some here and there, but nothing substantial. 6 is the magic number; if I have 6 in an hour, then we go in. This has made it so much more exciting because there is no "planned" date and time. We truly get to wait until Will (ultimately God) is ready. We still get the element of surprise. Also, if I continue to progress, there could always be a chance that when the contractions come back I will have dilated enough to proceed with a VBAC. That would be a totally unexpected and exciting experience!

Yet again, my socks have been knocked off at what God's will is revealing throughout this whole pregnancy. So excited for the next chapter to unfold!

Well, well, well...

2010-08-30T15:43:00.005-05:00

It's been FOREVER since I posted. And I didn't expect to be posting the first half of a birth story! (hopefully a REALLY EARLY first half!)

What a crazy weekend, but again, how amazing is God's provision in everything?! Praise the Lord we have health insurance, amazing doctors, serving family and friends, and, as of right now, HEALTH!

(*okay, any guys reading this, I'll try not to be too "detailed"... but read at your own risk*)

Friday morning I noticed some spotting and some strong contractions. I didn't think too much of it, and tried to ignore it, but it continued through Sunday morning. I called the "on call" doctor to see if I should be concerned. He suggested that I come in and get checked because Will is not full term until at least 37 weeks. It is a bit early and they wanted to make sure everything was ok. This is what I've noticed about this hospital and these doctors. They are SO thorough, and I really feel like I'm in GREAT hands! They take precaution and really make sure that it's in baby's best interest. The attention to detail and desire to educate has been awesome.

So after church on Sunday we came up to Baptist hospital. I'll spare the whining about how I hadn't eaten since 9:30am and wouldn't get to eat again for over 24 hours, because that was my own fault! They checked my cervix, and there was no sign of any dilation or change. This was GOOD news. They took some samples to make sure that the blood they were seeing had nothing to do with the fetus or any preterm labor. I passed all of the tests with flying colors. Then I met with the on call doctor who I had talked to on the phone. He told me that because the bleeding wasn't from my cervix or the baby, there was a possibility that it was placenta related. They asked me to stay overnight for some monitoring and gave me two shots of Terbutaline to slow/stop the contractions. Keith took Jack home and came back later with my laptop. Lifesaver!! Though Jack was having fun in the "stage like" window sill, there wasn't too much for him to do in the hospital room. It was a good run through for when Will gets here! Now we know to pack Toy Story to bring along.

Last night around 3am some contractions started up again, so they gave me a third shot of Terbutaline. (I won't be getting anymore shots, they have prescribed an oral pill if any contractions continue) This is a drug given in pill or shot form to relax things in the body; most commonly for people with asthma and breathing problems to relax their lungs in an attack. It just so happens to relax the uterus too, so it helped stop/slow my contractions. (this is important, because having a prior incision in my uterus, continuous contractions aren't a good thing...) Then this morning I met with my Doctor. The good news is that I'm not bleeding anymore, and barely contracting, and all my tests have been GREAT! So REST has been successful! The bad news, is that REST has been successful... Especially for a mom of a 17 month old. My doctor recommended me staying on bed rest to make sure that the bleeding doesn't come back.

Most of what I was told today was precautionary, and "worst case scenario" because it is really up in the air what can happen next. Bed rest means getting out of bed to use the bathroom, and possibly a quick shower once a day. That's IT! There are a few things still up in the air. First, how long I will be on bed rest? This can be anywhere from 2-4 weeks. I'm 4 weeks from Will being full term. Second, WHERE will I be on bed rest. It's still up in the air if they want me at the hospital for safety, or if they are okay to release me to rest at home.

I was scheduled for an ultrasound this morning to check on Will and my placenta and cervix. Also, I met with a "high risk" doctor. This again is precautionary because my doctor thought it would be a good thing to meet the "high risk" doctor ahead of time so that I would know him in case for any reason we need to use his team. Plus she wanted me to talk with him and see what he thought about everything going on. I'll tell you, it all sounded scary at first, but as the day has gone on I'm realizing that I'm passing EVERY test and EVERYTHING is really looking GOOD! So this is just precautionary, and that makes me feel like I'm really in good hands!!

The ultrasound went PERFECT! Will is doing amazing, my cervix is FAR from any kind of labor, and the placenta looks great. I got a few little pictures of Will too which was great, considering he wouldn't move enough at our 20 week ultrasound and we never got a good profile view. He is measuring over 5 pounds (which can be give or take 14 ounces, but 5lbs is a safe birth weight), his bones are nice and dense, heart is pumping beautifully, and he looks happy. The "high risk" doctor was very optimistic. He asked me a lot of questions about my family history, my personal medical history, and told me he doesn't see any reason for this to be a high risk pregnancy or delivery. But that doesn't mean I'm off the hook. Anything can happen at any time.

Another precautionary measure was taken to make sure that if an emergency happens Will is ready for the outside world. They are all very happy that I'm so far along... This means he has wonderful chances of being born healthy. But one thing they want to make sure, is that his lungs are fully developed. The high risk doctor said, that say I were to go home tomorrow, everything is fine, and in 2 weeks I start bleeding again. Because at that point I'm so close to full term, it may be easier to deliver Will than to wait for something bad to happen. Him and my doctor both recommended a steroid called betamethasone. This will give Will an extra boost in lung development, should early delivery occur. All in all, I was really impressed with the high risk doctor. He seemed VERY optimistic, and again, everything so far is looking normal and great!

We're still at a waiting game. I'm sure my doctor needs to review what the high risk doctor has said, along with the ultrasound results. The steroid comes in 2 doses that are 24 hours apart. I had one around 10am and will have another tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, that means I'm stuck here till at least 10 tomorrow. We just have to see what the next steps are, and how comfortable they feel with me leaving. As of right now, Jack is at a friend's house living it up with his buddy Phoenix. Next step is to see what we can arrange for him as far as being watched over the next few weeks. But we can only do one thing at a time and waiting is the first step.

I'll continue to keep you all updated on everything. I feel great and Will is also doing great, and that's most important! Thanks for all of the support! This hospital has pretty good food too, and I've been released to eat! Plus, I get cable and free wifi. Life is good.

**UPDATE**

I've been taken off my monitors because everything has looked great. The nurse said the doctor was hinting at me going home in the morning after the steroid shot. This is great news. I can't wait to be home again, I miss my family! Thank you for the prayers, I'm so glad my stay here was a positive one (and my tests came back negative) and that it was SHORT! Home to my own bed!

Quickfire

2010-06-25T12:58:00.004-05:00

Yea, I'm back on a Top Chef kick... ALWAYS loved the show, but this time around I know someone competing! So, this is my show for the summer. I mean, what else is there to watch! (especially if you're like me and don't have cable.) SYTYCD is my guilty pleasure, but I only like to watch the dancing, I don't really care who wins.

So anyways, back to US! I mean, I guess that's what you guys want to hear about. And now that I write that out, and look at the title of my blog, I'm feeling a little self-absorbed. Who am I to think that everyone wants to hear about "my wonderful life"? I guess maybe that's why I haven't written anything in a while. Not that everything isn't wonderful, but I just don't feel like anything has been that SPECTACULAR to blog about. But I'll fill you in, none the less.

First and foremost, WE ARE HAVING A BOY! Another boy! :D Most of the people reading this probably already knew, but I felt the need to say it. Will Patrick Brawner is his name, and it shouldn't be a surprise, but I'm ready for him to BE HERE! You'd think I'd love that I have 3 more months to plan and get ready, but waiting has never been a strength of mine. I'd rather him just get here, and then I can figure it all out. We are TOOOOOO excited to be having another awesome boy (they are so fun!) and Jack is going to be an awesome big brother. He already loves kissing mommy's belly because "babeeee lllllaa" is in there.

Jack has become very VOCAL as of late. Not that he wasn't before, but he can kinda say words now and is adamant that we hear, listen, and DO what he is asking. Part of this is really fun, finally able to communicate and find out what makes the little guy tick, but the other part can be exhausting. He always has something to say/sing, and is rarely quiet. (not that he's not adorable) He has taken a huge liking to a few different things, and wants to do them ALL THE TIME. If he had 10 hands, he would do them all at once.

He LOVES "Wooodee", "Ba" and "layloolayloo" (Woody, Buzz, and Jessie the yodeling cowgirl, yodelehee-yodelehee) He loves to point them out wherever he sees them, and scream their names. Sometimes I don't know HOW he spots them, but he does. He does this with "melmo" too (Elmo), but often in his excitement says "mama" instead. This get some interesting looks at the store when a child is screaming "MAMA MAMA MAMA MAMAAAAA" and pointing at the ceiling. It's the Elmo balloons that are up in every store, everywhere, that really gets him.

He is fascinated with Thomas the train. His cousin Cody handed down his massive Thomas collection over Father's Day weekend, and Jack hasn't stopped playing with them yet. He knows a few of the trains by name, and carries them everywhere. Last night he actually took each train (he has probably 20+) and set them up one at a time, in line, on his shelf. He even made sure to carefully place them on their wheels, right side up. Towards the end he started running out of room and started stacking them, but none the less, he LOVES his "choo choo"s.

He's become quiet interested in coloring as well. He wants to do this ALL THE TIME. I mean, maybe it isn't the coloring. He really just likes to hold the crayon and make one line on each page. Either on the characters nose, or whatever is in the picture that he can recognize and call out. He has a Sesame Street coloring book full of Elmo, balls, fish, birds, all the things that he loves. He won't let the page stay open long enough for mom to color anything, so I just let him flip through it a million times, front to back, to add a few dozen lines each day. One amazing thing about it, he holds the crayons correctly. He did this on his own, and won't hold it any other way. Mind you, he holds one in each hand, but the correct way. This makes for some very pretty lines.

He also loves "shh" (fish). He loves to eat them, color them, visit them at the pet store. I'm really considering getting him a little goldfish for his room just because he loves them so much. I think he wishes he was one. He LOVES the water. It would probably be impossible to get him out of the water if he knew how to swim and didn't need us. His need for independence still dominates and after a while he will want to squirm away from us and get up on dry land where he can do his own moving around. In the baby pool, that's another story. There is no getting him out. There is also nothing keeping him from wanting to go under. He taunts and teases, and occasionally succumbs to currents in the baby pool, but never getting upset enough to stop. Can't wait to get him to the ocean and see how the little "shhh" likes the waves!

Oh, and for the family that's interested, Jack had his 15 month checkup this week. He is 32 inches tall, 22lbs, and is "one of the healthiest babies" that our doctor knows. Still never been sick (besides the one time 105 fever that lasted a day), and still no ear infections (even with his fish-like instincts). Our lil boy is growing up!!

So what else? Well, for me, not too much is new. I take my GD test next Wed. I'm PRAYING to pass. Even if I do pass, I have to take it again 2 weeks later "just in case". I'm a little worried I won't pass, because I've been craving sugar lately. I'm hoping this isn't the case though, because taking my blood levels 4 times a day was one of the most unenjoyable things I've ever had to do. Plus, I gave away my blood level tester thingy, and those strips are EXPENSIVE! My sciatica has also been acting up, but luckily I have a chiropractor this time around to stretch me out and help with the pain. I still love being pregnant, and am having no big issues. I have the ability to take naps in the afternoon this time around, and don't have to wear heels. Life is good.

Pics n'at

2010-05-22T12:39:00.007-05:00

went to the cabin, had an AMAZING time

told lotsa stories

played a little music

even danced in the rain.

Brother and sister, WE WILL MISS YOU!!

played in a truck graveyard

had fun in a tunnel

enjoyed the sunshine

ran through the sprinkler

and thanked GOD for beautiful days, and beautiful babies

Mother's Day

2010-05-10T13:47:00.006-05:00

Mother's Day 2010

I had a fabulous Mother's day! It really keeps getting better, my life that is, every second. We went to a great service on Saturday night, and the best surprise was a gift that Jack had made for me in his class. This was my very first handmade gift from my baby boy. I loved it!! He had more fun holding it and smelling the flowers. If you can tell, the stems are a cut out of his little hand. Soooo sweet. We went out after church for ice cream. It was awesome.

Sunday, Keith and I had a class up at church in the morning and afterwards we took a few pictures by the pond. What a fabulous day! The breeze was a little chilly, but the sun was so warm. We went out afterwards to Pie in the Sky, which is a pizza place. (my request) Jack got to try his first pickle, and I was hoping he'd hate it so that I could eat it. The taste was definitely a surprise to him. I asked him if he could say "pickle" and he has not stopped saying it yet! This cracks me up... Pickles are an old favorite of mine.

After a trip home and a quick nap, we headed out to Lowe's. Keith and Jack wanted to get me a flowering plant for the yard! Jack had a blast smelling everything in the store. We ended up settling on 2 Strawberry Sunset Hibiscus plants. Since they are annuals, we decided to keep them in pots outside so we can bring them inside for the winter. I can't wait to see the blooms, and will definitely post a picture.

After that, I prepared the sides for dinner and Jack and Keith got in their swimsuits and tried to clean off the back fence from all of our neighborhood birds. It was awesome watching them out there working together. Then Keith grilled up some porkchops and we stuffed ourselves for dinner. We topped off the night with some popsicles on the back patio. What a wonderful day!

Jack's First Popsicle

2010-05-10T13:28:00.004-05:00

PRAISE!!!

2010-05-07T08:01:00.006-05:00

So, some of you may remember, and some may not. Last year I had a few posts about adoption. This was so heavy on my heart last October. It started out with this huge feeling of LOVE and through some random things, I realized what God was asking of me! I failed to reveal it though, and today God has yet again brought things full circle, and for someone that has become a dear friend, this will be her best Mother's day ever!

God started confirming my feelings by slowly introducing me to adopting families. I learned about Katie Davis that led to The Mayernicks and The 147 million orphan ladies. Then I was searching some ways to complete a project I was working on and came across this amazing blog that has lead me into the lives of The Martins. So I could see that God was trying to tell me something! This all happened in a matter of days! Then, through work, I met The Shorts. They were just starting the process of adoption and were looking to start raising funds. They decided since Mr. was a fantastic photographer that they would have a Photography Fundraiser. For those of you that don't know, the way we do Christmas around here (for our adult family) is to find others that are in need and spend the money we would have spent on "stuff" and donate it to whatever cause God calls us to. It was obvious to me at this point that God was calling me to support The Shorts' adoption, so we set up a time to do a photoshoot right before Christmas.

Well, the story doesn't end here! The money was raised, the papers were processed, and The Shorts left TODAY to go to Ethiopa and pick up their son Eli! I couldn't be more thrilled to see all of this come full circle, and it's been great to walk with April at work and hear the story unfold. Thank you Lord for this amazing gift! Check out the video below to see this little boy that gets to come home in a few days!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Onwards and Upwards!

2010-04-30T12:50:00.005-05:00

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

GEEZ, it's been a long time since I posted a blog! It's been busy here at the Brawner household, and though I'd like to tell you it's slowing down, I have to confess that I think it's about to get CRAZIER!

As far as "time spent away from home", this may be slowing down a bit. Thursday was my last day working with children up at church. The spring semester has come to an end, and it won't kick back up till the fall. I am SO SAD to see this come to an end! I really fell in love with all my "little people" and will miss them dearly. I don't think I will be able to help out in the fall. I will be ready to POP when the semester starts and then once I do, haha, I'll have to take the time away with baby B. There is a possibility that I could start back up in spring 2011, but we'll have to see how things go. Also, our Monday night CBS (Community Bible Study) is coming to an end! I am also SO SAD to see this happen! I have never had such an amazing time at a bible study. Keith and I have made some wonderful friends, been in our bibles deeper than maybe ever before, and I also have had the chance to share my music in WORSHIP, which has been incredible. So, that frees up Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Keith's Wednesday bible study has finished as well, so that leaves Wednesday open... Looks like the only truly SCHEDULED event we have is Saturday night church service!

Wow! All this free time, you say! Not so fast... can you believe that in 5 months, yes, 5 short months, we will be a family of 4?! It is time to buckle down and start moving towards the fun and exciting craziness that this entails! Oh, and by the way, I'm just realizing that I never posted an official "I'M PREGNANT" blog. So in case anyone reading didn't know, I'M PREGNANT! I'm actually almost 17 weeks pregnant. That means in 3 weeks I'll be halfway through! There is lots of planning and preparing, and I probably need to start now. This is also the time of year when we start planning summer trips and visits. This will make time fly even faster.

It's so hard not to wish life away, by rushing to get to that next "fun date". Currently, the "fun date" I'm looking forward to is a getaway weekend in May. We are headed to Deer Creek Lodge for a going away get together for my brother and his wife. They are moving to Idaho in early June, if I'm not mistaken, and we're going to get in one last "hurrah" before they move and forget all about us here on the east coast. *wink wink* Jack will finally get to play with his 8 month older cousin, and the rest of us can enjoy the much needed break from the crazy jumpstart of 2010. Then on to May 25th, we find out the gender of little baby B! That will be a super exciting day. I still can't believe I'm actually pregnant. There is then a possible beach trip in July, and the next thing I know it, baby B will be making his/her appearance and the fall seasons and classes will all be starting up again. Whew! Let's slow things down a bit!

Here on the home front, we've been making a lot of progress. Good progress on all things emotional, physical, spiritual, financial... the list goes on. It is amazing to think that in 1 month Keith and I will celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary! At our Community Group meeting last night, the question was asked "Why did you get married?" Ya know, it really made me stop and think for a bit. I wasn't really looking to "get married" when I met Keith. And I don't know if I ever really came to the point that I was like "I need to marry this guy!" It was just like there was a "duh" factor in it all. We just always knew we would from the beginning. In the whirlwind of these almost 2 years, (3.5 since we started dating) I never really took the time to say, why did we do this, and how did we get here. But ya know, just like God's will, the coolest part of it all is in hindsight. It's amazing to look back in hindsight and now understand "why" I got married and "how" I've gotten here. It was OBVIOUSLY all GOD! And literally everything in our entire life together has been all GOD, including our current situations and the way we look at our future endeavors. We are living out faith in a way neither of us knew existed, or thought was attainable to us personally.

With all of this "wow, that sounds wonderful" situation (or maybe I'm the only one thinking

that... haha), there is also so much challenge and spiritual attack that we go through everyday. Since we have really made this decision to have faith in all present and future intentions, it seems like recently we have really been under attack by things of the past. Things that haunted us before we changed our life decision. Things that we can't move away from without revisiting them. I hate this. It is such a roadblock and a PAIN in the neck. The amazing thing about it, is that one by one GOD is helping us resolve each and every roadblock so that we never have to see it again and can move forward and keep our focus upwards!

This week we were able to put one more thing behind us that will help us move forward together as a unit. That was awesome. Praise GOD! :D

Truly a Miracle

2010-03-20T21:03:00.009-05:00

It is nothing less than a miracle that I was able to locate my long lost pen pal. I want to try and explain a little bit of how amazing it truly is, but first let me tell you a little about Wren.

When I was about 8, my family and I visited a Christian horse camp, Miracle Mountain Ranch, in North Western Pennsylvania. My parents were in a band called God's Country and had a gig at the ranch. I absolutely fell in love with the place and had always wanted to go back. I think I was about 15 when I finally talked my parents into letting me return, this time for summer camp. It was the first and only time I had been to summer camp. I didn't know what to expect, and though camp was somewhat fun (and I won a few riding competitions), the best part of camp was this awesome friendship I made with a girl named Wren.

I was trying to think of a way to describe her, and somehow this is what came to mind. If you haven't seen the movie UP, you need to check out that video. Wren was thin, short red hair, lots of freckles. She was outgoing, funny, adventurous. We just hit it off. At the end of the week we traded addresses and began writing each other. (Yes, writing. Good old pen and paper. At 15, I didn't have a cell phone, or email address. It was definitely different back then. Though there were some really neat things about that, and the excitement of getting a letter in the mail. There is also something great about the quickness of email, and also the fact that no matter where we move, our email stays the same! If I had met her as a 15 year old today, I'm sure we would have never lost touch.) We continued writing for a long time; even after her family moved her all the way out to California. But somehow, over the years, we ended up losing touch.

I always wondered what had happened to her, and about 4 years ago I started searching. The tricky part about doing the typical internet people search is that Wren was Wren's middle name. Her full name was Carol Wren Compton. Can I tell you how many Carol Comptons there are in California? Even searching by age, it seemed impossible. I even used a paid service once to get an address that I thought might be her, but never got the nerve to write. As MySpace became big, and then Facebook, I would always look, but was never able to find her. Every 6 months or so, she would come across my mind and I'd do a search, always to no prevail.

A few months ago I came across a search engine called pipl.com. They boast that they search the "Deep Web" instead of just the "surface web", searched my most search engines. When I typed in Wren Compton, a few things came up. There were some male profiles and news articles, nothing that looked correct. There was an old profile at bebo.com, and amazon.com. They both seemed to have the age and dates correct, but no contact information. There was one other personal profile that came up. It was simply a snapshot of a profile built years ago and amazingly enough had a small blurry thumbnail picture of a redheaded girl. IT HAD TO BE HER! When I clicked on it, there was a short blurb about this girl, that she had been married and also lived in a town called Scappoose in Oregon. Clicking around some more, I ended up with dead ends because the profile was so old there was no current information. Trying to go back and get the married last name, I realized that the profile I originally saw was only a snapshot of the profile from years ago and was no longer there! I didn't make a note of the new last name and all I had was Scappoose, Oregon. I searched Oregon for Wren Comptons and Carol Wren Comptons, and no success.

About a month ago, I thought I'd try again. I wasn't stalking, I swear, but there was something fun about trying to find her and solve the puzzle! I did a search of C. Comptons in Oregon, I forget what website, but I came across a C. W. Compton age 26 and underneath there was a sub name of C. W. Rank. So I decided to start searching Wren Rank and see what would come up. I went back to the pipl.com website because I seemed to have found success there once before. Surprisingly enough, the bebo.com and amazon.com profiles came up again. I had a feeling I was on the right track, but as before there was no way to contact through these profiles. At the bottom of the page there was a "document search" that would pull up any and all documents on the internet that had the words "Wren" and "Rank". There was only one document listed, and this document happened to be a church prayer team memo from December 2009. The church was Warren Community Fellowship in Warren, OR. The excerpt simply said "Ladies who are pregnant: Tracey Newton, Cassie Pousson, and Wren Rank."

This is still a long shot. Who knows if the C. W. Compton/C. W. Rank that I found in the original search was even my friend. I was searching the name Wren Rank completely on a whim. I was assuming that my friend from Pennsylvania, that had moved to California, possibly got married, moved again to this tiny town in Oregon, and was pregnant. There was an informational email address on the church's bulletin and I thought I'd write an email seeing if I could talk them into giving me some more information on this Wren Rank. Sounds crazy, I know.

Can you believe it?? I GOT A RESPONSE! I had said in the email that I was searching a Carol Wren Compton, and thought it may be the Wren Rank on the prayer list. The church's secretary confirmed that a Wren Rank attended there (which wasn't really new news) but that she didn't have her email but a phone number. The secretary said that she would call Wren and let her know about my email. I waited about a week, and when I didn't hear anything else I emailed the secretary again asking if she could make sure to pass my email address and phone number along. Well, one month and one day passed, and nothing. I really had forgotten about the whole thing.

Last night, at 11:30 (way past my bedtime), Keith was going through his spam mail deleting it all. My spam mail is set up with an automatic delete. Every 30 days it deletes all emails forever, I never even open the folder up. Somehow we were laughing about the crazy email subjects that make it into our spam and I thought I'd go to mine and join in the fun. There was nothing really funny in mine, so I just started selecting entire pages at a time, and hitting delete. Page after page, delete, delete, delete, del- ...WREN?? Sure enough, the 4th to last email of ALL THE SPAM was an email with the subject "Shanna, it's Wren!” I had already "selected all" on that page and was literally half a second away from clicking "delete forever". I CAN'T BELIEVE I ALMOST MISSED IT! Then, on top of that, the email was dated Feb. 18, 2010. Yesterday was March 19th, 2010 which means it had been 30 days, and somehow my spam had not yet automatically deleted this email! Then I realized it was 11:40; was I really 20 minutes away from losing this email forever?

Well, after all that, I found her, Wren Rank, living in Oregon, married, and due with her first born, baby Isaac, in June. Now tell me GOD didn't make that happen? How awesome to be reconnected with my childhood friend! Hopefully we can have a phone conversation soon and catch up on what we've missed for the past 13 years. I'm so excited!

Eating the Apple

2010-02-07T15:41:00.005-06:00

So... I had a WOW moment at church this Saturday. We have been studying the book of Genesis for a bit. I mean, we started in Chapter one in September, and we are just now getting to Chapter 3. It is AMAZING how much is in there if you take it verse by verse and see what the inspired word of God is saying! We are going to be spending the next 6 weeks, yes 6 weeks, covering Chapter 3.  In doing a short summary of what he wants to cover, Lloyd brought to my attention something that I never quite realized.  It was WOW.

The GREATER STORY: CREATION, FALL, REDEMPTION, RECREATION.

He started with CREATION: Genesis 1 and 2; God revealing His POWER (chapter 1), and His PROVISION (chapter 2). At ths point everything was GOOD. "Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. " Gen. 2:15 The words "cultivate and keep it", translated, are always in corolation with priesthood throughtout the bible. In other words, cultivate and keep it, is simply WORSHIP. That is all we were to do. BUT Adam and Eve rebelled.  FALL: Genesis 3 it changes, and instead of everything being GOOD, now something is WRONG with everything. In our world today, and in every day of our lives, something is WRONG, sin is here.  The importance in this, is that this isn't the end of the story, and of course this wasn't a mistake. God has weaved our sin into His Greater Story. REDEMPTION: Genesis 4 through Revelation 20. With faith in CHRIST there is a conversion from a fallen humanity to chosing to TRUST God to PROVIDE.  God, redeeming us to complete His work by RECREATION: everything is BETTER than GOOD. Revelation 21 through Eternity, is declaring our Eternal delight in heaven. God's redeemed creation is BETTER than His sinless creation in the garden. Isn't that amazing?

The part that really made me think, was SIN. I have heard the story since I was a child...  Adam and Eve eat the apple from the bad tree, and suddenly their eyes are opened. They have sinned because they did something they weren't supposed to do, and all of their offspring, me and you, are born into sin. I have been missing so much over the years by leaving the story at that. First of all, who said it was an apple? And God created all of the trees and said they were "good". The tree of knowledge of good and evil was never a bad tree, but simply a prohibition. In a sinless garden, there was still something that was off limits to Adam and Eve. Interesting, isn't it? I wonder if there will be prohibitions in a sinless heaven? But what really got me is the sin itself. I always thought of the sin as the "eating". But ya know, Eve had to have sinned in her heart to make the decision to eat. She had to decide that God is NOT GOOD or TRUSTWORTHY in order to choose to eat of this prohibition. So it was a WOW to me, that sin is not simply doing something we're not supposed to do, but SIN is the decision that God is not TRUSTWORTHY.  That's what He asks of us in the bible, over and over and over, trust in ME, believe in ME! SIN is the opposite of this. Also, God is GOOD. In our world, something is WRONG with everything. Wrong things happen to everyone! Don't look at the world to determine if God is GOOD, go to the cross! He is GOOD, and has sent His own Son to die on the cross and redeem us. We have the choice; making our own provision, or being broken to realize that we can do nothing without Christ.  With Faith in Him, we are redeemed and TRUST God to PROVIDE. One leads to Eternal delight in Heaven, and the other to damnation. Trusting in God is the foundation of our Faith! That makes me look at Salvation differently too! Everytime we sin, we are basically deciding to trust ourselves instead of God. If Salvation is Trusting Him, than it is obvious that we will never be able to save ourselves because daily we choose ourselves over Him. This is where His GRACE, at least for me, IS A HUGE WOW! If we truly choose Him, than we are covered by His GRACE, redeemed and forgiven. Glory be to such a POWERFUL, PROVIDER, GRACEFUL, REDEEMING, LOVING, AND TRUSTWORTHY GOD!

New Year, New Layout, New Post

2010-01-25T22:25:00.000-06:00

Last year at this time I was just about to *POP*(inside and out). So much excitement with my little man on his way!! This year, I start 2010 as a stay at home mom and a "4 steps" walking 10 month old! It is amazing how last year has gone quickly, but also memorably as each day was a new milestone in Jack's life and mine as a mother. So many blessings this past year! From the birth of an eternal soul, to the outright vanishing of a deadly disease, the amazing growth that I've experienced in my Faith, music restored, LOVE beyond imaginaion... Wow, so much the Lord has poured out on me! As far as a better year, I don't think I've had one! It's really hard to resolve to anything greater in 2010, but I will say that my hope is to be more intentional with my words and daily actions, and to read and grow closer to my Savior. This is always a prayer for me, as my faith is weak in these areas. (I really tend to lean on what my simple little mind can muster up to say or do, instead of really waiting and praying on what I know He wants me to say or do...)

I always hope to post more blogs, and updates, and will continue to try and acomplish that. This year is already looking to be full of creativity, business, love, growth, and of course JOY!

Leviathan

2009-10-27T15:19:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I'm supposed to be doing dishes... but I wanted to write a short blog. This is really neat. I love seeing the Lord so active in my life!

So in our study of Genesis we've been in depth about the whole creation story, and God's purpose for us, life, this planet, and eternity. It really makes you look at the entire Bible differently when you can start at the beginning and see the POINT of it all. This is the foundation of everything that happens, the basis for all that is to come throughout the bible and well into our future until Christ comes again. So many questions have arose. About 3 weeks ago, Keith and I were on our way home from church and somehow the mention of dinosaurs came up. I had mentioned to Keith that there was talk of a Levaithan in the bible and that there is theory that these were dinosaurs. I had glanced in his concordance while we were in the car, but didn't see the word Levaithan listed in there and couldn't remember off hand where it was in the bible.

We had just left an awesome message by Bill Wellons about Creation Day 3, and he had really elaborated how GREAT God is, and just how BIG! The thought of us leaning on our own understanding is just ridiculous when GOD is all powerful and sovereign! He had mentioned the conversation that God had with Job when He said "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, who set its measurements? Since you know." (Job 38:4-5) This really stuck with Keith. The feeling of having that question asked to you by God! Wow, talk about feeling small... Keith mentioned wanting to study Job. He has never really read it through. So I flipped over to Job and started reading a bit through there. I skimmed a few chapters to the verse where God is questioning Job and started to read... I came upon Job 41 and it's mention of the Leviathan! How amazing that it was RIGHT there! Just when we were talking about it! Irony? I don't think so.

So this past week on our way into church, not sure why, but the thought again crossed my mind about the Leviathan. I pulled Keith's bible out and started to read aloud through verses 40 and 41; all about the Behemoth and Leviathan. How massive they are, and how our God commands all of them. It had been a long time since I had read through these, but happy that God had reshown them to me.

We got to church and Lloyd was teaching about Creation Day 5. It is amazing how he showed how much Day 5 related to fear. The culture at that time was terrified by things they did not know about or could not control. Because they feared these things, they in turn would worship them. Today I feel we somewhat do the same thing; worship our fear. The things we fear are what fill our thoughts and a lot of times they are what our days revolve around. Think about if we feared GOD, and filled our thoughts and minds with HIM! That is where our worship should be, and that is where our days should revolve! How Moses was not only writing this as a creation account, but also in purpose to demolish the idolistic religion of that culture. He writes that "God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves..."(Gen. 1:21 NASB) This was something that the culture feared and worshiped, and Moses' God, our GOD, had created them and is all powerful, over all things. What a true and awesome statement! God is powerful over ALL fear!

At the end of the message Lloyd referred to a few places in the bible showing God's power in the description of these creatures that caused so much fear in that day, and how these things were so small in relation to God. And of course, he told us to take some time to read through Job 41. And wow, Keith and I had just done that on the way IN to church that morning. Isn't it neat how God ties things together?

**UPDATE: Keith just found this online today... CLICK HERE!!**

IT'S AMAZING!

2009-10-21T18:56:00.000-05:00

I've had two more things come up today that dealt with adoption and families... and I think I finally know what my calling is in all of this. Both of these things have tied in with my love for creativity and love of photos! I can't tell you what I'm going to do just yet, but I think it is clear how my love for these things and also my desire to help and be a part of family has come together for this purpose. I can't wait to blog about it, but you may have to wait till next year!

LOVE

2009-10-20T21:54:00.007-05:00

Wow... I have to tell you, for the past week or so this has been heavy on my mind; babies, children, family. Let me first say, I didn't plan to blog about this. But it has been a recurring theme throughout the past week, and I just feel the need to say something.

I love being a mom... I love raising Jack. I look forward to see where God's will takes my life, and I hope it is a life with more children and more family! Keith has been talking about baby number 2 for some time now, and it has also really been on my heart lately. The question is WHEN? When is the right time for me, for us, for Jack...but more importantly, when is GOD's timing, and have we asked Him? Then at CBS (Community Bible Study) we have been studying our lineage. It is so interesting to see where we come from and how much we are all in God's perfect plan and design. He had our heritage so detailed and organized from the beginning, as well as He has planned it out into our future. My sister and I had conversations about dreams, and children, and adoption. My husband even shared an emotional video with me about a small child this week. It is OVER AND OVER that this theme keeps coming up. Well, tonight it is yet again brought full circle by our sovereign God. Nothing is chance, nothing is coincidence. It is amazing to live each day open to Him and allowing Him to just take it and move it to where it is to be.

So, something had brought me back to Katie Davis' blog this past week. I was so touched by this adoption story. I immediately wanted to share it with Keith. My timing was bad and he didn't have a chance to read it right when I mentioned it. Throughout this week I had read the entry a few times, emailed it to family, even told my sister about it and copy and pasted the text to her in an email since she is unable to open blogs up at work. Again, yesterday, I asked Keith if he had read it. We have been so busy, and he had a lot going on and didn't have a chance. We both decided on just spending some reading/blogging tonight. And about an hour into our own "digital" worlds, it came to me and I asked him again, "Have you read the Amazima blog yet?" He goes "Ok! I'll read it right now." So then, a few minutes later, he goes OH MY GOSH! I know them! That's Mandy's brother! You'll have to read about the Mayernicks or Katie's blog to understand, (and yes, there are links all over this page... *hint hint*) but here the adoption story is about Keith's childhood next door neighbor and his wife! He had known about this story through reconnecting with Mandy, the sister, who is also in the midst of an adoption from India. It's such a small world. We have been so touched and challenged by Katie's message, and even posted it all over our Project Disconnect blog and facebook page. And here, in the midst of it all, it comes full circle as Katie's close friend is married to Keith's childhood neighbor.

It is truly amazing how God intertwines our lives and brings us right to where he wants us to be. Keith contacted Mandy, and now it looks like we will get to meet Mandy and her new little daughter Mia who should be here in TN at Thanksgiving.

So THIS has been on my heart. Children, family, adoption, LOVE. I have that, I long for that, and in some way or another God will provide that. He is sovereign, He is Love.

Finally, A COSTUME!

2009-10-16T21:29:00.003-05:00

So, I finally decided what to do for Jack's costume. Since I didn't want to spend the money, I started thinking about what I had here at the house. I found a baby robe that he recieved as a gift, but never used. It's ADORABLE, but I just never knew a good time to wear it, besides for a picture or something. I decided to make some adjustments to it myself, and turn it into his costume!

I already had the blue pants and socks... we have SO MUCH BLUE! I took the robe belt and cut it into 4 peices. It was already attached at the back, so I used that as a starting point and hand sewed the pieces in a star like patern. It makes a cute "rag doll" type tail.

Then I lined up the front by overlapping the "wrap" part of the robe, and sewed right up the seam. I left the top unsewn so I could slip the whole thing right over his head!

I then removed the belt loops, and VOILA! A cute little puppy costume! I tried it on him just to see how it would work, and he happened to be wearing blue pjs. I think I may even dress him in the pjs, like longjohns, under the costume to keep him warm. He loves this lil outfit, and it cost me $0!!

POST

2009-10-11T22:24:00.005-05:00

So, it's 1030, and I'm about to write a long, overdue post, and feeling kind of tired to do so. (which can be expected these days) But I will! Because I want to try and update you all on what has been going on these days!!

So where did I leave off? I think I was mentioning Jack's possible tooth coming in, and our ministry being unveiled! Well, it turns out that Jack's "tooth" still has not completely poked it head through his gums. I can still see it under there, and now his two front ones are visable, but still no hard proof! I hope that it isn't causing him too much pain, as it seems that these "teeth" have been "coming" since he was 4 months old! At least that is when the doctor first noticed them and said they were "on the way". Can you believe Jack is 7 MONTHS OLD?? He turned 7 months old yesterday. It is ridiculous to me that it has flown by so fast. He has started to kick , scootch, and pull himself across the floor, so I can see crawling in the near future. We stopped up at Target and bought some outlet covers yesterday as we noticed him reaching for an uncovered outlet in the nursery. Wow... I love it, but I miss the "little" guy. We're getting to "big boy" territory. Ya know, that leaves me with a small predicament. Halloween costume. I'm torn because a) Keith and I don't have any big plans or desire to spend the extra cash on a costume for Jack. but b) he won't be this tiny forever, and by next halloween he will have outgrown the cute infant costme stage... I'm not sure what to do. I'm afraid by the time I decide, all costumes will be sold out anyways.

So our bible studies have been going GREAT! On a whim, I volunteered to fill in for the worship leader the DAY OF at our Community Bible Study. Well, a week later, the DAY OF, I got a call asking to fill in again. It turns out they now have asked if I wanted to do it FULL TIME, and I agreed! So after a year of not playing, or singing, I now have a full time music gig, and with realatively no preparation. It's awesome! God has put the one thing I really thought was missing from my schedule, right into the middle of His plan, and on top of it all, it is WORSHIP! I've never done worship music, and besides a one time duet performance at 4 years old, I have never ever sang at church. Isn't that unreal? I can't hardly believe it, but it's neither here nor there at this point. I can't wait to start writing again!

Our Community Group on Thursday nights has been amazing! There are 6 couples including us; 3 pregnant (well, one has a week old baby now!), one with no children, and one with a 1 and 4 year old. That is amazing because 4 of the 5 children are in 6 month age increments. That means they will grow up with each other, and have birthday parties together! Oh, I'm really looking forward to this! (ok, must be a mother thing... I feel really cheesy... or maybe it's because it's now almost 11) We are pretty like minding in what our passions are, and what we want out of meeting each week. We all are wanting to GO OUT, and DO SOMETHING! It's awesome.

Keith and I started up Project Disconnect. It is our pledge to live IN the world, but not OF the world. We are making a stand to put the money we would otherwise use to pay cable companies to fill our homes with garbage, and use it to GIVE AWAY and glorify HIS kingdom! We are looking at hosting some workshops to show people how to go about "cable-free" life. Where they can help donate, but also how they can use their TVs without the high priced monthly bill attached. This is something that is really on our hearts, and we look forward to seeing and hearing the others that are impacted by this stand.

Keith and I have attending a few charity type events this month. We went to a benefit concert that was put together within a week of the tsunami that hit Samoa. The Katinas (5 brothers, and also a music group) hosted this concert with some of their local friends in order to raise money for a relief effort in their homeland of Samoa. Their "friends" included Michael W. Smith, Natalie Grant, Melinda Doolittle, Calvin Nowell, Jeremy Camp, ColmanBlue, and Michael O'Brien. We are so blessed to live right in town with these artists... Wow, what an amazing concert. I have to say, from an artist point of view, Natalie Grant and Jeremy Camp BLEW ME AWAY! Wow... they were INCREDIBLE!!! We also have been able to serve with our local ministry Grace Works here and there. We helped out with a food drive by handing out need lists and also collecting food at the Kroger up the street. It was great how many people donated! Almost everyone walking out had something to put in our basket, even if it was one item! Every bit helps! We took Jack with us to both of these events, and he has been really loving his time with dad in his baby Bjorn. He is MESMERIZED by music, and never makes a peep. Just stares in awe, or bounces and shakes his arms around. He was also a hit at Kroger hanging off his dad. he's quite the flirt with the ladies!

Well, I'm sure there much more to share, but I must go to bed! Tomorrow is Monday, and a new week begins. I love our busy schedule, but I also enjoy my sleepy nights. I will post some recent pictures below.

The three of us at a wedding in early October.

Jack dressed for the occasion.

Playing outside in the fall breeze.

Sitting like a "big boy" in his stroller!

SO MUCH TO SAY!

2009-10-01T21:47:00.001-05:00

but so little time.... A blog update is to come!

BUSY BUSY BUSY!!

2009-09-26T10:01:00.005-05:00

Wow! We are JAM PACKED! Fall has begun... Cuddle Season is HERE! And in the Brawner house, well, there are no Brawners! We are out and about with an extreme schedule filled with some amazing teaching, learning, growing, changing, and everything awesome you can imagine! Our schedule is filled with biblestudies, community gatherings, a creative side business I am starting, and also AT LAST, our ministry idea coming to life! Doesn't look like there will be much time for TV around here... *wink wink*

Jack is almost 7 months old! I remember not too long ago blogging about him being 7 weeks old. Wow, time flies. He can sit on his own, and is lining up everything to start crawling. He just needs to work on the coordination, but he's almost there! He has begun laughing, and talking, as MAMAMAMAMA and DADADADADADADA are part of his everyday jargon. He can give kisses (really drooly ones), and even raspberries on our cheeks. He is also getting his first TOOTH! What a big boy. He can hold and drink his bottle alone and basically doesn't need me anymore. If I'm holding him, he reaches for dad... but then again, as soon as dad takes him, he reaches for me. This little boy is ON THE MOVE. We dedicated him to the Lord on September 19, 2009 at church. It was an awesome day. Our verse for him is Colossians 1:9-10:

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worth of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Keep checking back as this fall unfolds a bunch of new things for us. I can't wait to share our ministry with you all, and hope you will participate!

Jack's first tooth, can you see it?

Jack Raymond Brawner - Dedication September, 2009

Jack's first ball cap!

After Keith's surgery (and an unexpected 2 WEEKS on crutches, he found alternative ways to get around with Jack)

2009-08-31T08:55:00.008-05:00

So, I'm sure you are all busy and back to the grind this monday (as I should be). But I just wanted to first off tell you what an AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING night it was last night! Todd was great, and it was incredible to see him. You'd truly be surprised, if you didn't already know it, that he has cancer. He has put on some healthy weight, and he has all of his hair! haha. I've played with him numerous times, and listened to his songs in all sorts of settings, but this was the first "concert" that I truly saw him perform. It was great to see him stand behind his guitar, and listen to the stories and biblical messages behind each song. Also, he threw in some great poetry he has written, and quotes from others, and I have to say it was all moving, funny, soothing, inspiring... just everything that I hadn't ever gotten to experience with him before. I hope someday all of you have a chance to see him perform. Nothing is impossible, right? (maybe a concert of his will make it onto youtube! haha)

Second, I wanted to let you know that my amazing writer of a husband has started a new blog. I have high hopes for this one (as the last kinda crashed and burned). He has been talking about trying to get back into writing, and holpefully be able to share this time with a local paper or magazine of some sort. He is wanting to write about charitable opportunities around, and ways of serving. This is on his heart (the serving part) about 150% of each day. It's all he talks about, lives, breathes... it's awesome! He has such a servants heart. I was just typing "please pray that God will lead us" and then I remembered what Lloyd was teaching us on Sunday. It is silly to pray for the inevitable. That is why the Holy Spirit DOES, he LEADS... so instead of praying for that, I pray that we are submitted to follow in that lead, and take the first step to DO what we are called to do. Then the fruits will be produced and the ministry can begin.

I hope you all have a wonderful week! :) Here are some recent pictures of my BEAUTIFUL son!! He is really starting to sit up now, which makes photos so much fun!! LOVE YOU ALL!

How Deep the Father's Love for Us

2009-08-26T09:20:00.007-05:00

How deep the Father's love for us,

How vast beyond all measure

That He should give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,

The Father turns His face away

As wounds which mar the chosen One,

Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,

My sin upon His shoulders

Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,

Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there

Until it was accomplished

His dying breath has brought me life

I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?

I cannot give an answer

But this I know with all my heart

His wounds have paid my ransom.

Don't let the rhyming carry you through it too fast, reread it and listen to what it says.

Wow... This song really sums it up. I can not boast in anything but Jesus Christ for I am not deserving of the gains from His reward. Keith and I are humbled more and more everyday as blessings continue to pour out. All that consumes our minds is what we can do to further His kingdom. It is amazing how perspective changes when you are completely open to what God has willed for your life (as He has asked). When you turn to Him for all things, "things" just seem to dissapear. The bigger picture, the heavenly life that awaits, is all that becomes relevant to us.

Years ago my family selfishly fought for separation from God in order to honor our own prideful ways. Each of us, in our own way, chose to live our lives for us, ignoring what God has asked of us and in turn hurting ourselves and each other for what would be years. Through prayer and conviction, I have watched the past 10 years miraculously change each of us, and bring some of the relationships between us even closer than they have ever been. Just that alone can bring me to tears, because I remember after the damage was done (on my part) just feeling hopeless to ever getting back the family closeness that was once there. I knew after my mistake, that I couldn't possibly ever "take back" what I had done. Now, here I sit, the wife and mother in a God filled home. I am the sister to a brother and sister who are living Christ-lead lives in Godly homes with each of their spouses and my nephew. I am inspired by my father and his Godly example and motivated by his desires to change. And I am viciously praying for my mother who has come out of a dark and helpless place into the comfort and peace of Jesus' arms as He continues to bless her life.

I grew up in worship and music, and though it was prevelant in our household, I think that sometimes I got caught up in the rhyming or song, and not the words. Because our outward actions were in the music, but our inward emotions fought the truth and life in the words, I can't help but fight back tears with every song I now sing in worship. When I first started attending Fellowship, I thought it was natural to cry during a song because of the memory it brought back. But after 5 years of attending, and 2 of those years I've attended weekly, I still fight back tears each and every single service during each and every single song, no matter what the song is. I can't help it! Each and every prayer, and each and every story told. I used to think that maybe it was Christ working within me to let go of the past, and that working through that the tears would stop. But they haven't! It sometimes frustrates me to struggle with the emotions when I want so badly to just sing, but I finally realized that it's not old memories, but the new words that bring me to tears. I feel each and every one, and truly mean it, and desire to live it, and feel it, and that is something I never want to ever go away.

My mother and I have cried together during songs when memories have arised from them. I wish more than anything that she could be at church with me each and every Sunday and feel these new tears. They are such happy and humbled tears.

Wow, I didn't expect to unload all that, I simply wanted to touch on what I find myself doing every week, and the tear thing... it is non-stop! Thank you Lord, for making it real to me every week. I realize the importance in a church body, and why it is biblical and imparative to be involved. It is true that there is no such thing as an un-churched Christian in the New Testament. It is something God had intended for us, and commands of us, and wants for us. Acts 2:47 tells how "the Lord added to their number(the church) day by day those who were being saved", meaning He lead those who were saved to the church. I pray that He will continue to work in the lives of those saved, and lead them to a community of faith where they can come together in fellowship and be equipped to give their lives away. Keith and I are so blessed that we have been lead to that place that is right for us, and we continue to be excited to go and learn and be equipped. That passage (Acts 2:42-47) really breaks down how we are to live and worship, and what it looks like when we do. Grow. Connect. Serve. Give. We continue to strive for this and glorify God with each step! :)

YAAAAARD SAAAALE!!!

2009-08-03T09:54:00.002-05:00

WE DID IT!! We had a successful first yardsale! We got rid of a TON of stuff, and actually made some CA$H!! (I won't say how much, but I will say it was in the hundreds!!) We feel blessed that God gave us BEAUTIFUL weather, and lots of traffic! I will say that the success of the sale was the least of the day's blessings. God taught me patience, love, and humility. And allowed us to even give some of our things away to help others!

One of the neatest things that happened that Saturday, happened to our neighbor Todd. He is finishing up electrician school, and with 20 days remaining, his old truck (which he has been trying to sell for months) blew the transmission on Friday night. Keith was on his way out to get some change and post a Yard Sale sign, and was able to help Todd tow his truck home. Todd tried to stay optimistic as he knew a girl who lives nearby that could drive him to school for the remaining days, but he was confessing to Keith how broke he was and how he didn't know how much more money he wanted to dump into his truck. Well, Saturday came along, and though he had his eye on a few things in our sale, he failed to get up early to come out for the sale. By the time he came outside, quite a few people had already been through our "junk". He part jokingly made a comment "Man, I should just put a sign up on my truck '$1000.00 cash, today only!'. " Keith and I laughed, and I mentioned I had one piece of posterboard left in the house. (it was pink, but it was at least BRIGHT!) We all agreed he should give it a shot. Soon enough, all of our "shoppers" were over at HIS truck! There were quite a few checking it out, and within the hour HE SOLD IT!! He was a little sad at first, being that it was his father's truck who had passed 9 years ago, but it was such a blessing that he finally sold it and can now buy something more dependable and less gas milage! We are thankful for a great day!

Sunday evening we got together with some friends in Lebanon. My dear friend Roland and some of his co-workers and their kids all cooked out and played some music. Jack LOVED this, and started DANCING! (bouncing)... and this is where it all began...

We got home last night and I put Jack in his saucer and he was JUMPING! Up, down, up, down, just going crazy, and smiling like crazy! He went down at 8:30 and didn't wake up till 8am... and I'll tell you, he's like a different child today! I think he had a growth spurt overnight or something, because he is so new and different today! He has been rolling over onto his belly throughout the night, and this morning, like usual, I found him on his belly, but he actually ROLLED TO HIS BACK to give me a big morning smile! He then proceded to bounce all morning, and talk, and is really really close to sitting! No more baby! He's at least so happy, smiling more than I've ever seen... He grabs for things right out of our hands now. He grabs for daddy's drink, and grabs for fruit from me. No solids yet, but soon enough little man! We have been giving him rice cereal for breakfast and dinner, and he loves it! I can't believe he is growing up... Today he is 5 months old. wow...

Wow, a YEAR?!

2009-07-28T10:26:00.006-05:00

I can't believe it has been a year since I started this blog. I specifically remember writing my first entry at work, and wanting SO BAD to spill my guts that I was pregnant. Now, "baby B" is here, and I'm at home FULL TIME with him! Life is amazing, and watching God's will in hindsight always blows my mind.

Jack is just growing and growing! I can't believe how blessed I am to be here to witness it. He laughed for the first time the other day... He loves when daddy goes "Phbbbbt" on his belly! haha! He hasn't yet laughed at me, but I got his giggles on camera. TOO CUTE! I can't believe he is almost 5 months old. He is also almost saying "ma-ma" which of course makes my heart melt!! We had our Bradley Class reunion on Saturday. It was so neat to get together with the couples from our birthing class and actually get to meet their little ones! What adorable little babies, and such amazing success stories! It was a fun and positive afternoon.

The new mattress is AMAZING! I haven't felt the pains of sciatica now in a few days, and I've even been going on morning walks (which normally seems to make it worse). Thank you LORD for this! It seriously is going to change my physical life!!!

This Saturday is the big Yard Sale day. I've never had one before, and I'm nervous, but excited. We have so much stuff to sell from furniture, jewelry, electronics, videos, clothing... I hope the rain holds off and it is a success! Pray for us, as we need the extra cash for our travel expenses in August. Pennsylvania and Las Vegas are on the calendar... I'd love to make the extra cash to fund these and not have to take it out of our normal monthly budget.

Couponing has also been going well. I did a quick run to the grocery store last night and saved over 100% at Publix and Walgreens. I got the supplies needed for the yard sale at a whopping $0.87 (and saved $6.00)!! And got some stuff for dinner tonight at Publix for $14 (saved $16!). Things are looking up with that. Well, that's all for now. I have to sweep and mop the floors and continue straightening the house. Tomorrow I will start pricing all the "goods"... Fun, fun fun, WISH ME LUCK!!!

BLESSINGS! (and other random thoughts)

2009-07-21T15:51:00.011-05:00

Well, Keith and I did it! We FINALLY bought a mattress! Yet to be delivered, on Saturday we purchased a beautiful, Ther-a-pedic mattress! It should be here on Friday, that's only 3 more days of sleeping in pain! We have needed this for YEARS and are so happy that the day has finally come. We also had our David Arms print custom framed and it came in this week. It is stunning! If you haven't heard of David Arms, you need to check him out. He's an amazing artist.

The Greater Story - David Arms

Saturday night was Jack's first time to be in the nursery at church. I kinda chuckled when Keith told me it would be hard, but MAN IT WAS SO HARD! I almost got teary, and had so much trouble concentrating on the service. They matched his name with a code when we checked him in. If this code pops up on the screens during service, it means that there is a problem. Well, let me tell you... I could not keep my eyes off of the screens. I even had trouble during prayers keeping my eyes closed. After the service was over, Keith and I peeked in through the window at Jack before picking him up. He was just smiling and playing... completely content. Hah... It's funny how we were so anxious, yet he didn't even notice the difference!

I also had an interview at church this week to do some part time childcare during the fall and spring months. They have had a lot of people interested in this, but if I have the opportunity I think I'm really going to enjoy it. I will get to meet so many other people and moms, and it will be great just to get out of the house once in a while. I hope they consider me, because I would really love to do it.

Keith and I are also planning on doing CBS this fall.; Community Bible Study. It is a non-denominational bible study. My dad and stepmom do this down in Atlanta, and have just raved at how awesome it is. We also are hoping to get together with a few neighbors we know, to get to know them even better! How awesome to be able to incorporate some sort of bible study with them too! Through I'm extrememly busy being a "mom", I want to use any free times that I have to follow what my true desire is; to know God more and live an obedient life glorifying Him. I want to really dig into the Word and get out into the community and join together with other believers.

My "meal plan" has also been working out. We have had some great meals the last few days. Pork Sirloins, Beef Enchiladas, Tomato and bacon marinated chicken... My husband was right in suggesting that we plan this out and food shop accordingly. We've had enough for what we want, need, and are even going to hopefully share some by having some neighbors over for dinner. We were also able to help out Grace Works who recently had a food drive at a local Kroger. It was so neat because they gave us a list of needs at the door, and we got to go shopping for the full purpose of helping those in our community that are less fortunate. And on top of this, everyone in the store that we saw had those lists, and were activlely using them! You could really tell which things would need restocked after this food drive. It was awesome to see empty shelves, and know that so many people would be blessed with this food.

I love working at home, as I expected, but it has really opened me up to new creative ideas and the ability to expand on the ideas I have. I have completely redesigned and organized our bathroom, entertainment area, part of our garage... and so much more to come. It is awesome what a little time and reorganization can do. I feel like I'm living in a different place! We are continually blessed, and knowing we have made the right decision for our family. Thank you LORD!!

Oh Wow!

2009-07-15T15:49:00.002-05:00

It is already 4 oclock! Time flies by even faster than I ever thought. My idea of blogging, basking by the pool, and long relaxing days is far from what "staying at home" really seems to be! I have yet to go to the pool, this is only my second blog (and as I type I'm trying to decide how much time I really have to write/edt/post this before I need to be making dinner), and I still get up relatively early and go to bed relatively late. But I do LOVE every minute... seriously... I do.

We had a wonderful weekend in Charlotte and Atlanta. You see, Atlanta is 4 hours from us, and Charlotte is 4 hours from Atlanta, and we are 8 hours from Charlotte. So it works for us to drive 4 hours to my dad's in Atlanta, take a break, and then continue on another 4 to Charlotte before turning around and doing it all over again. This time we left in the evening and arrived in Atlanta just to stay the night, and got up at 4:30 EST (3:30 our time)to head to Charlotte so that we wouldn't miss any of the festivities planned for Saturday. You see, my nephew turned 1 last Wed. and my sister had a bunch of stuff planned on Saturday to celebrate. We went on a safari/wagon ride at the Lazy 5 Ranch... (it turned out pretty well, had its ups and downs, it's a long story, but we got some really great photos! ...somehow we managed to take 600) we grilled out for dinner, watched Dylan care less about the gifts we all brought, THOROUGHLY ENJOYED A NIGHT OF SLEEPING ON A MEMORY FOAM MATTRESS, and enjoyed a Sunday service with the family before heading back to Atlanta. My brother-in-law's mother, sister, nephew, and niece were all there for the weekend, it was fun to see them all. They all loved Jack, and Jack surely loved them. You could just see the gears in his head turning, thinking about the days he can get in just as much mischief as the older children.

When we got back to Atlanta, around 6pm, we enjoyed spending some time with my stepmom for her birthday. Her parents, sister, brother-in-law, and their 4 boys were all there for the party. We had a great pizza dinner, and the best CAKE ever!! There is this special cake that my stepmom's mother has been making for her every year since she was 17. It is awesome... Keith laid down for about an hour before we headed back home, and got in around 1am CST. Long and tiring weekend, but we like to cram in as much as possible on these visits. Family all lives too far away, and we get to see them far to little.

Our next trip is August 7-9 as we head to Pennsylvania to mom's farm for a weekend. It will be great to see everyone, and hopefully Jack will get his first horseback ride! We are super excited for this. Then we'll probably just stay home until Christmas... We promised the Jeep we'd take a break.

Jack had his 4 month checkup on Monday. He weighs 13lbs 6oz and is 25.5 in. long. This was all good news, he is growing nicely. She also commented on his BEAUTIFUL sking and AMAZING head control! Yay, my strong and beautiful little boy. He has been changing so much, even over the last weekend. I see him watch this other kids, and then try to imitate things. He has gotten so strong and is almost sitting now on his own. He had to get a zillion shots along with an oral vaccine, we've never done that many at once before. He is also getting one bottom front tooth in, so he was quite fussy. It isn't a whiney type fuss though, more of a "mom, I'm sore and feel yucky" type whine. I felt bad for him, and gave him lots of cuddles (and tylenol).

Today I went grocery shopping again. And though no one that reads my blog may care, I feel proud and excited to announce what I saved with coupons. Mainly I do this for my own sake, because it takes a lot out of me to do this and if I feel like I can somewhat "report" what I save, it gives me the motivation to do it all again the next week... haha...

I spent $130.00 at Kroger, and saved $70. This was including a $20 box of diapers... So $200 worth of stuff for $130.00, I'll take that! :)
I spent $24.oo at Walgreens and saved $18. That's $42 worth of stuff for $24... I'll take that as well.

I tried something new this week by planning out the next 10 days worth of meals. This way we won't eat all $200 worth of food the first day... We tend to get excited with all the goodies, and we eat them all. Now that I have it planned out, we should be better about knowing what food is for what days, and it will hopefully last a little longer.

Anyways, that's what's been going on with me. Laundry, dishes, cleaning the floor, taking care of the zoo, feeding baby boy Jack, and grocery shopping. All in a days work! :) Love it Love it Love it!!!

blog blog blog...

2009-07-13T10:56:00.003-05:00

I need to start getting back into this, so I will start small. I had an amazing weekend in Charlotte and Atlanta! Little nephew Dylan turned 1, and my stepmom Robin turned 45! I have so many pictures to add, and so many stories to write. Plus, Jack had his 4 month doctor's appointment today! I need to feed him and get the laundry started, but then I'll spend sometime updating this today.

I'M BACK!!

2009-07-06T12:30:00.003-05:00

Not necessarily back to blogging, but back to COUPONING! I saved $67 dollars last night at publix... WOOT WOOT!! and $186 worth of food at that! Our cabinets are FULL AND STOCKED!! Yippie!

as cliche as it may sound... I HAVE TURNED THE PAGE TO A NEW CHAPTER!

2009-06-18T10:08:00.009-05:00

So... it begins. Life as I know it is about to change! Wait, you say, Jack has been here for 3 months! That is true, but I am going to be feeling the full time effect of motherhood in, lets see, 12 days (7 working days). July 1, 2009 I will officially become a STAY-AT-HOME-MOM with a new fulltime job of "house management".

It took Keith and I lots of thought and prayer to come to this decision, and through God's abundant grace and blessings, we will confidently make this step of faith. Already, God has begun to show us how right we are in this decision. That feels good, well, GREAT actually.

Giving it all up to God. I remember trying to make things work for myself for a month or so, and then finally asking God one night to take it all... I knew that His plans for my life would, of course, be much better than mine. I had been broke for a month, going on my second week of eating nothing but oatmeal, and finally getting a call from a "Keith Brawner" to set up an appointment based on 1 in 36 emails I had sent out begging for work. The blessings began with my first time office job, then a surprise "employee of the month" $25 kroger gift card; after only being there for 2 weeks... I would walk past Keith's cube everyday and say "thank you for saving my life..." It's true what they say; it is in hindsight that we learn God's will for us. I was still so oblivious to everything God would have in store for me!

This job, it has brought me a beautiful home, an amazing husband, a son, and now given me the opportunity to leave it to go be with all of them. What an amazing journey... Now, yet again, Keith and I have come together and decided to let God do His will in our lives... I'm SO EXCITED to see where it takes us next!!

JACK IS NOW 3 MONTHS! THAT'S 12 WEEKS!!

2009-06-10T08:29:00.001-05:00

Updates to come! Lots of exciting news!!!

Jack at 7 weeks... HE'S STARTING TO SMILE!

2009-04-29T16:46:00.002-05:00

6 weeks

2009-04-21T22:19:00.006-05:00

Jack's first month, in an EGG shell...

2009-04-18T11:23:00.028-05:00

Jack at one month

Well, I figured that being at home 24/7 I'd really be blogging everyday, but I find myself at a loss for words lately and simply watching and soaking up every second as a new mother. As soon as I was cleared to get up and about (and actually a little before then), Keith and I have been taking Jack all around with us and really enjoying the beginnings of spring. (Besides the spring storms... In the past month we've been in and out of the closet at least 5 times, with our menagerie of pets, at all hours of the day/night taking cover from tornados. Luckily the one we believe we saw forming over our house skipped us, but sadly it hit a town nearby. That is one thing about TN that I'd glady live without.)

Jack has had numerous visitors to the house, and a few in house guests that stayed for a while! Gramma Seeber was the first visitor and stayed for an entire week. It was awesome to have her help as it was MUCH needed. Jack loved all the time he got with her, and I loved all the advice and support. That first 2 weeks were really tough and it was amazing to have her support through it.

Aunt Mandy also came and stayed for a few days. She brought her cooking expertise and made us food to last for days, LITTERALLY! We still have some of the amazing chicken soup she made in the freezer, and I just ate some of her fancy waffles this morning! We had a great visit with her and went on our first walk around the block in Jack's stroller, as well as taking him on his first public outing to Beef 'O' Brady's to watch the Kansas Basketball game. (Here we are in crimson and blue. ROCK CHALK!)

We then got to take Jack downtown for his first visit to Nashville. We spent an afternoon lunch at Centennial Park, and then went up to New Horizons to visit with some friends.

We took him for his second trip downtown when we went to the US National Soccer game. It was a night of 3's; Jack being three weeks old, and Jozy Altidore scoring a hat trick making it a 3-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago. We took Bobby as a gift for his 13th birthday. It was an amazing night. Though Jack slept through the game, he did it in style as we made a last minute purchase and tried out our Baby Bjorn that day! We all wore red, white, and blue. GO USA! all decked out in red, white, and blue

Jack has also taken trips to Hendersonville to meet great gramma Kathy and to go to his first Big Bubba's Bash (Make A Wish softball tournament fundraiser).

Daddy and Jack at the ball field

We've taken him on numerous walks around the block, to a few stores, and even the mall. He went to church for the first time on Palm Sunday when Grampa Muretisch was in town.

He was awake during all the worship music, but fell asleep at the start of the sermon. Sorry Bill!! Uncle Jon and Aunt Telcia also came to stay and visit with Jack. We got to see them two weekends in a row when Jack took his first road trip down to Roswell, GA for Easter. Along with his uncle and aunt, he got to visit with Grampa Muretisch, RaRa, Nonna, Don, and the Wright family. Easter Sunday we visited Roswell Community Church, and this time was awake and happy the entire service! It wasn't till AFTER the service during picutres that he decided to scream. All in all he has been one happy baby! At his last Dr. appointment he weighed in at 8 lbs 14 oz, and he's graduated to size 1 diapers. They are still kinda big on him, but the tiny ones don't hold enough, and this boy can eat! He's starting to really enjoy bath time now, and is smiling more and more. He knows our voices and follows us with his eyes. He was actually able to roll to his side at 2 weeks old, and is getting stronger and stronger with each day. We're sure this baby will be up and about in no time! We are still working on naptime during the day, he really only likes to nap when he's in mommy or daddy's arms. At least at night he sleeps good with no fussing at all! I have added some additional pictures to the Brawner Family photoalbum, if you're interested. This boy is just growing up too fast, but we are DEFINITELY savoring every minute!

my beautiful family

2009-04-06T12:59:00.010-05:00

photos by Nathan Venegas

2009-03-18T11:05:00.001-05:00

a few precious pics...

2009-03-15T15:25:00.003-05:00

Our Birth Story

2009-03-11T10:40:00.007-05:00

Jack Raymond Brawner is HERE!!!

Born on March 9, 2009 at 1:21am
Weight: 6lbs 13oz
Length: 20 inches

Let us first start by praising the AMAZING hand and wisdom of God. His will was written all over this pregnancy ESPECIALLY in areas that we didn’t see. Right now, Shanna and I are comfortably relaxing at Williamson Medical with our beautiful baby boy, Jack Raymond Brawner. He was born into this world at 1:21 am, March 9th, 2009; weighing 6 lbs 13 oz, and measuring at 20 inches in length. His personality is about 3 times that size.

Writing this “story” was something that I think played in the back of our minds as we were making some very tough decisions. I can tell you the word “failure” was probably the unspoken word of the day, and yet I can BOLDY proclaim quite the opposite was true. Shanna and I had decided to pursue a natural birth almost immediately and subsequently invested a lot of time in learning and researching why, and how, to do so. It was important to us that in our delivery we showed our faith in God and His process of creating life, and so our hearts were filled with the desire to make modern healthcare available, yet rely and focus upon woman’s God given gift of birthing.

And thus it begins when Shanna’s water broke at 8:30 on Saturday night (March 7th) and excitement hit us in the mouth. We were so ready for Jack to be here, and NOW was the time. We quickly began calling family, packing the remaining gear, and headed for some sleep (as much as the contractions would allow.) To our surprise, the contractions allowed a full night’s sleep (6 hrs). We awoke with nothing really consistent or intense, so we immediately hit the neighborhood streets and walked the entire morning. We were stomping like crazy people, and just hoped that everyone in our neighborhood were either good Christian’s and already at Church, or complete heathens and hung-over in their beds. Unfortunately, this walking didn’t bring anything to speak of, at least anything we could really feel.

At that point, having been 14 hours into “labor” with the water breaking (not to mention having tested positive for Group B Strep) we began to worry about “time.” So we made the call to the hospital to get an idea of time frame. Their time frame was NOW (of course) but we kept ourselves committed to our birth plan, and waited out a few more hours. We thought if we could only get the contractions going we could invoke our game plan, but that wasn’t happening – so we made the decision to go to the hospital. (Tough Decision #1).

We arrived at Williamson at about 12 pm, and sadly our doctor (Dr Heather Rupe) wasn’t available, so we had the on-call doctor (Dr Ellington). She was definitely opinionated at what we should be doing, and while I wasn’t a fan of her bedside manner (perhaps an unfair “first impression”) she demonstrated much patience with us. Well, somewhat. She first checked Shanna and we were only 1 cm and 60% effaced., and because we were already at 18 hours into the water breaking, they compellingly suggested a “kick start” of pitocin at 3 mL (Tough Decision #2). Over the next few hours Shanna would see that “kick start” turn into an “OD,” as they increased her dosage to 28 mL (30 is max). Through all of this, we DEFINITELY had an increase in contraction consistency and intensity, but it never helped dilate her past 1 cm. We were so frustrated and defeated.

Let me say during ALL OF THIS, we were so dedicated to what we learned and practiced in our Bradley classes. After getting to the hospital, our mobility was quite limited, but we walked in circles, stomped in place, squatted, and spent a great deal of time on the birthing ball. As with all of us who were fortunate to have Jeannie Casey as an instructor, we knew what to do (well, I should admit we did call and take advantage of her knowledge and advice during all of this – and we can only say THANK YOU JEANNIE! You helped to give us re-assurance and confidence in what we were faced with, and we are so thankful for you.) However, I was prepping for working THROUGH the contractions, not getting them to register! How in the heck do we do that?!

So long story longer, with a deadline soon arriving we were faced with (Tough Decision #3)… the epidural. Shanna wasn’t feeling the pain of the contractions and labor as much as one would imagine, so pain didn’t enter the equation. Rather we were faced with the two things: 1) How do we get this baby out with a vaginal delivery in the time frame we’re dealing with; and 2) if a Caesarian is necessary, an epidural is going to be required anyway. So – with being told the epidural MIGHT relax the tension in her cervix (thus improving dilation) we thought this is our last fighting chance to do this vaginally. In addition to the epidural, they were inserting an internal monitor, so that we could see what these contractions were REALLY doing. The results were interesting. They were FULL ON contractions. Dr Ellington commented at how surprised she was that Shanna was even able to handle this, particularly with the high levels of pitocin being administered. So here we are, she’s been contracting for several hours, and yet again - she’s STILL 1 cm.

Shortly after they inserted the epidural, Dr Ellington made the call for a C-Section. She noticed that Jack’s oxygen levels were depleting during each contraction, and at this point we were all pretty much on the same page that we were delaying the inevitable. So with prayers and tears, we committed ourselves to bringing Jack into this world in the way that was evidently God’s will. The Caesarian is where God’s plan was revealed, and the day’s events fit together like a puzzle. It turns out Jack’s cord was wrapped around his neck twice. This was preventing him to descend any further than he already had, hence no dilation. I don’t even want to think about what could have happened had “our plan” been accepted over God’s. Only He could have known about Jack’s condition, and only through Caesarian could this baby be born with Mommy and Jack being completely healthy. What a beautifully, exhausting day.

Thank you, God, that our will and our plan didn’t supersede Yours!

We will be at WMC until tomorrow (Thursday March 12) if anyone would like to come meet Jack.

With love,
Keith and Shanna

38 Weeks TODAY!!!

2009-02-27T11:48:00.002-06:00

This picture is from earlier this week... I THINK JACK IS REALLY READY! (almost as much as me and dad are!)

TIME IS FLYINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

2009-02-12T08:14:00.020-06:00

Wow!!! February 12th!! 31 days until Jack is HERE!!! It's been such a busy few weeks. January 31st my brother got married to his beautiful bride in Twin Falls, Idaho. It was a beautiful wedding for such a beautiful couple.

Mr. and Mrs. Muretisch

The trip was beautiful. Keith and I left early on the 29th and flew into Denver where we met up with my dad and step mom. We caught that flight (in 5 MINUTES!) and flew from Denver into Salt Lake City. What beautiful landscape out there! I'll have to post some pictures of the snow covered mountains and sites as soon as I get them. We all drove from Salt Lake City up to Twin Falls where we met up with the rest of the family. The food they fed us was AMAZING! (potatoes at every meal!) And the couple that put us up for the weekend were so hospitable. It was really a great trip and I'm SO GLAD Keith and I were "able" to go, with little Jack's arrival so soon!

We started our weekly visits to the doctor this month. We had an ultrasound on Feb. 3rd. Jack weighed in at 5lbs 13oz and right on track for his due date. It was so amazing to see our little guy again. He was moving a lot (as usual) and making it hard to get a good picture!

(front view of face; chin, cheek, lips, nose, eye)

(profile view)

So far I'm not yet dilated at all, so I must wait patiently. We have been getting the nursery all ready for his arrival (which makes time fly). Keith did an AMAZING painting job. We taped for days to get everything just right, but it was so worth it. We are also SO BLESSED to have some ladies from church throwing us a baby shower this weekend! I'm so excited to see everyone (some people that I haven't seen in a while). My dad and step mom are also stopping over this weekend to help put some finishing touches on the nursery on their way to Lexington. Keith and I purchased a beautiful paddle fan to keep little Jack cool and keep the air circulating.

The cats are going to have an interesting adjustment. They have been extra attentive lately to me and my belly. I hope they like Jack and STAY OUT OF HIS CRIB when he comes home!

oh yea...

2009-01-20T12:51:00.002-06:00

And we are going to get an ultrasound video of Jack on the 3rd so you guys can see this little guy in action, finally. He's amazing and VERY active!! I've also been trying to catch him in the act of kicking the heck out of me. It's fun to watch my belly dance. Stay tuned!

2009-01-20T12:39:00.001-06:00

Keith and I had a busy morning. We went to meet with a pediatrician and also had our 32 week checkup. Things went well with both. It’s hard to know with a pediatrician exactly what you want (since we’ve never had to find one before) but this lady seemed very nice. We’re still deciding though…

Our checkup appointment ran over a bit as we started asking a bunch of questions that we now have since we’ve started with our Bradley classes. She measured my belly and said that it was measuring at about 35 weeks yet I’m just under 33. This was a surprise because 2 weeks ago my belly was right on track. The gestational diabetes can cause the baby to be large, and even though my numbers have looked really good, my belly was still measuring a little big. Keith and I already knew that we would be having 2 more ultrasounds. Our first will be on Feb. 3rd, and will determine the size of Jack. We will have another at 38 weeks. This can have an effect on the delivery. Our doctor recommends that depending on Jack’s size, he be delivered BY March 15th (no later, which would mean if he didn’t come on his own I would be induced) and if his size is larger than 9.5 lbs that I have a c-section. This is her recommendation to make sure that Jack and I are both healthy after he is born. Again, this is all depending on how the ultrasounds read. Our doctor is very supportive of natural birth, especially for first time deliveries and is hoping that this will be the way it goes for us. My job is to continue to watch my diet (and blood sugar levels) and exercise. I have been already doing these things, so that means that as we all know, the rest is in God’s hands!

It gets exciting as time gets closer to when Jack will be here with us! Please pray for a smooth delivery, and that we can have the option to chose the delivery we really want. (Also that I will relax about all of this) This has definitely been an adventure so far and from what I hear, IT’S JUST BEGINNING!!

32 weeks!!

2009-01-19T14:49:00.004-06:00

Can you believe I'm already 32 weeks?!!?!?

Jack has been spinning, kicking, and punching me ALL day today, and most days. I find myself getting up at least once a night now (God's natural preparation for the future), and pretty much every sitting/sleeping position is uncomfortable. If I'm sitting, I must lean back otherwise Jack's uncomfort causes me to be uncomfortable...kick kick, punch punch, move mom you're squishing me!

Keith and I have had a busy January which has made it FLY BY! We found out that we will be having 2 more ultrasounds due to my gestational diabetes (which has been controlled and balanced). We will get to see our son at 35 weeks and 38 weeks! I'm so excited to see him in there again!

Keith and I started our birth classes. We chose to naturally give birth using the Bradley Method. There is a lot of exercising and preparation! It keeps my thoughts busy, and I can't believe that he will be here in less than 7 weeks.

We are leaving next week to head to Idaho for my brother's wedding... That's surreal in itself. So many crazy things to happen in the next few weeks. God is amazing and has continued to bless us tremendously so far in 2009. Keith and I continue to put our effort towards glorifying him in our thoughts and actions.

WE ARE SO BLESSED!!

2008-12-31T11:50:00.017-06:00

(mom's house)

Christmas was amazing... we are soooooooooooooooooo blessed!!! Enjoy some pictures below.

The Brawners on Christmas Day 2008.

mom snugglin' dylan

dylan, mandy, me, and katie

JONATHAN, TELCIA, G&G M, KEVIN,

KEITH, ME, MANDY

JACK, DYLAN

The Brawners on Mt. Washington, 12/25/2008

WE ARE SO BLESSED!! Our baby shower at G&G's house.

My brother and his bride-to-be

bob, jonathan, michael, keith, ryan, adam,

amy,telcia, ryan, me, audrey, michelle,

jack, rowan, asher,

kevin, mandy, jen,

dylan, justin

katie, ethan, kasey

SEE YOU IN 2009!!

Jack's First Song!!

2008-12-11T09:40:00.004-06:00

We let Jack listen to his first song the other night... we started looking up classical songs, and then we found something more fitting.

This was followed by The River ~ Garth Brooks, some U2, Patty Griffin, and the entire Ring the Bells CD... I think he loves music... at least he'll have good taste!

LONG TIME NO TALK!

2008-12-04T13:41:00.027-06:00

Well... So much has happened the past few weeks! Where do I begin...

November 14-17th

KEITH WAS BAPTIZED! My family came into town on Friday and we spent the weekend window shopping, cooking, eating, and worshiping together. My dad and Robin got in Friday afternoon and even brought a few gifts for baby Jack. We went and looked at the Christmas decorations at Opryland Hotel after a great dinner at Puckett's Grocery and Restaurant in downtown Franklin. Then Jonathan and Telcia arrived early Saturday. We loaded up in the Jeep and gave everyone a tour of the area. We did some strolling/shopping in downtown Franklin after eating again at Puckett's Grocery and Restaurant... They have great dinners and we really wanted to try out their lunch. It was even better!! Saturday night was Keith's baptism. Suzi, Bobby, Cody, Wayne, and Susan all came down from Hendersonville for this moving event. Then afterwards we had a small 'birth'day party for Keith at the house. We celebrated his spiritual AND physical birth. Happy '33' my love!!

(Robin, Dad, Susan, Me (and Jack), Bobby, Wayne, Suzi, (front row) Cody, Keith, Jonathan's foot, Telcia)

November 21st

My friend Johanna was in KY from California visiting family, and decided to drive down and visit ME!! We ate dinner at Moe's on Friday night and then went out to see Ballet Magnificat! perform The Scarlet Cord. It was an amazing night... Neither of us had ever been to a ballet, and don't think we'll forget that night anytime soon. What an amazing message and BEAUTIFUL talent!! (click the picture for info!)

We had a great rest of the weekend; watched some movies, did some window shopping, and it was just great to hang out. I hadn't seen her in TWO YEARS!! How fun!

November 27th

Thanksgiving was awesome, and busy! Thursday we went up to Hendersonville and spent the day gorging on food cooked by Suzi and Kath. It was SOOOO good. We came home and crashed before leaving at 4:30am to head to Atlanta. We spent the weekend visiting with my sister Mandy, bro-in-law Kevin, nephew Dylan, bro Jonathan, sis-in-law-to-be Telcia, Dad and Robin. Whew! Lotsa family, that's something to be SO thankful for!!

(stopping to see the ducks on Thanksgiving in Hendersonville)

(Keith playing with his bday gift from the Goldbachs...a marshmellow shooter!)

(Whipped cream exploded!!)

(The girl's spending the afternoon wedding planning... only a few more weeks!)

(Chillin' with Dylan after an afternoon of kayaking)

December 4th

6 month checkup! Jack seems to be doing well! Growing big and strong and taking in EVERYTHING momma eats... So many things to be thankful for over these past few weeks. Thank you LORD!!

Craving...

2008-11-25T12:28:00.000-06:00

This is what I'm craving today... anyone know where I can buy some!??

Something's flicking me... from the INSIDE!!

2008-11-14T12:23:00.002-06:00

And I think it's JACK!!!

Deals and Cravings...

2008-11-13T10:58:00.012-06:00

So I have yet to mention our latest "baby stuff" deal! Keith and I purchased a brand new glider and ottoman set from a lady we met off of craigslist. She had noticed a small defect in the back of the seat cushion, and Target agreed to replace her chair but did not ask for the damaged one in return! She had not even set up the chair, it was still in the box! So she decided to sell it on craigslist for 40% off of the original cost. cHA-cHinG! It is a beautiful chair and an easy decision for us. Keith and I both got to try out her replacement chair, and she even had a Boppy that I could try out and make sure that the chair was roomy enough for me and Jack. She had the most adorable 3 month old... so much personality!! She also sold me 3 maternity tops for a real cheap price... yet another blessing!

When Keith and I got home we immediately set the chair up, and in trying it out...

Keith FELL ASLEEP!! Yes, I couldn't believe it... He was in the chair maybe 5 minutes and he was O-U-T! I couldn't help but take a picture... I have a feeling that this will be a common occurrence, for both of us, in the next few months.

Last night I made a really good 'Shortcut Chicken Cordon Blue' that was served over egg noodles. It was quick, easy, and GOOD! But after dinner I decided I wanted something sweet. I pulled out the vanilla ice cream, and in reaching in the cabinet for some peanuts to sprinkle on top I saw something that looked SO appetizing!! There were some chips in there! Sour Cream and Onion!! If you know me, then you know love chips... any kind; chips and salsa, chips and dip, chips chips chips... So of course I had to pull them out and eat a few before eating my ice cream... The thought of this make Keith quite queasy.. What's wrong with Sourcream chips and Icecream?? It tasted good to me!!

ENGAGED!

2008-11-12T08:07:00.002-06:00

Wow! Another great happening to add to 2008! My brother Jonathan and his girlfriend Telica are engaged! God bless them!

Get behind me Satan!

2008-11-07T08:11:00.002-06:00

Ah la la la la la la life is wonderful!!

Things are going so good lately, so of course as in many Christian lives, crazy things have been starting to happen. Some of them little things, "hurt feelings" and little fights being picked... And some of them are larger; issues that haven't poked their evil heads in MONTHS are now are suddenly reappearing.

The only thing I can think is that "something" is trying to pull the Fire and Inspiration away from me that has been so strong lately! All I can say is "GET BEHIND ME" cause I have stuff to do and I'm not letting any of this cause me to waver or fall.

Like father, like son...

2008-11-06T15:29:00.004-06:00

Meek Update!

2008-11-06T10:48:00.005-06:00

I got an update on Meek today! I miss that little guy... I'm so glad he is so happy! (and as Keith pointed out, he looks as ornery as ever!)

Hi! How are you?Meek is doing absolutely wonderful...he's really coming around to the kids. He gets out of his cage everyday and runs around the classroom (and sometimes into the hallway, but he turns around immediately and comes back into the room..haha) in his ball. The kids love him and he lets them pet him and they LOVE to feed him from their hand. They are so good to him and always make sure he's taken care of. :) I am attaching a few pics of him that I have on this computer at home and hopefully will be able to send you more later. Have a wonderful rest of the week and thanks for keeping in touch and checking on him...again anytime you guys want anything in order to stay updated on him let me know. Thanks,Ashley

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

2008-11-05T09:16:00.004-06:00

TO GLORIFY GOD! That's is the "why" in "why we exist". Yesterday was an amazing day, and besides the news of our son, Keith and I had a wonderful evening of fellowship and "refreshment" as we met with Gramma S. online for the first of our "Tuesday Night Studies." Keith and I have been wanting to find time during the week to be refreshed and re-inspired as we are every Sunday morning. Keith asked my mom to join us in an online video/audio conference as we watch the previous Sunday messages and then discuss them. Last night was our first try, and besides some small technical difficulties, it ended up being really fun!! We actually decided to start at the beginning of the current series "Dangerous Ideas: that changed the world". The first comment made was "Dangerous Ideas! Sounds just like Obama!" I have to say that in a way there was some truth to that, but I took something different from the message this time around, as God spoke to me and comforted me throughout the events that followed later in the evening.

The message was about our purpose; to Glorify GOD. God has provided us EVERYTHING we need to glorify Him. The moment we are born we have what we need. We don't need to be anywhere financially, emotionally, or physically. We simply have to believe in Him. That is what brings him Glory! He doesn't ask anything else but our belief! Wow, to think that I am HIS inheritance AS IS! Just knowing that He values me as His inheritance makes me want to work and work to glorify Him, but to then know that I don't even have to work; just believe!

After the election last night, I can't say that I was that excited. I probably said a few things during the acceptance speech and made a few comments about the others there cheering as if it was a sporting event. But then I realized that there IS excitement in what has taken place! Throughout my life I have found the most exciting moments are when I put full faith in Christ to take care of my day. Just as I always think I have things figured out and have them my way, God will flip things around and they will turn out even better to His glory! As I think about the election, I know that God has planned this for our country at this moment. Whether I think it's the right choice or not, God has it all under control. And if the "why" of my existance is to glorify Him by BELIEVING, then that is all I want to do! Believe that He is taking care of me, taking care of our country, and that He will flip things around so that they will turn out even better to His glory! I have heard comments about "My vote doesn't matter, so I'm not voting anymore..." but what fools are we to think our vote ever mattered in the first place? I vote to show how I care and because it is my responsibility to be a part of this nation. But to think that little 'ole ME has any effect on ANYTHING is just foolish. GOD knew the results of this election before the beginning of time. As well, He knew all of the evil kings that would rule throughout the Bible and did they lead to destruction in some cases? SURE! But in the end is it all for good, and for His Glory? OF COURSE!!

So I'm not scared, I will glorify God by believeing and trusting in Him. Knowing that He has our country right where He wants it, and as His child I am safe in His arms. This is the fun part, waiting to see what will happen next. Knowing it's NOT in MY control. Thank you LORD for a wonderful day yesterday, and a new challenge to love and accept Your choices during my lifetime.

HALLOWEEEEEEN and my precious baby boy!

2008-11-04T14:46:00.011-06:00

I wanted to post a few pictures from Halloween, but first I must announce the knowledge of our beautiful baby boy!! Jack Raymond Brawner was nice enough to spread his legs today, and will be the first Brawner boy in 30 years!! Keith and I are ecstatic! Weighing in at approximately 1 pound, Jack Brawner will keep his original due date of March 15th, 2009. We are now even more eagerly awaiting his arival! Here are some pictures of Momma B and uh... I don't really know whatcha call him...

We took Keith's cousin Cody trick-or-treating. It was a blast! I can't wait to take little Jack!!

ALL TOGETHER NOW

2008-10-30T08:20:00.022-05:00

Last night was awesome! Keith and I had some friends come over, and we all gathered round our TV to watch the Cirque du Soleil LOVE documentary! It is call 'All Together Now'. Melissa made the most amazing "Cheeseburger Soup" and Keith and I threw together some chocolatey, whipped cream, vanilla waffer, strawberry mess and called it "Strawberry Fields." It was surprisingly really good for just making it up! My dear friend Todd came, it was so good to see him! I hadn't seen him since he played at our wedding reception. All 4 of us had tried to get together earlier this month as the documentary was being shown in theaters for one night only. The day of, however, Keith and I found out that the tickets were $20 a piece!! So we opted out of the theater and just bought the dvd for $20 and invited friends to our place to see it. It was really good... Makes me wanna go back to Vegas and see the show again! There are some clips above of the LOVE show held at the Mirage hotel in Vegas.

I'm having trouble focusing on work today. We have an exciting weekend coming up! Keith's cousin Cody is coming down to trick or treat with us tomorrow. I love Halloween! One of my favorite holidays. Keith and I will be dressing up and passing out candy after a couple blocks of trick or treating. Then next week, of course, we find out who the next President will be!!! hahaha... Actually, the excitement I have is about finding out if we're having a little boy or little girl!! I can't believe that time has come!!! Ugh... it's only 12:20... hard to get through today...

BABY FEET

2008-10-29T10:55:00.018-05:00

I had a dream last night
that I was laying down and i saw my baby's foot!
It pushed up through my belly
And it had little teeny toenails, and they were kinda long and sharp.
So I screamed for Keith to come and see!
I kept touching and tickling it, and then i saw it's little hands push through!
So i went to touch them and it grabbed a hold of my fingers... REALLY TIGHT! i was like 'wow! our baby has got a great grip!'

I'd seen this belly picture (above) before, so maybe that added to my very real dream. But it pushed up high, and I could see the ankle. It looked like a foot pushing through saran wrap or something. It was so cool to have my lil baby hold my fingers and let me tickle it's little foot. I just can't wait!!!!

NEW DEALS!!

2008-10-27T12:41:00.006-05:00

So...We bought our crib bedding this weekend. We were at Bed Bath and Beyond just browsing, knowing that we had a few gift card monies left. We got to the clearance table and Keith noticed a 4 piece crib bedding set. There was no clearance tag or discount price on it, and so we didn’t know how much it was or if it was truly clearance. Then we looked around and realized we had never seen any crib stuff at Bed Bath and Beyond before. I knew they had stuff online, but I hadn’t seen it in stores.
So we walked up to the register to find out what was going on. The cashier told us that the crib bedding was only available online, but someone had returned it to the store, so it was in fact clearance… 50% off! It’s original price was $259.99 but after the 50% off and using our gift cards, we ended up paying $112.00 for it. Then we were told if we had a 20% off coupon from our mail, that we could bring our receipt back with that coupon and get an additional 20% off!! We couldn’t believe it! More blessings in the baby stuff department! Now, it isn’t pooh.. but it’s really pretty. It is listed as a ‘neutral’ bedding too, so that was a plus...

We also stopped at Home Depot to check out some Ceiling Fans for baby B...

We found this cute little bronze one that may look great with our crib and some of the other bold colors we'll have. It is so fun getting stuff for our little baby, and even more fun getting it on SALE!!

God has really been blessing us in letting us be good stewards of His money. We made a promise to each other that we would do the best to limit any and all home improvements until after we paid back everything that we 'owed' (debt, etc.). He has really been blessing us in providing what we need to pay off our debts, and also finding great deals to be able to provide for our family in a conservative way. What a fun and exciting weekend... We will find out if we are having little boy or girl a week from tomorrow!! WE CAN'T WAIT!!!

19 weeks!

2008-10-20T10:23:00.003-05:00

ok ok... so I may be arching my back a little...

2008-10-17T08:04:00.010-05:00

Okay, so I think this is SO cute... This is what my baby looks like right now! All scrunched up in there. I can understand why I should be feeling kicks soon! I'm 19 weeks! (well, in 2 more days). That means that finding out the sex of our child is RIGHT around the corner! I can't even believe how fast this has all flown by. I have been doing pretty good at sleeping on my side. I was for sure this would be a challenge for me, but it is more challenging just to sleep continuously through the night! I guess I need to get used to this. In about 5 more months 'sleep' will probably be a foreign word to me.

It's been another busy week, and I even took a day off to stay at home and rest. (my first day off my entire pregnancy!) God has been challenging me to apply what I've been learning lately. Our church gave everyone a copy of the book 'Crazy Love' by Francis Chan. I have been really focusing on living my christianity OUTWARDLY. Our life is so short, and every moment will be wasted if we aren't careful. My integrity was challenged this week, as I was asked again to be deceptive in my job. I had already tried to be strong and make a stand by having a meeting with my boss telling him that I refused to compromise my integrity and was uncomfortable with certain parts of my job that were deceptive. He again put me in the situation and this time I was ordered to do it. The reaction was interesting when I spoke out about the deception. He didn't tell me to hush up about it, but proceded to shout over me sarcastically and across the room that 'we were having a righteous moment over here!' I have to say, that's a first for me. I don't mind my righteousness being shouted. I'll shout it out myself, I ain't skeerd...

It was definately challenging as I asked to meet with my boss alone in another meeting and bringing an HR representitive into the meeting for documentation. It was hard to keep my cool and not be so angry! Though in my job, I was still forced to do this, I at least was able to explain that I was not 'ok' with what was going on, and it is on record with a witness. I look forward to the day that I'm presented with a new job opportunity. I know that GOD for sure is working in me while I'm here though. Let the persecution continue!!

It has really been great to just surround myself with people and conversation that is inspirational; between the play, 'coupon-ing', and taking a Love & Respect class with my husband. It is very hard to go a day without forgetting what my job is on earth, and the motivation to be more so that I may do more.

Here's a few fun pictures from this week.

This is what i'm craving today...

2008-10-10T12:47:00.001-05:00

IT'S OPENING NIGHT!!!

2008-10-10T08:36:00.003-05:00

It's Opening Night! I'm excited and a bit nervous. Our final dress rehearsal last night was anything but smooth, but I know we'll pull it off with no problems! (no pun intended)

Below is an ad to get a free ticket!!

Back by popular demand, the Spring Hill Arts Center presents Greater Tuna by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard for the second time at the Old School Theatre. The show opens October 10th and performances will continue Saturday the 11th, Friday and Saturday the 17th and 18th, and Friday and Saturday the 23rd and 24th.

Greater Tuna is the hilarious comedy about Texas' third smallest town, where the Lion's Club is too liberal and Patsy Cline never dies. The eclectic band of citizens that make up this town are portrayed by only two performers, Joe Leavitt and Dan Zeigler, making this satire on life in rural America even more delightful as they depict all of the inhabitants of Tuna--men, women, children and animals. The costume changes come fast and the laughs even faster in this quick witted comedy which has been performed from Broadway to a special showing for President George H Bush at the White House.

Performances will be at 7:00 PM at the Old School in Spring Hill with an additional 2:00 matinee Saturday, October 18th. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors. For more information or to buy tickets visit www.springhillarts.org or call 615-614-1191.

***BUY ONE GET ONE FREE!!! ***

Bring in a copy of this email and recieve one FREE ticket when you purchase an additional ticket to the October 10th or 11th performances.

Still reading? Not convinced yet? Let me tell you this…one of these guys has great legs that you will really want to see! Trust us!

This is so fun!

Candy Corn

2008-10-09T08:47:00.002-05:00

I ate entirely too much of this yesterday and it made me sick... But I still love it! There are some new belly pics posted...

17 Weeks... and growing...

2008-10-07T09:59:00.008-05:00

Well, it's been a few days since I've posted! SOOOO much has been going on and the weeks are just flying by! I have some belly pictures to post, and will hopefully do that sometime this week.

I have gotten myself booked up with classes and extra activities for my evenings. Last week and this week I have been working backstage for SHAC (the Spring Hill Arts Center). They are putting on the show "Greater Tuna" opening this friday, and continuing for the next 3 weekends.

It's really fun! At first I was a little hestitant at what my job role would be, and if I could handle it, but I've really been enjoying being a "thespian" again!

Second, I've started taking a coupon class. This class is awesome! It is called Faithful and Frugal and is based on Proverbs 31. It is teaching me how to save money on groceries, and of course anytime money is saved, it becomes more money to GIVE AWAY! Keith and I are super excited to continue working towards financial peace and being put into a position to give more. Last night was our first night trying this whole coupon thing and we saved $36.00 on $80.00 worth of groceries! That's almost 50%! We were thrilled!!

As far as my baby is coming, he/she is doing wonderful! Baby B is the size of an onion this week. We were at the doctor last Thursday and got to hear the precious 157 bmp heart just beating away. It was funny because the doctor had a bit of trouble finding the heartbeat, and when she found it, suddenly the baby would move to the other side of my tummy and she had to look again! It's so neat to know there is a little baby in there moving around and all! My mom is hoping that it is as active as I was in her belly... She thinks it will be funny for my baby to do somersalts and cartwheels in my belly as I did in hers... I can't say I find that as funny..haha

We find out the sex of our baby on November 4th! That's the same day that we will vote for the next president of the United States! It will be a busy and exciting day for us, and I may just need to take off the whole day at work... haha, we'll see!

GIFTS!

2008-09-27T11:34:00.013-05:00

I wanted to note a few gifts that have already been sent to us as well! After getting the crib, it has really brought this whole thing to life and we started pulling things out and wanting more to prepare for our little baby!

Gramma S. sent us some BEAUTIFUL little onesies and socks, binkies and spoons, and the softest, snugliest, blanket! They are all Classic Winnie the Pooh themed, and they actually inspired our nursery theme!

<-- Sooo softy!!!

Aunt Mandy also sent us some cute onsies... I can't tell you how much I love cotton. I've always loved my hubby in cotton, and I just can't wait to love my BABY in cotton!! Aren't these beautiful colors? The last one has little animals on it, horses, giraffes, and little monkeys wearing bandanas and cowboy hats. I love it! It is so fun imagining our little baby wearing all of these things.

And then, of course, Keith and I have made a few fun purchases ourselves. Like the little cowboy boots in the post below, and this adorable St. Paddy's day bib. We are due on March 15th, and can't wait for our little St. Paddy's day baby! Thanks for all the gifts! We love them! Every single day it becomes more and more real to us. We are so thrilled to bring this little blessing into the world!

BEST YARD SALE FIND YET!!

2008-09-27T11:09:00.012-05:00

Actually, it was an Estate sale. We had passed the sign last night on the way to the store, and decided after our wonderful find last week that we would check it out. Sure enough, as we are getting out of the Jeep, a lady screams 'Everything half off!'. She came right up to Keith and I as if she knew us and said 'We have a beautiful baby bed over there that we will sell you for half off if you like.' HOW DID SHE KNOW!? (I know I am showing a little bit, but I had a fleece on, and you could barely see my belly) Well, this beautiful Baby's Dream crib and Simmons Kid baby mattress were MORE than perfect to us. So we bought them! $100 cash! It was an amazing buy... The crib is convertible and will even convert into a headboard for a child's twin size mattress when the time is right. Looks like we will be using this piece of furniture for quite a while!

Here are some pictures. WE LOVE IT!!!

It seemed fairly simple to put together. Keith worked on that while I made us breakfast.

We liked it in the corner of the nursery with a veiw of the window.

Simmons Kids Beautyrest Beginnings™ Luxury Firm crib mattress gives baby supportive, restful sleep with 231 pocketed coil springs. Our AllerCare™ feature is specially designed to help reduce indoor allergens in the mattress so your baby can rest easier. MoistureBan vinyl cover repels spills and wetness, and is specially-designed to resist wear and tear. Never needs to be flipped. Side air vents keep mattress fresh and all-around edge support provides extra firmness and durability.

When we got home, I did a little research. It looks like this crib retails from $400-$600 and the mattress from $150-$175. I couldn't believe we got both for only $100! GOD is so great!

ice creeeeaaam.... ice creeeammmm... ice creeeaammm...

2008-09-26T13:11:00.004-05:00

So... I want ICE CREEEEEAM!! Not with pickles or anything, but some pumpkin pie in there would do! Dairy Queen does the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard of the Month in November, I think, but I've really been craving one lately. I can't believe FALL is here! The temperature today is a nice cool 69 degrees and I want to be out in it!

I'm at work, and I can't say it's any fun at all. BUT IT IS FRIDAY! So that keeps me going. I've been trying to decide what I want to do for halloween. I don't know if I should tell my ideas on here, because then it won't bee a surprise. So maybe I'll just keep it a secret and all 1 of you who read my blog will have to wait and see!

Okay, can you tell I'm just kinda rambling? All I can think about is icecream and going home. My husband is picking me up from work today, and I can't tell you how excited I am to see him. I just want to get out of this place today...

Community Group 08

2008-09-24T08:15:00.002-05:00

Here are some pics from the other night. Thanks to Julie! CLICK FOR PHOTOS!

Today's "Google Doodle"

2008-09-22T12:24:00.005-05:00

I love today's Cuddle Season starter Google Doodle! Does that make any sense? hahaha... Today's Google Doodle (click here for details) represents the first day of fall; TODAY!! I'm so excited!

15 weeks, 18 people, 6 blue chairs, and 1 pair of the cutest shoes ever!!

2008-09-22T10:59:00.023-05:00

Well, I'm in my 15th week... WOW! I can't believe it! I'm so excited! Yes, there is a belly picture below. I'm going to try to take a picture at the start of every new week on Sunday before church. (I've made a "belly album".) I was so excited that I fit into my courderoys... "Fit into your courderoys?" you say... YES THAT IS RIGHT, THOUGH MY BELLY IS GROWING I WAS ABLE TO FIT INTO MY OLD CLOTHES!! "How is this?" you ask... Well, if you notice the orange fabric under my green shirt... Momma B was creative this weekend! I cut an old tube top in half and hemmed one end; using this as a band so that I can wear my old pants, just unzipped and unbuttoned. It was awesome! (Felt a little weird at first, but good all in all). I need to buy me a bella band, but I thought this was a good improv version. I look forward to this kind of thing for my postpartum belly too!Keith and I went to our first YARD sale this weekend! It was really awesome... We knew we were having the community group over on Sunday and were afraid that we wouldn't have enough seating. We met a sweet family that just moved here from Wisconsin. They had moved here from a 150 year old farm house and had lots of extra furniture in that style that they were getting rid of. (Mom - you should have seen their old rusty iron bed frame.. BEAUTIFUL!) Keith and I aren't really the 'old farm house style' kind of couple, but WE NEEDING SEATING, so we didn't care! They had 6 chairs to offer at $5 a piece. The mother had painted them bright blue, and stated that she didn't really like how they turned out, but never did anything else with them. She assured us that they had been 'gorilla glued' and had outlasted 5 kids, so they were very sturdy. This sounded good to us! They really have some sort of charm about them, and were comfortable, so we bought them, ALL 6 bright blue chairs! haha... they rock. (notice Thelma likes them too)

We also made a few more purchases; bought a couple fall smelling candles, and some candle holders, and THE cutest pair of shoes I had ever seen.
We obviously don't know the sex of our baby yet, but when I saw these I just couldn't pass them up. $3 Childrens Place cowgirl boots! They are for age 12-18 months... so it may be a while before they can be used, but they were so cute, at least to decorate the room until they can be worn. AWWWWW!!!

Any and all baby stuff that we've been collecting has made its way into the (soon to be) 'baby room'. That couch you see was a Goodwill bargain for $50! The day we purchased that couch, as soon as we got it into the house, we both sat on it and called our whole family announcing our pregnancy. Great couch and great memory. We are thinking we like these vintage like colors for the nursery. Mom had sent us some vintage Winnie the Pooh baby stuff, and we may do our nursery in that theme.

Community group on Sunday was just awesome! We had a cookout, and 18 people ended showing up! This included a bunch of kids and one tiny Emmeline (6 months old). She's precious. The cats stayed in the utility room hiding behind the washing machine (refer to our home video to see our scaredy cats in action), and Springer was thrilled with all the attention. You may see some crazy pictures up on Julie's page. Everyone was noticing my new belly... and there was a funny one of Keith and I both sticking out our bellys (after stuffing our faces with all the amazing food!). It was funny... All in all it was a productive and busy weekend and we were both really happy when it was time to sleep last night.

CHRISTMAS!!!

2008-09-18T11:15:00.009-05:00

So I've been getting a bunch of email surveys/forwards from my mom and sister recently. And I keep putting my favorite holiday as HALLOWEEN! I love the creativity of picking a costume, making it, and heck, who doesn't love a holiday with unlimited CANDY!!! Also I have been putting THANKSGIVING as my favorite... I love Cuddle Season (this is what I call FALL) because of the weather, colors, and just the snuggliness of it. Is that a word?

Well, I have to say...
Last Christmas was probably the best I've ever had in my life. Christmas for quite a few years wasn't fun for me anymore. Without family around, a 'whole' family, and without feeling the true meaning, it just slowly dropped down my list of favorites. Two Christmases ago I made the choice to fly to California and spend the holiday with my best friend on the beach, and it was the best decision of my life. I will never forget that week with Keith and Christmas hasn't been the same since. Last Christmas Keith asked me to share my life with him, FOREVER, and I accepted. We shortly after became members of the most amazing church I've ever been too.
All season we had been enjoying the sounds of our church's worship team and their Christmas project. I just started thinking about that today, and right here, in my chair at work, began to tear up at the thought of how amazing CHRIST is, and how that season is celebrating Him coming to save us... What an incredible holiday!!!

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – December 10, 2007 – To raise money for its African mission work, Fellowship Bible Church in Brentwood, Tenn. recorded Ring the Bells: A Christmas Offering, a new CD of original music from Cindy Morgan, Ronnie Freeman, Christy Nockels, Geoff Moore, and many others. These artists presented the music in two concerts at Fellowship Bible on Thursday evening, December 6, and The Worship Network taped the event in High Definition for broadcast this Christmas and a DVD project in 2008.

Each musician, artist and producer who worked on the project donated his time, and all proceeds from concert ticket sales and CD sales will go to FBC’s work in Africa.

“We’re honored to be able to record this concert and help spread the word of how one church is using its talents to make a difference across the world,” said Bruce Koblish, president of the network. “This project will not only be a unique program to bring our viewers, but it also taps into our desire to work with local churches to create effective worship resources.”

For the latest airtimes and updates, visit The Worship Network’s website at http://www.worship.net/.

Above is what how we celebrated with our church and worship team last year, and Keith and I are way too excited for this year. To pull out our CD and rejoice and worship the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ!! Last year Keith and I chose to donate 100% of our Christmas money to our African mission project by purchasing CDs and sending them to all of our family and friends. We are also very excited that a DVD will be released this year! We went to the concert, and it was great that they taped the performance! I urge you to click the link below where you can see a clip of this amazing event!!

http://www.worship.net/press/2007/06.asp

If anyone reading this blog (I know it's mostly family, and I'm sure you have a CD already) wants to donate to our African missions by purchasing a CD or DVD, YOU SHOULD!! It is amazing music, and 100% of it goes to a great cause. Keith and I feel honored to have such a talented Worship team, and feel blessed to live in this city full of beautiful music!

I LOVE YOU ALL AND I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!

A PEACH!!

2008-09-09T09:44:00.021-05:00

Okay, so this picture may be a little detailed... but I just think it is the cutest thing ever! Look at that LITTLE TINY BABY IN THERE!!!

Keith and I went to our second doctors appointment on the 4th (Thursday) and since I had to do an annoying test (so the doctor said) as a treat she let Keith and I take another peek at our child! It was so teeny and cute, but not a 'bean' anymore. THERE'S AN ACTUAL BABY IN THERE! It even lifted up it's hand and waved at us! We saw the little fingers and everything. It was soooooo awesome. I wish I had my own ultrasound at home so I could just peek whenever I wanted. haha...

So, some websites say (and you can kinda tell on that picture above) that I should be getting my 'baby bump' this week! It is week 13 and I'm almost into my second trimester. I don't know if I'm really excited about the 'bump', but at least I won't just be angry at my clothes being too small and have visible proof that something else is going on. I think I may buy a Bellaband. I saw it on Target.com and it looks like a GREAT invention!

What it basically does, is allow you to wear your normal pants without having to button or zip! You can just put this band over your waist and it makes it smooth. And if it is seen under your top, it honestly just looks like a cami or something so no one can tell you are really unzipped! This sounds great to me, and especially since I do'nt think i'm quite ready for Maternity pants yet...

This week my baby is the size of a PEACH!! I like comparing it to fruit. What I don't like is calling it 'IT'. 7 more weeks and we get to find out what this little bugger is. Sometimes I imagine a baby girl and sometimes a boy. The part that is still so hard to imagine is me as a MOM! I just hope I do a good job!

Keith and I started a couples course at church called Love & Respect. We're really excited to learn more about what God intended for husbands and wives and learn more about each other in our relationship. Preparing for parenthood has a lot to do with marriage! We want to make sure we are strong in that FIRST! The course is based on a book by Dr. Emmerson Eggerichs. We're really really excited! We had our first class last night and it went well. We even practiced some of what we learned on the car ride home. haha...

We have made a few good and healthy changes this week too, all in preparation for our WORLD to change in a few months. We finally (after 8 months) made up a household chore list, and we've set our alarm for 5:30; we have gotten up and gone walking two mornings in a row! It feels good to eat right, exercise and have a schedule. I love my husband with all my heart, he really is the motivation behind all of this. Recently he was taking care of breakfast, lunch, dinner, watering the yard, cleaning the bedroom and living room, sweeping and vaccuuming the house, cleaning the litter box and the chinchilla cage and also working tremendously hard for our family. It was time to share some responsibility :) I'm so blessed... (and Thank GOD for giving me my energy back!!!)

TODAY IS A NEW DAY!!!

2008-08-27T09:44:00.018-05:00

Wow, it is amazing, my sister was right!! For a month you're exhausted and nauseated and one day you wake up and are all better, forgetting what that even feels like to be sick! I'm in my 11th week! Oh man... I can't say I am completely carefree as I have a bunch of new pains I'm dealing with, but the Doc was right - MY NAUSEA AND LAZINESS HAS GONE AWAY!!!

This week my baby is the size of a LIME! I can't believe it! I want to snuggle it so bad and just can not wait till March... Wow that seems SO far away. I was looking through my sister's blog today month by month reading up on where she was during her 11 week. It really seems much quicker when you read through it on a blog! I need to get some belly pics for all of you. I can't say I have too much to show yet. Basically I just can't suck in my pudge anymore, so it sticks out and probably looks like something that it isn't. I have been wearing a lot of skirts as I have trouble fitting into my pants... I do feel a bit of tightness in my belly as my insides are definately growing.

I'm a little scared about this whole thing to be honest. I feel like my body is weak and maybe I'm not ready for the strain that will be put on it the next few months. My bones ache, especially my back and neck and legs. They hurt pretty much 24 hours a day. I'm worried something else may be wrong cause i'm constantly in pain. This didn't just start with the baby, but I think the thought of what my body will feel is almost making it worse. I guess the only thing to do about that is change! Am I rambling yet? From what I hear, I'm getting to the part when the pregnancy is the most fun!

Anyways... Right now little Baby B is growing finger nails and God is deciding whether it will be a boy or girl. This is a super exciting week... Stay tuned as next week Baby B learns to swallow!!

ZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

2008-08-20T12:41:00.004-05:00

I'M SO TIRED!!!

I fell asleep at 7pm last night and slept through the night... got up at 6 and MAN AM I TIRED! I can't wait to go home and go to bed...

Outer Space, Sun, and a lightning Bolt

2008-08-18T12:51:00.011-05:00

Well, this weekend was fun. I spent a little too much time on the couch I think, but like Keith keeps telling me, 'YOU'RE CREATING SOMETHING, YOU'RE NOT BEING LAZY!

I got to watch most of the Olympics, at least the ones I could stay awake for. I have to say there are some amazing athletes competing this year. Phelps, of course, and this 21 year old Jamaican runner Usain Bolt. GEEEZ.... they are both so fast! Another person I find amazingly inspiring is Dara Torres. Wow, at 41, with a 2 year old, she wins 3 silver medals. (two that were I so close to being Gold!) I hope at 41 I can be in that kind of shape... heck, I hope at 28 with a 2 year old I can be in that kind of shape. It is so inspiring to watch all these athletes, young and old!

Sunday night Keith and I went to a movie with our friends Rich and Robin. We all decided on WALL-E, and what a great choice! There were a few things in this movie that were a little disturbing... The thought of the human race getting so lazy that they lose bone structure and basically become big blobs that can't walk or function. There is one part where the ship tilts and all of the humans roll because they are too fat to move. Gross... Oh, and WALL-E has a friend that's a cockroach. I didn't quite warm up to that either...he lives inside a 700 year old Twinkie, yuck.

It was fun though to get out. I had to pee during most of the movie, but I'm at the stage where I get the urge but can still hold it. I assume that won't last forever. In talking with my friend Robin, I've found out some interesting facts about pregnancy! Her and Rich are trying for one right now. I hope she gets pregnant soon, so we can be preggers together! She told me that the amount of energy put into creating this kid in the first trimester is the same amount it would take to climb a mountain 24 hours a day. WOW, NO WONDER I'M SO TIRED! I couldn't believe that! I do feel like I'm climbing mountains, but my body has nothing to show for it... Secondly, she told me that the rate the baby grows in the first trimester is amazing. If the baby continued to grow at this rate for the entire 9 months, instead of just 3, than by the time 9 months was over the baby would be the size of the SUN! WOW!! From cell, to 12 weeks, it is growing exponentially, and if it kept at the pace, it would be enormous. I mean, the sun? That's HUGE!!!

I thought that was pretty cool...

Rice, Veggies, and PROTEIN!

2008-08-13T12:16:00.007-05:00

I just got back from lunch. I was able to sit outside today and enjoy the amazing weather. It has been unsually cool for mid August. I'm lucky to say this is the last August I'll have to be pregnant. (at least with baby #1). I hear pregnancy can be hard in the summer... I get a winter pregnancy. :)

So for lunch I had some rice mixed with corn, red and green peppers, and onions. It was SO good. I also had a mixed greens salad with some cherry tomatoes (yes, I love these, I can't believe I ever hated them) and a light vinaigrette. I feel healthy and full, but I was wondering if I got enough Protein!? I feel so much pressure to eat correctly for my baby, and make sure that he is growing strong, healthy, and smart. I immediately got back to my desk and started a little research....

I found this on the Dr. McDougall website:

To be on the safe side, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends men, women, and children should get five percent of their calories from protein. WHO recommends pregnant women should get six percent. The chart to the right reveals the protein levels of selected plant foods. As you will see, it's virtually impossible to fail to meet the World Health Organization's daily requirements.

It looks like I'm doing pretty good! My doctor told me that if I am getting 6 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, then I am doing better than 90% of women out there. :) That is reassuring. Keith bought some strawberries and Mandarin oranges last night... if he hasn't eaten them all, I can't wait to get home and share some of those with baby B!

Meet Our Physician!

2008-08-12T11:59:00.006-05:00

Heather D. Rupe, DO, has been practicing Obstetrics and Gynecology since August 2005. Dr. Rupe is board certified with the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Dr. Rupe is from Oklahoma. She enjoys spending time with her friends and family. She lives in Franklin with her husband and son. She enjoys running and literature. She is involved in her church.

Undergraduate Training:

Oral Roberts University
Tulsa, OK

Medical Training:

Oklahoma State College of Osteopathic Medicine
Tulsa, OK

Internship And Residency:

Summa Health System, Northeastern OhioUniversities
Akron, OH

Life, now that I'm Pregnant!!

2008-08-12T10:25:00.007-05:00

It really is amazing how different I feel. To go in yesterday so unsure, and then to see the actual baby that is moving inside of ME; I actually FEEL pregnant now. I don't feel the baby or anything, but seeing is believing sometimes.

I feel more nauseated today than normal. I think it is the prenatal vitamin samples that I got at the Dr.'s yesterday. They turn my pee neon yellow. haha... I'm also trying to be careful when I used the word nauseated (since I've been using it so much). I read something that makes a lot of sense!

nauseous
Causing nausea; sickening
nauseated
To be feeling, or having been caused to feel nausea.

So, next time you are tempted to say "I feel nauseous", understand that you are saying "I feel that I make other people sick", or basically "I feel nauseating".

I can easily say that chicken salad croissants and cheese chunks are nauseous... but I truly just feel nauseated. (I will probably go a year without eating anything that was on the menu at our reception... yuck, we lived on it for a month!)

So, back to Baby B. Wow... I feel like I'm wishing this thing away because I just want 17 weeks to be here so bad! I want to be able to find out the sex of this little baby so I can start planning for its arrival. Oh man, so much to do! Keith and I wonder if paint fumes will be bad for me, we have so much painting to do. Oh my goodness... I hope I get my energy back soon. We were so thrilled that we're 2 weeks farther than we thought!! 2 weeks closer to energy and appetite...

WOW...

2008-08-11T15:40:00.007-05:00

Ok... I'll spill my guts now... :)

This weekend was absolutely amazing!!!! After meeting and snuggling the most beautiful baby I've ever seen, I got to surprise my sister with the news of my little one coming in March of 2009!!

Keith and I went to our first Doctor's appointment today and got to see this little 'bean' squirming around and its heart just pumping SO fast. It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen... If you look at the picture above you can see its little legs hanging down. Wow... GOD IS SO AMAZING! We were surprised with the news that the baby is 9 weeks old, and is due on March 15, 2009. So either the Ides of March, or if I can hold out 2 days we can have a little St. Paddys day baby!!

God is so good. We are such proud parents and just emotionally overwhelmed with what we got to see and experience today. I wanna go back and do it again!! I miss our little baby already!

IT'S FRIDAY!!!

2008-08-08T08:44:00.003-05:00

Friday is here! PRAISE GOD, this week has flown by. Keith is picking me up in 2 and a half hours to leave for Charlotte! WOOO HOOO! I can't wait to see my family and meet little Dylan!

Last night was fun, and a little busy! Keith and I went to Nucci's after work for some I-talian Ice :) Mmmmmm I love it! Tango Mango baby! We also stopped at Old Navy, but I'm really a bad shopper and bought nothing. When we got home we knew there was a lot to do, so we decided to order out and eat in. We ordered from Joey's House of Pizza here in Spring Hill. They have some GREAT Eggplant Parmesean! I had that with a salad and Keith tried the Meatball sub... YUMM YUMM! Something about eating Italian, and on my bday, it was awesome. Keith surprised me with a piece of chocolate cake, candle, and all! He's the best husband in the world. I'm the luckiest wife EVER!!! Then we packed lunches and clothes... busy night...

Well, time to get back to work... I can't wait to get back after this weekend of surprises, and spill my guts!!!

MY BIRTHDAY!

2008-08-07T10:20:00.003-05:00

Wow... I'm 26 today, well technically tonight at 10:11pm. I don't really feel OLD physically, just kinda tired and nauseated today. The girls at work are taking me out for Mexican food... YUM, i'm a big fan of chips. Chips with anything, and any kind of chips... Mmmmm Keith and I are thinking about going back to our Vegan diet. We felt so great when we were doing it before. And a lot of mexican is vegan (if you can give up the cheese). It's only 10:30 so I have 45 min to wait.

Work has been boring today. My work is based on the work of others; if they don't work, I have nothing to do. Our sales yesterday were only $3K. That should tell you how eventful my yesterday was...

I think Keith and I are going to have pasta for dinner. (can you tell I'm hungry?) Then after tonight I have simply one half day left in this drab office and then OFF TO CHARLOTTE!!! It will be a busy night as we pack and finish up some things. I have GOT to get these Thank Yous to the post office!!!!

Well, enough of my ramblings for this morning.

Front Desk

2008-08-06T12:54:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting at the front desk here at work, which is not my favorite part of the day, and so I decided to start a blog to cheer myself up during this BLAH time...

So... it's WEDNESDAY!! Half of this week is over! This has actually been a pretty great week, and will end with a BANG as Keith and I get to take a long road trip together to Charlotte, NC. I'm excited about getting away with my love and also getting away from the stress of the week and other 'things' that have been going on. Well, some things I can't quite get away from, but I like those things :)

Come on day... KEEP ON FLYIN' BY!!!