Past. Present. Future.

Maybe a more apt title might be "The Bold and the Blunt."

Brandon is about 4 weeks away from his last final at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Has it really been 2 years?

We arrived here almost 2 years ago with a few expectations. Be here 2-3 years. Brandon gets a degree. We see where God takes us from there...hopefully within the continental US of A.

Just 3 short months into our journey at SEBTS, God started showing us a different plan. By way of SEBTS, He moved in us, changed our hearts (both at different times), and began preparing us for returning back to The Big Chicken. (i'm linking that because I can't remember if I've ever clarified why I call it that...just take a look and see if you can't see it.)

I'm interjecting at this point a little tangent about SEBTS. I can not say enough good things about this school, what it has done for our family, specifically Brandon, and what is has instilled in us. I literally don't even know where to begin to sing the praises of SEBTS.

But I will link you to this. Watch it. and watch it again. And then if you find yourself disagreeing with anything David Platt is saying, then you're theology is messed up (there's that blunt part). If you want to talk about points in his sermon, please leave comments as I'm married to a man that studies and goes to the school with all the answers. :) ha! only kidding. (well, just a little) But I do believe that SEBTS is firmly grounded in the word, teaches straight from scripture, therefore teaching TRUTH. And week after week the speakers in Chapel are just like Platt, motivating, teaching, inspiring, and ultimately sharing the gospel with every word.

So carrying on...

After knowing that our future was going to look differently than what we'd "planned," Brandon switched degree plans (thereby losing a $6000 scholarship...but thus, the Lord HAS provided anyway! amen!), and we began the paperwork to return back overseas.

So four weeks from now we'll be loading a trailer with hopefully not very many belongings to take to Texas where we'll be spending several months enjoying time with family and allowing Brandon to take 9 more hours of online courses during the Fall.

We have our names officially on the books for a certain job, but if you know much about Aunt Lottie Moon, you know she's been struggling to make ends meet over the past year or so. This affects us. We're hopeful for a March 2011 deployment, but have been told at this point there are no guarantees. We're just waiting. And there's not much more we can do but wait and be ready.

And then yesterday a man who trusts in Christ as his Savior approached us with these words, "I can't believe you are going to *the big chicken*. I mean, North Carolina has perfect weather and it's so beautiful. Plus, you know they're communist, right?"

(were we born yesterday?!) whatever, I digress.

He continues, "I just don't think I'd ever want to go there. There's just not anything there that would make me want to go.

(oh you mean like lost people going straight to hell?)

Ok sure. Maybe that's not EXACTLY what he was meaning. But he might as well have come out and said it.

So during this whole waiting process to head back overseas where we feel like our family is called to, desires to go, and is eagerly anticipating, please please please don't approach us with questions or comments such as this,

"Are you taking your children with you?" (Really?! Well, we do plan on it. You can come and visit and babysit if you'd like)

"You know they're communist right?" (matter of fact we did attend 8th grade history)

"I'm so glad it's you going and not my son/daughter." (We actually HAVE been told this...and if you find yourself feeling this way, then please understand that I think your knowledge of God is extremely lacking (blunt part #2) and would LOVE to have a chat with you about Him!) (and go back and click on the Platt link above!)

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Am I getting under your skin?

I hope so, I guess.

But that's our plan for the coming months. This way you'll understand what's going on when the background of our pictures all of a sudden turn from forests to the barren plains of Texas.

We'll be there...waiting...waiting...waiting...to be sent!

Afternoon at the Park

Eden has a new fascination: "capalillars."


And Salem's favorite place when outdoors:

The Making of a Family Photo

It should be written in the Official Parent Handbook..."So you want your child to be still, stay calm, smile at the camera, don't poke each other in the eye, and be happy the entire hour we'll be taking your picture. Are you kidding me?!" (addendum: "Are you insane?!")
None the less, I thought our family could handle it. I mean, I get to take pretty people's photos all the time and their kiddos do fabulous. Shouldn't mine be the same?
So Jordan, our awesome friend honing her photography skills, was kind enough to shoot some family photos for us! She did absolutely awesome and we appreciate and love her so much! I took the ones that I'm not in and Jordan took over the role of jumping-singing-dancer-behind-the-camera-so-the-kids-will-look-this-way person. Thanks Jordan!!
So below is the process of trying to capture that elusive family photo! Hope you enjoy seeing them as much as I enjoyed editing them! :)
*warning: quite possibly wayyyy too many pictures ahead!*

Pose #1: Fail.
Salem was far too concerned with Eden being behind him where he couldn't keep an eye on her. And Eden was NOT thrilled with him touching her. Meanwhile Brandon and I try to put on "everything's fine!" smiles while keeping a death grip on our children.



Pose #2: Fail.
Salem: "Hey, a bird!" Eden: "Is this what you mean by smile?"
Can you tell that Brandon and I are having a conversation through our teeth? I think it was something along the lines of, "this is NOT going to work."



oh wait! FINALLY we get Salem to look at the camera! woops.


Giving Salem a little down time...I took a few of Eden.
The result of saying, "Eden, look into the lens!" leads her to believe there is actually SOMETHING in my lens:


but yet the result of, "Eden, smile!" gets this:


Both kiddos this time. Salem gets his first (of many) taste of grass. Eden's obviously thrilled about it.


But for a millisecond there, they were both smiling!


We got some other really great ones too!






LOVE this next one. Eden was being unusually cuddly and it's like Salem is saying, "uh, hang on, gimme one more second with this finger."


And even some great family shots too!

Welcome Spring!!

What a GORGEOUS day we had for Easter Sunday!!
We had a picnic with lots of friends at our favorite park, hunted easter eggs, and enjoyed the frenzy free fellowship!





Our friends let us borrow their wagon for Salem for the evening and he LOVED it!! Multi-function...high chair, teething toy, and stroller in one. I've been searching Craigslist high and low for one of our very own! :)



Eden insisted on opening each egg after finding one and before going on to the next. Makes for a long easter egg hunt and a low egg count (ie...low sugar rush! fine by me!) Look at the concentration and determination on pulling that egg open!



LOVING this warm weather!!

Club IHOP

Very few good things can come from spending 3 hours in an IHOP.

UNLESS you spend it with 5 UH.MAZE.ING women who have the best sense of humor and love Christ with all their heart!!

So after the kiddos were in bed, we made the trek to the infamous place that serves buttermilk pancakes at 2 am, and had a blast laughing with one another until our jaws hurt and we laughed off enough calories to justify the Rooty Tooty Fresh N Fruity!

Fact #1:

Do NOT hire your local IHOP waiter to take your annual family photos. Because they just might come out looking a little like this:

Subtract the fuzziness and the yellow haze, and that's one priceless pic!

In the center is Atom (yes, I did spell that right) who moonlight's as IHOP's Employee of the Month! Right on, Atom! If he quits his night job, he might could make it in the comedian biz. Well, maybe. For a bunch of off-duty mommies eating pancakes at 10 pm, we thought he had a knack for entertaining us! "Hey, are ya'll feeling neglected back here in the corner?! Cuz, if so, you all just line up single file and I'll hand out EERRRRR-HOP hugs!!"

And then Lauren spotted Mexican Elvis.

IHOP is a hoppin place around 11 pm!!

Fact #2:

Chocolate chip chocolate pancakes don't go well with any flavor syrup that doesn't have "chocolate" in it's title. Trust me. I tried them all.

(note that Fact #1 still holds true)

The girls were so sweet to slip Atom 3 birthday candles to stick in my chocolate chip chocolate pancakes! One of THE best birthday presents EVER is spending time with sweet girlfriends eating, laughing, and building up one another in the Lord! Thank you sister friends! I had a BLAST!!

Birthday blessings continued today with a family jog (well, mommy/daddy jog with kiddos getting stroller-ed), Mellow Mushroom lunch/picnic at the park, Stracciatella gelato at our fav ice cream place, PeiWei dinner with Bek, Kev, Jacob, & Liz, and a cupcake from The Cupcake Shoppe!

annnnddd, I'm noticing a trend here. Yes, I'm not afraid to admit that sometimes I AM all about the food. :) Good thing we got that run in this morning!

Brandon got me some new earphones that are supposed to be great for running, a new book that I've been asking for, and is still pondering a Nike Fit. (I say still pondering because he wasn't sure I wanted it, and I'm still not sure I want it...the jury is still out. opinions?! experience, anyone?!)

Overall, a very blessed and fantabulous birthday (even if I did gain about 8 pounds in one day!) with great friends and wonderful family! And my mom and dad are flying into town tomorrow! yay!

And because I may be ignoring you, blog, I'll get a bit ahead of myself too...Have a very Happy Easter! Hunt and dye eggs, eat Cadbury creme eggs and peeps, and soak up some family time. But ultimately, remember Christ's death and resurrection! He's ALIVE!! He is Risen!!!

Wordless Wednesday

The Most Un-Easterly Easter Egg Hunt Ever

March 20th. We'll never forget this day...the day that we swore of mass Easter Egg Hunts forever. FOREVER!

Brandon spent a good portion of this morning "training" Eden proper Easter Egg Hunting 101 in preparation for her first egg hunt of the season. Little did we know that we should have been focusing on a different strategy. A number of strategies really. Maybe something more along the lines of this:

1. "Start running several seconds before they say "GO!" "

2. "Push and shove your way through the mass hysteria regardless of who you have to knock down!"

3. "Grab as many as possible, yes even if you have to scoop them away from another kid!"

4. "Here, Eden, don't forget your helmet."

Ok. Just kidding. Since we're NOT the worst parents in the world, we didn't give her the above advice. Actually, just the opposite. I was encouraging her to make sure she let other kids get eggs too. hmmmph, I should have been telling that to the 40 year old woman next to me scooping in eggs by the armful for her...oh wait...that's right, she didn't have a kid with her.

So can you get an idea of how the event played out? Or do I need to layer on the sarcasm a little thicker for you?

Oh but wait, did I forget the part about Eden crying? Who can blame her though after getting knocked around like a pinball and pushed down all just about 5 seconds after they said, "GO!"

Since we're not exactly hoping that the yearly remembering of the Resurrection of our Savior also be marred by traumatic egg hunting (with HUNDREDS of other children and 2,000 eggs up for grabs!), we pulled out of the race after those tears were shed.

Fortunately, for your entertainment, and since my wonderful sarcastic blog-ified attitude might not be enough to prove to you exactly how we felt about it all....we have a 6 second video for you. In the mass hysteria, Brandon mis-punched the buttons on our recorder and actually didn't capture The Official Worst Egg Hunt Ever on camera, but DID capture our immediate reaction to it all. (It was a little cut-off. at the beginning I say, "aaannnddd, we're stopping." and then I think it's perfectly clear how Brandon felt :)

Take a gander: