It's About Time

     Hello there :) It's so nice of you to be reading this and checking in on us! Sorry I haven't been here in a while, but I've been living life as opposed to just writing about it and it has been fantastic. Busy, of course, but lovely just the same.
     Anyway, I believe it's time for me to get back in to blogging. Jon has been working really hard and I'm working from home all alone again so I've gotten a little bored, and well honestly I've missed writing out my thoughts and sharing stories from our everyday life. So, I'm back!

~

     Memorial Day/weekend is one of my all-time favorite times of the year for two reasons. 1) There's typically a three day weekend involved and 2) our anniversary happens to fall on this specific three day weekend. Whoohoo! (That was great insight on my mom's part, she had the good sense to think of that when we were narrowing down wedding day options) So, for the better part of the next seventy-two hours we will be celebrating our marriage of two years!
     We'll spend tonight enjoying the 'Day of Rock' street concert going on downtown complete with street vendors, food trucks, and protests for "No More GMO's". Lol, oh the hippies never cease to amuse me. ;) Then tomorrow we are leaving for a mini getaway that Jon planned for us. And I have to say I can't believe how on top of things he is when it comes to celebrations and special days, it makes me feel very loved.
    
     Sometimes I am frustrated by the inevitable need to express myself with a vocabulary that is incapable of encompassing the depths of my emotion when it comes to Jon, but I guess that's what I've always wanted; an indescribable love for someone. :) The best way I can think to put it is like this...
     These past two years have only opened my heart to a greater understanding of the true love shared not only by a woman and her man, but of a woman and her God. Because Jon is still, to this day, the best thing that has ever happened to me and our relationship is such a gift! It's not perfect by any means, but I cherish what we have in spite of our hiccups because even in the midst of a fight I am sure that he will never leave. On my frumpy days I am convinced I am still beautiful. When I struggle I have a best friend who is encouraging and points me in the right direction. And at the end of the day when I'm spent, moody, and don't deserve love I am overwhelmed by the image of God I see in this man I call my husband.


     I look forward to all of our days ahead and can't wait to see where life takes us next!
Happy anniversary, Babe. I love you!


Live. Laugh. Love.
     Brianna

Cara Box

     I recently started following Kaitlyn who blogs over at Wifessionals and had the opportunity to participate in something called the 'Cara Box' exchange. {Cara: (car-rah) noun: beloved friend; I recommend visiting her blog for a more detailed explanation of the Cara Box}
     It was my first time and I had no idea what to expect, but I had the loveliest time getting to know Karis of Daily Romantics! We hit it off immediately and I really enjoyed swapping life stories and sharing project/recipe ideas and learning about her holiday traditions. Karis is the sweetest and she and her husband make the cutest couple! I definitely recommend following her blog on Tumblr. Anyway, Karis was signed up to send me a Cara Box and she did fantastic getting to know me and I loved everything she sent!

     Teal is my absolute favorite color so I have been dying to wear my new scarf out to a coffee date sometime and all I want to do is snuggle up on the couch with a good book and some strong coffee in my new mug! The other items are perfect for relaxing and down-time, which is exactly what I need in this hectic life right now lol. (Karis, again, thank you so much for sharing a part of your life with me and getting to know me so well over just a few short weeks! I was greatly blessed by your friendship and also the box you put together for me. :)

     I had the pleasure of getting to know and send a box to Pamela over at Pamela's Place. I had a great time emailing back and forth with her and have to add I am so jealous that she and her husband have a little dog (because I want one so bad!) Pamela writes a great, fun blog and is such a sweet individual, so I absolutely recommend checking out her blog as well. :)

     All in all, I am so glad I got to know both of these beautiful ladies and am incredibly thankful to Kaitlyn for hosting this while in the midst of adjusting to a lovely new addition to her family. ;)

Live. Laugh. Love.
     Brianna

It's Already November!

     Wow, I can't believe it's been about a month and a half since I last posted! I thought the summer was busy, but wow these past weeks have been non-stop.
     There have been a few changes around our house recently, mainly we decided Jon needed a new job.

Jon and I at my cousin's wedding.

He's been working for a parking company since we moved to Colorado and it was a great transition job and he learned a TON about working in a corporation and what that looks like in the business/professional world. I've seen him expand his management skills and ultimately become an incredible, encouraging, and productive boss. He put in 110% when they needed him to and never complained about the extra work or even the dreadful night/weekend hours he had to work. I'm proud of Jon and what he has accomplished and learned and I'm excited to see him finish strong on his last few days before the transition into this new company!
     We had been talking about him getting a new job for a few months now and a couple weeks ago we saw an ad for a social media marketing management position. Jon has an deep passion for marketing and so this seemed like the next logical step for him to take. He applied for the job the same night we saw the ad and one week, three interviews, and one hundred other applicants later he was hired!! (Yeah, he beat out one hundred other people for this job!!) So his first day of work is Tuesday and we could not be more excited! :) This is exactly the type of thing Jon wants to do and he won't have to work nights or weekends anymore, and we'll get to celebrate holidays together! (Last year he had to work every holiday except Christmas. So, it wasn't exactly the way I imagined we'd spend our "first year" holidays together, but we'll make up for it this next year) Anyway, I think Jon is going to do amazing at this new firm and I think it's going to give him some great tools we can use for the marketing firm Jon and I just started.
     Yep, that's right, on top of our "regular jobs" we started our own marketing business! We have two clients as of right now and it's our hope to make it a full time gig for Jon (and then possibly me) so he can work from home and we can go to school and hopefully it will be big enough to support us when we start having kids and I won't have to work anymore. Obviously we are still a long way off and we don't have any unrealistic expectations, but it is a dream we have and it is something we want to continually work towards.

Us just being us :)

     In other news, we have found an incredible church that we just recently became members of and God has greatly blessed and encouraged us as we have begun to set aside time to worship and rekindle our relationship with Him. Jon and I both grew up in Christian homes and have individually chosen to place our faith in Jesus Christ. But while we were dating and even during our first year of marriage we couldn't seem to ever make church or God a priority. I didn't have a church at the time and Jon was leaving the church he was attending so we really didn't have a "home" and even after we moved we couldn't seem to find a church that was "real"; we wanted to find some place that was not just a "Sunday Morning Production".
     Anyway, in July, we had the opportunity to help out at a sports camp/VBS and decided we really liked working with the individuals from this church and wanted to try out a Sunday morning service. Well, we went and by the first week we were hooked! We adore the pastor (who, coincidentally, just happens to be best friends with the pastor of the church I attended growing up) and love what he teaches each week. You can tell he is passionate about God and has a deep, overflowing love for Jesus and that love just flows through his actions and words.

On our way to a Roarin' 20's party!

     Jon and I have joined a young couples class and it was been so much fun getting to know other young The Art of Marriage and I have thoroughly enjoyed it as it has been giving Jon and I a chance to have some good conversations outside of just the normal, everyday topics. Haha it's also been a little bit of a challenge because it seems like whatever we talk about in our class on Sunday night we get a chance to live out during the week. For example, early on in our marriage Jon was established as the head of our household. I definitely have an opinion, and Jon is very good at listening to my opinion rants and discussing things with me before we make a joint decision, but we both know that when it comes down to it Jon is going to have the last word. So far, throughout the time we've been together, Jon has never had a reason to oppose my opinions and make a decision that I haven't agreed with UNTIL we talked about roles in our couples class a few weeks ago. There was this one last decision we had to make about the job he is quitting and I was dead set with one opinion and he was dead set on the other and after discussing and talking and discussing some more, Jon smiled, then winked at me and said, "Well, it's a good thing we talked about this exact thing on Sunday because I'm afraid I really believe we should go with my decision and I'm pulling rank." Then he quickly added, "Just kidding! ...But seriously." Lol oh the joys of marriage, I'm telling you what. ;)

married people and laughing about life and just getting to know people in the same stage of life as us. We've been going through this book called

     I have quite a bit more to catch y'all up on, but I'll save it for another day. All in all, we are doing fabulous and I hope you and yours are doing lovely as well!
     Live. Laugh. Love.

~Brianna

Camille

     I want to let you all know about someone very near and dear to my heart. It's my sister, Camille. Anyone who has ever met her can only say the best things about her character, her morals, her friendship, her hopes and dreams.
     She is the second born in our family and my first best friend. We've had our ups and downs. I used to years. We would always read the same books and go on and on about all the characters that we felt we personally knew and could rejoice with and cry over. Camille, Josie, and I shared a room for as long as I can remember and we had the best pillow talks filled with impersonations, stories, songs, fake snores, secrets, laughs, and more than a few fights.
steal her pennies and there was this one baby doll that we could never remember from where it came or to which one of us it originally belonged so we fought over that doll for
     Camille always was (and still is) there to keep the peace, give you her honest opinion, point out the best in a person or situation. She's a good laugh when you're desperate and a comforting shoulder to cry on. And you know without a doubt that she genuinely cares for you.
     Recently she's been working with a non-profit organization called In the Gap, Inc. They have a great video on their homepage that gives a great perspective on the work their intern/leadership teams are doing everyday. (Note: Camille is the first person you see teaching and using a stack of boxes for an illustration) Camille and I have both worked for this organization, but she stayed on even after I left and has just now begun her fourth year working for ITG. She completed all four levels of internship training and is now a full time staff member, living at ITG headquarters.
     She sent out a ministry letter that I would like to share with you all. So, without further ado, here's Camille...

Hello All,

     I apologize for taking so long to write a ministry report. The summer has flown by. In June I was able to help with a VBS at my church in Texas where my family is living. It was so exciting to be able to work with 25 5th-6th graders and make an impact on them. One little boy that God placed on my team was Joshua, who has autism. God showed me how important it is to treat each person special, no matter if they have a "defect" or not. Some of the teachers had a hard time connecting with Joshua, but Jesus gave me such a love and a compassion for him. Although it was hard for him to interact, and he liked to get into things he wasn't supposed to, I was able to spend some time with him and help him learn some of the songs and Bible verses. I'm so glad that God brought Joshua to my team and allowed me to have a small part in his life, and for Joshua to teach me how unconditional God's love is for us.

     Now I am back in Oklahoma and God has been doing some amazing things!! I'm sure he is going to be doing some mighty works this upcoming semester! For our fall session God has brought thirty interns to come and serve with us here in Oklahoma. I am so excited about getting back into the schools and impacting the lives of the next generation!

     An update on my monthly support. I want to thank each one of you for giving; whether it was one-time or monthly, God has used it to bless me. Thank you all for your prayers as well, I appreciate them. My current monthly support is $162. I am trying to reach $1200 per month. If you would like to become part of my support team please fill out the form included in the letter. Thank you so much for your generosity and willingness to serve the Lord!

     On a different note, one amazing opportunity that God has given me is to go on a missions trip to Haiti in October! We will be in Haiti from October 8th-15th. We will be conducting teacher training for over 150 teachers. There are three Christian schools that teach over 1,600 children. These schools are rated 2nd in the north side of the island. The long term potential is great because many of the children will hold key positions and leadership jobs in the future. But Biblical character teaching is so critical since there is a great disconnect over how Christianity relates to every day life. If God can catch a hold od these children's hearts and lives, it could impact their country and their world! I am very excited about this opportunity and would like for you to join me in prayer about it. For my Haiti mission trip I will be needing about $800-$1,000 for airfare. If you feel led to give a donation I would be greatly blessed by it. I know that the Lord will provide the money I need to go on this trip, and I pray that He will bless all of the provisions that come in.

     A few prayer requests:
           -Money for the Haiti missions trip
          -God would unify our mission trip team, and give us wisdom
          -Health for me on the trip
          -Safety as the interns arrive in OKC next week

     May God richly bless you!
Serving Him,
     Camille

      So there she is folks! My sweet sister, Camille. :) If any of you do feel led to give and help her out financially, save the photo below to your computer and print out a copy to send with a check. Or you can give securely online at inthegap.org, click on the Donate Today button on the right hand side of the homepage, then scroll down and choose "Camille" in the designation box.

It's Here!

It's All In The Shoes

     Since I've started working from home, there have been a number of days when I wake up, go sit at my desk, and work out of my pajamas all day long. Honestly, it is a little hard for me to "get ready for the day" when I know I won't be going anywhere or seeing anyone. Oh, it is lovely, I must admit; not feeling pressured to fix my hair and makeup or change out of my comfies. Because on the days I do actually get up and get "ready" I end up feeling like I lived out that funny e-card pin I see floating around on Pinterest. The one that says, "Well I didn't do anything, go anywhere, or see anyone today. What a complete waste of makeup!".
     While it is nice and relaxing, I have found that on those pajama days I definitely can't seem to get as much done. I stay in my lazy, snuggly mood all day. I do get a few work things done...eventually, but to save my life I really couldn't tell you what else I do! I become super busy doing nothing.
     A pajama day every once in a while is fantastic! But it wears on you if you do it all the time. I know I've spent one to many days in my pajamas when I start to feel bad about myself, criticize everything, leave dirty dishes all over the counters, and become lethargic and want to eat only sour gummy worms and salt & vinegar chips. It shocks me how not getting dressed will change me in only a matter of a few days!
     The picture above really spoke to me because I've witnessed first hand how true that statement is. When I put on my "good jeans", a cute blouse, and my favorite white high heels I can conquer the world! I can talk to anyone, do anything, accomplish five task lists (Not items, but lists!). I feel confident and powerful, successful and beautiful. I feel good about being me!
     Man or woman, child or adult, we each have a monstrous desire to be respected, to have someone believe in us and our own ideas, and to not be ashamed of our unique dreams and goals. We have a right to walk around confident, uninhibited, feeling lovely and free. If my white high heels help me get to that place, then so be it because one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is feeling good in our own skin.
     What do your conquer-the-world shoes look like?

The Aftermath of Camping

     I have officially decided that camping was a lot more fun as a kid. Now don't get me wrong the actual
camping part is still a blast, but the after effects are not my thing.
     For instance, when you're younger you fill your backpack with your favorite gear, put fresh batteries in your flashlight, find your emergency whistle, test out your waterproof matches, smuggle in a few firecrackers to scare people with, get in the car, and off you go into the wild blue yonder. Then you get there and mom and dad sent up camp while you look for arrowheads. After a long night of S'mores and campfire songs you sleep soundly and wake up in the morning to a warm fire and a hot breakfast. When the camping trip is done you empty your backpack and life is back to normal. But whew, now, as an adult, it is not that easy!
     Jon and I were excited about going camping. We giddily packed all our gear into the car and set off towards the Rocky Mountains to off-road and find the "perfect spot". There was a slight drizzle all weekend, but since we were camping out of the back of the 4Runner it was no big deal. Jon also set up a few tarps to keep our fire and wood dry.

     We roasted steak over the fire for dinner that night and, oh my word!, it was SO good! There was that perfect hint of smoky flavor and the juices were continuously dripping down our arms as we ate the steak off the coat-hanger skewers. A while later we hid the cooler from bears and settled into sleeping bags in the bed of the 4Runner. All night we kept hearing phantom bears and we discovered that the car wasn't quite long enough for Jon to stretch out his legs (haha poor guy!) but overall it was a good night.
     Monday morning we packed up and headed out just as the rain started to pour. Isn't it amazing how stuff just explodes during a trip and it never gets packed up the same way?! When we got home and started unloading the car it was just amazing how much stuff we had! Plus, every single item smelled like camp fire smoke! Geez, I don't remember that happening as a kid! But wow the smoky smell just about knocked us over every time we took a deep breath in! Every single thing had to be washed. Mom and Dad, how did y'all ever manage camping with seven kids?! It was all a little overwhelming, but dear Jon was right there with me doing laundry, wiping out the cooler (candy had dissolved into the ice water, coating everything in skittle slime), and cleaning mud out of the carpets.
     An hour later I learned there's only so much cleaning a man can do without him involving some good-natured teasing. I was telling Jon that before we could relax there were a few dishes that needed to be washed and some laundry to switch out. To which he replied, "You know Babe, I was thinking about how important a clean house is to you and well I'm just not as good at household chores as you are. So maybe I shouldn't clean, you know, so everything can be up to your standards. I just don't want to mess anything up. I mean your folding is so much neater than mine. And I like the way you do the dishes, the silverware is just so much cleaner when you do it! I like the way YOU clean. *sweetest smile*"

     "Haha, what?!" I said in response. "I see what'cha did there! But oh no I'm not falling for it, not for one minute!"
     "I'm not trying to get out of anything! I'm just saying that I like the way you clean so much better than the way I clean! Honey, your folding is so much prettier than mine and the way you load the dishwasher is, wow! Outstanding! Incredible really... I honestly wish I could clean like you but there is just no comparison."
     "Oh no, haha! I like YOU'RE cleaning much better, Babe! "
     "No... I'm pretty sure you don't. I mean, I don't even scrub the dishes before I put them in the dishwasher! Ha, crazy me, I just expect the dishwasher to get all the grime off. But not you, Babe! Oh no, you clean them and then put them in the dishwasher. I mean that takes dedication and I'm afraid that's just not me."
      Lol, I didn't fall for his trickery (ahem flattery), but he made me laugh which is really all that matters. :)

     Live. Laugh. Love.