We have so many reasons to be thankful, but one more has been added to the list...
Travis got offered a full time job yesterday with Loomis- an armored truck, money transport service. We don't have a ton of details yet, but he will likely start right after the Holidays.
Thank you for all your prayers and support and please continue to pray for us as we make some important decisions in the near future!!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Tag!
Yesterday I walked in the door from work and Travis and Brenton had just gotten home from the daycare and Brenton ran over to me- grabbed my leg- and squealed "TAG YOU'RE IT!!!!!" and ran off!
My 2 year old has been in daycare with other kids for one week exactly and he has already learned TAG! I love it!
My 2 year old has been in daycare with other kids for one week exactly and he has already learned TAG! I love it!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Middle of November...already?!!
I can't believe a countdown to Christmas has begun already! I love Christmas and am so ready to share Christmas with Brenton this year. I plan on starting to listen to Christmas music VERY soon- :)
I had a day off today (yay for bank holidays!) and so did Travis, so we took Brenton on a surprise and it was so fun. I received a couple of passes to Exploration Place recently, so we went there and Brenton loved it. He almost wouldn't come out of the flight simulators....and then played in the Tot Zone for a long time....and the castle....and everywhere he could go. He LOVES to play pretend, so it was right up his alley. He didn't especially like the tornado simulator....but man! you should have seen my hair after that!
On a side note- it was a sort of breakthrough day for us, too- we did not take his bag with us at all today and it was wonderful!! Brenton is doing so great at telling us when he needs to potty and holding it for long periods of time- it is such a nice feeling! I don't want to jinx anything- so I'm going to stop there!!!!
On to babysitter excitement...we are going to be taking Brenton to a new day care starting Monday. Nikole's soccer season is ending which we were looking forward to, but she is now going to be having off-season conditioning in the middle of the afternoons...right when we need her. I think we really lucked out, though, with what we've found and the other kids are all about his age- 20 months, 2 and 3. We are ready for this experience for him!
Gotta run for bed time!
I had a day off today (yay for bank holidays!) and so did Travis, so we took Brenton on a surprise and it was so fun. I received a couple of passes to Exploration Place recently, so we went there and Brenton loved it. He almost wouldn't come out of the flight simulators....and then played in the Tot Zone for a long time....and the castle....and everywhere he could go. He LOVES to play pretend, so it was right up his alley. He didn't especially like the tornado simulator....but man! you should have seen my hair after that!
On a side note- it was a sort of breakthrough day for us, too- we did not take his bag with us at all today and it was wonderful!! Brenton is doing so great at telling us when he needs to potty and holding it for long periods of time- it is such a nice feeling! I don't want to jinx anything- so I'm going to stop there!!!!
On to babysitter excitement...we are going to be taking Brenton to a new day care starting Monday. Nikole's soccer season is ending which we were looking forward to, but she is now going to be having off-season conditioning in the middle of the afternoons...right when we need her. I think we really lucked out, though, with what we've found and the other kids are all about his age- 20 months, 2 and 3. We are ready for this experience for him!
Gotta run for bed time!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Video!
This is Brenton "spinning" Maranda! He was laughing SO HARD- it was so cute! I only caught a short piece of it, but it lasted for a long time! They were both worn out at the end!
Fall!
I hope this finds you all doing well. We are doing well over here, just taking things one day at a time- isn't that all we can ever do? I have been trying to live out my new favorite verse lately and I thought I would share it in case someone else could benefit from it, too: "Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying." Romans 12:12 NLT Sometimes we are not so certain what will come next in our lives-- things certainly never go the way we think they will- but guess what....our hope is a confident hope because our God lasts...He does not fade, He does not ignore us and He still has a plan for us that is better than what we keep trying to plan for ourselves. Please pray for our family as we continue to be faced with struggles each day, each week, each month..."and keep on praying".
Update on us-
We have all been able to stay well through this crazy flu season so far (Praise God for that!). Brenton is growing in so many ways and getting smarter and bigger all the time. Travis is driving his bus and looking continually for a full time opportunity to work out and his finger is healing. I am working and everything is really the same there.
Here are some pictures:
The baby is Brenton's new girlfriend, Jaycee Ehrlich. All of our friends are having baby girls right now, so actually he has several to choose from! ;) The others are all from the Pumpkin Patch, I think. We had a blast this year- Brenton loved it and was SUPER selective about his pumpkin. The one he is holding up in the picture is the one he wanted after searching the whole field. It is tiny and half green and lop-sided, but it is his favorite!
Update on us-
We have all been able to stay well through this crazy flu season so far (Praise God for that!). Brenton is growing in so many ways and getting smarter and bigger all the time. Travis is driving his bus and looking continually for a full time opportunity to work out and his finger is healing. I am working and everything is really the same there.
Here are some pictures:
The baby is Brenton's new girlfriend, Jaycee Ehrlich. All of our friends are having baby girls right now, so actually he has several to choose from! ;) The others are all from the Pumpkin Patch, I think. We had a blast this year- Brenton loved it and was SUPER selective about his pumpkin. The one he is holding up in the picture is the one he wanted after searching the whole field. It is tiny and half green and lop-sided, but it is his favorite!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Good grief-time flies when you're having fun!
I can't believe it was August when I wrote last!! Oops!
Things have been going well....about the same as always. Brenton has been having fun being 2....sometimes I think he has been possessed! 2 is really like they say it's going to be-- I guess I was in denial before now! :) He really pushes us to our limits and challenges everything we say to him, but we are staying consistent and not putting up with all the drama. The phrase "save the drama for your mama" does not fit for this situation....we need a new phrase!!! Otherwise, he is as stinkin' smart as ever- knows his numbers up to...I lost track but I think 12 without help (he will repeat you endlessly), knows his whole alphabet, makes up songs now (especially when he is really focused and in his own world playing) and makes tons of loud noise to get attention (ok- this part is NOT new!). He has been playing with his babysitter, Nikole, from last Spring and he really enjoys that. He actually takes a nap most of the time she is here....but he still tells me huge stories everyday about what they played while she was here! That's another thing he is doing often now-- making up stories about everything!! It is so cute and SO FUNNY sometimes!! Last night he told us that he went to Tulsa on Tuesday and that his birthday is Saturday. hahaha....the other night he also spent like 15 minutes talking about Disneyworld (yes, we have him dreaming early!) and Mickey's house and going to visit him and riding in his car and seeing Pluto and going to the Clubhouse.....and on and on. I video-taped part of it because he seriously was going on forever without us even responding, but I only caught the very tail end of it all. I will try to post but the videos take forever to load! He is really not having any more difficulty with his leg anymore, either, which is a relief for us. After he got out of his cast he was walking extremely awkwardly and was not bending his foot at his ankle and looked really bow-legged. It is all better now- praise God for that!
Travis' finger is healing pretty well- he'll see the doctor again in a couple of weeks. OH! I don't think I've posted since he hurt his finger! Travis "accidentally" got the end of his middle finger, right hand cut off in a lawn mower. You can ask him about that later. He is still driving his school bus and constantly looking for full time work. It seems that he is overqualified for anything outside of Graphic Design and really having a hard time getting into anything inside of Graphic Design. Your prayers are appreciated....we are just clinging to hope.
I am working full time at the bank now at the Central & West St. branch. I took a promotion on August 12 and am now a Personal Banker-- I open accounts and do account maintenance, deal with CDs, IRAs, loans of all types, business accounts, and anything else customers come to my desk with. I still have a flexible schedule but work 36+ hours/week and am off most Saturdays which has been wonderful!
We have been spending our free time hanging out with friends-- welcoming their new little ones into the world seems to be happening a lot lately! Our friends Tom and Mira just had their beautiful daughter, Jaycee, early, early this morning and we are just about to go meet her for the first time! Our friends Jayme and Les had their beautiful daughter about a week ago and we will meet her in a couple of weeks when we head to Tulsa. Fall is officially here now and so we have been enjoying the nice cool weather, too. Brenton just got out of the bath tub a few minutes ago and immediately wanted to go outside and play and I told him no because his hair was wet, etc and he did not understand or like that answer! I think he is going to have a hard time adjusting to indoor activities. We've done Friends' Homecoming, Tanganyika Wildlife Park, Tulsa with the family and we're gearing up for a visit to the good ole' Pumpkin Patch- if you wanna tag along, give us a call! :)
I better start wrapping this up- we've got things to do! Pictures and maybe video to come!
Meagan
Things have been going well....about the same as always. Brenton has been having fun being 2....sometimes I think he has been possessed! 2 is really like they say it's going to be-- I guess I was in denial before now! :) He really pushes us to our limits and challenges everything we say to him, but we are staying consistent and not putting up with all the drama. The phrase "save the drama for your mama" does not fit for this situation....we need a new phrase!!! Otherwise, he is as stinkin' smart as ever- knows his numbers up to...I lost track but I think 12 without help (he will repeat you endlessly), knows his whole alphabet, makes up songs now (especially when he is really focused and in his own world playing) and makes tons of loud noise to get attention (ok- this part is NOT new!). He has been playing with his babysitter, Nikole, from last Spring and he really enjoys that. He actually takes a nap most of the time she is here....but he still tells me huge stories everyday about what they played while she was here! That's another thing he is doing often now-- making up stories about everything!! It is so cute and SO FUNNY sometimes!! Last night he told us that he went to Tulsa on Tuesday and that his birthday is Saturday. hahaha....the other night he also spent like 15 minutes talking about Disneyworld (yes, we have him dreaming early!) and Mickey's house and going to visit him and riding in his car and seeing Pluto and going to the Clubhouse.....and on and on. I video-taped part of it because he seriously was going on forever without us even responding, but I only caught the very tail end of it all. I will try to post but the videos take forever to load! He is really not having any more difficulty with his leg anymore, either, which is a relief for us. After he got out of his cast he was walking extremely awkwardly and was not bending his foot at his ankle and looked really bow-legged. It is all better now- praise God for that!
Travis' finger is healing pretty well- he'll see the doctor again in a couple of weeks. OH! I don't think I've posted since he hurt his finger! Travis "accidentally" got the end of his middle finger, right hand cut off in a lawn mower. You can ask him about that later. He is still driving his school bus and constantly looking for full time work. It seems that he is overqualified for anything outside of Graphic Design and really having a hard time getting into anything inside of Graphic Design. Your prayers are appreciated....we are just clinging to hope.
I am working full time at the bank now at the Central & West St. branch. I took a promotion on August 12 and am now a Personal Banker-- I open accounts and do account maintenance, deal with CDs, IRAs, loans of all types, business accounts, and anything else customers come to my desk with. I still have a flexible schedule but work 36+ hours/week and am off most Saturdays which has been wonderful!
We have been spending our free time hanging out with friends-- welcoming their new little ones into the world seems to be happening a lot lately! Our friends Tom and Mira just had their beautiful daughter, Jaycee, early, early this morning and we are just about to go meet her for the first time! Our friends Jayme and Les had their beautiful daughter about a week ago and we will meet her in a couple of weeks when we head to Tulsa. Fall is officially here now and so we have been enjoying the nice cool weather, too. Brenton just got out of the bath tub a few minutes ago and immediately wanted to go outside and play and I told him no because his hair was wet, etc and he did not understand or like that answer! I think he is going to have a hard time adjusting to indoor activities. We've done Friends' Homecoming, Tanganyika Wildlife Park, Tulsa with the family and we're gearing up for a visit to the good ole' Pumpkin Patch- if you wanna tag along, give us a call! :)
I better start wrapping this up- we've got things to do! Pictures and maybe video to come!
Meagan
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
It seems to be longer between posts than I ever anticipate it being...
We are in AUGUST already! Can you believe it? This year is flying by and we are about to enter "fall" territory which means gearing up for back to school, birthdays, changes in the air (both literal and figurative) and yes, eventually the holidays! But first, let me back up a little and catch you up on our recent happenings.
Brenton continues to astound us with his talking all the time, figuring things out, and newfound abilities every day. We have continued to have a busy summer with a wedding, time with family in Tulsa, and baby showers. Travis and I have friends that were scheduled to be having babies consecutively in August, September, October, November and December!!! To top it all off they are all having baby girls!!! Our August baby jumped the gun and came in July (welcome, beautiful Ellasyn Kate!) so we now have a slight break in August-- but holy cow! Babies, babies everywhere!
On July 4th we spent time at my aunt and uncles in Burns, KS and surprisingly Brenton was scared of the fireworks at first. He warmed up to them, but still was not interested in holding any sparklers or anything this year. He has not ever been afraid....of ANYTHING....so this was new to us! He did really well with it after about 10 minutes, but it was still interesting to see that side of him-- especially when we did not expect it.
On July 5th we had even more excitement as Brenton demonstrated the old philosophy "boys will be boys" for us by breaking his little leg! We were shocked to find that it was broken considering all he was doing was having a pillow fight, but even more shocked as we started realizing all that this silly broken femur would entail.
1 visit to the ER
2 Xrays
1 IV
1 million shocking moments when the doctor explained the procedure and cast that would follow
1 night stay at the hospital
1 experience with anesthesia that came way earlier than expected for me as a mommy
1 giant cast
AND
5 weeks of more fun than we can handle!
(that last one was total sarcasm....just in case you didn't know)
In reality, Brenton has done AMAZING through this whole thing and we are so thankful for his ability to cope and adjust and deal with immobility, etc and the fact that he can communicate with us so well- such a blessing! We are also very, very grateful for all the friends and family members who have visited, helped, cooked, and just sat with Brenton to help us during this time-- and he is thankful for the little presents he has gotten too!
In addition to all of this, my little sister Maranda had surgery on her ear in July and we went to Tulsa to see her one weekend. The operation went better than they had anticipated and we are thankful for that as well.
In work news, Travis is continuing to do small projects here and there for Contemporary Communications and is now gearing up to drive a school bus once again for the Wichita Public Schools. I have spent the past 3 weeks in training at the bank and received a promotion last week and am transferring branches next week. Yes, our lives seem to be eventful all the time! I am so excited for what I will be doing now-- if you would like a business card I will have them soon!!!! and if you would like to come visit me/ bring me some business I will be at the Emprise Bank branch at Central & West St. :) :) :)
On to bigger and better things-- guess who will be 2 on Friday!!!!!!!!! BRENTON MATTHEW WELLS! He is SO excited for his bday and we are excited to. His 2 years of life have been worth millions to us and it just gets better every day! Come celebrate with us on Sunday if you can!
Hope to hear from you all soon!
We are in AUGUST already! Can you believe it? This year is flying by and we are about to enter "fall" territory which means gearing up for back to school, birthdays, changes in the air (both literal and figurative) and yes, eventually the holidays! But first, let me back up a little and catch you up on our recent happenings.
Brenton continues to astound us with his talking all the time, figuring things out, and newfound abilities every day. We have continued to have a busy summer with a wedding, time with family in Tulsa, and baby showers. Travis and I have friends that were scheduled to be having babies consecutively in August, September, October, November and December!!! To top it all off they are all having baby girls!!! Our August baby jumped the gun and came in July (welcome, beautiful Ellasyn Kate!) so we now have a slight break in August-- but holy cow! Babies, babies everywhere!
On July 4th we spent time at my aunt and uncles in Burns, KS and surprisingly Brenton was scared of the fireworks at first. He warmed up to them, but still was not interested in holding any sparklers or anything this year. He has not ever been afraid....of ANYTHING....so this was new to us! He did really well with it after about 10 minutes, but it was still interesting to see that side of him-- especially when we did not expect it.
On July 5th we had even more excitement as Brenton demonstrated the old philosophy "boys will be boys" for us by breaking his little leg! We were shocked to find that it was broken considering all he was doing was having a pillow fight, but even more shocked as we started realizing all that this silly broken femur would entail.
1 visit to the ER
2 Xrays
1 IV
1 million shocking moments when the doctor explained the procedure and cast that would follow
1 night stay at the hospital
1 experience with anesthesia that came way earlier than expected for me as a mommy
1 giant cast
AND
5 weeks of more fun than we can handle!
(that last one was total sarcasm....just in case you didn't know)
In reality, Brenton has done AMAZING through this whole thing and we are so thankful for his ability to cope and adjust and deal with immobility, etc and the fact that he can communicate with us so well- such a blessing! We are also very, very grateful for all the friends and family members who have visited, helped, cooked, and just sat with Brenton to help us during this time-- and he is thankful for the little presents he has gotten too!
In addition to all of this, my little sister Maranda had surgery on her ear in July and we went to Tulsa to see her one weekend. The operation went better than they had anticipated and we are thankful for that as well.
In work news, Travis is continuing to do small projects here and there for Contemporary Communications and is now gearing up to drive a school bus once again for the Wichita Public Schools. I have spent the past 3 weeks in training at the bank and received a promotion last week and am transferring branches next week. Yes, our lives seem to be eventful all the time! I am so excited for what I will be doing now-- if you would like a business card I will have them soon!!!! and if you would like to come visit me/ bring me some business I will be at the Emprise Bank branch at Central & West St. :) :) :)
On to bigger and better things-- guess who will be 2 on Friday!!!!!!!!! BRENTON MATTHEW WELLS! He is SO excited for his bday and we are excited to. His 2 years of life have been worth millions to us and it just gets better every day! Come celebrate with us on Sunday if you can!
Hope to hear from you all soon!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Praise!
This morning my big boy woke up, rolled over (somehow he was in our bed this morning), kissed me on the head and said, "Brenton done taking nap now please!" :) I cannot put into words what it means to be a mom!
Just thought I'd share that with you and give you a brief update-- Travis was offered some contract work this week for a company called Contemporary Communications Incorporated. We do not have a gurantee on how long he will have work, or how often, but he received his first project Tuesday and has already completed it. His supervisor met with the client it is for, they asked for one correction to be made on a typo of their phone number, and said he LOVED IT! I am so happy for Travis to be getting back into what he loves doing and we are praising God for the work. We are also keeping our fingers crossed that when Travis is able to work full time, this is something he can continue on the side. So....be looking for a postcard type mailer for the New China Buffet at 47th and Broadway in your mailbox....that is what he just created! :)
Just thought I'd share that with you and give you a brief update-- Travis was offered some contract work this week for a company called Contemporary Communications Incorporated. We do not have a gurantee on how long he will have work, or how often, but he received his first project Tuesday and has already completed it. His supervisor met with the client it is for, they asked for one correction to be made on a typo of their phone number, and said he LOVED IT! I am so happy for Travis to be getting back into what he loves doing and we are praising God for the work. We are also keeping our fingers crossed that when Travis is able to work full time, this is something he can continue on the side. So....be looking for a postcard type mailer for the New China Buffet at 47th and Broadway in your mailbox....that is what he just created! :)
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
22 Months and counting!
Let me catch you up on the last month or so...
Travis graduated!!!!!!! Please pray for the continual job search. We attended parts of the River Festival here in Wichita and other graduations of cousins all throughout May.
Later in May we got to go on a wonderful short vacation with my family in Oklahoma City. My parents got us all tickets to see the Broadway show "The Lion King" for Christmas so we went over Memorial weekend and had an awesome time! The show was incredible- I would highly recommend it to anyone- and we had a blast all around. Brenton calls vacation "cation"-- he doesn't ever say the va- part of the word, but he seems to love 'cation and spending lots of time with Grandma Tammy, Papa Matt, Randa Panda and Riah (those are their official names in case you couldn't tell!). While we were in OKC we also went to Frontier City, the OKC Zoo and Chick-fil-a-- yes, that is a landmark in my opinion! We have lots and lots of pictures from the past month so I am going to include a link to my facebook page so that you can see them all in one place.
To kick off the month of June we went on a second mini-'cation to Branson for the Sanders family reunion. The Sanders family is Travis' dad's mom's side-- just in case you wanted to know. :) Branson is a fun, fun place if you've never been, but wayyyyy toooo much traffic! We had not planned on staying in Branson Friday night originally so we had not booked a room at the hotel we were staying in for the reunion, so when we changed out plans last minute we bid on Priceline and got a room at The Suites at Fall Creek. Apparently this is an all-inclusive, fancy-schmancy resort and it was really nice to be there for all of the 10 hours we were there. :) We got in late, late and left early so we didn't get a chance to live the resort lifestyle, but the room was like a little apartment and it was really nice. While we were in Branson we took Brenton on the Ride the Ducks attraction. Travis and I rode this with his family the last time we were in Branson for the reunion in 2005 and we knew we wanted to take Brenton this time. The Ducks are WWII vehicles that drive on land and in the water and in Branson they take you on a tour of the strip as well as Table Rock Lake. Brenton says truck-boat now when talking about them and seemed to really enjoy the whole tour, especially the ride on the water (except the few minutes where he almost fell asleep!). PLUS for anyone who knows about the ducks you get this wonderful WACKY QUACKER (duck bill noise maker) that you get to keep-- FOREVER. We hear quacking ALL the time now! :) We also did a little outlet mall shopping and went to see the Baldknobbers show per my grandparents request. The Baldknobbers was like an old time country variety show and the comedians were really funny-- it was very enjoyable-- good, clean, family fun just like Branson is supposed to be. Also, at one of the shopping centers we went to there was a place called Ridemakerz that was right up Travis' alley. We had never heard of it before, but it is best described as the Build-a-Bear workshop of car-guys. You go through a line and build your own little custom car- you can change the wheels, add specialty parts, add decals, sound, lights, even remote control if you want. To say the least we walked out of there with one customized, remote control operated Dodge Ram something-or-other and one fire truck with sirens-- can you imagine?! Travis and Brenton have been playing with their new toys non stop! Branson is a long drive, but worth the fun.
So....we're back in Wichita now and thinking ahead to the rest of the summer. We have been trying to get to the YMCA water parks when we can, so if you'd like to go sometime- give us a call! We are trying to spend time outside-- never seems to be enough time for Brenton-- I think he would live out there if we would let him! And we are trying to spend time with family as much as possible.
In the meantime, Travis and I have started the Dave Ramsey course, Financial Peace University, and would like to request prayer as we learn to change our ways financially. We are anticipating some real challenges as we go through this 12 week course (just started last week), but ultimately will provide us with a better foundation as we hopefully can get Travis a job and move on with this part of our lives sooner rather than later.
On a side-note....Brenton took himself to a new Sunday School class two weeks ago. We were walking to his class which is at the end of the nursery hallway and he just detoured and B-lined straight toward the big-kid toddler class! Travis and I looked at each other and thought-- well, it must be about time. The big-kid class has actual structured activities such as snack time, Sunday School lesson time, playtime, etc., and they help parents tackle potty-training which we are about 85-90% on with Brenton. I almost cried when we got back to the sanctuary and I really started thinking about how quickly he is growing up! This is his 3rd class in the nursery at our church and the next time he moves he moves UPSTAIRS! I know that doesn't mean anything to most of you, but upstairs is where the kids stay until they finish kindergarten!!!! I just cannot believe how big he is getting!! So, as I always say, if you haven't seen him in a while you really should!
Thanks for reading my random babblings and we hope to see or hear from you all soon! Here is the link for the pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011686&id=151000976
Travis graduated!!!!!!! Please pray for the continual job search. We attended parts of the River Festival here in Wichita and other graduations of cousins all throughout May.
Later in May we got to go on a wonderful short vacation with my family in Oklahoma City. My parents got us all tickets to see the Broadway show "The Lion King" for Christmas so we went over Memorial weekend and had an awesome time! The show was incredible- I would highly recommend it to anyone- and we had a blast all around. Brenton calls vacation "cation"-- he doesn't ever say the va- part of the word, but he seems to love 'cation and spending lots of time with Grandma Tammy, Papa Matt, Randa Panda and Riah (those are their official names in case you couldn't tell!). While we were in OKC we also went to Frontier City, the OKC Zoo and Chick-fil-a-- yes, that is a landmark in my opinion! We have lots and lots of pictures from the past month so I am going to include a link to my facebook page so that you can see them all in one place.
To kick off the month of June we went on a second mini-'cation to Branson for the Sanders family reunion. The Sanders family is Travis' dad's mom's side-- just in case you wanted to know. :) Branson is a fun, fun place if you've never been, but wayyyyy toooo much traffic! We had not planned on staying in Branson Friday night originally so we had not booked a room at the hotel we were staying in for the reunion, so when we changed out plans last minute we bid on Priceline and got a room at The Suites at Fall Creek. Apparently this is an all-inclusive, fancy-schmancy resort and it was really nice to be there for all of the 10 hours we were there. :) We got in late, late and left early so we didn't get a chance to live the resort lifestyle, but the room was like a little apartment and it was really nice. While we were in Branson we took Brenton on the Ride the Ducks attraction. Travis and I rode this with his family the last time we were in Branson for the reunion in 2005 and we knew we wanted to take Brenton this time. The Ducks are WWII vehicles that drive on land and in the water and in Branson they take you on a tour of the strip as well as Table Rock Lake. Brenton says truck-boat now when talking about them and seemed to really enjoy the whole tour, especially the ride on the water (except the few minutes where he almost fell asleep!). PLUS for anyone who knows about the ducks you get this wonderful WACKY QUACKER (duck bill noise maker) that you get to keep-- FOREVER. We hear quacking ALL the time now! :) We also did a little outlet mall shopping and went to see the Baldknobbers show per my grandparents request. The Baldknobbers was like an old time country variety show and the comedians were really funny-- it was very enjoyable-- good, clean, family fun just like Branson is supposed to be. Also, at one of the shopping centers we went to there was a place called Ridemakerz that was right up Travis' alley. We had never heard of it before, but it is best described as the Build-a-Bear workshop of car-guys. You go through a line and build your own little custom car- you can change the wheels, add specialty parts, add decals, sound, lights, even remote control if you want. To say the least we walked out of there with one customized, remote control operated Dodge Ram something-or-other and one fire truck with sirens-- can you imagine?! Travis and Brenton have been playing with their new toys non stop! Branson is a long drive, but worth the fun.
So....we're back in Wichita now and thinking ahead to the rest of the summer. We have been trying to get to the YMCA water parks when we can, so if you'd like to go sometime- give us a call! We are trying to spend time outside-- never seems to be enough time for Brenton-- I think he would live out there if we would let him! And we are trying to spend time with family as much as possible.
In the meantime, Travis and I have started the Dave Ramsey course, Financial Peace University, and would like to request prayer as we learn to change our ways financially. We are anticipating some real challenges as we go through this 12 week course (just started last week), but ultimately will provide us with a better foundation as we hopefully can get Travis a job and move on with this part of our lives sooner rather than later.
On a side-note....Brenton took himself to a new Sunday School class two weeks ago. We were walking to his class which is at the end of the nursery hallway and he just detoured and B-lined straight toward the big-kid toddler class! Travis and I looked at each other and thought-- well, it must be about time. The big-kid class has actual structured activities such as snack time, Sunday School lesson time, playtime, etc., and they help parents tackle potty-training which we are about 85-90% on with Brenton. I almost cried when we got back to the sanctuary and I really started thinking about how quickly he is growing up! This is his 3rd class in the nursery at our church and the next time he moves he moves UPSTAIRS! I know that doesn't mean anything to most of you, but upstairs is where the kids stay until they finish kindergarten!!!! I just cannot believe how big he is getting!! So, as I always say, if you haven't seen him in a while you really should!
Thanks for reading my random babblings and we hope to see or hear from you all soon! Here is the link for the pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011686&id=151000976
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Day in the life...
I have been trying to get video of Brenton lately because I want to remember him at this (and every) stage of life. He is so fun to watch right now just bouncing from one thing to the next and letting nothing pass him by.
This is a very short clip of a usual conversation with him....I will get more posted lately. I am trying to catch him doing his favorite things-- singing, dancing, talking, and causing trouble. :) Enjoy!
This is a very short clip of a usual conversation with him....I will get more posted lately. I am trying to catch him doing his favorite things-- singing, dancing, talking, and causing trouble. :) Enjoy!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
21 months is coming!
Brenton is getting so close to 2-- I can't hardly believe it! I've been thinking about it a lot lately- how he's changing and growing and growing-up- really turning into a big boy! He still assures me, though, that he is my "little tiny baby" almost daily and will let me hold him in my arms and rock him. :) Of course it is all a game to him now, but at least I get those brief moments of pretending he is still so little!
Here is a "big boy" moment-- Brenton checking out his bed after we turned it into a toddler bed. He loves his toddler bed at my parent's house in Tulsa and we've been meaning to switch his here- just finally got it done in March.
Here is Brenton with his baby cousin Jacksen born March 17, 2009 (By the way, 3-17-09 has now been deemed "John Deere green day", not just St. Patrick's day :)):
Jacksen is so cute and Tim and Mandi are doing really well. It's nice having another baby around that isn't mine-- he has taken Brenton away from the constant spotlight which is good.
Here are some more of Jacksen for the Wells side of the family:
We really had a great Easter this year spent with family and friends just as it should be. We ate lunch with Grandma Wells and the family.
And then had dessert and easter egg fun with my family later.
And of course the Easter Bunny came and Brenton had a blast finding eggs and special surprises that morning!
We went to the alumni Easter egg hunt at Friends and the Easter egg-stravaganza at the zoo, too, but you can check those pictures out later.
Other highlights of our past month were Brenton visiting the fire station with Daddy (Brenton LOVES fire trucks and school buses!!) and the random blizzard we had here, which allowed us to make a snowman!
I have also been very busy at work. I received a promotion a couple of weeks ago that allows me to have more supervisory responsibilities over other tellers and have been training a new teller full time for the past week or two. I think in one of my past posts I talked about getting to plan a few events for work-- one of those was in March and the next is coming May 1st so I have kept busy finishing the details for that as well. Our branch received a 100% score on our quarterly customer satisfaction surveys and we couldn't be happier! We know we have been striving for perfection, but to see that result is awesome!
Travis was asked by some head-honchos at the bus place to drive for some special events and field trips that are coming up soon (this is a privilege as usually these routes go to seniority first). He still really enjoys driving and is still looking for a design related job. As far as we know he will not be driving a school bus after Wichita public schools release for summer at the end of May so please keep his continual job search in your prayers.
Otherwise, we are looking forward to April showers bringing May flowers and all that comes with "real" Spring! Brenton loves to play outside and we enjoy taking walks, riding bikes, going to the park and the zoo, and all of the fun things that come with nicer weather. Travis' graduation is May 9th and we will have a party afterwards-- I am so glad it is finally almost here!! He will be able to officially feel DONE with school and have some closure to all of his hard work.
God is teaching us to be more faithful and I know he still has work to be done in us so please pray that we would seek his direction and will in everything we have coming toward us. I have struggled a little in the past month or two with knowing what God wants for us-- rather, wanting more from God in the way of answers and direction-- so please keep us in your prayers. I have been very anxious for some long awaited changes to happen, but I know that God's timing is perfect and mine is not. Please, please keep us in your prayers.
I hope you enjoyed the update and the pictures!
Here is a "big boy" moment-- Brenton checking out his bed after we turned it into a toddler bed. He loves his toddler bed at my parent's house in Tulsa and we've been meaning to switch his here- just finally got it done in March.
Here is Brenton with his baby cousin Jacksen born March 17, 2009 (By the way, 3-17-09 has now been deemed "John Deere green day", not just St. Patrick's day :)):
Jacksen is so cute and Tim and Mandi are doing really well. It's nice having another baby around that isn't mine-- he has taken Brenton away from the constant spotlight which is good.
Here are some more of Jacksen for the Wells side of the family:
We really had a great Easter this year spent with family and friends just as it should be. We ate lunch with Grandma Wells and the family.
And then had dessert and easter egg fun with my family later.
And of course the Easter Bunny came and Brenton had a blast finding eggs and special surprises that morning!
We went to the alumni Easter egg hunt at Friends and the Easter egg-stravaganza at the zoo, too, but you can check those pictures out later.
Other highlights of our past month were Brenton visiting the fire station with Daddy (Brenton LOVES fire trucks and school buses!!) and the random blizzard we had here, which allowed us to make a snowman!
I have also been very busy at work. I received a promotion a couple of weeks ago that allows me to have more supervisory responsibilities over other tellers and have been training a new teller full time for the past week or two. I think in one of my past posts I talked about getting to plan a few events for work-- one of those was in March and the next is coming May 1st so I have kept busy finishing the details for that as well. Our branch received a 100% score on our quarterly customer satisfaction surveys and we couldn't be happier! We know we have been striving for perfection, but to see that result is awesome!
Travis was asked by some head-honchos at the bus place to drive for some special events and field trips that are coming up soon (this is a privilege as usually these routes go to seniority first). He still really enjoys driving and is still looking for a design related job. As far as we know he will not be driving a school bus after Wichita public schools release for summer at the end of May so please keep his continual job search in your prayers.
Otherwise, we are looking forward to April showers bringing May flowers and all that comes with "real" Spring! Brenton loves to play outside and we enjoy taking walks, riding bikes, going to the park and the zoo, and all of the fun things that come with nicer weather. Travis' graduation is May 9th and we will have a party afterwards-- I am so glad it is finally almost here!! He will be able to officially feel DONE with school and have some closure to all of his hard work.
God is teaching us to be more faithful and I know he still has work to be done in us so please pray that we would seek his direction and will in everything we have coming toward us. I have struggled a little in the past month or two with knowing what God wants for us-- rather, wanting more from God in the way of answers and direction-- so please keep us in your prayers. I have been very anxious for some long awaited changes to happen, but I know that God's timing is perfect and mine is not. Please, please keep us in your prayers.
I hope you enjoyed the update and the pictures!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Where did Spring go?
We were really enjoying the 60s and 70s-- what happened? It SNOWED a little last night! Last week and the week before we were going to the zoo almost every day, the park, flying a kite, blowing bubbles outside.....and now we have to bundle up again! We are ready for the return of Spring!
Let's see....where to begin? We had a fun visit to Tulsa a couple of weeks ago-- we got to see "Randa" in "Once Upon a Mattress", we got to visit with Jayme and Les and Baby O'Brien (CONGRATS again!), and of course we spent lots of time with Papa Matt and Grandma Tammy. I pulled my maternity clothes out and revisited a lot of wonderful memories (NO, not for my use again) and passed them along to Jayme for the next 7 months or so and it was really exciting and special for me to be able to share that with a great friend.
Brenton has been hilarious lately-- so cute in his adventures and, of course, his mischief. He pretends all the time, which is just another example to me of how intelligent we have been created. He is 19 months old and can really make you believe he is a puppy or the driver of a race car as he tips his little folding chair over and zoooooooms it all over the living room! And his speech-- WOW-- he amazes me every day. His favorite expressions right now are, "are you ________," with whatever he wants filled in the blank (Where are you?) and "Thank you, Mommy," which is probably the most precious thing I have ever heard come out of his mouth. His sentences are becoming so complex; he really is doing an incredible job with communication and it is a blessing. We started potty-training about 2 months ago and have had a lot of ups and downs. Potty training is-- by far-- the most difficult thing we have tried to teach (that and "Brenton, let's please use our INDOOR VOICES!!!!!" I just can't figure out where he learned to be so LOUD! :)). The things that we are stuck on are getting Brenton to make the connection that potty-ing in the potty chair is a NECESSITY not just based on your mood, and that it is really important to let us know you need to go before you start potty-ing, not once you've already started. Travis and I have decided to back off for a short time and see if those connections will happen a little less forcefully and then we will pick up the pace again in a while. I know other people have lots of other theories on this, but we think it will be a good fit for us right now. We'll see! You live and you learn!
Otherwise, Travis is driving his school bus and looking for a design job still. It is heartbreaking for me to see him apply for jobs and not get them when I know how talented and passionate he is at what he does. In all seriousness, there was a job here in town that he applied for, followed up on, was told they would be in touch, and then the next thing we knew there was a picture of this company's newly hired designer in the newspaper yesterday. It can really take a toll on a person to have to look at that and think, "what does that person have that I don't?" We are hanging in there.....clinging to faith. Please keep us in your prayers. We did just celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary and had a great time. It is really fun for us to think about then to now and everything in between. I really have a wonderful husband!
Thankfully, my job is blossoming all the time. I am pretty sure I have said this before, but I have one of the most incredible managers I could ever imagine and that makes all the difference in the world when thinking about going to work every day. I have taken on the responsibility of planning a couple of Customer Appreciation events at our branch (one next Friday and one May 1 if you would like to drop by!) and that has been right up my alley. Turns out I seem to have a little bit of my mom in me!! :) Next week we are having a March Madness theme day complete with bleachers for seating, basketball goals for shooting contests, hot dogs, nachos, cotton candy, popcorn, and a little team competition that, obviously, KU fans will win! Then, in May we are having a mas grande fiesta de Cinco de Mayo complete with a live remote broadcast with Fiesta 92.7 Mexican radio, 5th grade dancers doing traditional Mexican dances, pinatas, tacos al pastor, and hopefully lots and lots of reaching out to new customers in our neighborhood. I am having a blast and am thankful for the opportunities I have been given-- it truly is a joy for me to do these things. I will also begin some training next week that will likely lead into an advance in my current position that will allow me to begin opening accounts and doing more account maintenance things for customers, more than the basic teller functions.
Hmmm....Travis is off work today because Wichita schools are now on Spring Break and he is still sleeping! I better send Brenton down to wake him up! He is probably dreaming of his graduation coming up on May 9th because he picked up his cap and gown yesterday!! :))))) And, I just realized I've been typing a way and am running out of time to get to the gym this morning, so I better go! Know that we think about our friends and family often and love hearing from you all! When the weather decides to turn nice again give us a call and we can go to the zoo!!! Pictures to follow....
Let's see....where to begin? We had a fun visit to Tulsa a couple of weeks ago-- we got to see "Randa" in "Once Upon a Mattress", we got to visit with Jayme and Les and Baby O'Brien (CONGRATS again!), and of course we spent lots of time with Papa Matt and Grandma Tammy. I pulled my maternity clothes out and revisited a lot of wonderful memories (NO, not for my use again) and passed them along to Jayme for the next 7 months or so and it was really exciting and special for me to be able to share that with a great friend.
Brenton has been hilarious lately-- so cute in his adventures and, of course, his mischief. He pretends all the time, which is just another example to me of how intelligent we have been created. He is 19 months old and can really make you believe he is a puppy or the driver of a race car as he tips his little folding chair over and zoooooooms it all over the living room! And his speech-- WOW-- he amazes me every day. His favorite expressions right now are, "are you ________," with whatever he wants filled in the blank (Where are you?) and "Thank you, Mommy," which is probably the most precious thing I have ever heard come out of his mouth. His sentences are becoming so complex; he really is doing an incredible job with communication and it is a blessing. We started potty-training about 2 months ago and have had a lot of ups and downs. Potty training is-- by far-- the most difficult thing we have tried to teach (that and "Brenton, let's please use our INDOOR VOICES!!!!!" I just can't figure out where he learned to be so LOUD! :)). The things that we are stuck on are getting Brenton to make the connection that potty-ing in the potty chair is a NECESSITY not just based on your mood, and that it is really important to let us know you need to go before you start potty-ing, not once you've already started. Travis and I have decided to back off for a short time and see if those connections will happen a little less forcefully and then we will pick up the pace again in a while. I know other people have lots of other theories on this, but we think it will be a good fit for us right now. We'll see! You live and you learn!
Otherwise, Travis is driving his school bus and looking for a design job still. It is heartbreaking for me to see him apply for jobs and not get them when I know how talented and passionate he is at what he does. In all seriousness, there was a job here in town that he applied for, followed up on, was told they would be in touch, and then the next thing we knew there was a picture of this company's newly hired designer in the newspaper yesterday. It can really take a toll on a person to have to look at that and think, "what does that person have that I don't?" We are hanging in there.....clinging to faith. Please keep us in your prayers. We did just celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary and had a great time. It is really fun for us to think about then to now and everything in between. I really have a wonderful husband!
Thankfully, my job is blossoming all the time. I am pretty sure I have said this before, but I have one of the most incredible managers I could ever imagine and that makes all the difference in the world when thinking about going to work every day. I have taken on the responsibility of planning a couple of Customer Appreciation events at our branch (one next Friday and one May 1 if you would like to drop by!) and that has been right up my alley. Turns out I seem to have a little bit of my mom in me!! :) Next week we are having a March Madness theme day complete with bleachers for seating, basketball goals for shooting contests, hot dogs, nachos, cotton candy, popcorn, and a little team competition that, obviously, KU fans will win! Then, in May we are having a mas grande fiesta de Cinco de Mayo complete with a live remote broadcast with Fiesta 92.7 Mexican radio, 5th grade dancers doing traditional Mexican dances, pinatas, tacos al pastor, and hopefully lots and lots of reaching out to new customers in our neighborhood. I am having a blast and am thankful for the opportunities I have been given-- it truly is a joy for me to do these things. I will also begin some training next week that will likely lead into an advance in my current position that will allow me to begin opening accounts and doing more account maintenance things for customers, more than the basic teller functions.
Hmmm....Travis is off work today because Wichita schools are now on Spring Break and he is still sleeping! I better send Brenton down to wake him up! He is probably dreaming of his graduation coming up on May 9th because he picked up his cap and gown yesterday!! :))))) And, I just realized I've been typing a way and am running out of time to get to the gym this morning, so I better go! Know that we think about our friends and family often and love hearing from you all! When the weather decides to turn nice again give us a call and we can go to the zoo!!! Pictures to follow....
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
18 Months!
Brenton is going to be 18 months old on Saturday and in many ways I cannot believe how big he is getting, but this 18 month milestone is also bringing back "baby" memories because he has a doctor's appointment, probably shots, and we're going to get new pictures done. He IS getting so big, though!! Yesterday he told his daddy, "baby- BIG BOY!" Essentially he was just warning us that he is a "big boy" now....yes, I did say WARNING....no explanation needed. :)
Brenton is so smart and I know I have been saying that all along, but if you have heard this kiddo speak you would know what I mean. His communication skills are amazing and I just stand in awe almost every day. He is repeating everything he hears perfectly and without fail, and is putting sentences together like 'it ain't no big deal'. :) We often hear him adding "yes, please" with a cute "yes" head shake when he wants things....you know, "Brenton-taco meat- yes, please" (shake shake) or "Brenton do- yes, please" (shake shake)....how can you say no to that??! He can identify so many animals, sounds, body parts, colors.....and if he does not know what something is he WILL figure it out before navigating away from that thing.
Anyway....as I mentioned above, we are planning to have new pictures done as this is a pretty significant milestone-- it's kind of like the passing of the official threshold from infant to toddler-- even though we've considered him a toddler since he started walking at 10 months. Of course since pictures were scheduled he just had to get a big, fat lip tonight while he was playing! So...the pictures may have to be postponed a little, but we will see!
On a different not-about-Brenton note-- Travis has had a few interviews and we are just wishin' and hopin' and prayin' so please keep us in your prayers, too. Things are going well at the bank- I will begin training new tellers as needed soon and will be promoting to the highest level of Teller fairly soon as well. I am so blessed to be where I am right now and so thankful for the job the Lord has given me. I have never been in a place that was so focused on the personal growth of each person there (except for Grad. school...but that's a whole different ball-game). My manager and the people I work with are so wonderful; we have constant feedback and so many opportunities to try yourself in new roles. I truly pray for the same type of environment for Travis in whatever he finds-- it makes such a difference individually and in your family life.
The BIG BOY is up a little past the usual time since Daddy is at a bball game and I've been working on this, so I better run and get him settled in! We hope to hear from and see each of you soon!!!
Brenton is so smart and I know I have been saying that all along, but if you have heard this kiddo speak you would know what I mean. His communication skills are amazing and I just stand in awe almost every day. He is repeating everything he hears perfectly and without fail, and is putting sentences together like 'it ain't no big deal'. :) We often hear him adding "yes, please" with a cute "yes" head shake when he wants things....you know, "Brenton-taco meat- yes, please" (shake shake) or "Brenton do- yes, please" (shake shake)....how can you say no to that??! He can identify so many animals, sounds, body parts, colors.....and if he does not know what something is he WILL figure it out before navigating away from that thing.
Anyway....as I mentioned above, we are planning to have new pictures done as this is a pretty significant milestone-- it's kind of like the passing of the official threshold from infant to toddler-- even though we've considered him a toddler since he started walking at 10 months. Of course since pictures were scheduled he just had to get a big, fat lip tonight while he was playing! So...the pictures may have to be postponed a little, but we will see!
On a different not-about-Brenton note-- Travis has had a few interviews and we are just wishin' and hopin' and prayin' so please keep us in your prayers, too. Things are going well at the bank- I will begin training new tellers as needed soon and will be promoting to the highest level of Teller fairly soon as well. I am so blessed to be where I am right now and so thankful for the job the Lord has given me. I have never been in a place that was so focused on the personal growth of each person there (except for Grad. school...but that's a whole different ball-game). My manager and the people I work with are so wonderful; we have constant feedback and so many opportunities to try yourself in new roles. I truly pray for the same type of environment for Travis in whatever he finds-- it makes such a difference individually and in your family life.
The BIG BOY is up a little past the usual time since Daddy is at a bball game and I've been working on this, so I better run and get him settled in! We hope to hear from and see each of you soon!!!
Friday, January 2, 2009
2009!
So-two months have passed since I posted last- my apologies!
I think I left off at Halloween, but that was a long time ago now and a lot has happened, so I will do my best to fill you in on our family's adventures since then.
I was able to get the day after Thanksgiving off from the bank so we spent about 4 days with my family in Tulsa and it was a wonderful break. We had Thanksgiving lunch here with the Wells and then drove down and made in time for more turkey. My mom's back is injured right now so she was able to spend the 4 days with us work-free (her back injury has been a blessing in disguise, but please do pray for her recovery). Brenton had a lot of fun chasing the cats around and playing with "Riah" and "Ronda" (Moriah and Maranda for those of you who don't speak 'Brenton')! I was very thankful for the amount of quality time we got to spend with them.
In between Thanksgiving and Christmas we had fun as a family getting our Christmas tree, decorating, shopping, wrapping, and waiting for Santa. Brenton never said "Santa" this year, but has mastered "ho ho ho" and "man", which is what he says for "snowman". He loved all the Christmas music and I almost got him to sing Jingle Bells a little! He still loves music-- I don't think I've talked about that since he was pretty little-- he dances to any beat, shakes his "racas", bangs the tambourine harder than I think you are supposed to and is pretty good at turning ANYTHING and EVERYTHING into a drum with his drumsticks. Also, at our Christmas service at church this year there was a brass ensemble playing in the foyer after the service and Brenton was FASCINATED by the sounds coming out of those shiny horns! He seriously stared and stared in amazement so I am thinking a trumpet is in his future! :) Of course, his Godmother, Ann, was in town a little, too and definitely added some influence with her musical gifts, which Brenton loves. She even got him a color-coded musical recorder that we can teach him songs on pretty soon!
What else....oh yeah, TRAVIS FINISHED SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's official, folks! His diploma will be here in a few weeks! I am so proud of him finishing this last semester strong! So-- on with the job search! If you know of any design leads please pass them on! Travis has already hand delivered his resume and portfolio to a few local leads that he had and one firm is going to be setting up an interview with him probably next week!! We are really excited about this time in our lives-- a season of change is coming! Please pray for us as we listen for that still, small voice letting us in on the great plans He has in store for us.
Speaking of which, Travis and I have really been focusing and centering ourselves and our family on this thought: 2009 is going to be a year of blessings for all of us if we allow Christ to lead. We watched a movie, "Facing the Giants", last week that has really impacted us on the way we are living every day. If you haven't seen the movie, I would highly recommend it-- even if it is about football! There are a couple of things that we have taken from the movie that are becoming like mantras for us and I'd like to share them with all of you:
1. In the movie, a man tells a story about 2 farmers who were constantly praying and praying for rain, but only one farmer prepared his fields for the rain. Only the farmer who prepared his fields was ready for the blessings God poured down on them. In our lives, we pray and pray that God will lead us into great things, bless us with wonderful things, give us guidance and direction....but how often are we truly living our faith fully and preparing for the blessings He would have for us. Whatever God's plans for us, Travis and I are committed to living our faith, preparing for the rain.
2. The coach in the movie hits a place that some would see as 'rock bottom'. He turns to his faith for answers and has a huge shift in his philosophy about life- coaching- everything. The phrase that he sticks with throughout the rest of the story is this: "we're going to praise Him when we lose and praise Him when we win". So, whether you are feeling up, or down, or anywhere in between- stop and praise God. Find something to praise Him for- I promise it won't be hard. Praising God blesses our spirit, our soul, our lives.....blesses us with blessings.....get it.....blessings, like the rain I mentioned above.
I have to tell you that God is faithful and has already demonstrated to Travis and I that He is a great God-- just in the short week that we have been focusing our hearts on these things. Yesterday we went to do some exchanges from Christmas and decided to eat at On the Border with a gift card we had. As we were packing up take-home boxes our server came by and said, "so, about your bill- there was this guy over there that sat and read the newspaper and ate by himself- he stopped me, gave me 60 bucks and said take care of mine and their tabs for me, please". As Travis prayed last night, Thank you, God, for the servants you have here around us-- for the blessings you give to us. For a while after our meal, Travis and I kept talking about this- who was he? what did he look like? does he do this for people often or was he lead to bless us? You know what, though? I don't think it really matters to me now what he looked like or who he was- I'm pretty convinced he looked a lot like Jesus.
I'm going to stop there for now- we hope to hear from all of you about your Holidays and your encounters with realizing the blessings God sends to you! Here are some pictures:
I think I left off at Halloween, but that was a long time ago now and a lot has happened, so I will do my best to fill you in on our family's adventures since then.
I was able to get the day after Thanksgiving off from the bank so we spent about 4 days with my family in Tulsa and it was a wonderful break. We had Thanksgiving lunch here with the Wells and then drove down and made in time for more turkey. My mom's back is injured right now so she was able to spend the 4 days with us work-free (her back injury has been a blessing in disguise, but please do pray for her recovery). Brenton had a lot of fun chasing the cats around and playing with "Riah" and "Ronda" (Moriah and Maranda for those of you who don't speak 'Brenton')! I was very thankful for the amount of quality time we got to spend with them.
In between Thanksgiving and Christmas we had fun as a family getting our Christmas tree, decorating, shopping, wrapping, and waiting for Santa. Brenton never said "Santa" this year, but has mastered "ho ho ho" and "man", which is what he says for "snowman". He loved all the Christmas music and I almost got him to sing Jingle Bells a little! He still loves music-- I don't think I've talked about that since he was pretty little-- he dances to any beat, shakes his "racas", bangs the tambourine harder than I think you are supposed to and is pretty good at turning ANYTHING and EVERYTHING into a drum with his drumsticks. Also, at our Christmas service at church this year there was a brass ensemble playing in the foyer after the service and Brenton was FASCINATED by the sounds coming out of those shiny horns! He seriously stared and stared in amazement so I am thinking a trumpet is in his future! :) Of course, his Godmother, Ann, was in town a little, too and definitely added some influence with her musical gifts, which Brenton loves. She even got him a color-coded musical recorder that we can teach him songs on pretty soon!
What else....oh yeah, TRAVIS FINISHED SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's official, folks! His diploma will be here in a few weeks! I am so proud of him finishing this last semester strong! So-- on with the job search! If you know of any design leads please pass them on! Travis has already hand delivered his resume and portfolio to a few local leads that he had and one firm is going to be setting up an interview with him probably next week!! We are really excited about this time in our lives-- a season of change is coming! Please pray for us as we listen for that still, small voice letting us in on the great plans He has in store for us.
Speaking of which, Travis and I have really been focusing and centering ourselves and our family on this thought: 2009 is going to be a year of blessings for all of us if we allow Christ to lead. We watched a movie, "Facing the Giants", last week that has really impacted us on the way we are living every day. If you haven't seen the movie, I would highly recommend it-- even if it is about football! There are a couple of things that we have taken from the movie that are becoming like mantras for us and I'd like to share them with all of you:
1. In the movie, a man tells a story about 2 farmers who were constantly praying and praying for rain, but only one farmer prepared his fields for the rain. Only the farmer who prepared his fields was ready for the blessings God poured down on them. In our lives, we pray and pray that God will lead us into great things, bless us with wonderful things, give us guidance and direction....but how often are we truly living our faith fully and preparing for the blessings He would have for us. Whatever God's plans for us, Travis and I are committed to living our faith, preparing for the rain.
2. The coach in the movie hits a place that some would see as 'rock bottom'. He turns to his faith for answers and has a huge shift in his philosophy about life- coaching- everything. The phrase that he sticks with throughout the rest of the story is this: "we're going to praise Him when we lose and praise Him when we win". So, whether you are feeling up, or down, or anywhere in between- stop and praise God. Find something to praise Him for- I promise it won't be hard. Praising God blesses our spirit, our soul, our lives.....blesses us with blessings.....get it.....blessings, like the rain I mentioned above.
I have to tell you that God is faithful and has already demonstrated to Travis and I that He is a great God-- just in the short week that we have been focusing our hearts on these things. Yesterday we went to do some exchanges from Christmas and decided to eat at On the Border with a gift card we had. As we were packing up take-home boxes our server came by and said, "so, about your bill- there was this guy over there that sat and read the newspaper and ate by himself- he stopped me, gave me 60 bucks and said take care of mine and their tabs for me, please". As Travis prayed last night, Thank you, God, for the servants you have here around us-- for the blessings you give to us. For a while after our meal, Travis and I kept talking about this- who was he? what did he look like? does he do this for people often or was he lead to bless us? You know what, though? I don't think it really matters to me now what he looked like or who he was- I'm pretty convinced he looked a lot like Jesus.
I'm going to stop there for now- we hope to hear from all of you about your Holidays and your encounters with realizing the blessings God sends to you! Here are some pictures:
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