The Brosious Project

'Tis the season!!

2011-12-18T15:36:00.001-06:00

We are enjoying this advent season!!

The girls will play!!

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We have been

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Making the most of these beautiful Fall days!

Dreaming

2011-07-28T14:31:00.005-05:00

I love color. Especially the color of a newly painted room with crisp, white border. I'm already dreaming about the color scheme of our new home. We are on a budget so no new furniture here. We're going to have to match the walls to what we already own. Something else that is important to me is that the house has a sense of flow to it. While I love bright, bold colors I don't want each room to feel like a separate, cut off space.

One of my favorite bloggers, The Nester has a knack for choosing color. The colors in her home would match perfectly with our living room furniture.

This is the color in her bedroom, which I love!

Ryan says I tend to get the cart before the horse. And he's probably right! Ha! I know a lot can happen before we close on this house, but I can't help but dream!

Plans

2011-07-24T13:39:00.006-05:00

I don't think I've ever mentioned this on my blog before, but I am a Pampered Chef consultant. With all the moving we've done in the past 4 year, I have let it sit on the back burner. As a family we have decided to tighten the reigns on our budget in an effort to pay off our student loans early. We are so grateful to have been blessed enough to attend an amazing university, but wish we could have done so without taking out so many loans. Here's to wishing I had heard of Dave Ramsey before my college years!!

Well there's no use in wishin!! I am a planner. So if I see something that needs done, I feel better if I have a solid plan in front of me. This past month we have been praying for God to provide us with a way to get our student loans paid down. We felt very convicted that the money would not be handed to us, but we would be working hard for every penny! So here comes the plan, well actually, the three part plan.

1. I teach voice lessons and my husband has the capability of teaching guitar or piano lessons. I have committed to teaching 20 voice lessons a week (only ten hours of actual time) and he has committed to 10 (only five hours of actual time). This would allow us to put a large chunk of change onto our student loans. Yikes! I'm praising God for this idea, because it is definitely the biggest way we will be able to save.

2. We just had our offer accepted on a beautiful duplex in Northumberland. By living in half and renting out the other we will be able to save on expenses and save between 2 and 3 thousand a year.

3. I have also decided to start up my Pampered Chef business again. I will most likely only do 2-3 shows a month but every little bit helps right?

So our plan is in action, and my first order of business is to put my first book order in by the end of the month. Any takers? You can look at PC's website and let me know if you want me to add an order for you.

This is on my wishlist!

Thanks for your support!!

Thankful Thursday

2011-05-19T17:22:00.004-05:00

Thanking God for-

-a group of girls I can go to for laughs, Truth, understanding, and fun

-the promise of warmer weather, even with all of this rain

-the God given strength to continue with my healthy eating plan

-an amazing week with my incredible sister. She is such a blessing to me, plus my kids LOVE her!

-a husband who is hardworking and passionate about what he does

I want to encourage you to think of the things you are thankful for today. It is so easy to dwell in the negative. I have found that one complaint breeds another and before I know it I've got myself in a nasty mood. The more I surround myself with uplifting thoughts the more joyful I feel. So today I encourage you to extinguish the negative by voicing the positive!

Birthday Decor

2011-02-27T16:47:00.004-06:00

I had so much fun making Elliot's party decorations. My inner crafter is coming out!! This idea...totally not my own. An amazing girl at "The Macs" gave me the idea.

This is How We Do It

2011-01-21T13:02:00.004-06:00

This is how we do a snow day in PA.

Change is coming

2010-11-14T21:52:00.001-06:00

*smile*

Elliot is 8 months!!

2010-10-26T13:00:00.003-05:00

This post is coming a little late, but it's too important to wait until next month to hear all of Elle's milestones!

Elliot you are 8 months!! You are such a bright and cheerful baby. Everywhere we go people have to tell me how beautiful your eyes are. You continue to be a very calm and sweet baby. You are gentle and love to cuddle. We are having such a fun time listening to all of your new sounds. You are already saying Mama (and you mean it), Dada, Nana, and sounding out T's, S's and many others. You like to "sing" and love listening to yourself!

You started crawling one week before your 7 month birthday. You are now a professional! Getting into everything you can get your little paws on. Your favorite thing to go for is the DVD player and Daddy isn't liking that so much. You also like to get into Mommy's dishes under the dining room cabinet.

You are pulling yourself up like a champ and cruising around all the furniture. I often find you playing with your toys while kneeling (you think you are big stuff)! You stand on your own for about 10 seconds before losing your balance. Daddy predicts that you will be walking by November 22 and Mommy has predicted December 12.

You are still wearing your 6-12 month clothes and many of them are still to long for you. You are our little princess. You weigh around 16.5 pounds and are wearing size 3 diapers. We have finally found a baby food that you enjoy, green beans! You typically drink about 5 bottles and eat half a baby food a day. We are so thankful that you are healthy and growing little Elle Belle.

Love you!

Mommy and Daddy

Fall Babies

2010-10-25T21:48:00.003-05:00

My Little Buckeye...

2010-08-27T23:55:00.005-05:00

turned six months on Thursday.

Little miss Elliot,

You are are such a joy in our lives! At six months you are very laid back and easy going.

You love to stretch out on the floor and you are already getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth. You love to sit and watch your big brother play...he is one of your favorites! You are smiley... but also contemplative.

You are still wearing your 3-6 month clothes, but we just switched you to a size 3 diaper (the same size as your 2 year old brother). You are saying dada like a pro but have yet to say mama. You are still not sleeping through the night, but you sometimes go for a 4 or 5 hour stretch to give your mama a break. You have just started to try solid food but you aren't quite sure what to think yet.

You are a huge blessing in our lives and we can't wait to see how you continue to flourish and grow.

Four Years Ago Today...

2010-08-19T13:59:00.006-05:00

I married my best friend

I found our vows today and they are a good reminder of the commitment we made to each other. We wrote our vows together and they are just as true now as they were four years ago.

[[Amanda, with love I take you to be my own beloved bride, my dearest friend, my treasured companion, my wife. I promise to love you and lead you, to encourage you and care for you. I will lead our home as Christ leads the church.

Ryan, with love I take you to be my groom, my dearest friend, my treasured companion, my husband. You are a man after God’s own heart, and I am confident that you will be a loving spiritual leader.

Both: I promise to be sensitive to your needs; and understand when you hurt. I will keep the secrets that you share with me. I promise to provide you with an abundance of positive encouragement, to respect your judgment, and to listen when you speak. Most of all, I promise to continue loving you without reservation as no other person on earth could love you. By God’s grace and power, I will be true and faithful to you for the rest of my life. I love you.]]

Ryan, I can't wait to spend 50 more years with you!

It's been a blast so far! :)

Four Months

2010-06-26T15:26:00.003-05:00

I can't believe you are already four months Elliot!

We can't get enough of your smiles..they are just too cute!

You are starting to fill our your 3-6 months clothes nicely and about ready to switch to size 2 diapers. You are such an easy baby and you hardly ever cry. You have definitely spoiled mommy!

You are constantly rolling from your belly to your back and back to belly (which your older brother never did). You love to push yourself up with your little arms. We feel so blessed that you are such a healthy, growing little baby.

These last four months have passed so quickly, we can't get enough of you miss Ellie Rose!

My Dad

2010-06-20T17:16:00.009-05:00

Not many relationships can replicate that of a father and his daughter.

Here are our first pictures together. If he only knew then what raising girls would have in store! :) He has always been outnumbered by women....even the dogs!

My childhood was never lacking in cuddles, kisses or "I love you's" and for that I am forever grateful.

My dad is caring, gentle, generous, disciplined, hardworking, godly, athletic and wise. When I need serious advice or counsel he is the first person (besides the hubby of course) who I think of asking.

The hardest part about getting married was when my daddy gave me away. Can you tell I was crying...well I was!

"He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." ~Clarence Budington Kelland

Happy Father's Day!!!

All the dads in my life

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Daddy

with Elijah on his birthday

the day Elliot was born

and someday these hands will give her away....

Grandpa

with baby Elijah

with baby Elliot

Elijah loves getting tractor rides with Grandpa.

Pappy

Elijah loves playing with his pappy!

Pappy with Elliot on Easter

Cousins

2010-06-14T13:45:00.004-05:00

My cousin Minde- she's gorgeous. This is her a week away from delivering her baby boy (can you even see her baby bump).

She was lovin' on miss Elliot last Monday when we had a family cook out.

<3

We were close growing up and we want our kids to grow up together too. Elijah and Ella are 5 months apart and our youngest babes are just 3 months apart.

The Grandma's!

Snack time

Helping a cousin out.

We had such a great time!! I can't wait to meet baby Ian!

Pouring, pouring, pouring

2010-05-28T20:11:00.004-05:00

Cause I'm never too busy for a photo shoot with my little dolly!

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This little lady

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is three months today!

I can't believe how fast you are growing Elliot! You are changing and developing more personality every day. You are a very smiley girl. We love to hear you coo and try to talk. You are rolling from your stomach to your back (which is a lot earlier than your big brother did it), sitting proud in your bumbo chair, and picking your head up off the ground during tummy time. You can still fit into some 0-3 month clothes but can also wear your 3 months outfits. You are mama's little dolly. You smile when I get you dressed and I love that you like clothes as much as I do (ha)! You never spit up, but have ruined a few outfits by making messes of another kind. :) You are very interested in what is going on around you and your Mimi and Nanny like to say that you are very nosy. I think it is so cute. You are sleeping very well and just waking once in the night to eat. You are eating about 3 ounces every 3 hours. Mama wants to remember every detail because it is going way too fast little girl!!

Friday Photos

2010-05-21T08:56:00.004-05:00

Ryan and I sang at our Aunt Bethany's wedding (and reception) this past weekend. Here is Ryan singing "Hold On," the song he wrote for me when he proposed.

Our fun and beautiful cousin and flower girl. She had a constant side kick the whole weekend and his name is Elijah. :)

A rose for Elliot Rose.

Daddy and Ellie Belle (our little nickname for her)

Mama and Lijah. He's starting to finally understand the concept of smiling for camera...and now we have a little ham on our hands!!

There are days....

2010-05-20T14:38:00.007-05:00

There are days when I can't stand walking up our apartment stairs one more time.

There are days when I don't want to walk the three blocks to our parking lot.

There are days when trying to raise our children in a small space feels overwhelming.

There are days when the walls in this tiny apartment seem to be closing in around me.

There are days when I daydream of having a backyard for our kids to play in.

There are days when I start to feel sorry for myself.

But then I remember them-

And I realize that there are still days that children will walk miles to stand in line for a pair of shoes.

And how there are still days when children raise children

There are still days that families live in single room homes made of cement block

There are still days that children go without food

And remembering makes me even more thankful for a nice, clean, affordable apartment that God has blessed us with.

Saw this on a great blog today....

2010-05-12T11:40:00.001-05:00

If Jesus gives us a task or assigns us to a difficult season, every ounce of our experience is meant for our instruction and completion if only we’ll let Him finish the work. I fear, however, that we are so attention-deficit that we settle for bearable when beauty is just around the corner.

Beth Moore

What an amazing reminder.

My Wonderful Mother

2010-05-08T22:05:00.002-05:00

She is such a fun Grandma. She has been such a wonderful sport in figuring out what Elijah will call her. It's coming slowly but surely...he's saying new words everyday. I'm positive that his own little version of Grandma will come out soon.

Our amazing mothers and grandmothers

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My mother-in-law (love)

She sacrificially watches our babies two days a week. It is amazing not having to pay for daycare, but even more amazing to know they are in a wonderful home with someone who is devoted to showing them love and affection. We will never be able to repay her for this gift!

Ryan's Grandma, Nan and our honorary Grandma, Chris

My paternal grandmother and Elijah's Great Great Wyse

My mom's mom

We have been so blessed to have wonderful Godly examples of mothers in our lives. They all love the Lord and wholeheartedly serve their families. Just two of many reasons they are amazing mothers. Thank you God for blessing us so richly with these women in our lives. May I continue to grow in You so that I can live up to the legacy they are leaving behind.

2010-05-07T18:18:00.001-05:00

I love looking at old pictures of my mom and I. It must be the combination of the old photographs and seeing the love in my mother's eyes. I enjoy imagining her as her "new mom" self. Picking out the cutest outfits, curling up my hair in a little curlicue, singing sweet songs as I drifted off to sleep. I'm sure she was just as much in love with me as I am with Elijah and Elliot.

Two months!!

2010-04-26T14:40:00.002-05:00

Elliot, at two months you are a pretty content baby. You typically sleep from 10 p.m. until 5 or 5:30 a.m. And mommy loves that you like to sleep as much as she does. :) You are drinking about 3 ounces every 3 hours, except at night. You love to look around and seem happiest when you are sitting up. Daddy let you try out Big Brother's Bumbo seat a few weeks ago and you can sit up pretty well for five or ten minutes. We love the cute little smiles you give us when we talk to you, they are just the best. You weigh between 11 and 12 pounds and are already wearing a size 1-2 diaper. You are growing so fast. You love bath time and even give us a little smile when you get your diaper changed. We love you so much Elliot Rose!

Elijah

2010-04-20T16:01:00.005-05:00

Today you are two. The past two years have been filled with so much adventure! Every day you learn something new!

Two years ago today mommy had you in the hospital. We were so proud to call you our very own. You came out screaming and didn't stop until you heard your daddy's voice. You also grabbed your little hand around his finger which made him very happy. We fell in love with you right away.

(3 months)

(6 months)

Since then we have fallen deeper in love each and every day. As a baby you were so much fun. You never drank much milk and did not sleep through the night until you were one. But we would do it all again to have you in our lives.

(9 months)

(one year)

Now you are a BIG brother! It is such a joy to watch you try to quiet your sissy when she cries. You always want to pick her up and give her lots of kisses. I know the two of you will be best friends (at least until your teenage years). :)

Right now you are learning new words every day and even have a few two and three word phrases. You still love to dance. Your favorite movie at the moment is "Finding Nemo." You still need to have your paci and blanket when you sleep. You love cars. Sitting in cars, playing with cars, pretending your food is a car, riding on tractors (that you call cars). You are sleeping at least 12 hours a night and take about a two hour nap. Mommy loves that!! Your favorite foods are cheese, carrots, cereal (any kind), pizza, spaghetti, and most fruits. You are still our little man, wearing mostly size 12 pants and 12 to 18 month shirts. Your appetite has been picking up lately so we think you might be beginning a growth spurt.

Happy Birthday Elijah. Mommy and Daddy love you so much!!

Unbelievable...

2010-04-12T13:22:00.003-05:00

that this little man is going to be two in a little over a week!

He is in such a learning mode right now...picking up words left and right. He loves climbing things, hugging his little sis, having daddy time, and playing outside. When we were in Ohio a few weeks ago he fell in love with riding his Grandpa's riding mower (a John Deere of course). He is totally obsessed with cars and when we are driving he constantly says, "car, yeah, car" or "bye car, more car." We are all starting to adjust to life with a new baby, Elijah included. Elliot is sleeping a good six hours at night so I am better rested than I was a few weeks ago. Good thing, because I have my hands full with school, planning Elijah's birthday party and taking care of two little munchkins. Hope you are having a blessed week!

Happy Two Weeks

2010-03-12T15:00:00.005-06:00

I can't believe it's already here. Two whole weeks since our sweet baby girl came into this world. She continues to be a content newborn. She loves to be held, which we don't mind at all. Big brother is loving on her with cuddles and kisses. We have to be careful because we have already caught him climbing into the co-sleeper with little sis. I have been pulling double duty because our Spring musical is this week. Thankfully tonight is our last performance, so I can concentrate completely on my little ones for the next month of my maternity leave.

Going in for some kisses.

Helping Elli get dressed.

All dressed up and no where to go. :)

Meeting Miss Elliot

2010-03-05T22:29:00.004-06:00

Elliot is one week old today. As my doctor says "I gave it a good college try" but he wanted me to go ahead and have a c-section since I didn't go into labor on my own. She was born last Friday at 10:05 a.m. weighing 7 pounds 12 ounces and was 20 inches long.

She is just precious.

She only gives a little cry when she is ready to eat, but hardly utters a peep otherwise. Of course a mother is biased, but I think she is the most gorgeous little baby girl I've ever seen. It's funny how easily I forgot the newborn stage. The little stretches and yawns just about melt my heart.

Getting ready for home.

Meeting big brother for the first time.

Elijah is doing amazingly well as a big brother. He loves to give her kisses and when she drops her paci he says "oh no" in his tiny little voice. It's been great having my family here to give him a lot of attention. When my mom leaves I'm sure it will be a little harder for him to share his mommy time.

Enjoying these last few days with just the boys

2010-02-18T21:02:00.001-06:00

Be Where You Are

2010-01-18T14:09:00.002-06:00

Not too many years ago I sat in chapel at Indiana Wesleyan University and heard this quote from a man who would become one of my favorite professors. I never had him for an actual class, but he was our chaplain and I ended up working with him when I lead worship for many chapels. Even before I knew his name, he spoke these words that would sink into the core of my being and stay with me, well at least until today. "Be where you are."

At the time I was a freshman and believe me, this was no easy task. I had a boyfriend back home, I missed my family and friends terribly and I longed to be back in my comfort zone once again. Even though his words were profound I didn't let them affect me that first semester. I would talk to my boyfriend several hours a night, sit in my room, and do anything but form and develop relationships with my peers. I dreamed of the day I could be married and have children. It was literally all I wanted. I tried to convince my boyfriend we should get engaged, way before either of us were ready. It saddens me to think about all the conversations with my roommate that went unsaid, the sand volleyball games that I wasn't a part of, the open mics I didn't sing at. Thankfully God had other plans for me, I ended the relationship with my boyfriend, asked God to help me find friends who I could share my college years with and got my head in the game.

That is until a year or so went by and I was still single. Still waiting. One by one I would see my single friends getting engaged with not even a prospect on my horizon. Instead of preparing my heart for marriage I spent many hours wishing away the days....not "being where I was." Missing out on late night adventures, taco bell runs (ok not missing out on much there), and painting my nails with my sweet mates. Or even when I was a part of the activities I wouldn't let myself completely be there, always having to keep my eye out for Mr. Right. It's funny how God works though. His timing is always better than my perfectly thought out plans. He brought my best friend to me when I was least expecting him.

I don't want this to sound like I didn't have a wonderful college experience, because I did. I met friends that I will keep for life. I had many wonderful experiences and did take part in a lot of the activities I mentioned before. I only wish that I had been better at following my professor's advice. To live in the moment. To throw myself into the here and now instead of simply dreaming of the future. I have to be honest, I can catch myself doing it again.

Even though I am in the season of life I dreamed of for years, I catch myself dreaming of the next vacation, or what it will be like when my kids are a little older. With the monotony of wiping noses, picking food up off the floor and putting away dishes all a thing of the past. But this is going to go fast enough without wishing away the weeks and months. Someday soon I will be longing to have these days back. Elijah will come home from school, shut himself in his room and talk about how annoying his mom is. And that day, that day I'll long for the months of drying off his little piggy toes and going to his room to comfort him in the middle of the night.

I want to be where I am. Even though it is so easy to wish I lived closer to my family. I want to be where I am. Even though I miss my best friends in South Dakota. I want to be where I am. Even though I am sick of being pregnant. I want to be where I am. I want to joyfully cook my husband supper, and gratefully put on the socks and shoes over and over and over again. Because I truly do count it a blessing to be a wife and mother.

Help me God to be where I am, right now in this season of my life.

Christmas Recap: Part One

2010-01-13T19:59:00.005-06:00

Wisconsin
The Friday before Christmas we packed up our bags and drove seven hours to my mom and dad’s. Ryan hadn’t seen them since we stopped by on our way through while we were moving from SD to PA. It was a nice reunion. Saturday we baked cut out cookies and good friends came over for supper. Sunday morning we woke up bright and early to head out for a 3 day trip to Wisconsin. An hour from our destination my parent's van broke down. As it happened to be a Sunday, everything was closed (nothing was open to even take a look at the van). We ended up spending two hours in a bar keeping the baby warm and met some nice strangers who gave my dad and Ryan a lift to the nearest car rental place. Thankfully our trip was only put on hold for a few hours and we made it safe and sound (but with one crabby toddler) to the Wisconsin Dells.

We spent the next three days with some of the best friends in the world. Lots of eating, playing games, talking late into the night, and checking out the water parks. It was so fun to see Elijah and Grace back together again. Grace would take Elijah’s hand in hers and lead him all around. They also had a lot of fun learning dance moves from each other. Elijah got a real kick out of the water parks...he is such a water baby! He loves exploring on his own and doesn’t even mind being put under the water. Next summer we’ll have to spend lots of time in Grandma and Grandpa’s pool!

Our Swedish Friends!!

The Pregnant Mommas! (Lori is due just a few weeks after me)

The babes waiting patiently on the way to the waterpark.

Not sure what he is doing here.

I don't think I want to know what Grace is doing.

They played so nicely together!

We miss them already!!

New Year's Resolution

2009-12-31T12:39:00.003-06:00

I would love to blog everyday. I have gotten away from updating as often as I'd like. Not only to keep my family updated on our lives, but also to document our everyday happenings. I have the worst memory in the world, and documenting events (at least in pictures) helps me to remember more thoroughly. It may not be much, but I'm going to make it my goal to write something everyday.

Ryan and I have also started exercising everyday. My ankles have started to get very swollen by the end of the day, but now that we are working out the swelling has gone down significantly. Only 8 more weeks and we'll meet baby girl! I'm hoping to be strong and healthy enough to have a natural delivery. Keep me (and baby girl) in your prayers!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Narrowing Down

2009-12-07T15:43:00.003-06:00

We've narrowed down our name search a little bit more. I really think one of these 4 names will be what we call our little girl. We may end up waiting until we see her to actually name her... I guess we'll see!

Go here to vote!

Halloween-Thanksgiving: Some Long Overdue Pictures

2009-11-29T21:02:00.006-06:00

Our little Chicken at Trunk or Treat.

Thanksgiving Day: So thankful for this handsome man.

Elijah kept trying to get hugs from his cousin Linny...it was adorable!

Nan and Aunt B cooking up a storm (the food was amazing)!!

Our church is decorated so beautifully for Christmas. My family was in for the weekend so we decided to get some early Christmas pictures.

Elijah with his Aunt Emmy

Our growing family

The Wyse/Brosious Clan :)

Meanings

2009-11-15T13:04:00.003-06:00

If you haven't already please vote for your favorite girls name for our little bunny. As you can tell we try to steer clear of names in the top 10. We like something different but relatively easy to pronounce and not confused easily with other names. We also like to consider the meaning or heritage of the name. Here are some of the meanings.

Jessa- God Beholds
Elliot- My God is the Lord
Bently-
Reese- Enthusiasm
Raegan- Noble
Bella- Beauty

Can't wait to meet our little bunny....

2009-11-12T21:06:00.003-06:00

And yes, Elijah is going to have a little sister. We could not feel more blessed.

18 months!

2009-10-21T16:06:00.005-05:00

Elijah, you are turning into such a little boy. Everyday you are losing more and more of your babyness. You surprise us with new words, expressions, and abilities. At eighteen months you are saying, Momma, Dadda, Da (dog), Ruff Ruff, Coo Coo, More, Mine, Bye, Hi, Da (there), Go, Kuh (yuck), Tss (hot), and Shh. Some words you don't say completely but we always know what you mean. Your favorite things are playing ball, reading books, being with Daddy, playing hide and seek, babbling, practicing buttons and buckles, and most of all exploring outside.

You can already go down the slide completely by yourself, which took me by surprise. My favorite thing you do is give kisses. It is the best when you just cuddle right up to me or Daddy and go in for a kiss. We love you so much and can't wait to see the man you are turning into. I cherish these moments when I can still call you my baby (though forever that is what you will be). I love tucking you in at night and singing your goodnight song. You bring more joy into our lives than you can ever know. Soon you will be a big brother, just 18 weeks away. We are overjoyed to be on this journey with you little buddy!

Love,
Mom

Prayers for October

2009-10-08T11:18:00.004-05:00

Have you ever noticed the incredible power of prayer. We have. In raw and humbling ways.

Whether we have been down on our knees in desperation

or

in casual conversation with the One we call Dad

God always seems to take care of our needs.

Recently we have had 3 amazing answers to prayer in our lives.

First, our house sold. Second, someone anonymously donated 15,000 dollars toward the short fall on our house (without knowing that was the exact amount of the short fall). Third, a second anonymous donor gave each pastor here $1,000 for pastor appreciation month.

I love how God has used answered prayer in our lives to teach us to trust Him when and wherever He calls us. Even when it makes no sense to the world, even in a bad housing market, even when we are leaving behind the best friends we have ever made. God's always sees the big picture even when it seems I have tunnel vision. How I wish I could always trust Him fully....with every detail.

So I have decided to share some prayer requests with you (anyone who might still be reading this) because I know how God can work when we only ask.

-We are on an ongoing search for the "perfect" apartment. "Perfect" meaning it needs to have washer/dryer hookups, at least 2 bedrooms, not smell like 4 dogs lived there previously, be semi clean before the showing, and preferable have a dishwasher (I know this is stretching it, we may end up buying a portable one). Sadly we found our dream apartment, but they passed on us after finding out we had a second child on the way.

-We miss our friends! Terribly. We aren't ready for the whole "looking for new friends again" thing. We were so happy with our friends in South Dakota and now we are definitely starting back at ground zero. There are a ton of people our parent's age who we are friends and acquaintances with, but no one our own age. No one to just hang out with. We have also found this aspect of our lives hard to move forward in because we are living with our parents. It's kind of hard to invite friends over to your parent's house. :) So pray that we would find some godly couples to build relationships with.

-Personal requests, including discipline for myself. My pregnancy is going pretty well, but I am still very nauseous. My job is going well, but it is overwhelming at times.

Thanks to anyone who reads this!

To find out or not to find out

2009-09-04T09:28:00.004-05:00

Ryan and I are facing so many decisions this time around in our pregnancy. I feel like my head won't stop spinning.

We can't seem to agree on a name (ughh...so frustrating)

Should we try for a VBAC or just schedule a repeat c-section?

But the decision we are facing at the moment is whether we want to wait to find out the gender of the baby. Four other couples I know are pregnant and they seem so resolved with their decisions to either wait or find out. I keep going back and forth. It would be so nice to plan (and buy cute clothes on sale:), but it would also be so nice to find out the old fashioned way. We found out last time around and I never regretted that decision. For some reason this time when we found out we were pregnant we thought we would wait. Now I just can't seem to decide. Our 20 week ultrasound is October 5, so we have a good five weeks until we have to make the final decision.

Either way I can't wait to see something similar to this....

Elijah 28 weeks gestation

First Haircut

2009-08-30T21:13:00.002-05:00

We have a big boy on our hands now.

Elijah's First Haircut from Amanda Brosious on Vimeo.

Afterwards

Our little news...

2009-08-21T22:36:00.007-05:00

Ok, so maybe it's big news...

but as of Wednesday....

Baby B (the second) is 13 weeks and 3 inches long!

Who says I can't move across five states, live with my parents/in-laws, start a new job, raise a 16 month old AND be expecting another addition 2 weeks before I'm supposed to pull off my first ever high school musical.
(*oh and by the way...living with Ryan's parents is going swell :) I know it's early but I have high hopes for a successful experience*)

On the Move

2009-08-21T06:48:00.007-05:00

We've just arrived in Pennsylvania and are looking forward to digging into our new roles here. I will be the Worship Arts/Outreach Pastor at Christ Wesleyan Church in Milton, PA, and Amanda will be the music teacher at their school Meadowbrook Christian. We're making a lot of adjustments, but things are off to a good start! If you think to send up a prayer for us, it would be most appreciated. To all our dear friends in South Dakota... you are already greatly missed, but you always have a place in our hearts. To our new Pennsylvania friends... we are looking forward to sharing great times of ministry and fellowship together.

I'm learning this... when you say "Yes" to God, you never know where He'll take you, but it's always an incredible adventure filled with a ton of blessings!

God is good.

2009-06-05T09:10:00.004-05:00

Sorry I have been so absent minded about posting lately. We have been up to a lot...but my computer is out of storage space, so no more room for new pictures. I have also been horrible about taking pictures lately. I looked at my camera the other day and realized it has been an entire month since I have taken Elijah's picture. Hopefully I will get around to taking some good pictures and videos soon because he is doing so many new and cute things. He is 5 days short of 14 months and he loves to run, throw things, put things back together, throw tantrums :), sing, dance and climb.

Here is something to tide you over until I get something worked out with my computer.

Our friend Evan (holding Elijah in the first picture) moved to Tennessee and last week we had a party for him. A friend took these pictures and put them on her facebook page for me to enjoy. :)

A New Season

2009-05-26T11:08:00.007-05:00

This past Sunday, our Senior Pastor announced his resignation and calling to go to be the district superintendent of the Iowa/Minnesota district. He will be moving later this summer. Our church family was shocked and deeply saddened by this news, but we are trusting God to begin a new season for us in Brookings. I'm sure this new season will be very difficult and emotional, but God is big and our faith is in Him alone. Pastor Tim and his family were very close friends of our family, and we will miss them immensely. We are grateful for the time we had with them, and are praying that God will be very close to them in the days to come.

Our staff is preparing to take on the task of leading our congregation in larger ways for a while. We are praying for a leader who will rise to the challenge and call God has given to BWC... he will be following a very influential and effective leader! Whatever circumstance God allows you to be in the middle of... always trust that He will equip you perfectly for how He is calling you to respond. Whatever, whenever, wherever.

Thankful Thursdays...

2009-05-07T22:46:00.003-05:00

Praising God for...

-getting over sickness
-His provision in this economic downturn
-friends becoming more like family
-warm, sunny days that allow us to get out and go to the park
-Elijah's delicious smile
-allowing us to plan a much needed vacation
-relentlessly pursuing me, even when I fail to do the same for Him

Private Blog

2009-05-01T15:43:00.003-05:00

I'm going to be starting a private blog that will be more wordy. Kind of like a journal of my life, only open for others to see. If you would like to read my personal blog just leave me a comment and I can give you the password.

A thankful prayer

2009-04-24T01:20:00.003-05:00

I'm currently at the Catalyst West conference in Orange County, California hearing some really awesome leaders talk about how pastors can lead and love better and bigger. I am being refreshed by the music (Hillsong United) and having a great time with Pastor Tim and Tom... but I really miss Manda and Lijah (as we like to call him). My family is the most precious gift I've been given, besides my salvation, and when they're not with me I don't feel complete. I am a very blessed man who wants to remind you to thank God for the good things in your life. "Thank You God for allowing me to have a wife who not only is a tremendous support for me, but who also happens to be my dearest friend. Thank You for sending Elijah to us, and keeping him healthy... He's the sunshine in my day. Lord, You're beautiful, Your face is all I see. And when Your eyes are on this child, Your grace abounds to me.

TO ELI

2009-04-21T19:58:00.004-05:00

Elijah, I can't believe you are a whole year old! It seems like only yesterday that I heard your first cry as you entered this world. You have been such a complete blessing to me and your daddy. We love you more than words can describe. You do more and more everyday. Right now you:

-are walking and standing up on your own
-are saying "mama" and "dada" (and we think you can say "hi")
-love to find cords (and try to take the plug protectors out)
-like to cuddle and give kisses
-are independent and love to play with your toys
-are constantly trying to get into the trash or toilet (you even dropped Grandma's phone in the toilet)
-sleep through the night (but wake up as soon as the sun rises)
-are eating better now. You love your vegetables and you hate sweets (except ice-cream)
-you love to clap and wave your arms up and down.
-you have no fear of falling.
-you have the cutest most charming smile. :)

Elijah's first year from Amanda Brosious on Vimeo.

We love you Elijah! We love watching you grow and can't wait to spend this next year with you!

Unbelievable

2009-04-20T17:37:00.003-05:00

I can't believe it's been an entire year since this day...

our BIG weekend

2009-04-17T08:48:00.007-05:00

We have been really busy lately (what's new) so sorry for not updating in a really long time. We have had family here since the third and my parents are still here. This weekend was so full and fun. Friday night my parents got in, Saturday we celebrated Elijah's birthday with his friend Grace, that night we went swimming at my parent's hotel, and then of course Sunday was Easter. The services Sunday were so amazing and such a blessing. Here are some pictures from our fun-filled weekend.

Homemade cupcakes with yummy filling.

Elijah is on a sugar high!!

This is the slide show I made for the joint birthday party. Of course I made one of just Eli, but I'll wait to put that up until his actual birthday.

Grace and Elijah's first birthday party from Amanda Brosious on Vimeo."

I'm not sure what they're staring at.

Elijah gave Grace a BIG hug!

So excited to go swimming.

Easter morning after church.

Had to get one of the two sweet peas.

Fine dining at the Brosious house. We really treated our parents right by using paper plates and cups for the Easter lunch (oh, and Ryan brought me home the pretty flowers).

That's all for now. I hope you had a great Easter weekend!!

Feeling Refreshed

2009-03-29T11:57:00.003-05:00

Just sitting here feeling completely rejuvenated by the Holy Spirit today. Worship started out different for me this morning. It was almost as if there was a spirit of oppression over the entire sanctuary. I kept praying that the Holy Spirit would come and change my heart and attitude (and that He would do the same for the entire congregation). Things kept going wrong with the service, videos skipped and transitions were muddied. But I just kept praying through it.

I know being the music pastor's wife plays a huge role in me noticing these small distractions. I am emotionally and mentally tied to the whole order of the service because I know Ryan has put his heart and soul into every detail. I also know how the Devil is constantly at work trying to distract us from the leading and tugging of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes I only wish that I could be oblivious to the minute distractions so I could totally and completely surrender to worshipping our most high God. Because that is what going to church is for right? That is why I look forward to weekends away... or Saturday nights at Celebrate (a church plant in Sioux Falls) because we aren't emotionally invested in the service. Don't get me wrong! I love leading people into the throne room, I am passionate about seeing souls stripped naked before a gracious God.... but sometimes you need someone to lead you there yourself.

Thankfully through prayer I was able to tune out the distractions and fully concentrate on the cross.

The beautiful cross.

The forsaken cross.

The rugged cross.

Our theme today was about truly needing the cross. That there is no salvation in works or deeds or perfect living. But only in the cross. I tried to envision myself clinging to the cross. Not just the saying we hear or sing in songs.... but actually wrapping my arms around the base of that twisted piece of wood and holding on for dear life. Because it is the only way.

The only way.

The only way to be saved from this sick and twisted world. The only way to be saved from my thoughts of hopelessness, my addictive behaviors, my selfishness, my complete and utter depravity.

I am so thankful this morning for that cross. The one that my Savior hung on and died upon. Because without out it there would be no hope to move forward. And I'll admit that I am a weak person...I couldn't go on in this life without hope. I just couldn't do it. And it just so happens that I'm not supposed to.

I pray that you have that hope today.

If you don't, feel free to email me if you have any questions about his hope I cling to: a_brosious@yahoo.com

The new computer cord is in!

2009-03-23T10:18:00.009-05:00

Life has been a blur these past few weeks. Elijah's surgery was a success, he's been sleeping through the night and eating much better. We've been fighting off strain after strain of colds, but keeping busy anyway. This last Saturday Ryan played for a funeral and then our friend's wedding. Elijah looked so cute in his little tie! (Ryan thought it would be fun to trade ties for awhile).

We have been experiencing unusually warm weather for this time of Spring in South Dakota. We have made two trips to the park along with several walks around the neighborhood. Elijah loves rides in his stroller. These are pictures from his first trip to the park.

I have been trying to keep up with our little explorer. His new favorite thing to do is open and close both drawers and doors.

That's all for now. I'll try to update more often now that my new charger is in.

Relief in sight...

2009-02-22T20:59:00.002-06:00

Our lives have been pretty crazy here the last few weeks. Elijah is on his 4th round of antibiotics for ear infections. It has finally culminated into getting tubes put in his ears. I'm so nervous to see him go through surgery at such a young age....but it's been so hard seeing him in this much pain. For the most part he is happy (during the day when he is up and playing) but when he lays down he is in excruciating pain. He doesn't sleep much at night which means we don't get much sleep either. Please pray for us this Friday as Elijah has to get put under general anesthesia (there can always be complications).

Hopefully this explains why our posts have been few and far between. We are praying that this surgery will allow Elijah to have no pain and hopefully increase his appetite.

Our Favorite Valentine

2009-02-15T17:12:00.003-06:00

Favorite Foto(s) Friday

2009-02-13T16:57:00.003-06:00

We've got trouble on our hands!!

It's official...

2009-01-26T15:05:00.003-06:00

Our nine month old is under the third percentile for his weight! On his nine month birthday daddy took him in for his well baby checkup and he weighed in at a mere 15 pounds 7 oz. Only one pound more than his six month check up...three whole months ago!! We asked that he get tested for overactive thyroid since he is also having problems sleeping. Our wonderful doc is on maternity leave, so our sub doc told us to wait off for another 6 weeks on the testing. If he hasn't gained significant weight by the 18th of next month we are looking at all sorts of testing. To make matters worse, Elijah has had an ear infection that won't seem to go away...making his eating habits very poor. His hopes of gaining significant weight here soon aren't looking good. We have him on a high protein diet and are only hoping for the best. Pray that it works and he starts putting on the pounds! :)

His other measurements are looking good!

Height: 27 3/4 inches (25-50%)
Head: 17 3/4 inches (25-50%)

He's pretty average with all of his other measurements....poor skinny guy!!

You would never know he was small for his age! He is definitey our little mover, on the go all the time. Right now his favorite thing is paper...go figure. I guess we'll save on toys for awhile!

A little change will do me good...

2009-01-21T08:19:00.003-06:00

It's only Wednesday morning, but I feel like this week is stretching on forever. This bitterly cold weather sometimes gets me into such a funky mood. Thankfully I have hope in Someone much higher than myself because today I feel like sleeping the day away. I have been trying to go to the gym at 6:00 am every morning and lets just say I started out the week by skipping the first two days. I was sick....but not really sick enough to not go. So even though my bed was so extremely warm and cozy this morning I forced myself to get up at 5:40. This is actually pretty crazy for me, seeing as 8:00 used to be early for me. I am hoping that being more disciplined in this area of my life is going to give me a jump start to change in several areas of my life. Getting up earlier is making me go to sleep earlier, it is giving me extra time in the morning to spend with God, and more energy through out the day to keep up with the house.

I'm in need of a good laugh this morning, so I thought I would share this video with you. It made me laugh and I hope it does the same for you.

my new trick from Amanda Brosious on Vimeo.

Exploring we will go...

2009-01-18T17:35:00.003-06:00

One of those moms...

2009-01-14T15:06:00.013-06:00

So I hope I don't come across as one of those moms. You the ones....they put their kids in a bunch of beauty pageants, spray tan their babies, and seem to only care about their children's looks. I love Elijah for so much more than his cute face, he is such a beautiful blessing to me (and I know his Grandparents feel the same).

So after all of that...I am asking you to vote one more time for Elijah, but in a different contest. My friend Sara is combining her two stores together and asked me to bring Elijah in to get his picture taken for the new store. I had no idea it was a contest, but it turns out it is. The winner in each category gets to have his picture blown up and featured in her store plus a free photo session with the amazing photographer. I know last times contest had a confusing voting system, but this one is a lot simpler. Please take just a few seconds and vote! I would love to have a photo session with this photographer she is amazing!! Just click here and it will take you to Jael's (the photographer) website. Thanks so much!!

It is a little late...

2009-01-13T14:03:00.003-06:00

but here is a picture of us on New Year's Day. Some of you have been asking for a picture of all of us...so here it is. :)

Vote for Eli!!

2009-01-08T13:04:00.005-06:00

So I entered Elijah in a baby contest (after about the tenth person told me I needed to) and he is in the runnings for a $25,000 scholarship! I am so amazed! He won the cutest baby in the month of December and now he just needs your votes!! Please click on the link below and vote for my baby!!

http://www.thecutekid.com/ckgalleries/2008Finalists?page=3

This is what happens...

2009-01-04T00:25:00.002-06:00

This is what happens when mom's at the gym and dad is in charge.

At least Elijah enjoyed it.

Our year in numbers...

2009-01-01T00:29:00.004-06:00

number of...

Job changes - 3

Flights - 6

Doctor's Appointments - 20

ER trips - 4

Days spent in the hospital - 6

Stomach viruses - 5

Friends diagnosed with cancer - 3

Friends miraculously healed from cancer - 1

Diapers changed - 1,000

Bottles mixed - 1,440

Songs sung - 650+

Rooms decorated - 5

Funerals - 5

Seasons of The Office watched - 5.5

Dogs given away - 1

Evenings spent with friends at Applebee's for 1/2 price appetizers - 15

Number of books read - 5

Trips up the stairs - 7,300

Nights away from Elijah- 7

Diaper explosions- too many to count

Date nights without Elijah - 2

Nicknames given to Elijah - 13

Car rides to Sioux Falls - 40

Hours spent at church - 2,600

Christmas cards received - 28

Cars lost - 1

Lives (that we know of) given to Jesus - 300+

Days we thought about and missed our family and friends back home - 365

Our Merry Little Christmas

2008-12-26T23:25:00.005-06:00

Christmas has been a whirlwind here in South Dakota. We had our first celebration the week before Christmas in Wisconsin, we celebrated here Christmas day, and in a few weeks we are flying out to Pennsylvania for our celebration with Ryan's family.

We made a commitment to not make presents the focus of our Christmas this year. I gave Ryan a scarf and some boxers and he gave me some pj's and my favorite professional hair care product. It's funny how Christmas can feel so meaningful even when you don't spend hundreds upon hundreds of dollars on things that you don't really need or sometimes even want. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy a good present!! Christmas shopping is actually one of my favorite things to do....God is just teaching me simplicity this year.

All Elijah really wanted for Christmas was a tag.

Today we got a surprise package from Ryan's Uncle Jimmer and Aunt Lisa with lots of presents for Elijah. He had a lot of fun with the wrapping paper and boxes!

Videos of Elijah this Christmas...

Wild Man from Amanda Brosious on Vimeo.

Old and New Friends...Guatemala Part 2

2008-12-21T15:56:00.004-06:00

In 2005 I met two new friends... Karina and Maria. The second day of our trip just a month ago, I met Karina and Maria again. Karina was holding the stuffed animal I gave her in 2005. She remembered exactly who I was... what a special moment.

I also met some new friends this year... Ernesto and Kaidy. I had a great week getting to know them and their families. We also got to see their "homes"...

Here are some pictures and videos of our old and new Guatemalan friends...

I never did find out what this kid's name was, but he always tickled me when he was around...

Spinning with Karina from Amanda Brosious on Vimeo.

"The Gang" Noami, Kaidy, Maria, Karina, Ernesto (left to right)

Guatemala is a beautiful country and we hope to return next year!

Our little man...

2008-12-09T09:46:00.005-06:00

isn't quite as little anymore.

He is our sitting, new tooth cutting, almost crawling, back scooting, mama and dada saying, bottle holding, always smiling, pulling to standing, ever curious, growing baby, who seems like he is not going to be a baby much longer.

He's so close to crawling!! Right now if he wants something he scoots on his back.

Pushups from Amanda Brosious on Vimeo.

This is my favorite recent picture of Eli. He looks so grown up!!

Restoring the Wonder

2008-12-08T08:36:00.003-06:00

of Christmas.

This is the title of Ryan's big project at the church this Christmas season. It's all about bringing back the good things about Christmas, like memories, miracles and the mysterious birth of Jesus. One main part of our Christmas series has included something called "Random Acts of Christmas." It can include almost anything, like paying for the car behind you in the drive through, paying for someone's groceries, or leaving a huge tip for your waitress. We have heard so many wonderful stories already about how God is using his people to bless others this Christmas season. Ryan designed this little card to hand out with the random act. He intentionally didn't include our service hours, but just our church's website in case they do want more information.

After doing a few random acts on our own we aren't sure who is blessed more, the person receiving or the person giving.

front

back

I really encourage you to do this on your own. You will be so blessed!

2008-12-05T14:00:00.002-06:00

I meant to post this video a few months ago after we went to Ohio for a friend's wedding. To my great disappointment blogger wouldn't let me upload videos at the time. I found this website called vimeo and I have been uploading all of our recent, or not so recent, videos.

This is an impromptu southern gospel song some guys sang at Paul and Abby's wedding. None of these guys have ever sang as a group together, but they all happened to know the same song. Ryan is singing the melody in the middle and the groom is the bass on his right. Hope you enjoy!

Great Gettin' Up Morning from Amanda Brosious on Vimeo.

Our little prodigy

2008-12-02T23:54:00.001-06:00

Baby Mozart from Amanda Brosious on Vimeo.

Hard to swallow....our American Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T22:48:00.005-06:00

It seems so ironic to be posting pictures of our Thanksgiving day feast right after my post about Guatemala. While we were decorating the table for our guests we literally had to stop and pray for our friends. My hope is that we won't ever take what we have for granted. That said, we had such a wonderful time with our friends this weekend. It's always so hard to be away from our families around the holidays, so having great friends really helps!

Elijah and Daddy enjoying some down time watching the parade before dinner preparations began. It was the perfect morning together....Elijah was so happy to be the center of Ryan's attention.

We had Tom and Grace N. and Chris, Lori, and Grace A. over for the whole day. Everyone brought food to share. This worked out well and was such a blessing. The food everyone made was so delicious.

Grace getting a picture of the table setting.

Ryan had to trade his round plate in for a bigger square plate.

Playing Taboo....it was a close game until the girls pulled ahead at the end.

Grace is all bundled up and ready to go home.

It was a full day of food, lots of fun, and great fellowship. We couldn't have been more thankful :).

Thankful...Guatemala part one

2008-11-27T22:42:00.004-06:00

This is the line that our VBS kids stood in every afternoon for a cup of watered-down rice cereal. This is a special treat that they get only the weeks that mission teams come. For some of them this was their only meal of the day.

Such a simple example of thankfulness.

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

Philippians 4:12

Help!!

2008-11-26T09:15:00.003-06:00

*Update: Since I received no help in my search for Thanksgivings best dessert, albeit I didn't give you much notice, I guess I'm going to resort to a sweet potato, brown sugary, with lots of pecans dessert. Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Original Post:

I am hosting/hostessing (?) my first ever Thanksgiving!*! Yikes!*! I'm talking turkey, gravy, stuffing...the whole shabang! Since our family is all of 14 hours plus away, we decided to have a meal at our house for people who don't have family in the area. So here comes the part where I need your help.

I am in desperate need of a rock your face off, lip smacking, finger licking, just plain good dessert recipe for Thanksgiving! Yes I know Thanksgiving is tomorrow, but like every other area of my life I procrastinate with meal planning too. Have any yummy suggestions? We've already got the pumpkin pie covered, so I'm thinking something either nutty or chocolatey( yes I know this is not a word). Please, please, please help me make an dessert that my friends will be raving about for years :).

We're Back!!!

2008-11-23T22:18:00.002-06:00

Exhausted, touched, overwhelmed, dirty, homesick, changed...I think maybe changed would be the word that describes it best. I always go into a missions trip expecting God to do great things, but He is still somehow able to surprise me by the way He moves. Ryan and I have so many stories to tell you about our time in Guatemala; the people are absolutely breathtaking, the children look deep into your soul, and the country is the poorest living conditions we have ever seen. If you can wait just a few more days we will get pictures up and stories coming.

Feeling Fallish...

2008-11-05T15:25:00.003-06:00

Can you believe these pictures are from today, November 5? We have been enjoying beautiful weather in the 60's and 70's all week... definitely unusual for South Dakota. Last year right after the leaves fell we had several inches of snow, so this year we are enjoying the color of the leaves as long as we can!

Getting ready for Winter!!

2008-11-03T10:39:00.004-06:00

Look at these adorable pictures of Elijah!

I know I haven't posted in a while, but life hasn't been anything less than craaAZY these last few weeks. The stomach flu has struck each one of us, we're getting ready to lead our first missions trips ever, and not to mention that I'm in the middle of building a home business that let's just say...keeps our home busy ALL the time. Don't take this the wrong way, I love being with kids and I especially love being home with Eli! It's just a lot of work and I still have a lot to do to create the atmosphere I am looking for. We have a ton of pics from the last month that are still hiding away in my camera yet to be uploaded to the computer....so hold tight, they are coming soon! Hopefully before we leave the country this weekend!

But the biggest news with Elijah is that he is sitting now!! You can prolly see from the pictures above...but it is even cuter when you can see his whole self. He just looks so old now! He is also in the middle of cutting his first tooth! But anyway, more to come soon! Pray that I will get this household under control within the next few days! Oh, and that I won't have too much anxiety while I anticipate being away from Elijah for 7, count it SEVEN, whole days!*!

Preparing for Travel

2008-10-29T22:16:00.004-05:00

We are starting to get very excited. Next Friday, Amanda and I are leading a Brookings Wesleyan missions trip to San Pedro, Guatemala. We are taking 16 other people from the Worship Arts team. We will be assisting with a huge VBS, passing out shoes to people, and providing music for some evangelistic crusades in the evenings.

I had the chance to do this in 2005, here is a picture.

We will be helping with a program called "Happy Feet". We, as a church, are planning to take 500+ pairs of shoes to distribute in the lake region of Guatemala.

We would really appreciate your prayers! Elijah will be staying in Brookings with his two grandma's. We will be gone for 7 days, and anticipate God to do great things!

Calling all Prayer Warriors!

2008-10-28T18:41:00.011-05:00

UPDATE: Stellan was born and is doing great! If you want to read more click on the picture above. Thanks for all your prayers!

Anyone who follows our blog regularly knows that I have been following another blog called My Charming Kids. For the abbreviated version of her story read the following quote from her blog:

"He [Stellan] was quite unexpectedly given to us, and even more unexpected was his diagnosis of heart failure: Premature Atrial Contraction at 20 weeks; Supraventricular Tachycardia, hydrops, and intermittent advanced secondary heart block at 23 weeks; and enlargement of the heart at 32 weeks. We were told at 24 weeks that he would surely die. God performed a miracle and MckMuffin is still with us! The doctors are unsure about what will happen to our baby when he is born. But God is not unsure!! We are praying for MckMuffin's full healing, but we know that God is good no matter what He decides."

People from all over the world have been on their knees praying for MckMama, Stellan, and the entire MckFamily. I love knowing that people living oceans apart can be bonded together by Christ. I never cease to be amazed at God's power and the way He has touched so many lives through MckMama and Stellan's story. The day has finally come for Stellan to be born and of course it comes with many uncertainties. Please pray for a safe delivery, a healthy heart for Stellan, and a quick recovery for Mama.

Thanks in advance for your prayers!

Indiana Weekend

2008-10-19T21:09:00.003-05:00

My cousin got married this last Saturday in Indiana. It was such a fun and unique wedding....a true display of what the marriage ceremony is all about, a covenant between two people and God. The wedding was at 12 and the reception was at 5:30, so we had a few hours to kill in between. We decided to meet up with my college roommate so she could see Eli for the first time. She got a few good pictures of us.

On another note, my dad had hip replacement surgery Friday and he is recovering well, but with a lot of pain. Thanks for all your prayers!

Long Overdo...

2008-10-11T21:07:00.003-05:00

Life has been so hectic this past week....seriously, not even any time to put up a simple post. I thought it was due time that I posted some pics of our family that was here several weeks ago. Enjoy!

Already Friends...

2008-10-02T09:35:00.002-05:00

Our little friend Grace is just 17 days older than Eli and already crawling! I haven't witnessed it yet, but I bet her parents are having fun with their new little explorer around.

What's for Lunch?

2008-09-29T14:19:00.004-05:00

Update: Guacamole was the winner! I never knew that it is actually a fruit....well whatever it is, Elijah loves it! It is also so very easy to make. I have to make a little at a time though, because it turns brown very quickly.

Original Post:

My latest adventure in baby food making.

Elijah approves again! Anyone want to venture a guess at what it is ?

Wordless Wednesday

2008-09-24T17:01:00.002-05:00

Not Me...

2008-09-22T13:41:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite blogs has started her very own "Not Me" Monday. Give it a try it is sooo liberating :).

I did not walk around the house with my pants unbuttoned last night because I still can’t fit (comfortably) into my pre-pregnancy clothes....5 months later.

I did not come downstairs, check MckMama’s blog and eat cheese puffs at 2ish last night when I couldn’t sleep, what kind of crazy would do such a thing ?

I did not eat an egg roll and fries for lunch yesterday...I would never eat like that!

I did not start drinking raw milk just because MckMama says so (and of course all the research says so too)

I did not put 6-12 month pajamas on my 5 month old son last night (even though they are way too big) just because they are sooo cute....who would do that, they are just clothes!

I did not let Elijah put his hands in his mouth and proceed to spread baby food to every part of his body- just because I don’t want to be one of those moms.

Butternut squash anyone?

2008-09-18T19:31:00.003-05:00

Elijah Approves

Wordless Wednesday

2008-09-17T10:31:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2008-09-03T12:06:00.004-05:00

Life Light 2008

2008-09-02T18:13:00.006-05:00

These were everywhere...yuck.

First Tastes...

2008-08-31T14:02:00.002-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2008-08-27T12:43:00.002-05:00

So big...

2008-08-26T20:30:00.005-05:00

Elijah's first time in his exersaucer...so cute!

Catching up...

2008-08-24T22:16:00.011-05:00

This last week has been a blur of painting, putting Ikea furniture together, scurrying to finish last minute work at my old job, cleaning, playing with Elijah, and not getting enough sleep. I hate that there have been so many days in between my last few blogs. I love sharing our journey with you on this page and I know we will come to cherish it for years. Your comments are so encouraging and really spur me on to post more often.
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Here are some things we have been up to all week.
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Thursday- Sara and Maddie came to hang out when the hubbies were at praise team rehearsal. Maddie is such a good mommy...she loves to change diapers :)!

Friday-Saturday-We woke up very early Saturday morning to a little visitor in our room. I had just come back from my middle-of-the-night feeding with Eli and had settled into bed. Now I have been known to "hear" things and get scared over our ice machine emptying downstairs. So the first time I heard rustling near the trash can I chose to ignore it...same with the second sound near the door. Just to make sure, I looked up at the ceiling and watched the shadow of the fan. Swoop swoop swoop, then an unusually long shadow. Oh, it must have just been my eyes playing tricks on me. So I watched it happen one more time before turning on my lamp and screaming bloody murder "Ryan there's a BAT!!" So our day started at 4:30 (well, mine started at 4:00). We spent a good hour making our plan of attack. By the time Ryan worked up the courage to capture the winged creature it was no where to be found. (this picture was taken Saturday night of another bat found in between our front doors)

We had already planned a trip to the cities (what people around here call going to Minneapolis or St. Paul...I feel like we live in the middle of nowhere) so we decided to start the day at 6:00. My coworker used to make fun of me saying I didn't know that 6 o'clock came twice in one day. I'll admit I'm not much of a morning person, but our trip this morning was amazing. We saw a beautiful sunrise break through the morning fog, and we saw hundreds and hundreds of windmills. The picture doesn't do justice to what we saw in person.

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We spent two crazy hours at Ikea, finding the cutest things for our new daycare (I'll put pictures up soon). We headed to the Mall of America, fashioned our own weird stroller (it was safe:), nursed the baby on a bench next to an unknowing stranger (while Ryan bought 3 dvds for $16), bought 6 pieces of Lindt chocolate, got a Starbucks water bottle, rode the elevator a bijillion times, ate in a crowded food court, looked at baby clothes (but resisted my weakness), received a cute nursing shirt from Ryan (for our two year anniversary), left early and got lost on the way home. We ended up going 40 miles out of the way and found ourselves on dirt roads in the middle of tall cornfields (kind of reminded me of a horror movie). Overall it was a great day.
My boys were tired.

Tuesday- Ryan and I celebrated our second anniversary!! Not before locking our keys in the house and waiting 30 minutes for a locksmith (not two mention $30 down the drain). We played frisbee golf and went to Applebee's for supper. Elijah was with his pal Grace. Ryan gave me these beautiful flowers.

So tired from putting all the furniture together :)

Mark it on your calendars...

2008-08-14T12:02:00.002-05:00

...ok, so maybe you won't, but I will! Elijah rolled over for the very first time today. He has been way behind his gf Grace (who seemed to roll over straight from the birth canal:). He rolled from his back to his tummy today at 11:45 AM. Can't tell I'm excited or anything! The worst part was that I had left him on his play mat and went out of the room for a second when it happened. No one was there to witness his first rollover. Oh well...I'm sure there will be many more to come!

Happy Birthday...

2008-08-13T13:56:00.001-05:00

...to Elijah's Grandma Brosious!! We love you and miss you so very much! This is a pretty important year, your first birthday being a grandmother! Just want the whole world to know how much we love and appreciate you!

We've Been Busy!!

2008-08-09T14:00:00.014-05:00

Still Working On Our Tummy Time

My Family Came For A Week
Mom and Sis

Love His Laugh!

First Trip To the Pool

Time Went Too Fast...

Workin Hard For Our Money

My Hungry Face

My Fashion Accessory of Choice...

2008-08-06T14:32:00.003-05:00

...fresh baby spit-up. It really looks great on my grey shirt, I think I'll wear it for the rest of the day (:.

Owen the Dog

2008-08-05T20:27:00.002-05:00

Know who you're voting for!!

2008-08-03T22:20:00.002-05:00

Ok, so I know this video isn't done very well....but I think everyone should know where Obama stands on abortion. Check out this video...