Cabo San Lucas

A week ago yesterday my family returned from Cabo San Lucas Mexico where we spent 6 days sulking in the sweet sunlight and getting pampered hand and foot. It was absolutely incredible! Most mornings i woke up to see the sunrise out our window over the calm beautiful sea. We would get our morning outfits on and head downstairs for a buffet style breakfast with an omelet station on the side. Over the course of the 6 days I went Zip lining, Hand-gliding, an RV tour of the mountains, Whale watching, Snorkeling, Site seeing and a little bit of shopping. We were constantly on the move going on an excursion, meeting our Tennessee friends at the pool or getting ready for our dinner dates. It was the best vacation i have ever been on! We met some really great people who i am glad to say will be our friends for years to come. I keep waking up and hoping that when i look out the window i will see the Sunrise over the ocean! :) It is yet to happen, but i have faith! Miracles do happen ya know!

When we were on a speed boat going whale watching and snorkeling we saw jumping sting rays. It was one of the coolest things ive ever seen! I did not have any idea they were so active. But sure enough they were flying out of the water and got some air in the process! They looked like they are flapping their wings :)

Overall it was a fantastic trip!


In other news... I will most likely be moving out with my brothers girlfriend Amber soon. We may sign a 6th month lease on Friday or Saturday. Scary but exciting.

Halloween/Child care

Halloween was awesome. The kiddos were so cute. Emma was a Candy Corn witch. CJ was Bumblebee the Transformer. Jazmine was a pink Kitty cat! And Ariel was a Cow :) I was purple grapes and Alissa was Green grapes. It was epic :) I took a picture on my phone so i am going to try to email it to myself and post pictures. Though i didnt get to go tricker treating with the kids, i did get to go to a College group outreach thing at Julie Beths house. It was uber fun and i am proud to say that i kicked butt at Zombie brains or something like that (It was a dice game we played.)

Today however was a bittersweet kinda day. We enrolled Jazzie and Ariel in a Christian Day School. They will be going Mon-Fri from 8-4pm... The reason was not because we didnt want them in the house or anything like that. We did it because they are definitely going home in a few months and as of right now my mom and i are VERY attached to the girls and they are VERY attached to us. Our thinking was that they would slowly detach from us and learn social skills, but more so that we would be able to begin our emotional transition into saying goodbye. It is so complicated and i cant really put to words what i am feeling because to be honest i am a little confused. But what i can say is that even though i have been thinking about the girls all day wondering if they are ok and if they like it, this day school is the best for them!

Ill post some pics of the kids in their costumes once i upload them to my computer! :)
Blessings <3

3 Months

3 Months ago today we received a very precious gift at our doorstep. My lovely foster brother and sisters. In the past three months we have seen Jazzie turn 2 and steal our hearts by her sassy personality and major attitude :) We have watched as Ariel went from Crawling to walking all over the place to saying her first word (Buh Bye... SO CUTE) and we even got to share her first birthday with her. Now friday we will be celebrating CJ's 7th birthday. Each day has brought its own challenges. Its own frustration and sometimes tears. My family saying we are so grateful for this entire fostering experience to cursing it because of the heartache that is inevitable and that seems to haunt each day. The thought of saying goodbye is bittersweet. I hate to say that i miss our old life because of how incredibly selfish that is... But if I'm honest i do. I miss being able to randomly go out to a movie or stay at a restaurant and talk for 4 hours with my family just because. We cant do a lot of the things we used to because of the new additions. And while the thought of saying goodbye will mean our old life gets to come back, it has been tough trying to wrap my head around never seeing them again. I've been fighting the lies that their futures are basically going down the drain because of the life they are going back to. Satan won't leave me alone. And its pissing me off! Because i know in my heart of hearts that GOD will take care of my brother and sisters. They have been predestined to fulfill a purpose in this life just like i have. They are his children just like i am. And he loves them so unconditionally. He has never left me, and he will never leave them.

So i will proclaim. And anyone reading this please proclaim with me... SATAN CAN SHOVE IT!!! GOD HAS MY FOSTER SIBLINGS IN HIS HANDS AND THEY WILL BE OKAY!

I'll just miss waking up and taking care of my little sisters. Ill miss walking in to get Jazzie in the morning and seeing the excitement on her face that i remembered to come get her out of bed. Ill miss the battle that is brushing her teeth every morning! Ill miss her never ending questions of wheres Emlay (Emily) or where CJ is or wheres Amber or Eneck (Derek). Ill miss being called Bernie. And though it may sound nasty ill miss hearing her scream I DID IT at the top of her lunges when she goes potty on the toilet. She is my little buddy... Thinking of her leaving makes my days seem pretty boring.

And of course Ariel brings much laughter. Her many faces and noises and grunts that you never thought a baby could produce... Boy she really does impress you! She is our curious bug and she looks like Mogley from Jungle Book... Ill miss my mogley!

Even though with CJ we have had the most battles and frustration and heartache, he is the sweetest little boy and he has a heart of Gold! He is so thirsty for love, yet he dishes it out freely! Ill miss his unexpected kindness. One minute he is totally ignoring you and breaking some rule and the next he is running to you giving you a hug and saying "Bwittney i love you forever. All day!"
(He has a major speech impediment... Hints the broken english!)

I love them. And will miss them. But it'll be ok, because the King of Kings is watching over them!
Im a mess. Please pray for me and my family!

365 days!

A year ago today i made a promise to GOD that i would be single for a year! In that particular time in my life i was dealing with heartache from a recent breakup from the first boyfriend i ever had. I was lonely and felt like there were absolutely no answers to why these unfortunate events were occurring right on top of each other. I decided (More like GOD told me to and i listened) that the stress of relationships with boys was a hinderance more than a blessing and i needed some time off. At the beginning i didn't know if i would be able to do it, and i even asked GOD stupid questions like... Well what if my future husband comes along and wants to be with me while i am taking this vow of singleness for a whole year?! Just a side note, i am daily astounded by the amount of Grace GOD gives me each day of my life... especially when i am exceptionally stupid :)

It wasn't until about a month or so ago that the main question i had over this past year was answered. The big "WHY?" To be honest the answer was simple... GOD wanted me to recognize that he is the only relationship i will ever have that will not fail. He is the only one who will always love me and be there for me in every situation. And more than anything, he wanted me to know that no matter what status i have in this world, i am deeply and unconditionally loved. I have heard it said to me before by pastors, small group leaders, even friends... But i wasn't ready to receive it! And to be honest i didn't believe it until now! GOD has allowed me to be receptive to feelings i have never experienced. To see things from different perspectives and to approach relationships in a different way.

I wont ever say that i have learned how to manage and carry out a perfect relationship. Because there aint no way I could ever perform such a high task! :) But GOD has instilled in me a new confidence and reassurance that when he is in control of my heart, the relationships he gives me will prosper. And i believe my future is in such great hands! I feel such peace and comfort knowing that i do not and will not ever have to worry about my future.

GODs got my back :)

Carrie, Billy and a whole lot of FUN!

Trying out a life group tonight. I am pretty excited about it! Praying this goes well :)

Went to Carrie Underwood last night with my (hopefully soon to be sister in law) Amber. We had SO MUCH FUN!!!! :) Billy Currington opened the night and was fantastic :) It was as if i was listening to the radio while looking at an extremely cute scruffy cowboy singing! He's super cute... But 37 (Yes i looked it up) is a little old for me. So anyways, if he is ever in your town i would highly suggest seeing him because he is GREAT!

Then Carrie came out. Her and her classy beautiful self tore that stage apart swinging in swings, rising high on the stage, standing in the bed of a flying blue truck, belting great songs and then belting some more! She was strong and amazing the entire 2 hours! We had an amazing time and i loved it!

Afterwards Amber even bought me a shirt secretly... I told her not to.. and then she ran without me knowing and purchased it! I love her :) And so i have been proudly walking around in my Carrie Underwood Play On tour T-Shirt and cowboy boots!

Also did a diet with my mom and dad... Lost 9 pounds... Feel GREAT! I can fit in the 7 jeans that my mom bought me at Christmas last year for the first time :) So i am wearing those today as well! :)

Ill leave with a quote from Billy... GOD is Great, Beer is Good, and Women are Crazy :)

Blessings <3

2 Months

Yesterday we celebrated our 2 month mark for having the kiddos. It has been quite the experience... Here are some things i have learned from having them with us.

• The Foster system is extremely heartbreaking to be apart of, but also very rewarding
• I love kids
• I need more patience
• Diapers smell... Especially Jazmines
• Little boys have 7 energizer bunnies living in them... and they never go out of batteries :)
• Never judge a kid by their appearance. They will surprise you
• Dont make the baby angry... She can make your life miserable.
• To go with the previous, Dont spoil babies... otherwise they are no fun to be around
• Ive come to cherish nap time
• GOD reveals himself through children in the most unusual ways
• I dont want to see these kids go
• Its hard to have other people living in your house... But totally worth the struggle
• A lot of progress can happen in 2 months
• Cant wait to see what month 3 brings :)

This is one of those experiences where i have felt so Overwhelmed and stressed and frustrated and pissed off but at the same time i have seen attitude changes in these kids and have been so blessed by their sweet hearts! Its the little things like watching them fold their hands to pray before Dinner, or running up to me giving me a hug, or telling me they love me that makes it all worth it! :)

Wish i could show you their sweet faces! :) You'll just have to take my word for it that they are stinkin cuteeeee!!!

Verse Book & Encouragement

A few years back for my birthday my Aunt Christy sent me this journal that is very beautiful on the outside i think :) Anyways on the front of this book it has a pinkish flower and on top of the stem of the flower are 6 words:

Inspire

Dream

Hope

Believe

Imagine

Create

Immediately i fell in love with it and wanted to do something different with it than an ordinary journal... So i made it my Verse Book. My goal is to fill the entire book Cover to Cover with Verses that i have been inspired by, or that others have been inspired by. So far there is at least 1 verse on every page. And i am currently working page to page filling it completely before moving on. My hope for this book is to find encouragement through it and give encouragement to others as well... That is why, once it is completely filled i want to give it away to someone that i don't know.

The words in the Bible have been such a blessing to me and have shown so much truth, love, restoration, hope, and peace. So i wanted to share a verse with you today that really caught my attention today, and i hope will be an encouragement to you where ever you may be at in your life.

Psalm 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,

my GOD, in whom I trust."

Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare

and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at your side

ten thousand at your right hand,

but it will not come near you.

You will only observe with your eyes

and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you make the Most High your dwelling--

even the LORD, who is my refuge-

then no harm will befall you,

no disaster will come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways;

they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;

you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

"Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him;

I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

He will call upon me, and i will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble,

I will deliver him and honor him.

With long life will I satisfy him

and show him my salvation.

No matter where you are at, what is going on, or how hopeless you feel. We have a GOD that loves us and will deliver us from any situation. He longs to sit with us in the midst of turmoil and comfort us as he carries us through the tough times. We have ever reason to shout his name at the top of our lungs for how great and mighty our GOD is!!

From a song by Chris Tomlin... "And if our GOD is for us, then who can ever stop us. And if our GOD is with us, then what can stand against?!"

Lets lift him up today :)

Be Blessed

Ouch...

My evil step sister is in town, and she is causing me serious pain right about now...

But my Linen dress for our family vaca to Cobo in December came in the mail today! :) Uber excited for our little trip to Mexico.

So that makes the pain a little better

Well, i am tired of being on the computer. Hasta la Pasta

Prayer Night

Tonight is the 2nd of 3 prayer nights at Rivercity, and i am looking forward to tonight a lot!

Last night at College Group i really got to thinking about how i should pray more and seek the Lord more in Fasting and silence and stuff, It is just remembering and not putting it off to the side that has been my problem lately. Ya see, i dont know what happened to me once i graduated but for some reason, i used to have a really good memory and always remember everything! But now, i seem to be forgetting things ALL THE TIME! It is so frustrating, i am 19 and should not be losing my mind this early! i dont think thats normal! :)

Anywho, i am excited because i am going to have at least an hour that is 100% uninterrupted time with GOD, listening and praising him for all that he has done for me lately!! I know that he has some pretty amazing plans for me, i just dont know what they are! So tonight i am hoping to get a hint at what and where he wants me to go with my life so i can start to focus on what i need to do to better prepare myself for the upcoming exciting events in my life!!

Fostering is going AMAZING! CJ my little broseph has been praying at dinner these past few nights so that has been very cool to see GOD working in his life, it has been encouraging in that sense, so lately i have been very pumped!

GOD IS GREAT!!!!! :)

Bring on the Rain!!!!

Hermine has officially shed some major tantrums over Texas today. This is one upset little lady let me tell you... Just when you think she has simmered down and gotten over it, oh boy she lets out a wail!

I had to work today... My job is cleaning pools for my dads pool company, I am proud to say that i went out and cleaned those pools today in the buckets of water Hermine was letting loose. I was soaking wet and even brought a change in clothes... Those dry clothes lasted a total of 10 min and then i had 2 sets of drenched attire. I will say it made my job a little more interesting today. I am grateful that i was able to go out today and get those pools over with for the week. GOD was good to me today!

So far it has been a wet wonderful day :)

Be praying though, we have a leak in our ceiling by our front window due to the extreme weather. The winds have been blowing like crazy making the vast amounts of water smack against our house in every direction!

In other news, my dad just informed my mamma and I that he ordered a truck load of boulders... Interesting i know... BUT... it is actually very exciting because that means that we are going to begin the digging process of our pool in our backyard... For those of you who dont know, my Dad owns a pool company that employs me called Fossil Creek Pools... We have owned it since 2007 and have not had a pool since he opened the business. Sad that the pool owner has no pool! BUT THAT IS ABOUT TO CHANGE!!!! Wooop!!! Maybe my dad will hire me to clean our pool too...

Then again, i dont know if i want that kind of pressure! hehe!! ;)

Blessings and Safety through this crazy weather!

If I Die Young

There is a really awesome song that i love called If i Die Young by the Band Perry. Anyways, i was looking up the music video and stuff of this song and i stumbled across the explanation behind this song... Basically the song is about reflecting on their lives and a declaration from them saying, if we were to die right now we would be very happy with all the things we got accomplished.

So it made me think... If i was to die right now, would i be happy with everything i did/didn't accomplish in my life?

I know that in my life i have no regrets. Because everything that has happened in my life has been significant in getting me where i am today. Of course i wish i was better at reading my Bible and praying and serving GOD with all that i am, But every time i screwed up on those things i learned from them...

The topic 'Death' is not necessarily a fun happy go lucky topic to dwell on, but i think sometimes it is a good thing to think about just to prepare for it. I've thought about it and think it is something to rejoice over... I mean, that is the day we will meet our Almighty Father face to face! The word Death has become so painful to hear and think about, when in all reality it is something that does not need to be feared for followers of Christ. Our future has been foreseen, We have been promised paradise and paradise is what we will receive.

So whether i have 50 minutes, 50 days or 50 years left in my life i am choosing to live out each moment to the fullest and the embrace the pain and joy that awaits me. I know that my life has a purpose, though i don't know what that purpose is, i know it is going to be pretty awesome! I am choosing to give all reigns to GOD...

"I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and delivered Himself up for me..." (Galatians 2:19-20).

Fall Semester

So... I decided to be a little daring and take a Flex course this fall for my final core class English Comp 2... A flex course is a course that is finished in half the amount of time it takes a regular semester to end. A normal semester is 16 weeks, Flex obviously is 8 weeks... Boy was that a mistake! eekkk

First there was the technical difficulties of the course, for some reason my class does not come up on Macbooks, of course i didnt know that until yesterday and the course started monday! But its ok i got it worked out and now have access to my class....

Then there was the first assignment! And one would think that because it is only an 8 week class that the teacher would condense the amount of work to be reasonable for an 8 week period.... OH NO... NO NO NO! My professor obviously wants to make sure that we are reading every bit of material that is in the regular course.

My first bit of homework is to read the first 12 chapters of my Text book... Plus 15 short stories.

Oh, did i mention i dont have my text book yet! I ordered it Monday... I have a test over the material Saturday! I am able to read some of the short stories that are posted online, but as far as the 12 chapters i am suppose to read in the text book, im thinking this first test is probably not going to be my best!

Ohhhhhh boy!!!

School Time Structure.

Today has been uber relaxing. The kiddos went left for school at 7:20ish, the babies didnt wake up until closer to 8. And since they have been up other than the sound of an unhappy baby it has been pretty quiet... Especially now since they are both napping! :)

I may only be 19... But i have come to love the little bits of me time that i am able to get. And lately i have become more fond of silence! There is something so refreshing about listening to nothing.... just quiet!

I have come to the conclusion that this year is going to be very good for all of us. Not only in creating structure for the girls and CJ to learn from, but also as a family to not go completely insane feeling the need to be entertaining 24/7.... Oh and exciting news...

My mom got an email from CJ's teacher and she said that he was doing very good his first day. That he was excited to be at school and learn! :) We were very pleased to hear that!

Im off to go fold and pick up the house.

New School Year!

Emma my baby sister is going to be attending her first day of 5th grade... Which is the last day of Elementary school in Texas. :( I am pretty much a wreck... Definitely not ok with her getting so big!

And CJ my little bro is going into 1st grade which i am really excited for him to go and grow! But am also a bit nervous about little punks who feel the need to bully people who are different.

If your prayers could be for Emma and CJ this week i am sure they will be blessed by it!

Wish i could post pics of our angels... Imagine them beautiful haha

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:11

I love the simplicity of this truth.

GO GOD!!!

Why Jesus?!

To start... Major Praise.... I PASSED MATH!!! :) Even though it was the only D i have ever received in school in my life, i passed... Because a D can be passing in College so what the heck ILL TAKE IT!!! :) WOO HOO!!! I think it is soooo funny when little things like this happen to test faith in GOD. I mean, here i am flipping out over a stupid summer school math class... Seriously... Math! I was about to let in consume my emotions and destroy a couple of beautiful days because i did bad on tests, when GOD was right there the entire time screaming in my face "Dude, chill out! I will take care of you and everything is going to be ok!" So after a few almost cry sessions, after i got over the stupidity of wanting to cry over a math test my days turned out to be fantastic! I see now why he never allowed me to shed a tear over that class... Because even though i barely squeezed by with a passing grade, it was passing... And in all reality that is all i care about when it comes to school! All that to say i passed... I talk to much!

Now on to important things... I have been listening to Klove (if you dont like klove you can zip your lip because i think they are awesome!) like crazyyyy for a while now because i am in my car so much. Anywhooo they are asking a question right now that kind of caught me off guard because it is not necessarily one i think about everyday. If you had to give a 30 second answer on Why you Chose Jesus; what would you say?

So i am actually very curious to know... I will ask you...

WHY JESUS?

Living, School.... Being Patient and Trusting

OHHHHH BOYYY!!!!!!! Yesterday I took my College Algebra Final for my second session of online summer school that i am taking... And, Well, I had to make a 71 i think, i was shooting for a 86 but i think i will be okay with a 71. I know that is a big leap but i am more than okay with slimming close to the edges when it comes to schooling. Anyways, i have no idea how i did... I am trying my best to stay positive but there is that little voice in the back of my head that LOVES to jump in and fill me with distrust and doubt. Ya see, GOD has promised me that he will provide for me... And that everything is going to be okay. So i have given myself no choice but to believe it! But at the same time me being imperfect and human and all there is that little pinch of insecurity! I hate it, but i wont lie and say it isn't there. Anywho, please be prayin' for me in that area, as i am trusting in the LORD and remaining confident in him. That is something that has been a little tough for me lately is remaining confident not in myself but in GOD.

Back to more interesting things.... Fostering has been going great, we all absolutely love these kids and are very glad they are in our home. Even though there is frustration at times and feelings of being extremely tired to on the edge of going insane, I know with my entire being that these kids are suppose to be in our home. GOD has proven that time and time again and it is honestly the only thing i can cling to at times. Ariel our little baby who will be 10 months in a week has been very fond of screaming her head off every opportunity she can get! At times i feel like that crazy guy on the side of the road that stares off into the distance but in all reality is looking at nothing in particular, with his hair looking like he just got struck by lightning and smells like poop. After being stuck with a screaming baby for 30 min straight that guy doesn't seem so crazy to me anymore! :) haha

Being carried away with all the negativity is very easy for me to do, but for some reason i have not once been able to forget that GOD has a purpose for my family... That he has a purpose for these kids, and that he is using my house to help that purpose happen! It is truly spectacular to think about 3 more souls being saved for eternity just because they lived in our house for X amount of time! That is my strong hold! The amazing promises that GOD keeps reminding me! :)

I wish i could post pics of our angels! But unfortunately for their safety we are not aloud to.

Please keep praying for my family as we continue our new journey and for me and my schooling. I should be done with my core stuff by october if i pass my math class! :)

Lots of Love!

1 Week Later...

We have had our new additions for 1 week so far and despite the overwhelming moments of having 2 babies pooping, crying and moaning the experience is going pretty good so far. Turns out the older two kiddos are a year younger than we though they were. CJ is 6 turning 7 and Jaz is 1 turning 2 while Ariel is 9 months. It has only been 7 days and already these kids have made a bond with each of us and has implanted a soft spot in our hearts as well! We love these kids! It is pretty crazy to think that we could have them for 4 months minimum and anything longer than that is unknown! Surprisingly the hectic and constant changes in our daily schedules has not been near as stressful as i thought it would be. Of course the first two days adjusting to the new bodies in our home got pretty emotional at times, but after we established a routine for them things have began to shine a little brighter.

It is inevitable for us to encounter trials and heartache because of this process. But i can already see that the blessings far outweigh the negative things that happen. And though the blessings may be few and far between at times, they are the things we have been holding on to! Already i can see changes in these kids, but more importantly i see major changes in my family! My mom deserves a HOSS award, she has unleashed a wonder woman from within her that i have never seen before. My dad has taken special interest in these kids and has been fantastic at showing these kids a positive male influential role that they have never seen! It is so cute to see how CJ latches onto my dad and is awestruck by him... He calls my parents mom and dad... Heartbreaking, but so sweet at the same time! My brother met them for the first time Sunday and he is such a wimp when it comes to babies... He fell in love with the little ones and was a GREAT big brother to CJ, teaching him to swim and playing legos with him. And then there is my baby sis Emma, I dont think she fully understood the task we signed up for but she has done far better with adjusting to these kids than i gave her credit for. She is more than willing to give up her "being the baby girl" role! I am so inspired by my family and their roles that they have played in impacting and loving on these kids.

If nothing else, i have seen how blessed i am to have a mom who is my best friend, a dad who is always willing to fight for me and love me, an amazing overprotective brother who can always make me smile and a sister who is always there for me! We have been blessed with an amazing placement! These kids fit perfectly with our family and i look forward to the rest of our time together. I hope it doesnt go by to fast! :)

Answered Prayers!!!

My family is a registered Foster/Adopt family, as some of you may have known... And while we have had numerous calls with referrals for children to be placed in our home, for some reason every single one of them has fallen through. The first few calls were extremely emotionally draining because they tell us that it was an absolute, that those kids will be coming to live with us, and then a few hours later we get a call saying they either went back home to live with their parents(Which is a blessing... Sometimes) or that it was between us and another family and the case worker chose the other family... So we have had our fair share of almosts. But this week, while we are respiting 4 children(which we love them, they are the sweetest cutest kids!!) We got the news that we are going to be getting 3 little ones... Clifford-7, Jazmine-2 almost 3, and Ariel-9 months! They will be coming to live with us this coming Tuesday!

This entire process has been such an emotional roller coaster but i can say with all honesty that i am thrilled it wasnt a walk in the park! GOD totally did a work in me and my familys hearts. We HAD to have faith that he would provide for us and bring the right children in his perfect timing. So even though we got excited and then let down a few times, we always had his promise for us in the back of our minds. We knew that he was waiting to put the right children in our home!

I cannot wait to meet these precious babies!! :) Please pray for my family and for these kids, that they would not only fit well in our home but that they would come to know and Love the LORD as well! My hope and prayer for this whole experience is that GOD would use my family to speak to the kids he brings and that he would impact their lives forever!

I will definitely be writing come Tuesday to give an update on how the kids respond to their first day in their new home(new home for a while at least) :)

Bible Obsession....

I have become addicted to collecting Bibles... Partly because it is the book of Truth and the book which i live by, but also because there are SO many different kinds of bibles i feel like i need them all!!! So as i was browsing on Bible gateway a few weeks ago i came across this bible that was a Hebrew, Greek and English bible! The old Testament was written in Hebrew so this bible has the literal translation with the actual Hebrew writing as well as the english on the side so you know what you are reading... The New Testament was written in Greek so it is the same with the Greek writing with the English translation along side it as well...

I could not control my fingers as they clicked Buy, and typed in my info to purchase it...

Well, i received it today and i was not expecting it to be so AWESOME!!!! But it is!!! :) I am soooo excited to dive into this one. I am planning on learning the Hebrew and Greek languages so this definitely makes me feel like i moving forward with that as well!!! It is the coolest Bible in the world! :)

Eclipse... Yes, Twilight!

I am not a big reader... And i can say with no shame that i have not read any of the Twilight books and do not intend on reading them... I like to be different from what everyone else is doing so i feel like in order to be different i shouldnt read the books! :) But Today at 4 i went and saw (For the 2nd time i might add) Twilight Eclipse... By far, the best one of the entire series. Now, let me clarify that i do not think the actors in the movies are the best, nor do i think the script in the movies was very well written... But the overall plot of the entire show is soooooo intriguing to me! I CANT GET ENOUGH OF IT!!!! In the first two Twilight movies the script consisted of about 10 minutes dialogue throughout each movie so it kind of drove me crazy with the excess music and lack of communication between the characters... But THIS ONE has a whole bunch of communication, and you really get a chance to see Bella and Edward talk and as an audience member we get a sense that they really do love each other... In this movie i also grew a disgust for Jacob (A.K.A Werewolf man) and his werewolf possy.... Yes, i admit

I AM FOR TEAM EDWARD!!!!!!

Jacob's character reminds me of the Jerk Jock guy who thinks he is better than everyone else and is really upset when he doesnt get what he wants... One could relate him to a spoiled rotton little brat, or an annoying mosquito that bites you in 10 different places and now you cant stop itching yourself... I think anyone of those will suffice as a legit description of the Werewolf man...

While Edward on the other hand is a sweet cunning old fashioned stud (Especially in Eclipse) i will say in the first two it was more Edward's determination to protect and love Bella than his looks that drove me to fight for the Vampires... But in this one they did something different with his eyes and the editing his face so he is REALLYYYY cute!!! haha!!

On a scale of 1-10 1 being the worst this movie was a solid 8. Acting was like a 5 but there are enough good parts in the movie to make you want to keep watching. :) So my advice, if you havent seen it i highly recommend it!!

Accomplished!

Its hard for me to believe that just over a month ago i began my first days of Summer Session 1 which i was enrolled in 3 classes. Today i am finished with those classes and am proud to say that i have passed them all!!! Not that i was overly concerned with passing Government 2302, Drama and P.E. (all of which were online classes) I still had that thought of in my head of the Possibility of not passing.... Well today i have shut that little voice out and feel very accomplished! What a productive summer this has been already! Now come Tuesday the 12th i begin my next set of classes over the summer. This time i am only taking 2 online classes, College Algebra which i am actually kind of excited about because i love algebra... sometimes... and Speech which i am pretty good at public speaking. So i am hopeful for these next two classes and am confident that i will do fine! I dont know why i felt inclined to share this info... it is not important but i was on a spur of joy that i am 1/2 way done with summer school, i just had to share! :)

The whole reason for all of this summer school and speediness to get done with my Associates Degree in a year and a half instead of two years was because of the Mission to Africa which i felt very strongly about at the beginning of this year. I set a goal for myself and said that i would not leave for Africa until i had my Core Completion done(which for a while i thought was the same as my associates... i was very wrong!) because i know myself and i have never been a big fan of school, so i knew i had to finish the first half of it before i left or i would most likely not go back to school. Anyways, i set this goal and i am proud to say that i have stuck with it and have almost accomplished this! Even though now i am not 100% on anything in my life anymore. I have no idea what GOD wants me to major in, what career if any GOD has in store for me, If i am every going to go to Africa to be a missionary... All these questions and concerns about my life and what GOD has in store for me, all these things are unanswered! And much to my surprise i am not freaking out at all!!!!

I think GOD has conquered major ground in my life. For once he has shut me up! Of course i still would like to know what he has in store for me, but i dont feel the need or even stress about getting the answer right away. Partially because i know he is not going to give it to me(i have been praying for patience and boyyyy has he given me ample opportunity to practice it) and also because it is kind of fun not knowing where GOD is going to put me. So this is where i stand on July 8, 2010... I Brittany Marie Brandner do not have any idea what GOD wants me to do, Where GOD wants me to go, Who GOD wants me with, or How GOD wants me to get there. And i am 100% OK with that! :)

Like i said earlier... I feel very accomplished :)

Terra Phelps!!! :) :) :) :)

Today is a great day. Terra Phelps is coming back to Texas for about a week to come visit, and i am beyond myself so excited! :)

Terra has made such a difference in so many peoples lives, including mine. She was the woman that i looked to and she helped me find the most important person... GOD. For a good chunk of my High School she was the person that was keeping me in check! She told me the hard truth and though sometimes i didnt like to hear it, she loved me enough to say it anyways. Terra is Beautiful inside and out, she is a wonderful wife, mother, sister, friend and i call her family! I love love love love love love you Terra!!!!!!!!!

I dont tell you enough how awesome you are and how much i appreciate you... So this one is for you Terra!

I LOVE YOU

I APPRECIATE YOU!!!!

I hope one day to be as awesome as you are :)

RFKC

Last week i went to a 6 day camp called Royal Family Kids Camp... Let me tell you, it was absolutely amazing! Everything about it! The facility, the kids, the food, personal AC units for each room... I mean, talk about high class!! :) It was by far the best camp i have ever been to. The kids were fantastic, and even though we had a few tantrums every here and there, the majority of my time with the kids was very enjoyable. Or course there was the goodbyes that tore my heart in two and let the flood gates loose... I was and still am very hopeful for each and every one of those kids though. GOD has been constantly reminding me and throughout the camp was constantly reminding me that even though those kids have been through Hell in their lives, GOD is still the same gigantic GOD that parted the Red Sea and saved Daniel from the fierce lions. He reminded me that he was and always will be with those kids as they grow up. I left that camp at peace because those kids just absorbed the truth of the gospel like sponges! It was AMAZING to see that! I was only support staff and going into it i was not sure how or if GOD would use me last week but immediately that thought was shunned from my mind as i began to watch all these little girls run up to me and give me hugs, and as they did motions during worship; they were so thirsty for love and not only that but for GODs grace! I was truly blessed to be apart of the whole camp and to share truth with some listening children. GOD is Beautiful and Awesome and Glorious! Always and Forever! :)

Please continue to pray for the Kids at RFKC!

Family Visits/Birthday Weekend

Wednesday June 9th my dads parents and my cousins came to visit good ol' Texas! It has been a full year since i have seen them and to me that is far to long! Ohhhh how i missed them! This time it has been different though because we have a new house, new games to play, and thats about all i can think of thats different! :) Here is a little summary of our time with them so far. We just bought this game called Guesstures which is like me in a game! It is all about acting out words on a card before they fall down the hole and you lose the points. Sooooooooo, Who would have thought that playing that game with my Grandparents would be so much fun! It was the funniest thing i have seen in sooo long and full of laughter and memories that will last forever. It started with my Grandma in Round 1... She reached over to push the button that would start the timer, and before we knew it she had pushed the button and was making this horrible hissing meets getting bit by a vampire noise... As she pointed to her throat while making this wretched noise we all burst into laughter and started guessing.... CAT, CHOKING, ummmm..... DYING.... VAMPIRE, in the final seconds of the cards life someone yelled GARGLE.... Sure enough that horrible noise and her frantic pointing to her throat was Gargle. Then came Grandpa following after her. He had a few moments of pure embarrassment that will forever stand on his record. One of his cards was baby, It was his last card and he had been doing great the three other cards prior. He stood around and then began pacing the room saying "I have no idea what to do, Oh Geez, Oh no..." Then out of no were... BAM... His thumb went in his mouth and he began sucking on it! We all yelled BABY but by that time it was to late. The card had dropped and his turn was over. Then in another round he got the cards Air, Mistletoe and Dizzy. For Air he put his hands out to his side as wide as possible and began to what looked like kiss the air in different spots each time, Lets just say No one got what he was trying to do. For mistletoe he put his hand above his head and looked up at it, then he puckered up as far as his lips would go, Someone called out his card but it dropped to fast. And then Dizzy... He went on to do a tribal looking dance in circles and as we all laughed someone figured it out and we got the points. Lets just say i will forever remember that night! The rest of the time we have been hanging out, painting rocks, going shopping, eating really good food that is extremely high in carbs, late night swimming and working out til the wee hours of the morning. It has been a fantastic few days that they have been with us and i look forward to the rest of it... Though i dont want it to end they have assured us they will be back for Christmas time! :) YAY!!!

Oh... And i turn 19 tomorrow... EEK!!! :) I am blessed

Excitement followed by Sadness

Sunday May 23 was a great/sad day all mixed together! It was great because of Royal Family Kids Camp which is a week long camp that is for foster kids! I am so excited to be going... I just feel God all over this and i know that he is going to do such amazing things! I cannot wait to go! It is less than a month away and i get the butterflies in my tummy just thinking about it! It is so great for me because i have never done anything like it before and so it will be completely new and fresh! I am doing what i do best Drama :) and i am helping with worship which is cool. There is a chance i could be a councilor but that is uncertain at this time. Either way Gods will will be done and it will be incredible!!!

But... At 5:30pm May 23 the finally of my all time favorite series "Lost" played on the TV screen for the last time! Though i was spending time with my family last night so i watched it today.. But still! Its over. I will forever remember the years of suspense and unanswered questions and pure frustration at that show. All of those questions have been answered(I think... that show made a lot!) now i am just sad that i wont have anything TV wise to look forward to every week. Other than dancing with the stars... GO ERIN AND MAKS!!!!

Now to ask a huge favor... Please be apart of the RFKC prayer team! This camp is so important especially for the kids we are targeting and so prayer is a huge tool that i know God will listen to and answer. None of this would be possible without Gods help so we want to continue to ask for it in everything. May his will be done at RFKC this year! AMEN!

Shrek the Final Chapter

Yesterday at 1:50pm my friend Alissa went with me to see my favorite series of movies in the whole world! Yes... Shrek... And i might add that it was absolutely fantastic! :) I highly recommend seeing it with Kids, and if you might fancy Shrek then see it with older people! It was very cute in a romantic way, Pretty funny at certain parts, and highly entertaining the whole way through. Of course this is coming from me, i am obsessed with Shrek! There is just something about the greenness and his Irish/Scottish accent that makes me go crazy!

Needless to say it was a beautiful end to the Shrek adventure and i look forward to buying the movie when it comes out along with any adult T-Shirts, Bowling balls, figurines Etc... that they decide to attach to this :)

First experience with Respite

The weekend came to a sad close Sunday night when we had to say goodbye to the 4 kids we got to hang out with for the weekend. But overall we had a great time. We had two teenage girls and then two precious little boys. There was quite a range between the ages of the girls and the boys but it gave us a huge advantage going into Fostering come June 17th because now we can really build our experience on how to treat the different ages, races, and personalities. I will admit at first with the older girls i was intimidated by the lack of excitement in staying with us for the weekend. Then i have to keep reminding myself that this isn't a fun thing for the kids coming to stay with us, while it may be fun for us it is not a vacation for them. It turned out to be great with the girls though. Saturday i took them to a movie, we saw The Back-Up Plan with J-Lo and it was actually really cute. The male lead in that movie had pretty corny lines that i am fairly certain no man would say in real life but thats okay. At least i didn't leave wishing i would have a guy like that, which if you know me at all is saying A WHOLE LOT! :) I had to house sit for some folks Saturday night so i wasn't with them that night but we hung out Sunday when i got home from church and i was very glad to get the extra time with them. From the looks of it saying goodbye is going to break our hearts... But all the time we get to spend with them is priceless!

Prayers are still appreciated as we continue this journey!

Paul Coleman and the Rivercity Rollers :)

Today was an exciting day at Rivercity Community Church because Paul Coleman(Yes the same Paul Coleman who toured with the Newsboys and who is the leader of the Paul Coleman Trio) visited our church today and blessed us with the Amazing opportunity of playing with him and worshiping with him as well. It was a great time and i feel blessed listening to him open up his heart to us about where he is right now in Life, Faith and Career. Though i am fairly certain he thinks i am a creeper and most likely assumes that i will become the crazy stalker groopie... I assure you for his sake... I will not! :) OK... So i am up on the rotation for the worship team this week to be a backing vocalist with Natalie! I get an email earlier this week warning me in advance of the presence of a famous person accumpaning us on stage! So already i am stoked right!! I mean, its not everyday you meet a famous person, and well, i have never met a famous person(and now i kind of understand why that is a good thing!) So i walk in 7am to pre-service practice and i come through the doors to find... No famous person... Then, we start practice and get through a few songs. Take note that every person walking through the doors i am analyzing going through the same script with each on "Have i ever seen you before in my life?" if no then "STOP WALKING THROUGH THE DOORS I AM WAITING TO SEE A FAMOUS PERSON!" I also realize that this is not a good mind set to be in and that every person walking through those doors is a beloved child of GOD! That realization of course slipped my mind as i was in a frenzy waiting for Paul Coleman the Magnificent to arrive :)

Then, all of asuden the doors swing open and the sound of angels begin singing and an out of the ordinary ray of sunlight is beaming on this mysterious man and his right hand man as he walked through the door...(Not really, but that would have been totally awesome!) I then begin to sweat like a fat country man sitting in his rocking chair in the middle of summer. Not only that but this stupid grin grows on my face as my tongue forms the words "IS THAT THE FAMOUS GUY!!! IS HE HERE?!?!?!" Oh it was him indeed... Sazzo(Sean Azzaro) then began to reprimand me saying "You cant do that, dont say anything, Brittany stop it!" Sazzo then takes it into his own hands and brings good ol' Paul into the loop about my stupidness and Paul reacts by looking at me and saying "Aw she's cute" With those three words my shame was ignited! I then began to get so excited that tears started forming in my eyes... Like i couldnt speak, breath, and the only movement i could make was jumping up and down like a 4 year old does when they see santa. Praise the LORD i was able to control myself and turn around so he did not see my cry and i was actually able to stop myself from allowing them to roll down my helpless little face.

Needless to say i have forever scared poor Paul Coleman from every wanting to return and sing with the Rivercity Rollers(His band name for us) ever again.... I pray that one day enough therapy will help him to stop having nightmares about this crazy girl in a purple dress and cowboy boots from stalking him.

In all seriousness i will add that he does have a fantastic heart and GOD really used him to share some amazing stuff with us this morning. I was privileged to be able to sit and listen to new songs and to hear a musicians heart.

Husband, Comforter, Healer, Forgiver, Savior, Creator...

Ya know those songs that give you the chills. Or that speak to you so deeply its as if it was written just for you... Well, i have been hearing song after song where i feel this way. God is just so good that way! He is always there to remind me that i am not alone. Even when i was going through that dry period in my life a few weeks ago where i felt so alone, he still came to me and i know he will never leave me! No matter what i do he will always love me and focus on my well being. Seriously, he is the PERFECT guy... I often chuckle at the thought of just running away with GOD, kind of like one of those typical chick flicks... I mean he says in the Bible that he is our Husband, Comforter, Healer, Creator, King, LORD, Everything we would ever need. I know for me i rarely give him credit for being any of those things in my life. Its so bad, but true. But for a little while now i have been focusing on him being my Husband (haha) and what that really means. I am totally not thinking of it in a creepy way. But really he is the only perfect guy. The only one that wont break up with you because you have a dry or boring personality, or because you wont cross boundaries, or because you arent what he is looking for. He never runs away with some lame excuse claiming that "Its not you, its me" Not once will he ever do that. He is the only boy who is always there, Always loving me, Always comforting me, and there are times in my day when i forget he is there! I MEAN SERIOUSLY! What is wrong with me?! Hello... Man of my dreams staring at me in the face 24/7 and I, Brittany Marie Brandner who obsesses over my future most of the time, who has planned the majority of my wedding with the only parts missing being the venue and the guy, who often worries that i will die an old maid if im not married by the time im 20, ME I have the Perfect guy, The guy from all the beautiful love stories that i have day dreamed over... I have that guy (Only better because he is perfect... literally perfect) And i forget he is there sometimes.

But the amazing thing is, is that even when i forget at times to think about him or to thank him, He still looks at me like i am the only on the face of the earth. He looks at me and sees me for who i really am. Not who the world wants me to be! He knows me and cares about me, not what i look like. The LORD above all chooses to love little ol' me everyday of my life. He calls me His, and gives himself to me!

"Crucified, laid behind a stone

You lived to die, Rejected and alone

Like a Rose, trampled on the ground

You took the fall, and thought of me... Above all!"

Gosh... I love that guy! :)

Foster/Adopting

My family has undergone a series of classes and interviews and such for becoming a foster family for kids... Which it is so heartbreaking to hear of the great need for foster families... Anyways, we have finished everything that needed to be done to get ourselves and our home ready to start receiving some precious additions to our family! :) And i am VERY excited to announce that this friday night we will be getting our first set of kids... But let me say first that for about a month and a week we will only be doing what is called respite and what that is, is where we "babysit" other foster families kids while the parents go on a vacation or take a little break from fostering. The break usually consists of 2-4 days away. Anyways so we will only have this specific set of 4 children for 2 days :( a little bummed about that but excited that this is real and happening! I cannot wait to see how God uses our home and my family to show his love to these kids who have such a need for it! I just know that he has very unpredictable plans for us that will totally rock our world! If i can ask for prayer for my family and I as we undertake this new addition to our lives that would be so very appreciated! There is nothing like the power of prayer and i am a firm believer that God answers every prayer in his perfect timing! :) He answered ours... Now lets see where he leads us with this!

Unfortunately for privacy reasons i cannot post pictures of any of the kids we foster... But when we get them i will try my best to describe their beauty in words! :)

Happy Mothers Day!!!!

To all the Moms out there i wish you a very Happy Mothers Day! And i hope that you realize how appreciated you are.

Lots of Love!

Britt

GOD IS AMAZING!!! :) :) :) :)

Possibly the most amazing night of my life...

For the past month at least i have been in a dry patch in my faith, life everything. I didnt feel God like i used to. Nothing significant was changing in my life. I was stuck in a rut, and didnt seem to be leaving that little ditch anytime soon.... As i am driving home in my car from a fun night with Nat and Alissa I was blasting Jesus Cultures How He Loves... AKA my favorite song of all time! :) And i felt the urge to pray for my German sister Marie and her family who happen to be going through a very hard time right now, My very good friend Rachel who is also struggling with personal stuff, and the Miller family who recently lost their beloved Mother/Wife Cheryl Miller. So i am praying and all of asuden this abundance of awesomeness just slapped me in the face and filled my entire car and the air around it. It was absolutely indescribable. The presence of God was revealed to me tonight in my car!!! MY CAR IS LIKE MY FAVORITE PLACE NOW :) haha! And when i finished praying, which it was just my mouth moving... Honestly the words coming out of my mouth were not my own and could have only come from the Father... No lie it was him speaking! And the knowledge that i was in the presence of God and that he was using ME to speak for Marie, Rachel and the Miller Family at that time was so overwhelming i couldnt help by cry and laugh at the same time! Let me tell you my fellow drivers passing me got a little show as i was expressing my excitement! I dont know what i did to get in that rut... But i never want to go there again! Especially after tonight... I will not let his presence fade within my soul. Because i feel like i am complete again! And i havent felt this way in a while... in way to long!

I ask that you pray for me on this new journey that God has called me on which is yet to be revealed but i know its going to be awesome! Something is coming my direction and i guess ill just have to keep praising his holy name until it gets here! :) Pray for Marie Rachel and the Miller family too... But before i sign off and go to sleep... Can i pray for you? Comment prayer requests and ill add it to my daily prayers... If you dont have anything right now here is my number... the offer is open whenever :) 210-846-5649 Brittany Brandners prayer services are open anytime! :)

1 Year Complete

I have just finished my last final... I took Chemistry and Humanities online today, one this morning and one just now. Whewwww i am spent from those! But i am stoked because i have successfully FINISHED MY FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE!!!!! :) It feels soooo good to have completed this and to know that i worked my behind off to pass. Yes, i could have worked harder but the past is the past and i was able to finish an entire semester with more classes than i took last semester and not get stressed from school ONCE! Not one time did i flip a gasket and have an emotional breakdown!!! I am pretty excited to be finished though i know that the summer only brings more classes! Whatever, i am motivated right now to finish by early fall this year and have my Associates Degree in less than a year and a half! Needless to say i am very excited to see what the Summer classes will bring! :) :) :) :) God Bless

Lessons Learned

Well... This is the week, the tests have been printed and are waiting anxiously for me to write my answers. Right or Wrong, Pass or Fail, The final Exams do not care... They just wait. And here i am freaking out about each and everyone like i always do. Test Anxiety is pouring throughout my entire being. I would throw up if i could... But that would be to normal... No, instead i step in someone else's freshly regurgitated lunch as i exit my car and begin my journey to my first final of the day. The test about monkeys and other ridiculous theories. At least the class is finally over! True story by the way... I did step in nasty throw up this morning! Now my shoe is releasing the awful stench of stomach fluid shrimp and other curious pieces of only God knows what that was lingering in that pile of nasty! Sorry for the detail, i want you to get the picture :)

Yesterday i took my History final and finished in 10 minutes... 50 questions and i feel very confident about it. Today i have Anthropology and Government. I completed Anthropology in about 50 minutes and feel ok about it. I think i passed which is really the only thing i care about! As long as i dont have to take it again i am perfectly fine! Now i have a few hours to burn while i wait and wait some more to take my Government test... I decided i would be a good blogger and share my feelings about life first. This week is the marking of a momentous event. My first year of College FINISHED!!!! And a few things i have learned are...

• College is way better than High School
• No one cares who you are, what your major is, why you are in college... Just stay out of their way and your good!
• Dont take a Physical Anthropology class
• Never take Chemistry online if you and science have never been friends... Which we havent
• Be bold about your faith because they cant tell you to stop! WOOP!
• Be nice to the kid in the Trench coat
• Dont procrastinate cause then you fail!

Those are just a few. But still, i have learned things about myself and have grown in areas that i didn't know were there. I have a new sense of confidence in myself and honestly look forward to growing up! Some might say i am yet to do that and i would agree... kind of... But like everything else in my life it is a work in progress! Key word Progress! I am confident that God is going to use this last year for good and he is going to continue to shape me into the Woman he wants me to be. I am excited and Optimistic about life and the future! Thank you College, even though you are school and work that i think is pointless at times, i appreciate the discipline i have learned!

Now i really should start studying for my Government final... God Bless! :)

Time with The Grants

Earlier this year i took on a nannying job with a Family, The Grants. They have 3 Beautiful and incredibly unique children Rachel 10, Timothy 5, and Nathaniel 3. Which if you dont know, Rachel their oldest was the whole reason i started this blog! She has Down Syndrome and we were first introduced about 3 years ago when i was her buddy at VBS. Anyway, so every week on Wednesday nights and Friday nights i would go to their house and hang out with these kids and boy was that Fun! I love kids and i love having fun so it was a perfect fit! :) In this experience i also was blessed to meet Ms. Cheryl Grant for the first time who is the hardworking inspiring mom of these three blessings! This last Friday April 30 however was my last night with them... My schedule is on the verge of piling back on top of me so i am not able to be with them twice a week. While it was sad and hard to say Goodbye, i was able to capture some "Picture Perfect" moments with the Kids and Ms. Grant! Enjoy :)

Rachel and Nathaniel Dancing with the Mariachi singers Nathaniel and IMs. Grant and ITimothy and that HUGE smile :)Nathaniel being Silly

Meet Rachel! She got Purple gum which turned her entire mouth Purple on the ride home :)

Timothy and his typical COOL DUDE face

And then the Baby of the Bunch Nathaniel.

I only got a few pics of them and didnt get a chance to snap one of Mr. Grant. But, they are an Amazing family with Amazing kids and it was a privilege to be able to hang out with them twice a week. :)

He will Carry Me....

Hello All, Worst Blogger in the world here! :)

As life has been passing me by these past few weeks, months even, I have become very aware of the fact that i literally cannot do anything on my own. Seriously... Nothing. With me and all that is included in my life there always seems to be a catch, or something that must go wrong or unexpectedly. I dont know if everyone or anyone else has ever felt this way but its as if it goes wrong just because its me! If it was ANYONE else it would be peachy keen! But hello, I am Brittany Marie Brandner therefore, life isnt like the movies! I look around and i see my best friends in love and preparing for engagement or even weddings. I have watched people go away to colleges to work on their big degree, or move away to discover what the next adventure in their life is going to be. To put it plainly... I dont have that kind of excitement in my life right now.

I had applied to go on a year long mission in Africa with an organization called Operation Mobilization last October. Things with them are moving quite slowly so i am still not sure if i meet the standard of the kind of person they are looking for or however that whole thing works. I go to Community College and Northeast Lakeview College and am working on my Associates Degree. I should be done with that by October this year. I live at home, and rarely ever do anything on the weekends. My life is ordinary, plain and right now boring. I have entered into a cycle of motions that only seem to repeat themselves. I dont know what the future holds for me, whether God wills me to go on this mission, or to do something else i have no idea. I havent a clue on a lot of things lately...

The only thing i know is that God loves me. And he has a purpose for me and my life. Random lyrics from random Klove songs will pop in and out of my head sporadically. One of them has been He will Carry me, Love will hold us together, Like sunlight burning at midnight making my life something so beautiful, Mercy reaching to save me, Come as you are, Oh how he loves us! Songs of Hope and Love... I know this time of temporary boredom and confusion on what my next step is going to be will be done and gone in a blink of an eye. I hope i have opened up my heart and mind to be receptive to what God really is trying to show me in this time... Prayer is always appreciated! :)

Marie and Nora

Here are some pics of My German sisters stay here in good ol' Texas :) Nora is the one with the dark hair and who is much taller... Marie is the other German :) hehe!

I wish i had taken more pictures while they were here are some of the pics from Wednesday when we went to Enchanted Rock and took pictures with the Wild Flowers :) Enjoy.....

When the First got here....

Dad... After hiking haha
Me and Emma in Flowers

Marie an I on one BIG rock!

Nora and Marie in the flowers

Emma and Dad... SO TIRED!

All of us in those pretty flowers! :) They smelt sooooooooo good! And there were SOOOO MANY! :) Looks like that all the rain Finally paid off !

German Sisters

Marie and Nora are in town from Germany! It is so great having them here with us! I missed Marie so much, you never know how much you love someone until they aren't with you all the time and then you realize just how much you really did care. I also realized a great deal how much she was there for me and how much she did for me. But us being apart has been so great for our relationship, we have gotten so close and make sure to keep each other updated with our lives and what's going on and all that. It is as if she never left!

I got to meet Nora before this when i stopped in Germany going to the Ukraine, so now i just get the opportunity of getting to know her more. She is very sweet and funny! Her and Marie though they are twins are nothing alike... Food wise, whatever Marie likes Nora hates, whatever Nora likes Marie hates, with an exception to Double Stuffed Oreo's... They both share a love for that! So we got 3 packages so they could enjoy themselves... they don't have them in Germany... SO we are making sure they get their Oreo Fix!!! Nora has a high voice but a low laugh... Marie has a low voice and a high laugh. Nora is tall and Marie is Short. Noras hair is Dark while Marie's is light. Do you get my drift! They are NOTHING alike! But she is apart of the family too and i hope she gets a feel for that in her short lived trip to Texas.

Anyways, we are having a blast and will continue having so much fun until they leave Saturday! Today we went to Enchanted Rock which i had never been to before, that is one great work out! And SOOOO pretty! I loved it! After we went to this little steak place that is only open on wednesdays. That place is sooo cool! Very country with their little old man band and all you can eat appetizers and desert but only one steak per ticket you buy(Not the cheapest steak!) I had a blast today! Friday we are going to the River with Matt Cullen and friends and then going to the river walk with the fam to show Nora around Downtown and of course the Alamo! I hope they are having as much fun as i am! :)

God is doing amazing things! I am suppose to find out soon if i am accepted into Operation Mobilization! Thats pretty exciting for me, Also i think i am interviewing to help out with Royal Family Kids Camp Sunday! So i am pretty excited to see what Gods plans are for me! Prayers are very appreciated! :)

Lots of Love!!!

Morgan's Wonderland

Yesterday i went to Morgan's Wonderland with the Grant Family... It was SO FUN! :) Morgan's Wonderland is the first amusement park that is solely focused on people with Special Needs. Everything in the park is based around the girl Morgan Hartman and her father Gordon Hartman(Which i had the pleasure of meeting yesterday) did all of this for her! It was so cool, And seriously its about time! :) Seriously this park is incredible and just all around a beautiful thing! The employees are very friendly, the security system is absolutely incredible! There is no way of losing a child or someone being able to take them from that park! Anyways, i got to play with Rachel all day and it was very cool! She had a blast and so did I! God Bless Morgan's Wonderland! Grand Opening is on April 10th. If you know anyone with Special Needs and you live in Texas i would recommend it! :) This Picture is Morgan by the by... You can read more about this incredible place at http://www.morganswonderland.com/index.html

Enjoy! :)

Oh... And Marie and Nora come tomorrow! If you dont know them... Marie was our foreign exchange student from Germany and Nora is her sister. They will be here for a week, i am stoked! I haven't seen her since January! :) My German Sister is comin to her American Home! :)

Exhilarating Experience.

My Exciting experience for today... My College, Northeast Lakeview College went on lock down at approximately 12:05 this afternoon due to a chain of events that occurred at Kitty Hawk Middle School right down the road....

This is how our lockdown went.

• This mysterious number called our phones 6 times leaving multiple voice mails in the middle of class, ok... Creepers!
• They would not let anyone out or in buildings... If you were walking from one building to the next you were officially used at bate for any assassin or person wanting to inflict pain. I relate it to the scene of Twilight New Moon where the Bad Vampires are bringing in people to tour that one place in Italy and well... Ate them!

In Conclusion, If the attacker was on the campus of my college i would have died or watched the poor students stuck outside die because of the very unorganized lock down...

My Exhilarating Experience for the day! Wow, Im wrecked! I think because of this very terrifying event and that it is my moms birthday today, Oh and i did the worst work out video today that almost killed me right there and then... Therefore, i think i have deserved the right to eat something fattening and sweet and fantastic tonight...

Terra, I hope this was a good enough post for you today!

I quote myself "I am the worst blogger!"

It has been quite a while! Oops... Ok... So Thursday i took 3 mid terms which i think went pretty well... I had two last saturday which leaves one class. Praise God we dont have a mid term in that class. I was thinking the other day i should just repeat over and over "I love tests I love tests I love tests I love tests!" Then maybe i would get good at them :) Yea, i dont think it will work! haha

Updates on the Mission... All my amazing recommendation filler outers have so kindly dont their recommendations for me, Now i have to fill out paper work and get a physical and take a personality test. My goal is to be finished with this phase before this month is over. I am praying and i would appreciate ya'lls prayers in me finding a place cheap to get a physical that would take time to fill out the paper work with care and thought into it. (a physician has to fill out all this stuff... Boring... i know!) Anyways, that is what is going there. PRAISE GOD!

I am doing this work out program with my mom and a great friend Cindy Dinsmore. It is Chalene Johnson... HOLY COW it kicks my butt... But i am pretty much addicted at this point i think! It has been two weeks so far and i am already noticing my energy level shooting up(as if i needed any more of that) and all around i am just feeling so fresh(after i shower of course) and healthy! My mom bought mangos which is my all time favorite fruit and i ate a whole one for breakfast yesterday after working out... Turns out i had orange stains all around my mouth.... And i found out at school that i had orange stains on my pants too. I will take that as a warning that i need to calm down when mangos are in sight. (I eat the peel too, my mom almost hurled when she saw me... It was kind funny!)

Then today, God totally showed himself! A very good friend of mine and i mended hurt feelings and working toward restoring our relationship. The burdon of wearing that pain was so heavy and thick but that is SO gone now and i can breathe so much easier. It amazes me how often i let my burdons affect my physical self.. Like health wise whenever i am stressed i get so tight and my asthma is worse and everything about me is just so on edge. But God freed me from that this morning. It has been a GREAT day! Worked out, had oat meal, Made amense with my sister in Christ, Went on a walk with my momma and the dogs, came home, blogged and am waiting for my sister to get home so we can go to the Grants house to nanny for their 3 angels. I look forward to it!

I am going to try to keep this up a little more... I will try i will try i will try i will try, maybe it will work! :)

Lots of Love! Blessings, Britt

Ohhhh life!!!

After a fantastic trip to Paris and Germany visiting my German sister Marie, and after heading to the Ukraine to pick up 3 gorgeous babies which i love so very very much life seemed to have taken flight in a positive happy ora of greatness! Then... i came home! At first i was on fire so excited about adoption and missions and just all around full of joy! Lately i have lost that joy that i had when i was around those babies.... So now... I am certain i have found the solution to my slight decrease of funk and stokedness of life... Babies. In order to find that joy i felt in the Ukraine with those children i need to get some babies! :) hahaha.... Of course i know that this will not happen very soon, i am also very aware that what i want to have caused the joy, and what actually caused the joy are two totally different things! GOD is the sole reason for any joy i felt there and will feel now. BUT babies did play a part in it! For months i have been shuffling back and forth of what kind of missionary work i wanted to do... Whether it be just helping people in their towns build stuff or cook for them or what not! Now i am fairly certain that i am called to be around children overseas... I really want to work in Orphanages overseas but we'll see where God leads me with that whole thing! Overall, even though my current battle with finding joy in my present circumstances(which just happens to be a boredom of life and a urge to be on a mission somewhere else right now) I know that God is teaching me, shaping me, helping me find peace and have patience in this time of waiting so anxiously for March to come around to find out where i will be goin on my mission come 2011. Its just that week or two long of blahhhh period in the year! I am praying it will leave my spirit soon but i am also grateful to learn from this time too.

Oh and for anyone reading.... Because of my long lost older sister Terra Phelps whom i love dearly, I have decided to start blogging more regularly... Hopefully i will get around to adding pictures from the big trip i took about a month ago! Anywhooo... Much love and God bless your precious self!