i miss you, tanzania.
Ninakukosa, Tanzania.
i love hot water.
ninapenda maji ya moto.
an interesting article: link
troy told me last night that i should update my blog. so this is my attempt to do just that.
i have missed going on a mission trip this year. my soul longs to go somewhere and do something with people who do not speak english, who know the joy of sacrificial giving. i'm exhausted by americans who have everything they could ever want, yet constantly complain of how little they have.
on my mind today: my life is so blessed to have a wonderful, caring husband. Troy really is an amazing husband. We've had a couple stressful weeks recently (and we'll continue to have a couple in the next few weeks), yet Troy maintains courage and strength to go through with the tasks which need to be completed. He works very hard for our family. He's great with the kids. He's gentle and patient with me. He's cleaned and straightened the house time after time in the last couple of weeks. He cooks great. I'm so thankful for Troy and i'm looking forward to our journey ahead.
the smurfs are coming back. i just saw a commercial about Macy's having smurfs for the holidays. good times.
carson is nearly 7 months old already. he's in the 74% for height for his age. he's rolled over a few times, but he loves to sit up and play.
michael and alex are growing taller and smarter every day. Michael and Alex will be spending more time in our home, and Troy and I are so glad about that.
A Spark
There seems to be things in life which spark something within each of us from being procrastinators to being over achievers. All of us have them. These little sparks come in different wrapping. What sparks me probably won't spark any one else.
I recently bought a book from amazon called, 'Wrestling with Angels' by Carolyn Arends. She is a song writer and musician whom I've really enjoyed for a long time. From the moment my fingers held the book, I could tell it was going to be my spark, nearly like tipping point by Malcolm Gladwell, which is another one of those books which amazed me. Carolyn makes this quote, "My life so far has consisted mostly of a series of seemingly routine moments, completely unremarkable except for the fact that the God of the Universe chooses to encode Himself in even the most mundane aspects of our lives." that quote struck a nerve in me. it felt like something I would come up with.
I have some friends working at a girls retreat this coming weekend. They could use some prayers as they minister to these teenagers. These young girls will be challenged and confronted this weekend by the God of the Universe. It's going to be spectacular! Can't wait to hear how it goes!
I recently bought a book from amazon called, 'Wrestling with Angels' by Carolyn Arends. She is a song writer and musician whom I've really enjoyed for a long time. From the moment my fingers held the book, I could tell it was going to be my spark, nearly like tipping point by Malcolm Gladwell, which is another one of those books which amazed me. Carolyn makes this quote, "My life so far has consisted mostly of a series of seemingly routine moments, completely unremarkable except for the fact that the God of the Universe chooses to encode Himself in even the most mundane aspects of our lives." that quote struck a nerve in me. it felt like something I would come up with.
I have some friends working at a girls retreat this coming weekend. They could use some prayers as they minister to these teenagers. These young girls will be challenged and confronted this weekend by the God of the Universe. It's going to be spectacular! Can't wait to hear how it goes!
Absence
Troy has been out of town for training the last two days, and I miss him like crazy. The house is so quiet without him being around here. Carson and I are managing, but we're both looking forward to seeing him tomorrow night. We get Michael and Alex this coming weekend so that should be fun too. Thinking about going to Dixie Motor Speedway on Saturday to celebrate Steven's b-day. Steven will have all the boys from the ranch. It should be a good time. I'm trying to find a babysitter for the night so Carson can stay home. Any takers?
Carson is doing pretty well sleeping thru the night now. I'm being pretty strict on his feeding/wake/sleep schedule during the day so we can keep up the good sleeping patterns. I'm absolutely loving sleeping thru the night again since it's been before he was born that I got a full night sleep. As long as he gets 6 feedings in during the day, he'll sleep all night long. We'll just have to make sure he's continually gaining weight. So far he's up to nearly 11.5 pounds. So proud of him for sleeping thru the night and being so brave during his shots at the pediatric's office.
Carson is doing pretty well sleeping thru the night now. I'm being pretty strict on his feeding/wake/sleep schedule during the day so we can keep up the good sleeping patterns. I'm absolutely loving sleeping thru the night again since it's been before he was born that I got a full night sleep. As long as he gets 6 feedings in during the day, he'll sleep all night long. We'll just have to make sure he's continually gaining weight. So far he's up to nearly 11.5 pounds. So proud of him for sleeping thru the night and being so brave during his shots at the pediatric's office.
Fourth of July
It feels odd having the 4th on Sunday. We're meeting with our small group this evening in Roswell to watch the fireworks. Looking forward to that. We'll see how Carson does with the loud noises. Yesterday was the first day that he cried because he was scared of a noise. Troy started his power drill and Carson began screaming. Guess we know now that Carson has good ears!
Yesterday was a pretty productive day around the Brown house. Troy and I moved the living room furniture around. I like this new layout much better. We have the windows completely visible now, instead of having a couch cover them. Now if only we could get rid of 1/2 of the stuff in the rest of the house. It's cleaning weekend, so we'll see what else gets accomplished around her in the next 2 days. I have to do something with the bathroom and our bedroom (along with starting to paint Carson's room.)
Yesterday was a pretty productive day around the Brown house. Troy and I moved the living room furniture around. I like this new layout much better. We have the windows completely visible now, instead of having a couch cover them. Now if only we could get rid of 1/2 of the stuff in the rest of the house. It's cleaning weekend, so we'll see what else gets accomplished around her in the next 2 days. I have to do something with the bathroom and our bedroom (along with starting to paint Carson's room.)
Binkies and an Orange Room
little carson is learning how to deal with some changes. he's moved up to his room upstairs now and so he's sleeping in his crib. so far he's doing pretty well, since we are only a few days into the change.
the bigger change is that we are putting him down for a nap without his binkie (pacifier). he's not very pleased with that one, but each day gets a little easier. the problem is that the binkie won't stay in his mouth and so he wakes himself up about 15 minutes into sleeping. then he screams even more, so i'm trying the no pacifier for a bit, trying to get him to sleep more soundly. as much as he sticks his hands near his face, he'll probably be a thumb sucker. not looking forward to that, but trying everything to get him to sleep for more than 20 minutes at a time. the pacifier my nemesis right now.
last night carson's sleep schedule was really whacked, but tonight he seems to be back on track. so far he's slept from 10.30 until 3, then fell back to sleep. I can handle getting up one time a night, but when he's up several times - it nearly kills me. looking forward to the days when we all sleep thru the night. it will be coming soon (i hope!).
Troy and i picked up paint for carson's room yesterday. Orange and Blue. Need to do a little nail hole repair before i can start painting, but maybe later today I'll get around to working on it. It's amazing how much time it takes to get anything done with carson. he's a great baby - not much crying, but it takes forever to do things. no one could've prepared me for that. every 3 hours we feed him - after eating he needs to be played with for an hour or so. then it's nap time for an hour or so - then the cycle starts over. that's our daily schedule. eat, play, sleep. so glad carson doesn't mind playing in his baby gym and sitting in chair by himself.
troy's new job seems to be going well. he left the house at 3.45 am this morning (hence the reason i'm up at 4.30), on his way to savannah to pick up a truck which is at the repair shop. he should be back later this afternoon. he keeps commenting about how close he lives to work - only a 5 minute drive for him. so much nicer than an hour or more one way!
my sister-in-law and her family could use some thoughts and prayers. she just found out that she has breast cancer and needs to have surgery the second week of August. the doctors say the cancer is stage 0, so they've caught it very early.
watching the news about the torrential rains in Monterrey, Mexico. hurricane Alex is dumping on them, and they are getting flooded - literally. my friend, Jennie, is down there - serving as a missionary. i pray she's doing okay with all her people.
okay, going to take another nap before mr. carson decides it time to eat again.
the bigger change is that we are putting him down for a nap without his binkie (pacifier). he's not very pleased with that one, but each day gets a little easier. the problem is that the binkie won't stay in his mouth and so he wakes himself up about 15 minutes into sleeping. then he screams even more, so i'm trying the no pacifier for a bit, trying to get him to sleep more soundly. as much as he sticks his hands near his face, he'll probably be a thumb sucker. not looking forward to that, but trying everything to get him to sleep for more than 20 minutes at a time. the pacifier my nemesis right now.
last night carson's sleep schedule was really whacked, but tonight he seems to be back on track. so far he's slept from 10.30 until 3, then fell back to sleep. I can handle getting up one time a night, but when he's up several times - it nearly kills me. looking forward to the days when we all sleep thru the night. it will be coming soon (i hope!).
Troy and i picked up paint for carson's room yesterday. Orange and Blue. Need to do a little nail hole repair before i can start painting, but maybe later today I'll get around to working on it. It's amazing how much time it takes to get anything done with carson. he's a great baby - not much crying, but it takes forever to do things. no one could've prepared me for that. every 3 hours we feed him - after eating he needs to be played with for an hour or so. then it's nap time for an hour or so - then the cycle starts over. that's our daily schedule. eat, play, sleep. so glad carson doesn't mind playing in his baby gym and sitting in chair by himself.
troy's new job seems to be going well. he left the house at 3.45 am this morning (hence the reason i'm up at 4.30), on his way to savannah to pick up a truck which is at the repair shop. he should be back later this afternoon. he keeps commenting about how close he lives to work - only a 5 minute drive for him. so much nicer than an hour or more one way!
my sister-in-law and her family could use some thoughts and prayers. she just found out that she has breast cancer and needs to have surgery the second week of August. the doctors say the cancer is stage 0, so they've caught it very early.
watching the news about the torrential rains in Monterrey, Mexico. hurricane Alex is dumping on them, and they are getting flooded - literally. my friend, Jennie, is down there - serving as a missionary. i pray she's doing okay with all her people.
okay, going to take another nap before mr. carson decides it time to eat again.
Adjusting to Life with Carson
Carson is 8 weeks old now. I see that it's been about 5 weeks since I last updated this blog - way overdue for an update.
We've been traveling and enjoying summer. We've taken a family vacation to S. Dakota. We drove - yep, you read right - we drove to S. Dakota with Michael, Alex, and Carson in the backseat. The older boys enjoyed their playstation and Carson slept most of the way. We made a stop at the St. Louis Arch. We rode the elevator cars to the top. The view was spectacular - clear skies, little breeze.
Next, we stopped in Kansas City and enjoyed some barbecue at Arthur Bryant's. That might have been Troy's favorite part of the trip. He's been talking about that bbq for weeks now. The sandwiches were piled several inches high with beef brisket. I enjoyed the rich and spicy bbq sauce.
In S. Dakota we spent lots of time with family and friends. Granny Go-Go who's 87 enjoyed meeting Carson. She was so excited to meet him that when we drove into her driveway, she came running out of the house. I couldn't help but smile ear to ear when she got to meet him for the first time. She loves all our boys. I'm so glad that my family has accepted Michael and Alex with open arms. Michael and my cousin, Josh, really hit it off well, as did Alex with Lexi and Landon. It's cool to see the kids connecting with their extended family.
We got to spend a little time with Cheryl Gapp, along with Deena and Burke Perry. It's always good to re-connect with those good friends.
After several days in S. Dakota, we drove to Wisconsin for a little family reunion at Lakeland Resort. Michael felt like he was in heaven, getting to fish for 2 days straight. Our cousin, Randy, took Michael and Josh fishing for several hours in the boat. Alex loved the pool, and hanging out with Lexi and Landon. Cousin Russell allowed Michael, Josh, and Alex a chance to drive his Skidoo. That was a highlight for both of them. Carson enjoyed his time with all the relatives - getting loved on and cuddled.
A few weeks after our S. Dakota trip, Troy, Carson and I took a trip to Alaska. We loved spending time with Laura and Paul. The 4 hour glacier cruise was my favorite. It was incredible seeing all the wildlife - whales, sea otters, sea lions, eagles, various gulls. Then there was the glacier - so cool to hear and see the calving glaciers. Calving is when chunks of the glacier fall into the water causing a thunderous sound and waves. One of the glacier we were near was very active and huge pieces crashed into the ocean. Truly a spectacular event.
Some other places we visited were: Beartooth Grill in Anchorage, The Train Wreck - Smoke Shack Restaurant, Miller's Landing Lodging, Seward Ship's Drydock, and Resurrection Roadhouse Restaurant.
I need to rap up this post, because I have a doctor's appointment. Trying to be more consistent about updating this blog. I met a very cool person on the flight to Anchorage named Anna who works for Redbook. She's inspired me to write more often. Her life seemed so interesting.
We've been traveling and enjoying summer. We've taken a family vacation to S. Dakota. We drove - yep, you read right - we drove to S. Dakota with Michael, Alex, and Carson in the backseat. The older boys enjoyed their playstation and Carson slept most of the way. We made a stop at the St. Louis Arch. We rode the elevator cars to the top. The view was spectacular - clear skies, little breeze.
Next, we stopped in Kansas City and enjoyed some barbecue at Arthur Bryant's. That might have been Troy's favorite part of the trip. He's been talking about that bbq for weeks now. The sandwiches were piled several inches high with beef brisket. I enjoyed the rich and spicy bbq sauce.
In S. Dakota we spent lots of time with family and friends. Granny Go-Go who's 87 enjoyed meeting Carson. She was so excited to meet him that when we drove into her driveway, she came running out of the house. I couldn't help but smile ear to ear when she got to meet him for the first time. She loves all our boys. I'm so glad that my family has accepted Michael and Alex with open arms. Michael and my cousin, Josh, really hit it off well, as did Alex with Lexi and Landon. It's cool to see the kids connecting with their extended family.
We got to spend a little time with Cheryl Gapp, along with Deena and Burke Perry. It's always good to re-connect with those good friends.
After several days in S. Dakota, we drove to Wisconsin for a little family reunion at Lakeland Resort. Michael felt like he was in heaven, getting to fish for 2 days straight. Our cousin, Randy, took Michael and Josh fishing for several hours in the boat. Alex loved the pool, and hanging out with Lexi and Landon. Cousin Russell allowed Michael, Josh, and Alex a chance to drive his Skidoo. That was a highlight for both of them. Carson enjoyed his time with all the relatives - getting loved on and cuddled.
A few weeks after our S. Dakota trip, Troy, Carson and I took a trip to Alaska. We loved spending time with Laura and Paul. The 4 hour glacier cruise was my favorite. It was incredible seeing all the wildlife - whales, sea otters, sea lions, eagles, various gulls. Then there was the glacier - so cool to hear and see the calving glaciers. Calving is when chunks of the glacier fall into the water causing a thunderous sound and waves. One of the glacier we were near was very active and huge pieces crashed into the ocean. Truly a spectacular event.
Some other places we visited were: Beartooth Grill in Anchorage, The Train Wreck - Smoke Shack Restaurant, Miller's Landing Lodging, Seward Ship's Drydock, and Resurrection Roadhouse Restaurant.
I need to rap up this post, because I have a doctor's appointment. Trying to be more consistent about updating this blog. I met a very cool person on the flight to Anchorage named Anna who works for Redbook. She's inspired me to write more often. Her life seemed so interesting.
Beautiful Bouncing Baby Boy
so Carson Steven arrived on April 29, 2010. he's spectacular! it has been a learning curve having a newborn in the house, but overall we're adjusting pretty well. he's about 11 days old today, and still we're working on getting more sleep during the night than during the day. he really enjoys sleeping in the afternoons. last night he woke up every 3 hours, so that's do-able.
he's been an absolute blessing so far. he's a wonderful baby - nearly too content for a newborn. he's great at eating and cute as 2 buttons. so far he's slept thru several braves games - he's not really missing anything except last night win against the brewers. he's currently conked out in his little vibrating chair.
i think when i have a coke it seriously affects his sleeping patterns, so i'm learning not to drink coke.
we're taking a family vacation in june - all of us including michael and alex. we'll be driving to so. dakota, then to wisconsin for a family reunion. i know my parents are looking so forward to their time with the boys. granny go-go has already shown carson's photo to all the people in the madison hospital. she's way excited about his arrival.
i can't really decide who carson looks like. there are times when he looks more like troy, and then there are times when i see more of myself in him. guess time will tell. i'm curious to see if his eyes will be more blue or green.
that's a brief update on our lives in the last couple of weeks.
he's been an absolute blessing so far. he's a wonderful baby - nearly too content for a newborn. he's great at eating and cute as 2 buttons. so far he's slept thru several braves games - he's not really missing anything except last night win against the brewers. he's currently conked out in his little vibrating chair.
i think when i have a coke it seriously affects his sleeping patterns, so i'm learning not to drink coke.
we're taking a family vacation in june - all of us including michael and alex. we'll be driving to so. dakota, then to wisconsin for a family reunion. i know my parents are looking so forward to their time with the boys. granny go-go has already shown carson's photo to all the people in the madison hospital. she's way excited about his arrival.
i can't really decide who carson looks like. there are times when he looks more like troy, and then there are times when i see more of myself in him. guess time will tell. i'm curious to see if his eyes will be more blue or green.
that's a brief update on our lives in the last couple of weeks.
still alive
we are doing good.
we're in week 36 of the pregnancy - so hopefully less than 4 weeks left until we meet this little person face to face.
trying to get back in blogging is rough. my english skills are lacking.
got a new toy yesterday. looking forward to learning how it all works. got it for $60 - new!!
might be getting a new (used) car.
had fun last weekend. first we celebrated a baby shower with great friends in jasper. we scored some wonderful gifts for which we are grateful. then had a good time at the auto show with our boys and the boys from the ranch.
loving the weather today!
we're in week 36 of the pregnancy - so hopefully less than 4 weeks left until we meet this little person face to face.
trying to get back in blogging is rough. my english skills are lacking.
got a new toy yesterday. looking forward to learning how it all works. got it for $60 - new!!
might be getting a new (used) car.
had fun last weekend. first we celebrated a baby shower with great friends in jasper. we scored some wonderful gifts for which we are grateful. then had a good time at the auto show with our boys and the boys from the ranch.
loving the weather today!
To SoDak and Back
Troy and I had a blustery cold trip to s. dakota. the actually temperature when we were up there was -30°. It was a record the state on that date. Isn't that nice? We were so cold! Troy and I both had on layer after layer of clothes, gloves and scarves. Fun times! Other than the weather being so brutally cold, we had a wonderful time. It's always good to re-connect with family and friends.
Partly the reason for our visit was to celebrate my parents' 40th wedding anniversary. We had a great get-together at the Nazarene church in Madison, having a taco bar. Normally we have soup on New Year's Eve, but this year they opted for tacos. Troy and I gave Granny her gift - a pair of cheetah print pajama bottoms, socks, and a bright red shirt. My family put her up to modeling the PJ's, and then sitting on Troy's lap. It was too funny. I love the craziness of my family. We always have a good laugh every time we are there. For being 86 (just about 87 this Saturday), my granny is in great health.
Laura and her family threw a wonderful baby shower for us on Saturday. We had a great time sharing stories and memories. My granny said that she's proud of who I married. (think I've been ousted from the family and Troy and nestled his way in!) There were many stories of my childhood. We came out wonderful with all the loot - tons of baby clothes, blankets, toys, and cash. So glad my friends and family can celebrate with Troy and me through this pregnancy. I have some wonderful friends from all around the US who flew into s. dakota on the coldest day of the year to share in our journey of child bearing. Kimberly came from Las Vegas, Laura and Paul from Alaska, and other from all over eastern s. dakota.
We got back to Georgia very early on Monday morning. We had a baby doctor's appointment at 9 am. That was a little rough, but we made it through. Everything is going well with Baby Brown. Here's a photo of the little tyke:
Partly the reason for our visit was to celebrate my parents' 40th wedding anniversary. We had a great get-together at the Nazarene church in Madison, having a taco bar. Normally we have soup on New Year's Eve, but this year they opted for tacos. Troy and I gave Granny her gift - a pair of cheetah print pajama bottoms, socks, and a bright red shirt. My family put her up to modeling the PJ's, and then sitting on Troy's lap. It was too funny. I love the craziness of my family. We always have a good laugh every time we are there. For being 86 (just about 87 this Saturday), my granny is in great health.
Laura and her family threw a wonderful baby shower for us on Saturday. We had a great time sharing stories and memories. My granny said that she's proud of who I married. (think I've been ousted from the family and Troy and nestled his way in!) There were many stories of my childhood. We came out wonderful with all the loot - tons of baby clothes, blankets, toys, and cash. So glad my friends and family can celebrate with Troy and me through this pregnancy. I have some wonderful friends from all around the US who flew into s. dakota on the coldest day of the year to share in our journey of child bearing. Kimberly came from Las Vegas, Laura and Paul from Alaska, and other from all over eastern s. dakota.
We got back to Georgia very early on Monday morning. We had a baby doctor's appointment at 9 am. That was a little rough, but we made it through. Everything is going well with Baby Brown. Here's a photo of the little tyke:
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