What's my Motivation?

The other day, I was driving and as I was accelerating up the on ramp to the freeway, was behind a van with an interesting bumper sticker. And by interesting, of course, I mean deeply saddening, as is the most common vernacular usage of the word. Clearly. The sticker was simple, succinct. It had the image of a cross with the statement: "Believe or Be Left." (similar but not exactly as above)

I could be misinterpreting its meaning. To flesh out MY understanding for clarity: "Believe [in the cross/Jesus] or Be Left [Behind in the end times]"

Unless I am WAY off the mark here, I can't stand behind that statement. Unless, that is, he means, "Believe or Be Left [-Handed]" Because certainly, left-handedness is a curse from God. Ha! But I don't think that's what he means...

The Jesus that carried the very cross this person proclaims would never make a statement like that. The Jesus that called his followers to LOVE OTHERS and by that people would know they are His disciples would never make a statement like that. The Jesus that died because of such a great love for His creation would never make a statement like that. That's NOT WHY HE DID IT!

Jesus' motivation for allowing himself to be killed despite his innocence was simple: Love, Redemption, Grace. It wasn't so some could be in the "In" crowd and he could have an excuse to exclude others. Jesus died so that ALL could be saved (1 Tim. 2:4). But it does require a choice on our part. Christianity is not some exclusivistic, elitist club that people should join so they are not left out. It's not about God not picking you for His team in dodgeball or trying to convince God that you're cool enough to hang out with His crew. If the only motivation someone has to believe in God is to not be left behind and try to avoid the wrath of the end times, how sincere is that really?

On behalf of this person, I apologize to anyone who doesn't believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah. While I do believe He is the only path back to a right relationship with God, I don't agree with the means by which this person chooses to pronounce this claim. This bumper sticker sends the wrong message that doesn't accurately depict the good news of the Gospel. Jesus calls us to believe in Him so that he can restore our RELATIONSHIP with our Creator. He doesn't desire for anyone to be left behind.

Know-it-alls: Scott waxes philosophical

Why is it that often man thinks he must understand all there is to know about God before it even becomes conceivable to believe in Him?

Men, whose worldview by definition already denies the possibility of a supernatural being beyond himself, tries to define such a being, and upon failing to do so fully to his liking, concludes that said being clearly does not exist. God is comparable to a math equation in which the answer, rather than having a well-defined numerical answer possibly with a few decimal places, is instead, "the limit does not exist." God is boundless and while we know parts of his character, parts of the equation, when trying to solve the problem, in the end the only result we can come to is that His limit does not exist. Certainly no mathematician would demand a student to find another suitable solution to the problem, that IS the solution! Even more, nobody would consider attempting to discredit mathematics as being fallacy. There is such a thing as something being defined as undefined.

The means by which some men make this attempt to solve this problem and explain God already set them up for failure. They limit His existence and His character to man-made rules based upon what we "know." But how can you prove a supernatural spiritual being exists when by default your rules already deny that possibility by limiting it to a physical realm? Think about it: A thought is some kind of electrical transmission; a memory, a reaction between neurons; neither of which we fully understand nor can we pin down a physical location in the brain where memories are stored, yet nobody doubts that man can think and can remember. Is a memory physical or is it something else? If it is just physical, why can't we extract a memory from the brain like we can extract an organ or a blood sample? Maybe it's not just physical, maybe it's something more... But if one tries to argue that God is "something more," then well it's just a bunch of fanatical religious mumbo-jumbo! And we have scientists who claim to "examine the evidence" but in reality they are merely stacking the deck, so to speak, against what they already believe to be false.

Don't hear what I'm not saying. All this is not to say that there is not scientific evidence supporting the existence of God, more specifically the claims of Christianity. There are scientists who know much more than I that make extremely convincing argumentsscientifically for the existence of God. But that's not my goal here, my point is a philosophical argument, not scientific. (I find the Kalam cosmological argument to be especially fascinating, myself)

A quote comes to mind, although I'm not sure who said it: "God created man in His own image. And man, being a gentleman, returned the favor." We have an obsession with anthropomorphism. We define our universe in relation to ourselves. We characterize life through a very human, very mortal looking glass. The world is defined in man-made terms and what something "is" or what we think about it often depends on how it relates to us. God certainly does reveal himself to us in anthropomorphic images to help us, with our feeble minds, to understand His infinite character. But as soon as we LIMIT Him to just that, we deny any possibility of knowing Him further.

Isn't it reasonable to expect that a supernatural being that exists in some way beyond His creation and thus is far greater than it, call Him God, would in some ways be beyond mortal man's understanding? A being such as this would be impossible to define in terms of man. Why SHOULD He reveal Himself completely to us? And even if He were to do so, who is to say we would even be able to comprehend it?

The good news is that for those that choose to believe, God WILL reveal Himself and He WILL be fully known. The apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:12 - "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." I sincerely believe we were not meant, in our present state, to know God fully. It would be too much, we couldn't handle it. But I also sincerely believe God has revealed enough of Himself to warrant belief... even if we don't know it all.

Thank You!

Wow. I can't believe how many beautiful comments I received on that last post! My eyes filled with tears as I read what everyone wrote. I just want to thank everyone who wrote something about my mom or supported me in that last entry, it meant the world to me. Sometimes I get so caught up in my own emotions and feelings and forget how many other people out there loved and miss her deeply. It helps to know that I'm not alone in this-that other people love and miss her just as much as I do. I have done plenty of my own grieving with those closest to me and on my own, but it felt really good to not ignore my feelings on her birthday and to write something about it. I love that I could honor her if even in a small way. All of your comments really helped me to love a little deeper, make my step a little lighter, and uplift my heart and spirit. Thank you.

An Eternal Perspective

I am getting better daily, but I would be lying if I said that I didn't have a problem with worrying about little things that don't really matter from time to time. The ladies in my small group are reading a book called, "Calm my Anxious Heart," by Linda Dillow. The first chapter is about how to be content in all circumstances. One of the key points discusses viewing life from God's point of view and putting life in perspective. What is really important? Relationships with God, family, and friends? Or keeping your house clean? Are you worrying about all the little things that you have to do today? Okay. So when you put it like that, it sounds a bit obvious. But honestly, how many times do you find yourself worrying about that homework assignment that you have put off far too long, that huge pile of laundry that you just really don't have time for right now, or maybe that pound or two you gained last weekend? It just doesn't.really.matter. when you put it through God's eternal point of view.

I had one of those huge life transforming moments a few years ago sitting on Newport beach. It was a week or so after my mom had died, and I was a sophomore at Chapman University. I had just flown back to Orange County after having attended my mom's funeral, and I had that huge pit in the bottom of my stomach. I didn't know if I had the strength to go back to Chapman when my heart was in Phoenix with my family, best friends, and Scott (whom I had been dating long distance for about a year at that point). I sat on that beach staring endlessly at the eternally deep, mysterious ocean worrying about whether or not I should move back "home" to Phoenix. I worried about if I should finish the semester or not, if I would feel like a failure if I transferred schools, the headache of physically moving all of my belongings to another state..... all of that. It was at that moment that the holy spirit calmed my heart and God whispered in my ear. It was as if He was telling me that my worries were like small insignificant pennies buried in that deep ocean. It was as if he was telling me that in the grand scheme of what my life was going to look like, my problems at that precise moment in time weren't really that big of a deal. My worries were so small compared to the LIFE that He had planned for me, and who was I to waste any time dwelling on them? I felt in that moment that life was too short to not follow my heart, and I needed to leave those tiny pennies at rest in the huge, open ocean. And you know the rest of the story... moved to Phoenix, got engaged 8 months later, and shortly after married the love of my life. Things ended up turning out pretty well... couldn't have planned it better than God for sure.:)

What are you truly living for today? What will you let consume you? All those little worries and problems? Or do you choose to be consumed by the blessed king of kings who is controller over all things?

A Celebration of Life

I'm going to write about something that I have never blogged about before-something I've been too afraid to blog about-something I didn't know how to blog about, my mom. It's been a little over 3 years since she died, and I never wanted to publicly write about her or talk about her with anyone that wasn't really close to me. It seemed too personal, and it just felt like since no one besides those closest to me would understand, it was pointless. Plus, I didn't want people to just feel sorry for me. I'm a strong person, and I wanted to just be ME-not seen as the girl who has been through a lot because her mom died tragically before her time.

In addition to that, it seemed like talking about her in the open would take away the special closeness that we shared. That somehow if I kept our memories and secrets inside, they would stay sacred forever. Then I thought about today, what would have been her 48th birthday, and it doesn't seem fair that the day could just go by unnoticed, undeclared. I thought about other people I know that have had parents or someone close to them die before their time, and I thought about how reading about how other people dealt with their trials has helped me in my grieving process. And I thought... maybe I could help someone too. Maybe if I am open enough to talk publicly about what happened to me and my family, maybe someone will be touched and take one step closer to healing. And then maybe that person can share their story and help someone else.

It's weird that time just stops for her, and that she doesn't get to continue on life's journey anymore. I've shed many tears wishing that she could have been there on my wedding day, that she could have seen Erik graduate from high school, know that 3 of her kids so far have gone off to college, and know that her youngest child is loving high school. I'm sad knowing that she will never hold her first grandchild, or know how much I love my husband. I wish I could thank her today for teaching me about how to be a woman, and tell her that so much of the way I live my every day life is because of her.

At the same time, I'm thankful that I knew her for 20 full years, and that she did know Scott. Scott and I had a crush on each other in the 8th grade, so he used to come over and hang out after school sometimes. We were dating when she passed in February of 06', and she had told her best friend a few months before that she had thought he was "the one." It's these little things that I'm thankful for. While she will miss out on so many good things to come in life, I'm thankful for what she did get to be a part of, and that she did have 45 years of life on Earth. And if she can't see what's going on on Earth now, then I'll just have to take eternity to fill her in on everything some day.

Happy birthday, Mom.

Tell It Like It Is

My grandma is 95. She doesn't see the need to filter what she says anymore. Nor does she understand my generation. She's been around the block a few times and just calls the world as she sees it. Here is what I learned tonight.

She likes my hair straight. It looks good. Apparently it looks dreadful when I curl it. She also likes it when I pin it back with a clip so she can see my eyes. She wonders why I have hair near my eyes (side bangs).

She likes my husband even though she can never remember his name. She doesn't understand why he didn't come to dinner tonight (it was a last minute thing and he had other plans). She then came to the conclusion that, well, we spend enough time together, so we probably don't need to be together all the time.

Direct quote, "You've been married for SO LONG. Don't you want to see results?? You've been working for too long. Don't you have enough money saved up so you can stay home? If you have too many kids, they can always sleep in the kitchen. I only have a few years left and I think you need to start a family."

Thanks, Besta. Always so helpful.:)

Look How Far We've Come

HAHAHAHAHA.... As I was going through pictures, I found this gem. This is Scott and I in the 7th grade (age 12 or 13). Look at that awkward tension. Ya gotta love it.

Just look at how far we've come (10 or 11 years later at the age of 23....)!!!

OH, WAIT. HOW EMBARRASSING...... here we go:

Yikes. Maybe we haven't really come that far!

Cardinals Fans

I haven't had much time to blog lately, so when it rains it pours... 5 million blogs in one day. Sorry, you'll just have to deal with it!

Anyway.....

As EVERYONE on the planet knows... the Cardinals have never been that great.... meaning they're not very fun to watch... meaning we never watched....

BUT.

After the amazing superbowl game last season... we have decided to become dedicated fans. I know. Fairweather fans. Whatever. We have a renewed sense of respect and dedication. Get over it. If they start playing poorly again for the next few years, it's possible that I'll stop watching, and I'm not going to lie about it. I'm just trying to be honest with you guys.

The above picture represents our dedication. Well, sort of. Chick-fil-a gave out free chicken sandwiches to those who wore their favorite sportswear on Labor Day. Thus... the perfect excuse to buy a fake jersey from Walmart and begin our journey with the Cardinals this season.

GO CARDS!

Dog Destruction

First it was the couch pillows.

Then it was their dog bed.

Then it was the carpet.

Now it's our bed pillows.

Soooooo not okay. And this isn't even including the coffee table, the rugs, the kitchen towels, the stucco off the walls, the couch arms, or the sticks/dirt/rocks/treasures they find outside and bring into the house on a daily basis. Oh.My.Goodness. I don't even know how we do it.

Santa Monica Trip

Last weekend I had the opportunity to visit my bestie, Mrs. Bethany Mudd! I met her freshman year of college at Chapman University and we were completely inseparable. In fact, many people got us confused since we were always together finding it difficult to figure out which one of us was Bethany and which one of us was Brianne. We didn't make it any easier on people because coincidently, we always happened to have the same hair color. We met as blondes, and then came home from Christmas break as brunettes, only to go away for the summer to become blondes again.... you get the picture. Not to mention the fact that we both had long distance boyfriends, Steve and Scott. Whew!

Anyway, I completely love this girl to pieces and was so blessed to be able to go and visit her in her new home in Santa Monica. Bethany and her husband Steve live right next to the Santa Monica pier about 13 blocks from the beach. It was a whole different culture down there, and I loved every minute of it! They don't have the need to drive much, because the grocery store, church, beach, an outdoor pier of stores (including Gap, American Eagle, American Apparel, Urban Outfitters).... right down the street from their apartment! AMAZING. It was such a relaxing, wonderful, beautiful weekend. I loved that we could just talk and giggle until 1am and just do whatever we felt like doing at any given moment. Pedicures? Lay on the beach? Go grab some lunch? Deep convo about life? Shopping? Laughing until our stomachs hurt? Yes, please!! It was some much needed girl time, and I am so thankful to have her in my life.

A Little Bit of Heaven

1/4 cup Warm Vanilla Sugar scented Bubble Bath from Bath and Body Works
1 glass of favorite wine
1 Norah Jones album singing softly in the background
1 Clean Linen scented Yankee candle
1 huge roman tub and ample water supply
1 bath pillow from Bed Bath and Beyond

I Heart Technology

Preparing for my usual Saturday morning routine, I "threw out" my back this morning attempting to throw a load of laundry in the washer. Who knew laundry could be such a dangerous task? For an energetic type A personality, this is a crushing experience. After doing some research online, I found out that the best way for me to heal is to rest my back for 48 hours and then I can be back to my normal routine. Wait. WHAT!? 48 hours??? I have to sit on my butt and do NOTHING for 48 hours!!??!! I know that for a lot of people this may be a cause for celebration, but it is really a time of mourning for me. My house will not get it's normal weekend conditioning, the laundry will continue to sit in the hamper, and meanwhile, I have to sit in my house thinking about all the things that I could be, should be, and want to be doing on my weekend. Eff. On the other hand, I do have to give kudos to our current world of technology that is currently providing me hours of mindless entertainment thanks to Tivo, the movie industry, and my precious laptop which allows me a glimpse into the world through social media. It's possible that I may actually survive this one hour at a time.

Toronto, Canada

My boss asked me awhile back if I would be interested in going to the American Psychological Association's (APA) Annual Convention with her. She is the president of the division of private practice and asked if I would want to come help her. She said that there would be plenty of free time, and that Scott could come too!

Always looking for new experiences and opportunities (especially to travel!), we were very excited to go, especially since going to the APA Convention this year also meant staying in the President's Suite on the 35th floor of the Westin Harbour Castle looking out onto Lake Ontario in Toronto, Canada! I did not know much about Toronto at this time, but after doing some online research, Scott and I found out that we would be somewhat close to Niagara Falls, which is somewhere I have wanted to visit my whole life! While I have never made out a concrete "bucket list," visiting the falls would definitely be on it. Scott also discovered that Toronto is the home of the tallest man-made structure in the WORLD, the CN Tower. Conveniently, it happened to be located within walking distance of our hotel!

We were able to go ALLLLL the way to the top of the CN Tower and experience Toronto at a new level! The view was indescribable. On the observation deck, there was an area in which the floor was made of glass so that you could look all the way down to the ground. It was really exhilarating to stand on. While I knew LOGICALLY that it was safe... there was some part of me that was afraid that the floor was going to give way beneath me at any given moment and I would be falling 2,000 feet to my death. What a crazy feeling!



While this picture in no way can capture the feeling or the view, here is what it looked like looking down from the glass floor:



My favorite part of the trip was definitely the Maid of the Mist Boat Ride to the base of Niagara Falls. It was so incredible to feel the mist on your face and look up as high as you can to see nothing but the sky and a million gallons of water crashing down right in front of you. We were told that a million gallons of water pour down every MINUTE!


I am so thankful to have had this opportunity! My boss was very generous to allow us so much free time and I could not be more grateful. Thanks also to the best sister-in-love EVER who spoiled our puppies and watched our house while we were gone! That is not an easy job and we are SO THANKFUL! Thank you, Christie!!! We loved every second of the trip, and will treasure these memories forever.

Make your bed!

I never understood the concept of making your bed. I understand that it makes the room look neat and clean, and don't get me wrong, I like my decorative pillows as much as the next girl, but let's be honest; the concept of making your bed doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I make our bed when 1) I know ahead of time that people are coming over and will tour my house or 2) on the rare days that the whole house gets a thorough cleaning and the bed just doesn't look right unmade with a totally clean house. Would someone like to enlighten me on why making your bed is important? Because I'm pretty sure there are people out there that are anal about it, and I don't get it.

Live, Love, Laugh

Today I want to write about something that means a lot to me. It's a place where I always feel comfortable. It's a sanctuary that is beautiful and peaceful. I find comfort here. It gives me a sense of security and roots. It's a space that I have created that I can work on, work in, eat, sleep, dream, relax, love, and enjoy for as long as God blesses me with it. In this area, I can color the walls as I desire, change things as I see fit, and really just LIVE. This place is my house... and I could not be more thankful.

New Testament grace... in the Old Testament?!

"You there! Yeah, you! Don't do anything enjoyable or I will straight KILL YOU!"

I'm sure many people have heard others refer to what I call as God's cosmic mood swing. It's the thought that pervades society that in the Old Testament, God was really pissed off, but then in the New Testament, God chilled out and became nice. So on one hand you have this omnipotent and omniangry God just laying on the old school judgment, and on the other hand you have Jesus in white robes talking about love and joy and happy things. It's like people think Jesus was a hippy and God was his disapproving father.

When you examine the concept of Biblical GRACE in light of this viewpoint, it would be easy to say that grace is something reserved for the New Testament and that the Law and judgment resides in the Old Testament. Sure there is some truth to that, but it's certainly not all-encompassing. In fact, I read a passage this morning that left an indelible mark on my heart and mind in the realm of grace. It was Isaiah 43:25...

"I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins."

This is God talking to the nation of Israel not long after he does as OT-God should and condemns them for their idolatry and wickedness. He starts talking of the future Messiah He promises them and all that He will do for their nation despite their unfaithfulness. But here's the best part: WHY DID HE DO IT?

"For my own sake."

Jesus came not because the nation of Israel earned it, not because their sacrifices were pleasing to God's bloodlust, not because He was a hippy or a pushover. Jesus came for His own sake, because of who He is, the essence of His being. He came because He is good, He is love, and no matter how far they strayed from Him, He never stopped caring about the well-being of His people.

If that's not grace, I don't know what is.

I heart Alaska!

Here are a few highlight pics from our cruise:

Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau: So gorgeous!! We took a hike up to a huge waterfall that was located right next to the glacier and at the very bottom looking ALLLL the way up to the top. What a view! Highlight of the trip for me!

In Ketchikan, Alaska: I really liked the look and feel of this city. We walked around the shops a little and found a beautiful city park in which we saw our first bald eagle (one of many to come on this trip!) perched on a branch fairly close to us. Also saw a sea lion in the harbor and enjoyed the beautiful forest.

1st Formal Night: We had fun playing dress-up every night for dinner! Well, I did anyway.... ;)

Here's the whole gang of cruisers. From left to right: Joel & Liz (step-sis and her boyfriend), Scott, Me, Juli & Dad, Walt & Linda (Juli's parents), Austin (step-bro), Connor (bro), Rachel (sis). Whew! The only member of the immediate family missing was Erik (bro) as he is doing an internship in Salt Lake City this summer. Missed you Erik!!

Overall, an absolutely fabulous vacation! The wildlife and scenery was amazing and it was really relaxing to just do whatever we wanted whenever we wanted! We ate our weight in food, went to the shows every night, and had some good quality family fun. I would definitely recommend an Alaskan cruise to anyone and everyone!

Summer is here!

Summer is here and that means only one thing in Arizona... choose to die a slow and painful death or go on vacation for the whole summer! Just kidding... but it does allow us to do one fun thing... SWIM! We're having lots of fun swimming with the dogs this summer as they absolutely LOVE the water! We have a community pool by our house but there is a "no pets allowed" rule (Boo!). Mom and Dad Van Sande have been nice enough to let us use their pool though! The other dog in the picture is their dog, Shelby. The pups love to play fetch in the water. Sadie just had her first birthday yesterday and Sam is getting big! We're going to take them camping next weekend with some friends. It'll be Sam's first camping trip and the first time we take both of them at the same time so hopefully all will go well! We're going to go back to Heber next to Bear Canyon Lake so the pups will have plenty of water time there. We've recently acquired a lot of new camping equipment too so we're excited to put it to use. Pictures to come soon!

Happy Birthday, Scott!

After blowing out the candles on his birthday cake, Scott decided he wanted to just play with fire. I don't think we can ever have a boy because I'm pretty sure Scott would turn him into a pyromaniac.

My Brain is on a Cruise Right Now

This is ALL I can think about right now. Me... Hubby... less than 2 weeks... 7 day Alaska Cruise... sweatshirts... being cold when it is 100 degrees here... CAN'T WAIT. My brain is already on the ship. Just need to get my body there! Can't wait to just mentally check out and enjoy every second. We haven't had a full vacation since our honeymoon (Dec. 2007) so we are REALLY looking forward to this! I love cruises SO MUCH. YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

I'm Baaaaaack!

I changed my mind about the Tumblr blog. I initially thought I would blog more because of the ease of use (you can blog and upload pictures easily from your phone). However... I didn't blog anymore than I do now. So, just kidding on that one. Plus, Blogspot allows you to do really cute custom designed backgrounds and headers! Like our new background? It took me awhile to figure out how to design a custom header, but it sure looks cute doesn't it!?:)

Strong as hell... kind as Christ

I'm currently reading Stephen E. Ambrose's novel, Band of Brothers. It is his attempt to chronicle the men and the actions of one of the most elite light infantry units of WWII: Easy Company of the 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne.

As I read through the account of the paratroopers' jump into Normandy on June 6, 1944, one soldier's words in particular captivated my attention. This man was the commanding officer of Easy Company as they entered into combat for the first time. His name is 1st Lt. Thomas Meehan...

On May 26, Meehan had written his wife Anne a letter in which he described why he, and all his men, were sitting in the planes, waiting to go into France to liberate it and conquer Nazi Germany. Among other things, he wrote, "We're fortunate in being Americans. At least we don't step on the underdog. I wonder if that's because there are no 'Americans'—only a stew of immigrants—or if it's because the earth from which we exist has been so kind to us and our forefathers; or if it's because the' American' is the offspring of the logical European who hated oppression and loved freedom beyond life? Those great mountains and the tall timber, the cool deep lakes and broad rivers, the green valleys and white farmhouses; the air, the sea and wind; the plains and great cities; the smell of living-all must be the cause of it. And yet, with all that, we can't get away from the rest. For every one of our millions who has that treasure in his hand there's another million crying for that victory of life. And for each of us who wants to live in happiness and give happiness, there's another different sort of person wanting to take it away…

"Those people always manage to have their say, and Mars is always close at hand. We know how to win wars. We must learn now to win peace… If I ever have a son, I don’t want him to go through this again, but I want him powerful enough that no one will be fool enough to touch him. He and America should be strong as hell and kind as Christ. "
-Thomas Meehan, First Lieutenant, Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division

His last sentence specifically was especially poignant. And I think every man deep down can relate to his desires. The warrior inside him wants to be strong... strong enough that he can win any fight. And the father inside him wants the same for his son, a desire borne from love and a need to protect his own. But more than his will to fight, I respect his understanding that strength in arms must be tempered with strength in spirit. I admire that despite the fact that he was trained to kill, his desire for his son and for his country was to be "kind as Christ" so those coming after him would not have to go through what he did.

I can't say it any better than he did, and I dare not try, for his words are perfectly inspirational just as he wrote them so many years ago. Our country, our military, our churches, and our homes could use more men like Lt. Meehan. Unfortunately for his generation, his plane was shot down before he could jump and show the Germans how strong he was. However, the words that he wrote still carry his strength and I know he has instilled a desire within me for myself and for my future son if I have one... to be strong as hell and kind as Christ.

New blog!

Hello!

I started a new blog at www.briannevs.tumblr.com. Scott is still checking it out and deciding whether or not he wants to keep this blog or join me on Tumblr (a new blogging site). Until then, you can read my blogs at the new site.

Thanks for reading!:)

The joy of being a dog owner

I feel bad because I don't write blogs nearly enough. I started a couple a long time ago and I'm sure the drafts are saved somewhere, but it's always hard to go back and finish a thought you had months in the past.

In any case, here's a little nugget of information for you. Today Brianne and I were getting ready to go and I thought to myself: "Self, the dogs are rather quiet..." I just as quickly dismissed the thought and continued to groom myself. After I had showered and brushed my teeth and gotten dressed and was satisfied (see: certain my wife would allow me out into public, but beyond that not really caring) with my appearance, I went downstairs...

No dogs. Hmmm... So I go to our back doors and look out the window. I scan the yard from left to right... No dogs. Double hmmm... So I open the door and step outside to have a look-see. The only place left for them to be then would be the side yard. And there's really nothing back there.

Nothing back there except their water dish. Their large self-refilling water dish with a five gallon water jug on top that I filled yesterday. Their large self-refilling water dish with a five gallon water jug on top that I filled yesterday that is NOW nearly empty. Why was it empty you ask? Well I'm glad you asked!

As I turned the corner upon leaving the house, I found out. Samson comes bounding around the corner because he heard the door, smiling as huge and bright as ever. But his coat wasn't quite so bright... Because he was coated in mud. Sadie came skidding across the concrete right behind him also covered from paw to belly in mud. Apparently they had been playing in the water dish and then wrestling in the dirt. And water + dirt + dog = muddy dog.

Of course they were ECSTATIC to see me and immediately tried to jump on me. So I retreat back towards the door deftly playing dodgedog, and I somehow manage to make it inside without getting muddy. The next hour or so involved bathing Samson and drying him, then carrying Sadie upstairs and bathing her as well, all the while Samson was crying and pawing at the bathroom door because I took away his friend. The amount of dirt and mud that flowed down that drain was appalling. Did I mention I just cleaned the whole bathroom yesterday?

Ah the joys of being a dog owner...

The good news is both dogs are now SUPER soft and cuddly and cute. So I guess that's a plus.

Best friends

My Little Nephew!!

This is my first nephew, little Mr. Colin Van Sande!!! Isn't he the cutest!?! Click over to Kelly's blog, The Van Sande Happenings for more pictures!