Lost Tooth & Today's Recap

Tiki lost a tooth last night! It really isn't any big deal since it was lost tooth number 8, but it was lost tooth number 1 as a Braner. I also don't really know why it was a big deal because I'm not a big fan of lost teeth and the Tooth Fairy and all of that. I just don't care and it isn't a big deal to me (I know, I'm such a sentimental schmuck). But when Tiki's tooth fell out last night it was so sweet to me. He didn't even know he was supposed to be excited. It was just so precious that I got to be a part of something of his childhood--that was the feeling I had--"Oh! I didn't miss this!" I have missed so much in his life and I didn't miss tooth number 8 falling out!

We all snowboarded today. It was a beautiful day. . .a no coat day on the mountain! Perfectly beautiful! Hays is rockin' on the half pipe! Maggie is boarding down the mountain making super turns! Dax is getting braver and doing toe side and heel side. Tiki is gaining some grace and control and he is really good! And Andy spent the day being patient with me! We had a "snowboard date." It wasn't my idea of ultimate romance, but it was very sweet! He was very encouraging and he was a great coach! It was fun being on the mountain with my family! (Gabby spends Sunday mornings with a friend while we board.)

(And for all of you church-types. . .our church has two services: one on top of lift one at 2:00 on Sunday and one at 6:00 on Sunday night. Culturally relavent church for a skiing/boarding community!)

Andy is off to Dallas for the week! I have him booked with all kinds of fun people: his roommate from Baylor, his KOT big brother, his real little brother, some great Kivu kids and parents, a couple of great Dallas based ministries and he is spear-heading spiritual imphasis week at Trinity Christian Academy. We will miss him, but he loves what he does and we love living like bachelors while he is gone!

All is well in the Braner home. Our Valentine's Day card is in the works and I cannot wait to get it out! I have a dear friend coming for a visit this coming weekend! Andy maybe (?!?!?) a new-used car tomorrow!?!??!

I love you all!

Today Has Not Been The Day It Started Out To Be

Frustrating. That is my word for today. It started out fine. It was another beautiful day in Colorado. We woke up to another three or four inches of snow and the trees were dressed beautifully with an inch or two of snow on every tiny little branch. I do love living here. Each day takes my breath away! I got the kids to school (Hays and Maggie only. . .Tiki was asked not to come to school today. . .that is a whole other story. . .a fine one--no worries, but another story) and I headed home with Tiki, Dax and Gabby.

Well, for those of you who haven't seen my driveway (most of you), it is CRAZY! It should have its own road sign about steep grade and trucks use low gear and icy conditions may exist and so on and so forth. We had run out of salt and so, I knew the driveway was slippery. . .therefor I parked at the top (but not on the road, lest I get in trouble by the Edgemont Nazi).

I was parked behind Andy (not actually Andy's car, because he owns a car that shouldn't be owned in Colorado--a little "bachelor-mobile" and he is driving a camp truck today). So, when Andy was ready to leave for work, I ran up to move my car. I couldn't. Try as I might, it just slid all over the place. So, I hopped out and asked Andy to move it because I would have much rather him slide into the truck than me. . .which he did. . .a few times.

In the process of sliding and spinning out and getting nowhere--except further DOWN the driveway, something BROKE. Literally. . .broken metal on our driveway. . . ! What was it? Who knows?!?! It came from the differential/transmission/axle area of my Suburban. Nice. Metal of some important sort scattered all over my icy driveway.

So, we waited until noon for the tow truck to arrive. . .he was late because a semi was jackknifed in our neighborhood (hopefully he got some sort of violation from the above mentioned Edgemont Nazi)! While we waited I had a complete emotional breakdown. Complete to the point of laying on my tummy on my bathroom floor (heated floor) and crying. Real mature. I know. I was just so overwhelmed. . . .

My car has been in the shop for a total of three months out of the six months we have lived here. I have rented cars. I have borrowed cars. And my favorite (and your favorite, too). . .I have test driven every car in the greater Durango area. . .and unfortunately, I think the dealers are on to my tricks. We have one broken car (mine) and one car that is completely worthless from November to April. We have a house we own in Branson (and are making payments on) and we are living in a wonderful rental in Durango. Money is tight and I broke down!

Thank you, Gretchen, I am borrowing your car. . .I'm about to go pick you up from work. So, we are set for a few more minutes. Thank you, Jan, for letting me sob to you on the phone and for being willing to take me to pick up a rental if I needed to.

Bottom line is that we need at least one new (new to us, used is fine) car so that we can get this Party of 7 moving.

My pity party/emotional break down is over. . .thankfully. I am acting more my age and more like the I-got-it-all-pulled-together mother that I am supposed to be. I wish I had pictures of the car pieces and of the Suburban pressed up against the truck, but this morning wasn't the picture taking time! (Jan, where were you?!?!)

I'm feeling better. The kids are home. Their friends Kenna, Kayla and Carver are over. I get to spend 20 minutes with Gretchen when I pick her up from work (and I am needing some peer time). And we have Life Group tonight. Things are looking up and today is getting back on the tracks of the day it started out to be.

I need to stumble across a Nissan Armada that isn't yellow or red or white (although I could handle white) and that has low mileage and is four wheel drive. That same Armada needs to be almost free and the dealer needs to be so excited about taking our bachelor-mobile off of our hands. Then I need to get my Suburban fixed and either deal with it or find some soul who wants to buy it and sell it for parts. . .it has some really amazing cup holders just caked with old Dr. Pepper and smashed french fries that the right person would just love! There is my wish list for today. I'm a simple girl! :)

Blessings to you all. It is good to know that I have friends. Friends don't slide or break or smash or get too many miles on them. I love friends (and family)!!!

Picture Preview

Okay, Jan just gave me a teaser of the pics to come. I am SO EXCITED! Thank you, Jan! (Go to Jan Schill Photography by clicking here.)

I LOVE THEM and I cannot wait for more!!!

Video

MAKE SURE AND GO TO THE BOTTOM OF MY BLOG AND PAUSE THE MUSIC SO THAT YOU CAN HEAR THE VIDEO!!!

Film Festival: Rwanda Documentary Trailer from Inflatable Film on Vimeo.

Get Ready. . . .

We just took our family pictures for our annual Valentine's Day card!!! Get excited! My girlfriend, Jan Schill, spent the afternoon with us and took so many fun pics! I cannot wait to see how they turn out! We had some tears because it was VERY cold and we were dressed more for pictures than for the weather! :) I can't wait!

Have You Shoveled Your Roof Lately?

Well, this post is for everyone, but mostly for BeBe (Andy's mom) so that you can see both what wonderful works your son has been up to around the home-front and what amazing danger he has been UP to! Enjoy the pics of roof shoveling...a whole new aspect of living in amazingly wonderfully beautiful Colorado!



And a big thank you, too, to Luke for helping Andy shovel our roof! I am so thankful that Andy got to climb on our roof with you today and be a manly servant and have fun with his friend at the same time!









In this picture I am trying to give some perspective as to just how high our roof is! My leg made the shot because I was stuck in the snow up past my waist (feet still not touching the ground) and I was trying to get a picture of the house without falling completely into the snow. . .it ultimately didn't work out!


The view from my upstairs loft office (inside) out onto our roof. The pictures below are also looking from inside my office out onto the roof!





They are still up there (going on about three hours now) and I just heard this TERRIBLY loud crashing sound that literally shook the house. . .nerve wracking, but I don't hear panic in any voice, so I guess it was snow and not a body that went crashing down! I think I'll just stick to shoveling the driveway!!!

Inside Looking Out

More Pics From Our Snow Day

The Weather!!!

Picking Dax up from school yesterday!


A deer that was "high centered" by the kids school yesterday!


Our back porch. . .note that we shoveled off our railing last night AND our railing is UNDER a porch. . .we are getting TONS of snow and MORE ON THE WAY!!!


Driving the kids to school yesterday! We're not in Branson anymore!

The Weekend

The kids and I had a great weekend! Andy has been in Florida (and now he is in Missouri) and the kids and I have had a really great time! Tiki started the weekend with a very successful afternoon at a friend's house! I was so happy! We then went to our small group at Valerie and Darren's house with the Willis family. It was really refreshing.

On Saturday we went out for Chinese and just chilled at home.

Sunday was snowboarding day! All of the kids (not Gabby) had lessons and it was so fun to watch! Hays has gotten really good! He got to work on the half pipe and he was so stoked! Maggie has improved so much since last year! It was so fun to watch both of them cruise down the mountain like little teenagers! Crazy! Dax and Tiki are a hoot! Their personalities come out so much on their boards. Dax is much more cautious and he gets down the mountain in the safest way possible (kind of like his mom). Tiki, on the other hand, has NO fear! The instructor just points Tiki's board downhill and he ends up in the bottom either in a snow drift or in a body roll (sometimes he stops before the bottom-of-the-hill disaster). Then he gets right back up again and goes. It is hysterical!




Monday was a day off from school for MLK day. I had so much to say about MLK day, but no words. It is amazing to me all Dr. King did for America and the people of America, but also for my family. I stand amazed. Anyway, Hays went boarding with Luke. Maggie went to a friend's house. I started my official triathlon training. And then we had the Schill family over for dinner.

I think Gabby must be growing because she took a five hour nap every day this weekend. Wow!

The weekend was refreshing and relaxing and fun. I love my kids. I miss my husband. This week we are supposed to get 23 inches of snow, so there will be many hours of shoveling the driveway ahead of me!

Please continue to pray for our house to sell!!!

Please, also, pray for Hays's dear friend, Chase. In 2006 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and they just went back to the doctor on Friday and it is growing again. Chase is a wonderful and fun-loving eleven year old who loves life and his mother, Melissa, is an amazing woman! Pray for Chase and his family (mom, dad and sister). Thanks!

TIKI. . .

Tiki got invited to play at a friend's house after school today! I almost cried I was so happy! A little boy who knows him from recess asked his mom if he could invite Tiki over and she said yes!!! I am on cloud nine!!!!

Orchestra Concert

The concert was WONDERFUL tonight! I am so proud of Hays! I really had a great night! I am working on a video to put together (for Pops, GoGo, Gran'ma, BeBe & PaPa mostly), but I'm not quite sure how to work my "FlipShare" software yet. Until then here are some pictures!

New Shoes & A 20 Year Overdue Apology

Well, tonight is Hays's winter concert. They are required to wear black dress pants, a black belt, black shoes and a white button down. Remember, I live in America's Worst Dressed City (Durango was ACTUALLY voted that). So I had to buy Hays a brand new outfit that he will outgrow before next year's concert and will never wear again. So, I have waited until the last minute to buy shoes because that was just a cost too difficult for me to stomach.

So, we went to buy shoes today. The men's shoes (can you believe that my baby wears a men's size?!?!) were nearly $70. WHAT IN THE WORLD!?!??! So, we meandered to the children's section where the same shoe was only $20. Needless to say, Hays will be curling his toes tonight for the concert.

That brings me to the 20 year overdue apology. When I was in high school, my mom bought me a pair of volleyball shoes that were 2 sizes too big. I couldn't believe it! But "they were on sale." I still couldn't believe it! And until about one hour ago, it was a topic of great fun (poking fun at my mom) in the White house. But now I get it. I had to call mom from the store parking lot and apologize to her about the whole shoe ordeal. And to make matters worse, she reminded me that the volleyball shoes were at least too big (and I would grow into them) and the shoes I bought Hays are most deffinately too small!

So Behind in "Real" Life!

Oh my goodness! I am SO behind! I have mail piled up and Christmas cards to read. I have laundry to put away (at least it is clean) and pictures to hang. I need to get TONS of work stuff finished, too!!! For Kivu, I have on my plate right now: Spring Break trip transportation and scheduling, summer clothing, summer menu, summer schedule and the new playbook to write. Oh my! I'm not even sure where to begin! A big Dr. Pepper on the beach sure sounds nice! :)

Please pray for our house in Branson to sell (pictures below). 2010 is here finances are getting tight as we rent a home here in Durango while our home in Branson sits empty. I am praying so hard for the perfect family to fall in love with the home and the location! Andy is very stressed out about it right now and it would be such a huge relief if it would sell! I think it would also be good confirmation that we made the right decision in the move! I know we did, but sometimes doubt creeps in.

Tonight Hays has his Christmas orchestra concert which was postponed. I cannot wait to hear Jingle Bells in January! I've been hearing Jingle Bells and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star as he practices his cello every nigh. . .it will just be different to hear a bunch of little beginners working it out!

Thanks for your prayers! Andy is in Florida this weekend and then he is headed to Branson for a day or two to make sure there is nothing he can do for the house! Pray. Pray. Pray!!!

Dax & TIki's First Day Snowboarding

Andy was SUPER DAD while I was in Cabo with Kelly! He truly was amazing! He had five kids (thank you, BeBe, for flying out to help) for a week and he went above and beyond! On Saturday he took the four oldest kids snowboarding by himself! AMAZING! Hays and Maggie are old pros, but Dax and Tiki had never been on snowboards (or lifts) before. OH MY GOODNESS! Andy worked with them on Saturday until they got the hang of it and then on Sunday he took all of the kids back up to the mountain for their lessons! I told him that knowing that he braved the mountain with all of those kids was one of the greatest gifts he has ever given me! What a great husband I have! Enjoy the video!



And here are some pics from my last week in Cabo that I just got from Kelly. We had a WONDERFUL time!





And I have a HUGE prayer request! Our home in Branson needs to sell! It is becoming really tough (financially) with that big burden still sitting empty in Branson. Please pray that the perfect people come along SOON and buy that house! Thank you!

New Year's Surprise

Well, check out my New Year's Surprise! Such a WONDERFUL surprise! The Bible talks about God giving you the desires of your heart and here it is! I have ALWAYS wanted a piano. Andy plays the piano beautifully! I love to listen to him play! And the odds are that at least one of my children will get his talent (right?)! So, I've always wanted a piano but I have never prayed for one. I just felt like there are so many other things we NEED, so why bother praying for a piano. (Silly?) But God gave me my heart's desire with an answered unprayer! Isn't it beautiful (and it was free)!!!?!??!?


Also, here is my mantle with Christmas gone and Valentine's up!

More Pics From Christmas With BeBe & PaPa

We got to ride the Polar Express when BeBe & PaPa came up before Christmas and I just got the pictures! It was so much fun for Tiki! He loved it and he absolutely went NUTS when he saw Santa! Dax, on the other hand (when we got to the "North Pole") said, "Is this the North Pole? I think NOT."











And we played some Lego Rock Band on the Wii:






And we enjoyed the snow!