Braner Party of 7

Cookbook

2012-02-01T10:48:00.001-07:00

Wow! I found a great website for a great gift! Think perfect wedding gift. This is it. It is www.tastebook.com and you can make a personalized cookbook! (I so wish I was in the stage of life right now where all of my friends are getting married.)

No, I'm not getting married. And in some cases, you reading this may not even be a close friend (or I may not even know you). But I want to do a personalized cookbook for myself. I need help. I'm not a great cook. . . mostly because the thought of cooking each evening overwhelms me! So, please help me. EACH ONE OF YOU: HELP!

Here is how you can help me make a cookbook so that Braner Party of 7 doesn't have to eat Sam's heat and serve meals (hello perservatives) and so my kids don't have to eat Kraft Mac 'n' Cheese multiple times a week. It is fun and easy:

1. Go to www.tastebook.com
2. Click "login" in the top right corner
3. Sign in as me with jamiejo@campkivu.com
4. Password: cookbook
5. Under "collections" to the left, click on "Feeding the Fam"
6. Click on "studio" at the top
7. Click "add recipe" and follow the instructions

This will be SO MUCH FUN! Just send me your favorite family recipe (nothing where I have to go to a gourmet food store or soak anything overnight). This can be a meal or a side dish or a dessert or anything. And then either put a picture of the meal cooked or a family picture of you. Then I will be a wiz in the kitchen and my family will have you to thank!

www.ihategreenbeans.com

2012-01-31T18:30:00.001-07:00

Oh my goodness! I just read the BEST BLOG EVER! (I apologize ahead of time that it probably isn't your blog.) It is www.ihategreenbeans.com. I laughed out loud and I am still laughing out loud! She is hysterical (and come to find out, I met her in Junior High and we were both Pi Phi's at Baylor. Small world!)

She blogs about many different things, but here recaps of "The Bachelor" are priceless! Confession: "The Bachelor" is one of my guilty pleasures. And, while I'm confessing, I was SO MAD that Jennifer didn't get a rose. . .I'm thinking that maybe Ben thought she was too good for him after his late night ocean romp with Courtney. Just saying.

Back to I Hate Green Beans. . .go read it! You'll laugh! Enjoy the blog! Oh my! I cannot wait to read it tomorrow!

Durango

2012-01-23T14:11:00.000-07:00

I love living in Durango. Did you know that in 2011, Durango was voted:

+ Best Places to Live 2011 (Men's Journal)
+ Best Place to Put Your Outdoor Life First (Men's Journal)
+ Top Micropolitan Area in the US (Politicom)
+ Top Ten Western Towns (True West Magazine)
+ Top 200 Town in the US (Outdoor Life Magazine)
+ Top 10 "Life is Better Here" Town (Outside Magazine)
+ "Next Big Thing" (Outside Magazine)
+ Colorado's Secret Stash (Ski Magazine)

Even if Durango hadn't won all of those awards last year, I would still love this place! The people are friendly and non-judgemental. I love the outdoor lifestyle: the camping and biking and rafting and climbing and boarding that you do with your family every weekend. I love the weather. I love the mountains. I love that dogs are welcome in the stores! I love the schools! I love it!

I'm so thankful that I get to call Durango home!

Naleigh Moon Video

2012-01-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

This is the music video that Josh Kelly wrote about his daughter with Katherine Heigl. They adopted her from Korea a few years ago. It is such a precious song and video! Enjoy!

An Ode To Jake

2012-01-20T17:31:00.000-07:00

What a dog! Whenever I tell people about Jake, I tell them that he is the dog I always dreamed of having! So true! In high school I heard a song called, "Feed Jake." The chorus went:

Now I lay me down to sleep

I pray the Lord my soul to keep

If I die before I wake

Feed Jake

He's been a good dog

My best friend right through it all

If I die before I wake

Feed Jake

The first time I heard that song, I knew that some day I would have a big yellow lab named Jake. And for the past 12 years I have.

He was the best! He was so loyal and so dear to me. His big ole tale would just wag and his eyes would light up whenever we would come out the door or down the driveway. When he was happy his ears would perk up and kind of fold back. . . that was my favorite! Jake was best known in the summer for rolling over onto his back the second anyone walked up to him so that he could get a good belly rub.

Jake was the best! He was our "fat ole man." That's what we called him. He didn't get around very well and he slept a lot, but no matter how he was feeling, if he heard me say his name, he would give a little wag of his tale. He was the stinkiest dog ever (and maybe the fattest)! But he was the sweetest!

It is so amazing to me how happy a dog can make you. There is just something about them. Jake made me so happy for so long. . . .

And now I'm so sad. He died today and I am heart broken. I hurt deep inside. I've known for a while that this day was right around the corner, but that doesn't stop the hurt. He was family for 12 years. We got him when Hays was one and Carolin was living with us. He's been around as Braner Party of three became four and five and six and then seven. We have so many memories with Jake. He was family and now it is so hard that our family doesn't have him anymore. I know this wound will heal, but for today I'm just going to let myself be sad (and maybe tomorrow and maybe for a few mornings when I wake up and he isn't lying by the door and a few afternoons when I drive into the driveway and I don't have to go uber slow because it would take him so long to get up and get out of the way).

It was terrible watching the kids say goodbye. Maggie and Dax just loved on him and took a zillion pictures of him and then they curled up in my arms in Dax's bed and we all cried. Dax said, "he was the highlight of my life." I didn't think it would be as hard to watch them as it was. Tiki asked if there was any sad music he could listen to on his iPod. Jake has been around since before they were even born. It is going to be a hard adjustment. My little dears. Gosh, saying good-bye was the worst!

We love you Jake! You were the best dog ever!

Jake

2000-2012

Sign Up For Kivu!

2012-01-19T02:44:00.000-07:00

KIVU Commercial from Andrew Braner on Vimeo.

Another W For Miller

2012-01-18T06:09:00.002-07:00

Well, the Miller Angels won again yesterday afternoon. . .against some GIANT boys from Cortez. It was a close and rough game. . .and so fun to watch! 20-19. Hays played great!

Yesterday

2012-01-17T09:12:00.001-07:00

Well, we had big plans for MLK day and NONE of them happened. We woke up to 8 inches of snow and there was no sign of it stopping. So, for most of the day we watched my new AppleTV. What did we watch? you ask. We watched all of our photos scroll across the TV to all of our favorite music. I think we did that for six hours. It was so much fun! The kids went sledding for a bit. And then I had big plans for a fun dinner and a moving in the living room. The dinner was all of the appetizer size food I could find at City Market and the movie was Peter Pan (with the real people). And, of course, IBC Cream Sodas! It turned out to be an okay evening, but not the big bang of a hit that I had imagined. Oh well. We made memories! ("I do believe in fairies! I do! I do!")

This is how a little boy raised in Africa watches his iPod. :)

Braner boys love their electronics!

This is the snow we woke up to and I think we got a little over a foot total. Beautiful!

Movie night on the living room floor. . . .

Hays's First Basketball Game

2012-01-13T02:00:00.000-07:00

Go Miller Angels! (Yes, they are the angels. . .right before they become the Durango High School Demons. . .seriously!)

Hays played super! It was so much fun to watch! He missed six days of practice because we were in Cabo, so he walked out onto the court very nervous looking and seemed very unsure of himself but by the end of the game he was rockin' it! I'm so proud of him!

Here is my play by play I was texting Andy during the game:

Hays started the game.

He scored the first 2 points.

He stole the ball. . .and then traveled.

Now he is on the bench huffing and puffing like he has been at sea level for 2 weeks.

Miller wins! 18-6

Oops. . .half time. . .

GREAT steal. . .then turnover

Big rebound.

Steal-ish.

Can you get a steal assist?

Another steal assist.

Fourth quarter. . .

3 point AIR BALL.

Foul. . .hometown ref

26-7.

That was my play by play. Hays's play by play was drastically different! It was hysterical! He was so hyped up! I love boys!

He had a blast and played well and was for sure the cutest boy on the court! I took a ton of great pics. I had the camera set on action and everything. They are almost all blurry. I am SO SUPER frustrated. Dang it! Oh well, here are a couple that aren't too bad:

At The Airport

2012-01-12T12:04:00.001-07:00

My kids are like super hero travelers! They're great! The flight attendants always compliment them, TSA compliments them. . . they know how to get their shoes off and electronics and liquids out; they get their own bins and fly through security like seasoned business men! I love to watch it! They're old pros and I love traveling with them. . . seriously, I would pick traveling with my kids over going to get ice cream any day! They are my little troopers!

This trip home from Cabo was no different. The trip was CHAOTIC! The airlines messed our tickets up, so we were rerouted which caused chaos on our multiple multiple layovers! We had 20 minutes between landing and boarding at one point. . . we had to get through immigration, pick up our luggage, get through customs, recheck our luggage, go through security (with a knee brace and crutches) and make our plane. . .yes, in twenty minutes. We did it! (They did it!) And then we had a six hour layover at another point. They were perfect!

Enjoy the photo documentation from the big layover:

This was my favorite. Tiki is sleeping under the chairs (under Dax's MeMo) and Gabby was "sleeping" on the chairs. That is the position she chose to fake sleep. Hysterical!

Gotta find an outlet!

This is my teenage 4-year old jamming to a little Justin Bieber!

Nearly midnight. . .thirteen hours after we left our hotel. . .we are almost home! Traveling 14 hours isn't bad if you wind up in Southeast Asia or Australia, but 14 hours when it could have been 4. . .that's another story!

Cabo Recap

2012-01-07T07:40:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time in Cabo again this year! Time with Braner Party of 7 was super. Time with my parents is irreplaceable! Lesley got to come. Brady and Jen were there for a few days. Cooper and Missy were there with their three kids for a week. It was super! I think watching the cousins play was one of my highlights! Enjoy the MANY pictures!

Pops & GoGo

This family pic was not only the best of everyone, but with the pelican that almost hit our photographer, Lesley, it is priceless!

I think this was the best picture of the vacation! I love this pic!

Dax getting up on the surf board for the first time!

Tiki getting up on the surf board for the first time!

Hays getting up on the surf board for the first time!

Proof that I actually was on the vacation!

My favorite family picture of the trip!

Cabo Take 12

2011-12-31T04:58:00.000-07:00

We're in Cabo again. . .our 12th year in a row and we still love it! (Muchas gracias Pops y GoGo!) The weather is perfect and we are having a great time! Here are a few pics for now!

Christmas With BeBe & PaPa

2011-12-30T16:45:00.001-07:00

BeBe and PaPa came to Durango for an early Christmas and we had a blast! I am so fortunate to have such wonderful in-laws! Enjoy the pics!

Gabby with her new babies: LaBron & LaKeesha

Dalton came to visit, too. . .after BeBe & PaPa left! We loved having him!

My Kids & Thank You, Lesley

2011-12-17T15:27:00.001-07:00

We had early Christmas today with my in-laws (more pics to come on that). My favorite gift, though, was from Lesley. She gave us a family gift grouping:
   A map of the world with thumb tacks so we could track where we have been & where we hope to go
   A cute family movie
   A Wii game (Tron)
   A wonderful book called "Where Children Sleep"
   A gift card to East by Southwest (our favorite spot)
   And an 8X10 photo of my kids (with all of the other pictures included on the side
What a super thoughtful gift! I love her and she loves us and we are so very blessed!

Enjoy the pics she took of my super cute kids!

Thankful

2011-11-26T11:14:00.001-07:00

I am thankful. I am. . .and not just because it is Thanksgiving weekend. I really am. I have a super great family (far and near) and great friends. I am blessed!

This Thanksgiving was especially fun! First of all, it was Dax's 7th birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAX!!! He is so dear and I love him so much and I cannot believe that he is seven! Where did the years go!?!?

We also had fun friends over for several days. The Ham Fam drove over from Woodland Park and we ate and boarded and played and laughed. It was so much fun! Andy and Britt fried our turkey. The kids played. Michelle and I cooked and cleaned and did dishes and cooked and did more dishes and cooked more. We all had a blast together! I'm so thankful that they made the trip across the mountains! Thanks, Hams!!!

The birthday boy!

And we had some at another table, too!

Brothers!

Andy taught Gabby how to snowboard! He is a saint!

Brothers!

Friends!

Braner Party of 7 on boards on the mountain!!!

Now Hays is headed to Texas to go hunting with my dad. Andy has the other four kids at the rec center and I am home finishing my blog so that I can clean the house! Football is on TV, the house is decorated and it is QUIET. Nice! I am thankful for quiet now!

All She Wants For Christmas. . .

2011-11-20T14:09:00.001-07:00

Gabby flashing her new smile and her Tooth Fairy money!

Well, Gabby will be singing "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth," for the next several Christmases, I think. This week she slipped on the ice in front of out house (with her hands in her coat pockest) and busted her teeth, her lips and her chin. Three days later, after many tears and many missed meals, we headed to the dentist where we learned that she broke her teeth off of their roots. So, four shots later, Gabby is Gappy. . .missing her front two teeth. She's adorable. The funniest part is that, after four days of not eating, she has had to relearn how to eat and talk and swallow. I'm shocked! But today she is eating and talking and everything! She is as good as new. . .just short two teeth!

New York, New York

2011-11-17T16:04:00.001-07:00

What a fabulous time I had in New York these past three days! Andy has been in the Northeast for two weeks and I decided to meet him in the Big Apple during the last three days of his trip! It was the best!

First of all, I met one of my heroes at the airport. I was waiting for Andy to land three hours after I landed and I started talking to this guy who was on my flight. . .who was also waiting three hours for his wife. Turns out he lives in NY, but is originally from Ethiopia. That led me to mention my kiddos from Rwanda and then he told me that he is married to Immaculee Ilibagiza. NO WAY! I couldn't believe it! For those of you who don't know who she is, she is a Rwandan with an amazing survival story. She is amazing and is using her life to inspire and help others! Go read "Left To Tell" and then read the rest of her books! She is great! As a matter of fact, Gabby's middle name, Iribagiza, is just a different spelling of Immaculee's name. . .which is one of the reasons why I kept it as her middle. I MET HER!

Then, on the way to the home where we were staying, this is the view of Manhattan that I got. WOW! I've never really considered NYC pretty, but Sunday night it was!

Monday we walked around Central Park. It was the perfect "Autumn in New York" kind of day. Again, it was beautiful!

Tuesday we walked the ENTIRE length of the city. The entire length! We started at Zucatti Park where we saw the Occupy movement. . .they had just been asked to leave the park a few hours before and there was serious tension in the air! The protesters were NOT happy. The police were EVERYWHERE (riot gear and all). Crazy (for a small-town girl)!

We walked to the Empire State Building and went up! I'm so glad we got to! It wasn't as romantic as in the movies, but we had a great time!

We ended up at the Park again (Central Park) and walked through FAO and then ate at Tao. Then we got to go see Danielle Radcliffe in "How To Succeed in Business." (He is the Harry Potter guy.) It was good. The tickets were a gift and we were so grateful to have gotten to go to the show!

That was our trip to the city! It was perfect! Andy and I needed the time away and I enjoyed every minute with him (okay, almost every minute. . .we aren't that cute and perfect)!

Warning. . .

2011-11-10T16:15:00.001-07:00

If you cry at Hallmark commercials, you need to have your tissue ready! I went to school today to have a "team" meeting for Tiki. He has a "teaching team" that consists of the principal, his teacher, the school counselor, the school psychologist, the ESL teacher and a couple of other "team" teachers. We meet every six weeks to go over Tiki's academic and behavior progress.

This isn't about that meeting (he is doing VERY well by the way). It is about an assignment they showed me. Keep in mind that Tiki has been in my life for two years and two days. He came to me without speaking English. As far as I know, he had a limited knowledge of Jesus. He had NO family.

It says, "First, I am thankful for Jesus because he made me. Then I appreciate my brother, Dax. Next, I am thankful for my mom. Finally, I give thanks for my Dad.

Bring on the tears. I set in the meeting a cried like a baby. First of all, his writing has gotten so much better. But more importantly, what he wrote. I am still blown away! What a great gift this was to me!

Coffee With A Friend

2011-11-09T10:16:00.001-07:00

This morning I had "coffee" with a good friend. I guess I need to explain. "Coffee" is the grown up thing to call it. She was a grown up and ordered a coffee. I ordered a chocolate covered cinnamon twist and a Dr. Pepper. And when I say "good friend" I kind of laugh because she really is a very dear friend to me, but we haven't really seen each other in a year and we have only talked maybe three times during the past year and I just met here when I moved to Colorado, but she is a dear friend. On so many levels, I feel like she is my soul mate and I feel like we have so much in common and then on a completely different set of levels, I feel like we have nothing in common and I see so many things in her that I would love to be! But, she is a good friend!

Ivey. Many of you have read her blog because I've pointed you that direction several times in my blogging. I love her blog. She is so real and so funny and such an open minded and do it yourself mom. Ivey is super!

We talked about everything under the sun at "coffee" today. It was refreshing to be around a "real" person. I laughed and she made me think. I shared that I may be loosing my mind and she shared that she's been there! :) It was the best hour I've spent in a long time!

Thanks, Ivey, for being my friend. I think you're great!

Photos Of Old

2011-11-08T11:02:00.002-07:00

Okay, not really too old, but from August.

Andy and Dax were in a wedding in August and we just got some of the pictures and I am loving them! Andy was the minister and married Adam & Katelyn Martin. Dax was the ring bearer. No more handsome minister and ring bearer combination exists! (Nate Friend did an amazing job taking these pictures!)

Goodnight iPad

2011-11-07T16:40:00.002-07:00

Okay, for those of you familiar with "Goodnight, Moon," here is the 2011 version. It is hysterical (all things considered)!

"Goodnight iPad"
by Ann Droyd

In the bright buzzing room
There was an iPad
And a kid playing Doom
And a screensaver of--
A bird launching over the moon

There were three little Nooks
With ten thousand books
And a huge LCD
Wi-Fi HDTV
With Bose 5.1
Six remotes, and 3-D

And a Black Berry ringing
With Eminem singing
And a new Facebok friend
And texts with no end
And a viral clip of a cat doing flips

And the bigs, bongs, and beeps
Of e-mails and tweets
And a fed-up old woman
Who was trying to sleep

Goodnight iPad
Goodnight Doom
Goodnight bird
Launching over the moon
Goodnight Nooks
And digital books
Goodnight Eminem
Goodnight Facebook friend
Goodnight LOLs
Goodnight MP3s
Goodnight LCD Wi-Fi HDTV
Goodnight remotes
And Netflix streams,
Androids, apps,
And glowing screens

Goodnight plugs
And power lights
That guide us to pee
In the darkness of night
Goodnight buzziong
Goodnight beeps
Goodnight everybody
Who should be asleep

Goodnight pop stars
Goodnight MacBook Air
Goodnight gadgets everywhere!

The Snow Is Finally Here!

2011-11-06T16:32:00.001-07:00

When I asked Dax what happened to his smile (his cute smile), he said, "I lost track of it."

Well, I had more videos, but I they are not uploading. Oh well. We had a blast and there were NO injuries!

Friday Night

2011-11-05T20:36:00.003-06:00

Andy Syndicated Again

2011-11-03T06:10:00.000-06:00

Andy was on Rita Cosby's radio show this afternoon and he was wonderful! If you missed it, you can go to her show "page" (click HERE). Look it up by date and by specific hour (1-3) and you can listen to the whole interview. It is about 10 minutes long. I'm so proud of him!!!

First Day Of The Season

2011-10-31T08:19:00.001-06:00

Yesterday we hit the slopes for the first time of the 2011-2012 season. It was PERFECT! The snow was great and the weather could not have been more perfect! WOW! I still cannot believe that I live here!


Hays and his friend, Lizzy.

Halloween Party

2011-10-30T01:00:00.000-06:00

The Durango Herald

2011-10-29T07:22:00.001-06:00

Maggie made the local paper! So fun! You'll have to click to view the picture and caption. . .it really isn't a big deal, but so fun!

The Durango Herald 10/29/2011 | A graveyard smash

School Halloween Parade

2011-10-28T15:08:00.001-06:00

Home Sweet Home

2011-10-27T08:26:00.003-06:00

Okay, this post is mostly for my family and dear friends who are dying to see our new house! We spent the summer painting it and redoing the ceiling and the kitchen and on and on and I am so proud of it! I'm so proud of myself (and Andy), too! We did handy work we never even thought to try before! Anyway, to my family and friends, here are the long awaited pictures of the Braner Home!

This is a picture I took last May. I cannot wait for it to look like this again!

This is the view from the front door. You walk right into the living room. Upstairs is the Master Bedroom. Through that hall is Gabby's room and Dax & Tiki's room. The stairs to the basement are also just inside the hall arch. The dining room table is to the right of the picture where you can't see it and the fireplace is just to the left.

The fireplace.

This is the dining room. It is also a great picture of Andy's handiwork!!! He did the ceiling (it was just white drywall) and he installed the hanging lights! I am SO impressed!!!

This is above the kitchen sink.

This is on the way up the stairs to the Master Bedroom.

The Master Bedroom.

This is the Master Bathroom. We are still missing a little bit of tile on the counter back-splash, but other than that the house is finished!

The view of the main room from the Master Bedroom.

This is Gabby's room (and Lesley). It is really fun and bright during the day time!

This is the twins room (Dax and Tiki). It is a little bit Star Wars themed.

This is the hallway downstairs. This picture is taken towards the stairs. The laundry room is on the right.

This is the hall from the stairs looking into Maggie's room. The playroom is on the right which also leads to Hays's room and the mud room and garage.

This is the playroom! It may be my favorite room in the house! I just love my striped wall!!! We striped it with all of the leftover house paint colors. So, basically, it represents all of the colors in our house!


This is a close up of the pictures on the red wall.

Maggie's room. This is my favorite bedroom!

This is Hays's room. His headboard is an actual fish tank. And that sword fish above his bed is actually the fish that Hays and Andy caught several years ago in Cabo! So fun!

My mud room.

This is the mud room looking from the garage towards the playroom. I love the Rwandan "dung art" above the hall.

These are my wonder lockers that are going to change the organization of our lives! This is in the mud room taken from the garage. Hays does have a letter "H" over that far left locker, it was just blocked by the door frame. And that sixth locker. . . well. . . it depends on who you ask. It could just be a locker for guests or for Andy and I, but in the depths of my heart, it is for our China baby. . . we'll see how God works that one out!

Andy On TV Again

2011-10-26T08:37:00.001-06:00

Andy on Fox News

2011-10-21T12:43:00.002-06:00

Andy was on America's Newsroom yesterday morning and it was SO EXCITED to actually see him on TV! I felt like it was the first time I had ever gotten to see color TV or something. I was thrilled and I was so proud!

He was supposed to be interviewed by Lauren Greene (whom I love), but she was busy with Gaddafi stuff. The interview went super, I think! He was the "teen expert" in a conversation on bullying in schools. He hit the nail on the head with the "ALONE" portion, but she didn't really pick up on it like I wish she had. Maybe he'll have 30 minutes with Anderson Cooper or something and they can really focus on the deeper issues! :)

Here is most of the interview:

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

2011-10-20T03:26:00.000-06:00

I still am Daddy's Little Girl and I am so thankful that I am! Happy Birthday, Daddy! Love, Peanut!

I love my dad! I adore my dad! I look up to my dad! Everyone has baggage and whatever. I'm not saying that I don't, but deep down from the bottom of my soul, I love my dad!

I still look forward to talking to him and get so disappointed when I call and only get his voice mail! I love it that he will pick up my call even in the middle of a meeting! That is one thing that means the most to me. I'll call and he'll pick up and we'll chat for a few minutes. Then he'll casually say, "Peanut, I'm here meeting with _______" (whoever, it could be the president of the United States), "can I call you back later?" He makes me feel important!I love it that my kids love my dad, "Pops" (or Popsie as Gabby calls him when she is really working her magic). I love it that my dad heads to the mountains to be with my kids when he needs to relax. That is awesome!

I love it that he is my friend. I love it that I like being with him. I just emailed his assistant yesterday and said, "please find a weekend that Dad can come visit." I love having him here.

I'm so thankful for my dad. I'm so proud of my dad. I love him so much!

Happy Birthday, Daddy!
Love,
Peanut

Pops & Hays Disney Cruise March 2011

Pops & Maggie Pumpkin Patch October 2009

Pops & Tiki Cabo December 2009

Pops & Dax Cabo January 2010

Pops & Gabby Disney World March 2011

Dr. Seuss on Love

2011-10-19T03:20:00.000-06:00

I found this quote the other day and I love it! Why do I love it? Because (most of the time) it is truly how I am feeling (about being married to Andy)!!!

You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.

Kivu Parents

2011-10-18T09:10:00.003-06:00

Okay, I'm going out on the limb of my comfort zone with this one. I am becoming a "guest blogger" on Andy's new Kivu Parenting blog. (I use the term "guest blogger" because it makes me feel a little less responsible for my lack of parenting teens experience.)

I'm going to be doing "parenting your teen" blog posts about twice a week. I realize that I have only had a teenager for twenty something days, but I am excited to be doing this "with" the Kivu parents (and with you). As I told them in my first post, my blogs will not come with the years of research you may be lookingfor, but we can learn together. Wecan succeed together. We can failtogether. We can get up and tryagain together. Our teens can hateus together and our teens can appreciate us together!

I can't wait! I'm actually really excited (once I peel away the layers of nerves). I think I'll have some valuable insights and I think I'll have honest failures along with my successes. We'll see. I just want to be vulnerable so that no one things they are out there alone in this weird dance we call parenting teenagers! So, here we go! Enjoying laughing at me when I'm being a dork. Enjoy crying with me when I fail as we all do! And enjoy jumping up and down with me when something actually works! I'll be doing all of those with you, too!

If you want to follow the Kivu Parents blog, just click HERE do see it! (It is also on the right side of this bog. . .just click on Kiuv Parents! This could be fun. . .worst case, it will be a wild ride!!!

Happy Parenting!

Not Posting About Moab. . .

2011-10-17T09:53:00.003-06:00

Well, today's post was supposed to be filled with breathtaking pictures and fun stories about our annual biking and camping trip to Moab. Unfortunately, that is not the case this morning.

Instead of adventures, our weekend was filled with throwing up and no one making it to the potty (if you know what I mean). The theme of the weekend was, "Another One Bites the Dust." It seemed like every time I turned around, another Braner was throwing up or changing his or her pants! We had a TERRIBLE case of upper and lower GI nastiness! (For those of you at KCO in 2002, it was Ellanoma all over again!)

It started with Gabby. . .oh my! She went through more pairs of pants than I ever thought possible! She was sick and dehydrated and lethargic and CRANKY and emotional. . .it was unbelievable! Then Maggie started throwing up on Friday morning (she was so sick--and still is). Then that night Dax got it and the projectile was EVERYWHERE!!! Lesley and I followed those three. Then Hays. Fortunately, Andy never got it (thank goodness because he is headed to Nashville) and Tiki's amazing Africa immune system saved him. . .that is one pro about my little guy drinking dirty water and being exposed to who knows what for six years!

Our doctor friend, Valerie, was our life saver! She prescribed us some wonderful meds that helped with the throwing up!!! I really think the weekend would have been much more miserable without her help! (And, yes, I sent meds to Nashville with Andy just in case!)

So, today is a new week. The boys all went to school. Gabby is feeling better. Margo is still down for the count. Lesley and I are up and at 'em and Andy is off to Nashville!

More to come. . .but hopefully not involving throwing up or running to the potty!

We Are Ready

2011-10-12T01:58:00.000-06:00

Our garage. We are ready for the powder!!!

Hays's Grill

2011-10-11T11:57:00.000-06:00

HAYS GOT BRACES today and he is SO SUPER CUTE! Seriously! I'm not sure how many people can actually claim to be better looking with braces, but Hays can. He is so adorable! Can you have a crush on your own son? I do. He's adorable!

They are supposed to be on for almost two years. . .the doctor promises straight white teeth with no braces by the first day of high school! We'll see!

Before. . .I cannot wait to see the after pic!

The gorgeous view from the ortho chair!

Big Hair Plays Soccer

2011-10-10T09:17:00.000-06:00

Gabby played soccer this weekend and her big hair was quite the hit! She really loves soccer and she is actually starting to get the hang of the game. . .she still only touches the ball if she is kicking off or if it is an accident, but she LOVES playing soccer!

Okay, "zoom in" in the picture of Gabby and this is what you would see...our view at the soccer field! Amazing!

Tiki also played soccer this weekend, but in between games I ran home to dress warmer and I left my camera in my other coat. Big bummer. Tiki played super and I really think soccer may be his sport! We'll see!

BIG HAIR

2011-10-05T16:47:00.000-06:00

Today was new hair do day for Gabby! She was so tough and we had SO MUCH fun! It turned out a little bigger (okay, a lot) than I expected, but I am still so proud of myself. Fun curly braids for a change!!! (And the best part is that it only took four and a half hours and there were virtually no tears!)

First we had to go from the afro to corn rows so that we had something to attach the pre-braided and pre-curled extensions to.

This is once we had the curls in three of the rows (and then a tester in the front).

Long Time No Blog

2011-10-04T09:21:00.000-06:00

Oh my! Where have I been? Well, to be honest, I have just been computer overwhelmed/frustrated! This new thing that Google has going on where you have to be signed in with your Google account has really been frustrating me and so I've just opted for "forget it" instead of "figure it out and do it." Well, it is way overdue for me to blog, so I am doing it! So sorry!

Girls Trip 2011

Jennafer was in charge of planning the girls trip this year and we had a BLAST! She took us to the Riviera Maya outside of Cancun and we got to stay at a relaxing spa resort on the ocean. It was hotter than blue blazes, but we had a great time together reading in the shade and enjoying the spa! I love being with Jen and my mom! We laughed so hard. They are two of my best friends and I would go to the North Pole or the moon with them if it just meant that we could laugh together!

Soccer

Tiki and Gabby are playing soccer this fall and they are loving it! They are playing much better than last season and it is fun to see their progress!

Happy Birthday, Hays!

This may be the real reason that I haven't been blogging. I think I am in denial. I cannot believe that my baby boy is a teenager. I am in such denial that I couldn't even put the "13" candle on his cupcakes. I bought them and they just sat there. I couldn't do it. I cannot believe that my very first love at first sight who was this darling helpless little newborn is now a young man. He is sweet and thoughtful and smart and funny and talented. He snowboards and plays the guitar and loves to read and draw and create. My baby is thirteen. Where has the time gone.

So, there is my confession. . .my boy is getting older and I am in denial. . .that is really why blogging has been on the back burner (and Google, too).

I love you, Hays!

Fall Leaves in the San Juans

This past weekend, Andy and Luke rode their bikes from Durango to Ouray. Huge undertaking! So, the kids and I gave them a five hour head start and headed into the mountains to get them and to enjoy the beauty of Fall in the mountains. It was breath-taking! I really felt like I was in a beautiful painting. AMAZING!!! I really wish the pictures did the view justice, but I think that only your eye can take in the kind of beauty God does in Colorado each Fall. It is indescribable, even with digital photography! WOW!!!

Happy October

It is October. It seems like September lasted several years. Braner Party of 7 has several fun things to look forward to this month and I will happily blog about them! I am back on board! So, Happy October to all of you and you will be hearing from me soon! Promise!

"Chocolate Me"

2011-09-29T07:41:00.000-06:00

Prayers Coveted

2011-09-28T09:07:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, one of Hays's best friends, Chase, has been battling brain cancer for several years. He has been a trooper and his mom has been absolutely amazing throughout the process. This has been one roller coaster after another for Chase and his mother and their family. Good news then bad news and then sort of good news and then terrible news and then some hope and then hope only in God because the news from the doctors is so gloomy. . .and on and on. Below is Melissa's (Chase's mom) most recent blog post:

A quick update - we are in Little Rock - Chase had an MRI today (that in itself is a journal update - what a crazy morning!). We have decided that since surgery is an option, we are moving forward in that direction. Surgery is scheduled Thursday morning at 7:00 a.m. Professor will be doing it along with his team. We are once again, hoping and believing for a successful surgery; complete removal of the tumor, no weakness to Chase's body, and quick healing/recovery. As always...AS ALWAYS, we are grateful for God's people who diligently lift Chase up in prayer - we know the power of it!!! We have seen it, we have felt it, we have experienced it in ways no one can imagine...I am humbled and in awe of God and His awesomeness. Professor stated today that Chase is a "medical marvel" in that his condition is not one that gave much hope for his future. We are believing in the "marvel", the "miracle" of his healing!

Please pray. God is a God of miracles and I believe he can heal Chase. Please pray!!!

Great Date Weekend

2011-09-12T07:48:00.000-06:00

Andy and I got to get away for the weekend! It was wonderful and much needed! Technically, it was for a board meeting, but we made a date weekend out of it anyway!

We got to Denver Friday around noon and headed straight for PF Changs. My rule is that while we are in a big city with good food, we make the most of it! PF Changs was so perfect for me! I think because there were no kids, so not only was it peaceful, but I got to order like an adult not really on a eating out budget! I got to share an appetizer with Andy, order a meal that came with soup and have a Dr. Pepper! Big splurge!

Then we went to IKEA. I've never been there before and I have heard all of the hype, so when Denver got a new (enormous) one, I thought we should check it out! I felt like I was at a home decorating zoo or something! It was a destination--an attraction--all to itself. Crazy. I wish I could decorate a dorm room again!

After my IKEA first, we headed to an afternoon movie.

From there, we checked into our hotel which was perfect. We stayed at the Hotel Monaco in downtown Denver and it was a mixture of old classic hotel meets circus tent. Weird, but so cool! I picked a good one this time (that isn't always the case)!

Our hotel was one block from 16th street, so we went walking. 16th Street is a cool outdoor mall-type street that is closed to cars and only open to horse carriages and bike taxis. In the middle of the street are chess games and street vendors and all kinds of weird Denver people. We ate on the patio of the Cheesecake Factory. Yummy! Come to think of it, I left the "take home" portion of my cheesecake in the hotel fridge. Bummer.

And that was Friday. We had a blast together! I loved every minute!

The rest of the time was pretty much meetings and me being tired, so Friday was the highlight! I'm so thankful that I got this weekend with my hubby!

Tomorrow I am off to Mexico with my mom and my sis, Jennafer, for our annual girls' trip! I cannot wait to be with two of my very best friends for five days!

First Shave

2011-09-07T08:35:00.000-06:00

Hays is going to kill me for blogging about this, but my blog has become my family journal and I just can't forget this moment. Hays started shaving! Oh my. I got the weirdest pit in my stomach. I'm not quite sure why? Something about my baby shaving made the growing up deal all too real. Little boys don't shave. My first born cannot be shaving. What in the world? Who would have thought that shaving could be so emotional? It nearly killed me! Anyway. . .Hays is now shaving.

Goodbye peach fuzz.

Camping With Pops & GoGo

2011-09-06T07:20:00.001-06:00

What a fun long weekend Braner Party of 7 just had! It was priceless! My parents came out to visit and my mom wanted adventure! So, I planned a camping trip up north of Silverton with a jeep tour of the mountains. We had a blast! Camping out with my brood is so perfect because they have the world to explore! I love how happy our family is camping! I think we'll have the memories of this weekend for a very long time!

It Is Beautiful Here

2011-08-29T20:30:00.000-06:00

The first year we moved to Colorado, I made a point to be thankful each and every morning for the beauty of Colorado. It was a great thing for me. . .every day to have at least one thing to be truly grateful for. . .nice to have that perspective and nice to come to God with a thankful heart instead of a me-first-pleasure-seeker heart daily!

Anyway. . .all of that to say, we are starting our third year of living out here full time and I am still just blown away by the beauty! I love it here! Each day is gorgeous in a whole new way and I am constantly amazed!

Andy's 42 Hours Home

2011-08-28T13:27:00.000-06:00

Well, Andy came home yesterday for the weekend. We were all so excited to see him! Yesterday was work on the pond day. . .Andy is putting a waterfall and a pond in our front yard (to replace the natural run off and stagnant water area that is currently there). So yesterday the family helped (okay, helped may be pushing it, but we "worked" together). It started with just Andy shoveling sand while I watched. Then Gabby decided to help. Once Gabby got tired, Tiki took over. Then Hays grabbed another shovel. Dax may have shoveled one scoop of sand tops. Maggie was inside singing along with Jordin Sparks on her iPod (I caught her in the act much to her dismay.) Each kid only lasted about four minutes, but they felt like they helped nevertheless. It was just fun to be together as a family and we only had one shovel to the head (really elbow to the head) accident amidst all of the chaos!

We are headed to the BMX track this afternoon if everyone wakes up from FOB before the afternoon thunderstorms begin. . .

Neighborhood

2011-08-25T21:25:00.000-06:00

A neighborhood has always been somewhat of a fairy tale-ish mystery to me my entire life. I've never lived in one. I would see neighborhoods on TV and I had friends who lived in neighborhoods, but I've never experienced living in one first hand. There was a time in my life when I wanted nothing to do with a neighborhood--I wanted lots of space with woods and no one within seven arrow-flights (that's old Kanakuk Indian lingo for a ways away). And then as my kids started getting older and multiplying, I started dreaming of a neighborhood with other children and other mothers. I dreamed of evening street busy with activity: boys on bikes, girls giggling and moms walking. I dreamed of people just dropping by because they were on their way and of seeing people out my window and running to greet them. . . and then chatting for a while.

Well, guess where I live? THERE! I do! After today and tonight I feel so at home here! I have loved Durango since the moment I moved here and I thought that I felt at home, but I don't think I did. I think I just loved Durango. Now I know that I feel at home.

Today I got to run to Target and Sams with a girlfriend--I know, for you city people, that doesn't seem like a big deal, but it is a day trip for us here in Durango. Valerie has been one of my friends since we moved to Durango, but she is doctor and has been working all of the extra shifts she can in order to pay for a Rwandan adoption, so I don't see her often. Today she had a day off and she needed to go to Target, so I quickly and happily jumped on board. I spent the day with a girlfriend and we had a super time!

Then tonight got even better! My across-the-street-neighbor, Kate (who was also Tiki's kindergarten teacher for two years), was on a jog and I ran up to the street to chat for a bit. Once we were finished talking, two of Hays's friends biked by and he joined them. Then a new friend, Kris, stopped by (she is the mother of those two boys). Meanwhile, three high school girls came to chat and sell me cookie dough. My driveway was full of people and I loved it! I stayed outside chatting for about an hour while the kids played. It was perfect. . . absolutely perfect.

My neighborhood!

And on a side note, my crazy dogs did amazing today! I am so proud of them! I had them "out" all day long with no leash and no shock collars and they just hung out in the yard. It was wonderful! I think they like living in the neighborhood to! It was so nice to have "normal" dogs for the day! (I realize that it may pass, so I am qualifying it with "for the day" for now.)

And to top it all off, my husband was so romantic today. (He isn't typically Mr. Romance, so this was a biggie!) He emailed me this picture:

and all he said was, "wish you were here." Simple, but it swept me away! Thank you, Andy! I wish I were there, too!

What a great day! I am home!

What A Day

2011-08-23T21:19:00.000-06:00

I don't even know where to begin about this day. . .it has been normal and crazy and surreal and funny all at the same time.

Today started typical. I got up to find Maggie already dressed and ready for school with her lunch made and her backpack on (at 6:15. . .more than one hour BEFORE we walk out the door for school). I made lunches and got "life" sort of put together before I woke up the other kids. I was startled by a large thump and when I ran into the twins room, I found Tiki jumping off of Dax's bed trying to reach the chain deal to turn his fan light on. I'm surprised the fan didn't come out of the ceiling on his head. (And still, my day is normal at this point.) I walked down to Hays's room and turned on the light in his fish tank and switched his iPod from relaxing Billy McLaughlin guitar music to "Batu" by the Putumayo African kids choir. Then I headed to my bed (where Dax sleeps when Andy is gone) to coax him up for the morning; and, like a typical morning, it took a while for him to whale roll himself to a standing position. While we were all eating breakfast, Dax finally stumbled out of my room complaining of a cough and a sore throat. . .anything to keep him out of school so he can stay home with me. So very typical!

Andy Skyped us from the Turks where the sky was gray and the wind was starting to pick up. We could still see the amazing blue of the Caribbean behind him, but the white caps were getting bigger. He was getting ready for his day of hunkering down in anticipation of Irene hitting the island later that afternoon. That is all he knew and that is all we were left with. The kids got to say hi to him and they each got to tell him about their first day of school. Tiki was hysterical! We were Skyping on my laptop and I had it on the floor of my room with only my closet light on, so it was pretty dark. Tiki was in every "scene" with every kid. Whenever I would move the computer for someone else to talk to Andy, Tiki would move to get in the shot. At one point he realized that he could see facial features on all of the other kids' faces, but not on his (too dark in the room). First he tried taking off his hood (from his hoodie sweatshirt) and when that didn't work, he tried getting into the right lighting. He never once said anything about it, but I could see his mind racing. It was cute.

After our morning "routine," we all hopped in the car and headed to school. Normal morning. Normal school drop off: three to Riverview and one to Miller.

Then Gabby and Lesley and I headed to town to run some errands. . .some normal and one not so normal. Good morning overall, though.

While Gabby was taking FOB (nap), I headed to Kivu to pick up my dogs. We put in an electric fence for them at our new house and the time has come to start training. . . .

Meanwhile, I lost communication with Andy. We were chatting about the impending storm about to bear down on the Turks and I guess he lost power. That was a little odd. I was pretty fine about the whole hurricane deal, but when we got cut off while chatting, it just made it a tad weird. I got an email from the wife of the guy Andy is with and she wrote, "wunderground.com has me pretty concerned for them. It looks like they will go right through the eye. . . ." Mind you, she lives in the Turks. Reassuring. (So, still no word from Andy since he got cut off about six hours ago.)

Irene from space as of right now. . .way past the Turks, but I guess they still don't have power.

Everyone made it off the bus just fine from school and they were so excited to see Jake and Chaco back home! The twins played in a huge sand pile all afternoon while some of the others played the Wii inside. Normal afternoon.

Then dinner rolled around (have you stopped reading yet?). We have been eating out too much because I don't have a kitchen in my house yet. . .one more week. So, I grabbed Maggie and headed to get Chinese take out for the family. Well, my mind must have been with Irene (the hurricane) because I got to town and realized that my purse was in the house. So, back up the mountain I went. On the second trip to town, I picked up our food and headed back home. When I got home and opened the bag, I realized that I only had half of my order (I was missing three orders of chicken fried rice minus the veggies). So, I grabbed Hays and back down the mountain I went.

. . . .I must interrupt the story at this point to tell you that Weird Al Yankovic has a new CD out and it is HYSTERICAL!!! Maggie and I and then Hays and I listened to it on all three trips to the Chinese restaurant and laughed so hard. Seriously, go buy it on iTunes. I know, I love Weird Al. You may have just lost all respect for me, but I don't care. He makes me laugh and I love to laugh at his songs every single time. And this new album is no exception! There is a song called "Stop Forwarding that Crap to Me" about all of the dumb forwards people email all of the time and it is hysterical. Then there is a parody of "Party in the USA" called "Party in the CIA" that is also absolutely hysterical! The polka is one of his best (for those of you who know about Weird Al and his polkas)! And there is a parody of "You Belong With Me" called "TMZ" that is super funny. Take a reading break and go start downloading!!!

. . . .So, where was I? May Palace take three. When I got back to May Palace, they explained that they thought I said pork chicken friend rice (???) instead of FOUR chicken fried rice. . .lost in translation. Oh well.

While we were eating dinner, the highlight of my day happened (in bold and underlined in case you got tired of reading and decided to just skim). Five junior high kids stopped by to visit Hays. You cannot possibly understand how happy this made me. NO ONE ever stopped by to see me in 7th grade. It was TERRIBLE and on the second day of school and the fourth day in the neighborhood, Hays had a posse stop by. Highlight of my day. . .maybe of my week. . .maybe of my seventh grade year that I am reliving vicariously through my more-popular-than-me son! They were out walking around and I sent him off! Who cares that is was almost bed time? Who cares that it was nearly dark and we have a bear problem in our neighborhood. Who cares?!?!? My boy had friends (co-ed friends, I might ad) stop by the house! WHOOO HOOOO!! I love this neighborhood!

Meanwhile, I decided to take the dogs on their first training outing. I bought the electric fence for stubborn dogs because my old man, Jake, is very stubborn. So what did Jake do? Walk right through the level five beeping and shocking. . .didn't miss a beat of the tail wag or anything. . .he crossed the boundary with the beeping and the vibrating and the shocking, lifted his leg on a bush and casually sauntered back. WHAT IN THE WORLD? So much for stubborn dog. What to do?

Now the kids are all in bed and I am sitting here telling you about my day. Andy still hasn't called or texted or emailed or anything. The weather channel said that the winds were 100 miles per hour as it went over the Turks. I realize that is a very minor hurricane and I truly am not worried about him. I'm just a little concerned by the unknown. I know he will have a great story to tell and hopefully some amazing video footage of the 25 foot waves crashing into their resort (he is on the 5th floor, so the 25 foot waves won't be coming over his balcony). I'm excited for those stories and that footage. I am also excited to hear from him. . .but maybe not excited enough to wait up too much longer? (Does that make me a bad wife or just a tired mother of five?)

Thanks to those of you who actually read to here. I have no idea why I rambled on and on. . .the day was so weird for me, but doesn't seem so weird now that I type it. I think I get chatty when my mind is two time zones away somewhere south of Florida. Oh well. (Did I mention that there was a 5.3 earthquake in Colorado last night before the 5.9 hit Virginia. . .weird.)

Good night!

Orphanage Picture

2011-08-23T03:27:00.000-06:00

Someone posted pictures on Facebook the other day from when they went to pick up their kids in Rwanda. Does any little boy look familiar you you (number five from the left)? He has the most concerned little look on his face. . .I wonder what he was thinking. . . ? I showed him the picture and he claims not to remember one of the kids. He did say (after some prodding) that the nanny in the picture was one of the nice ones. I wonder what was going through his mind when he saw this picture?

This is the "blue gate" that takes you into the orphanage.

First Day Of School

2011-08-22T09:30:00.000-06:00

Today was the first day of school. Crazy that my kids are growing up so quickly!

Hays is in seventh grade and that thought makes me sick to my stomach! When I was in seventh or eighth grade, I vowed that my kids would not have to endure junior high. I guess I thought I could move overseas and they could live there for several years. I'm not sure, I just knew that I didn't want my kids to endure junior high. Well, here we are. . .my oldest is set to endure 7th grade. I know he'll do much better than I did, so I shouldn't worry. I just can't believe that he is that old. My baby.

Maggie is in fifth grade. She is getting so big and so grown up. She was so excited to head to school this morning and see her friends (and wear her new school clothes). Her new jeggings have been calling her name from her closet!

Tiki and Dax are in first grade. They have different teachers (thank goodness). I think they'll have a blast! Dax didn't cry today which was a huge blessing! Last night he cried for about thirty minutes, so I thought today would be a disaster. But its all good! He did super and Tiki did super! No tears (even by me).

My prayer list is so long for my kids! I am praying for their safety (emotional, physical and spiritual). I am praying for their teachers and their friends. I am praying that they all make good choices. I am praying that they enjoy school. I am praying that the adults see the good in them and that they are encouraged and challenged. The list goes on and on. It is so weird to be giving your prize possessions to virtual strangers for nearly 40 hours a week. It just doesn't seem natural. GOD, PLEASE PROTECT MY CHILDREN!!!

Colorado With Pops

2011-08-22T03:07:00.000-06:00

For the third year in a row, my dad (aka "Pops") drove with me and the kids as we headed West. It is so fun to have him here. (Andy and Dax have been in Texas for a wedding.) The kids absolutely love to have him at our house and we always are "doing" while he is in town. Yesterday we headed to the Alpine Slides and today we ventured to Mesa Verde.

Pops had a little accident on the slides. . .a little too fast on the part of the track that said "SLOW"...needless to say, he left some skin at Durango Mountain Resort!

Maggie ran into a friend up at the mountain!

Andy in the Turks

2011-08-21T15:39:00.000-06:00

So, Andy is in the Turks this week. He is supposed to be having a relaxing and fun week in the sun scuba diving and lobster fishing (or whatever you call it). I am so excited that he got the opportunity to just play for a week now that camp is over!!!

Where is the Turks, you ask? Well, check out the map of soon-to-be Hurricane Irene. . .see where it says "Tuesday AM"--well, that little island to the left of that line is the Turks.

Enjoy the weather on your sunny island get-away, Mr. Braner! (At least scuba diving is UNDER the water and you don't really need sun for that.)

Time In Missouri

2011-08-21T08:24:00.000-06:00

Well, the kids are FINALLY home! It was a long month without them, but they had the best time at K1. Andy and Gabby and I headed to Branson to pick them up from kamp and to spend some time with my family and some of our friends. We had a super time!

My nephew, Anthony.

My favorite night of the trip. We did that candle ear wax deal and Andy was our first volunteer. We laughed SO MUCH that night! Super fun and great bonding with Courtney and Jennafer!

My niece, Hannah.

This was one of my favorite picture moments. I was reading at the pool and I looked up to find Dax and Tiki just hanging out on the high dive chatting. . .they stayed up there for about thirty minutes.

My nephew, Jack.

More Pics

2011-08-08T19:18:00.000-06:00

I'm sorry, but I think my son is 18 years old in this picture. . .where is my little boy?!?!

More Pictures From K1

2011-08-08T07:26:00.000-06:00

This must have been an Oscar Party at the girls' camp.

This picture is especially fun because two of the three boys with my little African Davey Crocket are so special to us. . .the blonde is the son of one of my childhood best friends and the kid in the red shirt is my cousin's boy! So fun!

Today

2011-08-04T20:47:00.000-06:00

Today was fun. . . kind of. It had great potential to be very fun, but after sunflower disappointment, it still ended up being a good day. Gabby and Lesley and I loaded up the car and hit the road for Utah. Destination: a gorgeous sunflower field that I have been wanting to see for about seven years. Last year we found it, but they were all already dead. So we drove. And we drove. And we drove. And ten miles from Moab we decided that we missed the field. Come to find out we didn't miss the field, the field hadn't been planted this year. BIG BUMMER!!! There was another field across the street, though, that had several of those BIG sunflowers growing. I actually think it will be covered with the HUGE flowers, but I think I was too early. So, no rows and rows of six foot flowers, but I got a good pic.

And then I got home to our last barn dance of the summer. The photographer found Gabby and I and I am so thankful she did--cute pic!

After the barn dance, I headed to my office where I found more pictures of my kids from K1. YIPEE!!!! I really miss them. . .it took a couple of weeks, but its official. . .I now miss my kiddos! It is time for us to be together again!

K1 Pictures

2011-08-03T22:39:00.000-06:00

So, come to find out, the K1 photographer is one of our old Kivu campers and staff members and she sent me several pics of my kids today. I was so super excited!

Maggie and one of her friends. . .who happens to be the daughter of one of my childhood friends (Erica Orth). So fun!

Tiki and his counselor!

Catch Up

2011-08-02T11:51:00.000-06:00

Its been a while. . .so sorry! When I finally blog about my house and you see the pictures of all of our hard work, you'll understand.

But, in the mean time. . . . . . .

We took out Gabby's braids from Easter and then turned around and put them back in (you can see why from the pictures). This time it only took about 25 hours. . .I am getting better!

And we had some super fun company! Tiffany (one of my best friends from college) and her family came up for their annual visit to Colorado and we loved it! It was so nice to be with a dear friend who knows me and loves me and who I can laugh with and be myself. What a blessing she was! And the icing on the cake is that Andy loves her hubby, Haydn, and my kids (the two left in Colorado and not at camp) are the same age as her kids. We had a blast!

Happy August

2011-08-01T08:11:00.000-06:00

I cannot believe that it is August already. I also cannot believe how terrible I have been at blogging this summer. (My excuses are that I have been too busy and that all of these new changes with Google have really thrown me for a loop.)

August holds many adventures for Braner Party of 7!

We began our last term of Kivu for the summer 2011 season. When camp ends on Saturday, Andy and I will be working hard to get our new house ready to move into (we have been working so hard and I am so proud of what we have accomplished. . .pictures to come soon).

Dax will be heading to Missouri to spend his week with Pops and GoGo.

We will head to Missouri to pick up Hays, Maggie & Tiki from camp. They will have been gone for 31 days and we will be ready to see them.

Andy and Dax are headed to College Station, Texas for a wedding.

Pops will be driving back to Durango with the rest of us to spend a couple of days before school starts.

And school will be starting August 22nd. Hays will be in 7th grade, Maggie in 5th, Tiki and Dax in 1st and I will have Gabby home one more year.

So, I am excited for all that August will bring! I hope you enjoy your last little bit of summer!

Cotton Candy in Rwanda

2011-07-18T12:19:00.000-06:00

So, FedEx came to camp today with a package for Gabby. We were so excited to open it and what was inside blew us away! Lesley (wonderful Lesley) made Gabby a beautiful book about Cotton Candy's time in Rwanda.

I guess I better explain. Cotton Candy is Gabby's very special stuffed elephant that sleeps with her every night. Gabby has a "back up" Cotton Candy (just in case) and a "travel" Cotton Candy for trips. Bottom line: Gabby LOVES Cotton Candy!

Well, without mentioning anything to us, Lesley elephant-napped Cotton Candy when she went to Rwanda two weeks ago. She took pictures of Cotton Candy all over Rwanda and made Gabby the sweetest book about Cotton Candy's time there--in Gabby's birth-country.

I bawled. It was one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me (even though it wasn't even for me). Not only did Lesley make Gabby a beautiful book about her birth-country, but it was a beautiful book about her birth-country told by Cotton Candy!

Gabby loves her book! Thank you, Lesley! You are one of the most thoughtful people I have ever met and you make our lives better! We love you!

3 Kids at K1

2011-07-17T16:39:00.000-06:00

Well, Hays, Maggie and Tiki made it to K1. I know they're having a blast (and burning up)! Below are two pictures sent to me by friends of their first day! I miss them, but life is so quiet without them!

This picture warmed my heart! Brothers!

At drop-off with Jackson Brawner.

Happy Birthday, Andy!

2011-07-15T07:52:00.000-06:00

Today is Andy's birthday. . .

We aren't doing anything special today. . .it is Parents' Day at Kivu, so we are running around like crazy. Hopefully tomorrow we can go to lunch and have a little bit of down time. His present is coming late because it is a part of our new kitchen I am putting in. We had one in our Branson house and he has really been missing it! So, here's to my coffee lovin' man!

This isn't our kitchen, but a picture for your thoughts. . . .

Happy Birthday, Sweetie!

Durango Mountain Resort

2011-07-14T06:48:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was our last day with BeBe & PaPa (and our last day with Hays, Maggie and Tiki for the rest of the summer) and we had a blast! We headed to Durango Mountain Resort for an afternoon of playing!

Hays, Maggie and Tiki are headed to camp. They will be at K1 for the next month and I am so excited for them! This house is going to be much more quiet without the three of them here. I'm going to miss them, but I know they are going to have the time of their lives!

White Water Rafting

2011-07-10T23:04:00.000-06:00

BeBe and PaPa are in town. The kids were SO excited to see them. BeBe's only request for this trip was that we go rafting as a family. So, today Andy loaded up the boat and paddles and life jackets and I loaded up the kids and we headed for the river. Most of us were not too excited about this family rafting day, but it ended up being the best day! We had SO much fun! Andy was a super guide (we didn't tip over) and all of the bad attitudes and scared ones wanted to go a second time. I am hooked! Hopefully we will do that again so soon! (I hate it that I don't have pictures, but since I was actually in the raft doing life, I didn't get to record life.)

Stats

2011-07-07T10:12:00.000-06:00

I laugh at Andy a lot because he is always checking out his "stats" on his blog and his books and whatever. Well, last summer he put stats tracking on my blog and now I get it. I love tracking my stats. . . not so much to know how many, but to know where.

I've been tracking my stats for a year now on Braner Party of 7 and here is what I have learned:

This blog has had over 123,000 pageviews this year.
Team Alexander and Jennafer White are my two top referring sites.
My readers are from all over (listed in order):
     United States
     Canada
     United Kingdom (thank you, Bowring family)
     Germany (thank you, Carolin)
     Dominican Republic
     Netherlands (thank you, Claudia)
     Russia
     Philippines
     South Korea
     Poland

Seriously?!?! That is so crazy to me! And my post titled "Stained Glass & Daffodils" has been the most read post this year. It is so weird to think about all of the people from all over reading my blog that I started to keep my family updated on the life of Braner Party of 7. So much fun!

Thank you all! Keep reading and keep commenting (if you are saying nice things)! I love reading your feedback!

Have a super day!

Independence Day

2011-07-04T08:55:00.000-06:00

Today is the 4th. . .today is Independence Day. But I bet many of you don't know that not only is it our Independence Day, but it is also Independence Day for the people of Rwanda. I love it that we share this day! For some reason that makes me happy!

I am proud to be an American. I am thankful that I'm an American.

For some reason today, I want to mention freedom. . .but not in the Independence Day sense. I think we are so happy to be free as a nation, but we don't allow ourselves to be free from whatever is holding us in bondage. Maybe you are in bondage to electronics or to a bad self-image or whatever. I know that often I find myself in bondage to fear. We really need to have freedom and celebrate our freedom from our issues! Happy Independence Day! (I realize that often our bondage--my bondage to fear--is a daily battle, but for today, at least. . . .)

Maggie In Missouri

2011-07-01T09:39:00.000-06:00

Wow. It has been a while since I posted last. Camp has been BUSY!!!

First of all, HAPPY JULY! Can you believe it? Where is this summer going? I'll be school supply shopping before I know it!

So, Maggie has been in Missouri for the last ten days or so. She has stayed with my parents and has been getting Scuba certified. I know that she has had the best time ever! She loves being there and being the only kid. She LOVES having Pops at her beck and call! She has also been enjoying her time with GoGo.

Maggie has also gotten to see Gran'ma and Uncle Cooper and Aunt Missy and her cousins LuLu and Hayden and Samuel (whom she got to meet for the first time).

She got to spend a fun couple of days with her friends Emmy and Haley. I love seeing the three of them smile together! My dad said that the day they spent together was one of the most fun days he has had in a while! The pictures attached are from that day.

Maggie comes home tonight and we are all super excited. Life is very different without her around and I cannot wait to have her back in our house. I miss my girl!

Dax Bieber or Justin Braner???

2011-06-22T06:48:00.000-06:00

This summer at KIVU, we have 2 big dance songs and they are to 2 of Justin Bieber's most fun songs. Well, it just so happens that the Braner children are HUGE Justin Bieber fans. . . . Oh my! So, last night Dax got VERY excited to get up on stage and BE Justin Bieber. He was thrilled (he even put on Maggie's jeggings for the occasion)! The sad part of the story is that the guy who promised him stage time changed his mind, much to Dax's dismay, but the picture above is Dax before he got the bad news! I love my boy!!!

Alpine Slides

2011-06-16T21:37:00.000-06:00

Today we headed to Durango Mountain Resort with the Blackwells. It was a SUPER family day (minus Hays because he is a camper at Kivu this week). We all had the best time together! So fun!

Gabby has been trying to break the 30 pound mark all year just so she could do the bungee trampoline up at Purg...she made it...32 pounds for the big jumping day!

This is a close-up of Dax's face way up there. Hysterical!

Best Friends

2011-06-15T16:15:00.000-06:00

Gabby (aka "Wall-E") and Rae Rae are having the very best time together. The argue and bicker like a couple of old hags, but they laugh and play and have the best time nevertheless! Enjoy the pics. . .lots and lots of pics!

The River, Butterflies & A Mouse

2011-06-14T13:12:00.000-06:00

Our friends from Branson, the Blackwells, are here for the week and we are all so super excited! We've been having a blast and the weather has been perfect! Enjoy the pictures!

This was Dax & Tiki on moving day...they were watching TV like this. Brothers.

Look closely and you can see Gabby's butterfly she raised from a worm-ish thing.

Yes, they caught a mouse. Our girls!

Happy Birthday, Maggie!!!

2011-06-12T08:16:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Maggie! Oh my! This picture (above) is one of my favorites. . . Maggie being Maggie. . .just enjoying life regardless of what is going on.

Ten years ago today. . .just like today. . .camp was starting, I had tons on my plate. . .woke up very early in labor, but I had too much to do! I went through the camp motions. . .leadership meeting and breakfast. . .by the time breakfast was over, Andy had had enough and he wisked me to the hospital. Good thing, because Maggie showed up in a hurry.

Maggie. . .how do I describe her? There really aren't adequate words. She is Maggie. There is no one like her and no words can really describe who she is.

She is sweet and thoughtful. She spends most of her time in her own little world--Planet Maggie we call it. She is an amazing sister (big and little) and a great daughter. She has a gentle spirit and yet she is so fun-loving!

I enjoy Maggie so much! I am so thankful that God gave her to me and made her exactly who she is. I am looking forward to many more years with her. . .many more laughs. . .many more memories.

I love you, Maggie! You are so dear to me! Happy Birthday!

Below are some of my favorite pictures of her:

Drop That Rock & Come Join The Party

2011-06-11T08:05:00.000-06:00

Last night I had a huge "ah-ha!" moment! Andy was preaching to our staff about sin. He was preaching from John 8. . .the story of the woman caught in adultry and the accusers with the rocks. . . remember that story. . ."let he who is without sin cast the first stone." I've read that story a zillion times. I've heard sermons on that story many times. I've even heard Andy preach on John 8 recently.

Well, further along in his talk he moved to Luke 15. . .another Bible story I am even more familar with. . . the son who asked his father for his inherritance and then squandered it and then returned home to an overjoyed father. . . .

Well, at the end of the story of the Prodigal Son. . .after the father has picked up his robe to run down the lane to greet this wayward son and after the father has put the finest robe on his son and given him the family ring and killed the fattened calf and thrown a huge WELCOME HOME party, the story shifts focus to the brother. . . .

Andy's sermon wasn't about the brother. Andy's sermon wasn't about the accusers about to stone the alduturous woman. But those are the people that my heart wouldn't let go of. Those people are me.

I'm sure in the John 8 story, the accusers dropped their stones VERY reluctantly and then I'm sure they walked away mumbling. I don't think that they really had an "ah-ha!" moment about the forgiveness that comes through Jesus and the sacrifice he was soon to be making on the cross.

And then there was this brother. This brother outside having a major pity party while the big bash was happening inside. When the father came out he pleaded with the brother to come inside and join the party because his brother had returned. But the son bcame angry because he had been faithful to the father and had stayed at home and had not squandered his inheritance or his father's reputation. This brother was bitter and angry.

And there came my "ah-ha!" moment. So often when I feel wronged by someone (Andy for example), I realized that I tend to be the brother. While God is celebrating that the son has come home, I stay outside and wallow in my own pity party. "Why God. . . I've been perfect. . . look at how great I've been. . ." and God patiently leaves the party to invite me in and to remind me that the brother has chosen to come home. . . .

Often I am the one person who has the hardest time dropping my stone. I don't throw it, but I stand there holding on to it. When Andy was talking I could actually feel the stone in my hand, I think on some levels I find security in holding onto my stone of accusation against others.

I'm not explaining my feelings very well, but I did have a realization that I need to celebrate in God's forgiveness of not only me, but of others. . . of those who have wronged me especially. If God can forgive them, I should be able to forgive them and then DROP THE STONE AND JOIN THE PARTY!

AH-HA!!

Last Week's Barn Dance

2011-06-09T17:16:00.000-06:00

I just found these pictures of Gabby from our KIVU Barn Dance last week. She is hysterical!!! She is at BeBe and PaPa's house for a long weekend and they are having a blast with her! She is going to come back SPOILED ROTTEN (and that's okay. . .every child should be at some point)! Enjoy the pics!

Another Water Day

2011-06-06T04:57:00.000-06:00

It is beautiful here! The kids are loving playing in the water! Enjoy the pics!

Business Meeting

2011-06-05T16:57:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I walked into the house from work and Dax and Tiki were in the process of making paper briefcases and paper mustaches. They were dressed in collared shirts with ties on. What in the world? "A business meeting with Luke" they said. Hmmmmm. . . .

Apparently they were meeting with Luke to discuss their babysitter for the summer. Luke is our Men's Director and he will be deciding who will be taking care of the boys this summer. Typically I have one picked out by now, but this year didn't work out so well. Over the past few days they have had some "trial" sitters and as a result, the boys had their opinions. (They were basically going to fight for the one who disciplined less.)

I asked Dax how the meeting went afterward and this was his one word response: "stupid!" I talked to Luke about the meeting this morning and he said it was HYSTERICAL! Apparently Dax came with his three points and he stuck to them until the end. He even made a closing statement including his three points before the meeting closed. Tiki switched sides during the meeting and Luke said he made the best and most heart-felt plea for the sitter he flip flopped to. In the end, Tiki "won". . .Luke had already decided on who the sitter would be and it happened to be the one Tiki argued for. . .the one who disciplines!

Rwanda Adoption Facebook Group

2011-06-04T06:22:00.000-06:00

I am SO EXCITED about my new Facebook group: RWANDA ADOPTION!!!! I created it yesterday morning and it is rockin' (67 people and counting)!!! I am loving getting in touch with all of these families. Part of me feels a little bit left out because I adopted so independently from any one and so many people had groups and now I have a group! SO FUN!

We are planning a reunion for Memorial Day 2012. . .tentatively in Durango! What a ball! That makes me so happy! I cannot wait!!! (They just had a great Memorial Day reunion this year and the pictures are adorable!)

So, if you have adopted from Rwanda or are waiting for approval or referral, JOIN!!! Invited all of the parents of little Rwandan guys and girls to join! I don't think anything could be more fun for our kids as the years go by than a group like this. . .especially with REUNIONS!!!

If you are a part of the group, please upload a family picture and please give us your blog address if you have one!!! Thanks!

Water Gun Fights (& New Hair)

2011-06-03T15:38:00.001-06:00

Can you believe that within a week of posting about a blizzard I can post about water gun fights (outdoors)? It is beautiful here! Hays and Tiki are having a blast with the Super Soakers. . .since these pictures have been taken Maggie has joined in, too!

Also, check out Tiki's new yarn braids! I'm still getting used to them, but he is so excited to have hair that "shakes like Dax's"!

Prayers Of My Children (Tonigh's Version)

2011-06-01T21:04:00.000-06:00

Dax: "Dear God, thank you for us, for our planet, for our universe, for all the other universes. Thank you for everyone on our planet and on Jupiter. Amen."

Gabby: "Dear Jesus, thank you for BeBe, Gabby, Maggie and Justin Bieber. . . ." (JB went number four tonight. . .he's going down in position.)

I love my kids!

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T07:15:00.000-06:00

Memorial Day is humbling. It is a day set aside to remember the men and women who have died serving our country. That humbles me. I cannot fathom going to war. . .being on the front lines. . .risking my life for a country. It is humbling.

Memorial Day was first declared in 1868. On www.usmemorialday.org, I read this quote and it sums up my feelings as I decided to write this post: "Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all."

As I am humbled by Memorial Day, I often get frustrated. I feel like we aren't really proud to be Americans anymore. I feel like politics and wars have made us less proud and that makes me sad. I remember the patriotic feeling after 9/11 and I remember loving that feeling. Now I feel like we have gone back to politics. It seems like we are less happy to be Americans if the person we want to be president isn't in office. Or we are less proud to be Americans if we don't agree with whatever war we are involved in. I feel like we have become less patriotic because we are so divided along party lines and that makes me sad.

So many people served our country and gave their lives so that we could be proud to be Americans! I am a sucker for Lee Greenwood and "Proud to Be An American" and Toby Keith "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue." I love being patriotic! I miss that overwhelming feeling that swept the country ten years ago!

I am so proud of the men in my life that have served our country. My "Pappy" severed on the USS Copahee in WWII. My mom's dad died in service to our country and her step-father, my "CC" was shot down over Germany in WWII. I am proud of them! I am proud of my friends who have served and who are currently serving. I am proud of the many soldiers I do not know who are serving. I am proud of the families at home who are waiting for their soldier to come home. And my heart breaks for those families who know that their soldier won't ever be coming home.

USS Copahee

So, on this Memorial Day, I want to be proud. I want to remember. I want to say THANK YOU!

In Flanders Fields
John McCrae, 1915.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Baker's Bridge

2011-05-29T16:58:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we spent much of the afternoon at Baker's Bridge. Some of our alumni staff are in town and it was so much fun to enjoy the sun and the fellowship!

Blog Catch Up

2011-05-26T08:44:00.000-06:00

Where have I been lately??? MOVING OUT TO CAMP, ending school, buying a new house. . . . I've been a little busy! So, I'm going to give you several updates in one post. . .pics and stories and such!

This is our new house!!! It isn't officially ours yet. . .we close next week. I took this picture last week when we were having that super snow! We're excited about the house! There is more space, but it is a major fixer-upper! It'll be fun!

This is Dax with the principal. He LOVES the principal! What kid loves the principal? Dax!

This is Dax with his teacher. She had to say, "Come on, Dax, pretend like you like me." Hummmm....

Tiki had a mountain biking race yesterday. He had the best time! I loved watching him! When he finished, the first thing he said was, "Daddy is going to be so proud of me!" Cutie pie!

Today is the last day of school. We survived another year! I'll post about today later! I'm back to being on top of blogging! Yipee!

Desktop Wallpaper

2011-05-24T17:22:00.002-06:00

I just made this fun wallpaper for Andy's computer desktop. I thought I'd share it with you. I love him!

2011-05-21T17:21:00.000-06:00

Camp Kivu Has Begun

2011-05-21T09:35:00.000-06:00

Well, Braner Party of 7 has moved out to Kivu for the summer. We will still have to go back and forth for school for four days, but for all practical purposes, we have moved. We are so excited to be out here with some of the Kivu staff.

It is so refreshing to be surrounded by amazing people! I love cooking for the guys (we only have guys staff out here for the next several days). Andy and I actually cooked breakfast for them this morning and being in the kitchen with Andy all to myself for nearly two hours was a dream come true! I love it that my boys have wonderful young men to look up to! I love the camp pace!

I am so thankful that this is what I get to do in the summers! Life is good!

May in Colorado

2011-05-19T11:14:00.000-06:00

The view from our back porch at our house.

This is what we woke up to this morning. (Mind you, when I say "we woke up" you need to know that Andy took me on a super fantastic anniversary date. . .lunch, walking around downtown, coffee and brownies, a long afternoon nap, dinner, a movie and the Blue Lake Ranch. . .my favorite bed and breakfast in Durango. . .nap and bedtime at Blue Lake.)

The view from our room at the Blue Lake Ranch.

It is May 19th and the snow is beautiful! Our "uncles" arrived yesterday (some of our guys staff at KIVU) and they are bundled up as they get camp ready for the kids to arrive!

Maggie's field trip got CANCELED yesterday due to snow. Nuts!

I really love living here because it is just so pretty, but it is time for the warm weather to be here! Sending my kids to school in snow boots, ski coats and with gloves and hats the last week of school is so crazy!

Happy Anniversary, Andy!

2011-05-18T05:19:00.007-06:00

Fourteen years of marriage. Wow! I seriously cannot believe it (until I look at my breakfast table and see my "little guy" who is nearly thirteen. . .reality check). As of this summer, I have officially known Andy the same amount of time that I did not know him. Weird.

Anyway, happy anniversary! This year has been tough in so many areas and we have for sure seen more downs than ups in the past twelve months. However, we are closer now than before and we know each other more intimately than before. That's what it is about. . . for better and for worse!

My motto this year has been LOVE HOPES and I am hopeful! I am hopeful that we will have fourteen more great years (and then fourteen more after that and fourteen more after that and maybe even fourteen more after that). I am hopeful that our love will never stop growing. I am hopeful that he will always be my best friend. I am hopeful that he will always be my greatest ally and biggest fan. I am hopeful that as we continue to have ups and downs in our relationship, that the ups will outnumber the downs. I am hopeful that he will love me more tomorrow than he does today and that I will love him more the next day than I do tomorrow.

I love him. I am thankful for him. If I could do it all over again, I would. He is my soul mate. He is my destiny. (Can I write that or it is way too corny and dumb? I'm not sure.) He is who I dreamed of for the first eighteen years of my life and who I have loved for the past eighteen. He is the last person I want to see at night and the first I want to see in the morning. He is the person I long to dream with. I adore my husband.

Thanks for loving me, Andy. Thanks for hoping with me. Thanks for dreaming with me. Thanks for tolerating me. Thanks for everything.

I love you.

I am proud of you.

I love. I hope. I dream. . .of you!

Happy Anniversary, my love!

Good Time

2011-05-16T13:32:00.000-06:00

Wow. . .what a whirlwind! Wednesday night I decided to go to Branson. Hmmmmmm. . . . . My Gran'ma was having surgery on Friday--it had been scheduled for a couple of weeks and I have known about it, but I just kept telling myself that I didn't need to be there. Then on Wednesday evening, the other part of me won the battle and I was like, "what am I still doing in Durango? I need to be in Branson!!!" I was almost frantic as I made that realization and started trying to get myself East at the speed of sound!

The trip was crazy! By Wednesday night I was on an airplane headed to Denver. I got to Denver in a blizzard! We were one of the last flights to land that night. It was crazy. So, I got a hotel and I could not find the shuttle bus to the hotel. (Usually I'm pretty together and "with it," but my emotions had the best of me and I had almost no common sense at this point.) So, I called the hotel (twice) and they told me that the shuttle service was over for the night. So, I waited (in a blizzard) in the taxi line and got the last taxi out of the airport due to the weather. I got to the hotel (right behind the shuttle bus that supposedly didn't exist) and fell asleep hard. The next morning I was up at four to catch my flight to Tulsa. The airport was crazy because of all of the canceled flights from the night before and I was so thankful to be holding a ticket. I made it to Tulsa and the rental car was an even bigger deal. Long story. . .not very interesting, but after many shed tears, I finally got a car to Branson. I was almost there!

When I arrived at Gran'ma's house, I was so overcome with emotions (happy, relieved, overwhelmed, sad, worried. . .you name it), that I just crawled into her lap and cried. It was a moment I will remember for a long time!

Anyway, her surgery went well. . .it went great! She is feeling so much better and she came out of the surgery with flying colors! I was so happy! My uncle Bill had driven up from Texas to take care of her and he and I had the best four days together! I adore my uncle Bill and we laughed and laughed. He, for sure, was the highlight of my trip.

I had great time with Gran'ma. It was good to see my mom and dad for a little bit. Time with Bill was super. (To my Branson friends I didn't see, I'm sorry. This was all about my Gran'ma!) I also got to go to church on Sunday and that was so REFRESHING! I didn't realize how much I missed my church! I truly was REFRESHED!!!!

So, it was a good and quick and crazy long weekend! I needed a break from Braner Party of 7 and I got an unexpected one! Now I am ready to go home and be a good mom and wife and I am ready to get camp up and running! I am refreshed and I am ready to roll!

Also, if you haven't read my post below. . .go download Andy's new book! Right now it is NUMBER ONE on Amazon (in the Christian and ethics section). NUMBER ONE! Wow! I am so very very proud of my husband! I love him so much! Great job, sweetie!

Free Download Of Andy's New Book

2011-05-16T00:13:00.002-06:00

Hey there! Today you can download Andy's new book for FREE! Yep, free. We are hoping for 100,000 downloads in the next couple days! And then hopefully these downloads will translate into super recommendations and then others will PURCHASE the book or the download!

The book was written to parents of the 12+ crowd and youth pastors. Don't think that this book doesn't apply to your child. . . you'll be floored!

Click HERE to download it for free today only!

Yesterday Morning

2011-05-12T05:37:00.000-06:00

This is a picture of Kivu looking down towards the Warming Hut.

This is what we woke up to yesterday. . .so beautiful. It was kind of refreshing to wake up to a winter wonderland (then I remembered that it was May 11th and was craving the smell of blooming lilacs, but it was beautiful nevertheless).

Best Mother's Day Eve

2011-05-08T19:59:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the best! The kids and I drove down to the Grand Canyon and spent the afternoon biking the rim. It was magical! I had Gabby on a pull-behind bike and the 6 of us had a blast. The most magical part was being on the rim (literally) and just seeing the grandeur of the canyon to the side of me and my kids in front of me...magical!!!

Yesterday was by far one of the best days I have had in a very long time! Thanks kiddos!

Then today for Mother's Day we spent it in the Canyon with BeBe and PaPa. That was a fun last minute surprise! I'm so glad I drove down to meet them! We had the perfect weekend!

The Four Corners

Mother's Day 2011 could have been the best ever!!!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2011-05-07T07:32:00.000-06:00

Today is my mom's birthday!

Happy Birthday, Mom! I adore you so much! For the past 14 years I have felt our friendship growing and growing and these last two years away from you has drawn my heart so close to you. I love you so much! I admire your strength and your courage and your vaulnerability. I admire your patience that NEVER seems to end (why didn't I get any of that from you?). I admire your true compassion and your thoughtfulness. You are an amazing woman. You seem to have every quality I wish I had. You are so grounded and together. You are my hero. . .the woman I wish I could be like!

It is so weird to me how much I long for you as a dear friend now that I am gone. I want to talk to you about fifty times a day. You're the person I want to call to laugh with and to cry with. You are who I want to run to for so many things. You are a very dear friend and I am so grateful for that!

I love you so much! You're the best! Happy Birthday!

Growing Up...One Shaved Leg At A Time

2011-05-04T16:22:00.000-06:00

So, this isn't really thousands of readers worthy, but it is family and for my own memories worthy. I taught Maggie how to shave her legs. I remember the first time I shaved (many of you remember the story from my post about why I love summer camp). It wasn't a great experience. I was being a 10 year old who was away at camp and whose mother wouldn't let her shave. (Why not, mom?) I learned my razor burn lesson the hard way and waited until Junior High until my mom gave me permission to shave.

Well, Maggie wanted to learn this week, so I taught her. (I must say--for my own memories--that Hays decided to shave a few weeks ago, so I had to let my daughter. . .a different story for a different time.) So, I got to teach my oldest daughter to shave. I got to tell her which ankle bone to watch out for and how that Achilles tendon can be a real killer. I got to tell her to go slow in order to avoid razor burn and how she needs to put lotion on afterward.

It was fun. I've checked off one of those mother/daughter accomplishments. So, there's my story. No blood, no red bumps. We did good!

May the Fourth Be With You

2011-05-04T04:58:00.000-06:00

This link is in honor of my Star Wars boy, Dax. It is best when he says "May the Fourth be with you" with his little lisp. I love it! So, to you, Dax, my Star Wars, dimple-face, thumb-sucking mama's boy. . . MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU! I love you!

Osama Bin Laden

2011-05-02T10:24:00.000-06:00

Okay, I'm not going to do a big political post or a big religious or moral post. I'm just going to post because sometimes in writing I figure things out better. . .and I have noticed that sometimes in my writing (and others reading my writing), I am not alone in my feelings.

So, this morning, Andy woke up long before the crack of dawn and he couldn't sleep. . .therefore I couldn't sleep. So, he pulled out his iPad and started reading the news. And of course, the first thing to come up was that Osama Bin Laden was killed during a mission in Pakistan yesterday. Whatever. At five in the morning, I didn't really think too much about it (I just really wanted to be sleeping instead). And then we began to read more articles and blogs and twitters and everything and I encountered the "jubilee" of many people in the country. And still I didn't think too much about it.

Then I got out of bed and got my day started and I realized that I was really bothered. I wasn't bothered that he had been killed. I was bothered by the reaction of humanity. And I wasn't bothered in a "better than you way." I was bothered in a very confusing way that I couldn't really put my finger on. I just knew that the jubilation of many people was bothering me. Then I read my brother's Facebook post (Brady). All he posted was this: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. --Jesus." And then it hit me that my feelings of being "bothered" were because of the outright jubilation going on in many places in America and by many of my friends. The jubilation over someone's death just didn't sit right in my gut.

Don't get me wrong. I believe that this man was responsible for one of America's most terrible tragedy and for many other wrongs that I'm not even aware of. I'm not going to make this a political or a moral blog. . .I just want to write about my feelings. . .please don't forget that as you are reading. I think that part of me is humbly grateful that he is dead. However, I cannot reconcile my feelings.

The Bible also says "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles." That verse nailed it for me. He is our enemy. He has fallen. I'm not rejoicing that he is dead. I am thankful for the brave men and women who have been trying to capture and/or kill him for a decade. I am grateful for the outcome. But I am not rejoicing. I am not jubilant. I don't really feel any more safe because of it either. I don't feel any better about 9/11. I just feel bothered while being humbled.

One of my other dear friends wrote on her Facebook wall a quote by Mark Twain: "I've never wished a man dead, but have read some obituaries with great pleasure." That made me laugh in my "bothered" state. It doesn't quite go to jubilation, but it is honest pleasure. I don't think I'm at that point (even though I love that quote and it makes me chuckle.)

Anyway, there you go. I'm bothered. I'm a little confused. He is dead and I think I am grateful. I'm not rejoicing. I don't feel like 9/11 has now been paid back or anything. I just feel like, "it just is." He's dead. He just is. Now what?

So there you go. My honest state of being bothered. . .my state of not really knowing what to do with my feelings about the fact that the "most wanted man in the world" is now accounted for. Hmmmmmm.....

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

2011-05-01T18:15:00.000-06:00

Happy May Day

2011-05-01T15:15:00.000-06:00

It is May Day and it is SNOWING here in Durango (and it is supposed to keep snowing until tomorrow morning). . .and it is COLD! Its weird to think about school ending and camp starting and all that entails when it is snowing outside. Weird!

May is always such a weird month for me. Life changes so drastically once camp starts and that date is less than three weeks away. I have SO MUCH to do in order to get ready for camp to start up again this year! I'm so excited for the staff to come but I am so anxious about the changes in our family that have to happen in order to make running a camp happen. Once it gets here, I am typically fine, but the looking forward to it is hard. May is not the month I ever look forward to.

My mom's birthday is coming up. Mother's Day is coming up. Our 14th anniversary is on this May calendar. The kids have all kinds of "end of the year" type things at their schools. Lesley is coming back! Dalton, our sitter from last summer will be here in less than three weeks. The kids are about to be surrounded by amazing people and that is the very best part!

So, happy May! Happy cold and snowy May from Durango!

Royal Wedding Party

2011-04-29T04:54:00.000-06:00

Yes, we even did formal invitations for all of the "princesses."

What a great morning! Princess Margaret (Maggie) and Lady Jamie Jo hosted a Royal Wedding sleepover and party! Last night five of Maggie's friends and their moms came over (some in formals) to spend the night. This morning the moms woke up to finish cooking and setting up and to watch some of the royal procession. Then we woke up the girls (and a couple of the brothers) in time to see Kate ride to the ceremony.

The breakfast was beautiful and surprisingly tasty! We had scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, strawberries and cream muffins, egg and bacon muffins and much much more.

I had out my white wedding china with all of the little tea cups. It was so cute. We drank sparkling orange juice and hot tea.

It was fun to hear the girls laughing and talking throughout the wedding. They were so excited to be up and I am so glad that they will have a fun memory of where they were when Will and Kate got married!

To Do

2011-04-28T07:59:00.000-06:00

This is my pile of laundry today...my pile minus the one load in the washer, the one load in the dryer and the two loads clean and waiting to be folded.... Between company this weekend, being out of town for two days on a get-away with Andy and a six year old throwing up and missing the bucket repeatedly, my pile is amazingly large!

Also to do today is clean my house (for the same reasons listed above), go to the grocery store, cook for my Royal Wedding Party I am throwing tonight/tomorrow morning in the wee hours and to WORK! Oh my!

I guess I better stop blogging and get working! Happy day!