There have been so many changes in the last few months that I am really not even sure where to begin. Guess I will just start at the beginning.........
Our family has been a missions minded family for quite some time. Honestly, I have been around missionaries so long that it was hard not to think of us as a missionary family. In January of this year, the Lord began to dealing with us concerning learning the Spanish language. Knowing that was going to be virtually impossible without immersing ourselves in the language we started to look at suitable options to do just that. Thus began our journey to Guatemala.
Toby put his business up for sale and it sold on August 1. That was truly a God thing. We prayed about who to sell it to and the price to ask. Toby approached the person God laid on our hearts and he wanted it. He was approved by Allstate Ins. in record time and is now the proud owner of a growing, thriving business.
We resigned the Spanish church where Toby had been the pastor. I think this was probably the hardest part of the whole move. We love this group of people and they are our family. God has sent them a very capable man to lead them into the next level with God and for that we are thankful.
Our house is on the market and with God's help will move quickly.
We have had to give our fur babies away to a very close friend. Thankful that this family, that they already know, was willing to love them the way we have.
August 19th will be our last Sunday at the POA. We moved here when Kaitlyn was 11 months old. Leaving our church family is not easy, but it is because of the leadership of this church we are who we are. They have helped us grow and dream big for God in the last 12 years.
Toby will be traveling to Antigua, Guatemala next week to secure housing and enrollment in language school. Wishing we were all ready to go now, but hopefully by the November 1 we will be winging our way there.
We will be taking a two to three week vacation to just unwind and be still before we begin our fund raising. Ideally, we will be heading to Florida and just sit on the beach doing nothing. Realistically, we will be working on getting our fund raising letter created, lining up services, etc.
I changed our blog address to thebrazzelfamily.blogspot.com Hoping this will be easier for people to find and follow our adventures. I thought about just creating a whole new blog, but I think the name of this blog just kind of sums it all up for us. We really are living the good life.
We are super excited that God is allowing us to be part of the work in Guatemala. Our missionaries there are in the process of getting an orphanage up and running. Can't wait for our family to volunteer in anyway possible.
Stay tuned as we walk with God on this great adventure!
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Mother's Day 2012
Hard to believe it has been six months since I last posted. Where has time gone? It was not my intention to go so long between posts. I will not promise better, but hoping I will post more often in the next six months.
Mother's Day 2012:
My Mom and Granny
Ricky and Kamryn
Nicholas
Toby and his Mom
Kensli
Bubble Blowing Nicholas
Fresh Plums
Kaitlyn
We spent the day visiting our moms. So blessed to have such sweet, beautiful ladies in our lives.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Happy New Year!
This is the time of year that I tend to be super reflective and ecstatically positive all at the same time. I enjoy the revisiting of great moments of our year and yet can't wait for the challenge to shed the old and bring on the new.
I am working on a family book for the year. I would love by next year to have each child their own book for the year. Just praying I can get my camera back in full commission and buy a new lens.
I have started back with the concept of year round homeschooling. It worked so much better for my family. Excited for the thought of not being tied down on the standard school schedule and so much more can be learned and experienced together. I am going to try to post a home school post and link it to another blog that hosts a weekly wrap up every week.
I am determined to revisit my crafty side this year. I used to do a lot and then I had kids.....well, that was my excuse. Time to not let little hands, that destroy everything they can, get the best of me! Ready to enjoy what those little hands can create.
I am working on a family book for the year. I would love by next year to have each child their own book for the year. Just praying I can get my camera back in full commission and buy a new lens.
I have started back with the concept of year round homeschooling. It worked so much better for my family. Excited for the thought of not being tied down on the standard school schedule and so much more can be learned and experienced together. I am going to try to post a home school post and link it to another blog that hosts a weekly wrap up every week.
I am determined to revisit my crafty side this year. I used to do a lot and then I had kids.....well, that was my excuse. Time to not let little hands, that destroy everything they can, get the best of me! Ready to enjoy what those little hands can create.
BRING ON THE NEW YEAR......we have great plans!
We have memories to make! We can't wait!
Christmas 2011
We had a beautiful Christmas this year.
The tree was trimmed.
The fire burned brightly.
The presents were delightful.
The cookies were yummy.
We spent time together and with family.
We didn't waste a moment enjoying each other.
Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Tis the Season.....
The main family Christmas tree went up tonight.
The kids and I love, love, love decorating the tree and Toby tolerates the joy.
Toby thought he was so funny putting all his ornaments in one spot on the tree.
Kamryn made the the decorating VERY interesting.
With her help we only broke 3 balls and 2 ornaments.
We finally gave up and took all decorations off the bottom half of the tree.
The final product.
I was a little slanted when I took the picture....the tree is not leaning. :)
We are officially ready to celebrate the season!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving
Our Little Sunshine
Friday we celebrated with my family and Saturday with Toby's. It is good to have my brother and his family living back in our state. After 12 years, it was great to spend Thanksgiving with them and cheer LSU on to victory.
I am so grateful Thanksgiving isn't one day giving thanks, good food, or football. It is a year round attitude of gratitude. So, today I celebrate Thanksgiving and tomorrow I will, too. Even next June, when swimming and camps are all we can think about. Deep inside I always want a heart of thanksgiving!
Saturday, November 12, 2011
This Little Light of Mine......
I thought about titling this post, "Why Do I Attract These People?" I decided against it for fear someone would read the post and think they recognized someone. I do not live in a huge city, so there is a chance of this occuring. Then, it felt as if the Lord was asking me, "What do I look like to people? What do people see in you?" Hopefully they see Jesus?
It all started Friday with an unusually early an unexpected arrival of a repairman. He was supposed to have shown up a week ago, but in his usually BUSY schedule he had not been able to get by here. I was still in my pj's, hair uncombed, drinking my coffee while listening to the conversations, laughter, and excitement of my kids. So when the doorbell rang, I sent my oldest son to the door, while I made a super mad dash up the stairs to try to look presentable in 0.3 seconds. Upon coming back down the stairs, I launched into a picking fuss with this good natured repairman for showing up without calling me. Since we have known him for awhile, we chatted about family, adoption, church, and finding your place in ministry. After he finished his repairs, he leaned up against the counter in the kitchen and his first reaction was "What in the world?" The counter top and cabinets were hot to the touch. The dishwasher has been having problems, like parts flying off at me, but now the heating element had not turned off the night before. It was still heating and becoming a fire hazard. So, he unhooked it for me, and it was the hand of the Lord that he had been to busy to come by last week.
About two hours later, a repairman for a local appliance store showed up unannounced to work on the "fire hazard" dishwasher. He proved to be a know-it-all ex church member that not only criticized our church, but several others in the area, in front of my kids. I had tried to be nice when he showed up and was really taken off guard at his response. At that point, I realized that anything I said was the wrong thing, so I stopped talking to him and only answered him in one word answers. He prattled on and on about different topics and his resentment and bitterness kept showing through. Thankfully my sweet husband showed up part of the way through this man's repair job, and his demeanor changed drastically. I let hubby deal with him, but the sad news is it will be December before I have a working dishwasher again. Even sadder is that this man is carrying baggage around with him that is eating away at his spirit.
Three hours later the third repairman of the day arrived. His was a scheduled visit, so I was expecting his interruption. He was very nice, but proved just as interesting. He was also a talker, and in the fifteen minutes he was here, I learned that he was a fan on one of our pastors, what he thought about homeschooling, his thoughts on adoption, was an ex church member, wanted to know about making bread (he heard the bread machine going), told me where and all about the church he goes to now (2 1/2 hours away), caught up on how everyone was doing that he knows in our church, and told me where he lived.
Maybe I should have been a counselor or interrogator, since I can get a life story from someone in 15 minutes. Why do people feel the need to automatically start asking about church or church related topics when they enter my home? Do they feel something when they come around that makes them desire to have more of Him? I do not want to be like repairman #2....where my "light" is one of bitterness and pain. I am hoping that they see Him working in me. That my "light" shines and points them toward Him. I want to be a witness of His good works and let His "light" shine into the lives of others.
"You are the light that gives light to the world. A city that is built on a hill cannot be hidden. And people don't hide a light under a bowl. They put it on a lamp stand so the light shines for all the people in the house. In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see good things you do and will praise you Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16 (New Century Version)
As a mom, there are days I am so busy that I do not realize how my "light" looks to others. Sometimes it takes three repairmen and a random Friday to remind me.
It all started Friday with an unusually early an unexpected arrival of a repairman. He was supposed to have shown up a week ago, but in his usually BUSY schedule he had not been able to get by here. I was still in my pj's, hair uncombed, drinking my coffee while listening to the conversations, laughter, and excitement of my kids. So when the doorbell rang, I sent my oldest son to the door, while I made a super mad dash up the stairs to try to look presentable in 0.3 seconds. Upon coming back down the stairs, I launched into a picking fuss with this good natured repairman for showing up without calling me. Since we have known him for awhile, we chatted about family, adoption, church, and finding your place in ministry. After he finished his repairs, he leaned up against the counter in the kitchen and his first reaction was "What in the world?" The counter top and cabinets were hot to the touch. The dishwasher has been having problems, like parts flying off at me, but now the heating element had not turned off the night before. It was still heating and becoming a fire hazard. So, he unhooked it for me, and it was the hand of the Lord that he had been to busy to come by last week.
About two hours later, a repairman for a local appliance store showed up unannounced to work on the "fire hazard" dishwasher. He proved to be a know-it-all ex church member that not only criticized our church, but several others in the area, in front of my kids. I had tried to be nice when he showed up and was really taken off guard at his response. At that point, I realized that anything I said was the wrong thing, so I stopped talking to him and only answered him in one word answers. He prattled on and on about different topics and his resentment and bitterness kept showing through. Thankfully my sweet husband showed up part of the way through this man's repair job, and his demeanor changed drastically. I let hubby deal with him, but the sad news is it will be December before I have a working dishwasher again. Even sadder is that this man is carrying baggage around with him that is eating away at his spirit.
Three hours later the third repairman of the day arrived. His was a scheduled visit, so I was expecting his interruption. He was very nice, but proved just as interesting. He was also a talker, and in the fifteen minutes he was here, I learned that he was a fan on one of our pastors, what he thought about homeschooling, his thoughts on adoption, was an ex church member, wanted to know about making bread (he heard the bread machine going), told me where and all about the church he goes to now (2 1/2 hours away), caught up on how everyone was doing that he knows in our church, and told me where he lived.
Maybe I should have been a counselor or interrogator, since I can get a life story from someone in 15 minutes. Why do people feel the need to automatically start asking about church or church related topics when they enter my home? Do they feel something when they come around that makes them desire to have more of Him? I do not want to be like repairman #2....where my "light" is one of bitterness and pain. I am hoping that they see Him working in me. That my "light" shines and points them toward Him. I want to be a witness of His good works and let His "light" shine into the lives of others.
"You are the light that gives light to the world. A city that is built on a hill cannot be hidden. And people don't hide a light under a bowl. They put it on a lamp stand so the light shines for all the people in the house. In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see good things you do and will praise you Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16 (New Century Version)
As a mom, there are days I am so busy that I do not realize how my "light" looks to others. Sometimes it takes three repairmen and a random Friday to remind me.
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