thanksgiving

 even in the midst of uncertainty, we can still serve our community

this picture was for my dad . . . only Pop Braunius has the patience to make a gingerbread house immediately following Thanksgiving dinner! =) 

this is our kind of black friday shopping! 

we got some awesome Audrey time this weekend . . . adorable!  Everything is a dog-ee, 

and she loves her cousins . . . and her aunt . . . that's me =)

after all these years, the work of God's hands NEVER ceases to amaze me in BML

just amazing

at the bottom of our street is an Episcopal church on the lake, and the cross is what we see every time we leave the street.  looking particularly spectacular Saturday morning on the newly frozen lake with the sun sparkling on the fresh snow.

in Old Forge, these guys walked right across the street to say hi . . . 

Matt was looking for the nearest rifle.  nice.

some might say tacky, to us, it is the perfect Thanksgiving weekend!

which one is trouble?

you guessed right!  she couldn't find her name. shocker.

love the Claus'!

 

can't wait to share New Year's here with some very special friends! =)

oxymoron

Some light weekend grading =)

 Stress.

It makes me cry, it makes me laugh.
It pushes people away, it brings people closer.
It slows me down, it drives me.
It makes me gain weight, it makes me lose weight.
It makes me lay awake, it makes me sleep.
It makes me doubt myself, it makes me assured that I am doing the right thing.

Lately though (apparently since April, my last post!), it has done all of the things I listed first, to an extreme.

I have done an incredible job of putting my more than full time job first, partially because of the nature of my job, and everything else last.  Don't get me wrong, I thrive being in my classroom, it's outside of the classroom where the crumbling begins.   I also have done an incredible job of letting myself believe and unfortunately thrive on not being good enough.  I have been unable to draw the line between mom, wife, friend, daughter, granddaughter, sister and teacher.

It's not something I can change by snapping my fingers.  In fact, it is incredibly hard to find and make that balance a reality.  I guess for some it is easy, but for my personality, that will never be easy.  In fact, I get mad at myself for not being able to handle it all.

So this weekend, in the midst of a tremendous amount of grading, preparing report cards for 45 students before Wednesday, and 26 parent conferences Wednesday - Friday, I'm again doing a really bad job at the balancing act, but in my head and my attitude, I'm trying to let the opposite side of my stress' oxymorons kick in.

I have a mom at Kirsten's soccer game to thank for that.

On Saturday morning, while Matt took Jenny to her away game, I took Kirsten to her game at the Rec, and took my regular spot on the sidelines, and pulled out the grading that happens on the sidelines every weekend.  Another mom and I started talking, and we both ended up in tears discussing this balancing act.

An hour later, she came to my door with these.

So, this weekend, I can't let stress cause me to doubt myself, because believe me, it is very tempting!  Instead,  I have to find assurance that I am doing the right thing, for now at least.

Carry Me

Even though my troubles and worries right now pale in comparison to some of those of my family and friends, I still need the words of stanza 3 to ring true, every day.

My girls know these words by heart, and it is my prayer that they will always be able to sing these words from their hearts.

We were singing this one loud today on the way home from school, windows open.  

Carry Me
Josh Wilson

I try to catch my breath
It hasn't happened yet
I'm wide awake in the middle of the night scared to death
So I prayed God, would You make this stop
Father please hold on to me, You're all I've got

Carry me, carry me, carry me now
From my sinking sand to Your solid ground
The only way I'm ever gonna make it out
Is if You carry me, carry me, carry me now
God carry me, carry me, carry me now

Jesus calm my heart
Come near me please
Lord don't let these worries get the best of me
Oh I believe, that You're still here with me
Cause You meant what You said when You said You'd never leave

Carry me, carry me, carry me now
From my sinking sand to Your solid ground
The only way I'm ever gonna make it out
Is if You carry me, carry me, carry me now
God carry me, carry me, carry me now

Carry me
God carry me
Carry me
God carry me

I'm at the end of myself
I know I've got nothing left
Feels like I'm stuck in the valley of the shadow of death
And I've been down here so long
I just can't find my way out
Oh God I don't stand a chance
Unless You carry me now
God carry me now

Carry me, carry me, carry me now
From my sinking sand to Your solid ground
The only way I'm ever gonna make it out
Is if You carry me, carry me, carry me now
God carry me, carry me, carry me now

Carry me now
Carry me now
Carry me now
Carry me now

Prayers for E-man

So thankful Ethan's surgery went well today. . . . and Jenny certainly had no trouble with her homework tonight!

sweet Jenny, courageous Ethan

stress free sunday

ECMS goes 80's

Even though this place can drive me crazy . . .
there is always someone there to make me laugh!

The 6th grade teacher team at its best!

E-man

fun, happy, positive, goofy, friendly, competitive, playful, compassionate, patient, loving, athletic, sweet, smart, creative . . .

 praying and thinking about my nephew a lot these days, praying for Sarah and Jeff. . . .

courage, peace, strength, patience, persistence, healing . . . .

35

 Yup, I even told my students the number, thankfully most of them were surprised!

A great celebration this weekend, beginning with a delayed opening on Friday, followed by a cake handmade with pride by one of my students, a nice quiet night at home of cleaning, a hair appointment all by myself, a dinner out on Saturday night with our favorite couple, dinner with Jon, Julie and Audrey on Sunday and some surprises in between.

View outside my classroom on Friday

Even though my weekend has to end with grading and planning, feeling thankful for the people in my life who make me laugh and are a reminder of God's goodness.

18

Saturday morning was unusually quiet.  The girls have been doing more fighting than loving lately, but on Saturday morning, they were both in Jenny's room.  Kirsten was playing on the iPad, and Jenny was paging through her library books.  I was cleaning the bathroom, and stopped a moment to overhear this conversation:

K to J:  Mommy and Daddy said we have to go to college when we turn 18.  We're not going, right Jenny?  Let's live here forever.

J to K:  Right!

A conversation I wanted to write down to show them when they are about 14 and 16 =).

no love tuesdays

Dear Tuesday,

I am sorry to say that I do not like you.  As the school year continues, you get more and more annoying.  The only good part of your day happens at 5:30, when I get to share life (and grumbles) with my best friend.  Between 6:15 and 7:20, breakfast (if it happens) is haphazardly served, little girls fight with me about their clothes, school library books are searched for and lunches are carelessly put together with whatever is in the fridge and the closet since food shopping is now a novelty experience.  You cause me to leave the house at 7:22, shoes untied, hair undone, runny noses unwiped so that I can attend my weekly 7:30 team leaders meeting.  With a quick kiss, you rush me to settle my girls into their waiting "spot" for the arrival of the bus.  My meeting ends at 8:16, and now I am late to homeroom.  My 6th graders quickly enter my personal space with their questions and are busy tearing down the Christmas decorations outside my door.  Your time ensues and with no breaks to use the bathroom and in tears after failing at every attempt to handle 1 particular student, your 3:00 timing rolls around which brings outdoor bus duty and the elementary school bus with one of my daughters who is looking a bit "dirty" . . . when IS the last time she had a shower?  Your daylight fades quickly as I sit at my desk grading and planning and leave the building at 5 to pick up dinner at Market Basket, chicken fingers for the girls, a salad for me, Matt out tonight, and drive to MP to pick up Kirsten from dance.  Home at 6.  Feed, bathe, and spend an hour on homework with the girls, and exhaustion sets in when the tears and the fighting reaches a new height.  We play one game to settle in, then your hour reminds me it is time for bed . . . for them.  I fight off sleep as I read to Kirsten, and stumble out of her room to the kitchen table.  It's now 9:00.  You tease me until midnight.  When 2:00 am rolls around and I am still at the kitchen table, I now don't like you OR Wednesday.

on TV

conversation #1

Kirsten:  Mommy, I really would like that Dora thing for Christmas.
Me:  Really, honey?
Kirsten:  Yes, and on TV it says it's cheap at Toys R Us on Fridays and Saturdays.

apparently, the Toys R Us advertising plan is working on my 5 year old. . . . and apparently my daughter watches enough TV to pick up on when the Christmas sales are going on when things are "cheap!"

conversation #2
(after her sister was sent to her room for a sibling "quarrel")

Kirsten:  Mommy, when I go in my room and talk to Jesus, can I ask him to forgive me?
Me:  Of course, sweetheart.  Jesus will always listen to you.

phew!  I'm not the worst parent after all!

metaphor

My desk at 3p.m.
A metaphor for how I'm feeling this week.

forty something's

This weekend was one of celebration.  40.

Friday night was Sarah's surprise party (Dec. 17) and Matt's was Saturday night (Nov. 11).
Friday night was elegant and "spirit-filled," and Saturday night was rustic and "spirit-filled."

Both nights gave grateful glimpses of God's provision and God's grace.

Happy Birthday to the man in my life who is now closer to 60 than to 20. . . . but looks 35 =).  I wouldn't want him any other way.  We love you tons!

 our friends know Matt oh so well!

 a 40th party is not complete without 80's dance music and cheesy decorations!  

they are now up for grabs!

appetizers, beer, pizza, 2 fire-pits and s'mores . . . good times . . . 

 "The 40 Things We Love About Daddy"
by Jenny and Kirsten

Good Stuff

November.

Hmm....not sure where September and October went, but then again . . . I know exactly where they went!

Seems that the only way I can keep up with our lives is through pictures on my i-phone.  And I'm okay with that =).

So here's just a few from the last few months.  We'll start with the wedding of the year!  Uncle Jeff married Aunt Lynnette!!  VERY exciting for the Braunius family!  What a weekend that was!  Of course because it was Uncle Jeff, nothing goes as planned . . . including a tornado.  So from outdoors to indoors and a lot of broken glass . . . we will cheers to happily ever after!!

Right before the reveal . . .

So stinking cute they were . . .

Jenny took this picture, so a few members of the bridal party got cut off =)  The 3 girls to Lynnette's left are my 3 new step-nieces.

 

So the ceremony moved inside . . . notice that sky . . . and is Matt crying???

Let the party begin!!

Okay, so this dress was not the most flattering bridesmaid dress ever, but I can't resist a picture of dancing with my dad!

Then we had an awesome fall festival weekend in BML with our very favorite Miss G!

A LOT of mac and cheese (why does it look like it is glowing??) in the car to and from soccer, dance, GEMS, school . . .

A little bit of pumpkin carving . . .

AND just today, a hike up High Mountain after Hurricane Sandy . . .

Who else hikes with Oscar's cheese, summer sausage, a cutting board and knife?!

Good Stuff.