Beachblonde...

Logging out...

I'm logging out of blogging for a while...
Thanks for the love and interest into my/our lives for the time it lasted!

Peggy and Shanna... I'll try to email you more pictures and details instead:)

LOUD...

Although these pics are wonderful... they don't do it justice... the way the lights were down... this funky cool music... the way the letters came on and off at different sequences matching the beat of the music... and at the end... with a bang... all lit up at once with the light bulb panels below... the way as you walked into church... there was a stomp team performing outside for the youth (and all to see)... it was so amazing (as I might have said:)    

Pic's courtesy of Matt Weybright!

Baby VooDoo part 2...

This is just my public record of this... we'll see the first week in July.... according to the baby voodoo

Summer is having a girl...    

And Sandy's having a boy...

Easter...

Today was amazing!  In every way! (well except that my sis  & nieces nephews weren't here)... but seriously, we had the greatest Easter weekend.  We started out by having family night friday night, watching the Passion with the  kids (graphic I know for some of you to think, but we did... ) and we followed it with having  the Lord's Supper together... it was so powerful for all of us to remember what Christ did for us. Then today.. was amazing!  I FORCED my girls to wear Easter dresses  (I loved that as a kid so I push my own issue onto them)  Got to church... it was one of (if not) the best  Easter's ever... I am going to try to get some pics to show... but our set, our series, our volunteers, our worship team, our sermon... it was all so amazing!   AND I didn't think it would be possible due to our  steady growth the past several months (we 've been breaking records in attendance every single week)  But we were  (and I'll round up for dramatic affect:) almost at 3400!  (something  like 33something something ish.  Compared to last year when we  around 2000.  I don't know what God is doing... and when I think ab out logistic things I drive myself  crazy (where we gonna go, we need this or that)  but it sure is amazing to be a part of!  Anyhow, we left the  first 3 morning services... headed to moms for lunch , egg hunts, etc... went back for 4th and final service  (which was my favorite of the day)  and Matt literally died from exhaustion!  I'm gonna try to post our amazing set somehow (Daniel... how can I get some of Matt W's pics from today... or did you take some too... and if so, can I have just a few?) Until then... I'll end on a pic of my kids loving eachother... Hope your Easter was wonderful!

Baby VooDoo...

Have any of you heard of this... the hang a ring on a string over the belly button and it will either sway back in forth or circle?  Ok, Matt tells me this is voodoo and I'm going to hell for it so I did publicaly repent and ask Jesus into my heart again last night after performed baby voodoo on two of my best friends Summer and Sandy.  Ok, so we know Summer is having a girl so we start with her as our controlled variable because we are trying to be very scientific about this for accuracy and all.  After a few seconds, it begins to slowly move back and forth like a pendulum.  Matt is convinced I was moving my hand, but I assure you I was not.  Then, Sandy's turn (who does not know the sex of her baby and didn't want to... that was until now that my baby voodoo spoiled it:)  She lays down... I hold steady the ring on the string... for a few seconds...  nothing!  Then, suddenly...  it started to move in circles!  I freak out! Matt again thinks I'm moving my hand so Lori gives it a try... circles again only bigger!  So now the wait it on, I won't know if my baby voodoo is accurate until the first week in July, but I'll let you know!  Again, I'm not going to hell over this... I hope!

Lame blog, but informative...

It is possible to wash a tent in the washing machine.  Last summer Kennedy anxiously pulled her tent out at Big Sur to set it up... she get's it all set up, blows up her own air mattress, and makes her "home" for the next two weeks all by herself!  She LOVES this tent cuz her uncle Mark bought it for her for her birthday and she is not afraid of sleeping all alone outside (even when I tried to scare her out of it cuz I wasn't comfortable with her sleeping out there on her own)!  So bed time rolls around and Matt & I climb in there to kiss her goodnight and tuck our little baby in who's on her very own camp-out... and it REEEEEEEEEEKED like cat urine.  Does she not notice this, it's unbearable!  We try to get her to move out and back into the RV with the rest of the family... she would not have it.  "It's not that bad" she says... that's my nature girl.  YES she slept in that tent for the next 8 days  ( she did unzip the windows though).

So this week I pull out the tent to get ready for our spring break trip... still reeks!  Matt tells me to just toss it and buy a new one... not me... we can salvage this ( I think).  So I throw it in the wash on delicate, and set it up outside to dry for a day... and... not only does it NOT smell like cat pee anymore, it smells like snuggle!  So the moral of this story is, this year before the big trip... open up the tent to check that your neighbors cat didn't sneak into your garage and pee all over it!

34 years!

That's how long I've been alive today!  It's my birthday and my favorite day of the whole year!  Nothing narcissistic,  just love hearing from everyone and a total boost to my love tank.  Today was certainly no exception... the texts, the calls, the cards, the ecards, the emails, the gifts, the flowers... this will certainly take me through the year.  Usually I do a huge party of some sorts, this year not so much... it's bittersweet, I love doing them, but I just love too many  people and we need to rent out the Staples center to hold me and my girlfriends.  This little problem was my hearts prayer today... I thanked God for sooo many wonderful friends in my life!  So many keep asking what's going on, and besides a few dinner dates I've been invited too, and the impromptu  "who's coming to my birthday party that's right this second"shout out around the office for lunch at Nordstrom's cafe.... just a wonderful day... filled with lots and lots of love!  If you wanna do something, let's do dinner, or coffee, or breakfast, or lunch!  If you know me then you know I'm not opposed to 34 days of 34!  Give me a ring!

12 years!

Today is our 12 year anniversary!  We celebrated by spending the weekend at the Mission Inn!  It was the best anniversary we've ever had! We had the most amazing room with champagne & chocolate dipped strawberries (thanks to my friend Dorie), massages (thanks to Christmas gift cards), dinner at Mario's (thanks to gift cards from the Zimbardi's from 2 years ago), shopping (this is truly a gift to me as Matt hates shopping... thanks  for the new North Face jacket babe... we know we're old now that we go for comfort & function over "cool"), some time with friends (Jamie & I are shameless when we attend weddings to be able to visit during the reception:), room service (thanks to... well we paid dearly for that one ourselves), BUT the very best part is Matt took me up to the patio where he asked me to marry him 13 years ago and He made new vows to me...  It was an amazing weekend!  Oh, not to forget... Mark & Adree gave us the  best gift... they stayed at Casa de Brown with the kiddos... took them to the movie's, Borders, pedicures... Thanks guys, we love you dearly!  We had to check out early this morning so Matt could preach... but this was also actually a highlight... we're in the beginnings of my VERY FAVORITE series of the year, WELCOME HOME... this is when we preach through what Sandals is all  and this year is the most amazing ever thanks to the amazing stories of authenticity... but I'm going to make that a blog in itself... coming soon). 12 years and counting! Love you Matt!

It just doesn't seem fair...

to the rest of the world that in just a few months time I'll have seen Garth (love you Garth) AND Michael Buble!  I love Garth... but Michael, he's my everything!  Poor Matt... he always wants to go to concert... like Aerosmith or Depeche Mode or Prince and I deny.... AND then he gets dragged along to the Dixie Chicks, John Mayer, Garth, and now Michael.  Makes you wonder WHY he's so good to me...WHY he sits through these concert of people singing that he can't stand... Well, I'd tell you WHY but his mom and my mom read this blog:)

What a different teacher I'd have been if only...

I knew how HORRIBLE homework time was for the parents!!!!!!!!!