O'Behave

It's been a while...

2010-02-02T12:45:00.000-08:00

So yeah it's been a little while. I can't promise to be more connsistant. Life is too busy and we are having too much fun to be stuck at a computer. Plus I'm here enough editing photos. I've been doing some photo jobs and I'm lining up jobs for the spring, it is so much fun! Here are some pictures with my my new camera. Some ice pictures from the weekend first...

And here is Gideon running...he runs everywhere...

And Joanna, she is too precious for words, seriously soo sweet.

This is her expression 99% of the day...seriously.

7 Stinkin Awesome Years!!!!!

2009-05-20T13:14:00.001-07:00

This past Monday Jason and I celebrated our 7th Anniversary...wow! I'm totally stoked! It's been the best 7 years of my life, we have had so much fun! Jason is the most awesome husband and i am so proud to be his wife. He arranged for my in-laws to take the kiddos for us so we could have a couple of days to ourselves and they were wonderful. We ate out, saw the new Star Trek (loved it!), slept in and paddled the Etowah river. So here are some pictures from paddling, we had such a great time. And everything was beautiful, the mountain laurel is in full bloom and the flaming azaleas are incredibly striking! Check 'em out...

And last weekend while Jason was on a trip I went camping with my folks in Hiawasee, we had lots of fun on the lake.

What is Joanna looking at?

Lot's of Geese...

We had Geese and this Mallard duck visiting us quite a bit...maybe it's because we were feeding them.

This is my Dad, aka: Papa

Joanna is ONE!!

2009-05-08T13:12:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Joanna's first birthday last weekend, it was so much fun. I can't believe it's already been a year. She is such a joy, such a delight to my heart, and I feel so blessed to have her. Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

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And here are some pictures I took yesterday in the yard...we love Spring!

I tried so hard to get all three to look at me...it just didn't happen, I'm not sure if it supposed to at this point in life...

Our newest additions

2009-04-24T19:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, so here are our newest additions...we received them in the mail a few weeks ago...

26 baby chickens...they are sooo cute and cuddly, we love them so much! Can you believe 26 chicks fit into this small box?!

Jason built a brooder (a small home for chicks) to keep in our kitchen.

Joanna and the boys love peeking in over the box to say "Good Morning!"

Gideon took it upon himself to name them all, needless to say we DO NOT have 26 names, but here is what Gideon has so far:
Simeon

Ash

Joseph

Rudi

Dash

Gideon

Caleb

Mary

Dagger

Peter

Sampson

Noah

Flower

I just thought they were cute, do you catch all the bible names in there...makes me laugh. Our biblical studies seem to go into all Gideon's play things too...he is always building temples (like Solomon.) It is so cute, I love it!

So we had our chicks in the house for the first couple of weeks, but they grew so fast and they started stinking and making everything dusty, so now they are in a bigger brooder in our small barn. And they have grown so fast, they are not nearly as cute as they were, they are more like small chickens now, but we still love them.

And here are Joanna's 11 month pictures, even though she will be a year next week (WOW!), I thought I would post them anyway because she is so stinkin sweet!

I know this pictures looks posed and cheesy, but they are both smiling and looking so sweet and innocent so I just had to keep it.

The faces of Gideon...

2009-04-03T19:07:00.000-07:00

Happy (a trouble sort of happy I think....)

Frustrated (With Caleb I suppose...)

Goofy(Something he is an expert at...)

The Thinker (He and Caleb do some thinkin all right...of ways to get into mischief...)

Angry (Probably with Caleb...with Mommy do you say? No, never, never with Mommy...LOL!)

Sad (Yeah right...it's like he is saying..."waaaa, waaaa, waaa...does someone need to call the waaaaambulance?" This is totally not his sad face, more like "making fun of someone who is sad" face...)

Happy to see daddy face ( I love this face, he started jumping up and down just at the thought of seeing Daddy, how stinkin awesome is that!!)

Joanna's 10 month pics!

2009-03-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

Here are Joanna's 10months pictures, just some fun ones I took in the yard on one of the wonderful warm days we've been having. I went camera happy, but I can't help myself she is just so cute! But first here are a few of the boys being sweet... and being boys...

Oh the humanity...

2009-03-06T10:27:00.000-08:00

This week I have been beating myself up over a few mistakes. And they may not really be all that big of a deal, but this week to me they were. First of all, I have no idea what happened last week, but I totally missed Donna's baby shower, because I thought it was on the wrong day..seriously, I still am baffled at how I thought her shower was on Sunday instead of Saturday. Ugh...So that was the beginning, how could I totally think it was the wrong day...what is wrong with me.
And then yesterday I yelled at Gideon, I mean yelled. And I'm not a yeller. And I feel terrible. We were running late, trying to get out the door, I was in the kitchen getting Joanna's lunch together and watching the kids, Joanna was in her car seat on the floor, and the boys were fighting over who was going to play with her and I was like "Gideon move out of the way please, Gideon move, Gideon move right now right now, (at this point I was already feeling my blood pressure rise) GIDEON move Right now, GIDEON MOVE NOW" (that is when I yelled and slammed my hand on the counter.) At this point Gideon was already crying, I sent him to his room to await a talk, while I cooled off in the kitchen. I went in his room asked for forgiveness and we talked about obeying the first time I ask. And even though he forgave me and I have now realized that I've become a little to lax in this area of instant obedience, it still doesn't make me feel any better...I should not have yelled. What is wrong with me!
And than last night I was pulled over by a police man for speeding (I was trying to get home to watch the office) but I couldn't tell him that. LOL! I did not get a ticket but could not help giving myself a pep talk "Bethany, what are you thinking? Speeding? Over a show? Ridiculous! What is wrong with you?"
What is wrong with me? I am still so much flesh. So, as I talked to Jesus the rest of the way home he just reminded me how much he loves me, and that he knows I am far from perfect no matter how hard I try. He also reminded me that I need him ("which I already know, you don't have to teach me this way God!") and that He was sitting in the car with me when I realized I missed the baby shower, He was standing in the kitchen when chaos happened and he was sitting beside me when I got pulled over and with me all the way home. I am not alone on this tough journey and I want to take opportunities like this to share of God's faithfulness and love when I totally mess up. Here are some lyrics to a song that God spoke to me through this week:

In the quiet, in the stillness
I know that You are God
In the secret of your presence
I know that I am restored

When you call I won't refuse
Each new day again I'll choose

There is no one else for me
None bu Jesus
Crucified to set me free
Now I live to bring Him praise

In the chaos, in confusion
I know You're sovereign still
In the moment of my weakness
You give me grace to do your will

When you call I won't delay
This my song though all my days

All my delight is in You Lord
All of my hope
All of my strength
All my delight is in you Lord
Forevermore

2 Corinthians 12:9 has always been so dear to my heart and has been a comfort in times of failure. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness " Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Logan and Jenna Engagement Photos

2009-02-26T11:43:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the pictures of the photo shoot I did in January I'm FINALLY finished editing them and now I'm getting ready for their wedding in March. These are only SOME of what I took, I just had a difficult time narrowing it down. We shot this around the Dahlonega square and it was soooooo cold! Seriously it was one of those days when the high was supposed to be like 32! But it sure warmed up when I started shooting these two!

How I potty Trained Caleb...

2009-02-17T11:51:00.000-08:00

Well, let me first say that "I" did not actually potty train Caleb, it was the grace of Jesus that allowed it to happen so easily. Honestly I cannot take any credit at all. Other than working in a daycare in Yosemite, potty training is still new to me, even after one has been trained. I have not read any potty training books, or articles, other than infant training, which I have decided is not for me, no matter how ambitious I am...kudos to all those mommies who do this! Anyway, so potty training to me is a lot of common sense, teach him to feel to urge and associate the potty with the urge, and believe it or not, this oh so simplistic point of view has worked, for not one but two boys!!

Gideon was waaaaaaaay easy. Seriously he practically potty trained himself, at 23 months no less, and right after I had Caleb. First he started telling me when he had to go stinky and then eventually started telling me when he had to go tinkle. And before I knew it he was in big boy undies all the time...with no bed wetting...I'm still amazed to this day.

So when Caleb hit 23 months, I was more than ready to train him, but he wasn't ready, and then at 24 months, 25 months, 26 months still not ready. I believe that a child must be ready, otherwise it will be a long, miserable process, and every child is ready at different times. But in December he started telling us when he had a stinky diaper and in January he started telling us, sometimes, when he had to go, and went on the potty a couple of times. Yess!! Now he is ready. So last week I picked up a ton of big boy undies and on Wednesday I asked him if he would like to wear them today. Needless to say, he was soo excited. He had two wet accidents and two small stinkies, but that was all, and by Friday he was telling us every time. Now we did have moments where he would feel the urge and he would sit on the potty and not go, but he was learning. He wears big boy undies for his nap and a cloth diaper for bed. But, he is even been waking up in the morning dry too, if this continues through Sunday, he will wear big boy undies at night also.
So he is potty trained...woohoo! But we still had our share of difficulties. Caleb trained so well, that he would not go on the potty...or in his pants...he would just hold it, for hours! Needless to say I was a little concerned, I was like "Caleb, you have to go tinkle, this is not healthy..." And he would not go. And I have never given into sweets as a reward, but I was like "please...please go tinkle and you'll get a chocolate chip..." LOL! And believe it or not, that didn't work either. He would finally go when he was about to burst. So he did that until about Tuesday this week and finally the last few days he has been going all the time...shew wee, boy am I relieved. He got stickers as a reward the first few days, but now he just prefers the potty over his pants...it's great and I'm so proud of him.

A great big update.

2009-02-12T10:44:00.000-08:00

So I've been sooo behind at updating our blog and checking up on other people, so sorry. I took some engagement pictures for some friends of ours about a month ago and every time I sit on the computer that is all I work on, I'll show you the pictures when they are done. I'm shooting their wedding in March. It is kinda cool, because I did photography in College, but I haven't done much with it until now and I'm having such a great time. So if anyone needs some family photos or children's photography I'll give you a really good deal since I'm trying to build my portfolio. Anyway, I want to give you and update on all the excitement here. Here we go.

Here is Mommy, Gideon, Caleb and our dog Samson reading books...

Joanna: She is now 9 months old. And she just broke her third tooth this week. She is crawling everywhere, pulling up and cruising around furniture. She loves to sing and dance. She says "Dadada" to Jason. Waves bye bye and laughs constantly. Seriously she is so silly, anything and everything makes her laugh and she is such a joy to have around. She sleeps good and just started solids this week (Avocado.) She is a delight to my heart and the best surprise EVER!

Here are some of her 9 month pictures.

Caleb: 2.5 yr. old. He is so layed back, super chill kinda guy. Even though he is two, he is not terrible in the slightest. He has the best smile in the world and is just so light-hearted. This week we are potty training and it is going really well. We are sooo excited that he is out of diapers!!! He loves to play outside, except when it is cold, he is not a big fan of the cold. He loves, loves, loves to read books. He eats great and still takes wonderful 2-3 hour naps everyday and when he wakes up from his nap he will sit in his room and read books till I come to get him, isn't that awesome?! He is my sleeper and has always seemed to need more sleep than Gideon. He is also my cuddler, always wanting to sit in my lap and be close to mommy, I am cherishing every moment of this!

Gideon: 4 years old. Gideon is a complete firstborn. He is independent and dependable, he takes care of Caleb and Joanna so well. He has a fantastic imagination, and will play outside all day long no matter what the temperature. He loves books, but has become bored with just looking at the pictures so he is learning to read and it is going so well! He has endless amounts of energy, so he is always helping Daddy work. He is silly and makes me laugh constantly with the funny things he says. He loves music with a beat and is always asking for the "rockin cds." Oh and over the last few months we've been memorizing scripture with him. He knows Psalm 23, Ephesians 6:1-3, and John 1:12, we are rewarding him with money so he is also learning how to save and give too. He is so sweet and listening to him pray humbles me in so many ways. It makes me realize that God wants me to be so much more like him.
One day I coudn't find Gideon and as I walked into the kitchen I found this...

Jason and Bethany: Well, we have had so much planning going on with Bill and Julie Ingram, we are doing a garden, chickens and so much more together...it is going to be so exciting! Jason has been pumped up about all the things we are going to do to "live off our land." He still enjoys his job and we are so grateful to have a paycheck right now while so many people are loosing theirs. He does Crossfit pretty often and his body has gotten even more hot (is that possible?) over the last few months. God has blessed us with a wonderful church family that we have grown to love and cherish. Their wisdom and guidance has been invaluable to us over the last couple of months.

And me? Well, like I said earlier I've been doing some side photography, which has been fun. I also have been making kefir on a pretty consistent basis, it is great in smoothies, the boys love it! I'm also reading a bunch about chickens and baby chicks, hopefully in march we will have some of our own. Hmm, not too much else, I mean I'm always cooking and trying new foods, ya know, taking steps to be healthier. And I'm trying to nail down colors for our living room so I can make pillows and curtains. Any Ideas? Right now I have green and cream, and a leather couch...I was thinking a rust color, or maybe orange, or mustard yellow...I don't know. So, life is pretty chill, yet full at the same time. I'm just enjoying our kiddos and trying to focus on what Jesus wants to teach me today.

Last weekend I met Evie and Micki(We have been friends since we were six, isn't that cool?!) for lunch in Blue Ridge, it was so nice to catch up and talk about all that God has been teaching us.

And here is a picture of the kiddos all taking a bath together, it was so cute!

Why I love a New year...

2009-01-07T19:23:00.000-08:00

I know some people may think it is cheesy to make new year resolutions but I really like the idea of starting anew! It's like waking up to a bright beautiful sunny day.(kinda like this morning) I guess that is why God's "new mercies every morning" mean so much to me. Knowing that each morning I get to start over, but yet I don't even have to wait till morning do I? Mercies are new every second of every day. Wow, isn't that so fantastic, that I've already been forgiven, that I don't' have to sit in the seat of guilt or conviction, but I'm free to live and bask in the beautiful forgiveness of my Father, to swim in the ocean of His love, no matter what I do right or wrong.

Lately God has been speaking to me about becoming like a child. In many ways I am very much like a child, I still laugh at farts, I'm not really in a hurry for anything, I love food (especially sweets), I love to sit in my Father's lap and listen to His heartbeat. But in so many ways I have become to grown up; I stress out over stupid details, I say I believe His word, but don't really act on it, I spend so much time planning that I miss out on living. And I could go on and on, but I feel Him drawing me...I feel Him whispering in my ear..."Go back, Bethany, become like a child, fall into my arms and fly with me...walk in my Kingdom as only a child can do..."

So as I watch my children I want to be so much like them, not them like me, I want to surrender all I am, I want to believe and act on God's word, because if I say I believe, but do not act, am I really believing at all?

Oh God continue to draw me, Oh My dear father I long to be more like a child, to live, and love like a child!

Here are some new pics of the people I want to be like...Enjoying their new sleeping Bags...we froze winter camping last year, so we got them some good ones for camping this year.

Caleb loves his little sister so much and Joanna adores her big brother.

This is my best picture of Caleb, he won't sit still for ANYTHING, so here he is on the run, it actually turned out pretty cool.

Joanna is getting so big, she just turned eight months, she is crawling everywhere and pulls herself up on everything, she loves to sing, cuddle with our kitties, she smiles so big at her Daddy and laughs for no reason when she sees her brothers, but I 'm the one she always wants; she continues to be a delight and everyday I'm still so amazingly grateful to have her.

Wonderful Christmas

2008-12-26T12:17:00.000-08:00

We had a fantastic Christmas, full of fun, laughter, family, gifts and great food. We did advent with the boys and read the Christmas story, had a great time of prayer with them after breakfast (cinnamon rolls...mmm.) All in all Christmas was great. Yet today I am still struggling with what we are teaching our children. Though, I feel we did place the importance on Jesus, we only give each other three gifts each and really try not to make a big deal out of the presents, but I am still struggling. And these are only my views please know I am in a place of trying to figure out what God wants for us and our family. I've been burdened lately with having a vision. Jason and I have been talking about writing down goals for our family. Like, my goal as a godly wife is..., or we want our children to..., so that we our working towards something. And so my struggle with Christmas is...if I want my children to know that Christmas is all about Jesus, nothing less, if I want my children to be selfless in a selfish society, if I want my children to not be caught up in the materialism of this world, should we even do gifts. And I don't have any answers right now. I think giving and getting a few gifts is fun and harmless. But I also feel like God is calling us to be different, to go against the grain of the world. And I would never think bad of anyone who does gifts, this is just us, trying to figure out our convictions. When I was growing up I could hardly sleep at night with the anticipation of what I was going to get the next morning, and when morning came do you think I was thinking of Jesus? And the last thing I want to do is see my children struggle like that.
So we are doing some major praying, not just about Christmas, more, about our goals for our children. How we want them to be godly men and women, willing to give up anything for Jesus, to be generous, selfless, surrender to God and obedient, to be passionate about their love for him and his word, to praise him with their lips and worship him with their lives, to know his word and use it's wisdom, to treat their own spouses with respect and love, to see examples of all these traits in us. And I've got more I'm chewing on, but I just want something I can print up and be reminded of daily. Something that I'm sure will change through the years, but that God will use to change us to be better parents. I know there are tons of other moms trying to figure out similar issues, so I'm glad I'm not alone. But this just confirms the fact, that the longer I'm a mom, the more I realize I have no idea what I am doing, which is great because it only builds my dependence on the one who does know what He is doing.

Making Butter

2008-11-29T19:43:00.000-08:00

So I've wanted to make butter for a while and today I did it and it was really simple, I will totally be doing this weekly! I first started with some fresh raw cream...straight from the udder, well, it's been sitting in my fridge for a couple of days, but it is from a farm down the street...

I let my stand mixer do all the work and it started to thicken up...like whipped cream...
Then suddenly it got clumpy, I wasn't even paying attention, all I heard was the swooshing of liquid and I turned around to find this...

And this... Next time I will keep my splash guard on the entire process...
When the butter separated I was left with about a quart of buttermilk, which is awesome because I use it for soaking everything.

And here is my ball of butter, I had to do a lot of kneading to get all the buttermilk out... It is so crazy that it is this yellow, I'm still not sure how God makes this happen, but it is soo cool.When I was all done, Gideon and I shared a piece of homemade bread with homemade butter on it...mmmmmm. It was delicious!

If anyone wants to know how to make butter, I can give you a more detailed description. I highly recommend trying it, it is so much fun!

Joel and Candace

2008-11-13T08:44:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures I took of my brother Joel and Candace, they just celebrated their 2 year anniversary...Congrats!

Loving this fall weather!

2008-11-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

So this week has been PERFECT fall weather and we have been enjoying it to the fullest! We raked lots of leaves and still have lots more. And we jumped into leaf piles....weeee! Joanna mostly ate them!

The boys were running, jumping and climbing beautiful trees.

Joanna loves being outside and especially loves the swing, she will sit in it for hours just watching the boys play! This is our attempt at getting them all to smile...and this was the best one, of the three of them, out of a ton of pictures taken. I'm not sure if this will get easier...probably not. LOL!

I've been trying to take Caleb's 2 year pictures for some time now and each time no luck, but I think these will do for now. This first one makes me laugh!Gideon is my HUGE helper, he is always asking "mommy what do you want me to do?" It is so sweet, he helps me cook, clean, do laundry, stack wood, rake...I mean you name it, he does it!After all the raking was done... (doesn't this pictures just make you smile...it does me!)
Here are some 6 month pictures I took of Joanna the other day...can you believe it...6 months..wow! She has been rocking on her hands and knees a lot lately, and she rolls everywhere, I will lay her down in one spot and walk out of the room and when I come back in she is 3 feet away! She is totally a mover and shaker!Cuddling with daddy!Gideon LOVES Joanna so much, he is so sweet to her, he plays with her, cuddles with her, brings her toys, talks to her and will do anything to stop her crying, he takes such good care of her!

Fall Fun...

2008-10-20T17:41:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Jason and I went to the Highland games. Jason is Scots-Irish, we think we know the Irish part but have had a difficult time figuring out the Scottish part, so Sat was an adventure. It is now a new goal to know everything about Jason's clan and dress the part by next year...we will see. The Music was soooooo great and there was dancing too, it was so much fun!

There were so many different Tartan Fabric, it was so cool to think that each pattern and color represented a clan, Jason and I are sure that his colors will be either Christmas colors or a weird mix of purple and yellow...ha ha!

The Games were amazing, Caber Toss, Stone Toss, and Cheef Toss were the three we saw. It was all very Impressive.

Today I met Joni and Stacy at Burt's Pumpkin Farm and had so much fun letting the kids run wild, while taking lots of pictures...

Caleb...

Jasper...

Gideon and Joanna

2008-10-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

Last Friday we took Gideon paddling down the river for the first time...holy moly, he loved it. He even helped paddle, we had such a great time!
Here is Joel paddling too.

Jason and our buddy ChadAfter a couple of hours paddling, we took a break and played, Gideon and I found frogs, crawdads ( is that right?) and all kinds of fish. We also saw a couple of turtles.This morning I took some pictures of Joanna, because she just turned 5 months...wow time is flying by. She is still such a delight, so chill and content, and just a joy to have around!

Caleb's 2nd Birthday!

2008-09-29T12:03:00.001-07:00

So here are a bunch of pictures from a few different things...the first is playing at the park last week. We have a great park about 8 min from our house and it actually has a huge covered play area...we love it!

While the boys played, Joanna just hung out...it was perfect!

Caleb calls swinging "weee" it's really cute!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from Caleb's 2nd birthday party, we took a ton, so I just picked out a little bit of everything. The first is the cake I made...it is a German choc cake with coconut pecan frosting....and it is completely sugar free...yup...the only sweetener is honey. Well, I did use melted chocolate for the road, and some choc chunks, but those were semi sweet, but the cake and frosting were sugar free. And I thought is was really good, Jason...not so much. Oh well, it was a fun new recipe to try, and I'll totally make it again.

Caleb loved his cake...now his was egg and milk free since we found out he does have mild allergies to those, but it was made with carob powder and spelt flour and he totally loved it. Jason thought this one was good...

Oh course Joanna got passed around because I was busy hosting...she loved every minute of it!

When Caleb opened his presents he had lots of helpers...it was cute. My friend Nicole has five children 7 and under number 6 is due in December...sheweeee...I thought I had it tough some days!
I love this picture of him, he looks like "oh no, what could this be?""Ok, it's just pants...yeah!"
Jason made this birthday sign for him and we had everyone write him notes on it...and I'll put it in his memory box...the notes were so sweet!
After food and fellowship, we went out and made smores and enjoyed a fire...it was a perfect night for a fire!

And just as the last few folks were leaving, my father in law, my brother, Jason and I started having fun with a spider on our porch, they were trying to catch months to feed him...after about 10 attempts to catch a moth and and throw it in the web...a moth finally became dinner...it was stinkin awesome!
Jason's reaction!
And Yesterday We all worked at the Outpost, a fun day to be together and make a little cash. This is Caleb trying a life jacket on.

Joanna just hung out all day!

Gideon had a great time int he river!
I did too!
So did Joanna!

Jason's Party

2008-09-08T11:17:00.001-07:00

Ok, so we've had some major computer issues lately and I haven't been able to keep up with anyone's blogs or even post anything myself...so I'm doing some catching up today. A couple of weeks ago we celebrated Jason's 30th Birthday....yeah! We had a party for him at the outpost on the river, we cooked out and spent some fun time with friends. Thanks to all who came and showed him some love! So here is a video of the party and a few pics of us playing at home.

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Aunt Candace the Pirate!

She is so good at making Joanna laugh!

Go, Go, Go...

2008-08-07T05:04:00.000-07:00

We have been on the go a lot lately and I don't 'have time to post everything, but these are some pics Joel took of Joanna last night and I just thought they were sooo much fun! She turned three months this week...

Are sermons biblical?

2008-07-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

I tend to get in trouble a lot of the time because I question. And yeah, you may think it is a good thing, but Jason and I rock the boat a little to much at times and it hasn't always fared well with us. (I'm not claiming that I've rocked the boat gently either...Usually it is totally my fault) I'm learning how to question things and still be loving and accepting at the same time...anything is possible with Jesus right? As of now I'm reading this book on church history, and the origins of church practices. I am in awe of the fact that 99% of all the things we do in church are not at all from the New Testament, but have been adapted from culture. Which innately is not bad, but it has only created more passivity in the church and a HUGE lack of spiritual growth( And I'm talking about me here...my lack of spiritual growth too.) I'll explain more... But there is a struggle inside of me between loving the church gathering and being so angry at the traditions we follow and never seem to question. For example, let me quote to you some of this book, yes I know this may be pushing the limits of what you and I are comfortable with, but I'm curious to see what others think of this information. And Yes, Frank Viola cites EVERY resource he uses, though I am not going to add those on. So here goes...this is a sum up of the chapter on Sermons, up until this point he has dug deep into each century since Christ and explained where the sermon has derived from...

"The pulpit sermon is not the equivalent of the preaching that is found in the scriptures. It cannot be found in the Judaism of the Old Testament, the ministry of Jesus, or the life of the primitive church. What is more, Paul told his Greek converts that he refused to be influenced by the communication patterns of the pagan contemporaries.
The sermon is a sacred cow that was conceived in the womb of Greek rhetoric. It was born into the christian community when ex-pagans-now-turned-Christians began to bring their oratorical styles of speaking into the church. By the third century, it became common for Christians to deliver a sermon. By the fourth century it became the norm.
Christianity has absorbed it's surrounding culture. When your pastor mounts his pulpit wearing his clerical costume and delivers his sacred sermon, he is playing out a role of the ancient Greek orator.
Nevertheless, despite the fact that the sermon does not have a shred of biblical merit to support it's existence, it continues uncritically admired in the eyes of most modern Christians. It has become so entrenched in the Christian mind that most bible believing pastors and "laymen" fail to see that they are affirming and perpetuating an unscriptural practice out of sheer tradition."
Frank also explains why the sermon harms the church:
"First, the sermon makes the preacher the virtuoso performer of the church service. As a result, congregational participation is hampered at best, and precluded at worst. The sermon turns the church into a preaching station. The congregation degenerates into a group of muted spectators who watch a performance. There is no room for interruption or questioning the preacher while he is delivering his discourse. The sermon freezes and imprisons the functioning of the Body of Christ. It fosters a docile priesthood by allowing hand waving pulpiteers to dominate the church gathering week after week."
"Second, the sermon stalemates spiritual growth. because it is a one-way affair, it blunts curiosity and produces passivity. The sermon lames the church from functioning. It suffocates mutual ministry. It smothers open participation. This causes the spiritual growth of God's people to take a nose dive."
"Third, the sermon preserves the unbiblical clergy mentality. It creates an excessive and pathological dependence on the clergy. The sermon makes the preacher the religious specialist- the only one having anything worthy to say. "
"How can the pastor learn from the other members of the Body of Christ when they are muted? How can the Church learn from the pastor when it's members cannot ask him questions during the oration? How can the brothers and sisters learn from one another if they are gagged from speaking in meetings?"

The 4th and some other things...

2008-07-10T06:36:00.000-07:00

Here are some new picks of Joanna, she is getting so big, and smiling ALL THE TIME! It is so much fun.

Next are some pictures of the boys hanging out and doing everyday stuff.

A couple of weeks ago we went to a rodeo and took both boys, they had a blast, here a few pictures...

On the 4th of July we went to my Aunt's house and cooked out and player in their pool all day, it was tons of fun. This is my cousin Courtney enjoying some snuggle time with Joanna...

Caleb loves, loves, loves the water!

Gideon, on the other hand, loves, loves loves, dry land. He likes the water, but would rather sit on the side and play, it is amazing how each one of our children is so unique.

These are some of Joanna's 2 months shots, but I wasn't able to finish them, so I'll post more later. Two months!?! Can you believe it?
I love this picture of her grinning, she is soo mellow and sweet and such a delight, I mean seriously she is totally awesome!

I'm not alright...

2008-06-28T06:23:00.000-07:00

If weakness is a wound
That no one wants to speak of
Then "cool" is just how far we have to fall

I am not immune
I only want to be loved
But I feel safe behind the firewall

Can I loose my need to impress?
If you want the truth, I need to confess

I'm not all right
I'm broken inside
And all I go through
it leads me to you

Burn away the pride
Bring me to my weakness
Until everything I hide behind is gone

And when I'm open wide
With nothing left to cling to
Only you are there to lead me on

Honestly I'm not that strong...

I'm not all right
I'm broken inside
And all I go through
It leads me to you

And I move closer to you

I'm not all right...that's why I need You

-Sanctus Real

So I've had this Cd for a while, but God has totally been speaking to me through this song this week. I mean He speaks to me through music quite often, but I can't seem to shake this song. The truth is I'm not alright, I'm such a sinner, and I don't want to pretend like I have it all together. I struggle with so many things and I want to begin to share them with you. Honestly I wish everyone could just see inside me, see my sins and then choose to except me based on truth, not based on how much I impress you. The fact is, I want my kids to see me for real, struggling, and saved only by Grace. I don't have it all figured out and I never ever will, so much of my thoughts seem to always circle around and a year later I still have no idea...does that make any sense at all? Anyways, today I was reading(honestly I haven't read the word in over a week, but I picked up where I left off) about Jesus sitting at the table with tax collectors and "sinners", and I started asking myself what made these people "sinners"? I mean I guess everyone knew they were "sinners." And I started thinking. "I know we are all sinners, but I want others to really know I am a sinner, that on a daily basis I sin over and over and over again. I want to be the "sinner" that Jesus eats dinner with, not the pharisee looking on at the "sinners" (which I am most of the time.) I know you all know I sin, but I am a sinner with many struggles and I don't have anything together and at times I don't even want to go to bed at night, because I don't want to get up and do it all again the next day. That's me, well, some of me, I'll share more another time.

Summertime Fun!!

2008-06-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

OK, so here are some new pics of our precious baby girl! Can I just tell you what a ball we've been having with her, she is such a delight! She is super chill, even more layed back than the boys, and she sleeps and eats wonderfully, I know God totally planned this, because it is even better than what I wanted! She will be 7 weeks tomorrow...wow, time is truly flying by, and I forgot all the fun stages along the way, and we are just beginning them now! This is Joanna first captured smile, she has been grinning at us from day one, but a couple of weeks ago, she actually stopped nursing and smiled at me....it made my heart leap!
I just love her feet, they are a bit more dainty than the boys and they are just perfect, i take pictures of them all the time!
Here are the boys lovin on their sister...they are so sweet with her, I'm very proud of both of them!
Gideon is such a nut! He is a great eater too. When I ask him what he want for snack he tells me "a carrot, a big carrot" He is my little rabbit!
This was the end of our day at the pool, Joanna was plum tuckered out!
This is my sister in law Candace taking a dip with Caleb.
Gideon is learning how to swim, he is doing great! Although, I think Caleb may be more fish than Gideon is, Caleb is fearless.

Joanna slept the entire time we were at the pool.

On Thursday we celebrated Lydia's (Jason's oldest little sister) graduation from high school, she is brilliant! She has been home schooled form the beginning and is so so smart. No doubt God will use her to do great things! Here is Mary and Lydia at her graduation party.

Lauren(my other sister in law), new baby Ben, Lydia, Me and Mary
Uncle Scott and Gideon wrestling on the floor.

Mommy and Joanna, she's putting on some pounds, huh?! (I prefer to call her healthy!)
This is baby Ben, he is just about 2 weeks old in this pic...isn't he adorable!
Gideon...being Gideon!

On Tuesday I spent the day with Lauren, Scott and baby Ben, it was a great day!

Uncle Scott, his nephews, and baby Ben.
Joanna and Ben just chillin!

OK, so these next pics totally crack me up, Caleb and Gideon look like wild little aborigines in the jungles of who knows where. Actually they are just running around half naked in our woods...kind of like animals...hmmmm.

1 Month Old Today!

2008-06-03T12:13:00.001-07:00

Wow, I can't believe it's been a month already! Time really does fly by! Things are starting to finally feel normal here. I'm doing the cooking, and cleaning again, we go grocery shopping, and play outside ALOT! Joanna is a great sleeper and takes a 3-4 hour nap in the afternoon, when the boys go down and them she gives me at least 5-6 hours at night...she is amazing! Life has really been sooo good this past month. We do have some crazy days, but I love this time of life! And this third time around is easier than ever...I feel like getting into the swing of having a new baby hasn't really been too rough...Praise Jesus! It's all the other stuff that is hard, disciplining a 3.5 year old and continuing to train a 1.5 year old...yeah those are way crazier than a new baby! Anyway, these are not studio pictures, I've been planning on setting up a place outside to take some posed pretty pics of her, but can't seem to find a moment...I dont' know why...ha ha. So here are some fun ones anyway. I guess she wanted to sleep, so she covered her eys and off she went. I was just glad I got a picture of her.

Well, our kids finally have a cousin!! Benjamine O'Bryant was born on June 1st at 6:35 am. Lauren asked me to be her doula, so Joanna and I spent the night at the hospital...she didn't seem to mind. This is her sleeping...I think it was about 2am...notice how I WAS NOT sleeping!

Here are the boys. We spent a day hanging out with Candace at the tubing outpost...it was a fun day!

Joanna

2008-05-15T11:00:00.001-07:00

Ok, so here are some pics of our new baby girl. She is wonderful! She has been eating great (I'm nursing), about every 3 hours during the day and she sleeps so good, she takes a four hour nap when the boys sleep and she has been sleeping at least 5 hours at night...believe me, I'm not complaining at all!! I guess she hasn't really had an option to be a bad sleeper, I mean she's just been thrown into our schedual and done soo awesome! She is so sweet and as much as I don't want her to grow, because they grow so fast, she is...she has already been changing and filling out her close better, I'm happy and sad at the same time!

Lot's of people have asked how the boys are adjusting and they have done so so well. Obviously Gideon is unphased, he doesn't seem to care to much about another child in the house. I think he knows it's just another person to take attention, so he really gives her none.

Caleb loves Joanna sooooooooooooooooo much, he always wants to touch and love on her, it is so sweet. We just have to make sure that he doesn't love her too much!

Life with three children has been surprizingly calm....until today. Today has been crazy, caotic, and wild! Today was one of those days, that when the kids went down for a nap, I finally was able to breath. I guess it was bound to happen at some point!! Ha ha! But we are having a great time, life feels full and it is good. Everyday I do feel oh so blessed, I can't even put it into words, but I am amazed at how much God loves me. Even today, on this phycotic, insane day, I still am so thankful that my father loves me so much and has truly blessed me above and beyond what I could have ever imaged or asked Him for.

Baby Girl!!!

2008-05-06T19:57:00.000-07:00

I'd like to introduce you to Joanna Isabel O'Bryant

Born on Sat May 3 at 6:16 am

She weighed 7 lbs, 14 oz.

And 19 in. long

Perfect!!

Joanna is only moments old in this picture!!

This is our little girl a day old!!

We are soooo excited!! Thanks for all your prayers! God has once again blessed up way beyond our expectations!! I'll post lots more pictures soon!

It's been a while!!

2008-04-24T10:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm know it has been a while...a long while. And I've had great intentions so many times, but just never made blogging a priority. To be honest , life has not been busy or crazy, but just really FULL, the boys are a blast, but they wear me out, so I read and sew when they are sleeping, most of the time the computer is not relaxing for me. But I figured that since BABY #3 is due on Sat....yes, this sat, I needed to get on the ball and at least post some of my favorite pics from the last few months. So here goes:

In January we went with some good friends of ours to Cumberland Island Georgia. We camped on the Island for 3 nights and on the mainland for the rest of the week. It was a beautiful...chilly trip. The first two mornings on the Island, it was int he 30's when we woke up...brrrrr. But it was still a rocking time!

Even in the middle of the day it was still pretty chilly, but we made the best of it and had a great time!!

Do you like our family photo...Gideon is a complete 3 year old!

We had about a 45 min ferry ride to the Island, and what you pack in, you pack out. We were able to see while horses, birds and we found lots of cool shells!

The rest of the winter and spring was normal. We have a wood burning stove and it is always so warm and cozy in our living room.

Caleb is getting so big, and he is so much fun, he is his brothers shadow almost all the time.

Last Month Gideon, Caleb and I went to the beach with my parents and some friends, unfortunately Jason had to stay home to work. (more on Jason's job situation later...)

Anyhoo, Here are my Dad and Mom chillin...
And this is the Parker Family...they are actually missing two of there older children. Their kids played sooooo well with mine, it was such a blessing to have them around!!

Papa and Caleb playing in the sand.

The beach was totally perfect, I mean it was int he 70s, too cold ti swim, but perfect to play in the sand...the boys had and awesome time!

Here we are, At this point I'm 9 months prego...chillin at the beach was much needed!!

My parents and the Parkers both have campers, so we stayed at this really nice campground. They had a great play area for the kids that we took full advantage of...

Ok, these next four pictures are totally Caleb, if you want to know what he is like, these sum it up. If anyone on this trip or any other we've taken is ever looking for Caleb, just look in a chair and he is always chillin...

So, what have the O'Bryants been up too? We've actually had some big changes in the last few months. In feb, Jason was layed-off, so it was an opportunity for God to work...and boy did He! Jason has now left Surveying behind and is now doing what God created him to do. He works full time as a wilderness guide taking troubled youth on adventure trips...it is an awesome job. It is a huge blessing to see him enjoy work so much...he actually asked me last night if I was envious,(b/c I love that too) I said no, I'm just really glad he loves what he does. He is also working part time managing Appalachian Outfitters on the river...once again...something he loves. So it's been really fun lately, the way his schedule is, he is actually home a lot more and during the day too...the boys love it! He has also been working hard on out master bath...no...it's not finished yet, but we are making progress, I'll post pics later. Like I said earlier I'm due on Sat, so I'm trying to get everything ready for a new baby, while at the same time keeping up with my two boys, wow it is some kind of adventure! I've been sewing lots lately, Hollie inspired me to make nursing covers, burp cloths and bibs, and I'm also working on some clothes too, it's really fun! Of course I'm still milling like crazy and now Gideon thinks everyone mills and makes their own bread..isn't that funny. Ok, Thanks to everyone who was praying through Jason's job situation, I know God went above and beyond what we could have even imagined!! And I promise to be a better blogger and when the new baby comes, we will post pics!

Caleb's One year Pics and more...

2007-10-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

So here are some of Caleb's one year portraits I did in the yard a last week. He is such a cutie, but such a squirmer too. I will take more shots as fall continues to settle in, I love when the leaves change and fall, and it really cools down.

I love these pictures of Caleb because they really capture his personality, he is so fun, and light hearted, yet he is a bit of trouble too...

Ok, I love this picture because Caleb's face is 100% O'Bryant...it is the exact face of Jason and his Dad....Holy Moly, this one cracks me up!And, I always have to put pictures of my wild, crazy and completely adorable Gideon. Here he is being himself...

So for a while now, Jason has been mowing the lawn with Gideon on his lap, but this summer, He ghetto rigged a landscaping wagon into a lawn mower trailer and it is perfect for the boys to ride in while he mows the lawn. Now, Caleb isn't big enough for it yet, but my next summer, they will have a hay ride every week, isn't that so cool. It makes me want to be little again. So here is Gideon just chillin as Jason mows...

Newest Additions and Healthy Living

2007-10-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

So I'd like to introduce you to two of our newest additions to the family:

Here is our new kitten Nacho, we rescued him from a home where he was not being taken care of, he was sick and extremely skinny (and yes we did ask the owners if we could have him.) Now he is happy, fun, healthy and oh so cute. Gideon has claimed him as his cat, because he carries him around all day and Nacho sleeps with him at night, it's really cute until I hear nacho meowing because Gideon is hugging him (aka: laying on top of him!!) Poor nacho, he is going to be the most lay-ed back kitty because our two boys just love to play (aka: torture) with him!

Here is the other addition to the family, and yes, I know it is not alive. But this is my mill that I've been saving up for and finally bought about 2 months ago. This mill will make most grains, corn, beans, etc. into floor used for bread, baking or whatever. It is the next step we have taken towards a healthier lifestyle. Let me give you a few facts on the benefits of milling your own grains, primarily wheat:Wheat supplies 40 out of the 44 essential nutrients we need

Wheat is the richest source of Vitamin E

Vitamin E - prevents fatty acids and fat-like substances(vitamin A, carotene, pituitary,sex and adrenal hormones) from being destroyed within the body by oxygen.

Vitamin E prevents oxygen from combining with these fatty acids, thus preventing their breakdown and the disintegration of the cell. It is needed by EVERY cell in the body, and our body can only be as healthy as our cells.

Breads are now so refined, that our bodies are deficient in this soooooo important nutrient!

(I have so much more on Vitamin E, but I don't want to bore you....I love this stuff, but understand that not everyone is not like me, but if you would like more info, let me know and I'll e-mail you.)

Milling your own grains makes a huge difference in day to day life too, for instance:

You will poo more (this is a good thing, b/c the more you poo, the more toxins are taken out of your body on a regular basis)

More energy

Less hungry throughout the day

Control over diabetes, heart disease, constipation, varicose veins, irregular blood pressure, anemia, and infertility, just to name a few.

It also prevents and reduces the chance of major health problems in the future.

So far I've only made bread, and pancakes. But you can mill anything and use it in place of flour. I'm going to make my own tortillas, bagles and pastas next.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to share some ways we have changed our eating habits over the last 5 years. It all started in Cali, with just some ideas, and then when we came home, we first eliminated all the partially hydrogenated stuff, then it was all the processed foods, then it was most canned anything (sometimes I still buy tomato products, but I try to can my own now) We also eliminated anything but butter and olive oil, and last Christmas I received a juicer, so now we rarely buy juice, we just make it. We have a garden every year and each summer I freeze food and I learn how to can something new, this year I did strawberry jam, beans, Italian stewed tomato's, spaghetti sauce and I think that's about it. I usually do pickles, but my cucumbers didn't do well this year. I've been making my own bread for a while, but store bought flour is still missing that ever important vitamin E (and many more) and it is sprayed with insecticides (organic brands are not.) Do we buy organic? Only certain things that I know are heavily sprayed, otherwise we buy local as much as possible.
Both boys eat a variety of goat products and Gideon loves salads (Praise God), but really he is rarely given unhealthy things so he doesn't know any better and I'd like to keep it that way. I follow this awesome nutritionist and I didn't start Caleb on cereals till he was a year and I actually make my own cereals by milling wheat, barley, rice, millet, flax seeds, and others. It feels so good to be giving such healthy things to our children. But we aren't perfect by any means, we still zap baby food in the microwave, we order pizza, go out for Chinese, we could care less what other people ever cook for us (honestly it is just nice not cooking dinner for a night), we still splurge on something processed now and then and my parents are always laughing because I fight with my Dad over all the p-nut M&Ms when I go to their house. And we don't think bad of anyone who doesn't eat healthy. The only problem I have with unhealthy eating is when someone is having a health issue and nutrition is never changed...it should always be the first thing inspected. But our philosophy is that the majority of the time we are putting good things into our bodies, doing all we can to keep them working at the fullest potential. Now we still get runny noses and coughs at times (we still are exposed to germs and viruses,) but they are short lived and usually easy to handle. We do go to the doctor when necessary and for yearly check-ups, but on the most part we have figured out how to get better fast by eating good foods and resting. We do have some ideas on becoming even healthier, so we are in the process of buying our own chickens...for eggs. (Jason is working on my hen house), and right now I'm researching sugar substitutes (not anything man made, but things like honey and substitutes made from honey like Sucanat)

Hmmm, anything else? Well, I probably forgot things, but this was just something that I feel passionate about, I read (and talk to) some great nutritionist, who have filled my head with so much wisdom, that sometimes I feel convicted eating something unhealthy, and no I'm not living under the law, but God says that our bodies our a temple, Paul even says in Romans 12:1-2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual act of worship. And do not be conformed to this world; but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." I also love this verse in Exodus 15:26, it says "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you." Now the Jewish people, to me, seem a little extreme, but at the same time, God wasn't messing around, and I guess the creator may know a thing or two about our health (sarcastically.) Anyway, sorry this keeps getting longer, but if anyone has anymore personal tips, I'd love to hear them, or even some good book ideas, I'm reading all the time! Oh and I do understand that not everyone can do all this stuff like canning, and bread baking, but the goal of our healthy living is to be good stewards of ALL that God has given us, that includes our health, and this short time on earth. So it's all about where our hearts are at, really.

Big! Big! Ginormous News!!

2007-10-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

Big News #1

So I haven't blogged in a while, not because of school, but because I've been napping everyday with the boys! "Why are you so sleepy", you ask. Well, Because BABY #3 is wearing me out!!!! That's right we are adding to our numbers next May!! I'm about 11 weeks prego and we so are sooooo excited about this baby ya'll!! But I have to be honest that the news did take some getting used to, because it happened a wee bit earlier than we would have planned. But my steps are ordered and I will follow them wherever they lead! So although when I get up in the morning and my feet hit the floor running and I wonder "how in the world am I going to handle one more?" I am always reminded of How sufficient His grace is, because HIS power is perfected in my weaknesses! And man I've got a bunch of weaknesses! So Lord, perfect your power in me...do it Jesus, whatever it takes!!

Big News #2

Our littlest man is now 1 year old...not joke! He turned on Sept 18, but we celebrated on Sunday with a butt load of family and friends, it was such a fun time! We cooked out, played outside and just had a jolly (yes I did say jolly) good time. So here are a few pictures of my sweet sweet baby boy.

This is my dad playing with Caleb at the cookout and our friend Anna taking Caleb for a walk. And yes...yes...yes..he is walking now. He is not completely steady on his feet, but today he took about 5 steps and then stood still to re steady himself and took about three more....it was awesome! he's been taking 3-5 steps for a while, but he is really getting more daring now. Soon he will be chasing his older brother and then I'm in real trouble!!

I love this picture of him and his cake, I can just hear him saying "you want me to do what?"
And at first he didn't want anything to do with it, but after the first taste, he was like oh yeah...bring it on. It is actually the first time Caleb has ever had anything like this, so I tried to keep it simple, I made an old family cheesecake recipe that is delectable, and Caleb got a cookie cutter piece out of it. He had no reactions to the cream cheese or sugar (my boys have sensitive skin) and since we don't do any food colorings in this house, his body continues to function like normal...Praise Jesus! every time I try something new, I hold my breath. So far he is not allergic to anything!!

This is one of his birthday presents, and he loves it, and he hasn't tried to eat the sand yet, so I'm pretty pumped up!

So whatever you have hear about kids and boxes is totally true. Every time...no joke....everytime we have ever bought anything in a box, Gideon has spent weeks playing with the box, not the toy...isn't that funny. I mean since we have had the sandbox, Gideon has traveled in his spaceship to the moon and mars at least 15 times...it is hilarious!And this is just one of those pictures that I think is the epitome of Caleb, cute, sweet, lay ed back, and yet a bit mischievous. I love this picture!

More fun....

2007-09-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

So it's been a while since we last posted because suddenly things have become extremely busy!! I started back to school two weeks ago, I don't know if you know this, but I still need to finish my degree...so here goes. I only have about 8 or 9 classes left and I'm taking two this semester. So it won't be long till I finally have my art degree and I am done. But Praise Jesus for wonderful friends and family who are soooooo supportive of my school-venture. And I just want to give a gigantic shout out to Joni, my Mom, and Candace for totally helping me out with the boys! I love you guys! So here is a quick update, since I don't know when I'll have time to do another one....

Caleb is cruising everywhere and into everything. Gideon was not really into anything, he was a seriously well behaved baby, but Caleb on the other hand....oh he just gives me that look and I know he is trouble! Ha ha! Here is Caleb into Jason's softballs. Jason has been playing park and rec softball and actually has his own team...I'm not going to tell you what their record is, just know they are having fun..ha ha!

Although he is completely mischievous, he is also so sweet and adorable. His new word this week is "ball" and just yesterday we saw him standing by himself, it is so exciting! This week his fangs have been coming in and the poor guy has been sooo cuddly all week, I know he is in pain and just needs comfort, but deep down I love the fact that he wants Mommy so bad and needs my lovin!

Since it has been so hot this months, the only way we have been outside is in our pool...both boys love it!

We have also spent lots of time with family. He is Nana playing with Caleb.

Daddy and Gideon

Joel and Caleb
Since it has been so hot out, we brought our plastic play thingy in and the boys have had a ball having inside, maybe we'll keep it in for the winter too?

Gideon is my little dare devil, I swear I hear "look mommy" a zillion times a day and he is always doing something that makes my heart skip a beat.....I know, I know, this is just the beginning!

Fun...

2007-07-31T10:09:00.001-07:00

So here are some pics from one evening before bed. Caleb is soooo cute in his sleepsack. I don't know if anyone else out there uses sleepsacks, but I love mine! I've used them for both boys and totally love them, no matter how much they roll around at night, they stay covered, it is wonderful and I don't have to worry about them ever getting smothered, the sleepsack fits snuggly around their chest. Can you see his four teeth!! Yeah, so he is soo cute crawling over to see mommy, pulling up on her leg and.....Chop!.....(mommy scream!!!) "Ahhhhhh! He bit me!" No kidding, I'm having to train him not to bite me because he bites everything!!!!!

A quick update, Caleb is talking a ton now, he says "uh oh" and it is adorable...he will drop some thing and say "uh oh" and we will come pick it up and he will do it again, it is such a fun game. He also says "da da" to Jason, he says "mmmm" and we are counting that as "mama" because he directs it at me. He likes to stuff anything in buckets, baskets and boxes. We play the passing game with him, where we pass something back and forth, he loves it! He, of course finds every piece of anything on the floor and eats it, I think I've already done the heimleck (is than spelled right? probably not!) on him like three times (today...............................just kidding). He laughs alot! I mean he is always laughing at us. He dances to any beat...even a loud car going down the road...no joke! He has a special noise he makes to any of our pets, it is a high pitch squeal, I swear he is trying to talk to them. And he is still crusing around everything and it is so much fun, he loves when we walk with him places.(down the hall, around the livingroom) Since I have two boys now I do compaire a lot, and Gideon was completely walking and running by 10.5 months, but Caleb is a little more chill and does not get near the same amount of floor time with me as Gideon used to, so I think he will be walking soon, but we will seee. I'm just learning about how different each kid is and I think it is soo cool. Caleb has a compleletly different personality and looks totally different then Gideon, yet we are still the same two parents...I mean isn't God totally amazing!

So last month we went to a rodeo, and I forgot to post pictures. We took Gideon and left Caleb with my parents and Gideon had such a great time!! He went crazy over the bull riding and the horses doing tricks!

We went with Shawn and Leah Ensminger who have a three month old baby...Jack is not pictured because he is deep in la la land inside his sling!

2007-07-07T05:19:00.000-07:00

A Crap Load of Pictures!!

Well it has been forever and a day since I last blogged, but I think June was the busiest month of our lives, well not really, but it sure felt like it! We went to Tybee Island, we had VBS and a bunch of other stuff in between. So here goes:

This is us leaving for the beach, jammed packed full of our kids and our stuff!

Gideon was soo excited about the ocean!

Caleb was too!

We brought a few ocean kayaks and had so much fun!

Papa (my dad) Caleb, and Jason

This shot CRACKS me up!

This is my mom and day enjoying a little boating!

So this was Caleb's first time at the ocean and he totally loved it, I mean as soon as him feet his the water he was already gigling....it was awesome!

We also have more big news, Caleb now has 4 teeth, yes, it has been kind of a rough week for him because his two top front teeth came through, but now that they are in and he is all smiles!!

We went strawberry picking a while ago, but I didn't get to post any pics, so here they are, it was so much fun watching Gideon!

Caleb had his first strawberry that day.

I love these pics of Gideon and Caleb in the bath, they always take baths together now and I love it. I mean I thought one kid was funny, two of them in the bath tub is hilarious!

Just a quick update: Caleb is officially on the go, he is cruising around furniture and pulling up on everything, he seems pretty daring, it is actually making me nervous, but we are still having fun! We had a fun 4th, we visited my family while they were camping (in their camper....just so you know I don't really consider this camping..ha ha) we cooked out with friends and family and spent the evening playing guitar, drumming and singing to our Lord, it was wonderful!

Just Having Fun

2007-06-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this is us just hanging around the house this week, just having fun with the boys and chillin...

Caleb update: so Caleb is all smiles...most of the time! He is crawling and into everything, and when he is standing he is almost cruising (taking steps while holding on to something) He is making all sorts of sounds and I laugh to hear him laugh histerically. He is a super cuddler and is soo sweet.

Jason and Gideon love to play games in the yard, today they were playing football...

I love this picture becasue Gideon is laughing so hard he is actually almost falling over, isn't that awesome!

This was actually a last week when we went an evening in the garden, there are actually lots of plants in there now.

But Gideon was my big helper!!

Our friend Harper came and spent the day with us, she is soooo sweet and she really makes me want to have a litle girl...hmmmmm....we will see....maybe baby#3

Our FIVE year Anniversary!!

2007-05-27T06:09:00.001-07:00

Wow, can you believe we have been married for 5 years? It's been the best years of my life, we have adventured all over the place together, now with kids, and having a stinkin awesome time! God has grown us in huge ways and still continues to use us to make each other holy! So here are some pics from that amazing day, May 18th 2002.

Jason 4-wheeling guests in...

Reading our personally written vows....We invited all our frineds and family to come pray over us.... and they did!We had a worship service at the alter, we had and still have so much to praise Him for!I now pronounce you Mr and Mrs. Jason O'Bryant....

Look how Big!!

2007-05-10T19:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, so we took these pics after church on sunday, we look all fancy smansy because this is actually what we were going to were on Easter sunday, but because it was so stinkin cold, we decided to wait for a warmer day to look all hot and fabulous! So here we are...and we are all looking at the camera, once again it is amazing that we are looking at the camera at the same time!

So Caleb is 7 months and what a joy, he is talking up a storm now, saying things like "ba ba ba" and "da da da" and so many other words!

So anyway, we are doing great this week, I made a fantastic pasta recipe that I'll put on here next time! The garden is almost fully planted, I'm going to try to finish it this weekend. And our oasis is still under construction...I"m sure it will take years to make it the way I picture it. Jason is going to new york this weekend. Our friend Shawn won tickets to the Linkin Park private cd release concert in New York City and he asked Jason to go, I mean how cool is that, their airfare is paid for, they are staying in the Hilton in New York and they even get spending money...yeah so I'm a bit envious...ha ha, just kidding, I am actually totally stoked for these guys, all I want is a super rad t-shirt!! So keep them in your prayers as they venture to the party of all parties this weekend! Ok, buy for now!

Art....

2007-05-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

So, art is one of my favorite ways to see Gideon express himself and here are a few...

Playdough. Look Mom it's a.....(holy moly, what is it?)

Painting. This is Gideon's first painting on canvas, though he has used paint before, I had this extra canvas sitting in our shed and thought it would be fun to use it, he had a blast!

Blocks are almost a daily thing for us, Gideon loves to play them, Caleb loves to chew on them, I love to watch them and the best part, is that Gideon does not need my help to clean up!!! Yeah!!

And here is my happly little man, who by the way weights over 23lbs, I weighed him last week, can you belive that!! I mean I already have to change car seats for him. My Big Boy!!! I am so proud!

And look at this other big boy, I though that is pictures was so cute, I just asked Gideon to sit on the hearth and smile and it was perfect, what a heartbreaker!

So here is a quick family photo, it truly is a God thing when we all look at the camera at the same time. I was like..."Caleb look at the blinking light, honey!!" ha ha!

Spring Is Here!!!

2007-04-24T18:56:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll. Well, just thought I'de give you an update on what's going on in the O'Bryant world right now. Caleb is what "they" (who are they anyway?) call scooting, not necessarily crawling yet, but still moving around like a cray manic...hmm. These are pics of his first solids, now he is a pro and just tonight he started squash...mmm. I'm making all his food, which is super easy and saves us tons of cash. Plus, since SPRING IS HERE, my garden will be up and running soon with lots of fresh organic veggies for the boys to eat!!! yeah!!!!

Here my big, little man. He has so much personality...obviously!

We're jammin....(Just so you know that NOT Gideon's ipod...it is mine. I just wanted to clear that up so no one thought we were like these lunitic parents who are giving their 8 year olds cell phones!!!) So yeah, we've been doing a ton of gardening lately, we are transforming a corner of the yard into a Better Homes and Gardens Oasis(Or maybe it is just an O'Bryant Oasis..either way is is freakin awesome!), Jason is digging out a small pond and a fountain and I am planting pretty plants and an herb garden, hopefully one day we will have a swing and a beautiful trellis to retreat to. Pics to come....Other than gardening we havn't been up to a whole lot. We empited out a room in our barn and put up our climbing wall, that's pretty cool, pics to come of that also...hmm. I guess that is about all. I started this book by Mike Bickle called Passion for Jesus it is totally rockin my world, I love it. I'll tell you more about it later. Ok,well, gotta go, Bye for now.

Almost 7 Months old....

2007-04-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

Wow, can you believe that Caleb is almost 7 months old? Well, I've been really busy with church stuff and baby shower stuff, gardening stuff and catching up on sewing stuff that I havn't updated in a while. Sorry...So I want to catch you up on all the HUGE milestones our little six month old has been up too. From these photos you can see that he is sitting up so well, he does topple over now and then, so I keep some bumpers close by.

I started him on solids last week(pics are coming), a little banana and breastmilk...each day he gets better and better at eating.

And...can you see the two little teeth that are in his mouth...yup, Caleb got his first two teeth at 51/2 months, now they are huge...isn't that awesome!

And he is scooting around like crazy...I leave him in one postions and when I come back is in another position on the other side of the room...woah! More pics coming soon.....

Creative Simple Supper (or lunch)...

2007-03-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

So sunday night I was fantically trying to figure out what to make for dinner, usually I plan meals, but last week I was a slacker, so I paid for it on sunday. And we were low on food and I needed to go grocery shopping BAD, which made things more difficult. Yet, some of my best meals are complete throw togethers and sunday's was a throw together, healthy meal too! And it all tasted delicious, so I'm gonna give the details, because that is why it tasted sooo good. It is nothing fancy and would make a great lunch.

1. I took some tuna and mixed a little mayo (all natural Hans Safflower Mayo) and a little sweet pickle juice (from some pickles I canned last year) And put it on some Ezekiel, sprinkled some shredded chedder cheese (new york, organic), buttered each side and toasted it on the griddle...mmmm.

2. Then I sliced 2 sweet potatoes really thin, placed them on a stone baking sheet, added some oil and salt and cooked for about 30 min. And we had sweet potato chips!!
And everything was great. Though this may not impress anyone, I was really excited about such a healthy whip together, and Jason and Gideon loved it!

Lentils And Rice

2007-03-15T06:36:00.000-07:00

So this is my latest new recipe, I made it on monday night, and it was pretty good. On my scale of good, great, and awesome, it was good...to me and Jason. But to others it might be great. It is a lighter meal, perfect for spring and healthy too, since beans are soooooooo good for you, lots of protein and little fat. But I'm not good at making rice for some reason, either it is dry and cruchy or way too sticky...I'l have to keep working at it. Anyway, I liked this meal because of the aroma that filled the kitchen, since it had to cook for an hour it was a quick fix and then I let it cook while I played outside. And the flavor was great, but it just wasn't one of those meals that I was like..."oh my gosh, my tastbuds are having a party." So I wouldn't recommend it for company, but it is a nice change to the chicken and venison meals.

Lentils And Rice

3 cups water

1cup Lentils

1 onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon tamari sauce (I love this stuff!)

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 tsp curry powder

In saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add all ingredients and cook on low for an hour. Serve over rice.

1 cup brown rice

2 cups water

1 onion chopped

1 tablespoon tamari sauce

In saucepan, bring water to boil. Add all ingredients and cook on low for 1 hour.

Serves 4

The Zoo...and Beyond...

2007-03-07T05:32:00.000-08:00

Ok, so last week we had such a fun week, it was a blast. On wednesday we went to the Zoo in our area, I cannot name it, because I had the hookup with a friend there who got some animals out for us to play with. This is my friend Elizabeth with her friend Tinkerbell, a marmaset (did I spell that right?) And Gideon and Tinkerbell were having so much fun, she is such a cute little monkey. She kept playing hide and go seek with Gideon by running back and forth on Elizabeth's shoulders and just when we thought it couldn't be more fun.... Tinkerbell jumped from Elizabeth's back onto Gideon's shoulder...he screamed histerically!!! I wish I could have gotten a picture but my poor kid was freaking out...it was hilarious! So here I am laughing, ....ahhh how I flow in mercy.... and Gideon is scarred for life. He was fine once we got her off his back. And poor little tinkerbell just looked so sad, I mean I think she really felt bad that she scared him. Anyway, Gideon is soo resiliant, he still wants to go back to the Zoo and he still wants to play with tinkerbell, but when I ask him if he wants her to jump on his back, he says no...forcefully!

We got up close and personal with a couple of Zerbra, they were a little skiddish, but warmed up to us with the sweet sounds of their water bowl filling up.

This is Gideon and Chester, a racoon, we have actually known Chester since his arrival at the Zoo, I actually got to feed him a bottle the day he was brought in and then home to Elizabeth, he was itty bitty then, about the size of both of my hands...now he is a wopping 25+ pounds.

On fiday we visited with Papa and Mimi, Jason's Dad and Mom, we can see here that Mimi has Caleb wrapped around her little finger, or is it the other was around?

Caleb has been teething like Crazy, I wish you could see the amount of drool that is actully coming out of his mouth as he chews.

Ok here is Gideon enjoying his aunt Mary, Jason's little sister, and doing his favorite thing...second to running around like a complete maniac.

Holy Moly, isn't his awesome..after serveral hundred brother shots that didn't turn out, Praise the Lord Almighty, one finally did. I will be taking orders if anyone wants one..ha ha!

As I shake my head I can only say..he is 2!

Ok so this is one of my favorite pictures. Gideon is pretty much potty trained, I mean he has accidents every now and then, because he waits until the last minute, and he still wears a diaper at night, but he poos in the potty( and pees too) and in my book that is potty trained!! But not only is he potty trained he can also name every sport know to man and the top players of each..........................................................................just kidding. But he does like sports now. His favorite is hockey, Good Little Man!!

Chicken Enchiladas

2007-03-03T09:30:00.000-08:00

Here is the lastest new recipe I've tried...it was sooo good, I've already been telling everyone about it. The flavor is light and rich at the same time....and it is healthy too. The fresh Cilantro is the key...oooh it makes it soo good. It is from The Maximum Energy Cookbook by Sharon Broer...here we go...

1 whole chicken, boiled, deboned, and torn into small pieces
1 large jar of tmoato or spaghetti sauce, reserve a 1/2 cup ( I used Newmans Own marinara sauce)
2 medium onions (I used one b/c Jason doesn't like an overpowering onion flavor)
1 large bunch of cilantro
1 tsp oregano
1 pkg. whole wheat flour tortillas
1 medium green pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup grated white cheddar cheese

In a large skillet, saute' onions and pepper for 5-10 min. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 15 min. Turn off heat. Spray a 15 by 10 inch oblong casserole dish with cooking spray ( I used a 9 by 13) Place 1 tortilla in your hand, add 2 heaping tablespoons of chicken mixture in the center of the tortilla. Roll up the tortilla and place in the casserole dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas until you have enchiladas laying in a row from end to end. Spread reserved 1/2 cup tomato sauce evenly over enchiladas. Sprinkle with cheese down center of rows. Bake at 350 for 20 min. Serve with favorite salsa ( I used Newmans own mango salsa, and I also put sour cream and torn spinach on top...mmmm.)

New pictures..finally!!

2007-02-24T09:54:00.000-08:00

Hey ya'll, well, I am so sorry I havn't updated in a while, it is a lot harder than I thought keeping up with two kids and e-mail and housework and cooking and our blog along with a million other things too! Everyone told me that the first six months with #2 are hard, now I understand why. Today my parents have both boys for us, so that is why I have to the time..I love our date nights (and days!) But I'm really going to work on updating weekly from now on. Here are some pictures I took this morning of Caleb, these are his 5 month pictures. This little guy is such a joy to be with, so responsive and happy, he really is a awesome baby!

I'm now seeing how differnt Gideon and Caleb really are. For example, Gideon hated baths when he was a baby, I don't think he like them till he could really sit up and play, But Caleb absolutley loves his baths, I mean he has from day one. And then we do baby massage after bathtime and he loves that too, I think that makes for an even happier baby. Look how content his face is...adorable!
These are some pictures from last week. Gideon is my big helper in everything, including gardening. I've started some seeds so they will be ready to plant when the frost ends. This is my third year having a large veggi garden and each year I try new things and learn more and more. This year I'm trying some indoor gardening in order to save money and be more prepared for planting. Does that make sense? I don't know all the technical terms, but I'm growing certain flowers and plants from seed inside and then I will plant them in april outside. Whatever! Anyway Gideon was helping me put seeds in pots and then watering them. I love thses pictures!

So we are doing really good, I understand now why moms say it is really tough to have little ones running around. Gideon is nonstop energy and trying to spend equal amounts of time with boys boys can get tiring. But at the same time I am having the time of my life, I totally don't want it to go by fast, and I'm trying to enjoy every moment I have, knowing that it will. Anyway I think I'm going to add a new feature to put blog...each week I try multiple new recipes, see, one dayI hope to be an amazing healthy, spectacular, fantastic, awesome cook (ha ha), ....................but until then I like to try new recipes to find ones that I really like. So I'm going to pick one to put on our blog and then I will rate it, maybe my other moms and great cooks will benefit from this new post. I just thought it would be fun to keep everyone updated even if I dont' have time to post pictures. Ok, later taters!!

Rest...

2006-12-22T10:15:00.000-08:00

I've been doing pretty good lately, I think I got the baby blues last month and I'm still getting over them, I just can't seem to shake this ugh feeling. But I'm also learning that this may be a season in my life. A season to sit back and rest, I am very much a doer and to just sit and do nothing it really tough for me. But I know there are some things that God wants to teach me right now and it means I need to just listen. I am sure enjoying my boys right now, I can't believe how fast they grow, I desperatly want it all to slow down, I want them to stop growing and stay this sweet and little. Aww, time...it really stinks sometimes. Anyway, here are some recent pics of the boys...Caleb is now three months and Gideon is 2, wow, I'm still in awe at how these last few months have flown by. It's actually pretty hard to keep up witht he pictures, I mean it is hard to remember to take lots of pictures of Caleb, because Gideon is still oh so cute, no wonder the second born gets the shaft...

Holy Moly, Caleb is a laughing machine, it totally makes my whole day when I get him laughing histerically, I mean words cannot decribe the joy that builds up in me when I see him(or Gideon) just out of control happy.

We have an acre and a half that is very wooded, so we've been raking, playing, raking, playing and burning nonstop, needless to say Gideon has only been playing...ha ha.

This is my bad a_ _ son. Yeah I guess he looks pretty tough holding that bear and riding a yellow car...maybe we should get him a motorcycle...hmmm.

Quick Update...

2006-11-29T09:36:00.000-08:00

whoops...I accidentally put this one in sideways, and I have no idea how to remove it...sorry, you'll just have to turn your head...ha ha! So is it just me, or does Gideon seem to get cuter as time goes by? Sorry it has been a while since I have updated, i thought things would get more chill the longer I've been with two kids, but with the holidays and Gideon's birthday, it only seems to have become more crazy, so I don't get onthe computer that often, but I promise to be more consistant from now on. Caleb is getting so big, actually he is a pretty bid boy, he is already in 3-6 month clothes and he is only 10 weeks old. I guess it just blows me away because Gideon did not grow this fast, and truly I want him to slow down, I want my baby to stay small...ahhh!

Holy Moly, Gideon is such a great big brother, really, he is so sweet and so good with Caleb, I can't wait till they can play together...that is going to be so much fun!!

Last month Gideon, Caleb and I ventured to the Animal Preserve where one of my best freinds volunteers, and she got out the baby bobcat for us to love on, he was so cute and so friendly, as you can see Gideon loved him!

So we are doing pretty good, lately I've been feeling kind of weird, just not myself, and I can't put my finger on the root issue, maybe God is digging out some things that do not bring him glory, maybe my hormones are still wacky, maybe the holidays are already wearing me out, I don't know, but I totally would appreciate any prayers. I love the fact that i can shout to the world I am so imperfect, I mean I've got some issues, but that's ok. Over that past 5 years God has brought me to a place where I am comfortable with my imperfections, where I can fail and still get up and face those I have failed, where I can totally make a fool out of myself and laugh. I mean I am still learning too, many times I find myself driven to perform or meet others expectations, but I am learning and I have grown so much. But the past two weeks something has been off, something has been wrong with me, I don't feel joyful, I don't feel content. Why do I feel like it takes so much for me to be happy, this is not normal. God spoke this scripture to me and I am putting it into my heart and trying to put it into action.

Psalm 16:8-11 I have set the Lord continually before me; because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken, therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; my flesh will also dwell securely. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol. Nore will you allow your holy one to undergo decay. You will make known to me the path of life; in you presence is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forever.

Anyway this is me sharing my feelings....thanks for listening....

Cutest kids ever...

2006-10-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

So I know I'm kind of biased, and yes...every parent is, but really these kids (including Jason) are the cutest in the world. Having a newborn in the house is wonderful, I think it is hard to appreciate and really chrish that time with your first child, but I am so much more relaxed with the second, so I totally love and enjoy each moment with Caleb. But since He is perfect...it is no wonder why. Ha, ha. Like any good new parent, we have had numerous photo shoots going on around the clock, Caleb is a natural, don't you think?

These are my three favorite guys in the whole universe. Jason is my alltime favorite and will always be, and these other two munchkins are my second favorite. Am I the most blessed mom in the world or what?
I forgot how much a baby sleeps, it is so hard keeping him awake...both of them...ha
So I wanted to take the time and give God the glory for an the amazing birth of Caleb. I've decided to share my story, I really don't think it will gross anyone out, it is really not too graphic. My friend katie had her second born a few months ago and after her labor story I felt the overwhelming urge to figure out what to do for labor...I was horrified at this point. So I ordered some books on natural childbirth. Wait let me back up...when I had Gideon I labored from 3:30 one morning till 11:30 the next morning, and although Jason and I took a birthing class, they did not teach me how to labor, so after I had labored though the night, and could not go any more, my midwife sugjested an epideral because I could not relax, and then a couple hours later Gideon was born. If I would have known what I know now...I would have known that it was almost over and could have pushed through, but...hindsight is 20/20. The truth is I wanted to have a completely natural childbirth, but no one told me that it takes a lot of work and preparation. Gideon's birth was not aweful and it didn't scar me or him for life, but with Caleb, I just wondered if there was something better, could birth be a great, beautiful...possibly less painful experience?

And Yes, it can. Jason and I started doing relaxation exercises multiple times a day, he would coach me to relax each and every part of my body,and many nights I would fall asleep during our exercises. I would squat too many times a day, and after my workouts I streched like crazy. We also put a lot of prayer into it and I wrote out scriptures on peace, rest and strength to read and focus on during labor.

And the work paid off. I started labor (easy labor) on sunday night, I had been having contractions all weekend and all day sunday, but they were not intense enough to make me stop what I was doing. But sunday night I started to really focus on each one and they seemed a little different than earlier. I took a tylenol pm and went to bed. I woke up through the night and had to breath through some, so it was a relief when morning came and I could really focus on each contraction, and at this point I new I was in labor and we were going to have a baby within 24 hours. I told Jason to go to work, I could handle these contractions,but I would call if I needed him. 10:00 I called him, because I had to focus on each contration so hard that I couldn't pay attention to Gideon and I needed his help now. Well we labored at home most of the day, we talked and watched movies we would pause everytime I had a contraction. Through each contration I would relax my body to the point it looked like I was sleeping, yet I was definately not sleeping. I already had a doctors appt. that day, so we figured we would labor at home, then go see Tiffany(my midwife) at her office before going to the hospital. We dropped Gideon off at my mom's school and we went to see Tiffany. Jason and I agreed that if I was 6 or more cm dialated we would go to the hospital, any less than that we would go walk at the park. Well, at about 4:oo Tiffany checked me and I was between 6 and 7 cm...how exciting, we were more than halfway there and we had done most of the work at home. We went and grabbed a bite to eat and headed to the hospital. Laboring in the car was aweful, there are so many distractions and at this point each contraction needed my complete attention. We arrived at the hospital, I had asked for no IV or a monitor, so we walked the hallways and sqatted during each contration till I was 8cm, at this point it started to get tougher, they were still only 3 min apart, but way more intense, my uturus was working really hard, and my goal was to get the rest of my body out of the way, to let this muscle do it's job and work. It was about 7:30 when we talked about breaking my water, which scared the crap out of me because I new the baby would come fast and hard once they did that, and it necessarily wasn't in my "all natural" plan. But I new I didn't want to labor till midnight, so at 8:30 they broke my water and my contractions came on top of each other. It was so hard to relax and breath through these, it helped to sing through a worship song or focus on one scripture verse, and at times one would get away from me and Jason would have to coach me so I could get on top of it. They were hard, really hard, I mean really really hard. Then I felt the need to go...I mean go...to the bathroom...so that meant it was time to push. They put a squtting bar on and I pulled myself up and pushed. And with each conraction I took two breaths and then pushed, the breathing though these contractions was even harder, it was like I just couldn't catch my breath, and there was so much streaching. But it only took 3 or 4 and out he came, absolutley so perfect. I got to actually take him from my body and bring him to my chest...how cool is that. He went from hearing my heartbeat inside my body to hearing from the outside. And Jason, Caleb and I spent the fisrt 11/2 hours of his life alone and together. We nursed and cuddled and talked, it was so beautiful. It truly amazes mt that God answered evry pray for this birth anf this baby. I totally have got to give him all the glory, it was not me, believe me, it was all Him.

Meet Caleb Steven O'Bryant...

2006-09-28T06:16:00.000-07:00

Meet Caleb Steven O'Bryant
Born: Sept 18, 2006, 9:13pm
Weight: 7lb. 12oz.
Length: 20 3/4 in.

This is Caleb getting measured and weighed.
Here is the little guy finding his thumb for the first time, well he could have been sucking his thumb for a while in the womb, but we finally get to see him do it.

Here is Caleb getting his hair washed, yes he has a head full of dark hair, and
getting his first bath.

Here is Gideon meeting his brother for the first time.

So Caleb was born on monday night and we were able to go home at 6:00 on tuesday night, can you believe that? The doctors said everything was great, so we asked to go home asap, and they let us, it was so wonderful sleeping in my bed that second night!!

So I would love to tell you more details about the labor and birth, becasue the birth was amazing, but I don't want to gross anyone out. So if you want details tell me. Thank you for all your prayers throughout my labor, I know God answered everyone of them.

More New Pictures...

2006-09-28T05:56:00.000-07:00

Here are the last prego pictures of me, these were taken the morning before I went into labor. We didn't take as many maternity pictures this time around, but I though I should share a couple with you. Praise God I'm not pregnant anymore. I mean I have great, easy pregnancies, but man oh man I really like NOT being pregnant.

Here are my two favorite guys, both of them stinkin cute!!

And my little man bafore he had a new brother...

New Pictures....

2006-09-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

Ok so here is the picture many of you have been waiting for. Jason has worked on this tatoo for years, each symbol is a part of his testimony and has a scripture verse that corresponds, I'll let him tell you later. He is now in the process of working on another one....

Here are some recent pictures of Gideon playing with one of our cats Harriet. I think he wanted her to be a cowkitty for the day.

Here is our dog Samson, he is just over a year old and completely puppy. He actually just graduated from seven grueling weeks at dog school, but he did a fabulous job. Along with Samson we have two cats. Here is a quick story behind our cats. We originally had Harry and Loyd (can you name the movie?), but Harry got this kitten disease and passed away, so now we have Harriet and Loyd, and they are seriously the coolest cats ever...with all thses pets and now kids, there is never a dull moment in this house.

Here is one last picture of Gideon building with his blocks...what a cutie!

Be still, and know that I am God. -Psalm 45:10

2006-09-15T11:48:00.000-07:00

So today I'm about 9 days overdue. I'm starting to feel a bit hopeless...ok maybe that sounds silly because I know this kid can't stay in there forever, but really it feels like he or she will never come out. I've been on my face a lot this week pleading with my heavenly Father, I know his timing is amazingly perfect and He has the perfect day planned for this little one (I hope it is tomorrow!), but that definately doesn't take away the aches and pains and the constant waiting I feel. I started really seeking the Lord on what it meant to wait upon Him. Because this is one of those times i feel like I am truly waiting on the voice of God (just in the form of a tiny cry). And what God spoke to me over and over was patience. Psalm 40:1 "I waited paitently for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry...." There is much more to that verse, and I love it all but David didn't just wait ont he Lord, he waited patienly on Him. I have so much to learn about this, I mean I do try to wait on God, while complaining, whinning, and crying about things. But what if to wait on the Lord meant to WAIT on Him while praising His wonderful name. Isaiah 40:31 shares the benifits of this kind of patience "Yet those who wait on the Lord will gain new strength;they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not get weary." (I'm not sure if I'll be running anytime soon...ha ha)
What I'm learning through this whole time of waiting is that it truly is hard to praise when waiting seems like to worst option in the world, but that is when it is most beneficial to me, this is the time when I truly learn to submit to His everguiding hand. It is not when it is easy and comfortable to wait, but here in now in the rough times of life. So yeah, I will praise and I will be thankful, I will shout to the world of God's great Love for me, and for my family, I will lift up His holy name and I will declare how Great my Father is, i will tell of his amazing goodness and faithfulness to me, I will speak of his beauty to everyone, I will sing of his perfect plan and how each second of the day his best is in mind for me, that although I am part of a great huge plan, I am his beloved daughter and He is my perfect father who takes me in His arms and holds me close and wispers in my ear "I Love You."

New...or should I say old pictures...

2006-09-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

So I have had this disposable camera in my car for months and we finally finished the roll a few weeks ago. When I got it developed I had to laugh at all the random pictures...I hope you laugh too....

Here is Gideon and our cat Loyd enjoying a nice fall swing...

Here is Gideon sharing his cheerios with Samson. Samson is just over a year old and a hoss, but I think he has helped teach Gideon to toughen up!

Here is Gideon and I sometime in the late winter playing in the snow...well, as much snow as we could actually play in...

Jason and I go on a date night every friday or sat, this was a georgia game we went to last fall...wow...that was BNB(before new baby)

These last few are my favorite: One date night we went putt putt golfing...but we did more goofing around than golfing...

Still Here...

2006-09-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

Yes...still here, that means that I'm still at home waiting for this baby to get out of my belly!! Yes, that means that I'm like forever months prego and like at 100 weeks. Actually I am 41 weeks, yes...that makes me one week overdue. But what is overdue anyway? I think I would totally be fine if everyone else did not keep asking me "didn't you have that baby yet?" "Are you still pregnant?' As if I could really do something about it. Beleive me we are trying!!! I don't remember feeling this way with Gideon, maybe because we had just moved into a new home and were still doing construction on it, and I wanted him to wait as long as he could. But this time around we are just waiting. I try to make plans everyday, but in the back of my mind, I'm always hoping. I spent some good time in the word and with the Lord yesterday and I truly am submitted to His perfect plan, and when I ask Him to bring this baby soon, he know's I mean in the next 24 hours. Anyway, I don't feel stressed, I just am very ready, the aches and pains have increased and I feel myself moving a little slower.
Dude, I could waddle....I will not allow myself to, but ooooh I could. I now understand that waddling does not happen because of how big your belly is, but because of the pressure....I mean PRESSURE!! So if you do see me waddling...tell no one!
But really I am doing good. My gym workouts now consist of as much cardio as I can do, and it all depends on who is there to talk to. If I have a freind to chat with I can go on the eliptical for an hour, if I'm all by myself, 35 min max. And then I spend a good half an hour streching. I stopped weights about 2 weeks ago, I'm just too tired, plus since I don't know when I'll go into labor, I don't want to totally thrash myself. So really, I'm doing good, but I appreciate all the prayers to bring on this baby. Thanks!

Almost There....

2006-09-02T10:43:00.000-07:00

So wedensday is my due date...I'm having baby #2 and I am so very ready. My midwife thought that I would have the baby by Sept 1st.....hmmm....I guess not. I'm not stressing out or anything, I totally want things to progress naturally, but I find myself saying "Lord I'm ready when you are ready...are you ready yet?!" Sleep has become a distant memory, I know God does this to prepair you for baby, but I really need the rest in case I go into labor...so it is kind of scary. And Jason and I are so excited to find out if this is a little boy or little girl...I cannot wait!! Seriously, this has got to be one of the most exciting times in our life. I was driving home yesterday thinking about all the adventures we have had together and nothing compairs to here and now. I am so grateful for where we are and what God is doing in our lives. I am so content with life now, so at peace and full of tons of joy. Jason and I rarely stop laughing, and honestly life is so much fun. I am in awe of the amazing God we serve, how he gives us so much and constantly pours his goodness upon us. Anyway, pray for baby to come soon...in God's perfect timing, of course.....but SOON!

2006-08-03T10:01:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend was an exciting one....it was Jason's birthday. I had been planning a special something for months, Gideon and I were berry berry sneaky! I took Jason to get his first...yes I say first because he wants more...tatoo. And not just any tatoo, this one is really cool. See, he has wanted one for years, but it just hasn't been in our budget. But he has been designed and thinking and drawing all kinds of ideas. The coolest thing about this tatoo is that it is not shouting "christian" It looks kind of Celtic with some other symbols around it. It is cool enough that people will ask what it means and Jason is able to give his entire testimony. He really is a brillaint man!! So anyway, I told him on friday night what I was planning on Sat so he could pull out all his drawings, then we left Gideon at Nana's and off we went to Atlanta. I had done some reserch and found this fantastic tatoo artist who totally loved the Lord, so I em-mailed him and got directions. We arrived around lunch and Jason (the tatoo guy's name is jason too) took my Jason's drawing and went to work on refining it. He finished and into the tatoo room we went. It started about pretty good, but after about a minute and a half, my jason said he was feeling light headed and needed to lay down...Wow, my ultra tough husband was about to pass out. Dude, I was laughing so hard, I wish I had my camera to take pictures of him lying on the floor with his feet up...wow! So it happened like 3 times each time getting a little more tatoo in. I could not stop laughing!! Finally he was fine ans not about to pass out, he just had to get used to the constant pain. In the end it looked really good, a little dark, but tatoo guy said it would take about a month to look awesome! But it was a great adventure! His tatoo is healing now and iching him like crazy, I'll take a picture in a week or so when it is healed and looks finished. But man oh man it was fun to watch.

2006-07-26T11:24:00.000-07:00

I figured I would go ahead and post some pictures because I think I may have figured it out. These next few are from our summer adventures:

This is Gideon, he is 20 months old, stinkin cute. This is his second time at the beach, and loving it!

This is Jason, me and Gideon and baby #2 on the way. We are not finding out the sex, we love the surprise!

This is my side of the family (R-L) Jason, Gideon, me, Papa, Nana, (aunt-Nov 06) Candace, and Uncle Joel

Here we are again, in Kentucky at the O'Bryant Family Reunion. It is a family tradition to take pictures at this tank.

This was another exciting event this summer. I was able to have an unexpected 4D ultrasound. I think these are pretty stinking rad!

Well, I think I'm done for today, Gideon is due to wake up from his nap sometime soon anyway.

New to me...

2006-07-26T10:29:00.000-07:00

So i just decided to start a blog...kind of weird, but I enjoyed reading everyone elses and thought, "hey, some people may want to see what's up in our lives too." So here the first post ever. Jason and I are expecting baby #2 in Sept...yes God has already entrusted us to be parents once...crazy i know. frankly I don't feel mature enough to be a parent, but holy moly we are having a blast doing it! Gideon is just over a year and a half, and he really is the coolest kid ever, I wonder how God can top this one. He is trying to talk and sometimes he seems so serious and all we can do is laugh, i know we are just scaring him for life. Anyway, I'm not going to talk for hours, but maybe I'll try to post some pictures...here we go...