13 weeks is a vapor compared to the life behind us and the life ahead of us, but we’ve spent 25% of the last four years in this place.  Parker and Reagan learned how to swim here.  We’ve conceived two of our four children here.  This is where Drake got his first teeth, ate his first rice cereal, took his first steps.  19 of our friends and family have come out to visit.  During our time here, we’ve rejoiced with those getting married, mourned with those getting divorced, celebrated with those welcoming new life into the world, and prayerfully said good-bye to husbands going off to war.  We’ve met and loved some for a season, some who will be friends for life.  We’ve given jobs and meals and hugs.  We’ve worshipped the same God in a different place through different situations with different songs alongside different brothers and sisters.

Georgia has been home to sunshine and rain, laughter and tears, heartache and happiness.  It’s been home to life.  And life is hard to put into words, let alone into some neat compartment to save for the future.  So you can see my dilemma here: we have a lot of stuff to deal with in a short amount of time, and much of it is odd-shaped and fragile so it doesn’t pack well.  Deo Volente, we will figure out what to bring home and what to leave here.  But it make take longer than a few days.

September 24-29: Bayfest!  Our pals Adam and Michelle flew out from the West side for a visit and discovered a staggering truth: there ain’t no party like an East coast party.  We spent a day in Atlanta, enjoying the amazing surroundings and touring the Coca-Cola Factory.  We enjoyed lunch by the Chattahoochee River (in honor of Doug, I did sing: “Way down yonder on the Chattahoochee…..”).  But to be honest, the majority of our time was spent eating.  We definitely gave them a taste of the local flavor.  And if you promise you won’t tell, I’ll let you in on a little secret.  I cried when they left.

Parker and Reagan have been playing in a basketball league at our church, which is both adorable and hilarious.  They play on a lowered hoop so Parker literally tries to dunk during the games.  He is lightning fast, incredibly aggressive, and has the occasional foul (which I totally blame on his dad!)  Reagan is adorable and amusing as she tries to navigate her way in a game she has no idea about!  She mentioned that she might retire from basketball when she gets home and take up dance again instead.  Perhaps the most entertaining part is watching 5-7 years old try to play basketball in knee length jerseys (a little size discrepancy on the school’s end…….oh well.  Who doesn’t love a jersey-dress?)

Drake is….well…..just a sweet dragon.  He is the poster child for 1 year old boys.  His favorite pastimes include stealing ice cream from our freezer (conveniently situated below our fridge); dropping any and all forbidden items in the toilet, trash can or other black hole; dropping any forbidden items not previously flushed or thrown away off our balcony into the bushes below our house; eating; grunting; talking; dancing; pretending to play the Wii; and last but not least, general havoc.  Drake keeps things lively and fits right in with the other wild things (FYI you don’t need to go see the movie.  I know where the wild things are.  They’re all right here at my house).

Present day: Grandma Olivia departs tomorrow at the crack of dawn.  She only visited for a few short days but I already miss her and she hasn’t even left yet!  We didn’t do anything that most would find very exciting, but a trip to the park by the river, chit-chatting, and help with laundry, dishes and kids is incredibly exciting for me these days!

Yes, the last 27 days have flown by.  And I hope our remaining 26 days go by just as quickly!  There are so many things to do between now and then, but perhaps in 27 days I will be writing once again about precious times enjoyed with loved ones and treasured memories of Georgia on my mind.  Deo Volente!

The God who knit Parker James Braun together in my womb was faithful in directing our steps and the doctor’s hands so that in the midst of a labor that seemed dire, a son was born healthy and whole.  Since the day he came home with us from the hospital, Parker has kept us on our toes!  Along with his mother, he spent the first night in his new home crying the dark hours away; he was a fussy baby and I was a fussy mom!  The baby who never slept now complains of being woken up “early” (9:00 am!).   The infant who spit up everything he ate the entire first year of his life now scarfs down adult-sized portions of fried rice and meat at teppan-yaki.  The newborn who smiled at every face he saw still loves to meet a stranger and tell them all about his amazing accomplishments (both real and imaginary).  The boy who came to be with us on September 15, 2002 is well on his way to becoming a young man of whom we are proud.

We rejoice in all the blessings God has showered on us throughout Parker’s past and we eagerly anticipate the years to come and what God will continue to do in his life and ours.  Perhaps with his persuasive speech and diligence in arguing his point of view, he will become a politician who makes decisions with integrity and honor.  Maybe his stunning physique (as his dad says) will propel him to great success in baseball or basketball.  Or possibly his creativity and wacky sense of humor will entertain, amuse and inspire generations to come.  But we pray that above all, God providentially molds Parker into His servant, a man worthy of the name we has been given: “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1).  We hope that the affection he holds for his baby brother makes him a wise, loving father.  We desire that his strength, personality, and zest yields Biblical leadership and gentleness as a husband.  And we desire that his glimpses of tenderness towards God would become a life of fruitful service for the Kingdom of God.  As in everything in Parker’s life so far, he will become who he will become by God’s grace.  We have been privileged to spend the past seven years with this son of ours and beg for a lifetime more!

Happy birthday, Parker James Braun!  You are one of the best gifts we have ever been given!

We are plugging away putting finishing touches on the stores and sifting through the mounds of paperwork and e-mails that come with the territory.  There is always something to do, somewhere to go, or someone to call back.  So we do, go, and call.

It seems as if things are on the verge of settling into some semblance of normalcy, but again there are never any guarantees!  Which is ok since I don’t know that we wear “normal” all that well anyway.  I’ll post more later…I have been thinking about the magnitude of having a seven year old for the last couple of weeks and maybe I will have something profound and compelling to offer on Tuesday.  Or maybe you’ll have to settle for normal!

Last night (when I should have been sleeping), my mind was swirling with various thoughts, contemplating some of the issues we are facing.  Throughout the night, in my semi-conscious state, I kept going back to the important truth that–whatever happens–God has ordained it.  Fast forward to this morning, when my first phone call of the day is with my hubby (still in Warner Robins) discussing the recent discovery that our store had been broken into…literally.  Some fool shattered one of the giant windows in the front of our store, then entered the store (with guillotine-like glass still hanging overhead), then relished the spoils of $20 in rolled coin (he left the pennies behind though, which was thoughtful).

Later, as I raced back and forth between stores and banks and errands, Reagan invented a clever game to pass the time in the car.  It involved putting a plastic bracelet (VBS honor band-esque) around one of her bottom teeth.  The ingenuity of said game was so intriguing that it prompted Drake to wrench said bracelet from said tooth.  A lot of blood (Reagan), a lot of screaming (Drake), and a lot of crying (all) later, Reagan has officially lost her second tooth.  I don’t how what kind of mood the tooth fairy is in, but I think this particular tooth deserves more than the prevailing wage.

I would mention that we still have no phone service and no business license for Warner Robins (which we plan, DEO VOLENTE!, to open Saturday), but that might seem like complaining so I won’t.  And I am slowly recognizing that all of this has transpired to illustrate what I am learning, which is that God ordains every moment of my day.  I am thankful that He has been preparing my heart for such events, even when it involves “stealing” my sleep or disrupting my plans.  And I thank Him in advance for giving me the grace I will need to handle whatever is next!

But lest you think she is completely grown up, she later spilled mustard all over her new shirt and used the men’s restroom at dinner!

We spent the afternoon in Warner Robins at our store (we’re in an old Circuit City).  While the boys and I ran errands, Reagan stayed behind and worked with her dad.  She spent the majority of the time behind the customer service counter writing in old credit card applications (her comments included “Reagan Juliet Braun,” “Spirit Halloween,” and “taking applications”).  She also made some announcements on the whiteboard, the largest of which said, “I luv God.”  Finally, she fashioned some edgy, contemporary jewelry out of washers and nuts, and her plans for next week include a lot of face painting (which I heard her promising Drake, too….hmmm….) and various wigs.

If all of this doesn’t make you miss my Reagan girl, I don’t know what will!  It even makes me miss her a little bit….and she’s only asleep in the next room.  As I try to tell her anytime I can, she is a precious gift that God gave to our family and I so thankful for her!

Not to be a downer but I must admit that I echo the sentiments of the Mamas and the Papas when they crooned, “Monday, Monday, can’t trust that day…”  At least this Monday.  Far from being marvelous or (a)mazing, not even bordering on mediocre or mundane, Monday has been merciless, maddening, and perhaps minutely melancholy.  Nothing major, just mind-boggling mountains of minutia mishaps.  My oh my.

Our truck arrived in Warner Robins an hour early.  We arrived an hour late.  (This is beginning to sound like an intriguing mathematical word problem or a deleted verse from an Alanis Morrisette song).  No keys to the various doors we needed to open.  No pegs to hang up the various merchandise we finally received.  No stopping one of the toilets from flushing continuously for hours on end (ha ha…get it.  End).  No way to contain all of the day’s events in a single post.

But what it all boils down to is this: is the Maker of Mondays sovereign over all Mondays, even ones like today? By knowing that all of the day’s events were ordained by the Marvelous, Matchless, Mighty God, can I look at this Monday’s moments and see them as miraculous and not as misfortune?  I resolve to.  I pray that, even in the minutes of a Monday like this, I would choose to rejoice in the God who is sovereign over all of our days and all of the matters within them.  Even bug bites.

So the road to recovery appears to be in sight!  My back is less painful and mangled-looking with each passing day, and Jeremy’s wisdom teeth are now long gone so we look forward to no more tooth pain.  Jeremy has been a rather amusing patient who does not recall most of yesterday’s events but he is on the mend and exchanging his deathly pallor for a healthy glow.

We continue plugging away at the stores and, Lord willing, we will open the first store on Saturday and the second (which is non-blog reading Deb’s) one week from tomorrow.  Our Warner-Robins store (the city home to the Little League World Series champs of 2007 who are in the LLWS mix again even as I blog) is slated for a Labor Day grand opening.  Please keep us in your prayers as we keep on keepin’ on.  For health and strength and daily food, we praise Thy name, O Lord!

Jeremy has had a wisdom tooth that sporadically grows then breaks off then grows some more.  Unfortunately, the tooth has started growing again and Jerm has been in quite a bit of pain over the last few days.  My husband, who would not take any kind of pain medicine for a sprained ankle or half cut off finger, has been steadily taking Motrin and Tylenol for the last couple of days.  That may give you an indication of the kind of pain he’s in.  Last night he was a ghostly white so we tried a number of random home remedies we found on the Internet.  He is doing ok so far this morning but we were able to get him an appointment at the dentist this afternoon.  For those of you who know my Jermps, you will remember that he does not care for dentists, so please pray for him and his healing and for relief emotionally and physically.

In the midst of his physical pain, we got word that one of our dear pregnant friends is having struggles of her own and is in the hospital looking for answers.  Our hearts are burdened for their family so please pray also for Mama Sanchez and her little baby boy that God would continue to protect them and keep them healthy.

Finally, after a whirlwind morning of unloading another 1,000 plus boxes, I seem to have hurt my back again (rewind to last year when I was crawling around our apartment for a week).  So far, it isn’t as bad as last year but Drake is quite a bit heavier this time around, so pray for speedy healing in my body too!

When we come to the south, we are often accosted by unexpected storms and heavy rains.  This year is no different.  It may be sunny where you are right now, but it’s pouring here.  Would you join us in praying for God’s umbrella of protection over us and that we might praise the One who sends every drop of rain for His good pleasure?  Let’s dance in the rain!

Yesterday was one such teaching opportunity.  We were supposed to receive our first shipment of merchandise at 9:00 am.  A company error pushed back the delivery time to 2:00 pm.  Truck trouble moved things to 5:00 pm.  Reality = 6:15 pm.  That’s pretty late in the day to unload more than 1,000 boxes!  But at the end of the night, I felt incredibly proud of the crew who got the job done, a crew which included two sweaty kids who helped lift, sort, and move a lot of heavy (even for Mom) boxes.  Amid the tears and frustrations of the day, there are those glimmers of hope that reveal a glimpse of growth and strength in these kids.  Last night was one such glimmer.  It is exciting for a moment to see them being big people doing big things.  And then the moment passes, and they are kids again: hiding under mountains of boxes, fighting over choice toys (usually a tool or scrap of wood), and putting on compelling dramas on the steps of our furniture store that is their stage.  And we’re the big people again, doing the big job of raising the little people to love and honor our big God in everything we do.  Even unloading trucks.