Fashionista

Here she is ladies and gentlemen . . . the Browning Fashionista. She is chic. She is so trendy, with her white "clicky clacky" shoes and her hot pink socks. Don't forget the walking stick, cowboy hat and the unmistakable juice spill down the skirt that just happens to be on backward. This is a typical day in our house. We are so very sophisticated!

Be sure and drink all your ... GRASS?!?

Yep... that's right - drink it up buttercup! Well, we tried. We tried to be healthy. We tried to juice that grass you see pictured. Let me tell ya, it was GROSS! You see awhile back we truly had the gumption to get healthy! We really wanted to eat well, and all that jazz. We have juiced and still do - but there was one route we had never gone down before. We had seen at juice bars and such people drinking this barley wheat grass juice. We did a little research and found it to be quite healthy. So ... we decided to order a kit and grow our own - with juicing it in mind. Well, my hubby planted and tended to those seeds (not much tending needed). They started to grow really fast. This picture was taken on maybe day 5 or so (it has been awhile). Harvesting time came and in the juicer a handful went. Everyone was waiting for the big event. The Browning Barley Wheat Grass event! Juice was made and poured into glasses. My sister happened to be there that morning. She took a big swig! As she swallowed - I swear the green color of the grass crept up into her face. Her face made the most gruesome look. It twisted as if in horrible pain. Pretty soon, off she went - sprinting to the sink. Once there she spit out the rest in her mouth. She couldn't stop talking about how horrible it was. Even at work, she kept telling people how cruel her brother in law was in making her try and choke down that stuff. She even visited the bathroom to expel the grass from her stomach! Now, I didn't have that happen. However, I can attest to the gross factor. I don't think this is something you should do at home folks. Leave it to the professional juicers. I have a feeling that there will be a wheat grass juicing kit for sale on Craigslist real soon.

A Day at the Park

Just recently we had the opport-

unity to go and have a wonderful time at a park. It was warm enough for us to be outside without jackets (imagine that)! I just love seeing pure joy in my children's faces. You know, when you hear peels of laughter that just is pure excitement and happiness. That was this day. It was spontaneous, fun, and a memory made.

Feeding the Birds

I just wanted to share some pictures that I took recently of the kids feeding the birds. We like to take loaves of old stale bread down to the water and feed it to the birds. We always have a blast. The kids get a kick out of watching the birds flock around them. Ellie would laugh in an uncontrollable fashion as she tossed whole pieces of bread to some very lucky gulls. It's a cheap way of entertaining the kids - we usually end up at the library since it is within walking distance of where we feed the birds. There is also a nice park near. Hopefully sunshine will soon replace the rain.

Mrs. Man Hands

Funny . . . or not so funny, but true. My hands are not the prettiest. They are not manicured. They are even a little rough. I have taken to calling them my man hands. I'm okay with it. I have come to terms and accepted my man hands for what they are. While other ladies may have pretty sparkly paint on the tips of their fingers, mine do not. Not by desire to be plain. No, I kind of like a little sparkle here and there. I have even tried to apply the fake nails - only to have that end hours later while I am at the sink scrubbing on a pot, or while I am outside digging in the dirt. Let's face it - they are not pretty, but they allow me to experience some pretty beautiful things in this life. They have given me the opportunity to make wonderful meals for my family. These rough looking paws have held life at it's newest. My man hands have also allowed me to hug and love on my little ones. They have been used in teaching children how to read. They have even given me the blessing to point out scripture to someone as they accept the Lord as Saviour. I laugh about my man hands with others, but it is all in jest. For I am thankful for their physical toughness - it allows me some very tender moments in this life.

Preachin' to the Grandmas and Grandpas

The second Sunday of every month our church has a nursing home ministry time. In between services (morning and evening) people from our church go and minister to different nursing homes throughout the area. We love it! Phillip has been taking a group of teens (and others) to a home that specializes in Alzheimer's. Our children have taken to calling it visiting the Grandma's and Grandpa's. The patients love the children. Well, this month, Phillip decided to allow Gabriel (our second son) to preach. Gabriel loves to preach. He has preached at church during special meetings like Watchnight (New Year's Eve) as well as at home during family devotions. Gabriel preached out of the book of Ephesians - and his message was about biblical change. His three points were 1. Putting off the Old Man 2. Renewing your mind 3. Putting on the New Man. Praise the Lord! I gotta tell you that my heart leaps for joy when I see any of my children doing something that tells of God's glory! I want all of my children to walk in truth. I pray that each of them always is motivated to do so. No matter what their "vocation" is . . . just that they love their Lord and that they walk in His ways.

Now, the Grandma's and Grandpa's may not remember Gabe's message - but I will never forget it!

Spring

Well...today is the first day of Spring! How I love when the seasons change. Seems like they change right when I need that change of outside scenery and climate. I am more than ready to say goodbye to the early days and cold temperature. I am ready for blooming flowers and the sun to kiss the landscape. It is always so pretty and reminds me of new life. I took this picture with a new camera. I am trying to get used to it. It has been fun to learn. I have had it for a little while, but am just now able to start learning how to use it. The figurine is holding one of my favorite flowers ... the rose. I once heard a sermon on the "Rose of Sharon." It was a wonderful sermon that illustrated the love of Christ in a way that I hadn't thought of before. He used the rose to illustrate. I can't remember the particulars, as it was a long time ago. The rose is beautiful and valuable. It also has thorns that if pricked too deeply can make you ill. The Rose of Sharon, however, has no thorns - yet is the one mentioned in scripture. I would love to find that sermon after all these years, and listen to it once more. I hope your first day of Spring is filled with the blooming of life. Meaning, I hope you find beauty in the blessings around you. I hope you have gladness and peace in your day. I hope that you have an extra bounce in your step, with a smile on your face springing up from within. God is good - He (as a dear friend recently reminded me) is sufficient. No condition of our situation changes His sufficiency. Nothing you and I can do will make it better. Just the leaning upon Him and giving Him that control. That is the life of which I speak. It is the New Life of which is symbolized to me when Spring comes. A fresh new season. May you desire to reflect that image of Christ before your neighbors, your spouse, and your children - beckoning them to soak in the "Son." Happy First Day of Spring!

Goodbye Little Blue Box . . .

Let me explain . . . I keep all of my cold medicines, and what nots in a little blue box for storage. Well, when the flu hit our house like a plague - out came the blue box, it's contents spreading across the counter and becoming a new component of kitchen decor. In it, is an arsenal, ready for fevers, teething, or in this case - near death experiences. I've heard tell all kinds of wive's tales regarding colds, but nothing works like The Browning's Blue Box! When a cough starts to emerge you can hear off in the distance someone rifling through it's contents. Well, having served it's time once again - goodbyes must be said. For the Brownings are on the mend (Thankfully)! So, goodbye little blue box, until we meet again!

Here is a picture of little Ethan and Ellie together sleeping on the couch while they both had fevers. Ellie was given the option of cuddling with various people in the family and she opted to cuddle with her brother. There, they both fell asleep. They are very sweet together. Notice Ethan's rosy cheeks from the fever. We are very thankful to be on the mend and appreciate all the prayers and concern that was expressed. It truly is a nasty flu. We have even changed our mind about getting the flu shot now. We used to think "What's the use?" but now think any protection is worth a shot! (No pun intended!) This one puts you out for awhile. Makes you truly thankful for the simplistic things - like the healthiness of our families that I know I can take for granted on a daily basis, for kleenex with lotion, and . . . you guessed it . . . a little blue box.

Oh...What a day

I was just checking email and the such and ran across these pictures. They were taken in August of 2007 while we went to Westport on a Monday. We had gotten into the habit of going to the beach on Mondays, which is Phillip's day off. We call it our family day, because we like to spend it together. This particular day was spent on the beach - our favorite place to be. I was BIG with Chloe's birth drawing nearer. I snapped this picture of my little Ellie girl. She is absolutely fearless of the water. She loved it. The other picture is of little Ethan (E.T.) losin' his drawers. Isn't it cute? He is always having this problem, but add some saltwater and sand to weigh them down, and it becomes hilarious.
Oh, what a day that was. It brings back wonderful memories of a lazy day spent playing in the surf. I simply cannot wait for that day to repeat itself. The smell of the sea air, the feel of the sand and the sound of the surf crashing against the jetty. HMMM.... love it! We are still currently sick. I have a terrible sore throat and sound like an old lounge singer - so I try and keep quiet. Ellie, Ethan and Chloe girl are battling the fever as well. Please continue to pray for our recovery. I will hopefully download more recent pictures when time, and health permit.

The Crud...

You know, I am not even sure what that word, crud, means. Could be something really bad, and I have no idea. Anyhow, for now it surly fits the description of our household. We are in the midst of it and it is yucky! Phillip has had the fever since Monday, and now one by one - we are all becoming victims. I can not chit chat long. I do desire to post pictures and the such, but need to tend to the family. Please keep us in prayer as we battle high fevers, coughing, and the chills. What fun we are having!
The Lord is good and continues to care for us through sweet members of our church and the like. Just yesterday a dear lady made a phenomenal chicken soup for our family. It even had Okra in it. It was awesome. Thank you for your prayers and your sweet comments to prior posts. I will share some pictures later.

Homeschooling Ban????

Well, I don't have much time for "blogging." I just wanted to offer a link to what I know many have questions about regarding the decision that has affected hundreds of thousands of homeschoolers in California. Here is the website link for the Homeschooling Legal Defense Association. http://www.hslda.org/elert/archive/2008/03/20080307160309.asp It is worth reading and praying over. This is a serious situation and we, as homeschoolers, need to be prayerful for those in California. We also need to recognize that this is something we need to be educated on and as this website suggests: not panic, but prayerful. I hope that this is helpful...

Sixty Pounds of Love

Valentine's Day... a day of love, of gifts, flowers, and rat poison. You see, Phillip was away that week at a conference somewhere in Indiana. To celebrate that very special day, I hurried out the door that morning to pick up a few Valentine day essentials - you know, cards, chocolate, and rat poison. You see, I had known for some time that we had a little critter in our office. I tried to ignore it and hope it went elsewhere. Well, that night before Valentine's Day, I sat in my office doing some work at the computer, and I heard it (and some friends apparently visited our resident rodent for a pre-VDAY party). I flipped out. Literally. I was a crazy woman hitting and slamming walls and ceilings to express a deep inner rage. I was totally disgusted, and was now declaring war! It WAS ON! So the next morning I headed to Wally World and gathered enough poison and traps to be fitting for the WWIII about to be raged. I packed the poison everywhere I thought I should and gave my strict warnings to children and forbade dogs and babies to enter the now self declared war zone. Everything was set to motion. Then came wrench in the plan. . .

Phillip came home to happy wife and kids. Everyone was healthy and ready to go on with life as usual. Then that next Tuesday night brought disaster. Phillip happened to be home that evening. He went into the office to do something and found Shep, our dog. I immediately got a stern "What is the dog doing in the office?" I, dismayed, said I had no clue - except I had been watching children that day and perhaps he got in there by accident and confusion. He then ventured further into the office and found, you guessed it, empty rat poison boxes all over the floor. I had just poisoned man's best friend! The family dog! The "baby" we had before babies!

Guilt flowed over me like a river out of control. Well, knowing that rat poison will kill anything and anyone - I lost it. I started crying like the baby I am. Pleading with Phillip to take the dog and have him put down. I didn't want him to have any pain. I felt horrible as Phillip left with our dog's ill future ahead of him.

Let me just say this - my husband is the best that ever was or is! He got to that vet and instead of paying one flat price to put the 10 year old, tumor ridden, dog down - he elected to spend alot more to save him. Why? Not because Phillip is a dog lover - he is not. He did it (and I know this, not because he told me) because he loves me and did not want his wife to fret over her action. I love my husband for that so much. It was definately a true lesson for me - to see how much he loves me.

So how is Shep? Well, currently taking Vitamin K and doing just fine.

You see . . . You may have gotten flowers and chocolate for Valentine's Day, but I got a sixty pound rat poison eatin' dog! - and I would not have it any other way!
My husband gave ME the best gift of all - a simple reminder of his continual love for me!

Here We Go . . .

Okay, so it has been awhile. I decided to start a blog once more. Why? It is sooo much fun. I love to blog. I love to read about others, as well as share about how the Lord is working within our own family. I hope this can be a source of encouragement, as well as provide some humor along the way.
We just got back from Springfield Oregon last night. Phillip filled in for a pastor teaching and preaching for the services there on Sunday. We had a phenomenal time. The most notable was one young man came to trust Christ as Saviour! That church has a sweet spirit, and we know God has His hand there.
I hope to post pictures and the such later. Time is precious around here and I need to go help Gabriel with school. I do look forward to "blogging" in the future and am excited to be back.