A year in review: 2012 insta-style

Hello all,

Well, today is the first day of 2013. I don't do resolutions because I think anytime's a good time to make changes in your life, so why wait a whole year? This past year has, well, it has been pretty difficult. I won't lie to ya. With Toby's new job, ministry, me being a student and working part-time it has left us stressed and down at times. Many things have happened with family, friends and just in our own personal lives that have left us speechless. But there have also been AMAZING moments where we were absolutely happy. My point is, every year that comes or goes has it's major ups and major downs...and some years have more of one than the other. But in all of that, we grow in ways we never could if it had all been sunshine and roses ya know?

This year I have had this image of Toby and I being on a ship at sea. I know, it sounds corny but hear me out. In the ship, there is a man at the helm that is taking us deeper into storms and into the wind-tossed sea. He never moves and he never speaks, he just keeps sailing further into the great tempest before us. Toby and I, oddly enough, don't run and hide but we stand on deck and get blasted by the wind and the waves. With each storm, however, we grow less afraid. We know what to expect. We are homesick and ready for the storms to cease, but we know how to weather them.We are sea-worn sailors, weary but capable, and our mysterious helmsman steers on into wild waters that test our courage. There is a poem that many of you may know by Lord Alfred Tennyson called "Ulysses" that I feel describes us. Maybe not in its entirety (because we are not old kings haha) but in how we feel now:

Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are---
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

Though we may be weary, we will keep pursuing. Though we have been tested, we will not fail. Though our hearts are heavy, they beat on still. This is how we enter the new year. With a warrior's heart and with a hope that whispers of good things to come. I hope all of you, no matter what kind of year it's been, can enter this time with hope and courage, ready to face the world with confidence that only God can give.

 And now, for some pictures :) 12 photos of memories for the last 12 months!

I went back to school in Januray 2012.

My cousin Meredith came and stayed with us and we had a blast! Also, a side note: this amazing coffee shop pictured
above tragically closed down not long after this and I JUST FOUND OUT. A moment of silence please.

I turned 25. Holy crap. (forgive the grainy quality of this one)

We started a family...well...a garden family that you can see here and here.
Don't get too excited yet :)

Visited my family in Dallas, TX.

Visited family in Delaware in the summer and it rocked! (Part 1, 2, and 3)

We got to play at an amazing music festival in North Carolina, on Toby's birthday!

Moved into our new and lovely apartment!

We celebrated our 2nd anniversary, and created fort bebe!

Went to the set of the hit TV show The Walking Dead that is filmed only an hour from us!

Had Thanksgiving in Texas for the first time in a few years!

And finally, we just got back from Delaware visiting Toby's family! (post to come)

Have a great 2013!

~B~

Crossing The Delaware: Part III

Hello all,

'tis the final chapter of our road trip paradise, and honestly this is my favorite part...THE FAMILY!

We drove up to see Toby's mom's side of the family and boy are they great! Full of life, fun and crazy...so we get along swimmingly. I never had a chance to meet them until now so it was a real treat and I adore them all. It's nice when families can be friends too. We went to see movies, swimming, fishing, thrifting, cruised the Capitol and had a cocktail or two ;) they also held a little reception for Toby and I and also for his cousin Benny and his wife Alyssa. Ashley (another fantastic cousin) made the cakes and Amber (yet another fantastic cousin) picked out our cake topper. As you will see below, it was hilarious and sweet. Anyone who can link childhood wrestling (yes, wrestling) memories with a wedding has my respect. All in all it was wonderful to meet and connect with new family and there are already talks of a wintertime visit! YAY SNOW!

Enjoy the pictures and talk to you soon,

Brooke

P.S. We actually DID cross the Delaware while we were fishing! So cool. And also, sorry about the photos being super out of sequence. I added them via iPod so it screwed it up somehow. until we get set up in the new apartment (yay) it will be less than perfect. Oh well.

Uncle Pete's fishing boat!

The breakfast Toby made for me one morning :)

mmm, summer days at Aunt Beth's pool. Miss it already!

Herr's chips! He is a happy man.

The little town of Middletown, DE.

Queen Anne's Lace. One of my favorite blooms, even if it is a weed. Beauty in simplicity, I say.

This little creature befriended me (Chase, by name) and was always by
my side. I miss his sweet little face.

The biggest fish of the day!

Toby making breakfast.

Ok, so I was OBSESSED with this movie all throughout my childhood
and could quote every line. When I saw this movie score record at Goodwill
I flipped out! I wish I had a record player!

This is us on the way home when we stopped at the battle site at Fredericksburg, VA.

Toby kneeling by the original wall built during the Civil War.

WE'RE ON A BOAT! lol

L to R: Toby, Amber, Me, Ashley, Bud aka the 4 horsemen...even though there is five of us lol. All we are missing is our beloved SARAH, Toby's amazing sister. (Check her out on instagram: nalismo)

Another from Fredericksburg.

The participants: Uncle Pete, Toby, Bud, and Me. Poor Bud only caught this poor little
fellow, which sucks, because he is an excellent fisherman. But it was HILARIOUS. I caught the most
and Toby caught the biggest. Pete gave moral support as the most seasoned of the bunch :)

The cloud factory on the river! JK, its just a nuclear plant, but we decided that it was a cloud factory.

THE CAKE! Ok, so the family gave us a belated reception and the
amazing cousins made the cake. Toby and them LOVED the wrestler Sting
back in the day so he and another fabulous wrestling lady adorned our cake.
It was super funny and sweet...in a childhood memories way.

Chicky came to town!

Chicky? Who's that?

I'm aware that's a strange name, but it is what my cousins and I call each other, well, one of the many names we call each other. My cousin Meredith (chicky) came to town last Wednesday and stayed through Sunday! Although we missed Tiffany very much, it was so nice to have Meredith with us.

While Toby was at work we had lots of fun just-us-cousins adventures. We went and walked around Downtown Macon and took lots of fun photos. It was in those moments of exploration that I realized just how many times we almost DIED crossing the street, haha! We had ourselves a good, life threatening time...kidding. We stopped in at The Joshua Cup, a local coffee shop, and had some AMAZING coffe (and tea). The atmosphere was perfect for listening to Coldplay and my new found favorite, The Avett Brothers. If you ever go, get yourself a hot cup of a "Joyride". Trust me.

Our nights were filled with hilarity and yummy, fruity drinks as well as Netflix thanks to our new Roku! It was an early birthday present from my aunt, uncle and cousin. We are totally in love with it and LOOOVE having all of these movies/shows on demand. If any of you are fairytale junkies like me, you should check out the show Once Upon a Time. It's quite fun to watch! 

Long story short, My cousins are my best friends and time with them is life to me. It was so much fun and I miss her so much already, but I'm looking forward to the next trip!

Here are some snapshots of our fun!

Me and Chicky! I love her so much! We missed Tiffany though :(

Putting our feet to the street.

Ah, the city...well...as city-ish as Macon gets, haha.

Fantasically Southern Gothic. Visions of Faulkner dance in my head...

Also, I had no idea that Macon, GA was where Bruce Wayne's
parents were killed. Welcome to Gotham.

Coffee/Tea time :)

Earl Grey Muffins...Gluten free, too!

And of course you can't have muffins without tea...for three!

The trio! We love and miss you, Meredith!

Ah, such fun! 

~B~

(Late) Florida Trip!

        Well, it took about ten years, but I'm FINALLY posting the pictures and memories from our Florida trip!

We had the best time with our friends David and Lindsey, and had some lovely moments as just the birds too.

We took this trip right before Thanksgiving and the plan was to get away, recharge, and take some much needed time for ourselves...and we did just that. Toby and I love our little lives and we try our best to do everything to the fullest, but sometimes we just get tired, as we all do, and we need a break. So this was our break. G-D had some things in store for us and we didn't even know it :)

        Besides the hilarity and good times we had with our dear friends, we had some GREAT one on one G-D time while at the beach.  Have you ever just felt oppressed for no reason? Well, we have. I think a lot of believers think that you must be in sin or have some big pressing issue if you feel oppression but guess what, that's not always the case! Sometimes the enemy is crouching at your door, and sometimes G-D allows it to teach you something. Well, that happened to us one day. We both felt really weird and we were like "wait, this is our vacation! This isn't fair!" But in the midst of it, we talked all about the things G-D had done for us and how He has kept all of His promises thus far to us and He will keep the ones yet to come. It made us feel better. Then we got to the beach, and what do we see? A giant rainbow. A physical representation of His promise. We nearly cried. G-D totally allowed the oppression because that rainbow, that joy, WOULD NOT have meant what it did if we hadn't experienced some pain with it. If we didn't know suffering, we wouldn't TRULY know how wonderful joy is. If we were never sick, we wouldn't be thankful for health. G-D uses all of our situations for His glory and our benefit. It is a beautiful thing. That was, oddly enough, the highlight of our trip...just watching the L-RD hold our faces in His hands and lifting them upward! WHAT A GREAT G-D!

        So needless to say, the beach was beautiful, our friends were amazing, G-D was THE BEST, and we had a good ole time!

Our Shabbat meal on the road :)

A lovely gift from our hosts when we arrived

Our boys having fun in the thrift store

Bi-focals never looked so good.

You'd think a thrift store juke box would have classier stuff, haha.

The birds at the beach :)

Toby enjoying the waves, and blithely unaware of the stingrays
lurking a mere fifteen feet behind him.

So beautiful and relaxing. I miss it.

PERFECTION.

Reading the Hobbit at the beach. And yes, I did feel like I was sitting
on the shores of the grey havens. I even listened to Into the West :)

Bliss.

Livin' the dream, baby!

The Walking Dead, Season 1 anybody??? (Colquitt, GA; on the way home)

~B~