Brittney's Blog

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2010-04-13T17:57:00.001-05:00

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Whoa....

2010-02-20T11:40:00.003-06:00

Running, soaring, speeding on by with no regard to people, places, or things...completely unaware and unconcerned with what direction its going...all it knows is that it must go and go fast...and that we must keep up with it. Who or what is this unruly master? Time.

But wait. Something has happened. I finally have outsmarted this oppressive slavedriver, and now, on a Saturday morning I have time to write a blog post! :-)

Hello everyone! After many gentle reminders from my dear friends about my blog I am finally doing it.

Hmm... Where to start?

Our family is all doing well other than some minor colds. We have had a lot of snow and ice here in Oklahoma, and we are all lookin' forward to spring, summer and the joys of gardening!

Brianna, Justin and I are getting ready for a piano recital next month. This is Justin's first recital and he is very excited!

Brianna and I just finished making baby quilts with our good friends the Chatham's.

Close up of my quilt (Hand quilted)

Close up of Brianna's quilt (Hand tied)

A Little Sunshine

2009-10-28T11:43:00.003-05:00

They Are Built on the Rock

2009-08-25T21:54:00.004-05:00

On August 25, 1990, two people came together and became one. They were determined to make their marriage a long and lasting union. They knew that the only way that could happen is if they were built on The Rock.

So before God, and in the presence of many witnesses, they vowed to build their life together on Jesus Christ.

Many years have passed. The rains have come and gone. They are still joyfully standing together in love. The storms have only proved and strengthened their devotion to one another.

Mama and Daddy, thank you so much for giving us a beautiful example of marriage. Happy Anniversary!

Two Little Hearts

2009-08-06T12:24:00.005-05:00

Four little eyes that never saw the light;
Two little hearts are in glory bright.

Four little ears that never heard our voice;
Two little hearts that caused our hearts to rejoice.

Four little feet that never walked the earth;
Two little hearts never to be at our hearth.

Four little cheeks we never got to kiss;
Two little hearts we will forever miss!

Two little hearts who in peace sleep;
Those two little hearts the Lord bless & keep!

In Loving Memory~

Southerland Baby #8
5/09
Southerland Baby#9
7/09

Love Always,
~Your Big Sister

An Evening Reflection

2009-07-10T21:16:00.001-05:00

2009-07-07T15:27:00.001-05:00

Our 2009 Family Picture....

Special thanks to the Ahlgrens for showing us the bridge and taking the picture~

Paton's 5!!

2009-04-23T18:49:00.002-05:00

April 7, 2004 my little brother Paton Valor was born. He is a very special boy, and I'm so glad to have him! He was the first of my younger brothers and sisters I really got to take care of. A couple of weeks before his birthday, he and Daddy finished the book we use for learning how to read. He was Daddy's youngest student. He now takes a turn reading in Family Worship.

His birthday theme was Knights of Valor party. Brianna, Mama, and I made a castle cake. Daddy said he had never seen the family cake recipe look like that!

We love you Paton!!

Sarah's 3!

2009-04-09T15:01:00.002-05:00

March 24, Sarah Grace turned three! The theme of her party was Dolphins and under the sea. Our grandmother (MamaLilly) surprised us by coming. We had a great time! Happy Birthday Sarah Grace!!

We Have a Dog!!

2009-03-26T18:44:00.004-05:00

Almost two weeks ago, my dad said "Lets go to the pound and get a dog." We were all surprised and very excited. We had been needing a dog to chase birds out of our garden, but we hadn't seriously looked for one yet. We were hoping to find a beagle, but we didn't know if the place we were going had one. We ran up to the place 30 minutes before it closed just to see what they had. And there, sitting in the lobby area, was this beautiful beagle! It was if he was waiting for us to come and take him home. We all started petting him and playing with him. We were all glad to see that he was very good with the little ones. We found out that somebody had just adopted him, kept him for less than 24 hours, and brought him back that morning. Wasn't the timing amazing?

Well, a few minutes later he was ours and we took him to the Pet Store to buy him some stuff that he would need. While we were there, we met his original owners sister! She recognized him and asked if we had just adopted him. She was able to tell us some things about him, and she was so happy to be able to see him again.

We are so happy with Squire! He is proving himself to be a valuable part of our family and a great way to keep birds out of the garden. We are so glad God gave him to us and that He worked out every little detail!

Growing a Garden

2009-03-20T13:51:00.002-05:00

This year we are trying to grow a garden. It's great to be able to work on it as a family. It's funny though, because whenever we are planting the seeds, it's dark. We call it Moonlight Gardening :-)
We have some good friends who have been doing it for 15 years, and they have been a huge help! They even let us scoop some of their goat poop to use as compost. That may not sound like fun, but it was! We have planted lettuce, spinach, potatoes, and onions. The lettuce and the spinach are up, but they are still pretty small. It is important to remember that while we plan and work, God is the One who blesses us with the food.

Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Psalm 127:1

A Day in "The City"

2009-02-11T17:06:00.002-06:00

Yesterday my family and I went to Oklahoma City (aka: "The City"). In the morning we went to Capitol Day. That's where homeschoolers come from around the state and meet their legislators, bring them cookies, and talk about homeschooling. All y'all who live in Oklahoma should really go next year.

Us and Representative Jason Murphy

Us and Senator Patrick Anderson

After leaving the the Capitol we headed to The Oklahoma History Center. We were enjoying looking at the displays when part of the staff came and told us that we were under a tornado warning and that everybody needed to head to the basement for safety. Well, after staying in that concrete hallway for 20-30 minutes the warning was lifted, they opened the galleries back up and we looked around some more. We were then called back to the basement and stayed there for another 30-45 minutes. We were thankful we had a safe place to stay and that we weren't out on the road. After we got out the second time we left the building to try to decide where to go. We couldn't go back home because that's where the tornado was headed. We hung out in "The City" and then got back to our house at 8:30. Thankfully, our house was not damaged at all. An adventure....

A Famous First....

2009-02-02T15:38:00.004-06:00

He's Growing Up...

2009-01-21T17:38:00.005-06:00

Hello out there! Just posting some random news and pictures...

We are planning on growing a garden this year. This will be our first one so we'll see how it goes. Michael has done a lot of work tilling up the land. He really likes it and is very motivated.

We have some sickness in our family right now. Sarah has a stomach virus, and Samuel has a fever that keeps coming and going. Prayers for their healing and our patience in taking care of them would be appreciated!

Brianna and I are enjoying learning the piano and are preparing for a recital in a little more than a week. I'm glad we're doing this together, it's good to help each other remember what we've learned.

Blessings,
Brittney

Count Your Blessings!

2008-12-31T17:32:00.003-06:00

I thought this would be a good reminder as we remember the year 2008.

Count Your Blessings

When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings every doubt will fly,
And you will singing as the days go by.

When you look at others with their land and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings, money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

So, amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, His grace will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey's end.

~Johnson Oatman Jr.

verse four altered

2008 Year in Review

2008-12-31T17:13:00.003-06:00

Today my father wrote our family's Yearly Review. I am posting it below. We believe that it is important to look back on our year and thank God for all His blessings and to learn from the mistakes we have made.

2008 Year in Review

In sitting down to write this year’s review, I took a few moments to look at the 2007 Year in Review. I began last year’s review by sharing that Dobson had been acquired by AT&T. At that time I was not sure how long I’d be employed there. As it turned out, I sought and acquired another position in the Dallas area. I started working at T-Mobile in April. They really worked with me and allowed me to telecommute while I tried to sell our home in Oklahoma. Well, the real estate market wasn’t very good as the house stayed on the market for 60 days with only 3 showings. I’m not convinced we selected the best of realtors. In any case, we wound up removing the home from the market, hoping that T-Mobile would indefinitely allow me to telecommute. After all, I was excelling in the position, and my manager was pleased with my performance. Unfortunately, the decision was not his, and HR eventually mandated that I needed to be in Frisco, Texas full time. You can imagine that that did not sit well with me. I could get from my home in Oklahoma to T-Mobile in Frisco in about 3 1/2 hours. But that was still too far to drive every day. I knew something needed to change. Either I needed to get the family down there with me or I needed to find another job in OK. That was in August. The Lord worked things out so that a company I had contacted earlier in the year, TransCore, called me back for an interview. Though my primary expertise has been in interactive voice response programming since 1994, TransCore hired me as a C# programmer, as that was the language I had been using for Dobson’s IVR for about 2 years. I started with TransCore in September. It was nice that we didn’t have to struggle to sell the house. But this has made for a hectic year of “We’re moving!...No we’re not…Yes we are…Not really.” There were many mixed feelings in the whole process. There were times, and there still are, where we wish we were closer to family in Texas. After all, that was our stated reason for leaving Tennessee in 2005 (I still miss living out there a lot.) Plus there was no way if I had known the future while we were in Tennessee that I would have left there to move to Oklahoma. God is sovereign and not me. So, He used this time to bring us into a very good church. We have established relationships with the others in the body. Another blessing that occurred the month after I started at TransCore is that we had a family visit our church. The man of the household was also a C# programmer looking for a new position. I was able to recommend him for a position at TransCore. He interviewed and was offered the job. He took the position, and moved his family about a mile away from our house. He and I have been carpooling together since October. God is good. He has given me a job in the Oklahoma City area where we didn’t have to sell our house. Plus He has put another believer with me, actually in the cube right next to mine at work. It’s very nice to have good fellowship every day.

In 2007, we lost my grandmother. Well, on September 21 of 2008, her husband, my grandfather, also went home to be with the Lord.

In April I took Brittney and Brianna to the Father Daughter Conference with Vision Forum. In was in Pine Mountain, Georgia. We heard a lot of good messages, saw lots of pretty flowers, and had a great time together. Then in August, I took Michael and Justin to the Father Son Conference. That was located in Winter Park, Colorado. It was likewise filled with good messages, lots of trees, and a great time with my boys.

Probably the highlight of the year remains the Rite of Passage ceremony we held for Michael. I haven’t blogged much about it this year because it remained a surprise for him up until the night we did it. Be sure and read the update under “Rite of Passage” on this blog. I prepared for this since at least 2004. My brother, Jason, seems to think that the planning started much earlier than that. In any case, it was a huge success.

2009 is shaping up to be an interesting year ahead. With a natural eye there is reason for great concern. President Hussein will take his oath of office on January 20. I can’t help but feel that America has elected Osama’s cousin. May God protect us. He has always built His church in times of persecution. It may be just around the corner. Stand strong and quit you like men. God is still on the throne.

Justin's 7th Birthday

2008-12-15T17:27:00.002-06:00

Seven years, one month and five days ago Justin was born. He brought great joy to our family then, and continues to do that every day. He is a very smart boy who asks many questions about the Bible. He also likes to read, play chess, and most of all, play outside. The theme for his party was hunting. To go along with that, our parents gave him a (toy) bow and arrow that he can practice with. Here are some pictures of his special day:

Samuel's Birthday Party

2008-11-13T15:44:00.003-06:00

The theme for Samuel's Party was dogs! (Can you tell? :-) This was our first try at a "themed" party...I think it turned out good. We're going to try to do a theme for every party now... special thanks to the Morris Family for inspiring us!

Samuel is One!

2008-11-06T14:05:00.005-06:00

October 29 my wonderful little brother Samuel Davies had his first birthday. Samuel has a really fun personality and loves to walk around exploring the world. If you hear a growl during church- it's just our little sunshine trying to act tough! For those of you who haven't seen Samuel since I put pictures on here last be prepared- he has changed!

Here are some pictures that show Samuel in his everyday life.
Just a sweet little boy with a lot to learn...

Other things he likes to do: Get all our plastic containers with lids and scatter them all over the floor, splash in the water on the dishwasher door while I try to empty the dishes, take all the books off the bookshelf, sneek outside to play, bang on the piano, give his mama and sisters kisses....and be Our Bundle of Joy!

Hello Out There!

2008-09-29T15:15:00.003-05:00

My Dear Readers:

I want to give everyone an update about our family. Daddy got a job in Oklahoma City and we aren't planning on moving to Texas anymore. Thank y'all so much for your prayers.

We are doing well and are busy. It seems that either there's so much going on there isn't enough time to blog about it or there isn't anything going on to blog about!
A week ago we lost our great-grandfather who was very special to us. I will be posting a seperate post about that later.

Samuel's birthday is one month from today! It's hard to believe he's almost one! He's been crawling around everywhere getting into things. He's starting to stand without holding on to anything for longer periods of time. Brianna & Michael taught him how to act like he's shooting a gun (with sound effects of course!).

I'm trying to start sewing for fall and winter. I can't wait for cooler weather!
Well, that's about it! I'll try to post some pictures soon. Have a wonderful day!
Brittney Joy

Pops!

2008-07-24T15:06:00.002-05:00

Brianna~
Michael & Mamalilly
Justin
Paton
Sarah Grace
Brianna & I

Last week our family went to a place called Pops. It was a gas station, a little restaurant, and a gift shop all in one. On display was over 500 soft drinks. They had a some that were cold that you buy. Of course, we had to try some! It was so much fun! My grandmother ( aka Mamalilly) was in town so she came with us.

A Homemade Picnic Table

2008-07-16T10:53:00.002-05:00

On the morning of July 4th, Daddy and Michael worked together to build a child-size picnic table.
It turned out great! That night we ate outside, and the little ones used the table. Here are some pictures:

Measuring...

It's done!
Sarah enjoying it.

The Fourth of July: Looking Forward

2008-07-04T16:16:00.002-05:00

A prayer for our nation~

"That our sons may be as the plants growing up in their youth, and our daughters as the cornerstones , graven after the similitude of a palace:
That our corners may be full and abounding with divers sorts, and that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousand in our streets.
That our oxen may be strong to labor; that there be none invasion, nor going out, nor no crying in our streets,
Blessed are the people, that be so, yea blessed are the people whose God is the Lord."

Psalm 144:12-15

The Fourth of July: Looking Back

2008-07-04T15:42:00.002-05:00

There is a beautiful poem I would like to share with my readers today. It is a poem about the lady who, with her needle and thread, sewed our country's first standard: The American Battle Flag.
So here, my dear readers, is
Betsy's Battle Flag
By Minna Irving

From dusk to dawn the livelong night
She kept the tallow dips alight,
And fast her nimble fingers flew
To sew the stars upon the blue.
With weary eyes and aching head
She stitched the stripes of white and red,
And when the day came up the stair
Complete across a carven chair
Hung Betsy's battle-flag.

Like shadows in the evening gray
The Continentals filed away,
With broken boots and ragged coats,
But hoarse defiance in their throats;
They bore the marks of want and cold,
And some were lame and some were old,
And some wounds untended bled,
But floating bravely overhead
Was Betsy's battle-flag

Then fell the battle's leaden rain,
The soldier hushed his moans of pain
And raised his dying head to see
King George's troopers turn and flee.
Their charging column reeled and broke,
And vanished in the rolling smoke,
Before the glory of the stars,
The snowy stripes, and scarlet bars
Of Betsy's battle-flag

The simple stone of Betsy Ross
Is covered now with mold and moss,
But still her deathless banner flies,
And keeps the color of the skies.
A nation thrills, a nation bleeds,
A nation follows where it leads,
And every man is proud to yield
His life upon a crimson field
For Betsy's battle-flag!

Taken from: Verses of Virtue

A Sleepy Cowboy

2008-07-02T17:07:00.001-05:00