Brandi & Luke

As another sweltering summer rolls on by, our one year mark as Alabama residents has come and gone and now we are looking forward to celebrating year number two of our marriage. Being away from family has been tough. I talk to my Mom every day but not having her here to help me plant my first rose bush or not being able to go visit my Grandmother in the hospital all emphasize how far an 8 hour trip to Louisiana is. Although, Luke and I have both had to absorb and adapt to these growing pains, our relationship would not be what it is today. We truly depend on each other emotionally, physically, and mentally as best-friends, room-mates, financial partners, and as husband and wife.

Things changed rapidly after January 1, 2009. Read the rest of this entry »

As the school year begins to wind down and blessed summer approaches, I am amazed at how fast it went (some days not fast enough), what we have gotten accomplished, and new challenges pursued.

My first class to my third degree (two of which are masters, thank you very much) has hit the midpoint. I am so grateful to God that I was able to find a permanent position this year and am praying for direction this next year. Luke is still loving his job and has reached that point in his project where meetings will require him to travel. =( Katy has had a lot of experience in that department since January or February, practically living in not just another town, but another state during the week and being lavished by love from her family on the weekends.

This year will also be known for the changes not only in our selves but our residences. Everyone knows that we are building, but Katy and Buster are also expanding their family from an apartment to a house. Mom is also remodeling her house. (I say Mom, because Dad, I think, is trying to stay invisible in this department) haha. Mrs. Ann and Mr. Tony are also beginning to think change with retirement coming up… Know that I am constantly on the lookout for camp host positions this side of the navigational beacon.

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There are somethings that I stumble upon that are good in several aspects of my life… anyone’s life. Most of the time I make a note to myself to “come back to” or “to remember”. (these eventually end up in a stack and the stack ends up in the trash as a part of some effort to clean) Today, though, this cross-reference of moral stability will be made known to those who care to partake. Read the rest of this entry »

Spring Break found me on the couch with Kleenexes for friends. All of my plans for morning and afternoon classes at the gym along with the extra runs all gone in a sneeze, cough, and fever. My counseling class is now in its third, maybe fourth week. I have to admit that I never thought I would have to look at those APA style books again, but listening in Mr. Parker’s class must have paid off because I pulled to perfect 100%… so far. =)

Days are just flying by. My 5K training group is going beautifully. Luke and I clocked 2.5 miles on Saturday. My wall flew up at the 2 but Luke talked me the rest of the way in. (He has found a topic that keeps me totally distracted from the mileage and that is future dream vacations to the Greece, Walt Disney World, Alaska.. Oh yes, the list goes on and on, however when we google some options and see the price tag… the lists mysteriously shorten back down to camping in Tennessee. =)

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Wow! I can’t believe that the calendar has already flipped the page to Spring. I always looked at the seasonal calendars, you know the ones with all the pretty post-card pictures for each month? Well, I would flip through the shiny, satiny pages of fall colors and white winters day dreaming of what it would be like to actually have a need to loop a scarf completely around your face and not even worry about what you looked like. The day dream bubble would always pop as I turned towards my Louisiana window and reality set in that I have three seasons: hot, sticky hot, and icey February. Well, I can now say that I have my glossy calendar life of four complete seasons, nobody even looks twice at your looped scarf because they can barely see from between theirs, and…. bring me a hot Louisiana day anyday!

HaHa. No, really, I can finally say that Huntsville, AL feels a little more like home. My husband and I are so very blessed in friends and family and our love and friendship grows stronger day by day…. of course, if his job took him to a nice Carribean island, I would support him as a good wife should. =) Read the rest of this entry »

I procrastinated in getting “a few lines” written for the Thanksgiving/Christmas 2008 holiday season. One excuse would be the quick speed in which our lives seem to escape into, making the happiest few weeks of memory making and reflecting speed by in no time. Another excuse could be the many, many miles of driving between Alabama and Louisiana and from north Louisiana to central Louisiana to be at each family event. However, I think the main reason for my delay is deciding just how much or little to say… Read the rest of this entry »

We have been enjoying the splendor that is Huntsville’s autumn from the inside looking out… literally. However, the weekend of November 8, the Luke and Brandi family immersed themselves into the kaleidoscope of color, crispness, and southern charm. Read the rest of this entry »

This Friday was a long time coming. In August, for our first anniversary, Luke being the sweet guy he is surprised me with two tickets for Disney on Ice. Luke’s fabulously thoughtful present combined, what he knew to be, two of my favorite things (1) Walt Disney World and (2) Surprises!!!! (The other part of the present was a blind date, meaning that I had NO IDEA where we were going… we went to Ruth’s Chris and the waitress knew it was our anniversary and treated me like a queen) Read the rest of this entry »

We have just added some new pictures and I wanted to say a little about them to give some kind of context. We had some familiar faces in our neck of the woods for the Labor Day Weekend! Mark and Garin came up and I was able to successfully convince Jessica Sanders and her husband Dustin to hitch a ride with them. We had a really good time that weekend and it was also a first for me… I manned a single man kayak down the river.. TWICE! I won’t say that there was a little freaking out at first but it didn’t take me long to take the white water with “authority” ( as Luke says ). Read the rest of this entry »

As I was driving back to Huntsville from a quick visit in Farmerville, I heard something on the radio that has stayed in my heart and I feel I must share it or burst. I’ve developed a habit of listening to the Christian station that features all-day sermons when I drive by myself. First, after 7.5 hours, any kind of actual music eventually begins to resemble an annoying, obnoxious buzz in your skull. Secondly, I figure, hey, a few extra sermons won’t hurt.

Anyhow, one that really caught my ear was from a guy named David Johnny. I might not have his words exactly right but I am going to attempt to share the same thoughts that he did. (And at 3:52 a.m., these thoughts may only make sense to me, but hey, it could make sense…. read and see) Read the rest of this entry »