TEN THINGS TUESDAY

Hi, Y'all! Can you believe that summer is almost over and that school has begun? It was the shortest summer vacation the Brownstones have had in a long while. It was fun, and we were not ready to get back into the swing of things just yet...until the first day of school was actually here, and Tornado and Twister really loved their classes, their teachers, and their friends. I think they actually like having a schedule, too. I know that it's been good for me!

1. I am so thankful that Tornado and Twister got wonderful teachers this year! (Who am I kidding, though...they have had wonderful teachers EVERY year!)
2. They each have some of their very closest friends in class with them. In fact, Tornado has a culmination of all of the favorite friends from each school year ~ how great is that!!
3. Everyone was well on the first day of school!!! That is a really big one! Last week was feeling "iffy" since Twister had strep throat, and Tornado suffered from some severe migraine headaches. It was a weird week! Everyone is doing great now, though! And that's a good thing because we had to hit the ground running for school and other activities.
4. I have a rejuvenated spirit today after spending some awesome quality time with a lot of my friends yesterday! We had a lovely, long lunch together to cry happy tears and sad tears punctuated with yelps of glee that school started!
5. I am completely caught up with my PTA office duties. That will only last for another five hours, but hey ~ those five hours will be bliss!
6. I seem to never be caught up with my home duties the last couple of weeks, but Mr. Brownstone still loves me! :)
7. We had some computer problems earlier today, but they were actually able to get the problem resolved quickly ~ maybe this list isn't too late!
8. We have eliminated a HUGE amount of clutter in the past few weeks! We had so many things that were waiting to be delivered to other places, and finally most of it is gone!
9. I've been staying up late to stay caught up with the aforementioned PTA duties, so I've been really tired. Because of that, this morning I have not one, but TWO tricked up Diet Cokes with easy ice from Sonic!!!
10. The weekend was amazing! I spent quality time with some of my dear friends and with some new friends, too. We attended a Women of Faith conference, and the time was such a blessing!!!

Go and have a great day! Remember to count your blessings!!!

Ten Things Tuesday Participants

1. Jennifer 2. mzzterry 3. Chandra 4. Myra

5. Tracy 6. Danna 7. Dallas 8. Kipi

9. Joy 10. Amy

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TEN THINGS TUESDAY

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TEN THINGS TUESDAY

Good morning, y'all!!! Hope this week finds everyone well! We've got a sick one in the Brownstone home. Please pray for little Twister. Strep throat isn't fun!

1. I am so thankful for our church!
2. We have the privilege of worshiping with some of the finest people and best friends we've ever known.
3. Our elders are accessible to the congregation ~ how blessed we are to have such great men leading us in the charge.
4. All of our ministers are fantastic! They are all down-to-earth regular people so you can be comfortable around them, but at the same time, they are knowledgeable, passionate, insightful, and wise.
5. There are so many people that are willing to pitch in and lend a hand, from the song leaders to the quilting ladies to the nursery workers to the benevolence room volunteers.
   
6. The opportunities to be involved are great! There are so many different ministries and projects that there is something for everyone ~ Giveaway Day, Benevolence Pantry, Quilting, Children, Youth, Missions, Camps, Finance...and the list does not end there!
7. We have just committed to fully support two missionary couples as they work to expand the Kingdom. They are young and energetic. What a blessing to us and to the people with whom they will be working!
8. We were finally ~ after many years of waiting ~ able to complete a beautiful new worship center! It was designed to be filled with music ~ from the scalloped ceiling to the tile floors to the big rock wall at the front ~ and the acapella singing was amazing!!!
9. Even better, though...we were ALL in there together on Sunday morning. For the time being, we will be able to worship as one body in one service. It was very moving, and I cried through a lot of it! Beginning with the raising of the cross on Thursday morning at 6:45 with the sun rising while we listened to Scripture and sang hymns like "Old Rugged Cross", continuing with a 72-hour non-stop reading of the entire Bible by members of the congregation to fill the walls with the Word of God, to the culmination of the reading with a congregational reading of the final few verses on Sunday morning, to the SEVEN baptisms (One that is the son of some of our closest friends, five that were near and dear to us from teaching, and one that moved away but wanted to come "home" to be baptized) and FIVE new memberships (My favorite quote from the day? Our preacher said, "God was saving souls and robbing hell." AMEN!), moving on to the church-wide feast, and finishing up the day with an hour of praising God in song. The whole day was amazing!!!
10. I am thankful that even with 1350 people there on Sunday morning, our church has an incredible sense of family. It has not lost the "small church" feeling and is working hard to keep it that way!

What are you thankful for today? Make a list, and come link up here! It's always a blessing to read about other peoples' blessings!!!

Remember, this is the day the Lord has made! Go out and rejoice!!!

Ten Things Tuesday Participants

1. aloted 2. HisFireFly 3. mzzterry 4. Jennifer

5. Stacy 6. Tracy 7. Joy B. 8. Rosheeda

9. sharon 10. Amy 11. Meredith Roswell 12. Emily

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TEN THINGS TUESDAY

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BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LETTER "J"

I got tagged two months (and three days) ago by my friend Allan (Sorry it took so long, Allan!), who also happens to be one really amazing preacher! You should definitely check out his blog when you get a chance. You'll be blessed by what you find.

To start things off right, I made up a little poem to share with you because everything is more fun when it rhymes!

From A to Z and Z to A
There's always a lot that we can say
So here are twenty-six letters combined in a way
To answer the twenty-six questions I've been asked today.

I'll never cease to wonder how it can be
That the great moments that define the world's history
And the answers to questions about you and me
Can be summed up so simply from A to Z.

A. Attached or Single? Attached...to Mr. Brownstone, of course! Not only is he super fun to look at and super fun to be around, he is a great leader for our family, a great husband, and a great dad. He also gives me the status of "XBOX Wife".

B. Best Friend? Mr. Brownstone has been my very best friend since our first date way back in the 1900's. And if you're one to say "Husbands, siblings, and parents don't count!"...then I have seven or eight girlfriends that are just the best ever!

C. Cake or Pie? Pie ~ chocolate, strawberry, key lime, apple, cherry, coconut, pink lemonade, peach... You get a taste for what I'm saying, right? Though, I do have to say that any form of cheesecake could give pie a good run for the money.

D. Day of Choice? Sunday! I really love Sundays. We spend a lot of family time on that day, and we also get to worship our Amazing Lord and Savior at a church that we love with friends that we love!

E. Essential Item? How about itemS!?!? It may seem a cliche, but I have to have a toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss. I also have a purse-sized plaque-remover!

F. Flavor of Ice Cream? That is like asking me to choose a favorite book! Ice Cream, Frozen Custard, Frozen Yogurt, Gelato...all perfection in a dessert. My favorite flavor would probably be Peanut Butter and Chocolate!

G. Gummy Bears or Worms? Dare I say it...worms!!! I like the sugary coating. I did used to love to stick those gummy bears to my shirt, though, back when it was all the rage between Izod and Polo.

H. Hometown? Our Town :) It was a great little town.

I. Indulgences? I get a Route 44 Diet Coke with easy ice, regular cherry syrup, vanilla, and real cherries almost every day during Sonic Happy Hour!

J. January or July? Can I say "Juluary"? I do not like to be hot. I also do not like to be cold. July poses a problem because it is so incredibly hot here, which makes the air conditioner run non-stop, so it's either hot or cold in the house...never just comfortable! And as for January...it is sometimes a letdown because all of the Christmas decorations are taken down and put away, and everyone has either gone home, gone back to work, or gone back to school. Though I love winter and most things about it, January seems like a lonely month to me. To answer the question...the kids are out of school and home all day in July, and we usually take a fun vacation, so the nod goes to July!

K. Kids? Yes...my finest achievements ~ Tornado and Twister!

L. Last Movie I Saw In A Theater? "Space Chimps". I'm not really sure what more to say about that...

M. Middle Name? Jill

N. Number of Siblings? Three ~ Thing Two, Thing Three, and Thing Four

O. Oranges or Apples? Oranges, especially little Clementine oranges. I do love the green apple, though. And as far as flavorings ~ like gum, slushies, etc. ~ green apple would far surpass orange. Actual fruit seems to be the question here, however, so I stick with oranges as my final answer.

P. Phobia or Fear? Phobia. I have a major shark phobia. Realistically, I know that it borders on being ridiculous to get panicked if I'm the only one in the swimming pool, but there it is. I "phobia" the shark. Big time. (You can see how far this phobia reaches by my use of the word "borders". Somehow I've convinced myself that it is only mildly ridiculous. Who am I kidding? It's ridiculous! That's a phobia for ya!)

Q. Quote? I am particularly partial to Bible verses, but I don't really think of Scripture as a quote, even though it sort of is ~ I think of Scripture more as "the inspired word of God" and a quote as something for which anyone could be credited if they have something worth saying, or even sometimes saying something that isn't worth saying! There are so many Bible verses that I love, but here are three quotes that I really like quite a lot:

• "Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." ~ Mother Theresa
• "The kindest word in all the world is the unkind word, unsaid." ~ Author Unknown
• "To listen closely and reply well is the highest perfection we are able to attain in the art of conversation." ~ Francois de La Rochefouca

R. Reason to Smile? I could give you a million and one ~ Mr. Brownstone, Tornado, Twister, my family, Mr. Brownstone's family, our friends, our church, and that's just the people. That's not even mentioning all of the other blessings in life. But my reason to smile? I'm saved. In all of my imperfection, Jesus saw fit to save even me.

S. Season? If you've read this blog, then you already know the answer to this one! I love FALL, y'all! The cool, crisp air...the smells...the changing colors...the alternate name "autumn"...all of it.

T. Tag Four More? YOU'RE IT!!! I'm tagging everyone that is reading this who wants to play along but am also specifically tagging some relatively newcomers to this blog...Allyson at Oury Family, Tracy at The Redheaded Warriors, Sharon at Reservoir, and Kipi at In My Own Little Corner.... They are newcomers in the sense that I've only blogged about "Ten Things Tuesday" since April, so they haven't been tagged by me yet. Since summer is almost over, blogging will pick up the pace a bit. (Be sure and link back to me!)

U. Unknown Fact About Me? I am very shy. Being in a room full of people is extremely uncomfortable for me, even if I know all of them! A very small group (like 2-3 people) or a very large crowd (like an arena, or a church service) doesn't bother me as much, but a party or a classroom setting... Yikes!!! Being around 5 people up to 75 or so makes my stomach flutter with nerves every single time. I try to just put a smile on my face and get over it. Most people that know about these feelings are surprised, so maybe the smile is working! :)

V. Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals? I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan... Technically, Mr. Brownstone brings home the bacon, and I fry it in the microwave. Either way, I'm an oppressor.

W. Worst Habit? I am ~ believe it or not ~ a gum-swallower. I KNOW!!! It's yucky and gross and juvenile. You should also know that I didn't develop this habit until adulthood. I don't mean when I turned 18...or even in college...or even when I got married. This began when I was a grown-up!!! That means after I became a mom. So yes, I tell my kids "Don't swallow your gum; it's not good for you..." and then smile as mine goes down the hatch without so much as a second thought. Needless to say, I do not buy gum very often.

X. X-Rays or Ultra-Sounds? Would anyone answer X-Rays? I have to go with Ultra-Sounds. It was so precious to see our sweet babies before they entered this world!

Y. Your Favorite Food? One that starts with a letter of the alphabet. Just kidding. In all seriousness, there are very few foods that I do not enjoy (liver, beets, and I can't bring myself ~ even as an animal oppressor ~ to try cow tongue or weird stuff like that), so it's hard to pick a favorite. I really, really, really love fresh corn-on-the-cob, however, with butter and salt. Even as I type that, though, it feels like I'm cheating on nectarines, Tex-Mex, and chocolate chip oatmeal cookies.

Z. Zodiac? Sagittarius ~ Though not into astrology or signs of the zodiac, I found this and thought it was pretty funny. "On the upside, you are optimistic. On the downside, you are blindly optimistic."

So from Z to A and A to Z
Each little letter has it's own story.
And from A to Z and Z to A
That's all I have to say today!

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LETTER "J"

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NEED A VACATION?

This month Mad Kane is inspiring us to take a vacation ~ at least in our own head! Check out the Limerick and Haiku prompt over at Mad Kane's Humor Blog. The topic is "vacations" ~ go on over and take a little trip!

A little limerick for you:

A vacation is calling my name.
Mr. Brownstone says he hears the same,
We want New York City...
Too expensive. A pity!
There'll be no Yankee Stadium game.

And now the haiku:

Vacations are bliss.
Mountains, beaches...or theme parks
We come home refreshed.

Mad Kane deserves a little vacation. Not only does she provide great creative prompts, she is an award winner! Nominated recently as a finalist for the 2008 Robert Benchley Society Award for Humor Competition, she was chosen as the first place winner by none other than Bob Newhart. She won for her humor column Guide For The Opera Impaired. You should totally go read it because it IS funny!

Congratulations on your accomplishment, Ms. Kane!

Don't forget...
It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world!

NEED A VACATION?

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TEN THINGS TUESDAY

Good morning!!! As always, thank you for stopping by XBOX Wife. I'm so glad you decided to visit and hope you'll come again! Be sure in join in the thanksgiving today!

1. I am thankful that weather is cooler today. You know it's been hot when 92-degrees sounds cooler!
2. Tornado is getting to attend an awesome camp this week. Our preacher, the associate youth minister, and the director of children's education have put together this amazing day camp for our kids to discuss their own faith. Tornado had so much fun spending the day with friends and in God's word!
3. We have so many friends at church. It's another family for us! It's so wonderful to know that Tornado and Twister are developing those lifelong friendships at such an early age.
   
4. I am thankful for spontaneous opportunities to lend a helping hand. It happened twice this morning. It's good for our kids to experience it because sometimes it teaches them patience, sometimes it teaches them empathy, and it always teaches them about love.
   
5. Sonic breakfast burritos rock! Nothing beats one of those accompanied by a Diet Coke with easy ice, cherry, vanilla, and real cherries. Breakfast of champions!
6. So much has already been accomplished this morning. My list is long and not all fun, but the day got off to a great start!
7. We will get to have some quality family time tonight. It will be the first night in almost a week that all four of us are home alone...together!
8. We are loving watching the Olympics! It is making for some intense television. We've been very pleased with the amount, as well as the quality, of coverage.
9. I'm thankful that our kids dream big! We've got one dreaming about competing in the Olympics someday. It's not an unrealistic dream. Maybe in 2016 I can wave to all of you from the sidelines.
10. Finally, I know a lot of them read this, so I can never say it enough...I am so thankful for my girlfriends. I've told them before, but I wonder if they can ever TRULY know how they have impacted my life. I love y'all!

Have an incredible day! Be thankful in everything!

Ten Things Tuesday Participants

1. Sharon 2. Allyson 3. Jenna 4. HisFireFly

5. Dyane 6. Chandra 7. Trisha 8. Stacy

9. Joy 10. mzzterry 11. Jen 12. Tracy

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TEN THINGS TUESDAY

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TEN THINGS TUESDAY

Hello, Friends!

I missed you last week! We had family visiting from another state for most of the week, not to mention...I got rather sick for a few days. Not so fun. :(

Please see the post below this one if you'd like to add your link for last week. Add your link for this week here!

1. I am thankful that almost all of our family lives within an hour or less from us.
2. It's so nice that we get to spend time with all of them on a regular basis.
3. I am thankful, too, that we get to spend time with the family that lives far away from us more often than you'd expect. Both of those families are the ones with babies.
4. We are blessed that we like to spend time with our family! :)
5. We're even more blessed that they apparently like to spend with us!
6. I am so thankful that I'm not sick anymore.
7. It was nice to know that I was missed by some of my "bloggy" friends.
8. I am thankful for these crazy online friendships!
9. Technology opens the door to many amazing things.
10. Blogging has opened that door even further.

Have a wonderful week!! Remember to count your blessings!!!

Ten Things Tuesday Participants

1. Dyane 2. Jayne 3. mzzterry 4. Trisha

5. Holly 6. Kathryn 7. Amy 8. jen

9. Joy 10. Danna 11. Tracy

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TEN THINGS TUESDAY

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TEN THINGS TUESDAY

Here is a link for July 29, 2008. Please feel free to link your list from last week here!



I was thankful for lots of things last week...family, friends, Tums, Tylenol, my bed, movie channels, chicken noodle soup, crackers, bananas, and Sprite.

How's that for ten? :)

Ten Things Tuesday Participants

1. Amy 2. Jennifer

3. Trisha 4. Jennifer

5. aloted

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TEN THINGS TUESDAY

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