Bret's Blog

Thankfull

2009-12-27T21:30:00.002-06:00

Another Christmas has come and gone and I am reminded of two things. First, I am very blessed and Second, it is not due to anything I have done and I should be (and I am) very thankful. We spent that last few days before Christmas like everyone else, scrambling to find last minute gifts. Kristin and I set a limit this year and amazingly we both stuck to it (for the most part). We decided to stay home for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning this year and the first thing I am thankful for is family that understands our desire to do that.

Christmas eve we went to a beautiful service at the Lifepoint Stewart's Creek campus. It was a great time with some old friends and many new ones. Over 200 people in the service celebrating Jesus' birth it was a great reminder of what the entire season should be about. Of all the changes this year, merging with Lifepoint has probably been the biggest. It has been a bumpy road at times but we believe that we made the right decision and are excited to see what the future holds for our old/new church family.

Christmas morning Kyndal actually slept until 8:30 and we got to open presents and enjoy our time as a family. Kyndal would open a gift and if you asked her if she liked it she would say "I am not talking" or just shrug her shoulders with her palms in the air. I am thankful that when I asked her what Christmas was about she still said Jesus. After we opened everything we made the drive to Cookeville and spent the rest of the day with Kristin's parents and enjoyed some great time with family. Then, yesterday we got up had breakfast and drove on to Kingston to spend the day with my family. We really appreciate all of our family and have been reminded during this season how important they are. Last night we drove home and looked like a traveling Toys R Us.

Today, we went to church and then spent a lazy day at home. It has been wonderful to relax and get some things done around here. I was able to finish unloading the car, clean the garage and get all of my new electronic gadgets hooked up. I am off tomorrow and plan to spend some more down time, no big plans, no agenda, just a lazy day, hopefully. After a few days at work, we are planning a New Year's party for the first time and really looking forward to it.

So, if I have realized one thing in the last week it is that we are surrounded by great family and wonderful friends. We don't tell you all enough how much you mean to us, we love you all!

What happened to the Front Porch Society?

2009-07-13T21:37:00.002-05:00

There have been a lot of changes in the Aune household lately. Still waiting on all of the changes to be revealed at work with Ingram's reorganization, but interestingly work is becoming less important to me lately. Hard for a workaholic to admit but true. We have also begun the process of our church becoming a new Lifepoint Church campus and we are very excited to see what the next two months brings for both congregations. Kristin, Kyndal and I attended our first service at Lifepoint yesterday and I totally enjoyed myself. Someone asked me what I thought as I was sitting in the cafe between services and I responded that I loved the feeling of community in the building. So many people talked to us and welcomed us we felt at home. I can not tell you how much that meant.

The word community seems to be resonating with me this week. I was given a great book yesterday about building small groups and connecting people. One of the key points in the book is that people were not created to do life alone or isolate themselves. In Genesis 2 God says it is not good for man to be alone, and we often hear this in relation to mairrage but God also meant this in regards to life. We were designed for relationships with others. Yet, our society has become just the opposite. If you ever see how older homes were designed they often were built with big front porches. In the evening and on weekends people would sit on the front porch and invite those passing by to sit and share stories, drinks and life. Today..... we sit at work all day and barely know the person sitting next to us. Then we drive home on busy streets and pull in our garage shutting the door behind us, only to drop down in front of the TV. If we do go outside it is to the back deck not the front porch.

It is easier (for me especially) to isolate myself in the house and be comfortable. If you never put yourself out there, you can not get hurt. However, there is great reward in investing in other people and knowing they are doing the same for you. I am not saying it is easy, we all know difficult people and can be one sometimes as well. What I am saying is that it is worth it. Relationships should be cherished and are valuable. So, the next time you wonder if you should talk to someone, invite someone and especially forgive someone do it. These get progressively harder I know but God forgave us and he continues to each day, who are we not to extend that to others? Something to consider......

--Bret

Growth is painful

2009-06-29T19:55:00.002-05:00

It has been a while since I have stopped to post here. This post is a series of random thoughts for those who are not up to speed and have an interest in what is going on in our lives.

On the personal front, yesterday was our last Sunday as Stonebrook Church. Kristin, Kyndal and I have been attending there for a little more than 5 years. That has been our home, our family and the only church that Kyndal that has ever known. Yesterday was wonderful to see several faces we have not seen in a while and catch up on what is going on in their lives. I think back at how much Kristin and I have grown and I am amazed. I sat in my office today and reflected on what Stonebrook has meant to us and realized it is sad to close the book on that chapter of our lives, but I am very excited to see what God is going to do with this new chapter. I was convicted today that I did not do everything that God wanted me to do while we were at Stonebrook and I am prayerful that I continue to grow and have the faith to step out and do what He wants me to do. I was reminded today that I don't have to be strong enough, or smart enough to do it on my own, I only have to be willing to do it and trust in Him. I am not sure what that something is right now, so if you are reading this and would pray for me, I would appreciate it.

We have also been having a small group in our home for about 3 months now and it has been going very well. We have an amazing group of familes that we are blessed to have in our home each week. We have a lot to learn and a lot of growing to do, but I had forgotten how fun it is to really get to know people and call them friends.

On the work front, there was a reorg two weeks ago of all of the Ingram Content companies and a new CIO started today. So, it should not be too long before there will be a reorganization on my department. My boss has tried to reassure me that there is a place for me there (translation, I should not lose my job) but there is no assurance I will not be asked to take on a new role. I have been through it before but each time is different and scary in it's own way.

So, I think that catches you up on us for now. I pray this finds all of you very well and that God is blessing you. We love ALL of you!

--Bret

What we learn from our children

2009-05-19T15:07:00.005-05:00

For the last few days I have been amazed by all of the change that has surrounded us on a daily basis. Teenagers I remember being born are graduating high school (this should not be allowed because that means I am older than I want to admit), close friends are having more babies (before you ask when we are having another one, we don't know), Other friends are moving into new homes, Kyndal has new furniture and she is in her first "Big girl bed", and there are other changes I am not ready to discuss yet (more to come later). So, all of this has me thinking are we changing just for the sake of change or are we growing as well? As Kyndal grows and changes, I begin to understand that she will always be my daughter and I will be her father, but she will not always be my little girl. Someday, she will be able to take care of herself and make her own decisions, even if I don't agree with them. The more I have thought about that today, the more I realize it is the same with our relationship with God.

John 1:12-13 says

12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent,[a] nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

There are three specific times of day I really look forward to

1. When Kyndal wakes up in the morning -- usually she runs into our bedroom already carrying on a conversation before we realize what she is talking about. I will ask her for a kiss and a hug, sometimes she willing gives them, other times she refuses

2. When I get home each day -- as I walk through the garage and into the house I am already anticipating how Kyndal and Kristin will react. Will they be excited to see me, be unaware that I am home or be ready to discuss what ever event was the focus of the day? Again, I ask for a kiss and a hug, with usually the same results, willingness or refusal.

3. When we put Kyndal to bed -- admittedly, some of this excitement is anticipation of quiet time or me time after Kyndal is asleep, but again, I ask for a kiss and hug and wait for the response The difference this time occasionally is that she wants to fight us putting her to bed, because she does not want to go. However we know what is best for her.

If you have read this far, thanks for sticking with me.... here is my point.

Our interactions with God are often the same way.

Throughout the day, God would love for us to stop and acknowledge him but more often we refuse than willingly focus on him. We proceed from day to day in the same manner, then some change comes about and we don't understand why, or where it came from. If you are anything like me, change is almost always viewed as a bad thing first. Only after I stop and acknowledge God, can I see that there may be a bigger purpose. See no matter how smart, strong, organized, or confident we think we are, we are still just the child. God is the Father and even when we don't want to do something, he knows what is best. So, is there something God has been trying to tell you, that you keep resisting?

Never say never.....

2009-02-08T19:22:00.004-06:00

I thought I would share some things going on in the lives of the Aune's lately. Things have calmed down at work for me a little since my project has gone into production, but it seems everything else has gotten busier. Most everyone knows that our church has been without a pastor for over a year now. We have an interim pastor whom we really enjoy but he does not want the job permanantly. One thing he has done is decided to change a lot of things at our church and Kristin and I have been getting more involved in that effort.

Kristin has taken on the new role of working full time with the 2 - 5 year olds. She creates the schedules and the curriculum each week. It has already been a lot of work but we decided that if we wanted to see things change we needed to get in involved. Also, there has been an effort to start small groups this year and Kristin and I have agreed to host and lead a small group in our home once a week. If you don't know what a small group is..... it is a group of people (usually 8 - 12) that agree to "do life together". That means, birthdays, doctor appointments, ballgames, whatever life entails. For those who know us well, you will know that is a pretty big stretch for both of us... well ok, probably more for me. I have been a very private person most of my life and I can probably count on one hand the people I have opened up to in my life. I am nervous about letting more people in, because most of the time, people disappoint. However, I am excited, because I have seen how we are being changed for the past few months, as people and as a family. I am enjoying being around people more and I feel drawn to get to know people more...... funny how things change.

I am a little sad that it means less time with our extended family for now, but I think once we get things settled we will be able to make the rounds again and of course everyone is welcome to come see us.

It does feel like an answered prayer for me.... I have been telling Kristin for several months that I have been disappointed that I don't have many people I can truly call friends anymore. Maybe God has heard my prayer.

Till next time.... I love you all.

A long time coming

2009-01-23T21:35:00.003-06:00

I sit here tonight, the house is quiet, Kyndal is a sleep, Kristin is napping and I am exhausted. The project that would never end finally went into production today. I had many, many days when I thought this day would neve come. I thought several times that this one would get cancelled. If you have never been through it, I can not really describe it to you. My team has been working on this project for 15 months. It has been exciting, frustrating, exhausting and rewarding all at the same time. In that time span I had two full time team members and a contractor quit, and I had to fire another contractor. It has been quite learning experience. I am not sure I knew what I signed up for when I took this job.

All that out of the way, it feels goods to sit here tonight and say that almost everything went perfectly. Two small glitches that were fixed in about 30 minutes and the performance could be better, but overall, I would call it a success. I feel a sense of accomplishment to have it done. I have to admit though that I wanted someone to be excited today and everyone just kind of seemed subdued and ho-hum about it all. I felt like we should celebrate. I even felt like we should celebrate when I got home tonight but to be honest I was too tired. Now I understand why the two bosses I had before me decided it was too stressful.

Don't get me wrong, I really like my job most of the time and I think I am good at it. I am sure others would argue that point, but most days it is pretty satisfying. The big drawback is that I lose out on a lot of time with Kristin and Kyndal and with our extended family. I miss all of you and I hope we can spend more time with all of you this year. Thanks to everyone for understanding that when I have had to say I have to work this weekend, I have really meant it.

Now, I have to say a special thanks to my wife. She has been great through all of this. over the past year, she has taken great care of Kyndal (mostly on her own) and great care of me. Most of all she has been very understanding of my overtime and the extra time I have put in at home. It helps that she has done this before and she understands what it is like, but I am thankful for her patience and understanding.

Anyway, if you have read to this point, thanks for reading and I apologize if I bored you, but I wanted to share.

I love each and every one of you who may read this!

Now off to bed........

Life is about choices and changes

2009-01-20T21:43:00.003-06:00

I felt compelled to write a blog entry tonight and forgive me if it is a little all over the place, but here goes.

It is a new year and in the first 20 days it seems there have been several small changes and one large one have and will impact Kristin, Kyndal and I. Obviously, the big change is that we have a new president today. I am excited to see how things change in the coming months and committed to praying for our new president. Regardless of wether you voted for him or not, I believe we should all be in prayer for our leaders and respect the office they hold.

As for the little changes, Kristin and I have been exploring our new hobby (semi waste of time) on facebook. It has been somewhat surreal connecting with people I have not talked to in almost 20 years. Interesting to see how life changes people. We have also been trying to take a more active role in our church. One of the things we have realized is that we are not closely connected with most of the people that we know on a daily basis and that has recently been bothering me. I seem to find myself wishing out loud that I had more people I trusted to provide support, counsel and guidance.

On the work front, the project I have been working on for over 15 months is going into production on Friday. I hope that means less work, but I am concerned it may mean that there are many changes coming. I recently found out a co-worker was quiting to become a writer, simply because he did not enjoy being a programmer. I admire his willingness to try something new, but it made me realize that I am not brave enough most of the time to attempt anything new.

My hope for 2009 is to be a better husband, better father, better son, and make some new friends. If that means stepping outside my comfort zone, I hope God gives me the strength to do that.

Until next time.... Here's new picture, I love it

You just think your in charge......

2009-01-03T21:26:00.003-06:00

I can not believe it is 2009 already. We had a great Christmas. Some quiet time at home, then days with both sides of the family here in TN. It has been great to be home more these past two weeks. Kyndal got so much new stuff. I learned a few valuble lessons this holiday season.

1. Nothing is more valuable than family and good friends.

2. Time goes by so quickly, enjoy it as much as you can.

3. Adults can enjoy the holidays too,

4. It is possible to love and child and want to trade them in at the same time.

5. Just when you think you are in charge....... you realize quickly that you are not, as evidenced by my "Man Room"

If You Don't Believe......

2008-11-18T21:23:00.004-06:00

I am sitting here tonight and thinking about my life and one phrase keeps running through my mind....... Do you believe? See, I have realized that people will only exert energy or spend time on things they believe in, when they have a choice. So, I thought I would list a few things I believe in;

1. I believe I am blessed. All I have to do is look to my left as I write this and that is evident. I love you Kristin. I get to enjoy my little girl every day (it is never enough time but I would not trade it for the world). I am thankfull for all of my family and if I don't tell you very often know I love you all.

2. I believe my brother and sisters know I love them and they love me even if we don't get to be together very often

3. I believe you sould not make excuses in life. Who you are and what you are your responsiblility. It is no one elses fault if you don't like what you have or who you are... Every Day is a new day. You may not like the limitations or obstacles in your life that you did not put there, but only you can choose what you do with them.

4. I believe God has a plan for me and I hope I am strong enough to do what he wants me to do.

5. I believe that wether you like the election results or not, tomorrow we will wake up in the greatest country in the world, so be thankful!

6. I believe Amen and Sorry are two of the most powerful words in the English language.

7. I believe the best job in the world is being someones Dad.

8. I believe Jesus died for me and He changed my life on May 22, 1988. If you don't believe or understand that, ask me some time and I will explain it to you.

Long Time No Blog....

2008-09-15T22:41:00.002-05:00

Ok, Ok, I know it has been forever, and I also know I need a new picture for my page. I have not forgotten this blog, I simply have let other things get in the way of time to post here. And my wife has done a great job of keeping everyone informed. Anyway, I had a good weekend and I thought I would blog about it......

Kyndal and I left here Friday afternoon to go to Kingston and see Nana and Papa Kennedy. Mom was nice enough to let me use her ticket to the UT - UAB game. We made it in time Friday to see Chris play for the Roane County High School team. I have been out of high school so long it seemed strange to be there. It was fun to see some high school football. Although I wish they would throw the ball every once in a while. Even Pee Wee's throw the ball sometimes..... Kyndal was great, she sat in our laps and actually seemed to have a good time. When we got home she went to bed easily and slept all night. I was concerned about her being away from home without mommy but she did great.

The next morning she woke up and we went to breakfast with nana and papa. Then they drove me to the game and dropped me off. It was fun to be there by myself for a while and walk around to take in the tailgating and the smells of all the food. Finally, game time. I got to spend the afternoon with my great aunt Doris watching the Vols, it was a lot of fun. The first half was rather boring and it was very hot, but the second half was better. The important thing was we won. Kyndal did great without me and everyone was nice enough to come back and pick me up. Thanks Mom and John for taking the time to do that..... The last leg of the trip was to drive back home. I was worried Kyndal would be restless, but she actually slept all the way home. Everything went great! Now back to work for the week.

THEN vacation Whoo Hoo! We have not had a vacation in about 2 and a half years, so we are really looking forward to an entire week together. We decided last night to go to Charleston for the week. We are going to spend a few days in Folly Beach and explore Charleston and Savannah. I will just be glad to spend some time with my girls. I can not wait, stay tooned!

One House Family Again....

2008-06-10T22:25:00.003-05:00

It has been a loooooong time since I had some time to post here. We have been very busy. We have been in our new house now for several weeks and have been trying to sell our other house in the interim. There were days when we felt like it was never going to sell. Thankful our realtor and friend Virginia was a voice of reason assuring us that it would sell. She was right...... we closed on the sale of our other house today and it is a great feeling to know we are back to one mortgage and one house to take care of.

We have learned a lot during this process. First, we are very blessed. So much is said about how bad the real estate market is right now and we worried that it may be months before our house sold. God has really taken care of us. We stepped out in faith and made this move that normally would have been against every logical plan we could have had. But we both felt like it was time to move and that God would take care of us. I will admit there were nights that I wondered if we were doing the right thing but all has worked out to this point and we have no reason to believe that will not continue.

Second, children are very resilient. One of the things that we worried about was Kyndal being able to adapt to the new house and how she would handle the move. She has done great. She loves the new house and her new room. I think she has adjusted better than we have. Our favorite part of the new house is early in the morning we can hear the pitter-patter of her little feet crossing the hard wood floor on the way to our bedroom. She comes into the bedroom each morning calling for mommy and daddy it is so cute!

Three, moving is stressfull. but it has been worth it.

To all of you who have been concerned and prayed for us. Thank You! We love you all very much.

I know..... I am a bad blogger.

2008-04-29T21:09:00.005-05:00

Ok, I know it has been a LONG time in the blogger world since I have posted something. It has been a very busy month of April. We managed to find and make an offer on a new house, and agree to terms with the seller. In fact, we close on our new house tomorrow. It feels really strange to be leaving this home, but we know it is the best thing for our family and we get more excited each day. Here is a picture

Now if we can just find a buyer for our house it will be great to not have to worry about selling this house anymore. So, if anyone would pray for us (me, Kristin handles all of this better than I do) We would appreciate it!

It has been pretty busy at work as well. I have finally been able to find a new person to fill my open position and I am hopeful that he will work out well. It has been stressful to try to keep up with all of the work while short staffed but I have learned a lot! I always feel like I am struggling to do a good job but I know that is more my perception than reality.

It has been nice this month to have a little fun, we went to the air show here in Smyrna and saw the Blue Angels. That was really fun.

We were also able to spend time with our family and see Uncle Mike (Uncle Gyke! as Kyndal would say), Aunt Dee, and Cousin Bo. Baby Kyndal says Hi! Most of the time we feel really removed from our family but it was great to see them. It is also really cool that we have a web cam and a skype account now so we can see Gradma and Grandpa Aune and Katherine! If anyone else wants to video call us, feel free!

We are looking forward to what the rest of the year will bring. We will be happy when the weather turns warmer for good.

I hope this finds everyone well! We love you all.

--Bret

Easter and Flying

2008-03-25T21:45:00.006-05:00

We had a very fun Easter weekend. We went to Texas to visit Grandma and Grandpa Aune and aunt Katherine. Kyndal took her first airplane rides and she did great! We were nervous about putting her on a plane for the first time, not quite sure what she would think or how her ears would be. She really seemed to enjoy the "Airpane!" She was definitely the star of the flights. Everyone smiled and asked how old she was and commented how good she was. We were lucky enough to be in the first row of coach on both flights so we had a little extra room in front of us for Kyndal to move around and we did not have worry about her kicking the seat in front of us. She is such a good little girl, we could not ask for any better.

I also got a treat while we were there. Dad, Katherine and I took a flight in a B-24 liberator. This is the only B-24 still operational. We got to sit where the rear gunners would have sat during WWII and once in the air we got to move all through the plane and see where the tail gunner, navigation officer, and pilots flew. We also got to see a P-51 up close as it flew by our side during the 30 minute flight. Before we knew it the flight was over and we were back on the ground but it was amazing!

We also got to see Aunt Linda, Jim, Kristen, Zack, Rachel, Paul and Justin. Kyndal and Justin were so cute together. We had a great time!

And finally here is one of Kyndal just for good measure.

I hope everyone is well. We love you all!

--Bret

Ever Feel Like You are being Tested?

2008-03-13T21:11:00.002-05:00

I hope this finds everyone well. It has been a very interesting week. We knew that it was going to be stressful and busy since Kristin had several sessions last weekend and she has been working the consignment sale all week. It has been quite a change to our daily routine. On the positive side, it has been some great daddy daughter time. I feel closer to Kyndal than ever. I think it has helped me pay more attention to her and she seems to be changing every day.

So, Monday night we were talking about how bad our cat shadow looked and that she was not even able to get around on her own. We started to realize that she was not going to make it much longer. Little did we know that would be last day. Early Tuesday morning I found her. At least now she is not suffering anymore. We tried to tell Kyndal her kitty went bye bye tonight but I guess it is good that she is not old enough to really understand.

Finally, just to top off my week, one of my guys resigned today. So, just as I get my team back to full strength and things are getting smoother, I have to go back through the process of finding another person. It may not be all that bad, it may actually be a good thing for everyone in the long run but I always feel a lot of pressure to find the right person.

I feel like God is testing me/us but I know that it is only to make us stronger! All things happen for a reason.

--Bret

What kid does not like snow?

2008-03-08T14:26:00.002-06:00

We actually got some snow last night. About two inches, I think. So, mommy had a maternity session this morning and I thought I would take Kyndal out to play in the snow. We went out in the front yard and I put her down in the snow. She stood there for a moment, not knowing what to think. Then she tried to take one step. She did not know what to think. She lost her balance and put both hands down to balance herself. I tried to take pictures but ....... as soon as her hands got wet she EXPLODED! She does not like the snow.

Out new Super Target opened this week so I took Kyndal and browsed a while. She was find as long as she did not think I was going to put her down in the snow. BTW, is it just me or does it make anyone else mad when 47 different people ask if they can help you when you are in a store? I understand that they are trained to do that... but give me a break. I got so tired of saying "no thanks I am just looking."

Here is a picture of me and Kyndal that mommy took this morning.

--Bret

March Already??

2008-03-03T21:27:00.003-06:00

Well, sorry it has been so long since I posted some new thoughts. If you have read Kristin and Kyndal's blogs you know we went to the zoo yesterday. That got me thinking.... I can not wait for spring. Having some 70 degree weather was great, even if it was for just a day. It is supposed to snow tomorrow night. I look forward to taking Kyndal to the park and to the sounds games again.

The nice weather, also got me thinking about how we need a vacation. I know that most of you that read these can sympathize. We have been thinking about places to go for a few days this year, but we have not made any decisions.

We are going to Texas over Easter weekend and we are looking forward to it. One of the reasons we are going is so I can fly in a B-17 bomber (I think that is the right one??). Here is a picture of one.

I am excited and nervous at the same time.

As a final note, I want to say that I love you all. It has been one of the more frustrating days that I have had in a long time, but I came home and I see my wife and daughter, I think about my family, our extended family and all of the people that are a blessing in our lives and it helps to put everything in perspective.

I hope this finds everyone well and please know that you are all in our thoughts and prayers.

--Bret

Thankful

2008-02-23T22:21:00.000-06:00

I want to take a moment and thank everyone for the comments and encouragement. I have to say today was a good day. We were able accomplish a lot today around the house and spend some time with Kyndal. We also went to the hospital to see friends who just had a baby on Thursday. I think we had forgotten how small Kyndal was....... and no Mom it was not a sign to have another child.

I was also able to go to a singing with my Grandfather tonight. I really enjoyed it. I don't get enogh time to spend with him and it was great to just sit beside him tonight and enjoy myself. My grandparents have meant a lot to me and I hope they know how much I love them. For that matter all of my family means a lot to me and I hope they (you) all know how much I love you.

--Bret

Not to complain but... what next?

2008-02-13T21:59:00.000-06:00

Kristin and I were talking tonight about all of the things that have happened in our family this year. It seems like every week it is something. In just six weeks we have had;

Two visits to the ER with Kyndal. Neither was a major issue but it is never easy regardless.
A terrible stomach flu for all of us that lasted almost a week
John's Mom has been in and out of the hospital
My grandmother has several issues including broken vertabra and a cancer diagnosis
A minor wreck in the truck (dealing with insurance.... agh!)
A speeding ticket
And today A flat tire

Now, don't get me wrong, we know that we are truly blessed. It just seems that lately, there seems to be something every week.

Sorry, just had to vent a little. I hope everyone is doing well.

So, I thought I would share this picture, because it is still one of my favorites and makes me smile.

Bret

Prayer Requests and Random Thoughts 2

2008-02-10T21:50:00.000-06:00

Ok, so my wife doesn't want me to be "one of those" that means, your blog is only as good as the new content. So, I have a few thoughts and prayer requests.

First, please pray for our family. There are several people that have not been feeling well for some time. Please pray for them and that they would feel beter very soon. We love them all very much! It has been a crazy start to 2008 for all of us and I hope that things will slow down and get back to normal soon.

Second, please pray for Kristin and her business. It is growing quickly and we may have to make some decisions soon about new/additional space. We have been blessed that things have progressed at a steady pace. If we are lucky enough things will continue to progress.

Now for some random thoughts......

Why has no one told us about IKEA before. We visited this store for the first time in Atlanta last weekend. IT was awesome. Who knoew you could get breakfast and everything you could ever think of for your house in one place.

How can it already be the middle of February? This has been the fastest year! Just reminds us that we should appreciate our family and all that we have every day.

Finally, I know we have been busy and have not had much time to spend with family and those that we care about but we will try to do that more in the near future.

I love you all!

Bret

Random Thoughts

2008-01-21T21:55:00.000-06:00

It has been a few days since I have had a chance to post a new blog. I don't know that I have one topic today, more like a series of random thoughts.

First, it has been a crazy start to the new year..... 2 visits to the ER with Kyndal and the stomach flu for all of us. I hope things are calm for a while.

Second, it seems I am busier than I have been in a long time. The days go by so fast and before we know it the weeks are gone, and it is already the middle of January! Kyndal is getting up about the time I go to work and she is usually asleep when I can come home for lunch so, that only leaves a few hours at night to spend with her. I try to get out of work at 5:00 but that never seems to happen, so I have even less time. We are trying to make time for me to spend some time with her by myself on the weekends and at least one night a week. I miss my girls so much, but Kristin is so good with Kyndal and takes such good care of her. It is great that she can be home with her.

As I mentioned work has been crazy and I am trying to juggle more than ever. So, I have not had much time to talk to family either. We hope that as year goes on, things will settle down and we will have time to spend more time with family.

I love you all!

--Bret

Out with the old in with the new.

2008-01-05T20:27:00.000-06:00

What a Week.....

It has been a crazy week. Monday we bought a new car. If any of you know much about us, we do not spend money easily, so that was quite an investment for us. We have talked about replacing the Infinity for a year but we have held off until now.

We have loved having a new car. So, then we put our car on Craig's List Wednesday morning and we had several people call or e-mail about it. We had one couple come by and I thought they were going to buy it, but they didn't. SO, we reposted it and had someone e-mail and come by to see it tonight... and they bought it! Our trusty car for over seven years is gone.

Other than the car, it was a long week even though it was a holiday week. I worked every day but New Years Day and it felt like forever. Tomorrow is our first day at church without our pastor. He is moving to Buford SC.

I hope this finds everyone well. We miss and love you all! I hope you have a great 2008.

--Bret

New Year, New Blog

2008-01-01T18:52:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year,

I thought I would get in on the family hobby..... since my wife and daughter both have blogs... I thought I would give it a try.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

2007 was a great year and full of changes for our family. Kyndal has grown so much... from 4 months to 16 months, what a change. She is growing so fast. I can not believe it. Being a Dad is great! Why didn't someone let me in on the secret earlier? Of course, I say that because Kristin does most of the work, so my part is easy. We were able to pay off both of our cars and our house last year! It was a great year for Kristin's business as well. She was able to exceed all of her goals for the year. I am so proud of her. It was a good year for me as well. I was promoted to Manager of Merchandising and Marketing IT systems. I never thought I would be a manager. It is more challenging that I ever thought it would be, but I am doing the best I can and for the most part I am enjoying it.

I hope 2008 finds you all well and I wish all of you a great new year. I am excited to see what God has in store for this year. I hope that we can spend more time with all of our family. We love you all very much!