Making a house a home

This spring I spent quite a few hours hand digging up around my & Nathaniel's brick porch so that I could create a small flower bed. After a few big roots, many many small trailing roots, grass and weed clods it was finially dug up and ready!

If you look you can see a few tulips on the left that I bought on sale last year and planted in a small dug up space last December. On the Right under the bay window I planted Ferns, Iris, Hostas and a bit of mint all collected from extras my Grandma Andrews had in her flower bed! Thank you grandma!

Now after some shopping I have this! 

What is the big empty space for? Well I am glad to let you know that my wonderful mother gave me Zeni and Cosmos seeds that I planted in that space! They are just starting to sprout now and I am excited to watch them grow!

Now the chives in the front middle there have little purple flowers on them! The chives were another gift from one of my grandma's flower beds!

I am so proud of this hanging basket I designed! I think it looks fantastic.

 I do want to move my Trusty Rusty plant (the red leafy plant in the top picture), and I have weeded it already, the hard part of making the bed is done! This touch of color, while it is a small bed, helps make this house a home. I am so glad God created these beautiful plants for us to enjoy!


On a similar note: I noticed the all to familiar "popcorn flowers" on the ground today around the farmhouse apartment and looked up to see a Catalpa tree here, and as I looked around again tonight I saw another Catalpa tree! I am so grateful for these trees as they remind me of the home I grew up in! Thank you God for that wonderful surprise~

Profit & Faith?

What does it mean to work for a business that exists to be profitable AND is owned by persons who claim Christianity?

A missionary of several decades calls a local business to get information on having some products shipped to him across the country (as he is back in the USA for a bit). Shipping products across the country is expensive for customers and is very profitable for the company. After speaking with the customer service personnel who loves Jesus too the missionary learns some about the employee and prays for the employee during their conversation. This phone call comes to a close with the employee having the information he needs to look into the next step of shipping for the customer. Excited about this phone call the employee shares it with a coworker or two. It is obvious that the phone call encouraged, and fueled the fire in the employee's vigor for Christ. The employee proceeds to relay the phone call that enlightened him to his employer who responds with a quote about like this "Just make sure you charge him a lot, I don't see a red cross on your back."

True Story.

Will you Marry Me?

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Time: 3:00pm

 Today was the Detweiler (Nathaniel's mother's) side of the family Christmas, and Nathaniel's immediate side of the family Christmas. Sharon had a few presents she needed to wrap and asked that Anna, Nathaniel, and I disappear. I was going to play piano where I was out of the room and thus out of sight of Sharon's work when Nathaniel asked if I would like to go for a walk. At this I was quite surprised because it is usally me asking if he would like to go on a walk and often being declined.

I responded with a "Really?" and after him confirming quickly got up to get on shoes, my coat, and mittens to keep warm before he could change his mind.

We walked down his parent's drive and up a tractor path towards a woods. We had not gotten any lasting snow yet, but there was plenty of iced puddles to jump onto and crush. I even managed to scrape up enough snow to attempt the first snowball throw of the year; I stress the repeat because as soon as the flakes left my mitten the loosened into a snow dust cloud. 

Upon reaching the edge of the woods we discovered a smooth 12' frozen puddle which provided us with a perfect place to skate around on our shoes and enjoy the outdoors. After I plummeting to the ground after a miscalculated slide I quickly got up and ran down the path a bit more and hid behind a sapling to prove to Nathaniel that I was just fine. Playing along Nathaniel pretended to search hard for me before approaching my simple hiding place and catching me in a hug before I could escape.  

Nathaniel proceeded to tell me that I was going to be mad at him and after my inquary as to why in the world I would be he went on to explain that he had purchased a gift for me even though he and I had agreed to spend a day in Lancaster together instead of buying gifts for one another. After genuinely reassuring him that I was not going to loath him for doing something kind and thoughtful I began to turn toward back up the path towards his house where I presumed the gift was in order to assure him that I was ready to go retrieve the gift from the house and show him my joy in place of where he seemed to think I'd show frustration. Nathaniel stopped me and asked where I was going. I passed him a confused look and replied that I wanted to go and get the the gift at the house. When he told me he had the gift with him I smiled, enjoying every moment of this adventure.

I did not expect his next step to be down on one knee, nor for his hands to hold up the beautiful ring he had picked out himself just for me. "Will you marry me?" He asked with a smile on his handsome face. Astonished and surprised I replied "NO WAY! YES!" as we burst with smiles, laughter, and pure joy.

Filled with excitement and thankfulness to God for one-another, we heading back to his parents house laughing and talking ready to share our joy with those inside.

Oui, I agree with the Frenchman

"He who does not live in some degree for others, hardly lives for himself."
~French Essayist Michel de Montaigne

Thank you Michel de Montaigne

Always learning

Why hello,
I suppose it is time for an update. As of Friday last week I am now employed at a local food distribution warehouse. My position is called customer service; it is a mixture of receptionist/secretary. I am at the front window and call to the warehouse for orders and such when customers come. I also take orders, update prices, do shortage reports, prep special orders, and other receptionist secretary type things. I really do enjoy it so far and have learned a bunch about how to use the computer system there, which by the way is going to updated into a new computer system sometime in the near future so I will have to learn how to run the computer all over again. :) I do not think the switch over will be too rough, I actually am assuming that it will help everything work even better.

My parents came out to visit labor day weekend which was awesome! I got to show them around where I live and all of Nathaniel's grandparents got to meet them. It was great hanging out with them, taking them to church, and just chit-chatting. The 4 days together went by too quickly.

At the end of the month I am getting a roommate/basement-mate from Ohio. She is moving here for much of the same reason I did, which is uber cool! While I do not know her, she is from the camp area where I spent 2 summers working and many summers as a camper. It'll be fun to make a new friend.

An update especially for The Amazing Danae King

This goes out to Danae King's request that I keep my blog updated. Sorry, I'm not as good at keeping it up like you.

I've been at my new place for about a month now and am truly enjoying the southeastern part of Pennsylvania! My living arrangements are amazing and I enjoy hearing the footsteps and cheers of the kids upstairs. A few weeks ago I awoke to the sound of my electric piano playing and opened my door to find one of the boys who had snuck downstairs playing a "melody" on the piano. A different day I came home late in the evening to find my bag of runts on the back of the toilet...not the most ideal place, but I sure did get a good laugh.

I'm spending my working time at R & J Farm Market where I weed, pick tomatoes, beans, peas, zucchini, earlier in the season strawberrys, plant fields of pumpkins (with this awesome contraption that is pulled by a tractor, I wouldn't be able to explain it if i tried, but basically I sit on this thing as we go up and down the rows). I'm also in the store at times or out at the wagon. My farmers tan is looking great and rarely do I leave work without a several great laughs.

My next door neighbors have a pool that I am free to use whenever I wish, that has been a great way to cool off after a day in the sun. I also have discovered how wonderful and relaxing swim by oneself can be!

The Martin's have me over for dinner almost every evening so I get wonderful food and many laughs with them! After dinner Nathaniel and I hang out, play games, read, and have oodles of hysterically fun times.

Thursday Nathaniel took me to my first MLB game! This was so much fun and I am super excited to go to more games! Of course it was a Phillies game which made it really exciting to see the players that I've watched on TV for the last season and a half in real life. The game was at home VS Cincinnati and was a 1:00 game. It was uber hot with very few clouds to cool us off. Well, up until the 8th inning that was true. At the 8th inning a big storm cloud billowed in and we were all told to take cover under the stands. Everyone became a little more than damp because of the wind blowing the rain. We even witnessed a tent being blown down to our level from a deck up. Looking out across Citizens Bank Park we could not even see the other side, instead while billows of rain blew all around while the grounds crew stood on the field trying to keep it as covered as possible. When the rain died down a bit we left since the game was already 12:2 we knew it as a win and it was safe to leave even. After a 1.5 hour delay the game was started up again and we listened to the rest on the car radio while wrestling with Philadelphia traffic.

Nathaniel, his family, and most of the young adults from church have headed to Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp for a week to help with repairs and such around camp. The few of us who remain are having a great time getting together even if so many of our ranks are missing.

Danae King is amazing and I hope that this update exceeds her expectations. Missing Camp Luz and hoping all is shaken up and on fire for God.

~Brooke

Graduation and moving

Graduation was May 9. My parents, Nathaniel, and Nicole all came for my graduation. It was a good time seeing them and spending a few more nights with my Hesston friends. Strange to think that my late night Drubers and Newels runs are finished and that my friends are no longer at the college we all met at and reeked havoc on with our movie marathons, weekend trip to lake Wilson, and roof climbing, and numerous other adventures.

On the way back from Kansas we stopped in Iowa for a day to see family. It was wonderful to spend some time with them laughing and carrying on like we always do. Shannon has had her baby since then so now Scotty and her have a young baby girl named Nicole Lilly to care for. I wonder when I will get to meet her?

I spent a few weeks at home and then moved out here to Telford, PA. I enjoy that I am within walking distance from church and am hoping for many good weathered Sunday mornings so that I will indeed partake in a walk. I'm living in the basement of a family from church and babysitting once a week for them. While I haven't gotten to babysit just yet, I am quite excited to get started. There are three children 2 boys Bryce, Brandt, and one girl names Brooklyn (of whose name I must say is quite wonderful).

For the summer I'm working at a produce farm in the store, the wagon, and picking. My employers are great people to work for and I often wont go home without a nice laugh or two.

Nathaniel and I are both happy to no longer be living 1,188 miles apart. Being able to see each other and spend time together each day has been well enjoyed by both of us. He has another church softball game this evening that I am looking forward to watching, maybe one of these games it'll be cold enough for me to take my snuggy he got me as a gag gift at Christmas.

I really ought to stop procrastinating from cleaning up my place,besides not much else to say right now. I'm just glad to be moved out here and am working on adjusting to new surroundings and roads.