I really have nothing important to say or news to share. I've just been so struck lately with how blessed we are. Sure, we've had a really rocky year, one that I do not care to ever repeat, however, things could be so much worse! I'm at a stage in life where I'm so completely content it's crazy! Both Josh and I have careers that make us a living and let us pay bills and live comfortably. We have reliable cars to get us to our jobs (though Josh would argue that since he STILL wants a new truck), we have a lovely little house that is perfect for us, we live in a community we love, we have hobbies that excite and challenge us, and we have friends and family that we adore. Seriously, what more could I ask for?
Would I bring Mom back if I could? ABSOLUTELY in a heartbeat, but there have been good things that have come because of her passing. That sounds strange, but it's true. People have mentioned how much her life and death impacted their own lives. Dad has forged some new friendships that I believe will last a lifetime.
And we're having a baby!! What in life could be more exciting? I felt "Hercules" as we've dubbed him/her move for the first time May 24 - AMAZING. Being pregnant has also caused us to slow down some and just enjoy life's little moments. Like sitting on the couch being totally lazy together. We know those days will soon be over, and it's given us a new found appreciation for those moments. Our "big appointment" is a week from today, June 29. As I mentioned before, Josh doesn't want to know the gender, and I do. So, we will be finding out : ) Then comes the painting and getting Hercules' room all ready to go. It will also begin the crazy task of naming this little life. I never understood how huge of a decision this really is.....WOW. I'm confused already and we really haven't hit the books hard yet.
After our appointment, providing the little one cooperates, we'll share the gender, however, I'm not one to officially name a child until he/she makes an appearance. We'll have a short list to take to the hospital, then will decide when we see that precious little face. I need to try the names on : )
We have so many friends and family members expecting right now, too - it's fun to have people to take this journey with! Some of them are on numbers 2 and 3, and several are first time Mom's like me. It's a great mix of the wonders of a first time pregnancy and the advice the more experienced Mom's can provide.
See? Told you life was good and we've been blessed! The BBQ madness continues, and we're having a good season thus far. Looking forward to hitting the trail to Marshalltown this weekend for the Iowa State BBQ Championship sponsored by the Iowa BBQ Society.
Hope you all take time to "stop and smell the roses" and enjoy all of life's little blessings as well.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
The Calm Before the Storm
Lots has happened since our last update......it's been busy!
Hope you all had a wonderful Easter celebrating our risen Savior! We spent the day in Waterloo with Dad and John. It was a lovely weekend, though bittersweet. We saw Mom's headstone for the first time. I'm not sure it's appropriate to say, but it's beautiful....Mom would be proud. There is something shocking about seeing the family names on a headstone however. I know it's another step in the process of healing, but I'm not a fan.
2 weekends before Easter, we headed to Jefferson City, MO to compete in the Butt-to-Butt invitational and the Capital City Cookoff. The Butt-to-Butt is an invitational for 10 cooks that win the pork category in certain contests throughout the year. Since we won pork at the Iowa State BBQ Championship last year in Marshalltown, we were invited. It's an honor just to be there - you should have seen the list of cooks - holy cow. I definitely felt we were the underdogs. We cooked pork all night Thursday night for a Friday afternoon turn in. We thought our meat was good, but had no idea how we'd fare with the competition. The awards are handled differently than most awards ceremonies. I think Mike Lake's goal is to have one of the competitors have a coronary during the ceremony. Only 7 teams could attend the contest this year, so Mike called all 7 teams up front. Then he announced places 6-2, leaving only the first and last places standing. I was really praying for a 2nd or 3rd place call, but of course.....we had to be one of the last 2 standing. We were honored to be up there with Randy Twyford as the last 2 standing. Mike decides now is a good time for some small talk and chit chat, while I'm standing at the back of the crowd trying not to throw up. When all was FINALLY said and done, Meadow Valley BBQ came out as the Butt-to-Butt XIII champs and winners of a nice cash prize and the coveted Boar's Tooth Necklace. I'm not going to lie....I freaked. I am just slightly competitive and get a little excited at awards.....once my little celebration dance was over, I turned around to see a huge circle had cleared around me....ooops....oh well. There are only 13 people in the world that can claim this honor, and we're humbled to be one of them. Since the contest, Josh and Steve have been fighting over who gets to take the necklace to show it off. It was a good start to the BBQ contest season!
I believe our next contest will be May 20-21 in Austin, MN. Then the madness begins from there.....it's looking to be a very busy summer with a graduation, a new neice or nephew, and lots of work projects for both Josh and I.
We're also excited to announce 2 new additions to the Bryant family.....
The first is a 2009 Toyota Camry. Since I drive 60 miles each day for work, we decided a more gas efficient vehicle was a wise purchase. We really like the Camry and are looking forward to 300,000 miles with her!
The second addition is a new little member of Meadow Valley BBQ! YES - we are expecting!! We are due 11/11/11 and are so excited and humbled to have been chosen to be parents. All the grandparents are excited, and I'm sure Mom is rejoicing in heaven over her first grandbaby. Baby Bryant has good timing too; we'll make it all the way through BBQ season, and most of the way through ISU football before the big day. We'll also not miss much of the wrestling season - what a good kid! :)
We are completely head over heels in love with our little creation already. The more I read about pregnancy and birth, the more amazed I become at what a miracle it is. It's a surreal feeling to know that I'm carrying our little one in my belly, and to know that every decision I make impacts this little life. I love it! I can't wait until we can feel him/her move!
We've had one ultrasound already, and have another this week. It's still too early to see the gender, and we're still "fighting" over whether to find out or not. I want to, Josh doesn't. I have a crazy need to organize and get things ready, and he just doesn't understand. He thinks we can just buy everything in yellow and green. That used to be the case, and let me tell you....it is no longer! Even at the baby stores, there is so little that is gender neutral anymore! So....I will totally win, I assure you :)
We already have a Meadow Valley BBQ onesie ready for Baby Bryant, too : )
I think spring is finally here, and we've enjoyed having the windows open to get some fresh air. Hope you all are enjoying this season as well!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Spring is on the Way!
We've been teased with a few gorgeous days recently just to remind us that spring really is on it's way....sometime!
Things have been really busy it seems, but we can't pinpoint exactly why. We've both been spending lots of hours working, and struggling to find time off together to take a vacation. Josh's busy season is now through the end of March, and mine is June through the end of the year, leaving very little time for get aways. I took a week off in February simply because I have 6 weeks to use this year and needed a mental break. I love my job, but it's high stress and exhausting. Taking a day off really doesn't work overly week, so I took an entire week and didn't touch my laptop or Blackberry the entire week - it was so refreshing! The first part of the week I spent with Dad touring his new home come April of 2012. It's a lovely early retirement community of independent living condos and it has all the luxuries of a 5 star resort! I wish I was 55 so I could move in!
Wednesday, February 16, we lost our sweet Gretchen. She had been diagnosed with bone cancer in November, and it was time. She was no longer enjoying life to the fullest, and I could tell she was tired. I spent all day Wednesday snuggling her and crying, then we said goodbye Wednesday evening. It was the toughest decision I've had to make yet, but I am 100% confident it was the right decision. Josh had never had to make that decision before either, so it was another first in our marriage. We've had a lot of those lately!
The rest of the week was spent painting the entire upstairs of our house, which, for those of you that have seen it, is no small feat! It's not a mansion by any means, but our kitchen, dining, and living room are all one big open room, and the ceiling is vaulted, making for some very challenging spots to cover! Thanks to 2 dear friends of mine, we managed to complete the entire project in a day! Yes, you read that right.....ONE DAY! It would have taken me weeks by myself.
The weekend before I had painted the master bedroom a lovely blue color, so now, with the exception of the other 2 bedrooms upstairs, everything is painted!
To cap off the week, Josh and I took a little weekend get away to Minneapolis. We did it last year, too, and it was so much fun we decided to try again. We love Ikea and the outlet mall in Albertville. There is an Under Armour outlet there that Josh cleaned out last year, so that was destination #1. He didn't fare well there this year. I, however, managed to fill up the back end with good deals. Oh well, there's always next year!
BBQ season is nearly here! I can't believe our first contest is just over a month away in Jefferson City, MO, home of the Butt-to-Butt invitational. We won 1st place in pork at the Iowa State BBQ Championship in Marshalltown last year, earning a spot in the prestigious Butt-to-Butt invitiation, where we'll compete for an enviable boar's tooth necklace. It will be our first cook of the season, so I'm not getting my hopes too high, but maybe, just maybe, we'll luck out!
In May, Mom's headstone should be installed, so Josh and I will head to Waterloo to see it for the first time. Another first in our marriage. With each event of this last year, I've been shown time and time again why I married this man. He is amazing, and I'm sure my outlook and view on life would be much different had he not been by my side through the challenges of this last year.
Babies, babies everywhere! We have many friends and family members expecting sweet little bundles of joy this year, so that will add lots of fun and excitement to our year, I'm sure! I think the first is due in June, then several this fall. I can't wait to buy baby gifts and spoil all the sweet little munchkins!
The ISU wrestling season is now over, with the exception of the NCAA tournament in a couple weeks. It was definitely not a season for the record books, but we're encouraged by the marked improvement the team showed throughout the year. The next year or 2 should continue to improve and I anticipate Iowa State to be considered a wrestling powerhouse again soon. It's a good thing we have BBQ since all our Cyclone sports are done now! I don't know what I'd do without a weekend hobby....ugh.
That's about all the excitement here - as you can tell - we're really not that exciting. We're just thoroughly enjoying life as a married couple, relaxing, taking little weekends away, and finding little home projects to keep us entertained.
We love visitors, and have 2 spare bedrooms, so if you're in the area, stop by - we'd love to see you!
Things have been really busy it seems, but we can't pinpoint exactly why. We've both been spending lots of hours working, and struggling to find time off together to take a vacation. Josh's busy season is now through the end of March, and mine is June through the end of the year, leaving very little time for get aways. I took a week off in February simply because I have 6 weeks to use this year and needed a mental break. I love my job, but it's high stress and exhausting. Taking a day off really doesn't work overly week, so I took an entire week and didn't touch my laptop or Blackberry the entire week - it was so refreshing! The first part of the week I spent with Dad touring his new home come April of 2012. It's a lovely early retirement community of independent living condos and it has all the luxuries of a 5 star resort! I wish I was 55 so I could move in!
Wednesday, February 16, we lost our sweet Gretchen. She had been diagnosed with bone cancer in November, and it was time. She was no longer enjoying life to the fullest, and I could tell she was tired. I spent all day Wednesday snuggling her and crying, then we said goodbye Wednesday evening. It was the toughest decision I've had to make yet, but I am 100% confident it was the right decision. Josh had never had to make that decision before either, so it was another first in our marriage. We've had a lot of those lately!
The rest of the week was spent painting the entire upstairs of our house, which, for those of you that have seen it, is no small feat! It's not a mansion by any means, but our kitchen, dining, and living room are all one big open room, and the ceiling is vaulted, making for some very challenging spots to cover! Thanks to 2 dear friends of mine, we managed to complete the entire project in a day! Yes, you read that right.....ONE DAY! It would have taken me weeks by myself.
The weekend before I had painted the master bedroom a lovely blue color, so now, with the exception of the other 2 bedrooms upstairs, everything is painted!
To cap off the week, Josh and I took a little weekend get away to Minneapolis. We did it last year, too, and it was so much fun we decided to try again. We love Ikea and the outlet mall in Albertville. There is an Under Armour outlet there that Josh cleaned out last year, so that was destination #1. He didn't fare well there this year. I, however, managed to fill up the back end with good deals. Oh well, there's always next year!
BBQ season is nearly here! I can't believe our first contest is just over a month away in Jefferson City, MO, home of the Butt-to-Butt invitational. We won 1st place in pork at the Iowa State BBQ Championship in Marshalltown last year, earning a spot in the prestigious Butt-to-Butt invitiation, where we'll compete for an enviable boar's tooth necklace. It will be our first cook of the season, so I'm not getting my hopes too high, but maybe, just maybe, we'll luck out!
In May, Mom's headstone should be installed, so Josh and I will head to Waterloo to see it for the first time. Another first in our marriage. With each event of this last year, I've been shown time and time again why I married this man. He is amazing, and I'm sure my outlook and view on life would be much different had he not been by my side through the challenges of this last year.
Babies, babies everywhere! We have many friends and family members expecting sweet little bundles of joy this year, so that will add lots of fun and excitement to our year, I'm sure! I think the first is due in June, then several this fall. I can't wait to buy baby gifts and spoil all the sweet little munchkins!
The ISU wrestling season is now over, with the exception of the NCAA tournament in a couple weeks. It was definitely not a season for the record books, but we're encouraged by the marked improvement the team showed throughout the year. The next year or 2 should continue to improve and I anticipate Iowa State to be considered a wrestling powerhouse again soon. It's a good thing we have BBQ since all our Cyclone sports are done now! I don't know what I'd do without a weekend hobby....ugh.
That's about all the excitement here - as you can tell - we're really not that exciting. We're just thoroughly enjoying life as a married couple, relaxing, taking little weekends away, and finding little home projects to keep us entertained.
We love visitors, and have 2 spare bedrooms, so if you're in the area, stop by - we'd love to see you!
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