Day 30: A Picture

Day 30 is finally here! I can't believe a whole month has passed since I started the 30 Day Challenge over at Katie's Journey. This past month has definitely been a challenge. Some of the posts were difficult, got me thinking, helped me to reflect on life, and taught me lessons. The 30 Day Challenge was so great and I am looking forward to the next one! The photo below, I think, sums up the 30 Day Challenge pretty well. The 30 Day Challenge was a journey, but the journey Iim on isn't over yet.

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Day 29: 3 Wishes

I can't believe the 30 Day Challenge is almost over, it has gone by so fast! I've had so much fun participating in Katie's challenge and reading other ladie's blogs. Today's entry are my three wishes. It took sometime to think about them, but here they are:

My Three Wishes

1) To be a mother and have as many babies as God gives me.

2) That friends and family who don't know God will one day have a relationship with Him.

3) That God will bring a godly husband into my sister's life.

Day 28: Something That Stresses Me Out

I know everyone has stress in their life at times, but for me stress was something I had 24/7, especially when I was going to college full-time. I started at Nevada State College in the fall of 2008, shortly after getting married and moving into our first condo. Needless, to say I was super busy moving into our home, decorating our home, transitioning into married life, and preparing for the new semester. Each semester I took between 12 and 15 credits. For me, that was a lot and it always seemed to overwhelm me. Homework, teaching observations, field work, tests, preparing for graduation, and getting ready for student teaching literally stressed me out! Some days were hard and I couldn't help but cry because I thought I couldn't handle it. Ray would always tell me to relax and don't worry. It's simple but so true. Nothing good ever comes from being worried and stressed out. Worrying and stressing over things is a waste of time and energy and sometimes there's just no reason to. Then I remembered what the Bible says about stress and worrying:

"Your father knows what you need before you ask him. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? So do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today's trouble is enough for today." (Matthew 6:8b,25,31-34)

These verses have helped me out a lot to manage my stress and to simply not worry. There are times where I still get worried, but not as much as I used to. In times of stress, I am learning to just give all my fears, worries, and anxieties to the Lord and trust that He will take care of me. This gives me peace and hope for tomorrow.

Day 27: A Picture of Our Pet

Raymond and I have a female Golden Retriever named Lua. Raymond surprised me with her on our one year wedding anniversary. We had been talking about getting a dog for awhile, but didn't know what kind to get. I had always been used to small dogs. Growing up we had one Mini Poodle named Cinnamon. Raymond was used to having Labrador Retrievers and Golden's his whole life. So we compromised and decided that getting a Golden Retriever would be a great family dog for us. So on May 30, 2009, when Raymond opened the front door after arriving home from work, in walks a 10-week old Golden Retriever puppy. I remember like it was yesterday! She brings so much joy to our family and is the sweetest dog I know. Raymond and I love her so much, she's our baby.

Pictures of our fur baby, Lua!

Lua 2010

Christmas 2009

Thanksgiving at the Beach, 2009

Lua and her favorite toy, the Kong

Lua 2010

Day 26: A Picture of My Family

My Beautiful Family!

My Family, May 30, 2008

Ray's Family, May 30, 2008

My grandparents

Raymond and I, and our first home!

Me and my baby sister

My brother-in-law and his family

From left: Jessi (sis-in-law), my hubby, Joe (father-in-law), and Craig (bro-in-law)

The Family at Ethel M Chocolate Factory, Christmas 2009

Day 25: Shuffle

So I know for this post I was supposed to put my iPod on shuffle and list the first 10 songs. However, I don't have an iPod of my own, so instead I will put my playlists from playlist.com on shuffle for you all. I love all kinds of music with Christian music being my favorite. I love songs from the 50's, classic rock, country, and alternative rock/punk. I'm not to picky when it comes to music. Here's my list!

1) Firelies by Owl City

2) All Around Me by Flyleaf

3) Jesus Take the Wheel by Carrie Underwood

4) Leader of the Pack by The Shirelles

5) Just Dance by Lady Gaga

6) Heaven Song Phil Wickham

7) Turn it Off by Paramore

8) Get Your Back Off the Wall by Family Force 5

9) Long Legged Guitar Pickin' Man by Johnny & June Carter Cash

10) Sema'l Unplugged by Helm and Fat Chance Belly Dance

And, because I'm having way too much fun with this, here are five more songs!

11) I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas

12) Airplanes by B.O.B. featuring Hayley Williams

13) Strangers in the Night remixed by Cake (original version ~ Frank Sinatra)

14) The Catalyst by Linkin Park

15) Piece of My Heart by Janis Joplin

Have a great weekend everyone!

Day 24: Lessons Learned

Lessons I've Learned

God puts tough situations in your life to grow you, mature you, equip you, teach you, and ultimately transform you into His image. They are meant to deepen our dependence on and relationship with God.

Worrying is a waste of time and energy.

God will always provide, protect, and love me.

God is always faithful.

"Sometimes you need to think like a six-year-old." ~ Advice from Joy Bartlett (cooperating teacher during my student teaching) when preparing for and teaching a lesson.

Without effective classroom management, a lesson is sunk!

If I don't spend time with God, I can't be the wife, woman, sister, daughter, and one day mother that God created me to be.

God wants my heart and devotion - all of it!

Choosing God and His ways deepens my relationship with and devotion to Him.

Sometimes we take for granted what prayer truly is. It deepens our relationship with God, changes lives, teaches us not to worry, grows our dependence, faith, and obedience to God, and is every Christian's ministry.

Christianity isn't a religion, it's a relationship.

No matter what a person did to you, you should choose to forgive. Forgiveness heals.

Always treat someone the way you yourself wish to be treated.

Actions speak louder than words.

The secret to a strong/healthy/awesome marriage is putting Jesus at the center of it.

God has a plan for my life.

In the end, mom is always right.

Sometimes you just have to be patient and trust.

Day 23: My Favorite Vacation

My all-time favorite place to vacation is Rivera Maya, Mexico. My hubby and I vacationed there on our honeymoon in 2008. Rivera Maya is about 15 minutes outside of Cancun. We stayed at the all-inclusive resort Excellence Rivera for 5 days. When we were there, we didn't do much site-seeing. We pretty much just stayed in the resort lounging on the white sand beaches, splashing around in the pools and clear ocean waters, spending a day getting pampered at their day spa, and eating at the delicious restaurants. We did spend one day at the Mayan ruins - Chichen Itza "At the mouth of the well of the Itza's." While we were there we saw El Castillo aka Temple of Kukulkan, The Great Ball Court, La Iglesia, El Caracol/observatory temple, and Cenote Sagrado to name a few. Rivera Maya is such a beautiful place to visit! My hubby and I plan to return on our 5 year wedding anniversary. I hope when we return we get to visit Cancun, go snorkeling, visit the Isla Mujeres, visit Playa de Carmen, possibly take a tour through the Reserva Natural Tres Rios, and maybe even return to the Mayan ruins.

Here are some pictures from our vacation!

El Castillo (Mayan ruins)

Raymond and I at the Cenote Sagrado

Excellence Rivera resort beach

Excellence Rivera

Excellence Rivera

Excellence Rivera resort beach

My model pose

Raymond and I

Day 22: My Favorite City

My favorite city would definitely be the city I am currently living in, the beautiful and sunny Henderson, Nevada. Henderson is literally minutes away from Las Vegas, it is also the second largest city in Nevada! Las Vegas of course being the largest. I love Henderson because its far enough away from the city, so that it is quiet and more laid back, but close enough to still take in the beauty of the city lights. I also love the beautiful mountains that surround our valley and the desert. After living in Las Vegas for 18 years, I have grown used to the heat. It's not unusual for Henderson/Las Vegas to reach 115 degrees and I don't mind it. The summers are great I think: dry heat, pool time everyday, and awesome tans! Fall and winter time are also beautiful! There's lots of sites to see (Las Vegas & Henderson): Red Rock, Valley of Fire, Mt. Charleston, Lake Mead, Hoover Dam, Bonnie Springs Ranch, Spring Mountain Ranch, and The Strip of course! There's also lots of shopping too, I love Town Square and The District. If you ever get a chance, come visit Las Vegas!

Cities I also love:

*Santa Barbara, California

*San Diego, California

*Dana Point, California

*Redondo Beach, California

*Washington, D.C

*Riviera Maya, Mexico (15 minutes outside of Cancun)

*Boulder, Colorado (Never been there, but from what my hubby and I have seen it's gorgeous and a nice place to raise a family).

Day 21: A Picture of Myself

This picture my husband took for my college graduation during the spring semester of 2010. It was taken in our backyard and I just love it! I graduated in May this year with a Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Nevada State College. During the summer, I completed my student teaching and I am currently teaching at Nevada State College as a Part-time Instructor. I love my life and I'm so blessed to be where I am now. Have a beautiful Sunday!

Day 20: My Nicknames

As most of you know already, my name is Brittany. There are so many variations of the spelling it's crazy! I like to think that my spelling is the correct way. When I meet new people and say my name is Brittany most people stop and say, "Oh, like Brittney Spears!" This makes me laugh every time, yes we have the same name, no on how its spelled. Any who, here are some of my nicknames!

Friends & family like to call me Britt

My mom & dad call me pumpkin, peanut, and sweetie (I don't know why they refer to me as different types of food, but I think it has something to do with when I was a baby)

My sister calls me "sistor" (again I don't know why/inside joke), love, and hermana

My husband calls me babe, baby, BJ (my middle name is Jean), wife, wifey, and little wifey

Day 19: Something You Miss

I miss my grandparents. My grandpa and grandma live in Santa Barbara, California. My family always tries to make it out a few times a year to see them. Lately we have been trying to see them as much as possible. My grandpa just turned 80 in August, and my grandma lives in a home where she recieves 24 hour care due to her Alzheimer's Disease. With the holidays drawing closer, I've been missing them more and more. I love them both so much!

Here are some pictures from my grandpa's 80th birthday!

My cute grandma!

The Anderson Family!

My grandpa and I

My handsome grandpa!

Day 18: Something I Regret

I believe everything that happens in life, good or bad, happens for a reason. Often times, God allows situations in our lives to happen in order to grow us, teach us, mature us, draw us closer to Himself, and ultimately to bring Him glory. In every situation, we have a choice to make. I don't regret any of the choices I've made, because I wouldn't be the person I am today and wouldn't be where I am now. Every choice I've made (good or bad) has taught me a lesson and deepened my relationship and dependance on God. Are their choices that I've made, that I wish I would have done differently? Of course!

In high school, there were close friendships I had that I didn't put much effort into. We had gone to different schools, were involved in various school activities, and just became busy with life. This made it hard on our friendship and we didn't have time for each other as much. Looking back on it now, I think that was a lame excuse on my part. We always have plenty of time for our closets friends and other relationships, because we make the time for it. Relationships are so important. I wish I had put more effort into our relationship, made the time for each other, or just simply called up the other person. We are still friends today, but I think our friendship would be more than it is today if we had kept our relationship close and not let it drift away like we had let it back in high school.

Carrie Underwood's song Lessons Learned sums this post up perfectly!

There's some things that I regret

Some words I wish had gone unsaid

Some starts that had some bitter endings

Been some bad times I've been through

Damage I cannot undo

Some things, I wish I could do all all over again

But it don't really matter

Life gets that much harder

It makes you that much stronger

Oh, some pages turned

Some bridges burned

But there were

Lessons learned

[Chorus:]

And every tear that had to fall from my eyes

Everyday I wondered how I'd get through the night

Every change, life has thrown me

I'm thankful, for every break in my heart

I'm grateful, for every scar

Some pages turned

Some bridges burned

But there were lessons learned

There's mistakes that I have made

Some chances I just threw away

Some roads, I never should've taken

Been some signs I didn't see

Hearts that I hurt needlessly

Some wounds, that I wish I could have one more chance to mend

But it don't make no difference

The past can't be rewritten

You get the life you're given

Oh, some pages turned

Some bridges burned

But there were

Lessons learned

[Chorus:]

And every tear that had to fall from my eyes

Everyday I wondered how I'd get through the night

Every change, life has thrown me

I'm thankful, for every break in my heart

I'm grateful, for every scar

Some pages turned

Some bridges burned

But there were lessons learned

And all the things that break you

Are all the things that make you strong

You can't change the past

Cause it's gone

And you just gotta move on

Because it's all

Lessons learned

[Chorus:]

And every tear that had to fall from my eyes

Everyday I wondered how I'd get through the night

Every change, life has thrown me

I'm thankful, for every break in my heart

I'm grateful, for every scar

Some pages turned

Some bridges burned

But there were lessons learned

Oh, some pages turned

Some bridges burned

But there were lessons learned

Lessons learned

Day 17: Something I'm looking forward to

One of the biggest things I'm looking forward to one day is being a mother!

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Day 16: My Dream Home

Right now I'm currently living in a 1,500 square foot, 2 story, 3 bedroom, and 2 1/2 bath house. I absolutely love our home and am so blessed that we were able to purchase a home at such a young age - thanks to the market being the way it is too. I'm doing everything I can to make it our dream home. I love decorating, organizing, and painting our home. But, if I had to dream...

*4-5 bedroom home (more space to craft & space for kids)

*Colonial style home

*Fireplace with mantle

*Hardwood floors

*Granite countertops

*Huge kitchen

*Island in kitchen

*Stainless steel appliances

*Tub in master bathroom

*Great room floor plan

*White picket fence (hey I can dream right)

When my husband and I were house hunting we came across this house below (model home). It is pretty much my dream home realized, minus the picket fence. It is a two-story colonial style home. FYI, looking at model homes when you're looking for a house for the first time is probably not the best idea. Don't expect to get the home with all the upgrades for the price that it is listed for. I've been using this home as a guideline for decorating my current home. Here are some pictures of my dream house:

Day 14: A Picture You Love

This picture is my absolute favorite! It is a picture of Raymond and I on our wedding day. I love how the photographer fogged out the edges and asked us to pose the way we did, because the result is something that looks like its out of a fairy tale. In all honesty this picture reminds me of Cinderella, but that's not the only reason why I love this picture. I think it captures how much in love we are with each other and how special our wedding night was.

Day 13: My Goals

Spend more time in the Word, sitting at the feet of Jesus.

I can't be the woman, wife, and one day mother God intended me to be if I don't spend time with Him.

Have a baby.

This goal of mine has been on my heart for sometime now. It has been over a year now and my husband and I haven't gotten pregnant yet. We are both healthy and young, so really there shouldn't be any reason for us not having kids yet. However, I need to rest in the truth that God is in control. He is in control of my life and my body. I know God's timing always comes at the perfect time, so that means I need to be patient and just wait. One of my biggest desires is to be a mom, teach my children, and raise them to know God, but I guess what I need to do first is give that desire to Him. He is in control. Often times we wonder why God works the way He does, but usually its to teach us something, grow us, and transform us more into the image of His son.

Homeschool my children.

My husband and I got this call from God about six months before we were engaged to be married. God had been telling both of us to homeschool our kids. At the time when I was hearing this (October-November 2007), I was working full-time, going to college, and planning a wedding and only 18 years old. I had never considered homeschooling my future children, I had always planned on having them attend public school because that was the way I was brought up. I also planned that I would be working in public schools as well since my major was elementary education. But, God had bigger plans and even though I thought this was crazy I said, "Yes God!" Little did I know at this same time God was speaking to me He was speaking to my husband-to-be too. It wasn't until a date-night at Applebee's that Raymond expressed to me what God had been telling him about homeschooling our children and asked me what I felt. I told him that God said the same thing to me, and that I was excited and honored to teach our children. While we don't have kids yet, this is still my goal and I believe one of the purposes for my life.

Read every book on my bookshelf that has not been read.

According to my Goodreads account, I have 143 books that I want to read. I don't have that many on my bookshelf at home, but I would love to read as many books as I can. I love to read and there are so many books out there to learn from and enjoy.

Be the best wife and mother I can be.

Help pregnant women in crises pregnancies and saving the lives of babies through Campus Pregnancy Resources.

Budget money wisely.

Read the entire Bible, not as a means to check it off my to-do-list, but to grow deeper and more passionately in love with Jesus.

Learn to sew and quilt.

Make a difference in my students' lives.

Day 12: What I Believe

I believe...

That the Bible is the inspired word of God. (John 1:1)

There is only one God over all the heavens and earth.

God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are one. (John 10:30)

Jesus is my Lord and Savior who, in all His holiness, washed away my sins (and others who believe) by His blood. By His grace I am saved through my faith in Jesus. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Jesus died on the cross not only to wash away our sins, but so that we can have a relationship with God and that He can live in and through us and transform us into His image.

Our life is intended to bring glory to God.

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

That falling madly, deeply, and completely in love with Jesus is the solution to every fear, struggle, and difficulty we face, but not the eraser.

God is the nearest part of us. (Deuteronomy 23:14)

That whatever wilderness we are in, God is near to us and shouts a victory over us.

God has put others around me for a reason, so that He can carry out His mission in their lives through me.

Prayer is the ultimate expression of dependence on God...prayerlessness is the ultimate expression of dependence on self.

Every human life is created by God and designed for a purpose.

Every human needs forgiveness no matter who they are or what they did.

In treating others the same way you wish to be treated.

In the sanctity of human life.

God created marriage as a loyal partnership between one man and one woman.

Marriage is a reflection of God's covenant relationship with the church. (Ephesians 5:22-33)

Marriage is designed to make us holy rather than happy.

God designed our sexual expression to be carried out within the confines of marriage with the purpose of helping married couples build intimacy.

Day 11: My Favorite TV Shows

Here are some of my favorite TV shows.

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I also love:

*Teen Mom

*19 Kids and Counting

*Say Yes to the Dress!

*Four Weddings

*The Secret Life of the American Teenager

Day 10: My Biggest Fear

I will have to be honest, I don't have that many fears, but the one's I do have are pretty lame. My biggest fear is heights, mainly falling from a really high place - be it a mountain, skyscraper, or simply the feeling of falling like from riding a roller coaster or turbulence you feel on an airplane. Just the thought freaks me out, it's a fear that I've always had.

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A second fear of mine are spiders or any creepy crawly for that matter, especially when they are inside my house. When I see one, I just can't just kill it. I freeze and either make my husband, dad, sister, or dog kill it for me. Yes, my dog kills bugs for me and she's awesome at it!

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