The Price of Beauty

Poor Abram learned right away what a nice warm bath can turn into. . .

He went from calm and relaxed to screaming in just a few seconds.

But he sure smelled great after!

Some Random Pics of Some Cuties

Ava in her permanent silly-face
















The kids love to play on what Brynne calls the "Swing-Slide" (and for good reason, I mean, that's what you do on it).
Joe and Ava really wanted Brynney in this picture with them.






Brynne lays her dollie next to Abram all the time, so I thought I'd better get a picture of it. Ava went and got one, too.
I think Boo is moving in for a kiss on that doll...

Welcome Abram Jonathan!

Abram Jonathan Brawley was born on Wednesday, August 19, 2009 at 12:59am. He is healthy and happy and cute! He was 8lbs 1 oz and 20 3/4 inches long. I was so stoked to not have to be induced and we are all recovering nicely. Stay tuned for more pictures. . .

Bubble Bubble!!

Oh. My. Word.
Jon and I are so thrilled!!
We figured out how to make our favorite treat right at home:
The Japanese school-girl obsession that is Bubble Tea (to quote my friend Steve).
There is an Asian Supermarket right down the street from our house, so after doing a bit of online research we figured out our list and headed down to "Fubon". When we walked in it reeked of fish--I think our kids thought they had just stepped into a foreign country!
We quickly found what we needed: the tapioca "pearls" (called Boba--this is what makes it Bubble Tea), the flavoring we wanted (Mango!), and of course, big fat straws to drink it with.

We got home, I made some sweet iced tea, mixed in some half & half (it has to be milk tea for me to drink it),

cooked up some delicious Boba (10 minutes boiling time, 10 minutes to steep with the lid on),

stirred in a little mango flavoring and voila! (oops, can I use French to describe this Asian delight??) it was ready. For the price of 3 bubble teas at a tea shop, we can enjoy about 50.
Now the only drawback is all the calories involved...

Pizza, Disc Golf, & Friends

I grew up going to the same church in Redlands, California, where I also met Aimee and Jeff Walnofer. They still live in Yucaipa (right outside Redlands) and every summer Aimee plans a surprise vacation for her family (Jeff and two kids: Tobias and Delaney). This year they returned to Oregon and we got to see them for Flying Pie Pizza, disc golf (where Jeff got a hole-in-one and has the pictures to prove it), and some good catching-up time for me and Aimee. We had a great time!!

Ava and Delaney share a love of drawing

They kind of look like they could be sisters!

Jeff & Aimee

The four of us (well, 5 if you count that big belly)

More Teeth (or lack there of)

Ava has lost three of her teeth in only a few weeks! These last two were just within a couple days of each other...I guess one couldn't live without the other.

A Few Days With Poppop/Nannie

Jerry and Louise took the kids for three days this week so Jon and I could get some R&R before this baby comes (due date in two weeks). Here are some pictures of their time together--looks like they had fun!

Ava's New "Do"

 

 

 

Ava has been literally begging to have her hair cut off...I guess it's just too hot for her. We made her wait a while to make sure she really wanted to, then CHOP! I cut it this morning into a short A-line bob. She wants to donate the 10 inch braid to Locks of Love (after seeing her second cousin Sarah do the same).
We think she looks pretty darn cute!

We Call Her Brynney-Boo

Brynne Vs The Orange

 

I think she finally won!

Guess Who Lost Her First Tooth...

 

Ava was biting into a plum on the way home from VBS the other day and POP! Her tooth nearly came out. It took until the drive home the following day for her to extract it, though. She's not that into wiggling. But we think she looks awfully cute (and she kind of has a lisp now)!!!

Brawley 4th of July

 

Two little Nakies swimming in the pool.

 

Two little Nakies playing on the "Swing slide" as Boo calls it.

 

I couldn't resist this one!

 

Our good friends Steve and Brooke stayed with us last weekend and we had so much fun. I laughed so hard I thought I was going to go into labor. Jon and Steve got to play three different disc golf courses, Brooke and I went garage sale-ing (very successfully, I might add), and of course OMSI was on the agenda for the kiddos. It was also Steve's birthday (sorry for the not-great pic, you guys) and it was fun to celebrate with them. The next day was the 4th of July and when it got dark we sat outside watching the neighborhood and downtown fireworks and listening to the sirens...Steve (click on his name for a sound bite--did I spell that right?) said it was as close to a war zone as he'd ever want to be. Brooke was about ready to get the garden hose out and make sure our fir trees didn't go up in flames.
We had a perfect weekend with good ol' friends.

Tastebook

 

 

My sister Jamie gave me a gift certificate to this wonderful thing called Tastebook. It imports your saved recipes off of several websites (such as epicurious, all recipes, and more). Then you input the recipes you want added, have it printed, and voila! My own personal hardcover Tastebook was at my door in three days. Came right in time cuz my fav recipe collection photo album from our bridal shower fell apart that week. . . I guess 10 years of abuse was all it could take.

You don't have to wonder what this girl's thinking...

Brynne (2 years, 4 months) last night at dinner: Aba (Ava)? Aba! (growing in intensity) ABA!! Where ABA!!!!!!!!!!!!
Brynne running up to Ava when reunited this morning (Ava spent the night at a friend's house): Aba!! ABA ABA ABA ABA!!!!!!!!!!
Brynne today in the movie theater (good thing it was the cheap theater for her first time): Aba? Aba! Aba!!! ABA!!!!!!!!!!!!! I sit ABA!!!!!!!!!
Needless to say, she loves her sissy!

Bela & April Ispas!!!

My sister April got married on Sunday! We had a fabulous week in California before the wedding and were so blessed to be able to stand up for Bela and April at their wedding. We admire them both so much, they both had given up personal dreams and goals in pursuit of what God had for them (in Romania serving the poorest of the poor), and He blessed them and gave them both the desire of their heart in the process. Congrats you guys, we love you and hope your home in Romania is fruitful in both ministry and children!! :)
(These photos were taken by Kris Baurenfiend, a dear friend of April's who was also in the wedding)

Califor-Ny-A

Ava, Brynne, and I flew down for my sister April's bridal shower on Friday. It was a really nice shower--click here for pictures. My sister JoAnna and I have been having fun goofing off and playing with the kiddos. It's been a great time and tomorrow it gets even better when Jon and Jonah join us for a week of wedding prep before the big day next Sunday.

Elisabeth's Rational and Irrational Fears--Part 3

Tonight I experienced one of my fears: something spicy in my eye.
I never thought it would be so painful to have a red chili pepper flake in my eye, but let me tell ya, it ain't no picnic.
We were finishing our dinner and I rubbed my itchy allergy eyes--without thinking, of course. I dropped the plates I was holding and ran inside to get some water.
Jon ran into the kitchen as I was freaking out and crying for help, at first he didn't know what was going on, he thought I just got a piece of dust or something stuck in there. I could hardly open my eye, it was burning so bad, and I just could not make myself open it! I was balling like a baby and yelling for him to help me, he finally says, "You need to CALM DOWN!"
Then I started flushing and flushing with water, trying to get it out (I wasn't even sure there was an "it" to be gotten--maybe it was just the chili residue from my fingers?) but then I realized too late that I had cranked the HOT water instead of the cold, so that made it just a little worse. About ten minutes later I am still flushing my eye and I mentioned again that it stinks to have a chili flake in your eye. Jon goes, "What?! No wonder you're freaking out!"
I finally gave up on the flushing and was walking around with it still burning (it has to stop eventually, right), when I felt something come down from under my eyelid--it was a RED chili pepper flake.
Needless to say, I ran outside to show Jon.
I think I prefer to keep the spicy stuff out of my eyes, next time!

Piano Recital

 

 

 

 

Jonah and Ava had their first piano recital this weekend. They did so great! Ava kept looking at the audience out of the corner of her eye, and after Jonah was done he took a big huge bow, flipping his hair and all. A born performer!

Cutie Boo

 

 

Brynne had some chocolate ice cream and got more on her face than in her mouth!