Random Memories I'd Not Like To Forget...

When I was 16 my mom was involved in a car accident that took her Home.

When she stepped off the curb, she never saw that bus coming! (Kidding)

I know it's weird to joke about something like that....but she actually used the same line when people asked how her mom passed away in order to spare the sad and unnecessary details.

I can only tease about something like this, because God has been so gracious to me and has really brought me to a place in life that I feel very healed and at peace with my situation.

This wasn't the case 10 years ago...man...I don't even want to get in to how insanely horrible and shattered my world felt back then.

God has allowed me to forget a good part of what overwhelmed and almost broke me, and has graciously allowed me to remember how he drew close to me and provided "normalcy" in a time of need.

I say "normalcy" because it didn't stay that way for long.

Jamie was my Student Government Leader and also taught at my highschool. She had her whole desk covered in Young Life paraphernalia and, because I have 15,000 questions for everything, I started asking about what is was. One thing led to another, and I started going to YL club in Ft. Myers, Fl where I met a bunch of really sweet girls who I had a lot in common with.

Coincidentally, TWO other girls had come from homes where their mother had died and their fathers were pastors who had also left the church. It was great to have support and friendship...so I kept going.

During this time, my home life was struggling and Jamie took notice. She invited me over for dinner after Young Life and I started volunteering to babysit for her.

I realized that she really cared about me when she wasn't actually leaving during the times that she had asked me to babysit. (Oh man....a bunch of water just leaked into my eyes....keep it together...)

She just wanted to spend time with me and she knew that I needed a motherly figure at my young and fragile age.

We ate popcorn, shared laughs, hugs, and tears, and she pretty much adopted me into her family for the next two years of high school until I graduated.

She fed me A LOT , patiently waited for me to mature, and seriously, SERIOUSLY spoiled me with Rib City's Cheesy Waffle fries.

It was no longer her and her husband...they generously took me everywhere and never, ever made me feel like "it wasn't a good time".

(Can I just say... I've tried recreating this feeling for others, and it's really friggin hard. I'm so dang selfish, for real, for real. I have no clue how they did it for so long.)

When her husband, Aaron, started a Wyld Life program at a middle school near my house, I volunteered to be a leader. I was able to pour into little puberty-stricken, confused middle schoolers and tell them God loved them just the way they were. It was awesome. And a little awkward at times.

After I went to camp as a high-school student, I went the following summer as a leader.

Loved it.

Volunteered for two more summers at two different YL camps.

Poured my life into kids that came from the bottom of the barrel. Saw some of them come to Christ. Saw some of them not, but loved them anyway.

Started a Bible Study/morning group with the high-school girls I had taken to camp that summer.

Woke up early to give them breakfast and the Word. Best mornings ever.

By this time, I was in my first and second years of college.

I was living in St. Augustine, and Jamie and Aaron were living about an hour away. I visited them when I could, and loved having "family" so close.

It was around that time that their son, Parker, had been seen by several different doctors for sickness, which turned out to be Leukemia.

I rushed to the hospital that held him, and pretty much stayed there for the next 9 months. I scraped by that college semester, but I didn't care. I lived at the Ronald McDonald House next to the Arnold Palmer Hospital. We took shifts so that Aaron could still work (his drive was about an hour, each way).

We watched Disney movies on loop, pulled a red wagon around the only floor of the hospital we could go on. His IV followed closely behind.

His body swelled, and when the needles pricked him, he would tell the nurses, "Tank you."

We got to spend our last days with him at Disney World and Animal Kingdom.

We got to wake up at Animal Kingdom Resort and show him the giraffes outside his window.

These were very personal, very intimate times that the family could have asked to have and share all by themselves.

Instead, I was there. Crying. Confused. Trying to enjoy our last moments with sweet Parker.

This was a family who truly loved me and treated me like one of there own, often times more than my own family could at that point in our lives.

It has been years since this all took place, and God is still working in both of our families lives. We still keep in touch and send each other sweet encouragements.

Jamie has become a dear friend, a person who has seriously seen the worse parts of me, and has shown me grace, compassion, and friendship even still.

I guess the reason I wanted to write this down tonight is because it's a very important piece of my life that so few people know about. There are so many more details that I'd love to share, but I would be writing for forever if I did.

I also wrote this down, because there's a child that I heard about that is involved in a very bad family situation right now. My immediate reaction was to offer our home, but it wouldn't be allowed here for so many reasons.

All of this to say...I think there is probably at least one person in your life who has impacted you greatly. Maybe just write down how they did...Share your story! How cool is it that God used Jamie and her family to ultimately glorify Him? They poured in to me, I poured in to others, and the cycle continues.

Friday with my Father

Friday's were his day off.

(Let him sleep in. Let him rest.)

He would take me to breakfast every Friday morning.

First, he would teach me how to love, and how I should be loved. (Burger King Croissants, Quality time.)

He would teach me how to love others. ("Let's bring one for your teacher, too!")

He would teach me about how time was precious. (Park, sign in, hold my hand, pray with me, walk me to the door.)

He would teach me the value of hard work. (Mow the lawn, dig fences, serve others.)

He would teach me how to how fun. (Movie dates, TGIF, Ice-cream, and Shirley Temple re-runs.)

He would teach me comedic timing. (Nothing's funnier than a perfectly-timed toot.)

He would teach me sacrifice. (Spending his only day off to pour into his family.)

Friday's were his day off.

And the newest adventure iiiiissss.........

Hi friends,

It's been to long. I hope you're doing well!

I have started a new challenge for myself. 

I used to write poetry all the time and it's been several years since I've been at it.

I came across a poetry challenge that kind of helps you get your creative juices flowing by giving you a few different ideas to write about each day.

I know I'm a little rusty and everything may not turn out as epic or beautiful as I hope, but I'm at least going to try! :)

The start of my newest adventure...poetry...who knew! :)

Here's a little bit of what I wrote today:

I have known a heavy hand 

and I have known a gentle man.

I have seen a flower bloom

and I have watched a soul wane.

I have heard a child's laugh

and I have heard my father's cry.

And I have loved.

And I have felt.

And I have lived.

New Year, New Adventures!

Hello all!

We hope you enjoy this 1-time take of our family update.

We're having fun and loving our break. Hope to see you all soon!

Leave any questions you have for us in the comments section and we'll answer them on our next video! :)

 Our favorite hangout - Flat White

My handsome hubby :)

A shot from Britt's snowboarding adventure :)

 Our new car

Merry Christmas, from Japan!

Howdy ya'll!

We had "Christmas Cheer Day" today at school, and it was a blast! Here's a few of our fourth grade kiddos. :)

Tonight, Britt and I were watching old videos of fun times with our friends and family back home.
SO funny! Man, do I miss you guys! Maybe I'll post another blog soon with those videos!

Britt and I have done a quick little Christmas cheer video for you! He says, "Take one," but then when I asked for a take two....it was a no go. So here's our very best (and only!) take at Joy to the World in Japanese!! Enjoy!!

Also, our Japanese class sang it using "Ra, ra, ra..." today....so here's that too!

MEERRRRYYY CCHHHRRIISSTTMMMASSS!!!

VIDEO BLOG!

Hey everyone! This is my first video blog...gotta mix thangs up, ya know? :)

Enjoy!
-Brittany

My Funny Valentine

Britt Holmes is hands-down, the funniest person I've ever met.

I just can't help but to smile when I'm around him. 

Here's a recap of our silliness and love over the years! :)

To the man who knows my flaws, and loves me despite them.

I love you so.

Once Upon a Time...

Once upon a time there lived a very small girl.

She loved to play, ride her bike, and pretend to be a teacher since the age of 5.

That girl grew up loving the Lord. Not many of her friends did, though...and that was really hard for her.

Although she had a few crushes here and there, she wouldn't date any boy who didn't already pursue Christ.

This left her spending loads of time plugged into churches, ministries, and school. 

One day God opened up a potential door for her in Texas, which was the last place on Earth she could ever want to possibly live.

When she moved to Texas, that door closed. She was left with no friends or family anywhere nearby.

Another door opened at Bible School down the road from where she lived. 

She would obviously hate it and rebel against normalcy of this podunk Texas school. Not because she didn't love the Lord, but because their rules were stupid.

Then, this girl met a really cool group of friends. 

One friend in particular really sparked her interest and they began hanging out everyday, whether the rest of the group was with them or not.

After months of genuinely enjoying each other's friendship, the girl and her best guy friend began dating with the intent to marry. 

They loved each other very much, and even though the school's rules were stupid, they both realized they were rules set in place for very specific reasons. So they respected and submitted to what the school asked of them.

Praise God for "stupid rules". 

On their one year anniversary, her very best friend proposed to her in a profoundly special and romantic way.

She said yes, and 7 months later wedded him. It was God's grace that kept them pure until they said "I do."

Soon, they'd both be finishing college, and were praying about God's calling on their life. 

When the pair felt strongly to reach the 99% non-believing nation of Japan, they asked for God's wisdom and provision.

Boy, did He answer! Within 8 months of her college graduation  and 1 month after his, they were given an incredible opportunity to move to Sendai, Japan.

They worked in a place that was far more beautiful then they could have ever imagined. They got to work together and love on the children and people of Japan.

They worked hard and knew that all good things came from the Lord.

They were incredibly grateful for opportunity they'd been given wanted to spend the rest of their days pursuing Christ's calling on their life.

For now, you can still catch them holding hands, sneaking besitos, and asking for a table for futari in their new homeland of Sendai.

Onsens and Other New Adventures

Hi friends!

I thought I'd be posting pictures and blogs like crazy here in Japan, but it is a little tricky right now. I think when we get an iPhone set up, it will be much easier to post/share photos with everyone!

Things have been going great here, and I am genuinely enjoying my job. I love that I get to talk to my kids about the Lord, and I love that I get to see them being excited about coming to school!

For a quick recap of the month:

-Our favorite sushi place is about 5 min walking distance from our house and we love it!

-Our date nights usually include dinner and going to Book-Off in downtown Sendai, which is a giant resale shop. (I should mention that people here only wear certain clothes when they are "in season", unlike Americans that wear their clothes until there's holes in them! lol) So all the clothes there are SUPER nice, hardly worn, and really cheap!)

-We should be starting our Japanese lessons in the next month.

-We went out for some karaoke (a Japanese staple) and it was funner than I expected! I even sang some Adele with a few other co-workers, and yes....We brought the house down!! :)

-Britt and I have both lost weight, but I don't know how much yet...our clothes are fitting looser...thanks to the tons of rice we eat and the WAY smaller portion sizes!

-The desserts here are incredible. I enjoy them on the daily.

-It has snowed almost everyday since we've been here. Walking to work with our snow gear/snow boots on is officially normal now.

-Right now it is in the 40's and it feels warm. THAT is really weird to say.

-Some of my favorite mornings are when I pass the little toddlers on their way to school. "Ohayōgozaimasu" (good morning) and "Kon'nichiwa" (hello) are so much cuter when they come out of a 4 year old's mouth! lol

-We went to an Onsen, and though I thought it was the weirdest thing I'd ever agreed to at first....it ended up being incredibly relaxing and enjoyable! Here are some pictures of Onsens/public bath houses/hot springs. It's where guys and girls separate by gender and relax in hot water for hours and hours. 

SO AWESOME! 

Come visit! :) Sayōnara!

Kon'nichiwa!

Hi friends!
I know its been awhile since my last post, but I had a few minutes and I wanted to say hi again!
First off-we've been in living in Japan for almost 2 weeks now! I wish all of you could come live here, it's incredible!

I want to brag about my new school and friends, but I feel like I've done that a bunch on Facebook already, so I'll just summarize by saying....BEST. DECISION. EVER. (Other than marriage, of course!)

We were a bit under the weather our first week here, but we're almost up to speed now! We went to the doctor and in Japan you get a pill for each symptom you have! So we ended up taking about 5-7 pills, twice a day. Guess how much our doctor visit & medicine was for the both of us? ......about $25 TOTAL!! (Thanks national health care!) It took less than an hour for everything too! Praise God!!

We have been going all around Sendai, and we even went to a new church today! We will try out all the English-speaking churches, and then hopefully find one that we can get plugged in at. Everyone is so welcoming and friendly, its been such an easy/pleasant transition here! :)
A quick story, and then I need to head to bed.....
We went to the international center the other day to sign up for Japanese lessons. Well, when I was washing my hands in the restroom, there was a mom with 4 little girls. They all smiled at me and the mom pressed the oldest one (about 6 yrs old) towards me and said something that made the girl talk to me! lol....She said, "Kon'nichiwa!". So I politely said..."Kon'nichiwa, Hello! Watashi wa Brittany desu!" Then I pointed at her sister's and her to get their names. They were so excited and they treated me like I was a celebrity! It was so adorable!

I can't wait to learn more Japanese and go exploring around the country. I already feel so at home, and I'm so glad I get to experience this with my best friend! So thankful that Britt and I get to work and play together, and SO excited for our kids to grow up here! (No, I'm not pregnant, but I will be someday...and we don't plan on leaving here anytime soon! :)

Love and miss you all, but having a blast here too!!

Oh! BTW! If you send us American care packages, we'll send you one full of awesome Japanese stuff too! 

Ideas for us are: Little Debbie snacks (oatmeal cream pies, swiss cake rolls, starcrunch, etc., brownie mix (the bag would be fine/probably easier to send), Fruity pebbles, Trix, Rotel, Velvetta, Dry pinto beans, Cumin, Xbox live giftcard....aaannddd that's all I can think of for now! 

Here's our address:              

              Britt & Brittany Holmes

K Heights A201

3-8-10, Kamiyagari, Izumi-ku,

Sendai, Miyagi, 981-3121, JAPAN

SAYONARA!!! :) :) :)