New Hobby

Brennan's latest hobby is getting into the pantry, especially when we are in the kitchen. He loves to open the doors, remove items, move them to various locations around the house, and eventually bring them back to the pantry. His favorite things to pull out are the cans of Pam. He has, however, gotten much better at putting things back where they belong, which is greatly appreciated because we can't always keep track of where he relocates items. This past weekend, he removed one can of Pam while I was baking and it showed up again on Monday morning. Good thing I had just bought the new can so I wasn't out of luck with the bread!

Summer Vacation

We had the opportunity to spend this past week near Manassas vacationing with several dear friends: Dan and Kate Bredbenner (kids: Corban and Eva), Kevin and Liz Hass (kids: Sydney and Savannah), Brent and Wendy Vallee, and Chris Lane (aka Lano). It was an exhaustingly wonderful week. We had tons of great hang out time and just got to do life together. We are so incredibly thankful that we all live relatively close to each other so that we can do fun things like this!

The vacation house. A friend of the Bredbenners volunteered to let us use their home for the week while they were gone. It was an amazing, generous thing for them to do! What amazed me was that the home was built for a family of four, but it housed 14 people quite comfortably! It was set on 10 acres of land, so this girl was in heaven! There was also the school bus for the kids to explore, a golf cart to drive around, a giant pile of dirt for little hands to enjoy, and too many blackberry bushes to count (yum!).

Corban was taking his turn with blowing up the gigantic pool for the backyard. Brennan was taking his turn supervising.

We spent a day at the National Zoo. The elephant was pretty cool to see up close.

The highlight of the zoo trip was seeing the pandas. All three were out and about for viewing pleasure.

So cute!

This gorilla enjoyed jumping up against the glass and scaring her audience.

This was the only picture we managed to get of all the kiddos together. They are at least all in the same photo...
(L-R: Eva, Corban, Brennan, Sydney, and Savannah)

Story time always drew a crowd. The book was an even bigger hit. Eva requested it more than any other!

They played together pretty well, despite some differences in age.

The pool was great fun. The water came from a well and was shockingly cold. If you were in the pool too long, you basically went numb. Thankfully, it was a hot day!

It was Kate's first time flying a kite!

Things I learned while on vacation:

1. The funniest child mispronunciation of a word I think I have ever heard was Eva calling the golf cart a "go fart."
2. "That dishwasher gets a better workout than a one-legged man at a butt-kicking competition!" --courtesy of Dan
3. Brennan does not sleep well in a pack and play, resulting in a very tired boy and very tired parents.
4. Bonfires are good, except when you are the smoke magnet.
5. Makeshift curtains can sometimes work a little too well. The sheet and blanket we hung up in our room turned into blackout curtains!
6. A cat named Spazmo is appropriately named. It spent the entire first night roaming the upstairs hallway where everyone was sleeping and howled. No one got much sleep that night.
7. The HOV lanes in DC are "limited access," meaning it's best to not get on them if you need to exit within at least 10 miles of where you entered it.
8. Traffic in the DC area is ridiculous.
9. Earplugs are a marvelous invention.
10. Naps are even better.
11. Vacation with friends is wonderful.

Flowers and Butterflies Galore

We visited the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens this morning for some more outdoor fun. With free admission today and great weather, it couldn't be better! They have a butterfly exhibit, which was pretty neat to visit. It definitely reminded us of our visit to a butterfly farm in Aruba. For most of our wandering around the butterfly exhibit, I was fortunate enough to have a little hitchhiker attach onto my purse. So many varieties and so many pretty colors! We were also extremely glad to have gotten through the exhibit when we did. Due to free admission, a massive amount of people were there and the line was incredibly long when we left the exhibit!

The conservatory which housed the butterfly exhibit and some other indoor garden areas

We spent the rest of the time wandering around the gardens. It was really a beautiful, peaceful place. They have a special children's garden area, complete with a giant tree house and water play area. Despite Brennan's love of water yesterday, he was a little shy around it today (even in his bathing suit). It took quite a bit of coaxing to get him to even touch the water. But we think he still had a pretty good time.

The tree house

Night at the Museum

We decided to kick off our long weekend by heading out to the Children's Museum for the Target Family Night, meeting up with our friends Shawn and Erica and their kids, Manning and Caleb. We had never been there before, so we were pretty excited to check it out. Wow, was it great! The entire place is designed for kids from birth to age 8. There was so much to look at and play with that Brennan got a little overwhelmed. His favorite indoor activity was watching a giant clock with a dinosaur on it. His favorite outdoor activities included the sand and the water feature. We were a little unprepared for the water, but Brennan sure loved it and dove right in!

Brennan's meet and greet with a dinosaur

Hatching out of a dinosaur egg

Brennan and Manning showing some sand-love

After looking at the big water sprayer for a while, he jumped right in! It helped to have friends show him how it's done...

The face--he does it every time he gets really excited and focused on something. He was really excited about the water!

Pool Playdate

Brennan and I had a playdate at the pool today. Given that it was high temperature was in the low 90's, the water felt pretty good! Brennan loves water, so the pool was a great treat. We went with our friends Andrea and Isabelle. Isabelle and Brennan share the same birthday, so it's great fun to see them side by side. The pool we went to had two shallow baby pools, where the water only went up to the kids' waists. They could wander at will and play with all the great toys that were scattered around to enhance the water fun. Isabelle loved to play in the pool, but she also loved to climb out the pool so her mama kept a close watch on her! Brennan didn't learn that trick (thankfully), but he was completely captivated by being in the pool. A great summer treat!

On Our Nightstand, Part 5

Here are some more books that the Downer family has been enjoying as of late:

1. "The Wisdom of Tenderness" by Brennan Manning
2. "Until We Reach Home" by Lynn Austin
3. "Grace Based Parenting" by Tim Kimmel
4. "Praying the Names of God" by Ann Spangler
5. "Treasuring God in Our Traditions" by Noel Piper (excellent!)
6. The Heirs of Montana series by Tracie Peterson
7. "The Boy Who Cried Abba" by Brennan Manning
8. "Jesus Wants to Save Christians: A Manifesto for the Church in Exile" by Rob Bell
9. "The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name" by Sally Lloyd-Jones (a note on this book: it is our desire that Brennan grow up hearing about Jesus, listening to different Bible stories, and hearing the Word of God spoken every day by reading it with him from his little Bible he was given at his dedication. This storybook Bible has been a great tool to help introduce our little one to the One we eagerly desire him to know and love with all his heart)

Boy in a Box!

Oh, the irony

When we go outside, we try to make sure Brennan wears a hat to protect his little head from the sun. He usually pulls it off in about 10 seconds flat because he doesn't really like wearing it. Today, he's decided that he loves his hat, so he's been wearing it around the house, taking it off and putting it back on at will. He's also been dragging around his other hat and even demonstrated the new look of wearing one hat on top of the other. If only he were this enthusiastic about wearing his hat when we really want him to...

Pony Boy

When I was a kid, I had a rocking horse. We've saved that rocking horse, storing it even when John questioned why. Now, it finally gets to be used!


Brennan has always enjoyed climbing on Mama and Daddy, but lately that's been his activity of choice. He sure does love it, though! When I see this picture, I see a little boy--not a baby anymore. He's growing up fast!

Day of Baking

With 7.5 pounds of strawberries waiting in the fridge, I spent today figuring out things to do with them all. So, we now have strawberry bread and strawberry pie (my first attempts at both!). Now, it's off to freeze most of the rest for enjoyment later on.

Strawberry Fields Forever

We spent a good portion of today out at the Chesterfield Berry Farm with our friends Shawn and Erica Morrison and their kids, Manning and Caleb. It's strawberry picking season! It was a lot of fun and definitely brought back memories of picking strawberries in the summers back in Minnesota. Great fun!

Brennan did surprisingly well out in the field. He attempted to pick some berries, ate a few berries, and wandered up and down the row. He seemed to enjoy carrying around the little container we got for him to put his berries in.

The Morrisons, hard at work collecting their own strawberries. Their little ones sure enjoyed picking and eating!

Daddy teaching Brennan how to empty his container into the big flat.

Enjoying the ride back.

The finished product. A whopping 7 1/2 pounds!

There was a huge, deep area filled with corn for kids to play in. Brennan was a little unsure of himself when we first put him in, so Mama got to go in too. He settled right down and really enjoyed playing.

Posing as various farm animals.

We got to go on a wagon ride!

Since he was too little for the bounce house, we opted to play in the hay. It was fun for him for the first few minutes. After that, he was ready to be done with the hay.

Brennan and his buddy Caleb. Caleb enjoyed it more than Brennan. Brennan just wanted to slide off it and keep on walking.

Wonderful Weekend

We spent this Memorial Day weekend down in Newport News visiting our friends, Brent and Wendy Vallee and Kevin and Liz Hass. It was a great way to celebrate our anniversary (Sunday--six years!) and John's birthday (today!). Lots of good fellowship and fun activities. Brennan even slept great for naps and at night in his pack and play--in the same room as us, no less!

Despite a rather cloudy start to the day on Sunday, we got in some good beach time with the sun coming out shortly after our arrival. Brennan really enjoyed playing in the sand with some fun new beach toys, but wasn't really all that keen on going near the water (which was just fine since the water was pretty chilly).

Relaxing after a big lunch

He would only come down to where the sand started to get wet from the waves--and that was only while holding our hands. I think there was something about the waves that scared him.

We spent part of Monday checking out the Virginia Aquarium. There were all kinds of fun fish to look at, giant sea turtles and sharks, otters, snakes, and a sting ray touch pool. Brennan seemed to enjoy parts of it, but really, what keeps a 17-month-old's attention for longer than 2 minutes anyway?

Daddy pointing out some cool fish

Shark attack!

One of the very cool sea turtles

Toilet Paper Trails

I turned my back for a minute, and the next thing I know Brennan is pulling the toilet paper off the roll, dragging it behind him like he's leaving a trail to find his way back to the bathroom. Fun activity for the kid, but not so much for the mama who gets to roll it back up.

Fun with Food

We're attempting to teach Brennan the art of eating with a fork, but using the hands is just so much more fun (especially when spaghetti is on the menu)!

Little Book Lover

Since I love books and reading so much, it's definitely my desire that Brennan also grow up with a love for books. So far, I think it's working! He loves books and can sit for quite a while flipping through the pages of his books looking at the pictures. He has recently started telling himself the story in his special way when he flips through his books (his current favorite is "Good Night, Gorilla"). It's also been fun to head out to the library, which I love to tell Brennan is the happiest place on earth, where we get tons of books for his reading pleasure. I've also recently discovered that our local library does a Mother Goose story time on Saturday mornings for kids up to 24 months. With me working in the mornings during the weeks, I haven't been able to take him to story time during the week, so this has worked out perfectly. The first week we went, it was not pretty. But this week, Brennan behaved MUCH better and really seemed to enjoy being there. Whew!

Dancing Boy

Our little man loves to cut some rug. And now that he knows how to turn on the radio in his room, he can cut all the rug he wants. Here he is showing off his moves. (He tends to play it safe with a simple side-to-side rocking motion -- aka "the sumo"). He's also sporting the outfit my Mom got for him for Easter. Alas, as it was 50 on Easter he couldn't wear it. Today it was about 93 -- more appropriate weather for shorts.

Enjoy the video!

What a Week

This has been an interesting week, filled with thoughts about heaven. My grandpa died on Monday morning. My pastor's wife died this morning. Dave Hammond is the children's pastor at Calvary Evangelical Free Church in Rochester, MN (my home church). He's also the pastor who married us. His wonderful wife, Peggy, battled cancer for eight years. She was an absolutely amazing woman. Her cancer was such a part of her testimony and instead of turning bitter and questioning God, she allowed God to use the cancer in her life to bless so many others. I learned so much from her. She's also the one that I had "the talk" with before John and I got married. We always tried to visit them every time we made it back up to Minnesota. It's strange to think that she's now gone, but I rejoice that she is now free from pain and entering in to her eternal reward in heaven.

Times like these remind that death is not natural. It was never meant to be like this. Death is a result of our sin. But Jesus came to conquer death. His death and subsequent resurrection defeated death. It doesn't have the final word.

Faced with the loss of two precious people so close together makes me wonder about heaven. What will it be like? What happens in the first few moments you are ushered into eternity? What will it be like to see Jesus face to face? What will it be like to meet fellow believers from all over the world and from all different times?

So, yes, there is a time of grieving over what has been lost in this life. But there is ultimate comfort in knowing that both my grandpa and Peggy are in heaven, seeing Jesus face to face.

"I Can Only Imagine"

I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By your side

I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face
Is before me
I can only imagine

I can only imagine

[Chorus:]
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine

I can only imagine

I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Son

I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You
I can only imagine

I can only imagine

[Chorus]

I can only imagine [x2]

I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever, forever worship you

I can only imagine

Arizona Adventures

Brennan and I arrived home last night after several days in Arizona. We had a great trip hanging out with my parents and enjoying some wonderful Arizona weather! Sitting out on their back patio, we got to see rabbits, a jackrabbit, quail, and even a coyote!

Grandpa and Brennan enjoyed their big country breakfast

Story time

Mama and Brennan enjoying his very first carousel ride

Grandpa and Brennan enjoying the weather and checking out some of the wildlife from the patio

We went to a huge park for the playground options and discovered this neat little water park. Since we didn't have his swimsuit with, we opted to give Brennan the opportunity to check out the excitement from a distance.

Grandma taught Brennan how to sweep the patio. He sure enjoyed holding that broom!

Grandma, Grandpa, and Brennan

We flew back in last night after having an incredibly rough 24 hours with Brennan--refusing to sleep (the night before we left, Brennan got about 6 hours of sleep and I got maybe 3 hours) and general crankiness resulting from the lack of sleep. It made for a rather interesting and incredibly difficult journey home. But we made it. It wasn't pretty, but the end result of our homecoming was achieved. It was nice to be back in my own bed last night. It was also nice to have Brennan back in his own bed and to have an incredibly wonderful husband who got up with him in the night and again this morning so that I could sleep/rest more. What a treat!

On a different note, we found out the morning that I left Arizona that my Grandpa Prechel died. It's a very strange feeling to be 30 years old and this is my first grandparent that has died. Over the past several years, my dad witnessed to him and also led him in the Sinner's Prayer. We know that we'll see him again one day. My dad and grandpa talked for a bit on Sunday and he got to say hello to Brennan. We appreciate your prayers for the family!