Anna Brown

i do ido i do i do i do ...

http://annabrown.wordpress.com/.

So much has happened over the past weeks. I know I'm lousy at updating my blog, it just seems like I have nothing too important to say every time I consider writing. Josh ususally says a whole lot of what I'm thinking, and much more eloquently (I'm not even sure if that was correct usage of the word). I'll just tell you some experiences that have made my heart feel ginormous lately ...

My best friend in the world becoming Mrs. Culberson ... I think she was the most beautiful bride I've ever seen. No offense to any other bride in the world, but I really think she was the most breathtaking. I really did gasp after she turned around and I saw her complete look that day. The day was perfect. The setting perfect. They got married at Kristen's uncle's "estate" in Temple, GA. It was in the country, and it could have been the most breathtaking home I've seen. Her family was so gracious to all of us, and that made her day that much more special. And the best thing about her, she was real. It was her, Kristen, getting married. Not some figment of who she thought she should be that day. I watched her be her, all day long. And that was a beautiful thing. And I couldn't be more happy to welcome Craig in to our "family." Why is it that your best friend's wedding day is so much harder to get through than your own?

Two of our other closest friends finally tying the knot - on the same day, mind you. I'll never forget the outburst of emotion Leslie and I shared (as Josh and Nick scratched their heads and wondered what to do). It was a beautiful exchange. We mingled, danced, and enjoyed good time with other friends we don't see too much. And their setting was perfect, too. An old manor in Birmingham, but it seemed like we were right in the middle of Paris. Congratulations, Fiedlers.

Then we headed down to Daphne, AL, home away from home, for a little mini-vacation. This week has been surreal. Sometimes I have to remind myself to breathe I'm so relaxed. Others I have to remind myself to breathe I'm so stressed (I don't think I'll ever get used to having 3 new brothers). The week has been just what we needed, though. We've cleared our heads. Shifted our focuses. And we're starting to make sense of a lot of things. We've been to a lot of coffee shops, eaten a lot of ice cream, and I've shared some divine moments with my husband. The sun was so beautiful bouncing off of his face when we laid behind the bench he proposed on and read for hours. I don't think I've ever loved him more than when a kid-like wonder brushed over him while we were eating fried shrimp. And I've seen a new passion in him. It's been amazing.

Life is good. Enjoy the pictures.

So, this was a surreal weekend by many accounts. There's lots to say about it, but I'll try to stay concise. The fourth installment of the Phoenix Project was this weekend. Suffice it to say, it was a long, but I think, ultimately good and necessary chat. We mulled over absolute truth, the Bible, and worldviews. The real amazement began when we pulled out the Dance Dance revolution. Our friend Ben had warned me how seeing Eric play DDR was something no one is prepared for. So I tried to prepare myself. Not so much to prove Ben wrong, but so as not to embarass myself around Eric when my mind was blown by his mad skills. Ladies and gents, it's true, no one could be ready to experience the DDRness of master Eric. It was the first surreal moment. The night began and ended in amazement of this swift-footed prophet. There was also the Waffle House. Sara Grace ate butter. Josh and I shared waffles. And the pirates vs. ninjas debate went on and on.

Saturday held lots of last minute packing for Josh to be ready for India. Then my amazing husband appeased my inner child and we layed on a big pallette of blankets in the middle of the floor for hours. We watched two really weird movies: Magnolia and Off the Map. Neither were horrible, but neither were great. Well, according to us. But surreal moment #2 was when it started raining frogs at the end of Magnolia. And no one in the movie seemed to care.

Sunday morning we decided to visit the wrap-up of Authentic Weekend at church. I was not prepared for what happened next. Surreal moment #3. I saw the past year-and-a-half or so flash before me in a split second. I saw students who have changed radically over those months. I watched worship I had never seen from many. And it was more than I could bare. I broke down, and I know some of them don't understand it yet, but the pain of knowing that could be the last time I'm in that environment with some of them killed me. It slayed me and inspired me all at once. I've never felt as much happiness and sadness in the same moment. For those of you I haven't had much of a chance to speak with, please know that we love you dearly. We miss you terribly. And we're not leaving your lives. We want you to come by whenever. Let's go to eat. See a movie. Have poker/make-up nights at our house. You all have played more of a role in molding me these past months than most. Then I went to worship with Casey and Sheena, and they showed a video of India, so the tears kept coming. Sorry, guys.

I dropped Josh off at the airport at exactly 12:43. Surreal moment #4. I didn't let myself cry. But I wanted to. Then again, I didn't. I've never been as excited for him. I'm so glad he has the opportunity both to experience the country and culture, use and hone his video skills, and be changed by the experience all at once. I was fine all day, until I went to bed last night. Then I cried. I guess some part of me expected him to be there when I got home. The bed was cold without him. I didn't like it.

And, on a less important note, Surreal Moment #5. I went to Athens to hang out with my favorite Athens family, the Thomas Four. Randy slept, as would I have in his situation, and Sharon and I gabbed for hours. They felt like seconds, though. We took the kids to Inoko Express, and oh how it made me miss living close. I love that place. But the surreal part was that the restaurant was packed, obviously, of students returning from Spring Break. Holey sweatpants, rainbow sandals, cell phones, and unshowered boys abounded. And I've never felt so out of place. It was really, really awkward. I've only been a UGA alumni less than a year, but I felt like I had left that world ten years before. It was really, really strange. And I didn't like it at all. Then we went to the Point, which was great as usual, but I was "that married girl at the singles event." Again, really weird feeling.

So, 5.5 days until Josh is home from India. 6 days until Kristen's shower! And 33 days until our four best friends are married. AHHHHH! Thanks for listening to me rant. I mean, sorry if you read this far. I just had to get that out this morning ...

So, I decided to come to work early this morning. Just to be a "good" employee. To remain more true to the 37.5 hour work week. To that effect, I've been reading my old blogs for approximately 1.75 hours now. And here's are some conclusions I've come to:

1. I use lists a lot.
2. I don't know why I enjoy lists so much. Maybe since they are organized, and tend to be concise.
3. There is a serious lack of burritos in my life ... I think that's all I ate in college.
4. I think I've lost a bit of my child-like wonder. I hate that. I guess that's what a mortage and a salary do for you. But it doesn't have to. I want that to stop. I commit, in front of you all, to feed the ducks, swing on a swing set, and wear my hair in pig tails within the next month.
5. I love my husband. One of the main things I've learned in marriage thus far, is that God gave me this man for a reason. His sense of humor. His intelligence. His passion. It is, also, since God gave me him, that we have a Mr. Potato Head collection, give tacky gifts at ornament swaps, and eat chicken tenders for dinner a lot. But that's who we are. And that's why I love our life.
6. I NEED the beach.
7. I really miss Mango Lemonade. And it's funny how hard it is to convince yourself to buy it when it's your own $2.50. It's just so good.
8. My life has taken lots of changes over this past year, but I love it. And I know the changing won't stop any time soon. It may never. Refer to #5.
9. It's been far too long since I drove for an extended period of time belting U2 or the like at the top of my lungs. I think the last mention of that was in April or so. I need to do that ASAP.
10. Josh and I really do believe in God because of people. And we are meeting new people every day who spur us on to greatness.
11. I need to stop taking myself so seriously. (No comment on this one, Josh)

Today is a new day. A day of running barefoot in the grass, playing kiddie games with my husband, and cherishing every moment of this life. Kavod.

May I just say that my husband is the most amazing man, next to my Daddy, walking this earth. Our first Married Valentine's Day was the stuff of dreams. He absolutely amazed me. It was hard for me to enjoy it for a while since I was crying so hard. What can I say? That's what I do. All you need to know is he ran me a hot bath, complete with lavender (my favorite), rose petals, a glass of my new favorite wine, a new CD mix, and the Redbook magazine I've been wanting. Then, I got to wear my bath robe in to the den, where there was a candlelight dinner he had prepared. Chicken Milano (another one of my favorite things), amazing bread, and chocolate-covered strawberries. We finished the night with some Lost, keeping the important things important.

Men, take note. Learn from my man. I'm still in shock of what he did. And I continue to be amazed by him daily. Joshua D. Brown, You I Love.

I'm long overdue for an update. Apparently lots of people have opinions about this blog - Dr. Stetzer - so I'll shy away from anything wedding related and try to make it "not lame" - Mr. Patton. So, here goes.

These last few weeks have brought many challenges, but thanks to our friends and family, the support has far exceeded the challenges. Josh put in his notice at Cross Pointe, and will only be working there until March 31. Red Cowboy designs is in full swing. (Let us know if you need a graphic designer - I know a good one!) It's been the most exhilarating, amazing experience to step out on faith. We have no real plans, we just know that God has called us to something different. Not bigger or better, just different. We have such a burden for our friends. Really, though, our burden is for people we don't even know. People on the street who have no clue who we are. We'll keep you posted, but please keep us in your thoughts.


Meet Casey and Sheena. They are our newfound (I guess they're still newfound) Hoopla/Cranium/Shout About Music/Long Talks/IKEA/Overall Goodtimes friends. They are super-fun to be around, and I never fail to chuckle heartily in their prescience - even though I tend to be the butt of the joke when Josh is around. Casey is a great musician, we met him at a show he did with our friend Nick, and Sheena is a great artist. Oh, and most importantly, they're getting married on June 17. YAY! They've pretty much made the last few days awesome for us - thanks for that, friends. They've been okay with eating grilled cheese when it's all we could offer them, and even let Josh douse them in smoke and never complained.

Now meet, or be reacquainted with, Kristen and Craig. I feel somewhat selfish. Ever since Craig got back "home," I think we've been taking too much of his time. It's just that we love them so much, we always want to be together. It's really fun, actually. All that to say, the past few days have consisted of us finding "our place" (catch us at the Derby most Friday nights), fun wedding talks, and more to be disclosed later.

So, the Browns, Soon-to-be-Pattons, and Soon-To-Be-Culbersons went on an adventure this weekend. We headed to IKEA where Josh went on a shopping spree, the Culbersons outfitted their bedroom, I got REALLY hot cinnamon rolls, and Craig nearly ran me over with his cart. Next - Craig's inaugural Varsity experience. I don't think he'll be going back any time soon, though. Josh stood watch over Craig's truck with all of our goodies in it, while the rest of us stood in what felt like a 2-hour-long line. The Varsity never disappoints, though. Then, it was all about games. Casey, Sheena, and Josh are pretty much the music masters, but little did they know the secret weapon of Anna. Who else could get Usher off just the word burn, Coldplay from just Apple, and Britney Spears from Crossroads. All the years of Glamour and Q100 finally came in handy. And, may I just say, the girls were victorious in Shout About Music. Even though the game is a rip-off.

I'm well aware that no one cares about this stuff but me. No one else will laugh at the typed words on the page - no one else can see Kristen in their head doing her "I got my wedding shoes" dance - no one else knows just how painful it was for us to watch what we thought was going to be a really funny show that ended up being not so. No one else cares what it looked like when Sheena and I were trying to act out an Asylum. No one will lose sleep not knowing what Leslie's face looked like when she was watching us play Cranium. But, to steal a line from my husband, I believe in God because of people. Relationships are how I feel the hand of God the most. I honestly feel closer to God sometimes while laughing with friends than I do in what's been planned as a "holy moment." So, thank you, to name a few, Casey, Sheena, Kristen, Craig, Josh, Nick, Leslie, Mom, Dad, Tad, Kimberly, Sarah Grace, Charlotte, Ben, Gina, DrTeeth999, Allison, Kelly, Stephanie, Ashley, The Brown Family, David, Jake, Adam, Uncle Russ, Aunt Cami, Emmie, Ellie, Mark, Carolyn, and so many more for being the image of God to me. Your influence is stamped all over my life.