Guns N' Roses (11/30)

Okay...picture this.

It is 2002...out on my first date with Briahnna. I have my CD player that is connected to my truck stereo via tape adapter (incidentally - still using the tape adapter for my iPhone).

What CD do I bring that will surely impress her?

Why Appetite for Destruction (Guns N' Roses) of course...

Here are the ones we keep coming back to.  Briahnna has told me on more than one occasion that my choice of music sealed the deal.

WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE


SWEET CHILD O' MINE


In the words of the always articulate Axel Rose:

"Now and then when I see her face
She takes me away to that special place
And if I'd stare too long
I'd probably break down and cry
Oh, oh, oh
Sweet child o' mine
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Sweet love of mine"

The Good, The True, and The Beautiful (10/30)

The Good

The True

The Beautiful

If you only knew how hard it was to get these pictures centered and in the right order. 

When Briahnna graduated from Torry...they gave her a ring with these three words on it. Last year when we were in major reevaluation mode we decided to put things on our walls to remind us what was important. I say we...but this was definitely Briahnna's idea.  She strategically placed them in our foyer/entrance area on each portal. The Good/Bonum (pointing to our main living area...hopefully because good stuff was going on and a place where people could come and feel loved), The True/Veritas (pointing to our library - the little library as our kids like to say - hopefully to show that the search for truth resides in scholarship and the words written on the pages in our library) and The Beautiful/Pulcher (pointing to the outside or God's creation). 

I thought it was genius...which is often the case when I speak of my wife. 

Garden States (9/30)

Did you know there is a botanical garden at UCLA?

Yeah...I didn't think so.

Here it is:  Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Gardens

This is special...because when Briahnna worked at UCLA's psych hospital she showed me this very cool and hidden place. In the middle of a University a place of serenity. On more than one occasion we strolled and talked with coffees in hand.

To this day we like gardens. B and I have had many conversations about where we really see God. Being outside...within natural beauty. Even more sometime than the pages of His Word.

This botanical garden was also the place I hung out just before that fateful day I picked B up from work to go to the Getty.  I'll save that for another post though.

Boxing Day (8/30)

One of my favorite moments at out wedding.

Okay...it was staged but the sentiment sticks with me to this day.  You have to  be willing to lose. Sometimes even lose badly. And...you have to be willing to fight. I am not good as this...the losing or the fighting really.

Briahnna is a born fighter. But not in sinister way...in the best way. A prize fighter way. It goes along with her commitment for excellence I believe. She fights for what she believes in...like our marriage. When things get a little stagnant and we have not connected in a while. She fights for us. Another lesson that I need to learn. I am very much a status quo kinda guy...it takes considerable energy to fight and I often let it go for too long.

As far as this picture goes...our photographer (Jerry - loved that guy) wanted to set this photo up. I thought it was brilliant. I love that our wedding party is behind us cheering us on...cause we can't do it alone...you have to have support. Thank God that we have had it and I pray we will continue to have it.

Moving to Georgia (7/30)

I have eluded to this in the previous posts but it was not Briahnna's idea to move to Georgia. Many people assume that B was the one who wanted to move closer to her Mom...while it was a selling point...the catalyst was me and planting the seed after our second visit to the Peach State. There are a couple different reasons why we moved...if you want to hear the long story you can look here.

http://thevegases.blogspot.com/2011/06/3-years-and-counting.html

Now...I am not perfect. There are lots of things I want to work on in my life and one of them is starting things (or initiating things) for our family. B has mentioned to me that Georgia was something that I pushed and pursued and she did have to lead as we moved out here.

I hope that I have learned some lessons along the way about leading our family. I know that it is what we both want for our family.  I don't foresee us going anywhere else in the near future but I know how it works...there may be something else out there for us that God has prepared...we just don't know what it is yet. For now...B and I will continue to miss home and love the experiences we have had here in Atlanta.

I am so glad I am married to someone who is willing to take a chance for our family.

Hair (6/30)

In case you did not know...

I have not paid for a haircut in at least 9 years...probably 10.

You may say...how did you accomplish this feat? Well...something you may not know about my lovely wife is that not only does she cut her own hair 99% of the time...she also cuts everyone else's in the family.

I suppose this is not a huge revelation to some of you but I think it is pretty cool. The fact that she is confident enough to cut our hair and that she has been so consistent over the course of our marriage. She started the practice before we met but I have been the main beneficiary.

There is something pretty cool about trusting someone to cut your hair...whether on purpose or not...it has encouraged this in our relationship.

Speaking of haircuts...think I will be ready for one soon.

Pinning Ceremony (5/30)

Briahnna might be the best nurse ever...

No seriously. Not even joking.

Everywhere she has worked...and I have been there since the beginning...has given her accolades, awards, raises and of course more responsibility.

I am proud to say that I was able to see her pinning ceremony at BIOLA (enemy territory - see 3/30 post) and subsequently see her receive her VW Golf at the same time. She literally was floored...I think I have a picture. But she absolutely deserved it...just like she deserves to be esteemed everywhere she has worked.

At her current position...she has created special projects, helping with the facility's nursing blog and is always getting called in to take more shifts. She manages people very well (something I admire very much about her)...which is why they keep talking to her about future management opportunities. Of course she doesn't want it because she likes to be in the thick of things and not lose touch with the patients.

As with teaching...nursing is collaborative and a practice and you have to like people (or you should). I am glad that B continues to love her job and not only use it as part of her ministry but that she can be such an example of excellence to others (and to me).

TV (4/30)

Okay...enough of the deep stuff.

Here is another reason why I love my wife.

We like the same TV shows. Superfical? Shallow? Maybe... Essential? Absolutely!

Here are a smattering of what we are watching now.

FRINGE


PSYCH


EUREKA


COMMUNITY


UP ALL NIGHT


MODERN FAMILY


GRIMM


You get the idea...if you ever want to nerd out and chat us up about any of these shows...you are most welcome.

Rivals (3/30)

Some of you may know that B and I went to rival universities.

Out of all the rivalries...I suppose it is pretty tame (except if you are talking about Basketball). Briahnna attended Biola Univeristy in La Mirada, CA a private Christian liberal arts college and was enrolled in the Torrey Honors Institute (which would take a whole blog post to describe). Basically...the smart kids. I went to Azusa Pacific University and according to Biolans the among the heathens of Christian college students (you know all of our loose theology). :)

The reason I bring this up is because I am the first to admit I married up. :) In fact...it might actually cause me to live longer. Having similar college experiences has been important for our relationship since the way we interact with knowledge and truth informs us when we are working something out in our own faith journey. B is a constant inspiration as we try to follow the heart of God and love people like He loves us. The last couple years especially.

I should be more intentional...I should be more of the spiritual leader in the house...I should be more present with our family. Briahnna encourages me to be the man she knows that I can be. So...it goes with marrying a smart women. The man that I am reflects the support that I receive at home from Briahnna.

Cake Pops (Day 2/30)

Okay...pay no attention to the boy who has his arm around my daughter...not the focus of this post. The cake pops are (or more specifically...ice cream cone cake pops).  I was reminded of something today when Briahnna dropped them off...

B doesn't do things half-way. If we are going to bring special treats for Jadyn's unbirthday party at school...then we are going BRING them. :) Yeah...it was Jadyn's idea but this is one of the things that I love about my wife...she is not afraid to try something difficult. We like to say we are a little "risky".

I believe it was before we were actually married but I remember sitting with her as she did some health risk assessment. Something like...do you engage in "risky" behavior and they gave a bunch of different examples... To our surprise we were both labeled as risky. I would like to think that "risky" is the same attribute that allowed Briahnna to be convinced to move across the country to Georgia...or to get a tattoo that really meant something to her "de profundis"...or to get a dog right before the birth of our third child. Nevertheless...I was reminded that I value B's risk taking adventurous self...because after all...life is a grand adventure.

30 Days of Briahnna (Day One)

So today is exactly 30 days from Briahnna's 33rd birthday (sorry honey...cat's out of the bag). This year I have decided to start my gift a little early and attempt something that seems like a rite of passage for some bloggers. The 30 days of...(fill in the blank) series.

The next thirty days (up until B's big day) I will be blogging about her. This really is not hard to do...I feel  like I have lots of wonderful things to say about my amazing wife...the mother of my two children and soon to be third child! Whhhaaaaat!?! (Said with Shawn and Gus emphasis)

Let's start at the beginning shall we?

The day I first met B. You may have heard the story before. I was going to see my roommate's band (Misc. X) play at a club "the Garage" in Silverlake, CA (really hip part of Los Angeles - Beck lives(ed) there you know). I came with my other roommates who also happened to be in a band at the time (my band Paloma). Briahnna was with her roommates (one of who was dating the guitar player of Misc. X - my roommate). Are you following? The place was an absolute dive and there were rumors of weed being available via the sound guy...of course I didn't! Anyways...I spied her amidst her friends and they were talking about her interview at UCLA for a nursing position. She was very positive that she got the job and was in a celebratory mood. Besides just because gorgeous...she was filled with self-confidence and a sense of purpose. Someone who knew where they were going. We struck up a conversation at the end of the night and I told her that I worked with children with special needs as a one-on-one therapist. She told me about her half-brother who was autistic.

It was one of those things...by the time everyone was ready to leave...we were still talking. I left the club and could not stop thinking about her. I totally remember...being totally consumed with wanting to know everything about her (her likes/dislikes) and I made it my mission to find out. I know our friends made fun  of us that night but I felt not embarrassment.  I knew I had found someone special...turns out very special indeed.