Let's Set the Name Record....

We have no intention to name our upcoming bundle of joy "Brick". While it still seems slightly ridiculous to me that a poor person would have to come into this world only to find out they were named after things such as concrete, tile, and other building materials; the name has grown on me over the past couple months. There are some sweet theme songs that come to mind....

Anyway, for those still lingering... "Brick" came from Nick and I's name put together. Brit + Nick = Brick. And since we will be "going old school" and not finding out if Brick is a he or she, we have named this limbo period as such. I find it much more appropriate than "it" or "that thing". Much more personalized this way.

Phew, glad we cleared that up.

Baby Brick is doing wonderfully, growing and hopefully soon to be moving around!

The things I am starting to grieve...

Streets lined with trees.

Brick.

Squirrels running across wires out my window.

Escalators for your shopping cart.

Bernie, the precious Italian lady who digs through the trash in our alleys and visits me every night at work to bring canned fruit from her fruit trees.

Never ending paths and parks along the river.

Languages.

3-minute commute.

The smell of Tre Kronor in the mornings. (mmm..Swedish pastries)

Having our name on the buzzer downstairs.

Ringing the buzzer.

Answering the buzzer to let someone in. (Buzzers are quite fun.)

Everyone in shorts as soon as the thermometer hits 55.

My customers.

Thankful for every foggy breath I take in this rad city. Love living this urban life and all the people God has given to me along the way. A massive gift Chicago has been.

Without

Life without hair isn't really any different then before. Though, there are a couple small differences I have quickly noticed. First, every door is opened for me. Second, there is an art to using small amounts of shampoo, which I have yet to master. And third, I have a new found obsession with earrings.

Really, I wasn't bald for long. Within 48 hours I already had myself a nice fuzzy dome. I feel like I blink and its another centimeter longer. Though, I find myself fairly often wishing it wouldn't grow so fast. Don't get me wrong, I have never felt so grateful for each sprouting hair. It is a sign of the wellness I so easily take for granted. But, it seems like for all that hype and excitement that built up to the event, I sort of would like to be bald for a couple months at least. That might sound totally absurd, and I know this isn't how it works, but I wanted to stick it out with the kids.

My tennis ball head still allows for it's long uncomfortable stares each and every day. A beautiful sign, I like to remind myself, of the hidden compassion within us all. It gives me a glimmer of hope for humanity, as everybody seems to have a heart for the sick (or who they assume are sick). I pray that more of us, myself included, would act on that compassion more often. We all need each other.

Anyway, I'm getting used to it. Only a couple weeks and it seems pretty usual now (for me, that is). As for the stares, eh, I could do without.

They Keep Asking...

The million dollar question is..."So, are you getting nervous for the big shave?!"

The answer is...nope, nada. Will I miss my hair? Probably on some days, but mostly, nah. I mean, this is temporary for me. I'm 99.9999% sure my hair will grow back over time. And from most of what I've heard, its supposedly will grow back stronger and better than ever, so perfect.

At the beginning, it definitely forced me to ask myself some important questions. Some heart exposing questions. Worth, beauty, appearance, perceptions. The list goes on. And it amazed me that all this could come from something as silly as my length of hair. Right? What I say I believe and what I do about my beliefs seem to be the where the rubber meets the road. And this girl isn't going down like that. I'm puttin all my chips in (if I ever had any chips to put in). If this life is only a glimpse into eternity, then shoot, I better start giving to things that will last.

To be honest, I think these kids losing their hair are gaining something worth much more than silky, smooth locks. They learn an inward beauty, an inward search, that most of us never dare to explore. Really, they are probably better off without the hair in the long run. But I figure, with all the physical pain they endure, if they want a stylish wig to feel human for a day, more power to em. And its my honor to supply it.

What I really can't believe, is that this whole shindig is going down in two weeks from today. Because I've been so focused on getting my husband home, time is flying by when it comes to everything else.

A Big, Giant Update

Not that I think many of you are tossing and turning as you sleep because we haven't updated this blog in a couple months. But it does sit in my mind, waiting to be written on. And so, I apologize for the delay! But in return, I am going to give everyone a big, giant (summarized) update of what BRICK (that's us) are up to. And then, moving forward we will stay updated and blogs will overflow! (That's the plan, anyway.)

As most of you know, at the present time, I (Brit) live in Chicago, and he (Nick) lives in Arizona. Nick graduated from North Park University in December and on January 1st he moved out to Mesa for a full-time 3rd quarter substitute teaching job at Redeemer Christian School. He has been molding the young minds of a 3rd and 4th grade class ever since! Most excitingly, he loves it. Loves teaching, loves kids, and really feels confident in this calling on his life. We couldn't be more pumped for him. (And my parents get the joy of having him in their home!)

Me, 1700 miles away, besides missing my beloved each day, am doing my thing at Starbucks and finishing up my LAST SEMESTER AT NEIU!!! (That totally deserved caps.) I am painting like a mad woman, and soaking in every word in my last art history class. I am preparing for my senior show in June, after I walk in May! My friends here have been overwhelmingly supportive and cuddly while Nick has been gone and I find myself volunteering for everything in between.

I am shaving my head in solidarity with kids that have cancer on March 17th (St. Patty's Day) in Arizona! And that will also conclude Nick's stay in Arizona, for now. Counting down the days!!

I am in the middle of a transition out of the worship leader position at our church (which means I lead once a month, and help out in between)....because.....we are very officially moving to Arizona in June. Yep! This couldn't be more exciting for Nick and I. We feel confident and at peace with where God is moving us.

Lots of transitions and in betweens for us now. Living day to day in the middle of it all is not always easy. We are being uprooted from where we have been, and curious about where are roots will go when we settle again. The whole process is stretching us in ways we wouldn't have expected. But we do rest in knowing we can be content where we are now, and look forward to where we will be soon. All in time.

Mint is Green.

I strongly dislike mint ice cream. Basically, its the worst type of ice cream that exists. Nick only buys mint chocolate chip ice cream. I can enjoy the chips, but that minty mint tastes like, you know what in my mouth. Apparently, I have never informed Nick of this truth. (Note: His favorite candy is Jr. Mints. Red flag from the start.)

About a week ago, my loving husband came home with groceries. To my dismay, mint chip ice cream was awaiting me in the freezer. I had to break the news to Nick. I couldn't live in this lie of neon green dessert any longer. So I subtly broke the news. "Nick. Please never buy this disgusting stuff parading around as ice cream ever again. Thanks." Good, right? I thought so.

Well, Nick huffed and puffed (not, really) and so I felt obligated to enjoy a cup of it after dinner.

He brings me my serving and I am in shock. IT'S NOT GREEN! Which to my taste buds, means it's not mint. Because mint is green.

To my surprise, I enjoy this sect of mint chip ice cream. Mint ice cream isn't so bad after all. Don't tell Nick, it will break my cool.

Summer Books

Nick & I are reading some great books right now. Nick is reading Churched by Matthew Paul Turner. It is a hilarious story of the author's journey in an old school baptist church. Nick is constantly laughing out loud, Matthew Paul Turner's writing is refreshingly honest and sarcastic.

I am reading Rest: Living in Sabbath Simplicity by Keri Wyatt Kent. Learning about the importance of rest not only intentionally on Sabbath but as well as a sabbath type of living and rhythm everyday in our busy lives. Keri integrates a lot of our Christian heritage into this understanding which I really appreciate and am learning a lot from it.

When we rest intentionally in God's presence, we are saying, "God I trust you when you say your love is unconditional. Because I am receiving your love - without doing anything."