2013 Christmas Yearly Update

Merry Christmas 2013 & a Happy New Year in 2014 from our family to yours!

I guess since I've already begun sending out Christmas cards referring to our yearly update, I better get this started!  It seems this year, the holiday season just crept up on us all.  Here's a review of what we've been up to in 2013:

Scott & Jill:  We continue to stay the busy parents of three active kids who try to keep us on our toes!  :-)  Scott still is working in Purchasing for BMC in Charlotte, NC.  I don't know how he continues to make the hour drive one way back and forth from our home (and has been for 4 1/2 years), but I'm so thankful that he does!  He really never complains about the drive, and says it gives him time to decompress after work and ready to be at home once here.  It is definitely hard on the fuel budget, but we are thankful he has a good job that he enjoys.  He is a loving, active, and involved Daddy to our 3 kiddos!  He still finds a little time to enjoy Star Wars games and keep up with Star Wars news and Marvel and the Superhero movies.  Good thing he has boys that enjoy this too!  I am still working part time in Accounting at Wolverine Coatings Corporation in Spartanburg.  Having worked there for 7 1/2 years, I am still so happy and blessed to work for a company that I enjoy my work at and time to use my professional skills, but also have time to be the involved mom that I desire to be.  It is nice to be able to attend kids school events, extra curricular activities, and be able to take them to appointments as needed without it being such a struggle between work and home.  We also continue to be involved at our church, First Baptist Church of Spartanburg, where we started teaching Alaina's 2 year old life group class every other week since August.  Those little 2 and 3 year olds bless our hearts, and even though it sometimes feels like it's hard to find the time to serve, we are glad we accepted God's call for this year to serve in this way.  I have also continued to enjoy photography this year and have started Lainey Bug Photography as a part time business as well.  Check out my photography website at www.laineybugphotography.com to see some of my work.  We also celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary on July 1st - so thankful and blessed to be going through life with him!  

Ethan:  He started out 2013 playing Upward Basketball for the first time at a local church near us.  He had a great experience and enjoyed it a lot.  He even was able to attend a summer basketball camp in the summer at the high school he will attend in the future with the high school basketball coaches, and learned a lot and had fun.  He plans to play basketball again this coming January.  He finished 3rd Grade in May with all A's for the year.  He even received a special medal for getting all A's for every grading period between 1st and 3rd Grade.  We are so proud of his hard work!  Of course summer was filled with fun trips to the pool, but instead of taking swim lessons he was able to help out with the little kids this year on the days he was there.  He continues to be a strong swimmer, and we are thankful he learned and had such a good teacher for many years!  Fall started up as busy as ever, with starting 4th grade at the Intermediate school, and being in an all boys class.  He has one teacher for Math & Science and one for Language Arts & Social Studies, so he is getting a little taste of what it will be like changing classes in middle school eventually.  He needs to just slow down on this whole growing-up thing!  He also attends a Gifted and Talented class once a week this year for the first time, so he has been adjusting to the increased academic requirements.  But he has handled all of this adjustment well and made the all A & B honor roll for the first part of the year so far!  He also is participating in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club after school this year.  Fall was also filled with our usual busy soccer season, only this year Ethan and Caleb both played for AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization) instead of Upward. They both were able to attend an AYSO international camp with coaches from the U.K. and Ireland for a week in the summer, and continued to practice and increase their soccer skills before the regular season began.  Ethan was a strong offensive player this year, and enjoyed getting to focus on his strongest position, making many goals for his team during the season.   The boys were on different teams this year, so our Saturdays were filled with at least 2 games, sometimes 3 for several months.  And Alaina was a good sport and was there to cheer her brothers on each weekend.  She still has one more year until she could play on a team, but she probably is already ready to play now!  Ethan also ran in his very first 5K race with me in August, and did very well!  He of course made it look like a breeze, and I probably held him back, but it was so fun to train for and run the race together.  Ethan also celebrated his 9th birthday on February 3rd, and had fun at a bowling party with friends.

Caleb:  Well, what I didn't cover above for Caleb I'll cover here.  :-)  He also started 2013 playing Upward basketball and enjoyed it a lot.  He and Ethan were on the same team, so it was nice to just have one game to attend each weekend for that season.  He also plans to play again this January, so with their age differences, we'll go back to 2 games each weekend.  Caleb finished out 1st grade in May with very good grades as well.  He made all As all year, and one B.  We are proud of the effort he is showing and that he is doing his best and enjoys school.  Both Caleb and Ethan also continued gymnastics in an all boys class at the beginning of 2013 and enjoyed it a lot through the Spring.  We took a break with the start of the new school year though, so we could focus on the busy schedule of soccer season.  With now having 3 active and involved kids in activities, we decided they each had to decide on one sport per season to play, so they both chose soccer in the Fall this year.  Caleb was a strong defender and goalie, and blocked many goals for his team this season.  Although he says that next Fall he wants to play tackle football instead . . . Mommy and Daddy are still on the fence about the tackle part, perhaps we'll start with flag football first!  Caleb started 2nd grade this Fall and is doing well so far with the increased academic demands.  He has been working hard to improve his handwriting this year, and we are proud of his effort and determination.  Both he and Ethan still struggle with amblyopia (where their brains use one eye over the other.)  They both got sports glasses, rec specs, for soccer this year and have enjoyed wearing their sporty glasses all the time.  We have had to patch their good eyes in the past for several years off and on, to try to force their bad eye to focus and be used.  And just recently we decided to try the atropine drops, which blur out the vision in their good eye for several days each week, instead of the patch, to make it easier for their active lifestyles.  We are hoping we will see an increased response of using their good eyes more and training their brains to use that eye more.  Caleb, Ethan, & Alaina all enjoyed attending a Christian Sports camp and Vacation Bible School at a local church this summer too.  (We were on vacation during the VBS at our home church.)  Caleb and Ethan also attended a Kid-Fuge day camp at another local church in our area for a week in the summer and had a great time - we are so blessed to have so many great churches in our community where they can continue to grow in their knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ.  Caleb finished out his last year (Mommy and Daddy promised) of formal swimming lessons this summer.  He also has developed into a wonderful swimmer this year.  Caleb also turned 7 on August 30th, and had a great time at a pool party with friends.

Alaina:  Well, what can I say about Alaina?  A LOT!!!  :-)  She continues to be spunky, energetic, sweet, and frustrating all at the same time . . . but isn't that what all 2 year olds are like to a degree?  Alaina keeps up with her brothers, and seems much older than she really is.  She is the normal 3rd child, and with being so much younger than the boys, she gets hauled around to all of their activities.  But she normally does great, when she isn't having a stubborn moment about wanting her way, and the boys still adore her and love her being at all of their activities and events.  At the boys' school Christmas parties she was asked by a teacher while walking down the hall if she was a 3rd grader, to which she energetically replied, "Yes!"  She has a joy for life that is like no other, easily saying, "Oh, Hi!" to most anyone she meets, new or already known.  If we could only all have that kind of joy for life!  She reminds Scott and I to slow down, and enjoy every moment.  This Fall Alaina started a dance class at a local dance studio, where she is learning ballet and some tumbling too.  She really likes it a lot and has had fun getting to play with other little girls her age.  She also was able to start her first swimming lessons this past summer, and was introduced to putting her head under the water, holding her breath, and kicking her feet!  We know she'll be ready again this summer for more lessons to continue to get comfortable in the water.  As I said above, Alaina was able to attend VBS this year for the first time, and she absolutely loved it, especially all the singing.  At the end of week program, she got up on the stage and sang and did the motions.  She is definitely our little performer, and will be ready for 3 year old choir, when she is old enough in Fall 2014.  Alaina turned 2 back on January 31, 2013, and had a fun time with her neighborhood friends at a party at home playing games and having cake and snacks.  She is the "little sister" of the neighborhood, and has so many great older friends of the boys who love and care for her too.  She is going to be one well protected little girl!  :-)

Well, as I try to finish recapping our year . . . there was a lot this year, I am also reminiscing of all the fun times we were able to spend with family, near and far.  We enjoyed a family beach trip in the summer with Scott's parents to Surfside Beach, even getting to go to our first water park as a family with the kids.  We also enjoyed making a trip to Williamsburg, VA to my parents' home there to visit at Thanksgiving time, and got to also see my sister Megan and her husband, Mike and son, Cooper.  My sister, Stacy, and her family, Zach, Wendy, Serena, and Daniel were visiting Zach's parents in TN this year, but we are looking forward to seeing them all again over this Christmas time.  We did unfortunately, lose our beloved lab, Sylvie, who passed away in the late Fall.  She was 12 years old and will be missed by our family.  We still have Angel, and she is definitely a bit more lonely without her buddy.  Maybe we'll have room for another furry friend in the future!  

As you spend time with your family and friends this Christmas and New Year's, take the time to enjoy the little moments and remember the reason we celebrate.  The gift of Jesus as a baby in the manger, sent to the world to die for all of our sins, if we just accept Him into our lives.  As always, this is just an update with the highlights of our year.  We have faced challenges as well, as most everyone does, but we try our best to depend on God to help us through when we do.  

We hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas 2013 and a Happy New Year in 2014!

Love and Blessings,

The Brisken Family

Scott, Jill, Ethan, Caleb, & Alaina       

2012 Christmas Yearly Update

It's time to reflect once again on our year and share with our friends and family what we've been up to in 2012. 

Ethan turned 8 in February and celebrated with a bowling party with friends. He started third grade in the Fall, and is continuing to do well with his grades and all the requirements of studying, and multiple tests each week. The material is a lot to learn this year, but he is handling the added responsibilities well. In the summer, he took swimming lessons for the 5th year in a row and has told us that he wants to be the swimming Teacher's helper next summer. He also went to an Upward soccer camp and tennis camp and VBS over the summer, where he learned fun sports skills and about Jesus. Our Fall activities started strong with Upward soccer season # 5. Both boys were thrilled that Daddy and Papa Brisken coached their team. Ethan continues to love soccer so much, and is quite good if I must say so myself!  We are proud of all the goals he made and how he was a leader on the Generals team of first through third graders. 

Caleb turned 6 in August and celebrated with a backyard Skylanders water party with friends. He started first grade in the Fall, and has done well in his first year with real grades. Although one of the youngest in his class, we are happy with our decision for him to be in first grade this year, as he would've been bored in kindergarten again.  His good grades and high test scores confirm we made the right choice for this year.  Caleb also took swimming lessons again this summer and participated in Upward soccer and tennis camps and VBS.  Along with playing soccer for his 2nd year (this year on the same team as Ethan which made it nice to only have one game each weekend), Caleb also had a strong interest in learning gymnastics after watching the summer Olympics. So, in August we started both he and Ethan in a once a week all boys gymnastics class. They are both excelling at this sport as well. The strength they have gained already will help them in anything they choose to continue with, plus they both really enjoy it!

Alaina will be turning 2 in just a little over a month (Jan 31, 2013).  It still doesn't quite seem possible that she has been with our family for 2 years, but then in other ways it seems like she is already older than 2!  I guess having two older brothers makes her try and do things on a much faster schedule, or at least faster than Mommy and Daddy's schedule sometimes.  She is a smart, active, funny, sweet, crazy, and helpful (list could go on) little girl.  She says hi to anyone she meets.  Even people walking their dogs out in our neighborhood or people we pass in stores, she demands attention from them by yelling "Hi" until she gets a response.  She warms up quickly to new people, and will want to blow you a kiss, give you a hug, and a high five when she says good bye.  She loves to color, read books, play outside with her brothers and friends, dance, and sing.   She really does bring so much joy to our family.  

And as for us, we are . . . just trying to keep up with these three!  Along with our children's activities and schedules, Scott continues to drive an hour to and from work working in inside sales at BMC, a building materials company for multi-family developments.  Although he has a long drive, he enjoys his job and is thankful for the opportunities it provides him.  Jill continues to work part time in accounting at Wolverine Coatings Corporation, a manufacturer of epoxy floor coatings and tank linings.  She is continually grateful for the positive work environment, and the opportunity to still have so much time with our children.  Jill is also enjoying photography quite a bit this year, learning more and more about how to take "non-auto" pictures with our camera, and even ventured into taking some other families' pictures for their Christmas cards this year.  Right now, it is still just a growing hobby, but perhaps one day it will be more.  Check out some of her work at www.laineybugphotography.com.  We are also still enjoying being a part of our church, and all the opportunities and activities it provides us and our children to be a part of and to grow in our faith.  We celebrated our 12th Wedding Anniversary in July too, and enjoyed a quick trip to Charleston, SC in the summer, just the two of us!

Our family enjoyed several trips this year as well.  We traveled to Baltimore, Maryland in February to visit Jill's sister, Megan and brother-in-law, Mike and to meet our new nephew and cousin, Cooper (born Dec. 2011).  We also welcomed another new member to our family, Daniel (born August 2012), to Jill's sister, Stacy and brother-in-law, Zach.  We met him for the first time on our trip to Williamsburg, VA for Thanksgiving.  The boys are enjoying getting boy cousins, and are outnumbering the girl cousins 4 to 3 currently.  Jill's Mom and Scott's Mom still help tremendously with our kids, picking up from school, watching Alaina during the day, and helping to get them to all their different activities.  Papa and Grandpa are also much loved by our kids and they enjoy getting to spend time with them when they are off work.  In May, we took our first "ultra family" beach trip to the Outerbanks.  Jill's parents, Scott's parents, Jill's sisters and their families, Stacy's parents-in-laws, and Jill's Aunt and cousin all gathered in a huge three story beach home right across the street from the beach for an entire week!  There were at least 20 of us.  It really was a wonderful time together, and we hope to do it again sometime, perhaps even adding more family members if they are able to come.

As we reflect through this past year, we are so overwhelmed and thankful for the many blessings in our lives this year.  Obviously, these are just the highlights.  There have been hard times too, but we have depended on the One to whom we celebrate this season, our Lord and Savior, Jesus.  Born in a manger in Bethlehem, to fulfill God's plan to offer His free gift of Salvation to anyone who receives it.  As both of our boys have memorized in AWANA at church this year, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him, will not perish, but have eternal life." - John 3:16  Our prayer is that if you do not know Him, you will accept Him and come into a personal relationship with Jesus.  The sad events that happen in our world just remind us that this world is not our home.  We must be ready, at any time, for our eternal home in Heaven.

May God bless you and your family this Christmas Season!

With Love,

Scott, Jill, Ethan, Caleb, & Alaina

2011 Christmas Yearly Update

Merry Christmas 2011 from the Brisken Family!

Dear family and friends,

It’s hard to believe that last year at this time we were anxiously awaiting the birth of our little girl.  We welcomed Alaina Grace Brisken on January 31^st, and she weighed 6 lbs 9 oz and was 19 ¼ inches long.  It’s amazing how a little girl can just wrap you around her little finger from the start!  Right now, she just turned 10 months old and is into everything!  She is a very fast crawler, pulling up on things but not yet taking any steps, but that doesn’t stop her curiosity.  She is much more “into things” than the boys ever were at this age.  All of her activities of opening drawers, pulling picture frames off the shelves, and climbing the stairs keep us constantly on our toes!  But she is just as sweet as she is curious.  Her big bright smile that she freely gives most anyone she meets just melts our hearts and confirms to us how God had a plan all along for her to complete our family.  Her big brothers adore her and are such great helpers.  It has been so sweet to see their relationship with her grow throughout this year.

Ethan turned 7 years old in February and is a second grader this year.  He continues to have an excitement for life and activities that keep him busier and busier!  He played Upward Soccer for the 4^th year in a row, continues to sing in the kid’s choir and attend Mission Friends at church every Wednesday night, and is a part of the Math Magicians Club at school this year, which he enjoys very much.  Another highlight of his year was being baptized on September 11^th at church.  We are also so proud of Ethan for receiving straight A’s at school all throughout 1^st grade and for the beginning of 2^nd grade too!  Even more exciting to us is that he received the Character Award 2 times in 1^st grade last school year, and also for the first 9 weeks of 2^nd grade this school year.  We are happy that he shows his caring characteristics and spirit at school, just as he does at home.  He is such a great big brother to Caleb and Alaina.

Caleb turned 5 years old in August and is in kindergarten this year.  It is his first time attending all day school every day.  It has been a bit of an adjustment for him at first to get used to the new schedule and demands of school, but he has been adjusting well the last couple months.  He is quickly picking up learning how to read and sound out words, and is particularly excited that he can read things on signs when we are out and about.  Caleb played Upward Soccer for the first time this Fall and did very well also!  He also decided to participate in Wednesday night church activities this year, singing in the 5 year old choir and attending Mission Friends, which Daddy and Mommy are the teachers for this year.  Caleb continues to enjoy working on his art projects cutting, pasting, and coloring.  Caleb has gotten the chance this year to be a big brother for the first time to Alaina, and has done very well in his new role.    

Scott and Jill continued their same work outside the home, Scott in sales at BMC Select in Charlotte and Jill in accounting at Wolverine Coatings in Spartanburg.  They are both extremely thankful to have good jobs that they enjoy.  Our family was fortunate to take several trips this year, to Surfside Beach in June with Scott’s parents, to Ohio for the Watson family reunion in July, to Williamsburg, Virginia to visit with Jill’s family in the summer and at Thanksgiving, and Jill and Alaina to Baltimore, Maryland for Jill’s sister Megan’s baby shower in November.  We are excited to welcome a new nephew sometime in December, Megan and Mike’s first baby.  We are continually appreciative of our families’ involvements in our kids’ lives – Jill’s Mom and Scott’s Mom helping to watch the kids throughout the weekdays while Jill works part time.  The schedule is a bit trickier and seems 10 times busier with 3 children now, especially with 2 in all day school and all the homework and activities that come with that, and a new baby to adjust to.  But we’ve almost made it through our first year as a family of five, and it sure has flown by!

We hope to take time this Christmas to slow down just a bit, and spend time with our family, and remember the One to whom we are the most thankful to . . . Jesus.  It is all about Him and we pray that you will take time with each of your families to reflect on the birth of our Lord and Savior this season.

With Love,

Scott, Jill, Ethan, Caleb, & Alaina Brisken

2010 Christmas Yearly Update

Merry Christmas 2010!

Dear Family and Friends,

2010 has been a busy and exciting year for our family!  Here are a few updates:

Ethan turned 6 years old on Feb. 3rd and celebrated with a Transformers and Monkey Joes Birthday Party with friends.  He learned so much in kindergarten, including how to read all on his own!  He started 1st grade in August and continues to do well in all subjects, including math fast facts.  He even received all A's on his first graded report card of the year, we are so proud!  Ethan enjoys riding his scooter and playing with friends outside on a daily basis.  He also still loves singing in the 1st grade choir at church every Wednesday night.  Playing Upward Soccer for a 3rd year in a row was a highlight of his year.  His hobbies also include Star Wars, Super Hero Squad, Transformers, Dinosaurs, Dragons, Cars, and many more! 

Caleb turned 4 years old on Aug. 30th and celebrated with a backyard water Birthday Party with friends.  After finishing the first half of the year learning preschool concepts from mommy at home, he started the public 4K program at the same elementary school as Ethan in August.  The socialization with the other kids has been a great growing experience for him, and he is doing very well learning his letters and numbers.  At the beginning of November, Caleb made the special decision to ask Jesus into his heart, and we are rejoicing with him as he learns more and more about what it means to be a Christian.  Caleb also enjoys riding his scooter with his brother and friends outside daily.  Caleb loves music and dancing and playing soccer at home in the backyard.  His hobbies also include coloring and art projects, as well as playing Star Wars, Super Hero Squad, Transformers, Dinosaurs, Dragons, and Cars with his brother! 

Our family enjoyed several trips throughout the year.  We visited Pigeon Forge, TN in February for a long weekend in the mountains with Scott's parents, as well as a week long trip in May to Litchfield Beach, SC.  We also visited with Jill's parents and sisters and families in Williamsburg, VA over the 4th of July weekend and Thanksgiving Holidays.  Jill and the boys were also able to visit Jill's Grandma Watson in Ohio during the summer.

Scott and Jill had their 10th Wedding Anniversary in July, and celebrated with a weekend trip to Charleston, SC in September.  Our biggest surprise present this year was learning that we are expecting our 3rd child, due February 7th, 2011, and we found out it's going to be a girl!  Ethan and Caleb are so excited about becoming big brothers to a baby sister!

As we finish out the year and look forward to 2011, we are thankful for all the blessings that the Lord continues to provide for our family.  We are celebrating at this time of the year and always, the birth of the One who is our personal Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

With Love,

The Brisken Family

Scott, Jill, Ethan, Caleb, & Baby Sister (due Feb. 7th, 2011)

2009 Christmas Yearly Update

Merry Christmas 2009!

Dear Family and Friends,

We are so thankful that we get to share with all of you once again some of the highlights from 2009.  Every year seems to go by faster than the last, but the main reason we celebrate with you this season remains the same - the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  We want to reflect on all that God has done in our lives this past year.

Early in the beginning of the year, Scott was let go from his job at Huttig Building Materials, where he had worked in inside sales for the past 3 1/2 years.  We felt the slow economy first hand in our own household with this job loss.  By the grace of God and much answered prayer, after only six weeks of not having a full time job, Scott was hired at BMC West in Charlotte, NC working in the purchasing department.  Although he now has an hour long commute each way, this job has been a true blessing for our family in more ways than one.  We know that all things work together for good for those that love Christ Jesus, and we felt the Lord leading us every step of the way during the long 6 weeks of being without full time work.  Thank you to all of our friends and family who prayed us through that difficult time!  We cannot thank you enough for your support and love.

Jill continues to work in the accounting department at Wolverine Coatings Corporation, where she has been for the past 3 1/2 years, and still loves her job!  She enjoys working for an epoxy floor coatings company, where people are not just a number, but treated as an important part of the operation and purpose of the company.  With a Christ-centered focus, and flexible hours to allow her to be involved in the boys' lives as much as can be while working part time, it truly is a blessing that we do not take for granted!  When not working, she stays busy with teaching 3 year old preschool once every other week to Caleb and another 3-year old friend, picking Ethan up from kindergarten 3 times a week, helping with kindergarten homework, and helping out with 3-year old preschool choir on Wednesday nights at our church.  She also managed to fit in running 3 different 5K races throughout the year.

Ethan is our new kindergartner!  He turned 5 years old at the beginning of February, and just doesn't seem to want to stop growing up!  He started kindergarten at our local public school in August, and has been keeping his Mommy and Daddy on their toes ever since.  We are blessed to have an excellent teacher and teacher's assistant for him during this first year at a new school.  The new schedule of getting to school early (by 7:30 am!) and being at school all day until getting picked up between 2 and 2:30, has proved to be a lot of getting used to for all of us!  We've discovered that Ethan is NOT a morning person, and continue to go through trial and error of what works best for him to get him going in the morning times.  We have stuck to a strict early bedtime schedule, which has meant him not getting to stay at church as late on Wednesday nights for the Mission Friends activities.  He does still enjoy getting to sing and participate in our church's 5 year old choir every Wednesday night though, and loves singing!  He also got to play Upward Soccer for a second year in the Fall.  This year he really got into the game, and scored an impressive 5 goals for his team this season!  He has told us that he would like to play soccer every year that he can, so he must really enjoy it!  His favorite hobbies still include anything that has to do with Star Wars.  He is a true fan and collector at only 5 years old!

Caleb turned 3 years old at the end of August.  While he did get to attend 2 year old preschool at our church last year, we decided to keep him out during the 3 year old year.  With such a late birthday (Aug. 30th), and it being only 2 days away from the cutoff date here, he is one of the youngest ones in his class.  While we have been working on potty training with him, he hasn't quite mastered it yet, and that was one of the requirements for being in the 3 year old class at preschool.  So, this year we decided to teach him at home, and Jill has been trading off teaching every other week with a friend whose son is also a young 3 year old.  This has proven to be a special time for Jill and Caleb, and he is responding well to learning his letters, shapes, numbers, and words.  Earlier in the year, Caleb was able to receive speech services free through our county, when he qualified in January.  He went to hour long speech therapy sessions each week from January to August, and then tested out of the program right around his third birthday.  Our speech concerns with him are definitely a thing of the past, as he is talking more than ever now!  He is famous for giving people the "one eyebrow raised" look, which even helped him to be a runner up in a local grouchiest kid photo contest (see the winning photo on our Special Photos 2009 tab)!  Caleb's hobbies include dinosaurs, cars, trains, and even a little Star Wars with his brother.  We have enjoyed getting to see Caleb and Ethan's relationship grow into playing buddies over this year, as Caleb is old enough now to be a true play-mate to his brother.  This doesn't always mean they play together perfectly, and Mommy is having to learn that boys play differently than she did with two sisters growing up (ie. wrestling, loud, bouncing off the walls, etc.), but we are thankful they have each other as a built-in playmate for one another!

Since Scott started a new job at the end of April, we didn't get to go on our planned vacation to the beach this year with Scott's parents, but hope to next summer.  We did enjoy some fun weekend trips and activities through the year though.  We went to Dollywood in TN with our good friends, the Wileys, as well as a few trips to Atlanta, GA to visit our friends, the Heltons.  We also enjoyed getting to visit with Uncle Zach, Aunt Stacy, and cousin, Wendy several times in Fredericksburg, VA along with a visit to Uncle Mike and Aunt Megan's house in Baltimore, MD.  We even fit in a couple visits to Jill's parents' second home in Williamsburg, VA too.  We continue to reap the blessings of having Scott's parents in town as local grandparents to our boys, and Jill's Mom in town most of the time, with every other weekend visits from Jill's Dad.  Jill's Dad continues to work in Williamsburg, VA during the week while Jill's Mom still watches our boys for us 4 days a week and travels back and forth every other weekend to see Jill's Dad.  They have been doing this arrangement for a year with success, so we are so thankful that God has allowed this to work out for them during this time, and allowed us to keep our full time child-care provider.  Having your children with family while you work is such an added comfort to us!

We hope that you and your families have enjoyed a year full of God's blessings as well.  We know that every year is rarely without struggles and hard times, as ours experienced job loss this year, but we pray that whatever struggle you and your family may have endured, that you have the guidance of an awesome God directing your every step through those times.  He is able to save you and sustain you through this life, and we hope that you know Him as your personal Savior too, especially at this time of year as we reflect on Jesus' birth.   

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

With Love,

The Brisken Family

Scott, Jill, Ethan, and Caleb

2008 Christmas Yearly Update

Merry Christmas 2008!

Dear Family and Friends,

It is that time once again to update you on the happenings of our year, and to look forward to updates from many of you also!  We can’t believe another year has gone by.  Here are some highlights from our year.

January - We were privileged to take the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class at our church for 14 weeks.  We have continued to try to utilize all we learned in the class and live on a realistic budget, pay down debt, not go into debt any further, and prepare for our future.  We keep in mind that God is in control over it all. 

February - Ethan turned 4 years old on Feb. 3rd!  http://blogworthymoments.blogspot.com/2008/02/ethan-turned-4-years-old.html  It still baffles us some of the things that Ethan comes up with . . . even his teacher at preschool this year will tell you that he sometimes surprises her with what he says, meaning he seems older than his years say he is!  He is a very deep thinker and processes things meticulously, does things in an orderly way, and tells you when you haven't done them to his liking.  Hmmm, wonder where he gets this personality trait from?  (There could be many in our family to attribute these characteristics to, actually, but Mommy is one of them!  :-)  One new interest Ethan has this year is everything Star Wars.  (Hmmm, this one is from Daddy!  :-)  In fact, because of the deep thinker that he is, if he had his way, he would think only and always of everything Star Wars.  So, we have to often limit when he plays and watches Star Wars, to be sure that he makes room for many of his other interests in his world as well!  Ethan also loves music and singing, especially in his 4K choir this year and in his music class at school.  He also loves running races outside against his brother, friends, and Mommy and Daddy.  He continues to accept his role as "big brother" with flying colors, and is always nurturing and taking care of Caleb.

June - Jill ran her first 5K race in over 10 years.  No record time achieved, but getting back into the "running" thing again!  http://blogworthymoments.blogspot.com/2008/06/i-finished-5k-race.html  We also enjoyed a week long vacation with Scott's parents to Surfside Beach, staying at a good friend's town home only a few blocks off of the beach.  It was a much needed, relaxful vacation, the first week long one we had taken in quite a while.  http://blogworthymoments.blogspot.com/2008/06/day-at-surfside-beach-sc.html

July - We celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary!  Scott and Jill's Dad worked on putting in a new wood laminate floor over the 4th of July weekend in most of our house, replacing the prior 7 year old carpet.  The floors look great now and are so much easier to keep clean!  http://blogworthymoments.blogspot.com/2008/07/our-new-wood-floor-is-finished.html  Ethan took swim lessons for the first time for a two week period.  He learned what his teacher and our good friend, Miss Melanie, said she called "safety swimming".  When he started, he wouldn't put his head under the water . . . but by the end of the first lesson, he was!  He learned how to jump in off the side, swim back to the side, float on his back, dive for toys in the water, and not have a fear of putting his head under.  We only hope he remembers everything when the weather gets warm enough to go swimming again next summer! http://blogworthymoments.blogspot.com/2008/07/last-day-of-swimming-lessons.html

August - Caleb turned 2 years old on August 30th!  http://blogworthymoments.blogspot.com/2008/09/happy-2nd-birthday-caleb.html  Caleb continues to bring a lively energy to our lives, just as he has from day 1!  He is talking more and more, loves playing trains, knows all of his letters by sight and name, and can even write some letters already.  One of his favorite activities is wrestling with his brother and Daddy.  We often wonder where he learns his "moves" from, but the wrestling "holds" seem to come naturally to him!  He still loves playing with any kind of sport involving any kind of ball.  He definitely keeps us on our toes 24-7!  Megan, Jill's sister, married Mike Cox on August 17th.  Jill was a bridesmaid, Scott played guitar in the ceremony, and Ethan and Caleb were ring bearers.  To see some pics from the wedding, go to http://blogworthymoments.blogspot.com/2008/08/more-wedding-pictures.html  Ethan started playing Upward Soccer for the first time, and had a great time!  http://blogworthymoments.blogspot.com/2008/09/ethans-first-upward-soccer-game.html  Ethan and Caleb both started 3 day a week preschool (Ethan's 4th year attending, and Caleb's 1st year attending) at our church's preschool.  They both are enjoying their teachers and classroom friends very much!  Wednesday night church activities also started up again in August for the new school year.  Jill is helping out again in Ethan's children's choir and both Scott and Jill are Mission Friends teachers in Ethan's 4K class. 

September -  Ethan made a special decision to ask Jesus into his heart and become a Christian!  We are still rejoicing with him on his decision, and helping him to understand what it all means on a daily basis.  To read the full story from Jill's point of view, see http://blogworthymoments.blogspot.com/2008/09/ethans-special-decision.html  We also enjoyed a quick weekend get away with our family, Jill's parents, and our friends, the Wileys, to North Myrtle Beach. 

October - We welcomed our first neice, Wendy June Whalen, born to Stacy and Zach Whalen on October 22nd.  Ethan and Caleb are excited about having their first cousin, and the whole family is excited about welcoming a girl into the family!  http://blogworthymoments.blogspot.com/2008/10/i-have-new-niece.html  Caleb qualified to receive services through our county's Babynet services, for children birth - 3 years old.  We had some concerns about his speech and had him evaluated.  He did qualify for play therapy services, that he receives once a week at preschool, and he will be tested for actual speech therapy in early January to see if he will start that service.  We also discovered Ethan and Caleb were not using their right eyes to see!  They both are wearing glasses now to help correct their vision.  This started out as quite an ordeal to get them to wear the glasses for any length of time, especially Caleb, but now they both will wear them pretty regularly when asked.  It is still a work in progress!  http://blogworthymoments.blogspot.com/2008/11/wearing-their-new-glasses.html

November - We traveled to VA to celebrate Thanksgiving with Jill's sister, Stacy, and her family, Zach and Wendy, as well as Jill's parents, and Jill's sister, Megan, and her husband, Mike . . . we were planning to spend the whole weekend at Stacy and Zach's new house.  However, we found out Thanksgiving morning, that Jill's Grandpa Watson had passed away.  Our plans changed to making a trip up to Ohio for the funeral over the rest of the Thanksgiving weekend.  Grandpa Watson was a month away from turning 91 years old.  He will be greatly missed on this earth, but we look forward to when we will all see each other again one day in Heaven.

December - We look forward to spending time visiting with family and friends here in SC over Christmas.  We are adjusting to a new schedule of Jill's parents not living "full time" in Spartanburg.  After Jill's Dad searched for the past 2 years to find a job, career, or schooling that fit him in this area of the country to no avail, he has just recently accepted a new job back in the Northern VA area, near to where he used to work before moving to SC 4 years ago.  As it has been Jill's Mom's full time job to watch the boys for us while we both work, Scott still at Huttig Building Materials as an Inside Salesman, and Jill still at Wolverine Coatings handling Accounting duties, we weren't sure how all was going to play out with this new job.  However, for now, Jill's Mom says she doesn't want to leave the boys anytime soon, and so she and Jill's Dad are working out an every other weekend 7 hour commute back and forth to see each other.  While this is not an ideal situation for all, we are thankful for this new job opportunity for Jill's Dad, and also thankful we have not lost our full time childcare provider just yet.

It is because of our Lord and Savior’s birth, Jesus Christ, that we celebrate with you this Christmas.  We pray that you and your families are enjoying a healthy and happy holiday season, and we look forward to reconnecting with those we haven’t heard from in a while, and staying connected through the New Year.

Please sign our Guest Book before you leave to let us know you stopped by!

With Love,

The Brisken Family

Scott, Jill, Ethan, and Caleb

2007 Christmas Yearly Update

Merry Christmas 2007!

Dear Family and Friends,

It is that time once again to update you on the happenings of our year, and to look forward to updates from many of you also!  We can’t believe another year has gone by, but are once again thankful for all that God has done in our lives in 2007.

Our lives continue to stay very busy with our two little guys.  Ethan turned 3 years old in February, and began attending 3K Preschool at our church three mornings a week starting in August.  He absolutely loves his teacher, Mrs. Blackwood, and is learning so much!  He continues to be interested in letters, as he frequently asks what “letters say” when we are reading together, and has a curiosity about writing his name along with other family member’s and friend’s names.  He also loves counting things and telling us how many of things there are anywhere we go!  He is enjoying getting to participate in 3 year old choir and mission friends every Wednesday night at our church, which Mommy helps out with.  And of course one of his favorite things is being big brother to Caleb.  Although he sometimes has to shield himself from the “roughness” his brother can bring, he likes playing with his little brother most of the time.

Caleb is our little ball of endless energy!  He turned a year old in August, and continues to bring excitement to our every day life.  He learned to walk, or should I say run, shortly before his birthday, and has put those skills to good use!  Although he is not talking much yet, he says a few words, such as “light,” which he is fascinated with turning lights on and off right now.  We often hear screams right now to tell us what he wants.  We are quickly trying to change this habit.  If only he could get some relief from his constant teething pain as well, we would all feel a lot more comfortable!  He of course looks up to his big brother in more ways than one.  Constantly trying to do all the things his big brother does, play with cars, trains, balls, etc. keep the need for a referee close at hand when the two brothers are playing together.  We look forward to what this next year will bring, as he continues to grow and develop into his unique and special personality!

Scott seems to barely have a moment to breathe lately with all he is doing.  August 2007 marked the start of his third year working at Huttig Building Products as an Inside Salesman.  He also continues to work his part time job two evenings a week delivering pizzas to help with all of the additional costs of raising children!  We are hoping to be able to cut his workload down to just one full time job in the very near future.  Any spare time he has, he devotes to his boys and wife.  Our family is so blessed to have him as the head of our family, taking care of us all, despite his overloaded schedule of work.  Of course he has to make a little time to fit in keeping up with Star Wars news.  He has started an extensive collection of Star Wars Minis which he enjoys getting to use to play the game when our brother-in-law Zach comes to visit, and will play with him. 

Jill has continued her work as an accounting assistant at Wolverine Coatings Corporation this year, and thoroughly enjoys the job, as well as the flexibility she is given to be a Mom first.  She also has taken a second part time job this year, tutoring online in Algebra through tutor.com – she connects virtually 5 – 7 hours a week with hundreds of students all over the country to help them with their Algebra homework.  This helps her to keep her teaching skills fresh and she enjoys this new form of tutoring, as our busy schedule has not allowed her to continue tutoring students in our home this year.

Our family has experienced loss this year as both Scott’s Grandpa Brisken and Jill’s Grandma Bailey passed away in the Spring.  We made two trips to Ohio in March and April to attend the funerals and to celebrate and remember their lives.  They will be greatly missed here in our life on earth, but we look forward to the day we will once again be reunited in heaven!

We are so thankful once again that both sets of Grandparents live nearby.  Our boys are so fortunate to have Grandma and Grandpa Brisken and Grandma and Grandpa Bailey as a daily part of their lives.

It is because of our Lord and Savior’s birth, Jesus Christ, that we celebrate with you this Christmas.  We pray that you and your families are enjoying a healthy and happy holiday season, and we look forward to reconnecting with those we haven’t heard from in a while, and staying connected through the New Year.

Please sign our Guest Book before you leave to let us know you stopped by!

With Love,

The Brisken Family

Scott, Jill, Ethan, and Caleb

2006 Christmas Yearly Update

Merry Christmas 2006!

Dear Family and Friends,

  We hope you have had a blessed 2006 and are looking forward to the New Year.  Our family welcomed our second son, Caleb Nicolas, on August 30^th.  He was born two and a half weeks early, weighing 6 lbs 8 oz and 19 ½ inches long.  He has proven to be a little more of a difficult baby than his older brother was, but is getting a little easier now that we have gotten him on soy formula and acid reflux medication.  Now, at almost 4 months old, his little personality is starting to show.  His smiles and laughs are precious to see.  He is very social and loves cooing and talking to any friendly face who will listen.

  Ethan is doing a wonderful job in his new role as big brother.  He will turn 3 in February and has grown up a lot since Caleb came along.  He has adjusted well to not being the only one getting attention.  In fact, he often uses his little brother as an excuse to get some time alone.  He will tell Mommy and Daddy to “Go talk to Caleb.”  He started his second year of preschool at our church, which he attends two mornings a week.  He is quickly learning his numbers and letters.  Painting, coloring, reading, and singing are some of his favorite activities.  He also enjoys putting difficult puzzles together.  Playing with his character cars from the movie “Cars” can keep him busy for hours.  And Mom and Dad are particularly proud of the recent strides he has made in potty training over the last month.

  Scott continued his work this year as an inside salesman at Huttig Building Products, specializing in window sales.  He even took a part time second job two evenings a week to help pay for all of the formula and diaper costs that come along with a second child.  At home he spends most of his time being Daddy to Ethan and Caleb.  He still tries to fit in woodworking when he can and likes to keep up with all of the news on Star Wars, as he is a big fan and collector.

Jill started working a new part time job in accounting for Wolverine Coatings Corporation in April.  She took an eight week maternity leave after Caleb’s birth, and returned to work at the beginning of November.  She is enjoying working in a Christian business environment with a Christian boss, whom we knew previously from our Sunday School class at church.  Working part time is allowing her to spend more time being a mother to the boys, which she is extremely thankful for.  We are lucky to have Jill’s Mom watch the boys for us while Jill is at work.

Our family enjoyed several trips this year.  We went on a family vacation with all of Jill’s family to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina in July.  In October, Ethan and Caleb were privileged to go to Ohio and visit their great grandparents.  We also took a trip to Florida to visit Uncle Zach and Aunt Stacy in October.  We are hoping we may be able to make it to see Aunt Megan in Maryland in 2007!  We continue to enjoy having two sets of grandparents in the same town we live in.  Scott’s parents and Jill’s parents are an essential part of our boys’ lives, which we are so blessed by.

We hope you and your families had a wonderful Christmas.  It is because of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, that we celebrate with you this season.  We pray you have a happy and healthy 2007.

With Love,

The Brisken Family

Scott, Jill, Ethan, and Caleb

2005 Christmas Yearly Update

December 2005

Dear family and friends,

It is that time once again to look back over this past year and catch up with family and friends.  We look forward to hearing from each of you and your families at this time of year, to see how God has sustained and blessed you.  We have had a year of changes, but are so thankful for how God worked everything out according to His purpose and plan.

The beginning of 2005 started with Ethan taking his first steps.  He accomplished this independent feat while walking to Uncle Zach’s arms on New Year’s Eve last year.  What an exciting New Year’s gift!  So, since the beginning of the year, Ethan has not only been walking, but running too, and keeping his mommy and daddy busy trying to keep up!  Ethan turned 1 year old on Feb. 3, 2005.  So, at the time of this letter, the nearly 3 foot tall “not so little” guy is only 2 months away from turning 2!  He started attending a half day preschool program twice weekly at our church in August.  He enjoys playing with all of his new little school friends and singing, reading, painting, and drawing.  He is learning new words every day, although he is “choosy” as to when and who he will share his vocabulary with.  Lately, the words of choice are “elf,” “snowman,” “Rudolph,” “star,” “dentist,” . . . all words from his favorite DVD, “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.” J 

This past summer brought many changes to our schedules and work lives.  At the end of June, we felt the Lord leading us to follow His lead and for Jill to quit her job at Milliken, where she had been working for the past 2 ½ years, in the Cost Accounting department.  We had been feeling that she should be at home with Ethan ever since she went back to work full time when he was 3 months old.  So, we finally took the step of faith, and Jill turned in her four week notice mid June.  Well, then on June 30^th, Scott was unexpectedly let go from his job at 84 Lumber.  We did not understand why this would be happening, especially since we thought we were submitting to God’s will for our family.  But even though Milliken offered to let Jill stay on at her job for as long as needed, we still felt like God was saying, “Trust Me.”  So, Jill’s last day was on July 15^th, as planned, and Scott began looking for another job.

Thankfully, Scott was able to secure a new job at Huttig Building Products at the beginning of August, and has been working there as an Inside Salesman for premium clad windows and doors.  Although his commute is about 30 minutes now, as opposed to his prior 10 minute commute, it is worth it to be in a job that is both rewarding and enjoyable.  He is excited to be a part of a company that sold building materials to 85% of America’s new home starts last year.

While Scott is working during the day at his 8 – 5 job, Jill is now at home working her day job watching Ethan full time.  She also is babysitting a friend’s little girl, who is 4 days younger than Ethan, three days a week.  So, it is a little taste of what it would be like to have another one, or should we say what it would be like to have twins! J  Then in the evenings, Jill commutes her 30 minutes (1 hour with traffic) to Level One Central Leasing Solutions, where she works a part time 20 hour a week job as a marketing associate selling apartment homes to customers throughout the nation.  Her evening work hours are Mondays – Thursdays from 6:30 – 12 midnight.  So, then after returning home a little before 1 am, she tries to squeeze in a little sleep before the day shift of watching the kids begins again at 7:30 am.    (over)à

While it is a hectic schedule, Jill is grateful to have more time with Ethan during the daytimes now.  Family time with all three of us is limited to mainly Fridays – Sundays now, but we are thankful for the time we do have together.  We look forward to the day when we are able to have Jill’s only job be that of a “stay at home mom,” without the added evening job. J  All in God’s perfect timing though!
We continue to enjoy having our families close by.  We were able to take a much needed vacation to Hilton Head Island, SC with Scott’s parents in July.  Ethan absolutely LOVED the beach.  It was never an option to enter the waves any other way than running and diving in head first!  Swimming lessons aren’t too far away at all.  Jill’s parents continue to live nearby as well, where Jill’s mom helps out with watching Ethan in the evening times, when Jill is getting ready to leave for her part time job and Scott hasn’t arrived home from work yet.  It is definitely nice for Ethan to have both sets of grandparents nearby!  Jill’s sisters continue to do well also.  Megan is still living in Baltimore, MD where she works the night shift as an ER nurse.  Stacy and her husband, Zach, are still in Gainesville, FL, where Stacy teaches over 40 piano students and Zach is pursuing his Doctorate degree at the University of Florida.  We enjoy frequent visits throughout the year from Aunt Megan, Aunt Stacy, and Uncle Zach!  J

We hope all is well with you and your families.  Please stay in touch and let us know how you are!  We would love to hear from you or have you stop by anytime you’re in the Spartanburg, SC area!  (We’re only a short drive to the mountains and/or beaches!)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Scott, Jill, and Ethan Brisken