Cool Water

When I was about six or so I starting this on-going prank with my dad. When he would be taking a shower I would sneak in with a glass of cold water, dump it over the curtain on him, and then run out giggling. He was always a good sport about it, so naturally, when I got married I decided to carried on the same tradition with my husband, who was also a good sport. However, payback did come... I've learn to appreciate the symbolism in that prank.

Like a cold glass of water in the shower, life can be just as startling. Imagine standing there under the warm flow of comforting water, lost in thought (some of my best ideas come from my time there), and then suddenly you're hit with shocking cold water. At first it takes your breath away and you might let out a holler. Then, surprisingly, there is a bit of refreshment, like jumping into a lake. It's that refreshment that I'm applying to life right now.

How wonderful a glass of cool water would be to someone traveling through the desert. That is just how life has seemed to Robin and me over the past few years. Many "shower scenes" have felt like a shock to the system at first and then have turned out to be refreshment from God. I love it when He leads us through these teachable moments. Now, nothing I say would have much significance if I didn't apply scripture to it. So here it is...

"Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land." Proverbs 25:25

So take that and put it in your canteen!

What death is teaching me.

I have this picture of my mother on the wallpaper of my Blackberry. It is the last picture that was taken of her before she passed away. Every time I look at it, which is about 20 times a day, a little sting hits me inside and I am reminded that she really is gone. I keep hoping that this sting will fade, but it hasn't yet...and with that, I cannot bear to change the picture to something else.

I am starting to learn how valuable that picture can be in helping me with my (ever growing) faith in God. Along with those stinging moments, are the ones where I actually break down in a tearful rant and ask God the simple question, "why?" I usually find myself locked in the bathroom, safely away from my little ones who need to see Mommy strong. But during those moments, something is beginning to materialize in my mind. I can't change the fact that my mother is gone, but I can use those moments to remind myself of the opportunities I have with the rest of my family. I'm starting to let it be a reminder to me that these loved ones in my life are very precious. Not one single person on this earth knows for sure how long they or their loved ones will live. I realize that is a startling statement, but it should be. It is a wake-up call...make the most of what you have. You do not know how long you will have it.

If you have lost someone close to you, you know that feeling. The one that hits you suddenly, out of the blue, and reminds you of the finality of your loved one's passing. I can only describe it like a sucker punch to the stomach. You feel it deep inside and it takes your breath away. Next time you find yourself having one of those moments, use it to remember what you do still have...and act of it. Hug your spouse, take your child's face in your hands and say "I love you", or call someone up that you care about and just say "hi".

Remember, you only have today.

The Braun Times - 2009 Newsletter

2009 is coming to a close and I think we Brauns are ready for a new year. With many challenges under our belts, we have come to realize that God truly knows what we can handle way more than we do.

The year began with the loss of Robin’s father, Harold. We are still trying to get used to the idea of not being able to just call him up and chat or stop by for a visit. His godly wisdom is something that we miss everyday, but still cherish .

While coping with the loss of Harold, we found ourselves trying to figure out how to keep his beloved home in the family. Faraway Hills, as he liked to call it, is a place that he always dreamed of passing on to his son and keeping the Braun heritage alive. Things don’t always work out like we plan, but in the end, we can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that we blessed Harold by keeping the property in the family.

2009 also meant we received an education in strokes since Robin’s mom, Beverly, suffered one in October. We never thought twice about how a stroke can affect the victim’s everyday life or the loved ones involved until now. We are blessed to know that God has complete control over this situation and that Bevie is a true fighter. She is making progress every day. Praise God!

Shortly after Bevie’s stroke, we learned that my mother, Judi, had passed away unexpectedly. “Devastated” is the word that first comes to mind, but relief also in knowing that she, too, like Harold, is with her Savior, Christ Jesus. There isn’t a day that goes by, where one of us doesn’t say we miss them. But we are so grateful to have had the time we had with them.

After all this loss and hardship, one might think, “did anything good happen this year?” YES! We were able to spend many wonderful and cherished days with family in Wisconsin and Washington. We are SO blessed to have the friends and family that we do have. Loosing two of them is a big reminder of how we are to make the most of each and everyday we have together.

Other highlights this year: The sale of Cascade Business Park—which means one less plate spinning in the air. Also, we made the move out of the Seattle office—and that means Robin is home with his family each and every night! ...and even some during the day when he works out of the home. Home-schooling the kids has been great for our family (going on 3 years now), and I don’t think we could imagine it any other way.

Yes, this has been quite a year, but it is bittersweet with love, blessings, and faith!

Savanna's Scoop


This year I started new curriculum in school, and it is computer based. I am in sixth grade. We live in Bellingham, Washington and Shawano, Wisconsin, and we have classrooms in each place. Everything pretty much works out fine.

I turned 12 this year, and spent my birthday in Spokane with my Granny (Bevie), who was in the hospital and came home on my birthday. It was the best birthday present ever!

Also, we spent July 4th in our motorhome. We went to Priest Lake and watched fireworks over the water. I enjoyed the kayak so much that I think I counted 13 times that I went in it. I also liked Daddy’s birthday, which was 2 days later. We made a cool cake in the shape of the American flag topped with whipped cream, blueberries, and strawberries. Daddy said it was the best cake ever...and he doesn’t even like sweets!


Lydia's Year

One of my favorite parts of this year was going to my cousin Kristen’s wedding in Wisconsin. I love to get dressed up and dance. I also liked being in Spokane to see my Granny and Ganddaddy, Grandpa Jesse, Grandma Bonnie, my cousin Keaton and Uncle Jody. My sister’s birthday was fun. She had a cupcake cake.

In school, I am learning math, reading, and even a little Spanish from my sister. I like being homeschooled because I get to see my whole family all day when I’m doing my school work.

I also like to be at our house in Wisconsin because we can go down to the lake and our dog, Blitz, can run and run. I also like being able to visit all of our family and friends there.

My brother, Robbie, is funny and cute when he’s asleep. That’s when I like him the best, not when he’s so rough and tough.


Life With Robbie

This year I turned 3, but I like to tell people I’m 4 just so my mommy can put her hands on her hips and shake her head, “no”. My favorite things are Spider Man, Thomas the Tank Engine, and riding on the ATV with my daddy, because “we’re dudes!” I like to run and jump and for some reason, every time I see a mud puddle, my shoes just seem to leap into it. I don’t mean to make a mess, I just LOVE jumping!

My sister, “Lala”, taught me how to use the computer this year. I’m learning neat things on it like ABC’s, 132’s, and music. My other sister, “Disder” (Savanna) plays cars with me a lot. We also have fun running around outside, pretending to be animals.


May God bless you all this holiday season and throughout 2010!
Robin Braun—Editor in Chief
Jamé Braun—Senior News Correspondent
Savanna Braun—Contributor
Lydia Braun—Contributor
Nathaniel “Robbie” Braun—Contributor

My Mom - Judi Alaura

Judi Alaura (Cornwell, Mask) Parker went home to her Savior, Jesus Christ, on Thursday, November 5th, 2009. She lived out her dreams of settling in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where she volunteered at several churches and taught English to children in the poor communities. She was known for always wanting to help others and her giving spirit will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

Judi was born on December 31, 1947 in Riverside, California and spent her childhood years there before moving to Sandpoint, Idaho, with her father and mother, Earl and Ruth Cornwell, as well as her sister Nancy and brother Tommy. She married Jessie Mask in 1965 and attended Sandpoint High School through 1966. Together, they raised two children in Spokane, WA. She later married Raymond Parker and in 2007 they moved to Puerto Vallarta.

Judi is survived by her husband Ray, her three children Merilynn Scharnhorst (Lewiston, ID), Jody Mask (Hauser Lake, ID), and Jamé Braun (Bellingham, WA), and two step-children, Brandi Bosserman and Nick Parker, as well as eleven grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 11:00 AM at The Intersection - 905 N. McDonald Rd., Spokane Valley (formerly Open Bible Church).

I'm in 6th grade (again)!

I have this reoccurring nightmare. I'm in high school, only I'm 30-something years old (roughly the age I am today) and all the other students are 16 and 17. Apparently, in my dream I've been held back...a lot! Maybe I keep having this dream because I feel like I didn't finish school as strongly as I should have. After going onto college and achieving the status of "Dean's List" quarter after quarter, I learn the most important thing ever taught to me in my education...I do have the potential and if I put my mind to it, I can finish strong. But that's not why I'm doing 6th grade again, of course. Knowing this gives me a heads up on how to approach the education of my children. I'm in the business of learning how they learn. It is fun to relive my school years and relearn all that stuff again, but the real reason is because I have to know exactly what my children are learning. In order to be an effective teacher, I have to know how questions are posed and how the content of the lessons is delivered. I can quickly see where my children will soar though the lessons and where they will struggle. Plus, I think my daughter thinks it's pretty cool to ask, "Mommy, did you do your school work today?" Thankfully, my grades are much better this time around!

Whatever happened to "shop till I drop"?

The other night I was shopping for my son. He desperately needed pants that fit since all of his looked like high waters. In fact, he was beginning to look like (dare I say it) a little nerd. I was afraid that if I did not get this task done quickly I would be late to pick up the girls from church. So there I was, (at Walmart, I'm afraid - 3 year old boys could care less where there clothes come from) practically throwing clothes in the cart as fast as I could. I also knew his attention span for such tasks was quite short. He was more interested in climbing the display shelves.

After this speed-shopping job was over, I starting thinking what ever happened to the days when I liked to shop? I remember as a kid getting up on Saturdays and dressing in a really cute outfit and heading to the mall with my mom. We would make a day of it; meeting friends, going out to lunch, spending HOURS inside a dressing room. These days, I can't even fathom it. Even my girls don't seem to have the patience for it. They would rather be playing hide and seek in the racks than browsing through them. Truth be told, I can't remember the last time I truly went shopping at the mall. I think it was back in 2005. At any rate, I guess we just have a different set of priorities these days. At least I know that when my children turn 18, their primary goal will probably NOT be applying for a Nordstrom charge card.

Bird Suet Cakes

This is a fun activity that any age will enjoy. It combines several subjects:
- Math (Measurements)
- Science (Nature and Wildlife)
- Bible (God's Creation)

It's definitely one for wintertime, as the cakes will melt in the sun. Birds will love them, so have fun with it!

Recipe by Alberta Morgan
15 min | 15 min prep
SERVES 8 , 8 cakes

1 lb lard (no substitutes)
2 cups chunky peanut butter (cheapest is fine)
2 cups cornmeal
2 cups flour (any kind)
2 cups oatmeal (any kind)
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups bird seed
1 cup dried fruits (optional)

Melt lard and peanut butter, in microwave oven about 3 minutes, stirring each minute; then add in all other ingredients and mix together.

Scrape into flat pan (913), cool in refrigerator until hard.

Cut to desired size and wrap in plastic wrap or foil.

Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

Place in small mesh bag (old produce bags work) and hang where birds can reach. You can also purchase inexpensive suet cake cages from retail stores.

Watch that other critters cannot get to it.