But there will also be days of down time spent at home. As a mama to five littles ages eight and under, I have come to learn that if we want our home to run smoothly, we have to have rhythms in place. That doesn’t mean that we don’t break away and live on a whim from time to time, especially during the summer. It just means that as a general rule, we have a certain order to our days.

This summer, I have made simple charts for my oldest two children for the days we spend at home. The tasks on this list only take 1 1/2 hours of time. This is a perfect fit for us. It gives plenty of freedom to their day allowing them to enjoy the free play and sunshine of summer. But for those long days spent a home, it gives direction to a portion of our day. It also is a designated time that I set aside from my tasks to focus in on the children and spend quality time with them.

What is Our Summer Rhythm?

-Practice Piano (30 minutes)

-Read (30 minutes)

-Math Review (5-10 minutes)

We rotate through these Math Flashcards from Think Tank Scholar.

-Activity Time (25 minutes)

See below.

-“How Can I help you, Mama?”

The kids are to ask me this question and are challenged to have a heart ready to serve. I give them one task and try to keep it simple and quick like putting their dirty laundry in the washing machine or wiping the kitchen table. It is an opportunity for me to train them to serve with a joyful heart as well as to be one who is quick to ask others how they can be a help.

Activity Time

Each of these activites are written on a popsicle stick that I keep in a mason jar. The kids alternate turns choosing from the jar. Whatever activity is chosen is the one we do together for 25 minutes. These are fun things that each child looks forward to doing together! I enjoy the quality time I get to spend doing the activity alongside them.

Flag Memory Game

Match-a-Track

Bananagrams

Letter Writing

Space Cards

Bug Flashcards

Bird Drawing

Bingo

Puzzle

Magnatiles

Piano Noterush App

Brain Quest Cards

Paint

Buildzi

Playdoh

Blokus

Chalk

Nature Walk

Cleaning

Baking

Board Game (some of our favorites: Ticket to Ride Jr., Outfoxed, Guess Who, The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel, Scrabble Jr., Stomp the Plank, and Guesstures)

How do you like to spend your summers? Let me know in the comments!

Amazon links are affiliate links. Should you choose to purchase anything, thank you for supporting NHC.

Kicking off Christmas

December 1st kicks of the Christmas season for our family! We celebrate by suprising the kids with a new Christmas book at breakfast. We also pull out the books they have recevied in previous years to enjoy throughout the season.

Little Christmas Carol

I am so excited about this year’s book! Joe Sutphin is the man who did Little Pilgrim’s Progress which might be our top favorite read-aloud to date! He beautifully retells stories for children, and his illustrations are lovely!

This book will make the perfect addition to our collection!

Christmas Eve Box

A new Christmas Eve tradition we are starting is to have a gift box for the whole family to open together that evening. It will have a new board game, matching Christmas pajamas, and some of our favorite snacks. Everything we need for a fun family night!

This Year’s Family Game: Deduckto

(About the game: A simple deduction style game where you’ll have to use clues to deduce which character you are and identifying the animal, disguise and location.)

Eden

The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glasser

Story Cubes

Paint by Sticker: Plants and Flowers

Sew Your Own Donut Animals

The Chronicles of Narnia Collector’s Edition (Radio Theatre)

Step-by-Step Drawing People

Knox

Magnatiles Construction Set

Lego Fire Rescue Boat

Paint by Sticker: Outer Space

St. George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges

The Blue Hill Meadows by Cynthia Rylant

Battleship

Ivy

Kitchen (not the exact one we bought on Amazon Australia, but similar)

Purse

A Little House Picture Treasury

Earrings

Scissor Skills

Sticker Dolly Dressing: Around the World

Willow

Magnetic Icecream Maze

Wooden Tea Set (not the exact one we bought on Amazon Australia, but similar)

Dot Markers

A Little More Beautiful by Sarah Mackenzie

Classic Bedtime Stories by Scott Gustafson

Hexagon Puzzle

Flora

Rainbow Ribbon Kite

Bentgo Box

Magnatiles Farm Set

Floral Headbands

Sand Bucket Toy Set

Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey

Brettnay’s Wishlist

Dazzle Dry Starter Mini

Cake Stand

Gospel Mom by Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler

Lift Your Eyes by Whitney Newby

Sweeter Than Honey Bible Study by Gretchen Saffles

Hiking Boots

Simeon’s Wishlist

The Old Men: Conversations that Help Boys Become Men by T. L. Jones

Railroad Ink Board Game

Hiking Backpack

Hunting Knife

Rechargeable Flashlight

Firestarter

*Amazon links are afflilate links. As an Amazon influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you!!

Kicking off Christmas

December 1st kicks of the Christmas season for our family! We celebrate by suprising each child with a new Christmas book at breakfast. We also pull out the books they have recevied in previous years to enjoy throughout the season.

Eden: The Family Under the Bridge by Natalie Savage Carlson

Knox: The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

Ivy: The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden

Willow: The Christmas Cat by Efner Tudor Holmes

Christmas Eve Box

A new Christmas Eve tradition we are starting is to have a gift box for the whole family to open together that evening. It will have a new board game, matching Christmas pajamas, and some of our favorite snacks. Everything we need for a fun family night!

Stomp the Plank

Eden

Digital Microscope

The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls: The Complete Series

Summer Camp Board Game

Knox

Legos

The Story Orchestra: The Planets

Tenzi Buildzi Stacking Game

Ivy

Disney Animator’s Collection: Belle’s House

Dress-Up Accessories

Melissa & Doug Stamp Kit

Willow

Colorful Handbell Set

Magna-Tiles

Peanut Crayons

Stocking Stuffers

Patch the Pirate Audio Adventures

Binoculars

Jonathan Park Audio Adventures (better for kids 7+)

For the Grandparents

Annual Passes: Zoo, Aquarium, Children’s Museums

Experience Gifts: Cooking Class, Theatre/Drama Production, Amusement Park

Subscription Boxes: Little Passports, KiwiCo

*Amazon links are afflilate links. As an Amazon influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you!!

We are in a season of life where date nights are essential, yet difficult to actually make happen. There are various reasons for that- lack of family nearby to watch our kids, the cost of babysitters, the cost of going out, etc! Simeon and I have sought to get creative in planning date nights. We know the important place this has in our marriage, and we decided to think outside-the-box to overcome some of the obstacles keeping it from something we skip entirely.

In this season, date night looks like us quietly sneaking out to the kitchen after putting to the kids to bed and playing games together. (oftentimes, pizza and/or cookies are included!)

Below, you’ll find some of our favorite 2 player games!

Carcassonne

Product description

In Carcassonne, players build the area surrounding this impressive city, one tile at a time. They then place a follower on fields, cities, roads or monasteries in order to score as many points as possible. These followers will become knights, monks, farmers and thieves, depending on where they are placed. No matter their function, the player who will most cleverly use their followers will win the game. Entirely redesigned and modernized, this edition includes two expansions: the river and the abbot.

Hive

Product description

Hive is a boardless game that builds strategy skills. Hive is a fun game to play, because of its simple rules, yet challenging for its depth. Each of the tactile resin (bakelite) tiles has a unique way of moving, similar to chess and resembles the movement of the insect depicted on the tile. Choose the best tactics to place the right piece wisely and be the first to block the queen bee in the hive. Hive enhances each player’s skills of strategic planning, tactical thinking and spatial vision. To win, you must play both the offense (surround your opponents bee) and the defence (to protect your queen bee).

Product description

This Musee card scenes game, you collect impossibly valuable works of art and put them on display in your own personal art museum, the Musée. The only problem is that your opponents are doing the very same thing. Each gallery must be organized properly by exhibit number, but to succeed you must balance your passion for order with the need for public acclaim. Impress visitors by tastefully positioning works of art side-by-side showing similar themes. Make sure you do not get too greedy for applause, though in doing so might disorganize your collection and keep you from displaying any more paintings. Includes sixty unique fine art images from artists ranging from the fifteenth to the early twentieth centuries.

Parks

Product description

Parks is a celebration of the US National Parks featuring illustrious art from Fifty-Nine Parks. In Parks, players will take on the role of two hikers as they trek through different trails across four seasons of the year. While on the trail, these hikers will take actions and collect memories of the places your hikers visit. These memories are represented by various resource tokens like mountains and forests. Collecting these memories in sets will allow players to trade them in to visit a National Park at the end of each hike. Each trail represents one season of the year, and each season, the trails will change and grow steadily longer. The trails, represented by tiles, get shuffled in between each season and laid out anew for the next round. Resources can be tough to come by especially when someone is at the place you’re trying to reach! Campfires allow you to share a space and time with other hikers. Canteens and Gear can also be used to improve your access to resources through the game. It’ll be tough to manage building up your engine versus spending resources on parks, but we bet you’re up to the challenge. Players : 1–5, Playing Time : 30–60 Minutes, Suitable for age above : 10 Years.

The Crew

Product description

In the co-operative trick-taking game The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine, the players set out as astronauts on an uncertain space adventure. What about the rumors about the unknown planet about? The eventful journey through space extends over 50 exciting missions. But this game can only be defeated by meeting common individual tasks of each player. In order to meet the varied challenges, communication is essential in the team. But this is more difficult than expected in space. With each mission, the game becomes more difficult. After each mission, the game can be paused and continued later. During each mission, it is not the amount of tricks, but the right tricks at the right time that count. The team wins only if every single player is successful in fulfilling their tasks.

Forbidden Island

Product Description

Dare to discover forbidden island join a team of fearless adventurers on a do-or-die mission to capture four sacred treasures from the ruins of this perilous paradise. Your team will have to work together and make some pulse-pounding maneuvers, as the island will sink beneath every step race to collect the treasures and make a triumphant escape before you are swallowed into the watery abyss the latest creation by cooperative game master, matt Leacock who created the best seller pandemic.

Pandemic

Product Description

Four diseases have broken out in the world and it is up to a team of specialists in various fields to find cures for these diseases before mankind is wiped out. Players must work together playing to their characters’ strengths and planning their strategy of eradication before the diseases overwhelm the world with ever-increasing outbreaks. For example the Operation Specialist can build research stations which are needed to find cures for the diseases. The Scientist needs only 4 cards of a particular disease to cure it instead of the normal 5. But the diseases are out breaking fast and time is running out: the team must try to stem the tide of infection in diseased areas while also towards cures. A truly cooperative game where you all win or you all lose.

Ticket to Ride

Product description

With elegantly simple gameplay, Ticket to Ride can be learned in under 15 minutes, while providing players with intense strategic and tactical decisions every turn. Players collect cards of various types of train cars they then use to claim railway routes in North America. The longer the routes, the more points they earn. Additional points come to those who fulfill Destination Tickets goal cards that connect distant cities; and to the player who builds the longest continuous route. “The rules are simple enough to write on a train ticket each turn you either draw more cards, claim a route, or get additional Destination Tickets,” says Ticket to Ride author, Alan R. Moon. “The tension comes from being forced to balance greed adding more cards to your hand, and fear losing a critical route to a competitor.” Ticket to Ride continues in the tradition of Days of Wonder’s big format board games featuring high-quality illustrations and components including: an oversize board map of North America, 225 custom-molded train cars, 144 illustrated cards, and wooden scoring markers. Since its introduction and numerous subsequent awards, Ticket to Ride has become the BoardGameGeek epitome of a “gateway game” — simple enough to be taught in a few minutes, and with enough action and tension to keep new players involved and in the game for the duration.

Lost Cities

Product description

Who will discover the ancient civilizations. Two explorers embark on research journeys to remote corners of the world: the Himalayan mountains, the Central American rainforest, the Egyptian desert, a mysterious volcano, and the bottom of the sea. As the cards are played, the expedition routes take shape and the explorers earn points. The most daring adventurers make bets on the success of their expeditions. The explorer with the highest score after three rounds of expeditions wins. The rules of the game are simple, but beware: The lost cities hold many unseen mysteries..

*Product descriptions taken from the Amazon game listings.

*Amazon links are afflilate links. As an Amazon influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you!!

What gifts from my list do you think your child would enjoy? I’d love to hear what toys and books have been favorites in your home! Comment below!

*Amazon links are afflilate links. As an Amazon influencer, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you!!

On April 28, 2021, we found out, much to our surprise that we were expecting! We were shocked, but oh so excited. It’s amazing how seeing two little pink lines can immediately change everything in your world. The coming weeks were filled with excited but hushed conversations as we tried to keep it a secret from our 4 year old who wants to know (and share) everything, dreams about whether it was a boy or a girl, late night discussions about baby names, and all the hopes of a healthy baby. It was a bit crazy, 3 kids four and under and a baby on the way all while planning for an international move, but it was our crazy, and we didn’t want it any other way! Our hands were full, but our hearts were even fuller.

Our midwife scheduled an ultrasound to help us determine the due date since I was still nursing Ivy and hadn’t started my cycles back yet. We went for the appointment with so much joy and excitement. We would soon see our little baby! As soon as the image appeared on the screen, we knew there was something wrong. Even at the earliest scans, what we saw looked nothing like what we did with our other children. Another ultrasound and lab work would reveal that we had lost our baby in the very beginning of the pregnancy. We were heartbroken. So many hopes and dreams immediately crumbled. BUT GOD! He is always nigh to the brokenhearted. We left the hospital that day, holding one another, trying to hide our sobs from others walking around us. The coming weeks would hold many tears and prayers as we turned our plans over to God, trusting that He truly works all things together for His glory and our good. It was after the first ultrasound that I wrote this poem. Though we’ll never hold our baby in our arms, though we’ll never know if it was a boy or a girl, though we’ll never see our dreams come to fruition, this baby’s life was not a waste. Every life is precious, and every life has a purpose. God gave our baby life, and the full intent of His purpose for that baby will only be revealed in glory. But, this trial has changed us. It has strengthened our relationship with our Father and our relationship as a married couple. Though we hurt, we are thankful for the impact our baby has had on our lives. This baby drove us to the feet of our Saviour, and though I wish we’d come another way, I’m glad we were there because it’s my favorite place to be.

Sweet Baby, This poem is written in honor of your memory. We only knew about you for a few weeks, but the knowledge of you and our journey of being your parents has forever changed who we are and how we see our loving Saviour. We are so thankful that God entrusted you to us. Though your life was wrapped in sorrow, we know God will receive glory from His creation of you. One day, we will meet you in heaven. What a day that will be! Until then, we take comfort in knowing that all you’ll ever know is the bliss and delight of being with Jesus. What more could a parent ask for their child? We love you little one- forever and always. -Daddy and Mama

My favorite games are party games. Scattergories is my top favorite, but I also enjoy others like taboo or decrypto. Simeon loves strategy games. The longer and more thought-provoking, the better. That said, our game styles are very different. We’ve learned to compromise and enoy games that the other one likes. Well, except for Rummikub. Simeon won’t cave and play that with me. And, I draw the line at Catan. I know it’s a favorite for many, but the first time we played it took over 3 hours. That ruined me!

Simeon and I love watching TV. Actually, it’s something we’ve had to be intentional about working on in our marriage. When we first got married, we had at least one show we watched every night of the week. We realized that while we were spending time sitting together on the couch, we were not connecting and sharing our hearts together. The process of trying to break our bad TV habits and implementing something that promoted more bonding time landed us on playing games together. I wish we did this more than we do. But, you know, life happens! We always enjoy the evenings when we get the kids settled in bed, and we pull out a game to play together. It’s becomes an even greater experience when the game is accompanied by a delivery pizza!

Here’s a list of some of our favorite 2 player games:

• Ticket to Ride: There are many different versions of this game. We have the Europe edition. This is one of our top favorites! You build trains between different cities, trying to have the longest train, or collect the most points by hitting the most destinations. (2-5 players, 30-60 minutes)
• Azul: I LOVE Azul! Maybe it’s because I always win this one! In this game, you place mosaic tiles arranging them in patterns on the board to collect points. (2-4 players, 30-40 minutes)
• Forbidden Island: This is a great budget-friendly game. It’s a cooperative game that is a race against time. All players are stranded on an island that is sinking into the ocean. You must work together to collect 4 treasures and get off the island before it sinks. (2-4 players, 30 minutes)
• Hive: I don’t think I’ve yet to win this game against Simeon. He has a much more strategic mind than I do. It is fun none the less! Each player has tiles that represent different bugs. You create the board as you place your tiles. Each bug allows the tile to move in different ways. You place your tiles with the objective of surrounding the other persons queen bee with your bug tiles. (2 player, 15-20 minutes)
• Pandemic: We haven’t really had the desire to play this game since March of 2020, because, well, we’re living it! It is a fun one though! All players are members of a disease-fighting team. You work together to keep the world safe from outbreaks and epidemics of deadly diseases. (2-4 players, 60 minutes)
• Blokus: We both love this one! Each player has 21 colored pieces that you place on the board. You place your pieces attempting to have the fewest squares left at the end of the game. While I’m not a huge fan of strategy games, I do really enjoy this one. (2 or 4 player, 30-45 minutes)
• Carcassonne: This is an awesome tile-laying game where you create the landscape of Carcassonne and collect points for completing various features like roads, cities, and monasteries. As you place your tiles, you seek to outscore your opponent. (2-5 player, 30-45 minutes)

What are ways that you and your man connect and have fun together? Do you like board games? If so, what are your favorites? I’d love to read your thoughts in the comments!

I hope this post leads to some awesome date nights!

July 12, 2014 was the day that I had been dreaming of all my life. It was finally my wedding day! I had expected to be crazy nervous, but I was amazed at the peace that the Lord blessed my heart with on that day. We didn’t have anything major go wrong, just a few hiccups along the way, but none of them mattered because whatever happened, I was ending that day as Simeon’s wife.

We had decided to not spend a huge amount of money on our wedding, but instead to take a really nice honeymoon. Our wedding was beautiful, but simple.

Simeon’s childhood pastor, Pastor David Brown, did the ceremony for us. Simeon has always been close to Pastor Brown, so it was special for him to be the one to marry us. We were married in the cutest little white church complete with a steeple and stained glass windows- everything I was looking for in a location. We wanted the ceremony to be Gospel-centered and sentimental.

My favorite part of weddings is when the doors open and the bride steps out. While most eyes are on the gorgeous bride, I always find myself watching the groom. I love seeing the grooms eyes light up as he sees his bride coming towards him down the aisle. I told my photographer that out of all the photos she’d capture of our wedding day, the most important one to me was for her to capture Sim’s face the moment he saw me coming down the aisle. I know it’s become popular to do a “first look.” I’m way too traditional for that! I wanted Sim’s first glance of me that day to be when I started walked towards him during our wedding ceremony. My photographer got the photo for me; it is the one below. His eyes, his boyish grin. . . they get me every time I see this photo.

One of the most precious elements of our wedding was the presentation of the rings. On my 12th birthday, my Dad presented me with a purity ring. He talked with me about the importance of staying pure not only for my future husband, but most importantly, for God. I committed to God and my parents to keep myself pure. My Dad slipped the ring on my finger, and it stood as a reminder of that promise. As our wedding drew closer, Sim and I began to discuss what we would do for our wedding bands. My purity ring was so beautiful, and I was so attached to it, I asked Sim what he thought of using it as my wedding band. We realized that purity was not something we could check off a list just because we got married. Purity is a life-long pursuit as we seek to keep ourselves unspotted from the world and sin. We decided that we would use my purity ring and that it would continue to serve as a reminder that even as husband and wife, purity was still vitally important. Up to my wedding day, my Dad was the only person to ever put that ring on my finger. During the ceremony when we were about to exchange the rings, we had Pastor Brown call my Dad up. He told the story behind my ring, Dad then slipped it off my finger, handed it to Simeon, and Sim slipped it back onto my finger. It was such an emotional moment for me as it symbolled a promise kept, a gift given, and a goal for our future.

A blessing God orchestrated was that my brother, Clay, was able to be there. Clay is 18 months younger than me, and we’ve always been closer. At the time, he was in the army stationed in Germany. Up until a few weeks before our wedding, we weren’t sure if he’d be able to come home for it. We decided to trust the Lord and move ahead with plans for him to be a groomsman. I’m so thankful God worked it out, and Clay was able to be there. Clay passed away suddenly in March of 2017, so that answered prayer is even more precious to me now!

Our wedding day was nothing short of magical for me. That day was the culmination of many prayers and years of waiting and trusting. God was so good to bring Simeon and I together and write our love story. When we place our lives in His hands, He will always exceed our expectations.

Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

*You can hear Simeon and I talk about our wedding on the No Higher Calling podcast, Episode 3- Our Love Story Part 2. Listen to the episode below or subscribe on your favorite podcast app. Links can be found here

August 2013, the summer was drawing to a close. Simeon and I had been dating for 2 years. We had one more year of school left, and then we knew we wanted to get married soon after graduation. There was only one big step between where we were and where we wanted to be- engagement.

I have always been a hopeless romantic and an extreme planner. I thought that a year-long engagement was the perfect amount of time to plan a wedding, especially since we’d be wrapping up our senior year of college during that time. We had already decided on getting married sometime in July of 2014, I just didn’t have a ring yet. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t put any pressure on Simeon. I was very anxious to move from girlfriend to fiancé. As the summer wound down, I knew it had to be close. Every time we went on a date or happened upon something I deemed romantic, I’d get giddy inside thinking “could this be it?”!

Meanwhile, Simeon had a plan in the works. Simeon’s grandparents own a gorgeous piece of property in Indiana. His grandfather did a ton of work to the land creating lakes and trails. His grandmother had passed away earlier in the year, and an heirloom grandfather clock had made its way to being left to Simeon. This was a clock that he had fond memories of as a child and something he associated with his grandparents. It was precious to him, and he was delighted that it would be his. He just had to go get it. So, he planned a trip for me, him and his parents to venture to get the clock. For weeks, he bragged up this trip as one in which we’d accomplish nothing but fishing and four-wheeling- his dream trip, not necessarily my dream trip though.

We arrived at the property, and it really was as gorgeous as his stories made it out to be. Evening came, and Sim told me to plan to meet him early the next morning to do our devotions together and to get some pictures together around the lake. Now there should have been quite a few red flags going off in my mind clueing me into the fact that this was more than a fishing/clock retrieval trip, but I was completely oblivious. While he and his dad stayed at his grandparents house, his mom and I stayed at another relatives. Roxanne and I stayed up late into the night talking. She knew what was happening the next morning, but she did a masterful job at keeping the secret! I got up that morning, got ready and went to meet my man. I looked nice, but not as nice as I would’ve had I known what was coming. I was curious as to why he wanted to get pictures. Taking pictures is something that Simeon dreads. I guess I just chalked it up to his way of making up to me for making me get fish all over my hands!

He took me to the most gorgeous spot by the lake. There was a weeping willow tree with a rock shaped like a bench underneath. We read our Bibles together, and then Sim told me he had something for me. He pulled out a book and asked me to read it. He had found a company that wrote our love story and how he felt about me with hand-drawn pictures. I got towards the end and realized the scene in the book was the same exact spot we were at! All of the sudden, my stomach filled with a million butterflies. This was it! This was the moment I’d dreamed of all my life! I was so nervous, I couldn’t muster the courage to turn to the next page. I didn’t need to though. I looked up and Simeon had gotten down on one knee. He said, “Brettnay Nicole Varner, will you marry me?” Of course my answer was “YES”!

He slipped the most beautiful ring on my finger, one he actually designed himself! He pulled several different elements from rings I had mentioned liking to make one unique just for me. It was perfect!

We had the best day! His mom soon joined us, and we went around the property taking photos together. Now it all made sense! We enjoyed lunch at a local hibachi restaurant. That afternoon, some extended family members came over and we took turns riding on innertubes pulled by jet skis on the lake. It was such a blast, and we laughed so hard our sides hurt for days. We ended the day sitting together in the field looking at the stars. We actually saw a shooting star! It was the perfect ending to the most perfect day.

Read my previous blog post about how we fell in love~ https://nohighercalling.org/2020/10/05/the-story-of-how-we-fell-in-love/

If you were to ask Simeon and I how we met and fell in love, he will smirk at me while I giggle and roll my eyes at him. We both have a very different version of the story.

Let me preface our story with a few details that will help give some context. Simeon and I both had a very serious outlook on dating. To us it was more than a fun thing to do. Dating was to lead to marriage. It was important to us to include God and our parents in this process. God wrote a beautiful love story for us, and I believe it is because we tried our best to follow Him, honor Him, and keep Him the central focus of our relationship. It’s our joy to say that the only person either of us have ever dated was each other. Our first “I love you” was said to each other. We had our parents approval and support of our marriage. Together with our parents, we all felt that God was in this relationship, and had aligned our paths to now become one.

God is a God of beauty. While we can see that in so many areas of life, we are so thankful to see His beauty reflected in our lives together!

Now for the story! Here’s his side of the story in his own words. . .

Ok, here’s the true side of the story. My family moved to the Knoxville, TN area about a year after Brettnay’s. We were visiting churches to try and find one we could attend that was doctrinally sound. Upon our first visit to Temple Baptist Church, not knowing any better, we went to the main auditorium. We were greeted by someone (who I don’t remember) and told the teens were in the college building just down the road. I hopped on a bus and found myself walking into a large room full of teenagers. I heard a lovely melodious sound to my left and looked over to the piano. Sitting there was a stunning blonde. Music faded as the world blurred around the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. We later joined the church.

I would find out that this girl was Brettnay Varner, and she was the topic of many teenage boy conversations. I had told the Lord at the end of Junior Highschool that I wouldn’t date anyone until college. That didn’t stop me from thinking, planning, and scheming to get her attention. Once, at a mini-golf church activity, Brettnay, my best friend, and I all played together for over an hour. I did my best to be flirty and fun. Of course, she remembers him being there, but not me.

In college, I again promised the Lord that I wouldn’t date until after my freshman year. I knew I would end up getting married before graduation if I did. I was serious about going to the mission field and knew I had to be serious about my studies. I went the full year not dating, but gazing from a distance and participating in several conversations about the elusive, but very pretty blonde across the room.

The summer before my sophomore year, I travelled across the western United States with a quartet group. One of the guys was texting Brettnay from time to time. He would often brag about talking to her, but would be reassured by another of the group that he didn’t have a chance. I would quietly pine, hoping that his attempted advancements would fail. When we returned, she approached me and asked about travelling with a tour group. My promises were up, and my golden opportunity had arrived! I slyly used this chance to exchange phone numbers so we could “talk more about it later.” One thing led to another and we were married shortly after graduation. She’s never had it so good…that’s what I tell myself anyway.

-Simeon

My version is quite different! I have very few memories of Simeon in high school. We were in a youth group of over 100 kids, and we were in different social circles, so it wasn’t odd that our paths rarely crossed. They did one night at church camp. It was after the evening service. Most of my girlfriends were dating and had paired off with their guys. One single friend remained with me. We discussed our plight of being single and decided to check out what options we had to change that, then along walks Simeon. My friend leaned over and said, “What about Simeon Brazzell?” My response, “Never in a million years!” Boy would I eat those words later!

Fast forward about 4 years to the fall of 2011, and you’ll find us both students at Crown College. Simeon had traveled with a singing group from our college that summer. I was very interested in doing it the next summer. I began chatting with Simeon about his experience. One thing led to the next, and soon I realized I was falling in love with this cute guy. A sweet memory we share is one evening we went with our brothers to play tennis. Afterward, I mentioned how much I enjoy baking cookies. Sim, who’s dessert of choice is cookies, said “Oh wow! Will you marry me?” The first thing that crossed my mind was that I didn’t want to tell him no! So I replied, “Well, I need to finish college first.” I’ll never forget the look on our brothers faces!

I could gush on and on about sweet details, but I do not wish to bore you. God continued to knit our hearts together, and we fell deeper and deeper in love.

On August 3, 2013 Simeon asked me to be his wife. Of course I said “yes!” We were married on July 12, 2014. Sim surprised me with the most incredible 2 week honeymoon in Valencia, Spain, and we’ve been honeymooning every since. God has blessed us with three beautiful children. Together for 9 years and married for 6, this has been the journey of a lifetime!

Song of Solomon 3:4 “I found him whom my soul loveth”