This Old House

My family and I used to live in Kyle, Texas.  We moved from there in August of 1986, so really - I have no memory of it other than all the stories I hear.

Dad was mayor, he owned a printing business and a little cafe.

He decided one day that he didn't want Jennifer & I to go to public school in Kyle so he and his best friend Mike picked up and headed out to find us a new place to live... and that's where they still are now.

Anytime we're in Kyle, we make it a point to drive by the old house and see what it looks like.  It's a house with so much character.  Mom & Dad bought it for next to nothing and then completely updated the entire thing, adding onto the house and adding a swimming pool.  From everything I hear - this house was amazing.  Mom says she wanted to move the house when we moved - clearly that didn't happen, though - growing up in a log cabin was a lot of fun, and I don't think I'd trade that for anything.

Here are a few pictures of the old house where only the paint color has changed since we moved.

A Grace-Dependent Life

These past two years or so have made me extremely aware of God's grace and how he lavishes it on us constantly. 

I found this article on the Relevant Magazine site and wanted to share this excerpt:

"It’s easy to go on, speaking eloquent words about grace, especially when we don’t have to go before God asking for it. It’s easy to believe in grace, to believe in the gospel, when there have been relatively few blemishes along the way. It’s easy to repent of something like a lack of discipline, because after you ask for forgiveness you can conjure up a five-step plan of success. We can whip ourselves into being disciplined, with the help of God and our own strength. What isn’t easy is totally blowing it—putting on display our inability to be perfect. When you find yourself, dirty and messy and never whom you thought you’d be, that’s when you understand grace. And when you understand grace, that’s when you turn from the things that break you.

The most difficult part in all of this is that we have to go to God completely empty-handed and receive what can never be earned. It’s stunning to finally get to the place where we believe that no matter how often we pray, fast, meditate, study, and so forth, we will never ever be perfect.

It’s hard to live out a grace dependent life; we want to get to heaven by the work of our own two hands. It’s a hard pill to swallow- being really helpless and needy before the sight of God. He is not for feeling good or for comfort, but rather for life itself.

“Never forget where you came from and never forget what you’re capable of.”

May we refuse to forget where we came from and what we are capable of. May our words and actions be drenched in humility as we acknowledge our profound tendency to fall and sleep in the muck. Lastly, may we not believe the horrible lie that we will one day earn enough merit to get to Heaven. Let us lay our trophies down.

taken from Relevant Magazine {www.relevantmagazine.com}

HOW incredible is that?! I know it's something I need to hear daily.

Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived. Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.  -Galatians 6:1-5

Moving err Moved to Dallas!

Last weekend took me on my 3rd move for the summer...but I have a feeling that I'll be here for a while!

While I've only spent two nights in Dallas so far, I'm absolutely thrilled for what the Lord will bring during this season of life.  There are so many reasons I'm so thankful to be living in Dallas and I hope to one day be able to share a few of them here with you.

I'm so excited about living with Leana and our apartment is going to be/already is adorable!! I know the Lord has great things in store for this season and I cannot wait!

I'll post pictures soon of our apartment!

Mr. & Mrs. Matthew Robert Kordzik!

The first weekend in October brought Matt & Lauren's wedding, and what a fun time that was!

I headed out on Friday morning to pick Kim & Carrie up from the airport, and what a blessing it was to spend the day with them and catch up on everything that's been going on these past 6 months.  

The wedding & reception were both held at Texas Old Town in Kyle which was a wonderful setting for a wedding.  The ceremony was outdoors and the weather couldn't have been more perfect! Ben and Eric also made the trip down from DC for the wedding and it was so great to get to see them as well. 

Saturday was filled with a bridal luncheon, hair appointments, pictures and of course - the ceremony and reception.  Everything was so wonderful.  I'm so thankful that the Lord brought our lives together in DC and most importantly, Matt & Lauren's.  What a gift to be able to share in their wedding day with them. 

Here are some pictures from the weekend!!

Meet Leana: My new roommate!!! 

Carrie, Lauren, Ashley & Kim

Carrie, Ashley & Kim

And a few wedding pictures:

Kim, Eric, Carrie, Matt, Lauren, Ashley, Ben

Carrie, Eric, Ashley, Ben, Kim

First Dance

Lauren looked amazing!

love her!

Aggie War Hymn!

Susan & I

I headed back Sunday morning to begin packing for the move to Dallas the next weekend!!

September 20th, 2010! Meet Jake Fletcher Bryla!

I left for Fredericksburg about 7:45 in the morning on 9/20 and arrived in plenty of time to beat Baby Jake.  The day was pretty uneventful and up until about 5pm we were convinced Jennifer was going to have to have a c-section because Jake was sunny side up and he weight over 9lbs and she hadn't dilated past a 5 since 11 that morning.  About 5:30, the nurse checked Jennifer and she had made it to an 8 AND Jake had turned!  Dr. Jennifer came in about 7p.m. and Jennifer had made it to a 10 and the doctor said to get this room ready, we were starting to push at 7:20! And sure enough,  about 40 minutes later, at 8:02 p.m. little Jake made his debut in the world at 9lbs 8oz and 21 1/4 inches long.

I was able to be in the room through the entire delivery and that in and of itself was incredible.  Before the time came, I was certain I didn't want to be in the room...and then it all worked out and I'm pretty sure it's one of the most incredible things I've ever seen.  I'm not quite sure how anyone could experience that and not believe that there is a God who orchestrates everything in this world.  When I saw Jake right after he came out, umbilical cord still attached, all I could do was cry with tears of joy at the miracle I just witnessed.

Unfortunately, during the night that night, Jake had some issues breathing - which can be normal for larger babies.  They did a chest x-ray and noticed a little bit of cloudiness.  Dr. Rick put him on meds for pneumonia, wanting to get ahead of the game.  He was later diagnosed with newborn pneumonia which required him being in an oxygen hood and hooked up to IVs.  There is no medical reason for how newborns get pneumonia but that they specifically see about 4-6 cases in a 6 month period.  This made it hard to hold him, and there were two days when we couldn't hold him.  It was so sad to watch him lay there, so helpless.   One day, Will said, "Maybe Baby Jake could come home with all the cords?!"  Thankfully, the L&D Unit in Fredericksburg wasn't a popular place to be that week and we were able to be in the nursery as much as we wanted with Jake as there were no other babies there.  Jennifer was discharged on Thursday and went home.  She would go up to nurse him, spend some time with him and come back home.  Jake was able to come home on Sunday, September 26th, two days earlier than expected and has been doing wonderful ever since!

What a blessing to get to be a part of something so wonderful!

September

I really don't think I have experienced a month that has gone by soo fast in a long time.

My family kicked off September in our typical fashion with our annual Labor Day gathering at my parents house.  We've been getting together there for 23 years now and it's such a blessing to get to all be together under one roof. To laugh, to play games and of course - to eat! One of the best parts of this Labor Day weekend was the Rob, Sharla & Charlie flew down from NOVA to spend the weekend at my parents and it was SOO wonderful to see them.  I picked up Sharla & Charlie at the airport on Friday morning...and quite honestly, wasn't sure if Charlie would remember me.  When he first saw me he was kind of in shock and then as soon as we got in the car he just started screaming my name for 30 minutes.  I would look back at him and he would just start smiling and laughing.  Seeing them for that weekend made me realize how thankful I was for them, for the opportunity to get to share the first 18 months of Charlie's life with them, to get to know them as family and for all the Lord changed and did in my heart during those 18 months.  I can't imagine my life without them in it and I realized after that weekend that I do miss life with them.

(Sharla took all the pictures that weekend, so I've got to get them from her... here is a group shot though and a few more):

two of my favorite people and kiddos!

Will, Jennifer, Hayley & Kaylynn 

Clearly, Kaylynn was not okay with taking a picture!

Jenno & Hayley

Group Shot from Labor Day!

The following weekend was spent in Fredericksburg for wedding showers for Lauren & Matt.

September also brought my third staph infection and this time I was put on Zyvox, which is IV strength medicine in pill form. Needless to say, it cleared it up quickly and I'm hoping I don't get it EVER again!  

And the next weekend was Lauren's Bachelorette party in Austin! We went to Flat Creek Winery in Marble Falls and then headed down to 6th Street on Saturday night for some fun at Pete's Dueling Piano Bar which was incredible amounts of fun!

Lauren & I

All of the girls at the winery

Ready to go out! 

AND THEN...

On Monday morning, September 20, 2010 - I headed to Fredericksburg to (hopefully) beat Baby Jake there!....And I did, but I'll give him a separate post.

August

First, let me apologize, once again - for not posting.  I've gotten bad, but I hope to do a better job in remembering this journey.

So in order to do this in a quick fashion, I'm going to give a summary of the months leading up to now.

August:
August brought my second staph infection (MRSA).  Upon this, my parents suggested it might be a good idea to trying moving for a short period of time to see if they went away.  I only seemed to get MRSA in College Station.  While living in DC, I never got them and the climate is pretty much the same - it's still hot and it's still humid and there are still people everywhere.  I began to pray about this, and decided it was the right decision. The only real issue was the fact that I owned a house and really needed to have it rented in order to leave.
Well, faithfully - just as He always is, the Lord provided 2 awesome girls which turned into 4 awesome girls to rent my house - an absolute blessing.  Only, this meant - my move wouldn't be temporary, it would be permanent.  Trusting that He was leading all of this, I decided I would go.  To where?

DALLAS! Ha, shocker of all.  I never thought I'd live there, but quite honestly, the adventure of a big city again was really intriguing.  Just again, in His normal fashion - God had already laid the foundation for what was soon to come.  One of Lauren's best friends from her childhood (who I had the opportunity to meet in DC, who was also a bridesmaid in Lauren & Matt's wedding) was looking for a roommate in Dallas - coincidence? nah.  Leana and I began talking about the possibility of living together and after a lot of prayer and conversation on August 27th we put in an application for an apartment... my first one EVER!

So as you might be able to tell, August was mostly consumed with me trying to figure out if Dallas was the place I was going to be moving to next.  Thankfully, my job allows me live wherever I want so I wasn't having to focus on anything about finding a new job.