by: Andy

 

The Brennans are now separated by the Pacific Ocean.  Kat and the kids are wintering in Phoenix and I am back in Chiang Mai, Thailand for our annual conference.  This is my sixth time here so there are many familiar things that I’m returning to: cheap movies at Central Mall, roti (banana and otherwise), pad thai (pending), an abundance of used book stores (I’ve picked up some Isaac Asimov), and balmy, pleasant weather (although it’s a bit chilly in the conference room I’m typing this in right now).  A few of my favorite vendors have vanished, but otherwise things are pretty much the same.  The fam will be in Phoenix until the 6^th and I’ll be here until the 11^th.

 

It’s certainly hard to be apart during this month, but easy email access and Skype see us through.

Sorry for the delay in posting!  We purchased a new house in November and have been working feverishly on it ever since.  Soon we'll have internet at home and will be able to give some more time here... and hopefully post some new photos.

 

Stay tuned.

 

Andy

by: Katrina Brennan

Throughout the months of Taya’s short life so far we’ve received numerous compliments on our baby (beautiful eyes, like an angel, a little Gerber baby).  We received a lot of compliments for Logan too, but a lot of those were in Chinese – hen ke ai (very cute), piao liang! (beautiful), and hao kan ( good-looking).  Once when I was in an airport a former representative for child models suggested I look into it for Taya and she told me some things to look for.  Now, I know that all parents think their children are the most beautiful, perfect children of all (and they are!), but we decided we’d check into it.  An agency decided to represent her (and Logan).  Taya was the first to get a job.  She auditioned with lots of other babies for a print job with a French clothing company, and she was one of the few selected for the job (I think for their catalogue). 

The photo shoot was out in Malibu and was a lot of fun.  We were at a beautiful house right on the ocean.  Taya did a great job.  All the French workers said she was perfect and jokingly asked if I trained her.  She was photographed for about 20 minutes with another adult model.  Hopefully I’ll be able to see a copy of the results some day.  Plus, she got paid $150 an hour for 2 hours, minus the agency fee that can go toward her college tuition.  I don’t know if she or Logan will get any other jobs before we leave LA, but it was fun to experience and may be an option in Colorado as well, as there are agencies in nearby Denver. 

 

There is certainly much that could be said about recent Brennan happenings, especially in regard to our house hunt.  However, rather than journal about each dip and hill on this coaster, we'll just wait for the final resolution.  Suffice it to say, we've withdrawn ourselves from one contract and are actively pursuing a single-family home about five miles from where I'll be working.

 

In other news, I think an anecdote from this morning will do to fill up this post. 

 

Scene: breakfast table over waffles with peanut butter and honey.

Taya starts to wimper from the other room and crawls to us for some attention.  I pick her up and hold her on my lap; this seems to calm her down.  Shortly thereafter the waffle iron beeps and I stand up to see to it, placing Taya back on the floor. As I'm moving between the table and counter Logan notices something.  "Oh, you have some peanut butter on you." My brief search of the possible regions turns nothing up until I turn my attention to the leg that Taya was sitting on.  "That's not peanut butter!"  Those shorts needed to be washed anyway...

 

 

 

 

 

by: Andy Brennan

It’s amazing to me to think that we’ve been back in the States for a year now.  Our students and friends in China are progressing through another year of their education, many of them graduating and moving into successful entry-level jobs.  Some have taken positions in goliaths Beijing and Shanghai and others have returned to their hometowns, choosing to live near family.  One of the most fulfilling aspects of my April trip to China was taking a day to visit Yangzhou to see many old students.  It was stirring to hear about how they were making big decisions for their futures and I was surprised by an unexpected emotion: pride. How satisfying it was to play even the small role that I did in their education.

Here on the home front we’re starting to prepare for yet another transition.  We’re slated to relocate to Fort Collins Colorado at the end of September.  We have a home finding expedition coming up at the beginning of next month and we’ve started the ball rolling on other processes.  As first-time buyers, this is a big obstacle weighing on our minds.  Clearly the housing market in Fort Collins is more realistic that SoCal’s, but it’s still a little nerve wracking.  We appreciate your prayers.

Wow.  Where did June go?

 

 

 

 

 

by: Andy Brennan

 

In the middle of April I spent ten days hosting a pair of photographers hired to replenish our stock of marketing and advancement photos.  We visited five schools from Beijing to Qinhuangdao, capturing the lives of our teachers.  I wasn’t sure how I would feel, but ten months in the States did nothing to dim China’s familiarity.  Fortunately, our transition to the States last July was smooth and we experienced little if any reverse culture shock.  So I figured, since life was good in SoCal, I might have to deal with some of the same issues I faced when I first ventured into the Middle Kingdom.  I was refreshed, however, to experience a sense of homecoming.  China has definitely changed me.  It felt wonderful to be back, to be in the culture, to visit my old friends and stomping grounds.  I’m grateful for the unexpected opportunity.

 

My disposition toward China has made Monday’s tragedy even more painful.  Fortunately, our group did not have any teachers located in Sichuan province and all have reported in injury-free.  That’s not to say that they remained unaffected though.  Many felt tremors and some evacuated their classroom buildings and even – temporarily – their apartments.  Many of their students have family members that have been directly influenced by the quake.  Some schools have closed their doors for the semester to ensure the stability of all their structures.  Among affected student bodies there is a spirit of fear and uncertainty.  Won’t you join us in lifting up the people of China and in bringing our teachers before the Throne as they seek to provide comfort and hope?

 

 

by: Andy Brennan

 

Recently, my brother and sister-in-law flew in from Buffalo, and my mom drove in from Phoenix to have a little family reunion.  We had a good time with them remembering why families often try to live near each other.  Our main destination - Sequoia National Park was great.  The mountains were beautiful and snow capped, the air was brisk and fresh, the water cold and full, the locals friendly, and the camaraderie refreshing.  We found a nice little motel/inn right on the water.  We could hear the roar of the current from our rooms.  It was the last place to stay before the entrance of the park. 

 

Our first night we did a little bit of hiking around the area, found a herd of horses, and came back down for some pizza and local beer.  The following day we all piled in the Escape and twisted and turned our way up to the museum site.  We noticed that there were many trails sprouting off from this location on the map, but when we got there the 4 feet snow pack put a damper on our thoughts of expedition.  We did end up following an unplowed forest service road for about a mile and a half though.  We plodded, kids in tow, up to Moro Rock and were overjoyed when we finally reached the parking lot we could have driven to, had it been warmer or later in the year.

 

The sign at the base of the rock’s stairs warned against climbing when there was ice or snow pack on the ground.  Naturally, heedless (somewhat) of the danger, we decided to see just how far we could make it.  So with promises of caution cast over our shoulders, Noah and I hurried to the treacherous task of scouting ahead.  At the beginning there was some risk as we clamored over snow drifts that rose to the level of the railing that marked the path, but the drop off to the left was far enough away to embolden us.  The climb would have been bum-quivering on a dry day, but the snow, solid and liquid, made it that much more thrilling.  We wound our way up the stairwell (images of Frodo and Sam flash before my imagination now) and witnessed breathtaking views of the glorious mountain ranges and the road we had snaked up from the valley below. 

 

At a certain point all but 6 inches of the path was covered in tall snow and to the left lay a thigh-high, man-made rock barrier, and the precipitous slope of Moro.  This we braved without a second thought (having just passed an adventurous German on his way back down).  However when we reached the point that had turned our new friend around, I paused and remembered the promise of return I had given my wife, and thought ahead to the danger of coming down the same way that lay before me.  Now the trail lay completely snow-covered and switched sharply back to the right (as far as we could tell).  Never having claimed to be an expert climber, I decided the end of the trail was not worth the value of my life.  Noah and Christian however (for that was the German’s name), were nimbler and more “goat-like.”  They scurried ahead and were quickly out of sight and soon after out of ear-shot. 

 

Christian was emboldened with the prospect of having someone with him who could assist if something went wrong and leaving someone behind who could inform his waiting daughter should he plummet to his death.  They did indeed end up reaching the summit, after clamoring hands and knees over one more most-dangerous-of-all-snowdrift.  Apparently a few feet either direction from the center meant certain death.  That was certainly the highlight of the trip.  That night we grilled dogs by the river and played a round of Settlers (yes, I won). 

 

 

by: Katrina Brennan

 

Lest, you think we fell off the face of the earth during December since no entries occurred, here are some of the highlights:

      Andy finished his Wheaton College coursework!!!!!

      I finished my Azusa Pacific University coursework!!!!

      Our family visited, including all of my immediate family, and Andy’s mom.

      And of course we celebrated some birthdays, including the most important of all on Christmas day.

 

We are loving the California winter weather and now realize why so many people live here.  We’ve been playing badminton the last few days in the beautiful sunshine.  Sorry for those of you who are sitting in front of your computer’s wrapped in blankets right now.  

 

While my family was here we took a trip to the San Diego zoo and had a great time.  The 2 year old panda gave us quite a great show as soon as arrived, falling off of branches, boxing his food containers, and more.  We also went to the LA arboretum (Botanical Gardens) and enjoyed all the plant life as well as the peacocks.  Even the neighborhoods surrounding the arboretum have wild peacocks roaming the streets and strutting along the rooftops.  

 

Being done with our master’s degrees feels awesome, and we think we’ll take a break for awhile.  Andy hopes to get the reward of an XBOX very soon for all of his hard work over the years.  

 

Taya is healthy and happy.  She’s been showing off her beautiful smiles since her first week at home, and even her eyes smile when she’s happy.  We are enjoying such an easy baby, and Logan seems to put up with her very well.  She’s starting to coo a bit and really responds to her environment.  

 

Logan is still hilarious when he’s in a good mood (which is most of the time).  He’s remembering lines from his favorite books and songs now, so we enjoy hearing him sing “I’ve been working on the railroad,” “The Wheels on the Bus,” and hollering “I LOVE YOU!!!” over the monitors every night.  We made puppy chow a while ago and he exclaimed “Holy cow!” after his dad removed the top after shaking it all together.  He likes watching the hourglass and describing how the sand goes through the teeny tiny hole – while his voice gets high and squeaky at the teeny tiny part.  

 

This morning my sister and I took the kids to see the Rose Bowl Parade floats that were on display about 10 minutes from here.  We heard that 150,000 people go through to see them, and we enjoyed being part of the masses.  We even wished we had worn t-shirts! 

 

Hopefully we’ll have some pictures added soon to go along with the stories.  Happy New Year to all!

 

 

 

 

Taya is good and well-behaved.  So far she has been a much easier baby than Logan was.  She doesn’t cry as much and is a great eater.  Besides her constant cuteness, she doesn’t do much yet in addition to eating, sleeping and filling her diaper.  So, despite our recent fascination with our youngest child, space must be given here to tell about some of Logan’s daily behavior that causes us to chuckle. 

 

Recently we’ve been watching The Family Feud when we get the time.  Perhaps we’ve been getting the time too often… One of Logan’s newest games involves some cards that we picked up along the way in China.  They are for learning vocabulary and have a Chinese character and its pinyin pronunciation on one side and an object on the other.   So, one of his favorite things to do now is to grab a random card for the basket, run to wherever we are congregating and shout,

 

“Show me ________!”  (Whatever happens to be on the card.)  For example:

“Show me eagle!  Show me fire!  Show me mountain!”  You get the idea.  We thought it was pretty cute.

 

He is getting more and more creative (and consequently making his dad quite proud).  This evening he was making a strange monkish, chanting sound.  We asked him if that was the name of his cup, which he was playing with at the time, and he said yes.  We then asked him what his plate was named. 

 

“Blosgub,” he responded.  (I’m not sure if I have the correct spelling; we’ll have to wait until he can spell….)  We tried asking him again so we could make sure we had it right, but he decided to go more mainstream and said,

 

“Logan’s plate.”  I prefer Blosgub.