It is a beautiful June day here in Lewis County. The purple iris are blooming outside my window in the morning sun and there are so many birds singing in our quiet neighborhood I am home alone right now, it is about 7 am and Ezra has been gone to work about an hour. My little house is so quiet and I have about an hour before I leave for an eye appointment, so I’m doing an update!
We have been here in Glenfield, NY for about six months now. We bought a little house and spent about a month living with friends while we cleaned it out and painted, and now we’re settled in it very nicely. It’s probably my favorite house I’ve ever lived in, it feels like a little dollhouse inside- so bright and cheerful and cozy.
Eric is staying in Constableville this week with his best friend Caleb. Caleb is getting married on Saturday and Eric is his best man. I’d like to think they are doing wedding things but likely they are doing tractor things, haha! On Sunday morning, after the wedding, we will take Eric to the Syracuse airport to catch his flight to Alaska, where he is going to work for at least the season fishing and then afterwards possibly work at another job indefinitely. I am a little nervous/sad about that but I’m glad for my children to see the world and have adventures so I’m dealing with it. He’ll never see this. 😉
Aurora has been working as a nanny for the last few months for a friend of mine who has two young boys. She is almost done there and will go to a Christian Camp for the summer to work, I spent a few summers doing that and count it as some of my favorite summers in life, so I’m glad for her to go but sad to have her five hours away.
Giselle is very happy to have been hired to work as an in home health aide. What makes me happy is that the family she works for are long term friends of the family and full of the Spirit of the Lord, so I know that she is being blessed to just spend time there! Both of the girls are finished with school this spring and have been considering to nursing school or some kind of medical technician program. We have several travel nurse friends and that sounds attractive to Giselle, who would like to see the world a bit. Aurora is fairly content to stay put. She does a lot of writing and art work, and she doesn’t want to be too far from her sheep, who are currently lodging with family on Tug Hill.
Ezra is commuting an hour to his work where primarily drives a ready mix cement truck for the day. I think he is enjoying the job and the people he works with. When he is done for the day we will go over to Lyons Falls and work at a house that we bought to renovate and resell. It’s taking a long time because it’s mostly just the two of us and I’m more of a design girlie than a demolition girlie. But Ezra of course can do everything and is really good at it. He updates the progress on the house on his account @ezrasiegrist on tiktok, and also just shares his life updates and thoughts if you want to follow!
As for me, I just started a temporary job for a little business in Lowville that makes salads to sell at cafes. But a bigger thing is that the twins and I and four other friends have been doing a fitness program for the last six weeks and it’s going really well! If you don’t already know I’m actually making daily vlogs about our progress on YouTube under my name @briannajea. Even though I have a long way to go, I feel so encouraged!
Most of my focus has been on that lately, and on the house we are renovating, but there are always so many other things to fill my time.
In April my very good friend took me with her on a vacation to Sandals, Jamaica for a week, which was amazing!!!
Immediately after I got back, Aurora had gallbladder surgery, but it went well and she is recovering. This past Saturday I hosted a baby shower for my beautiful niece, this coming week we are traveling to the Jasper area for a wedding, once a month I help at the church children’s program, once a month I lead worship, and my favorite- I still stay connected with the GPA network by attending online meetings and leading my small group on zoom. I still try to fit in some art work but I don’t get to it much, I’m afraid. If I have free time I usually like to use it for bible study and reading.
I want to finish our update by saying that I’m so thankful for the many beautiful things in life. The light through the maple leaves, my cat who is the Most Beautiful Cat That Exists, my three healthy children who make me so proud, my faithful wonderful husband that loves me so much. I am thankful for the freedom and peace and prosperity that I enjoy everyday, knowing that there are many who sadly never experience that. I am grateful for my friends and family and my one complaint in life is that I don’t travel enough to see the ones that aren’t nearby. I am living a very blessed life and I am aware it’s because of the kindness and love of many far beyond what I deserve.
But also I want to say that everything I have in life- healthy relationships, healthy spirit, hope, peace, joy- it is all because there is One God, eternally existant, who created everything and desined all of this beautiful universe. Every good things flows from his tender love towards me and towards all of us. Because of Jesus Christ, the king of glory, who left heaven and became flesh, and took on sin and death and conquered, we are set free from the curse and have the opportunity to live in the light as sons and daughters of the Most High God. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and the Only Way to the Father.
My update might seem happy and charmed and as if there are no problems or sadness. You might be thinking of things in your life that feel like failures or curses and wonder why you have to struggle and other people don’t. That’s a lie! I have my struggles and I’ve had sadness, and I’ve had failures, too. But I have found consistent life and hope for every thing when I’ve looked at it in the light of the Lord. He is my best friend- He is always with me, and He would be that for you, too. I could say a lot more, and I have, haha. If you don’t know the Lord at all- if you feel far away from him, He is closer than you think. I made this video a bit ago sharing my heart just about how we all should know the Lord, and how important it is.
But if you’re a believer, you’re a christian and you’re like, yeah, I go to church, I’m saved but I just don’t have that same experiece that you have- I really suggest this short message by Francis Chan to encourage you.
I hope that this update finds you well and I’d love to hear from anyone who reads what you’re up to and what you think!!
Much love
Brianna
briannasiegrist.com 