Braithwaite Duo

Catching Up

2011-02-20T22:45:00.000-08:00

It's been a VERY long time since we last posted on here. Sorry! I guess neither one of us are very good blog people! Just thought I'd share a little about what has been going on with us in the past year.

Mark is really enjoying his job and loves to go to work everyday. It's so nice that he has a career that he actually enjoys. He just hit his 2 year mark on the 16th of February so he is no longer considered an "intern" and is now pretty secure in his job :) That feels amazing!!

We also bought our 1st home last November!! It's hard to believe that we are homeowners. We absolutely love it! We are both thrilled to be out of the apartment phase of our marriage. Let's hope we never have to go back! We have a few things to do to the house...it's 20 yrs old...but it's fun to be able to do things the way we want them. Just takes $$$!!

And definitely the best news is....We are expecting!! And we are expecting VERY soon! My due date is officially 4 weeks away....3/22! Our precious baby girl will be here before we know it. Her name will be

Kiera Maria.

We are so thrilled to finally be parents and feel so blessed to be starting our family. I so can't wait to hold her in my arms! I'm starting to get nervous about the delivery but I know it will all be worth it. The nursery is almost completely finished and we only have a few more big items to buy. We've definitely been blessed with amazing family and friends that have helped us stock up on the necessities! I never knew how much a small little baby needs. Mark has been overwhelmed with just how many diapers she'll need :) He's going to be such a great daddy though! I can't wait to see him hold her for the first time! That's the main reason I married him...I knew he would make an awesome dad!

Daddy putting together the crib :)

Maternity photos coming soon......

He's FINALLY coming home!!!

2009-09-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

This is going to be an extremely short post but I just wanted to let everyone know that Mark is finally coming home! I've been waiting 7 long months to write that!! I fly there on Saturday, his "graduation" is Monday (it's just a small ceremony for the Spanish portion, he already had the "big" graduation in July) and then we drive home on Monday night. So, he will be home on Tuesday and then we start moving into our new apartment on Thursday! Poor guy! He's going to be so worn out. He will be off of work for the next two weeks and then he starts reporting to his station on the 28th. I can't believe that we finally made it to this point though! I never thought this day would come!! I really can't wait to see him and know that he is home for good!

It's Almost Over!!

2009-07-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry that I haven't posted anything in a while! Mark is better at all of this than I am...it's his fault! So, as most of you know, Mark is still in the academy!! It's already been 5 1/2 months and we still have 6 more weeks to go! This has been really tough for both of us but I know our marriage has just gotten stronger. We fortunately are able to talk every night and we've also seen each other 3 times. He was able to come here once for a 3 day weekend and then I've been there twice. I just recently went for his graduation. It was so cool to see him in his uniform and to receive his credentials and his badge! It's official now....Mark is finally a Federal Agent! He looked so incredibly handsome! Now he is just going through the Spanish training. Mark is already fluent in Spanish due to his mission so this is all pretty easy for him. He says that he is still learning new vocabulary and it's helping him to freshen up since he hasn't really used Spanish since getting back from his mission. He has 8 hrs. of Spanish classes each day but at least he is done with the Physical Training. I was really scared that he was having to do the PT stuff in the middle of summer. It gets to about 115 degrees there during the day! He had a guy in his class die due to the heat! He was about Mark's age, in great health, very muscular and he collapsed during PT and died. It was really hard on Mark to lose him. Mark said he was a great guy. He's got two little girls and a wife that he left behind. I've texted and talked to his wife a few time on Facebook. She's really sweet and I can't imagine what she's going through! I'm just so happy that Mark is done with the PT and now he will be able to come home to me! I can't imagine losing him during all of this!! My husband is such a wonderful man! I truly admire him and love him for enduring this for me and our future family! No one has ever done anything so selfless for me! I definitely got one of the best!

Thank you all for your prayers and support through this long journey! It's almost over and I can't wait to put it behind us! I hope you are all doing well!!

Love, Lani and Mark

Mark is heading to the Academy!

2009-02-17T21:25:00.000-08:00

Well, we had a wonderful Valentine's weekend. We did our tradition of mexican food and a scary movie. Mark took me to Las Campanas at the Mission Inn on Friday night (We didn't want to fight the crowds Saturday night) and then we went and saw Friday the 13th on Saturday. It was great getting to spend that time together. Then we drove down to Chula Vista on Sunday morning and rented him a car and checked into his hotel. We had our last dinner together at a cute little pizzeria and then I left Monday morning. I cried all the way home. It was raining hard but Mark thinks it was just my crying and not rain. He loves to make fun of me :) He flies from Chula Vista to New Mexico tomorrow morning at 4:30 am to start the academy. He's really nervous but I know that he will do great! He's stronger and smarter than he gives himself credit for! So, the next 5 months will be very hard for both of us. But, in the end, it will be well worth it! We are still trying to decide if we will be moving to Lake Elsinore or San Clemente. I would LOVE to move to San Clemente just so that we can be close to the beach. I love the beach! But it depends on if I can find a job with Kaiser out there. So, we'll see where God wants us to be. Thanks for all of your prayers thus far but please continue to include us in them...especially Mark! We will definitely keep you all in our prayers! I will try to keep this updated as much as I can...it was Mark's job but I guess now it will be mine! :) Love you all! ~ Lani

San Clemente Here we come!!!

2009-01-28T06:53:00.000-08:00

Well yesterday morning it was hard for me to get up and start my day. Lani was a bed hog, so I got up and went to the couch around four in the morning. Our cat tried to cuddle with me, which she never has done...Ever!!! Lani left for work, then the phone rings and I thought “Why are you calling me, you know I am trying to sleep?” I answer the phone and it was a lady’s voice asking “Is Mark there?”, very friendly as if she knew me. I said “yes, speaking.” Then her voice changed as she identified herself as a Federal Agent. We talked about a few things, and then she informed me of where I was being stationed...San Clemente, California! I report on February 16th and report to the Academy in New Mexico on Feb. 19th until July. I am so excited about where we will be and that it this is finally starting! It is going to be very hard not being able to be with my wonderful wife. She is truly the best thing that has ever happened to me. I hope that the five months will go by fast. I am very thankful to so many of you for helping me get to where I am with my conditioning. Fire-house fitness, you guys rock!!! The kettle bell class kicks my butt every time. I have seen great improvements in my weight loss, strength and even in my cardio. I owe you all so much, thank you!!! Due to this career and what is involved with it we are going to be setting this blog to private. I’m not sure on how to do that yet so I could definitely use some help. We love you all and thank you for keeping us in your prayers. Mark

I PASSED!!!

2008-12-17T09:40:00.000-08:00

So two days ago I went and checked my online status with Home Land Security to see if anything has changed. It now states; "You have been referred to the scheduling unit. Generally an applicant can expect to be contacted to schedule their entrance on duty and/or training in 30 - 60 days. Depending on an applicant's selected locations scheduling calls could be extended an additional 30 days or more. " So I have passed all of the background check and now I get to wait for a phone call. Location wise I put "anywhere, willing to move." So I might hear from them sooner than later. I was told that once I do receive the call they will tell me what station they want me at. Then I have to show up at the station a few days later to do paper work which is said to take three to four days. After that I get a week off to get everything in order to go to the academy which is five months long in the middle of nowhere New Mexico. The academy is said to be like boot camp and I will not be able to leave nor have family show up. So that means I can't see Lani for five months, that is going to be the hardest part of all. Thank you all for keeping us in your prayers, We love you all. Mark

A great camp out!!!

2008-12-09T08:21:00.000-08:00

Over this last weekend I went with My buddy Kip out to Joshua Tree to teach a Boy Scout troop how to go repelling. Friday night at eight we set up camp and started on dinner. Man!!! did we eat like Kings!!! Kip and I had steaks topped with sauteed mushrooms, fresh bread and even BBQ frog legs!!! After a great dinner we had a Park Ranger come in to our camp and to check how we were doing. I guess there was a 5.6 earthquake that we did not feel. It was centered only ten miles away. The Scouts had can soup for dinner... Kip and I laughed and remember when we were in their shoes. Next morning we packed up camp and fixed a great breakfast. Kip and I took off to find a spot to repel off of, while the scouts did scout stuff. We found some cliffs that were so crazy that Kip and I could only laugh and smile as we said "wow". After a little while we found a good cliff to teach the scouts how to repel. it was maybe a sixty to seventy foot cliff. Those boys were all brave and went as many time as they could. Kip and Jared went over face first. I tried to go down in three jumps and on the second I rolled my ankle. I was ticked at myself for rolling my ankle because I left my boot loose and not tied tight. This was after I told all of the boys to make sure that their shoes were on tight. So next time my boots will be tied tight. All in all it was a great trip. It was great to get out and do what you enjoy doing. I enjoy showing others the hobbies I am into. I love seeing that spark they get and how they get hooked on it. One the way home Kip and I started talking on a plan on taking our wives out camping to the same spot and see if they like rock climbing and repelling.

The last item being faxed off today!!!

2008-11-11T10:12:00.000-08:00

Many have been asking what’s going on with the progress of The U.S. Customs job for me. I have been calling a company twice a week for the last four months almost trying to have them send a bill for something that the government wants paid off to finish the background check. This last Friday being the second time calling for that week, the lady told me the same as every time before… “Sure we will mail one out today”. I became so mad and told her that she has told me that twice a week for almost four months. So I asked her if she could look at my info on this matter and she said yes. I then asked if she could tell me the dollar amount and she did. Then I asked if there is a reference number to my bill, she then gave me that info. Finally I said if I come in on Tuesday with a money order to pay it off, can I, she said of course, that would be fine. This took me to the boiling point. I then asked why she never told me this, four months ago. She said because I never asked about that option. I said fine I will be in on Tuesday to pay this. MAN!!! So today after work I am heading down there to pay this dumb bill which was due to a dumb roommate that I had way back when. Then tonight I will be faxing off the last document for my background check and with fingers crossed as I say this, I am guessing I should hear something on where I will be stationed before Christmas. So we shall see. Mark

First trip to the Infertility

2008-11-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

Well last night was our first appointment with the infertility Doctor. I was a bit worried on what I thought was going to have to happen in this appointment. Lani on the other hand was in the “bring it on, let’s go for it!” mode. This appointment was pretty much giving them our families’ history of health and what if any prescriptions we are taking. Lani had to take a pregnancy test to make sure she was not pregnant, which she was not. I had to give four vials of blood for testing, just to make sure my health is good for making babies. Lani has a few tests she is having done this week, she is very lucky to be able to work in the hospital, it is now so easy for her to go pick up a prescription or go do a blood test. The prescription Lani is thinking she will end up using is the same one the Kate off of the show “John and Kate plus eight” used. So I think there is a good chance we will have our whole family in one shot. So for kicks we should take a poll to see how many kids we will have in one shot. So let us know how many you are thinking, I am going for triplets!!! So we will keep all of you up-to-date on how things are going. We love you all and keep us in your prayers!!! Mark

Halloween Party at Kip and Sarah's

2008-10-31T13:11:00.000-07:00

Lani and I, Evil Nurse and Creepy Doctor from the Dead.

Sarah and Kip Robinson Jr. as Nacho Libre and Encarnacion his Nun woman

Roger and Lyndzee as Punk Rockers!

Ryan and Cindel Houston as a Bro. and a Bro. Ho

Karl and Erin Dellenbach as Fierro and Alfaba from Wicked

Laurie and Gregg Hardy as Jim Dangle (Reno 911) and his most recent arrest!

Jessica and Josh Fisher as Cowboy and Indian!

10/25/08

2008-10-25T23:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I just want to thank you all for your prayers!! I just learned this week that since I switched jobs my health insurance has changed a little and now we are covered 100% for infertility! So, we are going to make an appointment soon to start treatments!! The scary thing is that this means we could end up with multiples!! But, we'll take whatever God sends our way! Thanks again for all of the prayers and we will keep you all updated! All of our love, Lani & Mark

What's New

2008-10-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess that I will add an update since Mark started the blog.
I just started a new job last week. I am still with Kaiser but I am now working for the hospital side of the company. I am at the Riverside Medical Center working as Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Facilities Development dept. It is so far a lot less stress so hopefully that will be beneficial since we are trying to get pregnant. I really love it so far!
Mark is still waiting to hear back from the Border Patrol. We have been told that it is in the final stages so we are hoping to hear from them soon! This has been a long frustrating process!

So yes, if you haven't heard already, we are trying to get pregnant. We have actually been trying for a little while but we are having some problems. I was diagnosed with PCOS (Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) about 3 months ago. The doctor started me on Metformin but it makes me pretty sick. The only good part of it is that I have lost some weight being on it so I don't really mind it too much! :) If this doesn't work then the next step will be to go to the Infertility Clinic. Unfortunately Kaiser only covers 50% so we are hoping that we don't have to go that route! So please, keep us in your prayers! We are trying not to worry too much about getting pregnant and instead just enjoy this time that we have together. We know that once children come along we won't get this special time with just the two of us ever again.

Well, we hope that you all are doing well. Please leave us a comment and let us know what's new in your life! We love being able to keep in touch with all of our friends and family! We love you all, The Braithwaites

The Opening Day

2008-09-17T10:30:00.000-07:00

Well today is the first day, that our blog is up and running. We are still learning how to use this site, so any advice is more than welcome on how to set everything up. We are grateful to be able to stay in touch with all of you. Please keep coming by to see what’s new with us. We love you all!!! The Braithwaite Klan