Days of Gratitude

for the teachers out there

2011-12-08T11:23:00.000-06:00

So, I'm in school.

Yea, It sounded like a good idea when I was lying on my hotel bed watching the 3rd episode of SVU for the night.

I thought I could do something more useful with my time.

I thought it would make being away from my family easier.
Yea, um...Oh, what I would give to be watching the 3rd episode of SVU on the USA channel tonight.

Actually, except for the occasional international trip with bad wifi, it's not that bad.

It keeps me busy when I am away from home and (for the most part) I enjoy the classes.

Recently, we had a discussion board where everyone shared their favorite educational websites. Since my current version of education is not really kid related, I didn't have many resources to share. I decided to enlist the help of some amazing ladies who recommended a few great sites. Which led me to find other great sites that I was able to share in my post!

A couple of my classmates shared some sites that I had not seen before...so I thought I'd share them with you!

The Cornerstone

This site is full of classroom management resources, advice and ideas.

Web English Teacher

This site appears to have lots of resources for English teachers and students. They offer links to different resources for pretty much anything related to an English class. I was surprised to see the amount of resources listed under Children’s Literature. If you teach English - check it out!

ThinkFinity

This site might just be one of my new favorites. I already subscribed to their RSS feeds, so we shall see where it takes me. Their Speaker Series looks pretty interesting, I'm going to have to watch one in the near future. They also have a section about Today in History. (lower left hand side of page) It seems pretty cool! This is one of the feeds that I subscribed to - gives me some quick reading when standing in line waiting to board a flight!

ReadWriteThink

Another cool site for reading / English teachers. Did you know that November was National American Indian Heritage Month? Well, it is! And, thanks to readwritethink.org - you can get lessons and resources about this Heritage month by simply visiting their website. (I’m saving this for when the little one is slightly older)

WoNdEroPoLiS/

The name says it all. Who doesn’t want to go to Wonderopolis?

{If, by chance, you thought or said "me", then you should probably not read this blog.}

You will probably not find me entertaining at all.

If you agree with me that Wonderopolis sounds fantastic, then you can stick around.

I first read about this site on Ann Voskamp's Everyday Learning Links. If you haven’t read her list yet, I’m terribly sorry, but you are missing out on a good thing. Go check it out!

ArtsEdge

Are you teaching about music, art, culture, visual or theater arts? This is your site.

QUIA

Teachers can create their own activities like quizzes, games, calendars and surveys and students can access shared activities to help with reviews. These activities can attached to your textbook so you can make sure that it covers everything you are studying. I haven't had much time to peruse the site, but it was highly recommended by a classmate. It seems to be a great site for parents and teachers alike.

What are some of your favorite educational, teaching, classroom management or kids websites?

Christmas will soon be here!

2011-12-04T23:44:00.000-06:00

So - a Christmas special is in order! This Christmas special is fun and educational.

When I first ordered the DVD's I was worried that my little one might not be old enough to sit through them.
I was very, very, wrong.
Even though it was created for older little ones, my 2 year old loved it!

Have you ever watched any of the other videos from What's in the Bible?
They are A.MAZ.ING.

Right now, they are having a sale - you can get all of the videos AND the full length Christmas video for a great price. Click here to check it out!

Hi from Anguilla (and a book giveaway)

2011-11-05T21:26:00.002-05:00

Updated:

What seems like decades later, the girl who wrote this post was able to get back on the computer to post who random.com chose to win Beautiful Outlaw.

"All my Monkeys" - it's you! Please send me your mailing address so that I can get your book in the mail to you!

To all those out there who are wondering - hand surgery is not as easy as one might expect it to be. Turns out you use your hands a LOT more that you realize and having one sliced open really makes writing, typing, dressing, eating and life in general...a little harder.

But, the hand is healing and the other one is prepping to be sliced in a few weeks.

Original Post:

I've been in Anguilla for about a week.

I am staying at the Viceroy and it is fantastic.

All of the employees are beyond friendly and the property is ridiculously a-maz-ing.

Beautiful pools, yummy restaurants, a cool rock wall and couches in the tennis courts.

Yep, it's pretty awesome!

If you are ever thinking about visiting an island - you should stop thinking, buy a ticket to Anguilla and stay at the Viceroy. They even have an awesome area for kids!

(They are currently adding a water fountain play area and a tunnel for kids to crawl through. Yes, I said tunnel. Fantastic idea, right? I would have been all over that when I was little! Who am I kidding? If my little one was here, we would both be crawling through that tunnel!)

My training is going well and I've been able to get most of my schoolwork completed!

Yea for wifi that works!

The water here is ridiculously blue and the waves are amazing.

Actually, amazing doesn't even begin to cover it.

They aren't as big as waves that you see in surfing magazines, but they are big to me!

But, it isn't the size of the waves that keeps me mezmerized.

What amazes me is how they don't stop. Ever.

Last month, I was blessed to be able to attend the Ransomed Heart Captivating Advanced retreat with some friends. While at the retreat, we were able to hear John speak about his new book, Beautiful Outlaw.

I bought a copy while I was at the retreat, intending to read it when I got a chance. I started reading it on the plane...and actually stayed up that night to finish. I loved it!

One of my favorite chapters in the book is about God's love. To make a point, John compares God's love to the ocean waves. When I first read it, I loved the visual picture. Then, when I was on the cruise and saw the waves,

I remembered that illustration and it made me smile.

But, the waves here - In Anguilla?

These waves make my heart smile.

As you will see, in Anguilla, around this time of the year, the tide rises.

They call it "ground sea" because the sea tears up the ground underneath.

The waves are more intense, more heavy,
continually dumping enormous amounts of water on the beach.

What amazes me is how the waves don't ever stop.

(I'm sure someone can give me some great scientific reason for the continual wave motion, but I'm just fine being amazed...and knowing that it happens because God created it that way!)

Waves in Anguilla from daysofgratitude on Vimeo.

A huge wall of water crashes onto the rocks and the beach and then the water slips back for a moment. The area seems full of water.

But, more water just keeps coming.

With each wave, I am moved with how it continues to dump

more water, again and again.

These waves are heavy and full and they just don't stop.
Even when there seems to be enough - more pours in.

Just like His love for me.

Would you like to have your own copy of Beautiful Outlaw to read? Just leave a comment and I'll randomly choose a winner on November 11.
(Unless I can't access the internet next week- in which case the winner will be chosen on November 16)

The Muppets go to College! (ish)

2011-11-04T22:07:00.002-05:00

As a kid, I was obsessed with Sesame Street. I especially loved the Muppets. Miss Piggy was my favorite, but Kermit ran a close second. And then Grover...and...well, you get the picture.

Now that I have a little one of my own, I want him to be able to enjoy a muppet here and there as well. But, as an adult who has taken way too many classes, I tend to read into and pay too much attention to what is being taught to my little one underneath the actual words. And, I'm not always okay with those subliminal messages.

Then, last weekend, when I was at the Relevant Conference, I met a really great gal who works with What's in the Bible. What's that, you ask?
Until last weekend, I had not heard of it either - which is kinda amazing, since I tend to be obsessed with finding new things for the little one.

Anyway - long story short - It's pretty fantastic! Fun movies for little ones...videos that seems to resemble what would happen if the Muppets went off to DTS or Southwestern...

And, right now they are running a special! Do you have kids? A Niece? A Nephew? Neighborhood kids who hang out at your house cause you are the cool mom? Dogs who like to watch TV?

You should probably get these DVS's for them! Click on the box on the upper right hand side to take advantage of their sale price!

Here is a quick view of their newest video - "Why do we call it Christmas?" - Enjoy!

My favorite artist and a few photos

2011-11-02T20:41:00.000-05:00

Tonight, while I was waiting for my school website to allow me to login, I scanned through my instagram feed. It's fun to look at pictures...each one has a memory attached. It also keeps me from being frustrated that I can't log in to take my test.

I noticed one trend throughout the feed...many of my photos tagged #1000gifts are nature.
Yep, I'm a pretty big fan of the most fantastic artist to ever exist.

So, I took photos of all my #1000gifts photos...didn't want any of you to miss out on them!

Happy Wednesday!

last weekend

2011-10-31T23:48:00.000-05:00

When I arrived in Baltimore, I picked up my rental car and headed to Harrisburg, PA. Up until this moment, I was really excited about going to Relevant 11. But, when I was driving, I realized what I had done - I had signed up to go to a blogger conference.
The kicker? I'm not much of a blogger.
I love the idea of being able to make connections online and keep family updated, but the actual habit of blogging seems to stay on my to-do list most of the time.
But, I knew that Ann was speaking and I knew that the attendees last year had such a great time, so when the tickets went on sale - I bought one.
I’m glad I did.
I met many amazing women over the past few days. I’ve never been with so many wonderful Christian women who seriously love Jesus and who want to share His love with others.
As I've grown up, I've been hurt by girlfriends. I learned quickly that girls can be a fickle bunch and that it is easier to just stay away.
I've never been around so many women who have felt the same way and who truly want to step out of their comfort zone and be a true friend to other women.
Women who smiled and reminded me that everything has a season.
Women who hugged me and told me to continue on my journey, reminding me that His plans don’t always make sense to our small human brain.
Women who shared their stories, even through tears, in hopes that their story will help someone else.
Women who repeatedly told all of us to stop comparing our lives and blogs to those around us, but to simply follow Him instead.
Women who were empathetic to the fact that following God is not always comfortable, but encouraging of the fact that God has great plans and that we need to continue following Him.
Ann spoke on Saturday night and it was brilliant. Brilliant - brightly reflecting Him and His love for all of us. If you aren't familiar with Ann and her blog, A Holy Experience, then you should stop reading this silly blog and go read hers - like, now.
It was definitely a surprise to hear such comforting words and to connect with so many wonderful women.
On a side note - I was also able to hear some fantastic artists - Aaron Shust, Christa Wells and Nicole Witt, Shaun Groves and the amazing David Nevue, (3 times - Friday night, Saturday afternoon and as Ann walked on stage Saturday night. For that moment, I was living in my computer and her blog had come to life!)

And the frosting on the weekend?
God sent fluffy, white frosting.
Ridiculous amounts. Gracefully falling from the sky.
The little one would have loved it.

Thanking Him tonight for...
Meeting online friends IRL
3 days of conversations all anchored with Jesus
The light at the end of my “late assignment tunnel”
A sweet friend who made my heart smile by simply hugging me and using the word serendipitous.
Huge, fluffy, graceful snowflakes - like nothing I’ve ever seen before
This picture of my little one...captured by my sister...

wow.

2011-10-27T21:32:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it has been a month since I was last here.
Time really flies when you are doing too many things.

Last week we got back from a week in the Caribbean - it was ridiculously great to be away from technology and spend time with family and friends. We even with on a zip-line tour in Jamaica and now we want to build a zip-line at my parents place.

This weekend I am blessed to be able to attend The Relevant Conference in Harrisburg, PA. I got my ticket last winter and have been looking forward to attending ever since. There are some amazing women who are speaking - I'm hoping to learn lots!

When I arrived, I was surprised with a wonderful "swag bag" full for goodies. Such fun!

Tonight we heard from Tsh, she blogs over at Simple Mom - it was wonderful! You should go check out her blog!

Now, I'm off to do a few hours of schoolwork and then to sleep...more Relevant conference in the morning! Yea!

just a few things I love

2011-09-26T23:35:00.000-05:00

clear, bright blue skies
fluffy, stark white clouds
storm clouds rolling in...and the breeze that tags along with them
ridiculously bright green grass
pictures of really cool starfish...purple ones...starfish that I hope to one day see IRL
velvety baby cows and their bossy mama's that keep me away
a silly, annoying donkey and his ignorance of our dislike of him
dogs who think they own the ranch
one specific dog who things he owns everything. Well, everything except for that one specific little boy who thinks he owns the dog.
cackles and giggles from an unnamed little one while he harasses the aforementioned dog.
temperatures under 100
temperatures over 100 {as long as the humidity stays away}
air-conditioning. {on days when the humidity wants to stick around awhile. pun intended.}
laughter with my family

a rusty, but working tractor that we can all sit on and hang around while watching the storm clouds take over.

the little one beating his own little drum

the best youngest sister a gal could have

the best youngest brother...who loves my little one no matter how many socks he wears

my smiling Jahna Pali

glistening, beautiful storm clouds

brothers and little ones playing and laughing until their guts hurt

a roof over our heads.

2011-08-03T23:46:00.002-05:00

Many consider it important to have a roof over their heads. I agree. I prefer to sleep inside while the mosquitos sleep outside. It makes me sad that many people don't have the option of staying away from mosquitos. Mosquitos are mean.

That being said, I'm beginning to quickly come to the realization that having a specific roof over my head might not be as important as deemed by the society I live in.

Our way of living is currently not listed in the normal category. We live back and forth between 2 cities, 5 hours apart. I travel about 90% of the time for work and when I am not traveling, my office is located at least 2 hours from one of the places where we sleep.

Many people don't understand. They think something must be wrong.

They wonder how we do it.

Well, if I thought about it for very long, I might wonder how we do it as well. But, I try not to focus on things I don't understand.

(As I've grown up, I've come to recognize this ability to not focus on the bad (or unknown) as a gift - a gift I'm continuing to hone on a daily basis)

There is a season for everything. Right now, we are in a season of my husband finishing school and God has blessed me with a job that can provide for us while he finishes his studies. It won't always be like this, but it is how things are for now. I know- it's not normal. But, then again, what is normal?

My mom always said that normal was just a setting on a dryer.

Many times people ask how I cope with being away from home for so long. I'm always frustrated by this question because I know that my answer won't sound right. I want to say that although I miss my husband, kiddo and family, I don't really feel away from home. I enjoy the travels. I enjoy seeing God's creation. I enjoy imagining what it will be like to bring my family back to the places that I find and love. I enjoy knowing that I am being used as a light in a pretty dark world. But, I know that to many people, who spend most nights in the same place, this answer will sound weird.

Today, I was reading one of my favorite blogs and I came across a post that made me smile. One of the sentences read "Communion with Christ, the continual conversation of the heart, wherever you are, this is what makes the heart love....love is the only real dwelling place"

I stopped and re-read it. "wherever you are...love is the only real dwelling place"

My heart smiled.

How do I do it? How am I okay being away from home?

I'm not away from home...My Heavenly Father is with me - loving me, encouraging me, sharpening me...my only true home is with Him.

Is it difficult to not be with my husband and little one every week? Yes.

Do I miss my family, my siblings, my dogs? Of course!

But, the time away is giving me time to grow closer to my Heavenly Father. This growing closer...this sharpening of my soul...it is refining me to be a better wife and mum. It is preparing me for the day when our seasons change and I no longer travel like a gypsy.

Tonight, I'm thankful for Ann and her blog post today. A post full of words that comfort and encourage me. A post that helps me remember that my feelings are okay, even if they don't fit with what society deems normal. A post that reminds me that I'm not here to always be comfortable and normal, but I am here on this earth to be a light, to share His love with others...so that others will want to find Him.

And while I do that, He is always there, giving me grace.

Even though I don't sleep under the same physical roof each night, I do sleep under the best roof each night.

Him.

July...in pictures...via Pikaw...

2011-07-30T18:32:00.000-05:00

July disappeared.
It started with a nice week in H-town with the hubs and my little one. We had fun spending time with family and some out of town friends. It's hard when friends live states away, but always nice when things immediately fall into place when you see them again.
Then, the hubs are I were off to Barbados. I was going for work, the hubs went for vacay. We had a great time. We swam with turtles, drove around and got seriously lost, visited a cave on the edge of the ocean and took some serious pictures at the wildlife sanctuary. We planned to make an animal photo book for the little one. We looked at the pictures that night and loved them. Then, the EVIL digital camera fairy came and stole all of our pictures. The hubs took the card to a camera store in hopes that he could find them. It didn't work. So, no pictures from Barbados.
evil, evil camera fairy.
But, I'm very thankful for great memories.
I flew home, met my sister and little one at DFW, changed planes and headed to Cali.
I went to Cali for work, the sister and little one went for vacay.
Are you seeing a trend yet?
I was working at a new account and it was a stressful week to say the least.
But, one of my dear friends lives in Cali and my sister and little one were with me, so it really was an amazingly great 10 days! We were able to spend time with our wonderful friend and the little one fell in love with his Aunt Kiki! Not that she needed help, but the toys from Toygaroo definitely sealed the deal! We roamed around Santa Monica, Venice, the mall and Jubie's favorite - Knott's Berry Farms. It was her favorite part of the trip. She's quite the thrill seeker.
My sister Jubie is unbelievably talented. She is the most wonderful watcher of all things little one and the most talented photographer I know. We have lots of pictures, but here are some of my favorites.
Enjoy!

Not so secret anymore, now is it?

Best $10 spent in California

He needed the iPad to rest his iPhone on...kids these days.

Barbados...

2011-07-16T07:41:00.000-05:00

Wow, the week has flown by!
We arrived last Saturday and head back to the states tomorrow. The wifi has been a little sketchy, so no pictures - as of yet.
Today, I am not working. (yea!)
We are going to go swim with some turtles and we have rented a car - going to tour the island a bit this afternoon. Should be fun, since they drive on a different side of the road here.
Hopefully, we will get some pics up next week.

Oh - and my sister had her little one...and my little one is obsessed with him. I hear he's trying to snag him...

the little one's 2nd Astros game

2011-07-02T00:46:00.000-05:00

Last night, we were blessed to go to the Astros game with some amazing friends! It was great to be able to hang out with them and we all enjoyed watching the little one mimic the ball players.

During a break, the ball girls were throwing {soft} baseballs into the stands.

The little one got on his daddy's shoulders and waved and waved, hoping to get a baseball. They threw some around our section, but not near us. Then, they moved on...but, one kind guy on the field noticed the little one and he pointed him out to another guy.

They went and got a baseball from the girls and threw it directly to us!

The little one couldn't have been happier!

Around the 4th inning, the little one wanted to roam...so we went on a stroll. The stroll involved some shopping and we left with a {soft} bat, ball and glove. For the next hour, we watched the little one play baseball while the boys watched the Astros score some runs.

It was a winning night for time with friends, the little one...and the 'stros! Yea!

A new week begins tomorrow

2011-06-11T22:37:00.000-05:00

I was blessed to be able to attend the In the Image of The Maker retreat this weekend. It was great!

I met so many lovely ladies...godly ladies, who shared their stories...their hearts.

It was such a gift.

It was needed to springboard me into the coming week.

Twice a year, my employer conducts national sales meetings. As one of the corporate educators, I'm involved in educating at these meetings. Needless to say, they are stressful. I'd much prefer to be at home taking silly pictures and splashing in puddles with my little one.

But, this retreat fed me in a way that many things do not. It has helped to ground me in The One who can get me through this next week. The fact that the retreat was this weekend was beautiful.

Only He could arrange something so perfect.

Tomorrow morning, I will board a plane and head back to Texas. Once I arrive, I will get my expenses ready to turn in on Monday and I will take a Theology mid-term. I will get to see my husband and my little one.

And then, things will start moving really fast. (they will probably start moving fast around the time I hit "start" on my mid-term, but that's a whole different story...)

When things get too fast, I will make an effort to slow down and recognize the gifts that He gives me each moment.

If {when} things get too crazy, I will remember to fight feeling with feeling.

I will remember that for right now, my crazy work provides money for schooling for the hubs and myself...it provides food and shelter for our little family and helps to provide for our 3 Compassion kids. Yep - over the weekend our Compassion kids went from 1 to 3. Listening to Ann share about her experience in Guatemala was quite moving. I love that when you sponsor a child with Compassion, you aren't just helping to provide food, shelter and education, but you are helping them to hear about Jesus' love. I want the little one to grow up writing and praying for the kids we sponsor.

Friday night, when I saw the cards of 2 little boys just a couple of years older than my little one, I couldn't help but pick them up...Today, we sponsored them and I tucked their cards inside my Bible to carry home. I can't wait to write them! If you haven't sponsored a child with Compassion, you should go read Ann's story...and Kristen's story...and then, help a child out of poverty.

Speaking of Kristen - she and her family were scheduled to leave today for Africa...for The Mercy House. But, due to some unexpected health issues for Kristen, they were not able to leave. Please keep them in your prayers.

tonight

2011-06-10T23:04:00.000-05:00

Tonight I am in North Carolina at a retreat hosted by Christa Wells, Nicole Witt and Ann Voskamp. I'm pretty excited about being here - even if I did come to the retreat all by myself!
I'm also excited that I was able to see my little sister Jenia last night and that we will be able to sneak in a little shopping tomorrow night before I head back home.
The trees here in North Carolina are REALLY tall. I like it. It seems to make the nighttime animal noises just that much cooler. That, or I'm crazy. Either options are totally plausible.
I so enjoyed getting to hear Ann speak...she is such an encourager, and I love that! I realized tonight that she is pretty much my virtual mentor - if that is even possible... :)
And the music session tonight with Christa and Nicole was great. They are both blessed with some pretty amazing talents. It was such fun to be in the room and sing along all of the awesome ladies who were able to come to the retreat.
I know that tomorrow is going to be even better!

Thankful for:
encouraging words (505)
praise songs (506)
tall {really tall} trees (507)
crickets and bullfrogs at night (508)
junebugs (509)
the way the moon sneaks through the trees (510)
fellowship with Godly women (511)
My "tart and sweet Island treat" from Trader Joes - Green Mango (512)
The USB plug that charges my iPhone in my attention grabbing rental. (513)
The obvious reminder from God to not speed - a bright red mustang as a rental. (I reserved a compact car, but there weren't any clean ones readily available, so the kind young man was excited to upgrade me to the mustang. I smiled and said thank you, while I cringed inside.) (514)
The mere fact that I have finally recorded more than 500 gifts - Obviously, I'm still learning to recognize and write them down... (515)

A Mother's Day lesson

2011-05-09T16:09:00.001-05:00

Thankful in all things. This is my goal.

Sometimes, it is really hard.

I travel a lot for work, which means that I am away from my family quite a bit. But, it is what I am called to do right now.

I traveled home on Friday, knowing that I would leave again on Sunday. Mother’s Day. Not my favorite, but the option of leaving my home at 3am on Monday morning, didn’t seem much better. So, on Mother’s day, I left for South Carolina.

I arrived in Charleston, picked up my bags and rental car, and headed out of the airport. I was heading to Whole Foods to buy my food for the week. I was bummed to be by myself. I really wanted him to come on this trip with me. But, I was heading to Whole Foods, one of my favorite places to shop.

I drove around the airport and was still on International Drive, when I became accutely aware of how thankful I was to be alone. I looked to the right to make sure it was safe to change lanes and when I looked back, everyone in front of me had stopped.

I didn’t stop in time.

In an instant, I slammed on the brakes, heard a crash, saw the car in front of me become one with my rental car and heard what sounded like a gunshot. My left hand slapped my face, my bag flew onto the dash and my foot kept pressing on the brake, although I was thoroughly stopped.

Airbags hurt.

Thankfully, I was wearing my seatbelt. {grace}

Thankfully, my left hand was on the right side of the steering wheel, so my arm took the brunt of the impact from the airbag. {grace}

Thankfully, my arm withstood the force of the airbag and did not break. So, I can still perform my work duties this week {grace}

Thankfully, the man in the car I hit was not injured. {grace}

Thankfully, my little one was safe in Texas with his Mimi. {grace}

Thankfully, apart from some cuts and bruises, I am fine. {grace}

If it were up to me, my little one would have been with me. Thankfully, I have a Father who knows better. I was sad to not be with my little one, but I would have been more sad for him to have been in the car with me.

My little sister Jenia sits very close to her steering wheel due to her itty-bitty-ness. We have talked for months about her needed to get a new car or get her pedals extended. We will stop talking about it this week. It will happen. Before Friday.
I have always known that it is bad for little ones to ride in the front seat. I thought I knew why. Now, I really know. Little ones shouldn’t have to deal with airbags.
My brothers sometimes question the use of seatbelts. They “drive big trucks” and think they will be fine. It doesn’t matter how big the truck is, the airbag still goes off in your face. Seatbelts not only keep you in the car, but they keep you off the airbag.
My little one’s car seat has been known to be installed on the sides of the back seat from time to time. He will be in the middle of the seat from now on...

Airbags are great things. They are a great source of protection. The plastic that covers them keeps them ready to protect. But, when the airbag goes off, the plastic has to go somewhere. It hurts when you get in the way. It’s best to stay away from both if possible.

Sometimes, we have to learn hard lessons.

Thankfully, my Father used Mother's Day to make me a more grateful daughter, a better, safer Mummy and a more {lovingly} forceful sister.

My prayer is that my cuts and bruises will help to prevent others cuts and bruises.

Moral of the story:

Wear your seatbelt.

Don’t sit too close to the steering wheel.

Know that He always knows best.

Learn to recognize His grace in everything.

happy mothers day!

2011-05-07T20:53:00.000-05:00

a weekend full of fun

2011-04-27T21:33:00.001-05:00

This weekend, someone turned two.

TWO!
Seriously?
Um, I totally did NOT authorize that.

But, I did authorize the ridiculously fun weekend that we had with our family!
No work, No hotels, No alarms.
Too much sugar, ~~Too much sleep~~, ~~Too much fun~~

Want a glimpse?

Sparkly Shoes #493

Backseat Entertainment #494

Sugar, Sugar, Sugar #495

Serious Painting #496

and more sugar...

more backseat entertainment

camera phone Easter pics #497

We had lots of fun playing and hanging out!
We even had family in from Virginia - we were just having so much fun with them that the iPhone was MIA - which means the pictures are on Jimmy {the real camera, who doesn't travel with me for work}
So, you will have to wait to see those beauties!

Speaking of beauty...we also took a few senior pictures of a pretty fabulous little graduate!
Here's a sneak peek...

the end {of my trip} is near

2011-04-11T21:45:00.000-05:00

I've been on the road since January.

I've been to the east coast, the west coast and everywhere in between.

I even spent a week in Spain.

Thankfully, the little one and either his pops or his Jubie have been with me most of the time.

In the midst of my travel, I inadvertently enrolled in 3 classes at one time.

Yes, I'm a glutton for punishment. And, I evidently need a class in enrolling in classes.

I'm so grateful that as of last Friday, I successfully finished one of them.

(do you hear that noise? it's the hallelujah chorus!)

Summary:

I am now only enrolled in 2 classes at one time.

Tomorrow night, I return to Texas.

Tonight is my last night in a hotel for the next 10 days.

This is fabulous news.

monocular vision

2011-03-23T22:56:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, life is just too hard.
Often times, I am asked how I am able to manage a kid, husband, work and school. My normal answer is one day at a time. If I spent my time trying to figure out the "how" I would never have time for the "do" - so instead, I don't question it...I just do it.
Until a day like today.
The hubs, little one and my favorite 17 year old sister are with me all week. It's great.
My computer had to have it's hard drive replaced and my external hard drive is not willing to release it's contents to my new hard drive. Not so great.
My dear friend had her long awaited court date today. Everything was looking good. The lawyer said that she was confident things would work out well. Custody of her 3 sweet girls would definitely be supervised. Things would be better for the girls. They would be safe from their father who hurt them in such evil ways.
Then, somehow today, things fell apart. The lawyer did her job. My friend and my father testified and testified well. Things looked great. The judge even stated that the lawyer "won her case" - but he also stated that "he wanted to believe the father" - so standard custody was awarded. Until Derrick proved him wrong.
WHAT?!
Yep, you read it right. The father who hurt his 3 beautiful baby girls in such evil ways has been given a free pass. The father who uses more prescription pain pills than one could ever be prescribed has been given the ability to see his girls unsupervised. Without proof of a clean drug test. He can drive them around even though he has numerous driving warrants in his home state. He can do all of this without paying child support. In fact, since he has only made 3 payments in the last 3 years, the judge decided to cut his payments in half, so that he could hopefully make that amount.
My favorite part - he got to see them tonight. 1 hour after the judge signed his orders. Those precious girls, who haven't seen their father more than once in over 3 years, were placed in his car and required to spend time with him. They cried, they didn't want to go. But, they were not given a choice. Their mom was bound by the court to allow this to happen.
I just don't even know what to say. I know that our judicial system was set up to protect the innocent, but I don't see how any of this is in the interest of these 3 beautiful girls. This was a Judicial FAIL in the Stephenville court system.
I could think of numerous things that I would want to say to Derrick, or questions to ask the Judge, but none of them would really convey how I feel.
So, instead, I will go to the One who can make a difference. I will pray for "monocular vision" - I want to see with one eye only.

I want to see His beauty, because everything else is just ugly.

way-back wordless wednesday

2011-02-23T12:00:00.001-06:00

and...we're off!

2011-02-22T22:44:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow morning I embark on one of my longest trips I've ever been on. Correction, the longest trip I've ever been on...as long as you don't count the near year long stint as a nanny in Chicago.
Thankfully, the little one and hubs will be able to travel with me for parts of the trip - and on the other parts, I'll at least get to be in cool places. {part of my trip is to H-town, which is pretty much like home to me}
I just need to remain calm.
This week is the most stressful - we are doing a pre-Oscars event in LA. Prayers for peace are greatly appreciated. Then, off to see my little sister at Fort Bragg get PROMOTED. I'm so proud of her and thankful for the sacrifices she has made to serve in the military. Then- San Jose, Denver, Edwards, Vail, Aspen, Barcelona {YEP - SPAIN!}, H-town and Charleston, New York and then home...in the middle of APRIL

deep breaths.

Thankful for:
the way clouds dance across the sky
frequent flier miles
dry cleaning services
friends near and far...doesn't matter the distance, I'm never home anyways :)
a husband who braves a park full of Nannys to let the little one play
soft little baby feet
freeze dried green beans and beets
air conditioning...and the thermostat to turn it off.
My Davide Nevue album that I purchased on iTunes
the hourly chime on my wrist, re-aliging my day, every hour. (thank you, Ann Voskamp)
my paid registration to the In the Image of the Maker Retreat...it can't come soon enough!
Spark

messy, messy...but cute...

2011-02-11T11:24:00.001-06:00

While staying at a hotel, the little one discovered his love of mini-fridges and ice cream.
All at the same time.
In his Sunday best, patiently waiting for us to decide where to eat lunch.
Slightly melted, but still cool ice cream. yum.

On a totally different note, there is this AWESOME company named Toygaroo. They are hosting a funny kids photo contest, and of course, we entered. We are all about funny over here. Why else would this mum scream for her camera and tell the little one to keep eating the melted, but refrigerated ice cream, until she had about a zillion pictures of the beautiful, messy incident.
You should join in on the fun! Feel free to enter your own picture and feel free to vote for my messy little one. He'd appreciate it - the winner will receive a 3 month subscription to Toygaroo's wonderful service! What kid wouldn't want to have toys delivered to his home like a netflix DVD?

genius, I tell you...genius!

Gratitude. My Scottsdale version...

2011-02-08T23:17:00.000-06:00

There is something about Scottsdale that makes me smile.
Not sure what it is, but over the last 9 years that I have traveled to Scottsdale, something always makes me smile. I could live here. Not many places outside of Texas receive that award. Ha! :)

~Rabbits outside my door and aren't bothered by me standing there talking to them
~Camelback Mountain
~Bright, crispy blue skies
~Bright, beautiful sunset
~Carolina's flour tortillas {with butter}
~Cool, dark, starry nights
~Porch swings
~Trader Joes - NEXT door to my hotel room
~Surprisingly amazing pillows and linens in my steal of a deal hotel
~lizards and geckos...oh, how I wish they could talk...darn those geico commercials.

where?

2011-02-07T20:44:00.001-06:00

That seems to be our question for 2011.
We are fairly confident that we are not supposed to be in the house that we loved, seeing as how it is under contract with a different family.
We fasted and prayed for clarity and guidance.
He answered.
and we are thankful for His answer.
We want to be where He wants us to be. We want to follow His direction.
We will find out what that is, when He decides it is time.
We will keep praying for patience...and perseverance to follow His will.
Who knows - maybe we will move to Africa, South America or the South Seas...the little one would do well to grow up in a jungle...and the people there need to hear more about Jesus.
For right now, we will hang onto His promises. {and take our living situation one day at a time...}
On a different, yet similar note...I am in an Educational Philosophy class this spring and it is amazing. I am having to create my personal Educational Philosophy and the first few weeks are directed at what I believe. More specifically, what I believe to be truth.
Perfect timing...participating in this class during a season of life when lots of things are up in the air.
I may not know a lot of things, but I know that God loves me, cares for me and has plans for me. He knows where we will live and He promises me an amazing life with Him. Our life here on earth may not always be peaches and sunshine, but it is shaping us into who He wants us to become.
I love the encouragement from Hebrews 10:23:
"Let us hold firmly to the hope that we have confessed, because we can trust God to do what he promised."
This is what I want to teach my kiddo...and as I am learning, I need to live it in order to effectively teach it.
My class involves a lot of reading and studying, but thankfully, I currently travel a lot of work and tend to have some down time in my hotel room at night. Working away from home might not be my ideal thing, but right now, I totally see God's hand at work through it.
Due to all my travel, I am able to study at night from my hotel room.
Just another example of Ecclesiastes 3 at work. As a kid, my parents read this passage to us fairly often. As a child, I did not necessarily like this passage. But, as I have {somewhat} grown up, I have learned to appreciate both the passage and my parents routine reading of it...

There is a time for everything.
And, I am really thankful for that promise.

Gifts from Him today:
~pig snorts from my sleeping little one on the drive to the airport
~sticky hands that grab my fingers
~a loving husband who is frequently a kind chauffeur
~spicy tomato juice. yum.
~Chapter One of One Thousand Gifts...re-reading it with the Bloom Book Club and learning more the 2nd time.
~twinkling lights 30,000 feet below
~cold, brisk air- outside
~warm, crackling fire- inside
~bouncing, playful, loving puppies
~slobbery kisses from my furry creatures
~jealous looks from my little one to my puppies...I know we need to work on the jealousy part, but the little one's look was definitely a *gift*
~warm coats {on sale!}
~the smell of clean laundry
~a little bit more salt than normals on my french fries
~only 3 more nights and I will, once again, be back home...

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-26T21:58:00.001-06:00

My Mac and I are not getting along

2011-01-18T20:44:00.001-06:00

So, I couldn't really ask for a better place to work. The location is pretty fabulous....here is a view from my balcony.

Today, once I was finished working, I retreated to my balcony to work on a paper. 3 hours later and we {my trusty mac and I} were really getting somewhere.
Then, it happened.
The grey screen of death.
I guess that's what I get for downloading Microsoft Word onto my cute little Mac. I should have known better...

So, I took her battery out, sat her on my desk and prayed over her. I'm praying that in the morning she will turn on like normal...

Until then, I'm going to take a deep breath and try to get some sleep. Thankfully, I have some great waves to listen to...

Thankful for:
The sound of waves crashing into the rocks.
The simplistic feel of island life.
Grocery stores at home where you can always find fresh fruit.
The miraculous sound of a mosquito as he buzzes past your ear.
A new day tomorrow...

Over a month later...

2011-01-17T09:52:00.001-06:00

2010 is finished.
2011 has begun.
Life is crazy busy, as usual.
The contract on the house has expired...we are still waiting for God's direction for us...
The little one is growing more rapidly than I can imagine.
The hubs is finishing his work in H-town, working on school and packing fervently.
I am traveling...and learning how to slow down...continuing to recognize HIS daily gifts...

I'm continually thankful for Ann, a woman who God uses to help remind me to slow down and see the gifts HE gives me on a daily basis...

wordless wednesday

2010-12-09T22:37:00.002-06:00

where did November go?

2010-11-29T22:32:00.000-06:00

This month has been insane! House purchasing is not for the weary.
Just saying.
We are still persevering...so thankful for faith that God will place us just where He wants us. (Hopefully it will be the house we currently have a contract on!)
The little one is doing great - becoming crazier and crazier every single day. I love it!
The hubs is headed to the Wild at Heart Advanced Boot Camp on Thursday. I'm so excited for him. If his recent "earthly" struggles are any indication, God has a lot in store for him this weekend! "Earthly" struggles such as computer failures 30 minutes before his paper is due, small accidents in the starbucks parking lot on a magnificent Monday morning, schedule issues at work, etc.
{For those of you who are worried: thankfully, an extension was given for the homework, no coffee was harmed when the car was hit, and the scheduling conflicts will work themselves out when he is in Colorado later this week.}
Please pray for him as he prepares for this amazing weekend. That his mind will not worry about the craziness of home, that his heart will be open to what God has for him, for the friendships that he will build and for safety throughout his journey to Colorado and back!
We appreciate all of your prayers about the house. I'm hoping that we have a more definite answer by the end of this week. I'll keep you all posted!
I have lots of stories and pictures to share, but between work, school, family and home buying, there's not much room for blogging.
Hoping to get caught up fairly soon.

just trust.

2010-11-15T22:28:00.000-06:00

We've been trying to get a house.
We found one, but it wouldn't pass FHA
We found another, but we couldn't agree on a price.
Then, we found the perfect one.
It's been a interesting process.
We were pre-approved.
We made offers back and forth and finally agreed on a price.
We were waiting for closing.
The hubs spent the entire day with the home inspector.
The home inspector was very impressed with the house.
Impressed with the stability of the home. Of it's foundation.
That's what I wanted. A stable, old home on a good foundation.
We thought we were on the downhill side.
Today, we received a message that the FHA guidelines changed and that our pre-approval was no longer valid.
I don't understand the home buying process.
Nor do I want to.
But, I understand that He loves me unfathomably.
He has a perfect plan for me.
For my family. For where we will rest our head each night. For where we will find the extra funds.
I pray that His plan involves this house.
I pray that tomorrow we get much happier news.
But, no matter what - He loves me.
More that I can ever understand.
And He will provide.
I don't need to understand.
I just need to trust.

Thankful for:

435. shiny, mermaid colored toenail polish
436. fizzy Dr Pepper
437. Cool nights
438. Warm Blankets
439. Squishy pillows
440. family pictures
441. the knowledge that I am not the one in charge...He is.
442. not having to work on Thanksgiving...or the day after
443. cute, cold noses
444. a titanium band that reminds me of love despite craziness
445. an impish smile covered in melted ice cream
446. a floor covered in melted ice cream. it screams of fun that was had by a little one
447. friends far away who send notes that brighten my day.

House Buying and Kids Smiling

2010-11-08T23:43:00.000-06:00

We are trying to buy a house.
It's a very cool house with very wonderful wood floors and a fabulous back yard for the Puddleducks.
The kitchen is wonderfully retro and big enough to move around.
It doesn't have a lot of bedrooms, but it has tons of playrooms.
And, tons of storage for all my crafts and such. Which makes my hubby very happy.
We are waiting to hear back on the final offer that was given.
A long time ago, I prayed for patience.
Evidently, I still don't have much of it.
I have decided that house purchasing is not on my top ten list of things I like.

But, seeing my little one smile is definitely on the top of that list.

I'm just saying.

Grateful? Today?

2010-10-25T21:20:00.001-05:00

Sometimes, I wonder...how can I be grateful on a day like this?
Many times people ask me...why are you happy on a bad day? Why be grateful when things aren't going well?
Sometimes, although I really do have a good answer, I can't seem to find it.
But, on other days I can and I do. On other days, I remember that it's not all about me. It's about so much more.
It's about more than the missed flights, icky hotel rooms, tummy aches, sore throats, test grades under 95, missed moments with my little one, burned briskets, papers due in an hour, flat tires, rude drivers, stubbed toes, arguments, wondering where we will live in a week, bills, ill-mannered people and life in general.
It's about Him.
It's about remembering who created me and why He did it.
Remembering He created me for His glory.
His Glory.
With that in mind, I will strive to be grateful in all things. When I am unhappy, I will find something good. Something to thank Him for...it is in finding those things that I direct my gaze back to him. It is in finding those things that I work to stop being selfish, to stop sulking in my own mire, to stop making it all about me and will instead, turn to Him. He is the only one who can get me out of this mess called life, so it is to Him I will run.
I know that I can only feel one emotion at a time, so I will choose to feel grateful.

grateful for...
429. phone calls with my mum, she loves me regardless...she reminds me that He knows where we will live next week and He will let us know when the time is right.
430. silence from the realtor. I'm praying "no news is good news"
431. brothers who will drive their massive gas-guzzling truck to come move our belongings
432. a sweet friend who slips an encouraging e-mail into my inbox
433. acorns falling on my head, reminding me of many fun childhood memories
434. the end of a school quarter and the beginning of the next...

fight feeling with feeling

2010-10-21T17:04:00.001-05:00

I need to get this tattooed on my forehead.

I need to remember it faster. Apply it to my life sooner. Force myself to think differently than I want to right now. The way I want to feel is not very nice. I could sit and stew on why people act like idiots on a continued basis. Why they think that they are so much better than everyone else. But, instead I am going to force myself to quit thinking about them.

Instead, I will be thankful for:

419. my little one sleeping soundly right next to me...
420. conversations between my father and little sister. Humor galore....
421. a jogging stroller waiting in my car for me to get home and put it to good use...
422. a wonderful Aunt who will take me and my craziness in...until we find a home...
423. my amazing parents who will jump in a car and cross state lines to bring me my little one at a moment's notice...
424. my fabulous family who loves my little one as much as I do...
425. dinner in an hour with my dad, sister and little one...
426. news for the realtor that she hasn't heard anything back about our offer...I'm praying that this is a good sign....
427. All my "friends" at The Relevant Conference. I'm so excited to learn vicariously from them....
428. The music I recently purchased on iTunes...thanks to Ann Voskamp for introducing it to me....

Now, off to continue my gratefulness while going on a walk with my dad and little one...

Wordless Wednesdsay - he's growing up

2010-10-20T00:18:00.000-05:00

today

2010-10-19T09:32:00.000-05:00

Things I've figured out in the last hour I've been awake:

1. The BEST way to wake up is to an alarm blaring the music from Ann Voskamp's blog. It was the best .99 cents EVER spent at iTunes.

2. I have one more day before my little one, sister and dad arrive! Wahoo!!!

3. I am going to join the 30-day giving challenge. I've been wavering back and forth, mainly because I think that I am too busy. Seriously, I think I'm to busy to give? Yea, I need help. Thus, I'm joining the 30-day challenge. You should do it too. With me. We'll do it together and keep each other accountable.

4. I love it when my sister plays dress-up with my little one. Fun pictures always follow.

5. Spark is quite necessary in the morning. I should make sure that I travel with enough for each morning that I will be away. Preferably in Mandarin Orange.

and he's off to Boot Camp!

2010-10-13T23:04:00.001-05:00

Well, not quite.

But, he will be...come December!

Our prayers were answered - my hubs will be headed to the Ransomed Heart Advanced Boot Camp on December 2!

We are so excited that he is going to be able to go. And, slightly jealous that we won't be going with him. We know that he will have such a great time and are so thankful for your prayers!

Please pray for his time there - for him to be able to "un-plug" from this crazy world, for him to not worry about us at home and for him to have an amazing weekend listening to his Heavenly Father speak.

It's gonna be great...the little one and I can't wait to hear about it!

I love my MA!

2010-10-05T22:00:00.001-05:00

This weekend, the little one and I went with Mimi and Papa Joe to see Ma. She was so excited to see how much the little one had grown. He loved playing with her phone and making it beep incessantly.
We hung out, looked at pictures and reminisced. It was good. Actually, it was great.

When I was little, I used to stay with Ma while my mum was at work. We had some great times. Singing and playing and enjoying life. I love to see the happiness on her face, even today. I love to hear the happiness in her voice when she talks about life at the farm.

I will always be thankful for the time I spent with her before the farm, the time that was spent at the farm and the time we spend together now.

I love my memories of picking peanuts, cotton, corn, potatoes, garlic, beans and tomatoes from the garden. Times feeding the chickens and times getting my entire face licked my a friendly little cow. Times walking to the pond to find special rocks. Times playing dress up. Times knowing that no matter what, she loved me.

Oh, and yea...the chocolate cookies. I could never forget those. I can't wait to teach the little one to garden and to tell him all about my time at Ma and Pa's farm!

such good manners

2010-10-04T22:47:00.001-05:00

My little one is such a gentleman.

He loves to help.

Currently, his favorite things are to sign the credit card machine and then to carry my bags for me.

Now, if only I can get him to keep this habit as he grows up!

Thankful for:

408. crisp, autumn days
409. crazy crows that come way to close for comfort
410. Magic pop rice cakes and the crazy machine that makes them.
411. the Pioneer Woman - without her recipes, my sister might starve to death
412. the Pioneer Woman's meatballs - tonight my little one ate 5 - quite a feat for my little vegetarian.
413. Club Soda - oh so fizzy, but NO sugar! HA!
414. an evening spent baking with my sister - it doesn't get much better!
415. amazingly happy pictures that inspire me to teach the little one to throw leaves. See for yourself here.
416. my baggage being returned by American Airlines - those 2 days without my luggage helped 417. to remind me that life can go on without all my stuff.
418. Tuesday - its arrival means that I'll see my hubby in 3 days!

this week . . .

2010-09-27T20:15:00.000-05:00

...is a praying week.

Last year, my dear husband was able to attend the Wild At Heart Boot Camp, a retreat offered by Ransomed Heart ministries. I've written before about how we have learned a ton from this ministry and how thankful we are for them.
He loved his time at Boot Camp - it was a time to spend in nature, worshipping God with like-minded men. He loved the conversations that he had with the friends he made at boot camp, but mostly, he loved having a weekend - without distractions - to spend time with his Heavenly Father.
It was good for his soul.
This year, he has the opportunity to attend the Advanced Boot Camp. He has been looking forward to it and was so excited when he received the e-mail that he had a slot available.
One little problem - money is really tight. with really being the operative word.
But, we know that God is greater than the balance of our checkbook. or lack thereof...
Thankfully, because of all of the traveling that I do for work, we have a ticket for him to use to get to Colorado. Now, we just need the money to buy the ticket to the retreat.
We are praying for the next 7 days, along with prayer partners at Ransomed Heart, that God will miraculously provide the funds.
Will you pray with us this week? We'd really appreciate it!

Oh - and just for fun - a pic that has absolutely nothing to do with this post, but makes me smile:

pics from the pacific

2010-09-26T23:24:00.000-05:00

The little one wasn't sure what he thought about the surfers who were coming down to the beach

But, he was positive that Mummy's lap was perfect for chillin' on


The little one and his Daddy - both seeing the Pacific for the first time! Definitely a once in a lifetime moment!

Barbados, Part One

2010-09-09T22:43:00.001-05:00

I've been in Barbados for almost 3 days now, and I just can't stop thinking about how cool the Garden of Eden must have been. I'm staying at a resort on the west coast of the island...and it pretty much resembles the Garden of Eden that I remember from picture books. Greenery like I've never seen before. Noises at night like I've never heard. Evidently, the noises are millions of tiny frogs trying their hardest to sing everyone to sleep. No one ever said that frogs were smart...
This morning, as I sat on the porch eating breakfast, the oddest little thing happened. A cheeky little sparrow hopped right over to me, cocked her head to look at me, then hopped on my glass and started drinking my Spark! I'm not sure that they have much Spark here in Barbados, so I'm thinking that she might have ended up with a little energy jolt. I was surprised to see her do that, but what was even stranger was that she then hopped onto my toast and started to have a nibble. She's cheeky, I tell you!

So, after sharing breakfast with a {bird} I was off to work.
After work, we walked to the grocery store where I purchased the largest Avocado that I have EVER seen. I also bought some rum cakes, Mauby drink and Bajan Hot pepper sauce.
Food. That's my version of a great souvenir!
After the walk to the grocery store, I returned to my hotel. As I was going to dinner, I stopped to sit on the beach for a minute. I noticed something moving next to me and as I looked down I realized that there were A LOT of things moving. About 100 baby turtles.

It was unbelievable. Quite a while ago, a mummy turtle laid her eggs in the sand, and they decided to come out to our world as I was sitting there! CRAZY!!
One of the dining servers and I rushed to capture them and put them in a box. Evidently, there is an institute on the island that will take care of the babies until they are a little bigger. Right now, their shells are still soft and it seems that fish like to eat them up. Sorry fish - no baby turtle dinners on my watch!
Afterwards, I realized that all of the little babies running around would have made for a great picture, but by the time I thought "picture" they were all safe inside the box.
So, I started the morning thinking about how cool the Garden of Eden must have been and now I'm ending my day with the same thoughts. Seeing this place makes you wonder why they ever tried that apple...
Then, as I'm sitting in bed, reading the hotel book, I come across the following advisory:
"Beware of the Manchineel Tree which grows around the shores of Barbados and bears fruit similar to a small green apple. Just a touch can produce blisters and the apple is poisonous if eaten. During rain, never shelter under the Manchineel Tree as the drips can affect sensitive skin"
My first thought? "Hmmm, I wonder what it looks like."
SERIOUSLY! Did I not learn anything from Sunday School?
I sit here thankful for self control. For a NEW heart. A heart that will resist finding the Manchineel Tree. a heart that will choose to not care to even see what it looks like. I know what an apple looks like and I'll stick to seeing and eating the apples that they sell at Whole Foods.
I don't want to get kicked out of Barbados. I'm still waiting to see a monkey.

Thankful for:
warm, coastal breezes, singing frogs, a hotel room without a TV, internet to stay in touch while thousands of miles away...

2010-08-31T23:45:00.000-05:00

Today, I received a wonderful little post in my inbox. RSS readers are beautiful things. I love when my Heavenly Father uses my crazy little technologies to reach me, on a busy day...even at work.

You should take a few minutes to read it as well. It will do you good. It's over at Heart to Heart with Holley - click here to read the post.

Part of her post has stuck with me throughout the day...mainly two specific words.
Two words that I need to tattoo on my heart. (no worries mom - I mean figuratively, not literally)

"Even so.

Those two little words don't deny the difficulties or paste on a smile that says, "Everything is fine." They acknowledge life is hard. They recognize the obstacles.

But in the end, they shift our gaze from what we see to Who we know.

And that changes everything...

especially us."

Life is hard.
Anyone that tells you differently is either lying to you or insane.
I'm serious.

I'm so thankful that I know someone who can handle it, because I definitely can not.
He can handle all those things that just don't make any sense to us. He can get us through even when we think we can't go any further. So, as I've said before many times...I will learn to see through the circumstances. I will find His gift in the craziness.

No matter what, even so, I will fight feeling with feeling and shift my gaze to Him.

Thankful for:

a chubby, little, gibberish-speaking munchkin

bath time

a few days with my Jubilee

blogs that help get me back on track...on a daily basis.

Seriously Mummy?

2010-08-29T19:21:00.000-05:00

Today we had a great time at church and then a fun, picnic lunch at the park! Looking forward to another great Sunday in 7 days!
The little one had quite a bit of fun but wasn't too sure about taking pictures. He preferred to stop smiling every time I picked up the camera.
But, I did get one cute one. Well, at least cute to me.
He was off running around, having a blast. I grabbed my camera and went to take a picture. I captured his eyes talking...and they were saying "Seriously, Mummy?"

Did I mention my sister is awesome?

2010-08-26T22:00:00.001-05:00

Actually, all of my sisters are awesome. It's just that one of my sisters recently swam at the state meet.

She is a very cool girl!

She swam so fast that we could barely keep up with her!

My little photographer-helper kept yelling "Go, go, go! Where is she? Oh. there! Go, go go" Then, after the race was finished she would look at me and say "She is so fast! Can ya believe it?"

It was a fun day. I enjoyed watching her swim and I enjoyed listening to the "play by play" from my niece. It's not every day that you get such a cute sports announcer at a swim meet!

Getting back on track

2010-08-25T22:29:00.000-05:00

I've totally fallen off the blog wagon. I've been traveling across the country, back and forth between time zones, forgetting to pause and write a post.
My bad.
I'm going to be better. As I've said before, I love that I serve an unfailingly loving God. Who allows me to stumble and is right there to pick me up again. Something about this blog reminds me of Him. (Probably the fact that the entire reason I started it in the first place was to chronicle the blessings that He gives me on a daily basis.) I wanted to learn to find the gift even in bad days. To see His love and blessings on days when I would normally only see clouds.
Such great ambitions. And then, I fail. I get busy. I get sidetracked. I write blessings but am too busy to figure out what number they are... I don't remember to see His good in my everyday. Yet, He is right there, not waiting to punish me for overlooking Him, but waiting to welcome me back with open arms. It just doesn't get any cooler than that...
Oh, how I want to be that parent to my little one. I want him to feel that he is loved unconditionally. I want him to know that his family will always be there for him. That even on bad days, when things go terribly wrong, we are there for him. Not to point blame or question if he actually tried his best, but to be there with open arms. To love on him. Just like his Heavenly Father.
And so, I will get back up and start again. I will continue my list of my 1000 gifts. I will go back and number the gifts that I listed without numbers. And, I will move on and get back on track.

His gifts to me today:

Fresh vegetables grilled to perfection (394)
A day without Coca-cola (395)
A gentle breeze during my entire walk to work (396)
Life sans mosquitos, if only for a few days (397)
Blog posts that help keep me in the "mummy" loop, even when I'm currently working away from home and unable to make Mummy and kid play dates at the park. (it is evident to me that Mums might get more out of those playdates than the kids do) MckMama has some of my favorites...We've implemented quite a few of her ideas for eating and now, my kiddo who lived in the NICU because he refused to eat, now joyfully eats any vegetable given to him! Now, I'm off to soak up some of her suggestions for tantrums! :) (398)
Fun "words with friends" games with friends I've never met in real life... (399)
No USA channel in my hotel room...His perfect gift to me to allow me to actually get my schoolwork completed... Yes, I'm taking a few classes this fall. Obviously, I've lost my mind (400)
Friendly Texans eating dinner at the table next to me. This anti-social girl actually carried on a conversation with strangers and lived to tell about it. (401)
Number 4 from the Manifesto for Joyful Mothering. The phrase "Fight Feeling with Feeling" - one of my favorite quotes from Ann Voskamp. It truly is impossible to be irritated at people who irritate you if you are busy thinking about things you love. (402)

Sumer Fun and Family . . .

2010-08-17T22:32:00.001-05:00

About a month ago, we took the little one to the Frio River. Most of my family was able to come and we descended upon the unsuspecting rental home...It was great!

We went tubing, we played in the pool, we ate tons of food and while the little one slept, we stayed up late talking and reminiscing together. It was good for my soul. It was also good for my health, since it involved lots of gut-wrenching laughter. Laughter that I’m not sure would have been possible if we had not been raised the way that we were raised...

I love my family. I love my siblings. Growing up, there were times that I would have given them away to the first person that wanted to kidnap them, but thankfully, my parents wouldn’t let me. Deep down, I also knew that they would be so exasperating that any kidnapper would rapidly return to our home to give them back.

Back in May, my sister posted some of her thoughts about out parents to her blog in honor of their anniversary:

“Thank you for struggling. Thank you for showing us that marriage is not effortless or without drama. I used to think that if couples didn’t disagree, that meant they loved each other more...now I know it just means they were on the second marriage or living a lie. Thank you for teaching us to be creative, loving, patient and devoted. Thank you for setting an example.”

There hasn’t been a week since she posted those words that they don’t pop into my mind. I think that not only did out parents teach us and set an example for marriage, but also for family dynamics as well. They taught us that you can fight and get mad and then- apologize, heal and “go outside to play”... (Those were some of my parents favorite words to us when we weren’t getting along - it’s amazing how playing outside in God’s creation can take away most irritation.)

I always thought that it was normal to deal with “who people are”...to accept them for who God made them to be... but then, I grew up. I quickly realized that this isn’t how most of our society functions. Instead, this way of thinking was truly a gift from our parents. They raised us to not be critical of others - of their thoughts, their actions, their feelings, their choices...but to realize that God made them how He made them for a reason. That God put them where He put them for a reason. That the choices they make, are just that - their choices. That God didn’t put us in charge of their life for a reason.

Oh, how I wish others could learn to think this way. To heed the recommendation given to us from Jesus in Matthew 7...to deal with the log in our own eye, before dealing with the speck in others’ eyes. How much easier and less stressful my life would be if others would not cast their criticism my way. If they would realize that my husband and I are doing what we feel we are called to do...for right now. It makes me sad to see how a critical spirit can infect so many people.

But, that sadness brings me to my knees, to His feet. I pray that I do not allow a critical spirit to infect me...that I will raise my children to feel loved and cherished and accepted...no matter what. That they will know that I might not always be happy with their decisions, but that I will ALWAYS be here...loving them and accepting them. I pray that I do not allow other’s critical spirits to hurt me. That I will continue to remember that HE is in charge and that I don’t know what others are going through. That all I can do it be in charge of me, and strive to raise a happy, healthy, patient, loyal, creative and devoted family.

Thankful for these things that bring me closer to Him...
Thankful for loving parents, siblings and friends - who love and accept me even when they totally don’t understand me....

the little one looses his locks

2010-08-02T20:37:00.002-05:00

It was time.

He had such beautiful golden locks. A little too beautiful. My mom and sister kept telling me that I should get his hair cut, but I resisted...for awhile. Until he kept waking from his naps with knots in his hair.

I'm the mum of a boy. I shouldn't have to comb tangles out of his hair. So, off we went to find a cool place for his very first (of many) haircuts.

And we found one...Snip-its

A very cool haircut place for very cool kids. My kiddo fit the bill. An adorable kid with too much hair. I'm not biased at all...

He was such a good sport. Calmly allowing her to put the green "super cape" on him. Until, he decided that things were more "super" without the cape.

Calmly allowing her to snip off little locks of his hair. Until, he realized that she was using scissors. Yep, scissors. Near his head.

After a short stare-down, the little one decided that she could finish his haircut. When she was finished, she gave the little one a card to put in the machine. When he put it in, the machine made a loud sound and spit out a toy. At first, he wasn't sure what he thought about that machine, but when the toy came flying out, he immediately became a fan! She also gave him a certificate and little baggie filled with his locks. He was totally unimpressed with that gift, but him mummy was very grateful!

The little one - sans blonde, curly locks. His mummy is definitely a fan.

a momentary gripe session

2010-08-01T23:37:00.000-05:00

Somedays, I just want to move into a cave and become a hermit.
I'll take my husband and kiddo with me.
I just DON'T understand why people feel the need to tell me what God wants my husband and I to do.
Maybe I misunderstood things. But, I don't think so. I'm pretty confident that MY Heavenly Father talks to me. I understand that I need to listen. And, I am trying really hard to do just that. But, when all of these other people keep telling my husband and I what God really wants us to do, I get very frustrated.
I seriously believe they think that they have a little red phone with which to talk to God about my family. Evidently, their lives are perfect, so they are on to perfecting ours.
Ugh.
Yes, I know that it would be absolutely awesome if my husband and I were in the same city and same house all of the time. It would be great if I didn't have to travel for work. Heck, it would be great if I didn't have to work. In fact, I think it would be fantastic if the tree in the backyard would miraculously start hatching 1000 bills. Then, we would be able to stay at home and do whatever it is that we are evidently not doing right now.
I understand that it would be best for me to be at home all of the time. But, I also understand that we have debt. We are working hard to get rid of our debt. So that I can stay home with our kids. But, for right now, we work- outside the home. And, we feel strongly that this is what we are called to do right now. This is possible thanks to my family being able to help with the little one. They help becuase they want to - I've offered to find childcare, but for right now, my father, sister and brother are really enjoying spending time with the little one. When the time comes that my family is not able to help, we will rethink our plans. But, for now, we are getting out of debt and the little one is having a blast. Things are good.
Contrary to the beliefs of others.
It is so irritating to do what we feel God has called us to do and to continue getting flack for it. But, as I type that, I remember once again, that following Him is not always easy. But, it is always good.
The time that we have spent apart, (due to my traveling) has been great for us! We are continuing to learn how to communicate and how to function as one. It is a learning process, but a learning process that we are improving. We didn't plan or ask to have this crazy last year. It has been hard, but the results are worth it. We are much closer as a husband and wife than we were a year ago. We would have never planned it, but it just proves once again that God's plans are WAY better than anything we could come up with.

Saving the date

2010-07-31T18:59:00.002-05:00

I'm saving the date for The Relevant Conference. I have a hotel room reserved.

I will have enough points for a airline ticket in about 2 weeks.

Now, I just need a ticket.

I'm praying for God to provide one. If I am to be there, I know He will provide.

There are some amazing ladies speaking at this conference.

I would love to hear and learn from them!

thankful for . . .

2010-07-26T14:49:00.001-05:00

a great weekend my my family (386)
the smell after a rain (387)
my little one waddling across the room (388)
the way my little one nuzzles in my neck as soon as I get home (389)
clean, fresh water - everyday (390)
fun little kids who sit next to me at the airport and make me laugh, laugh, laugh (391)
window seats (392)
antibiotics. they are my friend. (393)

my new rhyme, or something like that

2010-07-19T23:16:00.002-05:00

Allergies and Asthma, Go away
Come again some other...NEVER.

In case you can't tell, I'm sick and tired of allergies and asthma.
My lungs just don't seem to understand that a girl's gotta breathe.
Seriously, this girl needs some oxygen filled air.

In the past 30 days, I have been semi-well about 6 days.
Oddly enough, I stopped pumping about 30 days ago.
I'm thinking that there might be a connection.

And, if this keeps up, I might be the only mum out there pumping just for her own health benefits.
just saying...

Praying, praying, praying

2010-07-13T08:15:00.001-05:00

This week, as you are out and about, please keep my friends and their family in your prayers. As I said the other day, they received news that Jesse had been killed in Afghanistan.
Jesse was a riot - your typical, hilarious younger brother. Always instigating "trouble" and making you laugh until you cried. Yet, he wasn't typical. He woke up every morning willing to serve our country, even if that meant losing everything he had.
I can't imagine what their family is going through.
They need your prayers to get through this time and to learn how to live daily in their "new life" without him.
Please also remember all of the other heros who have given up everything so that we can live in a country where we are free to do many, many things...

There's never a good time for bad news

2010-07-10T23:59:00.000-05:00

Today, one of my sweet friends received word that her hero of a brother was killed yesterday.
There is never a good time or place to hear those things.

This kind of information is hard to stomach. It brings up all of those fears and bad thoughts that lurk around somewhere in your head. I just don't like it.

Over the past 4 years, my hero of a brother has had a tour in Iraq and in Afghanstan. This fall, he will return to Afghanstan for another tour. I am so proud of him for serving, but it is so nervewracking to not know if he will be safe. And now, my little sister is also in the military. Commissioned in May, she is now off to serve...we are still waiting to hear on her orders. Not knowing that they will be okay, turns my stomach upside-down. Knowing that every time I see them might be the last time, makes me want to squish them and hide them in my pocket.

Yes, I realize that we are not ever assured of our safety, but we do live in a country where we don't have to worry daily about a car bomb exploding and killing you instantly, or even worse, killing you slowly. Yet, this is a worry that each of our brave soldiers and many other people have to deal with on a daily basis. This is what my friends brother had to deal with...not only the fear that it might happen, but also the fact that it did.

It makes me so sad for those people who live in areas of unrest. As I said earlier this week, I've been reading a few books and they are pulling and tugging and ripping at my heart. Making me want to stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves, to give everything I have and move to another country, to love those who have nothing - not even hope.

After receiving this news today, I want to do that even more. I am so sad for my dear friend, her sister, her mother (I can't even imagine her pain tonight) - their entire family. It also makes me so sad for others in different parts of the world who live with the fear that this very thing might happen to them. It makes me sad for the people who do these awful things. I will never understand what makes a person want to create a bomb and then kill innocent people. Their heart must be so sad for them to do such awful things.

I understand that for things to change, I must change. Although I can't end the war and make all human beings happy and kind, I can pray for things to get better.

I can pray for the hearts of those who are hurting.
For the hearts of those who are doing these awful things.
I can get off my bum and work to make a difference.
I can raise my son to love his Heavenly Father and to love others.
Raise him to not live in fear, but to live knowing that God is in control. Knowing that even when things don't make any sense at all, He is still there.
I can teach him to live life one day at a time; to live each day as if tomorrow might not come.
I can teach him these things by setting an example.
Oh, how I pray tonight that I can set that example for him and for my sweet friend and her family as they realize a life much different than what they knew yesterday...

Thoughts from tonight

2010-07-08T21:49:00.000-05:00

I have a tendency to do too many things at once.

This includes reading books.

My husband has helped to encourage this crazy behavior with my anniversary present.

It was a very fabulous anniversary present.

From a very wonderful husband.

who is learning to deal with the fact that I do 14 million things at once.

I'm enjoying reading my books on my Kindle! It is great because it allows me to take many different books with me on all of my many different travels.

Currently, I'm reading Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt. I highly recommend you reading it. And soon.

I have a feeling that it is going to cause a radical change in our life. We are still not exactly sure what God is going to do with us, but we know that He has HUGE things up ahead... Interestingly enough, He doesn't send a ton of memos ahead of time telling us His plans. So, we are learning to be patient and to listen. We know that He is speaking - we just need to learn to hear Him.

I'm also reading Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. I've read it before and now I am reading it again. I'm excited to start a 6 week DVD study on this book with one of my best friends. I can't begin to describe how much this book has helped me. I love it and am so excited to learn even more the second time around.

Another marriage book that we are reading is Love and War by John and Stasi Eldridge. I've read all of their other books and have learned from every one of them. I am so thankful for Ransomed Heart Ministries and am so excited to finish this book! When I am finished, I plan to write a post about the book. If you haven't read anything from Ransomed Heart - put it on your to-do list now. I found their ministry years ago, when I first read Captivating. The following year, I was able to attend a Captivating retreat...it was life changing. Although there were 300 other women at the camp with me, it was like a weekend on a mountain with just God. What a great weekend it was...wonderful fellowship with other godly women and lots of time to talk and LISTEN to Him.

Bottom line: Go read Captivating. Today.

Ok, so that is the end of my rant on books.

Evidently, unexpired albuterol doesn't make you shaky, but it does cause you to ramble.

Thanks for your patience, as I learn (once again) how to be a good asthma patient.

breathing treatments . . .

2010-07-07T21:14:00.000-05:00

can be very good. They can return you to the world of easy breathing in just a few moments.
Just not when you accidentally use albuterol that happens to be expired.
Because, if for some reason, you were to use expired albuterol, you would be very shaky for the next hour. You would not be able to type very well and you might spill your drink all over your nice new skirt.
Although your breathing would eventually get better and you wouldn't be coughing as much, you would be very thirsty and very shaky.
at least, that's what I think would happen.
I'd never be unobservant enough to open an expired package of albuterol, carefully twist off the cap and completely empty the entire dosage into the medication cup.
And if I did happen to do all of that, and then use the abovementioned albuterol, I would totally stop the breathing treatment when I read the expiration date on the package.

2 years ago . . .

2010-07-05T22:58:00.003-05:00

was a good day.

My life changed more than I thought possible.

And it was a good change.

Thankful for:

smiles (376)

belly laughs (377)

agreements that prove that He made us for each other (378)

arguments that teach us more about each other (379)

arguments that draw me closer to Him (380)

the giggle from a little one that makes us question if life can get better (381)

the way a hug can take away the worries of the day (382)

4 hours with wonderful friends while the little ones play away with a fabulous sitter (383)

watching bright colors fly across the sky (384)

a weekend together - just the three of us (385)

Country Bobs and Relevant Conference

2010-06-30T23:39:00.001-05:00

Ever heard of Country Bobs All-Purpose Sauce?
I had not heard of it until about a month ago. And, what a sad thing that was...
I've tried tons of different sauces - I'm a dipping kind of girl. I've always liked having something to dip my food in... In fact, when I was in college, my friends and I would "spice" up our college diet, by dipping crackers in different sauces. Strange, yes. But, we were in college. Does anything normal actually happen during those years?
Anyway. Back to County Bobs. So, I heard about it a month or so ago, and was excited to find it and to try some. But, the kind people at Country Bobs actually sent me some to try - Yipee!
When my husband brought me the box, I couldn't wait to try it. The problem? We were headed to a BBQ restaurant instead of having dinner at home. So, I just threw the Country Bobs in my bag and off we went. When my food arrived, I pulled out my little bottle of Country Bobs and tried it.
It was pretty amazing.
My husband refused to try it (at that moment) because he was a little horrified that I would bring my own sauce into the restaurant. Thankfully, he didn't stay horrified and instead just laughed when I said that he might need to protect me from the restaurant police. Humor is always a good thing.
Needless to say, I did not get into trouble from the restaurant and I now have a favorite sauce! I'm looking forward to trying it on something that we actually cook at home. I'll let you know how it goes. I'll even have a giveaway - then you can try some of this fabulous sauce for yourself. And, even take it into a restaurant, if you so desire! If you want to know more about Country Bobs right now - visit their Blog!
Now, I bet you are wondering how I even found out about Country Bobs. Well, I've love to tell you!
There is a blogging conference coming up this fall - The Relevant Conference. Country Bobs is one of their sponsors. I am hoping to be one of their attendees. I made hotel reservations. I'm hoping to get a ticket and somehow I'll find money for airfare. I know that if it is suppose to work out, it will. So, I'm praying about it and I'm happy knowing that if I need to be there, He will make it happen.
I'm new to this blogging thing. I've never been to a blogging conference. Are you wondering why I would want to go? Well, I think that their mission statement explains it the best:

"The Relevant Conference exists to offer a place of face to face interaction with Christian women bloggers who want to be relevant in the larger blog and social media world. Our goal is to go beyond the surface into intentional blogging and real life living. We support women turning their hearts toward home and using their blogs to bless their families while engaging the world for the glory of God. Relevant is a one-of-a-kind conference that seeks to engage women by teaching blogging techniques and social medial skill while also encouraging women to live fully integrated lives with their faith and family."

A place that will encourage me, teach me how to be a better blogger, unite me with other Christian women bloggers from all over and allow me to hear from some amazing women? Sign me up.
In case you didn't catch that last part, there are some ladies speaking who I really, really, really want to hear.
Ladies whose blogs that have made me smile, made me think, helped me to be a better Mum, a better wife and have brought me closer to my Heavenly father. I found out about the conference from one of my favorites, A Holy Experience. I've posted about Ann's blog before, but I don't think I could point you to her enough.
So, bottom line. I'm pretty excited about The Relevant Conference and I'm hoping to be able to attend!
I'm also now starving, thanks to remembering how much I loved my Country Bobs sauce...

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-30T22:21:00.001-05:00

grateful for . . .

2010-06-26T01:59:00.001-05:00

time well spent with a sweet friend (367)
laughter between mums (368)
a sparkle in the little one's eyes when he and his adorable friend play with bubbles (369)
God's grace (370)
blue skies (371)
mint Oreos (372)
Self control to not eat the whole package of aforementioned Oreos (373)
4 top teeth and the new smile they created (374)
the little one's head resting on my chest (375)

RAW(e) - pets and animals

2010-06-22T23:46:00.001-05:00

Have you ever heard of RAW(e)? It is quite cool.

Sami @ Sailor and Company chooses a different RAW(e) theme every week - You should make a note to check out her blog. Or, better yet - just do it right now!

This week's theme was perfect for me - Pets and Animals. I'm out of town- missing my family, my dogs and especially my sweet Maggie Mae. Tonight, I spent some time looking for some pictures of my little girlie.

Looking for a picture of her was sad, but fun. (Thankfully, I only have my laptop with me, so I didn't have tons of pictures to look at!) When looking at them I cried, but I laughed even more. She and I had such fun together! So, here is one of my favorite pictures of my crazy little girl...

Blessings today:

A great group of girls who I was blessed to spend the last 2 days with - I love my job, but days like today make it that much better! (360)
Pictures of Maggie Mae - such a great way to remember her fuzzy little face! (361)
My little one is having a BLAST with his cousins - knowing this throughout the day keeps me smiling. (362)
The way the sun shines when setting on the Pacific (363)
Crisp, ocean breeze (364)
A beautiful bungalow that I have been blessed to stay in for the past 2 nights (365)
a little box of chocolates, waiting patiently on my pillow... (366)

It's been a rough few days. . .

2010-06-21T14:38:00.000-05:00

Since I have been traveling so much, my little Maggie Mae has been staying at my parents. For those of you who don't know her, she is my precious little shih-tzu. On Saturday, I got a call from my mom that she was missing. I diverted from my original plans and drove to my parents to find her. It isn't normal for her to be away from the house, so I knew that this was not good. The little one and I hiked all over searching for little Maggie Mae. But, we couldn't find her. The next morning, as we were leaving for church, Mom and I noticed birds circling in the air over the back hay field. Not good.
My brother went searching and found her. He is such a loving brother who understands my craziness with little Miss Maggie Mae. He brought her back to the house and dug a grave for her. He buried her in a beautiful spot - near the creek, in-between a few small trees. Around noon, the sun shines straight through the trees and onto the rock on her grave. It's really pretty. I'm really thankful to have such a great brother.
Maggie Mae and I have been through so much and I am going to miss her like crazy...

Wordless Wednesday - "Sparkling" Joy

2010-06-16T23:38:00.000-05:00

Yipee!

2010-06-15T23:15:00.000-05:00

My flight finally took off and I made it to the reception.
My beautiful sister and her fabulous hubby were hitched and it was great.
More pics to come, but until then...

This Flight NEEDS to Leave!

2010-06-12T13:01:00.000-05:00

My sister is getting married at 6:30 tonight. In Texas.
I was working in Florida this week and am headed her way. The problem? I'm still in Florida.
My flight was scheduled to take-off at 2:05, giving me just enough time to arrive, get my bags and car, change and drive the hour and a half to the church.
The best laid plans possible, due to my work schedule.
Evidently, American Airlines didn't get the memo.
So, here I am, sitting in the Orlando airport. Praying for time to fly by...until I get on the plane and then I would like the plane to fly faster than time. It's possible, right?
I'm glad I'm one of the people taking pictures at the wedding because after all the rushing I am going to do, I'm going to be a hot mess. Seriously.
My hubs is waiting for me to arrive with his new shirt that I purchased for him to wear to the wedding and the little one has a new pair of Toms Shoes in my bag.
It is going to be close, but I have faith that it will work out...without that faith, I'd always be a hot mess.

Last Days of Crawling

2010-06-10T20:56:00.001-05:00

This little one loves to crawl,

inside or outside,

laughing and smiling, while

racing to his Mummy.

He loves to crawl...that is, until he learns to walk.

Once he starts to walk, the activity in these pictures will only be a memory.

Thankful for:

Drool - it's like his photo signature. It miraculously shows up in all pictures and always makes me smile (355)
Cranky old ladies who come in for facials even though they obviously don't want to be there. Thankful for the reminder to pray. (356)
Fireworks every night at Sea World and being able to watch said fireworks from my hotel balcony (357)
Vegan buffalo chicken salad from Whole Foods - it is my newest favorite food (358)
10 minute trainer - I might be able to finally shed some of this year old baby weight. (359)

Wordless Wednesday - sleepy boy

2010-06-09T22:33:00.000-05:00

Cousins, pt 2

2010-06-08T00:33:00.004-05:00

This is Frankie. She is my sister's youngest daughter.

She loves her Mimi and her Mommy.

She loves to make funny faces.

She loves to play outside

running,

skipping,

screaming and laughing

and overall, making me laugh.

My favorite thing about her? Her heart - it makes me smile.

When the little one starts running around, the world will need to watch out.

Coming Soon - Cousins, part 3 featuring Frankie's older sister, Baby G!

Blessings:

runny noses and itchy eyes - reminders of the fun times we had outside (349)

the salty smell of the air right before a rain (350)

the way everything is in technicolor right before a storm (351)

window seats on a plane (352)

the sparkle in Frankie's eyes (353)

the way that Baby G watches out for and loves The Little One (354)

i dance . . . well, someday

2010-06-05T18:11:00.002-05:00

My friends and siblings have always made fun of me for my lack of rhythm. Lack of rhythm is a kind way to put it. Simply said, I can't dance. I think that my reasons for not being able to dance are the same reasons that I can't speak spanish very well. I'm not good at letting go and trying something that I know that I am not that talented at...
Simply put, I'm a slight control freak when it comes to myself. I don't want to look or sound stupid, so I just try not to put myself in situations that have the chance of making me appear stupid. Thus, no dancing or speaking spanish to anyone over the age of 5.
One of my goals this year was to learn to speak spanish to those over 5. I took 3 years of spanish in Highschool and 3 years in colllege. My head is full of vocabulary. I can work my way through a spanish magazine or follow along while watching spanish TV. I can carry on a pretty good conversation with a little one. But, once you turn 6 - no more speaking spanish to you!
I work for a Spanish company and reside in Texas. Those two points alone should be enough. I'm working on it - But, it's a s-l-o-w process.
I had no thought or intention of even touching the dancing situation, but then, thanks to Maggie, over at Gussy Sews, I found this website - i dance. (I was looking at Gussy's adorable clutches, you should go look at them too! They will bring a smile to your face. But, my Gussy obsession is a whole different post.)
The i dance blog is a fun blog to look at - lots of bright colors and adorable fonts. But, what got me was the description of their "revolution"- it hit home. I too, want more conifdence, joy, and freedom - as I read it, I realized that these things would help me at home, at work, with my husband, my little one and with speaking spanish! I was sold.
So, I'm going to try it. I tried lesson 1 this morning and ended up laughing my head off. I seriously have no rhythm.
None. Zilch. Nada.
One thing I do have is perseverance. So, I will try lesson 1 again tonight and then tomorrow and will keep it up. I will learn.
I'm hoping that my sisters will join me - they are much more talented in the rhythm department, so maybe some of their rhythm will rub off, or at least my 2 left feel will make them laugh.
We shall see...

The Little One Has a New Addiction

2010-06-02T22:43:00.020-05:00

Updated: The winner is BabeeLove - Please e-mail me your contact info so that I can pass it along to EcoMom! You are going to love this stuff!!!

A Review and Giveaway...from my new favorite online store - EcoMom.com
The little one and the concept of eating have had a long history. He was around 5 1/2 weeks early and was as hard-headed as ever. He knew that he was “overly punctual” and he had no intention of having to do any hard work before his original due date. So, he stayed in Le Hotel NICU and refused to eat. Cute as a bug, but stubborn as his mummy.
Yea, fun times.
Fast forward to now. He is a bottomless pit. We are talking NO portion control. He loves food. Eggplant, spinach, sweet potatoes, fish, black olives, feta cheese, avocados, squash, etc... Wonderful foods - but, not the easiest to pack for travel. As you all know, we are a traveling bunch. We travel for work, to see family, and just for fun. When traveling, we either go grocery shopping on the road or take pre-packaged baby food. I always try to get organic food packaged in BPA free packaging. I figure he’s going to be exposed to enough junk, I might as well try and keep his food choices clean as long as I can. I’m always trying new things that I find at the grocery store wherever we are, but sometimes I get so frustrated when there aren’t any good options.
Now, thanks to Eco-friendly Baby Products from EcoMom, my frustration is long gone.

EcoMom sells lots of fun, cool stuff. Like this really awesome pirate ship that I think my son needs. Or, this fabulous wood tea set that happens to be screaming the name of my niece. I'm such a sucker for wood toys - and EcoMom has tons of them!

But, what I really love is that they sell different types of organic baby food and they will ship it to you.
Did you hear that? Yep, It was the hallelujah chorus. We’re that happy about this shipping idea.
Due to that wonderful news, I will not have to search for an organic grocery store and then be sad when the city that I am staying in does not have one. Instead, I will order from EcoMom and keep a stash at home, or have it shipped to wherever we are going. Or, even order and have shipped to Camp Mimi when the little one eats all of their food. My point is - the food will now come to us, ready for travel in a moment’s notice. I know you are all wondering - does this organic baby food even taste good? Well, to answer that question, I went to the little one...and he was happy to be the guinea pig. The super friendly people over at EcoMom sent us foods from both Revolution Foods and Plum Organics to try. One word to describe all of the foods: de-lish! The little one liked all of them, but I think one of his favorites was the Blueberry, Pear and Purple Carrot from Plum Organics. (He cried when this one was empty)
On top of being de-lish, they are super good for the little one! 100% organic fruit and veggies, packaged in child safe, recyclable packaging. (no sharp edges) The pouches that they come in are cool - they have screw top lids that you can reseal and place in the fridge for later. They also sell little spoons that you can screw on the pouch for super easy feeding. But, my little one had a different idea.

I tried to take it away so that I could put it in a bowl and feed it to him in a respectable way. He did not like that idea. So, he ate it his way. It was great, clean entertainment for the rest of us watching him eat.

He was just too cute sitting there eating his little Jammy Sammy like a big kid. For those of you who did not click that link, a Jammy Sammy is a snackable, packable sandwich bar. 100% Whole grains, organic fruit spread, no trans fats, high fructose corn syrup or artificial ingredients. Just pure yummyness. And adorableness.

This was the first time that I gave him something big to eat without me cutting it into minuscule pieces first. I was a little worried at first, but he did a great job. The Jammy Sammy is very soft, so it was easy for him to bite and chomp with his gums. (it also tastes quite yummy - I'm going to have to keep these hidden from my husband) I'm going to buy more of these just so that I can watch him eat them... In fact, I think that all Mummy's should buy these just to watch your child eat them. Seriously, I'm not sure there is anything cuter than a little wee one eating a Jammy Sammy.

The, it was time to go out on the boat with Nana, Papa Tom, Uncle C, Mimi, Papa Joe, and his pouches of baby food. Once the little one met these pouches of food, he was addicted and he wouldn't let go.

He is a fan of both the food and the packaging. I'm a fan of the organic ingredients, the fun, simple packaging and the fact that EcoMom will ship all of it to me.

What other baby food packaging turns into a BPA-free toy once you eat the food?

When we got home from the boat, he was still playing with it. I rinsed out the pouches and they are now with his other toys. He's a cute yet strange kiddo. It's a cute yet strange addiction.

But I am his cute yet strange Mummy, so I guess peaches don't fall far from the tree.

I have a feeling that these foods will become a staple in our home. Fiddlesticks, Jammy Sammys, Mashups - all coming soon to a home near me! I’m thinking about getting an EcoPass - it provides a 15% discount as well as FREE shipping for any purchase over $75. And, right now you will receive a free $50 gift card when you purchase the EcoPass! I'm not sure how long this special will be going on, so click on over and get it now!

Guess what? One of you lucky little ducks is going to win $20 worth of these foods so that your little ones can get addicted as well!
To enter:

Go look over the EcoMom website and come back here and leave a comment telling me what you like about their company or tell me which foods you would like to try. Don't forget to leave your e-mail address. This entry must be completed before you complete any additional entries.

To get additional entries:

Follow this blog via Google Friends ( 1 entry)
Follow me on Twitter (1 entry)
Grab my button and put it on your blog (2 entries - leave 2 comments)
Tweet this: {#Win Revolution Foods or Plum Organic baby foods from @EcoMomCEO - @puddleduckbunch #giveaway ends June 20, 2010 http://bit.ly/alN6Wt } (1 entry per tweet - you can do this once per day - leave a comment each day that you tweet it!)
Become a fan of EcoMom on facebook and tell her that Puddleduck Bunch sent you (2 entries)
Follow EcoMom on Twitter and tell her that @puddleduckbunch sent you (2 entries)
Join the EcoMom Newsletter (2 entries)

Make sure that you leave a comment for each entry and don't forget your email address. If you don't leave you email address, I won't have any way to contact you if you win!
This contest is open until June 20, 2010. A winner will be chosen soon after through random.org

Can’t wait until then to try some foods?

Go ahead and order some now - use this nifty little code SB004044 to save 15% off your first order!!

This code is good through June 30, 2010

For my inquisitive readers :

Although EcoMom did give us products to try,
we were not compensated for trying or reviewing these products.

The opinions and aforementioned addictions are our own.

Chocolate is Yummy. Mummy is Mean.

2010-05-29T22:15:00.000-05:00

Yum.

Hey, What was that?

This is de-lish...

This is the bomb.com

Hey, I want that back!

My Mummy is MEAN!

I don't want clean hands...

I want more Hershey's Chocolate.

gifts today:

sweet baby smiles (345)

sweet baby chuckles (346)

sweet baby cries for Hersheys - they are sad and funny all at the same time (347)

chipmunk cheeks - my kiddo knows how to save food for winter (348)

Pillowcase Dresses for Africa!

2010-05-29T00:48:00.008-05:00

In all my spare time (just typing those words make me chuckle), I enjoy reading other blogs. I enjoy reading about crazy happenings in other families and also enjoy reading what other people are learning. I enjoy seeing what God is doing in their families. To see how He is moving, how He is stirring others hearts.
The other day, I ran across a post about a project that really tugged at my heart. The project is to create pillowcase dresses for little girls in Africa.
Kristen at We are THAT family, wrote a beautiful post about her new DIFO (Do It For Others) project to help Little Dresses in Africa, a non-profit organization that sends pillowcase dresses to girls in Central Africa. Becuase AIDS is such a pandemic in Africa, many of these young girls end up raising their younger siblings.
Just raising my little one can be trying some days, I can't imagine what it must be like to be a young girl and to be solely responsible for the feeding and care of those younger than me. Little Dresses in Africa works to minister to these girls, providing dresses for them to wear, planting seeds in their heart about Jesus and about how beautiful and worthy they are in His eyes.
What a special thing for us to be able to help with - to help a little girl feel worthy, to feel pretty, to feel loved, to know that she is enough. Isn't that what we all are striving to feel? To feel that we are simply enough?
For me, helping others has always made me feel happy. As a little girl, I always loved to make "gifts" for my friends. I loved to see the twinkle in their eyes, when I gave them something that I had spent time making, just for them. What an exciting idea to be able to bring that same twinkle to a little girl who is halfway across the world!
Kristen posted that her goal was to get 100 dresses made by the end of July. She has people donating supplies and people donating time to sew. I had a hard time finishing her post because all I wanted to do was say "yes! I want to help!" Finally, after stepping away from the computer for a while, I was able to return to her post, finish reading it and then send her an e-mail.
I wanted to join in on her project. I asked and she resounded with "Yes, yes, yes!!" I want to create my own blog goal. To help 50 more little girls get pretty new dresses! This would bring her total to 150 dresses! WOW!
So, that is what we are going to do. We are going to make 50 pillowcase dresses. By the end of July.
How is this going to happen, seeing as how I have a husband, little one who just turned one and work full-time outside the home, traveling across the country?
Well, I'm not quite sure....
But, I do know that God has placed this on my heart and it is what I want to try and do. And, I know that He can work miracles.
As a family, we are not in the position to adopt at this moment, but we can help lots of kiddos in other ways - I'll start by helping them get cute little dresses! Seriously, is there something more fun for a little girl than new clothes?
All that to say, WE NEED YOUR HELP!
June 1-30 Pillow Case / Materials Drive
Items you can send for the project:

New or Gently used Pillowcases - we need 50 +
Double Bias tape
1/2 inch elastic
thread
air-tight vacuum space bags
money to help with shipping. We will be dividing the supplies and shipping to seamstresses. (The seamstresses will also receive a postage-paid envelope to send the completed dresses to the organization)

If you would like to send pilllowcases or supplies, help sew some of these dresses, or if you want to complete your own pillow case dress(es), please e-mail me and I will get in touch with you! Here is the pattern that Little Dresses for Africa recommends. If you want to make your own dresses, don't feel that you have to use the pattern listed. Feel free to create/design them in your own unique way and we will send them off to Africa as well!

Here we go!

wordless wednesday - silly boy

2010-05-26T08:35:00.000-05:00

Sisters are cool

2010-05-25T23:46:00.004-05:00

Last weekend, I was in Virginia for work. My sister is currently at Ft Lee in Virginia. This is a very good combination.
On Saturday, she drove up to the DC area to meet me when I got off from work.
It pretty much rocked.
What was so much fun is that it was just like normal.
We went to the mall. We got pretzels and a coke to share. We walked around and complained to each other about how malls are too busy. We commented about how we couldn't stay in certain stores because the population of half the world was shopping inside. We spent too much time at H&M and after sending each other photo messages of outfits, finally ended up buying a few things.

She got her brows done and I stood around and took pictures of the ordeal.

We took pictures on our cellphones because we didn't have our cameras with us.
Then, we got semi-lost while trying to find a japanese restaurant. We finally found it and ordered too much food. But, it was yummy and we had food to go. (This food came in handy the next morning)

At 10pm, we were both tired. So, we decided to drive into the city and see the Washington Memorial. We drove around, crossed the wrong bridge, talked about all of the "other" crazy drivers and finally found a parking spot. We walked to the Washington memorial, back through the Vietnam memorial, over to the Lincoln memorial (it is quite huge), all while wondering if the people walking behind us were going to attack us. We both decided that we seriously have overly vivid imaginations and that we should probably just stop watching crime dramas in general.

The next morning we slept in, I gave her a facial, we ate our leftovers and got a late checkout. She took me to Target and then to the airport.

It was such fun to simply hang with her like we used to do. I miss those days. But, I'm thankful for this weekend. It was fun and I can't wait to do it again.

Getting to see my sis (338)
Being able to live in a country where I am free to worship as I please, thanks to some huge sacrifices by others (339)
The way the moonlight reflects off of water and looks so peaceful (340)
Raindrops on my face while walking around (341)
Pickled ginger - its just so yummy (342)
The way my little one stands up in the middle of the room and laughs for no reason at all (343)
My little one and his love of green beans (344)

my parents rock

2010-05-23T18:05:00.001-05:00

So, here I am - 35,000 feet above the ground, surfing blogs. Technology (for the most part) rocks.

I hopped over to my sisters blog and was really happy to see what she posted on my parents anniversary. I haven't even given them their gift, since I have been traveling. But, they currently have the little one, so seriously, could there be a better gift?

Anyway - I wanted to share my favorite part of her post:

"Thank you for struggling. Thank you for showing us that marriage is not effortless or without drama. I used to think that if couples didn't disagree, that meant they loved each other more...now I know it just means they were on their second marriage or living a lie. Thank you for teaching us to be creative, loving, patient and devoted. Thank you for setting an example. "

Wow. I couldn't have said it better myself. And, she pretty much hit it on the head about a few other things, but you have to click right here to read that funny part for yourself!

Genius!

2010-05-21T01:53:00.005-05:00

Whoever thought up the idea of placing mini-hotel rooms inside the crazy, busy Atlanta Airport is a genius. An absolute genius!

Last night, regardless of my efforts, I missed my flight to DC. Thankfully, there was another flight that they could get me on later that same night. So, there I was, with 2 1/2 hours to spend at the Atlanta airport. Definitely not on my fun list for the evening.

Airports are like little cities. They provide most of what a person would need for the few hours that they are present. I write most, because there I was, a nursing mum (sans baby) in desperate need of a place to pump.

Now, if I was at the OKC airport, this would not be a problem. They are prepared for a time such as this. They have a room, equipped with a drape and comfy chair, which are both perfectly placed next to an electrical outlet. To a nursing mum, this situation is as beautiful as a work of art!

Does the Atlanta airport have a similar situation? Yea, not so much.

They have plenty of outlets, but they are out in the open and that is just not a good combination for anyone's sanity.

So, I walk around, wondering what I can do to keep my mind off the fact that I really needed to have pumped about 30 minutes ago. As I'm walking around, I read the following sign:

Minute Suites

I wonder to myself if I understood that name correctly.
Could there really be a suite that you could rent for a few mintues, located inside the terminal at the airport? I turn around and walk past it again. It looks like a minature hotel hallway. There are 3 employees at the desk, all sharply dressed, who are as kind and polite as possible.

I walk up to the counter and ask the cost. I'm not even sure why I asked, becuase before she could answer, my mind had already decided that I would soon be pumping in peace! She replied and as she was speaking, I say "ok, I will stay for an hour."

I figured that an hour was long enough. It would give me enough time to pump and really, I figured that I would go crazy in a small room for much longer than an hour. She just smiled and told me that if I changed my mind, and decided to stay longer, they could add the time later.

As I signed the charge slip, another sharply dressed employee calmly said "let me show you to your suite."

When she opend the door, I quickly realized that this was better that I had imagined. It was dim and cool. Quiet and serene. It had a place to lay down. It was spacious for a little place. Very cool, modern furniture. I quickly think to myself "Yea, I might need more than an hour..."

She showed me how to use the internet, TV and their "3 hour nap in 26 minutes" program.

I had no idea that there would be a huge HD flat screen TV, great earphones, free internet access, a pillow, comfy blanket and LOTS of outlets. I was pleasantly surprised.

When I got to the airport and realized that I wasn't going to get on my original flight, I prayed for peace. I didn't want to stress. I remember praying for me to be cool with whatever happened. The Minute Suites were an answer to prayer that I never expected. My Heavenly Father is very cool like that!

Needless to say, I stayed longer. 1 hr, 45 minutes to be exact. Enough time to pump, watch a full episode of NCIS, participate in their "3hr nap in 26 minute" program and get caught up on Twitter. It was the best time that I have ever had at the Atlanta airport!

Today, I am thankful for:

Sunny weather while walking to work (329)
A sushi restaurant that delivers during lunch hours (330)
A sweet picture of baby Charlotte and her Mum, I'm so happy that both are healthy, happy and beautiful! (331)
My asthma inhaler - it makes eating peanuts doable. I know, the fact that I need an inhaler to eat peanuts should probably be my sign that I just shouldn't eat peanuts, but I'll tackle that another day. (332)
A hidden retreat in a crazy airport - with a comfy couch and pillow to rest my tired body. (333)
USA Network - I just love that they play NCIS so often. My little one and I bonded over NCIS while we were on bedrest (before he was born), so being able to watch it while I'm away, makes me feel at home, if only for a minute. (334)
My sister. She has my little one this week and she loves him unbelieveably. I know he is happy when he is with her and her precious girlies. (335)
Blue jean diapers - Haven't seen them yet, but my sister says that they are pretty funny. And, I believe her. She has some waiting for me when I get home. (336)
Clothes for the little one - on sale! I found the cutest outfit for him to wear to my sister's wedding. (337)

Now, I just need to keep working out so that I will fit into my blue dress at the wedding. Then, we will be on the path to some great family pictures!

Wahoo!

the cousins, part 1

2010-05-17T23:10:00.006-05:00

Currently, the little one has 5 cousins. 4 on my side and 1 on his pops side. The little one loves his cousins - even though he doesn't get to see them all of the time. He also has 3 other "cousins", who we love just the same!

We are so blessed to have so many family members. Brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents, cousins - friends.

As the eldest of 9, I grew up knowing that family is life. Many of my friends couldn't wait to get out of the house, to go do "something", to be away from their family. Although, I loved being out of the house, I always had others with me. My siblings provided me guaranteed friends. Friends that I could laugh with, fight with, play with - love.

When I went away to college, my siblings went with me. Homeschooling has its advantages. I could take a brother or sister (or 2-3) and keep them with me for a week of so. We would go to class together, the park together, eat together, enjoy life together. Now as they are all growing up, it is harder. Everyone is moving to their own life. Their lives are calling them to different parts of the world, but thankfully we live in an age that allows us to stay connected - even when across the globe.

My husband is still getting used to this "closeness" that large families provide. At times, I think he believes that we have all fallen off our rockers, but thankfully, he loves us - crazy and all.

My prayer is that as my little one grows up, that he will experience this same closeness that only a family can bring. Hopefully he will have more siblings, maybe from other parts of the world - to laugh with, play with, fight with and love.

J and G's (my bother & his wife) kiddos:

and then, just for fun,

pictures of the little one.

just in case you forgot how cute he is...

blessings from this weekend:

homeopathic teething tablets - we lovingly refer to them as "baby crack" (318)

the hugs and cuddles that come along with the pain of teething (319)

grins with only lower teeth - this won't be around for much longer (320)

tire warranties at Discount Tire - without them, we might not be able to drive. (321)

skype - without it I would go through sister withdrawl (322)

sun shining through dark, grey clouds (323)

naps in the middle of the day (324)

beautiful colors in the produce department at Whole Foods (325)

crawling (326)

baby kisses (327)

baby laughs (328)

Patience

2010-05-15T22:11:00.002-05:00

I've discovered recently, that contrary to my belief, I do not have a lot of patience.

I desperately need to find some before I fall off my rocker.

As a 16 year old, I fervently prayed for patience.

That sentence needs to come with the following disclaimer: *Do NOT try this at home*

Have you ever heard the saying "Be careful what you ask for" - yeah, whoever said that wasn't kidding.

Anyway, enough of my sulking. But, seriously, I need to learn some patience.

I need to learn to be patient when people ask me a lot of questions. I need to learn that maybe they just want to get to know me better. Or, maybe they don't have anything to say, so they tend to ask questions. Or, maybe all they know how to do is ask questions.

No matter what, I need to learn to be patient with them and to answer their questions with a smile. And, I should try to not be a smart-alek with my answers. But, that can come later.

baby. steps.

I also need to learn that there is a time for everything. I grew up with Ecclesiastes 3 being read on a daily basis. You'd think I already had this one down pat. Yeah, not so much.

I tend to try and make everything happen - to cram 15,465,568,987 things into one simple 24 hour day.

Why I do this, I will never know.

I don't want to become a different person, I just want to learn to trust in God for everything. I'm great at trusting Him with big things like death, marriage, kids, jobs, etc. I'm not as good with trusting Him with my daily schedule. I need to learn to trust that He wants me to have a great life, to do fun things, to be happy. But, His method of me getting there might be different than the method that I have in my head. I need to learn to be patient and to wait on His method. It is the right method, so it is worth waiting for...

So, tonight I am going to start.

I am going to try and answer asked questions in a calm and happy tone. I will accept that some people want to ask a kazillion questions, and that it is not because they want to control and know every little thing I do, but because they care about me and just want to talk. I am going to try and learn to use small talk more often. This is not going to be easy, but I pray that it will benefit me in the long run.

I am going to stop trying to make everything fit into my schedule. I will accept that I am out of town during MckMama's photoshoot in the big D and I will not stress that it would be my only chance to meet her in person or have her take photos of my little one.

We shall see how this goes...

tonight -

2010-05-14T22:21:00.000-05:00

the little one and I had a blast! He and I are going to have such fun this weekend. We are going to play, sleep, cook and shop. We are also going to Aunt Jin's shower tomorrow - she is getting married in less than a month!

It is so hard to be away from him so often. Tonight, when we were playing, I was noticing that his size and build have changed. He's lost that "baby" look and is turning into a little kid. I've spent my entire life talking about how "I am not a baby person" - but tonight, as I'm watching him zoom all over - there is a part of me that is missing the baby little one.

I think I missed the baby little one the most, when I watched him open a bathroom cabinet and try to empty it of its contents. Grandma's house needs to be child proofed - like yesterday.

I baked him some sweet potatoes and squash tonight, he is such a fan of vegetables! I also bought him a beet, but I haven't the slightest idea how to cook it. I guess I will try and figure it out tomorrow...

be happy with what you have

2010-05-09T18:54:00.005-05:00

For those of you who know me well, you know that I am, and always have been a fan of my highlighted, long hair. My mom tells stories about how I would always color my hair bright yellow in any drawing. I remember her brushing my hair and telling me that it looked like spun gold. As I grew older, I found ways to help keep its pretty blond color. Sun and chlorine were my friends. In college, I became friends with highlights and continued those for many years.

Fast forward to last November. My family was having a family picture. By family, I mean everyone. 2 parents, 9 kids, 2 spouses, 1 almost spouse, 5 grandkids. No dogs. Family was coming to H-town from as far as Abilene. This picture was to by my parents Christmas present. It was quite the craziness just getting it organized.

I was in need of highlights for the picture, but wasn't financially able to go earlier in the week to where I normally went for highlights. So, 4 hours before the picture I got highlights.

The highlights went awry. Everything was highlighted beautifully except for this fabulous spot in the front that was bleached bronze. Yea, this was about 4 hours before the picture. My hair was quite frizzy, but everyone was there, so off to the picture place we went. It's amazing what a little bit of airbrushing can do. I was the bleach blonde in the family picture of a bunch of brown headed people.

Well, I didn't want to keep the hair with this crazy blonde spot because the next day was my son's dedication at church. Real life can't be airbrushed, so it needed to be fixed. At 10pm on a Sat night. So, we decided to dye it a deep mahogany brown. (insert chuckle here)

The deep mahogany brown on blonde hair turned into magenta-y orange. Nice. Magenta-y orange hair for my son's dedication. Daily it changed colors. It was a stark contrast to my florescent-y, white skin. yikes! Oh, the fun.

We waited about 2 weeks and decided to try again and get it dark mahogany brown. It was a very reddish brown, but it was finally brown nonetheless.

The past few months, I have spent quite a bit of time trying to get used to my red/brown hair. In April, I decided that I needed to be blonde again. I saved my money and made an appointment. When I arrived at the salon, I was informed that since there was so much red in it, it would be very difficult to go back to my previous color. WHAT?!

It never crossed my mind that it would be hard or nearly impossible to go back blonde. The girls there were very nice, telling me how my current hair color "looks so natural"or "with your skin tone, you can pull off red very easily." I took a deep breath and had them color my hair a rich medium brown.

But alas, I still missed my blonde hair. Until last night.

Last night, after working a long day in New Orleans and flying back to Dallas, I decided to stop and get some sushi for dinner. While waiting for my to-go order, I was on the phone with my husband. I was sitting in the chair, up against the wall. After about 10 minutes, I started smelling an awful smell. I thought maybe something was burning in the kitchen. 3-4 minutes go by and the stench is getting worse. I think to myself, "it smells like sulfur" then I think "OH NO, hair is made of keratin and keratin when burning smells like sulfur."

Yep, you are right folks, there I was, sitting in the sushi restaurant, with my HEAD ON FIRE! I calmly stood up and started pressing my head to stop the fire. I told my husband "hold on, my head is on fire" - he laughed and said ok. I then tried to discreetly sweep off all of the ashes that were all over my outfit and then brush my hair with my hands. As I am doing this, I notice huge 8-10 inch chunks of hair falling on the floor. I couldn't do anything but laugh. Praise the Lord that I was the only patron in the restaurant. The owners were in the back cooking my meal, so they didn't notice my laughing hysterics.

When the sushi chef looked up, I must have had a funny look on my face, because he loudly asks "you ok? You ok? I calmly responded, with a smile, "oh yea, no worries, my hair was just on fire. It's ok now."

Seriously, I worry about myself sometimes. No worries, It's ok now? My head was on fire! I had soot all over me! But, in true southern girl fashion, I didn't want them to worry about me or feel bad. So, I just sat there, laughing to myself and rubbing my head, while they finished preparing my food. They brought me my food and I headed home. By the time I got home, I was fairly confident that I did not have a complete bald spot, just a head of sulfur smelling, really thin hair and a burned scalp. I washed my hair, put ice on my scalp, ate my sushi and went to sleep.

I wish I was making this stuff up. I couldn't even write about it last night because I was laughing too hard.

Today, I went and got a haircut. Now, I have layers. I'm no longer wishing for my blonde hair. I'd be super happy with the thick brown hair that I had yesterday morning. Oh well.

I am grateful for what I have.

I am grateful for long, thin brown hair. (314)

I am grateful that I do not have a huge bald spot on my head. (315)

I am grateful that I was in the restaurant alone - this wouldn't have been pretty if there were other people around. (316)

I am grateful that I do not use a lot of products in my hair, because if I did, there is a very good chance that I would have been bald tonight. (317)

And, I am praying that the burn on my scalp heals nicely and that hair continues to grow from that spot. But, if it does not, I will be thankful for ponytails.

A Mum's Manifesto

2010-05-07T23:21:00.000-05:00

Today, I read a post that I hope I will never forget. On a daily basis, I love to grab morsels of knowledge from Ann Voskamp's blog - A Holy Experience. But, today was one of those days when her post left my mind speechless.
When I get home, I want to frame and hang this Manifesto so that I can read it everyday. I'm hoping to print and frame it for my sisters as well - just waiting on a little "ok" from Ann.
I love all 10 points, but the one that has really stayed in my mind today is "Today, my priorities will be all Things Unseen"

Oh, how I pray that I am able to live out this manifesto. Hop over to her blog and check it out! While you are there - hit subscribe. You won't regret it!

allergies, please go away

2010-05-06T23:37:00.001-05:00

I would really appreciate it if my allergies would go far, far away.

I thought that if I went far, far away maybe my allergies wouldn't follow. I was wrong. Tonight, I'm sitting in my hotel room trying to leave my eyes alone. For me, allergies make my skin, nose, face, and eyes itch. I can deal with everything but the eyes. Oh, the eyes...

This is not anything new for me. I've always had these allergies. As a child, I was once escorted out of school and my mom had to come pick me up becuase they were positive that I had pink eye. Nope, just allergies. I normally wait until they are too much to handle and then I am of to the doctor for steroid shots.

What makes this time so different is that my little one is still nursing. Steroid shots and nursing is not a good combination. So, no shots for this mum. Oy vey!

I've received some great suggestions and am currently trying all of them. I've also resorted to drinking grape synergy - it seems to have helped with allergies in the past. It took me a while to acquire the taste, but I'll learn to like anything that makes me feel, breathe and see better. If only they made a Dr. Pepper flavored version!

Oh well. I will keep trying new things and will stay away from the shots. If breastfeeding will help my little one not have asthma and allergies like me, then I'll do whatever it takes to keep it up!

thankful for today...and tomorrow

2010-05-06T00:59:00.000-05:00

I've been slacking on the listing of my daily blessings. Sometimes, I get so caught up in the day to day, that I forget to take a moment to breathe and to see what God is doing for me at that moment. I'm a work in progress. I will continue to be a work in progress. Working to become more like Him.

For tonight, I will be thankful, despite my semi-grumpy attitude. I'm having an awful allergy week, the next week of work is going to be stressful and I miss my little one. He's at the ranch with my parents as I am traveling for work this week.

I am SO thankful for:

an amazing family who treats my little one as their own. (blessing 301)
My 2 youngest siblings are going to be rockin' parents. They are some amazing kiddos! I am so thankful for their great attitude and love that they show daily to my little one. (blessing 302)
lungs that work. Nothing like a night like tonight to remind me how thankful I am to be able to breathe easily most of the time. (blessing 303)
inhalers that work when lungs don't. Whoever created this medicine should have won 2 Nobel prizes. Ever see the asthma advertisement with the fish out of water? Yea, I feel like that guy right now. (blessing 304)
my fingers and hands. Right now, they hurt like crazy, but instead of being mad, I will continue to be thankful for them. They provide for my family - putting food on the table and helpiung to get the bills paid off. I am going to go to an accupuncturist, but until then and after, l will be thankful that I even have hands. (blessing 305)
for any moment that I get to spend with my little one. (blessing 306)
for my eyes. As swollen and puffy as they are, I am able to use them to see most of the time. I am thankful for my sight, even when it is a little blurred from my allergies. (blessing 307)
for the bright colors that show up with spring. If I'm going to be miserable, what better to have than beautiful scenery to look at while I'm sneezing. (blessing 308)
for funny stories from my sister. Tonight, she asked her 7 year old to bathe the dog. The 7 year old happily obeyed and off she went to the backyard. About 30 minutes later, she came back in the house, completely covered in mud. My sister asked her what on earth happened...her reply? "Mom, don't worry - the dog is clean." Oh my, I love that little girl! (blessing 309)
brownies. Nothing makes allergies temporarily go away better than a nice, chewy brownie. (blessing 310)
youversion.com I LOVE being able to read my Bible and bookmark it on my computer, and then pull it up on my phone later in the day. Technology rocks! (blessing 311)
whole food - so excited that they are starting to show up everywhere. They make eating while out of town much easier. If only all of them would carry different types of quinoa in the ready-made section. The whole foods in White Plains, NY spoiled me... (blessing 312)

I'm off to bed. Up in about 5 hours to pack and then off to New Orleans. Praying for a good, quick event the next few days...

PS. I'm also REALLY thankful for my comfy bed! :) (blessing 313)

Bright Colors for a Birthday Boy

2010-05-04T23:03:00.001-05:00

Well, I did it.

I made the cake - The famous Rainbow Cake.

I did it over a span of 2 weekends. It was hard work. But, it was fun.

We started by baking the cakes on one weekend and then placing them in the freezer.

Then, the weekend of his party, we took them out of the freezer and created the masterpiece.

The leaning tower of cake masterpeice, that is.

I realized, once I started frosting it, that I should have sliced the cakes in half. But, I didn't, so it was a very tall cake.

Oh well.

Once I had it completely frosted, I realized that I was going to have to travel with this cake all the way into town.

On a Sunday.

Which meant driving all the way to Dad's church and then into the 'ville.

About a 1.5 hour car ride in total.

Keep in mind, this cake was ridiculously tall and held together with cream cheese frosting. Butter, sugar, vanilla and then more butter do not make for a very solid "glue"

In fact, those ingredients, together with bumpy, dirt roads did not sound like a winning combination for getting the cake to the 'ville in one piece..

But, I pressed on, prayed ALOT and by God's grace, we made it into town in one piece.

After everyone arrived, we introduced the little one to his BIG birthday cake. He was slightly amazed. I'm thinking that his slight amazement was at the sparkler shooting off little pieces of fire, but oh well, at least he was amazed.

*Side Note: On his actual birthday, we had a small get together at the lake. We had cupcakes in honor of the little one. He was less than amused. He didn't seem to like the bright green frosting or the cake. I'm thinking it is becuase they were store bought and the icing tasted like plastic.

This would not be a problem with his current birthday cake. It consisted of lots of real butter, sugar, cream cheese and vanilla. A winning combination, if I say so myself. Anyway, I digress.

When we cut his rainbow cake, he loved all of the bright colors.

Then, I gave him a small bite.

It was instantaneous. This was his new BFF.

His eyes tell the story better than any words I could type.

He found a new love and her name was Cream Cheese Frosting.

I'm so happy that he enjoyed his crazy cake made by his crazy mum.

Now, back to uncolored, organic foods for the little one.

I'm hoping that he doesn't miss Cream Cheese Frosting...

Do you think that this is a great cake idea? You should hop over and see all of the other yummy, fun recipes that Amanda has on her site - I Am Baker.

Beware of checking out her site before grocery shopping, it might cause you to purchase much more than normal from the baking aisle.

But, as I know from experience. The extra purchases are worth it. :)

And I'm off...

2010-05-01T09:27:00.001-05:00

to make a cake...

for this crazy, little kat.

Notice the car key. They turn one and start driving.

Kids these days...

Age 1 = bumps and bruises?

2010-04-27T00:14:00.000-05:00

No one explained to be that when my child turned one, he would instantly become more like his father and "lead with his head"

Since his brithday, 2 days ago, my poor little one has learned to get himself down from the couch (via a head-first route) and how to try and take pictures with my camera (via head-butting the lens)

How he made it 1 whole year without any brusies or bumps and then has proceeded to get 2 different ones within 2 days of being one - I will never know.

I do know that he is very hard headed. Although the floor and camera lens both got in the way of his head, he only cried for about 10 seconds. Then, he looked around and started crawling away - on to bigger and better things.

I'm so happy that he is so tough and reslient...especially since my tough and resilient flew out the window when the little one bumped his head. This mum is not fond of sad little tears - even if they only last for 10 seconds.

The worst thing? My dear husband has scars all over from "leading with his head" - he never allowed anything to get in his way - not barbed wire, concrete, bricks...you get the picture. Seeing as how peach trees don't bear apples, I'm thinking that we are in for a bumpy ride!

and now he's one...

2010-04-25T00:46:00.000-05:00

yeppers. you read right. the kidlet, munchkin, HRH is now ONE!!

Not sure how on earth this past year went by so fast, but it did. And, what a ride it was...

This time last year, I was lying in a hospital bed while my kiddo was 2 floors above in the local NICU. He was tanning himself and taking his own time deciding if he wanted to eat. I was sleeping. We were both hooked up to a lot of tubes and wires. I was praying to never take blood pressure medicine and I think he was praying that his previous 8 hours be a bad, bad dream.

The blood pressure meds were not required again and the kidlet realized what a great gig he had outside my body. He was enamored with what a great mum God had supplied him with and he was so excited to hurry up and get home. (a slight exaggeration might have just taken place)
Today, we celebrated with family and friends. We will continue the celebration through next Sunday. Extended celebrations are a benefit of huge families. We like to make sure everyone is involved, which can take a few weeks. I enjoyed watching my little one turn his nose up at the cupcake. I think he was confused at the bright, neon green frosting. He looked at me as if to say "that is not a normal color for food" - I love that he eats healthy vegetables and questions the fake icing. Good job kid!

Pictures will be posted tomorrow. For now, you will just have to accept the fact that I left my computer charger in Dallas and am having to use my husbands pc. Due to the fact that I use a mac and don't have the right cards, I will need to wait until tomorrow to get my pictures uploaded.

I'm off to bed, before my son gets up from bed and tells me that he has purchased a car and is moving out. He is growing so quickly, I'm hoping that my Jenia gets down here to see him before he is old and has to move to an assisted living location.

Night.

Crocs might not always be the best option

2010-04-21T20:42:00.000-05:00

When I travel, I like to travel light.

I already have to take all of my supplies for work, a large breast pump and my own bag. Since baggage fees are super expensive, (unless I am lucky enough to be booked on a Southwest Airlines flight) I try to carry on my bag. Therefore, I try to not take more than will fit in that bag.

This means that coats and shoes are normally left at home. I figure that I will be indoors most of the time, so it should be fine. I can deal with the elements a little bit at a time. I was in New York last week and this plan worked out really well.

Then, I traveled to Aspen.

It is cold in Aspen. And snowy.

I thought I knew what that meant. Until I woke up my first morning here.

I did not realize that I needed to build time into my schedule to "find" my car. It was covered in snow. Real, white, fluffy snow. I need to offer that description because in Texas, snow is crunchy. Anyway, I walked outside and saw that my car was covered in snow. While walking to my car, I realized that I probably should have worn different shoes. I wear ballerina style crocs 80% of my life. I normally wear these without socks. This was a very bad decision for Aspen. By the time I reached my car, my feet and pants legs were soaking.

Here is a picture of my foot.

next time - I'll pack according to weather.com

Holy Canoli.

2010-04-18T22:37:00.000-05:00

That's about all I can say to where my days have gone.

Yep, Holy Canoli.

I just don't know how other mothers do it. This working mum thing is really hard. It is hard enough to be a working mum who is based at home, but a working mum whose job is 80% travel is just insane. Thankfully, I have a family who is VERY helpful, but it is still really stressful. I want a companion pass on Southwest - then my little one could come along on my trips. I'm working on that companion pass, but it is really hard to get. But, I'll keep trying.

On a much happier note, the little one now has his first pair of Toms - which means that another little one will now have a new pair of shoes too!

I love that they give a needy child a pair of shoes each time you buy a pair. We all need shoes, so why not get ones that help others at the same time?

And, speaking of the little one, not only do I not know where the past few months have gone, but I'm evidently unaware of what happened to the last year. According to my calendar, the little one turns ONE on Saturday. I'm not sure how I feel about this - my little bit is already growing. I can't stop the growing, so I am going to embrace it.

We will have a party. We will celebrate his entirely fun first year. We will play with the girlies who come to his party. We will take pictures. We will eat overly colored rainbow cake. We will laugh.

We will make his new funny face all day long. (Not sure where he learned this face, but I know that he keeps doing it because it makes both of his 'rents LAUGH!)

I will love his second year just as much (if not more) than his first.

tonight I WILL be thankful.

2010-04-07T23:24:00.000-05:00

Tonight, I'm inclined to be grumpy. My baby is at my parents, my husband is working out of town, my dogs are also with my parents and I am by myself.

Not my idea of fun.

This is about the time that my husband gets confused. He doesn't understand why I don't like being alone when I do enjoy doing things on my own as long as others are around.

Weird, I know. I blame it on the big family I grew up in.

I love to have people around. I love the noises of a busy home. I love the feel of many people doing their own thing in the same area. I love it because it is normal to me. For most of my life I have equated quiet with the following questions. "Where are the kids? What are they doing? Why are they being quiet? " Quiet was a BAD sign at our home!

So, I prefer the noise of having others around. That being said, once they are around, I prefer for us to all do our own thing. I'm not such a fan of having to chit chat or answer tons of questions. My husband on the other hand, loves to talk. We are still working on this little area...

Instead of being grumpy (and slightly frightened from the darkness of night combined with a silent home) I am going to think of what I have been blessed with this week. I am also currently turning up the 2 tvs and the radio in this house. Noise is noise, right?

Blessings this week:

A little one who is happy at his Mimi and Papa Joe's home. (289)
My amazing parents - although they both have full time jobs and are both working on Master's degree programs, they are there at a moments notice to help watch my little one. They add him into their day and just continue on as normal. No stress, no comments to me that this might affect their day, no mention of how they would love to help, but that they are too busy. Just a simple, "whatever you need, we will help." I can't begin to explain how blessed I am to have parents that are able to do this... I hope that I am as helpful and calm a parent as they are to me! (290-291)
A little one who is beginning to babble like crazy. It is just too much fun to listen to him ramble on and on. (292)
A smooth work week. My training this week went on without a hitch. This was totally an act of God and I am thankful beyond words. (293)
A brother and sister who are amazingly helpful with my little one and my puddleducks. They help to make my life possible. (294-295)
The knowledge that God knows where we will live in 2 weeks, in 2 months and in 2 years. (296) Since I do not know the answer to any of them, I am so happy to know that HE knows. And, I know that HE will let me know, when HE sees fit. (I'm currently praying for patience and peace with this subject) Although I know that HE knows, I still have to remind myself about 50 trillion times a day. I so badly want us to have a place of our own, to have a bedroom that I can decorate for my sweet little one. This will happen. In His timing. I will be patient and I will trust in Him.
Only 2 more months before my hubs will be eligible for Health Ins. (297)
Snow Leopard Upgrade disk. Macs rock my world. (298)
Pony Tail Holders. Need I say more? (299)
Sweet Tea - such a wonderful concoction. Seriously one of the best drinks ever. (300)