What if we were celebrities?

I was going to save this for the next My Husband Rocks Friday, but I thought I'd go ahead and post it now. I can always come up with reasons for why he rocks and really just couldn't wait to share this, so here's how we stack up next to celebrities.

The one that you can't see on the right is Ron Livingston. I don't know why I couldn't get the whole thing to fit right; the other four are more impressive anyway.(Being that I once spent many summer mornings watching reruns of Dawson's Creek, I think my favorite one is the comparison to Joshua Jackson. Why couldn't that Pacey just get his life together?)

Carrie Underwood is cut off of this one. For mine, I don't have a favorite comparison. The first time I did it, I used a different picture, and one of my comparisons was with Jessica Alba. I thought that was pretty cool. I just can't find good pics of me on our computer. I don't know what the deal is. I think I need to go and have some professional ones done or something. I guess it could also have something to do with the fact that I'm usually the one behind the lens.

My Husband Rocks!

Three big reasons my honey rocks:

1. He is a genius with computers! He is a computer technician, even used to run his own computer repair company. I love that I don’t have to worry about anything that happens with our home computers. I can just say, “Honey, the computer is acting funny,” and he takes care of it. Gotta love that!
2. He is great at fixing other things around the house. He can build furniture, fix plumbing problems, put up light fixtures, do rewiring, and do all kinds of other stuff. That certainly saves us a lot of money!
3. Even though I’m not in as good of shape as I was when we started dating or when we married, he tells me every day that he thinks I’m beautiful and that he loves me. I am so blessed to have such a loving, sweet husband, and I thank God for him every day (many times over)!

Morning Drama and Harry Potter

After the drama of our early morning, I had to wonder what the rest of my day would bring. It, thankfully, was quite a tame day.

A bit after three this morning, I awoke to find Chris absent from our bed. He was standing in front the bathroom sink doctoring his hand, which had started throbbing and bleeding in his sleep. Yesterday, while at work, he accidentally cut his thumb along the side of his nail and also sustained a small cut on his forefinger. The thumb wound was a pretty bad cut but he rejected the idea of going to the doctor to have it examined. That all changed early this morning.

After stumbling back to the bed, he mumbled that he was feeling dizzy. Honestly, I didn’t think much of it. However, fifteen minutes later, he was still reeling and started dry heaving. He felt really clammy and drained of color. Not wanting to wake Willow Grace and take her to the ER with us, we called his parents around 4, and his dad, who was in such a jovial mood for so early in the morning, arrived about 30 minutes later. Chris ended up with nothing more than a tetanus shot and a poorly rewrapped wound (no stitches) from the doctor although he was told that he really should have gone to the doctor yesterday. It was a deep cut that caused a lot of pain and blood loss, which is why he had all those other symptoms this morning.

On a totally different note…
I have just finished reading Looking for God in Harry Potter by John Granger, which I borrowed from a friend but now must purchase for myself since I really want to reread it and mark notations. First I must say that I greatly enjoy reading the Potter books, and Chris and I often listen to them in the car. We particularly like hearing Jim Dale; I’m amazed at his range in character voices. Anyway, the book I just finished was absolutely fascinating and clearly outlines how the stories clearly parallel the story of redemption and also contain an astounding amount of Christian symbolism. I suppose that I really shouldn’t have been surprised. It’s well known that JK Rowling had a classical education and is also a self-proclaimed Presbyterian (the intellects of the Christian world). I attended a Presbyterian college, and I would definitely say that I encountered a fair number of Hermione-like characters there. For those of you who love Harry Potter and certainly for those of you who shun the books because of “moral issues” I highly recommend this book.

Tragic

I find myself in a state of mixed sadness, anger, and confusion this morning. We have lost another person to suicide; my friend’s best friend took his life. I’m sure you can imagine the pain she is now experiencing. There was no warning, no reason given for this. I have about a thousand thoughts and feelings whipping around in my brain. I’m not going to go into all of that right now.

This is what I want you to know, what we all need to be reminded of:

You are loved. You are needed. Your life has purpose. Your life matters. We need you here. No matter what you are going through, no matter what you have done or what has been done to you, God has everything you need to cope with and overcome it, whether it’s strength, love, courage, comfort, understanding, forgiveness, patience, or whatever. Don’t suffer alone. Don’t try to fight alone. He put us here on this earth so that we could stand together. He gave us His Son and the Holy Spirit. We are not alone.

Please pray for me as I minister to my friend.

Sloth Revisited/A Blank Calendar

I just looked at my planner for this week. There’s nothing on it for the weekdays. It’s silly, but it makes me nervous. With nothing on the calendar, I feel that twinge of guilt. The thoughts whisper, “Perhaps I’m not being active enough with my life; I really should be doing more.” Things like my job and taking care of my family are not events that require separate notations in my planner. My days are full. I do not NEED to do more. And now I can hear my husband’s voice, “You need to relax. Just come sit down.”

Is my Savior calling me to do the same?

“Relax. Sit down with me. Let’s talk.” Hmmm, yes, I do believe that He is. If there’s one thing we know about the Christian life, it’s that He desires one on one time with us. Bible reading is not a chore; it’s an opportunity to get to know the Father better. I know for a lot of the people that’s a major paradigm shift. It’s interesting to me how much we long for one on one time –major “face time” – with the people in our lives. However, we don’t really consider the fact that that is also desired of us, and even more than that our Abba Father desires it of us.

Maybe instead of seeing a blank calendar as a lack of purpose in my life, I should see it as an opportunity to carve out more time to spend with God. Now that’s what I call purpose!

Sleeping Beauty

I just couldn't resist. We've taken so many cute shots of Willow Grace sleeping lately. I had to post them.

Her daddy has such a soothing voice. She just conked right out in the middle of story time. I did take her and let him finish reading the story after this. I wanted to hear the rest of it!
She was in the middle of eating Cheerios and just decided that she'd had enough!
Couldn't resist a close-up. Too cute!
This was taken today. She was so tired, so we just laid her out in the cart while we bought her new carseat at Walmart. This is a few minutes later... her last ride in the infant seat. I can't believe my little girl is growing up so fast! (That's her favorite stuffed animal on her lap; his name is Ralph. She loves him!)

My Husband Rocks!

Yes, it's that time again -- My Husband Rocks Friday! I've been thinking all week about what I can brag on Chris about. Well, I just must tell you what a wonderful father he is. Last night when he arrived home from work, he immediately dropped everything and got down on the floor with Willow Grace. She was thrilled to have a playmate, especially her daddy! He loves spending time with her, and she just lights up like a little firefly when he walks in the room. He's more than happy to change her diaper, feed her dinner, and do just about anything it takes to make her laugh. I'm am so happy to be raising our daughter with such a great man, and I hope that someday we'll be able to add a couple more to our little family. A man who is so good with children should have a few of his own!

There's nothing sweeter than Daddy-Daughter time!
Just hanging out with Willow Grace!

3 Reasons I Love Wednesday

Sometimes Wednesday gets a bad wrap. “It’s only ½ way through the week.” “If I can just get past Hump Day….” Well, being the optimist that I am, I try to find reasons to appreciate each day of the week, every season of the year, and just as much of life as possible. So, anyway, here’s to Wednesday!

1. We only get two newspapers a week at our house – Wednesday and Sunday. I get excited when I see that Wednesday paper lying on the sidewalk outside our door. I love looking through the paper on Wednesday for new recipes and other interesting tidbits.
2. Usually I drive my daughter to my mom’s house; however, on Wednesdays, my mother-in-law meets me @ work to pick up Willow Grace which means that I have extra time in the morning to spend with Chris and the baby. I can even stop by the Starbucks for a special treat on the way to work! Mmmm, caramel macchiato!
3. On Wednesday mornings I do the “Hips, Buns, and Thighs” workout from my Hip Hop Abs videos. It totally rocks! It really kicks my butt right now, but it’s so much fun! (I’m really enjoying my endorphins today!)

I hope that your Wednesday turns out wonderful!

3, 6, 9, 12 months

Here's the collage I said I'd post. See how much she's changed!

Camera Drama

Thank God! We finally have a working camera. Last night we spent a bit of time trying to figure it all out. Very soon I’m sure that my posts will be full of pictures. I can’t wait. I feel like I’ve missed so much in the last several weeks. Babies change so much, sometimes in big ways from day to day. Also, I’ve realized that we really don’t have any recent (good) shots of Chris and me. We need to do something about that.

I must shout out a thank you or two here. First of all, I’m so thankful to my wonderful brother-in-law, Matt, who helped us to get a great deal on the camera. Yea, Matt! Also, thanks is due to my mother-in-law who very graciously gave us two disposable digital cameras to help us until we could get something more permanent. I would have missed some really sweet moments if not for those two little gifts.

Yesterday we were able to have lunch at Olive Garden with my sister, Eva, and the aforementioned brother-in-law. Since they live about an hour away, we don’t’ get to see them very often (a fact I hate). Strangely enough, we did not really enjoy the actual food, but at least the company was quite pleasant. It was so nice to sit and visit with them for a while and then run a couple errands with them afterwards, which included buying a new camera and picking up the portraits for Willow Grace’s 12 month pictures (some of which I’ve already posted here).

Here’s a few more little nuggets from that session.

This is the shot we choose for wallets.We're doing a collage of sorts with shots from her 3, 6, 9, and 12 month portraits. In each one she's wearing a dress, and they are done in sepia. This our choice for the 12 month session. I'll post all four of them together soon so you can see the progression.

My Husband Rocks Friday

I love the idea of bragging on my husband every week. What a great idea! I'd heard about this from someone I can't now recall but found the origin for it here. (You can also find the link by clicking on the icon in the right column.) Check it out. It's so important to say positive things about our husbands and to fight for our marriages. So, I'm joining lots of other women who brag on their husbands every Friday. I'm going to try to do this every week.

I don't have a new picture of him on my computer. So, here we are on our wedding day... so in love.

Chris rocks because last night after I arrived home after a really long day at work, he offered, even though he had a headache, to watch Willow Grace for me so I could shut my eyes for a bit. I rarely take a nap, but I just could not keep my eyes open. I was able to rest for a bit and then tackle the rest of my night with renewed energy.

My husband rocks because every weekday morning he gets up, well before he needs to, in order to wake the baby, change her diaper, and take her out to the car for me. He definitely makes my morning go smoother and helps me to get out the door on time.

My husband rocks because when I woke the night before last due to a terrible nightmare, he didn't mind me waking him (was happy I did). He held me and prayed for me. If not for him I would have missed the rest of that night's sleep, but instead I drifted peacefully off.

I am so thankful for my husband!

Aspiration: To Be Super Woman

I’m a list person. Among those carefully constructed lists are ones for grocery, household chores, daily to-do, weekly to-do, and honey-do. I also have a special calendar by the bed where I write down what I wear each day. I know a lot of people think that’s very strange, but I don’t care; it’s come in very handy. One day, I will end my day with everything on my little daily to-do list checked off. I love the feeling I get when looking over a list full of tasks/chores, and every one has a neat little line through it. I just wish that would happen more often.

I have such a problem with sloth – not in myself but others. I hear about people who fritter away their days doing a whole lot of nothing, and it bothers me so much. I know that my feelings are rooted in a deep-seeded fear that others will see me as being a lazy person, and that stems from the desire to have significant purpose and meaning in my life as a whole. Since I married Chris three years ago, he’s been helping me to relax more. It’s not that I never relaxed before; I just often felt really guilty about it, especially when there was unfinished work. I worked so hard in high school and college so that I could have a good future. Well, that future is here. I’ve had (and still have) a successful career, and now I have a beautiful family. In addition, with the shift in my job and my new family, my purpose and meaning in life is shifting. More than ever, however, there is always work to be done, always enough to keep me busy. Working full time certainly limits my time for home duties. However, even if I’ve done all the cleaning and laundry and have attended to all my little family’s needs, there are a dozen little projects to be completed. I also have a queue of books lined up just waiting to be read, writing projects that I need my attention, and many other little tasks.

I’ve been trying to get used to my new schedule over the last week and a half since I’m back to work full time and have longer (and earlier) hours. I rise at 4:40 every morning in order to get my workout in, and I have to be in the car at 6:25 sharp in order to get Willow Grace to Mom and then take myself on to work. In the evening, by the time I make dinner, get everyone fed (sometimes including myself), clean up the kitchen, and go through Willow Grace’s bedtime ritual (bath, books, bottle, bed), I barely have enough energy left for much else. I try to tackle a few household chores like laundry and basic cleaning, but sometimes it’s all I can do to check off the tasks that I must do to in order to keep my morning free of that frantic rush I hate so much. I always repack her diaper bag, lay out my workout and work clothes, and clear the living room of toys so I have room to workout in the morning. Oh, and after I climb into bed each night, I’m trying really hard to read at least a chapter from a novel. Since I don’t always have the time and/or energy to attend to the other chores on my list, that guilty feeling creeps back in. I really want to be Super Woman, and I really believe that, in my own way, I can. I just need a little time to adjust to this schedule. I’m up to the challenge!

On my mind....

Chris and Willow Grace are both sleeping soundly, and I hope that they will remain so for at least another hour. I've been awake for quite a while and quite frequently through the night. Willow Grace hasn't been feeling very well, so every little moan she utters has sent a mini-shock wave through me abruptly waking me. I already have dinner in the slow cooker. I'm making my first pot roast and using my crock pot for the first time. We'll see how it turns out.

You know how people tell you that you need to let your children "cry it out" sometimes and that if you don't you'll spoil them. Here's my answer:
1. You can't spoil a baby.
2. When Willow Grace gets too upset she vomits... a lot.
I think it may have something to do with the fact that she seems to have a really sensitive gag reflex. This is the same reason that we've made a slow process with giving her table food. Late last night at the same time that the kitchen sink decided to spring a leak, Willow Grace awoke and was very upset; she has been suffering with a bad cold and couldn't breathe very well. I actually took her to the doctor earlier in the week b/c she wasn't eating or drinking much, but it seemed to be mostly due to the fact that she couldn't breathe well and is teething. Anyway, we were trying to take care of the sink and hoped that she would settle back down and go back to sleep. When it became apparent that wasn't going to happen, I continued clearing all of the items from under the sink and sent Chris up to check on her. A minute later I heard, "Uh, honey, we have a situation up here!" She had thrown up all over everything - her bed, the floor, the massive lady bug that sits on her floor, the ottoman to the rocking chair, Chris, and herself. Bless her heart(and Chris's)! While Chris cleaned up the mess in her room, I bathed her. She loves the bath; it really calms her down. We were finally able to get her back into bed with fresh pj's and sheets but still had to go a few times to calm her down when she would start crying. Every time she was sleep-crying. She didn't even wake up; she was just trying so hard to breathe through that little stopped-up nose!

So, we're going to be homebodies today and skip church. I can't put her in the nursery, and she's too active (and sneezing too much) for the sanctuary. We'll just camp out here and catch some good preachin' on the TV.

On Friday, I was so blessed to be able to take her to work with me. I had already completed all the tasks I needed to for the week but still had to be there, so I asked if she could come and hang out with me. Having been given the green light, Friday morning I strolled her into the school with my computer bag and purse on one arm, her computer bag and a large bag of toys on the other arm, and her diaper bag and my lunch in her stroller. My work computer doesn't play DVD's, so I had to bring another computer for her to be able to watch a Praise Baby video which she absolutely loves! (I highly recommend these videos; we have 4 different ones.) What an amazing day! I was overjoyed to be able to spend the day playing with her, watching her sleep in her stroller, showing her off to my coworkers, and just taking care of her. She loved exploring the lobby where my desk is and checking out other people's offices, and I will treasure my day of memories. I expect that there will be many moments when the memory of her toddling around my work space will make me smile and give me that little something extra to push me through my day.

Our Anniversary in Review

We started our married life with a small, perfect wedding and a short honeymoon trip to Gatlinburg. Those few days of romantic tranquility were like the calm before the storm. It all started the day after our honeymoon when Chris lost his job. Talk about regrouping! The last three years have certainly been eventful. We started and closed down a business, each acquired new jobs, had a baby, and moved into a new home. We've lost loved ones and welcomed new family and friends.

I awoke with such anticipation on Tuesday. I don't remember feeling that same feeling on my two previous anniversaries. Our first anniversary was nice; we returned to Gatlinburg, where we had honeymooned. However, last year, we just about overlooked it. I was deep in recovery from the c-section, and we were both enamored with our new little sweetheart. On the day of the anniversary, I don't think we said anymore about it other than wishing each other a "Happy Anniversary." A couple weeks later we "celebrated" by going on our first after-baby date; we went to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at the IMAX, fun but not exactly romantic.

This year, however, we decided to actually do special; we settled on The Melting Pot. Have you been? While it is expensive, the experience and amazingly delicious food is well worth it. To make the deal a little sweeter, we had received a coupon in the mail and put it to good use.

We ordered the Big Night Out, a four course meal for two. We started with the mouth-watering spinach artichoke cheese. The server brings all of the ingredients to your table and cooks them in a pot in the middle of the table. There was an assortment of apples, breads, vegetables, and tortilla chips to dip in the cheese. After that, we had yummy salads: a Caesar for Chris and the California salad for me. For our entree we ordered the Fondue Feast. In addition to some vegetables and a summer squash ravioli, it comes with an assortment of cubed meats: filet mignon, jerk beef, chicken, pork, and shrimp. We cooked it in another pot in the middle of our table in a delicious Coq au Vin broth. After all of these tasty treats, we were, of course, stuffed. However, there was one more course to go: the dessert. We ordered the Yin and Yang, a mix of dark and white chocolate. With this we had strawberries, two kinds of marshmallows, small cubes of rice crispy treats and brownies, and cheesecake to dip into the chocolate. I cannot adequately describe for you how delectable and decadent this amazing dessert was, but somehow we made room for it. I would highly recommend this restaurant -- with or without the coupon.

Seated in a booth in an intimate little corner where we couldn't see any of the other patrons, we took our meal leisurely and had ample time to talk, really talk like we hadn't been able to do for a while about books and movies and random other little things we had on our minds. Sitting there with my best friend who also just happens to be my husband was absolutely wonderful. I really do enjoy spending time with him, and there is no one with whom I would rather spend an evening. It really was a great anniversary.

I love you, Chris!

Willow Grace @ 12 months

Here's a small sampling of the pictures that were taken today for Willow Grace's 12 month photos. I know that I'm quite biased, but I do think she is quite lovely. I decided to take quite a few items from home in order to make the picures more personal. I actually had a whole duffel bag full of stuff! I'm sure that I looked strange walking in Sears loaded down with everything, but I didn't care; I just wanted to make the pictures extra special.

A Not So Extreme Makeover

I've been feeling sick all week but kept pushing myself and just getting worse. Yesterday, I finally took some time just to rest. Other than taking care of Willow Grace and doing laundry, I didn't do much else. I did, however, spend quite a while yesterday playing on a virtual makeover site. You can find it here. Too much fun! You can try on all types of hairstyles, change your makeup, and even change your eye color. It was interesting to see myself with green or blue eyes; mine are caramel brown. You'll have to click on the collage in order to see the eyes better. Check out my new looks!



So, what do you think? Interestingly enough, I think the ones that look most like I do now are my best ones. Which ones do you like?

Happy Birthday Willow Grace!

Since our camera doesn't work any longer (have to get another very soon), we were just able to get pictures back from Chris's mom from Willow Grace's birthday. I can't believe that she turned one already! What a year it's been!

We celebrated at Chris's parents house with about 30 guests. Among other things, for our refreshments we had Tigger's Terrific Tortilla Chips and salsa; Eeyore's Dressed Eggs; carrots, grape tomatoes, and broccoli from Rabbit's Vegetable Garden, Roo's Red Grapes, and Piglet's Party Punch. I displayed little cards next to each item. Though she seemed quite confused by all of the attention she was getting, she seemed to enjoy all of her presents. Some of the best moments were watching her face while she heard "Happy Birthday" being sang to her for the first time, seeing her dance while her daddy and Uncle Marty played their guitars, and finally getting her to eat a bit of her cake after everyone had gone.

The Busyness Continues

If my report on how crazy my Saturday was gave any indication about how my weekend was going, then you won't be surprised that the flurry of activity kept up a healthy pace. On Sunday we traveled to Crossville for a family reunion. We spent two and a half sweltering hours in a picnic pavillion with about 75-90 of Chris's relatives from his paternal grandmother's side. Thankfully, there was a lake nearby, and we benefited from a bit of a breeze drifting in to keep us from getting too uncomfortable. I think my favorite moment was watching Willow's fascination with the geese that had gathered around as some of the children fed them leftover rolls; she stood quite still and stared at them in wide-eyed wonder. Afterwards, we went on to visit with his maternal grandmother and a few other relatives. There, Willow Grace entertained everyone in the living room as she practiced her newly acquired skill of walking.

On our way back to Nashville we took a little detour through Murfreesboro to pick up a little gift Chris found for me on Craig's List. We've decorated our kitchen in Coca-Cola (of course), and he found a little Coca-Cola tiffany-style lamp for me which he knew that I had really wanted. I already have the little tiffany-style juke box and telephone, so it goes quite well. Kudos to my thoughtful husband!

For my Monday, I had BIG plans, even if they were just a bit unrealistic. I really wanted to get all of my errands and running around done for the week. I planned to visit Sam's, Walmart, Target, TJ Maxx, Linen-n-Things, Party City, The Dollar Tree, the bank, the Range Rover dealership, and a couple other places. Sounds crazy, I know, and I didn't even get half of that accomplished. I've been a mom for almost a year now, and I still haven't completely figured out that I just can't do as much running around as I used to. There are meals to be prepared and served, naps to be taken, diapers to change, and play time that must be had. I was halted even before I left the house by a very sleepy Willow Grace who settled in for a morning nap. When she finally awoke, I scooped her up and went to pick up Mom who spent the rest of the day with us until Dad came to fetch her back from our house last night. So, even though I didn't get all of my running around done, I had my sweet baby girl and my sweet mom with me. What better shopping buddies are there?

This week I will spend checking and rechecking my lists for Willow Grace's first birthday party. While I run all over town picking up odds and ends for the party; I'll also be looking for just the right present. I just can't seem to decide what to buy for her. I really want to find her a little toy vacuum cleaner that makes realistic noises. She loves watching me vacuum and chases the vacuum cleaner all over the living room. Shopping for a one-year-old is hard. While there is certainly no shortage of fun toys out there, there's so much that is just not age appropriate for her. I really want to get something great for her, but what would that be? I need ideas!

4:13 AM and...

I can't get back to sleep. I awoke well over an hour ago to the strained little cries of Willow Grace who had a very wet diaper. She had not finished her bedtime bottle, so I gave her that. Still she did not go back to sleep, so I rocked her for another 45 minutes before gently placing her back in her bed. Finally, I lightly treaded my way back to bed, but between being slightly chilled and the million thoughts swirling around in my head sleep would not come. I thought of a half a dozen things that I could get up to do, and this one (writing here) won out.

Just fourteen hours ago I was preparing for a Pampered Chef party here at the house. Most of my guests had never been here before, and I was nearly quaking with anticipation and excitement as I took each of my guests in turn and gave them a tour of my nearly completed home. I've been working so hard all week to get each room ready -- cleaning, carefully hanging pictures, placing odds and ends. Finally, this morning, I could think of nothing else to do to prepare, and so while Chris busied himself on the computer and Willow Grace took her morning nap I stretched myself across our sleigh bed with Marley & Me and settled in to read a few chapters. What a delightful book it's turning out to be.

The party was a wild flurry of conversations and activity. I darted up and down the stairs at least a couple dozen times either giving tours or attending to some need of Willow's. I flitted from guest to guest engaging in excited conversation over Pampered Chef products, some detail of my home, the joys of being Willow Grace's mother, the happenings in their lives, workout routines, the two delicious dishes of enchilada casserole and strawberry trifle that had just been made, and fond memories of times we've shared together. On the whole, I would say that the event was quite a success, and I am so glad that I did it.

Not long after my last guest left, I quickly cleaned the dishes, tidied up the house a bit, gathered all the dishes and ingredients I would need to take with me for dinner preparation, prepared Willow's diaper bag, and headed out the door with my sister on our way to another party at my parents' house, this one a celebration for my uncle who has, quite impressively, become debt free! Our husbands had spent the last few hours together and were already there, so we woke Willow from her afternnoon nap and set out.

There I busied myself with dinner preparations. I made and served two pizza casseroles, and (to my delight) everyone gushed over how delicious they were. It's such a easy dish but is so tasty! Finally, after I cleared and cleaned the dishes, spent some time with Dad finalizing some details for the ministry's newletter, and had just a couple bites of the cake, which had multiple pictures of credit cards with the words "Paid in full" triumphantly stamped across each, we loaded up my now empty casserole dishes and our sweet girl and headed back home where I promptly put her to bed and took up my book to enjoy a few more chapters before drifting off to sleep myself.

And now I have snippets of conversations from the last 24 hours playing out in my head, rememberances of events from the novel I'm reading and even other novels I've read, scenes from TV shows and movies I've recently watched, plans for our travel to Crossville for a family reunion, to do lists, and so much else still bouncing around in my head and jostling for my attention.

It's now 4:43, and I really would like to get just a bit more sleep.

2 1/2 hours....

of ultimate joy! Willow Grace took her morning nap in my arms this morning. Yes, there are so many things I need to accomplish today, but moments like this are so rare. I just held her and rubbed her little back and kissed her little face. She made tiny little noises and occasionally stretched just a bit seaching for another comfortable position. I could have put her in her crib and gone on to tackle the chores of the day, but why would I? I only have a few days left before I return to work full time, and I'm not giving up the gift of the time I now have with her. Some day she will no longer allow me to hold her. Some day she will pull away. But today! Today I was privileged to watch that little darling drift off to sleep and to hold her for two and a half deliciously wonderful hours!

A Few Photos

Chris just loaded all of the pics from our cell phones onto our computer, so I thought I'd share a few cute ones with you. Of course they are a bit fuzzy, being from the cell phone, but they're still cute!

Willow Grace is wearing the shirt that we gave Chris for Father's Day. In case you can't read it, it says. "My daddy, Chris, is so cool!"

While he was on a business trip, I took this picture to send to Chris so that he could see his two girls.

This is another picture that I sent to Chris while he was travelling. She just looked so peaceful and beautiful, and I didn't want him to miss it.

Isn't this just the cutest? I couldn't resist snatching a shot of this. She is such a daddy's girl!

4 Years Ago....

We were just starting out, and we were in love. Though we had been friends since 2001, we had only been dating for 6-7 months when we took a little vacation to Panama City Beach with Chris's parents and his brother, Johnathan. We had not discussed marriage or children; it was just about us and seeing how strong the bond between us actually was.

Our relationship had never been uneventful. We had broken up once early on but had found that we just couldn't be apart. Just after we started seeing each other I suffered an injury with a bruised sternum from a car wreck. Chris had actually been on the phone with me when the wreck occured; an inexperienced 16 year old driver darted out in front of me leaving me no time to stop. Chris heard my scream, the crash, and then silence; and he thought that he had lost me. He took care of me after the accident, helping in any way he could and making sure that I didn't let my Super Woman mentality take over.

On Easter that year, after visiting his family in Crossville, we took a drive on the Natchez Trace. Uncharacteristically, it was a nearly silent drive. I didn't know what kind of struggle he was going through, but when he whipped into a small parking lot and started babbling about not being able to "keep it in anymore," I thought that he was going to break up with me for good. Instead, he really shocked me by declaring, "I love you!" Pure happiness welled up within me. Not being able to help it, I laughed... a lot. And yes, I was able, after a few minutes, to say those words myself. And then, a few months later, we went headed for the beach. Though I had been around his family on several occasions, this trip really served to endear us to each other even more. The fact that they invited me showed me that they accepted that I was an important part of Chris's life. It was a wonderful trip.

Later we would suffer the loss of family members and friends, struggle with finances, and weather all sorts of other storms together, but on this trip we saw just how much fun we could have together and how well I fit with this family. We were looking at the world not with wide eyed innocence but with hope and faith and the joy that comes from knowing that we had found our "other."

In just a few short weeks, we'll mark the first birthday of our baby girl and then three years of marriage. (More will come on those two topics as they draw nearer.) We're still new at all of this but just as cheesily in love as ever and still living on hope and faith and joy.

Test

I just sent the test below out in an email, but I thought I'd go ahead and post it here too for anyone I missed. These tests go on my list of guilty pleasures along with, among other things, Choco Tacos, People magazine, Brat Pack movies, and Will Smith's greatest hits CD.

1. WHAT TIME DID YOU GET UP THIS MORNING? 4:15, crying baby
2. DIAMONDS OR PEARLS? Diamonds
3 WHAT WAS THE LAST FILM YOU SAW AT THE CINEMA? Ironman
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TV SHOW(s)? Friends and Gilmore Girls, nothing current
5. WHAT DO YOU USUALLY HAVE FOR BREAKFAST? A bowl of cereal, but I’ve been trying to cook more when Chris is home
6. WHAT IS YOUR MIDDLE NAME? Kay, which is what most people call me, except for family and close friends who call me Kay-Kay (which I love)
7. WHAT FOOD DO YOU DISLIKE? Seafood, nuts, lima beans, hominy, brussel sprouts
8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CD? It varies by my mood. Right now I have Michael Buble’s Call Me Irresponsible on heavy rotation.
9. WHAT KIND OF CAR DO YOU DRIVE? A white ’96 Range Rover
10. FAVOURITE SANDWICH? I’m simple. I like PB & J or a grilled cheese.
11. WHAT CHARACTERISTIC DO YOU DESPISE? Self-centeredness, haughtiness
12. FAVOURITE ITEM OF CLOTHING? Right now I love sundresses.
13. IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD ON VACATION WHERE WOULD YOU GO? Hawaii or England
14. WHAT COLOUR IS YOUR BATHROOM? Medium butter yellow
15. FAVORITE BRAND OF CLOTHING? Don’t have one.
16. WHERE WILL YOU RETIRE? I think I’ll always be near Nashville.
17. WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE BIRTHDAY? My 22nd. What an amazing day! (Do you remember that day, Lesley?)
18. FAVOURITE SPORT TO WATCH? Football
19. FURTHEST PLACE YOU ARE SENDING THIS? Probably Hawaii
20. WHO DO YOU LEAST EXPECT TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Anyone of the male persuasion
21. PERSON YOU EXPECT TO SEND IT BACK FIRST? Eva
22. FAVOURITE SAYING? “Shoot a monkey!”
23. WHEN IS YOUR BIRTHDAY? May 23
24. ARE YOU A MORNING PERSON OR A NIGHT PERSON? Morning
25. WHAT IS YOUR SHOE SIZE? 9 ½ - 10 (was ½ size smaller before pregnancy)
26. ANY NEW AND EXCITING NEWS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US? My house is almost in order! At least that feels like big news for me.
27. WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU WERE LITTLE? A hairdresser or actress
28. HOW ARE YOU TODAY? Pretty well but miss my husband (on a business trip) and miss Willow Grace (w/ my mother-in-law since I’m @ work)
29. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CANDY? I love chocolate – I suppose it might be between Hershey’s bars and Dove dark chocolate.
30. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FLOWER? I love tiger lilies.
31. WHAT IS A DAY ON THE CALENDAR YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO? Willow Grace’s birthday, July 27, which I am also sad about. I can’t believe she will be 1 already!
32. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Kettle corn popcorn
34. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Grass green, it’s so refreshing.
35. FAVOURITE STARBUCKS DRINK? Tea cider (with Calm tea)
36. HOW IS THE WEATHER RIGHT NOW? 85 and party cloudy, perfect for a dip in the pool with Willow Grace this evening
37. FAVOURITE SOFT DRINK? Cherry Coke
38. FAVOURITE RESTAURANT? Olive Garden or Cheesecake Factory
39. SIBLINGS? One extraordinary brother and one fabulous sister
40. FAVOURITE DAY OF THE YEAR? Christmas Eve – The height of anticipation (Also, Christmas Eve2006 was when I found out that I was pregnant with Willow Grace.)
41. SUMMER OR WINTER? Love both for different reasons
42 HUGS OR KISSES? Both
43 COFFEE OR TEA? Tea
45. CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA? Chocolate
46. DO YOU WANT YOUR FRIENDS TO E-MAIL YOU BACK? Absolutely
47. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Monday after Chris left for his business trip
48. WHO IS THE FRIEND(s) YOU HAVE HAD THE LONGEST THAT YOU'VE SENT THIS TO? Eh….
49. WHAT DID YOU DO LAST NIGHT? Walked three miles, gave Willow Grace a bath, rocked her to sleep, washed dishes, washed clothes, folded and put away laundry, watched some of season 5 of Friends, talked to Chris on the phone just before drifting off to sleep
50. WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? I refuse to be ruled by fear!
51 WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON? Articles for the ministry newsletter, a novel, getting into better shape
52. WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? Currently reading Inkspell and Captivating
53. FAVOURITE DAY OF THE WEEK? Thursday night – because of the anticipation of the weekend
54. DO YOU MAKE FRIENDS EASILY? I suppose so.
55. HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL YOU SEND THIS TO? All of the ones who get it

By the Numbers

1: wedding rehearsal and dinner on Friday – I was so proud of Chris and his toast. It was the perfect combination of funny and heartfelt. Way to go, Honey!

1: wedding on Saturday – Chris’s brother, Johnathan, married his childhood friend, Kara. They’ve known each other since they were babies! Such a sweet friendship! I loved how delightfully in love they seemed to be.

7 or 8: the number of fraudulent charges attempted on our bank account this weekend. Apparently, someone somehow obtained Chris’s card number and tried to use it a bunch of times, but the bank is taking care of it. Whew!

$1000: the approximate total of those charges. That would have made bill paying hard!

15: the number of chores I completed yesterday, some of them multiple times like folding and putting away loads of laundry and washing several sinks of dishes (on my day off). This does not include taking care of the baby (which should never be considered a chore but does take a lot of time).

26+: the number of chores still waiting to be accomplished. I’m sure that I can come up with several more or even break down some of the ones on my list. I will try to take care of a few tonight, but that proves hard after being at work all day.

3: the number of articles I worked on today for the ministry newsletter. I hope we can get this knocked out this week, Mom!

10-15: the number of words Willow Grace can say including: Mama, Dada, dog, Bella, Willow, Nana, Papa, baba (bottle), no, etc…. And new this morning – Ralph! (That’s the name of the elephant we bought her at the zoo!)

10,000: the number of steps I aim to take each day

Domestic Bliss

Just an ordinary Friday.... With my hands fumbling around baby bottles, cereal bowls, and spoons deep in soapy water, my gaze wandered from the view out my kitchen window, a small patch of green grass between our building and the next, to my sweet girl in her high chair enjoying a handful of Gerber Puffs. She babbled and played with the her toy phone in one hand and attempted to pick up those tiny puffs with the other. Even while my thoughts wandered to the thousand and one tasks which have yet to be completed in order to brings order to the chaos of our new home and to the fact that my husband was far away on yet another work trip, I could not help but wear a smile of satisfaction for all seemed right with, well, at least, my world. Chris would be returning the next morning, and I wanted nothing more than for us to spend time together; the rest could wait.

We enjoyed two beautiful days. Shortly after I collected Chris from the airport mid-morning on Saturday, we grabbed an early lunch and returned home where all three of us settled in for a lovely afternoon nap. Normally, Chris and I don't nap. However, he was exhausted from the work week, and with both he and Willow Grace snuggled up in their beds, I didn't want to be left out! The rest of the weekend was filled with a variety of activities: a coed wedding shower/barbecue for Chris's brother and fiance, church, a trip top the grocery, and friends over for Sunday lunch. But I have to say that the best part of it all was having my husband by my side and my baby in my arms. God is so good.

I love being a wife and mother. I've been praying quite a bit lately that God would help me to continue to improve in those two areas. I want our home to be a place of comfort, safety, rest, and joy. When my family or anyone else walks through the door, I want them to feel a strong sense of peace. A lot of that has to do with the atmosphere I create within our home, and a great deal of that atmosphere is directly related to how much I pray and rely on Christ.

A Place to Dream

I have written a few times about the garden which greets me each time I enter the building for my summer work. A few have asked me to post a picture or two, a request I am happy to oblige. While it is in no way grand, I don't think that any of my pictures do it any justice. It is just a humble little flower garden, and yet it still seems to whisper adventurous words of stories I've never written nor read and manages to bring me a smile each time I pause to examine a flower or a new view.

Serving as an invitation once I step onto the sidewalk from the parking lot, the sign below beckons to me. Much more than just the message of "Laugh" I hear "Lay aside your cares and concerns. Here is a place of peace and joy." It makes me think of I Peter 5: 7, "Cast all your cares on him for he cares for you."

I think that many people miss the beauty in a thistle, and I, too, was one of them. At first glance, it can seem nothing more than a mess of weeds and thorns, but there is something else there to be discovered, something you must find for yourself. I fell in love with them at Covenant College.

This metal pot of flowers is tucked back in a corner and can only be discovered if one takes the time to wander through the garden looking for hidden treasures. Life is a lot like that.

There is not much that I can say about the flowers below except that I was struck by their exotic beauty.

This little scene brings out the wistful romantic in me. (I'm sure that you've guessed that so much does.) Doesn't it look like the perfect place for a the clandestine meeting of two lovers?


At first, this stone wall emerging from the jungle of bushes and evergreens seemed like a mistake to me. However, I began to see it at a lovely place to rest while gazing at the beauty of the garden, reading a book, or perhaps even having a conversation with a cherished friend.

So many ideas for children's books come to mind when I look at this young boy. I find it a bit odd that he's reading a book on gardening, but perhaps that could be part of the mystery.

And this is the final object that catches my eye before I enter the building. It's somehow wild and orderly at the same time. That's certainly something with which I can relate.

I hope that you enjoyed my little tour!

Ready for Something Wild

Yesterday, Chris, Willow Grace, and I took our first trip to Nashville Zoo at Grassmere. While it was quite hot and extrememly humid, the three of us did manage to have a quite a nice time together. Neither Chris or Willow Grace had been to a zoo, and the last time I remember going was to the one in Chicago during my sophomore year of high school. It was such a treat to see the bengal tigers, porcupine, cranes, monkeys, bobcats, and other wild creatures. Willow Grace really enjoyed watching the meercats; it's a pity that we didn't take a picture of her watching them.

Chris and I each had an animal that we were looking forward to seeing.

For me, it was the giraffes.


They seemed to want to hang out at the back of their habitat and were a bit camera shy, but I still maganed to have a picture with them.
Chris was really looking forward to the elephants. Willow Grace loved them, too! When she first saw them, she yellled, "Dog!" Then she tried to say, "Bella" which of course comes out "Be-wah." She gets to see Bella whenever we go to Chris's parents house. We miss our big dog so much and are so grateful that we still get to see her. I don't think she quite understood our explanation that while Bella is indeed a very large dog, the elephants were much bigger and definitely not dogs. Oh well, at least she thought they were funny.

A House Becomes a Home

I tried to start this post Monday, but found that Willow Grace had become a little Houdini and was trying to escape all the boundaries I'd set up around the living room. She crawled through the bottom of the exersaucer, climbed on top of a black bin and tried to stand atop it before I rescued her, stepped up on the ledge of the fireplace and attempted to mount the ottoman-- all in desperate effort to set herself free to roam the unchartered territory outside of her normal play space. She's been really pushing her boundaries lately, and we have to keep an eagle eye on her. She's also teething pretty hard right now. She has two teeth coming in at the top, and it's made her fussy, feverish, a bit snotty, and extra sensitive. She cried more on Saturday than she has in a couple weeks put together, but by Sunday she was as chipper as ever. What a curiously delightful little girl!

Chris and I were buzzing around the house all day Monday attending to odds and ends. I hammered in a couple dozen nails for wall hangings and arranged anything I could get my hands on. We were finally able to find a piece of furniture for the dining room which can house the good china. I hated having it all wrapped up and stuck in the cabinet above the fridge. I'm not the type to wait for visiting dignitaries to use the good china, and I'll use it as soon as I can. I have a great dining room table; I just don't have any chairs to go with it at the moment unless you count our four folding chairs (which I don't). Chris is tackling the office and the patio today. Before long this house will be fit for company and perhaps even a few pictures for my blog!

Played Out!

Last night before bedtime, while Chris and I attended to the laundry, Willow Grace played in her crib until she just couldn't play anymore. See the little pink dog below her head? She loves it! She can say "dog" now and loves holding this one and repeating the word over and over!

Simple Pleasures

Today was my first day of summer work. Thankfully, I am only working two days a week this summer, much more time for family and personal projects. As I made my way into the building this morning, I could not help but smile as gazed at the quaint little flower garden near the entrance. During the school year, I use a completely different entrance on another side of the building and almost never see this little garden. However, during the summer, I have the privilege of being greeted each morning by lovely little yellow birds and brightly colored butterflies soaring around and through a wide array of flowers, ferns, and shrubs. Twice during the day I journey to the mailbox and get to walk back through this little garden, each time experiencing a few precious moments of peace and beauty. Ah, the little pleasures of life....

Speaking of pleasure, I love drinking hot tea. Today a kind coworker shared a bag of chai spice black tea with me. For me there's something almost romantic and... literary about drinking a cup of hot tea. In much the same way that a good book transports me to another place and time, hot tea seems to capture my senses and usher my thoughts to faraway lands. Each flavor, each aroma holds a different destination. I go through phases of indulging in this simple pleasure. It seems to me that I somehow become so busy or distracted that I simply forget about hot tea but then somehow I find my way back to my old friend and the romance begins again. In my single days, I would often take a cup of caffeine free tea out on the balcony of my apartment before bed each night and lazily sip away while gazing at the nigth sky and watching my neighbors come and go. Now my evenings are filled with giving the baby a bath, rocking her to sleep, preparing for the next day, and then hopefully catching a few moments with my husband before I wander off to bed. But we all have to find a few moments here and there to relax and find a bit of quiet peace, I hope that mine will include more hot tea!