1. Sweet baby giggles. There’s nothing like hearing my two year old or my eight month old laugh, I mean the big, belly laughs. They make me smile.

2. Great friends (and neighbors). I feel so blessed that God led us to a neighborhood with such great neighbors. My best friend lives two doors down. We have a ton in common and enjoy hanging out all the time (literally, we see each other almost every day); we also do things together as families since our hubbies get along great, too. Then I have my other good SAHM friends, and my best friend that I had to leave behind in Knoxville. I’m quite blessed in this realm.

3. Clean sheets. I love climbing into a bed made with sheets fresh from the dryer. The feel of clean sheets on my skin and the smell of dryer sheets on my pillowcase are delightful.

4. A really good book. Give me a well-written book with a great story and I could read for days on end. Books that meet my “great book” criteria aren’t all that common, but when I find one I relish it.

5. My family. God has blessed me with a wonderful husband and two great kiddos. My life would not be complete without them. Sometimes the kids make me want to pull my hair out, but they bring great joy to my life.

6. Christmas trees. I love Christmas. And my favorite of all Christmas decorations are Christmas trees. I own three (we only have one up this year because of the little man) and would keep them up year round if Matt would let me. I love the ambiance they add to the house, the beauty of the lighted branches, and the way the ornaments look. Just can’t get enough of them!

I’m not going to tag anyone, but if there is anyone still reading after my unintentional blogging sabbatical I would love for you to play along!

The last couple of days, D has been at our house in the morning while L attended appointments and meetings.  When he and Little are together you can never be certain what imaginative play might take place.  A scene from my house Monday morning…

The kids come into the living room talking about putting their shoes on so they can go to the park.  D grabs his sandals and Little gets her dressier brown shoes.  Amazingly, all four shoes get on the correct feet.

Once shoes are on feet they begin to “get their stuff together.”  D gets the doll stroller and says, “Let’s go to the park.  Gotta ride stroller first.” and off they go to the “park” (Little’s bedroom).

They play contentedly for a few minutes.  As I walk down the hallway I peek into her room and see them sitting in the floor with all of Little’s picnic basket paraphernalia spread out around them.  They are happily “eating their lunch” and talking amongst themselves.

There are moments like these when I just stop in amazement at the little girl that my baby is becoming.

And in other news…right now the Little Tyke’s mailbox is an oven.  Wish my appliances morphed like that.

Yeah, that definitely qualifies as a good friend.  And I am thankful everyday that God has placed her in my life.

We were fortunate enough to be able to stay in a lake house owned by the parents of one of the ladies. I wish I had pictures to share of this beautiful house, because my words will not do it justice. You entered into the main level of the house which included a living room, dining room, kitchen, and powder room. The floor throughout the area was gorgeous tile, a huge gas fireplace with stone hearth and chimney anchored the living area, and the kitchen was filled with granite, tile, and stainless. Upstairs to the right were 2 bedrooms and a full bath; upstairs to the left was a “grandkids bunkroom” with 4 sets of bunkbeds, a full bath, bookshelves, toy boxes, a game closet with about 150 board games, and lots of room to play. The downstairs (3 stories total) had a nice big television viewing area, a pool table, an air hockey table, and a theater room with a 400 disc DVD changer. Other amenities included beautiful views from the back deck, a hot tub, and lake access (though it was a bit chilly to be on the water this weekend). And one of the neatest things about the house was the scripture used throughout the decor; there were scripture tiles in the floor inside the front and back doors, scripture in the wall decorations, and scripture on knick-knacks all over the house. It was truly an amazing house and such a blessing that we were able to stay there.

We spent the weekend watching movies, gabbing as only a group of ladies can, and eating delicious food. On Saturday my friend Lindsey set up a “salon” area downstairs and did haircuts for several of us and practiced wedding hair with our soon-to-be-bride. A group of us stayed down there pretty much all day watching TLC (What Not to Wear and Miss America Reality Check), watching others get their hair done, and making bead crafts (the lady of the house makes bead jewelry and has a bead collection so big it overwhelmed me just to look at the boxes); others stayed upstairs and worked on scrapbooking; and still others just enjoyed good company. That evening about 10 of us piled into the theater room to watch the Miss America Pageant on the projection t.v. It was such fun to watch the pageant with other women – we talked about the contestants, we critiqued, and we laughed hysterically at the lipstick all over Miss America’s face when she was crowned.

It was so wonderful to have a weekend like this where we had no agenda, no plan, and no commitments. We were free to spend time together, spend time alone, and spend time with God. I am grateful to Matt that he was willing to stay home alone with Little and allow me to go. It was refreshing and relaxing; and even though I came back tired from the late nights, there is a feeling you have after a time like this that transcends the tiredness.

Sometimes it is good to have a break. And as Lindsey told her husband, “it was so girlie it would have made you gag.”

We had a wonderful weekend last weekend with our friends from Knoxville. We didn’t do anything very exciting (ate, shopped, talked), but it was great to spend time with them. Matt introduced their 5 year old to the Wii and the joys of Wii bowling. We had a lot of fun Saturday afternoon and evening playing games and competing against each other.

The only un-fun part of the weekend was a hand-foot-and-mouth disease scare. Little woke up Saturday morning with small red bumps all over the backs of her hands and tops of her feet and swelling in her hands. A call to the after-hours nurse produced an over-the-phone diagnosis of HFMD, but I began to doubt that was the problem when we got home and did a bit more research in some of the medical databases we have access to. Turns out it was just an allergic reaction and had cleared up totally by Sunday morning. Our best guess is that she was reacting to the laundry detergent that our friends use on their son’s blankies.

Monday was a holiday for Matt, so we enjoyed some family time and celebrated MLK day with a trip to Home Depot, lunch at Olive Garden, and some grocery shopping. Tuesday and Thursday didn’t see that much activity, but my blogging time was directed to other tasks. Tuesday was spent catching up on my Bible Study before class on Wednesday, and Thursday’s time was spent cleaning and napping.

The other news of the week came to my attention on Wednesday, and I spent the afternoon talking to my mom and my aunt, giving Little a few extra hugs, and thanking God for her health. My cousin’s son, who is 4 years old, was diagnosed with a cancerous mass on his adrenal gland. He has been in the hospital since Sunday, and today he underwent a procedure to put in a permanent IV port. He will begin his first round of chemotherapy this evening; it is possible that he could be in the hospital for 4 months, but right now it looks more like he will be able to go home sometimes between rounds of chemo (total treatment time looks like it will be 6 to 12 months). We are grateful that he is close to a wonderful children’s hospital, that it was caught quickly, and that he is expected to make a full recovery. Your prayers for him and his family would be greatly appreciated.

Which brings us to today. Today I have been preparing for a ladies’ getaway that I’m going on this weekend with several friends. This will be the first time I’ve been away from Little overnight, so I’m feeling just a tiny bit anxious, but I know she and Matt will be just fine here by themselves. And I’m really excited about spending a couple of days with girlfriends.!

And that, friends, is the excitement for this week. Maybe next week I’ll be around a bit more. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Happy weekend to you all!

Little and I started the day with a trip to the mall and a play-date with Lindsey and her son and Michelle and her daughters. It was fun to sit and chat while the children played on the playground. Lindsey and Michelle were meeting for the first time, but we were all able to talk easily and had a good time.

Lindsey and I then continued our talk as we did some walking in the mall.
Exercising is much more enjoyable when you have a friend along for company and distraction!

After Little and I came home she went down for a nap and my friend Diane stopped by to visit for a while. We enjoyed coffee and conversation while the house was quiet. It was so nice to have a couple of hours to spend together without the children underfoot. We had a chance to talk over and through many things we’ve had on our minds, to laugh together, and to encourage each other.

Friendship is definitely a blessing, and I was blessed yesterday by the time I spent with each of these ladies.

Here we are a couple of days prior to Thanksgiving and I have a few pretty significant things to post about for which I’m thankful.  Today I’ll tackle some of them in list form and I’ll have a separate post tomorrow, then I’ll be absent for a few days as we celebrate Thanksgiving with family (you would have never known if I hadn’t said something, it’s not like I’m here all that often these days:-)).

1.  I’m thankful that I took the opportunity to participate in a Bible Study Fellowship class this year; I’ve talked about joining a BSF study a few times the last couple of years, and finally made the commitment back in September.  We are studying the book of Matthew, and I have been blessed by the lectures, the group discussions, and most of all by the time I have spent in the Word of God.  I am thankful for the leaders who give so much time to make the study what it is.  I am thankful for the other women who participate (especially my group) and speak life and truth into each other’s lives.  I am thankful that God is using this study in my life and the lives of so many women across the globe to draw us into deeper relationship with him.

2.  I am thankful that we will be able to spend time with Matt’s family this Thanksgiving; his parents, sister, and brother live about 10 hours from us, so we don’t see them as often as we would like.  I’m sorry that we won’t get to spend time with my sister-in-law and her family; they will be missed.  However, I’m thankful that the reason we won’t see them is because she is about 4 weeks from delivering a brand new, healthy, adorable nephew for us.

3.  I am thankful for good friends.  Over the last several years Matt and I have lived in cities where we are not near family, and our friends have become like family.  I am thankful for my friend Nicole who I left behind in East Tennessee, but who I still talk to regularly and see when we have the chance.  I had a very tough time when we first moved about 2.5 years ago, so I am thankful for my friends in our current city who have made living here a great experience.  I am thankful for the chance I had to eat lunch with my friend Diane last week.  I am thankful for the time I was able to spend with several of my girlfriends on Sunday.  I am thankful for the way our lives touch, the way we interact, and the way God has blessed my life with such wonderful women.

4. I am thankful for the precious Baby Boo who is growing and developing inside of me.  I am thankful that we had a good ultrasound yesterday and that Boo is happy and healthy in there.  I am thankful that God has chosen to gift our family with a precious baby boy this time around.  And on that note, here is a picture of mommy and Boo at 18.5 weeks (and yes, those would be short-sleeves and shorts I’m wearing today):

We enjoyed playing inside and outside with everything from bubbles to the Wii. H & N really had fun playing Wii bowling, and N was excited because he bowled a strike in pretty much every game he played. Matt pulled the boys and Little around the yard in our wagon which apparently was a great time. I kept hearing cries of “faster” accompanied by lots of laughter and few breaks for the man doing all the work. I appreciated the time I was able to spend with H (D & D’s oldest daughter) getting to know her a bit and just having the opportunity to talk to her about school, friends, and soccer.

Little wasn’t real sure what to think about having so many other children in the house. She watched the boys, got upset when Matt went outside with the boys but not her, and waited patiently (for a one year old) for her turn in the wagon. She was good and played well, but you could tell she was a bit unsure about why those people were at her house.

After everyone left and Little was in bed Matt and I sat on the couch relaxing and enjoying the calm. We had a brief peek into the life of a family with four children, and I believe that our thoughts can be summed up in Matt’s statement: “I’m glad they usually come one at a time!”

On a lovely Wednesday morning a few weeks ago Michelle and the girls came over and the baking began. Having noticed that small chefs can sometimes be eager to add ingredients to the mix, I had gathered all the necessary components and utensils beforehand to help speed the process (next time I might pre-measure the ingredients as well). When the girls came in we drew stools and chairs to the counters and set about making our mess cupcakes.

At my instruction B began breaking eggs into a bowl and, due to Michelle’s diligence, we got them into the mixing bowl sans shells. While they worked on eggs, I measured other ingredients and K (the 2-1/2 year old) licked raw egg off the counter. Then, into the mixing bowl – with B and K alternating turns – went all of the ingredients to be mixed by two spoons and four sweet little hands.

After everything was well mixed we used a scoop to transfer the contents of the bowl into the cupcake pans. Into the oven they went and the excruciating wait between mixing and eating began. K was excited because, “Ooo, we’re making muffins!”

While the cupcakes cooled we went to work creating frosting. There were three frostings concocted from which we would determine our favorite and the contest submission. We started with a strawberry frosting that B quickly deemed the favorite. She enjoyed it so much that Michelle and I kept seeing little fingers go into the bowl for “one more taste.”

Once the frostings were complete it was time to decorate. We had sprinkles, strawberries, and chocolate covered strawberries with which to adorn our cupcakes, and beautiful designs resulted. I wish I had pictures of B’s wonderful cupcake creations, but, unfortunately, my camera batteries were dead.

I believe a good time was had by all. In the end, the counters were sticky, the floor was sticky, there were baking supplies and powdered sugar everywhere; in general it looked like a bakery had exploded. But it was worth the clean up to see the girls enjoying the fruits (or desserts as it were) of their labor.

Lauren is so kind; she named me a “Thoughful Blogger”. This was designed to recognize “those who answer blog comments, emails and make their visitors feel at home on their blog; for the people who take others people’s feelings into consideration before speaking out, and who are kind and courteous. This award is for those generous bloggers who think of others.”

I am honored that Lauren thinks of me in this way. Thank you!

And now, a little of that…

Susan and Janice of 5 Minutes for Mom are having another great giveaway. They’ve teamed up with Best Buy to give their readers a chance to win an Insignia 37″ flat-panel LCD HDTV!! Click here for all the details.

I hope you are all having a wonderful Monday!

We were slated to move on Friday, the 20th (a week from tomorrow) and for Matt to begin his new job on Monday, the 23rd. We have a truck reserved, utilities transfers ordered, boxes packed, and are set to sign a lease on an apartment in Nashville on Monday, the 16th.

But now, everything is changing.

The information Matt came across indicated various levels of personality conflict, mismanagement, and incompetence. There also appears to be a huge amount of employee turnover considering the size of the company. In total these factors are significant enough that we began to doubt that things were as good as they originally appeared.

Through much prayer and conversation, we have decided that this isn’t the right position and situation for our family. If the job didn’t require a long-distance move, selling our house, etc, it might be a risk we felt comfortable taking. With things the way they are, it isn’t worth the uncertainty.

Over the last few days we have come to several realizations about God’s work through out this process. From the beginning we have prayed for wisdom, discernment, and that all we did would be about the righteousness of God. I believe this information has come to light in answer of our prayers for wisdom. As my friend Diane said yesterday, it seems like this is protection from the Holy Spirit.

And now, we walk by faith and not by sight. Matt is scheduled to leave his current position as of Thursday, July 19th.

I anticipate the things that are to come. I recognize God’s sovereignty now more than ever. I sit in trust of His faithfulness, of His provision, of His love.

The God I serve has a sense of humor; and if this isn’t proof of that, what comes next will be an even greater adventure!

“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” Proverbs 19:21

It all began early Monday morning. As I walked out the door headed for the grocery store, Little dropped my cell phone on the driveway. The top portion of my flip phone is now only attached to the bottom portion on one side. It still functions, although, it is a kind of touchy to open and close. My first thought, was “wow, it’s going to be a Monday.” Little did I know.

Next came the doctor visit and the diagnosis of impetigo. Nothing dramatic here except that we had to wait an hour past our appointment time to see the doc. I’m just thankful she was able to fit us in on Monday morning!

I left the doctor’s office headed for the pharmacy and got a call from Matt. He called to tell me that some dear friends of ours are divorcing. The news shocked me and broke my heart.

And the drama culminated on Tuesday afternoon when Matt called with some negative information about the company he is supposed to start work for on the 23rd. The information is significant enough to make us rethink the job and our move.

As I type, he is on a phone interview with another company. Please pray for us – for wisdom, discernment, and most of all that God’s will be done in all of this.

I’ll be back later with more on the job/move situation, but right now Little is waking up from her nap.

I hope you are all having a happy and uneventful week!

I have a friend coming over in about an hour.

My house is a wreck.

Hopefully I’ll be back later with more!

~ Little’s face is looking much better after 2 doses of antibiotic; I think we’re on the mend.
~I’ve walked 9 of the last 10 days.

Although I’m not planning to share whether or not I’m fasting (I’ve decided that this is best left between God and me), I will write about the specific things I’m praying about and through and how God is at work in those things.

Now, since that last sentence was clear as mud, let’s get started.

~~ I will be praying, along with Sheryl, about the words that come out of my mouth; this is a constant struggle. I want the words that I speak to be edifying, gentle, and kind whether I’m speaking to a stranger, a friend, or Matt and Little. I will focus specifically on praying the following verses:

~~ I will be praying about the sale of our house and our impending move; that everything we do will be to the glory of God.

~~ I will be praying about finding a new church home in Nashville. It took us a year and a half to find a church here (that’s a long story for another time), and I’m hopeful that the lessons God taught us in that time only have to be learned once.

Today is actually day two of the challenge (yep, that’s me – a day late and a dollar short), so for the next 20 days I will be praying with and for Sheryl about the words of our mouths and also about these other things.

In other (but somewhat related) news, I’m also challenging myself to get back in the habit of exercising; I’ve always heard that it takes 21 days to create a habit, so the timing is just right. For the next 21 days I will walk or do some other form of exercise (like load and unload boxes) for 30 minutes each day. As a kind of accountability, I will add to the bottom of my posts a note about whether or not I’ve had my walk for the day. So far, so good – Little and I walked for at least 30 minutes both yesterday and today.

You know you grew up in the 80s if you:

~ ever ended a sentence with the word SIKE.
~ can sing the rap to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and can do the Carlton.
~ know that “WOAH” comes from Joey on Blossom.
~ ever watched Fraggle Rock.
~ remember when it was actually worth getting up on Saturday to watch cartoons.
~ wore a ponytail on the side of your head.
~ got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.
~ made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side.
~ played the game “MASH” (mansion, apartment, shelter, house).
~ wore stone-washed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.
~ know the profound meaning of “Wax on, wax off.”
~ wanted to be a Goonie.
~ ever wore fluorescent clothing.
~ remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and cheeks shifted.
~ have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female Smurf.
~ took lunch boxes to school and traded Garbage Pail Kids in the schoolyard.
~ remember the craze, then banning of slap bracelets.
~ still get the urge to say “NOT” after every sentence.
~ thought your friends would never leave because you exchanged friendship bracelets.
~ ever owned a pair of “Jelly” shoes.
~ saw Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure and kept saying “I know you are, but what am I?” (or wanted to dance every time you heard the word “Tequila”)
~ remember, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.”
~ remember going to the skating rink before there were in-line skates.
~ have ever played with a Skip-It.
~ remember boom-boxes and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.
~ remember watching both Gremlins movies.
~ thought Doogie Howser / Samantha Micelli was hot.
~ remember Alf, the little furry brown alien from Melmac.
~ remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool and don’t even flinch when someone refers to them as NKOTB
~ knew all the characters names and life stories on the original class of Saved By the Bell.
~ still sing “We are the World”.
~ tight-rolled your jeans.
~ owned a banana clip.
~ remember, “Where’s the beef?”
~ have said (or still say), “What you talkin’ ’bout Willis?”

1. The warm days of Spring
2. Tulips and daffodils
3. Fresh creamed corn with fresh tomatoes
4. Budding and blooming trees
5. Little cuddling up on my chest
6. Relaxing with Matt
7. Sitting on the seashore or in the mountains marveling at God’s handiwork
8. Laughing with Matt about silly things
9. A good movie
10. Being outside
11. Re-reading Sense & Sensibility for the upteenth time
12. A good book – the kind that absorbs me and I don’t want to put down
13. Talking to and laughing with girlfriends
14. Little’s grin and laugh

These are things that make me feel good, that relax me, that I could enjoy over and over and over again. These are things for which I thank God.

A lifetime friend is someone who is always there. You might lose contact for awhile, you might not see or talk to each other for several years, but when you do meet again your friendship picks right up where you left it. It is comfortable to reconnect with a lifetime friend; it is satisfying somewhere deep in your soul to have this person in your life again. These are the friends that you miss deeply when they aren’t actively a part of your life; the friends you dream about; the friends that pop into your thoughts when you least expect it.

My friend Pat is a lifetime friend. She and I have been friends since I was a child. This wasn’t your typical childhood friendship, though; Pat is about 20 years older than I am. She has pictures of me in Sunday School when I was 2 or 3 (she was my teacher), and she has pictures of me at the beach with her children when I was 15 or 16. She was one of the first people (besides my roommates) who knew I had kissed Matt, and she made our wedding cake 4 years later. I baby-sat her children and she was at my baby shower.

When I was about 10 years old I started spending a lot of time with Pat and her family. She had just had her first child and had recently moved into the house she and her husband were building. I remember being at her house before it had baseboards, interior doorknobs, or a porch. I remember both of her children as infants (they are in high school now, the oldest is a Senior – that makes me feel old!). I remember laughing together, singing together, watching movies together, cooking together, and eating together.

I was at her house at least 1 weekend per month for several years. In my Junior and Senior years of high school I spent less and less time with Pat; when I started college I only saw her for a few minutes here and there. After I got married and moved away we pretty much lost contact all together. Pat e-mailed me again not long before I found out I was pregnant with Little; I was so happy that I was able to share that time of my life with her.

Pat and I had a lot of fun over the years – more memories than I could ever record in one place (and more than anyone but me would care to read) – but she also taught me a lot about life and about loving God. Her house was a safe place for me to share all of those things that a young girl sometimes has trouble sharing; we talked about friends, about boys, about the past, and about the future. Over the years she showed me so much of her heart for God – both in conversation and in action; she’s had a true and lasting influence on my walk with Christ. I am blessed to call her friend.

I pray that my daughters will have friends like this; women who take interest in their lives and walk beside them through the rough years of middle school, high school, and beyond. I pray that I can be “Pat” to someone’s daughter.

I love you, Pat, and I will always cherish our friendship.