Life More Abundant

I am New

2011-08-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

Stuck in sin and brokeness,

It's not where we meant to be

if we have already taken the hand of Mercy,

but our human hearts often find a way to believe we are still meant for the murk we were rescued from

even though we wear robes of white now and can call ourselves daughters of the King.

The evil one has a way of making us believe we are doomed by the sins and mis-steps of our past, present and future,

He penetrates our deepest thoughts

He causes us to believe the lie,

"God doesn't love you. Who would He love you? You're nothing."

But Christ the King is always there, arms outstretched calling out,

"You're mine. I love you. There is nothing I won't do to have you belong to me."

His hand sometimes feels miles away, even though it's right within my reach.

But I'll reach for Him.

I'll cling to Him.

I'll cling to his promise that He's not finished with me yet,

that I'm not stuck in my depravity,

that I'm not a lost cause.

I am His.

I am new.

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

2011-05-24T04:39:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, I go on a trip.

Tomorrow, I get to see one of my most favorite people on earth.

I haven't seen her in 2 and a half years but we talk almost every day.

Tomorrow, I get to be with a friend who puts the meaning into Proverbs 17:17.

Tomorrow, I see a sister and hug her tight.

I'll cradle her baby in my arms and kiss his chubby cheeks.

I'll hold her older children close and remind them that "Mimi" loves them so much.

I'll bring Izzy.

And Éva will get to go with Daddy to visit Masie and Yosie.

I'll miss my own big girl and my amazing hubby.

But tomorrow I get to see Kasey.

Kasey holding Izzy at 5 months old

And my heart is happy.

Casting Cares

2011-05-23T04:16:00.000-07:00

Well, the military beckons once again for our little family.

This summer = move.

Not a big move mind you, but a move just the same.

We'll be making the trek a whole 30 miles south to D.C.

And even though the move is a short distance away, the process is the same as when we moved from Hawaii to here.

Boxes need to be checked on the military side.

Housing and movers needs to be arranged and set up.

Paperwork needs to be filled out and transitions have to be made.

It's going to be a big summer for us.

Lots of change.

A new home, a new neighborhood, a new job, a new area to get used to, and I'll start homeschooling in August so a new homeschool group.

As excited as I am for the change (it's the military brat in me),

it's a little nerve wracking too when I consider all that needs to be done.

A few days ago, I was officially freaking out.

The list of "to dos" seemed daunting and I felt eager to start crossing stuff off, but alas, there's really not much I CAN do right this moment.

Thus, the freak out.

I decided to run a few errands, get out of the house a bit. Éva came with me.

I drove to Walmart in silence, gazing straight ahead, brain reeling.

And then, Éva started singing.

"I cast all my cares upon you.

I lay all of my burdens, down at your feet.

And any time I don't know what to do,

I will cast all my cares upon you."

Wow.

This has been one of my favorite songs since I was Éva's age and it was exactly what I needed to hear in that moment.

Her sweet voice singing those simple and whole words was like a soothing balm to wrecked psyche.

Out of the mouths of babes, or so it goes.

Éva's intuition kicks in again,

and God continues to use her to teach me just as much as I hope to teach her.

Web Surfing When I Should Be Studying

2011-05-12T07:04:00.000-07:00

Yep. I'm supposed to be listening to a marriage counseling lecture. My last day of school for the semester is tomorrow and I have three-one hour lectures to complete plus two quizzes and a discussion board post.

But I'm web surfing.

In my defense, the lecture is playing in a separate window on my desk top.

So technically, I'm listening.

Anyway, in all this listening/web surfing, I came across an interesting post on this blog that I thought would be fun to copy here.

Read.

Enjoy.

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Raising Dorks

By Jon Acuff, September 2009

I don’t have any hard data on this, but I think that of all the major world religions, Christianity has the highest dork per capita ratio. Did I say that right? Is there a different metric we’re using to measure number of dorks that I should have referenced instead? Are we still rolling with the per capita ratio? It’s so hard to find good research on this topic.

But think about it, no one ever says, “You know who is cheesy? Muslims.” Rarely will you hear someone proclaim, “The Hindus are all uptight.” And when Buddhists are stereotyped they’re labeled as being “relaxed and peaceful.” Christianity though has a lockdown on dork status and you know what?

I love it.

I used to hate it. From the time I was in the seventh grade right up until I became 33 I railed against it. I did everything I could to prove to the world that I was not some cheesy Christian. I distanced myself from Christian culture as fast as I possibly could because it all felt so overwhelmingly dorky. But then something weird happened, something unexpected … my five year old tried to get into pop culture.

I’ve got nothing against the particular pop star my daughter suddenly became fascinated with but the transition from “I love the Wiggles” to “the Wiggles are for babies” was ridiculously fast. (In her defense, that Captain Feathersword who the Wiggles run with, scares me to death.) Up until that point I really hoped my daughter would grow up to be a cool kid. I wanted her to be part of the popular crowd at school and be considered hip. But when she started sweating pop stars and other little girls in our area started getting into teenage television shows, I had to pause.

Those things weren’t created for a 5 year old. The entertainment she wanted to watch was not written for a girl two years out of diapers. It’s got boyfriends and girlfriends and topics that are way out of her understanding as a little kid. And she might love it. She might sing all the songs and have a blast doing it and fit right in with all her friends. But if I encourage her to do that, if I push her toward that, I fast forward her through childhood. I speed her up from a 5 year to a 10 year old. And although I make about 47 dad mistakes a day, I have learned one secret about childhood:

You can fast forward childhood, but you can’t rewind it.

I wish I could but I can’t. Childhood only goes one direction and I want her to stay a little kid for as long as she can. There will be plenty of time later for her to think boys are cute and interesting. (Right now I’m pushing for “smelly and cootie laden.”)

Until then though, she’s not going to be hip. I’m going to raise a dork. Which is different from naïve, don’t misunderstand, she’s going to be like Matthew 10:16, shrewd as a snake and innocent as a dove. And if you’re making different decisions with your kids, please don’t hear this as an attack. I’m new to being a dad, am by no means a pro, don’t have all the answers and am really only writing about the two kids with my last name. Who will be dorks.

I hope I don’t help create one of these sheltered Christian girls that just goes insane when they get to college, but I promise you that I’m going to do everything I can to keep my kids young, out of the loop as far as the world goes and maybe even dorky. And when my oldest daughter yells at me when she’s 13 because she can’t go to a party with a bunch of boys, who I know are going to try to kiss her, I’ll show her this post. And she’s going to yell some more, but at least I’ll kind of look like I predicted the future, which is fun.

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Balancing Act

2011-04-26T14:00:00.001-07:00

Life is all about balance.

Balancing schedules,

balancing time,

balancing diet,

balancing the checkbook, etc...

These days, I'm finding it hard to find the balance.

Being a stay at home mom to two children under 5 is a full time job in and of itself. Those girls keep me on my toes at all times!

Then there's keeping up on housework,

keeping up on friendships,

keeping up on laundry,

keeping up on exercise (sometimes) and

keeping up on schoolwork.

Going to school full time while keeping up on life has been very tough.

And I'm feeling a little burned out.

It's times like these when I start to ask myself, "Self, it's feeling a little heavy around here, and Jesus said His load was light...so what are we carrying around that just ain't ours?"

And I wonder...are you feeling weighed down by life? By relationships? By obligations?

If you are, it's time to unload all the things that Jesus didn't hand you to carry.

For me, that's lightening up my school load and making time to do the things I need to do to stay healthy for my family.

It's taking time to weed out the expectations I put on myself that aren't necessarily bad, but aren't really necessary either.

Just some random thoughts for the evening...

Good Friday

2011-04-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm reflecting.

And packing for a trip down to see the in-laws for Easter Weekend but mostly

just reflecting.

The girls and I read the story of Jesus' arrest and death this morning in our Jesus Story Book Bible. If you don't have one, I highly recommend it for your little ones.

We're also listening to The Story of Little Tree. If you've never heard it, I also highly recommend for the little ears in your life. I've been listening to it every year since I was 6 or 7 and it brings me to tears every time. The most powerful message the world has ever heard, in the most simple form...humbling.

I began my morning praying...praying hard. Praying like I haven't in a very long time. Years even.

I can feel the Holy Spirit alive and well in me this morning.

And I'm so grateful!

And so, I'm going to do something I've never done before.

Fast.

Because today is a day of reflection and prayer and remembrance.

And being that I struggle with food and it's perceived power over me,

it's the one thing I know to eliminate today so that I can focus on Christ's power in me.

And His power over death.

Beautiful.

2011-04-20T04:23:00.000-07:00

Easter is quickly approaching.

Good Friday is only 2 days away.

This is the time of year when Christians start to really reflect on what happened on those two magnificent days.

We also start to reflect on how undeserving we are of the magnificence.

As much as the Resurrection of our Lord is something to be JOYFUL over, the truth that His purpose for coming, the purpose for His beating and death, the purpose of His resurrection was to reconcile us to God, is very humbling.

Why?

We are that depraved and unholy that God had to send His only Son to die so that we might Live. Because we deserve death.

It's a hard truth. It's a humbling truth.

In the midst of all my personal reflection on this matter, I'm also reading this book in my morning devotions.

I've been struggling with food and body image for as long as I can remember.

And as much as I know how to get the weight off and I want it off,

the extra poundage is simply an outside manifestation of what's really going on inside me.

And I want to resolve this problem from the inside out.

So, today's assignment in my devotional was to compose a love letter to myself from God's perspective.

Would you know I couldn't do it!

I sat there for half an hour trying to find "good" qualities about myself but for every good attribute, I could list at least 10 not-so-good ones.

And I don't tell you this for pitty or empathy, I choose to be transparent on this blog because I honestly hope that someone who might read this will identify themselves in my words and not feel so alone. That they might join me on this journey.

But even as I compose this post, I can feel the Spirit working in me. Even as I type how unworthy I am I can hear Him whispering to me,

"But I love you. So much so that I died for YOU! So much so that I delighted in watching you grow in your mother's womb and I rejoiced the day you were born. I love you so much that I have placed my hand into your life and blessed you over and over again...abundantly! I love you so much that I have never left your side, even when you felt distant from me. I love you so much that I want you to be with me for an eternity, and I've made a way for you."

So, at the top of my list of redeeming qualities about myself this morning, (and I hope at the top of yours) is that I am loved by the Creator of Heaven and Earth. He has chosen ME. He has carved a path of righteousness for ME by sending His only begotten son to die the most humiliating kind of death so that I might live with HIM forever.

And you know what?

He did all that for you too!

"But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." -Romans 5:8

Spring has Sprung

2011-04-12T18:30:00.001-07:00

It's green outside, the temps are consistently in the 60's, it rains often and the deer are eating my daylillies...

it's Spring.

Spring is more like New Years for me.

There's something about watching new life pop up from the formerly frozen ground that inspires hope and determination in me.

I'm always so amazed when my perennials push their way through the earth yet again...and this year, even some of my annuals made a come-back! Yay!

Even the harshest of winters can't keep new life from finding a way. It's really incredible.

And so symbolic.

The Lord really does walk us through the darkest and coldest of times,

only to offer us a chance at renewal when it's over.

How blessed we are!

Along with my foliage is blossoming a beautiful friendship between my two girls.

As Izzy gets older, the gap between them developmentally seems to be narrowing and they have discovered one another in a new way in recent weeks.

I over hear them often telling one another that they love each other. Too cute! I find myself constantly running upstairs at the sound of screaming only to discover squeals of delight...not terror or frustration.

They share well (most of the time) and sing together. As different as they are, they truly do love to be with each other and that does my heart good :)

This is also Charlie's first spring.

My puppy has LOVED frolicking all over the front yard chasing bubbles,

taking long walks next to the stroller and running leash-less around the green grass at the Parade Field on Post.

He's also loved sniffing around my garden (which I think has something to do with the deer).

Spring also tends to bring all the neighbors out again.

It begins in the late morning,

I'll venture outside with my girls, sidewalk chalk in tow

and as if a radar went off around the cul-de-sac,

kids and moms start to trickle from front doors,

bounding across the small pasture,

arms wide open as the run to greet one another somewhere in the middle.

It's always a joyful reunion.

I love spring in our neighborhood.

I love spring period.

Izzy

2011-04-08T03:31:00.000-07:00

One of the amazing things about having two girls, somewhat close in age is how different they are.

Try as I might to coordinate their outfits or convince them that they want to watch the same cartoons,

Izzy and Éva are different.

Where Éva is more shy, Izzy knows no strangers.

While Éva thinks of sensible names for her stuffed animals and dolls, Izzy calls them "Punk" and "Monkey" or my favorite "Ha."

While Éva made me a mother and turned our house into a home, Izzy made it more full, more complete, and more joyful!

Izzy is not a fearful or shy child. In fact, this quality in her makes me nervous at times. She's so willing to talk to someone new that I often fear she'd just walk away with anyone, chatting their ear off as they stole away with my baby.

She's an adventure seeker. Just yesterday, I took her to the park and she proceeded to climb every single part of the jungle gym that I would've rathered she didn't. And she did it well. Sigh...

Izzy has never wanted to be little. She decided right after her 2nd birthday that it was time for her to be potty trained and she did it...all I did was help her onto the potty. I am convinced that this child sees herself as more of an adult than I see myself.

Izzy talks incessantly. She. is. always. talking. Her first words to us almost every morning as she bursts through our door are "Hi Guys!" and she doesn't stop all morning long. My favorite things she says right now: "Mom, look how big my am!" or "I wuz you too, Mom" or Paul's favorite, "Guys, here's the plan..." as she pops out a hip and puts one hand in the air.

Izzy is the life of any party and in so many ways, she brought us all out of our shells. Éva struggled intensely with separation anxiety and nervousness, but as Izzy has grown, so has her relationship with her sister and we've seen amazing changes in Éva as she gains confidence watching her little sister do all the things she's wanted to try so badly. Izzy will even look at her sometimes and say, "C'mon Éva, you turn!"

Izzy is most certainly made up of leadership material and she has no problems coloring outside the lines. I love these things about her and I know raising her will be one of my life's greatest challenges. Izzy will always need room to be Izzy...I just pray that I am able to have the discernment and wisdom when to recognize when to reign her in and when to set her free.

She is my joy; My comedic relief through most days. While Éva is affirming and affectionate and sweet and makes my heart all warm and fuzzy, Izzy makes me laugh

and gives my life cheer,

and abundance :)

Éva

2011-04-06T05:51:00.000-07:00

Like keeps happening around here.

It happens quickly.

So quickly sometimes that I'm not able to catch it and that kind of breaks my heart a little.

I heard somewhere this week that life with children under 5 means "very long days and very short years."

So true.

Éva and Izzy continue to grow and learn at an alarming pace and I find it hard to keep up.

There are moments that I wish I could freeze in time.

I want to be able to remember this time with my girls. All of it.

This time when I was still the epitome of beauty in their eyes,

when their Daddy can do no wrong,

when an exertion of their will (very strong will) over ours will merely land them a time out instead of a heavier consequence that they might carry with them forever.

It's a time of innocence and humor and I fail sometimes to see it in the shadows of the daily grind.

So here today, I want to document them. Today,

Éva:

Éva is in preschool this year at a local church. She comes home every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon with something new. A new letter, number, idea, friend or attitude. I've loved watching her interact with the other children and her amazing teachers! She graduates next week. I'm making cupcakes (shocker!).

Éva by nature is an encourager. She's always ready with a kind word or a helpful tidbit. She tells me daily that she loves me and that I'm beautiful. She's good for the self-esteem :) She also loves rules. In fact, I find her creating new ones all the time.

For example: The other day, as she delicately ate each fruit snack in her daily, highly anticipated package of fruit snacks, I found her holding the last one tightly in her hand and it seemed she had no intention of eating it. "Aren't you going to eat your last fruit snack?" I asked. She looked at me with all kinds of seriousness in her eyes and said, "Of course Mom. But I have to wait until after Veggie Tales is over."

Éva saves things for God. Whether it's her last bite of ice cream or the toy she got out of her Chick-fil-A kids meal, she'll set it aside and tell me that she's saving it for God. I love this quality in her. I hope that she'll always save things for God. Most of all, I hope she saves her heart for Him and all the wonderful things I'm sure He has planned for her.

Éva is an emotional child. She's very in tune with how she's feeling and very willing to express it. While this quality can bring about a bit of unpredictability, I love it about her! Being so in tune with her own emotions means she's also able to recognize quickly emotional shifts in others and she responds with such compassion. She'll be a wonderful friend. While Paul was gone, I had a few "sit-on-the-stairs-and-cry "moments. Éva never hesitated to sit beside me, rub my back gently and ask, "Mommy, do you miss Daddy?" When I would tell her yes she'dlook at me and say, "Me too. But he'll come home soon. It's going to be all right," which are the exact words I'd say to her when she was having "I miss Daddy" moments.

This little girl teaches me lessons on a daily basis. She's actually a lot like me (stubborn as all get out!) and that means that we often butt heads. But behind that strong willed demeanor is a heart that is being shaped and molded by her Creator and I'm blessed with the privilege of being an active participant.

7 Times 70

2011-03-20T09:32:00.000-07:00

Grace is at the very center of every successful human relationship, whether Christian or not in nature.

Every human relationship, if it's going to last, has to extend the hand of grace and forgiveness from time to time.

Because people are not perfect.

And even non-believers know that.

But what about when a Christian, a Believer, an acceptor of Christ's eternal grace has a hard time extending that same grace to another person.

What about when the hurt runs so deep, when the offense is so divisive, when the betrayal is so big that forgiveness seems like no option.

What about when your heart digs it's heels in and says, "No way! They do not DESERVE my grace!"

That is my struggle today.

Knowing that I am in no position to deny anyone forgiveness, but feeling like I can't grant it.

I fear I may have hurt or offended those who are less close to me because of this sickness.

And I'm sorry for that.

But those who love me will walk next to me through this battle, with constant reminders of God's holiness vs. my own depravity and gentle nudges towards righteousness. They will extend me grace.

And I thank the Lord for that.

For I am chief among sinners,

desperately in need of Grace.

City Girl for a Weekend

2011-03-12T04:40:00.001-08:00

So as many of you know who read this blog,

my hubby just returned home from almost 10 months of being away from us due to a deployment and the training before hand.

10 months of being away from your hubs takes it's toll on a gal.

So, he swept me off to NYC last weekend for some R&R.

We had SO much fun.

We really didn't do much "touristy" stuff.

We mostly walked, took pictures, ate, walked some more, took more pictures, ate some more and not necessarily in that order.

It was our kind of trip!

Places we were SURE to hit up were:

Roxy's (Amazing Cheesecake!)

Bobby Flay's Bar Americain (VERY yummy!)

Magnolia Bakery (good, but nothing compares to

my beloved Georgetown Cupcakes)

Little Italy

Ground Zero

Central Park

Top of the Rock

We stayed in Times Square so we saw all of that. We walked through SoHo, Tribeca, Canal Street, the Upper East side, the Upper West side and the Financial District.

We walked a lot.

It was so nice to get away for a little while for some much needed alone time with my best friend...

but I did realize a few things:

1) I REALLY miss my babies when I'm away.

2) My mom ROCKS. (She stayed with the girls while Paul

and I were away and was sick the whole time!)

3) The Instagram app on the iPhone is amazing and great for

when you don't want to lug around your DSLR

4) I am really NOT a city girl.

NYC was fun and I really hope to go back one day,

but I was VERY happy to come home!

I wouldn't trade my temporary, military-owned slice of Heaven for even the most posh city in the world!

Beautiful Pain

2011-03-11T12:10:00.001-08:00

Tragedy strikes.

Suffering happens.

It's inevitable.

It can leave in it's wake bitterness, anger, hurt, resentment and so much more.

It can separate us from the Love of God if we allow it to.

Or,

it can draw us nearer.

And it can encourage and offer hope and growth.

But only if the sufferers are willing to lay themselves open,

to expose their bleeding hearts,

and walk others through their tragedy.

It can be beautiful,

if one places their trust in Jesus.

And that is what my dear sister in Christ, Meg is doing.

I encourage you to read her blog, but be forewarned,

you'll need a box of Kleenex.

Aaaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!!

2011-02-13T07:09:00.000-08:00

I made it!

After a year of posting things in the Pioneer Woman Flickr Assignment page,

I finally made it!

Yeah me!

Mystery Revealed

2011-02-05T16:11:00.000-08:00

So, for the last year I've had to be somewhat cryptic in my blogging.

Our family went through something pretty big.

Something that many families go through, but that we had never been through and really hope to never have to go through again.

I was asked by my hubby not to blog about it for security reasons.

But now I can.

Because...

he's finally home!

Paul has been deployed to Iraq for the last 6 1/2 months and was gone for training for 3 months before that, and on Thursday morning, we received a surprise email stating that he would be home THAT NIGHT!

I scrambled around all day in preparation for the highly anticipated reunion.

And what a joyful reunion it was!

And now I can breathe again.

And smile again.

And blog normally again.

And I feel like my half is a whole again.

So, no more cryptic posts about the goings on in this house.

From now on,

full honesty.

Well...

at least about most things ;p

Girl Meets Horse

2011-01-31T03:00:00.000-08:00

I watched Secretariat this weekend.

And I fell in love all over again.

And it took me back to the first time I fell in love...ever.

It wasn't with any boy.

It was with a horse.

The Black Stallion to be exact.

I remember being 5 years old,

my mom (a horse lover herself) taped The Black Stallion off of tv.

We watched it together one afternoon.

And that was it for me.

And I wonder, if one isn't a horse lover, if they know what it feels like to fall in love with a horse.

Well I'll tell you.

Think back to the first time you ever fell in love.

Do you remember how taken you were with the glisten in your special someone's eyes?

Do you remember how much you adored the way his jaw moved under his skin when he smiled?

Do you remember his cologne or the way his hand felt in yours?

Well, falling in love with a horse is not so different.

The first time I saw Black, I was taken with the lean power of his legs.

I was enamored with the way his shoulder muscles moved under his glistening black coat.

I was totally head over feet with the rhythm of his mane rising and falling as he galloped.

As I grew older, my parents enrolled me in riding lessons.

I remember pressing my face into Summer's spotted neck, inhaling her deeply, savoring every second that I could feel her pulse against my cheek.

I remember gliding my hands up and down her back and reveling in the feel of her breath in my hand laid lightly against her muzzle.

By theunquietlibrarian

Running my fingers up and down her forehead, I'd speak softly, promising her a yummy apple and a good brushing when our lesson was over.

I loved her.

And it's been the same with every horse since.

I fall in love every time I see one.

Life Held Still Photography

They say scent is the sense that is most closely tied to memory...

well I believe it.

Because while others might be repulsed by the idea of a stall,

I'd muck it all day if it mean that I was in reaching distance of a horse.

When I was 7, my Gramino asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up.

I, quite matter-of-factly, told her I'd like to be a stable hand.

She laughed.

I didn't understand why.

I guess that would seem silly to a rational and mature mind.

But to be honest,

that that hasn't really changed either.

I watched Secretariat this weekend.

And I fell in love all over again.

A Challenging Truth

2011-01-28T06:49:00.000-08:00

I came across this blog post last night.

I encourage you to read it.

Give it some thought.

Even if you're not feeling a call toward adoption,

it's filled with amazing truths about Godly parenting.

Please read!

On the Cusp of a New Season

2011-01-13T15:33:00.000-08:00

Spring is coming.

I know you're thinking, "Spring?!? What?? Anne, honey we just had Christmas 3 weeks ago."

And maybe Spring isn't literally coming...

but metaphorically speaking,

for me,

Spring is near!

And I'm giddy.

A season of Winter and solitude is leaving and dusting off the cobwebs in my heart along the way,

and leaving a path for love to shine through!

And I know this is all a bit mysterious...

but be patient,

this time of vague metaphors is drawing to an end for me,

and it looks like Valentine's Day threw up in my house.

But hey,

like I said...

I'm giddy ;)

Great Expectations

2011-01-06T04:31:00.000-08:00

A New Year.

A time for resolutions and renewed goals and brand new goals and new dreams and so on and so forth...

A new year is usually very exciting for me.

I love the list of endless possibilities; the idea that I could completely transform myself into the picture in my head of the wife, mother, person I want to be.

This year...

not so much.

Along with those lists of goals and dreams and possibilities, comes a list of expectations for myself.

And when I don't meet them,

I feel like a failure.

And that's no fun.

My mom and little sister came to visit over the holidays and we all got sick.

We were sick 90% of the time they were here.

Kind of a bummer, huh?

However, all the sick time gave us a lot of talk time.

My mom and I had one particular conversation that has changed me, encouraged me, renewed my sense of contentment with myself and my life.

I was going on and on about the picture in my head of what I wanted my life to look like.

What kind of house, how many kids, what kind of routine and schedule would be ideal for me.

She listened with graciousness before she opened her mouth and said,

"Where did that picture come from?"

"Me," I replied. "It's been there since I was 15."

"I know," she said. "And now you're 28, and you have this life and this house and this number of kids and it really doesn't look like you thought it would. It looks like God thought it should. And it's time to be happy with this."

WOAH!

Now maybe for some of you, that's not a life changing statement. But for me, it rocked my world and brought me relief and peace. PEACE.

And it's not that I'm not HAPPY with my life. I am. I love my husband and my girls and my home. But I've struggled with the completeness of it all, or the lack thereof.

But God is sovereign. And I can put a whole heapin' pile of expectations and plans on my life, but if they're not in accordance with what God's plans are for me well, I'm just running in place aren't I?!?

And when I stop to think about what my plans were versus what He gave me, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude.

I'm one truly stinkin' blessed lady.

And I'm ready to erase those synthetic pictures in my head and really wait for the path that the Lord leads me to instead.

Because His path, is a good path.

Life Held Still Photography

It's the best path.

Humbled

2010-12-29T05:51:00.000-08:00

Blogs are merely a window.

A glimpse.

A small fraction of the bigger picture of someone's life.

They usually focus on the positives,

the uplifting,

the lessons learned,

the fond memories.

Very rarely, do they take you into the dark places.

Windows are meant to let in light, after all.

This can lead sometimes to a misconception for it's readers.

A belief that all is well and right and perfect in the life of the author.

That they always have money for amazing decor or expensive ingredients.

That they don't fight or quarrel or experience grief or suffering.

But that's just not so.

And today, after reading this,

that was confirmed to me.

Trial and tribulation skip no one.

Suffering does not only prey on the weak or poor,

it grabs hold of everyone, sometimes leaving devastation in it's wake.

No one is immune.

Not one.

Not even Edie, who has been a source of light in my life ever since I found her blog, two years ago.

This week has seemed engulfed in suffering and devastation for those around me.

And I thank God for His mercies,

which are new every morning,

to all who will receive them.

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." -Lamentation 3:22-23

Guest Post

2010-12-23T03:16:00.001-08:00

I'm a guest blogger :)

You can see my guest post here.

At my friend Wendy's blog.

Enjoy!

Charlie's First Snow

2010-12-20T04:23:00.001-08:00

This past week, we had our first snow of the season! The girls and I were so excited!

For all of you who've been reading my blog a while, perhaps you're scratching your head about now.

"Excitement?" You ask yourselves?

Yeah, maybe because you remember this post from February.

But you know I heard that there is an actual hormone the body secretes about 6 months after a woman gives birth that makes her forget the pain and torment of pregnancy and childbirth, thereby causing her to want more babies?

Well, I think there must be a snow hormone too.

Because I'm ready and rarin' to go again this year!

My Alaskan next door neighbor thinks I'm crazy.

And I probably am a bit.

But I don't care.

I love snow!

This was Charlie's first experience with snow as well.

My 40 lb six-month-old puppy begged to go outside all day, jingling his bell at the back door way more often that usual.

And when I'd let him out, watching him, expecting him to do his business and come back as he normally does, he didn't.

He played.

He dug,

He frolicked,

He pawed,

He buried his nose in it,

He thoroughly enjoyed it.

And that made me happy.

Because in some small way, it's another confirmation that he was meant to be mine.

He's officially part of the family!

He even has his mother's unconditional love for snow!

Annapolis Photo Shoot

2010-12-13T03:00:00.000-08:00

So, as I begin this post, the song "Back in the Saddle"comes to mind.

Ya know the song.

The best association with that song that I have is Tom Hanks in Sleepless in Seattle when he's calling Vicky for a date.

C'mon! You know what I'm talking about.

Anyway, the last few months for me have been so busy, such a whirlwind, a tidal wave of responsibilities and new challenges. But things are calming down a bit. And I'm glad for it.

Because the calm brings time.

And time brings BLOGGING!

So, to kick off this fresh week, I want to share with a few photos from a shoot I did in Annapolis this weekend with a dear friend, her humerus hubby and their two adorable pooches.

I'm happy with how they turned out.

Of course it helps when you're working with really beautiful people.

See what I mean?

Beautiful people.

Starting Over

2010-12-07T11:14:00.000-08:00

Life moves at a mind-altering pace.

And them sometimes, it seems to come to a total standstill.

And neither tends to happen when you want it to.

Life for me these days is mind-altering, mind- numbing and mind-blowing.

In good ways and in bad.

But the bad ways aren't really all that bad.

And the good ways are really, really good.

So I still consider myself extremely blessed.

With the holidays upon us the to-do list is ever growing.

My day to day events, although not uber exciting, make my days full.

Between raising children, keeping a home, going back to school full time, filling cupcake orders and keeping Charlie from chewing on every toy that the girls so nonchalantly leave in the floor, my days are anything but boring.

And there's something else about this season that is untellable.

I say untellable because it's not really a secret,

its just not something I want to announce on the internet, either.

But the time will come when I can tell the untellable.

And then maybe, the fact that I haven't blogged regularly for almost 6 months will be forgiven.

But I will try to ease myself back into the blogosphere in the coming months. The girls continue to grow at lightning speed rates and they say things that I hate haven't been documented properly.

So here I am.

Again.

Starting over.

Again.

Meet Charlie

2010-10-19T04:52:00.000-07:00

Overwhelmed.

That is all I know to say to describe my life these days.

Blessed and totally overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed with stressful things,

overwhelmed with sad things,

overwhelmed with really good things too.

Like Charlie.

He is the newest member of our family.

He's a 17 week old Goldendoodle and he's perfect.

No, really.

Perfect.

He doesn't jump, he doesn't chew. He merely whimpers when he needs to go outside, because yes, he's housebroken. He's affectionate, he's smart and he makes my heart happy.

I've had him only 4 days and already he walks on a leash at my heel on my left side with little to no tension on the lead. He walks like a pro next to my big double stroller when we go to the lake. He can sit, lay down, come and we're working on stay.

He's gentle with the girls and calm. SOOO calm. Even when someone new comes to the door, he just sits down, watches them for a few moments and approaches slowly to start sniffing.

Love him.

Perfection in a dog.

Side Note

2010-09-13T08:11:00.000-07:00

So, I know you've seen me speak of Erin over at House of Turquoise a few times on this blog.

I love her blog. I love her. She's absolutely adorable.

Anyway, her blog inspires me and comforts me and just plain gets all my juices goin'!

But did you know that she has a whole line up of blogs all based around some of our most favorite colors and color combos?

Check them out here.

And be happy. I guarantee you will be :)

Grownin' Up

2010-09-13T03:00:00.000-07:00

Yes I said Grownin'.

It's not a typo.

My brother Gabe used to say that when he was little.

It was cute.

But anywhoo...

Eva had her first day of Pre-school on Friday.

It was supposed to be Wednesday,

but a water line broke at the school and they had no running water and therefore had to cancel class.

Eva was very disappointed on Wednesday.

But super excited on Friday!

Can't you tell?

Don't let the photo fool you. She was just upset because I was making her pose for pictures.

What? I was excited for her...

and for me ;)

But a little sad at the same time.

Wasn't it just last week that I brought her home from the hospital?

And just yesterday that she started to crawl?

And now, here she is,

4 years old.

Tomorrow she'll be 16.

And she'll think I'm crazy to want to take photos of her on her first day of school.

But today, she's 4 and well...thinks I'm crazy to want to take photos of her on her first day of school.

But I did anyway!

And I'll do it anyway when she's 16 too!

A Day to Remember

2010-09-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

Do you remember where you were?

I do.

I was standing in the middle of Momma Nell's bedroom, watching her small TV, my hair brush in my hand as I scurried to get ready for work.

I watched as they reported a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.

I gasped as I saw the second one hit,

and all of the sudden,

it was clear.

It was no accident.

All day at work, we listened to the radio, kept a small TV on in the breakroom, and shook our heads in disbelief at one another.

Our hearts broke.

About a year and half later, I watched the news report the first bombs dropped over Baghdad. I was working the nightshift at a children's shelter.

I cringed with anticipation.

1 months later, I swore an oath to protect this country in front of friends and family at the Patrick AFB Air Show and 2 months after that I stepped off the bus onto Lackland AFB in Texas to begin my training in the United States Air Force.

And now, I love and support a man who made those same commitments and has quite literally put his life in harms way to continue to protect this country.

Today, on this day of horror and tragedy, I want to say

I Remember.

And I also want to say Thank you,

to my husband; To the men and women who are serving with him, to the ones who've gone before him and the ones who will go after.

You are appreciated and loved and supported.

The Return of Footie Pajamas

2010-09-10T05:54:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning and it was chilly outside.

Yay!

That means the brisk, cool air of Autumn is on the horizon.

And do you know what one of my most favorite things about the return of cool weather is?!?

Footie Pajamas!

I love zipping my girls up in them after a bath knowing that they will be warm all night in their beds despite the cold air.

And I love that my girls get all giddy when the footie pjs go on.

I love how they shuffle across the linoleum in the mornings.

And how cozy and soft they are to the touch.

I think I'd probably wear them if I didn't think it would encourage my husband to sleep on the couch ;)

Fall is close my friends!

And footie pjs are just the beginning...

Summer Recap

2010-09-09T02:19:00.000-07:00

So, I didn't blog much over the summer.

I'm sorry.

But life was crazy,

and busy,

and wonderful,

and stressful,

and all of the above.

But, even though I wasn't blogging, I was taking pictures.

Lots of pictures!

You wanna see?

I thought so ;)

Well, we kicked off the summer with a visit from my parents, little sister and brother (professional photographer from Hawaii).

I have LOTS of pics of this on my computer, but they are not mine, they are my brothers and I'm afraid to touch them or edit them for fear that you may think I took them and believe me to be a much better photographer than I actually am.

But he did take a few photos that I know I have permission to share.

Such as this one, from my girls' Wizard of Oz birthday party.

It was a pool party complete with blue gingham bathing suits and ruby red flip flops!

And cupcakes, of course...

The Summer progressed from there with more visits from family...

Like the one from my beautiful sister in law, Anna and her 3 amazing kiddos.

And then there were neighborhood bbqs...

complete with cupcakes, of course.

Juice boxes,

Dogs,

Lots of dogs ;)

Soccer,

Family Movie Nights,

More birthdays,

and a big End of Summer Luau to bring it all home.

All in all, it was a very ABUNDANT summer.

And we've all made it out alive and happy and truly blessed!

Love.

2010-09-03T03:55:00.000-07:00

Love is a funny thing.

Many people equate love with that bubbly, intoxicated feeling you get when you're starting a relationship with someone who knocks you off of your feet.

And that part is really fun, but I wouldn't call it love. It's infatuation, really.

And that doesn't make it bad. Infatuation is an important part of developing a deep love. Infatuation is that initial spark, the "chemistry" we feel and the desire to be around this person all the time. It's what initially draws us together and it's fun and exciting and most of the time, necessary.

Life Held Still Photography

But infatuation soon fades. It never completely goes away, but it does fade.

Bills happen, babies happen, arguments and disagreements happen...

Life happens.

Life Held Still Photography

And those bubbly feelings of infatuation soon get drowned out by the noise of daily life.

But I guess that what's so great about LOVE. If it's done right, Love gets bigger and bigger; Louder and more dominate. Each trial it gets put through makes it stronger and more durable.

Real love is an act of devotion and commitment. Real love requires the help of the Father's heart in us. Real love is hard but tender. Strong yet soft and compassionate.

And eventually, you come to this place, after the infatuation has faded, but the LOVE has grown so strong that you start to feel that bubbly excitement again. I guess you develop a sense of appreciation that runs so deep that you begin to feel like the "luckiest girl in the whole world" when he looks at you...just like in the beginning of the relationship.

Your heart flies out of your chest when you watch him cradle your little girl in his arms and kiss her "owie." Your gratitude permeates your every cell when he's holding you and reminding you of how much he loves you and will never leave.

Paul and I celebrate six years of marriage today. And I can HONESTLY say that I LOVE him more today than I did on the day we we got married.

You amaze me, my Love. It's an honor to be called yours.

Life Held Still Photography

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude or self seeking, it is not easily angered and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

Family Photos

2010-08-20T16:15:00.000-07:00

So...

it's been a while.

A long while.

But here are some of the fun photos that my brother took during his stay with us this summer.

They're awesome.

He's awesome.

And I love them.

I hope you do too :)

Sick and Happy

2010-08-04T07:27:00.000-07:00

Izzy is sick.

Like, really sick. Like, 102 degree temperature and can't keep anything down kind of sick.

When I was growing up, this kind of sick called for a few things of necessity:

ginger ale

saltine crackers

and

lots of Disney movies.

Well, thanks to my neighbor Michelle and her large Netflix like collection of children's movies, I'm covered in the Disney area.

But I awoke this morning, burning fleshed toddler on my hip begging for "food," to discover that I had neither ginger ale nor saltine crackers.

I smacked my hand to my forehead and scolded myself for not being better prepared for these kinds of things and prayed that she'd be able to hold down a little bit of Gatorade.

Then, I updated my Facebook status to this:

"Ugh, Izzy is still feeling pretty bad this morning 101.8 and another "episode." poor baby:( anyone wanna run out and grab some gingerale and saltiness for me?!?!"

(Yes, I'm aware that I misspelled saltines)

I was joking...but I guess only half way, if I'm being completely honest. But, a mere 5 minutes later, I got this response from my neighbor Randy:

"Miss Annie I'd be happy to help. I'll be there shortly if you are still in need."

And in that moment, though I had a pukey baby, and my hair was a mess and my face hadn't been washed and my teeth weren't brushed and I was wearing my husband's oversized Redskins t-shirt, I felt like the most blessed woman on the entire earth!

Randy showed up 15 minutes later with a 6 pack of Seagram's Ginger Ale and a box of saltine's and it was all I could do not to hug the life out of him.

But I refrained...ya know, cuz of the whole unbrushed teeth, unwashed face, pukey baby thing.

Have I mentioned how much I love my neighbors? Well, I do.

They make my life so blessed.

House Guest

2010-08-02T07:18:00.000-07:00

We have a special guest at our house this week.

We love having her. Although, I'm not sure she's loving being here quite as much as we love having her here...

Still, it's good for her.

And good for us.

This, is Morgan.

Morgan is my brother's family's dog.

We have her for a few weeks while my brother is in training and my sister-in-law and the kiddos are visiting some friends.

I'm being reminded slowly of the joys and trials that come with dog ownership.

For example, she left me quite the surprise yesterday in my living room floor while I was at church with the girls.

She felt really bad about it as she curled up and cowered as close to the ground as possible as soon as I entered the house. I already knew she was in trouble before I even found the "surprise."

My girls don't quite understand the digestive systems of dogs and therefore proceeded to feed her about 30 mini marshmallows out of their Lucky Charms and I was then up at 4:30 this morning cleaning up dog vomit from the carpet in my bedroom.

Not to mention, up again at 6:30 to let her out to go potty. Poor thing stood at my bedroom door and whimpered frantically until I woke up and ran her down the stairs into the front yard.

She does well with the girls constant pestering. They don't mean to be bothersome, they just love her so and she's resorted to hiding in various places throughout the house.

But she's quite the cuddler and she follows me around like...well, like a puppy.

It's sweet.

This is good practice for us.

Our puppy will be here around Christmas time and Morgan is quickly reminding me of what I'm in for.

And as much as this might deter many a woman,

it only makes me more excited!

Because the joys of dog ownership, most assuredly outweigh the trials...

at least they do in my book ;)

Marinara From Scratch and a Friend

2010-07-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned before in the last month or so, things have been crazy for me.

My life has changed yet again. A temporary but drastic change has come over my household and although we're all doing well, this change comes with it's intense challenges.

On top of which, we've had family in town, we've made trips to see family, I'm training for my half marathon in the beginning of September (I'm up to 9 miles), we've celebrated both of our girls' birthdays (4 and 2) and I'm doing my best to enjoy the long days of summer and the incredible neighborhood that God has placed me in.

My girls have handled all of this well, for the most part. Eva has been a little extra whiney and needy but other than that, she's a little trooper. Izzy, well nothing really seems to phase Izzy. She's a laid back chick and you really have to work hard to get her feathers ruffled. But when they do finally get ruffled...watch out! She's become quite the little hair puller.

But even amongst this very busy season in my life, I've tried hard to take time and enjoy the people around me.

One such person is Shelby. Shelby and her husband Alex have become a highlight to many of my days. I can be dead on my feet and ready to lock myself in the bathroom but when I see them out in the front yard, walking towards me to greet me with their sweet baby Olivia in tow, something in my heart lightens. I enjoy them.

Shelby and Alex grew their own tomatoes and onions this year in their front yard and the other night, Shelby showed up at my front door with a paper grocery bag full of them! Huge, red, sweet beefsteak tomatoes with a few crisp and tight onions thrown in. The first thing that came to mind...Marinara!

Here's my recipe for homemade marinara:

Ingredients:

7-8 large tomatoes, peeled and seeded (directions below)

2 small yellow onions, chopped

5-6 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsp of dried Oregano or Italian seasoning

2 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 cup of red wine

Salt, Pepper and Roasted Red Pepper flakes to taste

Directions for Peeled and Seeded Tomatoes (if you already know how to do this, feel free to skip this part):

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.

Prepare a large bowl of iced water.

Hole each tomato by taking a paring knife and running it around the top of the tomato around the stem at an angle.

Once all the tomatoes are holed, drop each one into the pot of boiling water using a slotted spoon (to minimize splashing).

Boil the tomatoes until the skin begins to wrinkle and peel away from the top (about 15-20 seconds)

Immediately drop into the iced water for another 15-20 seconds to stop the cooking process.

Pull the tomatoes out the gently peel the skin away from the flesh of the tomatoes. This should take very little effort.

Once all the tomatoes are peeled, you'll need to seed them. Do this by placing a strainer over a bowl and squeezing the tomatoes over the strainer. You won't be able to get every single seed, but the strainer should catch most of them. Make sure you're seeding them into a bowl as you will need the juice later.

Once all the tomatoes have been seeded, remove the strainer from the bowl and poor the juice back over the seeded tomatoes.

Now you have peeled and seeded tomatoes. You may proceed to making your Marinara :)

Marinara Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat.

Add the onions and saute them until golden brown

Next add, the garlic and oregano.

When the garlic begins to brown, add the red wine to deglaze the saucepan and use your wooden spoon to scrape up all the bits that have stuck to the bottom.

(I don't have pics of this part because well, I get a little silly whenever wine is involved ;p)

Then, add the peeled and seeded tomatoes along with their juice and give the whole concoction a nice stir.

Bring to a simmer and let it cook for about 2 hours.

Once it's cooked down a bit, add the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to your liking. You can even add a little parmasean cheese if you'd like :)

Once I was done making this yummy sauce, who do you think I called?

Yep. Shelby.

And I was glad to have her,

and her tomatoes ;)

Perfectionism Comes Before the Fall

2010-07-29T17:04:00.000-07:00

So, I'm a perfectionist.

I think I may have mentioned that here and there on this blog. Perhaps just every now and again. You might not have picked up on that. But there it is.

My husband and I were lounging in the living room one late Sunday afternoon, well scratch that...I was lounging. He was reading news articles on the internet. Anywhoo, he came across an article that linked perfectionistic tendencies to depression. More specifically, Post Partum Depression but really just depression in general.

This got me thinking.

I am one of those perfectionistic people.

I have struggled with depression.

I'd never thought that one might be contributing to the other.

But now that I've thought about it, it makes total sense!

How easy it is to fall into a depression when the standards you cannot live up to are coming from none other than YOURSELF!!! I mean, we can look at other people and their expectations of us and flippantly wave it off if we want to spouting something along the lines of, "that's his problem! No one could live up to that!" But when it comes from within well, that's not quite as easy to wave off.

A very wise man, the father of this very wise woman, once told me that the sneakiest thing about Satan is that he uses our own voices to get to us. He whispers things in our ears, into our hearts and mind that would have us believe we are worthless, valueless and pathetic. And he does so in the voice that is most familiar to us. A voice that we would only recognize as absolute truth because that's the voice that narrates our entire being. Tricky, tricky, tricky is that Great Deceiver, is he not?

Do you ever wonder why those horribly negative things are so much easier to believe than the good stuff? I do.

I mean, why can't I walk around in a fit of joy singing about the promise that I was "fearfully and wonderfully made ?" Do I not believe that God has the ultimate authority, even over Satan himself? Of course I do, but that's just so easy to forget.

Why am I so quick to think so badly of myself?

I mean, when I stop to think about it, my standards for myself are actually higher than anything God expects from me.

To be a godly woman in MY head means:

clean house,

well behaved kids,

crazy happy husband,

no enemies,

no drama,

no dust,

no dirt,

no baggage,

thin,

pretty,

well dressed,

admired,

always knows the right thing to say and do

and executes perfectly!

I can't live up to that. I mean, maybe one or two things every now and again but not all of them and certainly not all the time!

And therein lies the root of a perfectionists' depression.

We can't live up to our own standards.

But what are the two greatest commandments? What are the two things that God says He needs from us more than anything else?

1. Love the Lord your God with all of your Heart, Soul and Mind

2. Love your neighbor as yourself.

Nothing in there about how clean your house must be or how well dressed you have to be.

It just comes down to LOVE.

Love your God,

Love your neighbor,

Love yourself.

Cause God Loves you. Just the way you are. Imperfections and all!

Calm Before the Change

2010-07-19T17:32:00.000-07:00

Why is it that as soon as you feel you get used to something being the way it is, it changes?!?

From everything to your kids sleep schedules to the way your local Target is laid out, as soon as you start to feel you have a handle on the way things are, someone decides to change it all up.

I don't do well with change.

Well, I take that back. I don't do well with the anticipation leading up to change. If things are going to change, well it's better for me if I have no previous knowledge of it. The powers that be at Target need keep that in mind...

Anyway, things are changing again in our small but valuable life. It's a road I've been down before, but just haven't had to travel quite this long. That's alright. One thing all this running has taught me is that as long as you keep the pace you're meant to keep, you can run any distance set before you.

So I'll keep running. In every sense of the word.

But tonight, I'll sit.

I'll sit and enjoy the remnants of the life I know right this moment,

before everything changes tomorrow.

I'll sit and enjoy my Honey,

and this yummy summer dinner,

and be thankful for the change :)

Quick Update

2010-07-15T17:49:00.000-07:00

SO, this summer so far has been one thing...crazy.

Good. But crazy.

My family is in town right now. For almost the entire month. I'm happy they're here. We've been so busy and all of our adventures have given me scads of things to blog about but little time to actually blog about them...conundrum.

BUT, my brother Ryan is in town and he's been taking pictures of all of our escapades! He's a professional photographer and so, I feel so blessed to have him around documenting this vacation.

He even took some wonderful pictures of the girls' birthday party last weekend. They had a Wizard of Oz pool party complete with blue gingham bathing suits and red, sparkly flip flops. They. Were. Adorable. The pics, amazing. I'll post them, or give you a link to them as soon as I get his permission :)

SO, until I have time to blog about all of the fun stuff that's been going on, I'll leave you with a few pics of the girls and their birthday cupcakes.

Miss you guys!

The Not-So-Glamourous Life of a Military Wife

2010-06-24T04:40:00.000-07:00

Sorry Whitney, for stealing and revamping your blog title for my own twisted purpose.

But just go with me here, okay? Perhaps you'll see why I don't have enough brain power to coin my own title and why it's necessary that I glean from the real talented bloggers around me so as not to completely make a fool of myself. Although, it may be too late for that...

whatever.

Anyway, today is a day that in my opinion perfectly embodies that of a military wife. Why? Well, I'll tell you.

I have no stinkin' clue what's going to happen tomorrow.

Now, I know to some extent, none of us REALLY knows whats going to happen tomorrow. But for the most part, most wives know that their husband will be home at a set time in the evening, and he will leave at a set time in the morning, and he'll be home again that evening. They don't have the threat of a 6 month deployment looming over them or the possibility that they're entire family will be sent to Timbuktu for a 3 year assignment. Their husbands get to come home and talk about what they did at work. There's little threat of Daddy missing Christmas or birthdays or Secretaries day. They know that they'll continue on with their regularly scheduled programming to the best of their ability.

Today, being a military wife, I have NONE of the above.

Tomorrow is a FOR REALS a mystery. The only thing I know for sure is that my kids will promptly wake me up at 6:15 am. After that, it's unclear.

I may or may not have a very special visit from a very special person. I'm hoping for the "without a doubt", but I'm preparing myself for the "probably not." But at the same time, I have to prepare as well for the "without a doubt."

Are you confused yet?

Do you see why I can't even think up my own blog title?

But, today being as I know that there's a chance of the uncertain to become certain, I'm cleaning. Cleaning like a mad woman. Cleaning like the President's coming for dinner. Cleaning like...like...well...

I ran out of similes.

I'm cleaning and I'm crossing my fingers. Crossing my fingers so tight that they're kind of purple on the tips.

This visit from this person would be a thirst quencher in a huge way. And not just for me, but for my whole family. We need this.

Wish I could go into more details. And I guess I could, but then I'd have to kill you.

What, not funny?

Ha! Well, hey...the life of a military wife ain't always fun!

Baby Olivia: Be Still My Ovaries

2010-06-22T03:00:00.000-07:00

My neighbors, Alex and Shelby, had a baby last month. A baby girl whom they named Olivia Rose.

She's perfect.

She has the cutest little nose and she makes my heart melt into a puddle on the ground every time I smell her. I love that baby. Love. Her.

Alex and Shelby know my deep love for newborn babies and so I was thrilled when they asked me to do Baby Olivia's newborn/one month photos. Thrilled.

I grabbed my next door neighbor Michelle, who works in a photography studio and together, we came up with some really sweet ideas for Baby Olivia's photo shoot.

These are some of my favorites from the shoot:

Whadya think?!? Isn't she just precious.

Makes me want to have 17 more!

That was a joke, Paul. You can breathe now:)

Facts of Life

2010-06-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

No, this is not a post about the "birds and the bees."

Nor is it a post about an 80's television show.

This is a post about the facts of MY life today.

Fact #1: It's unbearably hot outside.

Fact #2: For some reason, I chose this day to work in my garden.

Fact #3: I also chose this day to watch Law and Order SVU on the internet instead of do laundry while my children were napping.

Fact #4: I smell like manure.

Fact #5: This has nothing to do with my dream of one day owning a horse and everything to do with the fact that the lawn guys spread fertilizer all over my yard last week...

and I worked in my garden today...

thus, I smell like manure.

Fact #6: I made more cupcakes today. And I ate two. But without frosting. So don't judge me.

Fact #7: Izzy dumped the entire contents of a water bottle onto one single spot on my carpet while I was working in the garden.

Fact #8: Water bottles have now been banned from my home. Forever. Don't even think about trying to enter this domain with a water bottle in hand. It could get ugly.

Fact #9: At exactly 5:24 pm today, I looked up at the clock on my desktop and realized that I had not even thought about what I was going to make for dinner.

Fact #10: We had spaghetti.

Fact #11: My neighbor brought me a fresh loaf of banana bread while I was giving the girls a bath and Izzy decided to strut her naked self down the stairs and give the neighbor quite a show.

Fact #12: I have wonderful neighbors who don't judge me by my children's behavior.

Fact #13: I'm tired. And I still smell like manure. Because I haven't had time to shower. And I should probably mop my floors before I shower, but in case you hadn't noticed the trend, today was not a day that I did anything I was "supposed" to.

And those my friends, are the facts of my life at this moment.

I'm off to shower.

And then mop.

Cuz I'm a rebel like that.

Baking...again

2010-06-11T10:17:00.000-07:00

A crazy weekend awaits me.

A weekend of birthday parties, gym time, church picnics and hopefully a nap or two:)

Today?

Well, today I'm baking.

The girls are playing at friend's houses and it's just me and my Martha Stewart Kitchenaid Stand Mixer against the world.

We have 4 dozen cupcakes to make today in the flavors of White Chocolate Strawberry and Blueberry Vanilla.

Should be fun.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend, full of cupcakes:)

Because well, who doesn't want a cupcake filled weekend?

I know I do ;)

Soundtrack of My Life

2010-06-09T04:38:00.000-07:00

I love music.

I mean, I don't know many people who don't love music, so saying that sounds so cliché but still, I do love music.

I grew up around it. It's in my blood in a sense. My mother comes from a very musically talented family. My mom plays the piano like you would not believe, and she used to play the BANJO! How cute is that?!?

And everyone in her family has some kind of musical talent...or all of them.

My Dad's sister was a guitar player and, from what I hear, had an amazing voice. They say she really could have made it big, God rest her soul.

And even me. I started playing the piano very young (Heaven knows I can hardly play anymore...I know, I know Mom..."practice makes perfect") and I've always loved to sing. I don't know that I would call myself an über talented singer, but I don't notice a rush of canines when I open my mouth nor do I notice any disgruntled faces in the audience.

And I'm not really keen on being "amazing." As long as my girls keep asking me to sing them a song at night, I'd say I'm a successful singer.

And Paulie plays the guitar. It's what won me over. He played me a Dave Matthew's song sitting on a rock by the river at Yosemite. It was very romantic...very cheesy, but romantic just the same.

All that to say, that music speaks to me in a way that nothing else does. Words set in motion to melody. A melody that describes the depth and emotion and meaning to those words. It feels complete. It's like therapy for me.

Lately, I find myself in tears when I hear a song that speaks to me. It can be a song I've heard a bajillion times but suddenly, it takes on new meaning and becomes my life anthem in that moment.

And sometimes, in the mist of drying my eyes and recovering from my weepy session (trying to avoid the concerned looks of fellow drivers who've been watching me sob like a child at the stop light) I think to myself, "I should blog about this!"

But then I wonder if the songs that speak to me in such an intense way, would speak to you in the same way. Would my blogging about these particular songs just give you something to skim over and think, "Oh, that's sweet dear."

Or would they make you break down and sob the way the cause me to?!?

Well, let's find out, shall we?!?

-Watermark "Good For Me"

-Nichole Nordeman "Legacy"

-Nichole Nordeman "Every Season"

-Steven Curtis Chapman "Cinderella"

-John Mayer "Say"

Okay, and one more. This one really gets me...

I hope these songs spoke to you the way they do me.

I mean, I really hope you're in tears and sobbing hysterically,

cause that way, I won't feel like such a goober ;)

Award and Random Facts

2010-06-08T03:00:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much to Amanda Jo at A Special Blend for the Versatile Blogger Award!

I love Amanda's blog! She's a thrifty, thoughtful chica with a fun sense of humor and I'm flattered to have been nominated by her!

But, as with most awards, this one comes with the responsibility of telling you 7 things about myself.

I'm pretty dern honest on this blog, but I'll try to think up 7 things I haven't already said.

Here it goes:

- Red Lobster is dead to me. It used to be my favorite place in the world, and then they served me shrimp that had not been deveined and it was gross. Yuck.

-I miss Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits in a big, bad way.

-I have a temper.

- I really need an entry way table. I'm not willing to spend more than $25 though and I don't mind putting in a little TLC.

-I registered last week for a half marathon in September.

-I can only run 3.5 miles at a time right now.

-I have about a bajillion books that I want to read this summer but I'm so obsessed with the show LOST that I fear I will never get to them.

-I really would like a cupcake right about now.

How's that for random facts?!?!

And now, I have to pass on this award to 7 other bloggers!

I'll go with:

Katie over at A Bushel and a Peck

Lisa at Little Loveables

Ashley over at Tales From Goshen

Momma Glo over at Under Her Wings

Charity at The Thrifty Designer

Kim over at Fresh Batch Jams

and

Amber over at Married Musings of a Clueless Newlywed.

Enjoy the award ladies! I can't wait to see your 7 random facts!

Fashion is in the Eye of the Beholder

2010-06-07T04:47:00.001-07:00

I have girls.

Two very girly girls. Izzy hates to have dirty hands and she loves baby dolls. When she's wearing a pretty dress, she twirls. It's instinctive. I didn't teach her to twirl, she just does. She knows how to handle a pretty dress. She's a girl. She gives kisses on command and bats her big brown eyes at her daddy when she wants something. She's a natural at being all girl.

And so is Eva. Eva doesn't so much enjoy her baby dolls as much as her TAG books, but boy does she love dress up. She loves dress up and nail polish and make up, much to my great concern. She pretends to be a beautiful princess under a deep sleep and she'll ask me frequently to kiss her so she can wake up. And I don't mind being the handsome prince...it's better than being the evil villain, I suppose.

And she has her own style when it comes to dress-up. Although, if it's not a Princess Dress-up dress I'm not real sure I can call it dress-up as much as fashion.

Eva is a true Carrie Bradshaw when it comes to her clothing. She is daring, bold and cares not what is considered "conventional." A true fashionista!

She'll humor me in the mornings by allowing me to pick her out a boring (cute) top and some shorts but when she has a few minutes to herself in her room, she immediately strips down and changes into something a little more...exciting.

And she's definitely not matchy-matchy. Oh no. Socks don't need to match one another, shoes don't have to be on the right feet, and the outfit need not match the shoes. It's all about what makes you feel good and Eva gets that.

She stares Old Navy in the face and scoffs at it's "safeness." Eva knows that if you can't express yourself through your clothing, then why the heck wear any?!?

She's a true revolutionary in the fashion world.

Izzy and I? Well, we're fine with our Old Navy clearance rack finds. We don't mind matchy-matchy.

But we sure do love the anticipation of seeing what Eva will wear next!

NO time like the...hmmm, scratch that. There's just no time.

2010-06-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

Hi.

I'm still here.

I'm crazy busy all the stinkin' time.

It's the season of life I'm in.

It's hard.

It's nuts.

It's rewarding.

It's abundant.

And I'm grateful.

Hope to be back next week :)

On the Princess Thing

2010-05-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

When I became a mother, I had a list of things my children would never be allowed to indulge in. The list started with the obvious things like obnoxious TV shows, foul language, disrespect toward any one, and violence of any sort. I'm pretty sure those are all just givens for most parents.

And then my list became a little more narrow once I found out I was having girls. An overwhelming concern started creeping it's way into my heart for how the heck I was going to raise girls in this society. This society that values physical beauty more than anything else. This society that teaches us to "follow our hearts" and "do what feels right." This society that seems to have lost the idea of a solid Truth.

And in my head, the root of all that silliness was to be found in two places...Disney Princesses and Barbie.

They became the devil to me.

I forbid them entry into my home.

I told everyone never to purchase anything Disney Princess or Barbie related for my children or they would be cut out of the will...

not that there's much they'd be missing out on, but still, that's how serious I was.

But every other little girl on the planet loves Princesses and Barbies and so, my girls inevitably were exposed and that began a process of me realizing that trying to stop a little girl from loving princesses was like trying to hold back the tide. Not possible.

It began with Ariel. Both of my girls LOVE Ariel. We bought the movie. And then some bathtub toys. And then eventually the doll. And my heart began to soften a bit when I saw how much they enjoyed doing her hair and pretending with her and how they play "mermaid" in the bathtub. Ah. Dor. Ah. Bul.

And then there was Giselle. She's really not so bad. Kind of sweet actually. And she does have pretty dern good taste. I like her. And, there's no exposed belly button or those sea shells so, that helped.

And now, it's Belle. And I gotta say, I really like Belle. She's my kind of princess. She enjoys the simple things in life, she's not interested in other people's expectations of her. She doesn't judge a book by it's cover. Pretty cool chic, if you ask me.

And then I began to question what my girls were learning from these princesses? Are they learning that happily ever after can only come once they find their Prince Charming? Are they learning that you have to be considered physically beautiful by the world's standards to be valuable? Are they being inundated with this naive idea that "True Love breaks the spell?"

And then I thought about it some more. And you know what I decided?

I don't give myself enough credit. I mean yeah, who doesn't love a pretty princess. Heck, I'm even fairly enamored with them. But when it's all said and done, my girls...they're looking at ME. I will be the one to help them answer those questions. I have more say in how they define beauty and value than I realize.

I mean, what am I really teaching them when I stand on the scale and mutter obscene things under my breath when the number isn't to my standard? What am I teaching them about value and worth when they see that I can't even take a compliment? What are they learning, when they hear their mother compare herself to the world?

And this whole idea of "True Love breaking the spell?" Well, it does. True love really does turn a beast into a prince and a servant girl into a princess. It really does wake you from your sleep. It really does conquer all. But, true and perfect love isn't found in any Prince Charming we'll meet on earth. Yes, marriage to your earthly Prince Charming is absolutely a tangible example of Christ's relationship with us and it's wonderful. I highly recommend it. But marriage can be hard. Tough. It doesn't always feel like "Happily Ever After."

But the Love of Christ. Now that's a "Happily Ever After" we can count on. That's a True Love. A perfect Love. That's the one that breaks the spell!

So perhaps this Princess thing isn't all bad. I mean, I could really work it in to some pretty meaningful life lessons. I could really shape how my girls view beauty and love and value.

And I'm glad.

Because I have to admit, I could watch Enchanted till the cows come home.

Sufficient Grace.

2010-05-24T04:33:00.000-07:00

I'm back. This has been a long week. I spent the weekend with my hubs (which was Ah. Maze. Ing. ) and since my return, things have been a bit out of sorts.

It's not all bad. In fact, if I really stop to think about it, it's actually all good. Just a bit uncomfortable, is all. Okay, really uncomfortable.

My girls have needed to be, eh-hem, readjusted a few times a day since having 4 days with their grandparents who spoiled them rotten ;)

And my house is...well...it's a wreck.

And there is laundry all over my bed, which hasn't been made in a week.

And I've only made it to the gym twice this week.

And, well the list goes on.

Have I mentioned that I'm a perfectionist? I am. I really dislike that about myself, but it's true. So all of those things I just mentioned...they're driving me bonkers. Like, seriously insane.

I'm a perfectionist who has a lot of flaws. So the thing I'm usually most frustrated by is myself. I can really get under my own skin. It happens quite often. Like, daily.

Did you know that I became a Christian when I was 9? I did. Now, I'm not sure if the reality and importance of that decision hit me till I was about 15, but nevertheless, I professed Jesus to be my Lord and Savior at 9 years old and I believed it without any doubt.

There are ups and downs to coming to know Christ at a young age. And don't misunderstand, I'm not complaining. The ups vastly outweigh the downs, but there are certain trials that come with having been a Christian for the majority of my life.

Knowledge. I've been under some really solid Christian teaching for a LONG time. I'm very blessed to have sat under some very profound teachers. I've learned So much about the Bible, about God and about myself. Knowledge is great to have. It's helped me in talking with others about my faith and its helped me discern my own heart. But it can also be a huge obstacle to a Christian. We can get prideful. We can base or spiritual maturity on how much knowledge we possess. We can forget that our knowledge doesn't save us.

Good Deeds. OH man, that's another one that can really drag us down if we're not careful. We can spend all of our time doing, doing, doing and going, going, going. And as good as good deeds are, they mean nothing if we're only doing them for our own glorification, or in an effort to EARN our salvation. We can't earn it. Our good deeds will never outweigh our bad. It's just a fact of life. Sometimes, we can fall into the trap of believing that if we're "good" enough, then THAT is our salvation. But it's not.

I struggle with these things in an immense way. I like lists. I love to check boxes. I am a perfectionist. I don't like...imperfections, mostly my own. And if I think on all the ways I fail on a daily basis, it could really send me into a tailspin. A reeling, depressing, downward spiral of despair.

But that's because I'm forgetting something.

I'm not saved by the boxes I check, the "to do" I cross off, the knowledge I possess or the things I do right.

In fact, it's in the things I do wrong that my salvation really shines through.

Because, it's by GRACE that we are saved. The imperfections I possess, the more I mess up, the more HIS GRACE and HIS POWER and HIS PERFECTION envelopes me into a strong, warm embrace and says, "Annie, it's okay. This isn't about you...it's about ME."

All that being said, I don't believe we should go hunting down areas to fail in or fall short. I just think, that when we do fall short and fail, because it's inevitable, we don't need to beat ourselves up (or others for that matter). We just need to sit. We...I, need to sit at Jesus' feet and ask for forgiveness and ACCEPT that He's already granted it, and move on, making sure we ask forgiveness from anyone else we've hurt with our impurities as well, of course.

But I think the thing I find I need to remember, is that I'm not SUPPOSED to be perfect. If I could be perfect, I wouldn't need Jesus. And needing Jesus, is kind of what makes my world go round.

I hope that in all of today's ramblings, you found some hope. That was my only goal. For you...and for me as well.

Trip to the Farm and Some Romance

2010-05-13T03:00:00.000-07:00

I'm going out of town for a few days to spend some much needed, eh-hem, quality time with my hubby.

My wonderful Mother and Father-in-law are here to stay with the girls and I'm looking forward to a weekend of sleeping in, staying up late and doing things in my own time without having to stop to wipe a nose or kiss an owie.

Don't get me wrong, I'll miss my girls terribly and I'll probably talk about them non-stop and call home 10 times a day,

but I need this.

Still, I wanted to leave you with some fun pics I took this past week during a trip to the farm with my dear friend Becca and our whole brood of girls.

Have a wonderful weekend! I know I will!

Childhood Friends

2010-05-12T03:00:00.000-07:00

We are supremely blessed to live in a neighborhood chocked full of girls.

There are 3 of us on our cul-de-sac who each have two girls, a 4th neighbor with a 2 year old girl and a 5th neighbor who just brought home a brand new baby girl on Friday.

Since it's begun to warm up, you can usually find most of us in someone's yard chatting it up while all the girls run around chasing one another, screaming at the top of their lungs.

All of the girls get along quite well too. I mean, there will always be occasional argument about who will get to wear the Ariel dress this time or who will be the groom whenever playing wedding, but for the most part, they are all good friends and enjoy one another's company.

This has worked out to my benefit in a huge way. We have found that swapping out babysitting works quiet nicely and we take turns watching each other's kids to give the other a night out with the hubby or just a break in general.

The other night, I had Becca's girls, Merrin and Eden. And then, Michelle brought over her two girls for dinner and so there were 6 little girls all together, with only 4 years between the youngest and the oldest.

And we had ice cream for dessert.

Our Trip to Virginia Beach

2010-05-11T03:00:00.000-07:00

...was a blast! There was a lot going on.

I ran in a 5K with Kim,

and Brittany celebrated her 20th birthday.

and got a kiss,

and did this when I wanted to take her picture?

Do you still love me, Brittany?

And Brianna was pretty,

as always.

We went to the Farmer's Market to restock Kim's yummy jam,

and had dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings.

Jake partook in his First Communion,

and he was happy.

Ryan got tackled by kids,

but he's used to this.

The boys wrestled,

and the girls colored,

and Izzy was cute,

and Mike fiddled with his iPhone,

because he's a Cortez man,

And that's just what they do. All of them.

Mitch cooked lumpia,

and let the kids get away with this.

We went to Williamsburg to shop, and then this happened.

and Mitch was apparently, very tired.

Do you still love me, Mitch?

That was our weekend in Virginia Beach with the fam in a nutshell.

P.S. Make sure to go check out this blog. The author is beautiful woman who has been a spiritual mentor and second mother to me all my life.

My Mother's Day

2010-05-10T03:00:00.000-07:00

...was quiet and delightful.

I was greeted in the morning in my bed by two little monkeys.

We went to church, where Eva made me the sweetest (literally) gift...

brown sugar facial scrub,

tucked into a bag that she made "all by herself,"

complete with a picture of her and I that she drew.

I think I'm the red-head:)

We came home and the girls each had a peanut butter sandwich with Cheetos and I had leftovers.

The girls took naps, and I had a cupcake...

or two, but who's counting? Not me.

My friends Matt and Michelle brought me flowers,

and this little cupcake compact mirror, which I adore.

My Mom had some flowers delivered to me as well.

Thanks Mom. I love them and I love you!

I edited some photos and watched a movie with the girls.

I put away some laundry.

My friend Becca brought me home-made Manicotti for dinner. It was delish.

And my camera battery died so I had to use my iPhone.

The girls went to bed, and I only had to put Izzy back to bed twice.

She asked me to sing "Don't Cry" which is really just the Amy Grant version of the River Lullaby from the Prince of Egypt.

And Eva wanted to sing "Smile" with me.

I had a cup of Winter Mint tea with honey and watched a couple episodes of Lost.

I went to bed happy and content and truly blessed.

It was a very good Mother's Day.

I hope yours was too.

On the Puppy Front

2010-05-07T07:08:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a busy week. I ran a race, I drove for about a gazillion hours, I came home, I unpacked (kind of) and it's been a nonstop frenzy of cleaning, organizing, errands, neighbors having babies, babysitting, and preparing for something VERY exciting next weekend.

But, I felt I needed to pause for a moment and let you all know that...

I'm getting a puppy!

We are officially on the list for 1st pick male for a litter of Goldendoodles to be born in October. We will have a Christmas puppy.

No turning back now!

So ladies, the moral of this story is, nagging works.

No, no I'm just kidding (or am I?).

The moral of the story is this:

Okay, okay...that's not really it either.

The real moral of the story is that I have an amazing hubby who, even though he's not thrilled with the idea of having a dog, can see the long term joy it could add to this family and who ultimately wants me to be happy.

Now I just have to make sure I don't milk that to my advantage too much ;)

Thank you Paul! I love you dearly!

Now we have to start thinking of names. I'm thinking Sam.

What do you think?

Weekend Run and a New Blog

2010-04-29T04:46:00.000-07:00

Today is a busy day for me! I've got crazy errands to run in preparation for my weekend trip down to Virginia Beach to spend some time with family and to RUN MY FIRST 5K. Well, okay technically it's not my first 5K, but it's the first one I've really taken seriously! Come Saturday afternoon, I will be one step closer towards my goal of running a half marathon by the end of the year.

I'll be back Monday to report in full all the goings on of this weekend (should be pretty nuts considering that part of the festivities is my niece's 21st birthday!). Until then, go check out my dear friend's new blog. She's an interior decorator gone stay-at-home mom and has developed some truly nifty little tricks for decorating on a budget.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I'm off to put in a few more miles before the race!

Cracked-Pot Mom

2010-04-28T04:04:00.000-07:00

I am a cracked pot. Deeply cracked. We all are...some of us just hide it better than others. I don't hide it well at all. My emotions are always on display right smack dab in between my ears and my imperfections are not the kind that can be hidden easily. Sometimes, this makes me mad. But sometimes, it's a relief. People tend to know exactly what they're getting into when they start hanging out with me. Just ask Paul. I laid out my 5 year plan for him on our first date (which included marriage and having 5 babies)! And he still called for a second one...crazy man.

Anyway, I hate my deficiencies as a human. I mean, they make me frustrated and crazy and then all those deficiencies just show all the more. It's a viscous cycle, really. In fact, I can really get lost in them. They can weigh me down in a big, bad way. Do you ever feel like that?

Sometimes, I look at my poor girls and wonder how the heck, I'm supposed to raise healthy kids!?! Me?!? And yet, they are so forgiving of all of my imperfections. Even when those imperfections affect them to the point where they are hurt by them.

For example, I like schedules and routine and I always have a to do list rattling in the back of my brain. It's a control freak, Type A thing and I don't like it one bit! Why? Because I find that being able to cross something off of my "to do" list often takes priority over teaching my children. Because I too often allow my own agenda get in the way of nurturing their hearts. Because I find myself reacting to them as I go about my business instead of being proactive and making them my business.

I'm really putting myself out there today. Does anyone relate, even a smidgen?

But here's what it boils down to. I fix my gaze on the wrong thing!!! If I'm not focused on all of my deficiencies and down about that, then I'm focused on fixing them with more schedule and routine and rules. My gaze is on ME!

No wonder I can feel so un-centered, so off-kilter, so...nuts! I'm not centering myself on the TRUTH. I'm not fixing my gaze where it's supposed to be!

JESUS.

"We all have deficiencies. God created us that way. Why? So that we would learn to depend on Him." - Susanne Scheppman

"...'my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness, in insults in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." - 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Lord, my imperfections are great in number and in strength when my eyes are not fixed on You. Like the potter centers his clay on the wheel, center me, Lord. Like he pushes and shapes it as the wheel turns, mold me Father. Make your strength perfect in my weakness, just as you've promised you would.

Reveal

2010-04-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is it. The moment you've all been waiting for. Okay, so maybe you haven't really been waiting...perhaps I'm the only one that has been chewing my cuticles off in anticipation of this moment. Even so, I'm glad to finally present to you...

Izzy's Big Girl Room!

Let's start with the details, shall we? The bedding, banner, throw pillow and curtains are all Rachel Ashwell's Simply Shabby Chic line for Target. I love this stuff. It makes me feel all girly and feminine and calm, which feminine and calm may be a total oxymoron, but humor me...

The butterfly/birds/branches art work is courtesy of moi! Although, I really have Susie Harris to thank as she is the inspiration for most of this kind of art work in my house.

The fabric pom poms are also made by yours truly and you can get the super easy, super cheap (yet super time consuming...just to warn you) tutorial here.

And, because if Izzy could formulate the words, she'd want me to show her small (but ever growing) stuffed animal collection, here it is. The. Kid. Loves. Dogs. Don't know where she got that from?!?!

And now, let's pick it apart. Because let's be honest, that's what us girly, feminine, calm women do. We pick ourselves apart. Let's proceed...

Firstly, I need something to go over the head of the bed. Her name, a picture, some of my mom's calligraphy...something. Any suggestions?

Secondly, this book case is temporary. My neighbor, Alex who is super handy with a saw is making me a cute little corner book case to go in that corner. Something small and white and dainty. I think it will really brighten up that corner, don't you? Oh, and a new lampshade. Something softer.

And thirdly, I really would love a white dresser. This is my mother-in-laws dresser, which I LOVE. It's gorgeous and solid and it's perfect...but I really love white furniture in a little girl's room, so unless she's willing to let me paint this one, I see a new one in our future at some point, as well as a white headboard, but we don't want Paul to blow a gasket while reading this post so we'll just keep that in our back pocket for now.

And just for fun, let's do some before and afters, okay?!? Those are always fun.

Before...

After...

Oh, and for you safety conscience Mommy's out there, don't you worry your pretty little heads. This bed has a hideaway, extra long safety rail that pops up and locks into place whenever Izzy Bee is tucked in. She's safe and sound in that big girl bed so you can all rest easy. I sure have.

All in all, I really love how this room turned out. It doesn't completely match the picture in my head, but hey, it's not to Shabby (pun intended) considering the minuscule budget I had to work with.

Now if I could just get Izzy to stay in her new big girl bed instead of sneaking off to her sisters at night...

A New Hiding Place

2010-04-20T03:00:00.000-07:00

Last week, I was at Target. This is nothing new as I practically LIVE at Target. Target and the Dollar Store. I do love the Dollar Store.

Anyway...

As I meandered through the isles, mentally redecorating my entire house, a burst of aqua flashed across my peripheral view. I turned my head to behold a couple of turquoise vases that were ON SALE. I immediately hugged three of them into my grasp and set them in my cart with childlike excitement to get them home.

I love them.

Meanwhile, Izzy lost a shoe. I'd been searching high and low for that dern shoe and I couldn't find it anywhere.

My girls are obsessed with shoes and will literally don 4 or 5 different pair in one day. We have dress up shoes, church shoes, flip flops, yard shoes and tennis shoes. Lots of shoes for them to change their minds lots of times in the course of a day. I tell you this because Izzy is equally obsessed with hiding things lately.

So, she hid her shoe. And I couldn't find it for days.

And then I dusted.

And I found her shoe.

I am Giddy

2010-04-19T03:00:00.000-07:00

I love getting mail. Love it like I love getting a present on my birthday. Even if it's only the latest Bed, Bath and Beyond coupon, if it has my name on it, I'm happy. I love to get mail. It means that I must hold some importance of some kind to someone.

Even better, a package IN the mail! My friends can attest to the complete and utter glee that spreads across my disposition when the Fed Ex or UPS guy shows up at my door. It is so fun for me.

Simple minds...

Moving on, last week, I got a package in the mail from someone I love. Best kind of package EVER!

My dear sister-in-law, Lina sent me a box full of goodies. Really good goodies.

There were 6 different flavors of gourmet tea,

3 different kinds of biscotti and Pepperidge Farms Milano cookies (be still my heart),

Organic Agave Nectar sticks,

cute little tea bags,

and even a Chai flavored Luna bar and some tea for "on the go."

I was one happy girl.

Thank you so much, Lina! This was such an unexpected treat and I am going to savor it slowly!