Not Me Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.
Well, I had such a ridiculously stupid "Not Me" kinda week, that I decided it should be documented! Here goes:

• I did not open the front door to go outside and check the mail, and then knock on the screen door before walking out of my own house! I did not step back, look at Avery as if to say "Why did I just do that?" and then proceed to open the door (this time without knocking!) and get the mail!
• I did not place a piece of aluminum in the microwave, set it for a minute and then see & hear sparks. I did not pop the door open and realize there was an actual fire in the microwave. I certainly did not look at Avery screaming "Oh my gosh! What are we supposed to do when there's a fire in the microwave?!?" It's okay, we all lived, microwave included. Lesson learned: It is well worth saving Papa Johns garlic butter for the next day. Just make sure you take off the aluminum lid before reheating.
• I did not get so interested in a certain conservative talk show radio host, that I just had to hear his final point. Not wanting to sit at the gas tank while listening, I tried to figure out how to keep the radio on, so I could listen while pumping gas. I was not very pleased to be listening to Rush while pumping my gas. I certainly did not get back into the car, attempt to crank it and realize exactly why I figured out how to keep the radio on; I never turned the car off!
• I have not referred to a diaper change as a 'butt' change for the last two years. I would never do something so crude. I'm not blaming it on Charlie, because surely he thought this up and NOT me. It never occurred to me not to say the word "butt" 5 times a day until Avery started to point out everyone's butt. She is not obsessed with pointing to, and talking about, all things butt-related. And who's to blame? Certainly not this mom!
• And last but not least, I am not planning on harassing all of you to enter my giveaway for a $50 gift card to your favorite store.

What I Know About Love

The other day I sat down to read my Bible and turned to 1 Corinthians 13. These are verses I know well. I've probably heard them most of my life, my daddy read them as he officiated my wedding ceremony and most of them I can recite. But some days God just uses scriptures that we know so well to teach us something brand new. I love those days. This was one of those mornings spent so surrounded by His spirit that you can do nothing but be amazed by His presence, which usually brings me to tears.

Somewhere along the way, we got the idea that love was easy. You just fall into it. And if it's the 'right one' it'll be so easy to always love. We think of it as more of a feeling than an act. The twisted ideas that society has come up w/ are so far from what the Bible describes.

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸Love never fails.

That, my friend, is not always easy. And maybe for some people it is. It's usually easy to love Avery even as the Bible describes it. And I can really work hard at it w/ Charlie, because he is my husband. But can I love those I don't have to? The annoying know-it-all at the office who makes me want to quit my job. The poorly dressed person at the gas station asking for money. The family member that no one can stand. The politician that makes decisions you find so hard to understand. Can I love those? I'll never have the fuzzy, Lifetime love for any of them. But can I have the God kind of love? Can I be patient with them and kind? Can I forget my pride and not want my own way? Can I not become angry w/ them, even on the hard days? Can I forget the things they've done in the past I didn't agree with? If I can do those things, love will never fail. One thing I know is true, God's word. So I'm going to really try to put those into practice. I want to love the unlovable. I want to love those I know and those I don't know. Because if I don't, I can do all kinds of other great things, but without love - it's nothing. I'm not crazy enough to think I can do this on my own. I need to be so covered in His spirit, so reminded of His word. I need to depend completely on Him to do this, or to do anything. That is the only way we'll ever experience true love. You don't just fall into that. It's a challenge. And with any challenge, great are the rewards.

$50 gift card GIVEAWAY for a good cause!

I decided it's time for my first GIVEAWAY! The lucky winner will receive a $50 gift card to either Target or Starbucks (your choice). And if you have neither of those in your area, just tell me what you prefer. I'm very flexible :) I'm also going to throw in a gently read Beth Moore book - "So Long, Insecurity!" It is great!

Who doesn't love a good apron? Recently I purchased two of the cutest aprons. One for Avery, one for me! The best part? They match. Super adorable. I see many matching outfits in our future ;) I found them at this Etsy site: http://www.etsy.com/shop/happyasalark

This is not your typical Etsy site. Calley, and her husband Danny, have been led to adopt a child from Peru. As you know, this can be very expensive. But Calley is talented and creative and decided to make aprons to raise the money. This speaks to me in so many ways. She is not just hearing from God, but she is working hard to do His will. They know it will not be easy, but they realize sometimes God's will involves things outside of your comfort zone. Please pray about this and take a look at her adorable Etsy store. Calley is the kind of person that you glance at and immediately know something is different. She is so covered in His holy spirit, she literally shines. I don't know any other way to explain it. Danny is the pastor in the church I grew up in and he has a fire for God that I crave. They are two of the best people I know. Please pray for them as they go on this journey.

The contest starts right now and ends on August 31st. Here's how to win!

• Purchase an apron (or 2...or 3...or 4!) These make great Christmas and birthday gifts for all ages. 5 entries per apron.
• Share Calley's etsy site on Facebook or Twitter for 1 entry: http://www.etsy.com/shop/happyasalark  
• Blog about this giveaway for 2 entries.
• Remember to leave a comment letting me know what all you've done (no need to leave separate comments, I will enter your name on a spreadsheet for the number of entries you should have and use random.com to choose the number of the winner on 9/1).

Avery LOVES her new apron and asks to put it on every morning! She also wants me to put mine on. So sweet :)

Another design I love...

 

Wordless Wednesday - Summer Fun!

Vacation!

I told you pics were to come! Avery loved the beach. There weren't many people there, but we did have a nice, relaxing time. We chose a MS beach b/c the oil hadn't reached MS when we booked a few months ago. Turns out, the oil made it there too. I am so glad they finally got it capped. The condo was really nice though and we had a very nice time.

See...kinda looks like the MS river, huh?

I don't think Avery noticed!

We were promised by a worker w/ MS state that the darker sand was clay and had nothing to do w/ the oil.

View from the condo

Yeah, I'm a little behind...

...so I guess we'll just start here? Have I mentioned that I'm proud of my little brothers? Here is Josh...the valedictorian. No pics of Mark, shame on me, but he graduated w/ his bachelors degree from Tech! He will have an MBA soon too. And I used to think I was the smart one....ha!

Thank God Josh got reserved seats. We (me and Avery) literally walked in as graduation was starting (I know, shame on me!) Here is Avery trying to escape!

My Beach

Hi everyone! I always feel the need to greet you when I've been away for a while :)

We just returned from a relaxing week at the beach. It's back to the grind on Monday. I have a list of things to do but have been spending the afternoon rocking a sick little girl while reading blogs about much sicker babies. Those stories really put a stomach virus in perspective. Since I felt like I was in a blogging mood I thought I should type fast, before it passes.

Avery got to experience many firsts this week - first trip to the beach, first walk on the sand, first steps in the ocean, first family vacation, first waterpark, and her favorite - first gourmet filled cupcake. Oh yes, she is her mother's daughter! Her precious poppa and nonna drove a lot of miles searching for Frosting, but it was oh so worth it!

I am not much of a beach bum. Even during my skinny phase, I didn't want to go to the beach. The sand in my suitcase and the scratch of a sunburn just wasn't my thing. Since then, I have decided any beach w/ a Frosting nearby is good enough for me! Okay, I hope you realize that was a joke - hehehe! This year, I decided that sand and sunburn or not, it was time for Avery to see her beach. Yes, she did refer to it as "My Beach". She is just.that.special if you ask me! I haven't loaded or edited any of the beach pics, but there will be more of those to come.

We got home yesterday and Avery got sick in the middle of the night, I was really hoping we could blame it on Taco Bell, and feeling realllly guilty that I let her eat Taco Bell, but the sickness has continued today. I remember thinking before I had kids that there would be no way I would be okay w/ cleaning up "sickness" in the middle of the night. I thought I would make my husband do it. HA! But something strange happens in your heart, holding that baby in the bathroom and all you want is to make it better for her. Of course, this had to be the night that we took a trip to Toys R Us and traded the paci's in for a new toy. She did great yesterday, but today after she got sick I asked "What can mama do to make it better, baby?" She replied in the saddest lil voice "Paaaaaapaaaaaa" (Asking for her paci, of course). And if a 2 yr old could fake a stomach virus, I'd say she was, but I'm pretty sure that's not possible. Glad I saved a few back up pacis! Well, I'm going to post this before my sick princess wakes up. Pics of fun in the sun to come!

Anyone out there?

Hi bloggy buddies!

Well my short blog hiatus turned into quite a long one. There are just not enough hours in the day. And despite my best intentions, I did not find time to upload any new pics. My bloggy book next year is going to be very thin if I don't get back on track! We've had a fun month. Charlie's birthday happened to be the same day as Father's Day and it was so nice and relaxing. Avery attended two birthday parties last weekend and a swimming party this month as well. She got her toenails painted hot pink for the first time and now has a toddler bed! (That she definitely has no plans to sleep in!) She is very close to being completely potty trained and her speech is getting better and better every day. We are gearing up to go to the beach next week with the whole family and it couldn't come at a better time. I need a BREAK! I am 'this close' to deciding to leave the laptop (work and personal) at home during vacation too!

If I get bit by the blog bug soon, maybe I'll be back to normal. But for now, I am just not feelin it. Hope you all are having a nice, relaxing summer. I am still reading some blogs and keeping up. At the moment, I need to attend to a very demanding little princess. Toodles!

All My Dreams Came True

This morning I was going thru the routine. You know - makeup, hair, all of that. I was thinking a bit about the legislation that passed last night to break up big banks. I thought about my job with a giant bank, a job that I really enjoy w/ a company that I just.plain.love. I thought about the devastation it would bring to this area if this building closes. I wondered what we would do, since Charlie works here too. And then I realized something. Growing up, I didn't dream of getting this job. I just didn't. All I really wanted was to get married and be a great wife and mom. All of a sudden it hit me, all of my dreams have already come true. So, if this liberal administration wants to take away my job, and my husband's job, they can. But they cannot take away my livelihood. I don't have to let them. And they certainly cannot take away my family. My dream has already come true. God did that.

I'm tired of breaking news updates on my phone. I'm tired of oil spills, floods, and liberal government getting their hands in every piece of our lives. I'm over it. My dreams have come true, but sometimes I'm too busy tweeting or reading tweets or updating my status, or reading statuses, or blogging or reading blogs (yes, I realize that it is totally ironic that I'm currently in the middle of blogging, but...stay w/ me here!) So, its time for a break. The world we live in has more information flying at us than any other generation could've imagined. Maybe thats one reason why there aren't enough hours in the day. So, I'm taking a break. I won't be writing blogs or reading blogs or tweeting or facebooking or googling. And even as I type those words, I take a deep breath. That's not easy for me. But I just need a break. Twitter, including Fox news updates, are officially turned off. So, if this whole thing crashes around me, someone will just have to call me and let me know, I guess. I'm too busy watching my dreams come true all around me. In the midst of total chaos.

Not Me Monday

 

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

• I am not the proud sister of two graduates this year. One is not the valedictorian of his class and the other is not the first (real) college graduate in our family! Nope, not me!
• I did not choose two pictures w/ the princess in them to share picutres of the graduates. I would never do that!

Josh, the high school valedictorian

Mark, the LA Tech college of business graduate, who is now pursuing his MBA.
• I did not decide it would be better to wait until the last minute to bring Avery to graduation.
• I did not underestimate the huge crowd and the parking problems that could create. I did not catch a ride on a trolly w/ only a few minutes to spare before Josh led the graduates down the isle.
• It was certainly not I (Avery in tow) that pushed my way through the hundreds of people waiting in the lobby who weren't allowed to enter, since no seats were left.
• I did not push my way past the graduates into thousands of standing people who were expecting to see the young adults in cap and gowns. I did not get strange stares and "Hey, who is that?" or "What is she doing?" comments. I certainly was not on the large screen walking down the center isle just as graduation was supposed to begin. I'm sure I'm not on the video tape that all the parents will buy.
• I certainly was not relieved to make it to the front row reserved seats just in time for Pomp and Circumstance . Had Josh not been #1, there is NO way Avery and I would've been able to watch!
• I did not just use one story to create an entire Not Me Monday post, but it was just that embarrassing!