Second half of 30

I just celebrated my half birthday. It snuck up on me. I had been excited about turning 30 for so long... it was going to be a huge turning point in my life... and then life happened. I've lived long enough at this point to understand that while life is beautiful, it is also unpredictable. The first 6 months of my 30 have been about "surviving"--weathering major life changes and adversity. Looking back on those hard months, I am proud of what God has brought my family through. I am thankful for his strength, patience, and provisions as we've reaquainted what a life truly submitted to him looks like. It's crazy how we can take detours along the way only to get back to that point--realizing that He meets our every need, that He is sufficient to fulfill us. I can truly attest to the Ecclesiastical truth that "there is a season for everything under heaven."

I know I have many more lessons to learn and assuredly more times of adversity to experience in my life, but I also feel like my days of "doggie paddling" are changing into "freestlying." While some of my favorite moments in all of my 30 years took place during this season and I wouldn't change anything, I'm still excited about getting past survivial mode and truly embracing living. I have many ideas about how I want to spend these next 6 months of 30. I hope that my actual living of them will exceed my expecations.

Lamentations 3: 22-26 "Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for him.' The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."

I just celebrated my half birthday. It snuck up on me. I had been excited about turning 30 for so long... it was going to be a huge turning point in my life... and then life happened. I've lived long enough at this point to understand that while life is beautiful, it is also unpredictable. The first 6 months of my 30 have been about "surviving"--weathering major life changes and adversity. Looking back on those hard months, I am proud of what God has brought my family through. I am thankful for his strength, patience, and provisions as we've reaquainted what a life truly submitted to him looks like. It's crazy how we can take detours along the way only to get back to that point--realizing that He meets our every need, that He is sufficient to fulfill us. I can truly attest to the Ecclesiastical truth that "there is a season for everything under heaven."

I know I have many more lessons to learn and assuredly more times of adversity to experience in my life, but I also feel like my days of "doggie paddling" are changing into "freestlying." While some of my favorite moments in all of my 30 years took place during this season and I wouldn't change anything, I'm still excited about getting past survivial mode and truly embracing living. I have many ideas about how I want to spend these next 6 months of 30. I hope that my actual living of them will exceed my expecations.

Lamentations 3: 22-26 "Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for him.' The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."

People are good...

Every time I think I'm about to give up on "people" being good, something someone does always surprises me.

I have a friend who is seriously intentional about taking care of her friends. She organizes food when someone is going through a rough time, offers monthly free babysitting to one of her and her husband's couple friends who don't have family in town so that they can have a date night, and encourages people regularly through notes, quotes, scriptures, even care packages.

I have coworker who, anonymously, throughout the year supplied goodie bags with personalized encouragement to members of the faculty--and I'm not even talking about just her circle of friends.

Tonight, I am enjoying a meal courtesy one of my dear friends--yet a friend who I don't keep in touch with as much as I wish I did. When Patrick began traveling so much, an out of town friend sent us a generous giftcard to Super Suppers. (If you are unfamiliar with this concept, click on the link. It's pretty awesome.) She knew that dinners would be difficult to get through alone with a newborn. She heard about our situation and thoughtfully planned a way to help us meet one of our needs. While I love to cook, it is difficult to prepare meals for 1 during the week--especially with my mobile daughter who I chase around every hour of every day. My "super suppers" have been so delicious and allow me to feel like I am eating a homecooked meal every night. Plus, they have a "healthy meal" menu, and each meal in this catergory has under 600 calories. It's truly a beautiful thing. Tonight I had parmesan chicken, sauteed vegetables, and a flake roll. So delicious.

In a world filled with selfishness, materialism, even violence and hatred, it always inspires me to be reminded that there are people who seek goodness, people who truly love. It also makes me want to be one of those people.

God is love, and He is still everpresent in this fallen world.

Every time I think I'm about to give up on "people" being good, something someone does always surprises me.

I have a friend who is seriously intentional about taking care of her friends. She organizes food when someone is going through a rough time, offers monthly free babysitting to one of her and her husband's couple friends who don't have family in town so that they can have a date night, and encourages people regularly through notes, quotes, scriptures, even care packages.

I have coworker who, anonymously, throughout the year supplied goodie bags with personalized encouragement to members of the faculty--and I'm not even talking about just her circle of friends.

Tonight, I am enjoying a meal courtesy one of my dear friends--yet a friend who I don't keep in touch with as much as I wish I did. When Patrick began traveling so much, an out of town friend sent us a generous giftcard to Super Suppers. (If you are unfamiliar with this concept, click on the link. It's pretty awesome.) She knew that dinners would be difficult to get through alone with a newborn. She heard about our situation and thoughtfully planned a way to help us meet one of our needs. While I love to cook, it is difficult to prepare meals for 1 during the week--especially with my mobile daughter who I chase around every hour of every day. My "super suppers" have been so delicious and allow me to feel like I am eating a homecooked meal every night. Plus, they have a "healthy meal" menu, and each meal in this catergory has under 600 calories. It's truly a beautiful thing. Tonight I had parmesan chicken, sauteed vegetables, and a flake roll. So delicious.

In a world filled with selfishness, materialism, even violence and hatred, it always inspires me to be reminded that there are people who seek goodness, people who truly love. It also makes me want to be one of those people.

God is love, and He is still everpresent in this fallen world.

Sanz-off and the ultimate arm workout

I don't like sand. But I love the beach. Paradox? I like to look at the sand--the way it changes as the ocean waves ebb and flow, and I don't mind if it gets squished between my toes when I walk on the beach; however, I HATE it when it attaches itself to my freshly sunscreened legs, when it shows up in crooks and crevices like armpits, necks, and backs of knees... or when my 8-month-old thinks it is hilarious to roll over face first from her nice plush beach blanket into the grainy grimy sand and then stick fistfulls of it into her mouth.

Amy and I were people-watching today while our girls were napping (wait, read while Caroline was napping because Addison was too "busy" playing and trying to charm onlookers while eating sand...) and we noticed this girl who had the coolest gadget EVER. I need to ask her where she got it because all I have been able to find on the internet is this:

It's the same concept, but not nearly the same caliber of gadget that my lay out neighbor had. She would get up from her towel, brush off the backs of her legs, and then brush off her beach chair. I was mesmerized. I have always wondered how girls can look so perfectly put together while laying out--like they are not hot or sweaty at all, their hair and make-up just perfectly proportionate to their perfect tans. That person is not me! I am the sweaty, visor-wearing girl with tan-streaked legs because I was too impatient to put my sunscreen on evenly. Maybe if I can locate this tool to get the sand off me, I can be one step closer to being girl #1.

We began our morning with a nice long walk after breakfast. Yesterday, we tried to alternate our walks while the girls were taking their morning naps, but that didn't work, so this morning we decided to go early while it was still cool enough to take the girls. Our first half of the walk was perfect--nice breeze, cool shade, happy babies. When we turned around, we were directly facing the rising sun and there was no breeze. In order to protect our sweet babies' porcelain skin, we chose to walk the return portion of our trail like this:

It was HARD. 30 minutes of walking like this is quite the workout. Keeping the stroller from zig-zagging back and forth, making sure the girls were shaded, avoiding bumps and tripping, we were WORN OUT, and my arms are going to be so sore! But it was awesome. We got lots of looks and laughs, but, "oh the things we will endure" for the protection of these little bathing beauties. I may even do it again tomorrow.

I don't like sand. But I love the beach. Paradox? I like to look at the sand--the way it changes as the ocean waves ebb and flow, and I don't mind if it gets squished between my toes when I walk on the beach; however, I HATE it when it attaches itself to my freshly sunscreened legs, when it shows up in crooks and crevices like armpits, necks, and backs of knees... or when my 8-month-old thinks it is hilarious to roll over face first from her nice plush beach blanket into the grainy grimy sand and then stick fistfulls of it into her mouth.

Amy and I were people-watching today while our girls were napping (wait, read while Caroline was napping because Addison was too "busy" playing and trying to charm onlookers while eating sand...) and we noticed this girl who had the coolest gadget EVER. I need to ask her where she got it because all I have been able to find on the internet is this:

It's the same concept, but not nearly the same caliber of gadget that my lay out neighbor had. She would get up from her towel, brush off the backs of her legs, and then brush off her beach chair. I was mesmerized. I have always wondered how girls can look so perfectly put together while laying out--like they are not hot or sweaty at all, their hair and make-up just perfectly proportionate to their perfect tans. That person is not me! I am the sweaty, visor-wearing girl with tan-streaked legs because I was too impatient to put my sunscreen on evenly. Maybe if I can locate this tool to get the sand off me, I can be one step closer to being girl #1.

We began our morning with a nice long walk after breakfast. Yesterday, we tried to alternate our walks while the girls were taking their morning naps, but that didn't work, so this morning we decided to go early while it was still cool enough to take the girls. Our first half of the walk was perfect--nice breeze, cool shade, happy babies. When we turned around, we were directly facing the rising sun and there was no breeze. In order to protect our sweet babies' porcelain skin, we chose to walk the return portion of our trail like this:

It was HARD. 30 minutes of walking like this is quite the workout. Keeping the stroller from zig-zagging back and forth, making sure the girls were shaded, avoiding bumps and tripping, we were WORN OUT, and my arms are going to be so sore! But it was awesome. We got lots of looks and laughs, but, "oh the things we will endure" for the protection of these little bathing beauties. I may even do it again tomorrow.

Little Swimmie Leakage...

We just got in from eating at The Back Porch and shopping at Destin Commons after spending a sunny day out at the beach. Addison took her first nap out on the beach and looked like an old pro, sweet girl. Our first day of vacation feels complete--everybody has full tummies and is ready for bed.

I had an issue with the swimmie diapers this afternoon, though. After the girls woke up from their afternoon naps, Amy and were planning to take them to the pool. I put Addison in her swimmie while I was heating her bottle, and I was feeding her in my lap when I felt a warm puddly sensation in my lap. It took me a minute to realize that she had PEED ON ME--straight through her diaper, through my coverup, through my bathing suit. She took a break from her bottle and sighed real contentedly, like, "Ah, that felt good." What a silly girl. Anyway, not to big of a fan of those swimmies, but it made for a good laugh.

We just got in from eating at The Back Porch and shopping at Destin Commons after spending a sunny day out at the beach. Addison took her first nap out on the beach and looked like an old pro, sweet girl. Our first day of vacation feels complete--everybody has full tummies and is ready for bed.

I had an issue with the swimmie diapers this afternoon, though. After the girls woke up from their afternoon naps, Amy and were planning to take them to the pool. I put Addison in her swimmie while I was heating her bottle, and I was feeding her in my lap when I felt a warm puddly sensation in my lap. It took me a minute to realize that she had PEED ON ME--straight through her diaper, through my coverup, through my bathing suit. She took a break from her bottle and sighed real contentedly, like, "Ah, that felt good." What a silly girl. Anyway, not to big of a fan of those swimmies, but it made for a good laugh.

VIVA LA VIDA

Best. Concert. Ever.

For Mother's Day, one of my gifts from P was a ticket to Coldplay--a "date" with Chris Martin, if you will. :) My man is awesome, I know.

Anyway the show was tonight with Snow Patrol opening for them. They started off the night with a captivating energy. Most of the audience sang along to their familiar songs, and when they played "Chasing Cars," I replayed Grey's Anatomy's Season two finale--scene by scene, line by line--in my mind as I intently listened {which, on a bit of a tangent, is arguably the best episode ever...} It was a great moment.

However, none can compare to Coldplay. I've watched several of their shows on music tv, but seeing them live is altogether an emotional experience. They played for a solid 2 hours, performed every song I would have wanted them to except "Swallowed in the Sea" which I really didn't expect. My personal favorites were "In My Place," "Fix You," and of course "Yellow." Chris was humble, funny, personable, and they gave each audience member a free cd of live tracks.

Before the show, P took me out to eat at Sunset Grill in Hillsboro Village. It was so fun for us to get to go out and be datey lovey. Addison had a blast with her cuz at Jaydee and Bear's, so it was a pleasent evening for all of the fam.

Best. Concert. Ever.

For Mother's Day, one of my gifts from P was a ticket to Coldplay--a "date" with Chris Martin, if you will. :) My man is awesome, I know.

Anyway the show was tonight with Snow Patrol opening for them. They started off the night with a captivating energy. Most of the audience sang along to their familiar songs, and when they played "Chasing Cars," I replayed Grey's Anatomy's Season two finale--scene by scene, line by line--in my mind as I intently listened {which, on a bit of a tangent, is arguably the best episode ever...} It was a great moment.

However, none can compare to Coldplay. I've watched several of their shows on music tv, but seeing them live is altogether an emotional experience. They played for a solid 2 hours, performed every song I would have wanted them to except "Swallowed in the Sea" which I really didn't expect. My personal favorites were "In My Place," "Fix You," and of course "Yellow." Chris was humble, funny, personable, and they gave each audience member a free cd of live tracks.

Before the show, P took me out to eat at Sunset Grill in Hillsboro Village. It was so fun for us to get to go out and be datey lovey. Addison had a blast with her cuz at Jaydee and Bear's, so it was a pleasent evening for all of the fam.

Summer Lovin'

Two weeks into summer, and I am loving it! I have definitely felt thankful for this period of sunshine in my life after going through a season of rain... This week has been a fun one for Addison and me--going to the pool, the park, playdates with friends, time with family! Here are a few things I am especially loving right now:

1. Tomato Pie. I got this recipe from a girl Julie who I don't personally know, but whose blog I read occasionally because she is a Chi-O at Auburn and has a cool sense of style and sense of self. It makes me miss college and the freedom of spirit that goes with it. It's the easiest thing to make... In a pie shell, coat the bottom with 2 Tbsp of spicy mustard. Cover with 2 cups of swiss cheese. Cover with 3 1/4-inch-thick sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle with dried basil flakes and Jane's Krazy salt. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Top with fresh basil leaves (missing from my picture). Let cool about 10 minutes.

I made this as a side to poppyseed chicken with fresh salad and key lime pie. One of my goals of the summer is to be a culinary goddess on the weekends when Patrick is home with us so that he feels "home." And so that I make sure that he still "wants me." {And I think it is working... He went on and on about how delicious dinner was and jumped up to do the dishes. What a good man! :)} In all seriousness, I really am enjoying trying new recipes wearing my anthropologie apron--a gift of birthdays past a la Jesse.

2. DMB's new CD release, Big Whiskey. Anybody catch them on the Today Show this morning? So amazing... I spent my high school and college years following them like some people follow Widespread Panic and The Grateful Dead. Their new tracks are so so good, and I have listened to nothing else since I downloaded it on my itunes this week.

3. Catching up with everyone's blogs. I really was totally enmeshed with work and domesticity this winter and spring, and I am enjoying getting caught up on fashion, style, funny stories, and family pictures on everyone's pages.

Addy and I went to the park with my oldest and one of my dearest friends and her kids today, and we were talking about life--how to balance being individuals, adults, moms, wives, friends, and our conversation turned to cooking. She said she got some recipes and sewing tutorials off "someone's random blog." Then, she stopped and said, "Wait, you may know her. She went to Auburn. It's 'Fly through my window.'" I laughed and said, "Yeah, it's Darby. She and I were sorority sisters." Articulate response, huh! Ha!

Usually a blog cynic and boycotter, my friend told me how much she likes how refreshing Darby's blog is... how she appreciates the way she does not brag about how great her life is, but how whenever she has a good idea or completes a successful project, she shares the recipe, tutorial, etc. She went on to say how she really feels like Darby is using her blog to be an encouragement to women and young moms, that she felt good about herself every time she follows one of her practical tutorials--and what a great way to glorify God! It encouraged me to hear, and it made me proud of my Auburn family. I need to email Darby and let her know how widely and far-reaching her blog is read and the kind of impact she is making. If you've not read her before, you should definitely add her to your blogroll.

Two weeks into summer, and I am loving it! I have definitely felt thankful for this period of sunshine in my life after going through a season of rain... This week has been a fun one for Addison and me--going to the pool, the park, playdates with friends, time with family! Here are a few things I am especially loving right now:

1. Tomato Pie. I got this recipe from a girl Julie who I don't personally know, but whose blog I read occasionally because she is a Chi-O at Auburn and has a cool sense of style and sense of self. It makes me miss college and the freedom of spirit that goes with it. It's the easiest thing to make... In a pie shell, coat the bottom with 2 Tbsp of spicy mustard. Cover with 2 cups of swiss cheese. Cover with 3 1/4-inch-thick sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle with dried basil flakes and Jane's Krazy salt. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Top with fresh basil leaves (missing from my picture). Let cool about 10 minutes.

I made this as a side to poppyseed chicken with fresh salad and key lime pie. One of my goals of the summer is to be a culinary goddess on the weekends when Patrick is home with us so that he feels "home." And so that I make sure that he still "wants me." {And I think it is working... He went on and on about how delicious dinner was and jumped up to do the dishes. What a good man! :)} In all seriousness, I really am enjoying trying new recipes wearing my anthropologie apron--a gift of birthdays past a la Jesse.

2. DMB's new CD release, Big Whiskey. Anybody catch them on the Today Show this morning? So amazing... I spent my high school and college years following them like some people follow Widespread Panic and The Grateful Dead. Their new tracks are so so good, and I have listened to nothing else since I downloaded it on my itunes this week.

3. Catching up with everyone's blogs. I really was totally enmeshed with work and domesticity this winter and spring, and I am enjoying getting caught up on fashion, style, funny stories, and family pictures on everyone's pages.

Addy and I went to the park with my oldest and one of my dearest friends and her kids today, and we were talking about life--how to balance being individuals, adults, moms, wives, friends, and our conversation turned to cooking. She said she got some recipes and sewing tutorials off "someone's random blog." Then, she stopped and said, "Wait, you may know her. She went to Auburn. It's 'Fly through my window.'" I laughed and said, "Yeah, it's Darby. She and I were sorority sisters." Articulate response, huh! Ha!

Usually a blog cynic and boycotter, my friend told me how much she likes how refreshing Darby's blog is... how she appreciates the way she does not brag about how great her life is, but how whenever she has a good idea or completes a successful project, she shares the recipe, tutorial, etc. She went on to say how she really feels like Darby is using her blog to be an encouragement to women and young moms, that she felt good about herself every time she follows one of her practical tutorials--and what a great way to glorify God! It encouraged me to hear, and it made me proud of my Auburn family. I need to email Darby and let her know how widely and far-reaching her blog is read and the kind of impact she is making. If you've not read her before, you should definitely add her to your blogroll.

Thursday's Project

But first a peek at Addison's 6 month photos made by my friend Brooke. I love them. It's hard to believe that she had been at Vanderbilt Children's ER just a couple of days before with her stomach flu... She wasn't in a very happy mood this day, but Brooke still got some great shots--she is so talented! Can't believe my baby is 8 months already...

Now onto today's project... Lindsay and I are heading to the Smocking Loft to make our girls some matching summer jumpers tonight. Besides my pillow/table skirt living room rehab a couple of years ago, I haven't done much sewing since Donna Brasher's home ec class in high school. In keeping with my summer mantra {see post 2 below}, the pattern is "Simplicity 2672." Should be interesting, but here's to our new hobby!

But first a peek at Addison's 6 month photos made by my friend Brooke. I love them. It's hard to believe that she had been at Vanderbilt Children's ER just a couple of days before with her stomach flu... She wasn't in a very happy mood this day, but Brooke still got some great shots--she is so talented! Can't believe my baby is 8 months already...

Now onto today's project... Lindsay and I are heading to the Smocking Loft to make our girls some matching summer jumpers tonight. Besides my pillow/table skirt living room rehab a couple of years ago, I haven't done much sewing since Donna Brasher's home ec class in high school. In keeping with my summer mantra {see post 2 below}, the pattern is "Simplicity 2672." Should be interesting, but here's to our new hobby!

Mixed Bathing

This is Addison and her Eagle's Nest boyfriend Jackson. She's quite the water baby, and we had so much fun today at Jen's with Becky and Angie! I love summer!

This is Addison's favorite thing to sleep in. She is recognizing who Elmo is, carries her Elmo with her wherever she goes, bends over to see Elmo on her onesie and giggles. As soon as she wakes up, she crawls to find her balls that Eli Stapler gave her. Think she might be a soccer girl?

This is Addison and her Eagle's Nest boyfriend Jackson. She's quite the water baby, and we had so much fun today at Jen's with Becky and Angie! I love summer!

This is Addison's favorite thing to sleep in. She is recognizing who Elmo is, carries her Elmo with her wherever she goes, bends over to see Elmo on her onesie and giggles. As soon as she wakes up, she crawls to find her balls that Eli Stapler gave her. Think she might be a soccer girl?

"Simplicity...

is the ultimate sophistication," says my Life is Good coffee mug. And I'm buying it. This summer I am seeking simplicity.

And right now I'm enjoying the quiet that comes with morning nap time.

is the ultimate sophistication," says my Life is Good coffee mug. And I'm buying it. This summer I am seeking simplicity.

And right now I'm enjoying the quiet that comes with morning nap time.

You know you are tired when...

you say to your students...

"I need you to STOP... saying WORDS... outLOUD...!!!"

That's my end-of-the-year, exhausted and exasperated attempts at classroom management...

My kids laughed and laughed at me when I said it--they really are good kids.

They are over it too! AP Exams are over. Gateway testing is over. All that's left is grading research essays and honors' portfolios. Hallelujah!

4.5 more days...

you say to your students...

"I need you to STOP... saying WORDS... outLOUD...!!!"

That's my end-of-the-year, exhausted and exasperated attempts at classroom management...

My kids laughed and laughed at me when I said it--they really are good kids.

They are over it too! AP Exams are over. Gateway testing is over. All that's left is grading research essays and honors' portfolios. Hallelujah!

4.5 more days...

things students say

A student, while revising a paper and focusing her thoughts on using precision in her word choice, approached me for help and said,

"Mrs. Crawford, I was thinking that you looked like an oracle of vocabulary..."

HA! I love my job.

A student, while revising a paper and focusing her thoughts on using precision in her word choice, approached me for help and said,

"Mrs. Crawford, I was thinking that you looked like an oracle of vocabulary..."

HA! I love my job.

texting, rumor mills, high school drama...

All in a day's work...

Disclaimer: Despite the story I am about to share, I have been overall very satisfied with my working mommy status and daycare situation. This story is an exception to that satisfaction...

Yesterday, I arrived at work to drop Addison off, and I found out that her 2 full-time teachers were out sick. The co-op student who works in there consistently with the babies was going to be in there all day. I felt ok about that.

When I went to check on her at 11:30--as I do each day--the student was not there, and a floater was feeding one of the younger babies a bottle. I noticed that there were only 3 babies instead of 4, and I inquired about the 4th. I learned that they had checked her temperature, found that it was extremely high, and the student worker had driven her with her mother (also a student) to the doctor--leaving the rest of the babies with the floater. I was NOT happy about that.

When I saw Addison, she'd been placed in a swing with a blanket that wasn't her own. Then, as I was sitting there with her, I looked at her chart and noticed that there was no record of her having been fed her mid-morning bottle OR her having had her diaper changed. At this point, I was trying to keep my composure, but I was increasingly upset. I inquired about the bottle; the lady said that she hadn't had one since she'd been in there, but she had made her one. I looked at it and it looked small, so I asked if she'd just had a little of it. She said, "No, I made her 4 ounces... isn't that what she takes?" I said, "Ummm, NO! She takes 6-7 ounces 4 times a day, and she should have had this an hour and a half ago..." So, I fed her myself. She ravenously sucked it down. Then I changed her myself. Then I walked out of the daycare and had a "mommy meltdown." I mean I was crying so hard. I found one of my mommy friends and asked her how I should handle it--wanting to wait until the emotions had subsided so that I would be heard rather than written off because I was irrational.

Two periods later, I spoke with the director, expressed my concerns, got things taken care of; however, a student happened to be in the hallway. Before I knew it, through texting, a rumor had been started that a baby in the daycare had the swine flu. THE SWINE FLU. The next day, my kids were coming in my room asking if I was ok--they'd heard that Addison had gotten the swine flu.

I was so annoyed, but I got over it. Gotta love teenagers...

All in a day's work...

Disclaimer: Despite the story I am about to share, I have been overall very satisfied with my working mommy status and daycare situation. This story is an exception to that satisfaction...

Yesterday, I arrived at work to drop Addison off, and I found out that her 2 full-time teachers were out sick. The co-op student who works in there consistently with the babies was going to be in there all day. I felt ok about that.

When I went to check on her at 11:30--as I do each day--the student was not there, and a floater was feeding one of the younger babies a bottle. I noticed that there were only 3 babies instead of 4, and I inquired about the 4th. I learned that they had checked her temperature, found that it was extremely high, and the student worker had driven her with her mother (also a student) to the doctor--leaving the rest of the babies with the floater. I was NOT happy about that.

When I saw Addison, she'd been placed in a swing with a blanket that wasn't her own. Then, as I was sitting there with her, I looked at her chart and noticed that there was no record of her having been fed her mid-morning bottle OR her having had her diaper changed. At this point, I was trying to keep my composure, but I was increasingly upset. I inquired about the bottle; the lady said that she hadn't had one since she'd been in there, but she had made her one. I looked at it and it looked small, so I asked if she'd just had a little of it. She said, "No, I made her 4 ounces... isn't that what she takes?" I said, "Ummm, NO! She takes 6-7 ounces 4 times a day, and she should have had this an hour and a half ago..." So, I fed her myself. She ravenously sucked it down. Then I changed her myself. Then I walked out of the daycare and had a "mommy meltdown." I mean I was crying so hard. I found one of my mommy friends and asked her how I should handle it--wanting to wait until the emotions had subsided so that I would be heard rather than written off because I was irrational.

Two periods later, I spoke with the director, expressed my concerns, got things taken care of; however, a student happened to be in the hallway. Before I knew it, through texting, a rumor had been started that a baby in the daycare had the swine flu. THE SWINE FLU. The next day, my kids were coming in my room asking if I was ok--they'd heard that Addison had gotten the swine flu.

I was so annoyed, but I got over it. Gotta love teenagers...

Shades...

Funny story for my Chi-O "sister mommies" out there...

True story.

On our Spring Break trek to Destin, Lindsay and I along with our daughters--one, a 6 month old, who was recovering from a viscious fever virus, the other, a 16 month old, who had gotten tubes 2 days prior--made the 7 hour haul in our mountaineer. What usually takes the aforementioned 7 hours took us 9.5 due to longer meal stops, diaper changes, medicine administrations, and time for our little girls to get some physical freedom from their confining car seats. Both kiddos did great travel-wise... until hour 8. At that point, we were seriously all OVER IT. I had spent 2 sleepless nights before this trip with Addison in tepid baths to manage her fever; Lindsay and I had both completed stressful work weeks; and Lindsay had gone through the physical and emotional stress of "tubes."

When the little girls began their simultaneous meltdown, Lindsay and I began our Mommy Reportoire of "sing-songs." We'd already exhausted both girls' personalized cds from Jaydee, so we began singing 37 verses of "Wheels on the Bus," "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Baa Baa Black Sheep," "Jesus Loves the Little Children"--just to name a few. Nothing was working; there was no appeasing these little girls. We were delirious. We were moving from one song to the next without a thought, just one following the other's lead.

All of the sudden, I began belting out our Chi-O alma mater of "Shades" and Lindsay mindlessly followed. We didn't even realize what we were singing. Almost immediately, both girls fell silent--mesmerized by our song. We looked at each other, realized WHAT we were singing, and began laughing hysterically, and at our pause, the girlies started up their crying again. Shrugging our shoulders, we picked up where we left off and began singing again--trying not to laugh too much. Again, silence. So we followed with "The Owl, the carnation, the cardinal and straw..." and then "Hair of gold..." The girls made it the rest of the trip in peaceful bliss. Lindsay and I laughed until we cried when we finally made it to our destination.

Think we have 2 future Chi Omegas???

Funny story for my Chi-O "sister mommies" out there...

True story.

On our Spring Break trek to Destin, Lindsay and I along with our daughters--one, a 6 month old, who was recovering from a viscious fever virus, the other, a 16 month old, who had gotten tubes 2 days prior--made the 7 hour haul in our mountaineer. What usually takes the aforementioned 7 hours took us 9.5 due to longer meal stops, diaper changes, medicine administrations, and time for our little girls to get some physical freedom from their confining car seats. Both kiddos did great travel-wise... until hour 8. At that point, we were seriously all OVER IT. I had spent 2 sleepless nights before this trip with Addison in tepid baths to manage her fever; Lindsay and I had both completed stressful work weeks; and Lindsay had gone through the physical and emotional stress of "tubes."

When the little girls began their simultaneous meltdown, Lindsay and I began our Mommy Reportoire of "sing-songs." We'd already exhausted both girls' personalized cds from Jaydee, so we began singing 37 verses of "Wheels on the Bus," "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Baa Baa Black Sheep," "Jesus Loves the Little Children"--just to name a few. Nothing was working; there was no appeasing these little girls. We were delirious. We were moving from one song to the next without a thought, just one following the other's lead.

All of the sudden, I began belting out our Chi-O alma mater of "Shades" and Lindsay mindlessly followed. We didn't even realize what we were singing. Almost immediately, both girls fell silent--mesmerized by our song. We looked at each other, realized WHAT we were singing, and began laughing hysterically, and at our pause, the girlies started up their crying again. Shrugging our shoulders, we picked up where we left off and began singing again--trying not to laugh too much. Again, silence. So we followed with "The Owl, the carnation, the cardinal and straw..." and then "Hair of gold..." The girls made it the rest of the trip in peaceful bliss. Lindsay and I laughed until we cried when we finally made it to our destination.

Think we have 2 future Chi Omegas???

Several months of catch up

I never blog anymore. Today I sort of realized that I missed it. I've been writing a bunch elsewhere; I've been thinking a bunch; and our family has been going through a bunch. Leisure time has been nonexistent, but I like this outlet, this relationship that I've had with blogger over the past 3 years, and I decided it was time to jump back in.

I don't have tons to write about on my usual topics. I haven't read much--although I am reading an awesome book right now World Without End by Ken Follet and finished Middlesex and The Shack earlier this year; I haven't seen many movies lately--but I did enjoy Marley and Me over Spring Break and was part of the Slumdog Millionaire fan club; the only traveling I've done was a girls' trip to Florida over Spring Break. My life has mostly consisted of taking care of my sweet baby, enjoying Patrick's days when he's been able to come to town, mentoring my student teacher, and preparing my Juniors for their AP exam--which means grading lots and LOTS of essays. I have had fun weekend visits and homecooked meals from Jesse, sleepovers with Heather, and evenings with Lia. I've been busy and distracted, but I've been learning lots of hard lessons through the craziness of life.

The Lord has been teaching our family so much through our experiences these past few months. Mostly, he's been reteaching us how to depend on Him, that He has to be our first love, and that we should not ever take any of our moments together as a family for granted.

Sometimes I complain about how my students have entitlement issues. They think they deserve to have grades, freedoms, luxuries at their disposal. However, through our countries' struggling economic times, our world is changing. My world has totally changed, and upon reflection, I realize that I have had some entitlement issues of my own--expecting my life to go along according to my plan.

I am learning to appreciate the little things--sweet moments with my daughter, quiet moments with my husband, bonding together as a family. I'm learning again how to take time for myself, but I'm learning that I can't do it--and don't have to do it--all by myself. Thank goodness for real friendship and strong family loyalties.

All in all, 2009 has been a whirlwind of change, independence, flexibility, balance, and growing pains. Though some of it has been painful, we have experienced some of our most precious moments and made incredible memories. Being a mother is one of the most challenging, humbling, and rewarding roles I have ever played, and I can truly say that I love every moment of it. I am amazed by Addison every day.

Here are a few recent snapshots of our little girl:

I never blog anymore. Today I sort of realized that I missed it. I've been writing a bunch elsewhere; I've been thinking a bunch; and our family has been going through a bunch. Leisure time has been nonexistent, but I like this outlet, this relationship that I've had with blogger over the past 3 years, and I decided it was time to jump back in.

I don't have tons to write about on my usual topics. I haven't read much--although I am reading an awesome book right now World Without End by Ken Follet and finished Middlesex and The Shack earlier this year; I haven't seen many movies lately--but I did enjoy Marley and Me over Spring Break and was part of the Slumdog Millionaire fan club; the only traveling I've done was a girls' trip to Florida over Spring Break. My life has mostly consisted of taking care of my sweet baby, enjoying Patrick's days when he's been able to come to town, mentoring my student teacher, and preparing my Juniors for their AP exam--which means grading lots and LOTS of essays. I have had fun weekend visits and homecooked meals from Jesse, sleepovers with Heather, and evenings with Lia. I've been busy and distracted, but I've been learning lots of hard lessons through the craziness of life.

The Lord has been teaching our family so much through our experiences these past few months. Mostly, he's been reteaching us how to depend on Him, that He has to be our first love, and that we should not ever take any of our moments together as a family for granted.

Sometimes I complain about how my students have entitlement issues. They think they deserve to have grades, freedoms, luxuries at their disposal. However, through our countries' struggling economic times, our world is changing. My world has totally changed, and upon reflection, I realize that I have had some entitlement issues of my own--expecting my life to go along according to my plan.

I am learning to appreciate the little things--sweet moments with my daughter, quiet moments with my husband, bonding together as a family. I'm learning again how to take time for myself, but I'm learning that I can't do it--and don't have to do it--all by myself. Thank goodness for real friendship and strong family loyalties.

All in all, 2009 has been a whirlwind of change, independence, flexibility, balance, and growing pains. Though some of it has been painful, we have experienced some of our most precious moments and made incredible memories. Being a mother is one of the most challenging, humbling, and rewarding roles I have ever played, and I can truly say that I love every moment of it. I am amazed by Addison every day.

Here are a few recent snapshots of our little girl:

MIA

I know I have been MIA. Thanks to all of you who have been checking in with me. Life has been moving at its ever curvy unpredictable pace, and the ebbs and flows are taking our family to places and through situations that have never been on "our" radar--much less a part of our plan. I have so much to say, but the story continues to take shape and unfold faster than I can process it all. I'll just acknowledge my thankfulness in serving a Lord who is sovereign, and a God who has it all figured out. Here are our monthly pictures of Addison that Patrick and I take to chart her growth and development. She is changing so much, and we marvel at how our love for her grows.

I know I have been MIA. Thanks to all of you who have been checking in with me. Life has been moving at its ever curvy unpredictable pace, and the ebbs and flows are taking our family to places and through situations that have never been on "our" radar--much less a part of our plan. I have so much to say, but the story continues to take shape and unfold faster than I can process it all. I'll just acknowledge my thankfulness in serving a Lord who is sovereign, and a God who has it all figured out. Here are our monthly pictures of Addison that Patrick and I take to chart her growth and development. She is changing so much, and we marvel at how our love for her grows.

I heart Anna Quindlen

I tend to go through periods of literary obsessions... Lately I have been transferring my Hemingway affections over to another of my favorites, Anna Quindlen. I have a journal with inspiring quotes, and it is filled with pages and pages of hers. Here's one:

"I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves."

Any of you who have been to my home know that my walls need instead to be built-ins... I believe that a home should feel warm and cozy to its inhabitants, and, therefore, should be filled with the things most cherished. For me, it is books. Patrick has actually put me on a "book-buying freeze" in reaction to the "technology freeze" I initiated. But, I digress.

I tend to go through periods of literary obsessions... Lately I have been transferring my Hemingway affections over to another of my favorites, Anna Quindlen. I have a journal with inspiring quotes, and it is filled with pages and pages of hers. Here's one:

"I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves."

Any of you who have been to my home know that my walls need instead to be built-ins... I believe that a home should feel warm and cozy to its inhabitants, and, therefore, should be filled with the things most cherished. For me, it is books. Patrick has actually put me on a "book-buying freeze" in reaction to the "technology freeze" I initiated. But, I digress.

Sadness at my second home

To all the Auburn faithful and any real sports fan, watch this video. I LOVE Paul Finebaum. The last line is priceless.

Like so many of my dearest friends, I too "believe in Auburn and love it." I cherish my 5 and a half years there more than many others, but in recent weeks, it has been so sad to be an Auburn Tiger. I love Tommy Tuberville. I love that he believes in Jesus; I love that he wins football games; mostly I love that he is NOT a good ole' boy. But that exception ultimately got him fired.

I hoped and prayed that the Auburn powers that be would redeem themselves and make a good decision regarding our new coach, but the corrupt board of trustees have muddied the waters again. I know nothing about Gene Chizik except for his 5-19 record. I know nothing about Turner Gill except that the Auburn fan base was behind him and he is in a biracial marriage.

There are many issues I could discuss at length here--the corruption of the BOT, the incompetency of Jay Jacobs, to mistreatment of Tommy Tuberville, the horrible timing of it all, the underlying issue (as the media is claiming) of race... I am still getting my thoughts together, so I'll just briefly share my thoughts...

As an Auburn loyal, I am behind Gene Chizik and hope that he has a successful career at Auburn. I am sad, however, in what is being discussed as a result of this decision. What is the saddest (well maybe not, but in my heart it is really sad.) is that none of this would have been discussed had Tuberville not been forced to resign... Jay Jacobs and our BOT looks a-fool.

Racism is such a sad condition. Living in Montgomery brought me face to face with it in a way that I had never before been exposed... I thought that I developed a broader world view there, but with personal case-by-case issues, I have since realized that it is not a black and white issue. Pun intended... What will it take to overcome our biases and truly just love humanity...?

To all the Auburn faithful and any real sports fan, watch this video. I LOVE Paul Finebaum. The last line is priceless.

Like so many of my dearest friends, I too "believe in Auburn and love it." I cherish my 5 and a half years there more than many others, but in recent weeks, it has been so sad to be an Auburn Tiger. I love Tommy Tuberville. I love that he believes in Jesus; I love that he wins football games; mostly I love that he is NOT a good ole' boy. But that exception ultimately got him fired.

I hoped and prayed that the Auburn powers that be would redeem themselves and make a good decision regarding our new coach, but the corrupt board of trustees have muddied the waters again. I know nothing about Gene Chizik except for his 5-19 record. I know nothing about Turner Gill except that the Auburn fan base was behind him and he is in a biracial marriage.

There are many issues I could discuss at length here--the corruption of the BOT, the incompetency of Jay Jacobs, to mistreatment of Tommy Tuberville, the horrible timing of it all, the underlying issue (as the media is claiming) of race... I am still getting my thoughts together, so I'll just briefly share my thoughts...

As an Auburn loyal, I am behind Gene Chizik and hope that he has a successful career at Auburn. I am sad, however, in what is being discussed as a result of this decision. What is the saddest (well maybe not, but in my heart it is really sad.) is that none of this would have been discussed had Tuberville not been forced to resign... Jay Jacobs and our BOT looks a-fool.

Racism is such a sad condition. Living in Montgomery brought me face to face with it in a way that I had never before been exposed... I thought that I developed a broader world view there, but with personal case-by-case issues, I have since realized that it is not a black and white issue. Pun intended... What will it take to overcome our biases and truly just love humanity...?

Being Gentle

"Be gentle with yourself," wrote one of my assistant principals in an email to me after I had met with her to talk about the balance of being a working mommy--a balance that she seems to be on her way to mastering. It was one of many encouraging remarks made to me upon my return to the working world. I returned to this world not as the AP3, HONORS2 English teacher who had so proudly left her treasured role for a bit, but rather as a MOMMY who also teaches. I choose to work outside the home, and I value my career-- feeling grateful to be able to contribute to my family while also hopefully touching lives and enriching knowledge. But it is crazy how in a matter of 10 weeks my priorities have changed... and how steadily the tears flowed as I left my little girl in the arms of another that first day.

The challenge I am currently faced with is how do I balance my roles. I love all of them: Christian, wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, teacher, writer, colleague. I don't know if I can do them all well at the same time, and it makes my perfectionist self a little scared. Scared to fail at any of them. I do believe, though, that if I can figure it out--even just a little bit--I will become a better mother for it.

One of my dilemmas has been the decision about whether to continue nursing. After I got over the trauma of having to cut dairy out of my diet, I decided to keep at it for a bit more--making a deal with myself to take the pressure off and just go feeding by feeding, day by day. With the help of my aforementioned assistant principal setting up a curtained area in her office and my hooter hider*, I am figuring out my pumping schedule. I even am able to take bottles down to the nursery and play with my Addy-girl at breaks during the day--her smile keeps my heart soaring through the rest of my classes.

One of the things I am learning is that I WILL become efficient at managing my time. When I am at work, I will work. When I am with Patrick and Addison, I will play, and laugh, and love fully. When I write, I will write. The rest of my roles, I'll just try to figure out as I take each day one at a time.

My first day back to work was last Wednesday. I completed my 3-day week fairly well, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my weekend. I'm ready for Monday--as ready as I will be. I'm just going to be gentle with myself

*Hooter Hider:

"Be gentle with yourself," wrote one of my assistant principals in an email to me after I had met with her to talk about the balance of being a working mommy--a balance that she seems to be on her way to mastering. It was one of many encouraging remarks made to me upon my return to the working world. I returned to this world not as the AP3, HONORS2 English teacher who had so proudly left her treasured role for a bit, but rather as a MOMMY who also teaches. I choose to work outside the home, and I value my career-- feeling grateful to be able to contribute to my family while also hopefully touching lives and enriching knowledge. But it is crazy how in a matter of 10 weeks my priorities have changed... and how steadily the tears flowed as I left my little girl in the arms of another that first day.

The challenge I am currently faced with is how do I balance my roles. I love all of them: Christian, wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, teacher, writer, colleague. I don't know if I can do them all well at the same time, and it makes my perfectionist self a little scared. Scared to fail at any of them. I do believe, though, that if I can figure it out--even just a little bit--I will become a better mother for it.

One of my dilemmas has been the decision about whether to continue nursing. After I got over the trauma of having to cut dairy out of my diet, I decided to keep at it for a bit more--making a deal with myself to take the pressure off and just go feeding by feeding, day by day. With the help of my aforementioned assistant principal setting up a curtained area in her office and my hooter hider*, I am figuring out my pumping schedule. I even am able to take bottles down to the nursery and play with my Addy-girl at breaks during the day--her smile keeps my heart soaring through the rest of my classes.

One of the things I am learning is that I WILL become efficient at managing my time. When I am at work, I will work. When I am with Patrick and Addison, I will play, and laugh, and love fully. When I write, I will write. The rest of my roles, I'll just try to figure out as I take each day one at a time.

My first day back to work was last Wednesday. I completed my 3-day week fairly well, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my weekend. I'm ready for Monday--as ready as I will be. I'm just going to be gentle with myself

*Hooter Hider:

whirlwind

Well, our whirlwind of Thanksgiving festivities is over, and I'm thankful for time spent with family, but I'm also thankful for some quiet days to recoup before I go back to work on Wednesday. I have all sorts of mixed emotions about that, but it will be good to resume life and get on a more routine schedule with my new family. {Plus I'll be supervising a student teacher next semester, so while she teaches my classes, I plan to stop by the Eagle's Nest to check in on my little Addypillar.} Addison turned 2 months old on Thanksgiving Day, and we found out at her appointment that she weighs 10 pounds, 14 ounces which puts her into the 50th percentile for weight, and she is 24.5 inches long which puts her into the 97th percentile for height. She is LONG!

Anyway, we spent Thanksgiving Day at my parents', and with my mom's help, I was able to prepare "dairy free" dressing and sweet potato casserole, giving me my annual feast fix. It was pretty tasty too, and dairy free living is still working out for me and Addison. We enjoyed a day spent with both sets of grandparents and watching the little girls discover each other. Savannah was walking all day, and she LOVED sweet potatoes, emphasized by her pointing and saying "peese" {please} repeatedly. Adorable.

Friday we enjoyed spending the day with P's family in Decatur. There, Addison discovered her cousins Hanna Claire and Haley Beth, but pretty much slept off and on all day being held in everyone's arms.

Saturday we watched the Iron Bowl...

Last night, we closed out our holiday by going to a Jason Mraz show with L and D at the old Ryman Auditorium downtown. He seriously is an incredible performer and entertainer. It was amazing! It was good for Patrick and me to get out and feel "young." :) {I'm closing in on the big 3-0 in a couple of weeks afterall...} Jaydee and Bear kept the girls, and we returned to find them in matching "Life is Good" Love bug pajamas. I'll post that picture soon.

Wednesday it's back to the grind! Be praying for all of us as we adjust...

I'll close with one of my favorite quotes that my friend Micah recently reminded me of:

“ And by the way, everything in life is worth writing about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. ” - Sylvia Plath

Well, our whirlwind of Thanksgiving festivities is over, and I'm thankful for time spent with family, but I'm also thankful for some quiet days to recoup before I go back to work on Wednesday. I have all sorts of mixed emotions about that, but it will be good to resume life and get on a more routine schedule with my new family. {Plus I'll be supervising a student teacher next semester, so while she teaches my classes, I plan to stop by the Eagle's Nest to check in on my little Addypillar.} Addison turned 2 months old on Thanksgiving Day, and we found out at her appointment that she weighs 10 pounds, 14 ounces which puts her into the 50th percentile for weight, and she is 24.5 inches long which puts her into the 97th percentile for height. She is LONG!

Anyway, we spent Thanksgiving Day at my parents', and with my mom's help, I was able to prepare "dairy free" dressing and sweet potato casserole, giving me my annual feast fix. It was pretty tasty too, and dairy free living is still working out for me and Addison. We enjoyed a day spent with both sets of grandparents and watching the little girls discover each other. Savannah was walking all day, and she LOVED sweet potatoes, emphasized by her pointing and saying "peese" {please} repeatedly. Adorable.

Friday we enjoyed spending the day with P's family in Decatur. There, Addison discovered her cousins Hanna Claire and Haley Beth, but pretty much slept off and on all day being held in everyone's arms.

Saturday we watched the Iron Bowl...

Last night, we closed out our holiday by going to a Jason Mraz show with L and D at the old Ryman Auditorium downtown. He seriously is an incredible performer and entertainer. It was amazing! It was good for Patrick and me to get out and feel "young." :) {I'm closing in on the big 3-0 in a couple of weeks afterall...} Jaydee and Bear kept the girls, and we returned to find them in matching "Life is Good" Love bug pajamas. I'll post that picture soon.

Wednesday it's back to the grind! Be praying for all of us as we adjust...

I'll close with one of my favorite quotes that my friend Micah recently reminded me of:

“ And by the way, everything in life is worth writing about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. ” - Sylvia Plath

Our story of the stocking...

So, here's the real reason why we decorated early--we got Addison's Christmas stocking in the mail, and we couldn't wait. Strange, maybe, but stockings are our thing...

When we got married in October of '05, we registered at Pottery Barn and were blessed with a surplus of gift cards and store credit. One of the first things that we did upon returning from our Seaside honeymoon cottage was order our personalized stockings from the PB holiday catalog. We were so silly with excitement for those things... We took such pride in decorating our mantle that first Christmas--hanging our new stockings representing our newly formed family.

We added a family member in June of '06 when we got our precious puppy Maggie Moo--our first "child." So, of course, as soon as the PB Christmas catalog came out, we ordered her stocking--a smaller version that matched ours.

On our way home from the hospital when bringing Addison home for the first time, we looked at each other and laughingly affirmed that we needed to check to see when Christmas stockings would be available from PB. Hers was ordered within the first week she was alive.

Our mantle feels more complete now. It represents our family, our blessings, our union. I love drinking my morning coffee in the living room with our lit mantle. It makes me happy.

Here are some of my recent favorites of Addy-girl...

So, here's the real reason why we decorated early--we got Addison's Christmas stocking in the mail, and we couldn't wait. Strange, maybe, but stockings are our thing...

When we got married in October of '05, we registered at Pottery Barn and were blessed with a surplus of gift cards and store credit. One of the first things that we did upon returning from our Seaside honeymoon cottage was order our personalized stockings from the PB holiday catalog. We were so silly with excitement for those things... We took such pride in decorating our mantle that first Christmas--hanging our new stockings representing our newly formed family.

We added a family member in June of '06 when we got our precious puppy Maggie Moo--our first "child." So, of course, as soon as the PB Christmas catalog came out, we ordered her stocking--a smaller version that matched ours.

On our way home from the hospital when bringing Addison home for the first time, we looked at each other and laughingly affirmed that we needed to check to see when Christmas stockings would be available from PB. Hers was ordered within the first week she was alive.

Our mantle feels more complete now. It represents our family, our blessings, our union. I love drinking my morning coffee in the living room with our lit mantle. It makes me happy.

Here are some of my recent favorites of Addy-girl...

Beautiful Stationer

I love paper. When I was a little girl, my friend Susan brought me a birthday present to my house one afternoon. I unwrapped a stack of colored notebook paper and giggled with glee. I used it to write my PeanutLand Stories starring Popsy Peanut for the "Christina, Kristy, Katie, Inc." writing company that I co-founded. {We wrote and sold our stories at our lemonade stands and at church... Thanks, Mr. Charles, for buying so many!}

My love for paper has only grown over the years. From unique stationery to giftwrap to journals and planners to books to invitations, it has remained one of my greatest passions. :) When getting married, the decision I spent the most time on and had the strongest opinions about was my invitations. When hosting a party, I always volunteer to do the invitations. After giving birth to Addison, I searched and searched for the perfect announcement to send to our family.

My friend from college Katie has a business called Micah and Me and uses her graphic design education to create beautiful stationery. She custom made my announcements, and I LOVE them. If you are in the market for some fine paper, you need to definitely check her out!

I love paper. When I was a little girl, my friend Susan brought me a birthday present to my house one afternoon. I unwrapped a stack of colored notebook paper and giggled with glee. I used it to write my PeanutLand Stories starring Popsy Peanut for the "Christina, Kristy, Katie, Inc." writing company that I co-founded. {We wrote and sold our stories at our lemonade stands and at church... Thanks, Mr. Charles, for buying so many!}

My love for paper has only grown over the years. From unique stationery to giftwrap to journals and planners to books to invitations, it has remained one of my greatest passions. :) When getting married, the decision I spent the most time on and had the strongest opinions about was my invitations. When hosting a party, I always volunteer to do the invitations. After giving birth to Addison, I searched and searched for the perfect announcement to send to our family.

My friend from college Katie has a business called Micah and Me and uses her graphic design education to create beautiful stationery. She custom made my announcements, and I LOVE them. If you are in the market for some fine paper, you need to definitely check her out!

Move over Thanksgiving...

Sad, I know, but this year I'm just over it... Don't tell the turkey--or the pilgrims. We're ready for Christmas! This weekend, I decided that I wanted to be able to enjoy my last few weeks of maternity leave with a decorated home. Last night, Patrick and I ventured into our attic closet solely filled with our Christmas garb. As we pulled out each tub filled to the brim with decorations, we became giddy with excitement. {Patrick too. Seriously. He LOVES our house decorated for Christmas... and I LOVE that about him! :)}

To be fair, I gave my fall decor their due. I decorated in mid-September because with Addison's arrival, I knew that would be last on my priority list, and I wanted to come home from the hospital to a warmly festive home. Here are a couple of my favorite fall items.

#1 I LOVE white pumpkins, and this was my dining room centerpiece. I found the acorn branches at an antique store here in Franklin, and it provides a nice contrast to the white.

#2 This iron pumpkin is something I found at Holiday Market a couple of years ago in Montgomery. Sometimes it's my kitchen table centerpiece; sometimes it sits on the corner of my peninsula; in this pic, it is residing on my end table in my living room.

Now, for Christmas, I am obsessed with some of Anthropologie's new ornaments. We are thinking of getting the "P," "K," and "A," letter for our tree. I love and am totally into the cupcake fad that is currently "all the rage." {Note my cupcake tree in the former post as well as my "hot spot" post! Of course, they are on the "no-no" list right now with my dairy-free living...} I also am always drawn to owls, and I've been collecting them since the Chi-O days.

Sad, I know, but this year I'm just over it... Don't tell the turkey--or the pilgrims. We're ready for Christmas! This weekend, I decided that I wanted to be able to enjoy my last few weeks of maternity leave with a decorated home. Last night, Patrick and I ventured into our attic closet solely filled with our Christmas garb. As we pulled out each tub filled to the brim with decorations, we became giddy with excitement. {Patrick too. Seriously. He LOVES our house decorated for Christmas... and I LOVE that about him! :)}

To be fair, I gave my fall decor their due. I decorated in mid-September because with Addison's arrival, I knew that would be last on my priority list, and I wanted to come home from the hospital to a warmly festive home. Here are a couple of my favorite fall items.

#1 I LOVE white pumpkins, and this was my dining room centerpiece. I found the acorn branches at an antique store here in Franklin, and it provides a nice contrast to the white.

#2 This iron pumpkin is something I found at Holiday Market a couple of years ago in Montgomery. Sometimes it's my kitchen table centerpiece; sometimes it sits on the corner of my peninsula; in this pic, it is residing on my end table in my living room.

Now, for Christmas, I am obsessed with some of Anthropologie's new ornaments. We are thinking of getting the "P," "K," and "A," letter for our tree. I love and am totally into the cupcake fad that is currently "all the rage." {Note my cupcake tree in the former post as well as my "hot spot" post! Of course, they are on the "no-no" list right now with my dairy-free living...} I also am always drawn to owls, and I've been collecting them since the Chi-O days.

my favorite time of year

Fall is my favorite season of all--college football, cool weather, beautiful scenery, our anniversary, Addison's birth, family birthdays, and the beginning of the holiday season. It just cannot be topped in my opinion. Throughout this season, I've had so many ideas to blog about, but I kept putting them off, so this will be an attempt at catching up in our family's life through words and pictures.

One of our biggest challenges with Addison so far is understanding her poops. I never thought I would be such an examiner of diapers, but I have become that way. During the last 2 weeks, we have been investigating a milk allergy with her. Some babies are allergic to the protein in cow's milk, an allergy which most outgrow by age 1, and Addison's poops have made us and the doctor suspicious. For me, that means that in order to continue nursing, I will have to cut out all dairy products--milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, ice cream, chocolate, and anything any of those items might show up as ingredients in. That's pretty much everything I love--and everything that is found in my pantry and fridge. CHEESE and CHOCOLATE are my 2 staple items... This is brutal. So, with the help of my cool friend Kelly and trips to Whole Foods, I am now attempting a {temporary} life of dairy-free living. Hopefully this will lower my cholesterol and help me lose my last baby weight poundage, therefore benefiting both Addison and me! {At least I'm trying to tell myself that...} It's amazing what all is out there, and if any of you has any recipes/ideas/tips, PLEASE share!

In our pictures, we have celebrated many fun bath times. I love her bear hooded towel--it has paws and a tail too! :) For Halloween, Addison wore a bear costume for about 10 minutes--long enough for some photo ops with her cousin Savannah. She is a hot box, and she wanted that Bear costume off! We celebrated our 3rd anniversary and had an opportunity to get dressed up and be social! We've introduced Addison to her dual heritage during football season {and at least one of us is having a good year in that way... sigh...}. I helped throw a "baby-warming" shower for my good friend April and enjoyed making a diaper cake and using my cupcake tree. Then last night, we celebrated my niece's 1st birthday. Savannah was so precious and did all of the things a 1-year-old should do. She LOVED her birthday balloons and entertained us all.

We have more birthdays and celebrations ahead, and we cannot wait for Christmas!!!

Mostly during this season, we've been learning how to be a family and raise a daughter. We've been adjusting to job changes, sleep changes, diet changes, dynamic changes, and priority changes. I can't believe Addison is 6 weeks old. We are amazed by her and our Lord who made life possible!

Fall is my favorite season of all--college football, cool weather, beautiful scenery, our anniversary, Addison's birth, family birthdays, and the beginning of the holiday season. It just cannot be topped in my opinion. Throughout this season, I've had so many ideas to blog about, but I kept putting them off, so this will be an attempt at catching up in our family's life through words and pictures.

One of our biggest challenges with Addison so far is understanding her poops. I never thought I would be such an examiner of diapers, but I have become that way. During the last 2 weeks, we have been investigating a milk allergy with her. Some babies are allergic to the protein in cow's milk, an allergy which most outgrow by age 1, and Addison's poops have made us and the doctor suspicious. For me, that means that in order to continue nursing, I will have to cut out all dairy products--milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, ice cream, chocolate, and anything any of those items might show up as ingredients in. That's pretty much everything I love--and everything that is found in my pantry and fridge. CHEESE and CHOCOLATE are my 2 staple items... This is brutal. So, with the help of my cool friend Kelly and trips to Whole Foods, I am now attempting a {temporary} life of dairy-free living. Hopefully this will lower my cholesterol and help me lose my last baby weight poundage, therefore benefiting both Addison and me! {At least I'm trying to tell myself that...} It's amazing what all is out there, and if any of you has any recipes/ideas/tips, PLEASE share!

In our pictures, we have celebrated many fun bath times. I love her bear hooded towel--it has paws and a tail too! :) For Halloween, Addison wore a bear costume for about 10 minutes--long enough for some photo ops with her cousin Savannah. She is a hot box, and she wanted that Bear costume off! We celebrated our 3rd anniversary and had an opportunity to get dressed up and be social! We've introduced Addison to her dual heritage during football season {and at least one of us is having a good year in that way... sigh...}. I helped throw a "baby-warming" shower for my good friend April and enjoyed making a diaper cake and using my cupcake tree. Then last night, we celebrated my niece's 1st birthday. Savannah was so precious and did all of the things a 1-year-old should do. She LOVED her birthday balloons and entertained us all.

We have more birthdays and celebrations ahead, and we cannot wait for Christmas!!!

Mostly during this season, we've been learning how to be a family and raise a daughter. We've been adjusting to job changes, sleep changes, diet changes, dynamic changes, and priority changes. I can't believe Addison is 6 weeks old. We are amazed by her and our Lord who made life possible!

Addy-girl is 1 month old

I cannot believe she is already a month old. Thought these were pretty cute!

I cannot believe she is already a month old. Thought these were pretty cute!

"Marriage is hard work."

Those words began and ended each of our premarital counseling sessions with Brink back in the day. In the 3 years that I have been married so far, I have definitely learned them and their absolute truth--although sometimes with ease and others with more difficulty. Dying to myself every day as a Christian is hard; dying to myself as an individual for my husband is harder. But it is so worth it--when I am intentional enough to do it. On our anniversary, we went to see this movie with minimal expectations. We saw Facing the Giants and loved it despite the harsh criticism of the acting. We were willing to give this one a try--even though the cheesiness of Kirk Cameron can be a little retching.

It was so worth it. I would recommend it to any married couple--no matter what phase of life. In the past month our life has drastically changed--in awe-inspiring ways, in stressful ways, in celebratory ways, in devastating ways. A new child, a job loss/change, new roles to learn, new sleep habits, new hormones, being even more totally dependent than we realized was possible on the Lord, being blissfully happy and utterly hopeless in the same hour... This month has been different for our marriage. Difficult but wonderful. This movie helped us celebrate our three happy, adventurous, successful years of our marriage so far. It also helped us prepare for the ncxt 3, and then the next... It brought up many important conversations and it helped me look at Patrick with a more mature (I hope) love. We are learning.

The movie itself isn't magical, but I believe God's work through it can be.

Those words began and ended each of our premarital counseling sessions with Brink back in the day. In the 3 years that I have been married so far, I have definitely learned them and their absolute truth--although sometimes with ease and others with more difficulty. Dying to myself every day as a Christian is hard; dying to myself as an individual for my husband is harder. But it is so worth it--when I am intentional enough to do it. On our anniversary, we went to see this movie with minimal expectations. We saw Facing the Giants and loved it despite the harsh criticism of the acting. We were willing to give this one a try--even though the cheesiness of Kirk Cameron can be a little retching.

It was so worth it. I would recommend it to any married couple--no matter what phase of life. In the past month our life has drastically changed--in awe-inspiring ways, in stressful ways, in celebratory ways, in devastating ways. A new child, a job loss/change, new roles to learn, new sleep habits, new hormones, being even more totally dependent than we realized was possible on the Lord, being blissfully happy and utterly hopeless in the same hour... This month has been different for our marriage. Difficult but wonderful. This movie helped us celebrate our three happy, adventurous, successful years of our marriage so far. It also helped us prepare for the ncxt 3, and then the next... It brought up many important conversations and it helped me look at Patrick with a more mature (I hope) love. We are learning.

The movie itself isn't magical, but I believe God's work through it can be.

Sleepyhead

Addison--fast asleep after all the stimulation of her play gym. :)

Addison--fast asleep after all the stimulation of her play gym. :)

Bliss

Today is Patrick's and my 3rd Wedding Anniversary, and we cannot believe how fast time has flown. These 3 years have been the happiest of my life, and I feel so blessed to be married to such a wonderful man of character and compassion! Love you!

Today is Patrick's and my 3rd Wedding Anniversary, and we cannot believe how fast time has flown. These 3 years have been the happiest of my life, and I feel so blessed to be married to such a wonderful man of character and compassion! Love you!

our life lately

Can't believe it's been so long since I blogged, but I've been stuck in babyland--and happily so.
Tomorrow Addison will be 2 weeks old, and I am shocked at how quickly the days have passed.

Today we had our 2 week doctor's appointment, and she has surpassed her birth weight and height and is just a content little thing. Patrick and I have thanked God for our special blessing repeatedly.

Her delivery went well. We found out on Thursday, the 25th, that the little Addy-girl was breech--her head right under my heart {just as I was inside my mom}, and our c-section was decisive and scheduled. Patrick and I enjoyed a dinner with my family at Loveless Cafe that night and a date night the next night, but all we could think about was how our life was about to totally change.

We went into the hospital at 7:30 a.m. and prepped for surgery at 9. I was holding my little sweetie by 9:26. The cesarean was surreal. My doctor talked me through the whole thing, and when I heard Addison's first cry, I laughed out loud. My family, who was in the waiting room just next to the operating room, heard both sounds and felt such relief and peace.

We stayed in the hospital until Tuesday, and then came home. My mom stayed with us for several days, and it was truly one of the most special times. I don't know what I would have done without her, and having a daughter--even just for a few days so far--has made me love my mom even more than I realized I could.

Our time at home has been measured from feeding to feeding. Time in between is either spent showering, sleeping, or writing thank you notes. Of course, mostly I find myself staring at my little girl.

We are completely exhausted, but we feel very blessed and humbled. We are learning to depend on God in a whole new way, and we are so thankful to be His.

Can't believe it's been so long since I blogged, but I've been stuck in babyland--and happily so.
Tomorrow Addison will be 2 weeks old, and I am shocked at how quickly the days have passed.

Today we had our 2 week doctor's appointment, and she has surpassed her birth weight and height and is just a content little thing. Patrick and I have thanked God for our special blessing repeatedly.

Her delivery went well. We found out on Thursday, the 25th, that the little Addy-girl was breech--her head right under my heart {just as I was inside my mom}, and our c-section was decisive and scheduled. Patrick and I enjoyed a dinner with my family at Loveless Cafe that night and a date night the next night, but all we could think about was how our life was about to totally change.

We went into the hospital at 7:30 a.m. and prepped for surgery at 9. I was holding my little sweetie by 9:26. The cesarean was surreal. My doctor talked me through the whole thing, and when I heard Addison's first cry, I laughed out loud. My family, who was in the waiting room just next to the operating room, heard both sounds and felt such relief and peace.

We stayed in the hospital until Tuesday, and then came home. My mom stayed with us for several days, and it was truly one of the most special times. I don't know what I would have done without her, and having a daughter--even just for a few days so far--has made me love my mom even more than I realized I could.

Our time at home has been measured from feeding to feeding. Time in between is either spent showering, sleeping, or writing thank you notes. Of course, mostly I find myself staring at my little girl.

We are completely exhausted, but we feel very blessed and humbled. We are learning to depend on God in a whole new way, and we are so thankful to be His.