A little of this, a little of that

It's been one of those weeks. One of those weeks when someone has replaced my sweet girl with one who has the same beautiful blue eyes and sweet curls but is less happy and more whiny. One of those weeks where I finally came to the end of my creativity for coming up with things to do, things to tire Addie out and into good naps. One of those weeks when I needed more than one "mommy alone" outing. One of those weeks when at times I wasn't as patient as I should have been, but one of those weeks when we still made it through.

Since it has been one of those weeks, I'm writing one of those posts. One of those posts that covers much miscellany but a post just the same.

Over the last couple of weeks we've been all over the place. Some of that includes a trip for Addie to receive more immunizations - five, to be exact. I really contemplated breaking the shots up into more than one trip. Five seemed to be so many for her little thighs all at once, but she soldiered on and took all of them like a champ. She even got a new book out of it, which seemed to make her forget about the pain that took place just a few minutes prior to the book being in her hand (although I'm sure those sharp needles really weren't far from her mind). Needless to say, there are no pictures of this event.

Last weekend Addie attended her first high school football game. It was actually a jamboree, where some of the schools in the area play one another; the "game" is made up of three halves. I wasn't sure we'd stay the whole time but we did, which allowed us to witness Wewa beating their rival, Port St. Joe. While it wasn't a "real" game, it was still headline news. Usually it is the other way around. Either way, Addie enjoyed herself while the bugs enjoyed her.

Earlier that day we stopped by the talent show at the middle school. A few of our kids from church were participating so we thought it would be fun to check it out. I was pretty excited as I have been to middle school talent shows before and they never disappoint. I promise I did have photos of Addie in the crowd with our neighbor, the infamous Mrs. Miller (who is a teacher at the middle school) but they have mysteriously disappeared.

Shoes. It's all about shoes in our house these days. I'm convinced that at this rate Addie will be another Imelda Marcos. I must say, it is pretty endearing when she tries on our shoes or brings them to us, wherever we are in the house, chanting, "Shoes, shoes." Not so endearing is often finding my closet in chaos, but that's okay.

Earlier last week we also had the treat of having dinner with my friend Dave and his girlfriend, Barb. They were in the area from Illinois for a weekend wedding and then stayed a couple of extra days. I was really happy when they let us know they were in town and had every intention of snapping a picture of Addie with the two of them, but that was before we had to end our evening together in a mad dash to our cars between raindrops. Instead, I have this picture of Addie while we waited for them. Just before she was about to stand up in the chair, of course. We're working on that.

Addie also enjoyed having her friend Ivory over while her mom and dad were still in the hospital with her new baby brother, Micah. A few goldfish, a little Elmo and lots of toys proved to be a good time. As always, our storage ottomans were too tempting to stay out of.



Last night we had an unofficial meat pulling party. Yes, meat pulling. We're selling to-go meals on Sunday to raise money for youth camp and we were working ahead last night by pulling meat off butts. Boston butts, that is. I was dreading it and although it smelled heavenly, it was pretty disgusting. We put out a plea for help and about an hour later we had a dedicated team of meat pullers show up. Addie even sat on Sabian's lap for a while as he pulled away but after a bit even she was over it. We sure know how to throw a party in Wewa!



This morning we had a special guest at breakfast.



We know how to do it, eh?

I think our "one of those weeks" is mostly due to Addie's incoming teeth. Still. I feel like I've mentioned her teeth in almost every last post but it's been the story of our lives for about the last month. Our nights have actually been pretty good with the exception of Addie's 5 a.m. wake up call the last two days. She seriously had four teeth for the longest time and when she turned one it was like her gums started yelling at her budding teeth to wake up. Well, they did, and in full force.

I'm hoping that is what explains the surge in whining we've been experiencing as well as the short bursts of contentment followed by longer stretches of "entertain me!" I'm not knocking the chances to cuddle with Addie, but you moms know, someone who is usually pretty amiable suddenly demanding your attention can be tiring.

I'm also hoping it's these budding teeth that are causing an increase in Addie's body temp. She has no fever, or sometimes a very slight fever, but she radiates heat. It's been pretty perplexing.

So, it's been one of those weeks when every night I say, "Tomorrow is another day," yet when I wake up the days are very closely related.

Yet, in the midst of it, I am thankful for the smiles and hugs and giggles that peek through the tears and tantrums.

The Boys are Back in Town

Last week we welcomed two new residents to Wewa.

Our friends Jason and Salena said hello to their first child, Carson, a week ago this past Monday.


On Thursday of the same week Micah followed. His mom and dad are our friends Lee Ann and Jason, also parents to Addie's buddy, Ivory.


It was sweet to see Addie's reaction to the babies. She loves babies, pictures of babies, babies on TV, but when faced with a real, live, tiny newborn she acted very shy. She was gentle and touched their super soft skin sweetly.

This recent baby boy boom has fueled Sabian's fire but I'm content to share in the joy my friends are experiencing, which includes being able to gently hand over these precious bundles and continue chasing after my girl. Some day we will add to our brood but for now the three of us are doing just swell.

I am thankful for new playmates for Addie and babies to hold! Also, the safe arrival of both boys and the health of their moms.

To. Too. Two.

I chose this photo for a reason. Brace yourselves, I'm about to be terribly introspective.

It was two years ago today when we moved to Wewa. The date was originally supposed to be May 22nd, but a few events changed that. One was the process of packing the moving van and realizing, after half a day of packing, that we had too much stuff and too little time to roll out the next day. So, we made it easier on ourselves and took another day. It did take another entire day to finish the packing and I can remember we were still packing well after dark by the porch lights.

The second event occurred the night before our supposed move date. Out to dinner with my family for the "last" time, we ended up having to take my dad to the ER straight from the restaurant due to his sugar dropping. Spending your last night in town in the ER is not ideal, I'm sure you can imagine.

The trip to Wewa itself, longer than usual with a stuffed UHaul, van, and car and two drained in every way drivers, was an adventure. I can remember the trip and our arrival so plainly.

Along with celebrating our anniversary this month, May has become one big month of remembering. One might think to ask, with some of the happenings that took place before our departure for Wewa, were we still sure this is what we were supposed to do? Sometimes I ask myself the same question. Tag onto that all that has happened in our lives since we have moved here. Some, events that individually you don't want to think about, let alone a few happening all at once and, icing on the cake, dealing with these things apart from our families. So much happening here, so much happening at home, and none of us, seemingly, where we needed to be.

Ultimately, as hard as it is sometimes to grasp, I know this is where God has had us. I may not always understand why, I may never understand the timing. Introspection alert! Just as the photo above is blurry, my understanding in how God moves can also be blurry, and learning to rest in that is a lesson I think I will always be learning.

I am grateful for the things I have learned in the last two years and I am thankful for the people God has placed in our lives. Every day is not an easy day but every day is not a hard day, either.

I don't expect that this will be a "sleeper" year for the Chaneys. The last two years have taught me to be wiser than that. But, if I can rest in knowing that God is in control, while it may not be an uneventful year, our peace can come with knowing that God is ordering our steps.

Hold me to it!

P.S. The picture was taken as we hit the last leg of our trip to Wewa on May 23, 2008.

A Crack A Lackin' Good Time

This is the only lame picture I have of mine and Sabian's four year anniversary celebration. But, it represents one heck of a celebration!

To some, all-you-can-eat crab legs may not sound terribly romantic but for me, it is music to my ears and sweet sustenance for my tummy. This is serious business.

Sabian and I had planned to keep it simple and just go out to dinner for our anniversary. Knowing that crab is a favorite of mine Sabian suggested we try a restaurant we'd heard about but never visited and offered a view of the beach. Well, a limited view, but it is right across the street and we could see the water from our table, which made for a nice view as we cracked away.

And crack away we did.
I wish I had photos of the carnage that took place at our table inside Two Crabs.

Imagine crab legs, served simply on trays - not plates - in sets of six. First, three for each, then just piled high, steaming crab legs waiting while we cracked through the current batch. Bits of shell flying to and fro as we dug to get to the sweet, white meat hidden in those tough claws. Our pile of broken shells grew higher and higher, the little cups of butter swiped clean.

Our methods are different - Sabian cracks and eats, cracks and eats. I crack until I have a pile that makes all the work worthwhile, douse it with butter and then savor each bite. Usually, at any other crab dinner when I've ordered my pound of crab legs knowing that's all I'm going to get, this method really makes it worth it.

I've always wondered how much crab I would have to eat to feel satisfied. At the aforementioned one pound crab dinner, while always good, I could count on needing a snack later. After last night I felt I wouldn't need to eat for another week. In fact, I woke up this morning still full.

We did order steamed vegetables and new potatoes (which were smothered in seasoning and cheese - soooo good!), but those were the obligatory accompaniments. All in all, between us we devoured 18 sets of crab legs. Eighteen. I don't have any other individuals/couples to compare ourselves to but I feel like we held our own and certainly got our money's worth.

My saving grace in not comparing ourselves to gluttons at a Golden Corral buffet is that this is crab meat. Aside from the butter, this is a fairly light meal, right?! One might argue eighteen sets of crab legs is far from light but c'mon, it was my anniversary! And trust me, next time I will pace myself a little better. Last night I went all out.

This is what Addie was up to while we were up to our elbows in crustaceans:





Looks to me like she did pretty well herself.

I realize this may have been a ridiculously long post given that I just wrote about crab. But really, isn't it sometimes just about the little things?

I am so thankful for our friends, Greg and Libby, who watched Addie for us so we could enjoy a night together. I appreciate them and their constant thoughtfulness and care for us and thought it was especially sweet that they documented their time with her.

Happy x Four

How fast four years fly by. Four years filled with so much - joy, sorrow, adventure, tears, smiles, great times, not so great times and new life.

I am so thankful for my husband. Period. Not just today, but every day, even the days when I don't show it. He's nothing I expected and everything God knew I needed and I am thankful that God gave him the tools he needed to deal with someone like me.

I've said it before - I don't deserve him but I sure am glad I have him.

Happy Anniversary, Sabian. I love you, I am thankful for you and I am grateful that you chose me.

Pink elephants!

Chaneys at the beach, circa 2007, ironically not too far from where we live now

Mackinac Island trip, October 2006, at the top of a lighthouse


First anniversary trip, Smoky Mountains, 2007

Tunes for Kiddos

I'll admit it - I'm a little out of the music loop. It's a little crazy for me to admit that considering, at one time in my life, I couldn't live without it. I was constantly listening to my iPod or I was the one blaring my stereo in my car, windows down and bass turned up. Granted, I was spending more time in the car and at a desk at those times but still, no excuses.

Music is still important, but I'm just a little...behind.

But, what I'm looking for right now is not necessarily music recommendations for myself (although I'll take 'em if you have 'em). Rather, I'm looking for music for Addie.

Now, I should clarify, I'm going back to my music snob days. I'm not looking for the typical, whiny-voiced music that one might think of when it comes to music for kiddos. I'm also not looking for that Kidz Bop stuff. I just want music that Addie will enjoy and that won't drive Sabian and I to insanity.

I do know of Rockabye Baby, one of which we own and really enjoy. Addie likes it, too. I've also checked out GoFish Guys, who are a lot of fun and offer positive, uplifting messages. If you haven't heard The Mom Song, take three minutes to watch.

So, I'm looking for suggestions from you moms and caregivers out there.

Today I am thankful for a beautiful day.

Round & Round We Go

We had a full, but good weekend. I think the highlight is clearly summed up in these photos.











I am thankful we made it back down safely.

Goats, Ducks & Of Course, Leaves

One day last week I took Addie to the park. I've mentioned before that we are blessed with quite a few parks in this area, many under full shade, which is awesome when considering the (already) hot Florida sun.

Arriving home in time for Addie to take a longer than usual nap, this is something we'll 100% do again. I always think about it and then something comes up or the day gets away from me or I talk myself out of it. No more. We're off to the park!

We visited the swings, a must, talked with a duck and fed a couple of goats. Upon seeing the goats Addie yelled, "Doggie!" She was all about charging ahead to see the goats but I wasn't quite sure how they'd react, although in hindsight, I'm sure they are perfectly accustomed to little hands reaching out to grab them. A grandpa and his granddaughter were also there and sweetly showed Addie how to feed the goats.








This girl is getting too big!

I am thankful for good weather to be able to get out and do this. This week we may be stranded inside if the weather guys are close to being right.

Mother's Day 2010 Wrap Up

Mother's Day - it was a good one. In fact, the whole weekend was nice.

I started out by heading to the beach Friday morning. It had been a while since I had made my regular weekly sanity visits so a couple of hours with just me, my beach chair, a book and some sunscreen was well overdue.

The weather was pretty much perfect.

Later that afternoon we headed out to have some family pictures taken. We haven't had any professional photos taken since Addie was born and I was ready. The thing is, they are usually so expensive and we've taken so many pictures on our own there really hasn't been a need other than to get someone else's perspective and, well, professionalism. But, the prices always were a turn off. For Mother's Day I found a local guy who was offering a great deal, one that we couldn't pass up. So, that was what I wanted for Mother's Day. They aren't up yet and I am so anxious to see them. I'll share them when they're ready!

The rest of the weekend was just...relaxing. We spent some time with some friends and had some family time, just the three of us. We were able to set up Addie's pool and get a couple of other odds and ends done around the house. Oh, and Sabian had Addie choose some flowers for me. Here's a photo recap:




If you're on Facebook you may have already seen these but they are some of my favorites. The flowers Addie chose were so sweet. There's also a rose thrown in there from the roses each mom got at church that morning. And, the photo of Addie with all of the boys was when she decided to walk on over and pay them a visit in the middle of service. Her fan club didn't mind.

I am so thankful to have the opportunity to be a mom, that God saw fit for us to add children to our family. Some days I may not feel so "fit" but I have the comfort of knowing God has given me the tools I need to be a mom. Really, so much of being a parent is outside of ourselves, so much bigger than us. I'm thankful for Sabian, the team that we are, and for Addie - I couldn't have asked for a girl that suits us better than she does.

Show Me Your Coupons

I love coupons. We don't get the daily paper but I try to make sure to get the Sunday paper just for the coupons and the sale papers. It is a sad Sunday when I realize, too late, that I forgot to buy a paper.

I also clip coupons online at CouponSuzy.com. It's a decent site for coupons, but I am looking for more and I am looking to you for help.

If you clip coupons and are willing to share your secrets/sites/tips, I want to hear them.

I have to say, I enjoy seeing the amount we've saved at the bottom of our receipts. Granted, sometimes it isn't that much especially if I'm at the end of my coupon stash, but it's still satisfying.

So, if you can contribute to my coupon addiction, I'd greatly appreciate it.

I am thankful for my brother who designed the coupon pictured in this post. He made it for me when Sabian and I were exchanging coupon books for Christmas. Isn't it awesome?

Yesterday...

...I did nothing. Mondays are usually my get-everything-done-around-the-house days because the weekends are sometimes nutty and Sundays are long days so Mondays it is nice to be able to hang around home and get stuff done so I don't have to worry about doing it the rest of the week.

Yesterday was different. I was tired. I took a nap when Addie took a nap. Sabian came home for lunch as we were napping and told me he would get Addie when she got up so I could sleep longer. I felt so out of it when I did get up. We did make it over to the neighbor's later on to hand over their mail that was delivered to our box and then we had a nice surprise.

Our infamous wonderful neighbors the Millers invited us out for dinner and some mini golf. So, after a day of doing nothing, we went out and had some fun.




I'd say that was a good end to the day. I didn't necessarily feel like I wasted the day - I was too tired to really think about it. But, I made up for it by getting some work done that night and woke up feeling more accomplished today.

I am thankful (again) for awesome neighbors on BOTH sides of us. We had a great time with the Millers and had perfect playing weather, even though Mr. Miller relished in beating us "Yankees." I smell a rematch.