Le Blog de Chaney

The jig is up...

2012-01-17T16:13:00.001-06:00

Baby Chaney due to arrive on or around July 27!

Merry Christmas 2011!

2011-12-23T16:14:00.000-06:00

Coincidentally, exactly a year ago today I was in a hotel room in Columbia, MO typing out a blog post while Addie napped. Here I am, once again doing the same thing in the same place.

What happened to December? I posted on December first with the full intention of chronicling our month and preparations for Christmas. I discovered long ago that even our best laid plans can be thrown for a loop, which is okay, just not quite what I'd anticipated.

Saying Addie loved her advent calendar and 25 days of crafts for Christmas would be an understatement. She asked for both every day, multiple times a day. Just one of the many crafts we've put together (and pulled apart, and put back together, and pulled apart and put back together...):

It's been fun seeing Addie's interpretation of where some of the figures are placed on each of the crafts.

She's also spent plenty of time redecorating the tree.

I haven't been too picky about the decorations this year, as long as she is playing with Addie-safe ornaments. This usually consists of the ones she's made, anyway, and she really enjoys taking the ones she's made on and off the tree.

A week ago the three of us celebrated our little Chaney Christmas. As part of our celebration, Addie opened a gift from my mom (Mimi). Mimi was giving her a dollhouse, which is too cumbersome to tote back to Florida from Illinois.

I think our opening presents photos are on our other camera, but just know that Addie was a pro and was a present opening champ. She's going to have a lot of fun these next couple of days!

You may notice that Sabian got a hair cut.

Last year it was No Shave November for Speed the Light. You might remember the results of Sabian's challenge to raise $75 to meet our fundraising goal. This year he proposed a similar challenge, although the stakes were higher - $500 and he'd shave his head. They raised half. As I was counting the money, I won't lie, I breathed a slight sigh of relief, thinking my husband was going to keep his head of hair. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about supporting our missionaries, but was okay with $250 and all of his hair. Then he announces he'll shave some of it...news to me. He let as many kids as wanted to chop a lock of hair with scissors before the clippers came out. Brave? More like questionable sanity. The clippers came out and, unbeknownst to Sabe, our "friend" who was supposed to do a "good" job on his hair was convinced to shave the shape of a cross on his head, which, because he is the guy he is, he kept for two days so he could visit the kids at school and they'd be able to see it. Later, our "friend's" wife came to our house and fixed the cross.

I don't mind the cut, but let's just say Addie has been less than thrilled with her new Daddy. If I had the video handy, I'd post it, but she wouldn't have anything to do with him until later after we got home. In fact, she still tells him often, "Daddy, I don't like your hair cut," and the other day when I told her I was going for a hair cut she was more than a little concerned.

The day we had our Chaney Christmas was also the same day as Wewa's Christmas parade, where Addie acquired Halloween proportions of candy.

Addie was not impressed by the clowns but was all about candy and beads.

While December didn't yield quite all of the activities I'd planned, it's been a fun month and we're having fun with family and looking forward to more festivities with more family and friends.

Speaking of, Addie is up and Sabian and his mom are on their way.

Merry Christmas and Happy 2012! I am thankful for our year, for our family and friends, for the things God has taught us and blessed us with and for the things God has in store for us.

The 25 Days of Christmas

2011-12-01T14:41:00.000-06:00

Aaaand, we're off! Launching into December, that is. December. Crazy.

I was reading over my last few posts last night and it seems we've made quite a few visits to the beach over the past few weeks. I didn't realize we'd been hitting it up as much as we were. Maybe, unaware, we were preparing for the cooler weather we're having by stocking up on beach time. Surely it will warm up again soon and we can visit the beach again without freezing. I know, I know, many of you are lamenting my sorrows. Boo hoo us for living so close to the white sands and blue waves.

I suspect these next three weeks will speed by and then we'll be off to the Midwest to celebrate Christmas with our families. I'm looking forward to our trip but also anticipating the fun we'll have here before we make that 12 hour drive.

Our countdown to Christmas actually started yesterday when my friend Lee Ann dropped off an incredibly sweet, thoughtful package, one that Addie could not wait to get her hands in once it was in her possession.

A bag full of Christmas crafts, one for each of the 25 days of Christmas. We started yesterday, since the goal is to complete the last one on Christmas Eve. Addie was so excited to get into it.

She was ready to move right on to the next project when I explained to her we'd do another the next day. We have yet to get to it today and she's already asked multiple times. I love that she is so excited about it and am thankful for friends like Lee Ann (and her mother-in-law!) who are thoughtful about sharing their creativity with us.

We're also starting our advent calendar today. For the last couple of years I've searched for advent calendars and found many I liked, but wasn't willing to shell out the $$$ for them. I made our own last year, but was a little (a lot) late in having it ready for December 1st. This year I modified it and sprayed the background of our board with chalkboard paint so I could write the numbers on the board. I never found any numbers that I liked to actually stick on the board. The paint has worked out fine.

Lo and behold, in my indecisive mind, I found another calendar this year that would be really easy to make and would be cute (and not a lot of money), but I'm sticking with this one for now. Maybe in a couple of years I'll try the other one. I think Addie will be excited to start this tradition.

We are even ahead on Christmas gifts and I have only to buy stocking stuffers for Sabian and he for me. The last two years we've exchanged personalized coupon books. This year we're exchanging stocking stuffers and then some time after Christmas we're planning days to take one another out as a delayed Christmas present.

I'm even about to start working on getting our Christmas cards out, but I'll post separately about those. I really enjoy sending out cards to our friends and family but sometimes it is hard to work them into the budget. This is due in part to my pickiness - I like awesome Christmas cards. This year the way our cards worked out is something I am really thankful for, and I will share soon about it.

I guess knowing we are leaving for Christmas spurs on my organization when it comes to Christmas. I know if I leave everything to the last minute things may not get done before we leave, so I try to stay on top of it. I'm not always so successful but so far, so good! Here's to counting down the days 'til Christmas...

I am thankful for a little alone time this afternoon!

Black & White Friday

2011-11-25T23:51:00.000-06:00

I'm not against Black Friday shopping. While I am pro-giving each holiday it's due time (although I'm known to break my self-imposed rules), I'm not going to say I'll never venture out the day after Thanksgiving. At one time I may have not-so-silently lamented Black Friday and its seemingly unending crowds, but that would have been during my seven year stint at Gap and before that, a few years working at St. Louis Bread Co. (Panera for my Florida friends) in the mall.

Since there's no item on my list that warranted a midnight trip to Target or Wal-mart or anywhere else, we instead spent our Black Friday here:

We also did this:

Let the Christmas music begin! This is the first year we're using our "new" tree. Since we've been married I've wanted to get a grown up tree - we've always used the smaller tree I bought when I had my apartment but when it came to buying a new one I was being cheap. I didn't want to spend a lot of money. I'd forget to shop after Christmas and now many stores put theirs on sale before Christmas, but that timing never worked for me, either. Finally, last year my waiting was rewarded.

I found out that Cracker Barrel sells their display trees after Christmas, but even at 50% off I was still holding out for a better deal. Their trees are 7.5 ft, pre-lit and slim. I was not looking for a pre-lit tree, but figured I could take the lights off...but I was still waiting for a better deal. I caught the deal at 75% off and spent less than $40 for a $150 tree.

Did I mention I had a brilliant idea to pull the lights off of the tree? Well, we did, but not without some effort. Whoever is paid to wrap the lights around these pre-lit trees is likely not making enough money. Armed with scissors, Sabian and I poked and snipped and hacked our way through the lights until every last one was gone. We now bear the scratches on our forearms from a tedious hour or so, but it was a job well done. I'm really happy with our grown up tree and Addie had fun decorating it, all ornaments landing in one spot, of course.

This post wouldn't be complete without a quick Thanksgiving wrap up. Food, food and more food, naps and a visit with our pastor and his family and extended family made up our day.

Addie, a bit under the weather but excited about her turkey!

It was a good day.

I am thankful for this laid back weekend!

'Twas the night before Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T23:25:00.000-06:00

All day yesterday I kept thinking that today was Thanksgiving. I'm so glad my internal calendar was wrong.

Right now the house smells of pumpkin pie, Addie is snoozing and I've weeded through her toys, piles for giving away and storage. I also smell of smoke thanks to a bonfire we stopped by with some of our kids from church. Thankfully, it was "too late" when we left to come home and cook dinner so we went out for pizza before heading back home for bath/bed time and more baking.

Thanksgiving will be pretty laid back for us, much like our first Thanksgiving here. We're cooking for ourselves and will hopefully spend the day just enjoying the day. I'm looking forward to it. I've already been through my customary sad-we're-not-with-family blues, but it didn't last too long. It does get easier every year, but every year there's still a pang of missing them, quickly followed by the anticipation of seeing everyone in a few short weeks for Christmas.

Having Addie helps with these pangs, and as she gets older it is fun to explain to her what we're doing and why we're doing it, to see her excitement and to hear her say, "That's exciting!"

Every November I think about our first Thanksgiving on our own and am reminded of the beginnings of this blog - now four years ago. When I started this blog, because it was November, I tried to make an effort to point out something I was thankful for each day, and it stuck. Some days it is easy to come up with something to be thankful for and others I have to think about it. On those days that I have to take some time to think, it reminds me even more of what I have to be thankful for each day.

So now, as my eyes are tired (but will stay open long enough to watch a recorded Survivor!), as my two pies are cooled and the cookie dough is ready to morph into cookies tomorrow, as the turkey is waiting to find its way into the oven and the fixin's will materialize some time tomorrow before noon, I am simply thankful. Thankful for provision in so many ways, thankful for where we are, because it is a reflection of God's timing and thankful He is the one orchestrating our steps.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ta-da!

2011-11-21T15:37:00.000-06:00

I have this journal that I sometimes (rarely) write in - I have good intentions, I think about it, but then I don't do it. I even made it simpler on myself. Instead of keeping a separate prayer/devotion journal, or a journal for other topics, long ago I told myself I'd just keep one and record it all in there.

Well, I've been pretty bad about it. The last time I checked, if I remember correctly without having to get up and actually go look, my last entry was in February. I do remember it was about Addie and what she was up to those many months ago.

I often remember the journal when I see or hear her do something that I want to remember. And while I have reminded myself that this blog serves a good purpose in recording much of what is going on in our lives, I do miss the actual writing on paper. Especially when I think about being able to hand it over to our kids one day.

In thinking about all of this, and of the things Addie is doing lately that I want to burn into my brain, I also realized it's been a while since I've blogged about her antics and her goings on.

"Why?"
I hear this question about a million times a day - and it's been going on for a while. When she first started asking I was really surprised it was coming so early. I try to count it a blessing that she is so inquisitive, but there are times that, even at two, I can tell she's asking just to be asking. That's when I start asking, "Why?" back. ;)

"Ta-da!"
Whether she's announcing her arrival, dressing herself, or drawing something important, "Ta-da!" is also a staple of Addie's vocabulary these days. I find it pretty hilarious, especially when she's pulled on a pair of pants or put her shoes on by herself and she exclaims, "Ta-da!"

"That's exciting!"
This is another favorite phrase these days. "Hey Addie, we have to get ready to go to church." Her response: "That's exciting!" There are many things that we as adults would find unimportant and mundane, but to Addie, "That's exciting!"

Pirates
"Pirates say 'Arrrr.'" At first, this one was tough for me to decipher, but as soon as I figured out what she was saying, I was completely humored and perplexed. I mean seriously, where does she come up with this stuff?

Boo hoo
Addie has, since she was really little, had a habit of crying when people leave our house. You'd think we never let her out, or she was never around other people. She's always so sad when, adult or child, has to end their visit. Count it a compliment for the visitors, I'm not sure what for mom and dad!

Dear Jesus
Addie is quick on the draw when it comes to praying for boo boos. If you have one, she wants to pray for it, maybe not right then, but she'll remember it at bedtime. Last week she fell while playing outside and scraped her knee, arm and hand. I knew she was hurting, but through her tears she immediately asked if I would pray for her boo boos.

Pickles
She love's 'em. Can't get enough of them.

Sighing
Addie has developed a habit of sighing deeply (and hilariously) in various situations. The other day, after already kissing and saying her goodbyes to Sabian as he was headed to church, we did our customary walk outside to stand on the porch and wave. As he drove off, her shoulders hanging as low as they might go, she sighed as deep as a two year old can sigh and hung her head. She'll do this if I tell her she can't have something, if we're not going somewhere, or sometimes just because. I wish I could capture it on video because it is pitiful and funny at the same time.

I'm sorry
Addie is learning to apologize when she's done something wrong, but there are time when she mis-uses her apology. For instance, if she asks for candy and I say no, she'll say "I'm sorry." It's as though she really is sorry she can't have candy. But trust me, she gets plenty.

So, that's my girl these days. There's so much more but that's what comes to mind right now.

As we anticipate Thanksgiving this week, here are a few photos from another quick afternoon visit to the beach last week.

A dose of beach is sometimes just what we need. I am thankful for Thanksgiving this week. I think it will be a good time.

The rundown

2011-11-07T22:10:00.001-06:00

The weekend, oh the weekend. They come, they go, fun is had, toes get smashed and then Monday rolls around again.

Friday: Spent the morning doing some work, caught up with my sister (my brother-in-law is home and recovering nicely), spent a fairly relaxing afternoon around the house and then off to the beach to enjoy a chilly sunset.

Smiles, courtesy of Addie.

Saturday: Straightening iron died, church yard sale, Sabian's big toe is run over by the cart carrying all of the tables for the yard sale. Plans to head out that night are squashed (no pun intended), off to a friend's (who is a nurse) to check out his injury, home for lunch and naps for Addie and Sabian while I run off for a new straightener and some sanity (i.e., free Starbucks drink).

Sunday: New Sunday School class (taking Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University) and realizing (like I didn't already know) we need to win the lottery, Addie does great in Sunday morning service, Sabian hobbles around and tries to avoid being stepped on all day.

And here we are at the end of Monday, which brings us to the big news in our household: potty training. Or, as I like to call it, Potty Patrol. I'll spare the details, but Addie did pretty well today. I was expecting a struggle of a day but I am really proud of her and her progress. By no means do I think we're in the clear after only day #1. I think we'll have some issues in the #2 category (oops, there I go, details), but I'm praying about that. Addie and I have been praying together for the last two weeks for her potty training and I honestly think that has helped prepare her. That, and the promise of treats for her efforts, of course. I find myself wondering when I think we'll ever leave the house again, but Wednesday night will be the test, as we'll have to venture out to church. Thankfully, we have some understanding and experienced nursery workers armed with a pint-sized bathroom nearby.

I'll also try to spare you the details, and any photos - because we do have them - of Sabian's toe, but I will say that it's not pretty. Unless you consider shades of black and blue and red pretty. Toes, you just don't think about how important they are until you can't use one.

Today I am thankful for a better than expected first potty training day. Here's to praying and hoping tomorrow is a good one, too.

My big girl!

P.S. Yes, that is pee pee in the potty. Rather than taking a full on photo of her first success, I figured this would be acceptable. What can I say? Proud Mommy. I'm sure you understand :)

House cleaning & breaking the rules

2011-11-03T15:42:00.000-05:00

First, house cleaning.

Not actually cleaning the floors and scrubbing toilets, rather, updating you on a couple of things from past posts.

The Cardinals won the World Series. Old news, I guess, in the sense that it happened almost two weeks ago, but not old in the sense that it is great to be on the winning side. Congratulations, Cardinals!

Second item of business, my brother-in-law. His surgery went as planned and he is doing well. In fact, he is now at home recovering. Surgery on Tuesday, home today. It will be two to three months before he knows anything about the person who received his kidney, although he knows their surgery went well and I believe they, too, are on their way home. His roommate for his hospital stay was also a kidney donor - he donated to his one year old nephew. I haven't yet talked to my sister so I don't know the whole story, but how cool is that?

Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers for Dan.

Now, breaking the rules.

I've written before about my self-imposed, wait-until-the-day-after-Christmas-to-listen-to-Christmas-music rule. Apparently, according to that post, I was a bit of a rule breaker then, too. Well, I've done it again this year, and even earlier. I couldn't resist listening to She & Him's Christmas tunes. What can I say? I'm excited about Christmas.

So, that's about it. Well, except for this sweet photo of my little bag lady, off to church last night.

Look closely at her shirt. It's titled, "Fail." I love Threadless.

I am thankful for the amazing weather we have today and date night tonight!

It is Well

2011-11-02T22:37:00.002-05:00

I've almost forgotten to write this post. Mulling over what I was going to post about today, it popped into my head.

There were five Sundays in October. Whenever we have a fifth Sunday, that evening's service is dubbed a "Fifth Sunday Sing." Instead of normal Sunday evening service, various people share through singing. It might be considered a traditional, maybe even old fashioned practice - I remember having these in church growing up - but you always know when it's the fifth Sunday, there's going to be singing.

When Addie and I arrived at church and she sought out Sabian as she always does when we get to church, he said to me, "I think I'm going to sing tonight." I thought he was kidding.

Sabian plays the guitar and while he can sing, he doesn't. At least, not usually. He wouldn't consider himself a singer, leaving that to our worship leaders, happy to accompany them with his guitar. He would even say he isn't a good guitar player, although he is better than he thinks he is. Really, he is.

The thing is, he says all of this out of humility. As a fellow "not singer," I can say that while I say he can sing well enough, he'd probably agree when I say it's best that neither one of us volunteer for a solo in the Christmas play. You get my drift?

Rewind to several weeks ago - in youth service our worship leader was unable to make it to service at the last minute. Sabian decided to go on with worship service, him leading. I was a little wary and while he warned the kids before we started and told them he'd be counting on them to belt it out to help him out, I was anticipating a bumpy few songs. Now don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't have faith in him, but remember what I just wrote about no solos in the Christmas play? There's a reason we're not up there singing.

Sabian's sacrifice did not escape me as he stood up there, strumming his guitar and trying his best to lead us through three songs. It might have been a, but I little rough, but I was pretty proud of our kids, as there was a segment of them that really supported him, singing out the songs as loudly as they could and shouting encouraging words to him.

Back to this past Sunday night. I really thought Sabian was joking when he said he was going to sing, but realized he was 100% serious when a little while later Pastor Joey asked him if he was ready. Sabian climbed the stairs, picked up his guitar and announced he'd be singing his favorite hymn, which he then proceeded to tell the story behind the song. I knew immediately what he was going to sing and thought, "Wow. He's going to tackle that?"

Obedience. That's why he did it. Not because he is a born singer, not because it was requested by anyone, but because he felt God was prompting him to do so and he followed through.

He was great. He won't win a Grammy, won't cut any record deals, but I was so proud, not for the recognition of what he did, but just so thankful for his example. His humility humbles me.

This part has nothing to do with Sabian, but it does make me think, "What am I not listening to that God is trying to tell me? Show me? Teach me?" Is my pride in check, where it needs to be, so that I can be where God wants me to be - even if that means taking me out of my comfort zone?

The song? It is Well With My Soul.

Right on.

I am thankful for my husband.

Spun sugar, horses & candy, candy, candy

2011-10-31T23:32:00.001-05:00

'Tis Halloween and we've done our fair share of waltzing around Wewa in search of sugary goodies. Our plan was to just hit up the trunk or treat at the elementary school, but when we ran into some friends from church and their daughters, our one stop turned into an all out trick-or-treating adventure.

Initially, Addie, or "Adelaid-y bug" as she was tonight, was pretty shy. Despite our explanations throughout the day and her excitement about dressing up as a "wadybug" and getting candy, I think she was a bit overwhelmed at first. However, by the time we left the trunk or treat and started hitting up houses, she was breaking into a run and holding out her Elmo treat catcher with the best of them. At some point during our candy quest we lost an antenna out of her hair (which we found, but she refused to let me put it back in), some of her dots made their way onto daddy and she never ended up wearing her wings. She really had a lot of fun.


The ladybug herself.

The anticipation!


Missing pom pom.

The wings that weren't.

Before tonight's candy haul we'd already taken in our fill (and then some!) at our church's Fall Festival last Saturday night. Games, bounce houses, s'mores, hot dogs, cotton candy (my favorite!), face painting and more ruled the evening.

Addie's favorite part? The horses. I was surprised and proud of my girl when she rode with our friend, Hayley. Just this summer when Hayley stopped by our house with one of her horses, Addie would not have anything to do with riding it. Saturday night was a different story. She first rode with Hayley and later she rode all by herself. Sigh, such a big girl.

We have waaay too much candy in our house and a little girl who has waaay too good of a memory to forget about it all by morning. I'm chalking it up as free potty training treats while Sabian, as I type this, is already raiding the stash.

I am thankful for a fun weekend and night with our sweet ladybug.

A kidney, from the heart: Update

2011-10-31T21:44:00.000-05:00

My sister wrote an update on Facebook today:

"September 6 came and went, Dan still with two kidneys. The surgery had been postponed at the last minute. The phone call came while we were sitting on the couch watching TV. We had spent Labor Day doing the sort of contradictory things you do before a big event--hurrying up and making last minute arangements while trying to somehow stockpile relaxtion time.

We were later told the recipient was sick, sicker than the transplant coordinator had been led to believe. So, the surgery was on hold indefinitely until the recipient got well. Dan got up and went to to work the next day. He said it was surreal; he'd spent the weeks prior to the surgery getting his work projects to a point where he could hand them over. Then he walked in the door that Wednesday having to figure out how to take them back. It was all disorienting.

The recipient got well. The surgery was rescheduled for Nov. 1. Back into anticipation/preparation mode. Then, weeks later, another phone call. A glitch in scheduling that now meant Dan would have to wait for his recipient to be ready--probably after the first of next year--or he could stick with the Nov. 1 date and donate to someone else.

He called me, sounding nearly frantic. "I don't know what to do," he said. Loyalty to his original recipient made him want to wait around until the scheduling worked out. But he was mentally geared up for Nov. 1, and he knew there had to be other people who needed a kidney. He called the transplant coordinator back. "If I choose to give to someone else, how many people are on the waiting list at Barnes?" he asked. "Eight hundred people," she replied. When he told me, I said, "Give it to someone else. There are too many sick people waiting who are ready now."

He called back with his decision and was told the transplant team would begin the cross-matching process to find a new recipient. Within days, he heard back from the coordinator. She was so excited, she couldn't contain it. Organ donation is a completely blind process--when an altruistic donor offers a kidney, he is told no details about his recipient. Everything is kept confidential until the process is over and until both parties decide if they want to meet. But this was big news. This recipient had been matched with people before, and 97% of the the available donors were incompatible. Until then. Dan was a match. He was told the surgeon called the recipient and said, "You've won the lottery." I still get choked up every time I tell the story. I can't even imagine that phone call.

At times I've pictured the process as sort of a dramatic movie montage--some doctor in a lab, wearing a white coat, entering long series of numbers into a computer and then seeing some equation appear on the screen that means this person has now been given a new lease on life. I picture the lab where they mix the blood from Dan and this complete stranger and watch and wait and see that nothing's going wrong, which now means a surgeon gets to make a phone call he never expected to make. It makes all of this feel like a miracle, not science.

If altruistic organ donors are the rarest of the rare, and this person had a 3% chance of ever getting a kidney, I can't even wrap my head around the improbability of it all. My heart is full, and I am in awe of a God whose plans are so much better than anything I ever imagine."

So there you go. That's the latest! Thanks for your prayers.

A kidney, from the heart

2011-10-31T15:50:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow, my brother-in-law will be a life saver. He will arrive at the hospital bright and early at 5:30 a.m., go through surgery prep, and a few hours later one of his healthy kidneys will find a new body in which to work.

My brother-in-law, Dan, has a calling on his heart that will finally be fulfilled.

Dan is donating his kidney to someone he has never met. This surgery was to happen several weeks ago but due to unforeseen circumstances it did not take place. As all things work together in God's perfect timing, he is scheduled for surgery tomorrow. He does know that the recipient is someone who had about a 5% chance of ever receiving a kidney and Dan happens to be a match. Again, perfect timing.

It's wild, knowing that someone has a desire to donate a kidney to a stranger. More likely is someone willing to donate to someone they already know. I'm proud of Dan and I think it's special that he's finally going to be able to fulfill this calling that took root in his heart.

My sister says it best (taken from a note she wrote on Facebook when the first surgery was scheduled):

"Have you ever had someone give you something because they "had an extra"? I've received lots of things this way--kids' clothes, gardening tools, beach towels. Generosity is often prompted by recognizing that you have more than you need.

My husband, Dan Angenend, recognized this a while ago and has decided he is ready to part with his extra. His extra kidney, that is.

If you ask him, he'll say this idea took root a long time ago. His best friend has polycystic kidney disease, a disease that often requires a transplant. What started as a joke--"If I ever need a kidney, you'd better give me one"--became a calling. Turns out, his friend isn't going to need a kidney any time soon, but somewhere around 80,000 other people in the U.S. do. So, even after learning he'd probably never need to help his friend, Dan says the drive to donate a kidney never went away. He says he can't explain it, but he just knows without question that he is supposed to do this. And on September 6, he is going to.

Altruistic donors--organ donors who give to complete strangers--are sometimes referred to as "the rarest of the rare." But it seems they all share very similar sentiments--the feeling of just knowing deep inside this is something they are supposed to do, the desire to bless someone else as they have been blessed in life, the recognition of simply being able to fill a need.

From what I've experienced so far, being an altruistic organ donor makes lots of people uncomfortable. While those in the donor medical community often say, "You are a hero," people outside this circle say, "Are you crazy?" This has been a difficult path to navigate. Full support on one side, sanity-questioning on the other.

Facing the widened eyes and shocked expressions on people's faces can be wearying. I have learned that pursuing an untraditional calling, even when it's for a good cause, can result in a person simply being labeled a weirdo.

But, along the way, there have been those other moments: Periods of complete peace washing over me, excitement expressed by someone who knows personally what this gift means, the simple assurance of the words, "It's OK. We're going to take good care of him."

I can't say that I fully understand Dan's desire to do this. He says he doesn't really, either, but that the only explanation is that something much larger than himself is behind it. Sometimes he simply says, "It's a God thing," when people ask.

I do know, without question, that this is something that has been placed on his heart and is not going away. We all have different convictions in life. Mine might not make sense to you, and yours might not make sense to me. But I am thankful for and humbled by those people like Dan who recognize theirs and follow through. Grace and peace to them."

So, if you think of it, tonight, tomorrow, whenever, please say a prayer for Dan, my sister and their family. Pray for the kidney recipient and the road ahead of them, as well as their family.

A kidney, from the heart.

I am thankful for Dan and for his example of following through with his conviction.

The Chronicles of Adelaide

2011-10-28T23:27:00.000-05:00

A few photos from Addie's latest adventures.

Friday night football date with Daddy.

Climbing trees at the park.

Cheese! Caterpillar.

Transporting a "friend" we found inside the house to outside.

There he goes!

There he is! No fear.

Waiting for Wewa's Homecoming parade to begin.

Candy action!

Showing off some of her parade wares - while proudly supporting the Cardinals!

And a packed weekend ahead!

I am thankful for some fun days.

Baseball Butterflies

2011-10-28T16:29:00.001-05:00

Tonight is it. Game 7 of the World Series. If the Cardinals pull out a win tonight, we've one it all.

While I'm not the world's most devoted (or knowledgeable) baseball fan, I've certainly learned more about the game and have come to appreciate it more and have more fun with it since I met Sabian. He's a hard core Cardinals fan, as are his two closest friends from college. I can't count how many phone conversations I've heard, from Sabian's side, about players, plays, errors and the like. I kind of marvel at these conversations, that they can go on forever, are so detailed and fervent, but it makes you realize that this game - baseball - really is an American passion.

Fair weather baseball fan or die hard believer, this has been an exciting World Series. First, that the Cardinals even made it at all, and now, to be playing for the world champion title after last night's game. I have to admit, I wasn't watching the game. I couldn't. I was too nervous. After reading a few stories and going through the normal bedtime routine I retreated to our office. Sabian was camped on the couch, talking to the TV. I may not have been watching, but I could gauge how things were going by Sabian's outbursts.

My stomach was in knots. I had a headache. I was trying to concentrate on other things, but I had an ear out for the cheers coming from the television. I kept thinking, "Really? Is this me?" And it was, and I was hoping for a win.

And it happened. 11th inning and one strike to go. And then this.

Sabian and I had our own hugging-jumping-up-and-down celebration in the living room. I almost wished Addie was awake, as she has been randomly yelling, "Go Cardinals!" throughout the series and asking to watch baseball. So while she slept soundly in her bed, we celebrated with the rest of the Cardinal Nation.

How fun it would be to be in St. Louis right now. How great it would be, even without game tickets (which my brother-in-law has for tonight and was there last night - jealous!), to head downtown, hang out around Busch Stadium, and take in the excitement and energy coursing through the city.

We'll rally as best as we can down here in Braves country, cheering our guys on and hoping for a win. Win or not, the Cardinals have already made history with this World Series.

Fellow Cardinals fans, aren't you just biting at the bit, to at some exciting point in your life, not matter what it might be, to be able to say..."I feel like David Freese in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series?"

I am thankful I'm not a Rangers fan! Go Cards!

Brown paper packages

2011-10-26T16:23:00.000-05:00

I love receiving mail. I always have, but living far from home makes receiving personal mail even more special. When I was pregnant with Addie, and in the weeks after we had her, I was often surprised with a package on my doorstep or in the mailbox. Awesome gifts from sweet friends and family and always fun to open. One of my favorite (and most surprising) packages at that time came in the form of a Cheesecake Factory cheesecake sent from some friends from our church in Illinois. I was amazed!

Over the last couple of weeks I've had some fun receiving some packages in the mail. A couple of things I've ordered and then a couple of unexpected boxes, which are the most fun. Today I received two of those surprises.

The first arrived in my mailbox. An unknown return address on a small, brown envelope. I opened it to reveal handmade pouch:

A birthday gift from my sister, it totally caught me off guard! We'd seen these on a website we follow, Very Jane. It's a site that offers deals on items for a certain period of time and when the deal is up, it's up. We'd commented back and forth about them and I considered buying one and then decided against it and forgot about it. Lo and behold, my sister knows me well and bought me one! I was so happy to see this little owl today.

The next surprise came later by UPS. I was expecting these:

My first pair of TOMS! I was pretty excited about these. Thanks to a gift card I was able to get these and have been anxiously awaiting their arrival.

I was not expecting our UPS guy to drop off two boxes and was really curious when I saw the other addressed to Adelaide. She was excited, too! Inside her box were these:

A sweet handmade smock and tooth fairy pillow from my friend Missy. She thoughtfully sent these and now Addie keeps asking for "tooth fairy" and has been wearing the smock. Missy's etsy shop is currently on vacation, but stop by and take a look at her handmade goodies.

It's been a good mail day!

I'd planned on us having a low key day, which we have, since we've been out and about this week and have a crazy weekend ahead. Addie also, seemingly out of the blue, has developed a runny nose and some congestion, so it's a good thing we laid low today. But, we were able to get out and get some flowers and Addie made a card so we could wish our neighbor and friend, Ms. Connie, happy birthday. We actually spent the evening with her just last night when she had us over for dinner. It was so nice to not have to cook and to spend some time with her since it had been a while since we'd been able to catch up with her.

This morning we had a nice short walk over to her house to deliver her flowers and card and searched for butterflies on the way back to our house. It was so nice that I almost don't want to mention the pile of fresh dog poop I stepped in, in my flip flops, on the way to her house. The bright side? At least it wasn't Addie's foot.

And that's been our day. Now it's time to get ready to get to church, cook for the kids and have service.

I am thankful for the thoughtfulness of sweet family and friends!

Beached

2011-10-25T22:17:00.000-05:00

The weather in the panhandle is down right bee-yootiful today. I was a little disappointed (okay, a lot) when I checked the forecast this week and saw we'd be seeing temps back into the 80s. But, I need not have been worried. The sun is shining, the breeze is blowing and the windows are still open.

I wanted to get Addie to the beach this week since it's been a while since we'd dug our toes into the sand. Seems we picked the perfect day for our little trip.

Addie filled in crab holes, built sand "towers", chased me, was chased by me, watched dolphins, scouted out stingrays and ran and ran and ran. It was a picture perfect beach day, the kind that makes you want to stay until the sun goes night night.

The water was really calm and clear today, which usually means we're likely to see some action - dolphins, jumping fish, you name it. We saw both, as well as diving pelicans and two huge stingrays. I saw their dark shadowy shapes in the water as soon as we got near and was able to get a pretty good look at one of them when he came close to shore. As Addie and I took a long walk, he followed along in the water for a while.

It was also the kind of day when you could pick up shells by the handful. I love that about Mexico Beach. Almost every time we go we can find shells and many times we've been crunching along as we walk because there are so many. We don't usually bring them home, since we already have so many, but today I did bring a few home. There were so many larger shells still intact, it was hard to pass them up.

Most of all it was fun to spend the time with Addie. I feel like we've had some really fun, bonding times in the last week or so - not without challenges, of course - but just good, quality time. Our beach time today was perfect, only made better if Sabian could have joined us. That and subtract Addie dumping a ziploc bag of Frosted Mini Wheats cereal all over the back seat on our way home, prompting an unscheduled (but much needed) vacuuming of the car.

Sifting through all of the shells along the beach today, I couldn't help but consider God's creativity. He thought to make each one of the creatures that once inhabited those shells and made their temporary homes so unique. I'm sure each one has a purpose and does its own duty and has its own place in the water and along the shore and He designed it all. The dolphins, the stingray, the birds, the crabs - all designed by Him and each carrying out a purpose. Makes me feel small, in a way, in the grand scheme of things, yet He designed me, too, with a purpose, and although I might feel small and at times unsure of my purpose, He's designed a place for me. And, for you too!

I'm so thankful that part of my purpose is to be mom to Addie and wife to Sabian. I'm so thankful that part of that purpose meant spending some of this awesome day at the beach!

Friday night lights

2011-10-21T20:43:00.000-05:00

It's Friday night and once again I am at home on my own.

It's feeling more like football weather around here. This week we've had windows open to let in the cool breezes and spent some time outside enjoying the cooler temperatures. I am so thankful.

I guess I've been in a bit of a blogging slump lately. Life has certainly been chugging along - making lists, checking them twice in preparation for the holidays, following through with promised get togethers and the everyday of the every day. I just haven't felt much like sitting down and writing. Scratch that - I want to write, I miss writing when I don't do it. Frankly, I think there's just more on my mind and heart than I'm willing to write about. At the moment, anyway. I don't say this to bait you, it's just where I am and I suppose I have been here for a while. I trust it is a time of growth and learning on my part. It's uncomfortable, unsettling and not exactly where my plan-ahead-want-to-know-what's-coming self wants to be, but I think that means I'm just where I need to be, which is to be leaning completely on my Savior, trusting in His provision and the love and grace he offers me and my little family.

At the moment, the house feels super cozy with my pumpkin spice candle burning and I can hear the loud speaker from the football game at the high school not too far away. Nothing in Wewa is too far away ;)

Speaking of pumpkin, I love this time of year and the pumpkin-y treats that I now feel justified to eat and make. Last weekend I finally tracked down Target's Archer Farms brand of pumpkin yogurt. It was on sale the week before but my three trips to Target that week yielded no pumpkin yogurt - sold out every time. We were in Panama City Beach last weekend having dinner with friends (see the above, following through with a long over due get together!) and I stopped in the Target out there and lo and behold, they had pumpkin yogurt!

I was a tad disappointed in it - the pumpkin flavor is a lot stronger than I'd expected, but it's still good. I think adding some vanilla yogurt to it might tone down some of its' spicy flavor and I added granola, which helped, too.

Last week I also had my first pumpkin spice latte of the season and a few days later tried the salted caramel mocha at Starbucks with my free birthday drink coupon. I think the mocha may be my new seasonal favorite, but the pumpkin spice is always a good, comforting seasonal staple.

I'm excitedly anticipating Thanksgiving and Christmas - I think they are going to be a lot of fun this year. As Addie gets older and understands more, she causes me to be more excited (and prepared!). I'm trying to be diligent about getting things together as far as gifts and cards and what to make to hand out to friends here. It's fun to think about, I'm just ready to start crossing things off my list!

I suspect I will soon see a red-nosed, cheeks flushed little girl bounding through my door, so I'm off.

For those of you who read this regularly, I am thankful for you and your prayers for the three of us!

Life is Good

2011-10-11T19:12:00.001-05:00

Sheesh, it's been a couple of weeks since I've paid much attention to this here web space.

I come back to you a year older...sigh. But, as I sat down to write this post, as I'm remembering the hard day we had yesterday and how my joints are currently aching (thanks, Jillian Michaels), I also was just hit with a sudden feeling of...life is good.

We spent the past weekend on the road with a group of girls from church. Sabian was asked to drive the bus for an over night trip our younger girls were taking and their leader invited Addie and I to tag along. We headed to Georgia with 12 middle school girls and a few adults and a good, albeit whirlwind, time. It was good to get to know some of the adults who went, people we go to church with and may "know" but I feel I had some good conversation with them this weekend. It was a fast, tiring trip, but I am glad we went. Addie was a great traveler and enjoyed all of the attention from the girls. However, yesterday and today I feel like we've been paying for just how fast the trip was.

Yesterday was a whiny, crying, not listening type of day for Addie. For me, I was exhausted and my fuse was short. Put the two of us together and it was a rough pair. But, we made it through the day to today, a new day with a better outlook.

Add on to my exhaustion that I feel like an 80 year old woman and I feel like I've been run over. Sabian and I have been working out with Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred and have tried to be as consistent as possible. The last time we worked out was either last Thursday or Friday, so I was surprised when I was feeling really sore yesterday. It seemed like too many days had passed for my pain to be contributed to the last workout but as of today I'm convinced it had to be that, and possibly us hitting the ground running with the trip has magnified it. Whatever it is, my joints hurt and weirdly, my wrists and forearms are so sore. I think I'm skipping the walk out push ups from now on...

This leads me to my birthday. While it was a great day, this is the first year since I turned 30 that I have really given thought to my age. Even when I turned 30 I didn't dwell on it. I enjoyed 30 and have really had fun in my 30s. Now I'm undoubtedly in my mid-30s, which is so weird to me. It gives more meaning to a conversation I had with my aunt several years ago (she is now in her 80s), when she said that even though her age changed, she always felt the same inside. That's exactly how I feel. I'm not dwelling on the number, but I did think more about it in the days leading up to my birthday. But, the day more than made up for any birthday blues I might have had.

Addie and I had a sweet day together, blowing bubbles, chalk writing on the driveway and enjoying the beautiful day. Sabian had arranged for a babysitter that night and we went to a movie (in the THEATER!), dinner and then went for dessert. It was so nice to have the day with Addie and the evening with my sweet husband. I felt good and I felt loved. I'd already had celebrations with both of our families when we were home a few weeks ago and this was icing on my proverbial birthday cake.

Shove aside the aches and pains and the challenging days we might have, I am thankful. As we're entering this holiday season I know I have a lot to be grateful for and I want to be able to go against my pessimistic grain and recognize these things, even on the days that are difficult.

If this picture doesn't show me what I have to be thankful for, I don't know what does!

Birthday photo with my sweet girl.

Home Sweet Midwest

2011-09-30T09:11:00.000-05:00

Last week we took a quick, last minute trip home. We'd decided not to take a vacation this year but a few weeks ago talked about taking a few days to at least visit home. We thought we'd be making the trip in October, but found out the week before last that we could go last week. So basically, we found out one week, left the next.

It's always good to go home.

We spent some time with both of our families and finally got to take Addie apple picking, which she loved. The day was dreary but we enjoyed it and brought a pumpkin back, too. Now I need to figure out what we'll do with some of these apples - streusel? Pie? Cake?

It always feels like a whirlwind and here we are, back in Wewa, back to life as we know it. We'll have a couple of busy, fun months ahead of us and before we know it we'll be back home for Christmas. Hard to believe it will be so soon!

I am so thankful we were able to make a trip home.

So long, Summer

2011-09-29T00:21:00.000-05:00

I hope my pining for fall hasn't been too tiresome. I write about it on here and mention it from time to time on Facebook, hoping and wishing for cooler temperatures, looking for excuses to burn candles and make soup. Thanks for indulging me!

As of last week, fall is upon us. The calendar tells us this when the elements might show otherwise. The good news is that it is on it's way, no matter when it decides to show up.

There's part of me, aside from the soup making and candle burning, that isn't sad to see summer go. I could say that this summer was a little hard for me.

This summer we spent a lot of time inside. It was hot outside...miserable. I felt a little confined.

This summer I was discouraged, disappointed in people and the lack of commitment shown in certain areas.

This summer I took some time to think about these feelings, where they were coming from, if they were right and what I needed to do to make some changes.

I still feel some frustration and disappointment but I feel that even though I may not be able to fix the situations, I can figure out how I'm going to deal with them. I'm better about asking myself if the frustrations I am feeling are legitimate, or are they Melissa frustrations? If they are simply my frustrations then I need to figure out what I need to do about my position. If they are legitimate frustrations, there may be nothing I can really do to change things, but I realize I am responsible for my reactions.

Of course the summer wasn't all bad. Addie may not yet be in school, but there is still something freeing about summer, even a super hot one.

I am thankful for learning and growing, even in the face of not-so-comfortable situations.

Weekend recovery

2011-09-13T21:50:00.000-05:00

It's Tuesday night and I'm just now maybe feeling recovered from the weekend.

We helped with a friend's wedding at church, which was within a couple of hours of a visitation for Wewa's mayor, who passed away last week. Wedding reception in one room, viewing in the next.

Sunday was Pastor Appreciation Day, which included a lunch after our morning service and was followed not long after by the mayor's funeral.

Lots of setting up, tearing down, setting up, tearing down.

Thankfully, part of Pastor Appreciation Day was the cancellation of our Sunday evening service. And, and an unofficial day off for Sabian on Monday, probably due to the craziness of the weekend. I was grateful for both.

We appreciate our church and all they do for us. Pastor Appreciation is always humbling. We are grateful for their provision and generosity.

Sunday evening I fully expected we would hang out and relax around the house, but when Sabian got home we headed for the beach.

Since a pastor's work is never done, Sabian still did some work on his "unofficial" day off on Monday, but we managed to squeeze in lunch out together.

Busy weekend, but a good one. Along with catching our breath we're taking care of normal weekly things this week, made it to the library for a new stack of books, I'm looking forward to dinner with a friend later on this week and also preparing for our yard sale this Saturday. I'm really praying we sell, sell, sell! Included in the sale is our couch and a couple of other larger items I hope we can say goodbye to so that we don't have to pack them up and figure out where to store them until we can try to get rid of them again. At least the weather forecast is showing no rain and 87 degrees (for now!).

I am thankful for the relaxing tail end of our weekend.

Where were you?

2011-09-11T17:02:00.000-05:00

That seems to be the question of the day as we remember September 11, 2001.

I was at my desk, in my office building in downtown St. Louis, working away at my computer. It was a typical Tuesday morning. My friend Rita walked over to my desk, like she had many times before, and said that something had happened to one of the the World Trade Center buildings. Details were still sketchy at that point.

I turned on my radio to try to listen to what was going on. I remember not really knowing what to think. Shortly after the news broke and the realization of what was happening started to sink in, our building was evacuated and we were sent home for the day. I was told it was because of our proximity to the federal buildings downtown.

Absent was the giddy feeling that usually comes with being able to leave work early. As we left and some of us made the long trek to the parking lot where we parked our cars, the city seemed eerily quiet.

As I drove home, it was a beautiful sunny day. I called my friend, Debralee, who was living in New York City at the time, but was sent to her voicemail. I left her a message, hoping and praying she was okay. (I later heard from her - she was okay, but could see the plumes of smoke from the WTC buildings from where she lived.) I also called my friend Melina, who lived in Los Angeles. She and some friends were headed out of the city to a friend's, just as a precaution.

I made it home and spent most of the day watching the news coverage on television. At some point I had to turn it off, but felt guilty that I had the liberty to turn it off and walk away, while others suffered and lost so much.

On these anniversaries I think of those who died and those who lost loved ones, but in church this morning my mind turned to those who orchestrated and carried out this horrible attack, and to those who still work against the United States. I thought about the hatred and bitterness in their hearts and I prayed for them. I pray that their hearts would be dealt with, that they would see the destruction these feelings wreak on so many, including themselves.

Our pastor preached a great remembrance sermon this morning. One of the things he said went along the lines of, "We've gone back to a September 10 mentality. We need to get back to the mentality of September 12."

I hope we always remember and that we continue to pray for our nation, its leaders and the people in it.

I am thankful that I am an American and I am thankful for our forgiving God.

Picture perfect

2011-09-09T22:59:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you all could repeat after me..."We have a busy weekend ahead." If you can't repeat it, consider yourself fortunate to have the opportunity to take the weekend at your own pace. Ours started yesterday and is full speed ahead.

This is why I'm so glad we had this morning, just the three of us, and two glorious hours at the beach. It was the kind of beach day that reminded me of why we started visiting Florida in the fall months. I could have stayed out there all day. The water was calm (even a little chilly) and clear, the sun was warm, the breeze was refreshing and it was...awesome.

We spied a lot of fish and more pelicans than normal hanging around. Usually we see them flying overhead but today there were always at least four riding the waves with us. As soon as we hit the sand we saw dolphins, which is always cool, but later on we saw even more, closer to shore and actually jumping out of the water to eat. I've seen plenty of dolphins in my beach days but I've never seen them actually jump out of the water. It was a good day for us, bad day to be a fish.

With this awesome weather, I think I'd still be out there, even now at almost 11 p.m.

This morning was the calm before the storm. I am thankful for our two peaceful hours at the beach on this beautiful day!

Testing...testing...booooooop...

2011-09-08T23:01:00.003-05:00

I'm excited to be trying Blogger's app on my iPod Touch. If you know me, you might know I like gadgets. This is a good one.

A photo from today and then this "test" is over, as it has been a long day and we'll be diving headlong into a loooong weekend.

Pigtails and a bow in Addie's hair today! Just doesn't happen every day but it's so cute when it does.

So thankful for such awesome weather this week.

Soup for dinner!

2011-09-06T15:49:00.000-05:00

My iGoogle page is telling me it is 80 degrees in Wewa. 80 degrees. Right now, this is heaven for me. It's not yet cool enough to throw my windows wide open, but today I certainly don't miss the wall of humidity that normally smacks me in the face as I walk out of the door.

Addie and I spent some time outside earlier today. Unheard of in recent months. This morning, as soon as I felt the cool breeze, I knew what was for dinner...soup. Easy, cozy and good.

This change in the weather (at least for today - don't get me wrong, I'm trying not to even believe it will be like this tomorrow) is a nice cap to the long weekend. I already wrote of my night alone at the start of the weekend, which was wonderful, and the rest of the weekend was great, too. Saturday we worked so we could get it out of the way - Sabian closed the pool and we all cleaned up the yard. Sunday we were able to spend some time with our college students who were home for the long weekend and Monday we went out for lunch and perused what was left of the Border's store at Pier Park, which will soon be closing.

I had a whole blog post milling around in my head and now it is lost.

So, for now...I am thankful for this weather!

Friday night football

2011-09-02T19:51:00.002-05:00

Should I admit it?

Dare I confess it?

I am not a football fan.

Admitting such a thing in the south might just get me kicked out, but being the daring, live-by-the-seat-of-my-pants person that I am, I'll say it again...I don't like football.

I'm not against all sports, but football just doesn't interest me. To be fair, maybe I should clarify. I do like going to college football games, maybe even professional, but that's because I enjoy the energy and excitement of the crowd. But I guess that's not really liking football...it's tolerating the game for the other fun stuff.

Either way, tonight marks the start of Wewa High School's football season. For me, tonight football means a night at home...alone. Sabian took Addie, who will love being at the game and having the opportunity to run around and see "the people", as she calls them. If I want a taste of the game I can simply step into my backyard. From there I can see the glow of the lights from the stadium, hear the music and play-by-play over the loud speaker(given by our pastor) and hear the band playing at half time. That's enough football for me.

Instead, here at home the dishwasher is running, I'm doing a little organizing and weeding out for our yard sale in a couple of weeks (hooray!) and Amelie is playing in the DVD player.

This brings back memories. As much as I will be so glad to hug my sweaty, sweet girl and kiss my husband when they walk in the door, I really don't mind being alone. I'm just one of those people who needs a moment. When I was working full-time Sabian learned that when I came home from working all day, I just needed a few minutes to myself. Not too long, just enough before we launched into sharing our days and spending the evening with one another.

Even on trips with friends, missions trips, choir tours in youth - all of these trips growing up, at some point during the week I'd need a little time, just to myself. I love my parents, but when I moved out of my house, I really enjoyed the time on my own. I moved out while Sabian and I were dating and knew that I would marry him, so my time to live on my own wasn't long, but I am glad for the experience.

I love Addie, love that I can be home with her (challenging at times, but grateful for it!), but her nap times are welcome opportunities for me to refresh my brain, get things done, get in a devotion, move at my own pace.

I get it that life changes - kids mean less of your own time, marriage means much time with your spouse. I know the importance of spending time with people, pouring into relationships. It just makes me even more grateful for my Melissa moments.

The only thing that might make this time a little sweeter would be an ice cream sundae, but I filled my ice cream quota for the day already. On the other end of the spectrum, in just a bit I'll be meeting up with Jillian Michaels for the first time. You'd think I'd want to maintain the peacefulness I am currently enjoying but I feel I must be a little responsible, too.

For now, while French music fills the living room and I get a few things straightened up, I can be thankful for my husband and my daughter and look forward to them being home soon.

Slurping the rest of her ice cream quota at DQ.

Sweet September

2011-09-01T17:02:00.003-05:00

According to Facebook, on this day last year my status message said something about ushering in September and hoping for cooler temperatures. Well, it is September but the cooler temps are many days away.

On the other hand, Addie is bringing in the fall months with a runny nose. I'm praying it is short-lived and is nothing more than a little congestion. Please, no ear infections! My sweet girl.

My husband started the month off right.

Flowers (these were part of my wedding bouquet):

And lunch and a milkshake from Chick-fil-A. The lunch I knew about, the shake was a surprise.

So far, September isn't so bad. That is, as long as Addie's runny nose doesn't get worse.

Last night in our youth service we split the guys and girls into two groups. Usually on the last Wednesday night of the month we separate into small groups but this Wednesday we had just enough workers to split into guys and girls. We were discussing Matthew 5:38-48. In this portion of scripture the Bible is instructing us how to deal with our enemies, when someone does us wrong and how to be more proactive in how we deal with those who come against us. We talked about revenge and what an "eye for an eye" really means and we discussed all that drama that the kids are always talking about is going around.

This lesson is a great reminder for teenagers, but a good one for me, too. As I was talking with the girls, and even before while I was studying our notes, I wasn't feeling as though I was dealing with current issues of this nature, but it is always good to read how clearly scripture commands us to deal with certain situations. And, the foundation of this lesson is that it takes a heart change to be able to do what we're being commanded. I can't forgive someone in my own power. I can't love my enemy and extend grace because Melissa can do it - I can only do it when my heart is right and when God gives me the power to do so.

This is true on so many levels. So many things are beyond me. I can't do it on my own. I'm not expected to. If I could do it on my own, then why did Christ die for me?

It's a daily process. A process that includes prayer, Bible study and striving to be more like Him. And He loves me, in spite of me.

I am thankful for this grace! I am also thankful for my thoughtful husband. I hope soon to be thankful for one less runny nose in our house.

The terrible thirty-somethings

2011-08-30T15:30:00.000-05:00

An hour at the beach...that was all we needed. That, and some prayer and a change in my attitude.

It is only Tuesday and the week has been proving to be a rough one. Yesterday was bumpy. Even in light of Sabian's offer to take Addie for a bit so I could get some things done. Even when he fixed a couple of chairs (without me asking) I wanted taken care of. Even when he offered to let me lay down while he tucked my hair behind my ear (one of my favorite things). In the midst of this he was taking care of his responsibilities at church, meeting with pastor, rushing off to visit someone in our congregation who had a family member pass away and then rushing back to eat dinner quickly before kids arrived at our house for a bible study.

All the while, I continued to fret and worry and let the things on my mind eat away at me, making me an impatient wife and mommy. I knew it was mostly me. 95%. Okay, maybe 99%. The messes and the independent toddler shouting "My do it! My turn!" about one hundred times a day didn't help, but my reactions and my frustrations weren't her fault. They were (and are) mine.

This morning we needed a diversion. Addie and I went to the beach. We were only there an hour. We dug, we ran, we swam and she held my hand as I helped her walk through the waves into the deeper water, until I had to carry her. And then, together we watched fish jumping out of the water. We caught seaweed and spun in circles and watched the jets from the air force base fly overhead. Addie practiced her floating and kicking and blowing bubbles in the salt water.

I don't want to be a fair weather mommy. I don't want to just be a "good" mom when times are good and then succumb to frustration and aggravation when we have tough days. I know there will be tough days and I'm going to be frustrated and tired and weary again. When these times threaten to overwhelm me, though, I have a choice as to how I respond. I am thankful for the moments God gives me, the split seconds when I have time to think and consider how I'll react. Unfortunately I don't always take advantage of those moments and I react negatively. In those moments I am thankful for His grace and teaching and pray that I learn for the next time.

This blogging thing can be a funny little world, but it's one where sometimes you read about someone else's day and you realize it's not just you. You may or may not read these posts, but if you need to know it's not just you, or a little encouragement might give you a little boost, then take these links for what they are...

From my friend Christine, mom of two and an all around awesome encourager and example.

A good, good reminder from Little Miss Momma, a link I found from another blog.

Encouragement and a Godly reminder for what comes first. (Cute jewelry, too!)

Either there's a common theme for what us moms are going through these days or God is pointing things out to me personally and calling me to have a greater focus on Him. Really, that's what all of this comes down to. The frustrations, aggravations, worries and bad attitudes are more evident of where my heart is, where my trust and faith are, rather than caused by the normal behavior of a growing toddler. Zing.

Sometimes I think rather than experiencing the terrible twos in our household, I'm going through the terrible thirty somethings.

If you take the time to read some of these posts, I hope they encourage you as they have me.

I am thankful for a loving and forgiving husband, for a daughter that, though she may not remember these days, loves me in spite of my faults and for a Savior who created me, loves me and offers me grace that I do not deserve but humbly accept!

Wishful crafting

2011-08-29T10:37:00.001-05:00

I think I've said something like it before, but there is a wishful crafty person living deep down inside of me. I stroll the aisles of Michael's and Hobby Lobby and feel like I am filled with inspiration, only to forget about that initial inspiration and abandon my ideas or I realize some of those projects are waaay beyond my crafting ability. Maybe it's not so much crafting ability...more like...patience.

Either way, every now and then I get the push to actually do something, however simple it may be. Addie was playing with a white board and markers at church one day and I realized it would probably be a great idea for her to have one at home, along with the teaching (on my part) and understanding (her part) that she doesn't write on walls, just the white board.

We recently had our back door replaced, which is off of our little laundry room, which is right off of our kitchen. The new door lacks a window (a little sad about that) so I initially thought about painting the door with chalkboard paint until I remembered how much I really wouldn't want chalk dust all over my clean clothes and that black paint would make the room seem darker. I then thought about painting it with dry erase paint but figured it was easier and cheaper just to get a board.

I figured if I was going to get a board, it might be fun to dress it up a little. So this is what I did:

Addie has put the board to good use since I put it up. When I bought the ribbon I couldn't decide between the floral or the green polka dot so I bought both. And, both are different widths and I wasn't sure which width I wanted. I was able to use both, since the wider width looked better and the floral print disguises any errant marks when Addie doesn't color inside the lines. The green came in handy to make the "flowers" for the corners and I had buttons on hand already to glue for centers.

Now I'm mulling over how to tweak the advent calendar I made for Christmas last year, but was a little late in finishing it. I'm also tossing around ideas for a couple of Christmas decorations for our house and what I'm going to make to give away this year. Last year it was cinnamon honey butter, which was a hit, but I think I'd like to do something different this year.

I suppose it's time to get this Monday rolling. I am thankful for Sabian, who offered to take Addie for an hour this morning so I can get some things done.

Consignment Craze

2011-08-28T14:57:00.000-05:00

When it comes to shopping I'm more about the outcome than I am the process. I approach it a little more guerilla style - I'm in and out as quickly as possible, but if it has to take a little longer to make sure I get what I like, so be it. If I do a quick initial run through and don't see anything at first glance, there's about a 10% chance I'll actually look through the racks. While I do like getting new things, I like to go about it as quickly as possible.

Before we moved here (and before I had a kid) I wasn't much into consignment shopping. Not because I was necessarily against it, I just didn't shop consignment stores much. I tried consigning some clothes at a store back home and the experience soured me a little so I guess I just gave it up.

Once we moved to Florida and I got pregnant not long after getting here, I realized consigning was a great way to buy kids clothes. I don't buy all of Addie's clothes on a consignment basis, but I find it is a good way to find some items. One store in particular was great when I was buying before Addie was born and while she was really little. I haven't been as fortunate with the store as she has gotten bigger, but now I have a new source for consignment clothes...BIG consignment sales.

I don't know if they didn't have these sales in Illinois, or maybe I just wasn't looking since I didn't have Addie then, but since moving here I have discovered the fun of these sales. I first got hooked when I found out about the Fairytale Sale, which takes place twice a year at the fairgrounds in Panama City. The first couple of times I hit this sale I shopped the day of the sale but I quickly figured out that there were ways to get in early and getting in early was the real ticket. For this year's spring sale my friend Libby and I consigned and volunteered the day before the sale and we were able to get in and shop that night before. Genius. That really was when we had first dibs on all of the items. Volunteering the couple of hours before the early sale opened also gave us the opportunity to scout out specific items so we knew just what to beeline for when the sale opened.

The fall sale was yesterday but again, we volunteered the night before so we could get in early. I didn't think I had anything to consign this time around but ended up scraping together a few items. I mean, why not try to make some money at the same time I'm spending a little?

I will say that when I shop these sales I am pretty selective. As it is, if Addie has something that is pretty worn out/stained/just looks really bad, we either give it away or if it's really bad, it's seen it's last days. So, when I'm at a consignment sale I'm pretty picky about what I buy. This time around I was on the hunt for jeans and shoes. Brand new, these two items can be some of the more expensive items we buy and when it comes to shoes, Addie doesn't stay in one size for too long.

I ended up walking away with one pair of shoes, one pair of Old Navy lounge pants, an Old Navy top, a skirt and two pairs of Old Navy jeans. I also found a toy cash register and a Step 2 shopping cart that would be a great one for playing outside. My total was around $35 for all of it. The jeans were my happiest purchase, as I have to buy jeans in the next size up for the length but then I have to make sure they have an adjustable waist because while Addie's legs are a mile long, her waist is slim. Old Navy jeans do both for us. Both pairs are cute, but I looooove this pair:

The cuff at the bottom was what sold me on them...and it didn't hurt that they were $2 and in great condition.

It may seem like I didn't buy much. There was probably more I could have purchased but it would have just been because of that thrill-of-the-hunt-there's-only-one-of-these-and-I-got-it adrenaline rush. It is easy to fall prey to that feeling but I feel like I've learned to suppress that urge and just buy what we need and what's really a good deal.

When I first discovered and shopped the Fairytale Sale I started hunting around the area for more sales like it. I've been to one other, which was last year, where I remember buying two pairs of name brand jeans for Addie, skinny jeans she wore out until she could wear no more. I was sad when she could no longer wear them!

There is another sale, a BIG one, in Dothan, AL. I have heard about it from other moms and I keep hearing about it. It seems it might be legendary. In fact, the women who run the Fairytale Sale shop on their own at the one in Dothan. I found out it is next month and runs for a few days. I won't have the chance to get in early as a volunteer (a little inconvenient as it is an hour and a half away) but I think I'm going to plan to go anyway. I may not get first pick, but it could be worth checking out.

I've since noticed on Facebook and through friends that there are some sales like this back in Illinois. I'm not so crazy that I'd road trip it home for one, but if I just happened to be there...

I am thankful I was able to find some good deals for Addie this weekend. Here's to hoping my stuff sells and I can at least break even ;)

Today is Tuesday

2011-08-23T16:02:00.000-05:00

It's not Monday, it's Tuesday.

In my last post, which was on Sunday night, I said I'd be back tomorrow, meaning Monday. I was not back on Monday, but I am back today, which is Tuesday.

We've had a busy start to our week. Yesterday Addie and I made an uncharacteristic Monday jaunt to Panama City. Uncharacteristic because, as I have written before, Mondays are usually down days for us, the day I try to get the bulk of my domestic duties done and a day for us to take easy and go no where after our busy Sundays. I was anxious to buy some supplies for a project I am working on for Addie, although I haven't been able to work on it yet and probably could have waited - hoping I can get to it tonight. Either way, we got out of the house, stopped by Chick-fil-a for lunch and were home in time for a nap for Addie, which meant house cleaning time for me. We were also preparing to have kids over that evening for the 30 Day Youth Challenge Sabian has been leading.

This morning we had the pleasure of hanging out with Micah and Ivory while their mom was off for a doctor's appointment for their new brother who will be arriving in October. We had a fun morning with them filled with lots of squeals (very high pitched, all 3, I might add!) and Goldfish crackers.

Building "towers" and knocking them down.

Sweetest boy you'll ever meet! Hard to get him when he wasn't moving!

Ivory requested a picture of herself while she was screaming.

Addie, enjoying it all.

I think I said in my last post that I'd recap our week last week but honestly, I don't remember much of it. Our weekend, I do remember, but sadly have no photos to accompany my recap. Friday Sabian caught up on the things he couldn't do Thursday since we ran around what felt like a million places. Friday around 4:30 we made it to the beach for the first time in weeks. It was as though Addie was greeting a long lost friend when she set her eyes on the water and her toes in the sand. She ran and ran, dug and dug and we played and played in the waves. It was so nice to be there around sunset and so nice that Addie wore herself out for a great night's sleep.

Saturday was hot but we went to the park to feed the fish and turtles. In the process, Addie added her flip flop to their meal and we were resigned to playing longer at the park while we waited for her shoe to float to shore. This would have been well and good if it hadn't been so hot, if Addie hadn't been complaining since she had to run around with no shoes on and if we weren't generally a little soured that her shoe was in the water. It did finally make it close to the edge and with the aid of a borrowed pole from a camper, Sabian waded in (about shin high) to the mucky, yucky water and retrieved the shoe. My hero.

Unfortunately, I currently cannot find these shoes. After all of that effort to retrieve her flip flop to make them a pair, she wore them to church Sunday night and now they have disappeared. My hunch? I had them on top of the car as I was putting her in her car seat to take her home Sunday night and they flew off. I retraced my drive (which is all of three, maybe five minutes, and they weren't to be found. Granted, they were $2.50 Old Navy flip flops but Addie has gotten so much wear out of them this summer (despite her rapidly growing feet!) and since it will still be "summer" here for a while longer, we probably could have still used them.

I have this hunch of their demise (or someone else's gain) because as I was leaving church Sunday morning I did the same thing to my bible. But, I saw it and was able to turn back. Not sure where my brain was this weekend!

Rewind back to Saturday. In spite of our somewhat deflated trip to the park (saved by the bubble blower Sabian thought to bring along) we had a birthday party to look forward to that afternoon. Addie's friend Ivory (the screaming cutie in the picture above) turned three last week and her mom put together an awesome party for her. Ivory's pink and blue ice cream parlor party was, pardon the pun, so sweet. Lee Ann left no stone unturned and created a perfect little party for Ivory. Strawberry lemonade, cupcones, homemade ice cream, handmade accents and candy, candy, candy - all in pink and blue. Addie had a great time and enjoyed eating dessert for dinner. She loved her handmade ice cream corsage so much so that she didn't want to take it off and when I took her shirt off later that night she still wanted it pinned on - ouch ;) . Take a look at the link above for photos from the party.

The only picture I have from the party. This was after Ivory changed from her sweet pink & blue dress that Lee Ann MADE for her. Notice Addie's corsage.

So, here we are at Tuesday afternoon. Sabian checked the calendar for me and it is exactly a month from today when fall will officially hit. "Hit" as in the season will switch over on the calendar but it will likely still feel like summer here. Don't get me wrong, the mild winters here aren't so bad, I'm just really missing the Midwest transition to fall.

I guess you could say I'm missing home in general. The people, the places, the overall comfort of being home. I am thankful for here and for the things I am learning, things that I do feel compelled to share but am still mulling over the words.

For now, I am thankful for dinner cooking in the crockpot and for the sudden gray skies we have. Makes for a cozy rest of the day, I hope!

Whatever's in the fridge

2011-08-21T20:49:00.000-05:00

It's Sunday night after church and we're eating whatever we can find in the pantry and the fridge. For Sabian, that means leftover burgers and pasta salad from lunch. For Addie, it means Ramen noodles (her choice), corn and yogurt. She was asking, "Time to eat?" during church so it was evident she was pretty hungry.

For me, it was a fried egg and cheese sandwich with mayo.

Fried egg sandwiches make me think of my dad. He made really good fried egg sandwiches.

I've been thinking a lot about my dad lately. I miss talking to him.

Back with more tomorrow with our week/weekend wrap up.

I am thankful for this weekend and looking forward to a new week.

The short and sweet of it

2011-08-14T23:55:00.001-05:00

I should have been in bed long ago. As I type this, my husband is sleeping in a chair next to me as he tries to "stay up" so he can catch up on a (recorded) St. Louis Cardinals baseball game. He's very tired because he stayed up all night last night creating and finishing a DVD for our youth group to show at a DVD release party earlier this evening at our house.

On our couch one of our college students, Allison, is snoozing. She's very tired because today she drove to Atlanta and back for a baseball game and on her way home, she hit a deer and totaled her car. She and her passenger are okay, but her house keys are in her wrecked car.

And me? I did not stay up all night, nor did I get into an accident - I'm just tired. But, not too tired for a quick blog post. A rundown of our past few days:

We spent two days last week with my sister, brother-in-law, niece and two of my nephews while they vacationed in Grayton Beach. Addie and I went out on our own one day and Friday we went back, this time Sabian was with us. It rained some while we were there so we spent some of our time hanging out in their rental, part of the time in the pool and part of the time doing a little running around. It was really good to be with them and Addie loves being with her cousins.

Sabian and I had a day date Saturday. We had lunch and perused some furniture stores in search of a new couch. Still looking for a deal, but the looking went soooo much faster without a two year old in tow. I am certain Addie would have loved to have jump-tested the couches in each store, but being childless for a few hours meant speedy trips in and out of the stores. It was good to have that time with Sabian. I sure do love and appreciate him!

Something - the heat? the in and out of the stores? the big lunch? - wore me out Saturday. When we got home I had about an hour and a half of gladly doing nothing on the couch before we went to another going away party for another college student leaving us. So happy for Clay, although bittersweet as we are sad to see him go, too.

Sunday, oh Sunday. Busy Sunday. As I said above, Sabian was up all night (no exaggeration) making the DVD for our annual year end DVD release party. Yes, school starts tomorrow but tonight, believe it or not, was the most convenient night to have it. So, we had another full house until it was time for those who were able to make it to pack up and get ready for school tomorrow.

And now, two passed out in the living room, one sleeping soundly in her little bed and me, about to wake Sabian and send him to bed.

I thought I was going to have to leave this post picture-less but found a few on my iPod. Despicable, having spent time with my family and on a date with my husband and I didn't take any pictures. I'd like to think it's because we were having so much fun I didn't think about it. Yes, that's it.

Making my famous chocolate chip cookies for my cousins!

Where are Addie & Ethan?

I think...

...I see...

THEM!

I am so thankful for the time we had with my family, so thankful for my date with Sabian and very thankful Allison and Sam came out of their scary ordeal tonight without a scratch.

Girl time

2011-08-09T15:23:00.000-05:00

Last Friday night thirteen of us girls from our church loaded up and headed out on a little adventure. Our first stop was a dolphin cruise.

You may remember we took a dolphin cruise back in April for Sabian's birthday. It was much chillier then than it was when we set off on Friday but we still had a good time. Our evening started in a rush as we were running late to get to the boat by 5:15. While most of us made it in the nick of time, some of our group was still on their way when the boat was supposed to launch. One of the things that makes me the most uncomfortable is putting people out, so you can imagine how I felt as we were waiting and waiting and waiting for the rest of our group to arrive. I was so thankful that they held the boat...for 15 minutes. It was actually a little comical and the guys on the boat were really nice about it. We stayed behind and thanked the captain afterward and he had a no worries attitude about it, for which I am grateful.

I am also grateful we saw a lot of dolphins. We kept telling ourselves, "See? If we had been here 15 minutes earlier we wouldn't have seen them!" Whether or not that is true, I was so thankful we saw them and had a beautiful sunset boat ride.

My photos of the dolphins aren't that great but we did see a lot and we saw them up close. When we went in April we spent our time on the upper deck but I realized to get a closer view it was good to be on the lower deck. It was so cool to see the dolphins right under us. Truth be told, the water looked really inviting, especially since it was so hot. I gave up my marine biology dreams a long time ago, but this trip reminded me of those days. We resisted the urge to jump in (we'd already held up the boat, what was a few more minutes?) and headed out to eat once we docked.

Waffle House. I love Waffle House and so does our youth group. When we moved here, like Chick-fil-A, it was a plus to see Waffle House restaurants everywhere. Granted, they are grungy and you come out smelling of grease, but those buttery, syrupy waffles are so good. This particular location was actually the nicest and cleanest I'd visited and the staff was great. We were the only ones in there so we enjoyed their full attention. The manager snapped the pictures of us above and asked that we send him copies so we could hang on their picture board. One day we will be famous for eating waffles.

We made it back to church (a much more leisurely drive back compared to the one on our way to catch the boat!), played Word Salad (I'll give these details later) and all headed home.

Scheduling a night like this can be tough, given that everyone is always headed in different directions. But, when it comes together like it did Friday night, it is a good time.

I am thankful for these girls!

Toes, flowers & brownies

2011-08-08T14:39:00.000-05:00

There are clothes in the dryer that need to be put away and dishes in the sink that need to be washed. In 18 minutes when my brownies come out of the oven I am off to lay down for as long as Addie's nap will let me.

She was up at 6 this morning. Every now and then she decides to get up early but it isn't a normal practice for her. Early for her is usually around 7:30. On days like these, especially when it is gray and rainy outside, she is ready for an earlier nap and so am I.

But first, a couple of things from last week.

I stole away for a pedicure, my first in a while, and it was wonderful. I also brought some of these home when we went grocery shopping:

As often as I can I love having fresh flowers on the table. For $5, I couldn't pass them up. I know some people think flowers are a waste of money, given that they last just a few days and then die, but I love having them around. Sabian could get me fresh flowers for birthdays, Valentine's Day or just because and I'd be happy.

I'm also about to place an order for some labels for Addie from Kiddo Tags. Maybe it is because they could fall into the school supply category (and I LOVE school supply shopping!), but I'm pretty excited about this order, especially since I purchased a deal to get $30 worth of labels for $15. I know Addie isn't in school yet so right now there are just a few things I'll use them for, but now I'll have a stash and Addie should be set as far as labeling her stuff for a while.

Six minutes until the brownies are done. I suppose I could fold that laundry while I am waiting. Sabian is starting a 30 day challenge for kids in our youth group who are willing to participate. We're meeting with them for the first time tonight, which is the excuse behind the brownies. I'm vowing to just eat one and to make sure the rest are either eaten or taken to other homes tonight. My willpower has been zilch lately.

I am thankful for a rainy day.

Dog days of August

2011-08-06T16:41:00.000-05:00

Sheesh, it is hot...betcha haven't heard that lately.

We've spent the sweltering days of the last week simultaneously resting and keeping busy. Is that possible? It's been a slower kind of busy, more moving at our own pace type of busy. Some time spent at home, some time spent out and about.

In the midst of the busyness we've dealt with (sigh) some more sickness. Rewind to this post in June when Addie had yet another ear infection. About three weeks after that appointment we had a follow up with the doctor. I don't normally schedule follow ups but the doctor was wanting to see her again to see if, when prescribed antibiotics, Addie's ear infections were actually getting better. If not, then we'd start to explore other options for taking care of her ears. It was a good thing we had the follow up scheduled.

The night before her appointment Addie and I visited Sabian and the kids at youth camp. During the service Addie started acting a little strange and I realized she was burning up. We had the camp nurse take a look at her and her temp at the time was 103-104. When we went to the doctor the next day her ears looked great (was so thankful!) but the doctor told us it looked like Addie's fever was due to parvovirus, a common viral infection kids can get. Since she had a slight rash as well we knew she was no longer contagious and we were sent home to treat and watch her fever. The next couple of days were fine and she was back to her old self.

Fast forward to this week. After a full week last week of VBS, Sunday I realized that Addie was feeling a bit warm again. She was running a slight fever but acting totally normal, so I figured I would keep an eye on it the next couple of days. For a couple of days her temp was slightly raised but she continued to act normal - until Wednesday. That morning she woke up really early and was really hot. She was very subdued and spent the morning on the couch, something she has never done. I got us an appointment with the doctor that afternoon and in my mind, thought this was just a continuation of what we'd experienced a couple of weeks before.

Long story short, the doctor wanted to get some lab work done quickly so we'd know what was going on with Addie, so she sent us to the hospital for blood work. Addie was a brave little girl when they drew blood, crying, but not for long. I will say, I think it helped that the doctor told us to request going to the pediatric floor to her her blood drawn. The nurses up there were wonderful. After we got home that evening she perked up and by morning was back to her old self. We heard from the doctor last night and all of her test results have come back normal, which means whatever was causing her fever was likely viral.

The one time she moved to eat some yogurt, which she didn't touch.

This was all good news as some of our plans this week included seeing some of our close friends from home. In that group of friends there are Kevin and Judy, parents of Jay, Jeff and Joel. Jay and Jeff are married and between them have kids ages 7, 4, 2, 1 and 9 months. Since Addie was feeling better and had no fever we were safe to visit them a couple of nights ago and really enjoyed our time with them. The McCulloughs are friends I have known for as long as I can remember. Now that we all have kids the catching up consists more of snatches of conversation in between refereeing, but we had a great time. Sabian was sweet to entertain a few of the kids for a bit so that we could actually sit and talk and we had some more time to focus more on conversation when the kids (sans Addie!) went to bed.

Alexis (pictured above) and Addie are two peas in a pod. Her mom, Joy, and I always compare stories and joke when we talk long distance about how much it sounds like these two are alike. They've only really been with one another once before this week, but both are two fisted pacifier aficionados, each girl sports a head full of blonde curls and both are busy. They are climbers, runners, yellers and into everything. When together, this likeness works both for and against them. But, either way, it was fun to have all of our kids (six) together.

It was sad to leave but we'll be headed out that direction again this week to see my sister, brother-in-law, niece and two nephews!

There's more to our adventures of the past week but soon we are leaving to attend a goodbye party for one of our college students heading to his freshman year in the next couple of weeks. Sad to see him go but excited for his opportunity.

I am thankful that Addie is well and I am thankful for our visit with friends this week.

Whoa...August?

2011-08-01T19:25:00.001-05:00

I was thinking, probably like most of you, how crazy it is that it is August already. As I was thinking about it I went back to last year's August posts and read this one I wrote early in the month.

Seems that this time last year I was thinking some of the same things. It was still hot and it was still crazy that it was already August.

I also wrote about how Addie's vocabulary was growing, which it still is, in leaps and bounds. Almost every day she'll string new words together to form a new sentence that I didn't know she knew. Sabian and I exchange that, "Did she just say what I think she said?" look and marvel at how she is growing so quickly.

What's different about that post from last year and this one is that last year she was still refusing to say "Mommy." Now I hear it about a million times a day. When I've heard it for the 999,999 time and I get to the point when I think I just can't hear it one more time that day, I am reminded of what a sweet sound it is, even when it's said over and over and over...and over again.

Time is passing by fast. Not only are the days on the calendar a blur but Addie's little moments are passing by, too. I love where she is right now, even on those tough days, but I see how fast she is growing up. Sunday night as she was up with the kids on stage, dancing during the last VBS service I could feel myself smiling - big - as I tried to capture it on video. I realized, as I was taking the video, that there was no way it would match the real thing as I was watching it take place.

Addie knew where I was the whole time she was up there. Even though she stayed on stage and jumped and clapped and tried some of the other motions, because she could see me, every now and then I would see her lips move and they were saying, "Mommy." I was proud of her that she stayed where she was, but even prouder to be that sweet girl's Mommy.

I am so thankful for Addie.

Phew

2011-07-30T22:43:00.000-05:00

This summer it seems our "busyness" has come in spurts. Last week was one of them.

Summer in the south brings on the Vacation Bible School season. I went to VBS as a kid but as I grew older I don't remember there being as many around as there used to be. Maybe I just didn't notice since I was older or maybe it was because our church stopped having VBS. Nevertheless, VBS is going strong down here and our church seems to round out the season in Wewa the last week of July every year.

This year I was recruited to help with our 7th and 8th graders. Along with the other leaders (who also happen to be friends of mine) we had a good week with our middle schoolers. Honestly, you just never know how it's going to be with this age group, but all went pretty smoothly.

Our theme this year was Drive (Philippians 3:14), revolving around stock car racing/NASCAR. Now, I know nothing about racing but I did learn a couple of things this week and the kids really caught on to and enjoyed the theme.

This year was Addie's first year of being part of a class. For the first couple of nights I was helping in the background and missed her sitting with her class during the opening and closing services each night, but by the middle of the week I was able to covertly watch her interacting with the kids and dancing and doing the motions to the songs...until she caught me. After that first time she saw me and came running I was better at hiding so I could watch her. Seeing her dancing and jumping and having fun, all apart from my supervision (but well supervised by her awesome group leaders) made me happy and a little teary all at the same time. I am so thankful she is able to interact and have fun, but I realized what a big girl she is and just how fast she is growing. It made me so glad to hear her teachers tell me, at the end of the sessions each night, how well she did and how good she was. I think sometimes, as a mom, I feel so compelled to make sure my kid is doing right or what she's "supposed" to be doing. So, to hear that your kid, apart from you, is doing well, is some sort of relief, I think. Maybe that comes from knowing the not-so-great times with your kids and being glad they're being good for other people. Or, maybe it is knowing that, hey, they're okay without us around all of the time, hovering over them. Whatever it is, it is a good feeling.

Last night wrapped up the official week of VBS, and tomorrow night is the closing service when the parents are all invited to join us and get a glimpse of what's been going on all week. Since I was terrible at taking pictures (i.e., none.) I stole one of Addie's class from a Facebook friend.

Take note - she is wearing a BOW in her hair! I can't remember the last time she wore one and kept it in her hair. I'm letting her bangs grow so now they're always in her eyes. Maybe we can keep this trend going.

We've had semi-busy days and late nights due to VBS, so we're getting back on track this week. I am looking forward to seeing some close friends from Illinois who are in the Panhandle for vacation this week. The following week my sister, brother-in-law and nephews will be around, too! I'm really looking forward to having a bit of home around.

I am thankful for a good VBS week!

Waiting for fall

2011-07-26T15:49:00.002-05:00

Before all of you Florida people chuckle after reading the title of this post, yes, I realize fall temperatures are far off into the future. This being our fourth summer here, I have no illusions of cooler temperatures gracing our beautiful coast any time soon. But, I can dream!

I think, along with the cooler temperatures, I am looking forward to some of the things that come with the approach of fall. Even though Addie is not in school yet and we still have the luxury of flexible time, school starting means that life in general takes on a little bit more structure. I'm not one for a rigid schedule, but I don't mind that for a few months there are parts of life that are a little more planned. Those "plans" can sometimes get in the way of other plans or spontaneity, but for now I won't complain that stores and restaurants are less crowded during the day when school is in session. I realize one day, randomly this post may pop into my head as I am carting our kids off to school and wishing for more flexible days but for now, I will be happy about it.

I think, in particular, I am looking forward to this fall because there are a couple of things I am anxious to do when the weather is just a little less oppressive. One of those things I'm thinking about is a yard sale.

I'm a perpetual cleaner outer. I often weed out clothes I don't wear or no longer have much of a shelf life. I pick through household items we don't use any more, or toss the little trinkets of Addie's that build up from various outings, kids meals and other miscellaneous places. Often these things are either thrown away or dropped off for Goodwill, which I have no problem doing, but lately there are a few things hanging around that I really just want to sell. I'm anxious to get rid of them, but not anxious to plan a yard sale in 150% humidity. Plus, I think it would be fun to include other families who are in the same situation. More fun to sell together, anyway. So, I'm taking inventory over the next couple of months and hope to turn it into some cash at some point.

I'm also tossing around Christmas ideas. Sabian and I still throw out ideas of traditions we'd like to establish in our family around Thanksgiving and Christmas, even for birthdays. Now that Addie is getting older and is interactive and understands so much more, there's even more we can do and teach her. I'm looking forward to implementing some of our ideas and coming up with others to do with her this year. Sure, it's July, but we all know how fast these few months fly until Christmas!

Until then, I won't wish away these summer days. We'll still squeeze what we can out of them...I'm just looking forward to fall.

Addie and I made a last minute decision to run to the beach last week for an hour or so. To my surprise, it was a really pleasant day - sunny but breezy and bearable.

We also spent some time with friends in their pool and playing at their house. Addie was prepared, rain or shine.

Addie loves clomping around in these rain boots my friend Lee Ann gave her. If you check out her blog you'll also see where Addie got to spend a fun evening at her house with Ivory and Micah. Sabian and I made a mad dash for dinner, just the two of us, before heading to church to help with the finishing touches on the set for Vacation Bible School, which is at our church this week.

VBS - that is what we're doing this week. Last night kicked off the week and we're in for night two tonight. This is Addie's first year of being old enough to actually go to class and from what I heard she really enjoyed it. Before and after VBS she spends most of the night running around, chasing or being chased by some of the other kids at church. All of the excitement of VBS and the running wears her out. And, lucky for me, they feed us every night so I'm dodging dinner duty this week!

Last week Sabian was consumed with a lot of this:

He made great progress on painting the house. It's not done yet, but he's working on it. I'll post pictures when it's all done.

I am thankful for not having to cook dinner this week (and the people who are making that possible)!

Rocky VI

2011-07-20T16:00:00.001-05:00

Can't my poor girl catch a break?

I've written about her big bites before and now, here we are, dealing with another swollen eye no thanks to a mosquito. This is the third time Addie has been bit near her eye, causing it to swell. Wait, maybe even the fourth time. There's nothing we can do other than pray that the swelling goes down and that people don't give us dirty looks. We've taken her to the doctor when she's gotten these bites so close to her eye and as long as there's no infection we play the waiting game. I thought once it started swelling yesterday that it might be better this morning. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. She's doing fine, although because she's so tough she's received a few inquiries regarding employment as a bodyguard.

Mind you, this bite was received in all of about five minutes. Of course I douse her with bug spray when we're going to be outside. I try to get her face as well as I can. But, this bite took place as we were unloading groceries from the car one night. Addie took advantage of our preoccupation with the bags to hone her chalk drawing skills on the front porch. In the short amount of time it took us to get the food inside and then coax her inside, they attacked. Sigh.

But, she charges full speed ahead, as usual. No way a little bug bite's going to slow her down.

I am thankful there's no adverse effects to her eye, but will be so glad when mosquito season is OVER!

Miscellaneous Monday

2011-07-18T16:47:00.001-05:00

Step 1:
A scoop (or two) of vanilla ice cream

Step 2:
Add coffee (today's flavor is Starbucks Natural Fusions Vanilla)

Step 3:
Voila! Solace/serenity/goodness in a cup!

Plus, cream and sugar built right in.

This was what I was planning on enjoying after I'd finished cleaning the house during Addie's nap. Just as I poured the coffee, guess who woke up? Thankfully, Sabian took Addie outside to "help" him get some measurements so he can start a big project this week...painting the outside of our house.

I've previously posted of my disdain for painting, but I paint anyway. Tackling the outside of a house is new to us - the inside, no problem. I say us but I suppose I really mean Sabian, as he'll be doing the work. I may jump out there to help him if I can, but of course I don't want to speak too soon. My main contribution will be to choose colors. For the most part, that's easy, as we're keeping the house white like it is now, but changing the trim color. We're actually about to head out the door to get the paint so Sabian can start bright and early tomorrow morning. That is, if it doesn't rain.

I guess since this task is ahead of us, er, Sabian, I took advantage of another leisurely morning. If we have any more you might start to think we're not so much leisurely as we are lazy. But, I made up for it this afternoon.

Our library books are due tomorrow so I figured a trip to the library would not only take care of getting our books in on time, but would get us out of the house, too. We were in luck, as we had the whole library to ourselves. Granted, the Wewa library isn't that big so it's not as though that was a huge feat, but it did mean if Addie decided to exercise her vocal chords, as she is known to do loudly, then we were okay. Although, we did have a chat about being quiet before we went into the library. We returned our books, picked out a stack of new ones and Addie returned the stuffed tiger the librarian let her play with without a fuss.

It's always fun to get a fresh supply of borrowed books and to see which ones Addie takes a liking to the most. While we were picking out new books the librarian was shelving the ones we'd just returned. As she put away In the Tall, Tall Grass by Denise Fleming, Addie noticed and yelled out, "Tall, Tall Grass!" I was afraid we'd have a problem but she was fine when I explained we were getting new books to take home. It seems she likes the Denise Fleming books we bring home so I'm taking note of those and others she likes and adding them to a list for future purchase.

By the way, do you know the Elmo Slide? We learned it today...and practiced over and over and over. I have a feeling there's more practicing to be had in our future.

I am thankful for a normal Monday!

Leisure

2011-07-17T15:16:00.001-05:00

It's so nice to have a weekend to just take a break.

Friday, we did nothing. Saturday we started off the day doing more of the same. I was going to take some time to myself and head to the beach but given our rainy skies I stayed home and we spent the morning around home, then took afternoon naps and then got up to head out for dinner and to get Sabian's glasses fixed (a camp casualty). The lady didn't even charge us for the repair. I had been holding my breath, thinking that they wouldn't be able to be repaired at all and we'd be looking at a whole new pair of glasses. I was very thankful when we walked out of there, no charges incurred.

The leisurely pace to our weekend has been accompanied by gray, rainy skies. I referred to the rain in previous posts because it was the culprit in a few of our swimming lessons being canceled. Our lessons were a little scattered since it seemed the rain decided to show up every day in the afternoons. Most of the time it would cloud over, rain and clear fairly quickly. Sometimes it would just cloud over and thunder. Yesterday, finally, it just all out rained all day. I've been ready for a real rain day. Every now and then it's just nice to have one and this one showed up on the right weekend, one when we didn't have much going on and we were able to justify some raindrops with sleeping in. Today it is raining again, and if it wasn't for a clearer forecast in the coming week, I might get a little tired of it. I just wish along with the rain came cooler temps! I just pretend, from my perch here at the computer, as I look out the window, that it is chilly outside. Too bad reality smacks me in the face in the form of a thick wall of hot air as soon as we step outside.

We don't usually watch soccer in our house but...GO USA! So far...

Sunday is a full day for us, complete with an afternoon meeting. But, we'll be headed out with kids tonight after church to have a little fun before Monday greets us again. I am thankful for the weekend we have had.

Wouldn't you know it...

2011-07-15T16:48:00.000-05:00

...just as I say something out loud, type it out or write it down, I'm challenged. I say this not because it is a bad thing, but a reminder that I better mean what I say/type/write and stand behind it, even when the going gets tough.

I meant every word of this post but today has been one of those rough days. Addie and I are both glad Sabian is home. Glad he and the campers made it safely.

I am so thankful for Addie and thankful for a break, too!

Home again, home again, jiggity jig

2011-07-15T10:51:00.003-05:00

My toothbrush has been lonely this week. Its companion has been away at camp. However, today they will be reunited.

Sabian has been at youth camp this week with a group of about 20 of our students from church. Today they will return with their mounds of dirty laundry and loads of stories and memories to share. Sabian always encourages our kids, if there is just one thing you do with the youth group all year, go to youth camp. It's a great a week of being together, learning and growing.

But, being that Addie and I stay behind (because taking a two year old to camp would be...hard) it is always nice to see them return home. Addie has been missing Sabian. She asks about him often and although she has been great this week, I know she really misses him. Since our campgrounds are just an hour away we drove up Wednesday night for the service. When Addie saw Sabian she took off in a full tilt run into his arms and didn't want to be too far from him all night. Unfortunately while we were there she also started to not feel so hot, but that didn't put a damper on her being with her daddy.

I've been saying it in previous posts, but we really have had a good week. Addie has done well, although when living with a two year old you are bound to have your moments. And, at the same time, while we've been having fun and enjoying time together this week, I'm ready for Sabian to join in and give this mom a break.

We've been swimming (other than lessons), been to a birthday party, out for lunch and yogurt with friends and took a trip to Panama City for a doctor's appointment (Addie's follow up to her last ear infection) and some errands and lunch. I figured if I kept our mornings busy, the afternoons and evenings would take care of themselves. Throw in swimming lessons, baking cookies and the normal routine of naps, baths, bedtimes, books, etc., and we've kept pretty busy. I was planning on getting up and at it this morning to get to the beach for a couple of hours and then decided last night that we were going to relax until Sabian comes home this afternoon. That meant sleeping in until 9:30 (Addie, too!) and enjoying a bit of a cloudy day so far.

A few photos from our outing with Lee Ann, Ivory and Micah, building our own yogurt sundaes.

The girls didn't quite know yet what their "treat" was...

Ice cream! The kiddos, Lee Ann, and brother-to-be!

Ivory digs her yogurt.

Sweet girls.

Making a mess, as the yogurt was melting about as fast as they could eat it, but having fun.

Always happy, always sweet Micah.

Friends!

I'm trying not to look at the clock too much. We do have some things to get done around the house this morning and we will have some food coming from a friend who is selling some to go plates - including twice baked potato casserole. Almost as good as cookie dough, that stuff is. Sweet of her to deliver, just hope it doesn't monsoon on her.

I am thankful for a good week, that my husband is coming home today and for friends that help to keep us busy while we're on our own. TGIF!

Survival mode

2011-07-14T15:59:00.001-05:00

Today I was thinking about our week so far. We got off to a bit of a rocky start - nothing major, really, it was just me as Mommy needing to get my patience in check. Addie and I have had a good few days and I've even been able to take a few moments to just watch her and appreciate her...so much.

I feel like so often I live life in survival mode. Doing one thing to get to the next, to the next, to the next. Washing dishes to dirty more dishes with more meals to clean more dishes. Doing laundry to fold it to put it away to wear it, to wash it. Running errands to get things done to check things off The List only to add more things to The List. Picking up toys (a few times a day - Addie helps, too) to get them back out to teach to put them away to scatter them from room to room to put them away...again.

I tend to live life full speed ahead. I walk fast. I jump from point A to Z often when dealing with big life situations without first looking at what's in between. I try to anticipate things that are going to happen and plan accordingly, sometimes at the expense of not concentrating on what's at hand. Sometimes I interrupt people and that bothers me after the fact.

When Addie was smaller and she'd be fussy and I'd be frustrated with her fussiness I would often realize she was trying to get my attention because in my flurry of frenzy I hadn't taken time to just sit and play with her. As soon as I realized it the mom guilt washed over me and I took note that if I just spent some time with her she'd likely be okay. Now, before you think I am neglectful mom (see that anticipating what you're thinking?!), we played a lot, but this was those times when I just couldn't figure out what the deal was. As she has gotten older it seems she is more likely to entertain herself, but that doesn't mean I'm off the hook - it means I need to be even more intentional about her and her needs.

Feeding, clothing, bathing, putting to bed - those things are easy and those things are part of living in survival mode. Playing, teaching, training, relaxing, having fun - that's the something more.

I'm trying to learn to concentrate on the something more. It's hard, but it's worth it. Something about smelling the roses. Rather, my tendency is to notice the roses and comment on them as I breeze by, marking those things off The List.

All I can do is make more of an effort and pray that God strengthens the desire in my heart. There won't be more than 24 hours in the day, the meals still need to be cooked, dishes washed, clothes dried, folded and put away. But, it's everything in between all of that to which I am referring. While we have plenty of fun as a family, going on outings and making fun for ourselves, it's the moments of eating the plastic peanut butter and tomato sandwich sweetly made for me, watching as little hands put together the same puzzle three or four times in a row, or really looking every time she says, "Wook! Wook, Mommy, wook!"

I am so thankful to be a mom.

Here, there & everywhere

2011-07-13T16:31:00.001-05:00

The title of this post describes life lately, as well as the nature of this post.

This week has been all about me and Addie. I'll post about that later, but we've been having a good time. A few little outings and swim lessons have been keeping us busy.

Speaking of swimming lessons, we're halfway through our sessions. Addie has perfected her kicking and now when we're in the water she'll pretty much kick most of the time. She's even shown this when we've been swimming in other people's pools and not just at lessons. It's encouraging, because I know she's at least picking up something. Yesterday she even spent some time floating on her back (with my help), which made me happy that she was adding something new to her water repertoire. Unfortunately we are having to skip lessons tonight but if we can get them in the rest of the week then we'll be done with our sessions.

Here's the rest of our here, there and everywhere in some pictures from my iPod.

Addie LOVES looking for fireflies with her new magnifying glass.

Staying far from this critter while sporting her Pujols shirt. GO Cards!

Now Addie wants to take pictures.

Decorating by Addie.

Seeing lots of rain lately, but a little scattered all over the place.

Portrait de Pacifier by Addie.

Self-portrait sequence.

I am thankful for the time Addie and I have been having together. We have our not so pretty moments but we have some pretty fun ones, too!

Happy Cow Appreciation Day!

2011-07-08T21:54:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again, the time when cows rejoice and we get free food.

I've told of my love of Chick-fil-A before and I will say it again - I love Chick-fil-A. Today is their self-proclaimed Cow Appreciation Day, when free food is offered to those who dare to dress up like cows.

Two years ago we took Addie. Although she was too small to actually eat the free food she received at the time, we enjoyed it for her.

Somehow we missed celebrating last year so we made sure not to miss it this year. In fact, we shared the celebration with our friends Lee Ann and Jason and Ivory and Micah.

Time to play after showing off our cow duds.

Big smile for chicken nuggets.

My best cow pals.

Daddy cow.

Sweet Ivory cow!

Rear view.

Micah cow!

Confident in my cow-stume.

I'd say this year's Cow Appreciation Day was a success. A fun, silly day!

I am thankful for my fellow cow pals, Ivory and Micah (and their parents, too)!

Celebratin' Independence

2011-07-06T15:55:00.001-05:00

While it's thundering outside and Addie is snoozing inside, I'll recap our holiday weekend.

Sabian's family made their way into the panhandle Friday evening after a looong trip on the road. We met up with them for some swimming at their hotel and a little catching up before it was time to get the kiddos to bed. We were able to spend the weekend with them, hanging out on the beach and in and around Port St. Joe. They made it to church with us on Sunday to hear Sabian preach that night and then after lunch on Monday, a last visit to the beach and a few more photos, they were on their way back to Missouri. We're really grateful that they made the effort to make the trek down here to spend a few days with us. It's no easy trip, especially when you have six kids in tow! Thanks to them for coming to see us!

We scrapped our plans to see fireworks on the beach when I realized it was later than I thought, so we opted to join our friends, the Bennetts, and their pastors for the Wewa 'works. It was probably a better decision, as Addie got to see her buddies Ivory and Micah and the trip home was considerably shorter and probably less congested. Not to mention, Pastor Mike had his truck bed filled with sand and toys, a nice surprise when Addie saw it.

So far we've spent the week catching up around the house and hanging out in the swimming pool. We had a swim date at a friend's yesterday morning and lessons last night. It is raining now, but we're hoping to get another round of lessons in tonight. It seems the trick to getting Addie used to water in her face and dunking her head under water lies with giving her the freedom to jump into the pool herself (with us on the catching end, of course). Go figure, little Miss Evel Knievel would want to do it that way.

Our camera battery died just as the fireworks were starting and I was too busy in the pool yesterday to take any swimming pictures, so instead here are a few photos from the weekend.

Now we're looking ahead to youth camp next week, which will leave Addie and I a week to do our own thing while Sabian looses sleep and his voice.

I am thankful for a good weekend and for being able to do some catching up this week.

Bathing beauty

2011-07-01T16:11:00.000-05:00

Something I didn't mention in my last post about our trip to Atlanta was another of Addie's little adventures. During our little poolside celebration of Destiny's birthday Addie decided to take a dip in the pool...on her own. Thanks to Destiny's six year old sister, Danielle, who said "Addie's in the pool," we were able to quickly retrieve her, but not before my heart skipped a beat - or two or three or four or just stopped altogether.

When I heard Danielle's little voice say, "Addie's in the pool," I whipped around and quickly began scanning the bottom of the pool for her mop of blonde curls. Sabian had done the same. Imagine my surprise when instead, after looking out and not seeing her, looking directly below me and finding her clinging to the side of the pool. I plucked her out of the water, explained as calmly as possible that she couldn't do what she did, and then checked her over. Again, to my surprise, the top of her head was dry. The only thing I could figure was that she entered the pool by the steps, and being as tall as she is, was still able to touch at at least the third step down, and then inched her way over to the side of the pool and then hung on as she moved on down the pool.

One of our kids thought maybe she had, in fact, gone in over the side of the pool but flipped herself around to hang on.

Either way, I was both so relieved and a little proud of my girl that she thought to hang on like she did. I would never want her to enter a pool on her own, especially not being able to swim, but was glad she reacted like she did and I am SO thankful for little Danielle.

So, we're taking swimming lessons. In an earlier post I wrote about deciding against them. At the time I really did think she wasn't ready and along with the hour commute (each way) to the lessons every day for two weeks, I settled on getting her into the water as much as possible this summer.

But, when my friend Lee Ann pinpointed a teacher in Wewa and we discovered others who were interested in lessons, it worked out for us to schedule a group. Tack on Addie's little escapade and I was sold on taking Addie.

So far we've only had one lesson due to thunderstorms the rest of this week. I would say it was mildly successful. Addie wasn't crazy about having water poured over her head (over and over) and she was freezing most of the hour we were in the pool. She would float and kick when the teacher wasn't looking, but as soon as she was asked, she just stared at her. I guess my little talk before class about listening to the teacher didn't sink in. We'll try that again.

Overall I am glad to be taking the lessons and praying and thinking that she'll get used to them more as we move through them. I'm not looking for her to be the next Michael Phelps after this - I realize subsequent lessons will be needed - but I am hoping she'll take away a skill or two that we can build on by working with her. I still want to have her in the water a lot this summer and hopefully we can just have some fun. It helps that the other kids in the class are all Addie's friends - we'll just have to bundle her up in a wetsuit :)

So, that's our adventure this week. That, and we're currently waiting on the in laws to arrive. Sabian's family should be entering the panhandle any time now and we'll be spending the weekend with them.

Thank you to all currently serving in our military, as well as our veterans. Thankful for our freedom this weekend! Have a great 4th!

Forward Conference 2011

2011-06-28T15:16:00.001-05:00

We're back in the land of scheduled nap times and regular bath and bed times, where a meal means something on a plate without a side of fries and we can speak to one another without yelling to be heard.

We are back from Forward Conference.

Last year I wrote about our trip to Forward - it was my first year and I was really pleased with the overall trip and the conference itself. This year a few of the same speakers were in the lineup and I felt like I went into the trip more prepared, knowing what to expect. We had another great trip but I'm pretty certain I came back to Wewa more tired this year than I did last year.

Discovering Addie had an ear infection the day before we left wasn't necessarily a setback, but it wasn't good news, either. Knowing how jam packed the weekend is, and losing an hour on top of that, I had a feeling the trip might be a little rough. While she did pretty great, we did have our sticky moments. She sat well through some sessions, not so great through one (resulting in letting her stretch her legs all around the convention center) and we skipped two evening sessions. I had planned on skipping one, recognizing that my girl just needed some down time, and decided later to stay back the last night, too, as it was apparent she needed a nap and some time to just be Addie.

Judah Smith was back in full force, as was Christine Caine. I really enjoyed their sessions and I heard the other sessions with Jentezen Franklin and Carl Lentz were great, too. Simply put, I felt encouraged and challenged by what they had to say. We spent Sunday morning at Free Chapel, which, again, pleasantly surprised me in the way they make their large church seem small. Addie spent the service in the awesome children's church program (run like a well-oiled machine) and the message we heard was painfully applicable. I don't see the message on their website yet but I'll try to remember to post it when I do.

I think one of the things that strikes me the most about being at Free Chapel is that it is obvious from outward appearances that they are a "successful" church in the areas of growth, etc. As a result, what they do, they do well, partly because they have the means to do things excellently. But, it's not just about having the money to do what they do - I see the humility beneath all that is done there, the sincerity and the total reliance on God and then giving it back to Him. That is obvious, and that is what shines through the slick videos, beautiful buildings and awesome music.

Forward Conference is much the same. Everything is run with excellence, professionalism and is extremely attractive. But through all of that there is a genuine quality to all of it.

But, after four days of fast food for every meal and existing on little sleep, it was nice to be on the road home. To be honest, I didn't feel great most of the trip. Between the migraine that unexpectedly popped up late the night before we were to leave, the food we were eating and the general go, go, go of the trip, I just felt a little yucky the whole time. One night when Addie and I were hanging out at the hotel, since we had no transportation, I loaded her up in the stroller and we took a walk to one of the little shopping/restaurant areas near the hotel. I (hallelujah!) found a Panera where I could get something other than fries and with our salads and sandwiches we headed back to the hotel. As soon as we got back, before I could dive into my food, my stomach let it be known there would be no eating of any kind taking place. Rather, it seems my Five Guys burger at lunch, loaded with grilled onions and mushrooms, instead took over. But, by the time 11 p.m. rolled around and Sabian came back to the room with my Waffle House waffle, I was good to go.

Happy Birthday Destiny!

Toby Mac - we got there late and had to sit BEHIND the stage. That's what happens when you're running late and there are 12,000 people in the arena.

Playin' it cool.

Either listening intently or waiting for the session to start or...sleeping with their eyes open.

On a "break" from the session going on inside the arena.

While we were in Atlanta we also celebrated the 13th birthday of one of our girls, Destiny. Her mom was also on the trip and surprised her with a cake and our **sad** rendition of Happy Birthday.

Oh, and did I mention Toby Mac was the opening concert of the conference? Toby Mac and I go way back to his DC Talk days. Still reigns as one of my most fun concert experiences (1994?) and brings back good memories of good times. Toby, you still got it.

It was a good trip but it is good to be back in our own beds and on our own schedule. The house got cleaned yesterday, the laundry got done and today Addie and I made it to our local library to stock up on some new books for the next week or so.

I am thankful for a good trip, safe travels there and back and to be readjusting to our normal everyday activities.

Father's Day festivities

2011-06-22T17:46:00.000-05:00

I've been meaning to get this post out since yesterday...then life intervened in the form of an unplanned trip to Panama City yesterday (at least a two hour ordeal, one hour alone in driving) which was also the day I'd planned to pack for our trip, a fun dinner with friends (lots of preparation for the meal but it was good!), another unplanned trip to Panama City today (resulting in the unfortunate cancellation of a play date for Addie) to determine that Addie has one ear infection and an almost ear infection in the other ear, which meant an hour waiting for meds, a really late lunch (early dinner?) and a sleepy girl in for a late nap.

Despite her diagnosis Addie has been in great spirits. As today was my back up packing day, I am behind. But, I couldn't leave a stale blog at hand...

Planning Father's Day for Sabian is always kind of fun.

I made a photo book for him last year and made another this year, thinking it might be fun to start that as a tradition, making a new one for him each year with pictures from the last year. I also gave him a gift of my own, which I will write about later, and had planned a little outing for us.

Earlier in the weekend we took our free and leftover tickets from Addie's birthday and visited the butterflies once again and took another spin on the ferris wheel. I think I forgot to mention in her birthday post that while we were in the butterfly pavilion someone approached us and offered us a few free tickets to come back. There were more butterflies this time around and we were able to see all of the cocoons waiting to release new butterflies. One even hatched while we were there.

As for the ferris wheel, what a difference three months makes. Last year we took Addie on the ride and she was really too little to know to be scared or excited. On her birthday she resisted a little when we got on and then was quiet the entire time. This time, she jumped up and down, squealed and pointed to the ferris wheel and when I asked her if she wanted to ride she immediately said, "Yes!"

She loved it. She talked and pointed things out and at one point said something we finally figured out was, "Slow down!" over and over again.

Later in the weekend we were invited to the family reunion of some friends from church so we joined them for lunch and some pickin' and grinnin' (to be explained later - remind me!). Addie enjoyed some face painting (her first time) some games for the kids and the little trinkets and toys they gave out to all the kids there. Alas, no photos, but I assure you she had fun. After a good nap and some dinner, we headed to the beach for sunset.

Sunday, finally, Father's Day! Or, as Addie likes to say, "Happy Daddy!" She is still wishing Sabian "Happy Daddy" all this week. With no evening church service planned, after the morning service the day was ours. I made Sabian a favorite meal of his for lunch, we took naps and later headed for a secret (to Sabian) location.

We ended up at St. Andrews State Park. We'd seen the park from the boat when we took the dolphin cruise for Sabian's birthday and knew we wanted to head back at some point to check it out.

Side note: To me, state parks in Florida are interesting. They're mostly all just another beach, but do have some differences. I guess the same could be said for other places, but replacing beach with forest. But, it's not bad to check out another beach!

St. Andrews was pretty cool. On one side you can launch your boats, do some fishing from the water or the pier and clean your catch all right there. In fact, we saw some guys come in with some huge fish. On the other side is the beach where you'd hang out, including a couple of huge rock jetties. That was what I really wanted to see because that's what caught our eyes from our dolphin excursion.

Addie loved climbing on the rocks, of course, but it was pretty precarious so, much to her dismay, we had to have hands on her at all times. When we were done dodging fishermen and their hooks and pointy rocks and deep crevices, we played in the shallow, still water, made this way because of the jetty separating the still pool from the rest of the gulf. That part was great. Addie could wade into the water without it being too deep and there were little to no waves. She even started mimicking the kids who were snorkeling in the water, getting on her hands and "Wookin' for shish." Never mind she was wearing clothes and no swimsuit.

We let her play in the water for a while but as it was getting close to sunset we got out, cleaned her up and got her into some dry clothes so we could get some dinner.

I am so thankful for a relaxing, go-at-our-own-pace kind of weekend. It was so nice, especially considering the coming weeks will be busy, in and out of town.

Oops, almost forgot photos!

Short & sweet

2011-06-19T22:31:00.000-05:00

I know it's Father's Day, so I should be blogging about how awesome my husband is at being a dad...that post is coming.

For now, I will quickly mention what a great husband he is and how thoughtful he was on our anniversary last month. He bought me this:

This necklace has been on my etsy favorites list for as long as I can remember. I think I found it shortly after I discovered etsy (about five years ago!) and have followed it since. For our anniversary Sabian wanted to stick to the traditional gift for five years, which is wood. Several months before our anniversary he announced that he had the perfect gift for me and was really excited. I was a little nervous, since we don't usually exchange anniversary gifts and, as great as it was that he had planned so far in advance, I had no idea what I was going to get him. I wanted it to be as special as it seemed his gift to me would be.

It was kind of a big deal when I opened the small, black box and found this necklace in it. It meant he had remembered the necklace from forever ago. And it just so happened to fit right in with the theme of the five year anniversary gift.

I love the necklace and so appreciate the sentiment behind it.

Side note: the designer, Lauren Haupt, is super nice and her shop is full of some other really cool pieces. I'd take one of each!

I am thankful for a thoughtful husband.

Shooting with the Chaneys

2011-06-18T00:10:00.000-05:00

I almost titled this post, "Shooting the Chaneys," but I thought that might not be as funny as it first was when it crossed my mind.

"Shooting," in this case, refers to the photo session we had when we were in Illinois last month. Last year for Mother's Day I asked for family pictures and we had a really good experience with a local photographer. This year I wanted to update our photos and thought it would work out well for us to do a session at home.

A friend of mine suggested her friend, Jessica, who was really flexible with my indecisiveness and flip flopping on dates and times. Then the task was to decide on a location. Jessica mentioned downtown Belleville, which I thought was somehow funny since it was one of the first places that popped into my mind. I used to live in the historic district, right off of Main Street, and it seemed appropriate to take pictures in that area since it is so recognizably Belleville.

Jessica was super sweet and fun to work with. She was amazing at keeping up with Addie, who was running and exploring all over the place. Taking photos of an energetic, busy two year old on the sidewalks of downtown was a bit challenging, but she did a great job. I am glad we chose that location but I do think next time we'll choose a more laid back setting where Addie can really run around and do her thing.

There are a few more photos on my Facebook profile.

I am thankful for a fun photo shoot!

Antsy

2011-06-14T15:20:00.001-05:00

I'm ready to get out of town! I think because we've decided not to take a vacation this year (which wouldn't normally be until October, anyway) I'm feeling even more ready to get out of town. Go figure.

But, we do have a short trip coming up next week to anticipate. We're taking a group of kids, plus a few adults, to the Forward conference in Atlanta. Last year was my first year but it's an annual trip for our kids, even before we came to Wewa. It is a great conference, good speakers, music and fun. We have our afternoons free so we can do what we want and this year we'll have a pool at the hotel we can take advantage of. It's a busy weekend but at least we'll be out and about!

So far this week we've had some fun hanging out with Addie's friend Carson.

Pacifier king and queen, working on puzzles.

Carson has been so sweet and lots of fun. Addie has had a few issues here and there with my attention being divided, but I noticed today she'd get over it a little faster than she did yesterday. It's been good lesson learning for her, although it is a little tough seeing her upset. But, she got over it and I think she had fun having him around. We've just had him two days, so tomorrow starts the rest of the week for us to plan Father's Day festivities and to get a few other things done.

Today I am thankful for my husband, who helped get Addie down for naps these two days while Carson visited. That was a huge help!

Storm cloud

2011-06-11T13:06:00.001-05:00

We need rain. I know some of you reading this are wishing for the rain to stop in your area, so send it on our way. Since we're not getting it, we headed for the beach yesterday. I braced myself for a hot, sticky couple of hours but it was actually really nice, breezy and totally bearable. The added plus was that the three of us spent a lot of time in the water, which we don't normally do. Addie is usually content to dig in the sand and run along the beach and Sabian is the one who gets in the water. As I am on a quest to get Addie comfortable in the water this summer I was really glad she was so happy among the waves. It helped that we had a ton of fish around us, jumping out of the water. Beach entertainment.

By the looks of the above photo I quickly snapped while we were out, there's no storm cloud in sight. Rather, the cloud is hanging over my head. It's been there all week. A bit of a drag, but just the way it is right now. Hoping for a better week next week.

I am thankful to get out with Sabian tonight!

R-r-r-rewind

2011-06-09T18:53:00.001-05:00

Back up with me, if you will, to May. You know, that crazy month of graduations, the end of school, the beginning of really nice weather, birthdays, anniversaries and so much more.

On the subject of anniversaries, while we do celebrate our wedding anniversary in May, I realized I forgot to mention one other important anniversary - that of our move to Wewa. This year made it three years since we took the plunge and came to this little corner of Florida's panhandle. Three years!

I'll be honest, this week has not been quite an I'm-loving-Wewa type of week, but I read what I wrote last year about our move to Wewa and realize it all stands true.

In some ways, things have changed. Some relationships have grown, some situations have matured. In other ways, some things have not changed, which, depending on what it is, is frustrating, but I suppose if I was looking beyond the surface level it reveals room for growth.

Either way, we continue to plug along and learn more about this little place and the people in it. I pray God continues to teach us more.

I am thankful for God's provisions and the mercy and grace He offers to me!

5 a.m. wake up call

2011-06-09T11:15:00.000-05:00

We're not morning people in our house but apparently, Addie was today.

Every now and then she'll exhibit some weird sleep pattern - waking up during the night and tossing and turning for a couple of hours or, waking up waaaay early, like this morning. I thought for sure, at 5 a.m., she'd fall back asleep. Not so. She did stay in bed until around 7, when Sabian got up with her and let me sleep, but that only lasted for about 20 more minutes.

Sheesh. I see an early nap time in our future.

This has been a week lacking in a lot of things. Namely, motivation. An earlier than normal wake up call doesn't help, either.

One thing I can say is that this week has been a good behavior week. Addie has been sweet and pretty obedient. It dawned on me yesterday that we've had few hairy moments, much unlike the previous couple of weeks.

Since I have no relevant current pictures for this post, here is one from exactly a year ago, doing what she should have been doing at 5 a.m.

I think we were on our way back to Wewa from Missouri after attending the wedding of one of Sabian's friends. We were just out of town a couple of weeks ago, but this makes me want to go on another trip!

Today I am thankful for a pretty smooth week with Addie. Her sweetness has been a lot of fun.

Ahoy, mateys! Addie's water park debut

2011-06-07T16:11:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we beat the heat at a water park in Panama City Beach with some of our youth group. With no fear of rain (we haven't had any substantial rain in weeks) we took off, armed with our waaaay discounted tickets thanks to a friend from church.

I camped out most of the day at the Tadpole Hole with Addie, which was fine with me, but did get a couple of breaks to run off and have fun on some of the rides. Addie was fairly content to wander through the water and went down a few of the slides, but primarily hung out in the shallow pools and climbing up and down some of the kiddie amusements rather than really riding them. We did practice some kicking and she wore her water wings for a bit so she could float.

I was really interested to see her reaction to being there. My intention was to get her into swimming lessons this summer, something I really wanted her to do last summer and was determined to do this year. But, the more I thought about it and the more I observed her I felt like we'd push it off just a little longer. She doesn't seem quite ready. Granted, I could probably take her and at some point she might get used to it, but for us, taking on the commitment for swimming lessons is kind of a big deal. Our nearest option is close to an hour away, every day for two weeks. As much as I wanted to do it and thought we could manage that just for the two weeks, I finally opted to wait until I saw more signs of readiness. My goal now is to have her in the water more this summer and get her into lessons later.

We had a great time yesterday and enjoyed a sunny day and I'm really glad Addie had as much fun as she did. No doubt she was worn out by the time we left, having missed a nap and played all day. Since one of us was always in the water with Addie while the other was fitting in some water slide time I dropped the ball a little on taking pictures but I snapped a couple before we left for the day.

Our summer adventures have begun. Along with conjuring up ideas for what to do on hot summer days we have Father's Day to think about, a youth trip to Atlanta for a conference, family visits to the area, youth camp (for Sabian), VBS and everything that pops up in between. Personally, I'm hoping soon for a date night with my husband!

Today I am thankful for a little rain we've had this afternoon. It wasn't as much as we need but I kind of like the cloudy day!

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

2011-06-02T17:06:00.000-05:00

Are you really fond of me yet? Seems I keep saying how much I dislike leaving my blog dormant and then I leave it, well, dormant.

But, all for good reasons. Yes, we've been busy, but who isn't? Since I last posted we celebrated an anniversary, a sweet friend's first birthday, Wewa's graduation and then took a 12 hour ride to Illinois to celebrate some more. This time, it was my oldest nephew's high school graduation and a wedding that Sabian officiated.

Our time home flew by, as usual. It was good to be there, super busy, but we got to see our families and Addie showed her moves on the dance floor at the wedding. All night. Seriously, she was on the dance floor the entire time - except for a cupcake and water break!

A few photos from our adventures:

Horse & buggy ride with Ivory & Jason at Micah's birthday party.

Goose egg! Glad it's in her hand and not on her head :)

Playing with the bunnies & goats at Wewa's Tupelo Honey Festival.

I'm pretty sure these bunnies were doing their best to hide from all of the curious hands in this pen!

Sweet goats. Almost wanted to take one home. Almost.

Sandwiched by goats!

A member of our youth group, Jacob, praying at graduation.

What Addie did to occupy herself during part of the graduation ceremony.

Monkeys at the zoo!

Probably one of Addie's zoo favorites.

Up close and personal.

Counting monkeys.

A little cool and rainy but fun nonetheless!

So close we could've probably reached out and touched him.

Now counting zebras.

Ew. Creeped me out.

Getting a better view.

Enjoying an uncrowded zoo.

Despite the misty day, we had a lot of fun!

Giving The Look.

Feeding a mommy & baby otter.

High speed!

The cousins arrive for fun at the zoo.

Searching for more monkeys.

Sabian pulling double duty.

Cousins!

Waiting for the wedding to begin.

Father daughter dance.

"All of these people are dancing for ME?!"

Addie, Stephen & the Cha Cha Slide.

Chillin' with Dodah & Eden.

Stretching out our legs in Alabama on the way back to Wewa.


Hanging with Daddy on the long way back.

And here we are, back in Wewa, settling back into everyday life. We've been experiencing the not so fun parts of being two the last couple of weeks but all in all we're just working on getting back into routine. Here in the panhandle, routine means hot and the heat is coming out in full force. Makes me miss the cooler temps we had while we were home.

I am thankful for a safe, good trip! Hope we can make it again soon.

Gimme five!

2011-05-20T09:04:00.000-05:00

Today I get to celebrate five years of marriage to my husband!

I am humbled and grateful to be Sabian's wife. We're imperfect, sometimes we're not so nice to one another (taking the liberty of speaking for him!) and sometimes we could just do better. But, we love each other and work, daily, at being the husband and wife God desires for us to be. I'm so thankful to have someone working with me and I am so glad that person is Sabian!

We've already celebrated, out for dinner and dessert and some wandering around on our own last night. We talked about what we were doing five years ago last night as we prepared for our wedding the next day. Today I remember the excitement and anticipation of walking down the aisle and committing to spend the rest of my life with a pretty awesome guy.

One of my favorite things to do at a wedding when the bride walks down the aisle is to catch a glimpse of the groom's face.

It's just such a sweet moment.

I love you Sabian! Thank you for these five years.

Today, of course, I am thankful for my sweet HUSBAND!

Critters, creatures and all of the above

2011-05-18T15:20:00.002-05:00

I resisted taking a nap this afternoon so I could clean out the car for our upcoming trip. Once upon a time I kept up with the inside and outside of my car so that it rarely got too messy or too dirty. You would think now that I have a toddler eating, drinking and throwing crumbs to and fro that I would keep up with it just as I did or even better than in my past days. Not so. I think it has something to do with the lack of time. Go figure. My dad was an expert at getting cars to look brand new, inside and out, although he got a little too happy with the Armor All. Let me tell you, it is not easy to drive a car when your foot keeps slipping off the gas pedal...

Our upcoming trip is a trip...HOME! On the agenda - my oldest nephew's high school graduation and the wedding of one of our girls from our church in Illinois. Sabian is taking part in the ceremony and we are happy to be a part of it. There are also a few other things we'll do while we are at home but if I must be honest, I'm just glad to be getting out of town.

Our weeks and weekends have been busy but some of that busyness has been punctuated by trips to the beach, park and having some opportunities to hang out, just the three Chaneys. Much of the busyness has been occupied with church activities, birthday parties, errands and the general hubub of life. It's not bad, it's just...busy.

I mentioned in this post that we'd had the pleasure of a visit from one of our youth members, Hayley, and her horse, Dallas. Sadly at the time I did not have my camera. When she brought her horse, Ruby, to church, I did.

Again, didn't strike me as unusual. Just a fun surprise as we pulled up for youth service one night.

I witnessed another "fun" surprise a week ago as we were heading back to Wewa from Addie's doctor's appointment. Addie had fallen asleep and I was enjoying a peaceful drive. As we neared Wewa I spotted something off in the distance, an animal of some sort, crossing the road. As I got closer it was clear I was going to have to swerve into the other lane to avoid flattening it and as I swerved, I really couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was an alligator. Not a very big one, but an alligator nonetheless. I drove on home in a bit of a daze, really wondering if I'd seen an alligator crossing the road, grinning a wiiiiide grin. Before last week I always joked with my Floridian friends that I doubted the existence of alligators in Florida, as I had never seen one. Well, now I've seen one. Not only have I seen an alligator, but I've also seen two bears since living here. I also can't forget about the rattlesnake my neighbor brought home, but at least he was dead. I'm not so sure about all of these critters.

The excitement of the week this week happened a couple of nights ago when Addie had a teenager moment and locked herself in her room at bedtime. Totally unintentional, but a not-so-fun experience for the three of us. While Addie was crying and asking for us on the other side of the door, Sabian and I were trying every key we could find in the house. When those didn't work (and when I realized her window was locked so there was no getting in that way), he tried to use his drill to get through the doorknob, which didn't work. It was either bust down the door (least desirable option) or get the doorknob off. Finally, thanks to a hammer and gentle encouragement to Addie to step away from the door, we got to her. She was fine, having taken refuge in her bed while Sabian hacked away. I'm almost in favor of just leaving the knob off for now but either way, she's slept fine the last couple of nights with seemingly no emotional scarring on her part :)

Today I am thankful, again, for this awesome weather we are having. The longer we can hold off the oppressive humidity, the better!

Gone, but not forgotten

2011-05-17T08:37:00.000-05:00

We're here, I'm here. I haven't forgotten about the blog.

Just wanted to let you know! Hope to have a more substantial post soon.

Today I am thankful for the wonderful May weather we've been having the last few days. Totally unexpected and totally welcome!