Our Favorite Summertime Treat



And, as they do with everything else, here are the kids doing "cheers!" with their watermelon slices

A visit with friends

We had a great visit with some good friends form Birmingham. Kenneth, Kathleen, and little jay came to Franklin this weekend to hang with the Stephens. We had great conversation, drank a few too many margaritas, and enjoyed a fun game of Phase 10. Over the course of the weekend I only took 3 pictures...wish I had taken more! Kenneth took more than me, so maybe he will send me some so I came post them (hint hint!)

Also, I made another tasty dessert from Picky Palate. They were so yummy! I used milk chocolate morsels for the top insead of semi-sweet 'cause we are definitely milk chocolate people around here. To see the Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars go here. Amanda, I thought of you since you share the love of peanut butter and chocolate:)

Below is an e-mail I would ask all of you to read. Stephanie and Samuel Rainey are good friends of ours and Samuel's sister, Rebecca, gave birth to a little girl named Molly Ann earlier this week. Molly was born with brain and heart issues and, as you can imagine, these past few days have been extremely difficult. Please pray for Rebecca, her husband Jacob, and their sweet little girl (who is their first child). The e-mail was written yesterday by Rebecca's father, Dennis Rainey:

Molly’s condition remains the same, critical. Multiple meetings with neonatologists, pediatric cardiologists (from here to Little Rock, to Indiana to Mayo Clinic), neurologists, and interventional radiologists, have confirmed:
Much of her blood is going to the brain.
Because of the abnormal vein and aneurism, the blood that’s going there is ineffective, since it’s not going to her lungs, and the rest of her body…as a result 60-80% of her blood is going to her brain, normally it should be 10-15%. And because of this she is in congestive heart failure.
Damage is substantial to both halves of the brain and permanent.
As a result they have two options:
Brain surgery, very dangerous and at best a questionable procedure, since she’ll never function normally without a miracle. If the surgery is successful, the congestive heart failure could be slowed and with a couple more surgeries, perhaps eliminated. Leaving Molly with a damaged brain and many more dangerous surgeries.
Second option is to withdraw life support and enjoy what hours or days God may give Rebecca and Jake with her. It is likely she’ll only live a few hours.
I have to tell you that listening and watching Rebecca and Jake (with Molly in Jake’s arms) grapple over what God wants them to do in terms of treatment of their daughter has been THE most difficult thing I’ve ever watched. It’s been holy. Worshipful. Heart rending. It is beyond imagination and words. I know that some of you have been through this, but oh how tough to watch two people you love enter into this deep valley. I marvel at how honest and real they’ve continued to be. Their faith and trust in God is remarkable.
They have decided not to operate. And in the coming days, Rebecca and Jake have decided to remove the life support.
What has been unimaginatively tough has just become a lot tougher. Please pray for Jake and Rebecca’s broken hearts. Scriptures tell us our days are numbered. Molly’s little life may be comprised of less than 7 days.
I am grateful for your prayers and sustaining love.
God is God. We are surrendering to Him and His ways. Blessed be the Name of our God. There is NO hope in any other.

Dennis

One of my new favorite blogs to visit is picky palate. she always posts great ideas of fun things to cook and bake. On Sunday, I needed something quick and easy that the kids and I could bake for Daddy on Father's Day and I remembered seeing this on her blog. The kids had fun helping with the cookie dough and we all had fun eating the finished product!

simplicity

several of you have heard me mention lately that Mitch and I are in the process of simplifying our life. Simplifying our home (i.e. getting rid of the clutter), simplifying our time/schedule (little tv watching, being very mindful of what we commit to - big or small) simplify our spending...we are just pretty much evaluating and simplifying our lifestyle. Why you ask? Well, I am delighted to share that answer with you.
It all started back in early April when we went to hear John Eldridge speak at a local church. He shared his experiences of being quiet and listening to God, of being still and hearing the Lord speak to him. Mitch and I both walked away that night longing for that type of intimacy, both wanting to cultivate that quiet spirit that waits to hear His voice. A week or so after that, Mitch picked up a small book from our bookshelf titled "Intimacy with the Almighty" by Charles Swindoll. It's a very small book that has had a huge impact. It only affirmed what our hearts desired after walking away from John's message. I will not be able to do the book justice in my few comments, but I strongly suggest to add it to your reading list. In general, he shares how to cultivate an intimate relationship with the Lord. He shares 4 decision and 4 disciples that can move us in that direction. I will just share about the first decision which is "to reorder one's private world." The accompanying discipline to this is simplicity.

"To reorder one's private world, the need to simplify is imperitive. Otherwise, we will find ourselved unable to rest
within, unable to enter the deep, silent recesses of our hearts, where God's best messages are communicated.
And if we live very long in that condition, our hearts grow cold towards Christ and we become objects of
seduction in a wayward world."

"To get rid of clutter, simplicity isn't just nice - it's essential. But neither is automatic; it will call forth intense
determination."

In the past 2 months we have really sought after simplicity. For us, it has brought so much freedom. We feel a passion for knowing God that we haven't felt in a long time. We are still not done in terms of simplifying our home, but with each room and each closet our load gets a little lighter. And just in case you were wondering, the next decisions/disciplines are:
To be still/silence
to cultivate serenity/solitude
to trust the Lord completely/surrender

Good stuff, i tell ya. Good stuff.

In the next few days I will share some thoughts on 1Timothy 6 and how living simply is closely tied to living green. I would love to write more now, but I don't want to bore you!

Testing...

Due to some much needed computer software upgrades, I am finally able to blog again! We were having an issue where I was able to write an entry, but unable to post it. So, this is my test post. Here is a recent picture of my precious little girl.

A Whole Bunch of Nothing

You would think that I was so busy because I haven't blogged in 10 days. But, I am happy to say that I have not been too busy. A lot has been going on in this ole head of mine, but we have been laying low this month. It's been quite refreshing. Here's what we have been up to:
-We had a quick visit to Birmingham over Mother's Day weekend. We were abe to see all the mom's in the family and got to have Sunday dinner with our friends, the Merwins. They are some of our favorite people.
-Hubby was off last week, so we enjoyed lots of family time with no agenda. The only thing that was on our agenda was to toss the old computer because we got a new one! Well, it's not brand new, but it's certainly new to us. The Merwin's were so generous to give us their iMac that they bought a few years ago. It has been such a blessing to us and I am absolutely thrilled to have a computer that has sound, all if it's keys, and can hold pics of the kids. Thanks, Stephen and Kellie!
-We got to visit with my friend Allison who I haven't seen since 2003. She has been in Afganistan for the past 2 years and is now back and living in Louisville, KY. She came down for a few days to hang with the family. We had great conversations and enjoyed hearing about life in Afganistan.
-Allergies. Allergies have attacked our family this season. Neily had them last year, but we all have been troubled with the pesky runny nose/itchy throat thing. SO not fun and I empathize with those of you who have battled allergies for years.
-In return for feeding her cat, a friend gave us a new cuisinart food processor. I have never had one and I am so excited. I can't wait to make homemade basil and salsa. Thanks, meredith, for the generous gift!

So, that's about all that's new with us. I will hopefully have some more exciting posts now that I have a really cool computer!

My little artist

Rainy Days

We love the rain. We love to jump in puddles. We love to play in the mud. And we love to wear our sister's coat and shoes. At least he's pushing a truck though, right?

TWO.
I can't believe my little guy is two. Like I have heard others say, the days have been long but the years short.

My family came in town to celebrate Jake's birthday as well as Uncle Chris' birthday (which is the day before Jake's). We had a great time and enjoyed cake, taking walks, and the Main Street Festival in downtown Franklin.

Here is Jake with his new baby cousin, Anne Thomas:

The Birthday Boys:

Here's Jake who is thrilled that we are all singing to him:

Gigi and Grandaddy with the kiddos:

The cutest cousins:

Lastly, here is Jake at 2 months (doesn't he look like a little old man?):

And my big boy at 2 years (with his aunt Jen):

MY LIST
I was tagged by my friend, Ginny. So, here's some stuff about me:

What was I doing 10 years ago?
In 1998 I was working for a college ministry called Campus Outreach. Sometime that year (I don't remember exactly when), I visited Brazil for a week because I was planning on moving there to do ministry. After visiting, I felt the Lord was leading me to stay in Birmingham and work. A week later I met Mitch... and the rest is history.
5 Things on my to do list:
1) Laundry
2) Vacuum (surprise, surprise!)
3) Read/Quiet time
4) exercise
5) Work on simplifying our home
5 snacks I enjoy:
1) Cliff Bars
2) Stoneyfield Farms lowfat vanilla yogurt (yummy!)
3) Peanuts
4) Apple slices and peanut butter
5) A bowl of Kashi's Blueberry cereal
5 Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1)Give, give, give. "TO whom much is given, much is required." I think I would give most of it away. Sometimes the thought of having that much money scares me!
2)Buy a Prius and a house
3)Buy cars for some friends, help pay off mortgages of friends and family
4)Save for retirement, college, and set up trusts for the kids
5) By a big 'ole piece of land somewhere where we could have a lot of animals, go camping, fishing, etc.
5 bad habits:
1) worry and anxiousness
2) biting my nails
3) seeing the glass as half empty
4) waiting too long to eat and then getting crabby
5) did I mention worry?
5 Places I have lived:
1) Rome, Ga
2) Birmingham, AL
3) Panama City Beach, FL
4) Franklin, TN
5) Belo Horizonte, Brazil
5 Jobs i've had or have:
1) Kennel cleaner at a vet
2) Lifeguard
3) McDonald's
4) Campus Ministry Administrative Staff
5) Personal Trainer (by far my favorite of them all)
I want to know more about (a nice way of saying "you're tagged"):
1) Holly Welch
2) Annie Haralson
3) Amanda Skinner (in all your pre-baby free time!)

Last Sunday the fam was taking a stroll to downtown Franklin. We were just taking it slow and enjoying the day. As we rounded the corner by Starbucks, I glanced in the window and saw a guy sitting there and thought to myself, "Hmmm...I know him from somewhere." I turned to see who he was sitting with and suddenly found myself trying not to freak out and look stupid. Sitting there, just 2 feet away, were Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman! We kept strolling by, trying to act cool like it was no big deal. Once I passed the window, I immediately called my friend Kari who shares my excitement for seeing famous people around town. After that, I think I "strolled" by the window 2 more times just because I am a dork like that:) I was the unassuming girl in the bright red Alabama t-shirt that was obviously not unassuming. But I really didn't care. I mean, how often do you see a major celebrity at the local coffee shop? Pretty cool if you ask me!

Earth Day 2008: A Tribute to All Things Green
I couldn't let Earth Day pass without doing a little blogging about being greener. We are always striving to learn ways of implementing "green" into our everyday life. Here are a few tips from me on being green:

-Check out www.freecycle.org. It's a great way to get rid of things without having to throw them away. Who knows, you may even find something that you are looking for!
-Buy local - Now that warmer weather is here and summer is approaching, it's time to head over to your local farmer's market. Here you can find a great varitey of fruits, veggies, and organic meats that are great for your family to enjoy. Buying organic from the farmer's market is often cheaper (and much fresher) than buying organic from the grocery store. So grab your mesh shopping bags, load the kids in the stroller and support your local farmers!
-Check the air in your tires. You get maximum gas mileage when your tires are filled to their suggested level. And who doesn't need better gas mileage when gas is up to $3.45/gallon! Fill your tires up and save money and the environment!
-Go to www.pluggreen.com and find out what businesses in your area (from dry cleaners to restaurants) are making efforts to be green.
-Go here to find coupons for Seventh Generation and Greenworks cleaning products. I use both and I am a big fan. I especially love the dish soap in Lavender Mint from Seventh Generation. You will also find LOTS of other coupons to help save you some green :)
-And last, but certainly not least, I encourage you all to evaluate your pantry. Beind green is also being healthy. It's about eating more whole foods and not a lot of processed foods. Look for snacks for your kids (and you) where ingredients don't include the words enriched, hydrogenated, and corn syrup. Three months ago we decided to make very effort to give our pantry a makeover. It has taken 3 months, but we are finally to a point where everything in our cabinet and fridge are either organic or, if not organic, not processed. Now, I will tell you that our pantry is not full. Buying organic for us means buying less b/c organic is more expensive. But, we do have enough and that's really all that matters. Check out www.organicvalley.com, www.stoneyfieldfarms.com, and www.laurasleanbeef.com for some coupons on organic stuff. Thankfully walmart carries brands like Back to nature, Kashi, Newman's and Annie's so we don't have to pay a fortune for them elsewhere!

Happy Earth Day, everybody. Go Green!

Attention music lovers: I need your help!!


Sunday night, Hubs and I got an opportunity to go and hear John Eldridge speak. It was an encouraging evening as we listened to him speak about growing in intimacy with God. One thing he dicussed was getting quiet before the Lord. All of us are unique as to what draws us in to that quiet place. For some it's worship. For some it's reading scripture or a book. For some it's getting out into nature. I personally struggle often with being quiet. It's very hard for me to get to a place of rest before the Lord because my mind is racing, the phone is ringing, the dryer is buzzing and letting me know that there are lots of clothes that need to be folded. Hearing John talk about finding "your thing" that draws you close was great for me. I remembered that worship is my thing. Oh, how music speaks to my soul! I find myself often listening to the kids music and rarely listening to the music that truly lifts my soul. Which leads to the reason why I write. I would like to know what your favorite's are. Artists or songs, what worship music is out there that i'm missing out on? I seriously can't tell you the last time I uploaded (or downloaded?which is it?) a song on itunes or put any new song on my iPod. I know many of you are in tune with what's new and what are just great classics, so I would love to hear your music suggestions. Bring 'em on!

In honor of Spring Fashion Fiesta
...I post today about the dream I have for my closet. Boo Mama had this going on a few days ago, but today is the first day I have gotten around to it. So, here goes... the dream I have for my closet.

I will start off my saying that I have lived most of my life in the "the more I have in my closet the better" mindset. So, I filled my closet with some things that I really liked, but mostly with things that I found that were on sale and looked pretty decent. This really wasn't the way to go because that left me being really excited about what I was wearing only 2 days of the week (if that!).

One of the best things for me in having 2 babies so close together was, by the time I lost weight from baby #2, mostly everything in my closet was out of style or too dressy for me to wear as a SAHM. So, at the end of last summer I literally gave away practically everything in my closet... And started completely over. A bit scary for this girl who really doesn't like to shop, but a bit refreshing too. I managed to get some great stuff for winter, but now that summer is approaching I am staring at an empty closet. So, this is what my dream looks like for my spring/summer clothes:
-skirts - I love wearing skirts during the spring and summer. They are cooler than shorts and I think they are more comfortable. I have found a skirt online that hits just at the knee and is a soft, flowy cotton. If it's cute I will definitely get 2 of them (1 black and 1 white b/c those colors never go out of style) If I like them, I will let you know so you can get one, too!
-tank tops - I love sleeveless shirts and tanks. I am broader in the shoulders, so wearing these is more flattering to my figure than regular tee's. However, I will still gather a few tee's (at least one white) to have around.
-flips - I just got these a few weeks ago and they are my new best friend. Mitch and I have talked for 2 years about getting some and both finally got a pair. We love our flips in the summertime!
***This is a must for me these days: Anything I buy, shirt or skirts, must go with at least 2 other items in my closet. This way I have more options and I really get my money's worth of wear.

Ultimately, my dream closet consists of clothes that I am excited to wear. I would much rather have a few nicer items that I love to wear than a closet full of things that are just okay. To me, less is definitely more when it comes to clothes! What about you?

OPRAH

I'm sure many of you have seen this, but thought I would post it here in case you haven't. It's about 6 minutes long, but really seems to show Oprah's thoughts on God and Christianity. It breaks my heart that so many women look to her for wisdom and understanding. Oh, how they are being misguided! I would love to hear your thoughts after you watch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW4LLwkgmqA

It's funny how kids change things in ways you wouldn't expect. I used to love the smell of fresh cut grass. Now, instead of running outside to take in the smell, when I hear someone cutting the grass I totally stress out because i'm afraid it's going to wake someone up from a nap. I used to love a good thunderstorm. The sounds of the heavy rain and thunder were relaxing to me. Now, instead of snuggling up in bed to rest and enjoy the sounds, when a thunderstorm arrives I snuggle up in bed next to my 3 year old (and her 8 stuffed animals) and focus on comforting her so she can rest. And, as most of you know, I love love love a nice hot bath. Now, instead of relaxing with a good book while soaking in the suds, I am usually dodging little hands and legos while I try to do a decent job shaving my legs. But, in light of all that, I wouldn't trade the way things are. I love that I get to watch my daughter fall asleep with a smile on her face because she feels loved and safe. I love that I get to watch my son push his little lawn mower around the yard and smile with pride because he thinks he's helping out daddy. I love...well, I love my bath and I am still looking for the silver lining for that one!

Easter -

We woke up Easter morning and enjoyed family time reading "A Sad Day and A Happy Day" (for those of you who aren't familiar with the Read Aloud Bible Stories, go here. We have really enjoyed them) and talking about what Jesus did for us. Later, we hunted some eggs and then kids enjoyed their chocolate bunny. Can I just tell you the Neily ate her bunny in 3 minutes! This girl loves her chocolate!

Here are the kiddos before they hunted their eggs:

And this is them saying "Cheers!" as they toasted their bunnies. They do "cheers" with everything from milk to legos. It is really quite humerous.

I tried to get a picture of them hugging and this was the best I got:

A Trip to Radnor

Just 20 minutes from our house is this great place, Radnor Lake. It is a beautiful lake as well as a wildlife preserve. They have a trail around the lake as well as trails through the surrounding wooded areas. It has become one of our favorite places to visit because we see so many neat things when we go. When we went yesterday Mitch and I were a bit overzealous and took the kids on a hike around the entire lake. It ended up taking us over 2 hours and by the end we had the kids on our shoulders hoping that the end was just around the next turn. We were all pooped, but it was worth it. We saw lots of turtles, 3 snakes, a woodpecker, and a few other animals. He are some pics of our adventure:

Neily hears a Who!

We saw this owl just as we began our walk. Neily was really excited to see an owl (and so was I):

All the turtles in a row.

Can you tell this is a woodpecker? This is one of those times when I really wish I had a better camera!

Neily running to catch up with me. She has the sweetest face.

Jake on the bridge. One of his favorite things to do is throw rocks and sticks into the water.

Dad and the kiddos resting with a snack. This was towards the end of the hike, so no one was really in the mood to say "Cheese!"

Last week we were in Birmingham and had a pre-Easter egg hunt with cousin Elizabeth. The kids enjoyed seeing each other and had a ball hunting eggs and eating candy.

Just before heading out to hunt eggs:



Hunting Eggs



I couldn't resist putting up this picture. It cracks me up! (no pun intended:))

All Done! Poor Jake smashed in the middle. With 2 girl cousins and a sister, I have a feeling he better get used to it!