Favorite Gifts EVER!!

Yesterday evening, I asked Brian his favorite Christmas memories, and when he returned the question, I realized that all of my favorite Christmas memories sort of revolved around the memories I had of certain gifts. Guess I am very materialistic at heart. Boo.

Anyhoo, I have three favorite Christmas gifts ever. I can't decide between the three, so here they are, in random order.

1) Charm bracelet. One year, I wanted a charm bracelet more than I wanted anything else!! Early on in December, I was snooping under the Christmas tree and found a James Avery box. I knew what this meant!! I knew that I was getting the bracelet, and I told my mom that I was so excited b/c I knew I was getting what I asked for!! The next day, the box was gone from under the tree. I waited in anguish for three weeks to see if the box would reappear. It didn't. After all the presents were unwrapped, and Santa had come and gone, no bracelet was to be had. We only had stockings to go.... I emptied my entire stocking with no avail, and found, buried in the very tippy toe of the stocking, a charm bracelet!!!! What a memory....



2) Chemistry set. I have NO idea why my parents got me this, but I loved this thing!! It came with experiment books, chemicals (I'm not kidding), and test tubes!! Kristin Berry and I almost blew up her barn with this thing, but we had SOOO much fun creating experiments and seeing what stuff would do when you put it together. Not surprisingly, this year, I asked for a microscope. Maybe there's hope for me becoming a doctor after all....



3) A horse. When I was in the sixth grade, I got up early on Christmas morning, like we did every Christmas morning. Under the tree was horse-y stuff- brushes, hoof picks, etc. This was not unusual- it's what I'd asked for since my mom and I both rode horses. Getting ready to go to my grandparents house to have Christmas with them, I will never forget the excitement that my daddy had. He was beaming from ear to ear, hurrying everyone along, so excited to leave the house (which is odd- he's never really in a hurry unless he's hungry....) So we head to Gran and Grandad's house, but I notice we're headed in the wrong direction. Mom says we have to go feed the horses, so we have to drop by the barn (this was when we lived in Fairview, and didn't have a barn in the backyard.) As we pulled up to the barn and we hopped out of the car, out from behind a trailer trots a beautiful bay gelding, with a GIANT bow on his blanket. Officially named "Lord West", I called him "Rocky". What little girl DOESN'T dream of owning a horse!?!? I felt like, and still do feel like, I'm the luckiest girl in the world.


(This isn't Rocky, but a picture of a bay horse... Will have to find some pics of good 'old Rocky....)

I am so blessed to have wonderful childhood Christmas memories! What are your favorite Christmas memories/ gifts?

fragile

One year ago at this time, Brian and I were in the ER. My dear friend Christy was playing Yahtzee with me as we laughed at Brian snoring while lying in the bed next to us. He had been in pain all through the night, and finally at 7am, gave in and let me call the doctor.

The doc couldn't determine what was wrong and sent us to the ER for an ultrasound (I think...) After 20 or so minutes watching my husband rock in pain in the chair next to me, tears streaming silently down his face, I'd had enough, and started making a stink. Polite at first, then downright stubborn and on the verge of crying, I stood in front of the nurses station for 15 minutes before they agreed to open a new wing of the ER for Brian.

The ultrasound (or whatever) determined what we'd feared- Brian's appendix needed to come out. At first, we were fine with that. We had insurance, so that was okay... Both of our parents were busy and we determined they shouldn't make the trip.

So Christy came. We played Yahtzee as the time for Brian's surgery was pushed back again and again. Finally, at around 7:15pm, a nurse came and moved us to a room on the surgery floor. A nonchalant anesthesiologist came and started Brian on his loopy meds. I asked all the questions I'd heard my daddy ask in these type of situations before (he's almost a doctor, you know...) And they took Brian away.

Heath came and Christy left. Eric & Lindsay came, and we ate while we waited. And then, a nurse came in and said that they were having a hard time waking Brian up from surgery. And then, the surgeon came in and said that the appendix had ruptured and Brian would have to stay overnight. And then, the surgeon came back in and said that Brian had suffered flash pulmonary edema, and was essentially drowning as his lungs filled with fluid. Brian would be admitted to ICU.

How did this happen? How did we go from eating dinner together one night, and then spending the following night in the ICU? After Heath and Eric and Lindsay left that night, I sat on the pullout bed, feeling nothing. I think that God was sedating me so I wouldn't freak out, actually.

It wasn't then, or in the rough days that followed. It wasn't as I watched friends do more for us than I could have ever imagined or asked for. It wasn't when we finally got to go home three days later. It was when we went in for a follow-up appointment and the doctor looked at us and said to Brian "You could have died. People die from this every day." It was then that I grasped the fragility of life as I know it.

I thank God that this Christmas, I get to be with my husband, and I thank God that we're both healthy. I know that this specific prayer hasn't been answered for some, and my heart breaks for them. We are fragile beings- thank God for your loved ones today.

Holiday Cheered- Party of One!

I must confess, I stole this blog post title from a friend of mine, Kelsey (I would link to her webpage if I could but the page doesn't seem to be loading properly, so I'm just giving written credit instead.)

Onward!!

I got an early start on the holidays this year, because I refuse to be bah-humbuggy this Christmas. I don't know how familiar you are with our family, but this is the 3rd year in a row that we're strapped for cashola. (Shout out, all you small business owners out there!) And, last year, Brian's appendix exploded on December 16, so, you know, the ICU put a damper on things...

This year, I refused to not buy gifts. I refused to not be in the Christmas spirit. I refused to procrastinate so long that buying a gifts took a really large chunk of one month's budget. I got started early, and bought my first gifts in October!! (I know some of you holiday whizzes out there are usually DONE by October, but for a gal who runs out to purchase a last minute gift after Christmas Eve service on December 24, this was a HUGE improvement.)

So, by spreading gift purchases out, we've been able to buy a (very small) something for everyone on our list. It required planning and forethought. But you know what? It put me in the holiday mood! Every time I purchased something, I immediately came home and wrapped it. Wrapped gifts littered the top of my closet until the tree went up (the day after Thanksgiving- thanks, Mommy!!)



Aside from the tree, I also decorated our dining room table. I feel very grown up to have a dining room table to decorate... Brian thought everything looked so good that we should throw a holiday open house, but I'm not 40 yet, so I don't think that a "Holiday Open House" should be allowed....



But I digress... Are you "cheered" this year? What would you have to do to get that way? Sure, I know there are some challenges that you're facing that might make the holidays difficult. Can I say this without sounding tacky?? Everyone has challenges. Ours is financial right now, but it's a personal decision I've made to NOT let that get in the way of celebrating my Savior's birth this season. Make a decision for yourself (because you can't control anyone else!) to be cheered, right now. Merry Christmas!!

6 Years Ago Today...

Six years ago today, Brian and I went here....



to the Texas Tech University Carol of Lights event. We stood here...



in Texas Tech's Memorial Circle, where Brian had asked me on our first date on February 14, 2002, as we watched the campus come to life with lights. After all the songs were sung, and people started walking back to their vehicles, Brian started to read this....


Telling me he was going to read the Christmas story to get us in the mood for the season, he instead started reading about how God made Eve from Adam, Adam's perfect match and mate. He read about the holy union of marriage, and how husbands should love and honor their wives. Then, finally glancing up to meet my eyes, he stated the obvious-- "Well, that wasn't the Christmas story..." And, getting down on one knee, with all other Carol of Lights attendees staring at us, he gave me this...



And made me the happiest girl in the world!



Love you, Baby! I'd say "yes" again, a million times over.

Peace

I haven't been regularly posting in the last few months, and I'm not sure why. I guess I really haven't had a ton of stuff to say. Usually when I'm in the midst of a fun activity or a trying experience, I think "I can't wait to blog about this!" but that hasn't really happened lately.

In September, Brian's contract with his employer over the last year ended. So, he's been home since then, looking for another job. This has been an interesting rhythm- it's been a long time since we've been in the same place during the day. I've been working hard, and a new contract for me has kept me out of the house a lot more than usual. (I think God did this intentionally so I don't strangle Brian.) ;-)

We've been moving forward, putting one foot in front of the other, trying to make ends meet in this time with no steady, reliable income. All small business owners know that it's very rare for you to know EXACTLY what your monthly take-home pay will be before month's end.

But, nevertheless, we DO continue to put one foot in front of another. What I mean is, we haven't really been broken by this season of uncertainty. We're in the middle of a time that most couples cringe to think about, and we're okay. The Lord has blessed us with the knowledge that He will not give us more than we can handle, and the perspective that as long as we have each other, we'll be okay.

We are utterly relying on the Lord, knowing that He is taking care of us. In this time of uncertainty (but I guess nothing is ever REALLY certain), we're at peace.

If these walls could talk...

We have been blessed beyond measure. We have been blessed with a sacred haven, a place to escape to when the world is too much (which is often.) We have been blessed with a place with no cell phone service, and no internet. We have been blessed with a place where we can meet friends and family, cook good food, and generally be rowdy.

Last week, we said goodbye to this amazing blessing. If those walls could talk, they would tell of some hilarious times playing mexican dominoes. They would tell of the days Brian and I spent there after our wedding (although I would rather they didn't speak about those particular days...) They would tell about 4th of July traditions, and Easter bonnets and birthday celebrations, and mostly, they would speak of love.

Our family has been blessed with a place where love for each other has come alive, but really, that's all it is- a place. We carry incredible memories with us of the lake, and I'm so grateful for a place that's brought us together again and again. But as we say goodbye, I am remembering happy memories, love, and looking forward to the future.

New York, New York!

I've hesitated on posting about this wonderful experience because I don't think that words could do it justice! We were recently blessed beyond measure when we were able to take a trip with my mother to New York City. We were able to find inexpensive air fare, had a free place to stay (thank you, Lou & Marty) and Mom was so generous in paying for some of our incidentals and meals.

I'm such a drama queen- I really love acting and experiencing live shows- so New York is my kind of town! It's kind of surprising that I've never been before because Mom and I have talked about this trip for such a LONG time. Also, Brian and I had said for a while that for our 5 year anniversary (which we celebrated on July 31), we would like to go to NYC. Oddly enough, we combined both of these dream trips into one fantastic adventure.

We traveled really well altogether, but it would have been a blast to have Dad with us (he told us to have fun- he didn't care to come.) Fair enough- one less chief (and a very opinionated one at that!) to deal with!

We had so much fun running around the city, purchasing handbags and pashminas in Chinatown, seeing the sites, visiting the Met, eating great food, running to catch trains and the BEST part: seeing two FANTASTIC shows!! We saw Phantom of the Opera on Sept. 10, and Wicked on Sept. 11. I'm familiar with Phantom- know the music and story even though I'd never seen the show- and it totally lived up to expectations!

Wicked was unbelievable. There's really no other way to describe it- the music, story line, set and actors were unreal. There's no comparing Phantom to Wicked, but I think I was overwhelmed at HOW AMAZING Wicked was.

I was so excited to see my good friend from high school, Susan, for brunch and dinner on Sunday. In fact, Sus was able to guide us around the city- we ate wonderfully because of her! She's lived in the city for a while, and it was so fun to have a local who knew all the fabulous places to go and eat. Jason, Susan's fiance, got to join us for dinner on Sunday as well- I'm so excited for two of them!!

I love New York!!! We were so sad to leave!!

When in Rome... (or in France...)

I don't know if you've noticed, but I recently added a feature to my blog sidebar titled "Currently Reading..." or something like that. I read a lot; it's probably my favorite pastime. There's nothing I enjoy more than getting lost in a good book (much to my husband's disappointment... ex.: a new Harry Potter book was due to come out about 2 days before our wedding/ honeymoon, and I was FORBIDDEN, in no uncertain terms, from purchasing said book until at least 3 weeks after we returned.)

Anywho, if reading a book is my meal, then a good 'ole book club is my dessert. No meal is complete without it!! I tried the McKinney Women's book club not too long after we moved there, and was extremely disappointed that a) these women were, um, bitchy, and b) they really hadn't read the book.

So, I tried to start my own book club last September with some Tri Delta ladies, and we made it through 1 1/2 books before it was determined that we were all too busy to get together on a regular basis.

My friend Christy, who does not care to read books on a regular basis, and in fact thinks I'm a weirdo for doing so, knows that I would LOVE to attend a good book club. Her sister-in-law happens to be in one, so Christy hooked me up with an introduction. After talking to Jackie for the first time, I was so pumped I almost peed my pants.

The first book I was supposed to read was "My Life in France" by Julia Child. It wasn't something I would have picked up on my own, but I really liked it! AND, as icing on the cake, for our actual book club meeting, we were supposed to bring a French dish to share. Oo la la!

Take a look!



And, um, if you haven't thought through it yet, I will tell you. I most certainly was that girl who had JUST been introduced to a large group of women, none of which I knew, who took out her camera and said "I have to take pictures for my blog!!" I may not be invited back.



Escargot (a first for me!! SOOOO yummy!! I guess anything with that much garlic and butter is bound to be tasty!)



You have to dig 'em out.



Oh yes, my friend. This is pate (don't know how to make the accent marks in blogger...) I, again, had never tasted this before, and was prepared to hate it. But, it was actually really good! I wouldn't want a ton of it, because it's really rich, but it's pretty darn good.

I was so proud of myself for stepping outside of my box and not only meeting new people, but trying new stuff! Yeah, me!

This month's book club selection is The Shack, which I've already read. IT. IS. AMAZING. I'm so excited for discussion on this one! Seriously, if you haven't read it, go find it- it's so good!

First Day of Fall!

It's officially the first day of fall! Whoo hoo!

So this is the first time that I've been inspired to decorate for fall. There are two big instigators behind this inspiration:

1. I'm officially obsessed with Design*Sponge. I'm not very crafty, but there are some DIY articles on this blog that make craftiness a possibility even for me. And that's saying something!

2. I'm hosting Thanksgiving for my family for the first time in November. Looks like we'll have BOTH Brian's family AND my family here, so I'll be cooking for 8 people! Anywho, I wanted the house to look festive.

So, here's my dining room table masterpiece! (Brian actually went to Hobby Lobby to help me pick everything out!)






Ah, the little things in life that thrill me so! ;-)

Where amazing happens - TTU edition

Lord have MERCY, I feel INSPIRED!!

Feathers-- by Angie Smith

Some of you know that I'm freakishly obsessed with blogging. When I discovered blogs over a year ago, I started this blog, started a business blog, and begin reading two very popular blogs religiously. (I also have started another blog, but I won't link to it, because I write it anonymously. Haha, Brian! Bet you didn't know that!) Plus- I have plans to start ANOTHER anonymous blog with different content focus. I told you- I'm obsessed.

This one blog speaks to me every time I read it. Angie Smith's blog (Bring the Rain) is amazing. God has gifted her the incredible ability to write exactly what she's feeling so that readers are able to feel those emotions right along with her... Trust me- I sat reading her blog for hours upon hours when I first discovered it, crying as my heart ached for her and her family. "Fun times!" you say, but I just couldn't stop!! Anywho, she has written an amazing post today, and I want to share it with you. In fact, she wrote this post as a guest post for another blog, (in)courage. Please read- it's very uplifting!!
____________________________________________

Feathers, by Angie Smith

When I was in the ninth grade, I read “The Great Gatsby” by F.Scott Fitzgerald and my life changed forever.

The truth is, I remember very few of the details of the story, but I do vividly recall the way my teacher soaked up every moment of teaching us how to read great literature.

While the rest of the class leaned back in their chairs and stuffed notes in each other’s backpacks, I hung on her every word, lamenting the moment the bell would ring. My notebook was filled with tidbits of knowledge, methods of analyzing stories and characters (anyone know why she was named “Daisy” in The Great Gatsby?) What had always been a great love of mine turned into a college minor and a passion that has brought me more joy than I can describe.

When my friends didn’t want to be my friends, I read.

When my first boyfriend broke up with me, I read.

When the phone rang in the middle of the night with words I never wanted to hear, I read.

There has always been a solace in words that I cannot often find in the rest of the world. I love the way the book binding creaks with years of love and the smell of yellowed pages reminds me that my grandmother once held the same book as she read to my mother.

One of my favorite authors in high school was Emily Dickinson (I’m fairly certain that’s a prerequisite), and as I learned more about her life, I was intrigued by the way life had carved a gap in her heart, just wide enough to let hope spill out.

I guess you could say I relate to that even more now.

In one of her earlier writings, Emily wrote an essay on life that contained the following poem:

***

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words,

And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;

And sore must be the storm

That could abash the little bird

That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,

And on the strangest sea;

Yet, never, in extremity,

It asked a crumb of me.

***

Maybe you noticed what I did when you read that.

It’s not always easy to trust in something that has wings.

Who’s to say it will stay?

I have always said things like, "I hope I get that job," or "I really hope we can sell our house." Sometimes I "hope" the weather will change, or that I can find a good deal on kid’s shoes. It's fleeting, it's possible, but I'm not counting on it.

I really hoped I would have Audrey in my arms.

But I don’t.

And what does that say about hope? That it took flight? Found a new perch somewhere in the unreachable sky?

The Lord doesn’t define hope the way that we do, and His definition is crucial for every one of us as we walk through this life. I am sure that as you are reading these words, you can think of a place in your life where you feel hope is lost.

The Greek word for hope is "elpizo," and my favorite definition reads:

To wait for salvation with joy and full confidence

So, really, it isn’t about wanting some certain outcome or even longing for the desire of your heart.

It’s about waiting.

With joy.

With confidence.

And so today I sit, fingers tapping a keyboard, children running in the grass, day slipping into night, and I do just that.

I wait.

Have you ever noticed that there is really no point in hope in the absence of despair?

I have.

Will you sit with me today? Will you sit with me in my sorrow, in my regret, in my aching?

I will sit with you.

And together we will believe in the thing with feathers. We will wipe the tears away with the hand of trust and we will be confident in what awaits us.

Hopefully, arm in arm, we will hear the song together and be reminded that it was written for us.

And we will know the truth about hope...

It never stops singing.

***

~Incidentally, her name was “Daisy” because she was innocent and pure (white) on the outside, but weak and cowardly (yellow) on the inside.

I want to be more than that.

I want to love Him all the way through my being, and trust Him with everything I have. Don't you?

Come and sit with me, friend.

Speak, Lord. Your servants are listening...

Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, Toot and Yummo

Goose now has the taste for blood.

This past Tuesday night, I had a headache so I went to bed early. Around 1:30am, I woke up and saw that Goose wasn't in bed (she normally sleeps in bed with us.) I woke Brian up and asked him where she was. He said she was in the crate b/c he thought she might throw up. Hmmm.

I asked why, and he told me the following story:

Apparently, around midnight, Goose had to pee, so Brian let her outside. Brian was eating peanut butter in the kitchen, waiting on Goose to finish up, and he heard some squealing outside the window. He went outside and saw Goose with something in her mouth, and then when he went to see what it was, she swallowed it. He was confident it was some sort of animal. So, he put her in the crate so she wouldn't puke in our bed if she had buyer's remorse, or, you know, eater's remorse...

I was greatly disturbed by this. At 3:30am, I woke up thinking I heard Goose starting to puke. (She wasn't.) But, I put on her leash and took her outside anyways. I also took a flashlight. She immediately led me to the side of the house, where I saw a nest of sorts with something squirming around.

Side note: several months ago, Brian SWEARS he saw a rat running on the back of the fence in the alley (apparently, with the huge amount of building in Plano and North Dallas, there's a ton of unwanted wildlife in residential areas). He had told me he wondered if she'd eaten a rat. So I ran inside and told Brian I found the nest. He came outside with me, and also saw the nest, but decided there was nothing we could do that night.

The next morning, we went out again, and again, there was squirming. After an unproductive call to animal control (who said they really couldn't do anything to poison the rats b/c it would kill Goose) we decided to unearth the nest and see what we were dealing with. As soon as Brian pulled the grass and hair (what the nest was built with) back, I saw what I thought were baby bunnies! Brian still thought they were rats, so he had me go Google. After seeing pictures, I was pretty confident that they were bunnies.

So, instead of killing them, we put them in a box since I knew Goose would dig up the nest and kill the rest of them. There were 4 babies- who I named Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Toot (Toot is the runt. Yummo is, well, the bunny that Goose ate.) Animal Control told me to take them to the Outdoor Learning Center.

Look how cute!!

I asked the guy at the Outdoor Learning Center if he wanted to know the names I made up for them. He looked at me like I was a psycho....

My Favorite Things...

Well, I'm kind of like Oprah in that I have favorite things... Except they're not shameless plugs for emerging companies or high-paying advertisers (man, that would be nice, though...)

So, Kelli's favorite things, in no particular order, but rather just as I think of them.

1) Rain. But only when you get to curl up with a good book and blanket and watch it come down.

2) The lake. The most wonderful place on earth, partially because it reminds me so much of my family, and partially because we have free access to it (we're going this weekend!! Yeah!!!)

3) Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream. (Need I say more??)

4) My mother's closet. She's never worn any kind of memorable perfume that I remember, so the closet just has her smell. (Jergen's Cherry Almond lotion, mostly, and clean clothes...) When I was in high school, I would sit UNDER her clothes while she was messing around in the bathroom and talk to her. I had an overwhelming sense of calm there, and I still do.

5) Brian. He's my favorite thing.

6) Goose. She's my other favorite. She makes me very happy, even if she doesn't behave as well as I'd like her to.

7) Team Dinner. It's the team. We eat dinner. It's pretty awesome.

8) Life Group. Support system, cannot imagine life without these folks.

9) Airplane travel. It makes some people nervous, but I just love traveling by air. The hustle and bustle of the airport, trying to guess where other people are going and why... It's great!!

10) The first morning on a trip. Waking up to new possibilities, anticipating what this fun day will bring you... Love it!

11) Blogging. I love writing, so my blog is a really fun thing for me. Also, I love finding new blogs to read and follow. I really like the personal look some bloggers let you have into their lives. This fascinates me.

12) Luigi's Spaghetti. Jeezalou, folks. This might make it worthwhile to move back to Midland.

13) Peonies and Stargazer lilies. I think these are the prettiest flowers in the world.

14) Duvets. I love their fluffy feel when I'm snuggling in bed.

15) Sitting in new Morgan's cabana. Except that the stupid Lubbock wind blew it away, so it's not there anymore.

16) Shopping for a house, with a large budget. (Who doesn't like that??!?!)

I think that's it for the day... I would love to know what your favorite things are; I find little details about people's lives and preferences so interesting!!

Have a great day!

A Friendship Story

This is the story of Brooke and Kelli (that's me.) I'm going to visit Brooke this week in North Carolina and I COULDN'T be more excited! We are, after all, the very best of pals. What's funny, though, is that we shouldn't be... What I mean is, we went NINE years without seeing or talking to each other, and then, last February, there she was again. And truly, it's like she was made to be my friend. This girl GETS me.

So. We met in high school when I was a sophomore, I think. She was a freshman, and went to the school across town (and she was fresh out of home school.) I was in Pickwicks, a youth acting troupe associated with the Midland Community Theater, and I guess she auditioned and got in sometime that year. I don't really remember the particulars, just that she was all of a sudden there, and we were friends.

She is the oldest of six children, and I LOVED going to the Shannon household. It was very noisy and there was always someone home getting into something. I am VERY excited about my trip to NC, because we're going to go visit her family's home in Charleston, SC over the weekend, and I will see her siblings for the first time since 2000. (I still remember them as babies, even though I've seen pictures to prove they're all grown up.)

I think I was a bad influence on Brooke when we were growing up because she was a very good little Catholic girl, and I may have uttered the occasional bad word or two. And I forgot to mention a movie I suggested that the Shannon family rent had animated demons that might give the younger kiddos nightmares. And once, I accidentally kicked her youngest brother, John Mark, in the head after playing "airplane" with him. Whoops.

So, after Brooke moved away to Mississippi, and I went to college, we just lost touch. I thought about her at key moments in life, and even sent her a wedding invitation at the last address I had for her, but it came back "return to sender".

One day, when I was new to Facebook, I had just "friended" another old pal on Facebook, and I was looking at her list of friends. There was Brooke. She was wearing a wedding dress in her profile picture so I knew instantly that she was married. And my stomach just dropped to the floor. I can't explain the feeling at all, even to this day. But it was something similar to knowing your sister got married, and didn't tell you or invite you to the wedding. I was devastated that I wasn't there to see it!

So I sent her a friend request, along with the longest message ever. A week later, we chatted on the phone for about 2 hours and got caught up on where life has taken us. (We were both SHOCKED at the similarities our lives now held.) And then a month later, I spent a long weekend with her in NC! I think neither of us knew what we had lost until we found it again. I remember chatting with my mom right before I was headed to NC last year- she was excited for me, but kind of surprised I was so pumped about visiting a friend who I knew for such a short time, almost a decade ago.

I can't explain it- she just gets me! So I'm VERY excited to see her again this week!!! Sometimes friendships are odd, and hard to explain, and sometimes you have to travel hundreds of miles to see each other, but you know that God brought you together for a reason, and all you can do is be grateful.

Bliss!

5 years ago today, at this time, I was sitting in the living room of our family friend's home, listen to a gospel singer belt out a special version of "Going to the Chapel" that she'd re-written especially for me. I wonder if my mom has the words somewhere- I don't know where they are....

This bridal luncheon was so thoughtful and special, and all around me were ladies who loved me; who were there to cheer me on for this special day. Oddly enough, if you know me at all, I had no cried at all yet at this point. I remember thinking that I should be happy enough to cry, but tears didn't come- I was blissful, there was NO sadness in me whatsoever.

That morning, I woke up before the alarm in my parent's house, in my old bedroom. I'd had a really good night of sleep, and I jumped up and hopped in the bath tub. I was pretty much just soaking it all in, and I didn't hear my mom come in, and she scared the bejezus out of me. She reminded me that we needed to leave before too long to get our hair and makeup done.

Off we went, and I remember being a little concerned that I had NO clue what I was going to do with my hair at this point. But, as it turned out, I had little to be concerned about- the gal who did our hair at the salon was brilliant, and the hair was very "me". She wrenched my tiara- yes, duh, those who know me should KNOW I wore a tiara on my wedding day- onto my head, and my mom immediately teared up. The hair gal told me to come back after our luncheon and she'd work the veil in. Mom got her hair done as I jabbered on nervously. Hair gal had also done my makeup, and told me to apply my own mascara, which I forgot to do...

At the luncheon (after which my friends went to get burgers- it was "ladylike" food) I was thrilled that the napkins had little rings tied to them. I snatched a couple so I could tie them to the ring bearer's pillow. His mother had told me a story from the previous evening at the rehearsal-- We had given Conal the pillow, and he looked at it, and asked where the rings were. His mom told him that he would just pretend to have rings, but would just carry the pillow. He thought for a moment, and then said "Well, I'm not a ring bearer then! I'm just a pillow bearer!!" Hmm... Yeah, I guess so....

Also at the luncheon, old Morgan showed up looking like she was ready for her quincenera (sp?). She's very tan, and when she'd gotten her hair done, the lady had used gel and slicked her dark hair back into a severe bun. She still claimed that she didn't look as bad as I did in my tiara (which she was vehemently against.)

At the church shortly after the luncheon, I remember walking into the bridal room and taking a deep breath in. Earlier, my mom had told me that if anything goes wrong, DON'T worry about it, because you can't change it, and no one else would know about it. Sage advice. I walked through the halls to the sanctuary, wanting to see my flowers. And what flowers do I find??? Baby pink roses. NOT the flowers I had selected. I am not a baby pink rose kind of girl. But, remembering my mother's advice, I accepted to mini-tragedy, and went to put on my dress. (Like FIVE minutes later, the florist showed up and swapped the flowers- the pink roses were from a funeral earlier that morning...)

We put on my dress, and then there was about 1 1/2 hours to kill with nothing to do but be nervous. At one point, my uncle came in and asked me if I'd heard from Brian. I said "no", and then asked why he wanted to know. A quick "No reason!" came from my uncle, and he ran out the door. Hmmm.... (Turns out Brian and his best man were a 1/2 hour late getting to the church b/c they couldn't find their way back to the church from dropping off our bags at the hotel...)

Then my friends new Morgan and Penny came in, who had driven from Lubbock. They sat down on the floor and started lotioning their legs after changing from the drive. Wedding nazi started throwing a fit because she didn't want to get lotion on the floor- I calmly pointed out that since they were adults, they probably could manage avoiding getting lotion on the floor.

It was at this point, when we were about to exit the room, that I figured out I had forgotten mascara. Everyone had already taken bags back out to their cars, and didn't have any, so I went through my wedding without mascara. After a quick prayer, we started down the hall towards the sanctuary. I got really excited and nervous all at once, and started singing "I'm gonna sing, sing, sing, I'm gonna SHOUT, SHOUT, SHOUT, I'm gonna sing, I'm gonna SHOUT, praise the Lord!!!" The girls started singing with me, and the wedding nazi came RUNNING up to hall to us, and said "GIRLS!! Hush!! The guests will hear you!!" Without my mother there to edit me, I looked at her and said "So, they'll what? Think I'm excited about getting married?? I'm okay with that. We're going to sing!!!" And continued singing, and praising the Lord, because in that moment, it was all I could think to do.

After yelling at my people in the back of the sanctuary to shut up because I wanted to hear my gospel vocalists, we began... I walked down the aisle on my daddy's arm, practically skipping. (I'm actually not kidding, I hopped down the aisle because I was so excited!) I stopped at the edge of the aisle to give our dear, dear friend Billie, who was in a wheelchair, a kiss, and then saw Brian. He was crying, but I had yet to shed a tear- I was so happy!!

We pledged our love, and ourselves, and I looked out over the guests, and couldn't have been more overcome with bliss. It was the best day of our lives thus far. But you know- I love him more today than I loved him then, which seems impossible.

Thank you for five WONDERFUL years, Brian!! (Did you know that one of my many nicknames for Brian is "smushy face"? Don't ask...)

Remember....

At this time, 5 years ago, on July 30, I was sitting in the bar at some restaurant on Loop 250 in Midland, Texas, having a drink. I was trying to calm down, but my nerves were racing about a thousand miles per hour.

From what I remember that day, I had taken my parent's dog for a walk in the rain- nervous energy. People began arriving, and I got more and more anxious. I attended a bridesmaid shower thrown by my mother's friends and my aunt. (It was at a nail salon, and the nail gal told me that she didn't care if I thought I shouldn't get fake nails; I was not getting married with nails bitten to the quick.) Bless her. I nibbled on some cookies and contemplated how uncomfortable the dress I was wearing was...

I went to the Hampton Inn on Loop 250 and discovered that they had (once again) lost the reservations for our pastor. Seriously, they lost the reservations at least SIX times throughout this whole process. I was very close to loosing it as the desk manager told me that they did not, in fact, have a reservation for Pastor Schaefer, so they didn't know if he'd checked in yet. (This is why I have an intense disliking for Hampton Inn to this DAY.)

At this point, my dear friend Hilary decided to give me their gift since I was starting to crawl over the desk to throttle the desk manager. Their gift was a picnic basket with wine glasses, a bottle of wine, and some other picnic-y stuff.

I started wondering aloud where Brian was, and was informed that he was upstairs with Heath, getting ready. Seeing me about to, you know, do something destructive to the desk manager who was eying me with contempt, my beautiful friends suggested drinks before we headed to the church. So there I was, having a drink, and laughing with pals I hadn't seen in a while.

It was then that I realized that I had to stop, and take it all in. All the people we loved, almost every one of them, were here in Midland to celebrate with us. Never again would we have ALL of them together in one place with us. And then we went to the church.

I remember thinking my maid of honor, old Morgan, looked better than I did- she had on some great pants and fantastic shoes... Then I fought with the lady from the church in charge of running the show (we remember her fondly as the 'wedding nazi'.) She thought that the way I wanted my candlelighters to come in was stupid. My mom cut me off as I started to tell wedding nazi that I thought SHE was stupid, and informed her that we would be doing it my way because it didn't hurt anything or anyone.

Then Kris, a sorority sister of mine, walked down the aisle with my daddy as I watched. And all I could do was smile- was this happening?!?!

We made it through the ceremony run through, and headed to La Bodega for the rehearsal dinner. Old Morgan started hitting on one of the groomsmen hard core. And again, I was swept away with emotion as I thought about how we would NEVER be at dinner with THIS group of people who had shaped our lives ever again.

As the dinner came to a close, and the girls started to head to old Morgan's house for a lingerie shower where I received some incredibly inappropriate and disturbing items from MY COUSINS, I kissed Brian goodbye, and thought about the next time I would see him- at the alter.

Precious

Announcing the Gann Clann's newest addition:



Alyson Reed Gann

Release

So yesterday at church, our pastor spoke on a really interesting topic that I find incredibly stress-relieving. He's just written a book called Your Life in Rhythm. The basic idea is that a "balanced life", which everyone always says we should have, is not a Biblical principle. Rather, one should accept and strive for a rhythmic life over balance.

I find it SO relieving to know that it's not just me who can't find balance!! I mean, if you've found a way to balance work, play, family, etc., devoting equal time and energy to ALL parts at the same time, more power to you, but that just ain't happening for me!!

The fact is, there are different rhythms of our regular lives (day, week, month, year) and then there are those rhythms that we see as stages. So, when you're having a new baby, obviously, you may have to give up being the president of the PTA, because you won't have time!! AND THAT'S OKAY!!! When you're mourning the loss of a loved one, it's okay that work takes a backseat!

So, as part of our life group study yesterday, we had to identify what life stage we were going through so we could release unrealistic or false expectations of ourselves, and also, so we could look forward to and seize opportunities unique to this life stage.

As our group talked this through, most people answered with ease. And then it was our turn. Brian and I looked at each other, and then down at the paper we were supposed to be filling out. And we both came up with the same answer. "We don't have a stage. We're in this weird transition period." Well, dang. This makes this process a little more difficult....

The fact is, this is a time in our lives that we're kind of waiting on God to show us what's next. Professionally, financially, personally, etc. So, then, we had to release unrealistic expectations of ourselves, and inwardly, my wall just pops up. Because I know what the reasonable answer is here, but I can't release it. I know that REALISTICALLY, we should kind of wait and see how things go professionally before we decide it's time to have a baby. I KNOW THAT. My head knows that this makes total sense, and just because I "release" that expectation right now, doesn't mean we won't turn a corner in a few months and be ready to look at that again.

But my heart is a different story. My heart is a wicked, selfish, single-minded, irrational stone of a thing today as it screams "It's not fair!!" It's not fair that I feel like I was made for a role that I can't play right now. It's not fair that this just gets to be so easy for some people. It's not fair that I saw about five minutes of the "16 and Pregnant" show on MTV and had to turn it off because I was so disgusted that this stupid little girl had to decide if she wanted to "keep" her baby, or terminate the pregnancy.

And I KNOW that life's not fair. God never promised that it would be- just that He would take care of us. So I'm marinating on that. I'm also marinating on the fact that if I could get my heart to behave and realize that just for today, if I could release all that feeling and emotion, I would have a better day. And I'm marinating on how blessed we already are! Oh, the Lord has blessed us so plentifully, how can I not praise Him for that, even as I ask Him for what He already knows I want?

Do you struggle this way? Do you struggle to release those expectations you've defined for yourself, even if you know they're not realistic, or false? Do you have to WORK to bring yourself to a place where, even though it's a daily battle that you go through kicking and screaming, you let God pry your selfish little fingers from your doubt and hurts? I know I'm not the only one, and I want you to know you're not alone, either! I'm praying for you!! Release it today (even if you have to do it again tomorrow!!) Maybe blog about it, because writing/ talking through it makes me feel so much better, and not quite so alone.... ;-)

I've Got My Priorities Straight....

...trust me.

So after this announcement.......

And after this fun hospital detour.....


...for some high blood pressure.....

....And this fun hospital stay.....


.... for the beginnings of pre-eclampsia...

Baby Hannah decided it was time to greet the world!!! But, I get ahead of myself.

Amanda was admitted to the hospital (for the 2nd time this pregnancy) on Saturday evening because her blood pressure continued to get higher and higher. On Monday morning, her doc decided that it was time (since Amanda was close enough to her due date of July 31) for Hannah to come meet us!! Since I can work from anywhere with a computer, I went up to sit with Amanda while her hubby Brandon had a meeting. This was around 12:30pm or so....

By 2:30pm, this one nurse had stuck Amanda 4 times to get her IV started.

By 3pm, Amanda's parents had arrived with Madison (Amanda and Brandon's 3-yr-old) in tow.



By 4:30pm, Brandon was suited up, ready to get this party started...



By 5:45pm, the doc had arrived (finally) and the party actually WAS getting started...



And then the waiting began (you know, after this 5-ish hour initial wait...) Amanda's c-section was bumped by an emergency c-section, so at 6:25pm or so, a nurse came in and told us that they actually were getting started. After waiting, oh, 30 minutes or so, I decided that I would run and put up my laptop. It was LITERALLY 2 minutes down the hall. I was gone for LITERALLY TWO minutes, and in this time, I missed them rolling the newly-arrived Baby Hannah into the hall! Are you kidding me?? After waiting for 6 1/2 hours with camera ready, I miss the official roll-in?!?!?

But I still got to see her...



...And then she was promptly whisked away to the nursery for some good pokes and prods...



It was amazing to get to watch Brandon bond with Hannah. The look of adoration in his eyes was something I've never really seen before. So amazed, so thankful, so loving. It was incredible to glimpse this kind of unconditional love. I imagine this is about as close as we can get to actually seeing what God's love for us is like...



Brandon announced Miss Hannah Grace Luedke's stats...

So then we decided to order dinner, because, you know, I've got my priorities straight. And after getting tired of waiting for the nursery to bring Hannah into the recovery room where we were sitting with Amanda, I decided to actually eat the dinner I ordered. And I promptly missed Miss Hannah being wheeled back to the room. Really!??!

Then, after sitting in the waiting room for a couple more hours, we decided to move to Amanda's room so the guys could watch the home run derby. Where I proceeded to do this...



Oh, yes, ladies. You're interpreting that look correctly. This is the "I am going to pee my pants" look. I was attempting to pop wheelies in the wheel chair that I'd commandeered from the hall, and was getting pretty good at it, until I got tickled enough to almost pee my pants. I didn't actually, you know, pee my pants.

Then, after getting reprimanded by 3 different nurses, we were told that Amanda was about to be brought back into the room, so we had to clear out so they could do their thing. Which was a mistake on their part, because we actually goofed around in the hall for 30 minutes before they actually brought Amanda in, so we had time to do stuff like:


..Ask hospital employees to take our picture... (BTW, I love Brian's sorority pose here...)


....Act disgruntled about waiting....


...And generally wreak havoc in the hospital halls, you know, because we've got our priorities straight...

Alas, it was about 10:30pm at this point, and we were ready to hold us some baby. It was not to be, because for SOME reason, mother and baby need their rest!! ;-)

So I returned yesterday for some good baby-holding time (Brandon had pointed out that as long as I held her before 6:49pm yesterday, it was still technically her first day...) So if you're counting, you will know that I've blown off two days of work this week so far. But I assure you, I DO have my priorities straight:



How could this precious angel not be a TOP priority?? She is in my book! ;-)

What?!?! You didn't know my life was in disarray??

Ha! Then we haven't been chatting enough...

Well, the time has come folks. I've dropped hints, and those of you who speak with me on a regular basis already know that the poo has hit the fan.

In late January this year, we caught wind of some big changes coming down the pipes at our franchise's corporate office. Once the dust settled, we decided that it was not in our best interest to continue with our current business operation, and were left with the decision of what to do next- we had clients who were currently working on jobs with us, a retail lease and the fact that we'd been marketing as a certain company for 2 years.

So, we began the SLOOOOOOW process of developing a new company brand. There was the retail space to deal with, and a lot of action behind the scenes to incorporate what we had already learned into the new company. Slowly, the name emerged, then the brand and we began to discuss the transition with our current clients.

Just this week, we got the website to a place where it's presentable enough to mention. I won't say "done" because websites should be ever-evolving, but I'm happy enough to at least put it out there. You will see the link on my sidebar for our business blog has changed, and announces our new company: Fresh Look Creative.

So, this is us!!

We're very excited to be wiping our hands, so to speak, of the past, and in private conversation, I will happy to dish the dirt, but for the sake of this public blog, we are MOVING FORWARD!!

Yeah!! Feel free to visit the new website: FreshLookCreative.com

(Yes, I know that currently there are only 2 examples of our work there- I'm working on it. Yes, I know the same picture is on every page, I'm working on it.) Hehehe. I'm just so excited to have something that is presentable. Finally!!

So, if you didn't know that my life was in disarray, don't worry. We're getting back into the swing of things here, so that's actually OLD news now...

;-)

How American are WE?!?!?

So for the 4th of July this year, we went to Lubbock, where Brian's parents live. They live just outside of town where it's legal to blow off fireworks, and let me tell you, the neighborhood is bumpin' every year as everyone's great aunts, second cousins and best friend's great nephews come out to blow off fireworks. I'm serious- my father-in-law Stewart has to put out cones every year to keep crazies from parking on his lawn and lighting his shrubs on fire.

Stewart usually cooks for everyone on the 4th, but this year, Brian asked if he could try his hand at bar-b-que. (My daddy has an awesome BBQ recipe and technique, and Brian has been working up the nerve to try this feat.) So, Stewart agreed to hand over the tongs and oven mitt this year to Brian, and Linda (mother-in-law), Andrea (sister-in-law) and I handled the sides.

Check out the goods!!


Sauce Prep


Equipment (Stewart actually made this grill in his workshop- how cool is that?!?!)


Starting to look yummy!!


My crazed knife-wielding cook, starting to get hungry for some ribs!!


My Pina-Colada Cake, all done up for the 4th of July


Hehhee. Fireworks begin!


My bestie Morgan and beautiful sister-in-law, Andrea


Morgan finishes the night strong

We had so much fun, and the food was great! We're so blessed that Stewart and Linda have such a great place that we could go relax and have fun with friends. Yeah, America!!

Beautiful Mess

Can I be cheesy for a second? I love my sweet husband!! I was reminded of such an incredible memory today. I have a country station that I've built on Pandora, and today it played "Beautiful Mess" by Diamond Rio. What you may not know is that this song came out just shortly after Brian and I started dating.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmYiA6X1b-8

He burned me a CD with that song on it, before I'd ever heard the song. I remember him shyly handing me the CD as I was leaving his apartment one day. I listened to it in the car, and was blown away by how perfectly it fit our budding relationship. In fact, I listened to the song SO much during that time that my sorority sisters started making fun of us. We did NOT care-- we were WAY in love.

Man, I remember that summer ('02) and I'm still amazed at how God made this man JUST for me. There was no denying it to anyone who saw us together- we were completely head over heels for each other, and giddy.

It would be another 18 months till he proposed, and another 25 months till we said I do, but we knew. Summer '02 was when Brian first came to the lake with my family. It was the summer I went on my first trip with his family (I got a piece of plastic in my eye, and we had to go to the Wal-Mart optometrist in Carlsbad, NM- a shining moment for me...) Summer '02 was when I was a nanny for SIX children all summer, and Brian would bring me sweet notes and leave them on my windshield for me to find when I left for the day.

It was the summer we took this picture:



Um, yes. We were infants.

Did you know that Brian still kisses me on the hand every time we hear the Beautiful Mess song? He still opens my door when we get in the car, and kisses me before he closes it. He's still my perfect match, the man God made just for me. He still gives me "funny tummy". You know what I'm talking about- that feeling you got right before you answered the door on your first date with YOUR one?

Just thought you might want to know what I was up to around this time 7 years ago... I was obsessed with this song...

Giddy UPDATED

UPDATED:

Brian claims that I am trying to kill him. He told me once he read my original blog post that he was not going to eat the bee pollen because it comes from a bee's butt. (I don't actually know if this is accurate, but he knows more about stuff than I do, so I wouldn't doubt it.) Anywho, I added the pollen to his oatmeal on Friday thinking he would never know and would just eat it, and I would proudly tout that I had tricked him into eating bee pollen. As it turns out, when you cook bee pollen, its gross. (Honestly, it's kind of gross anyway, but if you swallow quickly, it just pretty much tastes like a vitamin.) BUT, when you COOK it, it smells nasty, you know, kind of like a vitamin. Cooked.

Anyhow, he didn't eat his oatmeal on Friday, but heated it up today for breakfast. He started out by saying that it looked funny, and then when he ate a bite, he said that it was pretty gross. He asked me if oatmeal could go bad, and I told him that it was probably just the bee pollen. He jumps up and says "You're trying to kill me!!!" Apparently, he claims he's highly allergic to pollen in microscopic forms, and that my oatmeal-pollen concoction might kill him.

I'm not convinced, and you think he would mention HIS ALLERGY as the top reason he shouldn't eat pollen, not that it comes from a bee's butt.

Regardless, I have a large tub of bee pollen that I have to eat by myself.
_________________________________________________________________

Original Post:

Okay, raise your hand if you DIDN'T know that I'm a dork. We-ell, welcome to reality, folks! I'm about as dorky as they come!!

So, I'm beside myself with glee. No, not that Glee, (although, I'm positively hysterical over the prospect of watching that show this fall. Have you SEEN the pilot, people?? It's magical. But I digress....)

I went to the farmer's market today. Georgia's Farmers Market in Plano, to be exact. Oh, the smells. The glorious colors. I was overwhelmed with the desire to whip out my camera and begin shooting the precious wicker baskets of berries, and to capture the perfect purple of the eggplant! (I withheld- I didn't want to have to explain that I wanted to post the pictures to my blog to the 92-yr-old market manager, and then get into what a blog actually was...)

So, instead, I made my selections, practically skipping down the aisle with my basket, ogling the pineapples and thumping watermelons. I'm telling you, this is the most excited I've been since I last purchased school supplies (and THAT was a good day!!)

AND THEN. I discovered IT. I had HEARD of IT, but in fact never seen IT. Bee pollen. Being touted as THE perfect food. You take a teaspoon a day, and you supposedly live for 500 years. Hello!! (It's also supposed to be a great remedy for allergies, which you know Brian suffers from.)

The 92-yr-old market manager rang me up and bagged my goodies. (At this point, I'm salivating over my grape tomatoes- jeez, I need more excitement in my life!)

Sooooo, take a look!! (Keep in mind- I'm NO photographer. I cannot for the life of me figure out how to make my camera do the cool focus thing where the background is fuzzed out. Just imagine that these pictures make you weep with the beauty of the strawberry texture. They don't- but just imagine.)



Can you smell the cantaloupe?? (I can!)



Check out this bee pollen. I asked the 92-yr-old market manager what it tasted like, and he said that its nutty. Hmm. This could be good or bad... But, if I live for 500 years, who cares??

I'm off to cut fruit!! Yeah!!!

Regret

I've often said that there is nothing that I would change about my life and past, because that's what made me who I am today. I know that God brought me through all of those experiences to grow me into the friend, wife, daughter, professional and sister He wants me to be.

But recently God's laid some stuff on my heart that I need to apologize for.

When I was in high school, I behaved as many people do, I'm sure. Trying very hard to be "cool" and being SO wrapped up in what people thought of me that I didn't really analyze what I thought of me (ironically enough, I was actually really far from being cool. Not like now, emitting "cool" vibes everywhere I go. But I digress...) While I was a "good" girl, my regret lies in the way I behaved in order to feel better about myself.

There was one girl who got to me. I felt justified in behaving atrociously towards her because she was "mean" to me. Or so I thought. Kind of a chicken and egg situation here- I don't know who behaved badly first. Regretfully, I really should have been a much better Christian example (we were friends in junior high, and I took her to church with me a couple of times.) My fear- is this how she thinks Christian friends should act?

I haven't seen her since the day we graduated high school, and at that point, probably had not spoken a word to her directly since Sophomore year. (I spoke words ABOUT her, not to her. Those, I think, are the worst kind of words...)

Fast forward.... So for several years, I've had it on my heart to find her and apologize. Seriously, I think about it quite often. I could never find her. I checked Facebook about once a month for her name. I've googled her. I've even searched our local hometown newspaper's website for her name thinking I might find a marriage announcement.

Today after my Bible study, I was praying and her name just popped into my mind. I don't know why, but I prayed that if God would have me find her, that He would give me the words to say. Lo and behold, I searched Facebook again for her name. And there it was. Top listing. I'm not kidding- I've routinely searched for her, as recently as a month ago, and her name WAS NOT there.

So I messaged her. I said what I really felt God had put on my heart to say. And now, I wait. I made sure to tell her that I didn't expect a response, because who knows how she'll feel about my message? But I wait. And I wonder- why?? Why her? Why now? Why? And the answer is, I may never know. But God does. I know far too much about our sweet Lord to think that this is a coincedence.

I regret my behavior. But I relish the fact that I serve a God who can use that behavior to grow my faith, and who WILL use that behavior, however un-Godly, in some way to grow His kingdom.

Color Me Exhausted

Well, I'm pooped. Or at least I was until I took a loooong nap on Sunday afternoon.

We had a crazy week last week followed by an equally crazy weekend. Run down:

Monday: Work (duh) and then went over to Mel's to watch the wedding video, look at pictures and generally squeal at the fact that SHE'S MARRIED!! Then David (her hubby) lent me tree-trimming tools.

Tuesday: Work and then dinner, planning and shopping for Amanda's baby shower

Wednesday: Work (are you seeing a theme here?!!?), cleaning master bath and then to Amanda's to help prep her house for the SEVEN house guests she was having come in for the shower (moving furniture, ripping tape of freshly painted walls, cleaning Madison's room, bathing Madison, cleaning Madison's bathroom...) FYI, I don't do this stuff for just anyone. You have to be REALLY special.

Thursday: Work and steam cleaning the carpet (which didn't work- stupid steam cleaner spit the nasty dirty water back out onto the carpet which equaled a few choice words from me... Oops.) And cleaning the guest bathroom. AND, the great tree-trimming extravaganza of 2009.

Friday: Work (sort of) and cleaning of the entire rest of the house. Then Christy and Jae came over to prep everything for the shower the next day.

Saturday: SHOWER!!! Whoo-hoo!!! We had so much fun throwing this fiesta for Amanda, and she got some great stuff! (Oh, and a special thanks to my sweet husband who pitched in at the last second with a few quicky errands once I realized I was OUT OF TIME to finish everything.)



Table set-up



Gifts

Side-note: Amanda's aunt brought this giant bear you see in the corner as a gift for Madison. Speaking as someone who's recently seen (and cleaned!) Madison's room (remember Wednesday night?!?!), there is NO room for this thing!! But, Madison loved it, which I guess was the point, and I guess is the point of aunts. They get to buy really cool gifts and then send the kiddos home to Mom and Dad with NO consequences... Love it!!



Hostesses with Amanda & Madison

After the shower, it was off to Mel and David's reception. We loved getting to see them so happy and in love!



The happy couple



The other happy couple (us!!) You may notice a, ahem, "glow" about us here. That's because we're so in love. It has nothing to do with the fact that we (I) were sweating like pigs in the lovely outdoor reception setting.



Lindsay, Me and Mel

(Again, we're- I'm- glowing. Not sweating.)

Whew. It was a fun and exhausitng week. On Sunday after church, I almost cried when Brian suggested that we take the dog for a walk. He looked at me like the psycho I am until I told him that I needed a four hour nap. So, we went home and that's what I did- nap. Until it was time to host life group.

Whew. Okay. That's OFFICIALLY the end of the week. Unfortunately, the next day was Monday, and thus, we start all over again! Dang Mondays....