I Dream in Digital

Never Say Never

2011-08-12T00:51:00.001-05:00

As I am currently taking the steps to follow the vision that God has placed on my heart, the title and theme of a post I read on Christine Caine's blog from a guest really struck a nerve. The title was "Never Say Never". In the post, Bianca Olthoff wrote...

"Never tell God you'll never do something. It's almost like the summer camp game, Truth or Dare, but you're playing against the cosmic champion. Yup, it's TOTALLY an unfair advantage. But God is a gracious winner who creates challenges to prove you aren't as weak as you perceive yourself to be."

It made me laugh. Why? Because I reasoned with God a long time ago and told him that I couldn't study medicine in college because I could "never" make life and death decisions for anyone. That was years in double digits ago. We just finished up a series about "Vision" at church and it struck me pretty hard that I wasn't on the right road to reach my vision. To borrow a quote from Holly Wagner, "I was running in someone else's lane." I realized that the burning fire I thought I had snuffed out long ago was simply just switched back to a pilot light, ready and waiting to be ignited.

Houston, we have ignition!

So now I'm impatiently waiting to see if my application was accepted so I can go back to school to study what? If you answered medicine, you get an A for the day. It's going to be a slow part time process for a while. I need to find out which of my core classes will transfer, complete the dreaded placement testing, etc. The most important thing I've learned...Texas and Iowa are very different when it comes to core classes. I have to take 2 History and 2 Government courses. Believe me...I'm thrilled. I'm pretty sure by the time I have my BSN, I'll have enough credits for an extra degree. Did I mention that I'm planning to go to Nursing School on the cash plan with no loans? Maybe I should just save that for a post of it's own!

But what about the life and death decisions that you said you'd never make? The long and the short of it is that I had to make those decisions on a daily basis after our daughter Emma was born 14 weeks premature. My micro preemie weighed a whopping 1 pound 13.6 ounces at birth. We were forced to start making those life/death decisions within hours of her birth. Consents had to be given for transfusions and procedures and suddenly the thing I said I would never do was exactly what I WAS doing. It was a humbling moment when I figured that out. God used my daughters birth to teach me a lesson about myself that I was too afraid to challenge on my own. I was stronger than I ever gave myself credit for. As I watched the nurses skillfully attend to my daughter, I saw brief glimmers of myself in their shoes. It was those moments when I knew that someday my dream was going to finally take flight.

I'll leave you with this. I posted this video on Facebook this past week because the lyrics really speak volumes! (Did I also mention the series that followed "Vison" was about fear? They're kind of like peanut butter and jelly, they always seem to be found together!)

Walk On The Water
Songwriters: Josh Crosby; Dan Muckala; Brittany Nicole Waddell

You look around
It's staring back at you
Another wave of doubt
Will it pull you under?
You wonder
What if I'm overtaken?
What if I never make it?
What if no one's there?
Will you hear my prayer?

When you take that first step
Into the unknown
You know that he won't let you go

Chorus:
So what are you waiting for?
What do you have to lose?
Your insecurities try to hold to you

You know you're made for more
So don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all
It takes and you can
Walk on the water too

Verse 2:
So get out and let
Your fear fall to the ground
No time to waste
Don't wait
Don't you turn around and miss out
Everything you were made for
I know you're not sure
So you play it safe
Try to run away

When you take that first step
Into the unknown
He won't let you go

(chorus)

Bridge:
(step out)
Even when a storm hits
(step out)
Even when you're broken
(step out)
Even when your heart is telling you telling you to give up
(step out)
When your hope is stolen
You can't see where you're going
You don't have to be afraid

So what are you waiting,
What are you waiting for?

So what are you waiting for?
What do you have to lose?
Your insecurities try to hold to you

You know you're made for more
So don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all
It takes and you can
Walk on the water...
Walk on the water too

The Wrestling

2011-07-08T02:12:00.000-05:00

I've never considered myself to be a wrestler but right now I am wrestling with something BIG. There is a point in life where you can choose to keep walking in the same direction or you can go through the turnstile and head off another way. I feel like this is one of those junctions in life for me.

There has been a lot of talk about vision, direction, calling, etc. circling my life as of late. Posts by friends on Facebook, church, I feel like it's all heading somewhere and I'm afraid I'm going to cause a big crash when it all collides at my feet. I say at my feet because my brain really can't process much more!

I'm stuck right now praying and pondering. If this is really my vison, my calling that has come to light recently, I am totally and utterly overwhelmed. There is no possible way I can do this on my own and it scares me. I'd rather just pack it away in a box and forget about it, or dumb it down to something that it isn't, just to make it more "manageable" for me to handle. Then again, it may just be a repressed fantasy or an irresponsible dream that I have just concocted out of sheer nothingness just to torture myself.

Until I have peace about this I dare not share. It will sound foolish...I can guarantee it! For now I am holding my breath, praying, and meditating on God's word.

"for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." Philippians 2:13

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

"for we walk by faith, not by sight—" 2 Corinthians 5:7

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:28-34

"for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." Matthew 6:8

"He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

Five For Friday

2011-05-27T09:02:00.000-05:00

I thought I would share a few random thoughts for you today. Why five? Alliteration my dears...alliteration.

1. Things I'm annoyed with at the moment, birds squawking loudly outside my window, my sinus infection & the inability to breathe through my nose, and lawn mowing at 7:30am.

2. I never seem to win anything...but today I've already won 2 things. I won a blog makeover from an awesome designer Just Jaimee, and I also won a 3 pack of pocket sized bottles of Entertainer's Secret Throat Spray. I think I'll go buy a lottery ticket later today...I'm on a roll! :)

3. My 1 pound 13.6 ounce preemie turned 5 years old a little over a week ago. She amazes me everyday with how smart & beautiful she is.

4. We went on a cruise as a family 2 weeks ago. We had so much fun that my daughter keeps asking me if we can go on another cruise again sometime soon.

5. On June 4th, my niece Erin Pospisil has been missing for 10 years. She was 15 years old when she disappeared. This year, ala Tangled, family and friends will be releasing sky lanterns to symbolize the hopes and prayers which have been lifted up for Erin & other missing children. For more information on the event or to read more about Erin's story, please visit Help Find A Child.

Collab Fab!

2011-04-21T14:02:00.000-05:00

Mommyish has 2 new kits out this week and both are collabs! The first is a collab with Sweet Lilac Studio callled Summer Blooms.

This is the layout I made with this kit...

You can get the kit here! I also used another fabulous font from Kevin & Amanda called Cry Kitty.

The second collab kit was created by Mommyish & Amanda Heimann Designs. It is called Pretty Picnic.

The layout I made with this kit is quickly becoming one of my favorite layouts that I've created so far...

You can get Pretty Picnic here. The font is once again from Kevin & Amanda, it is called Socially Awkward.

Have a great Thursday!

What Happens at Cabelas...Stays at Cabelas

2011-04-14T01:50:00.000-05:00

What happens at Cabelas, stays at Cabelas...that is unless your mother is a scrapbooker!

One fine day we went to Cabelas with the grandparents to "feed the fish" and "see the animals". Then we saw a bunch of "stuffies". Those are stuffed animals for those of you who don't speak Emmanese. She picked up the opossum and the rest is photographic history. I'm thinking that these might go into the collection of photos I'm saving to embarass her when she's a teenager.

The kit is Live Out Loud by Mommyish. The font is My Own Topher by Kevin & Amanda.

More Mommyish Love

2011-04-09T00:18:00.000-05:00

Mommyish had a new release yesterday...Easter Fever!

You can get it here.

It coordinates with...Sprungle Fever!

And you can get that one here.

Or just buy the bundle here, and save some money!

You can even get this cool freebie from Mommyish's blog!

And last but not least, here is my layout for Easter Fever. I know, the anticipation was eggciting wasn't it! :)

10 Uses For Baby Wipes

2011-04-08T13:55:00.000-05:00

Really...I know, but for the past year and a half we've been trying to figure out how to use up all of the wipes we stockpiled while my dd was still in diapers. So I thought I'd pass on a little of what I've learned in our conservation experiment. On a side note, we have always used unscented wipes. I have fragrance allergies and frankly, the smell of baby powder from most wipes just grosses me out!

1. washing little hands & faces - These are great to use while camping, shopping, dining out, etc. I usually have a few on hand at all times. They work just as well for adult hands & faces.

2. makeup removers - They work great on washable waterproof and regular mascara (I've never tried it with traditional waterproof mascara). They don't irritate eyes like some cleansers can. It's a great alternative to "I'm so tired, I'm going to sleep in my makeup".

3. smoothing flyaway hair - As a photographer by profession for several years, this is one of my favorite tricks. Glide the wipe gently over the hair a few times and the flyaways will tame. It won't make the hair look wet either. DO NOT make the mistake of using a Clorox wipe for this trick. I heard a lovely story from the photgrapher when we got my daughter's Christmas pics taken. She said it bleached a noticable patch of the child's hair almost instantly. I feel sorry for that mom and I wasn't even there!

4. cleaning rubber stamps - I always hated trying to clean rubber stamps, especially the kind with the wooden base before I discovered this trick. Just wipe them down with a baby wipe when you're done. It gets into all of the nooks and crannies and saves a lot of time and frustration.

5. quick clean ups - Occasionally I use wipes to pick up dust, clean dirt off of a wall or wipe down counters. Baby wipes sure are handy to have around aren't they?

6. cleaning tile floors - You would laugh if you came to our house on "cleaning day". You might find my daughter and I "floor skating" in the kitchen on our tile floor. We put wipes on the floor, put our feet on top, then we "skate" around the floor to clean up the dirt. It really is a fun way to do a boring task and she doesn't complain at all about helping.

7. paw wipes - Our dog likes to get dirty sometimes. I would rather not have to clean the tile floor everyday so occasionally we resort to using wipes to clean paws on days with bad weather. We taught her to "wipe her feet" on the rug when she came inside as a puppy but now that she's getting older, she just ignores the request. She hears, she just doesn't listen.

8. dry erase clean up - Yucky streaky dry erase boards can be remedied with a simple swipe of a baby wipe. Just wait a minuted for it to fully dry before you try to write on it again.

9. light stain removers - Got something on your shirt at lunch? Splatter yourself with a bit of toothpaste? Were you the victim of food flinging by your toddler? Notice a spot of dirt on your pants? Baby wipes to the rescue! Just wipe the stain with a baby wipe. Depending on the stain, it may just get the whole thing out or leave a less noticeable spot. Either way, the stain will be easier to get out in the wash later.

10. wiping baby bottoms - And last but not least, the original use for baby wipes...for baby bottoms. Did you think I was going to forget this one?

This was not an exhaustive list by any means. Just my top 10. What creative uses have you found for baby wipes?

Busy Busy

2011-04-05T18:28:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I forget about my blog. The past few weeks have been one of those times. I started designing layouts as a member of the creative team for an amazing digital scrapbook designer, Mommyish, a little over a month ago. She opened a new shop a few days ago at The Digichick and has had the whole team in a flurry of activity with lots of new releases. I'm keeping up...barely! But I'm enjoying this experience. I'm having to use a single kit, as is, without adding or altering things. It's a challenge but I like challenges! Here are a few new layouts...enjoy!

This is the desktop wallpaper currently on my laptop. It was made using Preppy Priss by Mommyish with an absolutely adorable photo showcasing my daughter's amazingly blue eyes.

In honor of my sweet girl getting her passport photos taken and completing the application process last week, I made this layout. The kit is Sprungle Fever by Mommyish. I love the colors in this kit. Of course I used my new favorite font... Baby Boston by Kevin & Amanda.

Do You JBF?

2011-03-22T00:38:00.000-05:00

I am not embarassed to say that I am very frugal. My husband is a spender, I on the other hand, am not. I would like to pay the smallest amount I have to in order to get what I want. I think a lot of this is due to my mother's spendthrift example when I was growing up. Paying off a small mountain of debt a few years ago and not wanting to go into debt again has been my motivation to stay that way. Thank you Dave Ramsey!

When our daughter was born almost 5 years ago, I learned about something almost magical for saving money. It's a little thing called consignment sales. My favorite is Just Between Friends in Grapevine. Kids grow out of their clothes so fast and it seems pointless to spend a small fortune on just a few outfits. So I go to Just Between Friends and buy most of my daughter's clothes for the season and spend no more than I would for 2 or 3 outfits at full price. I know...crazy isn't it! That is why I love these sales. I spend an hour or 2 looking for great deals on gently used clothing and I save a bundle.

In honor of the next sale that is coming up this weekend, March 26th & 27th, I thought I would share a few tips that I've learned over the years.

1. Don't bring your kids with you to the sale.
I made this mistake as a rookie once when my daughter was almost 2. It was not fun having to keep pulling her out of the racks of clothes because she wanted to "hide." Or she wanted to keep playing with all the toys. (In case you didn't know, these sales are more than just clothes!) Draft your spouse or get a babysitter...you'll thank me later.

2. Write down your child's measurements before leaving home & take a tape measure with you to the sale.
This always comes in handy for me, especially for dresses. My daughter has a very long torso and most dresses in her size are too short on her. So I measure from the back of her neck where the neckline should be to the back of her knee. At the sale I use my tape measure to check the length of a prospective dress. If it's shorter than my measurement, NO SALE.

3. Know what you're looking for.
The last thing you want to do is go to the sale and buy 10 pairs of jeans when you really needed shirts and you came home with none. It's just like going to the grocery store, make a list.

4. Bring a huge bag or a laundry basket.
This JBF sale offers IKEA shopping bags to shop with and they will even sell them too you when you leave. Save yourself a buck, bring your own. If you bring a laundry basket, you won't have to carry anything. Just push it along with you as you browse the racks.

5. Examine clothes carefully.
I pay attention to clothing labels. I'll pay more for Gymboree than I will for Circo because the original price is more. I also pay more for adjustable waist pants because for us, they are absolutely necessary and usually cost more in the store. I tend to buy outfits (tops & pants sold together) or multiple pieces bundled together because the are usually a better price per piece. My last step is to check for stains & holes, a deal breaker for me.

6. Set a $$$ limit and stick to it.
I set a budget before I walk into a sale. I pick up the clothes I like as I shop. When I'm done, I take a look at each item again & add them up. If I'm over budget, I put back the items I like the least until I'm back within my budget. It's also a great time to use your shopping list. If you have too many shirts, shirts go back first, etc.

Just writing this post has made me a little giddy. I love saving money! If you're not in the Grapevine area, check out Just Between Friends for a sale near you!

DISCLAIMER: I am not consigning items for this sale...I just love great deals and want to share them with my friends!

Two For The Price of One

2011-03-15T00:19:00.001-05:00

I'm not going to bore you with a lot of words in my post today...there are enough of them in the scrapbook layouts that you will see shortly. I'm really enjoying this new creative outlet of being on Mommyish's creative team. The other talented ladies I'm working along side are a riot. We have an online forum where were communicate with each other and it never ceases to amaze me or make me laugh like crazy...sometimes both. I've also been made aware that I have an ellipsis problem. Thankfully the creative team helps enable it!

So here are my latest creations...

Credits: kit - Phat Camp by Mommyish, fonts - Thinking of You & My Own Topher by Kevin & Amanda

And in honor of the 5 year anniversary of my first bout of preterm labor...

Credits: kit - Pinch Me by Mommyish, font - Baby Boston by Kevin & Amanda

Enjoy!

Time to Create

2011-03-02T19:01:00.000-06:00

I have had a pretty exciting week already. I got a major feather fluff a few days ago. I was chosen to be a part of my first Creative Team! Don't worry, I won't bore you with a detailed explanation of the ins and outs of the digital scrapbooking world. Instead, I'll give you the short and sweet explanation of what a Creative Team is. It is simply a group of scrapbookers who create layouts for a specific designer to showcase their products. I applied (my first time) and surprisingly, I made the team!

Who am I now "creating" for? It is none other than the fabulous, funky designer (enter fanfare sound here)... Mommyish. You can find her beautiful designs exclusively at SugarHillCo.

Here is my first layout with her latest release "Rockabilly".

I'm a little nervous because becoming part of a Creative Team is a new venture for me. Thankfully I have a great bunch of scrappers who are on the team with me. Hopefully they won't get tired of all my questions!

Laugh

2011-02-18T00:35:00.002-06:00

Here is my latest scrapbook layout.

Credits: kit- Just Love Me by Sugar Hill Co designers, font- Amanda's hand by Kevin & Amanda, layout lifted from "digigirl" at sugarhillco.com

Speed Scrapping

2011-02-12T00:23:00.001-06:00

I have actually done a lot more scrapbooking lately. In fact, I've found a way to make things a little more fun. It's called "speed scrapping".

Lots of sites that sell digital scrapbooking kits host them & you usually get a prize like a discount or a free kit for completing your layout within the time limit. They start at a specific time and you get instructions every 10 minutes until the hour is up. After that hour is over, you usually get 1 more hour to complete your layout and post it to both the gallery and the forum thread where you got the directions. It was a challenge but it forced me to finish & not obsess if everything was in the right place. Even mild OCD tendencies are not good when digital scrapbooking!

I thought I'd share the results. Enjoy!

Credits: Kit= Hipster by Laura Banasiak, Font= a little pot by Kevin & Amanda

Credits: Kit= Just Love Me by Sugar Hill Co designers (collab), Font= Fill Me In by Sugar Frog

And I know it's a few days early but...

Happy Valentine's Day!

And One Of My Hobbies Finally Pays Off

2011-02-06T02:24:00.000-06:00

I had a strange email in my inbox a few days ago. It was a $20 print credit from Persnickety Prints. I didn't get any other notification, just the credit. It couldn't be. Really? I actually won something?

Rewind

I realized a few months ago, that I had been totally neglecting my digital scrapbooking. I had started out 2010 with the goal to scrap one page a week for the year. I think I stopped sometime in February. When it came time to make my Christmas cards, I realized I was out of practice. I'd forgotten all of my favorite Photoshop Elements shortcuts & quick keys and the cards took waaaay longer than they should have. So I decided I needed to practice. I knew of a site that ran contests every month with a template so I did a little downloading then went to work. I really wasn't impressed with my entry but I liked the sentiment behind it.

The journaling reads: "This year I resolve to not beat myself up when I don't accomplish all of the wonderful things that I plan to do this year. It's not about perfection, it's about progress!"

Credits: template by Veronica Spriggs, kit is Daydreamin' by Megan Turnidge, numbers are clear gel by Free Digital Scrapbooking, and the font is "a little pot" by Kevin & Amanda

I actually won the challenge. If you don't believe me, you can see the winners post here... January 2011 Challenge winners

Talk about some nice motivation to make some more pages. I need to use that credit somehow!

Real Life Stories From The ER

2011-01-19T21:50:00.001-06:00

I wish I could say that we had a fabulous time when we went to Kansas City this past weekend. But if I did, I would be lying. We arrived at 2am on Saturday morning after an 8 hour drive from Fort Worth and a little over 24 hours later, we were in the ER with a very sick little girl.

For those of you who don't know, our beautiful daughter was born prematurely at 26 weeks gestation and weighed 1 pound 13.6oz at birth. She was on a ventilator for her first 18 days of life and had a few other complications, but none required surgery. She came home from the hospital when she was 12 weeks old.

Outside of a few colds, she has been incredibly healthy. When she was 3, she had her first episode of croup and her airway swelled so badly that her lips turned blue from lack of oxygen. We took her to the ER, they treated her and she was released after about 4 hours. This was incredibly scary and thanks to our high deductible insurance, very expensive. She had less severe bouts of croup two times, once a year later and once last month. I thought we done with croup for at least another 6 months, but I was wrong, oh so very wrong.

We had a great day on Saturday. We had some fabulous BBQ for lunch. Emma had fun playing Wii with her Grandma then we had dinner with one of my husband's cousins and his family. Altogether, it was an uneventful day. We were all tired so we went to bed early. At 2am, we got a knock on our door. It was my MIL, our daughter was coughing. Then from across the house in the living room, I heard the sound that I dread hearing...I knew immediately that it was croup again.

Nothing quite gets you heart racing as much as knowing that you have a limited amount of time to get things under control. She was coughing without being able to catch her breath so the first order of business was to get her to calm down. We snuggled, we rubbed her back, we spoke to her softly, and we had her breathe some cold air from the freezer. No change. My husband took her outside in the below freezing weather to have her breathe more cold air. No change. I took her into the bathroom that I steamed up from the shower. Again, no change. We tried the cold air outside again. No change. At this point, we'd tried everything we could, she was still coughing and her breathing was getting more strained. We had no other choice but to go to the ER.

We arrived at the ER at The University of Kansas Hospital around 2:45am. After going through a metal detector while carrying my daughter, I entered the hospital. They printed out her wristband, weighed her, and we were taken to a room. As we walked past the desk, every doctor and nurse looked up because my sweet girl's breathing was so loud. You could see it written in the pained look on all of their faces, they knew it was croup. Within minutes we had a nurse, a resident, a respiratory therapist, and the attending in our room.

Albuterol first, no change. Next they tried some cool humidified air, no change. Then they said we would have to go for the big guns and use racemic epinephrine. The attending said they would have to observe her for 4-6 hours in the event that the drug might cause a rebound of the swelling. This was followed by oral steroids. There was no change immediately but after about 1/2 hour, she was starting to sound better.

I sent my husband back to his mom's house to get some sleep. There was no sense in both of us being walking dead. I stayed by her bedside, waiting, trying to keep her oxygen mask on. An hour passed, no one visited. After about an hour and a half, a nurse told us we couldn't stay in the ER for 6 hours so our daughter would have to be admitted. Admitted? Really? She'd had the same drug before the first time she had croup with no problems. More time passed. Finally the Pediatric residents arrived to check her over around shift change. After giving a detailed medical history, they listened to her lungs, and looked in her ears. They said she sounded fine but they said she still needed to be observed.

At 4 hours post meds, a man came into the room with a clipboard of forms. I asked him what they were and he said they were admissions forms. At that point I had to ask, "So my daughter is being admitted?" He responded "No one told you?" I begrudgingly signed the forms and a few minutes later a new resident came into the room. More questions I've already answered...I'm beginning to wonder if anyone has really read her chart. I asked her about the admission; she had no idea when Emma would be moved. More waiting.

5 hours post meds, a woman came to transport our little patient who was now anything but "patient", to the pediatric unit. I spoke to a new nurse who came in to help get her disconnected from the monitors for the transport. I questioned the advice of the admission and asked to speak with the attending from pediatrics. When he arrived with resident in tow, I asked lots of questions and explained once again that we were 600 miles from home, this is the 4th time she's had croup, she'd had this drug before with no rebound, she'd already been observed for 5 hours, and an admission would add at least 5K to our out of pocket costs. I was told she could be released but Against Medical Advice. I told them I would have to speak with my husband and would then let them know our decision.

I texted my husband to come back to the hospital. When he arrived we attempted to contact the insurance company to find out how the AMA release or the possibility of an admission would affect us. But much to our dismay, they were closed due to the holiday. Then we tried to go on their website to find out if the hospital we were at was even "in network". The site kept looping us back to the sign on screen so we couldn't even find out if we were even covered. So we asked for the resident and the attending to come back again.

We asked how long they would admit her for observation. The attending said 16 to 24 hours. I asked him if that was in addition to the 6 1/2 hours we had already waited since the drug was administered. Suddenly it appeared that a light went on in his head. Again we talked about our insurance out of pocket costs. When we said who our insurer was, the light got a little bit brighter and we got a sympathetic “Oh.” Apparently our insurer is not accepted by very many doctors in the Kansas City area and the list is growing shorter every day. I believe that was the catalyst that finally got our appeal across.

Within 10 minutes of that conversation, our daughter was given a full release from the ER. We were given a script for more oral steroids and the obligatory information sheets about croup. Emma, who didn't sleep a wink in the hospital, was out cold before we even left the parking garage.

The moral of this story is a simple one. You are your child's best advocate. You are their voice when they need it. It's not about what is best for others; it's about what is best for your child. She was exhausted and would not have slept at all in the hospital, making her condition worse. She was past the window of rebound but the hospital, to protect themselves from lawsuits, put a policy in place to admit children who are given racemic epinephrine even though this was well beyond the activity of the drug. Thankfully advocating for our child, a precious girl that we would never take undue chances with, ended with her sleeping peacefully at "home" where she could relax and get better. Her cough didn't return and we left before noon on Monday to head back to Texas. Now she has little more than a cold. Bye bye croup, we hope to never see you again!

My Radio is My GPS

2011-01-07T18:08:00.000-06:00

I know this is going to sound really silly to some of you, but my radio is my GPS. I still have my trusty Garmin but in one certain circumstance, we get some news we don't always want to hear via the radio. Let me explain.

It all started many years ago when my husband & I lived in Jackson Mississippi. Our church hosted a group of teens from Florida & we agreed to let some of them stay at our house. Over the next week we heard a song, repeatedly, that they would be performing at the end of the VBS. It was called "Every Move I Make". We heard it so many times that we would laugh every time we heard it. We were sad when the teens left to go back home to FL but we knew we would think of them every time we heard that song. Little did we know that the song would take on new meaning for us over the next few months.

Major changes had happened job wise a few months before our visitors. My husband lost his job and took another job he didn't really like but it paid the bills until he could find the job he really wanted. It was not an ideal situation but we made the most of it. He started applying for jobs again and we hoped for the best. The teens came & left, weeks passed. Then all of a sudden both of us kept hearing the song again, in different vehicles, at different times of the day. We would joke about it, "maybe God wants us to leave Mississippi". It no longer became a joke when a few days later, my husband got called for a job interview in Philadelphia. He ended up getting the job & in 2 weeks, he was in Philly working at his new job while I packed up in Jackson.

We heard the song again a little over a year later while we were living in Philly. In another few weeks, he was in a new job in a new city. This time it was Minneapolis. We were renting, and had been looking at houses but couldn't find one that we loved. We started hearing the song again a few months before our daughter turned one. We ended up buying a new house & moving a little over a month later. Then surprisingly, we heard the song again 16 months later. Major changes were happening at my husband's job again, this time a merger. His position would be redundant in the new company and he would most likely lose his job. He had already started looking but we had no progress, that is until we heard the song again.

The cogs started to move quickly at that point. We prayed about it again this time and we both came to the conclusion that we needed to decide where we wanted to move, then find a job there. We unanimously agreed on moving back to Texas. We loved living in DFW before and our agreement proved that it was were we should be. He interviewed, got the job, and soon I was on an plane to find a place to live because the move needed to take place in a few weeks. We've been here, in the same house we've been renting for the last 2 1/2 years.

A few days ago, my husband called me to tell me he heard the song on the radio. Today, I heard the song followed by Chris Tomlin's "I Will Follow". If the past events still hold true, this is our sign that we'll be moving again. I would love to expand on this and tell you about all of the crazy wonderful things that are going on right now but alas, I am under a proverbial gag order on the subject. (see Proverbs 14:1) So far, our GPS has gotten us exactly where we need to be. I have faith that this time it will be no different.

For your listening enjoyment, I've put videos of the 2 songs I mentioned on my blog. Enjoy!

Random Acts of Kindness

2010-12-17T21:36:00.000-06:00

I love this time of year. Especially since moving back to Texas. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed Minnesota...in the summer. The winters were another story. I can only take sub zero temperatures & massive snowfalls for so long. 3 winters was more than enough for me. Ahhhh, Texas. Now this is winter! For the most part there is usually no snow but the weather is cooler. Maybe a coat, but usually a sweatshirt will do.

There is something about people in Minnesota though. Some call it "Minnesota nice". Take the following story as an example. It's a story about a man who lived frugally in life but left an amazing imprint on a small Minnesota community after his death.

That story really struck a nerve with me today. I had already started writing this post when it aired on the NBC Evening News. It was a deliberate act of kindness, but a true act of kindness none the less.

Sometimes in the hustle & bustle of the holidays, we tend to focus on things that in the greater picture, don't really matter. We rush from here to there & pay little attention to what is going on around us. While running errands today, we had a few close calls with drivers who were too focused on things other than the vehicles they were driving. As a promised treat for my daughter's excellent behavior despite feeling under the weather, we went to Chick-Fil-A. As usual, the drive thru was packed. I was patiently waiting my turn to get in line while not blocking traffic when another vehicle turned into the lot to get in the line from the other direction. Then the last car pulled forward. Would the other driver let me in the line where I should be? Would she just go ahead of me like so many others had done before? Much to my amazement and delight, she let me go. I was so happy.

Then, a little voice said to me. "Pay for her meal." I felt like Ray Kinsella in Field of Dreams. You know... "If you build it, he will come." I had a laugh and when I got to the window, I paid for our meal, then I paid the order of the vehicle behind me. I just told the stunned employees at the window to tell her "Merry Christmas" for me. It was a small act, a random act of kindness. At the same time, it was big opportunity for me to follow my heart instead of listening to my rational brain pick the whole thing apart.

In this season of giving, what can you do to randomly bless others with kindness?
* make a card for the resident of a local nursing home
* bake some cookies for your neighborhood police or fire station
* rake leaves or shovel snow for a neighbor
* buy an extra bag of pet food to donate to a shelter
* give blood
* put some change in an expiring parking meter
* donate new baby items to a hospital for a family in need
* give a blanket to a homeless shelter
* leave flowers on the doorstep for a friend who needs a lift
* buy desert for another table at a restaurant
* hold the door open for someone
* leave your change in a vending machine for the next person
* buy the meal for the vehicle behind you at the drive thru

Honestly, the possiblities are endless! What are you going to do? I dare you to do a random act of kindness for someone. No, I TRIPLE dog dare ya!

Just When You Least Expect It

2010-09-19T15:35:00.001-05:00

Just when you least expect it, God's amazing ability to impact others through our actions, leaves me breathless. I guess it might help if I back up the story a little bit.

I was talking to a friend last Sunday about an idea I had to bless the parents of the babies we take care of every other week. It was something little but something that had been on my heart for a few weeks. She agreed it was a good idea, so I passed it along to our team leader. Our team leader liked the idea too and shared it with our whole team. Then it snowballed! In less than a week, it was passed along and implemented with the entire preschool team.

It's been less than 24 hours. Lives have already been impacted. I almost cried when our team leader told me this morning. How beautiful is God to use us when we share our hearts with others. Something that could have had a small impact on a few people, God has now magnified and used to bless many more families than I could ever imagine. Stepping out in faith with what I thought was something as simple as a classroom supply has lead to something much greater. I'm in awe, I'm humbled, I'm left speechless.

It really reminds me of the lyrics from a song called The Greatness of Our God. "No sky contains, no doubt restrains all you are, the greatness of our God." You can't put God it a box. He's bigger than the box, bigger than the universe. The little whispers that He puts into our hearts that give us ways to express God's love to others are not simply suggestions, they are actions. When we underestimate the power of these actions we underestimate or doubt the power of God. I learned a beautiful lesson today in how great God really is.

What has God put on your heart lately to show His love to others? I urge you to take action on that whisper today. And who knows, maybe something wonderful will happen...just when you least expect it!

Babies, Babies, Everywhere!

2010-08-04T16:09:00.000-05:00

What is best about this time of year? No, it's not 100+ Texas temps. This always seems to be the time of year that my friends are having adorable, chubby cheeked, bundles of joy! That's right, babies!

I have been going back and forth for the past few weeks. I've been praying for some babies to not come early & others to put in their long awaited appearance. It's been tough to keep it all straight lately. One day last week I was desperately praying for a set of twin girls not to come early at 26 weeks & praying for another little boy who was overdue. Thankfully God was watching out for all 3 babies. One arrived safely & the other 2 are safely inside their mom who is no longer in labor but in the hospital on bed rest.

This July/August baby boom has had my sewing machine working overtime testing patterns & getting baby gifts ready. (I openly apologize to my family who hasn't eaten at our dinner table in a week because it has been overtaken with fabric & sewing things! Sorry!) I'm making lasagna tomorrow for a friend who had her baby last week and will probably be making another meal for a different friend who had her baby a few days ago.

I got a good laugh from my daughter earlier this afternoon. She said she wanted someone to have a girl baby because she was tired of watching me make things for boy babies. Needless to say, I had a good laugh!

As soon as my wonderful husband gets home, we're off to see another friend who was just admitted to the hospital for pregnancy complications. The baby, another boy, is still 3 weeks early. High blood pressure has caused his mom to develop a retinal hemmorage in her eye. They may deliver the baby as soon as this evening. I'm praying for a safe arrival for mom & baby with no further complications!

Happy Crafternoon

2010-06-19T12:34:00.005-05:00

Fabric has been stacking up for months. So many projects...sew little time. Add a broken ironing board to the mix and things start to look hopeless. But then I found a project that would help end my misery and get me back to the sewing machine in record speed. What was this miracle project you ask? A tabletop ironing board!

I found a video tutorial at Missouri Star Quilt Company.

It was quick & easy and turned out great. But I really should have used it to iron the fabric cover before I took the pictures. Oops!

The whole thing cost less than $10 & Home Depot even cut the board to the size I needed. The bonus was that I had an extra piece of board left after the cutting that I could use to help keep my cutting mat from warping while it's not in use. I love the fact that it is the same size as my cutting mat. That way I can just put the ironing board & cutting mat in the carrying bag I made to take them both to a class or a get together.

Now if I can just get through a few more projects this weekend, I will be really happy! For some reason my friends all decided to get pregnant around the same time and the due dates are all coming up quickly. I have lots of baby stuff to make but I can't really complain about it...it's all just so darn cute!

Gigi’s Hugest Announcement DVD by Sheila Walsh

2010-06-08T20:14:00.001-05:00

Gigi’s Hugest Announcement has 2 stories from the Gigi, God’s Little Princess series written by Sheila Walsh. Gigi has a huge secret to tell her best friend. She devises a grand plan to make her announcement but soon learns that not everything works out as you plan it. With a little help from her parents, Gigi learns the value of not giving up. In the second story, she learns that you may not succeed at everything you try but you can always find a way to use your talents.

I had never heard of Gigi before doing this review. My 3 year old daughter and I watched the DVD together & we both really enjoyed it. I have not been able to view it since because my daughter loved it so much, it’s in heavy rotation on her portable DVD player. The lessons are timely and presented in an entertaining and understandable way. After this introduction to the series, we are looking forward to reading and watching more stories about Gigi.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this DVD free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Hand of Fate by Lis Wiehl

2010-04-05T13:49:00.002-05:00

Panic ensues in Portland after talk radio host Jim Fate is killed with poisonous gas. Police quickly evacuate downtown and the investigation begins. The Triple Threat of FBI Special Agent Nicole Hedges, Federal Prosecutor Allison Pierce, and crime reporter Cassidy Shaw spring to action to solve the crime. Who killed Jim Fate and why?

I have to say that I was mildly skeptical when I started reading this book. This is the second book in a series and I usually start a series at the beginning. Add an author I’ve never read to the mix and I tend to be a little more critical than I probably should be. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. The characters were well developed and I felt as if I didn’t miss anything by not reading the first book, but still got a good idea of who the characters were. They were real people with challenges just like the rest of us.

I’m a suspense novel junkie and I usually figure out who did it about halfway through the book. That was not the case here. Surprisingly, a major twist near the end left me in awe that my assumptions were wrong. Who did it? You’ll just have to read the book for yourself to find out.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Holy Whole Wheat Batman!

2010-03-04T18:50:00.006-06:00

I didn't realize how long it's been since I've done any baking until today. I am WAY out of practice & it shows. I took on the challenge of using whole wheat flour to add a healthy boost. Now, I'm wondering what would possess me to do such a thing!

My first baking experiment actually turned out quite yummy, giant breakfast cookies with raisins. I got the recipe here, http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/giant-breakfast-cookies . Emma & I both had one and they were so tasty. She even asked for a second one.

My second experiment...the jury is still out on that one...it's still cooling. I realized very quickly that there is a reason why I own a bread machine. Yep, I made bread, and in the theme of the day, it's whole wheat too. It was kind of a comedy of disasters. The yeast wouldn't proof because the house was too cold, tried again & the liquid was too hot. Then the dough wouldn't rise so I had to force it to rise on the top of the stove by preheating the oven. I didn't let it rise enough in the pan so the loaf was much smaller than I expected.

Maybe the dough I froze will work better for the next loaf...we'll see!

The good news is that the salsa I made yesterday turned out so good, even Emma will eat it. She got a chunk of jalapeno today and instantly wanted to spit it out but I coaxed her past it & gave her a drink. She's such a trooper! I adapted the recipe from Pioneer Woman's Restaurant Style Salsa. http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/01/restaurant-style-salsa/. I never thought of using canned tomatoes in salsa before but it worked!

Now I'm off to see if I can avoid destroying dinner!

Buyer Beware

2009-11-30T15:34:00.004-06:00

I'm going to start out by apologizing. This is a rant. If you don't want to read it, that's fine, I understand. But I just had a VERY bad experience with Target.com and I desperately need to vent.

I placed an order on Black Friday for my birthday/Christmas present. Okay... I ordered a Wii & a balance board. I thought it would be fun to play & the fitness options looked very interesting. I placed the order around 2pm after I was unable to snag a deal at any of the instore Black Friday sales.

A few hours later, I loggged into their website to double check something on my order and no order showed in my account. I called Target.com Guest Services & got an associate in their India call center. Yes, in case you didn't know... this Minneapolis based company has a call center in India! I was told by the gentleman that there was an issue with my credit card and my account was "on hold". He took some information from me including the phone number for the issuing bank of my credit card and told me I would get a call back from an Account Specialist in 24 hours. I called the bank to make sure that my minor purchase didn't violate any purchase limits on my card. The only limit was more than 10x the purchase price so no problems there. They stated that no approval had been attempted on my account. So I waited for my callback from Target....

I did not receive a call in 24 hours so I called back. Once again, I got an associate in India. He told me that the information I was given was incorrect, that I would not get a call back for 24 to 48 hours. He took my information again and said he would forward it to the Account Specialists. I had a sinking feeling I was starting to the the "run around" so I called back again. I spoke to a female this time & thought for sure that she was not in India. But as the conversation developed, I realized once again, I was talking to someone in India. She listened to what had happened and explained that I was given incorrect information. I felt briefly relieved...until she told me that the incorrect information was that I would receive an email, not a phone call in response to my order status. I called my bank again after completing the call, still no authorization attempts. So I waited for my email from Target....

A few minutes after 48 hours from the time I placed my order, I received an email from Target.com in my inbox. I eagerly opened the email anticipating the answer as to what the problem was with my credit card. This was their response....

Greetings from Target.com.

Unfortunately your recent order(s), including (#XXX-XXXXXXX-XXXXXXX) could not be processed. If you would still like to receive that item, we ask that you place a new order. Please accept our sincere apologies for any resulting inconvenience.

Thanks for shopping with us and we hope you'll visit again soon.

Sincerely,

Account Specialist
http://www.target.com

I was momentarily speechless. For anyone who knows me, that is a rare occasion! I checked Target.com and the Wii bundle I had placed my order for was now a higher price and they were out of stock and could not guarantee delivery by Christmas. I was furious. And a few moments later, I was on the phone to Target.com Guest Services again. I feel sorry for the poor woman who got the call. I didn't get angry, I just had a lot to say. She told me that I or someone else with access to my account had cancelled the order and that they showed my credit card had been deactivated. (The bank later explained that this was not true, they never even tried to get an authorization on my account.) The Target associate spoke with her supervisor and they would honor the price for a new order but still could not guarantee delivery by Christmas.

While I was on hold waiting for her to talk to her supervisor, I looked at Best Buy's website. I was in luck, they had the Wii & balance boards in stock. This week, you even got a $20 Best Buy gift card with a purchase of a Wii. I checked my local store & both items were in stock for instore pickup. Once the Target.com associate came back on the line, I explained that I would just file a complaint about the service at Target.com & make my purchase elsewhere. Minutes later I was out the door & in 15 minutes I was leaving Best Buy with my Wii & balance board in hand.

I called again to Target Guest Services this morning and spoke to someone else in India. They could not do anything but file a complaint or transfer me to Target.com Guest Services. So I filed a complaint. I fully expect that no one will ever contact me about it or even see it. I think it was just a waste of my time.

I don't know what is worse...that I found out that Target has outsourced it's Customer Service to India, or that Target.com failed in such a big way. I've worked in Customer Service most of my life & I understand that language has a lot to do with the expression of needs & wants, especially over the phone. I had script after script repeated to me because they didn't understand what I needed and had no way of resolving the problem, or transferring my call to someone who could. Target.com gets a big F- from me this Christmas season. I don't really think I'd buy from them online ever again. If I hadn't checked on my order, I'm sure I would have been rudely surprised after a week when the package never arrived & my chances of getting my Wii were slim to none!

Sorry Target.com but I won't miss you!

And Some People Think It's Sew Easy!

2009-09-09T14:40:00.003-05:00

I took a quilting class today. It was a 2.5 hour beginner class that quickly turned into 3.5 with just 4 students and an instructor. I am now in awe of women who can quilt. I made 1- 12" block and I'm so exhausted that I think I might just take a nap! I made my block with 3 shades of purple fabric. It turned out cute but no where near perfect. Our instructor quickly pointed out that we need to practice, practice, practice in order to get the skills down.

Quilting is all about precision. The pieces need to be cut accurately, sewn precisely, and pressed properly in order for the smaller squares to make the larger block. Lots of measuring & cutting are necessary. I don't know if impatient me can really put forth the effort to make a whole quilt.

The good news is that I learned a lot of great tricks that will save me some time and effort with my sewing. Rotary cutting will take some practice to get used to but the class was well worth the money just to learn how to rotary cut. I also found a great use for painter's tape...use it to mark your seam allowance on your machine so you can use the edge of the tape as a guide when sewing.

Overall, I'm glad I took the class. I may not ever make a quilt but the skills I learned will hopefully make me a better sewer in the long run!

Machine Envy

2009-09-08T21:19:00.003-05:00

I've been doing a lot more sewing lately than I have in the past. I made the mistake of stopping at the sewing machine shop inside JoAnns the other day when I was buying some fabric. I was looking for a special presser foot for my ancient Singer. The machine is about 15 years old and still in pretty good condition but it doesn't do anything other than straight stitch and zig zag plus it's very noisy. It's a work horse and it's been good to me but I'm a little more advanced than it is and I am thinking it's about time to trade up.

So now, I have machine envy. There are all these beautiful, shiny, computerized machines that just call out to me as I pass by...

"You don't have a serger but I have an overlock function...it's so useful when making kids clothes."

"I have 40 decorative stitches."

"You can design your own embroidery patterns with my special software".

So far, I haven't given in. But I feel I'm starting to break! I found what I thought was a fantastic deal for a steal of a price last week. Turns out it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. It wasn't even made by the manufacturer name that was stamped on the case. No online support either, a HUGE deal breaker for me.

I found a machine I think I will like at a price I can afford. The hard part now is finding a local dealer who sells it so I can actually try it out before I buy it. It's a pretty advanced machine but low end for a computerized one. I'd rather buy it from a sewing shop and spend a few extra $$ for a sewing lesson or 2 they usually throw in with a purchase. I'd rather not buy from a big box chain who could care less that I'm buying it in the first place.

I'm taking a beginning quilting class tomorrow. I'll have a better idea of my need for a new machine if I decide to get serious about quilting. Me, get serious about anything? (You can't hear me but I'm laughing like crazy now!)

Milestone Women's Victory Weekend

2009-08-10T21:07:00.002-05:00

I had an amazing weekend. Okay, it was really just 24 hours but it was well worth every second. I met lots of smart, beautiful women, and made many new friends. I slept very little, had too much caffeine, and ate lots of great food. I laughed, I cried, and I learned a lot about myself. Thank you to everyone who made this weekend possible, especially my wonderful husband who took a vacation day so I could go and had lots of daddy-daughter time with Emma.

Milestone women are the best!!!!

Welcome To My Neglected Blog

2009-07-01T00:03:00.002-05:00

It's me again...I didn't forget about the blog...I've just horribly neglected it. I joined Facebook and I've been able to use that platform as I originally intended for this blog. If you're not already there...join me of Facebook. But if you do, be warned...it's highly addictive.

I'm not closing up shop here...just temporarily stalled.

Being Crafty

2009-04-06T11:08:00.003-05:00

I broke my New Year's resolution to scrapbook a page a week. This was actually my gift to myself this past week. I decided I could never keep it up if I felt like I was forcing myself to do it when I didn't feel inspired to make a page. It has stretched my skill & creativity but life is all about finding balance...right?

So this past week I embarked on a different creative journey of sorts. I decided to try making jewelry again. It's been years since I made anything with beads and I've only used thread before. So, being inspired by some videos on the internet, (yeah for You Tube!) I decided to make a necklace with monofilament (fishing line) and a pair of earrings to match. It went together fairly quickly but as I was working on the 3rd strand of the necklace, I decided I didn't like the technique I was using to place the beads on the line. So, being the perfectionist that I am, I took the beads off and restrung all 3 strands. It was more time consuming than I expected but I'm very happy with the result.

I am planning on going to a jewelry making class this week to learn more about stringing using wire & making wire loops. It should be fun. I have a lot of questions. Pray for the instructor...

Tales of a Two Year Old Drama Queen

2009-03-30T12:55:00.003-05:00

I used to think it was bad when my husband got sick...until my daughter got sick. Right now due to a massive change in the weather and a record high pollen count, our entire house is stuffy & miserable. I think Emma has it the worst out of the 3 of us. The poor girl is having to blow her nose every few minutes, and her eyes are constantly watering. It's sad to see. As a result of the funk she's currently contending with, she has barely slept for 2 days.

Little things like eating, have become major melodramas. Crying, screaming, pouting, throwing things...just because her drink isn't in the cup she wants or some similar misfortune. It's draining, I'm not sleeping well, plus I'm sick too.

Thankfully we did get some decongestant today and she's on the first dose. Maybe we can both get some sleep now!

Free Spirit -vs- Conformity

2009-03-22T15:54:00.003-05:00

Sometimes a get a giggle out of my own thoughts. Actually I laugh at myself a lot lately. I made the same New Year's resolution that I didn't keep last year. My goal is to scrapbook at least one digital or paper layout a week. I've been very good about things so far but since the introduction of a horrible menace to my time called "Facebook", I've found a lot less time for Photoshop.

I'm a free spirit and I like to make my own layouts. I start with a blank canvas then add my bits of inspiration as they come. I'm very much a perfectionist. Even the most simple of my layouts sit on the back burner and get a few changes here and there until I'm finally happy with the finished product. This really takes days for me. I don't even post a layout until I've been able to "sleep on it" at least one night. This is also the reason I rarely ever use permanent adhesive when I paper scrapbook. I know it's horrible and I would be much more productive without such an OCD for my work but to me it's art, an expression of who I am, & what I treasure in life. Pastor Jeff really said something in the message yesterday that keeps resonating in my head...and yes, we go to church on Saturday night, anyone who knows me well, knows I'm not a morning person. Okay, back to what he said, "God doesn't expect perfection, He expects progress." Why is that so hard for me to grasp? I want both perfection & progress.

So here's the dilemma... I am torn about using pre-made digital templates. They're pretty easy to use. It's mostly drag & drop...easy peasy. I've used them a few times but I'm torn. Where is the line? To me it feels a little like plagiarism. I've been plagiarized before and it was devastating to me. It felt a lot like having someone you work with use your idea and then claim it as their own. YES, I credit the artist who created the template (as anyone digiscrapping should!) but I still feel a little like I'm passing off someone else's art as my own. I still add my own personal touches and rarely leave a template "as is". It's faster and easier but I guess it just doesn't feel genuine to me.

Thanks for reading my rant. I'll step down off of my soapbox now. I'm even going to be brave enough to post a layout I did using a template...

credits: template by Brenda Miller, papers & elements - "Tannah" by Sweet Digi Scraps, font - segoe script

Facebook

2009-03-17T11:23:00.002-05:00

Hello, my name is Krista, and I'm addicted to Facebook.

It all started out so innocently. Our church was working on a "viral buzz" project, so I joined Facebook to help get the word out. Little did I know what danger lurked behind this URL! I've reconnected with friends I haven't seen or talked to in years. With each friend I found, there were even more that found me. I even have a ton of family on facebook...my parents included. Now I just need to learn the concept of "balance" and every thing will be fine!

Onelookchallenge.com

2009-03-09T14:37:00.003-05:00

I know that most of you are far away from Keller, TX but I just couldn't resist sharing. Our church will be "relaunching" in a few short weeks when we move to our new building. As a part of the relaunch, we're inviting friends, neighbors, and sometimes complete strangers, to take "One Look" at Milestone. One Look Challenge is full of stories of how people's lives were changed by taking "one look". Check it out!

New in Town

2009-03-01T23:34:00.003-06:00

Okay...I have to preface this post by telling you that I have lived in Minnesota. We intended to go to see "He's Just Not That Into You" on our anniversary. But after our wonderful meal at Copeland's of New Orleans, we were stuffed to the gills and couldn't wait another 2 hours for the movie to start. We checked the showtime board and saw that "New In Town" was starting in a few minutes. It stars Renee Zellweger & Harry Connick Jr so we figured it couldn't be that bad.

I don't think I have laughed so hard in a long time. This movie is a must for everyone who has every lived in, or near Minnesota. I still giggle every time I think about that movie! It was an excellent pick for us and we thoroughly enjoyed it!

New Layout

2009-02-27T13:15:00.004-06:00

Sorry I've been quiet for a few days. I finished the taxes on Monday. Unfortunately it took me most of the day to get everything organized but less than an hour to actually prepare the return! At least I had most of what I needed before I started. I only had to "hunt" for a few things. I mailed our state return yesterday. I hate it when they make part year residents file on paper!!!!! Electronic filing is soooo much faster and easier.

I've also been doing some scrapbooking (digital of course!) I used the same kit that adorns my blog. It's called "Bloom & Grow" by Zoe Pearn. There is a link to her store at the bottom of my blog, just click on the flower. I created the Funny Girl title using the "Painted Wood" action by Atomic Cupcake & the font "Cafe Rojo". The journaling font I used was "Highland Perk".

It's That Time of Year Again!

2009-02-23T11:19:00.002-06:00

Today is the day of the year that I dread every time it rolls around. Like clockwork, I spend a month or two procrastinating. And then, when I really can't wait any longer, I finally sit down with my bulging file folder and stare at my computer screen for hours on end. By the end of the day...if I manage to finish, I usually have a monstrous headache and a little less hair on my head and a few more gray hairs to add to my every growing collection.

This year it will be a little easier. My wonderful, adoring husband took a vacation day from work to spend "Daddy - Daughter" day with our 2 year old. I'm really not sure what they're planning to do but it will make my day a lot less stressful to have my attention a little more focused on the task at hand.

I really need to start...so with that I bid you goodbye...
I'm off to do my taxes!

10 Years

2009-02-22T16:41:00.002-06:00

Today is our 10 year wedding anniversary! It's really hard to believe that it's already been that long. We are letting our 2 year old have a "sleep over" at her cousin's house so we can have a nice night out. We're planning on going to dinner and then we'll be off to see a movie. I'm elated to wake up on my own in the morning instead of having a 2 year old wake me up at 6 am saying "Mommy, I'm hungry and firsty" (the "th" sound is still a tough one!)

An Experiment I Wish Would Have Failed!

2009-02-21T08:55:00.000-06:00

When I heard a few months ago that it was possible to make chocolate cake in a coffee mug in the microwave, I have to admit, I was intrigued. I'm a sucker for chocolate cake...well...really anything made with chocolate. Last night I found the recipe in anticipation of trying it and was sadly disappointed when I realized that one of the ingredients is cocoa powder and I don't have any in the house.

Me? Give up? Just because I don't have the main ingredient? If you think I gave up, you have woefully misunderstood my love of chocolate! Not to be thwarted in my quest for chocolatey goodness, I scoured the internet for another recipe for "cake in a mug" to satisfy my craving. There were various concoctions with cocoa powder or cocoa mix and one that involved mixing cake mix and pudding mix together. All seemed to produce large cakes that baked up and out of the mug when all I really wanted was a snack size cake.

So I improvised.

I had seen a posting on a weight loss board about how to make a brownie in a mug with just brownie mix and water. If it could work with brownie mix, why not cake mix? I've had a lonely box of chocolate cake mix in the pantry for a while now. I haven't had the guts to make it because I know myself too well and it would disappear faster than the speed of light and my bathroom scale would bemoan my choice in the morning. (Yes, I love chocolate cake that much!)

It didn't take much trial and error...one try and the result was quite tasty.

4 Tbsp Chocolate cake mix (mine was the kind with pudding in the mix)
1 1/2 Tbsp water
1/2 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp chocolate chips (optional but a nice touch)

Microwave on high 1 1/2 min

This made 1 serving that baked about halfway up in my average sized coffee cup. Just one word of caution though, the mug and the contents were very hot. I had to use a hot pad to remove the mug from the microwave and I really should have waited a few minutes longer for the cake to cool before eating it. I think next time I might also try using some non stick spray in the mug before adding the ingredients. Yes, I will be making this again!

It was the perfect snack to satisfy my craving & not as detrimental and time consuming as making and eating a whole cake! Try it for yourself and let me know what you think!

Adventures in Potty Training

2009-02-20T15:43:00.000-06:00

I don't think any parent can ever "really" be prepared for potty training. I know I wasn't. I had no idea how hard this would be. Accidents, refusal to use the potty, hearing "I need to go potty" every 5 minutes only to hear "there's no more potty inside me" almost every time. We've gone from 1 Pull-up days to 5 Pull-up days and it keeps going back and forth. We are now officially NO MORE DIAPERS. Just Pull-ups day & night. I know we're a little less than 2 months in but I just pray it gets a bit easier each day.

Welcome

2009-02-17T12:34:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my new blog. It took a few days to figure out how to work around some bugs on Blogger but I'm finally up and running.

We haven't used our CaringBridge site in so long and we had lots of requests from Minnesota (and elsewhere) for updates so I thought a new blog would make it easier on everyone! Chasing after a 2 year old is never easy, especially during potty training. So...the less work I have to do, the greater your chances are that I'll actually update this thing!