It's my...

... BIRTHDAY!!!

Can't wait to spend the day with my 2 boys.  

I'll blog later about the fun (but boring) day we're going to have!

The object is worth the effort...

Last Sunday, we had a special guest speaker at our church, Brother Toby Morgan.  He recently became the Church of God State Overseer in New Mexico.

He had a wonderful sermon.  I was touched... and I know many others were, as well.  I felt like he was speaking to my husband.  After last week's discussions about how difficult it is to show Christ's love and compassion to those around you (who want to see you fail), I felt like he definitely needed to hear Mr. Morgan's message.  We don't always understand the circumstance, why it's so difficult, or why we have to suffer.  But the end result is totally going to be worth it.  There are days when he won't feel like witnessing.... and he may feel that no one sees or listens.  But the object is worth the effort.  God sees.  And he rewards those who seek and serve Him.

Brother Morgan spoke of a story that I felt so inspired by.  I just had to share with you.

Meet Fanny Crosby.

 

Living during the 1800's - early 1900's, she was a famous lyricist.  She wrote over 8,000 hymns, including Blessed Assurance.  The interesting part?  She was completely blind.

When Fanny was 6 weeks old, she caught a cold and developed inflammation in her eyes.  A "quack" came up with a solution...  mustard seed powder.  After having this concoction smeared in her eyes, she lost her eyesight.

When she was 15, she enrolled at the New York Institute for the Blind.  There, she learned to play the piano, the guitar and sing.

Crosby did not spend her life in self-pity or bitterness.  Instead, she dedicated her life to Christ.

She remarked, "If perfect earthly sight were offered to me tomorrow, I would not accept it.  I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me."  

"When I get to Heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior."

I loved that story so much, I had to share it with you.  No matter what your circumstance, you cannot live life bitter or angry because God blesses you differently than others.  He can still change your life for the better.

Just Dance...

Jase's favorite dancing game!!

Enjoy!

CLICK HERE to watch.

Giving...

In the past year or so, I've come to realize just how blessed I am... in lots of ways.  I'm healthy.  My family is healthy.  That means so much to me.

I've decided that I need to give back... it's my job to help others in need.  I can only imagine being in a life threatening situation (myself or one of my family members) and depending on someone else's life to save mine.

About a year ago, I added myself to the bone marrow donor list.  I pray that they call me sometime in my lifetime.  That's something I really want to do.  I've seen stories of children, moms, and dads, who NEED a donor in order to survive.  It's something I can do.

Recently, I've been seeing how great the shortage of blood is in America.  It's a major ordeal and can mean life or death for someone in a hospital today.

So I decided I wanted to give.  I've never given blood before, but figured it was no big deal... I'm pretty tough when it comes to things like that.... and especially if I have the right mindset.

So Jason, Jase and I went to our local Wal-Mart Sunday right after church, where the bus was located.  The girls were very nice, and I enjoyed talking to them more than anything.  The blood drawing part wasn't quite as successful as I'd hoped it would be.  My blood pressure was really low, and the veins kept blowing.  We tried both arms.  The second arm was okay, until halfway through.  It just completely stopped pumping. (clot, I guess).

I was disappointed, but she said they could still use what they got.  I plan to try again as soon as I can.  3 months or so, I think.  

I would never want this to be about me.  It's not.  I want to share with you just how important it is to give (if possible) in order to save lives.  That's what we're here for.

It's my party...

It's that time again.... the beginning of my birthday week! :)  

I normally wouldn't dedicate a whole week to celebrate my birth.  But, the festivities began last night.  So I must carry it on through the rest of the week, right?

My sweet Granny celebrates her birthday exactly one week before me (TODAY, Monday January 24th).  So we usually just combine our family's party for our birthdays.  She turns 82 years old today... but you'd never know it.  She's too young to be 82.  I can't believe how blessed she is.  She'll probably make it to 100.  No doubt.

We celebrated with dinner last night... made by my family (Mother, Aunt and Sister).  I requested Italian... I could eat spaghetti everyday, but my hubby isn't fond of it.  So I never make it.  But I got to enjoy it for my birthday party! (And I must add, I've requested it AGAIN next weekend from Jason's parents. :)  I LOVE his Dad's spaghetti.)

On the menu: Chicken Parmesan, spaghetti, garlic bread, salad, ice cream cake, and choc/choc cupcakes (the same kind we had at our wedding - they are to die for).

It was so lovely!!!

And I might as well share with you what I got - some moolah, Merle Norman and Hobby Lobby giftcards (2 of my favorite places) a cute little wall hanging, a laptop cover/case, and a new Pandora charm.  

So thankful for my loving family!

So let the countdown begin.... 1 week until the big 26. :)

This week my goal is: to do much of nothing... spend time with my baby boy, clean the house as usual, cut/highlight some hair, and do whatever "mommy duties" call.  AND, I need to work on my CD.  Hoping to do a little mini photo shoot in my backyard today.  Should be lots of fun!

Not too interesting...

This week has been a "not so great/kind of boring" week for me.  LAST WEEK, I took Jase to the doctor.  Thank goodness it wasn't strep or flu... which is what Doctor Bill thought. (We love our doc... in fact, he was MY doctor until I got married.  He kicked me out of the office.)  Anyhow, Jase was pitiful.  All the tests came back negative and I heard those famous words that I HATE so much... "it's viral."  If you are a mother, you understand exactly where I'm coming from.  You almost WISH it were something more, so that they could have some medicine to speeds things along.

He began to feel better a few days later.  I, however, began to feel worse.  He spread his lovely germs to me.  My mother would say it's my fault, because Jase and I kiss on each other all day everyday.  We have a special Mommy/Baby bond. :) 

I actually missed church last Sunday... which is something I never do.  I just had absolutely no energy.  The reason I'm telling you my sob story is to justify why I haven't blogged much this week.  I had good intentions, but honestly I didn't feel like lifting my fingers to type (or do anything else productive, for that matter).  AND, like I said, it was pretty boring around here so I didn't have much to talk about anyway.

But, today is "inspiring post" day... and I must keep my promise.  So, here goes.

As I was thinking about what to write about this week, it just came natural.  I love writing about inspiring people.  This person inspires me on a daily basis.  It's my wonderful hubby.

Now, yes, I have written about him in the past... how much I love him and all that other gushy stuff.  But this week, he has really made me proud.

We had a conversation a few days ago about how much he appreciated me.  He realized how much I do here during the day (every day) and he felt the need to thank me.  At first, I thought he was jerking my chain, but he wasn't... he was being totally super sweet.

Yes, being a mommy/wife is difficult and your job NEVER ENDS.  However, I LOVE every minute of being home each day.  I truly think God created me to be a stay-at-home mommy.  I understand, many women feel that they need to get out of the house... before the walls come crashing down on them.  I, on the other hand, am perfectly happy and content here.  And I would be the rest of the my life.

Sorry, I got a little sidetracked.

Back to my hubby.  He amazes me.  He works SO VERY extremely hard just so that I can live my dream and stay home (for the time being).  He never complains.  He deals with A LOT on a daily basis.  I hear all the caddy stories from work and I honestly don't know how he keeps his composure sometimes.  But he does.  And when he loses it, he regrets it.  He likes to make friends, not enemies.  I wish that he were able to work in a place (just once in his life, at least) where he got along with EVERYONE.  Where everyone believed the way he does... that hard work is important.  Laziness gets you nowhere.  Maybe one day, he'll have that opportunity.

But for now, he bites his tongue.  And he prays for those people.  He has realized that they will not change (until they are ready).  All he can do is love them.  Like Jesus does.  That's what we're supposed to do, right? 

Just thought I'd share... I know that was kind of random.  But I appreciate him so much. 

His honesty, his compassion, his loyalty, his steadfastness, his ability to be a leader... that's something I've always wanted to be. 

It's about time...

... for a beauty Vlog.  Haven't done one of these in a while, so thought I'd share some things I recently purchased... some of which I'm loving, some I returned.

Also, I was going to add in pictures (swatches of the colors) but just haven't had a chance to upload them... maybe they'll be "to come."

Anyhow, enjoy.

CLICK HERE!!! - to watch. :)

Trying to get back on the blogging bandwagon after being sick since the weekend.  yuck.  Just bear with me.

sorry...

... for the lack of blogging since Saturday's post.  I've been under the weather (thanks to my child for passing it along) and honestly haven't felt like getting off the couch.

However, after a nice little shot in the rump yesterday, I'm beginning to come back to life.

Hopefully, I'll have a post for you tomorrow.

And it's a beauty VLOG.  Been a while since I've done one of those!  I'm really excited.

See you soon!

New meaning...

If you missed my "inspiring post" for last Saturday, you should read it first.  Also, if you haven't read Edie's story from Life in Grace, you should click HERE and read it immediately.  She and her family lost their home to a fire several weeks ago (right before Christmas) and she continues to touch my heart with each new blog post since then.

There are a couple of things this week that have inspired/touched me - coming from 2 different people, but they seem to fit together perfectly.

The first came while reading Edie's blog post entitled "It's all just stuff?".  The picture of her daughter's sweater (that she was in the process of knitting when the house burned) said so much, without even reading the meaning behind her posting it.

If you don't have time to read it, she tells about how she started knitting this sweater for her daughter Caiti 2 or 3 years ago.  When her daughter left home, it was "therapy" for her.  Edie often took it with her wherever she went, working on it whenever she had a bit of spare time.  She lacked 2 inches on the sleeves, and hoped to have it finished by Christmas.  She brought it inside a few days before the fire to finish it... but now it's gone.

One thing she said in her post just JUMPED right off the page at me... something I've been thinking about all week.

She said, "But for now, we sit quiet and thankful for the stuff of memories, those things we ponder in our hearts - like Mary - that nothing can destroy, for they are imprinted forever, wonderful gifts from God that will comfort us in our waiting and strengthen us in our doubting."

As soon as I read those words, I was taken back to the church service we had last Sunday.  God has really been moving in a mighty way... restoring, saving, and healing.  This past week, during a special time of prayer, a man came forward.  Someone I don't think I've seen in the altar since I've been at Christway.  He's such an amazing man, a Godly man.  But this day, Mr. Earl White, Sr., was a broken man.  He is probably in his 70s (if I had to guess), has raised his children in church, who have in turn raised their children in church.  He's someone you can TOTALLY depend on, if you need a helping hand, or just someone to pray for you.

He shared with our pastor and our church family how the Devil had come against him lately... he had doubts.

That is a word that's common in our vocabulary.  Sometimes we don't want to admit it.  It meant so much to see this man (whom I admire greatly) admit that he had doubted God.

We've all been there.  Just like Edie.  Hard times press us and we doubt that God cares... that He's listening... that He understands.

But then He speaks to us... through a song, through a picture, through a friend, or through a blog post.

Just like Edie, I realized that doubting is natural... especially when you've been through a difficult or devastating time (such as losing everything you own in the blink of an eye).  But we have a greater hope... Our hope is in Him.

He sees.  He hears.  He understands.  He cares.  And He will never fail us.  Even when things can't seem to get any worse, He's there... waiting on the perfect time to show up.  To work a miracle in our lives.  Waiting on the perfect time to show us - He's in control and He loves us.

This is what happens...

... when you go to Wal-Mart hungry.

I failed to eat anything before we went grocery shopping.  So I HAD to buy a Coke (in order to keep from passing out).  And I didn't buy any "extra" groceries... I stuck to my list.

However, while in line waiting to checkout, these silly things wouldn't stop staring at me!

So much for the "diet" today.

Everybody needs a cheat day every now and then, right???

Frosted....

I bought some of these this past week and have pretty much destroyed them already!! 

They are SO GOOD!  And it's impossible to eat just one.

On a healthier note, I found this little box of Heaven. (Heaven, if you like granola.)

It's called French Vanilla Almond Granola.  Good and good for you!

At my Walmart (Sumiton, if you're from here), I found it up in the fruit section, close to the grapes, on an end-cap.  Comes in a little tub.  Kind of expensive, but most stuff like this is.  But so worth it!  It's good in cereal, in yogurt, with fruit (I LOVE it sprinkled on an apple w/ peanut butter), or just to snack on by itself.  Another one of those things that you can't just eat one bite of.  It's addictive.

Can you believe it???

Winter Storm 2011 in Alabama.

Maybe not as bad as the Blizzard of '93, but still..... it was a lot of snow (considering we never see more than a dusting).

I think I was one of the VERY FEW people I know that was excited about possibly being snowed in.  My mother, for one, hates cold weather.  She'd rather be beaching.  (I would definitely choose the beach over snow, too, but I mean... come on.  It's January.  Snow is part of it.)

The only thing I WASN'T looking forward to was the fact that when they say "storm" my hubby gets called to work.  Doesn't matter if it's lightening, tornadoes, or snow... he's gonna have to go.  But we are so thankful for our power men.  LUCKILY, we didn't lose power.

Which brings me to my next point... b/c my family was a tad worried that we'd get snowed in at our house with no form of heat, we decided to stay at my parents' house Sunday night.  It was fun... nice and cozy... and I appreciate them taking us in.  But come Monday, I was ready to get back to my house!

So, I forced (not really, they were kind enough to offer) my cousins to take us home in their 4-wheel drive.  Surprisingly, the roads weren't too bad at that point, just pretty slushy.

Right after we got home, Hubby got released and was able to come play with us in the snow!!!

Jase's last snow wasn't too thrilling for him.  He didn't care for it ONE BIT.  But this time, he couldn't get enough!  He cried everytime I told him we had to go in and thaw out. :)

Schools have been closed for 3 DAYS here... we're just not used to this Winter weather.  Hopefully they'll be back in session before the end of the week (I know all of my teacher friends are anxious to get back).  However, the snow hasn't melted much... and the temperatures the rest of the week are going to be FRIGIDLY(not sure about that word) cold.  So who knows if the snow will still be here come the weekend.  It might just be.

Here's some pictures of our fun-filled snow days!

 my beautiful boy :)

 sledding @ Grandmommy and Pop's house

 my parents' house

 snowball fight!

 cousins

 my parents

 daddy building us a snowman

 jase LOVES ice... we caught him eating everything in sight!  stinker.

Such a fun few days!  Hope you enjoyed!

Dream come true...

I am doing something I have ALWAYS WANTED TO DO.  If you don't know me, I'm a singer.  I'm NOT a performer, but I do love to sing.  I don't claim to be great, but I feel that God has blessed me with a talent, and I must use it for Him.

With the help of my hubby and brother-in-law, I've got a little "setup" going with my computer where I can record music.  It's nothing fancy, but it gets the job done.  And actually, I'm still learning how to actually work the thing. 

But recently, I started fiddling around, recording a couple of songs here and there.  Before I knew it, I had a whole playlist full.  Some are just silly country songs that I've always wanted to "attempt."  Others are songs that have special meaning to me.

I decided that I would make a CD full of inspirational songs... songs that are dear to my heart.

And I've finished it!  I'm quite proud of myself. :)  I can't wait for people (meaning my friends and family - no record producers or anything - HA!) to hear it. 

Something I can cross off my bucket list, I guess.

From the heart...

I've decided to dedicate Saturdays for my "inspiring post of the week."  Some weeks may have more than one (like this week, for example).  

Thursday morning, I was catching up on the blogs I follow, when I ran upon this post from Edie's Life in Grace blog.  I was blown away.  I had no idea that just a few weeks ago, she and her family lost their home to a fire.  Yet, she still seems to find the good in life.

I have to be honest, fire is one of my biggest fears.  I cannot imagine the devastation and hurt that comes with losing all of your belongings.

Thankfully, she and her family were unharmed.... her children made it out "without a singed hair on their heads."  Gosh, that gripped my heart.  I began looking back at some recent posts on her blog (some who were written by other people) and I ran across a song that touched me.

I tend to relate to songs... I express myself with songs.  It works for me.  This song in particular just made me weep.  I hope that you will take the time to read/listen to it.  It has such an amazing message.  I am so blessed.  There are so many things in life I take for granted.

Please enjoy.  I hope it touches you, as it has me.

Gratitude - Nichole Nordeman - inspired by the family of Edie - Life(in)Grace


Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid
But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .


We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain

Daily bread, give us daily bread
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight
Wrap us up and warm us through
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time
Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case . . .

We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You
That a starry sky offers a better view if no roof is overhead 
And if we never taste that bread

Oh, the differences that often are between
What we want and what we really need

So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight
Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
And if that's the case . . .


We'll give thanks to You
With gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need
And if You never grant us peace

But Jesus, would You please . . .

Inspiring??? Sickening???

Since it's the new year, I might as well join in the fun of making that dreaded resolution.

I'm not going to say, "I will lose 20 pounds this year."  I wish it were that easy.  But I have very little motivation when it comes to losing weight.  My mind will be on board, but my body HATES ME when I exercise.  

So we'll see.  I'll TRY to do better.  Eat right.  Exercise.  And take some time for myself... I need a "Pamper Carolyn Day" every now and then.  Something I rarely treat myself to.

So there you go... 2 "goals" for this year.

Shed a few pounds, and spend more time for ME ME ME!!!

This is the inspiration for my goal...

 

HAHAHA!  Yeah, right.

What inspires me the most...

...are 2 lovely people... my parents.

After having a conversation with my mother the other day about Christmas (how they spend too much on us big kids - me, my sister, and our hubbies) and how they don't have to, I realized just how lucky I am.

Now, don't get me wrong.  It's not just the gift-giving that made this occur to me.  I have always known that I am extremely blessed to have loving, supportive parents who have ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS stood by me.... no matter what.

I am just reminded that they will always do everything they can to make our lives special.

They inspire me... to be that kind of parent.

The absolute most important thing in my life comes in the form of a blond-haired, blue-eyed 2-year-old.  

I know that I am nowhere near perfect, and will never be perfect.  But I want to be perfect in his eyes.  If I can accomplish that, I will have done a good job in life.  

I want to give him everything he ever needs.... or wants.

I want to make him proud.

To come...

After reading a friend and fellow blogger's post about the year 2010 and the year to come, I've taken on her idea.

For the entire year of 2011, I will keep a journal (mine will be in the form of Blogger... I used to keep an actual journal, but I can type much faster than I can write.  And I seem to spend most of my days on this computer, so I might as well use it, right?)

Anyhow, back to the journal.  I want to find inspiring things to write about... people, ideas, art, anything.

This was Brianna's idea.  However, I'm adding a little to my criteria.  She's planning to do a post EVERYDAY.  I was going to make that promise to myself, but I'm afraid I'll break it. :)  So I'll try to do a post specifically dedicated to inspiring things AT LEAST once a week.  Surely I can manage that.

Instead of just writing about what inspires me, I'm also going to include things like: what I'm thankful for, goals that I would like to achieve, and basically anything else I feel like sharing with you.

 Maybe you'll be inspired yourself.

Stick with me... It's going to be quite a journey.  I'll probably shed a few tears, and maybe you will, too.  Then I won't feel so silly. 

p.s. You can find Brianna's blog here!

She's a pretty awesome and talented young lady.