A Simple Trip to the Grocery Store...

It is amazing how much I used to take for granted before having children, like being able to just run a quick errand somewhere. To be able to get out of my car and run into the post office or the grocery store, and just get what I need and walk out in a matter of minutes. I didn't realize what a gift that was at the time. Those days are history. I find myself DREADING going to the store these days, especially when I just need a couple of things. Yesterday, we just needed milk for Gracie and the all important Diet Coke for me. (This just goes to show exactly how much I am willing to endure for my favorite beverage.) Let's just say NOTHING about yesterday's trip to the store was simple or quick but I did still leave there with my Diet Coke...that helped a little.


So here's how it all went down...It was time for Gracie's nap (Warning #1) and I realized we were out of milk. She is a girl all about the routine and so I knew that not having that milk was going to make getting her down for nap a bit difficult. It had been one of those long mornings where I found myself counting down the hours and then the minutes until it was time for her nap. So with that goal in mind, I announced to Jake that we were going to run out to the store really quick and we needed to get him dressed. (Yes, he was still in his Spiderman pajamas at 1:00 in the afternoon...) Anyway, I had already gotten myself and Gracie ready to go and now it was Jake's turn and we would be out the door. Sounded easy enough. We were in mine and Aaron's bedroom and I was putting Jake's clothes on while he watched Little Einsteins. Gracie was right next to me playing with a toy that was on the floor, or so I thought. After I got Jake ready, it was time to go brush his teeth. We walked to the hall bathroom and I noticed the door, which I usually keep closed to divert Gracie's attention from all the cool things in there, was now open. I walked a little quicker and could hear this swishing sound. I was horrified to find that Gracie had reached up to the sink, pulled down Lauren's toothbrush and was now stirring the toilet water with it. Wait...it gets worse. We are having to constantly remind Jake to put the toilet seat down and flush the potty when he is done. Once again, I found that he had forgotten to do so and so there was Gracie just stirring up Jake's pee as it splashed around on her and the hardwood floor. I should have ended it there, (Warning #2) but no, I stripped off her clothes, doused her in antibacterial soap, rinsed her off and then found new clothes. I was back on track!

We arrived at the grocery store and found one of those great carts with the little cars attached. Jake hopped right in and I tried to put Gracie in the front seat that faces me. I found myself at war with those little straps that buckle. One was stuck through one of the wire slats and Gracie was now showing her dislike of the situation. I chose instead to put her down in the car with Jake. She loved it! I thought it was smooth sailing. This is where I made my big mistake. I started going down aisles, picking up items that I had not gone there for but did need. Gracie and Jake were playing happily, so I kept going, giving thanks for my good fortune. As I'm rolling down the aisle, I looked down to see Gracie now hanging half of her body out of the cart. She is like Houdini when it comes to being strapped in somewhere. I quickly unbuckled her and she began crying. I was beginning to get a few glances in my direction, mostly from sympathetic moms who knew exactly what it felt like to be in that situation. I tried to just carry her and push the cart with one hand but she began throwing herself backwards and I realized we were entering full-out tantrum mode. It is amazing to me that I have three children and I have managed to avoid a public tantrum until this point. I decided that she was GOING in that seat if she wasn't going to let me hold her. She is amazingly strong but I won. (Greatest advice ever given to me..."When you find yourself in battle with your child, just make sure you don't lose.") At this point she is wailing and red-faced, throwing herself around in all directions. I tried to calm her down and walked very quickly to the front of the store. When I got up there, I realized I had forgotten to get the two things I had come there to get! So I rushed my screaming child back through the aisles and was in awe of how her voice carried through the whole store. I saw one man watching me intently and I thought if I don't get out of here soon, he is going to call child protective services! I'm back at the front and ready to check out. The sweet girl at the counter was asking me something but I couldn't hear her at all. I just nodded and smiled. Clueless. Then I saw it...one of the items I had not set out to get was going to save the day. A package of individually wrapped goldfish was making its way down the moving belt. I said, "Excuse me," and ripped open the wrapping and pulled out one of the packets of goldfish. I opened it and handed it to Gracie and it was magical. She stopped screaming and began smiling and eating her goldfish happily. I don't even remember what my total amount was, I just scanned my debit card and left, utterly exhausted.

Being a parent truly is an incredible blessing but there are those days when you kind of wish you could just board a plane to an exotic island for a week. This was definitely one of those days. I think I'll send Aaron to the grocery store next time we need something.

Inspirational Video!

Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent

I'm sure that many of you have already seen this video, either on YouTube or TV, but I had to post it anyway. I was blown away by Susan Boyle's talent and so was everyone in the audience, even our resident cynic, Simon Cowell. We are always told to never judge a book by it's cover and I believe this proves that point tremendously. Our culture is saturated with images of what constitutes beauty and as women we set standards for ourselves that are not even realistic. I want to teach my daughters to know that beauty comes from within and that they should always, ALWAYS, dream BIG!

Spring Break and Easter Weekend

We are back from a great week of Spring Break in Florida and then celebrated Easter with my family in Atlanta. It was great to get away for a bit. It was refreshing. We started out spending two nights in Montgomery, viewing one more private school for Lauren and did some house hunting. My sister, Karen, and brother-in-law, Stephen, came to be with us there, which is always great fun. Our kids always have so much fun together. On Sunday of last week, we made our way down to the beach. Unfortunately, Aaron wasn't able to join us on that part due to his work schedule. My other sister, Kathy, met us there with her two girls, so it was a full house! On Saturday we made the long trek back to Atlanta, where we met back up with Aaron and celebrated Easter with my parents. Here are some pictures of our time together...

Playing at the beach...


Lauren loves the ocean!

Gracie was not thrilled with her first experience with sand...

My first baby girl is growing too fast!

All the cousins!

Gracie playing with Lauren.

Grandma Sam made precious Easter dresses for the girls...

Gracie laughing before the egg hunt!

Jake and his loot!

Gracie loved finding the eggs and would
gently place them in her little basket. Of
course, her brother and sister ate
the candy!

It was truly a wonderful week and I'm so thankful for my family and the joy that it brings me when we are all together. As much fun as it all was, I never forgot for a moment what I was there to celebrate...

Matthew 28:1-9, "Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to see the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, because an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled aside the stone and sat on it. His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. Then the angel spoke to the women. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead, just as He said. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples He has been raised from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see Him there. Remember, I have told you." The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to find the disciples to give them the angel's message. And as they went, Jesus met them. 'Greetings!' he said. And they ran to him, held his feet, and worshiped him."

Matthew 28:18, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Our Newest Obsession

So I thought I would share a little about mine and Aaron's favorite pastime these days. Thanks to our great friends, Tiffany and Justin, we are going to have to enter an addiction therapy group for those obsessed with the series 24. For those of you who know me well, you know that I'm not a huge action junkie. I am a classic chick-flick kind of girl and so I've been quite surprised with how much I have loved this show! My sister and brother-in-law have raved about it for years but we never watched it until Tiffany and Justin loaned us the first season when Gracie was a little baby. It is the greatest thing to have when you are in what I lovingly refer to as "Baby Boot Camp." You know what I'm talking about, you're exhausted, up at all hours of the night and your only TV options for a 4 AM feeding are Elimidate and Infomercials. Well, this became a great new option for us and after watching just a couple of episodes of Season 1, we were hooked!

So fast forward to my 31st birthday at the beginning of this month and Tiffany, that great friend I mentioned earlier, gifted me with the Season 2. It was all over after that! Aaron and I were useless for days. We had a million things to do and we found ourselves glued to this show! It was crazy! We blazed through Season 2 and went right on to Season 3...here is where that addiction part begins to come into play. After Season 3, you guessed it, we bought Season 4. Yes, we need help but my point to all of this is...if you haven't ever watched this show I HIGHLY recommend it. You can rent the full seasons at Blockbuster or Netflix. You can even buy them an episode at a time on Amazon, just to see if you like it. Start with the first season and go from there. I guarantee you'll be hooked and you can blame me for all the things you will neglect in your life during this process. The show is currently in it's 7th season, so it looks like we are in it for the long haul. It's a great ride though!

Easter Egg Hunt

Here are a few pictures from our great afternoon with our Sunday School class today at our Easter Egg Hunt! The kids had a great time and Tiffany and Leslie did an amazing job planning such a special event for our families. Hugs to you both! Lauren and Jake had such a great time and Gracie was fascinated with her very first egg hunt.

Moments like these are priceless...

Praise You In This Storm

I am going to be very brief today. I just wanted to post a video of a song by Casting Crowns that has been a blessing to me more times than I can count. It has been especially uplifting to me in recent days. I am going through some personal challenges right now and I covet your prayers. I know that we all have experienced valleys where we feel a little lost but one thing that God has really taught me over the years is to never cease to praise Him. He is always there, even if the rain clouds our view of Him, He will never leave us nor forsake us. That is a promise I hold very dear to my heart. My prayer today is that you will listen to this video and be blessed by it, just as I always am. I will write more another time, until then, much love to you all!

Sweet Home Alabama

After many long discussions, sleepless nights and hours of prayer...we have finally decided that Montgomery, Alabama will be where we call home beginning in June! This was not an easy decision by any means but Aaron and I both feel that it is the right one for our family. Lauren and Jake are really excited about moving, which helped us both also. As hard as it will be to leave the wonderful life we have here and start over, it is always exciting when God leads you to a new place. We both feel so comforted by the assurance God has given us over this decision. It just seemed that no matter how hard we had tried to make other opportunities right in our minds, we just found ourselves right back where we started. In the end, moving to Montgomery was the right fit. To know that God's plan for us is greater than we can even imagine is humbling. Alabama is not exactly where I thought we would raise our family but we are trusting God completely. Needless to say, this new decision will make the next few months in our house very busy. We are quickly working to get the house ready to put on the market. This is such an awful time to try and sell a home but we are just going to have to step out on faith, knowing that when God is involved, anything is possible.

Since Alabama is going to be our new home, I thought I better familiarize myself with the "culture." Here are a few tips I found to get us ready for our big move down yonder...

• You have a party or a barbecue whenever Alabama plays Auburn in football.

• You don't "take", you "carry" or "tote"... as in "You want me to carry you down to the 7-11?"

• You call it a "buggy" and not a shopping cart.

• You've said "fixin' to," "might could," or "usetacould" during the last week.

• You can properly pronounce Arab, Eufaula, Opelika, Loachapoka, Bayou La Batre, and Oneonta.

• You know exactly what chitlins and mountain oysters are, and you know someone who eats them anyway.

• You think that people who complain about the humidity in other states are sissies.

• You aren't surprised to find rental movies, groceries, ammunition and bait all in the same store.

• Mamanem means the whole family. ("Are mamanem comin?")

• You've ever had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.

• You know what "cow tipping" is.

• The local papers cover national and international news on one page but require 6 pages for sports.

• You know all four seasons: Almost summer, summer, still summer, and Christmas.

• Visiting Wal-Mart is a favorite pastime.

• You know the difference between redneck, hillbilly, and southerner.

• Y'all is a word.

• There is no such thing as tea...it's sweet tea.

• Your directions include "when you see the Waffle House" or "turn on the dirt road."

• A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out in the yard and look for a funnel.

• Almost everyone you know is Baptist or Methodist.

• Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor.