a list & the foot pop explanation

i love it when ya'll post random things about yourselves.

i love to learn all sorts of fun things that you might not share otherwise....

however truth be told,

i think i tell ya'll far more than you wish to know about me already.

but a few of you sweeties sent over some blog awards &

for that, i thank you very much.

so i will begin the uncomfortable exercise of listing 10 randoms.

& please forgive me ahead of time for not passing this on....i'm a little late on the start here

#1.The county in which i live was declared a national disaster by FEMA last week due to the flooding we had following a severe thunderstorm & record rainfall. it breaks my heart to see homes destroyed that won't be covered by insurance.

#2. I'm a painters worst nightmare. There are actual spaces in my home where moving the furniture was far too labor intensive, so i just painted around said furniture.

should be big fun when we decide to sell our home.

#3. I start playing Christmas music well before Thanksgiving.

#4. I have a tattoo & it has a great story.

#5. My most precious patient ( as an oncology nurse) was a little girl named Grace who spoke of seeing angels before she passed away. a few weeks later i gave birth to my second daughter & named her Madison Grace, in her honor.

oh , & truly believe she saw those angels.

her tender heart has forever changed how i view the spiritual world

#6. Purple Rain, the Prince movie. you probably are too young.

it pains me to tell you

but in the 80's i saw it atleast a dozen times

3 of which were in a 24 hour period

on 3 different dates

with 3 different guys

who says i can't manage my time well?

#7. My oldest 3 daughters have all been diagnosed with the swine flu this month.

#8. I'm terrible about shaving my legs

& no i don't mean that the actual technique

it means i don't shave them as frequently as i should

i'm certain you're glad i've shared that with you

#9. My husband Dan & I have been in two weddings together.

i was the bride in both

#10. i love loud music, especially classic rock from the 70's.

which would explain why the rear speakers in all my vehicles

are always shot

and finally

I am humbled on a daily basis

by this scripture

1 john 3.1

oh how great is the love the father has lavished upon us,

that we should be called sons & daughters of God.

& just so that we're all on the same page

apparantly a few of you are sadly out of the foot pop loop

so please pause the playlist & enjoy

as Mia finally kisses the boy who finally causes her foot pop

the foot pop

while perusing through some of our past beach photos

i noticed a decided trend

do you think we've gotten a little carried away with the spontaneous foot pop?

so much so that even little bit even threw that one right up there like no one's business

without prompting
no less

maybe next year we'll try something a little more unique!

like jumping....

or not....

big dogs = big tears

against my better judgement, i just finished watching Marley & Me with my little one.
i swore i would not watch any movie where the dog, a yellow lab none the less, dies at the end.
but she was home from school & feeling puny so i gave in.
i was crying before the sad part even began...i knew what was coming.

my girls are very protective of me
they know i can't handle sad animal stories
do you remember Mighty Joe Young?

he was an ape for crying out loud

clearly make believe

but i bawled like a baby

Spirit..the movie about the horse

why the writers felt that every possible crisis should happen to this one sweet horse...

well, needless to say

i was a wreck in that movie theatre

the girls still talk about how loudly i was crying

but back to the point

i cry over any sad thought, sad movie, sad song, sad commercial about animals

but especially ones about dogs.....big dogs in particular

blazer
chelsea
bailey
brinkley

black lab-adopted from the pound
yellow lab-full blood purchased from a breeder
great dane mix-found as an abandoned neglected puppy
golden retriever-adopted through the golden rescue

each one of these wet nosed 100lb'ers has had a special place in my heart

the black lab, blazer, was sick when we adopted her from the pound. they warned us she was soon to be put down. we took her anyway. she accompanied me as i trained for 10k's. everyone stopped us as we ran & complemented her perfectly shiney coat. the sweetest black lab i've ever seen.
i have a terrible memory -often forgetting what were apparently major events , but i'll never forget that call from the vet telling me she wasn't going to make it. i don't think i had ever cried that hard before.

chelsea the yellow lab. we all loved her so much that my parents went back to the breeder that same weekend & bought her sibling for themselves....maggie. mom & dad deeply loved that dog. we wanted a companion for chelsea, a golden retriever was the plan. but chelsea's last day with me was just like john's with marley.....why did i think i could handle this movie?

again, it amazes me how i remember this ( because i really do forget everything!)- but a few weeks after bringing chelsea home, my husband called me at the hospital where i was working to tell me he had found something & that he'd show me when i got home. i arrived that night to wet kisses from a huge "puppy" with a brindle coat and enormous paws. she quickly stole our hearts & became my next running partner. everyone loved bailey, my brindle great dane mix. she was such a perfect dog.
those two sweet doggies outlived their expected age.

years later we finally did get that golden retriever.
i've told his story before here....
& i'm serious when i tell you he his the best dog ever
he doesn't bark
he doesn't chew
he's never had an accident
he's my latest running partner
& he follows me everywhere

A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A water log stick will do just fine. A dog doesn't care if your rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he'll give you his. How many people can you say that about?

How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special?

How many people can make you feel extraordinary?

john grogan from Marley & Me

please tell me you have a face like this that greets you each time you walk in your door....

{{& if you live in Atlanta , you can go here & truly obtain a dog with a face just like this}}

& even though they occasionally drool

their unconditional love is like none other

~ Brinkley~

the dog who truly does make me feel extraordinary

a little peek at what brink was up to this afternoon...

KC4HQ

{{needed to give ya'll an updated image of kasey in all her glory

&

rumor has it , her crown is indeed front & center on the mantle}}

The other day I received this fabulous necklace in the mail....made by Mimi Charmante given away at one of the plethora of blog giveaways over at Kasey's.

& I got to thinking~~

our favorite blogger, Kasey truly is the Blog Homecoming Queen.

So I officially nominated her & i'm pleased to tell you that at friday's home game

she was indeed crowned!!

Four Reasons why Kasey will make a fabulous homecoming queen

~First of all she takes fabulous photos....therefore our yearbook this year will be like none before!


~Secondly, she is an incredible party planner ( or thrower of soiree's as she likes to refer to them--which basically means there's a greater ratio of fine wine to beer) .....therefore we will have a rocking junior senior prom!


~Thirdly, with her finger on the pulse of current hip fashion, she will represent us with style & flair.



~& Finally & most important, Kasey is a generous friend to all.



see
even the varsity parkview cheerleaders got in on the excitement & support of Kasey.

{{ KC/ Kasey--please tell me you get it

we didn't have enough poms to spell kasey}}



In all seriousness

I wanted to just take a second & thank Kasey.

A couple of weeks ago I was having a really yucky day

Kasey & I got to talking...ie--emailing like we frequently do

&
her tongue in cheek humor had me laughing through my frustrated tears.

i've told her before that i think she's a rock star

that if she lived closer i'd hog her & make her hang with me all the time

& even though she currently drives a mini -van,

she's still super cool since at one time she did drive a bug

she's even ok with the fact

that i have an unhealthy covet thing working towards her home and her wardrobe.

that's my girl kasey

i know its so much easier to re-create ourselves on our blogs

to put on our make up, smile pretty, show our best side

photograph our homes when they're tidy

share our children's accomplishments

we should enjoy these things

nothing wrong with this

however

how we appear to our online friends can

sometimes differ from how we appear to those who see us every day

who see us when we drop the ball

miss the meeting

say the wrong thing

forget a friend's birthday

underdress to a formal wedding at high noon ( yep, that's very embarassing)

gain 10 lbs

who see us when our mascara is smeared because we're teary after an argument

or are dealing with a husband's infidelity

who hear that our teenager was drunk at a party

or didn't make the squad because of grades

who know what our home is really like

who see how we handle life's challenges
who see how respond

right there

on the spot

live & in color

my goal is that who i say i am online

is the same person you run into at target

the same person who has fears & insecurities

who does need to loose 10 lbs

whose hubby hasn't cheated but will hug you & pray for you if yours did

who doesn't want to judge others but honestly does struggle with it

& is praying for mercy

who does have a critical spirit

but praying that it softens

who has lonely days

&

who is desperatlely trying to be real

kasey

thank you for being real

you are my homecoming queen

my investment

the beginning of the school year is a great time for me to start over with my goals.

seems to work better for me than the new year cliche.

i really try to spend some time thinking through & praying about my vision for our family, how our home will function, & aspects of my mothering technique that i really wish to improve on.

i am far from the mom i want to be. its like i can see her out there but she's out of my grasp many days. i wish i could erase words said out of anger or change patterns that started long ago. but the truth is , i have just today. each day is an opportunity for me to lean on the grace of the Lord , to parent intentionally. i'll probably never be a missionary or a famous entrepreneur. i won't be known around the world for my philanthropy.
but i do have four girls,
they are my mission field.
they are my investment.

this year i had four areas that came to my heart that i want to share with you

1~ peaceful responses.

i often times jump the gun with the girls instead of really listening to them. no surprise here, but that response can quickly lead to a defensive tone from them and sure enough, we're already off on the wrong foot early in a conversation.

i think i usually feel like there are a hundred things going through my head & i'm wanting to just get to the bottom line. but i'm praying this year that i slow down, give them the benefit of the doubt & really respond to them in a peaceful manner.

2~purposeful encouragement

while this sounds like a no brainer, i feel very compelled to make purposeful attempts that will build on the girls strengths. to come along side them & really lift them up. they are each at such a tender age. a time when the world & their peers can really beat 'em up. leave them feeling like they will never be enough, give enough, or do enough to succeed.

each of us has our own love language, the form in which when used we feel the most loved. we usually love others out of our own gift, but its so much more effective when we discover what another persons love language.

it can be physical touch,

words of affirmation, acts of service, or gifts. my goal is to study the girls & find what each of their language is &

"speak" it to them frequently.

3~ intentional engagement

this one really holds a special place in my heart.

my oldest, a high school junior will be out of the house in the blink of an eye. i'm well aware of the fact that my time with her is limited & i plan to be a good steward of the open window i have left.

the other three, figuratively speaking will be leaving the nest "right behind her'.

my goal is that both Dan & i are able to spend some time with each of them in a one on one setting. with four children, this can seem like a daunting task, not only logistically but even financially. intentional means i make the time in our schedule. when we're together i stay off the phone & not txt or chat with friends, just little things that let them know i am completely with them.

4~ journal daily prayers

i have a great silver leather journal, actually was a calender that my sweet man splurged on for me back in january. it has 5x7 page for each day. i chose to use this to journal thoughts & prayers for them on a daily basis.
again, i realize this sounds so simple, but making the commitment to write out daily what they're going through, a joy or achievement, something tender on their heart, whatever, helps bring these things to mind & helps me remember what's going on in their world.

I spend alot of time talking about parenting & most of the time about my inadequacies as a mom.
Our middle school program this year is teaching on characters in the bible that messed up & how God used them in amazing ways.
The Lord loves to take our areas of failure or humility and work through those very areas.


Our children are given to us for such a small time, they are ours to raise , to help shape & mold. But ultimately they belong to the Lord. I feel i will be accountable one day for my stewardship of them.
Although the goals I shared today are directly towards my children, I know the ultimate gift i can give them is to love & honor their dad. He is my number one, my best friend, my confidant.
Our relationship is of utmost importance. I know as mom's our days can be filled & usually overwhelmed by parenting responsibilities. But I am absolutely convinced, convicted, whatever you want to name, that our love relationship with our spouse needs to be our priority. When my children are grown up , moved on & starting families of their own, its so important to me that they will look back & see a strong foundation and commitment between Dan & I.

I hope my entry doesn't sound soap boxy or preachy. I want to wrap this up by sharing that honestly
my prayer today is that each of you that this blog reaches know how much He loves you.
right where you
regardless of your achievements or failures
regardless of how many times you've blown it
regardless of a failed marriage or a broken relationship with your family
he loves you

Romans 8.38-39
I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God

my summer reading list

we're headed out today to one of my favorite little communities here in Atlanta to attend their annual book fair book.

so thought i'd share a few of the books i read this past summer.

i'm just starting

Crazy Love-

& i'm totally fired up about this book!!

see the bloom tab on my sidebar if you'd like to join this online book club
chapter one review will begin Sept 13th

also just picked up "The Unexpected Adventure"

& can't wait to dive into it!

When Crickets Cry... hands down my favorite this summer!

warning... definately a tear jerker

patti callahan henry

a local author who i'm hoping i might even spot at the fair.

love everything she does
this one is probably my favorite so far, but all of these were great books & easy reads

& yes, the cover of between the tides-love it

a winner but not as great as Firefly Lane which i've raved on in the past

tried it but knew i couldn't finish

young mom with cancer...too much for me.

& yes i flipped to the ending

but still knew i couldn't do it

will try another since i hear she's a great author








for crying out loud

enough with the vampires & werewolves already

it pains me to tell you that i actually did enjoy twilight

trudged through new moon

but eclipse...over it, didnt' even finish

wanted to give jodi another try

but quickly could tell where this was headed & knew i wasn't going to enjoy the controversy

didn't finish this one either

forgot to upload The Wide Smiles of Girls--have to rate that one fair at best.

here are a few that are waiting on the shelf....

such a stinkin cute cover that i'm certain will be a cutie

is this for teens?

am i in the target audience for this one? we'll see...

next one to read~

have heard great things about this

destined to be a winner

its hard to believe that summer officially closes out this weekend.

earlier this week Savannah was showing me the outfit she planned to wear to school the next day. She told me she just had to get her favorite white pants in the line up one more time.

huh?

mom, seriously, surely you know i can't wear white after labor day.

oh the fashion pressures....

enjoy your holiday weekend with family

read a great book

wear white

& please please let me know if there are any books that i must read!

beautiful you~~

Little girl fourteen flipping through a magazine
Says she wants to look that way


Well little girl fourteen I wish that you could see
That beauty is within your heart
And you were made with such care your skin your body and your hair
Are perfect just the way they are

There could never be a more beautiful you
Don’t buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you

words by jonny diaz

just a little reminder, sweet girl

that i'm so proud of you

i'm proud of your helpful spirit at home

i'm proud when another mama points out how caring you are with your sister

i'm proud of your academic load

i'm proud of your leadership

i'm just so proud of you

there could never be a more beautiful YOU

madison grace

never...

dear santa

Dear Santa

I know its early

but i figured maybe an early request would alleviate any last minute decisions made in haste

all i want is these

i promise i'll be a good girl

i'll even postpone the new pottery barn sofas campaign until january

size 9

ps~ maybe they'll even go on sale

in which case

the pottery barn sofa campaign will resume

xo