Meet Jasper!

Welcome the newest addition to our family! Yesterday we gave Jamie her birthday present early and drove to Arab, AL to pick up this adorable little yorki-poo puppy!

Pardon the blurry photos. I'd like to blame the camera, but I'm afraid it's the photographer- not the equipment- that's the problem! With the help of our friend Olivia (who hung out with us all day yesterday and gave us awesome pet-owners advice!) we named him Jasper James. Jasper, because it's just a cool name, and James after his momma, Jamie. Yep. Baby girl is going to be most of the work...I mean pet care. So far so good! Of course, it's only day two!

You can tell by that smile that she's enamoured with him, as we all are. Well, everyone except Ginger the cat We're hoping in time she'll warm up to him. Right now she's not happy with ANY of us! LOL! It's been a long time since we've had a puppy and it's almost like having a baby in the house again. You know, without all the spit up and the worry for college fund! Can't wait to watch this little guy grow. Summer is off to a fun start!

Thoughts From a Burden Bearer

Something happened yesterday that happens to me quite often. So much so, in fact, that I'm tempted to start keeping a tally. It was brought to my attention a while back by friend of mine who said it happens to her all the time too. Sometimes it's a stranger, sometime it's not. But inevitably, for whatever reason, people seek me out to help them bear their burdens. Strange, right?

I'm starting to wonder about this unusual draw I have on people that enables total strangers to tell me their whole-life story in gory detail without batting an eyelash. And it happens EVERYWHERE. At a child's birthday party. While getting a pedicure. At Wal-Mart in the greeting card isle. In the office at school. For a split second, it's as if I've morphed into this person's long-lost friend and they begin to pour out their soul to me. I've heard stories about abuse, kidnapping, upcoming trial dates, in-law disputes and mental illness... Just to name a few. And that's just the four scenarios I listed above. These aren't just your usual gripes about your husband not helping enough, or how badly the kids are behaving. These are stories that will wrench your heart out. Like being homeless and jobless. Like being beaten by your boyfriend. Like watching your baby turn blue and stop breathing, unable to resuscitate her. And there I sit (or stand) wondering why this person has chosen me to divulge such secrets to. Why me? Why now?

Perhaps it's because I've stopped to listen. Perhaps they would tell their story to anyone with a willing ear. Or perhaps it's a divine appointment with a hurting soul that God has planned for in advance. His name gets brought up in the conversation at some point, by either them or me. The lady waiting for the attempted murder trial of her boyfriend said, "If you're a praying woman, remember me." I almost lost it. I told her I was and that I would pray for her. I wonder how she's making it and if she's sitting next to someone right now telling her story.

Chuck doesn't get it. It angers him that people "dump" on me (his words) when our life is FAR from a walk in the park. " Tell them you've got problems, too! Let one of THEM walk in your shoes for 24 hours and see how sane they'd be!" And he's right. We've got problems. Problems that all the money in the world can't fix. We hurt. We struggle. And maybe that's why I listen to these people. Because I know hurt and loss and frustration and fear. We ALL have our crosses that we bear in this life. But somewhere along the way, I've chosen Light and maybe people in the darkness of their situation are drawn to the Light I've chosen. Perhaps like the sleepy-eyed child they blink at It's brightness and reach for the warmth of It's rays. And if that's the case, I'm honored to be a conduit for the life-giving, burden bearing, one, true Light. "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2

I'm BAAAACK! (Insert sing-song-y voice here!)

Whew! What a couple of months we've had! Tornadoes, no power, a short stint at my moms, plus all the "end of the year" stuff with all the girl's activities (parties and awards and a field trip... Oh my! LOL!). I get tired just thinking about it all! Springtime, at least in OUR household, is our busiest time. And though Momma loves her solitude that sending her children to public school affords, I AM looking forward to the laid back days and unhurried mornings that summer vacation brings.

All that being said, our June is already BOOKED. Wait! What happened to all that "laid back" yadda-yadda and "unhurried" mumbo-jumbo? I guess that will have to wait until July! LOL! On the bright side, there should be LOTS of good, blog-worthy material to write about. So if you haven't bailed on me yet, I promise a feast of crafts, home improvement projects, life lessons, and lots of laughs this summer. So grab your ice cold lemonade, put you feet up, and hang with us as we try to get the very most out of our hazy, (not-so) lazy days of summer!

Where Does The Time Go? Happy Birthday Anna...

There I sat, finishing up the scrapbook I was making for my little sister's graduation from high school. It was a nice distraction. Cutting, pasting, getting each page just right while reliving a few memories courtesy of Kodak. Waiting. My induction began at midnight. Three days past my due date. We were too excited to sleep.

Still newlyweds (married only for 11 months), Chuck and I could hardly believe the whirlwind our lives had become. We met Labor Day weekend 1999. Twelve weeks later, we were engaged. Seven months after that, we said "I do." And a short three months later (exactly a year to the day that we met!) I found out that we were expecting. It shouldn't have been such a surprise. We were trying, after all. Convinced our biological clocks were ticking themselves into a frenzy, we decided to have children right away. We never imagined it would happen so quickly, though.

We painted the nursery yellow. We wanted a gender neutral color palette... mostly because we decorated before we knew what we were having. Excited? A touch. Anxious? Of course. Living the fairy tale? You bet. I took one last look in her room before we left for the hospital. In a few short days, she would be sleeping in that pretty, yellow room. I could hardly believe it.

We were early (natch). We waited in the car in the parking garage of the hospital until the clock in the car blipped to 12:00 a.m. and then we made our way to the emergency room to check in. I noticed a sign that said to let the nurse know if you are in labor. I was thankful that I was being induced and that things were calm and orderly.

The labor and delivery room was smaller than I thought it would be. Chuck and I never toured the hospital or took any pre-natal classes like some other couples we know. There had hardly been time with my work schedule (I worked right up until the Thursday before I was induced that early Tuesday morning). We settled in... me in the bed and Chuck in a straight-back chair. Seriously. There were no frills in that room. This was before the Women and Children's Wing had been built with their spacious rooms and pull-out couches. My groom had to spend the next 13 or so hours in that puny, little, uncomfortable chair. Ask him about it sometime. We still laugh about it.

Things progressed quickly for us. Pitocin is a wonder. When it came time for the epidural, they made Chuck step out. That was the only time I freaked (only on the inside, of course. That's how I roll. lol!). I was scared, though. The nurse held my hands in my lap as I bent forward the best I could with my very large belly. A few tears fell on her hands as they held mine. I apologized. She reassured me. Then they let Chuck back in. I was glad we wouldn't have to be apart anymore.

And let's just say that the epidural worked like a charm! So well, in fact, that not only couldn't I feel my legs, but I couldn't move them either. Panicking that they would "turn off the juice," I threatened Chuck within an inch of his life that my temporary paralysis would be our little secret. My worry was unwarranted, however. I pushed like a champ and with the exception of one little funny moment, I don't think anyone would have been the wiser.

Yes, there was laughter in the delivery room as well as tears. The first time I pushed the nurse instructed Chuck to hold one of my legs close to his body as she held the other. After my first round of pushes, the nurse congratulated me on my efforts and Chuck let my leg go to rest until the next set. Having no control of my legs, the one he "let go" dropped to the bed like a sack of potatoes with a loud thud! He had ratted me out! Of course he apologized up one side and down the other (to me and to the nurse!) and promised to handle me a little more carefully next time. We all laughed. What did we know? We were novices. And nervous. It was a beautiful time.

The nurse left to tell our families to wait about getting their lunch because the baby was on the way! I pushed for about 40 minutes and at 1:26 pm, the most perfect, angelic little face met mine for the first time. "She looks like us!" I thought to myself (us meaning my side of the family! lol! Though for the first three years of her life, everyone thought she favored Chuck.). The expression on her face was like "What in the WORLD just happened?!?" I thought she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. So small. So plump. Perfection.

The nurse gave me something for the "shakes" I had after delivery which made me sick. Then I was given something for nausea which put me out. When they brought her to me, I could hardly hold her in my arms, so Chuck got to hold her and hold her while I slept the drugs off. Before I crashed he asked, "What's her middle name going to be?" I told him that it was up to him. He could choose. "Really?" he asked. "Really." I wish I could have been a fly on the wall (or at least conscious) to see their bonding. He had waited so long to hold her. I awoke to the most precious sight of a father totally in love with his baby girl. He named her after himself...Anna Gentry.

She took to breastfeeding like a champ, which was a good thing thing since I was still out of my mind on medication. The lactation nurse asked "And this is your first baby?" "Yes," I replied all proud of my offspring. Only a few hours old and surpassing expectations! I gloated. "She's going to be a rocket scientist," I thought. "A pretty one."

Perhaps it was a delicious cocktail of drugs and new-mom-itis, but when they brought her to me in the middle of the night for a feeding, I sprang up out of bed like a child on Christmas morning! It was a feeling I can distinctly remember to this day and one that I've tried to conjure up the 7,000 times since then that I've been woken up in the middle of the night to tend to her. Like an addict, that first high has never been able to be duplicated, though, even though we've tried and tried! lol!

We brought her home to a house full of family and friends who had prepared the most wonderful spread of food. It truly was a celebratory time. I felt like in the "Power Ball" of life, I had hit all the numbers. Everyone "ooh-ed " and "ahh-ed" over her and for a brief moment, all was right with the world. I was full of pride and humility at the same time. I was overwhelmed and completely satisfied and comfortable. I was fearful in ways I had never experienced before and yet determined and confident too. Motherhood had come with all it's wonderful paradoxes. Life was so good.

I felt the unconditional love of a mother for the first time ten years ago today and 3,650 days later, I couldn't be any more proud of my sweet little Anna. These have been ,without a doubt, the hardest and most fulfilling days of my life. Happy birthday, sugar plum. You will never know how very much you are loved...

How To Organize Your Magazines & Newspapers

I have a problem. Okay, I have more than one ;), but I have one specific problem that sends my husband through the roof. I am a hoarder of magazines. There. I said it. They say acknowledging a problem is the first step in recovery. So thanks, Jennifer Ford Berry for writing "Organize Now" and helping me come to terms with my obsession...

Following along with Bonnie at House of Grace this week, we are at week 10 (can you believe it? Time flies when your organizing!) and are tackling our magazines and newspapers. We don't take the newspaper at our house, so I'm free and clear on that one. Ahh, but the magazines. I need help. Do you? Let's check out this weeks goals:

*Toss or donate all magazines that are more than one year old. (I'm ashamed to tell you that just the other day I found some paper crafting magazines from 2007. Can you say "Twelve Step Program," please?!? Be sure to check each room in the house for old magazines (cuz I've got 'em stashed everywhere. Ev.er.y.where...

Exhibit A: Side table in living room stash.... (how heinous does that lamp look, btw? Yikes!)

And because one stash of magazines in your living room is not enough, two cubes (almost full) underneath the entryway table...

Here's some hiding out in the closet in the office...

And here's some in a bag that we took to the hospital back in March. The bag is full...

Okay... back to the goals:

*Toss all newspapers more than a month old.

*Toss all catalogs and sales papers that have expired. Make it a habit to toss all sales papers from the places that yo never shop and if you find something you want from a sales flyer, clip it out right away and put it on your to-do list.

*Clip what you need from old magazines, then recycle them or donate them. The thrift store in my town sells used magazines for like a quarter, sometimes. Yes, they have enabled by obsession, but I've also donated stacks to them as well. :)

*Designate a specific home for the magazines that are left.

*Cancel subscriptions to magazines that you never read anymore. I have let many subscriptions go in the past year or so. There may be hope for me yet! LOL!

I try to justify my large number of mags because of my various interests. My faves are "Family Fun," "Woman's Day," "Better Homes and Gardens," (or any of their other publications like "Do It Yourself," "Small Room Decorating," or "Paint Anything"). I will not turn down a "Martha Stewart Living" either, or a "Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee." My mother-in-law also gives me her cast-off which include "Redbook," (which I call the married ladies "Cosmo!") and "Martha Stewart Living." since I was a kid I loved "Highlights" and last year got Jamie her own subscription. I think I should get brownie points, though, because I have recently cancelled the subscription due to her lack of interest in conjunction with the cost.

My husband jokes that we could have been millionaires five times over if those periodicals hadn't "four-dollar-and-99-cents-ed" us to death! He's probably not exaggerating too much, there. I guess that's one reason I tend to hang on to them for as long as I do. So that I don't feel that the money has been completely wasted, I donate some to my local thrift store and take a few others with me to Children's Hospital when we have a clinic visit. From experience, I can tell you that it super nice to have something to read and take your mind off of things while waiting in the surgery or ICU waiting room. Doctors offices, nursing homes, and gyms will also be glad to take your extra magazines of your hands. You could also send them to me. Just kidding. Well, sort of. ;)

Whatever you do, please don't just throw your old magazines and newspapers in the trash. Touring my local recycling center last week has re-opened my eyes to the responsibility we have to our earth. You can also search out crafts for your kids to do on the Internet with old magazines. There's a ton of them. Anything to keep them from a land-fill.

Speaking of green living, I got an iPad for Christmas and though I could download my magazine subscriptions to it, I haven't yet. I've been thinking of trying it with one of the one's a get regularly, but honestly, there's just something about the feel of a crisp new magazine in my hand and the relaxation I get from turning the pages. It's very zen. But my renewed interest in "going green" has convinced me that I should at least give it a shot. I'll let you know what I think when I do.

The library was getting rid of these magazine racks one day. They were on a table marked "Free" so I took eight of them.

I've put them on top of my desk with the intentions of corralling like magazines and making this their permanent home. I thought this would make a good reference spot since it's right above the desk. Right now non-specific things are just kind of thrown up there, but the plan is in place!

Berry's Tips for STAYING Organized:

Once a Month

-Dispose of all items you've read and don't want to keep.

-Clip articles or ads that you'll need or want later.

Every 3-6 Months

-Donate all the magazines you are done with to a charity or business of your choice.

-Toss catalogs from the previous season.

-If you keep magazines in your bathroom, update the reading selection and toss the old issues.

Once a Year

-Cancel subscriptions to periodicals you do not consistently read.

Come back next week as we organize our e-mail. My inbox this morning had 243 messages. This is why I'm loving this book. I hope you are too!

Yummy Banana Bread

As I mentioned yesterday, I was down for the count last week with the worst case of food poisoning known to man (or so it seemed!). Momma was a pitiful pile of uselessness and unable to eat anything. All the while, the bananas I had bought to snack on after running was ripening themselves into oblivion. Not one to waste food ;), the first day that I felt better, I decided to make some banana bread (which surprisingly sounded palatable to my weak stomach!).

This is a recipe that I have combined from a few different ones and made into my own. You can make it with or without nuts, depending on your liking. Enjoy!

Banana Bread
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
2 eggs (beaten)
3 really ripe bananas (mashed)
1 cup pecans *optional*

Melt butter and add to sugar, eggs, and bananas. Mix well. Add flour and pecans, mixing well. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour in a buttered loaf pan (I spray mine with Pam).

How To Organize Your Files

Well, this week all of you readers will get a double dose of organizational posts as I was out of commission last week with food poisoning. I'm linking up with Bonnie at House of Grace as we are working our way through the book "Organize Now!" by Jennifer Ford Berry.

Week 9 is about organizing your files. Do you have a have a filing system in place? What should you hang on to, anyway? Why does paper multiply faster than two bunnies in the spring? I have no answer for the last one. The first two questions Berry can help us with!

Week 9 goals are:

*Get your papers together! If you don't have a filing system, start here. This includes all stashes you've stuck here and there. Immediately sort the junk and toss, toss, TOSS! (Berry says that 80% of what we file is never looked at again!) Place remaining papers "to file" in one location where you will be filing (like a home office or work area).

*If you have a filing system in place, go through the files and toss all useless and outdated information. Shred personal and financial information before recycling. (If you do not have a shredder I personally suggest in making that a priority. We have been the victims of identity theft in the past and now I shred all paperwork with any personal information on it. It just makes me sleep better at night. :D)

*Set up your filing system. If you have a lot of papers (like me!) get yourself a filing cabinet. A small, portable filing container (like a crate or a large accordion style one) will work just as well especially if you are not the paper hoarder that I am. Berry suggests color coding based on categories and whatever you do, do not use "miscellaneous" for a category! Examples of some you might want to create are:

-Bank Statements

-Credit card statements

-Pay stubs/ work related expenses

-School info (one for each child)

-Home and auto insurance

-Health insurance

-Tax info

*Start filing! Go through all the papers you've gathered "to file" and separate them by category. Berry says to use broad categories so that you won't end up with lots of files with only one or two categories each.

*Berry also suggests making a master page that lists all the files under each category to save time later on.

*Choose one storage space for your addresses and business cards and update this space with new addresses and phone numbers. If using an address book, always put your entries in pencil so you can update changes as needed.

How To STAY Organized:

Once a month: File papers waiting in your "to file" bin. This should be a file folder or tray on your desk to put your papers that you are currently working on filing.

Every 3-6 months: Go through your files and toss anything you don't need to keep.

Once a year: Every January clean out your file folders, making sure you have all of your tax info together. Purge your files from the previous year and move files that won't be used in the new year to a storage box.

Two weeks ago I promised you a peek at my new (to me) filing cabinet. This little gem was a cast-off from my in-laws. And though it's dinged and rusty (in parts) and stickered to death, I am in love with her. I call her "Big Bertha" because, well, she's big (duh!) and Bertha sounded like a lass that could use a (ahem) makeover. I have delusions of grandeur where I imagine myself giving her a delicious coat of glossy candy-apple-red paint, but for now, she's in her "before" stage:

The top drawer is filled right now with some crafting overflow. And let's face it, there is ALL kinds of craft overflow around these parts!

Here is the second drawer and where the files actually begin. The categories for my files are as follows:

-Bills Once I pay a bill, I mark it paid with the amount paid and the date and then it gets filed here in case there is any discrepancy with any of my creditors.

-Blog This is where I put blog inspiration until I find the time to get the fingers to the keyboard!

-Capital One This file contains documents that pertain to an account I had with Capital One. Capital One said I owed them money. I did not. Had to get a lawyer. Needless to say I'm keeping this paperwork til the cows come home. And also it should go without saying, but Capital One is NOT in my wallet!

-Baby Okay, I could probably get rid of some of this stuff since my kids are, like, 9 and 6. It's pretty much stuff from the pediatrician about shots and stuff. Mental note: PURGE!

-Cards These are cards I've picked up and keep on hand (birthday, condolence, etc) in case I need one in a hurry!

-Keepsake cards

-Church This has info about our church, pamphlets, and so on.

-Computer

-Credit cards

-Dish Network

-Edward Jones

-Fly Lady I printed out some of her schedules and keep them in here. Go here to check out her website.

-House

-IRS Business

-Kirby Vacuum

-Insurance

-Marriage/ Wills Okay, I know I need a fireproof box for the wills/ marriage license/ birth certificates. Save your e-mail. Momma's working on it... ;)

-Old work Yeah. From, like, college. Mostly short stories and poems.

-Paint Samples Cuz when your toddler marks with lip gloss all over the wall and you've trashed the remains of the paint and can't for the life of you remember the name of the color you painted your living room... this folder comes in super handy!!!

-Personal Obituaries and a few college things and newspaper clippings.

-Phone

-Printer

-School Handbook, medication forms, etc.

-Seizure stuff This is for information sheets we have gotten from the neurologist that I give out to caregivers.

-Stories Yeah, more written work. I guess I could consolidate, huh?

-Wedding/ Honeymoon A few mementos...

-Warranties/ Manuals

Below is the third drawer. This contains:

-School pictures

-Anna's school work

-Jamie's extra work from school (I had big plans for summer with this folder!)

-Crafts

-Christmas crafts

-Sewing machine

-Sewing patterns

-Craft patterns

-Techniques

-Inspiration sheets

-Craft paper in folders arranged by color

-Foam/ acetate

-Pattern paper (scraps)

Below is Chuck's contribution to the filing cabinet. That's tax stuff. I don't even touch it. Which is why it's kind of just thrown in there. At least we know where the tax stuff is when we need it.

So that's it! Check back Thursday where we will organize our magazines and newspapers. See you then!