Burlap continued

I had posted here about some burlap curtains I made for our dining room, and I questioned what to do with the extra burlap.

Thanks to my friend Lauren, for her guidance and encouragement in making burlap footballs for our front door.

Here's the pics and easy tutorials :)

This was the first football I made.  Then I realized this tan burlap matched our front door perfectly, hence making for a not-very-pretty-colored door hanger.

So I scooted back to Jo-Ann's and bought some chocolate burlap to make this:

Happy Crafting :)

19 Months

I figured I'd better do a quick 19 month post before Jackson moves on to 20 months.

This has been a big month of achievements!  Lots of calling out for "Mama!" and very much in an attachment phase for mama only (which can make dropping off for MDO, church nursery, Bible study nursery, quite the traumatic event for him).

Actively and always using his sign language for "eat," "more," "all done."  It's nice.  It cuts down on the whining, as he can get his point across a little more clearly.

Cutting bottom incisors.  Ouch.  Lots of drooling and occasional whiny days.  I'm sure it hurts like the dickens.  (What does that phrase even mean?)

I think he enjoyed Cocina Superior's refried black beans

Still very funny, quite the ham (is this an ancient phrase as well? Who determined that hams are funny?), always trying to make us laugh, giggling often himself.  Love it.

He'll imitate my hand motions in the car when we sing "This little light of mine," and "Joy joy joy down in my heart."  We even touch "lights" (our pointer fingers), he giggles, then I giggle.  Love these days with my boy.

Still loves to read and be read to.

Still plays with cars, choo choos, all the time.

A big helper in throwing things away, including things that don't need to be thrown away.

Will occasionally pick up dirty clothes off the floor and put in dirty clothes bin (one day I found a dirty pair of underwear in my clean underwear drawer.  Such a helper...).

Loves organizing, and he's very intentional about it.  Pays close attention to all detail.  Still very observant (but when has he not been?  he doesn't miss a trick).

Points to any and every moving vehicle in the sky.  Loves all things choo choo (trains), cars, trucks, airplanes.

Loves to dance, sing "Row Row," tackle Daddy, help wipe up spills, and is still very particular about dirt on his hands.  Oh, and did I mention we think he'll be a lefty? 

I have been bad about taking pictures this month, hence the lack of photos.  But, I've been enjoying my time with Jackson that I'm given.

Some delicious dessert recipes to come soon :)  Happy Nesting!!

Do you have LIFE all together?

I had an interesting conversation today with a complete stranger.  And to be honest, it took me aback, and I'm still pondering how I should have responded, why this lady thought what she spoke, etc.

Scenario:  I'm one tired 6 month pregnant lady in nursing scrubs, just coming off a short Lactation nursing shift, scrambling to pick up Jackson (day 2 MDO, still screaming when I dropped him off, very tired because he's been up all day, but overall happy to see his mama), and I dash next door to our church's consignment sale to briefly browse.  Jackson is in his stroller, and he's starting to get antsy that I'm conversing with my friends there, quickly browsing, and then I'm realizing that I'm being selfish in my time and need to get this baby to bed (although he later only slept for 40 minutes).

A young woman on my row of boys' clothing items spoke up and said, out of nowhere, "Wow, you make me look bad.  Here you have a toddler, a baby on the way, it appears you've been working, and I don't do any of that!  You have it all together." 

To be honest, I don't even know what I said.  Other than laugh it off and say, "Yea right," I really don't remember.  I was truly taken aback by her comment and her perception of me.  I asked about her children and she has a four year old and a 9 month old at home.

I've been pondering what she said because I thought, "Do any of us really have it all together?"

I don't care whether you have kids, are single, newly married, are in your 80's, do any of us really have it all together?  Is life organized and "in control" for anyone?

While the media, blogs, books would have you believe that there's a 1, 2, 3 step solution for getting your life together, I don't believe it exists.  I think we all look at each other, thinking the person next to us "has it made," "has it all together," "they have no stress or financial worries or debt or anxiety in their life."

I think we feel these emotions as a mercy from God, to keep us humble, to make us rely solely on HIM.  There are days I feel like my world is spinning so fast and I can't keep up:  We're about to have 2 kids, I'll be all alone while my husband is busy with tax season and out of town, what do I do about work, jobs, cleaning the house, cooking, how do I function with a newborn and a toddler, ailing grandparents, crises in Syria, crises in politics, dealing with my own sins, etc.

Then there are days when God gives me His overwhelming mercy and strength and energy, and I can say, "Okay, this was a good day.  Jackson was sweet, we had a great time together, I actually got dinner on the table, I actually cleaned a toilet, and I still have energy leftover to smile and spend time with my husband when he gets home from work."

I wish I could rewind my previous conversation with this woman and encourage her, encourage her in God's grace and mercy, remind her that I DON'T have it all together, but that by God's awesome, divine strength, He gets me through each and every day.

Thanks for listening to my musings.  I have been thinking about posting something along these lines for a while, and this little lady today kicked me into action to actually do it.

Does anyone out there agree with what I'm saying??

Verses to reflect on:

"The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him."  Exodus 15:2

"The joy of the Lord is your strength."  Nehemiah 8:10

"Do not grow weary in doing good."  II Thessalonians 3:13

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."  Galatians 6:9

"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who hope in the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."  Isaiah 40:28-31

Football Recipes

 
Here are 2 recent recipes I made for opening football weekend:

Southern Living's Layered Bean Dip

Photo courtesy of myrecipes.com

Southern Living's Key Lime Pound Cake

And this is what I want to make:

Mississippi Mud Cake

Coca Cola Cake

(Can you tell my baby's sweet tooth is kicking in?  Let's hope and pray I pass my glucose screening test this upcoming Monday!)

1st day MDO

Today was Jackson's first day of Mother's Day Out!  

(We missed last week because of being in NYC.)  I was a little nervous about him going from 8-1:30, as he's never stayed up that late for nap time.  But he did well (despite the fact he cried and clung to me when I dropped him off).  Because I was so rushed getting myself ready for work and Jackson ready for school, I didn't have much time to be sad or teary the day of drop off.

 Checking out his new bag (that I bought off of Etsy)

We love the Mother's Day Out program at our church, and Jackson was blowing kisses good-bye to his teachers when I picked him up today.  Let's hope tomorrow is not as "traumatic" in our good-byes.

New York, New York

Andy and I just got back from a fun weekend celebrating my best friend Shelby getting married to the love of her life Chris.  While I was sad to leave Jackson for four full days (the longest I've left him yet), he and his wonderful YaYa had a blast at our house, reading books, playing choo choos, and having undivided attention from his adoring grandmother.

 Shelby and her bridesmaids at the Bridesmaids Luncheon, King's Carriage House, Upper East Side

 Aunt Tina, Mom, Margaret

Me (yes, 6 months pregnant) and my sister

While Andy did work the entire weekend, he was able to sneak away to attend the rehearsal dinner (Hotel Wales, Upper East Side), and the wedding. He's pictured here with a very dear friend of mine, Melissa, and then Clay, another dear friend of ours.

 The groom (on left)

Rachael, Melissa, my dad, and me

The wedding was so beautiful, and Shelby was the most elegant bride.  While we were all a little worried about rain the day of the wedding, little did we know that we'd have to be worried about 2 tornadoes hitting Queens/Brooklyn!  Right as the wedding ended, but before the reception, the skies opened up.  Thankfully we all hailed cabs and made it speedily to the reception at the Junior League Building.

Thank goodness the beautiful bridesmaid dress fit!  :)  Do you see the look of worry on my face (saying, "hurry up mom and take the picture!  it's about to pour")

I know Shelby's eyes are closed in this picture my mom took, but I had to show how elegant she was in her dress.  Shelby and her new Carroll family

 We Auburn bridesmaids had so much fun reconnecting

Andy and I were able to spend (a little bit of) time together in the midst of his busy tax deadlines.  We visited old places we hadn't been to in 4 years, including Clinton Street Baking Co. for breakfast and Dos Caminos for a late lunch before heading to the airport.

I had so much fun celebrating Shelby and Chris in their city, and I wish them all the best in their marriage!

(And I thought I'd add my interesting observation while in NYC.  EVERYONE, and I mean everyone, started at my pregnant belly.  Like I was a martian...Very odd.  However, I was truly blessed (and surprised) by the (few) people who "looked out" for me in the subway.  Several saints offered up their seats, and one thuggish-looking guy even made sure the subway door stayed open for me.  He glared at some young guy who didn't offer his seat, and when a seat became available, this chivalrous gentleman even pointed it out to me and suggested I sit.  While I didn't take him up on his kind offer, as I had only one more stop to go, I seriously wanted to find his mother and thank her for raising her boy right, even if he does look thuggish.  There's my interesting observation of being pregnant in NYC, and a big thank you to the few saints looking out for those pregnant ladies on vehicles of mass transportation.)

Life Lately

Yes, a mega life saving device, but a sweet friend let us borrow it after Jackson repeatedly tried to "swim." He loved the freedom of moving around the pool with this mega device on

 Acrobatic "sissy"  (yes, it's upside down, but I thought it'd be easier to see this way)

 Enthralled, watching Cars 2 for the very first time

 Why can't your belly button be a light socket?